cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Embryonic ventral mesencephalic grafts to the substantia nigra of MPTP-treated monkeys: feasibility relevant to multiple-target grafting as a therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Transplantation of embryonic dopamine (DA) neurons is being studied as an experimental replacement therapy for the DA-deficiency characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Some studies suggest that one of the limitations of this approach is that intrastriatal placement of implants fails to consistently restore completely normal movement. One potential cause of this suboptimal therapeutic outcome is that changes in the neural activity of several structures in the basal ganglia circuitry resulting from striatal DA depletion is not adequately normalized by graft-derived DA replacement in striatum alone. In the present study, we assessed the feasibility of grafting embryonic DA neurons into the substantia nigra (SN) of adult parkinsonian monkeys as an approach to restoration of the DA modulation of striatal-nigral afferents that is lost after degeneration of SN neurons. Sixteen St. Kitts African green monkeys treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) received implants of embryonic monkey ventral mesencephalon (VM), or sham implants, aimed at the rostral SN. At 6 months after grafting, staining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) indicated that grafted DA neurons survived at this site, albeit often in reduced numbers compared with VM grafts to striatum. Grafted neurons extended neurites into the parenchyma of the SN, but there was no evidence of lengthy extension of graft-derived neurites rostrally along the trajectory of the mesostriatal fiber system. A region-specific, modest increase in DA levels and TH-positive fiber density in the ventral-medial putamen was detected, accompanied by modest but significant decreases in parkinsonian behaviors at 5-6 months after grafting. Our findings support the view that grafting embryonic tissue to the SN is a feasible procedure in nonhuman primates that provides a modest but detectable benefit of its own. These results encourage the further development of multiple-target grafting strategies as a means of restoring modulation of anatomically widespread basal ganglia structures relevant to treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Real-time, label-free, all-electrical detection of Salmonella typhimurium using lead titanate zirconate/gold-coated glass cantilevers at any relative humidity

We have examined non-insulated PZT/gold-coated glass cantilevers for real-time, label-free detection of Salmonella t. by partial dipping at any relative humidity. The PZT/gold-coated glass cantilevers were consisted of a 0.127 mm thick PZT layer about 0.8 mm long, 2 mm wide bonded to a 0.15 mm thick gold-coated glass layer with a 3.0 mm long gold-coated glass tip for detection. We showed that by placing the water level at the nodal point, about 0.8 mm from the free end of the gold-glass tip, there was a 1-hr window in which the resonance frequency was stable despite the water level change by evaporation at 20% relative humidity or higher. By dipping the cantilevers to their nodal point, we were able to do real-time, label-free detection without background resonance frequency corrections at any relative humidity. The partially dipped PZT/gold-coated glass cantilever exhibited mass detection sensitivity, Δm/Δf = -5×10(-11)g/Hz, and a detection concentration sensitivity, 5×10(3) cells/ml in 2 ml of liquid, which was about two orders of magnitude lower than that of a 5 MHz QCM. It was also about two orders of magnitude lower than the infection dosage and one order of magnitude lower that the detection limit of a commercial Raptor sensor.
The activity of Fe-Pd alloys for the water-gas shift reaction

The role of Fe promoters has been investigated on Pd/ceria, Pt/ceria and Rh/ceria catalysts for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction in 25 torr of CO and H2O under differential reaction conditions. While no enhancement was observed with Pt and Rh, the activity of Pd/ceria increased by as much as an order of magnitude upon the addition of an optimal amount of Fe. Similarly, the addition of 1 wt% Pd to an Fe2O3 catalyst increased the WGS rate at 453 K by a factor of 10 over that measured on Fe2O3 alone, while the addition of Pt or Rh to Fe2O3 had no effect on rates. The amount of Fe that was necessary to optimize the rates increased with Pd loading but was independent of the order in which Fe and Pd were added to the ceria. Increased WGS activity was also observed upon the addition of Fe to Pd supported on Ce0.5Zr0.5O2. XRD measurements, performed after running the catalyst under WGS conditions, show the formation of a Fe–Pd alloy, even though similar measurements on an Fe/ceria catalyst showed that Fe3O4 was the stable phase for Fe in the absence of Pd. Possible implications of these results on the development of new WGS catalysts are discussed.
OYSTER: a study of integrated circuits as three-dimensional structures

This paper presents a design for a software system (OYSTER) for the parametric simulation and analysis of the fabrication steps of very large scale integrated circuit devices. The system is based on a solid geometric modeling approach in which the component parts of an integrated circuit are represented at any step as three-dimensional solid objects in a geometric data base. The simulation of a fabrication step transforms the data base representation of the geometry and the relations among component parts from their state before the step to their state after the step. At any step, and particularly after the final step, the component parts may be analyzed automatically to determine geometric, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Statistical effects may be incorporated to allow investigation of alignment tolerance build-up and yield. A prototype study is described in which an existing geometric modeling system is used to transform a set of planar masks for an FET device through 28 process steps into 3-D models which are used to compute device capacitances.
Intrathecal morphine in mice: a new technique.

