cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-Assembly of Subnanometer-Scaled Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) Macroions in Dilute Solution

Both positively and negatively charged polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) electrolytes were observed to self-assemble into blackberry-type supramolecular structures in water/acetone mixed solvents, driven by the counterion-mediated attraction. Laser light-scattering studies reveal that the sizes of the blackberry structures increase with increasing acetone content, which suggests a charge-regulated process. Studies on two oppositely charged POSS macroions with identical charges and similar sizes show the discrepancy between positively and negatively charged POSS macroions, which is related to counterions, ionic domains of macroions, and the water-bridged hydrogen bonding between monomers. These POSS ions further decrease the lower size limit of macroions that can self-assemble in polar solvents reported to date. The new phenomena were observed in the self-assembly process of POSS macroions relative to other macroion systems.
Acid-sensing ion channels contribute to chemosensitivity of breathing-related neurons of the nucleus of the solitary tract

Cellular mechanisms of central pH chemosensitivity remain largely unknown. The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) integrates peripheral afferents with central pathways controlling breathing; NTS neurons function as central chemosensors, but only limited information exists concerning the ionic mechanisms involved. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) mediate chemosensitivity in nociceptive terminals, where pH values ∼6.5 are not uncommon in inflammation, but are also abundantly expressed throughout the brain where pHi s tightly regulated and their role is less clear. Here we test the hypothesis that ASICs are expressed in NTS neurons and contribute to intrinsic chemosensitivity and control of breathing. In electrophysiological recordings from acute rat NTS slices, ∼40% of NTS neurons responded to physiological acidification (pH 7.0) with a transient depolarization. This response was also present in dissociated neurons suggesting an intrinsic mechanism. In voltage clamp recordings in slices, a pH drop from 7.4 to 7.0 induced ASIC-like inward currents (blocked by 100 μM amiloride) in ∼40% of NTS neurons, while at pH ≤ 6.5 these currents were detected in all neurons tested; RT-PCR revealed expression of ASIC1 and, less abundantly, ASIC2 in the NTS. Anatomical analysis of dye-filled neurons showed that ASIC-dependent chemosensitive cells (cells responding to pH 7.0) cluster dorsally in the NTS. Using in vivo retrograde labelling from the ventral respiratory column, 90% (9/10) of the labelled neurons showed an ASIC-like response to pH 7.0, suggesting that ASIC currents contribute to control of breathing. Accordingly, amiloride injection into the NTS reduced phrenic nerve activity of anaesthetized rats with an elevated arterial P(CO(2)) .
The Political Economy of Marine Stewardship Council Certification: Processors and Access in Newfoundland and Labrador's Inshore Shrimp Industry

In August 2008, the Northern shrimp, a prey of the iconic cod, became the first species managed by the Canadian government to meet the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standard for ‘sustainable and well-managed’ fisheries. Using the Northern shrimp fishery as a case study, this paper argues that rather than being simply a tool for sustainability or even earning market access, MSC certification allows fishery ‘clients’– those organizations that ultimately hold the MSC certificate – to control resource access and production relations. The processing association that acted as the initial client in this fishery gained new members by sharing access to certification in 2009 and expelled a community-based fishing co-operative from the client group in 2010. Certification dynamics in this case reflected, and were used to reinforce, a highly competitive political economy of production. These dynamics may have implications for future resource access, since shrimp stocks appear to be declining in key areas after three decades of growth.
Diversity in the workplace

Purpose – Given the growing importance of the Hispanic population in the USA, the increasing presence of this minority at all organizational levels, and the possibility that different subcultures would value different traits when hiring, the purpose of this research was to determine if there were culture‐related differences in the importance placed on 26 job applicant attributes by Hispanics and non‐Hispanics who were involved in hiring.Design/methodology/approach – This study compares the importance ratings of 26 job selection attributes by Hispanic and non‐Hispanic respondents to determine the hiring criteria that are important to each group, and to see if differences are statistically significant.Findings – Significant differences in mean rating scores were found in 13 of the 26 criteria. The Hispanic sample attached greater importance to subjective traits, while the non‐Hispanic group had higher ratings for objectively‐assessed traits.Practical implications – Given organizational efforts to increase d...
Ontogeny of B-lymphocyte function: VII. Effect of cyclic AMP on the heterogeneity of the antibody produced by B lymphocytes from immature donors

Abstract Liver cells from neonatal mice were incubated for 1 hr with or without cyclic AMP before they were used as the source of B lymphocytes to reconstitute lethally irradiated mice. All recipients also received 1 × 10 8 adult thymus cells and were immunized with DNP-BGG. Mice reconstituted with neonatal B cells which had been incubated with cyclic AMP produced an anti-DNP response which was of greater magnitude, higher affinity and greater heterogeneity of affinity than that produced by mice reconstituted with neonatal B cells incubated without cyclic AMP. The possibility that cyclic AMP plays a role in the differentiation of B-cell function is suggested.
Ultrastructure and histogenesis of clear cell carcinoma of the ovary.

