cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Hypothalamic Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 Signaling in Diet-Induced Obesity

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is a key regulator of several cellular functions, including cell growth and differentiation. Because hypothalamic mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling has been implicated as a target of leptin in the regulation of energy balance, we investigated its role in obesity-induced leptin resistance. In contrast to rats maintained on a low-fat (LF) diet for 3 weeks, rats maintained on a high-fat (HF)-diet had no anorexic response to intracerebroventricular leptin. Western blot analysis revealed that leptin was unable to modulate hypothalamic mTORC1 signaling in the HF group, whereas it significantly induced phosphorylation of both S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) and S6 ribosomal protein (S6) in the LF group. Similar to leptin, the cytokine ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) induces hypophagia and increases signal transduction activator of transcription 3 phosphorylation. However, CNTF and its analog CNTFAx15 activate leptin-like pathways in the hypothalamus, even in leptin-resistant states, including diet-induced obesity. Intracerebroventricular CNTFAx15 decreased 24 h food intake and body weight in rats on HF or LF diets and increased the phosphorylation of hypothalamic S6K1 and S6 in a comparable way in both diets. Importantly, mice lacking the expression of S6K1 (S6K1−/−) did not respond to the anorectic action of either leptin or CNTFAx15, implying a crucial role for S6K1 in modulating the actions of these two cytokines. Finally, exposure to HF diet decreased mTORC1 signaling within the hypothalamus. Overall, these findings point strongly to the possibility that reduced hypothalamic mTORC1 signaling contributes to the development of hyperphagia, weight gain, and leptin resistance during diet-induced obesity.
Visible laser oscillation in helium at 7065 Å

Abstract Visible laser oscillation in atomic helium at 7065A is reported. Population inversion occurs in the after-glow of a high voltage pulsed dc discharge in a helium-hydrogen mixture. Inversion is attributed to a two-body recombination process.
Carbohydrate and protein sources influence the induction of α- and β-galactosidases in Lactobacillus reuteri

Abstract The induction of α- and β-galactosidases in six strains of Lactobacillus reuteri ( L . reuteri ) by six carbohydrate sources and four protein sources was studied. L . reuteri grown on raffinose had the highest α-galactosidase activity (10.55 Gal U/ml), while lactose exhibited the highest β-galactosidase activity (43.82 Gal U/ml) when compared to other carbohydrate sources. L . reuteri grown on yeast extract exhibited the highest α- and β-galactosidases activity (15.27 and 12.88 Gal U/ml, respectively) when compared to other protein sources. MF14C and SD2112 grown on raffinose had the highest α-galactosidase activity (14.75 and 14.18 Gal U/ml, respectively) followed by CF2-7F (13.38 Gal U/ml). CF2-7F grown on lactose had the highest β-galactosidase activity (82.01 Gal U/ml). SD2112, MM2-3 and CF2-7F grown on yeast extract (20.96, 19.67, 19.67 Gal U/ml, respectively) showed the highest α-galactosidase activity. MM2-3 and CF2-7F grown on yeast extract showed the highest β-galactosidase activity (18.1 and 17.59 Gal U/ml, respectively). Raffinose and lactose were the best carbohydrate sources to produce α- and β-galactosidases, respectively. Yeast extract was the best protein source to produce both enzymes and CF2-7F strain was the best producing strain on all tested conditions.
Hand Test characteristics of marijuana-experienced and multiple-drug-using college students.

Three matched groups of 30 college student (17 males, 13 females) categorized as marijuana users, multiple-drug users, and complete abstainers were compared across 24 Hand Test scores. Both drug-using groups were characterized by significantly lower scores on Acquisition, Active, and Environmental responses. Results were interpreted as supporting the amotivational hypothesis that drug-users display a lessened interest in environmental accomplishment. The marijuana group also proved to be slightly higher on the Exhibition score. Language: en
CARBONYL COMPOUNDS PRODUCED BY CERATOCYSTIS FAGACEARUM

THE OAK wilt fungus, Ceratocystis fagacearum (Bretz) Hunt will often produce sporulating mats on the outer face of the wood and the inner face of the bark of diseased trees. Fresh mats tend to be gray or tan in color and they are covered with conidiophores bearing conidia. The mats darken with age and finally disintegrate. G-enerally a pair of cushion-like structures will develop near the center of each mat. The pressure generated by the developing mats is often great enough to rupture the bark and create a moist chamber in which the mycelial mats develop and produce spores. The fungal mats give off a fruity odor which serves to attract sapor fungus-feeding insects of which nitidulids and Drosophila appear to be particularly important. The present investigation is concerned with the nature of the odorous constituents produced by the oak wilt fungus in laboratory culture. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cultural techniqueThe organism used in this study was obtained from Dr. J. E. Kunts, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, and it was maintained on potato-dextrose agar slants at 20 C. Erlenmeyer flasks (250 ml) containing 50 ml of potato-dextrose (5%) broth were inoculated on a rotary shaker at 250 rpm for four or five days at 25 C. These flasks then served as the inoculum for large (2500 ml) flasks containing 650 ml of potatodextrose (5%) broth. Generally eighteen such flasks were incubated on a reciprocal shaker with a stroke length of four inches for 2-3 days at 25 C. Method of separation At the end of the growth period the cells and medium were placed in a large distilling flask (10 liters) and distilled in two 5-liter batches. The aqueous distillate from 30 liters of medium was extracted with ether in a liquid-liquid extractor for several days. The ether extract was treated with dilute aqueous KOR until the extract remained distinctly basic. This fraction containing the volatile acids, phenols and enols was set aside for later investigation.
Sideband suppression for free electron lasers

