cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen storage properties of carbons doped with ruthenium, platinum, and nickel nanoparticles

Hydrogen adsorption properties of two different high surface area carbon materials of templated carbon (TC) and superactivated carbon (AX-21) doped with three different metals (Ru, Pt, and Ni) have been studied. The equilibrium hydrogen storage capacities followed the order of Ru/C > Pt/C > Ni/C on both TC and AX-21. Ru doped on templated carbon (Ru/TC) showed a hydrogen storage capacity of 1.43 wt % at 298 K and 10.3 MPa. Furthermore, a thermal reduction method was applied to increase the contacts between the Ru metal particles and the carbon support, and in turn, to facilitate hydrogen spillover. The ruthenium-doped templated carbon by thermal reduction (Ru/TC-T) showed the highest hydrogen storage of 1.56 wt % at 298 K and 10.3 MPa, resulting in an enhancement factor of 2 compared with that of the undoped carbon. These experimental results were interpreted by using a simple mechanistic model for hydrogen spillover.
DNA synthesis and the incorporation of labeled iris cells into the lens during lens regeneration in adult newts.

Abstract When the lens was removed from the eye of adultNotophthalmus viridescens and the specific DNA precursor, thymidine-3H, was injected intraperitoneally, the initiation of DNA synthesis was indicated by the appearance of labeled nuclei in the pigmented iris epithelium 4 days after lentectomy. As the cells near the mid-dorsal pupillary margin then undergo depigmentation to form a lens vesicle, DNA replication and mitotic cell division continue in this tissue. Cells which were labeled in the dorsal iris epithelium could be traced into all parts of the young, regenerating lens, including both the lens epithelium and the lens fibers. This radioautographic evidence, together with the histological evidence for continuity of the iris epithelium and the regenerating lens, provides support for the concept that dorsal iris cells transform into lens cells. As soon as the cells in the inner lamina of the lens vesicle begin to elongate to differentiate into primary lens fibers, DNA synthesis ceases in these cells but continues in the cells of the outer part of the lens vesicle and in the stalk connecting the lens vesicle with the rest of the iris epithelium. Cells in the latter areas continue to synthesize DNA and to divide, the daughter cells moving toward the primary lens fibers. In the equatorial zone, these cells begin to elongate, stop dividing and enclose the primary lens fibers with a shell of secondary lens fibers. As the lens grows in size, it detaches from the iris epithelium but the lens epithelium remains as a germinal epithelium providing a continuous supply of new secondary lens fibers. Although DNA synthesis is initiated in the iris epithelium by 7 days after extirpation of both lens and neural retina, the other phases of lens regeneration are delayed until a layer of depigmented cells has been formed by the regenerating neural retina. Unlabeled iris and lens vesicles were implanted into lentectomized eyes at different times after administration of thymidine-3H to the host in order to test for the availability time of the isotope. Conspicuous labeling of the implant nuclei occurred up to two hours after injection and then dropped off so that no label was found from 3.5 hours to 14 days after injection. There was one exception where a light label appeared in a lens vesicle exposed to the host eye environment 2–3 days after isotope injection. It was concluded that the thymidine-3H is available for only 2–3 hours in most instances.
Plasmodium lophurae: Glucose-1-14C and glucose-6-14C catabolism by free plasmodia and duckling host erythrocytes

Abstract 1. 1. The in vitro catabolism of glucose-1- 14 C and glucose-6- 14 C by the avian malaria Plasmodium lophurae was studied. 2. 2. Free parasites and malaria-infected erythrocytes principally formed lactate from glucose; smaller quantities of glutamate, aspartate and alanin were also recovered. The C-6/C-1 ratio for these catabolites was 1. 3. 3. Continuous monitoring of the release of 14 CO 2 showed that greater amounts of 14 CO 2 was recovered from the C-1 than from the C-6 of labeled glucose. 4. 4. Erythrocyte-free P. lophurae also metabolized pyruvate- 14 C and produced considerable quantities of 14 CO 2 ; in addition, radioactivity was recovered in citrate, malate, succinate and fumarate. There was no evidence for acetate formation from pyruvate by free parasites.
Teaching prevention on sensitive topics: key elements and pedagogical techniques.

This paper presents a set of topical and pedagogical considerations for instructors teaching material on sensitive topics with either the primary or secondary aim of addressing prevention. Prevention can be approached as an effort to create changes in an individual’s attitudes/beliefs, knowledge, and behavior. Following this framework, classroom content that challenges students’ perceptions, preconceived notions, and attitudes can be seen as preventive in nature. Preparing students to work through the same layers of complexity that thoroughly trained and experienced researchers and practitioners struggle with requires particular attention to the classroom environment.
Dependence upon Wavelength of Stomatal Movement in Epidermal Tissue of Senecio odoris.