Abstract A clear cell carcinoma of the ovary in a 33-year-old woman was studied with the electron microscope. The tumor featured blunt microvilli, intercellular tight junctions and desmosomes, interdigitating cytoplasmic processes, intracytoplasmic glycogen granules coalescing into large aggregates in clear cells, small mitochondria, numerous free ribosomes, and granular endoplasmic reticulum stacked in parallel lamellae. These findings are identical to those reported by others and by us in clear cell carcinomas of the ovary, cervix, and vagina. Comparisons with the fine structure of other possibly related lesions reveal that the closest resemblance of clear cell carcinoma is to the Arias-Stella reaction of the endometrium. Several Mullerian tumors also demonstrate many similarities. Thus, ultrastructural study reinforces other clinical and pathologic evidence that the clear cell carcinoma is of Mullerian rather than mesonephric origin and probably related to secretory changes in endometrium-type glands.
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Assessing and Reducing Risk

This exploratory study represents one of the preliminary phases in a larger study conducted in efforts to develop the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) Risk and Resiliency Assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that may put youth at risk for DMST. Because of Social Works ethical responsibility to marginalized populations, the promotion of protective factors through a 10-session group intervention to counteract against such risks was also explored. Thus, over a three-month period, 10 psychoeducational group interventions were facilitated with 23 runaway, homeless, and street youth (RHSY) at an urban drop-in center with the primary goals of: (a) increasing awareness of healthy versus unhealthy relationship patterns, (b) increasing knowledge on how to set healthy relationship boundaries, (c) increasing the desire and expectation of mental, physical, and sexual respect, and (d) assisting in safe exits from abusive and/or exploitive relationships. Results of the pre-test post-test design indicate a myriad of risk factors for DMST. Findings also support that when provided a psychoeducational intervention within a safe, encouraging, and youth friendly environment, RHSY are able to define and develop protective factors against sex trafficking. Implications are relevant to practitioners and researchers in the field.
Epigenetic modifications in pluripotent and differentiated cells

Epigenetic modifications constitute a complex regulatory layer on top of the genome sequence. Pluripotent and differentiated cells provide a powerful system for investigating how the epigenetic code influences cellular fate. High-throughput sequencing of these cell types has yielded DNA methylation maps at single-nucleotide resolution and many genome-wide chromatin maps. In parallel to epigenome mapping efforts, remarkable progress has been made in our ability to manipulate cell states; ectopic expression of transcription factors has been shown to override developmentally established epigenetic marks and to enable routine generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Despite these advances, many fundamental questions remain. The roles of epigenetic marks and, in particular, of epigenetic modifiers in development and in disease states are not well understood. Although iPS cells appear molecularly and functionally similar to embryonic stem cells, more genome-wide studies are needed to define the extent and functions of epigenetic remodeling during reprogramming.
Self-efficacy expectancy and outcome expectancy: Their relationship and their effects on behavioral intentions

Self-efficacy theory maintains that self-efficacy expectancy, a belief about one's ability to successfully perform a behavior, is independent of outcome expectancy, a belief about the likelihood of the behavior leading to a specific outcome. This experiment tested the hypothesis that self-efficacy and outcome expectancy are independent and have independent effects on behavior change. Subjects read communications that differed in descriptions of the difficulty of learning and performing a behavior (self-efficacy expectancy) and the effectiveness of the behavior in producing a desired outcome (outcome expectancy). Results disclosed that increments in outcome expectancy increased intentions to perform the behavior. Increments in self-efficacy expectancy yielded nonsignificant increases in intentions. Also, the outcome expectancy manipulation influenced expectations of self-efficacy. When the behavior was presented as relatively difficult to perform, subjects who believed that the behavior was more likely to result in a favorable outcome expressed greater confidence in their ability to perform the behavior than those who perceived a relatively weak relationship between the behavior and its outcome. It was suggested that the degree of risk involved in attempting yet failing to perform correctly a behavior may determine the extent to which self-efficacy expectancy affects decisions about behavior.
A SURVEY OF PORK QUALITY OF DOWNER PIGS

Pigs from four commercial packing facilities were utilized to characterize the impact of downer pigs on meat quality and the impact of respiratory health on downer pigs. Lungs of downer pigs were evaluated for pneumonia and the pH of the longissimus was measured at approximately 45 min postmortem on 246 carcasses. At approximately 24 h postmortem, subjective color, marbling, firmness of the loin, carcass conformation, gender, objective loin color and ultimate pH of the longissimus were determined on 229 carcasses. Muscle score, 45 min pH and lung score averaged 2.14, 6.32 and 1.67, respectively. Subjective color, marbling, firmness, Minolta L-value, pH and drip loss averaged 3.75, 2.72, 3.16, 45.72, 6.00 and 1.91%, respectively. Downer pigs tended to produce pork that was dark in color with a relatively high ultimate pH and low drip loss. Virtually no relationship was observed between downer pigs and lung score.
Giving Voice to the Unsayable: Repairing the Effects of Trauma in Infancy and Early Childhood

