cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feeding a high-fructose diet induces leptin resistance in rats.

It has been suggested that there is an association between increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup and the recent increase in the incidence of obesity. Leptin, an adipose tissue-derived cytokine, inhibits food intake and increases energy expenditure in rodents by crossing the blood brain barrier and activating leptin receptors in the forebrain. Banks et al. (2004) reported that elevated triglyceride levels inhibit leptin transport and a high fructose diet increases post-prandial triglycerides. Therefore, we tested whether consumption of a high-fructose diet (HFruc: 60% kcal fructose) would induce leptin resistance in Sprague—Dawley rats. Post-prandial serum triglycerides were increased by 75% in rats fed HFruc diet for 3 weeks compared with rats fed a fructose-free diet (LFruc). The HFruc and LFruc rats were infused intraperitoneally with either PBS or 60 ig leptin/day for 2 weeks. Leptin reduced the body fat content LFruc rats by 25% but had no effect in HFruc rats, even though they were less fat than LFruc rats (3% vs. 5% carcass weight). In a second experiment rats fed HFruc or LFruc diets for 4 weeks were injected i.p. with increasing doses of leptin (0, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.5 mg/kg). All doses of leptin inhibited 2 h food intake of LFruc rats but had no effect on intake of HFruc rats. Thus, consumption of a HFruc diet induces leptin resistance, possibly because elevated levels of circulating triglycerides inhibit leptin transport across the blood brain barrier. Supported by Grant R01DK53903 awarded to RBSH.
Automata with Counters that Recognize Word Problems of Free Products

An M-automaton is a finite automaton with a blind counter that mimics a monoid M. The finitely generated groups whose word problems (when viewed as formal languages) are accepted by M-automata play a central role in understanding the family &#x1d50f;(M) of all languages accepted by M-automata. If G1 and G2 are finitely generated groups whose word problems are languages in &#x1d50f;(M), in general, the word problem of the free product G1 * G2 is not necessarily in &#x1d50f;(M). However, we show that if M is enlarged to the free product M*P2, where P2 is the polycyclic monoid of rank two, then this closure property holds. In fact, we show more generally that the special word problem of M1 * M2 lies in &#x1d50f;(M * P2) whenever M1 and M2 are finitely generated monoids with special word problems in &#x1d50f;(M * P2). We also observe that there is a monoid without zero, denoted by CF2, that can be used in place of P2 for this purpose. The monoid CF2 is the rank two case of what we call a monoid with right invertible basis and its Rees quotient by its maximal ideal is P2. The fundamental theory of monoids with right invertible bases is completely analogous to that of free groups, and thus they are very convenient to use. We also investigate the questions of whether there is a group that can be used instead of the monoid P2 in the above result and under what circumstances P1 (or the bicyclic monoid) is enough to do the job of P2.
Skylight intensity, polarization and airglow measurements during the total solar eclipse of 30 May 1965

Abstract The absolute skylight intensity and polarization were measured at 5577, 5780, 6100 and 6300 A using an interference filter photometer mounted in a jet aircraft flying at an altitude of 12.2 km during the total solar eclipse of 30 May 1965. A value of 3 kR was obtained for the intensity of the OI 5577 A ( 1 S 0 − 1 D 2 ) ionospheric dayglow emission. The results are compared with other recent measurements made during total solar eclipses.
Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Peptide in the Central Amygdala Causes Anorexia and Body Weight Loss via the Melanocortin and the TrkB Systems

Growing evidence suggests that the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)/PAC1 receptor system represents one of the main regulators of the behavioral, endocrine, and autonomic responses to stress. Although induction of anorexia is a well-documented effect of PACAP, the central sites underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. The present studies addressed this question by examining the neuroanatomical, behavioral, and pharmacological mechanisms mediating the anorexia produced by PACAP in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), a limbic structure implicated in the emotional components of ingestive behavior. Male rats were microinfused with PACAP (0-1 μg per rat) into the CeA and home-cage food intake, body weight change, microstructural analysis of food intake, and locomotor activity were assessed. Intra-CeA (but not intra-basolateral amygdala) PACAP dose-dependently induced anorexia and body weight loss without affecting locomotor activity. PACAP-treated rats ate smaller meals of normal duration, revealing that PACAP slowed feeding within meals by decreasing the regularity and maintenance of feeding from pellet-to-pellet; postprandial satiety was unaffected. Intra-CeA PACAP-induced anorexia was blocked by coinfusion of either the melanocortin receptor 3/4 antagonist SHU 9119 or the tyrosine kinase B (TrKB) inhibitor k-252a, but not the CRF receptor antagonist D-Phe-CRF(12-41). These results indicate that the CeA is one of the brain areas through which the PACAP system promotes anorexia and that PACAP preferentially lessens the maintenance of feeding in rats, effects opposite to those of palatable food. We also demonstrate that PACAP in the CeA exerts its anorectic effects via local melanocortin and the TrKB systems, and independently from CRF.
Toddlers' Duration of Attention toward Putative Threat.

