cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moduli Stabilization with the String Higgs Effect

We review the notion of the Higgs effect in the context of string theory. We find that by including this effect in time dependent backgrounds, one is led to a natural mechanism for stabilizing moduli at points of enhanced gauge symmetry. We consider this mechanism for the case of the radion (size of the extra dimensions) and find that as decompactification of the large spatial dimensions takes place the radion will remain stabilized at the self-dual radius. We discuss how this mechanism can be incorporated into models of string cosmology and brane inflation to resolve some outstanding problems. We also address some issues regarding which string states should be included when constructing low energy actions in string cosmology.
IL-1β alters hemodynamics in newborn intestine: role of endothelin

Studies were carried out to determine the effects of IL-1β on newborn intestinal hemodynamics. IL-1β increased the release of ET-1 by primary endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner; as well, ...
Oxygen-induced tension in the sheep ductus arteriosus: effects of gestation on potassium and calcium channel regulation

Compared with the full-term ductus arteriosus, the premature ductus is less likely to constrict when exposed to postnatal oxygen concentrations. We used isolated fetal sheep ductus arteriosus (pretreated with inhibitors of prostaglandin and nitric oxide production) to determine whether changes in K+- and CaL-channel activity could account for the developmental differences in oxygen-induced tension. In the mature ductus, KV-channels appear to be the only K+-channels that oppose ductus tension. Oxygen concentrations between (2% and 15%) inhibit KV-channel activity, which increases the CaL-channel-mediated increase in tension. Low oxygen concentrations have a direct inhibitory effect on CaL-channel activity in the immature ductus; this is not the case in the mature ductus. In the immature ductus, three different K+-channel activities (KV, KCa, and KATP) oppose ductus tension and contribute to its decreased tone. Oxygen inhibits the activities of all three K+-channels. The inhibitory effects of the three K+-channel activities decline with advancing gestation. The decline in K+-channel activity is not due to decreased K+-channel expression. Super-physiologic oxygen concentrations (≥30% O2) constrict the ductus by using calcium-dependent pathways that are independent of K+- and CaL-channel activities. Super-physiologic oxygen concentrations eliminate the difference in tensions between the two age groups.
The Use of Local Anesthetic Agents in Medicine

Local anesthetics are commonly used in both dentistry and medicine. These drugs are also used in some office-based medical practices. Except for minor procedures, most physicians who require complicated nerve blocks rely on anesthesiologists to administer the local anesthesia. Both ester and amide local anesthetics are routinely used in medical practice. This article reviews the types and uses of local anesthesia in anesthesiology.
Caution in the Classroom: K-12 Teacher In-Class Speech, The Federal Courts and Garcetti

The federal courts’ approach to regulating K-12 public school teacher speech in the classroom has been split during the past twenty years. Some circuit courts use Pickering v. Board of Education, in which speech is examined to see if it touches on a matter of public concern. Others prefer Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, which focuses on whether speech is school-sponsored and whether the school had a legitimate reason for restricting it. In 2007, Garcetti v. Ceballos offered a new perspective on public employee speech. In that case, speech was examined to determine whether it was related to an employee's professional duties. An examination of federal court treatment of in-class teacher speech before and after Garcetti shows the case has further complicated the issue because it is being embraced by some federal courts as an appropriate precedent when dealing with classroom speech.
Feedback systems using non-binary LDPC codes with a limited number of transmissions

One advantage of incremental transmissions with feedback in point-to-point memoryless channels is a reduction in average blocklength required to approach capacity. This paper optimizes the size of each incremental transmission for non-binary (NB) LDPC codes to maximize throughput in VLFT and two-phase VLF settings. The optimization problem uses an approximation based on the inverse-Gaussian p.d.f. of the blocklength required for successful decoding. By using the optimized incremental transmission lengths (with an average blocklength of less than 500 bits), NB-LDPC codes for VLFT setting limited to 5 transmissions achieve a throughput greater than 96% of that obtained by an unlimited-transmission VLFT scheme with the same average blocklength. With a similar average blocklength, a two-phase VLF system limited to five transmissions (with optimized lengths) using the binary image of NB-LDPC codes achieves greater than 90% of the capacity of binary-input AWGN channel with SNR=2 dB. Two-phase VLF does not match the throughput of VLFT, but it is more practical than VLFT because it does not assume noiseless transmitter confirmation.
Simultaneous conditioning demonstrated in second-order conditioning: Evidence for similar associative structure in forward and simultaneous conditioning ☆