The research on early trauma establishes conclusively that, although there are marked individual differences in how children in the first five years of life respond to and recover from trauma, they consistently show negative biological, emotional, social, and cognitive sequelae after enduring traumatic events. This evidence lends particular urgency to the development, evaluation and implementation of approaches to prevention and treatment that are both empirically supported and can be effectively adapted to mental health community programs and other service systems that serve traumatized children and their families. This article describes the clinical applications and community dissemination of child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), a relationship-based trauma treatment for young children and their families that has substantial empirical evidence of efficacy in decreasing symptoms of traumatic stress and restoring young children's normative developmental trajectories. Clinical illustrations are provided to demonstrate how this intervention is conducted and to consider how it might effect therapeutic change.
Wireless implants for in vivo diagnosis and closed-loop treatment

In this presentation, we will review and discuss recent advances in the research of wireless telemetry for medical applications in our group at UT-Arlington, particularly those based on a similar platform for in vivo monitoring of physiological parameters. System for recording ECoG signals in brain, recording in vivo gastric myoelectric activities in stomach, sensing in vivo strain variations in bladder, and detecting reflux episodes in esophagus have been demonstrated. These systems consist of passive transducers for physiological signal transduction and an active transceiver for signal relay and recording. The real-time in vivo physiological signal acquisition and related neuro-/gastro-stimulation form a closed loop between the human body and control electronics. Continuous feedback mechanisms that could be implemented in the closed loop provide treatment strategies for optimization to reach a desired comfort level for individual patient. The wireless systems quantitatively document symptoms and associated physiological signals over a long term while allowing the patients to resume regular daily activities. This will enable more precise diagnosis and prognosis of diseases for the caregivers.
Voluntary Association Membership Trends and the Family Life Cycle

Using a role perspective, expectations are derived about changes in voluntary association membership levels across the family life cycle. The expected curvilinear relationship was found in national survey data from 1967 to 1974. The relationship remained even with race, sex, and education levels held constant in a log-linear analysis of multiway contingency tables. The curvilinear pattern differed somewhat between the two samples, but the general pattern held regardless of the type of organization. Slight increases in membership rates were found over time, suggesting a continuance of trends noted in samples from previous years. An individual's position in the family life cycle affects his or her involvement in voluntary associations. Family role obligations at each life cycle stage can be conceptualized as promoting or inhibiting extra-familial activities. The expected changes required by marriage, parenthood, retirement, and marital dissolution can be systematically linked to expectations for involvement in limited-goal secondary associations. The result is an hypothesized curvilinear relationship between family life cycle and voluntary association membership. We test this hypothesis with national survey data, also noting the trends over time. Family Roles and the Life Cycle Most persons must account to their families for the time, energy, and money they spend on extra-familial activities. The family is a "role budget center" (Goode, 493) which influences people's attempts to manage their *Data used in the present article were provided by the Inter-University Consortium for Political Research and the Roper Public Opinion Research Center and were originally collected by the National Opinion Research Center, with support of the National Science Foundation for the 1974 General Social Survey. For their suggestions, and especially their encouragement, we are grateful to James R. Wood, Marilyn Lester, James A. Davis and Bruce Stephenson. None of them bears any onus for errors committed by the authors in analyzing and interpreting the data.
Probing the Physical Properties, Synthesis and Cellulose Dissolution Ability of Dialkyl Phosphate Ionic Liquids

We report the synthesis, characterization and cellulose dissolution properties of a series of ionic liquids bearing alkyl and hydroxyl-functionalized imidazolium and pyrrolidinium cations, and dial...
Ibogaine, a Noncompetitive Inhibitor of Serotonin Transport, Acts by Stabilizing the Cytoplasm-facing State of the Transporter

Ibogaine, a hallucinogenic alkaloid with purported anti-addiction properties, inhibited serotonin transporter (SERT) noncompetitively by decreasing V(max) with little change in the K(m) for serotonin (5-HT). Ibogaine also inhibited binding to SERT of the cocaine analog 2beta-2-carbomethoxy-3-(4-[(125)I]iodophenyl)tropane. However, inhibition of binding was competitive, increasing the apparent K(D) without much change in B(max). Ibogaine increased the reactivity of cysteine residues positioned in the proposed cytoplasmic permeation pathway of SERT but not at nearby positions out of that pathway. In contrast, cysteines placed at positions in the extracellular permeation pathway reacted at slower rates in the presence of ibogaine. These results are consistent with the proposal that ibogaine binds to and stabilizes the state of SERT from which 5-HT dissociates to the cytoplasm, in contrast with cocaine, which stabilizes the state that binds extracellular 5-HT.
Myosin cross-bridge orientation in rigor and in the presence of nucleotide studied by electron spin resonance.