11. NOGUCHI, M., K. YAMAMOTO, AND E. TAMAKI. 1961. Studies on the nitrogen metabolism in tobacco plants. A. I. Nitrogenous compounds in the tobacco sap. Agr. Biol. Chem. 25: 626-31. 12. PIERRE, W. H. AND G. G. POHLMANN. 1933. Preliminary studies of the exuded plant sap and the relation between the composition of the sap and the soil solution. Agron. J. 25: 14460. 13. PUCHER, G. W., C. S. LEAVENWORTH, W. D. GINTER, AND H. B. VICKERY. 1947. Studies in the metabolism of Crassulacean plants. The effect upon the composition of Bryophyllum calycinum of the form in which nitrogen is supplied. Plant Physiol. 22: 205-27. 14. RACUSEN, D. W. AND S. ARONOFF. 1954. Metabolism of soybean leaves. VI. Exploratory studies in protein metabolism. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 51: 68-78. 15. STEEVES, T. A., H. P. GABRIEL, AND M. W. STEEVES. 1957. Growth in sterile culture of excised leaves of flowering plants. Science 126: 350-51. 16. TOLBERT, N. E. AND H. WIEBE. 1955. Phosphorous and sulfur compounds in plant xylem sap. Plant Physiol. 30: 499-504. 17. VICKERY, H. B., G. W. PUCHER, A. WAKEMAN, AND C. S. LEAVENWORTH. 1940. Chemical investigations of the tobacco plant. VIII. The effect upon the composition of the tobacco plant of the form in which the nitrogen is supplied. Conn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 442: 65-119. 18. WEBSTER, G. C. 1959. Nitrogen Metabolism in Plants. Row-Peterson, Evanston, Illinois. 19. WEISSMAN, G. S. 1951. Nitrogen metabolism of wheat seedlings as influenced by the ammonium: nitrate ratio and the hydrogen-ion concentration. Am. J. Botany 37: 725-38. 20. WEISSMAN, G. S. 1959. Influence of ammonium and nitrate on the proteinand free amino acids in shoots of wheat seedlings. Am. J. Botany 46: 339-46.
Analysis of a double pipe heat exchanger performance by use of porous baffles and pulsating flow

Abstract A numerical investigation is carried out to analyze the effect of porous baffles and flow pulsation on a double pipe heat exchanger performance. The hot fluid flows in the inner cylinder, whereas the cold fluid circulates in the annular gap. The Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer model is adopted to describe the flow in the porous regions and the finite volume method is used to solve the governing equations with the appropriate boundary conditions. The effects of the amplitude and frequency of pulsation, as well as the porous baffles permeability on the flow structure and the heat exchanger efficiency are analyzed. The results reveal that the addition of an oscillating component to the mean flow affects the flow structure, and enhances the heat transfer in comparison to the steady non pulsating flow. The highest heat exchanger performance is obtained when only the flow of the hot fluid is pulsating.
Fiber-Optic Immunosensors Based on Continuous Reagent Delivery

Abstract Immunoassay technology has advanced tremendously during the past 30 years and has provided indispensable tools for clinical and environmental analysis. The immunoassays in use are highly sensitive, with some achieving femto- and attomolar detection limits. These assays possess a variety of drawbacks due mainly to the demand for trained technical personnel and intensive sample manipulations. The introduction of fiber optics offers the potential for miniaturization and simplification. Some examples of fiber-optic immunosensors have been described in the literature. Most of these face the usual immunosensor limitation of single-use detection; hence, they are not appropriate for continuous use. The main limitation of all immunosensors lies in the strong antibody-antigen binding, which requires either extensive washing for long periods of time or use of chaotropic reagents for dissociation. Several examples of regenerable fiber-optic sensors are based on displacement of a labeled by an unlabeled antigen or by an antibody developed especially to possess decreased binding affinity. In our laboratory, research is concentrated on developing a continuous fiber-optic sensor based on prolonged delivery of reagents from slow-release polymers. In this paper we review the achievements in the area of continuous sensing with fiber-optic immunosensors, describe the use of slow-release polymers to deliver reagents necessary for the immunoassay, and comment on the advantages and the limitations of the technique.
Pharmacological investigations of the cellular transduction pathways used by cholecystokinin to activate nodose neurons.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) directly activates vagal afferent neurons resulting in coordinated gastrointestinal functions and satiation. In vitro, the effects of CCK on dissociated vagal afferent neurons are mediated via activation of the vanilloid family of transient receptor potential (TRPV) cation channels leading to membrane depolarization and an increase in cytosolic calcium. However, the cellular transduction pathway(s) involved in this process between CCK receptors and channel opening have not been identified. To address this question, we monitored CCK-induced cytosolic calcium responses in dissociated nodose neurons from rat in the presence or absence of reagents that interact with various intracellular signaling pathways. We found that the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U-73122 significantly attenuated CCK-induced responses, whereas the inactive analog U-73433 had no effect. Responses to CCK were also cross-desensitized by a brief pretreatment with m-3M3FBS, a PLC stimulator. Together these observations strongly support the participation of PLC in the effects of CCK on vagal afferent neurons. In contrast, pharmacological antagonism of phospholipase A2, protein kinase A, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase revealed that they are not critical in the CCK-induced calcium response in nodose neurons. Further investigations of the cellular pathways downstream of PLC showed that neither protein kinase C (PKC) nor generation of diacylglycerol (DAG) or release of calcium from intracellular stores participates in the response to CCK. These results suggest that alteration of membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) content by PLC activity mediates CCK-induced calcium response and that this pathway may underlie the vagally-mediated actions of CCK to induce satiation and alter gastrointestinal functions.
Comparison and connection in the study of Afro-Latin America

