cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonidentical Twins with a Single Placenta — Disproving Dogma in Perinatal Pathology

Generations of trainees have been taught that monochorionic twin placentas are monozygotic. A report by Souter et al. in this issue of the Journal (pages 154–158) invalidates this simple rule by convincingly demonstrating the association of a monochorionic placenta with dizygotic twins. A brief review of the current understanding of twin pregnancy may help to put this new finding into perspective. Dizygotic, or fraternal, twins develop from two separate fertilized eggs, whereas monozygotic, or identical, twins are derived from a single fertilized egg that has divided to form separate embryos (see Figure). The rate of monozygotic twinning is relatively stable . . .
Scene evaluation using a pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN)

We introduce a new concept called a pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN). This system works by inputting a two dimensional image into the PCNN. The PCNN iterates over a set of five equations generating an output of summed pulses versus time. The output is solely dependent on the shape and the intensity of the image input into the network.
The Tribe Called Wannabee: Playing Indian in America and Europe

ONE of the oldest and most pervasive forms of American cultural expression, indeed one of the oldest forms of affinity with American culture at the national level, is a 'performance' I call 'playing Indian.' Since the invasion of North America by those 'red hairy men' in the fifteenth century, non-Indians have found the performance of 'playing Indian' a most compelling and obviously satisfying form of traditional expression. Almost from their very arrival in the Americas, Europeans found it useful, perhaps essential, to 'play Indian' in America, to demand that tribal peoples 'play Indian,' and to export the performances back to Europe, where they thrive to date.1 This performance, or set of performances, with many stages, performers, contexts, and variants, has its deepest roots in the establishment of a distinctive American culture. I would insist that it represents one of the ways in which we can demarcate the boundaries of an American identity distinct from that which affiliates with Europe. Curiously, perhaps, 'playing Indian'-since it is so well represented historically in England and Germany, and to a lesser extent, in Russia, Poland, France and Italy-may be one of the ways in which Europeans affiliate with an America that causes them tremendous ambivalence. The performance has significant historical roots and embodiments, some aspects of which (eg: 'white' Indians and stereotypes) have been well-described by myself and other scholars.2 But we shall explore these many aspects as part of a cohesive phenomenon which renews itself yearly, takes on new versions and modes of expression, while retaining a performance core of versions from the past. This expressive complex of behaviours reiterates itself freely across boundaries of race and class, gender and age group, regional and other affiliative groups, to find its various expressions in a range of media from traditional, orally transmitted texts (songs, stories, jokes, anecdotes) to formal, literary texts, to artifacts (clothing, toys, tools, drawings, paintings), to dramatic performances (games, gestures, dramas) and ritual enactments or reenactments. Some people wed to the roles of Indian play Indian for a lifetime; others for brief, transient staged performances performed only in childhood or erratically and situationally over a lifetime. For some, it is a hobby; for others a semi-religious passion; for others still, merely one of many reference points that root them in an American identity. The performance is, for the most part, one played by persons of Anglo-American or Anglo-European background, but persons of Hispanic, Mediterranean and African/Afro-American background also play Indian in large numbers. Even Apaches, Sioux, and Cherokee 'Indians' play 'Indian.' Whether conventionally 'folk' or 'popular' in venue and form of transmission-even often conveyed through 'Classical forms'-the performance exists
The Cross-Lagged Panel Design: A Review:

Articles pertaining to the cross-lagged panel correlational technique, a method for selecting among causal interpretations of correlational data, are reviewed. Underlying assumptions, problems in a...
Aromaticity of heterocycles : experimental realization of Dewar-Breslow definition of aromaticity

Abstract A convenient, experimentally realizable theoretical model for the aromaticity of heterocycles is proposed. The model is based on the Dewar-Breslow definition of aromaticity and the thermochemical equivalence of substituted benzenes and ethylenes.
Recombinant antibodies and their use in biosensors

Inexpensive, noninvasive immunoassays can be used to quickly detect disease in humans. Immunoassay sensitivity and specificity are decidedly dependent upon high-affinity, antigen-specific antibodies. Antibodies are produced biologically. As such, antibody quality and suitability for use in immunoassays cannot be readily determined or controlled by human intervention. However, the process through which high-quality antibodies can be obtained has been shortened and streamlined by use of genetic engineering and recombinant antibody techniques. Antibodies that traditionally take several months or more to produce when animals are used can now be developed in a few weeks as recombinant antibodies produced in bacteria, yeast, or other cell types. Typically most immunoassays use two or more antibodies or antibody fragments to detect antigens that are indicators of disease. However, a label-free biosensor, for example, a quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) needs one antibody only. As such, the cost and time needed to design and develop an immunoassay can be substantially reduced if recombinant antibodies and biosensors are used rather than traditional antibody and assay (e.g. enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, ELISA) methods. Unlike traditional antibodies, recombinant antibodies can be genetically engineered to self-assemble on biosensor surfaces, at high density, and correctly oriented to enhance antigen-binding activity and to increase assay sensitivity, specificity, and stability. Additionally, biosensor surface chemistry and physical and electronic properties can be modified to further increase immunoassay performance above and beyond that obtained by use of traditional methods. This review describes some of the techniques investigators have used to develop highly specific and sensitive, recombinant antibody-based biosensors for detection of antigens in simple or complex biological samples.
Protective effects and antioxidant mechanism of bamboo leaf flavonoids on hepatocytes injured by CCl4