The tilt series electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum from muscle fibers decorated with spin labeled myosin subfragment 1 (S1) was measured from fibers in rigor and in the presence of MgADP. ESR spectra were measured at low amplitude modulation of the static magnetic field to insure that a minimum of spectral lineshape distortion occurs. Ten tilt series ESR data sets were fitted simultaneously by the model-independent methodology described in the accompanying paper (Burghardt, T. P., and A. R. French, 1989. Biophys. J. 56:525–534). By this method the average and standard error in the mean of order parameters for the probe angular distribution were calculated for the two states of the fiber investigated. The average order parameters were used to reconstruct the probe angular distribution in two dimensions, one angular dimension corresponding to a polar angle measured relative to the fiber axis, and the other a torsional angular degree of freedom of the probe. We find that the probe angular distributions for the rigor and MgADP states of the fiber differ such that the rigor distribution is broader and shifted relative to the distribution in the presence of MgADP. The shape of the rigor distribution suggests the presence of two probe orientations, one similar to that in the presence of MgADP, and another at a different orientation. The shape of the distribution in the presence of MgADP suggests that the binding of the nucleotide to the rigor cross-bridge shifts the spin population into a more homogeneous one by causing a cross-bridge rotation.
OCCUPANCY, ACTIVITY, AND RELATIONSHIPS TO WATERSHED FACTORS IN PREDICTING BURROW FIDELITY IN THE DIGGER CRAYFISH FALLICAMBARUS FODIENS (COTTLE, 1863)

An intensive single season pilot study was conducted with the digger crayfish, Fallicambarus fodiens (Cottle, 1863) to evaluate relationships between burrow and wetland attributes. Factor Analysis identified significant factors correlated with burrow placement, individual presence, type and frequency of activity. Factor 1 explained 36.89% of the variance associated with hydric type, percent soil moisture, fine substrate grain sizes, and habitat condition, while factor 2 explained 14.78% of the variance based on large grain particle sizes. A significant difference was observed in crayfish inhabitant activity with trap status, burrow state, and presence of activity. Four specific types of activities were related to distance to above groundwater including the trap being pulled into the burrow, the burying of the trap into a burrow cap, a capped burrow established beneath the trap, and relationship with standing water. Based on 12.5% individual recapture, 100% were present in the original burrow of capture.
Evaluation of lesion distortion at various CT system tilts in the development of a hybrid system for dedicated mammotomography

A hybrid SPECT-CT system for dedicated 3D breast imaging (mammotomography) is currently under development. Each imaging system will be placed on top of a single rotation stage and moved in unison azimuthally, with the SPECT system additionally capable of polar and radial motions. In this initial prototype, the CT system will initially be positioned at a fixed polar tilt. Using a phantom with three tungsten wires, the MTF of the CT system was measured in 3D for different CT system tilts. A phantom with uniformly arranged 0.5cm diameter acrylic spheres was suspended in air in the CT field of view, and also placed at multiple locations and orientations inside an oil-filled breast phantom to evaluate the effect of CT system tilt on lesion visibility and distortion. Projection images were collected using various simple circular orbits with fixed polar tilts ranging between ±15°, and complex 3D saddle trajectories including combined polar and azimuthal motions at maximum polar tilt angles. Reconstructions were performed using an iterative reconstruction algorithm on 4x4 binned projection images with 0.508mm3 voxels. There was minor variation in the MTF in the imaged volume for the CT system at all trajectories, potentially due to the use of an iterative reconstruction algorithm. Results from the spherical cross phantoms indicated that there was more reconstruction inaccuracy and geometric distortion in the reconstructed slices with simple circular orbits with fixed tilt in contrast to complex 3D trajectories. Line profiles further showed a cupping artifact in planes farther away from the flat plane of the x-ray cone beam placed at different tilts. However, this cupping artifact was not seen for images acquired with complex 3D trajectories. This indicated that cupping artifacts can also be caused by undersampled cone beam data. These findings generally indicate that despite insufficient sampling with the cone beam imaging geometry, it is possible to place the CT system at a stationary polar tilt with the CT tube positioned upward such that a patient can be comfortably placed above the system and allow complete sampling near the top of the pendant, uncompressed breast and chest wall. However, a complex 3D trajectory allows for more complete sampling of the entire image volume.
The chandelier neuron in schizophrenia

Markers of GABA neurotransmission between chandelier neurons and their synaptic targets, the axon initial segment (AIS) of pyramidal neurons, are altered in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of subjects with schizophrenia. For example, immunoreactivity for the GABA membrane transporter (GAT1) is decreased in presynaptic chandelier neuron axon terminals, whereas immunoreactivity for the GABA(A) receptor α2 subunit is increased in postsynaptic AIS. These alterations are most marked in cortical layers 2-3. In addition, other determinants of the function of chandelier cell-pyramidal neuron synapses, such as ankyrin-G (which regulates the recruitment of sodium channels to the AIS), are also selectively altered in superficial layer pyramidal neurons in subjects with schizophrenia. Each of these components of chandelier cell-pyramidal neuron connectivity exhibits distinctive developmental trajectories in the primate DLPFC, suggesting that disturbances in these trajectories could contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Recent findings that inputs from neocortical chandelier neurons are excitatory provide new ideas about the role of this circuitry in the pathophysiology of cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia.
Stress and Damage in Polymer Matrix Composite Materials Due to Material Degradation at High Temperatures

