cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Standard-Based Integration Framework for Distributed Transit Trip Planning Systems

In the United States, most current transit trip planning systems on the Web are application silos. That is, they are difficult or even impossible to use when planning a trip across transit systems. The problem is especially severe when two transit agencies use different trip planning systems. This article describes a framework to integrate different trip planning systems into a distributed yet seamless system. It uses Web Services and XML technologies, and adopts the advanced traveler information systems standard developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to exchange transit itinerary information between systems. This integration framework supports loose coupling, expandability, and standardization. It allows individual transit agencies to maintain and update their own data and transit trip planning systems, but uses a mediator server to integrate them in a seamless manner. The end user can plan transit trips that cross different transit system boundaries seamlessly.
Effect of calcium omission on neurosecretion and electrical activity of crab pericardial organs.

Abstract Fluid bathing an isolated crab pericardial organ was assayed on the isolated, perfused crab heart in order to follow release of heart excitatory neurosecretory material in response to electrical stimulation. The propagated, compound action potential produced by stimulation was monitored extracellularly from the neurohemal structure. When calcium is omitted from the bathing saline, release of neurosecretory material is reduced to the unstimulated level. However, the compound potential is not depressed.
Numerical Modeling of Lipid Biosynthesis in Microalgae

A worldwide effort to find renewable alternatives to fossil fuels is underway. Potential sources of renewable fuel include microalgae. Under certain conditions, these organisms produce large amounts of triacylglycerides (TAGs), lipids that can be converted to biodiesel. However, the lipid biosynthetic pathway of microalgae is not fully understood. To better understand the conditions that govern lipid production in microalgae, we employ theoretical and computational methods to understand the topology, flux and regulatory properties of the metabolic pathway involved in TAG biosynthesis in microalgae. In particular, we seek to understand the differences that lead to altered TAG production in different microalgal species. We compare a species that naturally generates large amounts of TAG under stress conditions with a species that produces comparatively much less TAG under similar conditions. Predictions from the model will be validated by comparison with in vitro and in vivo experiments. By understanding more about lipid production in microalgae we hope to guide rational genetic engineering approaches to increase oil production in these organisms. We anticipate that these studies will ultimately provide insights into lipid biosynthesis for a wide range of other organisms.
Decision Process and Fuzzy Techniques in Component Based Design

The interoperability of components requires both macro process in business context, semantic metadata, and micro process for service design and physical implementation, we apply this strategy as our objective to evaluate and validate the common component and service aggregation which is the pre-design of service interoperability. This research apply decision process, analytical model, and fuzzy techniques to take the result from group decision for further development, we demonstrate how to use these model and techniques to produce the common component and service aggregation which is the foundation of enterprise integration. Fuzzy interaction model has been used to those systems that need be decided with uncertainty, it represents tools to aid research in production management when the dynamics of the production environment limit the specification of model objectives, constraints and the precise measurement.
Fatty acid export from the chloroplast. Molecular characterization of a major plastidial acyl-coenzyme A synthetase from arabidopsis

Acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetases (ACSs, EC 6.2.1.3) catalyze the formation of fatty acyl-CoAs from free fatty acid, ATP, and CoA. Essentially all de novo fatty acid synthesis occurs in the plastid. Fatty acids destined for membrane glycerolipid and triacylglycerol synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum must be first activated to acyl-CoAs via an ACS. Within a family of nine ACS genes from Arabidopsis, we identified a chloroplast isoform, LACS9. LACS9 is highly expressed in developing seeds and young rosette leaves. Both in vitro chloroplast import assays and transient expression of a green fluorescent protein fusion indicated that the LACS9 protein is localized in the plastid envelope. A T-DNA knockout mutant (lacs9-1) was identified by reverse genetics and these mutant plants were indistinguishable from wild type in growth and appearance. Analysis of leaf lipids provided no evidence for compromised export of acyl groups from chloroplasts. However, direct assays demonstrated that lacs9-1 plants contained only 10% of the chloroplast long-chain ACS activity found for wild type. The residual long-chain ACS activity in mutant chloroplasts was comparable with calculated rates of fatty acid synthesis. Although another isozyme contributes to the activation of fatty acids during their export from the chloroplast, LACS9 is a major chloroplast ACS.
Effect of pH on Injection Phlebitis

Formulation pH has been reported to be responsible for the incidence of phlebitis. In this study, the effect of pH on injection phlebitis is investigated. Buffers of varying pHs were examined for their ability to produce phlebitis in rabbits. Thermal measurements as well as visual evaluations were used for phlebitis quantitation. The results show that formulation pH between 3.0 and 11.0 does not contribute to the incidence of phlebitis when administered as an iv bolus injection.
Bone cell calcium stores: their size, location and kinetics of exchange.