Abstract A number of techniques for eliminating sideband generation in free electron lasers are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of each are described, and the applicability of each is ranked according to operating fluence.
Strategic Management Research in Developing Nations: How Relevant?

The genre of enquiry that has dominated the field of Strategic Management has been of the quantitative scientific type, comprising measurement and observation, experimentation and hypothesis testin...
Distribution of gases within Apollo 15 samples: Implications for the incorporation of gases within solid bodies of the solar system

The distribution of helium, neon, and argon isotopes within Apollo 15 samples results primarily from fractionated solar wind gases, accompanied by small quantities of cosmogenic gases. No unequivocal primordial lunar gases have been detected within various mineral, rock, or glass fragments. A vug from 15555 contains solar wind gases that have abundance ratios similar to those found in the Apollo 12 aluminum foil experiments. A comparison of these Apollo 15 results with previous laser probe mass spectrometric measurements from the gas-rich Kapoeta and Fayetteville meteorites, as well as with analyses of the Apollo 12 and 14 samples, indicates that the mechanism of solar wind implantation, followed by subsequent fractionation of the gases by impact brecciation and heating, was primarily responsible for the incorporation of the original gas phase within solid bodies of the solar system.
Ion Exchange in Ultrathin Films of Cu2S and ZnS under Atomic Layer Deposition Conditions

Atomic layer deposition allows for a wide variety of materials to be deposited in nearly ideal, conformal multilayers. We report a marked deviation from this behavior, in the form of ion exchange, ...
The temperamental borders of affective disorders

Depending on the population studied, anywhere from half to two-thirds of DSM-III borderline disorders seem to represent subaffective expressions, principally on the border of bipolar disorder. "Borderland" may actually be a better characterization of this large temperamentally unstable terrain with a population prevalence of 4-6% (as compared with 1% for classical bipolar disorder). The temperaments include the dysthymic, irritable, and cyclothymic types which, respectively, coexist with "double depressive", mixed bipolar, and bipolar II disorders; others conform to an anxious-sensitive temperament in continuum with hysteroid dysphoric and atypical depressive disorders. Borderline "stable instability" in these patients appears secondary to affective temperamental dysregulation, which has exacerbated into a protracted emotional storm during a difficult maturational phase in the biography of a given patient.
Combination of high-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography separation of five adducted nucleotides isolated from liver resulting from intraperitoneal administration with 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole to mice.

7H-Dibenzo[c,g]carbazole, DBC, is a potent environmental liver carcinogen. Liver DNA from mice treated with DBC exhibited seven distinct DBC-DNA adducts as detected by 32P-postlabeling using multidimensional TLC. To improve quantitation and chemically characterize the adducts, DNA samples were hydrlyzed, 32P-postlabeled and the adducts were separated from the unadducted normal nucleotides on TLC using a D1 solvent, 0.65 M sodium phosphate (pH 6.8). Adducts were eluted from the TLC plates with 4.0 M pyridinium formate, concentrated, resuspended in 50% aqueous methanol and injected onto the HPLC; five individual adduct peaks were resolved and collected by this method. This approach will prove useful to decrease analysis time and improve chemical characterization of tightly clustered DNA adducts generated in vivo.
Arrhythmogenic causes of chest pain in children.

Arrhythmias are common causes of chest pain of cardiac origin in children, both with and without structural heart disease. Children frequently describe feelings of “chest pain” when experiencing not only myocardial ischemia, but also a multitude of other “discomforts,” such as those associated with palpitations, irregular heart beats, or even abdominal pain, as young children often have difficulty localizing pain. Thus, a broad differential is necessary when evaluating chest pain in children. Although chest pain in adults often heralds myocardial infarctions, these are uncommon in children. Chest pain in children, if it is of cardiac origin, however, and especially if it is from an arrhythmia, can signal an impending cardiac arrest. The greatest challenge is to distinguish cardiac chest pain from the multitude of noncardiac causes, including musculoskeletal, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal, and anxiety. This is best accomplished with a thorough and systematic evaluation plan.
Soil Aggregation, Aggregate Carbon and Nitrogen, and Moisture Retention Induced by Conservation Tillage