The protective effects and antioxidant mechanisms of bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLFs) on hepatocytes injured by CCl4 were studied by establishing models of hepatocyte damage induced by CCl4 and detecting the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismurase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) content and liver glycogen content. The degree of lesions in liver tissues between model and dosage groups was observed through paraffin sections. Results showed that BLFs significantly inhibit CCl4-induced liver injury. The ALT and AST activities as well as MDA contents of cells decreased significantly after treatment with BLFs. GSH-Px and SOD activities as well as liver glycogen contents remarkably increased in the flavonoids groups, which exhibited dose-dependent relationships (P < 0.05). The degree of lesions in liver tissues in the BLF groups was microscopically better than that in the model group. BLFs also significantly suppressed hepato...
Preparation and molecular and electronic structures of iron(0) dinitrogen and silane complexes and their application to catalytic hydrogenation and hydrosilation.

Reduction of the five-coordinate iron(II) dihalide complexes (iPrPDI)FeX2 (iPrPDI = ((2,6-CHMe2)2C6H3NCMe)2C5H3N; X = Cl, Br) with sodium amalgam under 1 atm of dinitrogen afforded the square pyramidal, high spin iron(0) bis(dinitrogen) complex (iPrPDI)Fe(N2)2. In solution, (iPrPDI)Fe(N2)2 loses 1 equiv of N2 to afford the mono(dinitrogen) adduct (iPrPDI)Fe(N2). Both dinitrogen compounds serve as effective precatalysts for the hydrogenation and hydrosilation of olefins and alkynes. Effecient catalytic reactions are observed with low catalyst loadings (≤0.3 mol %) at ambient temperature in nonpolar media. The catalytic hydrosilations are selective in forming the anti-Markovnikov product. Structural characterization of a high spin iron(0) alkyne and a bis(silane) σ-complex has also been accomplished and in combination with isotopic labeling studies provides insight into the mechanism of both catalytic C−H and catalytic C−Si bond formation.
Synthesis of 1-β-amino-1-deoxynojirimycins: a new family of glucosidase inhibitors

Abstract The title compounds 7 and 8 , synthesized in one step from nojirimycin bisulfite adduct 3 , are of mechanistic and synthetic interest in the design of new glucosidase inhibitors.
Extravagant Pretensions: Aristocratic Family Conflicts, Emotion, and the 'Public Sphere' in Early Eighteenth-Century Rome

During a frustrating custody battle for his niece, a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church (Francesco Barberini Junior, (1662--1738)) successfully plotted her kidnapping, nearly lost custody of her because of his dramatic tirades before the pope, and in calmer but no less bitter moments, lamented what he saw as the dangerous link between public sympathy for the child's mother and the legal decisions of papal magistrates in the 1720s. This article analyzes the issues at stake in this aristocratic controversy, demonstrating that as was the case in France, such legal cases showed the impact of women's effective use of the law courts to address their grievances in the family. Of particular interest in this case is the central place the cardinal assigned to public emotion for the mother as the deciding factor, limiting his "victories," and overturning legal precedents. The case suggests that the increasing support in the mid-eighteenth century for celebrating human sentiment and for overturning laws that violate it may trace its origins to the proliferation of litigation by women for their interests in the family.
Long waves in shallow water over a layer of Bingham-plastic fluid-mud. I: Physical aspects

This theoretical inquiry is motivated by the need to better understand wave/seabed interaction along muddy coasts. Since under certain conditions hyperconcentrated fluid-mud flows are known to remain laminar and can be approximately described by the Bingham plastic model, we study the transient motion in a two-layer system with a Bingham fluid lying under water. Attention is focused on the implications of the yield stress which is a distinguishing feature of the Bingham plastic model.
The largest Lyapunov exponent of the EEG during ECT seizures as a measure of ECT seizure adequacy