This report describes analytical methods for calculating stresses and damage caused by degradation of the matrix constituent in polymer matrix composite materials. Laminate geometry, material properties, and matrix degradation states are specified as functions of position and time. Matrix shrinkage and property changes are modeled as functions of the degradation states. The model is incorporated into an existing composite mechanics computer code. Stresses, strains, and deformations at the laminate, ply, and micro levels are calculated, and from these calculations it is determined if there is failure of any kind. The rationale for the model (based on published experimental work) is presented, its integration into the laminate analysis code is outlined, and example results are given, with comparisons to existing material and structural data. The mechanisms behind the changes in properties and in surface cracking during long-term aging of polyimide matrix composites are clarified. High-temperature-material test methods are also evaluated.
ON ONE DUBININ EXTREME PROBLEM

We obtain a special solution of the well-known Dubinin conjecture on disjoint domains in the complex plane.
Estimation of maximal reliability: A note on a covariance structure modelling approach

A one-step covariance structure analysis procedure for estimation of maximal reliability of linear composites with congeneric measures is outlined. The approach is readily employed within a single modelling session using popular covariance structure analysis software, and permits simultaneous estimation of the optimal measure weights with standard errors. The method is illustrated by a numerical example.
Incoherent imaging of zone axis crystals with ADF STEM

Abstract The basic premise of the incoherent imaging model is that the image is the convolution of the incident probe intensity and an appropriate specimen object function. Frozen phonon calculations and multiple experimental defocus series of indium phosphide (100) indicate that annular dark-field (ADF) scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) imaging follows the incoherent imaging model for crystalline specimens aligned along a zone axis. At the limit of resolution, the ADF STEM signal is very sensitive to incident probe shape, and precise values for the imaging parameters must be known in order to perform quantitative image analysis. The incoherent imaging-model accounts for the subtle effects of the imaging conditions and permits the determination of a specimen object function which is independent of the imaging parameters and therefore simpler to interpret in terms of the actual specimen structure. Identifying and minimizing image artifacts introduced by the imaging conditions is an essential step in quantitative ADF STEM imaging.
Decentralization or (Re)Centralization: Struggle for Political Power in Poland:

The author argues that in Poland the 1989 commitment to political and administrative decentralization has weakened over the last seven years and has resulted in (re)centralizing tendencies. It is a...
Effect of fibronectin on the adhesion of an established cell line to a surface reactive biomaterial

We have demonstrated that an established hamster cell line (NIL 8 M-2) will adhere to the bioceramic bioglass. The rate at which the NIL 8 M-2 cells assume a spread morphology on bioglass is density dependent and the morphology displayed by NIL 8 M-2 cells attached to bioglass is much more elongated than that displayed by NIL 8 M-2 cells attached to nonreactive glass. Precoating the bioglass with the plasma form of human fibronectin significantly reduces the density dependent nature of cell spreading. Coating the bioglass with fibronectin also reduces the time required for cell spreading and changes the morphology of the attached cells from an elongated to an extremely flattened shape. Our work raises the possibility that bone-implant adhesion might be improved by introducing molecules relevant to cell-substrate attachment into the biomaterial prior to implantation.
EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMISSION OF SARCOCYSTIS FROM ICTERID BIRDS TO SPARROWS AND CANARIES BY SPOROCYSTS FROM THE OPOSSUM

Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and grackles (Cassidix mexicanus) infected with muscle cysts of Sarcocystis were fed to opposums (Didelphis virginiana) and fecal sporocysts from the latter were given to sparrows (Passer domesticus, Family Ploceidae), canaries (Serinus canarius, Family Fringilli- dae) and ducks (Anas platyrhynchos, Family Anatidae). Asexual parasites were found in the endo- thelium of sparrows and canaries but not in ducks. When birds were kept 10 weeks or more after in- fection, muscle cysts were found grossly and microscopically in the majority of sparrows, and in 1 canary, but not in ducks. Muscle zoites were found in digests of all sparrows and canaries but not in that of ducks. Metrocytes and forms dividing by endodyogeny also were found in the digest. Thus, avian Sarcocystis was transmitted experimentally from 2 genera of 1 family (Icteridae) to 2 different families of passerine intermediate hosts by sporocysts from the definitive host. This is the broadest intermediate host spectrum known for a species of Sarcocystis.
Immune activation: the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in inflammation, illness responses and pathological pain states

