cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Favorable response of Eisenmenger syndrome to inhaled nitric oxide during pregnancy

Abstract Objective: Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy with a specific pulmonary vasodilator, nitric oxide, in a woman with Eisenmenger syndrome during pregnancy. Study Design: Eisenmenger syndrome consists of a congenital communication between the systemic and pulmonary circulation with secondary pulmonary hypertension causing reversal of flow through the shunt. Maternal morbidity is approximately 50% with the greatest risk of death being in the peripartum period. Pharmacologic therapy to relieve worsening pulmonary hypertension is confounded by the undesired effects of vasodilators on the systemic circulation. Therapy with a specific pulmonary vasodilator, nitric oxide, was attempted. Results: A 27-year-old woman with Eisenmenger syndrome at 36 weeks' gestation was treated with inhaled nitric oxide during the second stage of labor and the postpartum period when she experienced progressive refractory hypoxemia. Administration of nitric oxide was followed by improved oxygenation and lowering of pulmonary artery pressures. A brief episode of methemoglobinemia responded to lowering of the nitric oxide concentration and administration of intravenous methylene blue. Nitric oxide was discontinued after 48 hours. The patient died 2 days later despite continued vasodilator therapy including intra–pulmonary artery prostacyclin. Conclusion: Inhaled nitric oxide can be used to correct the hypoxemia of Eisenmenger syndrome. Nitric oxide inhalation is easily performed, and pulmonary vasodilatory effects commence within minutes after administration. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:64-7.)
B2C graphene, nanotubes, and nanoribbons.

We report a first-principles prediction of a new two-dimensional inorganic material, namely, the B2C graphene in which the boron and carbon atoms are packed into a mosaic of hexagons and rhombuses. In the B2C graphene, each carbon atom is bonded with four boron atoms, forming a planar-tetracoordinate carbon (ptC) moiety, a notion first conceived by Hoffmann et al. The B2C graphene is possibly a metal with a small overlap in the energy of conduction and valence bands. Like the carbon graphene and nanotubes, a B2C graphene sheet can be rolled into various forms of B2C nanotubes as well. Depending on the roll-up vector, the B2C nanotubes may become either a metal or a semiconductor. All B2C graphene nanoribbons are predicted to be uniformly metallic, regardless of their width and edge structure.
Insect Resistance to the Biological Insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis

Resistance to the spore-crystal protein complex of Bacillus thuringiensis, the most widely used and intensively studied microbial insecticide, has been presumed to be unlikely to occur. In this study it was found that Plodia interpunctella, a major lepidopteran pest of stored grain products, can develop resistance to the insecticide within a few generations. Resistance increased nearly 30-fold in two generations in a strain reared on diet treated with Bacillus thuringiensis and after 15 generations reached a plateau 100 times higher than the control level. Resistance was stable when selection was discontinued. The resistance was inherited as a recessive trait. Plodia interpunctella strains collected from treated grain bins were more resistant than strains from untreated bins, indicating that the resistance can develop quickly in the field.
Near-infrared light activated release of nitric oxide from designed photoactive manganese nitrosyls: strategy, design, and potential as NO donors.

Two new manganese complexes derived from the pentadentate ligand N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-quinoline-2-carboxamide, PaPy2QH, where H is dissociable proton), namely, [Mn(PaPy2Q)(NO)]ClO4 (2) and [Mn(PaPy2Q)(OH)]ClO4 (3), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The Mn(III) complex [Mn(PaPy2Q)(OH)]ClO4 (3), though insensitive to dioxygen, reacts with nitric oxide (NO) to afford the nitrosyl complex [Mn(PaPy2Q)(NO)]ClO4 (2) via reductive nitrosylation. This diamagnetic {Mn-NO}6 nitrosyl exhibits νNO at 1725 cm-1 and is highly soluble in water, with λmax at 500 and 670 nm. Exposure of solutions of 2 to near-infrared (NIR) light (810 nm, 4 mW) results in bleaching of the maroon solution and detection of free NO by an NO-sensitive electrode. The quantum yield of 2 (Φ = 0.694 ± 0.010, λirr = 550 nm, H2O) is much enhanced over the first generation {Mn-NO}6 nitrosyl derived from analogous polypyridine ligand, namely, [Mn(PaPy3)(NO)]ClO4 (1, Φ = 0.385 ± 0.010, λirr = 550 nm, H2O), reporte...
Consistency Test for Continuous Flow Permeability Experimental Data

The steady-state permeability experiment is the method recom mended to evaluate the barrier properties of polymeric films which are ex pressed as a permeability coefficient (Hernandez et al., 1986). Besides the permeability coefficient, the diffusion coefficient can also be determined from the unsteady-state values of a permeability study. Since the correctness of the set of permeability data will affect the numerical values of both diffusion and permeability coefficients, a procedure to determine the consistency of a set of data obtained from a continuous flow permeability experiment is proposed in this article. The interest of a simple consistency test arises from the need to de tect variations of the system parameters such as temperature or concentration changes, during the permeation experiment. Further, an analysis of the consis tency of the data will provide information on the applicability of the Henry's law of solubility and the invariability and uniqueness of the diffusion coeffi cient, and may l...
A Ten-Winter Record of Cloud-Droplet Physical and Chemical Properties at a Mountaintop Site in Colorado