Attributes of the electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) seizures appear promising for decreasing the uncertainty that exists about how to define a therapeutically adequate seizure. In the present report we study whether one promising and not yet tested ictal EEG measure, the largest Lyapunov exponent (lambda1), is useful in this regard. We calculated lambda1 from 2 channel ictal EEG data recorded in 25 depressed subjects who received right unilateral ECT. We studied the relationship of lambda1 to treatment therapeutic outcome and to an indirect measure of treatment therapeutic potency, the extent to which the stimulus intensity exceeds the seizure threshold. We found lambda1 could be reliably calculated from ictal EEG data and that the global mean, maximum, and standard deviation of lambda1 were smaller in the more therapeutically potent moderately suprathreshold ECT and in therapeutic responders. These results imply a more predictable or consistent pattern of EEG seizure activity over time in more therapeutically effective ECT seizures. These findings also suggest the promise of lambda1 as a marker of ECT seizure therapeutic adequacy and build on our previous work suggesting that lambda1 may be useful for classifying seizures and for reflecting the relative physiologic impact of seizure activity.
Genetic diversity in Campylobacter jejuni is associated with differential colonization of broiler chickens and C57BL/6J IL10-deficient mice

Previous studies have demonstrated that Campylobacter jejuni, the leading causative agent of bacterial food-borne disease in the USA, exhibits high-frequency genetic variation that is associated with changes in cell-surface antigens and ability to colonize chickens. To expand our understanding of the role of genetic diversity in the disease process, we analysed the ability of three C. jejuni human disease isolates (strains 11168, 33292 and 81-176) and genetically marked derivatives to colonize Ross 308 broilers and C57BL/6J IL10-deficient mice. C. jejuni colonized broilers at much higher efficiency (all three strains, 23 of 24 broilers) than mice (11168 only, 8 of 24 mice). C. jejuni 11168 genetically marked strains colonized mice at very low efficiency (2 of 42 mice); however, C. jejuni reisolated from mice colonized both mice and broilers at high efficiency, suggesting that this pathogen can adapt genetically in the mouse. We compared the genome composition in the three wild-type C. jejuni strains and derivatives by microarray DNA/DNA hybridization analysis; the data demonstrated a high degree of genetic diversity in three gene clusters associated with synthesis and modification of the cell-surface structures capsule, flagella and lipo-oligosaccharide. Finally, we analysed the frequency of mutation in homopolymeric tracts associated with the contingency genes wlaN (GC tract) and flgR (AT tracts) in culture and after passage through broilers and mice. C. jejuni adapted genetically in culture at high frequency and the degree of genetic diversity was increased by passage through broilers but was nearly eliminated in the gastrointestinal tract of mice. The data suggest that the broiler gastrointestinal tract provides an environment which promotes outgrowth and genetic variation in C. jejuni; the enhancement of genetic diversity at this location may contribute to its importance as a human disease reservoir.
Zero graffiti for a beautiful city: the cultural politics of urban space in San Francisco

San Francisco, like many cities in the United States and across the world, has an official zero-tolerance policy on graffiti. In this article, we examine the academic literature concerned with graffiti and then present a case study of zero-tolerance abatement policies in San Francisco. Our analysis yields three main findings. First, zero-tolerance policy stimulates an anti-graffiti industry with vested interest in perpetuating an endless war for control of public space. Second, zero tolerance may generate an unintended result—the proliferation of tags and other forms of graffiti that people tend to dislike the most. Third, we find little evidence that the general public shares the same desire for zero tolerance as the San Francisco Government. Ultimately, we believe that more nuanced readings of graffiti allow greater numbers of people to make sensible, local, place-specific policies regarding graffiti.
Modeling maternal emotion-related socialization behaviors in a low-income sample: Relations with toddlers’ self-regulation

Abstract This study tested the validity of an emotion-related parenting construct, indicated by six key emotion-related socialization behaviors (ERSBs) occurring in daily, developmentally salient parenting in a low-income sample of mothers ( N = 123) of toddlers, and examined the relationship between the ERSB construct and toddlers’ self-regulation. Structural equation modeling confirmed a latent emotion-related parenting construct, indicated by observed maternal warmth and supportiveness, observed emotional responsivity in the home, maternal report of mealtime socialization practices, observed maternal use of mental state language and emotion talk, and maternal report of positive self-expressivity in the family. Emotion-related parenting significantly related to toddlers’ effective coping and delay of gratification (medium effect sizes). Maternal demographic risk was negatively related to emotion-related parenting (large effect size) but positively related to toddlers’ effective coping (medium effect size); toddler age and gender were not significantly related to ERSBs. Results suggest that maternal ERSBs are cohesive in a low-income population, reflecting emotion-related parenting, and play a role in economically at-risk toddlers’ self-regulation. Implications for parenting and family support programs as well as implications for future research are discussed.
An examination of risky drinking behaviors and motivations for alcohol use in a college sample