Although individual differences in reactions to novelty in the toddler years have been consistently linked to risk for developing anxious behavior, toddlers' attention towards a novel, putatively threatening stimulus while in the presence of other enjoyable activities has rarely been examined as a precursor to such risk. The current study examined how attention towards an angry-looking gorilla mask in a room with alternative opportunities for play in 24-month-old toddlers predicted social inhibition when children entered kindergarten. Analyses examined attention to threat above and beyond and in interaction with both proximity to the mask and fear of novelty observed in other situations. Attention to threat interacted with proximity to the mask to predict social inhibition, such that attention to threat most strongly predicted social inhibition when toddlers stayed furthest from the mask. This relation occurred above and beyond the predictive relation between fear of novelty and social inhibition. Results are discussed within the broader literature of anxiety development and attentional processes in young children. Language: en
Achieving Panacea: A Usability Evaluation of a System for Pilot Alerting and Notification of Adverse Conditions - Escape and Avoidance

This paper acknowledges the recent thrust to integrate systems on the flight deck and details a usability evaluation of a prototype concept that provides integrated alerting functionality. The ANCOA (Alerting and Notification of Conditions Outside the Aircraft) concept was conceived as means for reducing error conflicts and establishing a clear prioritization among currently independent and disparate alerting systems for hazards external to the aircraft (e.g., TCAS, EGPWS). ANCOA reduces alert proliferation by creating a standardization by which all incoming information is categorized and prioritized under a common framework. By creating a consistent alerting and display philosophy to present information to the crew, we can reduce the demands on pilot attention and information processing. In this paper we discuss a couple of recent integrated hazard awareness systems developed by Honeywell International that make the innovative initial step to incorporate previously separate systems into a single system. We present ANCOA as a concept that can enhance systems of their type and advance their utility. We evaluated the concept’s efficacy and present the results of a usability study involving nine commercial pilots that reviewed the concept. Beginning in the mid-1970s when the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) was first introduced, flight safety has vastly improved. Hazard warning systems such as GPWS and Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) provide advanced warnings to the crew concerning hazardous conditions to be avoided. The crew is informed of the impending flight hazard (e.g., terrain, traffic) through visual and aural displays. Additional systems that warn of hazards, such as predictive wind shear, wake vortices, and clear air turbulence, continue to be added or soon will be added to the flight deck. One cause for concern is the sheer number of systems continues to grow. These alerting systems are separate, independent units manufactured by a variety of avionics suppliers, each using different alerting and display philosophies to present information to the crew. Just as the Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) integrated warnings for systems for internal to the aircraft in the early 1980s (Boucek, et al., 1981), there is a current thrust to do the same for those systems that detect and warn of conditions external to the air
Molecular analysis of cross-resistance to capreomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, and viomycin in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Capreomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, and viomycin are drugs that are used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Each inhibits translation, and cross-resistance to them is a concern during therapy. A recent study revealed that mutation of the tlyA gene, encoding a putative rRNA methyltransferase, confers capreomycin and viomycin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Mutations in the 16S rRNA gene (rrs) have been associated with resistance to each of the drugs; however, reports of cross-resistance to the drugs have been variable. We investigated the role of rrs mutations in capreomycin resistance and examined the molecular basis of cross-resistance to the four drugs in M. tuberculosis laboratory-generated mutants and clinical isolates. Spontaneous mutants were generated to the drugs singularly and in combination by plating on medium containing one or two drugs. The frequencies of recovery of the mutants on single- and dual-drug plates were consistent with single-step mutations. The rrs genes of all mutants were sequenced, and the tlyA genes were sequenced for mutants selected on capreomycin, viomycin, or both; MICs of all four drugs were determined. Three rrs mutations (A1401G, C1402T, and G1484T) were found, and each was associated with a particular cross-resistance pattern. Similar mutations and cross-resistance patterns were found in drug-resistant clinical isolates. Overall, the data implicate rrs mutations as a molecular basis for resistance to each of the four drugs. Furthermore, the genotypic and phenotypic differences seen in the development of cross-resistance when M. tuberculosis bacteria were exposed to one or two drugs have implications for selection of treatment regimens.
Quantity and quality of engrafting cells in cord blood and autologous mobilized peripheral blood