This essay examines the relationship between comparison – as a scholarly method and social practice – and the study of transnationalism and diaspora. Attention to transnational and diasporic processes forces us to critically reassess comparison as a scholarly method. However, rather than abandon comparison, scholars interested in transnationalism and diaspora need to recognize the centrality of comparison to transnational encounters and diasporic identity formations. Drawing on the case of the transnational world of the Garifuna between the United States and Honduras, the essay highlights the importance of comparing Garifuna identity formations in both locations in order to understand their multiple relationships to the African (or black) diaspora, and the importance of their own practices of comparison in helping to produce diasporic identities. Paying attention to how social agents make comparisons within specific contexts can provide a fruitful path of inquiry for studies of transnationalism and diaspora.
Incentives for Deconstruction of the E-Journal

SUMMARY Simply an idea for systematic incentives at all institutional levels necessary to implement institutional archiving of peer-reviewed papers produced by their faculty. Some of the key concerns are addressed outlining the roles of senior faculty, junior faculty, librarians and others in fulfilling what should be an administrative imperative in all academic disciplines and campuses. These concerns include incentives for long term electronic archiving, institutional maintenance of copyright for their employee's intellectual product, motivation of authors to participate in a new publishing paradigm, precise and timely access to peer-reviewed literature and the peer review process. Concludes with a rhetorical calling to arms of all University administrators who would need to lead an assault on an entrenched and well-funded publishing industry.
NMR Studies into the Potential Interactions of Fullerene C60, with Tetraphenylporphyrin, H2[TPP] and some of its Derivatives

1H NMR relaxation studies were employed to investigate potential interactions between C60 and tetraphenylporphyrin, H2[TPP], and parasubstituted tetraphenylporphyrins, H2[(p-X)4TPP], where X = CN and OCH3 in solution. The substituted porphyrins provided a means by which to investigate the role that electronic effects play in the interaction process. A comparison of the relaxation rates, R1, and correlation times, <path id="x1D70F" d="M471 456q-22 -60 -37 -85q-20 -3 -84 -3q-9 0 -29 2t-29 2q-38 -145 -54 -234q-15 -80 14 -80q23 0 68 38l14 -25q-78 -83 -137 -83q-50 0 -50 64q0 25 7 57l67 266q-57 4 -98 -9t-80 -49l-20 21q14 18 27 31t36.5 30t56.5 26t73 9q26 0 82.5 -2t89.5 -2q21 0 32 5t24 24 z" /> <path id="x1D436" d="M682 629q-1 -16 -1.5 -72t-2.5 -86l-31 -4q-5 92 -51 129t-139 37q-100 0 -177 -49t-116 -125t-39 -162q0 -122 66 -201t182 -79q83 0 137 42.5t112 128.5l26 -15q-12 -31 -42.5 -88t-45.5 -75q-139 -27 -199 -27q-148 0 -243 81.5t-95 226.5q0 173 129.5 274.5 t325.5 101.5q114 0 204 -38z" /> , of the pyrrole and phenyl hydrogens in these complexes, without and with the presence of C60, revealed that the introduction of C60 into solution did not have a noticeable effect on R1 and of these protons in H2[TPP], indicating the absence of long-term intermolecular interaction at either of these two sites. A similar analysis of the two protons in the other two substituted tetraphenylporphyrin analogs revealed slower molecular dynamics indicating the presence of intermolecular interactions. Stronger interactions were observed in H2[(p-OCH3)4TPP] indicating that the electron-donating abilities of the -OCH3 group promote the interaction process. Our results indicate that it is very likely that enhanced selectivity in the chemical purifications of fullerenes and metallofullerenes can be achieved by employing tetraphenylporphyrin-silica stationary phases which have been modified with electron-donating groups.
The angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril treatment alters cardiovascular and subjective effects of methamphetamine in humans

Abstract A variety of medications have been assessed for their potential efficacy for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. We conducted this study in an attempt to evaluate the potential of a novel class of medications, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, as treatments for methamphetamine dependence. All participants met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, third revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for methamphetamine abuse or dependence and were not seeking treatment at the time of study entry. The study was conducted using a double-blind design. Subjects received a baseline series of intravenous (IV) doses of methamphetamine (15mg and 30mg) and placebo. Subjects received a second identical series of methamphetamine doses 3 and 5days after initiation of once-daily oral placebo or perindopril treatment. The dose of perindopril was 2mg, 4mg, or 8mg administered in the morning. Perindopril treatment was tolerated well. There were no main effects of perindopril on methamphetamine-induced changes in cardiovascular or subjective effects. There were significant perindopril⁎methamphetamine interactions for diastolic blood pressure and for ratings of "Any Drug Effect", indicating inverted U dose-effect functions for these indices.
Riding the wave of administrator accountability: a portfolio approach