A simple, rapid technique for intrathecal injections by lumbar puncture in unanesthetized mice is described. Intrathecal [3H]morphine base was not found in significant quantitities in either the midbrain or forebrain. Submicrogram quantities of morphine sulfate induced Straub tail response and tail-flick analgesia. These effects were dose related and antagonized by subcutaneous naloxone.
A nitrocellulose-enzyme immunoassay method for the detection of hepatitis A virus.

Abstract A nitrocellulose-enzyme immunoassay for the detection of hepatitis A virus (HAV) was developed and shown capable of detecting as little as 1 ng of HAV protein or the equivalent of 1.8 × 10 4 virus particles.
Stresses in a square slab bonded on one face to a rigid plate and shrunk

A square epoxy slab was bonded to a rigid plate on one of its faces. In the process of “freezing” photoelastic effects a state of restrained shrinkage developed. Slices removed from the slab were used to determine the stress.
Surgical versus nonsurgical treatment of empyema thoracis: an outcomes analysis.

ABSTRACT Background Empyema thoracis (ET) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The optimal means for draining the pleural space remains controversial but there may be increasing bias for less invasive strategies. This study compared outcome after a nonsurgical versus a surgical approach to ET. Methods Patients with ET over a 10-year period (n = 93) were reviewed and stratified into nonsurgical (thoracentesis and/or closed tube thoracostomy) and surgical (thoracotomy, decortication, and/or open window thoracostomy) groups based on pleural drainage techniques. Hospital course was analyzed except when altered by death (n = 12), noncompliance (n = 3), or severe comorbidities (n = 3). Results Seventy-five patients were stratified into nonsurgical (n = 32) and surgical (n = 43) groups. Demographics, comorbidities, signs and symptoms, and causative organisms were similar between groups. Mortality did not significantly differ in nonsurgical (16%) versus surgical (10%) groups ( P = 0.7). Although delay in diagnosis and number of therapeutic interventions were nearly identical, the time to definitive therapy was longer in the surgical versus the nonsurgical group (18 ± 3.8 versus 8.5 ± 3.8 days, P = 0.023). The time to discharge after definitive therapy (20.0 ± 3.5 versus 35.6 ± 14.0 days, P P = 0.01) was significantly decreased in the surgical versus nonsurgical treatment groups, respectively. Conclusion The treatment of ET is complex. Failure to adequately evacuate the pleural space and/or persistent signs of infection should prompt surgical intervention. Surgical therapy is preferred for advanced stages of ET. Delaying definitive surgical treatment is largely responsible for prolonging hospital course.
Media-dependent antagonism of gentamicin sulfate by Liquoid (sodium polyanetholsulfonate)

Liquoid® wirkt als Antagonist zu Gentamicin-Sulfat in Abhangigkeit vom jeweiligen Testnahrmedium. Zugabe von frischem Serum bedingt im Gegensatz zu Polymyxin B keine Verstarkung seiner antagonistischen Wirkung gegen Aminoglykosid-Antibiotika.
Spatial and temporal linking of epicardial activation directions during ventricular fibrillation in dogs. Evidence for underlying organization.

BACKGROUND It remains controversial as to whether electrical activation during ventricular fibrillation (VF) is organized. To detect the presence of organization in VF, the direction of epicardial activation (EA) at multiple sites was examined by using vector mapping. If VF is not a random process, EA direction at a given site should be related to adjacent sites and prior beats. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirteen dogs with healing myocardial infarction (MI) and four dogs without MI had VF induced by programmed stimulation. Using a plaque electrode array with a 2.5-mm interelectrode distance, 91 vector loops were created for each "beat" of VF. Direction of maximum EA was determined at each site for the first 10 consecutive beats of VF and for 10 consecutive beats recorded 5 seconds after VF was established. Spatial and temporal linking of EA directions was evaluated by the ability of activation direction at a given site to be predicted by activation directions at eight adjacent sites for the index beat and at eight adjacent sites and the site of interest for the preceding beat using stepwise linear regression. The strength of the model as reflected by the correlation coefficient (r) indicated the degree of linking. We determined 1) changes in the degree of linking over time during a given episode of VF (using a paired-difference t test), 2) differences in the degree of linking between the anterior and posterolateral walls in animals with (n = 4) and without (n = 4) MI (using two-way ANOVA), and 3) the effect of repeated inductions (n = 10) on the degree of linking (using one-way ANOVA with repeated measures). During 57 episodes of VF, r for each model ranged from 0.64 to 0.88 during the transition to VF to 0.39-0.78 during established VF (p CONCLUSIONS Electrical activation during VF is organized. The degree of linking of EA directions during VF is not affected by the presence of MI, the site of recording, or repeated inductions of VF. During the first 5 seconds of VF, the degree of linking decreases.
Mimicking brain tissues by doping scatterers into gelatin tissue phantoms and determination of chemical species responsible for NMPPAS