It has recently become accepted that the activated immune system communicates to brain via release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This review examines the possibility that pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukins and/or tumor necrosis factor) mediate a variety of commonly studied hyperalgesic states. We will first briefly review basic immune responses and inflammation. We will then develop the concept of illness responses and provide evidence for their existence and for the dramatic changes in neural functioning that they cause. Lastly, we will examine the potential roles that both pro-inflammatory cytokines and the neural circuits that they activate may play in the hyperalgesic states produced by irritants, inflammatory agents, and nerve damage. The possibility is raised that apparently diverse hyperalgesic states may converge in the central nervous system and activate similar or identical neural circuitry.
Intramedullary spinal cord gangliocytoma: case report and a review of the literature

We present a case of intramedullary spinal gangliocytoma in a 19-year-old woman who presented with a long history of hyperhidrosis of the face and neck areas and intermittent pain of the hands. The tumor involved the cervico-thoracic region of the spinal cord from C7-T3. The patient underwent debulking of the lesion and remains neurologically stable at two years follow-up. A discussion of this case is followed by a review of the literature surrounding this rare clinicopathological entity.
Population biology, social behavior and communication in whales and dolphins☆

The baleen whales differ from the toothed whales and dolphins in life history and in social organization. Even though they grow to a larger size, young baleen whales tend to develop more rapidly than dolphins and toothed whales. Except for the mother-calf bond, most groups of baleen whales are short-lived, lasting only for hours, and individual-specific associations appear to be exceptions to the norm. Most toothed whales live in more structured groups, in which young animals have a long period of dependency and social learning. The communication signals described for different cetacean species have functions suited to the interactions that predominate in their societies.
Semileptonic decays of heavy tetraquarks.

There exist heavy tetraquark states [ital QQ[bar q]] [bar q] in the heavy quark limit. These states are stable with respect to strong interactions and hence must decay weakly. It is shown that the semileptonic decay depends on a single Isgur-Wise form factor, which can be expressed in terms of the Isgur-Wise form factors which govern the semileptonic decays of the [ital Qqq] and [ital QQq] baryons.
Anger and pain sensitivity in chronic low back pain patients and pain-free controls: the role of endogenous opioids.

The experience of anger (i.e. trait anger) and anger management style (i.e. anger-in, anger-out) are related to sensitivity to acute and chronic pain stimuli, although underlying mechanisms are unknown. This study tested whether anger variables are associated with impaired endogenous opioid antinociceptive activity, and whether these relationships differed between chronic pain patients and healthy normals. Forty-three chronic low back pain (LBP) sufferers and 45 pain-free normals received opioid blockade (8 mg naloxone i.v.) or placebo blockade (saline) in randomized, counterbalanced order in separate sessions. During each session, subjects participated in a 1-min finger pressure pain task followed by an ischemic forearm pain task (maximum duration 5 min), providing pain intensity ratings during and immediately following each task. As a measure of opioid antinociceptive function, drug effects were derived by subtracting placebo from blockade condition pain ratings. Multivariate general linear model analyses indicated that anger-out, but not anger-in, had significant main effects on both finger pressure drug effects (P < 0.05) and ischemic task drug effects (P < 0.05). As hypothesized, high anger-out scores were associated with an absence of opioid analgesia during the acute pain tasks; low anger-out scores were associated with effective opioid analgesia. A similar non-significant trend was noted for trait anger on finger pressure drug effects (P < 0.06). Anger-out x LBP/normal interactions were non-significant, suggesting that links between anger-out and drug effects were similar for patients and normals. Controlling for depression did not eliminate the significant relationship between anger-out and drug effects. Findings suggest that anger-in and anger-out affect pain sensitivity through different mechanisms: only the effects of anger-out may be mediated by endogenous opioid dysfunction.
Identification of gene biomarkers for respiratory syncytial virus infection in a bronchial epithelial cell line

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection involves complex virus-host interplay. In this study, we analyzed gene expression in RSV-infected BEAS-2B cells to discover novel signaling pathways and biomarkers. We hybridized RNAs from RSV- or vehicle-treated BEAS-2B to Affymetrix HU133 plus 2.0 microarrays (n = 4). At 4 and 24 h post-infection, 277 and 900 genes (RSV/control ratio ≥2.0 or ≤0.5), and 1 and 12 pathways respectively were significantly altered. Twenty-three and 92 genes at 4 and 24 h respectively matched respiratory disease biomarkers with ARG2 flagged at 24 h and SCNN1G, EPB41L4B, CSF1, PTEN, TUBB1 and ESR2 at both time points. Hierachical clustering showed a cluster containing ARG2 and IL8. In human bronchial epithelial cells, RSV upregulated arginase II protein. Knockdown of ARG2 increased RSV-induced IL-8, LDH and histone release. With microarray, we identified novel proximal airway epithelial cell genes that may be tested in the sputum samples as biomarkers of RSV infection.
Optimum synthesis of function generators involving derivative constraints