Abstract Cloud-droplet spectra and coincident cloud water pH measurements have been made for a portion of ten consecutive winters (1983/841992/93) from clouds that enveloped Storm Peak Laboratory in northwestern Colorado; cloud water ion measurements were made for eight of the winters. To determine if the physical and chemical properties are related, the data were stratified into three populations: pH ≤3.6, 3.6 < pH < 4.6, pH ≥4.6. It was found that clouds with the smallest pH values (3.4) had the largest droplet concentrations (N 329 cm−3), smallest mean droplet diameters (Dbar = 6.4 µm), and largest ion concentrations (e.g., SO44 = 5.7 mg L−1), while clouds with the largest pH values (5.1) had the smallest N values (189 cm−3), largest Dbar values (8.0 µm), and smallest ion concentrations (SO44 = 3.9 mg L−1). Nevertheless, all three populations had similar liquid water contents (LWC ≅ 0.070 g m−3). The equation LWC = π/66Dbar3Nρ where ρ is the density of water, closely describes the relationship between...
PERFORMANCE OF SCALABLE SHARED-MEMORY ARCHITECTURES

Analytical models were developed and simulations of memory latency were performed for Uniform Memory Access (UMA), Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA), Local-Remote-Global (LRG), and RCR architectures for hit rates from 0.1 to 0.9 in steps of 0.1, memory access times of 10 to 100 ns, proportions of read/write access from 0.01 to 0.1, and block sizes of 8 to 64 words. The RCR architecture provides favorable performance over UMA and NUMA architectures for all ranges of application and system parameters. RCR outperforms LRG architectures when the hit rates of the processor cache exceed 80%and replicated memory exceed 25%. Thus, inclusion of a small replicated memory at each processor significantly reduces expected access time since all replicated memory hits become independent of global traffic. For configurations of up to 32 processors, results show that latency is further reduced by distinguishing burst-mode transfers between isolated memory accesses and those which are incrementally outside the working set.
Cellular epigenetics: control of the size, shape, and spatial distribution of transformed foci by interactions between the transformed and nontransformed cells.

Abstract NIH 3T3 cells that are passaged frequently at low density in high (10%) calf serum lose their original capacity to produce transformed foci on a monolayer of nontransformed cells. They can then be used to form a monolayered background for the assay of the number of focus-forming cells from a transformed population. Continuation of the low-density passages for many weeks gives rise to a population that can suppress the full development of foci by a transformed line. The suppression appears to occur only after the background cells have become confluent and contact inhibited. It can also cause the disappearance of light foci that had developed before suppression began. Another subline of cells that were passaged at cloning density only once a week lose their focus-forming capacity more slowly than those passaged thrice weekly. When used as a background for the assay of a transformed line, they permit continuous expansion of the foci, with no sign of suppression. Not only the number and size of foci but also their detailed morphology is influenced by the background on which they are formed. A suppressive background can also determine the spatial distribution of foci, presumably as a result of gradients in local cell density of the background. The permissiveness of a nontransformed cell population for focus formation by transformed cells appears to be related to the capacity of the nontransformed population itself to undergo transformation when exposed to the constraints used to induce transformation. These findings indicate there are many degrees of capacity to suppress focus formation and to overcome suppression. They have significance for tumor development and for the epigenetic interactions of normal development.
Stereochemical preferences for chiral substrates by the bacterial phosphotriesterase.

Abstract The bacterial phosphotriesterase from Pseudomonas diminuta catalyzes the hydrolysis of organophosphate nerve agents such as paraoxon (diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate) with a turnover number of ∼104 s−1. The active site of the enzyme has been shown to be composed of a binuclear Zn2+ complex with a bridging hydroxide. The utilization of chiral phosphotriesters has demonstrated that the overall hydrolytic reaction occurs with net inversion of stereochemistry at the phosphorus center. The stereochemical constraints of the active site have been probed by the synthesis and characterization of paraoxon analogs. One or both of the two ethoxy substituents of paraoxon have been replaced with various combinations of methyl, isopropyl, or phenyl groups. Racemic mixtures and individual enantiomers were tested as substrates for the phosphotriesterase. In general, the kinetic constants (kcat and kcat/Km) for the (−)-enantiomers were one to two orders of magnitude greater than the (+)-enantiomer. Conversely, acetylcholinesterase was more rapidly inactivated by the (+)-enantiomers than the (−)-enantiomers. These results were examined in the context of the three-dimensional structure of the bacterial phosphotriesterase.
Light Scattering from Shear Waves: The Role of Angular Momentum Fluctuations in Light Scattering