Abstract A second-order conditioning procedure was used to evaluate the associative consequences of forward versus simultaneous pairings of the first-order CS and US with water-deprived rats as subjects in a conditioned lick suppression task. In Phase 1, a tone was presented in a forward, simultaneous, or explicitly unpaired relationship to shock. In order to assess what was learned in Phase 1, all animals in Phase 2 were exposed to clicks in a forward relationship to the tone. In order to determine the mediational role of the tone in promoting conditioned responding to the clicks, in Phase 3 the first-order tone was extinguished for some animals and not extinguished for others. A test for conditioned lick suppression to the first-order tone found responding to be superior in the subjects that received the tone and shock in a forward arrangement relative to subjects that experienced the tone and shock in a simultaneous arrangement. However, a test for suppression to the second-order clicks revealed substantial and equal fear of the clicks in those groups which were exposed to either forward or simultaneous tone-shock pairings in Phase 1, followed in both cases by forward click-tone pairings in Phase 2. These results indicate that temporal contiguity is a sufficient condition for the establishment of an association; however, a forward temporal relationship between stimuli (e.g., clicks → tone) appears necessary for expression of the association appropriate for anticipation of the US. Phase 3 tone extinction did not attenuate the ability of the second-order clicks to control behavior in either the forward or simultaneous case, which suggests that a representation of the first-order tone played no mediational role in behavior controlled by the second-order clicks. The structures of forward and simultaneous associations are compared.
As surgeons, our view of postcataract surgery endophthalmitis prevention is still not clear.

As surgeons, our view of postcataract surgery endophthalmitis prevention is still not clear
The stationary transport problem with angularly averaged measurements

We consider an inverse problem for the stationary linear (Boltzmann) transport equation on a bounded domain X ⊂ R n , with n 2. In our measurement scheme we inject X with L 1 integrable flux having both positional and directional dependence. We then measure a weighted average of the outgoing flux. Taking measurements at every point on ∂X, we are able to reconstruct the total extinction coefficient, σ. Once σ is known, measurements made at one point allow recovery of the scattering kernel under some additional assumptions. In particular, we assume that scattering is supported inside of X, the scattering phase function is known, and that the scattering kernel is small. The required smallness depends upon σ. We also require that σ and the phase function are ‘close to’ real analytic. Stability estimates are then obtained.
Effects of ethanol on neurotrophic factors, apoptosis-related proteins, endogenous antioxidants, and reactive oxygen species in neonatal striatum: relationship to periods of vulnerability

The developing central nervous system is extremely sensitive to ethanol, with well-defined temporal periods of vulnerability. Many brain regions are particularly susceptible to ethanol during the early neonatal period, corresponding to the human third trimester, which represents a dynamic period of growth and differentiation. For this study, neonatal rats were acutely exposed to ethanol or control conditions at a neonatal age when the developing striatum has been shown to be vulnerable to ethanol (postnatal day 3 [P3]), and at a later age (P14), when this developing region is relatively ethanol-resistant. We then analyzed basal levels of neurotrophic factors (NTFs), and ethanol-mediated changes in NTFs, apoptosis-related proteins, antioxidants, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which may underlie this differential temporal vulnerability. Sequential analyses were made following ethanol exposure on these two postnatal days, with assessments of NTFs nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4); apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bax, Akt and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK); antioxidants superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and catalase; and ROS. The results indicated that basal levels of BDNF, and to some degree NGF, were greater at the older age, and that ethanol exposure at the earlier age elicited considerably more pro-apoptotic and fewer pro-survival changes than those produced at the later age. Thus, differential temporal vulnerability to ethanol in this CNS region appears to be related to differences in both differential levels of protective substances (e.g. NTFs), and differential cellular responsiveness which favors apoptosis at the most sensitive age and survival at the resistant age.
Multiple voltage and frequency scheduling for power minimization

This paper presents a resource-constrained scheduling scheme that minimizes power consumption for the case when the resources operate at multiple voltages and varied clock frequency. The resource constrained scheduling is achieved by performing a constructive, force-directed scheduling. The proposed algorithm consists of two phases, the voltage assignment phase and the clock frequency variation phase. It also includes a pre processing phase of node minimization, where redundant nodes are eliminated. In the first phase the assignment of voltages to each functional unit is performed based on its occurrence on the critical path. In the next stage, the clock frequency for each control step is varied by using the clock frequency of the maximum number of operation type in that control step. It is taken care that, the total execution delay does not exceed the timing constraint given by CP /spl les/ /spl alpha/ < 2CP, where '/spl alpha/' is a certain factor of the critical path time delay (CP). The power consumed in the level shifters is also taken into consideration. The power consumed is compared with the power consumed by operating all functional units at the maximum available voltage and maximum clock frequency. A power reduction of about 40-65% has been achieved.
c-Fos induction by a 14 T magnetic field in visceral and vestibular relays of the female rat brainstem is modulated by estradiol