The mean calcium content of a mixed population of viable bone cells freshly separated from the calcified bone matrix has been found to be 194.5±7.3 mmoles/kg wet weight in pigs and 176.6±8.7mmoles/kg in rats. The calcium appears to be intracellular, the major portion (90% or more) sedimenting readily with intracellular particles in a centrifugal field and the balance being largely in the cell sap. Kinetic studies using45Ca indicate rapid temperature-dependent turnover of the calcium in both soluble and particulate calcium pools of bone cell homogenates and a direct exchange between each pool and the extracellular medium, each occurring at a different rate and possibly by different mechanisms, the particulate pool being the more rapid. These data suggest that the particulate pool may correspond to the small dense granules recently identified in bone cells by electron microscopy and that the uptake, storage and release of calcium from these stores may be important in skeletal calcium metabolism.
Undersea optical stationkeeping: Improved methods

Submersibles require the capability to accurately maintain their position when they are observing, photographing, or working at a site. The most direct way for an ROV or AUV to maintain position in the near bottom environment is to track or lock onto stationary objects on the ocean floor. A particular advantage of an optical stationkeeping system is its ability to use natural rather than manmade beacons. Several improvements to our previously reported optical flow methods for the detection of vehicle motion have been investigated. Experimental results indicate that an adaptation of Newton-Raphson search combined with the use of a low-noise, high accuracy camera can drastically reduce the number of image points at which computations need be made. Other experiments with an algorithm, which accounts for illumination variations that one may encounter in undersea environments, show significant improvement in the estimation of optical flow and vehicle motion.
Inability to Control Eating: Addiction to Food or Normal Response to Abnormal Environment?

SUMMARY Both the increasing prevalence of obesity in a society obsessed with trying to be thin, and the self-reported inability to control eating in many obese patients, point to the possibility that overeating may be prevalent despite attempts to control it. The apparent lack of control has led some to describe overeating as an addiction. This paper briefly reviews the problem of overeating by examining the associated phenomenological, psychological, and physiological correlates of excessive appetite. A variety of factors may contribute to overeating, including the food environment, social influence, use of food to alleviate negative mood states, and potentiation of appetite from restrictive dieting. Although overeating may not fit an addictive model, the lack of self-control over eating has implications for treatment interventions and public health policy.
An engineered azurin variant containing a selenocysteine copper ligand.

Modulating the properties of proteins through de novo design or redesign of existing proteins has been a longstanding goal in protein chemistry. Over the past two decades, site-directed mutagenesis has been a powerful tool to probe the role of certain residues and to fine-tune the activity of proteins. A limitation of this approach has been the accessibility of only a restricted number of functional groups through the 20 amino acids in the genetic code. The more recent technique of expressed protein ligation (EPL) provides an alternative route that allows efficient incorporation of nonnatural residues into proteins. We report here the preparation and spectroscopic characterization of an azurin variant in which a cysteine ligand to the blue copper center has been replaced by EPL with selenocysteine (Sec). This reports marks the first time that selenocysteine is artificially incorporated into the active site of a metalloprotein. The variant displays a significantly increased A|| (from 56 to 104 G) and red-s...
Latent Thresholds Analysis of Choice Data under Value Uncertainty

In many non-market valuation settings stakeholders will be uncertain as to their exact willingness-to-pay for a proposed environmental amenity. It then makes sense for the analyst to treat this value as a random variable with distribution only known to the respondent. In stated preference settings, researchers have used elicitation formats with multiple bids and uncertain-response options to learn about individual value distributions. Past efforts have focused on inference involving the expectation of individual densities. This requires stringent and likely unrealistic assumptions regarding the shape or moments of individual value distributions. We propose a Latent Thresholds Estimator that focuses instead on the range, i.e. minimum and maximum willingness-to-pay of individual respondents. The estimator efficiently exploits correlation patterns in individual responses and does not require any restrictive assumptions on underlying values. It also nests some of the existing approaches, which are not statistically supported for our empirical application. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.
Compartmentalization of Human Growth Hormone by Cultured Human Lymphocytes

Initial reports of the interaction between human GH (hGH) and IM-9 cells described rapid and reversible binding to membrane receptors. In this study we present further investigations of hGH binding to IM-9 cells and suggest that this interaction does not demonstrate equilibrium kinetics but, rather, involves compartmentalization of both hormone and receptor. Incubation of IM-9 cells with [125I]hGH failed to demonstrate steady state binding. After 8 h at 30 C, specific binding was 100% greater than at 90 min (P < 0.001), with similar findings following incubation at 37, 15, and 4 C. As early as 15 min of incubation, the addition of excess unlabeled hGH for 1 h failed to dissociate over 50% of specifically bound hormone. The nondissociable fraction increased as a function of incubation time, so that by 6 h of incubation, 80% of labeled hormone could not be dissociated by 1 h of exposure to excess unlabeled hGH. Although more prolonged exposure to unlabeled hGH resulted in slightly greater dissociation of ce...
The magnetic properties of the manganese-gallium-aluminum-germanium system