We investigated the effects of 13 yr of plow tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT), and ridge tillage (RT) on soil aggregation and moisture holding capacity under two cropping systems, corn (Zea mays L.) alone and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) followed by corn at two depths. The experiment was conducted on an Hidalgo sandy clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Typic Calciustoll). Few cropping system differences were found. Aggregation was significantly greater at the 0- to 5-cm depth with NT and RT, especially in the >4750- and 500- to 212-μm size classes, where aggregate C and N contents were as much as 60% and >100%, respectively, higher than in CT. At 10 to 15 cm, CT produced greater aggregation in all but the >4750-μm size class but showed little enhancement ofC and N retention compared with NT and RT. Mass-weighted data revealed a more biphasic retention of C and N at the 0- to 5-cm depth; more C and N were retained in the >4750- and 500- to 212-μm size classes at 0 to 5 cm. Most C and N was detected in the >4750-μm size fraction at the 10- to 15-cm depth. Water holding capacity was significantly greater with NT and RT by >12% over CT management. The beneficial effects of conservation tillage are directly related to soil content and accumulation of C and N. In this hot climate, in which crop residues are rapidly oxidized, soil C and N accretion rates with conservation tillage are slow but demonstrable.
Controlled algebra and the novikov conjectures for K- and L-theory

IN THIS paper we combine the methods of [S] with the continuously controlled algebra of [l] and the L-theory of additive categories with involution [22] to split assembly maps in Kand L-theory. Specifically, we prove the following theorems. Let I be a group with finite classifying space BT. Assume ET admits a compactification X (meaning X compact, and ET is an open dense subset) satisfying the following conditions, (denoting X ET by Y).
TH‐C‐BRA‐08: Prescription Isodose Line Definitions and Not Set Up Uncertainty Limit the Normal Tissue Irradiation in SBRT of Lung Patients

Purpose: To verify the adequacy of dose delivery in stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT) of lungtumor and demonstrate the feasibility of reducing toxicity by revision of treatment margins and prescription isodose lines. Methods: Gross tumor volume (GTV) and others organs were manually segmented by the physician and planning target volume (PTV) was automatically generated in planning computed tomography (pCT) and cone‐beam CT(CBCT)images. These contours were transferred from CBCT to the pCT image, after rigid‐registration. Planned and delivered doses to GTV, PTV and other organs were compared. To study reduction in normal tissuedose (NTD), multiple PTVs were generated using smaller margins around the GTV and a dose‐volume constraint of 95% of prescription dose (Rx) irradiating at least 95% of PTV volume was targeted. An alternate strategy of revising the prescription isodose line was also employed. NTD was measured using volumes of the various isodose lines. Results: In this retrospective study on ten primary lungcancerSBRT patients, the mean dose to the GTV and PTV were lower than planned dose by 1% and 2%, respectively. The mean dose delivered to GTV exceeded the Rx by 19%, proving adequate dosimetric coverage. While reducing treatment margins, the block margins had to be opened up such that the field aperture was almost a constant, in order to meet target dosimetric coverage. Prescribing to lower isodose lines (as % of maximum dose) allowed for reduction in NTD, especially in small tumors and small margins. Conclusions: The feasibility of independent verification of radiationdose delivered by utilizing CBCTimaging system has been demonstrated. NTD could not be changed with tumor margin reduction, but by lowering the prescription isodose line in a stereotactic‐like prescription technique.
Direct radioimmunoassay of specific urinary estrogen glucosiduronates in normal men and nonpregnant women.

Abstract Direct radioimmunoassays are described for the measurement of each of three specific estrogen glucosiduronates: estrone glucosiduronate, 17β-estradio1-17-g1ucosiduronate and estrio1-16αc(-g1ucosiduronate in urine. Each assay utilizes a specific antiserum prepared by complexing the carboxylic acid group of the appropriate glucosiduronate to the e-amino group of lysine in bovine serum albumin or bovine thyroglobulin. The antisera showed little or no cross reactivity toward other estrogens that might be present in significant amounts in urine. These antisera were used for the direct assay of the conjugates in urine from normal men and nonpregnant women without prior extraction or chromatography. The values were similar to those obtained after extraction, chromatographic purification on DEAE-Sephadex and subsequent immunoassay. The following mean values ± SE (μg/g creatinine) were obtained: estrone glucosiduronate, male 10.1 ± 0.6, follicular phase female 17.3 ± 1.6, luteal phase female 31.8 ± 2.5; 17β-estradio1-17-g1ucosiduronate, male 1.7 ± 0.3, follicular phase female 2.4 ± 0.1, luteal phase female 4.2 ± 0.4; estrio1-16α-g1ucosiduronate, male 1.8 ± 0.2, follicular phase female 4.7 ± 0.9, luteal phase female 10.0 ± 1.6.
Dual role of pseudosubstrate in the coordinated regulation of protein kinase C by phosphorylation and diacylglycerol.