There is increasing evidence that high magnetic fields interact with the vestibular system of humans and rodents. In rats, exposure to high magnetic fields of 7 T or above induces locomotor circling and leads to a conditioned taste aversion if paired with a novel taste. Sex differences in the behavioral responses to magnetic field exposure have been found, such that female rats show more locomotor circling and enhanced conditioned taste aversion compared to male rats. To determine if estrogen modulates the neural response to high magnetic fields, c-Fos expression after 14 T magnetic field exposure was compared in ovariectomized rats and ovariectomized rats with estradiol replacement. Compared to sham exposure, magnetic field exposure induced significantly more c-Fos positive cells in the nucleus of the solitary tract and the parabrachial, medial vestibular, prepositus, and supragenualis nuclei. Furthermore, there was a significant asymmetry in c-Fos induction between sides of the brainstem in several regions. In ovariectomized rats, there was more c-Fos expressed in the right side compared to left side in the locus coeruleus and parabrachial, superior vestibular, and supragenualis nuclei; less expression in the right compared to left side of the medial vestibular; and no asymmetry in the prepositus nucleus and the nucleus of the solitary tract. Chronic estradiol treatment modulated the neural response in some regions: less c-Fos was induced in the superior vestibular nucleus and locus coeruleus after estradiol replacement; estradiol treatment eliminated the asymmetry of c-Fos expression in the locus coeruleus and supragenualis nucleus, created an asymmetry in the prepositus nucleus and reversed the asymmetry in the parabrachial nucleus. These results suggest that ovarian steroids may mediate sex differences in the behavioral responses to magnetic field exposure at the level of visceral and vestibular nuclei of the brainstem.
In the Furtherance of Justice, Injustice, or Both? A Multilevel Analysis of Courtroom Context and the Implementation of Three Strikes

A hierarchical logistic model is used to analyze data on Three Strikes-eligible offenders in California and the counties in which they are sentenced. The analysis finds that discretion is widely exercised by elected prosecutors and judges in the administration of Three Strikes. Discretion functions as a “safety valve” and preserves some sentencing proportionality, but may also allow political concerns to influence sentencing decisions. A more conservative political environment is strongly associated with stricter application of the law. Consistent with racial threat theory, eligible felons are more likely to receive Three Strikes sentences in counties with larger Latino populations. However, the size of the black population has no significant effect. Higher unemployment rates are associated with more stringent application of the law. Prosecutorial and judicial discretion benefits offenders unequally. Controlling for legally relevant factors, black offenders are more likely to receive Three Strikes sentenc...
Intestinal mast cells are increased in a mouse model of eosinophilic gastroenteritis following oral allergen challenge

Abstract Rationale Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is a disease with a poorly understood pathophysiology. Evidence suggests a Th2 mediated allergy to foods. Since mast cells are implicated in immediate hypersensitivity gut reactions, we were interested in examining their participation in EG. Methods 3 week-old BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups: One group was sensitized by i.p. injection with OVA/alum and then orally challenged twice with soluble OVA [sens/chal]. The second group was only sensitized [sens only] and the third was only challenged [chal only]. Serum OVA specific IgG1 and IgE concentrations were determined by ELISA. IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ levels were determined in the supernatants from OVA stimulated splenocyte cultures using ELISA. Jejunal sections were examined for eosinophils by immunohistochemical staining for MBP, and for mast cells by toluidine blue staining. Results Mice in the sens/chal group displayed a Th2 profile, as evidenced by elevated serum IgG1 and IgE, elevated IL-4 and IL-5 and decreased IFN-γ levels in splenocyte supernatants. Histologically, mice in the sens/chal group had more mast cells than the chal only and the sens only groups [35.1 ± 7.6 mast cells/HPF versus 19.0 ± 4.3, p=0.05 and 14.1 ± 5.5, p Conclusions Oral allergen challenge induced a marked increase in intestinal mast cells in a mouse model of EG. Many were intraepithelial, indicating a possible role of mast cells in the pathophysiology of EG. The model will be used to examine mechanisms underlying this finding.
Computational study of the impurity induced reduction of grain boundary energies in nano- and bi-crystalline Al–Pb alloys

Abstract Segregation of impurities with limited solubilities to grain boundaries can slow or even eliminate grain growth in nanocrystalline materials. Due to a very limited miscibility Pb is a potential candidate for thermodynamically stabilizing nanocrystalline Al. To investigate this we have used atomic modeling to characterize the structure and energy of substitutional Pb defects in bulk Al, in Al bi-crystals and in an Al nanocrystal. Monte Carlo simulations using a modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) potential fit to the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict the formation of Pb clusters, in agreement with prior experiments. In addition, the simulations show strong segregation of Pb atoms to grain boundaries, a result that supports prior suggestions that Pb is distributed along grain boundaries in nanocrystals created by ball milling. Analysis of the enthalpies for Pb defects using MEAM and DFT calculations suggests that Pb impurities can help stabilize nanocrystalline Al against grain growth.
Automated segmentation of multispectral brain MR images