Recent light-scattering experiments which have investigated the splittings in the depolarized Rayleigh spectrum of certain nonassociated liquids are discussed in the context of generalized hydrodynamics. It is shown that a purely hydrodynamic or viscoelastic theory does not account for important features of the observed spectrum. However, if angular momentum fluctuations are considered, many of the features of the observed spectra can be accounted for. Moreover, a theory due to Rytov is discussed and studied in the context of generalized hydrodynamics.
The neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole, protects against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in vivo

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether the relatively selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), protects against methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity. Male Swiss Webster mice received the following treatments (i.p.; q 3 h x 3): (a) vehicle/saline, (b) 7-NI (25 mg/kg)/saline, (c) vehicle/METH (5 mg/kg), and (d) 7-NI (25 mg/kg)/METH (5 mg/kg). On the second day, groups (a) and (b) received two vehicle injections, and groups (c) and (d) received two 7-NI injections (25 mg/kg, each). Administration of vehicle/METH resulted in 68, 44, and 55% decreases in the concentration of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanillic acid, respectively, and a 48% decrease in the number of [3H]mazindol binding sites in the striatum compared with control values. Treatment with 7-NI (group d) provided full protection against the depletion of dopamine and its metabolites and the loss of dopamine transporter binding sites. Administration of 7-NI/saline (group b) affected neither the tissue concentration of dopamine and its metabolites nor the binding parameters of [3H] mazindol compared with control values. 7-NI had no significant effect on animals' body temperature, and it did not affect METH-induced hyperthermia. These findings indicate a role for nitric oxide in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity and also suggest that blockade of NOS may be beneficial for the management of Parkinson's disease.
Structural indexing: efficient 3-D object recognition

The authors present an approach for the recognition of multiple 3-D object models from three 3-D scene data. The approach uses two different types of primitives for matching: small surface patches, where differential properties can be reliably computed, and lines corresponding to depth or orientation discontinuities. These are represented by splashes and 3-D curves, respectively. It is shown how both of these primitives can be encoded by a set of super segments, consisting of connected linear segments. These super segments are entered into a table and provide the essential mechanism for fast retrieval and matching. The issues of robustness and stability of the features are addressed in detail. The acquisition of the 3-D models is performed automatically by computing splashes in highly structured areas of the objects and by using boundary and surface edges for the generation of 3-D curves. The authors present results with the current system (3-D object recognition based on super segments) and discuss further extensions. >
Food proteins and gut mucosal barrier. II. Differential interaction of cow's milk proteins with the mucous coat and the surface membrane of adult and immature rat jejunum.

ABSTRACT: Two in vitro intestinal models were used to investigate postnatal maturational changes of the gut barrier functions. Microvillus membrane (MVM) preparations were studied for surface binding, and everted gut sacs were studied for mucous coat binding, breakdown and uptake of radioiodinated bovine serum albumin (BSA), and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG). Surface binding of these proteins to MVM was weak and nonspecific. There was more binding of both proteins to immature MVM (BSA: newborns, 2.74 ± 0.52%, adults, 1.08 ± 0.17%, p < 0.001; β LG: newborns, 6.30 ± 0.54%; adults, 2.05 ± 0.07, p < 0.001). In contrast to MVM binding characteristics, mu-cous coat binding of the cow's milk proteins to immature gut sacs was significantly less (BSA: preweanlings, 0.94 ± 0.30 μg 125-I-protein Eq/mg mucosal protein; adults, 3.06 ± 0.74, p < 0.001; β-LG: preweanlings, 5.61 ± 1.48; adults, 9.83 ± 1.33, p < 0.001). Protein binding and uptake were correlated in the immature animals (r = 0.76, p < 0.001 for BSA and r = 0.85, p < 0.001 for β-LG). More β-LG was bound and taken up than BSA in the preweanlings (p < 0.001). Trichloroacetic acid precipitation studies showed that, even in the immature rats, β-LG was much more readily broken down by mucosa-associated enzymes than BSA. Immature animals showed less protein breakdown than adult controls. Decreased protein breakdown and mucous coat binding as well as increased MVM binding may account for the increased uptake of intact food antigens in the newborn. Differences between increased MVM binding and decreased mucous coat binding of cow's milk proteins are attributed to protective elements such as the mucus layer which is present in the gut sac model but lacking in MVM.
Adsorption and diffusion on three structures of the (100) surface of a face centered cubic crystal

Abstract The energy of adsorption of argon atoms on the argon (100) surface is calculated for three possible structures of that surface, the normal bulk-like structure and two transformed structures which have been shown to be thermodynamically stable below the melting temperature of argon. The adsorption energies are lower by 20% on the transformed structures than on the normal structure. The adsorption site symmetry varies with structure as do the separations of the adsorption energy maxima. Ad-atom diffusion barriers are calculated on all three structures. The energy barriers on the transformed structures are lower than on the normal structure by as much as 70% and the barriers on the transformed structures depend on the direction of diffusion.
Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences

When I mentioned to a colleague that there was a new, six-volume encyclopedia in ocean sciences that I had agreed to review, all he said was, “That will keep you busy for awhile.” Indeed, reviewing 3000-plus pages of condensed matter is quite an order. In addition to simply reading one item after another and skipping a lot, I decided to work with the encyclopedia for a month in a writing project involving general oceanography. On the whole, the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences is comprehensive, up-to-date, well illustrated, and well written, and the writing falls somewhere between that of an introductory textbook and a professional review. The marine biology portion, which is large, is particularly accessible. If you are studying oceanography, or teaching it, do gain access to this set of volumes. You will come to treasure it as a great source of information.
Effect of C-protein on actomyosin ATPase

The effect of C-protein on the actin-activated ATPase of column-purified skeletal muscle myosin has been investigated at varied ionic strength. At ionic strengths below about 0.1, C-protein is a potent inhibitor. The inhibition is not reversed by increasing the actin concentration, showing that it is caused by C-protein bound to the myosin filaments. When the ionic strength is raised above about 0.12, on the other hand, the inhibition vanishes and C-protein becomes a mild activator of the actomyosin ATPase. Both effects appear rapidly upon addition of C-protein to pre-formed myosin filaments, so C-protein probably acts by binding to the surface of the filaments.
Medullary sources of projections to the kinesthetic thalamus in raccoons: External and basal cuneate nuclei and cell groups x and z

In raccoons and other mammals, a pathway for kinesthetic sensation (from muscles, fascia, tendons, and joints) reaches the anterodorsal cap of the ventrobasal thalamus and the anteriormost part of the somatic sensory cerebral cortex. To find the medullary component of this kinesthetic pathway in raccoons, small injections of horseradish peroxidase were made in the thalamus under guidance of simultaneous electrophysiological recording from kinesthetic projections. As determined by retrograde labeling following these injections, kinesthetic thalamic subregions receive projections as follows: caudomedial from cells in the external cuneate nucleus and its medial tongue, rostromedial from cells in basal cuneate nucleus, and rostrolateral from cells in cell group z and the reticular division of cell group x. Electro-physiological recording showed kinesthetic representations in each of these medullary regions. Labeled cells were also observed in the infratrigeminal subnucleus of the lateral reticular nucleus. Cats have kinesthetic projections to the thalamus from the basal cuneate and cell group z; raccoons (and monkeys) have these plus projections from the external cuneate and cell group x. This suggests that the kinesthetic projection system in raccoons and monkeys is expanded in correlation with their more dextrous use of the hand.
Trends in metal surface relaxation

Abstract New LEED (low-energy electron diffraction) results are reported for Fe{310} and Fe{210} surfaces, including multilayer relaxation of atomic planes both perpendicular and parallel to the surface. The structures of six different surfaces of iron are now known. A comparison of the results yields relaxation trends: top-layer relaxation is found to increase monotonically as the surfaces become more open; for the higher-index surfaces {211}, {310} and {210} “decay curves” of relaxation as functions of depth into the surface show a surface-independent decay length (the depth at which the crystal returns to a bulk-like arrangement) of approximately 2 A.
Nebrija's Syntatic Theory in Its Historical Setting

SUMMARYAntonio de Nebrija (1444?-1522) inherited his syntactic theory from a grammatical tradition which had developed in Italy in the High Middle Ages more or less independently of the speculative tradition of northern Europe. The distinctive features of this system are the following: (1) The main verb in a sentence governs not only the oblique cases of the complements but also the nominative case of the subject. (2) Verbs are subclassified depending on the morphological cases of their nominal complements. Nebrija must have assimilated this system as a student in Italy in the 1460s.RESUMELa theorie syntaxique d'Antonio de Nebrija (1444?-1522) provient d'une tradition grammaticale qui se developpa en Italie a partir du XIIe siecle et qui avait pour la plupart une origine distincte de la tradition speculative de l'Europe du nord. Cette theorie se caracterise par les traits suivants: (1) Le verbe principal de la phrase gouverne non seulement les cas obliques des complements, mais aussi le cas nominatif du sujet. (2) Les verbes se rangent en classes du point de vue syntaxique selon les cas morphologiques des complements. Nebrija a du apprendre ce systeme pendant ses etudes en Italie dans les annees 1460.ZUSAMMENFASSUNGAntonio de Nebrijas (1444?-1522) syntaktische Theorie stammt aus einer grammatischen Tradition, die sich in Italien im Hochmittelalter mehr oder weniger unabhangig von der nordeuropaischen spekulativen Tradition ent-wickelte. Charakteristische Merkmale dieses Systems sind die folgenden: (1) Das Hauptverb des Satzes regiert nicht nur die abhangigen Falle der nominalen Erganzungen, sondern auch den Nominativkasus des Subjekts. (2) Verben werden je nach den Fallen der Erganzungen in verschiedene Klassen eingeteilt. Dieses System lernte Nebrija wohl in den 60er Jahren des 15. Jahrhunderts wahrend seines italienischen Studienaufenthaltes kennen.
Personality Structure of Adolescents as Measured by the Edwards Personality Inventory

The object of the study was to administer the Edwards Personality Inventory to high school students for the purpose of enlarging empirical data on the personality structure of adolescents and to pr...
Online optimal switching of single phase DC/AC inverters using partial information