The activity of protein kinase C is reversibly regulated by an autoinhibitory pseudosubstrate, which blocks the active site of the enzyme in the absence of activators. However, before it can be allosterically regulated, protein kinase C must first be processed by three ordered phosphorylations, the first of which is modification of the activation loop catalyzed by the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK-1). Here we use limited proteolysis to show that 1) newly synthesized protein kinase C adopts a conformation in which its pseudosubstrate sequence is removed from the active site, and 2) this exposure is essential to allow PDK-1 to phosphorylate the enzyme. Precursor (unphosphorylated) protein kinase C βII obtained by 1) in vitro transcription and translation, 2) expression of a phosphorylation-deficient mutant (T500V), or 3) in vivo labeling with a pulse of [35S]cysteine/methionine is cleaved at the amino-terminal pseudosubstrate by the endoproteinase Arg-C. In marked contrast to mature (phosphorylated) enzyme, proteolysis occurs in the absence of lipid activators, revealing that precursor protein kinase C has its pseudosubstrate sequence removed constitutively. Additionally, we show that PDK-1 is unable to phosphorylate protein kinase C when the active site is sterically blocked by a peptide substrate. Neither can mature enzyme be dephosphorylated when the active site is blocked by binding either the pseudosubstrate sequence or a heterologous substrate. Thus, the accessibility of the activation loop to both phosphorylation and dephosphorylation requires an exposed pseudosubstrate. In summary, newly synthesized protein kinase C adopts a conformation in which its pseudosubstrate sequence is removed from the active site, rendering the activation loop accessible to phosphorylation by PDK-1. Phosphorylation serves as a conformational switch to position the pseudosubstrate so that it blocks the active site, a conformation that is maintained until stimulus-dependent membrane binding releases it, thus activating the enzyme.
Pathology and familial incidence of orchitis and its relation to thyroiditis in a closed beagle colony

Abstract Lymphocytic orchitis occurs spontaneously in a closed colony of beagle dogs with an incidence of 32% among 69 untreated males over 1 year of age. This disease is genetically influenced as determined by an analysis of the ancestral composition of each animal. Orchitis is related in its occurrence to lymphocytic thyroiditis which has been previously described in this colony. The incidence of both diseases increases with increasing degrees of relatedness to three sibling progenitors of a partially inbred line which comprises a significant portion of the colony. Among the dogs that derived all of their genes from the three progenitors, 85% had lymphocytic thyroiditis and 65% had lymphocytic orchitis. The pathologic changes in the testes result in a significant reduction in testis size and weight as well as sterility or reduced fertility.
Creep ductility of CrMoV steels: Impurity and microstructural effects

Under creep conditions metals usually fracture by the nucleation, growth and interlinking of grain boundary cavities. Second particles are often the preferred nucleation sites for these cavities. For example, carbides and sulfides have been detected in the grain boundary cavities of ferritic steels, and oxides and nitrides have been detected in the grain boundary cavities of iron. However, it must be pointed out that the mere fact that a cavity contains a certain particle does not necessarily imply that nucleation took place on that particle. This is especially true of carbides in steel. As has been pointed out previously, the carbide density on the grain boundaries is frequently greater than the cavity density; consequently, each cavity should contain at least one carbide regardless of where the cavity nucleated. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that, if sulfide-containing cavities are held at 700/sup 0/C for a few hours, the sulfides slowly dissolve and carbides start to appear in the cavities. Therefore, one has to be very careful when identifying the cavity nucleation sites. In theory at least, it is conceivable that almost any second phase particle can act as a nucleation site under the appropriate experimental conditions. In practice, however, only sulfides,more » oxides, and nitrides have been definitively shown to nucleate creep cavities in ferrous alloys.« less
Asymptotic behavior of a class of abstract dynamical systems

In recent years the extension of the second or direct method of Liapunov to distributed parameter systems has gained much attention; specifically Movchan [I] and Zubov [2] have given results paralleling Liapunov’s classical theorems. However, in dealing with the question of asymptotic stability of equilibria, these theorems are not always applicable because of their rather stringent hypotheses on the negative definiteness of the time derivative of Liapunov type functionals. In [3] Barbashin and Krasovskii did weaken somewhat the hypotheses of Liapunov’s theorems for autonomous and periodic systems but it was LaSalle [46] who exploited the invariance of limit sets to obtain a much more general theory, his principal theorem being stated in the form of an invariance principle. This was then extended by Hale [7] for the infinite dimensional space of autonomous functional differential equations and by Miller in [8,9] f or almost periodic ordinary and functional differential equations. These developments suggest the desirability of formulating invariance principles for infinite dimensional spaces suitable for partial differential equations. This paper is in that direction. The direct generalization of autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations to infinite dimensions is the abstract dynamical system. Thus, one would like to state an invariance principle similar to the theorem of LaSalle for autonomous ordinary differential equations which is valid for dynamical systems in general. Brayton and Miranker [lo] stated a type of invariance principle for abstract dynamical systems but their work was limited to a particular class of systems
Parathormone and perinatal calcium homeostasis.