This work presents a robust and comprehensive approach for the in vivo automated segmentation and quantitative tissue volume measurement of normal brain composition from multispectral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Statistical pattern recognition methods based on a finite mixture model are used to partition the intracranial volume into gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces. A masking algorithm initially extracts the brain volume from surrounding extrameningeal tissue. Radio frequency (RF) field inhomogeneity effects in the images are then removed using a recursive method that adapts to the intrinsic local tissue contrast. Our technique supports heterogeneous data with multispectral MR images of different contrast and intensity weighting acquired at varying spatial resolution and orientation. The proposed image segmentation methods have been tested using multispectral T1-, proton density-, and T2-weighted MRI data from young and aged non-human primates as well as from human subjects.
Implementation Of The 3Φ (1,7) Code For Improved Packing Density On Optical Disk Recorders

The implementation and testing of a 3Φ (1,7) code on optical disk recorders for improved packing density is described with details concerning data formatting and CODEC electronics. Comparative test results presented relate off-disk bit-error-rate (BER) to linear packing density (LPD) for 3Φ (1,7), delay modulation (DM), and straight NRZ-L codes. 3Φ (1,7) improves LPD by more than 25% over the previously used DM code.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Compounds Related to DDT: Part II. Aromatic Protons

The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the aromatic protons of DDT and 31 of its analogs and derivatives have been analyzed. Chemical shifts of these molecules are functions of the electronegativities of the substituents on the ring, as well as those in the aliphatic portion, although substitution of the ring chlorine in DDT by either a nitro or a t-butyl group leads to anomalous values. Molecular orbital calculations show that the chemical shift of the proton ortho to the ring substituent depends upon the π electron density at the corresponding carbon, but the chemical shift of the proton meta to this substituent is independent of the π electron density at the corresponding carbon. The data also indicate that the two aromatic rings in DDT are independent of each other.
Pharmacology Review: Neuroprotective Treatments for Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury

Although the evidence supporting the efficacy of neuroprotective treatments for hypoxic-ischemic injury in human newborns is limited, efforts to develop effective treatments continue in laboratory studies. In this article, we review some of the treatments that have found their way from the laboratory to clinical studies in newborns. Specifically, the evidence for use of magnesium sulfate, allopurinol, opioids, and hypothermia as possible treatments of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy are discussed.
Aggravation of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis by trauma of the chest

Abstract An understanding of the possible effects of trauma of the chest on underlying pulmonary tuberculosis depends primarily on a comprehension of the pathogenesis and of the mechanisms operating to cause symptoms. These are described briefly and it is explained how the pathogenetic factors are sometimes set in motion or aggravated by trauma. The necessity of a thorough study of the individual case and of procuring all possible objective evidence is stressed. Experience with the disease is held to be necessary for the proper judgment of the effects of trauma and of the duration of these effects, drawing fine distinctions according to the nature of the underlying mechanisms. The principles of treatment are mentioned briefly and in general are the same as those applying to clinical tuberculosis whether or not trauma is involved.
Response-compatibility effects in focused-attention tasks: a same-hand advantage in response activation.

Previous studies have shown that responses can be partially activated by irrelevant stimuli in focused-attention tasks. In two experiments, such response activation was used to investigate the organization of keypress responses. Stimuli were rows of three letters, with a relevant target letter in the middle of the row and irrelevant flanker letters on the outside. There were four target letters, and these were assigned to four keypress responses made with the index and middle fingers of the two hands. Irrelevant flankers were parentheses, a neutral letter, or one of the four target letters. Responses were fastest when flankers were identical to the target, indicating facilitation of a response activated by both relevant and irrelevant letters. When flankers were response-incompatible target letters, responses were faster if these were target letters assigned to a response finger on the same hand as the correct response than if they were target letters assigned to a response finger on the opposite hand. The latter result is consistent with the hypothesis that simultaneous activation of two response fingers on the same hand produces faster responses than simultaneous activation of two response fingers on different hands, as assumed by Miller (1982). In Experiment 2, flankers were presented slightly before targets, and flankers that were same-hand target letters sometimes facilitated responses relative to the neutral parentheses flankers.
High-temperature superconductivity in tetragonal perovskite structures: Is oxygen-vacancy order important?

We used Zn and Ga, two unique dopants having definite valence states and filled 3d levels, to substitute preferentially on the Cu(2) and Cu(1) sites in the ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ superconductor. Small doping of Ga induces an orthorhombic-to-tetragonal structural transition, but the values of ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$ are as high as 81 K in the tetragonal phase. Our results indicate that the oxygen-vacancy order, or the linear-chain structure, is not essential. We also find that the Cu(2) sites are much more crucial than the Cu(1) sites in sustaining the high ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$.
Rejection and modeling of arsenate by nanofiltration: Contributions of convection, diffusion and electromigration to arsenic transport