Abstract Presented in this article is the method of optimum synthesis of mechanisms satisfying derivatives of the generated displacements along with the displacements at a discrete set of design positions. Although the method is illustrated for the synthesis of four-bar function generators, where the first and second derivatives of the generated functions are also generated at all or some of the design positions in order to increase the efficiency of approximating the generated function, the method is readily applicable for the synthesis of mechanisms to generate paths and rigid-body positions satisfying path velocities, path accelerations, and rigid-body angular velocities. Mechanisms of precision control units, vibratory feeders and conveyors, transfer robots and mechanical arms, and linkages replacing noncircular gear drives require the application of such synthesis techniques involving derivatives of the generated displacements.
TU‐G‐110‐08: Feasibility of Tissue Composition Measurement with Dual Energy Computed Tomography

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of tissue composition measurement with dual energycomputed tomography as compositional information may help to better characterize suspicious lesions. Method and Materials: Simulations and experimental studies were performed for a flat panel dual energy dual kVp CT system. Simulations were performed to identify optimal beam energy combinations. A figure of merit (FOM) was used to determine the optimal dual energy signal to noise ratio with respect to mean glandular dose. Beam energies ranging from 40 to 140 kVp were simulated in 1 kVp increments. The distribution of dose between low and high energyimages was simulated at intervals of 10%. An experimental calibration phantom of 3.175 cm in diameter was constructed from a polyoxymethylene plastic with cylindrical holes filled with water and oil. Similar size samples of pure adipose and lean bovine tissues were also prepared. The phantom and tissue samples were imaged with the dual energyCT system. The calibration phantom was used to estimate the water, lipid and protein contents of each tissue sample. Tissue composition results computed from images were compared to data from chemical analysis of prior tissue samples. Results: The predicted spectra from simulation which optimized the FOM were at beam energies of 40 kVp and 140 kVp with the mean glandular dose divided equally between each exposure. Given tube loading and system constraints, experimental beam energies for the dual kVp CT system were selected to be 50 kVp and 120 kVp. The percentage RMS errors of water, lipid and protein contents as compared to data from chemical analysis were 10.9% for the dual kVp technique. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the water, lipid, and protein content may be measured with dual energyCT with relatively good agreement. This might potentially be useful for characterizing suspicious lesions.
Experimental evaluation of the interface heat conductance between roughened beryllium and stainless steel surfaces

Abstract The interface heat conductance between non-conforming stainless steel and roughened beryllium disks of 1-inch diameter has been measured as a function of surface roughness, interstitial gas pressure, contact pressure and heat flux. Helium was used as the interstitial gas. Based on experimental findings, the interface conductance between non-conforming surfaces was found to be degraded by up to 32% relative to that between conforming surfaces due to the effects of differential thermal deformations. Whereas increasing the contact pressure was found to increase the interface conductance, increasing the surface roughness or decreasing the interstitial gas pressure was found to significantly decrease the interface conductance.
The significance of the secretion of aldosterone during dietary sodium deprivation in normal subjects.

The excretion of aldosterone in urine was studied in 11 instances of dietary sodium deprivation in 6 young males. In several instances, there was a lag before the excretion of aldosterone increased. The maximal, as well as the mean, levels of aldosterone excretion attained were highly variable from individual to individual and bore little relationship to the efficiency with which the adaptation to the low-sodium diet took place. In 9 out of 11 cases, the urinary aldosterone fell after a maximum had been reached, although not necessarily to control levels, despite continuing improvement of sodium retention by the kidney. The suddenness of the sodium deprivation seemed to play a role in the extent of the ensuing rise in aldosterone. Resumption of a normal-sodium diet was initially accompanied by efficient sodium retention, although aldosterone excretion in the urine had already decreased to values near or within control levels. These observations suggest the importance of factors other than the amount of al...
Measurement of the rheological properties of thermoplastic elastomers

Using the Han slit/capillary rheometer, measurements were taken of the rheological properties of commercially available thermoplastic elastomers, namely, styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) block copolymer (Shell, Kraton), ethylene–propylene copolymer (Exxon, Vista), olefinic-type thermoplastic rubbers (UniRoyal, TPR 1600, TPR 1900, and TPR 2800), and urethane thermoplastic elastomers (UniRoyal, Roylar A863 and Roylar E9). The rheological properties determined were shear viscosity and first normal stress difference at various melt temperatures. Depending on the material and the melt temperature tested, the range of shear rates tested was 50 to 700 sec−1, and the range of shear stresses tested was 105 to 106 dyn/cm2. For comparison purposes, rheological measurements were also taken for a few materials using the Weissenberg rheogoniometer although its use was limited to low shear rates (or shear stresses). It was demonstrated clearly that the Han slit/capillary rheometer is a unique instrument for determining the rheological properties of thermoplastic elastomers in the range of high shear rates (or high shear stresses) often encountered in various polymer processing operations.
Improved shielding calculations for the particle beam fusion accelerator PBFA II

PBFA II is a 36-module particle beam fusion accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories that became operational in December 1985. A cutaway drawing of the accelerator is shown. The accelerator has about 3.5 times the energy and power of PBFA I, a 36-module accelerator in operation since June 1980. The most significant difference between the two accelerators, however, is the much higher machine voltage on PBFA II (30 MV instead of 2 MV). The 30-MV voltage will facilitate focusing of heavier ions, such as lithium and carbon, to a fusion target. Some shielding considerations are described.
CdS-metal contact at higher current densities.