Summary: Plasma parathormone (PTH) and calcium concentrations were measured in 309 specimens collected from 190 newborns during the first 7 days of life. The patient material consisted of 51 preterm, 130 term, and 9 postterm infants, including 22 infants of diabetic mothers (IDM), 38 infants with hypocalcemia, and 25 asphyxiated infants. PTH was detectable, although in low concentrations, in cord blood samples despite the presence of elevated calcium concentrations. Postpartum, PTH concentrations in term, appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants remained low during the first 2 days of life; a significant (P < 0.05) and sustained increase in plasma hormone levels was noted starting on day 3. PTH concentrations in IDM and preterm infants remained low for 3 days and a significant hormone increase did not occur until day 4. Hypocalcemia was common in IDM and asphyxiated infants; these infants accounted for two-thirds of all hypocalcemic infants. The profile of plasma calcium in IDM during the first week of life was different than that of any other group of infants. Plasma calcium concentrations remained depressed over this period of time and exhibited a temporary drop on day 4 accompanied by an increase in plasma PTH levels. Asphyxiated infants exhibited low plasma calcium concentrations, despite PTH levels that were significantly (P < 0.007) higher than those of age-matched term AGA newborns. Speculation: Basal PTH secretion is present at birth, several days before the parathyroid glands appear to become responsive to hypocalcemia. Furthermore, in cord blood PTH is detectable in spite of elevated calcium concentrations. The present observations suggest that nonsuppressible PTH secretion, previously described in short-term animal experiments, also occurs in the human fetus exposed to long-standing intrauterine hypercalcemia, with the implication that PTH secretion in man may be regulated by control mechanisms in addition to calcium feedback. There is anatomical and pharmacologic evidence to implicate the autonomic nervous system in this control.
Film Thickness and Friction Measurement of Piston Ring Cylinder Liner Contact With Corresponding Modeling Including Mixed Lubrication

An experimental apparatus and an analytical model have been developed to investigate and determine the lubrication condition and frictional losses at the interface between a piston ring and cylinder liner. The experimental apparatus features twin fiber optic displacement sensors to accurately measure the lubricant film thickness and a tri-axial piezoelectric force transducer to simultaneously measure frictional force. An analytical mixed lubrication model featuring Elrod cavitation and a stochastic/deterministic approach for asperity contact was used to investigate the effects of boundary and mixed lubrication conditions at the ends-of-stroke. A comparison between experimental and analytical results indicated that they are in good agreement. The results illustrate the transition through all of the different lubrication regimes (i.e. boundary, mixed and hydrodynamic lubrication) the piston ring and liner experience during a stroke. The twin displacement sensor arrangement is capable of producing accurate, repeatable measurements of lubricant film thickness that are in agreement with the analytical predictions. The analytical model developed for this study can capture the different lubrication regimes that the piston ring and liner experience.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Aberration fields of a combination of plane symmetric systems

By generalizing the wave aberration function to include plane symmetric systems, we describe the aberration fields for a combination of plane symmetric systems. The combined system aberration coefficients for the fields of spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism, defocus and distortion depend on the individual aberration coefficients and the orientations of the individual plane symmetric component systems. The aberration coefficients can be used to calculate the locations of the field nodes for the different types of aberration, including coma, astigmatism, defocus and distortion. This work provides an alternate view for combining aberrations in optical systems.
In vitro skin penetration of triamcinolone acetonide from lanolin alcohol-ethyl cellulose films

Abstract In vitro skin penetration of triamcinolone acetonide from lanolin alcohol — ethyl cellulose films has been investigated. These studies were conducted using a diffusion cell and human abdominal skin. During the experiment, the dermal side was kept at 37°C and the epidermal side was exposed to ambient conditions of the room. The lanolin alcohol-ethyl cellulose films contained propylene glycol or hexadecyi alcohol as solvent-plasticizer. At the beginning of each experiment isopropanolic solution of the selected film composition containing [3H] triamcinolone acetonide was applied on the epidermal side. The diffusion across the skin was monitored for 7 days by frequent sampling of the receptor phase composed of normal saline. At the termination of the experiment, the distribution of the steroid between applied vehicle, epidermis and dermis was determined. The penetration data were analyzed to determine if the penetration through the skin or the release from the dosage form was the rate-limiting step. The results of this analysis and the distribution profile of the steroid suggest that the release of the steroid from these matrices was the rate-limiting step for percutaneous absorption. The steady-state penetration rate was found to be proportional to the concentration of the dispersed drug in the vehicle. The effect of drug solubility in the film-vehicle on the rate and extent of penetration of the drug was also investigated.
Commentary Raising A Generation of Isolationists

Many U.S. suburbs and cities are laid out in a way that causes (or permits) people to remain isolated from those different than them. It is more than the physical layout that isolates people, though. Social interactions are a function of an individual's activity choices but also of the mode of transportation used in getting from one activity to another. When given a choice, people gravitate toward those with whom they have something in common because it's easier. But in moving from one place or activity to another should expose people to the unfamiliar.
Enzymatic activities of venom from the jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris.