Abstract Nanofiltration (NF) membranes, DK and DL, were characterized by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, surface charge titration, pore size determination and salt rejection. The results showed both membranes have amide I and carbonyl groups on their surfaces, and have the same basic structure of polyamide layer sitting on the top of a polysulfone layer. The DK membrane carries more negative charges in the entire pH range investigated. Arsenate rejections by the NF membranes were evaluated with a crossflow test setup. The effects of pH, ionic strength, operating pressure, arsenate initial concentration on the membrane performance were investigated. Mass transfer coefficients of the membranes were determined experimentally. The Donann Steric Pore Model and concentration polarization film theory were applied to calculate the arsenic rejection rate. The rejection mechanism was interpreted by calculating the contributions of convection, diffusion, and electrostatic migration to arsenic transport through the membranes. The calculated results showed that the contribution of diffusive transport dominated at low flux, and convection and electromigrative transport, especially the latter, play an increasingly important role at a high flux.
Portfolio theory, job choice and the equilibrium structure of expected wages

Abstract This paper presents some of the implications of modern portfolio theory for the equilibrium structure of wages under conditions of uncertainty. The primary model presented is a model of wage uncertainty and hence the equilibrium structure is derived in terms of expected wages. The equilibrium structure with the assumption of a perfect labor market (e.g., labor units are infinitely divisible and costlessly mobile) and a perfect capital market is shown to have a very simple linear form. The model assumes homogeneous labor units as well as the usual single-period capital asset pricing model assumptions.
Loss of cardiolipin and mitochondria during programmed neuronal death: evidence of a role for lipid peroxidation and autophagy

Cardiolipin, a lipid of the mitochondrial inner membrane, is lost from many types of cells during apoptotic death. Here we show that the cardiolipin content of nerve growth factor (NGF)-deprived rat sympathetic neurons undergoing apoptotic death in cell culture decreased before extensive loss of mitochondria from the cells. By 18-24 h after NGF deprivation, many neurons did not stain with the cardiolipin-specific dye, Nonyl Acridine Orange, suggesting complete loss of cardiolipin. Gas chromatography confirmed the decline of cardiolipin content in NGF-deprived neurons. Electron microscopy and immunoblots for the mitochondrial-specific protein, heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), revealed that there was only a slight decrease in mitochondrial mass at this time. Cardiolipin loss after NGF deprivation was concurrent with increased production of mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species [Kirkland, R.A., Franklin, J.L., 2001. J. Neurosci. 21, 1949-1963] and increased lipid peroxidation. Compounds having antioxidant effects blocked peroxidation, loss of cardiolipin, and the decrease of mitochondrial mass in NGF-deprived neurons. These compounds also blocked an increase in the number of lysosomes and autophagosomes in NGF-deprived cells. The findings reported here show that the important mitochondrial inner membrane lipid, cardiolipin, is lost from mitochondria during neuronal apoptosis and that this loss occurs before significant loss of mitochondria from cells. They suggest that the loss of cardiolipin is mediated by free radical oxygen.
Extracellular excitation of central neurons: implications for the mechanisms of deep brain stimulation

High-frequency electrical stimulation (deep brain stimulation (DBS)) of the thalamus and basal ganglia (subthalamic nucleus, internal segment of the globus pallidus) is used to treat motor disorders arising in Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and essential tremor. Although clinically effective, the mechanisms of action of DBS are unknown. A number of plausible hypotheses have been offered, however, until the effects of the applied current on the surrounding neurons are understood, it will prove difficult to determine the underlying mechanisms. Computational models of central neurons were used to determine what neural elements are activated by extracellular stimulation. Thresholds for activation of local cells and axons of passage were similar with conventional stimuli. With electrodes positioned over the cell body, action potential initiation invariably occurred in the axon. As a result, activity generated by extracellular stimulation could vary between the soma and axon of the same neuron. Additionally, extracellular chronaxie times were insensitive to the neural element (cell versus axon) that was stimulated. The non-specific activation that occurs with conventional stimuli complicates the determination of the mechanisms of action and may contribute to side effects. Novel asymmetrical stimuli were developed that enable selective stimulation of different populations of neural elements. Understanding the effects of extracellular stimulation on central neurons will limit the plausible hypotheses to explain the effects of DBS, and lead to new stimulation technologies that will improve clinical efficacy.
Sympathetic activation of unmyelinated mechanoreceptors in cat skin.