It has been shown that non-resonant multiphoton photoacoustic spectroscopy (NMPPAS) has a great potential to be used as a high resolution surgical guidance technique during brain tumor surgery due to its ability of non-invasive or minimally invasive tumor differentiation. However, for experimental purposes associated with method validation, the use of real tissues is not always ideal because of issues such as availability, safety, storage, chemical doping, necessary control of size and shape, etc. To overcome these issues, tissue phantoms made from animal tissues and/or biochemical constituents, are often employed for such analyses. This work demonstrates the ability to develop and characterize gelatin based tissue phantoms with comparable optical and acoustic properties to real tissues by doping the phantoms with a scattering substance, 0.3 mm diameter Al2O3 particles. Using these phantoms, light scattering coefficients (ms) of 39 cm-1 have been generated, which are comparable to real brain tissue, thus making them a great alternative to real tissue for validation studies. In addition, this work also investigates the non-fluorescent species NAD+ found in the tissues, to evaluate its potential for being detected by NMPPAS. NMPPAS spectra of NAD+ shows a very promising beginning to determine other chemical species such as flavins, collagen, tryptophan, etc responsible for NMPPAS spectral signatures, associated with tumorogenesis.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Treatment of rheumatic diseases in children: special considerations

The goals of treatment of the rheumatic diseases in children are to control the disease process while ensuring normal nutrition, growth, and development. The choice of antirheumatic drugs is similar in children and adults, but the doses, treatment schedules, and susceptibility to toxicity may differ considerably. In addition to differences between adult and pediatric diseases themselves, it is important for the rheumatologist who treats children to be cognizant of the impact of nutritional, developmental, and growth issues as well as differential susceptibility to toxicity of various treatments.
Calcium Intakes and Femoral and Lumbar Bone Density of Elderly U.S. Men and Women: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006 Analysis

Objectives: This analysis was aimed at assessing the benefits of total calcium intake from diet and supplements on both femoral neck and lumbar vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) in a representative sample of older U.S. women and men. Design: For 1384 women and men aged 50–70 and 71+ yr, quintiles of total calcium intake were tested for their association with hip and spine BMD after adjusting for body mass index. All data in this observational study were cross-sectional. Data Source: Subjects included elderly residents statistically representative of the United States, women and men aged 50 yr and older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006 cohort. Main Outcome Measures: Calcium intakes and femoral and lumbar BMD were evaluated. Results: Total calcium intakes ranged from means of 400+ mg/d in quintile 1 to 2100+ in quintile 5. Little difference in hip or lumbar BMD was found in relation to total calcium consumption in women and men across five quintiles, especially for those ...
An abrupt temperature-dependent change in the energy of activation of hormone-stimulated hepatic adenylyl cyclase.

1 In the stimulation of rat hepatic adenylyl cyclase by glucagon or epinephrine we observe an abrupt change in the energy of activation at 32°C (seen as an increase in the slope of the Arrhenius plot). The energy of activation for the cyclase reaction above 32°C is about 1.7 times that found below this temperature. Cyclase activity stimulated by fluoride, prostaglandin E1, or 1–propanol, or activity in the absence of added stimulators does not show this change. The structural differences between the hormones suggest that they interact with the cyclase system at different loci. But the mechanism by which they stimulate cyclase activity appears to involve a common, temperature-dependent step. 2 In the presence of 1–propanol the change at 32°C in the energy of activation of the hormone-stimulated activity is not observed. 3 In view of the relatively large mole fraction of cholesterol present in the rat liver plasma membrane (which appears to inhibit phase transitions in bulk membrane lipids), it is suggested that this thermal sensitivity resides in protein rather than lipid components or that the cyclase is restricted to cholesterol-poor membrane regions. 4 The occurrence of anomalous Arrhenius plots of enzyme activities (with abrupt changes of slope) for both membrane-bound and soluble enzymes is reviewed.
Validation of death certificate diagnosis of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death

The validity of death certificate diagnosis of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death (OOH-SCD) was studied among 108,676 30- to 74-year-old residents in 5 Minnesota communities using 6-year mortality data (1985 to 1990). Among 4,244 total deaths, location of death was listed on the certificate as out of hospital in 2,035 cases. Of those, 911 were judged not to have OOH-SCD because they had actually been admitted to the hospital or were noncardiovascular deaths. Among the remaining 1,124, 254 were diagnosed as OOH-SCD using a thorough, physician-based procedure that used clinical records, autopsy reports, and an informant (next-of-kin) interview. We used only death certificate information to define OOH-SCD simply and inexpensively as ICD-9 code 427.5 (cardiac arrest) plus location of death listed as out-of-hospital. Compared with the physician diagnosis, sensitivity was only 24%, whereas specificity was 85%. When the definition of OOH-SCD was expanded to include ICD codes 410-414 (acute myocardial infarction and chronic coronary artery disease), sensitivity improved to 87%, whereas specificity became 66%. However, even with this higher sensitivity and specificity, only 27% of the cases labeled OOH-SCD by death certificate agreed with the physician diagnosis. Death certificate diagnosis of OOH-SCD included many erroneous cases, and may not have been suitable for study of etiologic factors, such as cardiac dysrhythmias. Death certificate diagnosis may be useful to assess population time trends in OOH-SCD, provided that misclassification (false-positive rate) remains constant over time.
The radiative lifetime of NO(b 4Σ