This paper proposes an online optimal tracking al- gorithm to provide the desired voltage magnitude and frequency at the load. This eventually will work as a DC/AC microinverter that with appropriate switching of semiconductor devices will convert low DC voltage to high AC voltage. An L C filter is used to reduce the effects caused by switching semiconductor devices. The proposed control scheme ensures a good tracking of an exosystem that provides the desired voltage magnitude and frequency. It builds upon the ideas of approximate dynamic programming (ADP) and uses only partial information of the system and exosystem. A Lyapunov stability proof ensures that the closed-loop system is asympotically stable. Finally, simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Index Terms— Power systems, voltage source inverter, ap- proximate dynamic programming. I. INTRODUCTION
Prospective study of plasma homocysteine level and risk of age-related macular degeneration in women.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Prospective data to examine the association of homocysteine with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are limited. We examined the prospective relation of plasma homocysteine level and AMD in a large cohort of apparently healthy women.Methods: We evaluated the relationship between baseline levels of plasma homocysteine and incident AMD among 27,479 female health professionals aged 40 years or older. Main outcome measures were total AMD, defined as self-report documented by medical record evidence of an initial diagnosis after randomization, and visually significant AMD, defined as confirmed incident AMD with visual acuity 20/30 or worse attributable to this condition.Results: During an average 10 years of follow-up, a total of 452 cases of AMD, including 182 cases of visually significant AMD, were documented. Women in the highest versus lowest quartile of plasma homocysteine had modestly, but statistically non-significant, increased risks of total AMD (hazard ratio, HR, 1.24, 95% confid...
Effects of phencyclidine and ketamine on cardiovascular activity and temperature in the squirrel monkey

Heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (BP) and core temperature (TEMP) were recorded from chair-restrained squirrel monkeys surgically prepared with chronically indwelling arterial and venous catheters to determine the effects of acute intravenous (i.v.) injections of phencyclidine and ketamine and intramuscular (i.m.) injections of ketamine. Phencyclidine (0.03-3.0 mg/kg) and ketamine (0.3-30.0 mg/kg) i.v. increased BP and decreased TEMP, and the changes in BP and in TEMP were greater in magnitude and duration after phencyclidine. Heart rate also increased monotonically after 0.03-0.3 mg/kg phencyclidine or 0.3-10.0 mg/kg ketamine, but the effects of higher doses of either drug were biphasic with decreases followed by increases in HR. When either of two doses of ketamine (10.0 and 30.0 mg/kg) was injected i.m., the effects were qualitatively similar to those observed after i.v. administration although of much less magnitude, and there was no evidence of a biphasic change in HR. The data show that these two dissociative anesthetics differ in duration of action and in magnitude of effect on cardiovascular activity and core temperature in the squirrel monkey, and that phencyclidine is approximately ten times as potent as ketamine.
Sphincter preservation rates after radical resection for rectal cancer in the United States veteran population: opportunity for improvement in early disease.

Background Sphincter preservation (SP) is an important goal of rectal cancer surgery. We hypothesized that SP rates among veteran patients have increased and are comparable to national rates, and that a subset of patients with early disease still undergo non-SP procedures.
Steady Shear Response of Carbon Nanotube Networks Dispersed in Poly(ethylene oxide)

The response of fractal networks of dispersed single walled carbon nanotubes in poly(ethylene oxide) to continuous constant-rate shear flow is examined as functions of shear rate and nanotube concentration. The steady shear viscosity values are strong functions of shear rate and follow a power-law shear-thinning character, while the nanotube concentration dependence of the viscosity (at a fixed shear rate) is somewhat weaker than the scaling of the equilibrium modulus values. For dispersions with nanotube concentrations corresponding to the semidilute regime, the stress response to constant-rate continuous shear from rest demonstrates a stress maximum that decays to a steady value at long times. The stress maximum and steady shear behavior can be reconciled in terms of the changing structure at the mesoscale for the fractal networks. On the other hand, the transient development of the stress during the start-up experiments can be qualitatively reconciled in the context of a cluster dynamics model.
Finite groups admitting grassmannian 4-designs☆

Abstract Let V be a finite dimensional Euclidean space. We classify finite subgroups of GO ( V ) that admit grassmannian 4-designs. We also classify Zariski closed subgroups G of GO ( V ) over which Sym 2 ( V ) / 1 G is irreducible.
Use of different fluorochromes for monitoring protein elution and transfer

Protein molecular weight standards labeled with different fluorochromes were tested for their usefulness in following the protein transfer from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose and for electro-elution of proteins from polyacrylamide gels. Dichlorotriazynylaminofluorescein labeled proteins appear to be useful for both purposes as they are stable, their detection sensitivity was high (about 10 ng of protein on nitrocellulose) and the coupling of the fluorochrome did not appreciably change the molecular weight of any protein examined. On the other hand, proteins labeled with tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate, or its heterocyclic derivative, were of limited usefulness as standards. Labeled proteins of molecular weight below 20 kDa formed diffuse bands on gels. Therefore, these particular fluorescent protein standards appear to be useful in following the elution from gels, or as references on nitrocellulose, only for proteins larger than 20–25 kDa.
Use of targetable gfp‐tagged neuropeptide for visualizing neuropeptide release following execution of a behavior