The properties of solid solutions of composition MnGa1−xAlxGe formed from ferromagnetic MnGaGe (Tc = 185°C) and MnAlGe (Tc = 245°C) have been examined. In the range, 0 < x < 0.1, the Curie temperature and saturation magnetization are not a monotonic function of x as might be expected for a solid solution of two ferromagnets. Instead, for x = 0.025, the Curie temperature is actually ∼77°C lower than that of MnGaGe. Despite the similarity in the structure and lattice constants of MnGaGe and MnAlGe, aluminum rich compositions, e.g., x = 0.95 show no solid solution. Attempts to prepare other ferromagnetic ternary Mn (IIIA) (IVA) compounds have not been successful.
A Three-Dimensional Porous and Magnetic Framework Constructed from {Cu4(μ4-Cl)}+7 Clusters and 4-(1H-Tetrazol-5yl)-benzoic Acid, (Me2NH2)[Cu4Cl(tba)4(H2O)4]·2DMF

The hydrothermal reaction of CuCl2·2H2O and 4-(1H tetrazol-5-yl)-benzoic acid (H2tba) in the presence of excess HCl yielded the three-dimensional material (Me2NH2)[Cu4Cl(tba)4(H2O)4]·2DMF. The structure is constructed from {Cu4(μ4-Cl)(H2O)4}7+ clusters linked through tba2− ligands into an open framework with 57% void volume. The microporosity and magnetic properties of the material were investigated.
Assessment of effects of autonomic stimulation and blockade on the signal-averaged electrocardiogram.

BACKGROUND Signal-averaged ECG is a noninvasive test designed to detect "late potentials." The effects of alterations in autonomic tone on the signal-averaged ECG have not been evaluated systematically. METHODS AND RESULTS The effects of autonomic stimulation and blockade on the signal-averaged ECG were evaluated in 14 healthy subjects (8 men and 6 women; age, 28.5 +/- 4.8 years) on 2 separate days. The signal-averaged ECG was recorded at baseline and after physiological and pharmacologic beta-adrenergic stimulation (tilt, exercise, and epinephrine and isoproterenol infusions), sequential and combined beta-adrenergic and parasympathetic blockade, and alpha-adrenergic stimulation before and after parasympathetic blockade. Analysis was performed with a bidirectional filter (40-Hz high-pass). Significant changes in the signal-averaged QRS duration from baseline (105.1 +/- 12.0 milliseconds) were noted with tilt (96.8 +/- 8.8 milliseconds), tilt after double blockade (97.5 +/- 9.0 milliseconds), epinephrine (110.5 +/- 11.8 milliseconds), and isoproterenol (99.6 +/- 12.6 milliseconds). Changes in the root-mean-square voltage of the terminal 40 milliseconds and the low-amplitude (< 40 microV) signal duration paralleled the changes in the QRS duration. CONCLUSIONS The signal-averaged ECG does not measure only "fixed" parameters but rather is altered under a variety of physiological and pharmacologic conditions. Upright tilt leads to shortening of the QRS duration before and after autonomic blockade; thus, the decrease in QRS duration with tilt may be related to factors other than changes in autonomic tone. These findings have implications for interpretation of the results of signal-averaged ECG.
Multiplicity of the β Form of the cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Inhibitor Protein Generated by Post-translational Modification and Alternate Translational Initiation

Two distinct species of the thermostable inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, PKIalpha and PKIbeta, exist that are the products of separate genes. The PKIbeta form, as first isolated from rat testis, is a 70-amino acid protein, but the genomic sequence suggested that an alternate form might exist, arising as a consequence of alternate translational initiation. This species, now termed PKIbeta-78, has been synthesized by bacterial expression, demonstrated to be equipotent with PKIbeta-70, and also now demonstrated to occur in vivo. By Western blot analyses, six additional species of PKIbeta are also evident in tissues. Two of these represent the phospho forms of PKIbeta-78 and PKIbeta-70. The other four represent phospho and dephospho forms of two higher molecular mass PKIbeta species. These latter forms are currently termed PKIbeta-X and PKIbeta-Y, awaiting the full elucidation of their molecular identity. In adult rat testis and cerebellum, PKIbeta-70, PKIbeta-X, and PKIbeta-Y constitute 39, 23, and 32% and 15, 29, and 54% of the total tissue levels, respectively. In adult rat testis, 35-42% of each of these three species is present as a monophospho form, whereas no phosphorylation of them is evident in cerebellum. PKIbeta-78 is present at much lower levels in both rat testis and cerebellum (approximately 6 and 2% of the total, respectively) and almost entirely as a monophospho species. PKIbeta-78, like PKIbeta-70, is a high affinity and specific inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. PKIbeta-Y and PKIbeta-X, in contrast, also significantly inhibit the cGMP-dependent protein kinase.
Measurements of Troxler’s effect