Purpose – This paper aims to describe a qualitative study of a four‐year, state‐wide portfolio evaluation system for new principals. The State of Ohio (USA) was one of five states that participated in a field test of the Portfolio Assessment for School Leaders designed by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) and the Educational Testing Service (ETS).Design/methodology/approach – The central research question was: Does the Portfolio Assessment for School Leaders process benefit or burden the practice of school leaders? The participants were a subset of the 70 principals who completed the portfolio in Ohio between September 1999 and January 2002. The data included focus group interviews, phone interviews, surveys, and the principals' completed portfolios.Findings – From analysis of the data three levels of benefits from level 1 are desribed, where the portfolio was seen primarily as extra work and had little benefit for the leadership in the principals' schools, to level 3, where there...
Construction and Use of the Frequency-Energy Plot for a System With Two Essential Nonlinearities

We consider the problem of depicting possible periodic motions of a strongly nonlinear system in the frequency-energy plane. The particular case of a 2-degree-of-freedom, linear primary structure coupled to a 2-DOF, nonlinear attachment is examined in detail. While there exist numerical tools for the semiautomatic computation of such frequency-energy plots (FEPs), the presence of multiple essential (nonlinearizable) nonlinearities in the present system introduces new challenges in their application. Furthermore, the multiple degrees of freedom of the nonlinear subsystem allow the existence of complex nonlinear normal modes localized there but exhibiting more complicated resonances than those previously observed in the study of a single-DOF nonlinear attachment. The FEP generated for a laboratory-scale mechanical system is interpreted to explain the transitions and energy transfers that occur in the simulated transient response of the combined system following broadband shock excitation.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) measurements in cord blood.

Abstract Antibodies to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can be generated by coupling DHEA to carrier proteins. This report describes the use of antibodies to three different DHEA-protein complexes for the measurement of DHEA in serum and cord plasma. Each of the three antibodies produces an assay with equivalent results in serum from adults and older children. However, with cord plasma samples, two of the antibodies detected much more cross-reacting material than was detected with the third antibody. In order to determine the basis for this discrepancy, a pool of cord plasma was extracted in a manner similar to that used in the assay procedure. The steroids in the extract were separated by chromatography on a Sephadex LH-20 column and individual fractions were assayed for DHEA with each of the antibodies. There were several peaks of cross-reacting material present in cord blood that were not present in comparable amounts in serum from adults. These results indicate that assays for DHEA need to be separately validated with samples from adults and from infants. ( Steroids ,5, xx, 1985)
A Definition for the Common-Factor Analysis Model and the Elimination of Problems of Factor Score Indeterminacy.

A factor analysis model consists of a random sequence of variates defined on a probability space and satisfying the usual descriptive equations of the common-factor analysis in which the common-factor scores are dimensionally independent. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a model to exist with essentially unique and hence determinate common factor scores. Parallel results are given for the existence of models with nonunique and hence indeterminate scores. It is then proved that two models cannot exist with essentially unique but different scores for the same common factors. The meaning and application of these results are discussed.
Oxygen Coverage Dependence of NO Oxidation on Pt(111)

The interaction of NO with adsorbed atomic oxygen on Pt(111) was studied with temperature programmed desorption (TPD), infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), and low-energy electron di...
The effect of the administration of morphine on the incorporation of [14C]leucine into the proteins of rat brainin vivo

The effect of morphine administration on protein turnover in rat brainin vivo was studied by means of pulse labeling with [14C]leucine, injected directly into the cerebrospinal fluid. The rate of removal of the labeled leucine from the free amino acid pool of brain and the rate of incorporation of labeled leucine into protein were decreased in the animals injected either with a single dose of morphine or with daily injections for 5 days. When the hypothermia produced by the administration of the narcotic drug was prevented by keeping the morphine-treated rats at an ambient temperature of 30°, the effects of morphine treatment on the [14C]leucine pool and on the rate of protein turnover were not significantly altered. However, the administration of the narcotic antagonist, nalorphine, concurrently with morphine did partially reverse the effects found after morphine alone.
Lensless Fluorescent Microscopy on a Chip

On-chip lensless imaging in general aims to replace bulky lens-based optical microscopes with simpler and more compact designs, especially for high-throughput screening applications. This emerging technology platform has the potential to eliminate the need for bulky and/or costly optical components through the help of novel theories and digital reconstruction algorithms. Along the same lines, here we demonstrate an on-chip fluorescent microscopy modality that can achieve e.g., 0.6-8 cm2 without the use of any lenses, mechanical-scanning or thin-film based interference filters. In this technique, fluorescent excitation is achieved through a prism or hemispherical-glass interface illuminated by an incoherent source. After interacting with the entire object volume, this excitation light is rejected by total-internal-reflection (TIR) process that is occurring at the bottom of the sample micro-fluidic chip. The fluorescent emission from the excited objects is then collected by a fiber-optic faceplate or a taper and is delivered to an optoelectronic sensor array such as a charge-coupled-device (CCD). By using a compressive-sampling based decoding algorithm, the acquired lensfree raw fluorescent images of the sample can be rapidly processed to yield e.g., 0.6-8 cm2. Moreover, vertically stacked micro-channels that are separated by e.g., 50-100 μm can also be successfully imaged using the same lensfree on-chip microscopy platform, which further increases the overall throughput of this modality. This compact on-chip fluorescent imaging platform, with a rapid compressive decoder behind it, could be rather valuable for high-throughput cytometry, rare-cell research and microarray-analysis.
Is there an optimum overall time for head and neck radiotherapy? A review, with new modelling.