Previous work has shown that a transgene consisting of a fusion between the rat atrial natriuretic peptide and a green fluorescent protein reporter (ANF-gfp) is processed, localized, and released, as would be an endogenous neuropeptide when it is expressed in the nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster using the GAL4/UAS expression system. Here we have tested the utility of this targetable transgene for detecting neuropeptide release following the execution of a peptide-controlled behavior. For the behavior we used ecdysis, the behavior expressed by insects to shed their old cuticle at the end of the molt. We found that larval ecdysis was accompanied by a readily detectable reduction in gfp fluorescence from relevant secretory cells in the periphery and peptidergic neurons in the CNS. We also found that expression of the ANF-gfp products did not have detrimental effects on larval ecdysis or adult circadian rhythmicity, when the transgene was expressed in peptidergic cells that are known to control these behaviors. Finally, we used a broadly expressed GAL4 driver to show that the UAS-ANF-gfp transgene could be used to identify axons that show a reduction in gfp fluorescence following the expression of ecdysis behavior. These findings, coupled with the availability of an increasing number of strains bearing different GAL4 drivers, suggest that this transgene will be a useful tool for identifying peptidergic neurons and secretory cells (and, eventually, their secretory product) that release their peptide content during the occurrence, in the intact animal, of a developmental, physiological or behavioral process of interest.
Forskolin attenuates the action of insulin on the Akt-mTOR pathway in human skeletal muscle

Forskolin (FSK) is capable of both stimulating and inhibiting the intracellular signaling pathways of protein syn- thesis tissues other than skeletal muscle. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if FSK administration affects various elements of the protein kinase B (Akt)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in human skeletal muscle. Ten (n = 10) healthy, young (21.6 ± 1.3 years), nonobese (body mass index = 25.5 ± 3.5 kgm -2 ), recreationally active males were selected for participation. Following an 8 h fast, 2 muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis were per- formed. The samples were sectioned and exposed to 4 in vitro treatment conditions: basal, FSK, insulin (INS), and FSK+INS. The samples were then analyzed for total and phosphorylated levels of Akt, mTOR, S6 kinase (S6K1), and 4E binding protein (4EBP1). Akt phosphorylation was significantly greater in the INS-treated samples compared with the basal and FSK conditions (p = 0.007). Furthermore, the ratio of phosphorylated Akt to total Akt (P/T) was higher in the INS samples compared with the basal and FSK samples (p = 0.001). There were no differences in mTOR phosphorylation among the 4 groups; however, total mTOR was significantly greater in the FSK+INS group (p = 0.006). There were also no differences in phosphorylated or total levels of S6K1 among the 4 groups. However, 4EBP1 phosphorylation was sig- nificantly greater in the INS-treated samples compared with the basal (p = 0.003) and FSK (p = 0.004) treatments. There were no differences in the ratio of phosphorylated 4EBP1 to total 4EBP1 (P/T) among the 4 groups. These results indicate that FSK does not activate the Akt-mTOR pathway in human skeletal muscle; however, these results suggest that FSK may inhibit the actions of INS on this pathway.
Widespread occurrence of intersex in black basses (Micropterus spp.) from U.S. rivers, 1995-2004

Intersex occurrence in freshwater fishes was evaluated for nine river basins in the United States. Testicular oocytes (predominantly male testes containing female germ cells) were the most pervasive form of intersex observed, even though similar numbers of male (n=1477) and female (n=1633) fish were examined. Intersex was found in 3% of the fish collected. The intersex condition was observed in four of the 16 species examined (25%) and in fish from 34 of 111 sites (31%). Intersex was not found in multiple species from the same site but was most prevalent in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; 18% of males) and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu; 33% of males). The percentage of intersex fish per site was 8-91% for largemouth bass and 14-73% for smallmouth bass. The incidence of intersex was greatest in the southeastern United States, with intersex largemouth bass present at all sites in the Apalachicola, Savannah, and Pee Dee River Basins. Total mercury, trans-nonachlor, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, and total PCBs were the most commonly detected chemical contaminants at all sites, regardless of whether intersex was observed. Although the genotype of the intersex fish was not determined, the microscopic appearance of the gonads, the presence of mature sperm, and the concentrations of sex steroid hormones and vitellogenin indicate the intersex bass were males. Few reproductive endpoints differed significantly among male and intersex bass; plasma vitellogenin concentration in males was not a good indicator of intersex presence. Hierarchical linkages of the intersex condition to reproductive function will require a more quantitative measure of intersex (e.g. severity index) rather than presence or absence of the condition. The baseline incidence of intersex gonadal tissue in black basses and other freshwater fishes is unknown, but intersex prevalence may be related to collection season, age, and endocrine active compounds in the environment. Intersex was not found in largemouth bass older than five years and was most common in 1-3-year-old male largemouth bass. The cause(s) of intersex in these species is also unknown, and it remains to be determined whether the intersex we observed in largemouth and smallmouth bass developed during sex differentiation in early life stages, during exposure to environmental factors during adult life stages, or both.
Effect of dietary calcium on metabolic balance of normal infants.