Abstract In single unit recordings from the saphenous nerve in anesthetized cats, afferent units were functionally identified as unmyelinated (C) mechanoreceptors. All units responded to stimulation of the sympathetic trunk with a repetitive discharge which was maintained throughout the period of stimulation. This discharge was asynchronous with respect to efferent activity and was unaffected by brief occlusion of the arterial blood supply. The mechanism underlying the strong excitatory action of the sympathetic system on these afferents is not known although changes in blood flow and temperature can be ruled out. It is suggested that the primary function of these afferents may be signal conditions within the skin for regulatory purposes rather than to encode external mechanical events.
Heat capacities of bis-tetraethylammonium tetrachloronickelate and tetrachlorozincate I. Structural transitions and thermophysical results

Abstract The heat capacities of bis-tetraethylammonium tetrachloronickelate ( bean ) and tetrachlorozincate ( beaz ) were measured over the temperature range 5 to 350 K by adiabatic calorimetry. Bifurcated anomalies were found for both compounds with the temperatures of the maxima occurring at (222.1 ± 0.1) K and (222.7 ± 0.1) K for bean and at (227.9 ± 0.2) K and (228.9 ± 0.2) K for beaz . The excess entropies associated with the transition regions were 9.16 and 9.96 cal th K −1 mol −1 respectively. Both transition regions were characterized by equilibrium times of several days. Selected thermal functions C p o , S o , and −{G o (T) − H o (0)} T at 298.15 K are, respectively, 151.7, 185.33, and 92.16 cal th K −1 mol −1 for bean and 153.0, 181.52, and 88.53 cal th K −1 mol −1 for beaz .
Thermal stress and circulating erythrocytes, leucocytes, and milk somatic cells

Abstract From five to six Holstein cows were selected for each of eight trials. When compared to 21 C control periods, neither 2 nor 4 consecutive weeks of either constant 32 C or fluctuating (32 C day and 21 C night) environmental temperatures caused any detectable increase in the concentration of somatic cells in milk. For all trials, body temperatures increased and milk production usually decreased during high temperature exposure. There were no significant changes in either circulating erythrocytes or leucocytes for cows exposed to constant 32 C. However, in those trials where cows were held under fluctuating temperature conditions, significant depressions did occur for both erythrocytes and leucocytes. There was no evidence to support the claim that high ambient temperature will cause the concentration of somatic cells in milk to increase.
Modern human origins: continuity, replacement, and masticatory robusticity in Australasia.

Morphological evidence for a Multiregional (MR) model of human origins is suggested by a series of "linking traits" seen in the crania of late Javanese Homo erectus from Ngandong and anatomically modern Australian crania. A few studies that consider the genetic, structural, or functional aspects of these regional traits suggest their appearance is heavily influenced not by shared phylogeny but by a common "strong" masticatory pattern. Using dental occlusal areas, external mandibular metrics, internal biomechanical properties of the mandibular corpus measured from CT scans, and nonmetric traits associated with the attachment of masticatory muscles, we test the hypothesis that Australians exhibit evidence of a "strong" masticatory pattern. We use a mixed-sex comparative human sample (n = 415) that includes precontact Alaskans from Point Hope and the Aleutian Islands, Californians, Peruvians, an urban forensic sample, and the late Pleistocene Afalou-Taforalt sample. In comparison with recent humans known to exhibit such patterns, Australian mandibles show none of the expected changes related to producing and dissipating heavy occlusal loads. This is true regardless of whether external or internal mandibular dimensions are considered, albeit Australians show large occlusal areas and relatively large section modulus indices. Thus, a prime functional argument proposed for the origin of some Australian regional features is not supported by these data.
Feedback architecture for uniform brightness in TFT AMOLED displays

A novel feedback current programming principle, compatible with 2T1C pixel structure AMOLED displays is described and a new driver circuit is proposed which can compensate for both the threshold voltage and mobility non- uniformities of the pixel drive TFT. Circuit simulations demonstrated that a pixel drive current of less than 100nA can be programmed with less than 10% of error even if the mobility varies by an order of magnitude.
A Generalized State-vector Model for Radiation-induced Cellular Transformation

SummaryA mathematical model is developed, detailing the manner in which radiation brings about the transformation of cells to a state of uncontrolled growth. The model is based on the concepts of initiation and promotion, with the irradiation acting both to damage intracellular structures and to change the state of cells surrounding a damaged (initiated) cell. The complete model requires that the radiation produce two forms of damage within a cell, with at least one of the forms requiring an interaction which is a function of time since irradiation. Some form of contact inhibition must be removed, with this step being a function of the probability that a cell in an initiated state will be surrounded by n dead cells. The cell then must divide, with the probability of moving the cell to the final transformed state being a function of the number of cellular divisions. Prior to irradiation, it is assumed that cells may be characterized by an initial state vector describing the probability that any given cell ...
Collusion of fingerprints via the gradient attack

The difficulty of building an effective digital rights management system stems from the fact that traditional cryptographic primitives such as encryption or scrambling do not protect audio or video signals once they are played in plain-text. This fact, commonly referred to as "the analog hole," has been responsible for the popularity of multimedia file sharing which cannot be controlled, at least technically, by content's copyright owners. In this paper, we explore a specific issue in multimedia fingerprinting as an answer to "the analog hole" problem. We analyze the collusion resistance of spread-spectrum fingerprints with an arbitrary probability distribution of their source using a recently introduced collusion procedure, the gradient attack
The Northwest Lipid Research Clinic Fat Intake Scale: validation and utility.