An investigation is conducted concerning the mechanisms by which a steady flow of current proceeds through the contact when an external voltage is applied. The main characteristics of current mechanisms are examined, giving attention to photoemission from the cathode, thermionic emission, minority-carrier extraction, and the tunneling of electrons. A high-field domain analysis is conducted together with experimental studies. Particular attention is given to the range in which tunneling predominates.
An exotic quasidiagonal operator

Let H be a separable infinite dimensional Hilbert space. We construct a block-diagonal, hence quasidiagonal, operator T on H (i.e., T= ⊕ Tn for some Tn's, called blocks, acting on finite dimensional, mutually orthogonal subspaces of H), which is not a norm limit of a sequence of algebraically m-normal operators (or, equivalently, block-diagonal operators, each of which has uniformly bounded sizes of blocks). The construction is based on random techniques.
Allocating power to schedule loads and charge batteries on the space station

Abstract The objective of this research is to allocate electric power to schedule loads and charge batteries on the space station. This work is an extension of research performed in the summers of 1986 and 1987 [4]. A simplified model of power flow on the space station is developed. This model forms the basis for a binary integer programming formulation which allocates power to user loads which are scheduled to operate during an orbit. The model is used for developing a procedure for allocating surplus power to charge batteries on the space station. A small example problem is solved by using a commercial integer programming code.
Effects of Pulsatile Perfusion Pressure and Storage on Hearts Preserved for 24 Hours under Hypothermia, for Transplantation

Canine hearts preserved for 24 hours under hypothermic pulsatile perfusion at a systolic pressure of 25 mm Hg had better perfusion and transplantation survival results than hearts perfused at 50 or 80 mm Hg. Also, hearts perfused at a systolic pressure of 25 mm Hg did better than simple hypothermically stored hearts or fresh allografts. These findings indicate that hearts are adequately perfused for 24 hours under hypothermia for transplantation at a systolic pressure of 25 mm Hg.
Individual, seizure-related, and psychosocial predictors of depressive symptoms among people with epilepsy over six months

Depression is the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorder among people with epilepsy. A variety of risk factors for depression among people with epilepsy have been identified; however, few studies have examined these risk factors over time. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between demographic characteristics, seizure-related factors, and psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms over 6 months. Three hundred and nineteen adults with epilepsy completed three surveys at 3-month intervals. Multiple linear regression was used with the baseline variables to predict depressive symptoms at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Employment status, social support, and stigma emerged as predictors of depressive symptoms at all three time points. Other factors that predicted depression symptoms in one or two time points were self-management, financial strain, and activity restriction due to seizures. The results indicate that multiple factors influence depressive symptoms among people with epilepsy.
Regulation of rRNA Transcription Correlates with Nucleoside Triphosphate Sensing

We have previously shown that the activity of the Escherichia coli rRNA promoter rrnB P1 in vitro depends on the concentration of the initiating nucleotide, ATP, and can respond to changes in ATP pools in vivo. We have proposed that this nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) sensing might contribute to regulation of rRNA transcription. To test this model, we have measured the ATP requirements for transcription from 11 different rrnB P1 core promoter mutants in vitro and compared them with the regulatory responses of the same promoters in vivo. The seven rrnB P1 variants that required much lower ATP concentrations than the wild-type promoter for efficient transcription in vitro were defective for response to growth rate changes in vivo (growth rate-dependent regulation). In contrast, the four variants requiring high ATP concentrations in vitro (like the wild-type promoter) were regulated with the growth rate in vivo. We also observed a correlation between NTP sensing in vitro and the response of the promoters in vivo to deletion of the fis gene (an example of homeostatic control), although this relationship was not as tight as for growth rate-dependent regulation. We conclude that the kinetic features responsible for the high ATP concentration dependence of the rrnB P1 promoter in vitro are responsible, at least in part, for the promoter's regulation in vivo, consistent with the model in which rrnB P1 promoter activity can be regulated by changes in NTP pools in vivo (or by hypothetical factors that work at the same kinetic steps that make the promoter sensitive to NTPs).
Stochastic Generation Capacity Expansion Planning Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

With increasing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, a least-cost generation capacity expansion model to control carbon dioxide (CO $_2$ ) emissions is proposed in this paper. The mathematical model employs a decomposed two-stage stochastic integer program. Realizations of uncertain load and wind are represented by independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random samples generated via the Gaussian copula method. Two policies that affect CO $_2$ emissions directly and indirectly, carbon tax and renewable portfolio standard (RPS), are investigated to assess how much CO $_2$ emissions are expected to be reduced through those policies.