Abstract 1. Lyophilized venom from the nematocysts of the jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris was tested for enzymatic activity on twenty-eight substrates commonly hydrolyzed by many animal toxins. 2. Of the twenty-eight substrates tested, twelve were hydrolyzed. The hydrolysis of these twelve substrates suggests the presence of 5′-nucleotidase, hyaluronidase, phosphatase (both acid and alkaline), phosphodiesterase, leucine aminopeptidase and proteases. 3. A comparison of the enzymatic nature of the venom with other animal toxins (especially snake venoms) is made.
Arachidonic acid rescues hippocampal long-term potentiation blocked by group I metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists

Abstract Although there is evidence that group I metabotropic glutamate receptors participate in long-term potentiation, the role of these receptors remains unclear. Among antagonists of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors, the mGluR5-selective 6-methyl-2-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine inhibited long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices from 30-day-old rats, whereas (RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid and cyclopropan[b]chromen-1a-carboxylic acid ethylester, which are more selective for mGluR1, failed to inhibit long-term potentiation. Evidence also indicates that arachidonic acid is required for long-term potentiation, as inhibition of phospholipase A 2 blocks long-term potentiation. Administration of arachidonic acid immediately after tetanic stimulation restored long-term potentiation that had been inhibited by group I antagonists. Furthermore, arachidonic acid overcame inhibition of long-term potentiation by xestospongin C, an inositol triphosphate receptor channel blocker, or by thapsigargin, an agent that depletes intracellular calcium stores. However, arachidonic acid did not restore long-term potentiation blocked by N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonists. Although it has been assumed that the source of the arachidonic acid necessary for long-term potentiation is N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor activation, our results suggest that during long-term potentiation group I metabotropic glutamate receptors cause arachidonic acid release by mobilization of intracellular calcium.
Personal narratives, coping, and quality of life in persons living with HIV.

Receiving a diagnosis of HIV can be a life-altering experience that results in significant psychosocial consequences, such as disruptions of one's life trajectory and goals, sense of self, relationships with others, and participation in social and occupational activities. For many, adapting to these changes can be extremely challenging, yet little is known about the processes that influence how well or poorly individuals are able to recapture the ability to function in these areas.
journal of visual culture VCR Autopsy

The immanent commercial obsolescence of the VCR affords film studies a new opportunity to examine domestic spectatorship and the challenges it poses to contemporaneous apparatus theory. While scholars like Christian Metz and Jean-Louis Baudry have argued that spectators understand movie projection as a gendered process of motion picture reproduction, the VCR's electronic engineering — its inner basket, heads, and stacks — demonstrate that filmic sexuality does not necessarily conform to heterosexist binaries. The VCR's sexualized inner architecture incarnates neither the alleged masculine gaze of cinema nor its televisual counterpart, the feminine glance, but rather suggests that the domestic viewer approaches film with a hermaphroditic curiosity that emphasizes the physical pleasure of making movies.
Conduction mode variation and intertial conductivity

Using separation of variables in space and time we find two-dimensional solutions consistent with simple forms of the inertial Ohm's law, Maxwell's equations, and the equation of momentum transport. conduction mode variation (a temporal change in electrical conductivity due, e.g., to onset of a plasma instability) is frequently found necessary. The result for the effective conductivity shows that either the conduction mode variation or inertial effects may dominate. In the inertial limit and in the absence of conduction mode variation the results are similar to the limiting results of Speiser. However, the important time constant is the inverse growth rate of the current density rather than the lifetime of a particle in the system. Several solutions have magnetic field structures with neutral points.
Separability, welfare economics and the theory of second best

This paper reconsiders the Lipsey-Lancaster [4] theory of second best and formulates less restrictive sufficient conditions for the preservation of the usual first-order conditions for the non-deviant commodities. In particular, we derive a more general class of separable objective and constraint functions which yield the result that, even in the presence of a Lipsey-Lancaster constraint for deviant commodities, the usual Paretian optimum conditions for the non-deviants continue to be optimal. Consider the maximization problem: max F(x1, ..., xn)
Covering Cubes by Random Half Cubes, with Applications to Binary Neural Networks