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes the Northwest Lipid Research Clinic Fat Intake Scale, a brief dietary questionnaire to screen and monitor dietary intake related to plasma cholesterol levels. METHODS: The 12-item instrument assesses intake of foods high in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Test-retest reliability was assessed on 194 men and 116 women with high cholesterol prior to a dietary intervention study. To measure validity and responsiveness to dietary change, scores were compared with 4-day food records before and after diet education classes. RESULTS: Test-retest correlation coefficients were .88 for men and .90 for women (2 weeks between scores). Scores for men and women were correlated with nutrients shown by food records at baseline (.47 and .54, total fat; .50 and .51, saturated fat) and 18 months postintervention (.52 and .58, total fat; .56 and .64, saturated fat; all Ps < .001). Mean scores decreased from about 30 to 23 (P < .001, paired t test). CONCLUSIONS: The Fat Intake Scale, a qua...
'I don't eat meat' : Discourse on food among transnational Hindus

Hindu transmigrants use discourse on diet as a way to maintain connections with India, as well as to construct Indian, Hindu and caste identities. In this article, I argue that such discourse on food is a meta-discourse that reframes the symbolic meaning of food in the transnational context. This article examines a transnational Hindu community's discourse on food, and pairs R.S. Khare's arguments about the communicative function of food in a South Asian context with transnational and performance theories, as well as with Arjun Appadurai's argument about the significance of imagination in creating lived realities. Through their narratives involving food, this community is actively engaged in shifting the meanings of what it eats to emphasise their connections with each other, and with India. Thus, a vegetarian diet and the use of ‘authentic’ Indian ingredients become the symbols of Indian identity through discourse, which is then solidified through the acts of cooking and eating. This article is based on ...
Use of an echocardiographic contrast agent to establish safety of cardioversion in a patient with a ligated left atrial appendage

Transesophageal echocardiographic-guided cardioversion is a safe, accepted technique to minimize risk of stroke and embolic events when electrically converting atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm. The presence of thrombus in the left atrial appendage (LAA) is a contraindication to performing cardioversion in these patients. For patients with a surgically ligated LAA, thrombus may be more prevalent and may still represent an embolic risk because of incomplete closure of the LAA. We report use of an echocardiographic contrast agent in a patient with a thrombus in a ligated LAA to determine safety of cardioversion.
Evidence of multidecadal climate variability and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation from a Gulf of Mexico sea-surface temperature-proxy record

A comparison of a Mg/Ca-based sea-surface temperature (SST)-anomaly record from the northern Gulf of Mexico, a calculated index of variability in observed North Atlantic SST known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and a tree-ring reconstruction of the AMO contain similar patterns of variation over the last 110 years. Thus, the multidecadal variability observed in the instrumental record is present in the tree-ring and Mg/Ca proxy data. Frequency analysis of the Gulf of Mexico SST record and the tree-ring AMO reconstruction from 1550 to 1990 found similar multidecadal-scale periodicities (~30–60 years). This multidecadal periodicity is about half the observed (60–80 years) variability identified in the AMO for the 20th century. The historical records of hurricane landfalls reveal increased landfalls in the Gulf Coast region during time intervals when the AMO index is positive (warmer SST), and decreased landfalls when the AMO index is negative (cooler SST). Thus, we conclude that alternating intervals of high and low hurricane landfall occurrences may continue on multidecadal timescales along the northern Gulf Coast. However, given the short length of the instrumental record, the actual frequency and stability of the AMO are uncertain, and additional AMO proxy records are needed to establish the character of multidecadal-scale SST variability in the North Atlantic.
Antiviral Susceptibility of Avian and Swine Influenza Virus of the N1 Neuraminidase Subtype

Influenza viruses of the N1 neuraminidase (NA) subtype affecting both animals and humans caused the 2009 pandemic. Anti-influenza virus NA inhibitors are crucial early in a pandemic, when specific influenza vaccines are unavailable. Thus, it is urgent to confirm the antiviral susceptibility of the avian viruses, a potential source of a pandemic virus. We evaluated the NA inhibitor susceptibilities of viruses of the N1 subtype isolated from wild waterbirds, swine, and humans. Most avian viruses were highly or moderately susceptible to oseltamivir (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50], 50 nM) but were sensitive to the NA inhibitors zanamivir and peramivir. Oseltamivir susceptibility ranged more widely among the waterbird viruses (IC50, 0.5 to 154.43 nM) than among swine and human viruses (IC50, 0.33 to 2.56 nM). Swine viruses were sensitive to oseltamivir, compared to human seasonal H1N1 isolated before 2007 (mean IC50, 1.4 nM). Avian viruses from 2007 to 2008 were sensitive to oseltamivir, in contrast to the emergence of resistant H1N1 in humans. Susceptibility remained high to moderate over time among influenza viruses. Sequence analysis of the outliers did not detect molecular markers of drug-resistance (e.g., H275Y NA mutation [N1 numbering]) but revealed mutations outside the NA active site. In particular, V267I, N307D, and V321I residue changes were found, and structural analyses suggest that these mutations distort hydrophobic pockets and affect residues in the NA active site. We determined that natural oseltamivir resistance among swine and wild waterbirds is rare. Minor naturally occurring variants in NA can affect antiviral susceptibility.
The Effect of Protein and Dietary Energy Levels and Housing Regime on Production and Reproduction Parameters of Turkey Hens