Two experiments involving Troxler’s Effect measure the significance of the particular half of the visual field with which the stimulus is perceived, the significance of the amount of visual angle subtended by the stimulus, and the effects of prolonged viewing on the disappearance patterns. No effects are found due to temporal vs nasal viewing but the subtended arc is a major factor in disappearance time and frequency. Prolonged viewing creates a linear disappearance pattern over time.
SHOCKLEY-TYPE SURFACE STATES ON THE (111) AND (110) SURFACES OF Cu-BASED ALLOYS WITH NOBLE AND TRANSITION METAL IMPURITIES

We have investigated Shockley-type surface states (SSS's) on ideal semi-infinite surfaces of randomly disordered alloys, Cu70Ni30, Cu80Ni20, Cu90Ni10, Cu85Pd15, Cu95Pd5, and Cu90Au10 using a Green's function approach. In particular, the binding energies and disorder induced smearings of the -centered SSS's on the (111) surfaces and the -centered SSS's on the (110) surfaces of these alloys are presented. Our theoretical predictions are in good accord with the available angle-resolved photoemission measurements, although the experimental results in this regard for well-characterized alloy surfaces appear to be limited to the (111) surfaces of CuPd and CuAu solid solutions. The binding energy of the SSS's is found to decrease roughly linearly with decreasing e/a ratio, but significant deviations from such a rigid-band behavior are noted for various impurities. The SSS's investigated in this article lie in the gap in the bulk alloy electronic spectrum, and their character (changes in binding energy on alloying, and disorder induced smearing) is correlated with that of the L2′ bulk level.
Methods: Genetic Epidemiology

Given the potential benefits of gene identification in psychiatry, genetic epidemiology has become a mainstream discipline within the field. This article discusses the main tools for gene discovery. The focus is on the designs and analytic approaches for each of these methods. Because most gene discovery has now moved to genetic association studies, and most recently to genome-wide association studies, the focus is on methods for this design. Also highlighted are the current challenges of genetic epidemiology as a prelude to future approaches that may be applied to psychiatric disorders in the coming years.
A low-cost, reliable, high-throughput system for rodent behavioral phenotyping in a home cage environment

Inexpensive, high-throughput, low maintenance systems for precise temporal and spatial measurement of mouse home cage behavior (including movement, feeding, and drinking) are required to evaluate products from large scale pharmaceutical design and genetic lesion programs. These measurements are also required to interpret results from more focused behavioral assays. We describe the design and validation of a highly-scalable, reliable mouse home cage behavioral monitoring system modeled on a previously described, one-of-a-kind system [1]. Mouse position was determined by solving static equilibrium equations describing the force and torques acting on the system strain gauges; feeding events were detected by a photobeam across the food hopper, and drinking events were detected by a capacitive lick sensor. Validation studies show excellent agreement between mouse position and drinking events measured by the system compared with video-based observation — a gold standard in neuroscience.
A biventricular multimodal (MRI/ultrasound) cardiac phantom

A cardiac phantom can be of crucial importance in the development and validation of ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and image analysis methods. A biventricular multimodal cardiac phantom has been manufactured in-house that can simulate normal and pathologic hearts with different degrees of infarction. The two-chamber structure can simulate the asymmetric left ventricular motion. Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) is utilized as the basic material since it can simulate the shape, elasticity, and MR and ultrasound properties of the heart. The cardiac shape is simulated using a two-chamber acrylic mold. An additional pathologic heart phantom has been built to simulate aneurysm and infarction. Segmental dyskinesis is modeled based on three inclusions of different shapes and different degrees of elasticity. The cardiac elasticity is adjusted based on freeze-thaw cycles of the PVA cryogel for normal and scarred regions.
Applied physics: Bubbly but quiet

An array of air bubbles in a rubber-like material can be made to block the transmission of sound. This finding might help in the design of soundproof walls for music rooms and urban apartments.
Phase Separation in Two-Dimensional Fluid Mixtures

The phase separation of two-dimensional fluid mixtures was investigated with molecular dynamics simulations. The behavior of both single-component and binary mixtures as a function of temperature, volume fraction, and average fluid density was considered. In both systems, the diffusive coalescence of clusters is the primary mechanism of growth. In binary systems, the shape transformations of merging droplets induce important long-range flow in the system.
Differences between white and Chinese populations in human leukocyte antigen sharing and gestational trophoblastic tumors

Abstract The prevalence of gestational trophoblastic tumors varies widely among different populations: it is lowest in whites (3 to 6/100,000) and highest in Chinese (68 to 202/100,000). This observation suggests that the origin of the disease is different in the two populations. To test this hypothesis, we examined couples in whom the woman developed a gestational trophoblastic tumor in a white population (Pittsburgh) and a Chinese population (Taiwan) for sharing of human leukocyte A, B, DR, and DQ antigens, which we consider markers for sharing of major histocompatibility complex-linked recessive genes affecting both embryogenesis and carcinogenesis. No human leukocyte antigen sharing occurred between partners in Pittsburgh, but there was significant human leukocyte antigen sharing in Taiwan. The latter couples shared human leukocyte antigen B ( p p p
The roles of PIKE in tumorigenesis