Abstract Laser-induced fluorescence has been used to measure the radiative lifetimes and self-quenching rate coefficients for the NO(b 4 Σ − ) state in vibrational levels ν=2−5. Excitation of NO(b) utilized direct b←X pumping at 192–206 nm, with detection of the NO(b 4 Σ − →a 4 Π) Ogawa bands at 780–960 nm. The lifetimes lie in the 4.2–7.5 μs range, higher levels resulting in shorter lifetimes, and quenching by NO occurs at close to collision frequency.
Towards an understanding of change in physical activity from pregnancy through postpartum

Objective The purpose of this paper was to describe the rationale, data collection, and proposed analyses for examination of mediators of change in physical activity from pregnancy to postpartum among a cohort of pregnant women.
William James on divine intimacy: psychical research, cosmological realism and a circumscribed re-reading of The Varieties of Religious Experience:

William James’s interest in psychical phenomena spanned his entire career as a scholar, yet is has been largely neglected. Few if any have adequately incorporated this quirky side of James into their critical studies of his scholarly contributions, not only in religious studies but also in philosophy and psychology. Psychical research was nevertheless very much part of James’s intellectual endeavors and, as this article shall argue, sheds light on an evolving, complex, and contradictory Jamesian cosmological realism. I will contextual James’s widely discussed Varieties of Religious Experience, relying on his voluminous correspondence, and will explore various articulations of pragmatism, vis-a-vis James, John Dewey, Hilary Putnam, and Richard Rorty, particularly as those articulations apply to scholarship in religious studies and as they shed light on a Jamesian cosmology. I will then conclude with a discussion of psychical research as it relates to epistemology and the (scientific) study of that cosmos.
Diet Education for the Parents of a Young Child with Diabetes

A retrospective survey of a dietary education program was mailed to 23 families with IDDM children diagnosed under the age of five years. Of the 18 questionnaires returned, results showed that, once educated, the par ents of young diabetic children identi fied the majority of diet-related prob lems as: 1) managing the deviations of meal routines, 2) behavioral issues, 3) illness, and 4) special occasions.
Cellular uptake and toxicity study of cis-bis(6-aminoquinoline) dichloroplatinum (II).

Abstract A fluorescent analog of cis -diamminedichloroplatinum(II), cis -bis(6-aminoquinoline)dichloroplatinum(II), was prepared from K 2 [PtCl 4 ] and 6-aminoquinoline (AQL). HPLC of the thiourea derivative of the new complex showed that it has the cis -configuration. The Pt-AQL complex and the parent ligand AQL were evaluated for biological activity and cellular uptake, using the ciliate Tetrahymena pigmentosa . The complex was relatively nontoxic at the tested levels below 5 × 10 −4 M, but did exhibit inhibition of culture growth at 5 × 10 −4 M. Measurement of cellular uptake of the Pt-AQL complex demonstrated incorporation into the cell, with localization primarily within the vacuoles of the cells. Comparable measurement of the parent ligand AQL showed little measurable cellular uptake.
Wavelength multiplexed holographic storage in a sensitive photorefractive crystal using a visible-light tunable diode laser

Abstract Wavelength multiplexed holograms using a Ce:Fe: doped LiNbO 3 crystal with a visible-light tunable diode laser are reported. The advantages of wavelength multiplexed reflection type holograms are discussed. It is shown that the wavelength multiplexed holograms offer a more uniform selectivity over all the construction angles, as compared with the angularly multiplexed crystal holograms.
The Precipitation Anomaly Classification: A Method for Monitoring Regional Precipitation Deficiency and Excess on a Global Scale

Abstract An objective method to identify and track significant global precipitation anomalies on time scales of a month or longer is presented. The technique requires current observations of monthly precipitation amounts for each station and long term (20 or more years) monthly precipitation histories. Tests indicate that the technique compares favorably with the well-known Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and Crop Moisture Index (CMI) in the United States. Since monthly precipitation data are readily available in a near real-time framework, this method makes an automated, global precipitation anomaly monitoring system possible.
Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia 3 in Women Less Than 35 Years.