Abstract Objective: The current study examined (1) drinking motives as a mediator of risky drinking behaviors (ie, pregaming and drinking games) and alcohol-related problems and (2) whether gender moderates the association between risky drinking behaviors and negative consequences. Participants: Participants (N = 368; 68% female) were drinkers aged 18 to 25. Data were collected from September to November 2010 and January to May 2011. Methods: Participants completed measures regarding typical pregaming and drinking game alcohol consumption, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences. Results: Social, coping, and enhancement motives partially explained relationships, with enhancement motives explaining the most variance for pregaming (31%) and drinking games (44%). Relationships between risky drinking and consequences were not moderated by gender. Conclusions: Drinking to enhance positive affect may be the most salient motivation for drinking related to pregaming and drinking games for college drink...
OURANOS, an AI micromcomputer program with English and German user-defined vocabularies

OURANOS is a collection of programs that create userdefined 230-word vocabularies, and allow intelligent user-computer conversations using these vocabularies. Moreover, there are English and German versions of OURANOS, and any situation developed in one language can be translated and further developed in the other. Situations consist of facts, which may be user-entered, or derived from propositions. Individual facts are attributes or relationships describing one to three objects, modified by tense, negation, and probability.
Effect of ion implantation of TMA archwires on the rate of orthodontic sliding space closure

A split-mouth randomized clinical trial was used to determine whether ion implantation of beta-titanium archwire would facilitate sliding space closure. After bilateral maxillary first premolar extractions, 0.19 x 0.025-inch beta-titanium arch wires, ion-implanted on one half only, were placed in 30 subjects aged 10 to 42 years wearing unimplanted 0.022 inch slot appliances. Nickel-titanium springs (150 g) were placed bilaterally to close the extraction spaces. Space closure was measured intraorally at monthly intervals until either the space on one side closed or 6 months had elapsed. The median rates of space closure were not significantly different between the ion-implanted and the unimplanted sides. The average rate of space closure on these beta-titanium wires, with or without ion implantation, was similar to the rate reported on stainless steel arch wires.
Cutting circles and polygons from area-minimizing rectangles

A set of circles, rectangles, and convex polygons are to be cut from rectangular design plates to be produced, or from a set of stocked rectangles of known geometric dimensions. The objective is to minimize the area of the design rectangles. The design plates are subject to lower and upper bounds of their widths and lengths. The objects are free of any orientation restrictions. If all nested objects fit into one design or stocked plate the problem is formulated and solved as a nonconvex nonlinear programming problem. If the number of objects cannot be cut from a single plate, additional integer variables are needed to represent the allocation problem leading to a nonconvex mixed integer nonlinear optimization problem. This is the first time that circles and arbitrary convex polygons are treated simultaneously in this context. We present exact mathematical programming solutions to both the design and allocation problem. For small number of objects to be cut we compute globally optimal solutions. One key idea in the developed NLP and MINLP models is to use separating hyperplanes to ensure that rectangles and polygons do not overlap with each other or with the circles. Another important idea used when dealing with several resource rectangles is to develop a model formulation which connects the binary variables only to the variables representing the center of the circles or the vertices of the polytopes but not to the non-overlap or shape constraints. We support the solution process by symmetry breaking constraints. In addition we compute lower bounds, which are constructed by a relaxed model in which each polygon is replaced by the largest circle fitting into that polygon. We have successfully applied several solution techniques to solve this problem among them the Branch&Reduce Optimization Navigator (BARON) and the LindoGlobal solver called from GAMS, and, as described in Rebennack et al. [21], a column enumeration approach in which the columns represent the assignments. Good feasible solutions are computed within seconds or minutes usually during preprocessing. In most cases they turn out to be globally optimal. For up to 10 circles, we prove global optimality up to a gap of the order of 10-8 in short time. Cases with a modest number of objects, for instance, 6 circles and 3 rectangles, are also solved in short time to global optimality. For test instances involving non-rectangular polygons it is difficult to obtain small gaps. In such cases we are content to obtain gaps of the order of 10%.
Estimators of relative disease risk—A life table simulation

Abstract The comparison of disease risk in two populations is most frequently done by utilization of some function of the disease rates in the two populations. The three most common disease rates—incidence, prevalence, and disease-specific mortality—obviously measure different risks. Nevertheless, decisions about relative disease risk in two populations must frequently be made on the basis of knowledge of only one pair of risk estimators. Most commonly, a comparison of prevalence or mortality rates is a substitute for comparisons of incidence. The study of the differences among the types of comparisons is difficult in actual populations. In order to better make such comparisons, a life table technique was developed which outlines the experience of a population with a specific disease. Parkinsonism was chosen as a model disease, and a set of life tables developed, utilizing various schedules of mortality in both the nondiseased and diseased populations. The results indicated that comparisons of both ageadjusted prevalence rates and cause-specific mortality rates may be highly misleading in the study of long-term chronic diseases, particularly if mortality from all causes in the two underlying population groups is substantially different.
Land use land cover classification using local multiple pattern from very high resolution satellite imagery