ABSTRACT: Metabolic balance studies were performed with six normal infants fed in a balanced cross-over design three formulas differing only in calcium concentration: 389, 659, and 1024 mg/liter. Absorption of phosphorus was significantly affected by increasing calcium intake decreasing from 68 to 63 to 52% of intake. However, since urinary excretion of phosphorus also decreased, there was no significant effect on retention of phosphorus. Absorption of fat was slightly (but significantly) depressed by calcium, decreasing from 97.5 to 95.5 to 92.1% as calcium intake increased. The level of dietary calcium had no significant effect on absorption or retention of nitrogen, magnesium, copper, and zinc. One of the subjects had consistently lower absorption of calcium and fat than the other subjects, suggesting an absorptive defect. The decrease in fractional absorption of calcium (57 to 47 to 39% of intake) with increasing intake of calcium is compatible with adaptive regulation. On the other hand, the observation that absorbed calcium (mg/kg/day) was linearly related to intake of calcium with a slope of 0.373 suggests an alternative explanation: constant passive, concentration-dependent (slope), and constant active (y-intercept) transport of calcium over the range of calcium intakes. Thus, the findings are explainable in more than one way and do not necessarily demonstrate regulatory changes.
Sauvages, sex roles, and semiotics: Representations of Native Americans in the French ballet, 1736–1837, part one: The eighteenth century

(2000). Sauvages, sex roles, and semiotics: Representations of native Americans in the French Ballet 1736–1837, part two: The nineteenth century. Dance Chronicle: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 275-320.
Determination of the equilibrium constants of associating protein systems. I. The application of stepwise polynomial regression analysis.

The equilibrium constants of reversibly interacting polymer systems can be obtained from Steiner's equation (Steiner, 1952, 1953, 1954) providing the effect of the charges on the molecules is taken into consideration(Jeffrey & Coates, 1966a). The equilibrium constants for the modified Steiner's equations can be readily computed using stepwise polynomial regression analysis (Efroymsen, 1960). Using three additional equations derived from the Jeffrey and Coates modification, the equilibrium constants and mode of association of insulin were computed, using Steiner's original data for insulin (1953). Stepwise polynomial regression analysis indicated that insulin undergoes monomer-polymer (dimer, trimer, tetramer, hexamer and possibly higher polymer) equilibrium at 41°C even though it was found to be in dynamic equilibrium at 20°C (monomer-dimer-tetramer-hexamer) by Jeffrey & Coates (1966a,b).
Correlation synthetic discriminant functions.

Advanced filters are described for distortion-invariant space-invariant object identification and location in clutter using correlators. These correlation synthetic discriminant functions (SDFs) are extensions of earlier projection SDFs. They provide control of the sidelobe levels and the shape of the output correlation function as well as its peak intensity. The theory for synthesis of three such SDFs and a discussion of correlation plane detection criteria for use with these filters are presented.
Spatial organization of RNA polymerase II inside a mammalian cell nucleus revealed by reflected light-sheet superresolution microscopy

Superresolution microscopy based on single-molecule centroid determination has been widely applied to cellular imaging in recent years. However, quantitative imaging of the mammalian nucleus has been challenging due to the lack of 3D optical sectioning methods for normal-sized cells, as well as the inability to accurately count the absolute copy numbers of biomolecules in highly dense structures. Here we report a reflected light-sheet superresolution microscopy method capable of imaging inside the mammalian nucleus with superior signal-to-background ratio as well as molecular counting with single-copy accuracy. Using reflected light-sheet superresolution microscopy, we probed the spatial organization of transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) molecules and quantified their global extent of clustering inside the mammalian nucleus. Spatiotemporal clustering analysis that leverages on the blinking photophysics of specific organic dyes showed that the majority (>70%) of the transcription foci originate from single RNAP II molecules, and no significant clustering between RNAP II molecules was detected within the length scale of the reported diameter of “transcription factories.” Colocalization measurements of RNAP II molecules equally labeled by two spectrally distinct dyes confirmed the primarily unclustered distribution, arguing against a prevalent existence of transcription factories in the mammalian nucleus as previously proposed. The methods developed in our study pave the way for quantitative mapping and stoichiometric characterization of key biomolecular species deep inside mammalian cells.
The field induced e31,f piezoelectric and Rayleigh response in barium strontium titanate thin films

The electric field induced e31,f piezoelectric response and tunability of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (70:30) and Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (60:40) thin films on MgO and silicon was measured. The relative dielectric tunabilities for the 70:30 and 60:40 compositions on MgO were 83% and 70%, respectively, with a dielectric loss of less than 0.011 and 0.004 at 100 kHz. A linear increase in induced piezoelectricity to −3.0 C/m2 and −1.5 C/m2 at 110 kV/cm was observed in Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 on MgO and Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 on Si. Hysteresis in the piezoelectric and dielectric response of the 70:30 composition films was consistent with the positive irreversible dielectric Rayleigh coefficient. Both indicate a ferroelectric contribution to the piezoelectric and dielectric response over 40–80 °C above the global paraelectric transition temperature.
Quasi-analytical calculation of thermal magnetization fluctuation noise in giant magnetoresistive sensors