Objective To examine the outcome of women diagnosed with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) 3 at less than 35 years. Materials and methods All cases of VIN 3 treated in women less than 35 years treated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between January 1973 and January 2008 were reviewed. Medical records were reviewed for year of diagnosis, treatment modality, recurrence and/or progression, associated medical conditions, history of genital condyloma, smoking status, history of cervical pathology, and treatment. Results Thirty-one women were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 29 years. Smoking status was available in 28 patients, of which 82% (23/28) were current or former smokers. Eighty-one percent (25/31) of the women had cervical disease. Fifty-two percent (16/31) had a history of genital condyloma. Ten of the 31 women (32%) were diagnosed with persistence or recurrence of VIN 3. Three women (9.7%) progressed to invasive carcinoma. Conclusions Women diagnosed with VIN 3 at less than 35 years are at risk for persistence and/or recurrence of their disease as well as progression to carcinoma, warranting frequent and prolonged follow-up with liberal utilization of directed biopsies of suspicious lesions.
Cardiac Imaging as a Guide for Revascularization and Medical Management of Chronic Coronary Artery Disease

There is a strong association between obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and adverse outcomes. There is an ongoing debate regarding the role of revascularization and maximal medical therapy in patients with obstructive CAD and noninvasive imaging is recognized as a key player in guiding downstream clinical decision making especially in stable patients with known or suspected CAD. Most often risk stratification is performed with noninvasive imaging techniques including echocardiography, coronary CT angiography, single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI), positron emission computed tomography-based myocardial perfusion imaging (PET-MPI), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Occasionally, risk stratification may be performed with invasive angiography. In this review, we will describe some of the evidence in favor of noninvasive anatomy (CCTA) and physiology-based techniques (SPECT-MPI, PET-MPI, MRI) in guiding the choice of treatment with revascularization vs medical therapy in patients with CAD.
Odor-evoked activity is spatially distributed in piriform cortex.

Much data on the olfactory bulb (OB) indicates that structural characteristics of odorant molecules are encoded as ordered, spatially consolidated sets of active cells. New results with "genetic tracing" (Zou et al. [2001] Nature 414:173-179) suggest that spatial order is also present in projections from the OB to the olfactory cortex. For the piriform cortex (PC), results with this technique indicate that afferents conveying input derived from single olfactory receptors (ORs) are distributed to well-defined patches in the anterior PC (APC) but that these patches are much larger than in the OB. We have used c-fos induction to examine how input patterning for single ORs is translated into patterns of odor-evoked cellular activity in the PC. The laminar distribution of labeled cells and dual-immunostaining for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic markers indicated that activity was detected largely in pyramidal cells. In odor-stimulated rats, labeled cells were present throughout the posterior PC (PPC) but were concentrated in prominent rostrocaudal bands in APC. Analysis of responses to different odorants and concentrations revealed that locations and shapes of bands conveyed no apparent information regarding odor quality, rather, they appeared to correspond to subregions of the APC distinguished by cytoarchitecture and connectivity. Small-scale variations in labeling density were observed within APC bands and throughout the PPC that could reflect the presence of a complex topographical order, but discrete patches at consistent locations as observed by genetic tracing were absent. This finding suggests that as a result of afferent overlap and intracortical processing, odor-quality information is represented by spatially distributed sets of cells. A distributed organization may be optimal for discriminating biologically relevant odorants that activate large numbers of ORs.
Real-time energy price aware network routing

Information and communication technology (ICT) plays an important role in worldwide electricity consumption. Existing routing approaches, oblivious to location-dependent energy prices, incur considerable cost to network operators. We propose a new routing approach in order to minimize electricity cost of core network under multiple electricity market environments. The proposed approach is based on the advantages of using dynamic routing. We use the available electricity price from power utilities to find lowest electricity cost path while electricity price depends on location diversity and time diversity. Depending on the electricity price, alternative geographical paths in the wide area network may be preferred. We evaluate the new approach on two realistic topologies and results show up to 18 percent improvement in electricity cost compared with two naive routing approaches.
Taking advantage of developments in the world information industry in planning information services and managing information

In this paper I shall try to define the ‘world information industry’, and to outline its present situation.
Science signaling podcast: 10 November 2009

This is a conversation with Solomon Snyder about a Research Article published in the 10 November 2009 issue of Science Signaling.
Paradox Lost: Westward Expansion and Slave Prices before the Civil War