Abstract Aims To test by modelling whether a non-standard fractionated schedule giving optimum log cell kill could be expected, between short (accelerated) and longer multiple fraction/day schedules. Materials and methods Linear quadratic modelling was carried out for many schedules, with biologically effective doses converted to normalised total doses (NTDs; in 2Gy fractions). Late complication and acute mucosal NTDs were calculated as constraint doses for each schedule, and the highest tumour NTDs and log cell kill values within both constraints were calculated. This modelling is robust and agrees with conclusions in a very recent meta-analysis (Bourhis J, Overgaard J, Audry H, et al. Hyperfractionated or accelerated radiotherapy in head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis. www.thelancet.com. Published online August 17, 2006). Results The six schedules that gave the highest tumour log cell kill deliver a narrow range of 11.1–11.2log 10 cell kill in the present parameters. Other regularly used schedules give closer to 10log 10 . Using one fraction/day fails to achieve the highest therapeutic ratios. Suggestions are made for escalating certain UK schedules. Fractionated radiotherapy results in a nearly constant tumour cell kill if the acute mucosal NTD is held constant. However, a small (3%) gain in tumour cell kill occurs from 3 weeks to 73 fractions of 1.15Gy in 7 weeks. That is how fractionation works, within both acute and late constraints. Short accelerated schedules enable fewer late complications, but do not do as well for the minority of head and neck tumours that repopulate slowly. Conclusions Schedules of 4–6 weeks overall time could be chosen to give at least 11log 10 cell kill, which are safe. Most tumours would require two fractions/day, until routine monitoring of repopulation rates becomes feasible to select individual tumours. There is no ‘optimum schedule', but each chosen schedule can be balanced against its own risk of excessive acute or late complications, as shown in these examples.
Cleavage of aspartyl β-phenacyl esters by selenophenol under neutral conditions

Neutral selenophenol in DMF accomplished the removal of the beta-phenacyl protecting group of aspartic acid in solution, on the peptide Boc-Asp (beta-OPac)- Phe amide and on the resin peptide Boc-Trp(Nin-For)-Met-Asp (beta-OPac)-P (CCK 30-33) without alpha, beta-rearrangement.
Meta-motivational dominance and sensation-seeking effects on motor performance and perceptions of challenge and pressure

Abstract Aims The current study aimed at delineating the effects of meta-motivational dominance and sensation seeking on performing challenging and boring tasks under pressure-filled conditions. Apter's (Apter, M. J. (2001). An introduction to reversal theory. In M. J. Apter (Ed.), Motivational styles in everyday life: A guide to reversal theory (pp. 3–35). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association) reversal theory and Zuckerman's (Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation seeking: Beyond the optimum level of arousal. Hillsdale: Erlbaum) sensation-seeking (SS) theory were used to postulate that high SS and paratelic individuals would perform better on challenging tasks in pressure-filled situations than low SS and telic individuals. They have also been hypothesized to differ on perceived pressure, challenge perception, and determination. Study's design Seventy-three young adults were divided into two distinct groups, telic and sensation avoiders vs. paratelic and sensation seekers, based on two distinct questionnaires. The participants performed boring and challenging tasks under pressure-filled and normal conditions in a counter-balanced order. Each performance consisted of 3-blocked trials of 10 min each. Number of completions and errors were recorded. Results Pressure had little to no effect on performance regardless of participants' meta-motivational dominance. Under pressure, perceived challenge was higher than under normal condition, and participants, as expected, felt more challenged when performing the apparatus task than when performing the vowel-circling task. Paratelics completed more vowel-circling and apparatus completions than did telic participants, but not to the desired level of significance. Conclusions It seems likely that paratelic individuals tried harder than telic individuals when put into a unique, measurable, and uncertain situation. It is likely that paratelics needing varied, novel, and challenging sensations along with playful and enjoyment felt more inclined to participate in both tasks with vigor and enthusiasm to fulfill their needs. It is suggested that it may be the intrinsic form of motivation, which paratelics possess, that allow for better performances.
Dry matter yield and nutritive value of corn, forage sorghum, and BMR forage sorghum at different plant populations and nitrogen rates ☆