Cord blood (CB) and autologous mobilized peripheral blood stem/progenitor cells (PBSC) are now used widely for clinical transplantation. We characterized the short-term ( 8 weeks) engraftment in NOD/SCID mice resulting from transplanted CD34+ cells from these two sources. We also quantified the frequency of long-term engrafting cells, and the average proliferative capacity of individual engrafting cells by a competitive repopulation assay with binomial variance-covariance modeling. We found that 0.5 million CD34+ CB cells were able to generate sustained, high-level, multilineage human hematopoiesis, whereas a sixfold higher number of CD34+ PBSC (3 million) from cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy generated comparable short-term, but much lower sustained multilineage human hematopoiesis after transplantation. In comparison to CD34+ cells from PBSC from cancer patients, long-term engrafting cells were approximately eightfold enriched in CB CD34+ cells, and each CB long-term engrafting cell had an approximately 15-fold higher multilineage proliferative capacity. Thus, the number and function of transplantable hematopoietic cells were remarkably different between these two sources of stem/progenitor cells.
Agamben’s Potentiality and Chinese Dao: On experiencing gesture and movement of pedagogical thought

AbstractAgamben’s potentiality, and Chinese dao, entail experiencing movement on being. This article presents our experiments with these movements in the context of pedagogy, putting at stake our mode of existence in thinking. We examine Agamben’s potentiality as an aporetic experience in pedagogy. We find echoes of dao movement in a controversial pedagogical event in China. Interlacing potentiality and dao with our experience of pedagogical thinking, each makes the other intelligible. We show that reasonings of pedagogy in the USA and China repeat the very paradoxes and exclusions they seek to overcome. We also gesture towards a way that, suspending and holding pedagogical reasoning in being empty, welcomes what cannot be learned or taught. This way also offers an example for comparative education.
Anesthesiologist scheduling using a set partitioning algorithm

Abstract Applications of a computerized technique for daily assignment of attending anesthesiologists to specific tasks in a large operating room suite is presented. A varying complement of attending anesthesiologists are available each day and must be optimally matched with a variable surgical request load. The problem is attacked by formulating it as a mathematical optimization problem of the set partitioning type. The key to success of this approach is a careful choice of a set of possible tasks and an assignment of a “cost” value to each possible task of each available attending anesthesiologist, which reflects the relative desirability of the task. Results are given which show that good assignments are rapidly and consistently generated in this way. An operating cost comparison with current manual methods is favorable.
The primary GP5 neutralization epitope of North American isolates of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

I have used indirect ELISA with overlapping synthetic peptides representing the GP5 ectodomain to study the generation and specificity of peptide-binding Abs in pigs that were infected in utero with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strain VR2332 and in North American field sera submitted for PRRSV infection diagnosis. Peptide-binding Abs appeared in sera of the VR2332-infected pigs within about 30 days post-farrowing (dpf), reaching maximum titers 100-200 dpf and then decreasing slowly to about half of maximum titer by about 400 dpf. The formation of peptide-binding Abs and of virus neutralizing Abs correlated and their initial appearance coincided with disappearance of virus from the circulation. The Abs were specific for VR2332-specific peptides. In contrast, anti-N-protein Abs as measured by HerdCheck ELISA appeared within 7 dpf, reached maximum levels at about 100 dpf and had decreased below detectable levels by about 200 dpf. Twenty-seven field serum samples with virus neutralizing activity all possessed high levels of peptide binding Abs, but the Abs bound about equally to VR2332 and strain Lelystad virus (LV)-specific peptides. The indirect ELISA results using various large peptides and competition ELISA using small peptides (8 or 9 amino acids long) confirmed that the epitope recognized by the Abs is located in the GP5 ectodomain sequence 37SHLQLIYNL of VR2332. Use of mutated peptides in the competition ELISA showed that 42I to T and 38HL to TY substitutions blocked Ab recognition, whereas deletion of 41L had no effect. In addition, 26 serum samples submitted by two farms for diagnostic tests were found to possess low levels of Abs that bound to GP5 ectodomain peptides, even though the sera were sero-negative in the HerdChek ELISA and lacked neutralizing activity. Competition ELISA showed that the Abs recognized one or more epitopes located downstream of the PRRSV neutralization epitope. An epitope(s) located in the same area was recognized by Abs generated in mice by immunization with a GP5 ectodomain peptide conjugated to BSA. These Abs also lacked neutralizing activity.
Effect of elbow position on grip and key pinch strength

Twenty-nine college women participated in a study to investigate the effect of elbow position on grip and key pinch strength evaluations. Standardized instructions and positioning were followed with the exception of the two elbow positions. The elbow was flexed to 90° in one test condition and it was fully extended in the other. The results showed a significantly stronger grip strength measurement in the 90° elbow flexed position than in the fully extended position. For evaluation of key pinch strength, both hands were stronger in the elbow flexed position, but only the right hand was significantly stronger. This study supports the use of the elbow flexed position in standardized grip and key pinch evaluations.
The activation and inhibition of phenylamine-beta-hydroxylase.