Abstract. The recent development in satellite sensors provide images with very high spatial resolution that aids detailed mapping of Land Use Land Cover (LULC). But the heterogeneity in the landscapes often results in spectral variation within the same and spectral confusion among different LU/LC classes at finer spatial resolution. This leads to poor classification performances based on traditional spectral-based classification. Many studies have been addressed to improve this classification by incorporating texture information with multispectral images. Although different methods are available to extract textures from the satellite images, only a limited number of studies compared their performance in classification. The major problem with the existing texture measures is either scale/orientation/illumination variant (Haralick textures) or computationally difficult (Gabor textures) or less informative (Local binary pattern). This paper explores the use of texture information captured by Local Multiple Patterns (LMP) for LULC classification in a spectral-spatial classifier framework. LMP preserve more structural information and involves less computational efforts. Thus LMP is expected to be more promising for capturing spatial information from very high spatial resolution images. The proposed method is implemented with spectral bands and LMP derived from WorldView-2 multispectral imagery acquired for Madurai, India study area. The Multi-Layer-Perceptron neural network is used as a classifier. The proposed classification method is compared with LBP and conventional Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) separately. The classification results with 89.5% clarify the improvement offered by the LMP for LULC classification in comparison with the conventional approaches.
Increases in thyrotropin-releasing hormone messenger RNA expression induced by a model of human temporal lobe epilepsy: effect of partial and complete kindling

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its receptor are differentially distributed throughout the limbic forebrain. In addition to its neuroendocrine function, several non-endocrine central nervous system effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its analogs have been reported, including anticonvulsant effects in animals and humans. Kindling, as a model of temporal lobe epilepsy, produces elevations of endogenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone specifically in seizure-prone limbic regions. The present study used semi-quantitative in situ hybridization to characterize changes in thyrotropin-releasing hormone messenger RNA that occurred during the kindling process (partial kindling), as well as after fully kindled seizures. No significant change in thyrotropin-releasing hormone messenger RNA was detected 1 h postictally, whereas significant elevations were detected in the granule cell layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, diffuse nuclei of the amygdala and in layers II and III of piriform and entorhinal cortices from 3 to 48 h after a single generalized seizure in fully kindled rats. Peak messenger RNA expression occurred from 6 to 12 h postictally, with a decline at 24 h, followed by a precipitous return to undetectable levels by 48 h, except in the dentate gyrus. In marked contrast, partial kindling produced no detectable change in thyrotropin-releasing hormone messenger RNA by 6 h after the first occurrence of stage 1-5 seizures. Electrode placement, a single afterdischarge, or a 20-microA stimulation of the amygdala was not associated with accumulation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone messenger RNA. Thus, only full kindled generalized seizures increased thyrotropin-releasing hormone messenger RNA expression in identical limbic regions which also showed postictal elevations in thyrotropin-releasing hormone. However, this enhancement followed a more immediate and shorter lasting time-course than previously demonstrated increases in the tripeptide. These results support the hypothesis that thyrotropin-releasing hormone is an important neuromodulator in epileptic foci.
Effects of A desorption on the first-order transition in the A-B2 reaction model.

The A-${\mathit{B}}_{2}$ surface-reaction model [R. M. Ziff, E. Gulari, and Y. Barshad, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 2553 (1986)] is studied including spontaneous desorption of CO from the catalyst surface. It is found that when the spontaneous desorption probability P is above a critical value ${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{c}}$g0.039, the system no longer exhibits a first-order kinetic phase transition. The interface between coexisting phases is found to be nonfractal for P below ${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{c}}$, but it becomes fractal with dimension D=1.46\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 when P=${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{c}}$. The critical behavior of the model is qualitatively described by Dickman's one-site mean-field approximation.
Vibert's vision: Constitutional theory in search of a constitution

Frank Vibert's book, Europe: A Constitution for the Millennium, draws on constitutional economics to describe how a European constitution should be developed to govern a European political union. Vibert's theoretical constitutional framework is solid, but his analysis has two shortcomings. First, he discusses constitutional theory but never presents any specific constitutional provisions that would be based on that theory. This makes the feasibility of drawing up an acceptable constitution appear more straightforward than it actually is. Second, he assumes that Europe will eventually be politically unified in much the same manner as the United States, and does not consider alternatives. Rather than having a single European government, as Vibert suggests, a better alternative would be to have European nations united through a variety of treaties, agreements, and multinational organizations.
ELM particle and energy transport in the SOL and divertor of DIII-D