Paradoxical results and reinterpretations of traditional aspects of economic history have become hallmarks of cliometric research. A case in point concerns the discussion of wealth effects resulting from westward land expansion before the Civil War. It has long been argued that the net effect upon southern slaveowners-in particular those on the slave-exporting eastern seaboard-was positive. The thesis is that the marginal product of slave labor increased with new land supplies and was capitalized into higher slave values. This gain more than offset the losses due to the concurrent decline in the price of cotton due to an outward shift in cotton supply. Recent studies have questioned the empirical validity of this argument. Passell and Wright (hereafter P-W) use an aggregrate partial equilibrium model of the southern economy to calculate a negative elasticity of slave prices with respect to land supply during the 1850s. ' A more general portfolio analysis reduces their point estimate but still allows them to suggest that "southeastern slaveowners had less to gain from the direct effects of expansion on the demand for labor than they had to lose from lower product prices.2 The authors go on to label their findings "counterintuitive." The "perverse" nature of their results is also noted by Lee, whereas McCloskey acknowledges their contributions to the understanding of the Civil War.3 A more recent study by Kotlikoff and Pinera (hereafter K-P) provides a potentially more interesting framework by using two regions, but reaches the same conclusion: the partial effect of an increase in western land during the period 1850-1860 would be a depression of slave prices in both the Southeast and Southwest.4 Their model also indicates that eastern land prices would fall, leaving us to conclude that eastern wealthholders supported a territorial expansion that reduced their wealth. The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, we examine the implications of the models when alternative values of crucial parameters are introduced. Such an inquiry is necessary because recent works on the antebellum economy have questioned the validity and certainty of the assumptions and parameter values underlying both the P-W and K-P mod-
An Alzheimer's disease hypothesis based on transcriptional dysregulation.

Alzheimer's diseuse (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by progressive loss of memory and other cognitive skills. Neurons in the limbic and association cortices become progressively dysfunctional affecting almost all cognitive functions and memory. The PS1-regulated e-secretase cleavage of type I transmembrane receptors controls production of transcriptionally active intracellular fragments (ICFs) suggesting that this cleavage is a key factor in surface-to-nucleus signal transduction and gene expression. Signal-induced gene expression mediates neuronal responses to environmental changes and is a key event in neuronal survival and synaptic function. Familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD) mutations may interfere with nuclear signaling and transcription by interfering with the PS1/e-secretase cleavage and production of transcriptionally active ICFs. This raises the possibility that, similar to polyglutamine induced neurodegeneration like Huntington's chorea, tra...
Choosing an Accurate Network Model using Domain Analysis

Network link simulation is perhaps the most common method for evaluating application and network protocol designs. In modeling realistic networks, researchers face measurements whose characteristics experience non-stationarity (time variability) and complex patterns due to a number of factors, including both internal network elements and external events. In this paper we introduce a methodology we call domain analysis to quantify the accuracy of different models, and show how to use it to choose the best model for a given set of network characteristics. Our work seeks to aid network and application protocol developers in developing and choosing appropriate models for network simulation. We introduce our data preconditioning methodology for modelling non-stationary datasets, and present the new multiple states MTA model (MMTA). We show that it is better in capturing error burst statistics than classical models and more consistently accurate across different networks that our previous MTA model
INFLUENCE OF MICROWAVE REHEATING ON SELECTED QUALITY FACTORS OF ROAST BEEF

Roast beef slices (longissimus muscle), when reheated by microwaves after 2 days storage (4°C), compared favorably with conventionally reheated samples. Sensory evaluation indicated significantly less intense “warmed-over” aroma in microwave reheated than in conventionally reheated samples. No differences in “warmed-over” flavor of the slices or in lipid oxidation (TBA numbers) were evident in the meat reheated by the two methods. No significant losses of thiamin or riboflavin resulted from either microwave or conventional reheating.
INHALATION ANESTHETICS AND ANESTHETIC UPTAKE

With the advent of new inhalant anesthetic agents and specialized equipment for their administration, inhalation anesthesia has become the method of choice of many small and large animal practitioners.
Two Classes of Histone Acetylation in Developing Mouse Mammary Gland

Abstract Mouse mammary gland explants rapidly incorporated 14C-acetate into the F1, F2a1, F2a2, and F3 histones. These acetylated histones were divided into two classes which were distinguished by their metabolic stability, electrophoretic mobility, and sensitivity to cycloheximide. The acetylation of the F1 and F2a2 histones was inhibited by cycloheximide, occurred only during their synthesis, and was limited to the α-amino group of the terminal serine. In contrast, the preformed F3 and F2a1 were acetylated on the e-NH2 group of internal lysine residues. This acetate was unstable, and the histones were rapidly deacetylated. The F2b histone did not incorporate 14C-acetate. These results suggest that amino-terminal acetylation of the F1, F2a1, and F2a2 histones represents a mechanism of polypeptide chain initiation in eucaryotic cells analogous to aminoterminal formylation in procaryotic cells. If acetylation of histones has a functional role by modifying the DNA-histone interaction, it is reasonable to assume that this modification must also be reversible. Since the acetylation of both F1 and F2a2 histones occurs only during their synthesis, and this acetate remains with the stable histone, it is unlikely that these proteins function in a reversible DNA association. In contrast, both the F2a1 and F3 histone fractions are reversibly acetylated on preformed molecules, suggesting that acetylation of these proteins could function in the control of RNA transcription.
Spinal and caudal anaesthesia in ex-premature babies