Serotonin, Tryptamin, Histamin, Imipramin und Desmethyl-Imipramin in 10−3M Losung hemmen die Aktivitat der Phenylamin-β-hydroxylase. Eine Erhohung der Aktivitat durch Dibenamine wurde beobachtet. Die Hemmung durch EDTA und die Erhohung der Aktivitat durch Mn++, Co++ und Zn++ macht wahrscheinlich, dass fur die enzymatische Aktivitat ein Metall notig ist.
Reactionless orbital propulsion using tether deployment

Abstract A satellite in orbit can propel itself by retracting and deploying a length of tether, with expenditure of energy but with no use of on-board reaction mass, as shown by Landis and Hrach in a previous paper. The orbit can be raised, lowered, or the orbital position changed, by reaction against the gravitational gradient. Energy is added to or removed from the orbit by pumping the tether length in the same way as pumping a swing. Examples of tether propulsion in orbit without use of reaction mass are discussed, including: (1) using tether extension to reposition a satellite in orbit without fuel expenditure by extending a mass on the end of a tether; (2) using a tether for eccentricity pumping to add energy to the orbit for boosting and orbital transfer; and (3) length modulation of a spinning tether to transfer angular momentum between the orbit and tether spin, thus allowing changes in orbital angular momentum.
AN APPROACH TO REASONING ABOUT HYBRID SYSTEMS

A formal approach is presented for proving temporal properties of dynamic systems. Its main advantage is that it can be used to prove properties of hybrid systems, i.e. those whose state contains both discrete and continuous parameters. In contrast, most current temporal reasoning techniques are restricted either to purely discrete systems or to purely continuous systems. Our approach is based upon a new modeling technique called DMOD. A DMOD model of a system defines the causality relation between events in the system, using definite clauses, i.e. logic programs. Thereby, the problem of reasoning about hybrid systems is reduced to one of reasoning about the behavior of definite clauses. As these possess a simple proof theory, reasoning is substantially simplified.
The discrete sequential analysis of dynamic international behavior

This study reexamines the dynamic patterns of US-Soviet foreign policy behavior using recently developed methods for the sequential analysis of categorical data. The methods proposed here have several advantages over conventional regression based modeling procedures. First, assumptions about the role of time in foreign policy behavior and decisionmaking processes are more realistic in that time is represented as an ordinal sequence on human experience. Second, these methods better approximate the causal structure of actionreaction theories by delineating the temporal order of stimulus and response, and by focusing attention on individual behaviors rather than aggregate behavioral constructs. Third, the probabilistic nature of action-reaction hypotheses are made explicit through the use of logit transformed conditional probabilities. Finally, by accommodating model specifications that are virtually isomorphic to traditional action-reaction modeling efforts, these methods retain the flexibility and interpretability of standard regression approaches. Application of these methods to US-Soviet interaction revealed a marked asymmetry in the superpowers' responsiveness to one another's foreign policy behavior during the 1966–1978 period. According to these analyses, Soviet behavior is more clearly a function of its own prior activities than a response to the United States whereas American behavior is far more dependent on prior Soviet actions than its on own.
Analytical and experimental evaluation of a novel wideband digital beamformer with on-site coding

In this paper, we present a review of the state-of-the-art analog and digital beamformer architectures. In addition, an analytical and experimental evaluation of a novel transceiver architecture with on-site coding is conducted. The architecture features agile beam forming, jamming mitigation, and MIMO capability. The proposed architecture departs from traditional digital beamforming approaches. Specifically, a single analog to digital converter (ADC) is assigned to a group of array elements instead of having one ADC per element. To facilitate this approach, code division multiplexing is applied to each received antenna signal prior to combining them for digitization using a single ADC. In this paper, a detailed systematic evaluation of the proposed on-site coding receiver is carried out. We examine the trade-offs using non-ideal components (e.g. filters), including finite resolution ADCs and their impact on the system’s noise floor. It is concluded that the bit error rate shows minimal SNR degradation us...
Austrian Social Democratic Foreign Policy and the Bosnian Crisis of 1908

During the first decades after it came into existence the Austrian Social Democratic Party dedicated itself to preserving the multinational Austro-Hungarian empire as a state in which it could pursue socialist goals. The party leaders primarily concerned themselves with practical problems of party and trade-union organization, with devising a nationality program to resolve domestic tensions, and with winning the battle for universal suffrage. Before 1908 domestic issues clearly took precedence over international affairs.
Nail matrix arrest in the course of hand, foot and mouth disease

Onychomadesis describes complete nail shedding from the proximal portion; it is consecutive to a nail matrix arrest and can affect both fingernails and toenails. It is a rare disorder in children. Except for serious generalised diseases or inherited forms, most cases are considered to be idiopathic. Few reports in literature concern common triggering phenomena. We present four patients in whom the same benign viral condition in childhood appeared as a stressful event preceding onychomadesis. In each case, spontaneous complete healing of the nails was achieved within a few weeks. Conclusion: onychomadesis and/or onycholysis is a newly recognised complication in the course of viral infections presenting clinically as hand, foot and mouth disease, and because of mild forms, is probably underestimated.
On the use of dimensioned measures of error to evaluate the performance of spatial interpolators