Results from a series of dedicated experiments measuring the effect of particle and energy pulses from Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) in the DIII-D scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor are compared with a simple model of ELM propagation in the boundary plasma. The simple model asserts that the propagation of ELM particle and energy perturbations is dominated by ion parallel convection along SOL field lines and the recovery from the ELM perturbation is determined by recycling physics. Timescales associated with the initial changes of boundary plasma parameters are expected to be on the order of the ion transit time from the outer midplane, where the ELM instability is initiated, to the divertor targets. To test the model, the ion convection velocity is changed in the experiment by varying the plasma density. At moderate to high density, ne/nGr = 0.5–0.8, the delays in the response of the boundary plasma to the midplane ELM pulses, the density dependence of those delays and other observations are consistent with the model. However, at the lowest densities, ne/nGr~0.35, small delays between the responses in the two divertors, and changes in the response of the pedestal thermal energy to ELM events, indicate that additional factors including electron conduction in the SOL, the pre-ELM condition of the divertor plasma, and the ratio of ELM instability duration to SOL transit time, may be playing a role. The results show that understanding the response of the SOL and divertor plasmas to ELMs, for various pre-ELM conditions, is just as important for predicting the effect of ELM pulses on the target surfaces of future devices as is predicting the characteristics of the ELM perturbation of the core plasma.
Molecular library technologies at the millennium.

Proceeds from the meeting will be used to partially fund The Cara Marks Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Crowden School. The school emphasizes the musical and educational development of children aged 9 to 15 years. The scholarship fund will ensure that this unique opportunity is available to students of limited financial means. Cara’s husband, Jim Marks, is grateful to the many speakers who paid their own travel costs and therefore enabled more of the proceeds to be used for the Fund, as well as the generous donations from Prolifaron, Phylos, Dyax-Target Quest, Cambridge Antibody Technology, Active Motif, Genentech, BioTechniques/Eaton Publishing, Polaroid/VWR, and The Palo Alto Institute of Molecular Medicine. Contributions can be sent to: The Cara Marks Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Crowden School, 1475 Rose St, Berkeley, CA 94702, USA.
Atomic-scale origin of emission from extended defects in mc-Si

Defect luminescence in mc-Si has been extensively studied in the decades since it was first identified. The origin has been probed by the techniques of photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, and by theoretical investigations. Due to detection limits and resolution inadequacies of these techniques a definitive explanation of defect luminescence phenomena has not yet been provided to the silicon PV community. This work combines the traditionally used techniques with a suite of atomic-scale characterization methods to probe the origins of defect luminescence in mc-Si PV material at the atomic level. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and laser-pulsed atom probe tomography provide the structural and chemical information necessary to provide definitive evidence of the origin of defect luminescence in mc-Si.
Metazoan mechanotransduction mystery finally solved

In a technical tour de force, whole-cell patch clamp in tiny C. elegans touch receptor neurons in vivo is used to directly record currents in response to mechanical force, providing the first direct evidence that specific proteins are mechanotransducers.
Mechanism of Chromyl Chloride Alkane Oxidation

Modern electronic structure methods, including complete active space-perturbation theory to second order (CASPT2) and a range of density functional (DFT) methods, are used to characterize the intermediates and transition states associated with chromyl chloride alkane oxidation. Computed energetics for radical abstraction are found to be inconsistent with experimental activation energetics. The alcohol product is also found to be too endothermic to be viable. A novel zwitterionic direct pathway is characterized which, when coupled with a dinuclear complex, exothermically produces alcohol consistent with experiment.
A classification scheme for cellular decompositions of manifolds

Abstract General position properties are introduced which measure the complexity of 2-cell images inherent in decomposition spaces which are not manifolds. It is shown that cell-like upper semicontinuous decompositions of n -manifolds, n ⩾ 5, are cellular if and only if they satisfy one of these properties. A classification scheme for cellular decompositions of manifolds is obtained by using these properties along with the intrinsic dimension of the decomposition. This scheme relies on topological properties of the decomposition space, rather than on the particular decomposition giving rise to it. A principal result obtained is that a cellular decomposition of as n -manifold, n ⩾ 5, is not secretly d -dimensional only if there are ( d + 3) 2-cell images in the decomposition space which intersect in an “essential” manner. This generalizes one implication of the Cell-like Approximation Theorem of R.D. Edwards.
Evaluation in Humans of a New, Inactivated Vaccine for Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (C-84)

A new, formalin-inactivated vaccine for Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus (C-84), prepared from an attenuated vaccine strain of virus (TC-83), was tested in humans. Only occasional, mild, local and systemic reactions were noted in 28 volunteers; no meaningful changes in clinical laboratory values occurred. The vaccine augmented preexisting titers of serum neutralizing antibody to VEE virus in seropositive recipients of TC-83 vaccine, and it induced high titers of neutralizing antibody in nonimmune subjects after one primary and two booster vaccinations. Circulating antibody persisted for at least 14 months in these persons. The neutralizing antibody produced after one dose of C-84 vaccine in immune subjects and after booster doses in nonimmune subjects had broad cross-reactivity within the VEE virus complex. The C-84 vaccine induced a VEE virus-specific lymphocyte transformation response. The vaccine was safe, and immunologic results showed it to be highly antigenic in healthy immune and nomimmune adults.
Novel Molecular Angiotensin Converting Enzyme and Angiotensin Receptor Imaging Techniques