Noise caused by thermal magnetization fluctuations in giant magnetoresistive sensors, mainly in the free layer, limits the achievable signal-to-noise ratio and thus the density of magnetic recording systems. Here, we describe a quasi-analytical method to study this noise. First, by discretizing the free layer into sufficiently small rectangular cells, an equilibrium state of the free layer is obtained using a quasi-static energy minimization technique. A linear tensor relation between the magnetization spectra and the thermal fluctuations is found for the two approaches: 1)Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Brown and 2) collective spin wave excitation. In the former, damping and thermal fields are added to each cell and then a Fourier transform is taken to obtain the spectra. For the eigenmode approach, the lossless dynamic equations are diagonalized, yielding the system's intrinsic eigenmodes. Then damping and thermal fluctuations are added to each eigenmode, independently. The sensor playback noise power spectrum density, a measurable quantity, is calculated by summing up the contributions from each eigenmode or cell magnetization. This computationally light treatment yields a clear physical picture of the phenomenon, relating damping, thermal fluctuation, and noise. We describe each step of the calculation procedure in detail and give examples.
Variations of neuronal parameters that do not change network output

Neuronal network modeling and experiments indicate that the same physiologically relevant patterns of the network activity can be observed for quite different sets of neuronal parameters. These findings imply that parameters, each of which affects network functionality, co-vary in real networks; i.e. the variations of these parameters must be concordant. Finding such concordant variations can advance our understanding on how the properties of individual neurons determine network functionality. In particular, they may explain variability of neuronal parameters observed in living systems, and show possible paths for homeostatic regulation. In this study, we sought local interrelations between neuronal parameters that did not change network output by using the implicit function theorem. This theorem, under certain conditions, establishes the existence and uniqueness of such interrelations, and specifies them in linear approximation. By assessing such interrelations at different points in the parameter space of a model of the leech heartbeat central pattern generator (CPG) [1], we found a linear correlation between neuronal parameters that preserve a primary output characteristic of this CPG, the cycle period. The correlated parameters were the maximal conductance of the spike-mediated synaptic current, and of the hyper-polarization activated inward current, Ih. We also found that this linear correlation was different for model neurons with different endogenous activity: silence, bursting or tonic spiking. For neurons of one type, however, the correlation was similar.
DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF VOLTAGE-GATED K+ AND CA2+ CURRENTS IN BIPOLAR CELLS IN THE ZEBRAFISH RETINAL SLICE

Whole-cell voltage-gated currents were recorded from bipolar cells in the zebrafish retinal slice. Two physiological populations of bipolar cells were identified. In the first, depolarizing voltage steps elicited a rapidly activating A-current that reached peak amplitude or = 10 ms after step onset and did not inactivate. IK was antagonized by internal caesium and external tetraethylammonium. Bipolar cells expressing IK also expressed a time-dependent h-current at membrane potentials -50 mV activated ICa, which reached peak amplitude between -20 and -10 mV. ICa was eliminated in Ca+2-free Ringer and blocked by cadmium and cobalt, but not tetrodotoxin. In most cells, Ica was transient, activating rapidly at -50 mV. This current was antagonized by nickel. The remaining bipolar cells expressed a nifedipine-sensitive sustained current that activated between -40 and -30 mV, with both slower kinetics and smaller amplitude than transient ICa. IK(Ca) was elicited by membrane depolarizations > -20 mV. Bipolar cells in the zebrafish retinal slice preparation express an array of voltage-gated currents which contribute to non-linear I-V characteristics. The zebrafish retinal slice preparation is well-suited to patch clamp analyses of membrane mechanisms and provides a suitable model for studying genetic defects in visual system development.
Mechano- and chemoreceptor modulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity at birth in fetal sheep.

Physiological responses at birth include increases in heart rate (HR), blood pressure, sympathetic nerve activity, and circulating vasoactive peptides. The factors mediating these responses are not...
Computing Mode Study of Large-Scale Power Grid Online Analysis Software Based on Cloud Computing Technology

This paper construct a large-scale power grid online analysis architecture based on "'Dispatch Cloud' architecture and combined with the power system characteristics and large grid dispatch system online analysis software features, it propose power grid online analysis software wide-area multi-level distributed parallel computing mode based on Dispatch Cloud Platform which is service oriented architecture (SOA). In this mode the coordination manage needed is achieved in the way of service encapsulation based SOA, including, data and model management services, computing resource management services, the job management and parallel computing services, In this mode the coordination manage needed is achieved in the way of service encapsulation based on SOA, including, data and model management services, computing resource management services, the job management and parallel computing services. which will provide theoretical and technical support to the large-scale power grid Online analysis software design and development Using Cloud technology.