Spatial cross‐validation and average‐error statistics are examined with respect to their abilities to evaluate alternate spatial interpolation methods. A simple cross‐validation methodology is described, and the relative abilities of three, dimensioned error statistics—the root‐mean‐square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), and the mean bias error (MBE)—to describe average interpolator performance are examined. To illustrate our points, climatologically averaged weather‐station temperatures were obtained from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN), Version 2, and then alternately interpolated spatially (gridded) using two spatial‐interpolation procedures. Substantial differences in the performance of our two spatial interpolators are evident in maps of the cross‐validation error fields, in the average‐error statistics, as well as in estimated land‐surface‐average air temperatures that differ by more than 2°C. The RMSE and its square, the mean‐square error (MSE), are of particular inter...
No-shows to primary care appointments: subsequent acute care utilization among diabetic patients

Patients who no-show to primary care appointments interrupt clinicians’ efforts to provide continuity of care. Prior literature reveals no-shows among diabetic patients are common. The purpose of this study is to assess whether no-shows to primary care appointments are associated with increased risk of future emergency department (ED) visits or hospital admissions among diabetics. A prospective cohort study was conducted using data from 8,787 adult diabetic patients attending outpatient clinics associated with a medical center in Indiana. The outcomes examined were hospital admissions or ED visits in the 6 months (182 days) following the patient’s last scheduled primary care appointment. The Andersen-Gill extension of the Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess risk separately for hospital admissions and ED visits. Adjustment was made for variables associated with no-show status and acute care utilization such as gender, age, race, insurance and co-morbid status. The interaction between utilization of the acute care service in the six months prior to the appointment and no-show was computed for each model. The six-month rate of hospital admissions following the last scheduled primary care appointment was 0.22 (s.d. = 0.83) for no-shows and 0.14 (s.d. = 0.63) for those who attended (p < 0.0001). No-show was associated with greater risk for hospitalization only among diabetics with a hospital admission in the prior six months. Among diabetic patients with a prior hospital admission, those who no-showed were at 60% greater risk for subsequent hospital admission (HR = 1.60, CI = 1.17–2.18) than those who attended their appointment. The six-month rate of ED visits following the last scheduled primary care appointment was 0.56 (s.d. = 1.48) for no-shows and 0.38 (s.d. = 1.05) for those who attended (p < 0.0001); after adjustment for covariates, no-show status was not significantly related to subsequent ED utilization. No-show to a primary care appointment is associated with increased risk for hospital admission among diabetics recently hospitalized.
The relationship of toxic fractions of a filtrate of Clostridium perfringens type A to the pathogenesis of clostridial myonecrosis.

A crude filtrate from a culture of Clostridium perfringens , type A, was fractionated by a heavy metal-alcohol technique, and some degree of concentration of biologically active factors was achieved. Both the crude material and the fractions obtained were characterized in terms of their alpha toxin, theta toxin, hyaluronidase, and collagenase activities. The filtrate and fractions were tested for their effect on the peripheral circulation of the rat, using the epinephrine threshold technique. The crude material and several fractions caused a sharp increase in epinephrine sensitivity of the capillary bed of the meso-appendix of the rat; fraction R3B1 giving an 86-fold increase in sensitivity. This reaction could be inhibited by specific antitoxic serums but not by normal serum. The "circulation factor" was shown to be heat-labile and appears to be independent of either the alpha or theta toxins. Bilateral nephrectomy greatly reduced, but did not abolish, the effect of the toxin, while the threshold response to epinephrine was not materially changed following bilateral adrenalectomy. The crude filtrate and several fractions were shown to inhibit the phagocytosis of heat-killed B. anthracis to the extent of 40 to 50 per cent. Fraction R3C2 was devoid of all biological properties studied here, except phagocytosis inhibition, suggesting that the factor responsible for this activity is distinct from the "classical" toxins and the "circulation factor." Moreover, a 1:5000 dilution of an antiserum prepared against this fraction would completely neutralize the phagocytosis inhibition factor but failed to inhibit any of the other toxic activities. Since cardiovascular collapse and absence of phagocytosis are two significant clinical findings in gas gangrene, the possible roles of the "circulation" and "phagocytosis inhibition" factors in the pathogenesis of this disease are discussed.
Expression of H-Y antigen during spermatogenesis

With the use of mixed-hemadsorption-hybrid-antibody (MHA-HA) test, H-Y antigen was studied on neonatal testicular cells and fractionated testicular cells from young mice (4–6 weeks old). H-Y antigen was undetectable on spermatogonia cells from neonatal testes but became fully expressed on late spermatids. Our data suggested that there was postmeiotic expression of H-Y antigen.
Technological change in agriculture and land degradation in Bangladesh: a case study