Tumorigenesis is the process by which normal cells evolve the capacity to evade and overcome the constraints usually placed upon their growth and survival. To ensure the integrity of organs and tissues, the balance of cell proliferation and cell death is tightly maintained. The proteins controlling this balance are either considered oncogenes, which promote tumorigenesis, or tumor suppressors, which prevent tumorigenesis. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase enhancer (PIKE) is a family of GTP-binding proteins that possess anti-apoptotic functions and play an important role in the central nervous system. Notably, accumulating evidence suggests that PIKE is a proto-oncogene involved in tumor progression. The PIKE gene (CENTG1) is amplified in a variety of human cancers, leading to the resistance against apoptosis and the enhancement of invasion. In this review, we will summarize the functions of PIKE proteins in tumorigenesis and discuss their potential implications in cancer therapy.
High-Energy Production Processes in the Eikonal Approximation

For high-energy production processes, the factorization properties of inelastic effects on the elastic amplitude are studied, first by the eikonal approximation method in a perturbative approach (without assuming the momentum of a produced particle is small), and second by functional methods for many- but soft-particle production. The latter corresponds to the situation in the Bloch-Nordsieck model.
THE ROLE OF OMNIVORY IN A NEOTROPICAL STREAM: SEPARATING DIURNAL AND NOCTURNAL EFFECTS

The role of omnivory in structuring communities is potentially great in lowland neotropical streams that are characterized by an abundance of macroconsumers that consume both insects and algae. Here, we separate effects of natural densities of diurnal fishes and nocturnal shrimps in structuring the benthic community of a stream draining Costa Rica’s Atlantic slope. We experimentally manipulated the spatial and temporal access of fishes and shrimps to benthic resources, in situ, using electric “fences” powered by solar-powered fence chargers. Both fishes and shrimps significantly reduced inorganic sediment mass, organic ash-free dry mass (AFDM), densities of larval Chironomidae, and total insects: their combined effects were greater than effects of either group alone, and there was no significant interaction. Fishes shifted algal community composition from diatoms to green and blue-green algae and benthic insect communities towards chironomids, while shrimps had no significant effect on community composition. Effects of fishes were generally greater than those of shrimps, and this is due, in part, to higher natural densities and foraging pressures of fishes. Furthermore, shrimps foraged for significantly longer periods of time in the treatment where fishes were excluded than in the combined fish and shrimp access treatment, suggesting that diurnally feeding fishes are strong “interactors,” mediating resource availability to nocturnally feeding shrimps. Natural erosion and sediment-mediated effects of macroconsumers (both direct and indirect) also affected algal communities: a manual sediment removal experiment resulted in significant reductions of diatom biovolume and increases in the filament length of green and blue-green algae. Our results show the importance of: (1) assessing macroconsumer effects in a relatively natural depositional environment subject to background erosion and sloughing (i.e., in this case by using electric exclosures); (2) evaluating effects of natural densities of both diurnal and nocturnal macroconsumers through time in the context of these abiotic effects; and (3) distinguishing between the response of different types of algal resources (e.g., diatoms vs. green and blue-green algae), which are differentially affected by sedimentation and erosion. Cage experiments, short-term observations, or one-time sampling of undifferentiated “algae” may artificially overestimate trophic effects and underestimate abiotic effects. We found no evidence of a trophic cascade. Our findings are in agreement with the theoretical prediction that large-sized omnivores have strong direct trophic (feeding) effects, both on smaller primary consumers (insects) and basal resources (algae).
Fate of acetone in an outdoor model stream in southern Mississippi, U.S.A.

Abstract The fate of acetone in water was investigated in an outdoor model stream located in southern Mississippi, U.S.A. Acetone was injected continuously for 32 days resulting in small milligram-perliter concentrations in the stream. Rhodamine-WT dye was injected at the beginning and at the end of the study to determine the time-of-travel and dispersion characteristics of the stream. A 12-h injection of t-butyl alcohol (TBA) was used to determine the volatilization characteristics of the stream. Volatilization controlled the acetone concentration in the stream. Significant bacterial degradation of acetone did not occur, contrary to expectations based on previous laboratory studies. Attempts to induce degradation of the acetone by injecting glucose and a nutrient solution containing bacteria acclimated to acetone were unsuccessful. Possible explanations for the lack of bacterial degradation included a nitrate limitation and a limited residence time in the stream system.
A Simplex Optimization Program for the Determination of Temperatures in Reduced-Pressure ICPS