Abstract Total on-farm inputs must be reduced in order to ensure agricultural sustainability as input costs increase worldwide. Forage sorghum [FS; Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] may provide an acceptable, lower cost alternative to corn (Zea mays L.) grown for silage as available irrigation continues to decline in semi-arid regions of the world. Also, plant populations and nitrogen fertilizers need to be reduced as much as possible so that waste is minimized and resource use efficiency is maximized. Reducing plant populations and N fertilizer may affect yield and nutritive value of FS and corn when grown in limited irrigation situations. A 2-year study was conducted to investigate the effects of planting rates (PR) and nitrogen rates (NR) on corn, conventional forage sorghum (C-FS) and brown midrib forage sorghum (BMR-FS) on dry matter (DM) yield and forage quality. Irrigation applied was 33 mm week−1, an amount that is limiting for corn production in warm, semi-arid regions. Planting rates were: low (55,575 and 185,250 plants ha−1); medium (66,690 and 222,300 plants ha−1); and high (74,100 and 247,000 plants ha−1) for corn and both FS, respectively. Nitrogen rates for C-FS and corn were: low (218 kg ha−1) and high (291 kg ha−1); and for BMR-FS were low (106 kg ha−1) and high (140 kg ha−1). All three crops were harvested at optimum DM content (35–40%) for ensiling. Over 2 years, there was no effect of PR or NR on DM yield, NDF, NDFD or NEL; however, crop did have an effect. Conventional FS and corn were similar in DM yield (24.4 Mg ha−1), but greater than BMR-FS (21.1 Mg ha−1). In general, crude protein (CP) was similar among all three crops; however, CP of C-FS was lower than that of corn and BMR-FS at the low NR. At the low NR, increasing PR to ‘medium’ or ‘high’ resulted in reduced CP. Corn contained the greatest net energy (NEL; 1.15 Mcal kg−1), but lowest neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD; 62.0% of NDF). While BMR-FS had high NDFD (74.5% of NDF), its NEL was similar to that of C-FS (1.03 Mcal kg−1). Results indicate that production inputs of seed and N fertility can be reduced considerably without negative effects on performance of these silage crops grown with reduced irrigation.
Erythrocytes attached to a wheat germ agglutinin coated surface display an altered phospholipid metabolism

Erythrocytes were bound to a lectin-coated surface; the multivalent attachment to this surface resulted in a severe deformation of the cells and an alteration in the cellular phospholipid metabolism. Human erythrocytes were allowed to bind for 20 min at 20 degrees C to polystyrene beads coated with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA beads). The bound erythrocytes were then lysed to produce stroma bound to WGA beads. Control stroma and stroma-WGA beads were incubated at 37 degrees C with gamma-32P-ATP to examine the phospholipid labeling patterns. The control stroma incorporated 32P-label into phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, in agreement with earlier studies. However, the stroma-WGA beads showed incorporation of 32P-label into phosphatidic acid in addition to that in the phosphoinositides. The quantity of 32P-phosphatidic acid produced during the 20-min assay was 3.23 +/- 0.84 (n = 7) picomoles/micrograms stromal cholesterol; the amount synthesized, however, was dependent on the procedure used to prepare the stroma-WGA beads. If the erythrocytes were bound to the WGA beads at 0 degrees C instead of 20 degrees C, the quantity of 32P-phosphatidic acid produced during the subsequent 37 degrees C assay with gamma-32P-ATP was decreased 4.2 fold; the phosphoinositide labeling pattern was unchanged. In addition, when the time for binding of intact erythrocytes to the WGA beads was varied from 1 to 20 minutes, there was a time-dependent increase in the amount of 32P-phosphatidic acid produced. This induction of phosphatidic acid synthesis could not be duplicated with fluid phase WGA. Therefore, the multivalent binding of intact erythrocytes to WGA beads causes an alteration in phospholipid metabolism.
Don't Forget the Thyroid: Graves' Disease

PRESENTATION An atypical presentation can confound the diagnosis, and that is what happened when a 33-year-old African-American woman presented to another hospital with a 3-month history of worsening abdominal pain. She had been in good health until she started experiencing persistent abdominal pain and distension associated with nausea, vomiting, loose stools, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Her past medical history was significant for an episode of deep venous thrombosis during pregnancy and an unevaluated thyroid nodule. She had no history of heavy alcohol or intravenous drug use, and her family history was unremarkable. Unemployed, she was taking classes at the local community college. Her clinical picture at the outside hospital was consistent with liver disease. The patient’s initial physical examination showed jaundice, abdominal distension and tenderness, and a positive
A High Throughput Microfluidic Thermal Reactor

A high throughput microfluidic system including a 96 continuous flow (CF) thermal reactors and a multi-zone thermal control system was designed and fabricated. An infrared camera (IR) was used to analyze and verify the uniformity of the temperature distribution. Temperature variations from the nominal values were ±2°C in the denaturation zone and ±1°C in the renaturation and extension zones. Six different DNA fragments, with lengths ranging from 99 bp to 997 bp, were obtained from a λ-DNA template, each with a distinct renaturation temperature. As an initial demonstration of the biochemical performance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reactor arrays, a column device comprised of eight 25-cycle CFPCRs was used to amplify identical PCR cocktails for each DNA fragment simultaneously at a flow velocity of 2 mm/s. All but the 997 bp were successfully amplified. Yields for the 99 bp fragment varied from 15%–36% of the amplicon on block thermal cycler. In a second experiment, a row device composed of six 25-cycle CFPCRs was used to successfully, simultaneously amplify cocktails for all six DNA fragment lengths at a flow velocity of 1 mm/s in parallel. Each device in the row had a distinct renaturation temperature to match the DNA fragment length. The parallel thermal arrays can be used in modular systems including both PCR for amplification and, for example, ligase detection reaction (LDR) for mutation detection.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Synchronizing coupled semiconductor lasers under general coupling topologies