Angiotensin II (AII), an octapeptide member of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), is formed by the enzyme angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and exerts adverse cellular effects through an interaction with its type 1 receptor (AT1R). Both ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) mitigate the vasoconstrictive, proliferative, proinflammatory, proapoptotic, and profibrotic effects of AII and are widely used as effective anti-remodeling agents in clinical practice. Prediction of individual response to these agents, however, remains problematic and is influenced by many factors including race, gender, and genotype. In addition, systemic and tissue RAS activity do not correlate closely. This report summarizes the results of on-going attempts to noninvasively determine tissue ACE activity and AT1R expression using novel nuclear tracers. It is hoped that the availability of such imaging techniques improve treatment of heart failure through more selective pharmacologic intervention and better dose titration of available drugs.
Metabolic effects of nitroglycerin and tranylcypromine in unanesthetized rabbits.

SummaryMetabolic alterations caused by nitroglycerin were compared with those of tranylcypromine. Following administration of 100 μg/kg of nitroglycerin in unanesthetized rabbits, simultaneous elevations of plasma FFA (+98%), glycerol (+53%), lactate (+178%), and pyruvate (+135%) were observed. The same dose of nitroglycerin caused a significant elevation of plasma lactate but failed to increase plasma FFA and glycerol in reserpinized and propranolol-treated rabbits. Tranylcypromine (30 mg/kg) caused similar alterations: increase in plasma FFA (+135%), glycerol (+85%), lactate (+335%), and pyruvate (+152% Similarly, an increase in plasma lactate without change in plasma FFA and glycerol levels, was observed in reserpinized animals. An increase in body temperature was found in nitroglycerin- and tranylcypromine-treated rabbits, This effect was diminished when the two drugs were administered in reserpine-and propranolol-treated rabbits. These results indicate that the rate of lipolysis and glycolysis is inc...
Indemics: an interactive data intensive framework for high performance epidemic simulation

To respond to the serious threat of pandemics (e.g. 2009 H1N1 influenza) to human society, we developed Indemics (Interactive Epidemic Simulation), an interactive, data intensive, high performance modeling environment for realtime pandemic planning, situation assessment, and course of action analysis. Indemics was built upon a model of interactive data intensive scientific computation, supporting online interactions between users and simulations and enabling epidemic simulations over detailed social contact networks and realistic representations of complex public policies and intervention strategies.Instead of simply making a highly optimized parallel application run even faster, Indemics introduced several innovative ideas such as online interactive computation and HPC-DBMS integration that significantly improved the functionality, flexibility, modularity, and usability of HPC software. Our performance evaluation suggests that additional computational overhead incurred by Indemics compared to non-interactive simulations is easily offset by its new capabilities. Preliminary results show that Indemics significantly broadens the range of course of action scenarios that can be simulated and enables domain experts to analyze problems that were previously not possible to study.
β2 Laminins Modulate Neuronal Phenotype in the Rat Retina

Abstract The production of cell types in the vertebrate retina follows a stereotyped time course. We have focused on a component of the extracellular matrix that may guide this schedule: the laminin β2 chain. Here, we have asked directly whether heterotrimeric laminins containing the laminin β2 chain can promote the production of presumptive rod photoreceptors (“rods”) and have correlated changes in rod production with changes in the production of other cell types. In cultures in which few rods, but many Muller and bipolar cells, are produced, the production of rods can be enhanced sixfold and that of bipolar cells can be reduced by 66%, by exposing cells to a laminin β2-rich matrix. Substitution of a laminin β2-depleted matrix (created with antisense RNA) returns the density of rods and bipolar cells to control levels. These linked alterations in phenotype expression suggest that laminins may control the choice between rod photoreceptor and rod bipolar cell fates.
The Equilibrium Distribution of Potential and of Electrons Outside the Surface of a Conductor

The potential distribution due to space charge in the neighborhood of a plane conducting surface is derived for the case of equilibrium under zero applied field and under retarding fields, by use of Poisson's equation and the Boltzmann distribution law, which is extended to include application to the Fermi-Dirac statistics. The electron density is likewise evaluated as a function of the distance from the surface. In both cases an applied electric field has no appreciable effect within a certain critical distance which is dependent upon the field. Assuming degeneracy within the conductor the electron atmosphere is also degenerate near the surface, becoming entirely classical at distances greater than 2 or 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ cm. Its density is independent of the nature of the conductor and at a given distance is directly proportional to the absolute temperature. The potential at a given distance is characteristic of the conductor and varies only slightly with temperature, while its magnitude is consistent with the Sommerfeld electron theory. The field intensity equals that computed from an image force law at distances in the neighborhood of 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ cm, depending upon temperature, and is increasingly greater than the latter at greater distances. The mean electron separation distance in a plane parallel to the surface is comparable with the distance of this plane from the surface.
Length measurement: new developments in neurostereology and 3D imagery