Previously, in this journal, it has been shown that the atomic state populations in low-pressure ICP systems can be modeled with the use of Fermi-Dirac counting statistics. In these works the relative population of the upper state of an emission transition, ni, is set proportional to the average occupation number from Fermi-Dirac counting: ni = Iλ/gA = C*[exp((ei − μ)/kT]−1 (1) where ni is the relative population, I is the intensity of the transition corrected for spectral response, λ is the wavelength, g is the orbital degeneracy, A is the Einstein coefficient for spontaneous emission, C is the proportionality constant, ei is the energy of the upper level, μ is the chemical potential for an electron in the atom, k is Boltzmann's constant, and T is the absolute temperature. Since relative populations are usually expressed as logarithms, Eq. 1 becomes ln(ni) = ln C + ln[exp[((ei − μ)/kT) + 1]−1. (2) In this expression there are three variable quantities: C, μ, and T. All other quantities are known or measured experimentally. In previous works, the variable quantities were determined in a cumbersome and somewhat arbitrary manner. This method consisted of equating the most populous state to an occupation number of one and solving for C, followed by a "hand optimization" of μ and T to minimize the deviation between experimentally determined and calculated populations.
Preoperative Stent Placement Decreases Cost of Ureteroscopy

Objectives To examine the effect of preoperative stent placement on total cost of ureteroscopic stone intervention. Passive ureteral dilation with a preoperative ureteral stent has been proposed as a method to facilitate both upper tract access and stone removal. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent ureteroscopic stone intervention at our institution from 2005 to 2009. A sample of patients who had undergone stenting before ureteroscopy was selected and nonstented matched controls were used as a comparison group. A cost model was used to compare the total healthcare costs for the prestented and nonstented patients with a large (>1 cm) and small (≤1 cm) stone burden using the actual cost accrued for each patient. Sensitivity analyses were used to examine the robustness of the cost model. Results A total of 104 patients were included in the present study (45 prestented, 59 not prestented). The median stone size was 1 cm (range 0.3-4). The overall stone clearance rate was 95.8%. The median number of procedures was 1. Pre-stenting significantly decreased the total healthcare cost in patients with stones >1 cm. The median cost for the prestented and nonstented cohorts was $17 706 and $27 806, respectively (P < .01). However, prestenting increased the total cost for smaller stones of ≤1 cm, although not significantly. The median cost for the prestented and nonstented cohorts was $10 872 and $12 344, respectively (P = .70). Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the model conclusions are robust. Conclusions Preoperative stent placement is cost-effective for successful ureteroscopic treatment of stones >1 cm.
Personality and Coping Styles in the Prediction of Dropout From Treatment for Cocaine Abuse

This study was designed to distinguish between dropouts and completers of residential therapeutic community treatment for cocaine abuse on the basis of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory II (MCMI-II; Millon, 1987) and Ways of Coping Checklist (WCCL; Folkman, Lazarus, Dunkel-Schetter, DeLongis, & Gruen, 1986) scales, which measure detached, dependent, and independent personality and coping styles. Dropouts were differentiated from completers in two discriminant functions defined, in part, by scores on scales that tap a fiercely independent orientation with manipulative, exploitive, and confrontive interpersonal features. Also contributing to the discriminant functions identified in this study were scores on scales that measure responsiveness to direction from others associated with strong desire for social approval and ability to establish self-control of emotional and behavioral reactions.
Metal uptake by agricultural plant species grown in sludge-amended soil following ecosystem restoration practices

The disposal of municipal sewage sludge is an important environmental problem presently facing society. Because sludge is rich in plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, land application as a fertilizer has been proposed as a cost-effective means of disposal. This method of disposal, however, is frequently the subject of public health concern since municipal sludge may contain heavy metals that potentially could be introduced into the human food chain. This study examined metal concentrations in two agricultural species at a study site where ecosystem restoration practices (liming and tilling) had been conducted for 5 years following 11 years of sludge enrichment. 11 refs., 2 tabs.
Media as Social Institution

Mass media have emerged as a social institution, assuming many of the functions formerly served by traditional social institutions such as the church, school, government, and family. However, in We...
Mechanistic Insights from Reactions between Copper(II)−Phenoxyl Complexes and Substrates with Activated C−H Bonds

The reactivities of two copper(II)−phenoxyl analogues of the oxidized, active form of the metalloenzyme galactose oxidase, [1tBu2]+ and [2tBu2]+, have been studied using the substrates benzyl alcohol and 9,10-dihydroanthracene, for a total of four reactions. The reaction stoichiometries in all cases show a 2:1 ratio of oxidant to benzaldehyde or anthracene product, indicating that [1tBu2]+ and [2tBu2]+ behave ultimately as only one-electron oxidants, but the reaction kinetics each indicate that only a single copper(II)−phenoxyl complex is involved in the rate-determining step. For each substrate, rate laws indicate that [1tBu2]+ and [2tBu2]+ react by different mechanisms: one proceeds by a simple bimolecular reaction, while the other first enters into a substrate-binding equilibrium before subsequently reacting by an intramolecular reaction. The reactions proceeding by the latter mechanism have faster overall rates, which correlates to a lower entropic barrier for the substrate-binding mechanism. Correla...
Crisis and Decline: The Viceroyalty of Peru In the Seventeenth Century