We consider synchronization of coupled semiconductor lasers modeled by coupled Lang and Kobayashi equations. We first analyze decoupled laser stability, and then characterize synchronization conditions of coupled laser dynamics. We rigorously prove that the coupled system locally synchronizes to a limit cycle under the coupling topology of an undirected connected graph with equal in-degrees. Graph and systems theory is used in synchronization analysis. The results not only contribute to analytic understanding of semiconductor lasers, but also advance cooperative control by providing a realworld system of coupled limit-cycle oscillators.
Soft tissue phosphate loss accompanying the hyperphosphaturic effect of parathyroid hormone in rats.

The source of phosphate (P) for the hyperphosphaturic effect of PTH is uncertain. Male CD rats (210 g) were subjected to bilateral ureteral cannulation and thyroparathyroidectomy. The next day parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25 U/rat or 100 U/rat, was given SC to half (vehicle to others). Plasma and urine samples were collected hourly for 4 hr and analyzed for Ca and inorganic P. Extracellular fluid (ECF) P was derived from plasma P data assuming ECF to be 20% of body weight. Passociated with the Ca released from bone by the calcium mobilizing effect of PTH was calculated by Assuming a 3:2 mole ratio of increased ECF Ca: released P. For both doses of PTH the ECF phosphate loss alone and the sum of the ECF phosphate loss and Ca-associated P each accounted for less than half the observed increase in urinary P. Therefore, the major source of P for the hyperphosphaturic effect of PTH had not been identified. Thyroparathyroidectomized rats were treated with 50 U PTH (or vehicle). Four hr later tissues were collecte...
Analyzing Response Time of Batch Signing

Digital signatures are mainly used to make the receiver believe that a document is actually sent by the claimed sender. However, since generating digital signatures requires intensive computations, researchers proposed batch signing systems to sign multiple documents at once while having almost the same cost of signing one document. In this paper, we analyze how the batch formation strategies and batch sizes impact the response time. Using simulations, we verify our analytical results obtained under the assumption of non-bursty arrivals. We also consider bursty arrivals in our simulations. In general, we observe that using appropriate batch sizes and strategies minimizes the response time in all cases. The improvements are specifically significant when the arrival rate is bursty and dynamic bach sizes are used.
Tenth Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research A New Civil Rights Agenda for American Education

This article reviews the impacts of the civil rights policies framed in the 1960s and the anti–civil rights political and legal movements that reversed them. It documents rising segregation by race and poverty. The policy reversals and transformation of U.S. demography require a new civil rights strategy. Vast immigrations, the sinking White birthrate and massive suburban change means it must be multiracial and metropolitan and reflect the huge increase in students from language-minority homes. School policy must be linked with social and economic policy. Housing integration is critical since residence is often destiny for children of color. Researchers are key participants in developing new policies and explaining possibilities for positive change within a stalemated political and legal system. The article outlines essential components of a new civil rights policy.
Innovations in Teaching Undergraduate Biology and Why We Need Them

A growing revolution is under way in the teaching of introductory science to undergraduates. It is driven by concerns about American competitiveness as well as results from recent educational research, which explains why traditional teaching approaches in large classes fail to reach many students and provides a basis for designing improved methods of instruction. Discipline-based educational research in the life sciences and other areas has identified several innovative promising practices and demonstrated their effectiveness for increasing student learning. Their widespread adoption could have a major impact on the introductory training of biology students.
Potentiation of Warfarin Anticoagulation Associated with Topical Methyl Salicylate

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of international normalized ratio (INR) elevation resulting from the administration of topical methyl salicylate in a patient whose INR was previously stable while she received warfarin anticoagulation.CASE SUMMARY:A 22-year-old white woman presented with an INR of 12.2 after applying a topical pain-relieving gel to her knees daily for eight days. The potentiation of the warfarin anticoagulation was attributed to the low-dose methyl salicylate contained in the product.DISCUSSION:Methyl salicylate is systemically absorbed through the skin in measurable amounts, and may increase warfarin action by affecting vitamin K metabolism or by displacing warfarin from protein-binding sites. While several investigators have reported this interaction with use of high-dose methyl salicylate, this case indicates that a significant interaction can occur with the use of lower topical doses of methyl salicylate as well.CONCLUSIONS:Healthcare providers and patients taking warfarin must be aware of ...
Sex, science and satisfaction: a heady brew

Genus-specific reproductive processes and strategies displayed by equids, camelids and elephantids are compared and contrasted to illustrate the amazing diversity of reproductive physiology between genera and the equally surprising conservation of reproductive processes across a genus in the face of other dramatic phenotypic modifications and adaptation to prosper in the prevailing environment. From intrauterine conceptus mobility and chorionic gonadotrophic secretion by specialised invasive trophoblast cells in equids, through induced ovulation, an asymmetrical uterus and an almost absurdly short dioestrous interval in camelids, to intrabdominal testes, the testosterone-driven expression of musth and a very tenuous intrauterine attachment of the placenta in elephantids, reproductive physiology remains a discipline of great fascination and academic merit with much yet to be discovered and understood across the whole mammalian kingdom.
Canopy Structural Changes Following Widespread Mortality of Canopy Dominant Trees