Quantification of linear biological structures has important applications in neuroscience; for example, the length of neurotransmitter-specific axonal innervation or length of dendritic processes within particular brain structures. Until recently, however, there have been practical limitations in the application of stereological tools for the unbiased estimation of object length on tissue sections. The recent development of efficient new approaches allows for the wider application of theoretically unbiased sampling and estimation techniques that are devoid of the assumptions and models of earlier methods. In this review, we outline the historical background and recent advances in the estimation of total length for biological objects on tissue sections, including a practical method to estimate the length of cholinergic fibers using newly developed methods. These newer methods also take advantage of three-dimensional image datasets and virtual probes, techniques that may have wider application in quantitative morphometry.
Alterations in myocardial cell function in adrenal insufficiency

The relationship between cardiac function and 1. myocardial glycogen concentration, 2. ultrastructure, and 3. myosin ATPase activity was studied in cats at various times following adrenalectomy. These three variables were also studied in gastrocnemius and soleus muscles from the same cats. Cardiac glycogen concentration was decreased in adrenal insufficient cats 11 days after withdrawal of steroid therapy, a time at which cardiac performance was already severely depressed. Skeletal muscle glycogen levels did not significantly decrease after adrenalectomy. Electron micrographs of the heart and the soleus at 8 days revealed normal myofibrils and mitochondria, but a shorter mean sarcomere length was observed in cardiac muscle. The ATPase activities of myosin isolated from the red fibered cativity of myosin isolated from the predominantly white fibered gastrocnemius muscle appeared to be unaffected by adrenalectomy. Regression analysis of cardiac function on cardiac myosin ATPase activity for adrenalectomized, dexamethasone-treated, and intact control animals revealed a significant correlation (p<0.001) between cardiac performance and myosin ATPase activity.
LIMITED RECOVERY OF PINEAL FUNCTION AFTER REGENERATION OF PREGANGLIONIC SYMPATHETIC AXONS: EVIDENCE FOR LOSS OF GANGLIONIC SYNAPTIC SPECIFICITY

The cervical sympathetic trunks (CSTs) contain axons of preganglionic neurons that innervate the superior cervical ganglia (SCGs). Because regeneration of CST fibers can be extensive and can reestablish certain specific patterns of SCG connections, restoration of end organ function would be expected. This expectation was examined with respect to the pineal gland, an organ innervated by the two SCGs. The activity of pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) exhibits a large circadian rhythm that is dependent on the sympathetic input of the gland, with high activity at night. Thirty-six hours after the CSTs were crushed bilaterally, nocturnal NAT was decreased by 99%. Three months later, enzyme activity had recovered only to 15% of control values, a recovery dependent on regeneration of CST fibers. Nevertheless, a small day/night rhythm was present in lesioned animals. Neither the density of the adrenergic innervation of the gland nor the ability of an adrenergic agonist to stimulate NAT activity was reduced in rats with regenerated CSTs. In addition, stimulation of the regenerated CST at a variety of frequencies was at least as effective in increasing NAT activity as seen with control nerves. These data suggest that the failure of pineal function to recover is not attributable to a quantitative deficit in the extent of reinnervation or synaptic efficacy. Rather, we suggest that there is some loss of specificity in the synaptic connections made in the SCG during reinnervation, resulting in a loss of the central neuronal information necessary for directing a normal NAT rhythm and thus normal pineal function.
Degradation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans enhances oxidized-LDL-mediated autophagy and apoptosis in human endothelial cells.

Abstract Background Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) play an important role in atherogenesis. We hypothesized that degradation of HSPG may increase the binding of atherogenic oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to endothelial cells, and result in extensive HSPG degradation as well as autophagy and apoptosis. Methods Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to study the expression of lectin-like ox-LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), HSPG, autophagy and apoptosis in response to ox-LDL and heparinase III (Hep III). Results As expected, ox-LDL treatment resulted in LOX-1 expression, ox-LDL uptake and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Ox-LDL treatment also resulted in a modest degradation of HSPG and increase in autophagy (expression of LC3, beclin-1 and Atg5) and apoptosis (enhanced expression of caspases and Bax, and reduced expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL). The effects of ox-LDL were blocked by pretreatment of cells with LOX-1 antibody or apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor. Hep III alone caused HSPG degradation and slightly, but significantly, increased ROS generation, and induced autophagy and caspase expression. However, autophagy and apoptosis induced by Hep III were not affected by apocynin or LOX-1 antibody. Importantly, Hep III pretreatment of cells significantly enhanced ox-LDL-induced HSPG degradation, LOX-1 expression, ox-LDL uptake and ROS generation as well as autophagy and apoptosis. Conclusion These data demonstrate that Hep III enhances the pro-atherosclerotic characteristics in HUVECs induced by ox-LDL.