Much of Bangladesh has experienced land degradation due to technological change in agriculture in an attempt to increase food production. This study examines the impacts of cultivation of high-yielding variety (HYV) rice, using power tillers, low-lift irrigation pumps, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, on selected land and soil qualities during the period 1985–2000 in a village in southwestern Bangladesh. For the purpose, three types of land uses were identified: fields traditionally plowed to cultivate rain-fed local aman rice using cow-manure and very little or no pesticides; plots power tilled to cultivate rain-fed HYV aman rice using full-dose application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; and fields power tilled to cultivate rain-fed HYV aman rice followed by low-lift pump irrigated HYV boro rice using double doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Based on 120 soil samples collected from 60 plots representing these three land-use types, the present study revealed significant changes in soil texture, bulk density and structure, increases in soil acidity and salinity, depletion of Ca, Mg, K, N, P, Zn, and organic C in double-cropped irrigated rice fields compared to the rain-fed single-crop rice fields. Power-tilled plots have shown higher rate of soil erosion and loss of soil structure than traditionally plowed fields. Low-lift pump irrigated fields were more degraded than rain-fed rice fields. Soil degradation has affected the yield of rice while cultivation of HYV rice has decreased the fodder production that affected livestock population. While technological change was necessary to meet the growing population demand for food, its negative impacts on land and soil qualities are alarming and should be minimized by adopting more sustainable techno-managerial methods and continuous soil monitoring. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterizing sex differences among pain medication abusers

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 146 (2015) e118–e201 e177 increases in SOWS and OOWS scores (P<0.05). Certain HMO:NAL ratios showed significantly lower effects on most PD end-points, including Drug Liking VAS (P<0.05), compared to HMO alone. Conclusions: In this population the IV co-administration of naloxone with HMO had its intended effect of reducing abuserelated opioid effects and inducingwithdrawal symptoms; thereby potentially deterring abuse in opioid-dependent subjects. Such a product may have important public health benefits by reducing high-risk IV abuse of prescription opioids intended for oral administration, while continuing to provide pain relief. Financial support: Study was funded by Purdue Pharma (Canada). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.09.396 Characterizing sex differences among pain medication abusers Ben Lewis, Lauren Hoffman, Sara J. Nixon Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,
Stage I noninvasive and minimally invasive uterine serous carcinoma: Comprehensive staging associated with improved survival

Objective The aim of this study was to determine if comprehensive surgical staging is a better predictor of outcome than incomplete staging for women with stage I noninvasive or minimally invasive (⩽3 mm) uterine serous carcinoma (USC). Methods Retrospective chart review was used to identify patients undergoing hysterectomy at the Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1989 to 2010. Relevant clinical and pathologic data were extracted. Patients with noninvasive and minimally invasive (⩽3-mm myometrial invasion) USC were identified. Stage was assigned based on the 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics endometrial cancer criteria. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results We identified 63 patients with noninvasive or minimally invasive (⩽3 mm) USC. Stages I, II, III, and IV disease were noted in 65% (41/63), 6% (4/63), 14% (9/63), and 14% (9/63) of the patients, respectively. Lower stage was associated with a significantly improved disease-specific survival (P = 0.001). Comprehensive staging, including total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, omentectomy, and peritoneal biopsies, was completed in 29% (12/41) of the patients with stage I disease. There were no disease-specific deaths in the comprehensive staging group. Compared with incomplete staging, comprehensive staging was associated with a significantly improved disease-specific survival (P = 0.039). Conclusions Patients with stage I noninvasive and minimally invasive USC on comprehensive staging have an excellent prognosis. Adjuvant therapy may not benefit this patient population.
Preparation and Characterization of a Selective Nitric Oxide Adsorbent Based on Cobalt(II) Phthalocyanine Tetrasulfonic Acid

We report the synthesis and characterization of a selective nitric oxide (NO) adsorbent based on the covalent binding of cobalt(II) phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid (CoPcS) onto imidazole-function...
The Impact of Perchlorate Exposure in Early Pregnancy: Is It Safe to Drink the Water?

A large number of environmental agents have been identified that interfere with thyroid function, including those that target thyroid hormone production, metabolism, transport, and action (1,2). Perchlorate (ClO4−) is an inorganic anion that blocks iodine uptake into the thyroid and, at sufficiently high levels and duration of exposure, impairs thyroid hormone production (3). It has been used therapeutically in limited clinical situations, such as for hyperthyroidism associated with amiodarone (typical dose up to 1000 mg/d along with antithyroid drug for 40 d) (3,4). Perchlorate is water soluble and very stable and is found in municipal water supplies, in crops irrigated with perchlorate-containing water, and even in breast milk (3,4). It is used in manufacturing solid rocket fuel, matches, airbag inflation systems, and fireworks. There is also natural formation of perchlorate in the atmosphere that accumulates in groundwater and soil, and it has been detected around the world (3,4). The principal areas of concern over the health consequences of perchlorate exposure have been the effects in susceptible populations such as pregnant women and young children, the role of low iodine intake in increasing perchlorate toxicity, and the permissible levels of perchlorate in the water supply (2,3,4,5).
Structure of an Actin Trimer Stabilized by a Tandem W Domain Hybrid Construct