Canopy structure affects forest function by determining light availability and distribution. Many forests throughout the upper Great Lakes region are dominated by mature, even-aged, early successional aspen and birch, which comprise 35%–40% of canopy leaf area, and which are senescing at accelerating rates. In 2008 at the University of Michigan Biological Station, we initiated the Forest Accelerated Succession ExperimenT (FASET) by stem girdling all aspen and birch in replicated stands to induce mortality. Our objective was to understand type and rate of canopy structural changes imposed by rapid but diffuse disturbance consisting of mortality of a single age-species cohort. We characterized changes in canopy structural features in 2008–2011 using ground-based Portable Canopy Lidar (PCL) in paired treated and control stands. As aspen and birch in treated plots died, gap fraction of the upper canopy increased, average leaf height decreased, total canopy height declined, and openness of the whole-canopy increased. All of these trends became more pronounced with time. Our findings suggest that as forests throughout the region pass through the impending successional transition prompted by widespread mortality of canopy-dominant early successional aspen and birch species, the canopy will undergo significant structural reorganization with consequences for forest carbon assimilation.
Serum uric acid, kidney volume and progression in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease

Background. Hyperuricemia has been implicated in the development and progression of chronic kidney disease, both in animal experiments and in clinical studies. As a potentially modifiable risk factor, we examined whether serum uric acid levels correlate with early hypertension, kidney volume and progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Methods. Retrospective analysis of a prospective observational study of the natural history of ADPKD, conducted at the University of Colorado between 1985 and 2005. Included are 680 ADPKD adults who provided data on blood pressure, renal volume, renal function, uric acid, age at the onset of ESRD or last known age without ESRD. Serum uric acid levels were examined as a continuous variable and as gender-specifi cq uartiles. The main outcome of interest was age at the onset of ESRD; secondary outcomes were hypertension onset before age 30 years and total kidney volume (TKV) at the study visit. Results. Subjects with early-onset hypertension had higher age-adjusted serum uric acid levels than those with no or late-onset hypertension despite similar creatinine clearance. After adjusting for age, gender and creatinine clearance, there was a 5.8% increase in TKV and 4.1% increase in TKV/body surface area for every 1 mg/ dL increase in uric acid (P = 0.007). The multivariate-adjusted Cox regression demonstrated a greater hazard ratio for ESRD for subjects in the 4th and 3rd quartiles of uric acid compared with the 1st [4.8 (2.6–8.9; P < 0.001) and 2.9 (1.6–5.3; P < 0.001)]. Conclusions. Higher serum uric acid levels are associated with earlier onset of hypertension, larger kidney volume and increased hazard for ESRD in ADPKD independent of gender, body mass index and renal function at the study visit. Randomized interventional studies will be necessary to examine whether treating hyperuricemia has a protective role in ADPKD.
Genetic Differences between Blight-Causing Erwinia Species with Differing Host Specificities, Identified by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization

PCR-based subtractive hybridization was used to isolate sequences from Erwinia amylovora strain Ea110, which is pathogenic on apples and pears, that were not present in three closely related strains with differing host specificities: E. amylovora MR1, which is pathogenic only on Rubus spp.; Erwinia pyrifoliae Ep1/96, the causal agent of shoot blight of Asian pears; and Erwinia sp. strain Ejp556, the causal agent of bacterial shoot blight of pear in Japan. In total, six subtractive libraries were constructed and analyzed. Recovered sequences included type III secretion components, hypothetical membrane proteins, and ATP-binding proteins. In addition, we identified an Ea110-specific sequence with homology to a type III secretion apparatus component of the insect endosymbiont Sodalis glossinidius, as well as an Ep1/96-specific sequence with homology to the Yersinia pestis effector protein tyrosine phosphatase YopH.
Tumor necrosis factor–α–induced hypertension in pregnant rats results in decreased renal neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression ☆

Abstract Background Preeclampsia is associated with increases in plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF-α), a cytokine known to contribute to endothelial dysfunction. We recently reported that a twofold elevation in plasma TNF-α produces significant reductions in renal function and hypertension in pregnant rats. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the nitric oxide (NO) system in TNF-α–induced hypertension in pregnant rats. Methods Tumor necrosis factor–α (50 ng/day) was chronically infused starting at day 14 of gestation. Mean arterial pressure, 24-h urinary nitrite/nitrate excretion, and renal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) protein expression by Western blot analysis was measured at day 19 of gestation. Results A twofold increase in plasma TNF-α levels in pregnant rats resulted in a significant increase in arterial pressure (97 ± 3.6 v 116 ± 2.1 mm Hg, pregnant versus TNF-α pregnant, respectively, P Conclusion: The hypertension associated with a chronic twofold increase in TNF-α in pregnant rats is associated with significant decreases in renal nNOS and iNOS protein production.