Abstract Two experiments were conducted using 960 Large Broad Breasted White turkey hens to measure the effect of diet and confinement housing versus range pens on egg production, fertility and hatchability. A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of diets provided protein levels of 15 and 18% with metabolizable energy levels of 2666, 2893, and 3101 kcal. per kg. of diet. The hens were randomized into 24 range pens and 24 pens in an open-sided house. Dietary protein levels had no effect on body weight, feed consumption, egg production, fertility or hatchability. Hens fed the higher energy diet produced larger eggs (P Type of housing had no effect on average body weight or feed consumption on a hen-day basis. Housing treatment had no effect on percent fertility or hatchability. Hens housed in the range pens produced more and larger eggs (P
A Practical Sample-Holder for Maximizing Peak Resolutions with X-Ray Diffractometry

A fiber-holder of special design that allows the ends of the fibers to be scanned by x-ray diffraction while in the "stand-up" position has been found to improve the peak resolution. The device also gives new diffraction peaks not heretofore known by exposing crystallites that are in orderly lattices parallel to the fiber axis. The holder can also be employed to pack the fibers in a randomly-oriented condition for a more complete analysis of fiber crystallinity. The latter method has been found to provide a good way to measure heat-setting in nylon. The results for nylon, polyester, rayon, and cotton are given.
Binding of Mn-deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates to the active site of the DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7

Divalent metal ions are crucial as cofactors for a variety of intracellular enzymatic activities. Mg2+, as an example, mediates binding of deoxyribonucleoside 5′-triphosphates followed by their hydrolysis in the active site of DNA polymerase. It is difficult to study the binding of Mg2+ to an active site because Mg2+ is spectroscopically silent and Mg2+ binds with low affinity to the active site of an enzyme. Therefore, we substituted Mg2+ with Mn2+:Mn2+ that is not only visible spectroscopically but also provides full activity of the DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7. In order to demonstrate that the majority of Mn2+ is bound to the enzyme, we have applied site-directed titration analysis of T7 DNA polymerase using X-ray near edge spectroscopy. Here we show how X-ray near edge spectroscopy can be used to distinguish between signal originating from Mn2+ that is free in solution and Mn2+ bound to the active site of T7 DNA polymerase. This method can be applied to other enzymes that use divalent metal ions as a cofactor.
Low density lipoproteins interact with acidic fibroblast growth factor and modify its function.

Objective— Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) was shown to trigger the release of acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1). Because these components are likely to be present simultaneously in the atherosclerotic milieu, we investigated whether oxLDL interacts with FGF-1 and whether this interaction affects FGF-1 functioning. Methods and Results— Using molecular sieve and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we found that FGF-1 forms a complex with oxLDL in vitro, in contrast to its low affinity for nonatherogenic, native LDL. The FGF-1/oxLDL complex had a dramatically decreased ability to bind heparin and was nonmitogenic on cultured smooth muscle cells. In human atherosclerotic lesions, the highest FGF-1 immunoreactivity was found in macrophages. With respect to oxLDL accumulation, 2 patterns were distinguished: (1) moderate, intracellular in matrix-rich regions containing viable cells and (2) massive, both cell-associated and extracellular oxLDL deposits in foam cell–rich regions with necrotic areas. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen readings for proliferating cells reflected that the mitogenic activity of FGF-1 was confined to the regions where oxLDL was strictly intracellular and was inhibited in the regions with extracellular oxLDL deposition. Conclusions— oxLDL, besides being a bulky component of the atherosclerotic lesion, possibly manifests its pathogenicity by complexing FGF-1 and inhibiting its growth-promoting function during atherogenesis.
Domestic Violence Research What Have We Learned and Where Do We Go From Here

Domestic violence has been an intense area of study in recent decades. Early studies helped with the understanding of the nature of perpetration, the cycle of violence, and the effect of family violence on children. More recently, studies have focused on beginning to evaluate domestic violence interventions and their effects on recidivism. This article acknowledges the importance of what we have learned about the prevalence and impact of domestic violence and explores the need for more focused effort to pinpoint interventions that are effective with perpetrators and victims. Methodological issues relevant to past intervention studies are also discussed and future research directions are outlined.