Abstract Spinal and caudal anaesthesia have become valuable techniques for herniotomies and lower abdominal surgery in former preterm infants. Despite the lack of clear scientific evidence, many paediatric anaesthetists assume that post-operative apnoea can be largely prevented in these patients by pure regional anaesthetic techniques. Post-operative apnoea does occur in former preterm infants after general anaesthesia up to a post-conceptual age of 50–60 weeks. Whereas spinal anaesthesia has been compared to general anaesthesia in a few prospective and controlled studies, there are, so far, no randomized studies on caudal anaesthesia, and there are also no studies comparing spinal with caudal anaesthesia. This chapter provides physiological and practical knowledge concerning spinal and caudal anaesthesia in ex-premature babies. Current scientific data are analysed, and the author's personal experience and opinion are presented.
Code in the air: simplifying sensing and coordination tasks on smartphones

A growing class of smartphone applications are tasking applications that run continuously, process data from sensors to determine the user's context (such as location) and activity, and optionally trigger certain actions when the right conditions occur. Many such tasking applications also involve coordination between multiple users or devices. Example tasking applications include location-based reminders, changing the ring-mode of a phone automatically depending on location, notifying when friends are nearby, disabling WiFi in favor of cellular data when moving at more than a certain speed outdoors, automatically tracking and storing movement tracks when driving, and inferring the number of steps walked each day. Today, these applications are non-trivial to develop, although they are often trivial for end users to state. Additionally, simple implementations can consume excessive amounts of energy. This paper proposes Code in the Air (CITA), a system which simplifies the rapid development of tasking applications. It enables non-expert end users to easily express simple tasks on their phone, and more sophisticated developers to write code for complex tasks by writing purely server-side scripts. CITA provides a task execution framework to automatically distribute and coordinate tasks, energy-efficient modules to infer user activities and compose them, and a push communication service for mobile devices that overcomes some shortcomings in existing push services.
Three‐dimensional stochastic estimation of porosity distribution: Benefits of using ground‐penetrating radar velocity tomograms in simulated‐annealing‐based or Bayesian sequential simulation approaches

[1] Estimation of the three-dimensional (3-D) distribution of hydrologic properties and related uncertainty is a key for improved predictions of hydrologic processes in the subsurface. However it is difficult to gain high-quality and high-density hydrologic information from the subsurface. In this regard a promising strategy is to use highresolution geophysical data (that are relatively sensitive to variations of a hydrologic parameter of interest) to supplement direct hydrologic information from measurements in wells (e.g., logs, vertical profiles) and then generate stochastic simulations of the distribution of the hydrologic property conditioned on the hydrologic and geophysical data. In this study we develop and apply this strategy for a 3-D field experiment in the heterogeneous aquifer at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site and we evaluate how much benefit the geophysical data provide. We run high-resolution 3-D conditional simulations of porosity with both simulated-annealing-based and Bayesian sequential approaches using information from multiple intersecting crosshole gound-penetrating radar (GPR) velocity tomograms and neutron porosity logs. The benefit of using GPR data is assessed by investigating their ability, when included in conditional simulation, to predict porosity log data withheld from the simulation. Results show that the use of crosshole GPR data can significantly improve the estimation of porosity spatial distribution and reduce associated uncertainty compared to using only well log measurements for the estimation. The amount of benefit depends primarily on the strength of the petrophysical relation between the GPR and porosity data, the variability of this relation throughout the investigated site, and lateral structural continuity at the site.
Level and amino acid acceptor activity of mouse brain tRNA during neural development.

— The level of tRNA in mouse brain tissue was measured at various stages of postnatal development. The amount of tRNA per unit of brain wet weight was little, if at all, altered during the first 22 days after birth and decreased by 26 and 32 per cent by 56 days and maturity, respectively. On a DNA or cellular basis, there was no maturation-dependent decrease in tRNA content. The total amino acid acceptor activity of tRNA for seven different amino acids was measured during neural development. There were considerable differences in the tRNA acceptor activities of individual amino acids within an age group; however on a DNA basis, there was little difference between tRNA preparations obtained from newborn and adult mouse brain tissue. The in vivo levels of aminoacylated-tRNA for the seven amino acids of interest, were measured in brain tissue of 1–, 9–, 34, 70–day-old and adult (over 9 months old) mice. Alterations in tRNA level, total tRNA acceptor activity, for each amino acid, and the levels of in uivo aminoacylation of tRNA were shown to be independent of developmental alterations in brain amino acid pool sizes. The results are discussed with regard to the availability of cellular amino acids for translational events during early mammalian brain development.
Experimental verification of a 3D propagation model based on Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral

Experimental results obtained from measurements inside an anechoic chamber on scaled 3D building models are compared with the theoretical predictions based on the application of the Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral. The model is applied to predict field strength in outdoor urban environments. Buildings are represented by wooden scaled models coated with copper sheets. One of the biggest challenges of the 3D experiments is to remove the directivity of antennas as much as possible, because the theory developed so far assumes that antennas are isotropic. Different configurations involving one and two buildings are considered, and the good agreement between the theoretical results and measurements for both vertical and horizontal polarizations proves that Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral is an accurate 3D deterministic method. The results provide a benchmark for other researchers to compare their methods with experimental results.
Computer simulation of human interaction in small groups