Crisis and Decline: The Viceroyalty of Peru In the Seventeenth Century. Kenneth J. Andrien. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1985. 298 pp. $27.50 (paper). ISBN 0-8263-0791-4.
Cardioprotection During the Final Stage of the Late Phase of Ischemic Preconditioning Is Mediated by Neuronal NO Synthase in Concert With Cyclooxygenase-2

The infarct-sparing effect of the late phase of ischemic preconditioning (late PC) lasts for 72 hours. Upregulation of both cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been shown to be essential to the protection in the initial stage of late PC (24 hours after PC); however, the mechanisms underlying the protection in the final stage of late PC (48 to 72 hours after PC) are unknown. Conscious rabbits were preconditioned with six cycles of 4-minute coronary occlusion/4-minute reperfusion. At 72 hours after PC, powerful protection against infarction was associated with increased myocardial levels of COX-2 mRNA, protein, and cardioprotective prostaglandins (PGI 2 and PGE 2 ). The COX-2–selective inhibitor NS-398 completely blocked the protection. Surprisingly, iNOS expression was not increased at 72 hours; instead, upregulation of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) was evident at both the mRNA (+266±20%, P P P N -propyl-l-arginine or S -ethyl N -[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]isothiourea completely blocked the protection of late PC at 72 hours, whereas the iNOS-selective inhibitor S -methylisothiourea had no effect. In line with these findings, the disappearance of protection at 120 hours after PC was associated with the return of nNOS mRNA, protein, and activity to control levels. Although expression of COX-2 protein was still elevated at 120 hours, only a marginal increase in PGI 2 and PGE 2 levels was detected. In contrast to 72 hour after PC, nNOS was not upregulated at 24 hour after PC. We conclude that (1) the cardioprotection observed in the final stage of late PC (72 hour) is mediated by nNOS, not by iNOS, in concert with COX-2, and (2) nNOS-derived NO is required to drive COX-2 activity. These data identify, for the first time, a cardioprotective role of nNOS and demonstrate, surprisingly, that the mechanism of late PC differs at 72 hours (nNOS) versus 24 hours (iNOS).
Relative efficiencies of radioactive neutron sources

Abstract A number of radium-beryllium and radon-beryllium neutron sources are compared. It is found that the radon sources may vary inefficiency by more than a factor of two, while the radium sources seldom vary by more than 15 per cent. These efficiencies are based on the customary assumed ratio of gamma ray activity to neutron-production. Sources manufactured under similar conditions are found to compare more favorably; i.e. with less variation among themselves. The reasons for the variations are investigated, and also the factors influencing the efficiency. It is found that, for the radium sources, the mixing is especially important; the size of the radium grains is important; the purity of the beryllium is important. The geometrical shape of the source and the absolute amount of beryllium are not found to be especially important.For the radon sources, it is in addition especially important that the container be as full as possible, with as little space as possible occupied by gas alone. The contribution of photoneutrons to the total emission is investigated, and found to be of the order of two tenths.
Design of a flexible parts feeding system

This paper describes the design and implementation of a flexible parts feeding system. While flexibility encompasses every part of the workcell design, including hardware and control software, the ability to feed parts in a wide variety of sizes and shapes is crucial. Conventional feeding methods, such as vibratory bowl feeders, are not practical for flexible workcells because of their specialized nature. This system is composed of three conveyors working together. The first conveyor is inclined and lifts parts from a bulk hopper in a quasi-singulated manner. Parts fall from the first conveyor onto the second, horizontally mounted, conveyor. An underlit window at the end of the second conveyor presents a silhouette image of the parts to a vision system. After the pose of a part has been determined, a robotic arm is used to acquire it. Parts which are in unfavorable orientations or are overlapping are returned to the bulk hopper by a third conveyor. Guidelines for part design which improve the feeding system's performance are also presented.
Integrating informal and formal approaches to requirements modeling and analysis

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) comprises several different notations for object-oriented modeling with no formal semantics attached to the individual diagrams. We have developed a generic framework for formalizing a subset of UML diagrams in terms of various formal languages, with a focus on embedded systems. We have formalized UML in terms of Promela, thus enabling analysis of the UML diagrams by the SPIN model checker and simulator. We have also developed a number of visualizations to assist in the interpretation of the analysis results. This paper presents a case study of the UML design and automated analysis of an industrial automotive embedded system using our formalization techniques, supporting tools and existing analysis.
Newly Synthesized Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates Are Required for Synaptic Norepinephrine but Not Glutamate or γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Release

Newly synthesized phosphatidylinositol phosphates have been implicated in many membrane-trafficking reactions. They are essential for exocytosis of norepinephrine in PC12 cells and chromaffin cells, suggesting a function in membrane fusion. We have now studied the role of phosphatidylinositol phosphates in synaptic vesicle exocytosis using synaptosomes. Under conditions where phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositols is blocked, norepinephrine secretion was nearly abolished whereas glutamate and GABA release was still elicited. Thus phosphatidylinositides are essential only for some membrane fusion reactions, and exocytotic release mechanisms differ between neurotransmitters.
Sexual behaviour induces the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein and modifies neuronal morphology in the female rat ventromedial hypothalamus.