LetQnbe the (hyper)cube {?1, 1}n. This paper is concerned with the following question: How many vectors must be chosen uniformly and independently at random fromQnbefore every vector inQnitself has negative inner product with at least one of the random vectors? For any fixed?>0, a simple expectation argument shows that for all sufficiently largen, (1+?)nrandom vectors suffice with high probability. In this paper we prove that there are?, ?>0 such that (1??)nrandom vectors are also enough and such that at least?nrandom vectors are necessary. This problem is partially motivated by neural network problems. Neural networks are being used to solve a growing number of difficult problems such as speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and protein structure prediction. Recently, for both theoretical and practical reasons, neural networks with binary weights (binary neural networks) have attracted much attention. In spite of considerable analysis based on statistical mechanics, the following two basic questions about binary neural networks have remained unanswered. Q1.Is there a positive constant?such that for all sufficiently largenthere is a binary neural network ofnneurons which can separate?n(unbiased) random patterns with probability close to 1? Q2.Is it possible for a binary neural network ofnneurons to separate (1?o(1))nrandom patterns with probability greater than some positive constant? (Hereo(1) goes to 0 asngoes to infinity.) This question is raised because no binary neural network ofnneurons can separate more than n random patterns with probability close to 1. Our results yield the answers “YES” to Q1 and “NO” to Q2.
Driving in Traffic: Short-Range Sensing for Urban Collision Avoidance

Intelligent vehicles are beginning to appear on the market, but so far their sensing and warning functions only work on the open road. Functions such as runoff-road warning or adaptive cruise control are designed for the uncluttered environments of open highways. We are working on the much more difficult problem of sensing and driver interfaces for driving in urban areas. We need to sense cars and pedestrians and curbs and fire plugs and bicycles and lamp posts; we need to predict the paths of our own vehicle and of other moving objects; and we need to decide when to issue alerts or warnings to both the driver of our own vehicle and (potentially) to nearby pedestrians. No single sensor is currently able to detect and track all relevant objects. We are working with radar, ladar, stereo vision, and a novel light-stripe range sensor. We have installed a subset of these sensors on a city bus, driving through the streets of Pittsburgh on its normal runs. We are using different kinds of data fusion for different subsets of sensors, plus a coordinating framework for mapping objects at an abstract level.
Estrogen-specific target site identified by progesterone-11α-hemisuccinate-(2-[125I]-iodohistamine) in mouse brain membranes

Using photoaffinity labeling with the progesterone analogue, progesterone-11 alpha-hemisuccinate-(2-[125I]-iodohistamine) ([125I]-his-PG), we identified and characterized a protein band of MW 29 kDa (p29) in mouse cerebellar membranes whose labeling is markedly inhibited by estrogens. Inhibition of the labeling was specific with respect to steroid structure. Labeling was strongly inhibited by estradiol-17 beta, estradiol-17 alpha, and the anti-estrogen tamoxifen and the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol. Other estrogens (estriol, estrone) were less effective and the steroids, dihydroandrosterone, androsterone and aldosterone were ineffective. Preincubation with estradiol-17 alpha or estradiol-17 beta inhibited the labeling in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 0.3 and 2.0 microM, respectively. The extent of labeling was three times as high in cerebellar membranes from males as from females. In males, labeling of cerebellar membranes was greater than that of cortex or limbic region. The labeling pattern of p29 was also different in membranes prepared from cerebellum, heart and liver. Moreover, PG enhanced the labeling of p29 in liver demonstrating a tissue-specific mode of interaction. The present results characterize p29 as a membrane-bound estrogen target site.
Toward Automated Analysis of Biofilm Architecture: Bias Caused by Extraneous Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Images

An increasing number of studies utilize confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for in situ visualization of biofilms and rely on the use of image analysis programs to extract quantitative descriptors of architecture. Recently, designed programs have begun incorporating procedures to automatically determine threshold values for three-dimensional CLSM image stacks. We have found that the automated threshold calculation is biased when a stack contains images lacking pixels of biological significance. Consequently, we have created the novel program Auto PHLIP-ML to resolve this bias by iteratively excluding extraneous images based on their area coverage of biomass. A procedure was developed to identify the optimal percent area coverage value used for extraneous image removal (PACVEIR). The optimal PACVEIR was defined to occur when the standard deviation of mean thickness, determined from replicate image stacks, was at a maximum, because it more accurately reflected inherent structural variation. Ten monoculture biofilms of either Ralstonia eutropha JMP228n::gfp or Acinetobacter sp. strain BD413 were tested to verify the routine. All biofilms exhibited an optimal PACVEIR between 0 and 1%. Prior to the exclusion of extraneous images, JMP228n::gfp appeared to develop more homogeneous biofilms than BD413. However, after the removal of extraneous images, JMP228n::gfp biofilms were found to form more heterogeneous biofilms. Similarly, JMP228n::gfp biofilms grown on glass surfaces vis-a-vis polyethylene membranes produced significantly different architectures after extraneous images had been removed but not when such images were included in threshold calculations. This study shows that the failure to remove extraneous images skewed a seemingly objective analysis of biofilm architecture and significantly altered statistically derived conclusions.
The impact of procedural sedation on diagnostic errors in pediatric echocardiography.