The modern digital computer has made major contributions to sociology in at least two general areas. Because of the computer's high speed and its ability to handle effectively the interrelationships among many and complex variables, we are enabled to perform more sophisticated analyses of data already gathered. For the first time it is possible to deal statistically with social systems as systems. Potentially of even greater benefit is the second contribution---the use of computers to generate data for the purposes of theory testing and development.
Fire severity mediates climate-driven shifts in understorey community composition of black spruce stands of interior Alaska

Question: How do pre-fire conditions (community composition and environmental characteristics) and climate-driven disturbance characteristics (fire severity) affect post-fire community composition in black spruce stands? Location: Northern boreal forest, interior Alaska. Methods: We compared plant community composition and environmental stand characteristics in 14 black spruce stands before and after multiple, naturally occurring wildfires. We used a combination of vegetationtable sorting, univariate (ANOVA, paired t-tests), and multivariate (detrended correspondence analysis) statistics to determine the impact of fire severity and site moisture on community composition, dominant species and growth forms. Results: Severe wildfires caused a 50% reduction in number of plant species in our study sites. The largest species loss, and therefore the greatest change in species composition, occurred in severely burned sites. This was due mostly to loss of non-vascular species (mosses and lichens) and evergreen shrubs. New species recruited most abundantly to severely burned sites, contributing to high species turnover on these sites. As well as the strong effect of fire severity, prefire and post-fire mineral soil pH had an effect on post-fire vegetation patterns, suggesting a legacy effect of site acidity. In contrast, pre-fire site moisture, which was a strong determinant of pre-fire community composition, showed no relationship with post-fire community composition. Site moisture was altered by fire, due to changes in permafrost, and therefore post-fire site moisture overrode pre-fire site moisture as a strong correlate. Conclusions: In the rapidly warming climate of interior Alaska, changes in fire severity had more effect on post-fire community composition than did environmental factors (moisture and pH) that govern landscape patterns of unburned vegetation. This suggests that climate change effects on future community composition of black spruce forests may be mediated more strongly by fire severity than by current landscape patterns. Hence, models that represent the effects of climate change on boreal forests could improve their accuracy by including dynamic responses to fire disturbance.
Isolation of Mutant Cells Lacking Insig-1 through Selection with SR-12813, an Agent That Stimulates Degradation of 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase *

Insig-1 and Insig-2 are membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum that regulate lipid metabolism by the following two actions: 1) sterol-induced binding to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, an action that leads to ubiquitination and degradation of the enzyme; and 2) sterol-induced binding to SREBP cleavage-activating protein, an action that blocks the proteolytic processing of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), membrane-bound transcription factors that enhance the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids. Here we report the isolation of a new mutant line of Chinese hamster ovary cells, designated SRD-14, in which Insig-1 mRNA and protein are not produced due to a partial deletion of the INSIG-1 gene. The SRD-14 cells were produced by γ-irradiation, followed by selection with the 1,1-bisphosphonate ester SR-12813, which mimics sterols in accelerating reductase degradation but does not block SREBP processing. SRD-14 cells fail to respond to sterols by promoting reductase ubiquitination and degradation. The rate at which sterols suppress SREBP processing is significantly slower in SRD-14 cells than wild type CHO-7 cells. Sterol regulation of reductase degradation and SREBP processing is restored when SRD-14 cells are transfected with expression plasmids encoding either Insig-1 or Insig-2. These results provide formal genetic proof for the essential role of Insig-1 in feedback control of lipid synthesis in cultured cells.
Do Aspergillus species produce biofilm

Evaluation of: Mowat E, Butcher J, Lang S, Williams C, Ramage G: Development of a simple model for studying the effects of antifungal agents on multicellular communities of Aspergillus fumigatus. J. Med. Microbiol. 56, 1205-1212 (2007). Many microorganisms possess the innate ability for adhering to biotic and abiotic objects, and grow as benthic cells. The adhered cells produce an extracellular matrix in which the cells are embedded. The matrix-forming materials together with the cells form a biofilm often hundreds of micrometers in thickness. The biofilm provides the organism with a protective niche from the inhibitory effect of antimicrobial drugs, hence the production of biofilm is considered a survival mechanism. The pathogenic yeast Candida albicans is a well-known biofilm producer. The increasing incidence of antifungal drug resistance of bioprosthetic device infections in particular, and intravascular catheter-related infections of C. albicans is now largely attributed to biofilm formation. An intriguing question is whether the ability to produce biofilm is present in pathogenic filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus species. Mowat et al. describe the development of a simple in vitro model for studying the effects of antifungal drugs on a multicellular community of Aspergillus fumigatus.