Female sexual behaviour activates a distributed network within the brain, including the ventro-lateral subdivision of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (vIVMH), as demonstrated by behavioural studies performed in conjunction with the neuroanatomical analysis of immediate early gene (IEG) expression. However, it has been difficult to interpret mating-induced IEG expression because the precise function of many lEGs remains poorly defined. One possible function for genomic activation of the vIVMH during mating behaviour is to establish synaptic remodelling. The present experiments tested the hypothesis that sexual behaviour rapidly induces the expression of a structural protein associated with synaptic plasticity and ultimately causes morphological changes in the vIVMH. First, the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein (Arc), an IEG associated with neural plasticity, was assayed immunohistochemically in females after approximately 1 h of mating. The number of Arc-labelled neurones in the vIVMH was greater in mated females compared to unmated controls. Second, VMH neurones were biolistically labelled for morphological measurements, including soma size, dendrite number and length and dendritic spine density. Dendritic spine density in the vIVMH was significantly reduced 5 days after mating in experienced females compared to sexually naive females. There were no differences between these groups in soma size, dendrite length or dendrite number. Collectively, these studies suggest that mating behaviour produces short-term changes in structural proteins and long-term, selective changes in dendrite morphology, which then may influence future behaviours and/or physiology.
VAPOR-LIQUID EQUILIBRIA FOR AQUEOUS SULFURIC ACID

The composition of the vapor phase over sulfuric acid has not been measured experimentally because of the low volatility of H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. A method is described for calculating the partial pressures of H/sub 2/O, H/sub 2/ SO/sub 4/, and SO/sub 3/ based upon liquid-phase partial-molal thermodynamic quantities. Tables and graphs are provided which give the above partial pressures from --50 to 400 deg C at thirty-six compositions between 10 and 100 weight-percent acid. (auth)
Correlating the motion of electrons and nuclei with two-dimensional electronic–vibrational spectroscopy

Multidimensional nonlinear spectroscopy, in the electronic and vibrational regimes, has reached maturity. To date, no experimental technique has combined the advantages of 2D electronic spectroscopy and 2D infrared spectroscopy, monitoring the evolution of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom simultaneously. The interplay and coupling between the electronic state and vibrational manifold is fundamental to understanding ensuing nonradiative pathways, especially those that involve conical intersections. We have developed a new experimental technique that is capable of correlating the electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom: 2D electronic–vibrational spectroscopy (2D-EV). We apply this new technique to the study of the 4-(di-cyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-p-(dimethylamino)styryl-4H-pyran (DCM) laser dye in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide and its excited state relaxation pathways. From 2D-EV spectra, we elucidate a ballistic mechanism on the excited state potential energy surface whereby molecules are almost instantaneously projected uphill in energy toward a transition state between locally excited and charge-transfer states, as evidenced by a rapid blue shift on the electronic axis of our 2D-EV spectra. The change in minimum energy structure in this excited state nonradiative crossing is evident as the central frequency of a specific vibrational mode changes on a many-picoseconds timescale. The underlying electronic dynamics, which occur on the hundreds of femtoseconds timescale, drive the far slower ensuing nuclear motions on the excited state potential surface, and serve as a excellent illustration for the unprecedented detail that 2D-EV will afford to photochemical reaction dynamics.
Lin28 Promotes Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells and Activates the Androgen Receptor

Prostate cancer (CaP) progresses to a castration-resistant state assisted by multifold molecular changes, most of which involve activation of the androgen receptor (AR). Having previously demonstrated the importance of the Lin28/let-7/Myc axis in CaP, we tested the hypothesis that Lin28 is overexpressed in CaP and that it activates AR and promotes growth of CaP cells. We analyzed human clinical CaP samples for the expression of Lin28 by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and IHC. Growth characteristics of CaP cell lines transiently and stably expressing Lin28 were examined. The clonogenic ability of CaP cells expressing Lin28 was determined by colony formation and soft agar assays. Increase in expression of AR and subsequent increase in transcription of AR-target genes were analyzed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, luciferase assays, and ELISA. LNCaP cells stably expressing Lin28 were injected into nude mice, and tumorigenesis was monitored. We found that Lin28 is overexpressed in clinical CaP compared to benign prostates. Overexpression of Lin28 enhanced, while down-regulation reduced, growth of CaP cells. Lin28 enhanced the ability of CaP cells to form colonies in anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent conditions. LNCaP cells stably expressing Lin28 exhibited significantly higher tumorigenic ability in vivo. Lin28 induced expression of the AR and its target genes such as PSA and NKX3.1. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a novel role for Lin28 in CaP development and activation of the AR axis.