Background Infants and young children frequently have difficulty remaining still for an echocardiographic examination, potentially leading to poor study quality, increasing the likelihood of diagnostic errors. Sedation is believed to improve echocardiographic quality, but its effectiveness has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that sedation would improve study quality and reduce diagnostic errors. Methods Outpatient echocardiograms from children aged ≤36 months obtained from January 2008 to June 2009 were examined. Variables related to image quality, report completeness, and sedation use were collected. Diagnostic errors were identified and categorized. Multivariate analysis identified the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for risk factors for potentially preventable diagnostic errors and the impact of sedation on these errors. Results Among 2,003 echocardiographic examinations, sedation was used in 498 (25%). The overall diagnostic error rate was 6.5%. Most errors (66%) were potentially preventable. Multivariate analysis identified the following risk factors for potentially preventable errors: precardiac procedure (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.05–4.59; P = .04), moderate anatomic complexity (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 2.25–6.81; P P P = .006). Echocardiographic examinations with sedation had fewer image quality concerns (22% vs 60%) and fewer incomplete reports (3% vs 20%) ( P Conclusions Most echocardiographic diagnostic errors among infants and young children are potentially preventable. Sedation is associated with a lower likelihood of these diagnostic errors, fewer imaging quality concerns, and fewer incomplete reports.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: The Practical Importance of Philosophical Inquiry for Environmental Professionals: A Look at the Intrinsic/ Instrumental Value Debate

A classic debate in environmental ethics addresses the issue of whether the environment has intrinsic value. Proponents of an anthropocentric account contend that the environment is valuable only insofar as it is useful to human beings, where usefulness can be construed in either narrow or broad terms. Conversely, nonanthropocentrists claim that, in addition to instrumental value, the environment is intrinsically valuable. This debate has important practical implications for the way people conduct themselves concerning the environment. Nevertheless, it has been dismissed by some in the philosophical community as well as beyond. We argue that this debate is important and ought to be taken up by environmental professionals. The aforementioned different views are already reflected in environmental practice, including in the Society of American Foresters Code of Ethics. We argue that useful lessons can be learned from both areas of overlap between anthropocentrists and nonanthropocentrists, as well as from areas of disagreement. We will make our case, in part, by looking at the evolution of ethical responsibility in the engineering profession. Our broader claim is that philosophical discussions can and should be a part of professional practice.Environmental Practice 14:184–189 (2012)
SCHMIDT-MIRSKY MATRIX APPROXIMATION WITH LINEARLY CONSTRAINED SINGULAR VALUES

Abstract Schmidt and Mirsky's theorems identify the matrix with a specified rank that lies closest to another matrix, with distances measured by any matrix norm invariant under the unitary group. The more general result presented here identifies the nearest matrix whose singular values satisfy any specified set of linear constraints. A typical application consists in determining the oblate spheroid that most closely fits a specified ellipsoid.
Paleodemography and evolution

Data on porotic hyperostosis (usually from thalassemia or sicklemia) and on morphology as related to differential survival and fertility in Early Neolithic Nea Nikomedeia (N over 90) and Middle Bronze Age Lerna (N = 234) show (a) the importance of disease, mainly falciparum malaria, in determining fertility, (b) the irregular fit between prediction from fertile family groups and observed prehistoric microevolutionary change in Greece, (c) the probable effects of nutrition and disease.
Effect of field size and luminance on the binocular summation of suprathreshold stimuli.

The magnitude of suprathreshold binocular brightness summation was determined as a function of field size at two levels of luminance. Luminance was not significant but the magnitude of the summation effect varied from 4% to 16% depending upon the size of the field.
Primary tumors of the aorta

Primary tumors of the aorta are rare and are usually malignant. Thirty-three cases are reported in the world literature, of which 2 are myxomas. The diagnosis is difficult and is commonly made postoperatively or at autopsy. We present a case of intraluminal aortic myxoma that presented as recurrent arterial emboli and was managed successfully. This case showed the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging and transesophageal echocardiography in diagnosis.
Illness and death of a peer in a group of three-year-olds

Abstract This paper details the experiences of teachers and children in a class of 3-year-olds following the illness and death of a class member. The children voiced many concerns as they tried to understand the relationship of Marjorie's illness and death to themselves and to their families. The teachers responded to this uneasiness in a variety of ways, always aware of the children's developmental needs and their conceptual understanding of death. The record of children's questions and comments is accompanied by a record of teachers responses, assessment of children's needs and rationale for choosing specific responses; providing an example for others to use in similar situations.
The transduction of the nitrogen regulation signal in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using ammonia as a source of nitrogen, Gln3p is sequestered in the cytoplasm by Ure2p but enters the nucleus when the cells are shifted to a nonpreferred source of nitrogen such as proline. The interpretation of recently published observations provides evidence for the view that Ure2p is the sensor for a drop in the intracellular concentration of glutamine, a signal that results in the polyubiquitination of the vesicle responsible for retaining the Gln3p–Ure2p complex in the cytoplasm. As a consequence of the drop in glutamine concentration, Gln3p is able to enter the nucleus and to activate the transcription of nitrogen-regulated genes.