The study of the actin filament is one of the major problems of structural biology. Uncontrollable polymerization has interfered with our ability to obtain crystals of the filament. Proteins that initiate actin polymerization in cells have the natural ability to stabilize multiple actin subunits into a filament-like conformation, allowing them to overcome the rate-limiting step in polymerization, i.e. the formation of actin dimers and trimers. With the exception of formins, known filament nucleators use the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) homology 2 (WH2 or W) domain for interaction with actin. The W domain is a short (17–27 aa) actin-binding motif. A common architecture, found in filament nucleators such as Spire, Cobl, VopL, and VopF, consists of tandem W domains that tie together three to four actin monomers to form a polymerization nucleus. We have engineered a stable actin trimer stabilized by a tandem W domain hybrid construct that also includes filament barbed and pointed end capping elements. The structure of the actin trimer was first studied in solution using x-ray scattering. Different crystal forms of the trimer have been obtained. We will present these studies. In particular, we will show how tandem W domains stabilize a polymerization nucleus by organizing actin subunits into a filament-like conformation.Supported by NIH Grant HL086655
Concepts and religious experiences: Wayne Proudfoot on the cultural construction of experiences

The constructivist position, that mystical experiences are determined by the experiencer's cultural context, is now more prevalent among scholars of religion than the perennialist position, which maintains that mystical experiences have a common core that is cross-culturally universal. In large part, this is due to the efforts of Wayne Proudfoot in his widely accepted book, Religious Experience. In this article, I identify some significant unresolved issues in Proudfoot's defence of constructivism. My aim is not to defend perennialism, but to specify some objections to the constructivist thesis that constructivists need to address more adequately.
Insights and optimizations of tunnel field-effect transistor operation

By incorporating the realistic junction parameters, we have obtained new insights on practical TFET operation. Interestingly, we have found that a non-abrupt junction does not necessarily degrade the TFET performance if the geometry can be appropriately optimized. We have also studied the tradeoffs in using a Si-Ge-Si channel.
Hospital Readmission in Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Patients Compared to Patients Receiving Intravenous Inotropic Therapy

Purpose Patients with advanced heart failure (HF) have improved survival with LVADs. Some patients receive intravenous, continuous milrinone as support prior to transplant. Hospital readmission are frequent events in patients with HF. There is little data on hospital readmissions with LVAD compared to milrinone. The aim of our study was to compare the readmission and HF exacerbation rates for milrinone patients compared to LVAD patients. Methods and Materials Readmission rates were compared for patients receiving milrinone to patients with LVADs at a single-center. The comparison studied readmission and HF exacerbation rates between 2007 and 2011 at 1,3,6 and 9 month and 1 year intervals. A total of 64 patients were evaluated. Results Hospital readmission rates for LVAD and milrinone patients were compared for both all-cause diagnoses and specifically for HF. The mean number of all-cause hospitalizations for LVAD patients was 3.22 compared to 5.70 for milrinone patients at one year (p=0.0074). The mean number of HF exacerbations for LVAD patients was 0.84 compared to 2.20 for milrinone patients at one year (p= 0.0039). These findings were also observed at 1, 3, 6 and 9 month intervals. Conclusions LVAD patients had fewer hospital readmissions and HF exacerbations compared to milrinone patients, suggesting a potential advantage for earlier LVAD implantation in patients with advanced HF Time After DischargeMilrinone HF ExacerbationsVAD HF ExacerbationsP ValueMilrinone RehospitalizationsVAD RehospitalizationsP-Value1 month0.58 + 0.12 (n=31)0.03 + 0.03 (n=33)
Activated adsorption of H2 on iron: effects of support, potassium promoter, and pretreatment

Abstract Hydrogen adsorption uptakes of iron catalysts were determined as a function of temperature and by cooling from 400 or 450 to 25°C using TPD and static volumetric adsorption methods. Hydrogen adsorption on these catalysts was found to be kinetically limited or “activated” at lower temperatures. The degree of activation is a function of the support, promoter and pretreatment. The binding energy of hydrogen with iron and the activation energy for hydrogen adsorption on iron are higher for Fe/silica and Fe/silicalite relative to unsupported iron and increase in the case of Fe/silica with addition of potassium and with increasing precalcination temperature. The measurement of monolayer adsorption capacity is probably best accomplished by cooling in hydrogen from 400 or 450 to 25°C.
The ABCs of molecular dynamics simulations on B-DNA, circa 2012.

This article provides a retrospective on the ABC initiative in the area of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations including explicit solvent on all tetranucleotide steps of duplex B-form DNA duplex, ca. 2012. The ABC consortium has completed two phases of simulations, the most current being a set of 50–100 trajectories based on the AMBER ff99 force field together with the parmbsc0 modification. Some general perspectives on the field of MD on DNA and sequence effects on DNA structure are provided, followed by an overview our MD results, including a detailed comparison of the ff99/parmbsc0 results with crystal and NMR structures available for d(CGCGAATTCGCG). Some projects inspired by or related to the ABC initiative and database are also reviewed, including methods for the trajectory analyses, informatics of dealing with the large database of results, compressions of trajectories for efficacy of distribution, DNA solvation by water and ions, parameterization of coarse-grained models with applications and gene finding and genome annotation
Follow-Up Citations in the U.S. Supreme Court:

T) HE QUESTION addressed in this article is straightforward Why does the Supreme Court cite and follow some of its previous decisions while ignoring or distinguishing others? This question is important for the emerging literature on citation behavior among courts which views the citation of past cases as important indicators of communication (Caldeira 1985; Harris 1979), legitimacy (Friedman et al. 1981), status of the law (Landes and Posner 1977; Merryman 1977), or changes in the law over time (Merryman 1977; Johnson 1981). For these scholars, citations to previous decisions are important because they inform us about the institutional side of law that is, law as a system of rules which may constitute a "language" and a constraining force on extra-legal factors affecting judicial decisions (Brigham 1978). A major assumption of past citation research is that citations are more than casual references in judicial opinions and that, in fact, they represent an attempt to legitimize decisions by linking past decisions to contemporary ones. As Lawrence Friedman et al. note, judges are expected to decide "according to law," which means that "they are not free to decide cases as they please, [but instead] are expected to invoke appropriate legal authority for their decisions" (1981: 793). To the degree that citations are systematic, and the assumption is false that they are casual or random, then researchers may, indeed, use them as reasonable indicators of such phenomena as communications among courts. The research reported here tests two competing explanations for references to Supreme Court decisions by the Court itself. One explanation emphasizes personal or political factors, thus viewing such references as products of the ego or ideology of the citing judge. The other explanation views references as a functon of such legal concerns as clarifying past policy or applying precedent when appropriate. These two explanations are elaborated below, and are followed by presentation of research findings on follow-up citations by the Court.
The Role of Hope in the Psychological Adjustment of Gastropareutic Patients Receiving the Gastric Pacemaker: A Longitudinal Study

Hope, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and physical quality of life (QOL) were assessed in three subgroups of patients receiving the gastric pacemaker. Patients (n = 22) completed questionnaires prior to pacemaker implantation and at 3 and 6 months post-surgery. The idiopathic subgroup reported a significantly greater degree of hope and less anxiety at 6-month follow-up, compared to the diabetes patients. The idiopathic patients also reported significantly less anxiety at 6 months than the postsurgical patients. Across all subgroups, there was an increase in hope and physical QOL, and decrease in depressive symptoms and anxiety, from baseline levels. There was a significant negative relationship between hope and both depressive symptoms and anxiety at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-up. Presurgical hope level did not significantly predict depressive symptoms or anxiety after implantation. This study provides evidence that the pacemaker improves the physical and psychological health of gastropareutic patients; hope appears to play a role in the psychological adjustment of these patients.
Quantum Corrections and Bound-State Effects in the Energy Relaxation of Hot Dense Hydrogen

Simple analytic formulas for energy relaxation (ER) in electron-ion systems, with quantum corrections, ion dynamics, and RPA-type screening are presented. ER in the presence of bound electrons is examined in view of recent simulations for ER in hydrogen in the range ${10}^{20}--{10}^{24}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{\text{electrons}}/\mathrm{cc}$.
Serum Cholesterol Levels are not Elevated in Young Copper-Deficient Rats, Mice or Brindled Mice

Experiments were conducted with suckling male C57BL mice and Sprague-Dawley rats to investigate the relationship between copper deficiency and elevated serum cholesterol. Brindled mice, which have a genetic defect that affects copper distribution, were compared to their normal brothers. Dietary copper defi ciency was produced in dams heterozygous for the brindled gene, in normal mouse dams and in rat dams. The subsequent male offspring were compared to those from copper-supplemented dams. Copper deficiency, as assessed by liver copper levels or ceruloplasmin activity, was demonstrated in 12-d-old rats, brindled mice, and in genotypically normal mice from dams fed the copper-deficient diet. However, serum cholesterol levels were not elevated in these "copper-deficient" rats or mice. In one experiment serum cholesterol levels of brindled mice were significantly lower than that of their littermate controls. An additional study was done with older mice Their dams were fed a low copper diet from parturition throughout lactation, and the pups were fed the same copper-deficient diet for 4 wk after weaning. The 7-wk-old male copper-deficient mice had liver copper levels below 1 Âiig/g, but no elevation in serum cholesterol was observed. The failure to demonstrate a rise in serum cholesterol in these perinatal models may be due in part to less severe hepatic copper deficiency because of neonatal copper reserves in liver. J. Nutr. 115: 1702-1707, 1985.