cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in insulin, glucagon and growth hormone secretion rates in sheep fed supplemental energy.

Zusammenfassung Veranderungen in den Insulin-, Glukagon- und Wachstumshormon-Sekretionsraten beim Schaf bei unterschiedlicher Energiezufuhr Der Effekt von Energiezulagen in der Diat auf basale Plasmakonzentrationen, Sekretionsraten, Halbwertszeiten und Verteilungsvolumen von Wachstumshormon (GH), Insulin und Glukagon wurde an 6 erwachsenen Hammeln nach einer nachtlichen Hungerperiode bestimmt. Es wurden zwei Energiestufen (5,27 MJ ME/kg TS und Tier und 9,54 MJ ME/kg TS und Tier) bei gleichem Proteingehalt der Ration untersucht. Die aufgefuhrten Parameter wurden mit Hilfe der Verschwindensrate des immunoreaktiven Hormons nach intravenoser Injektion der Hormone bestimmt. Die Plasmakonzentrationen von GH und Glukagon lagen signifikant hoher bei niedriger Energieversorgung, die Konzentration von Insulin signifikant niedriger. Der Anstieg von Plasma-GH bei niedriger Energieversorgung wurde wahrscheinlich durch einen Anstieg der GH-Sekretion verursacht. Der Anstieg der Glukagonkonzentration im Plasma bei energiearm gefutterten Schafen war begleitet von einer steigenden Glukagon-Sekretion. Durch eine energiereiche Diat wurde die Plasma-Insulinkonzentration um etwa 16% gesteigert (P < 0,06). Steigende Plasma-Insulinwerte waren begleitet von einem erhohten Insulinabbau und einem Trend zu gesteigerter Sekretion. Aus den Ergebnissen kann gefolgert werden, das Veranderungen in der Plasma-Glukagonkonzentration und von GH bei unterschiedlicher Energiezufuhr durch unterschiedliche Sekretionsraten verursacht werden, wobei dem Insulin eine wichtige Rolle zukommt.
Charge-Mosaic Membranes: Enhanced Permeability and Negative Osmosis with a Symmetrical Salt

Charge-mosaic membranes are prepared by embedding a single layer of alternating cation and anion exchange beads in silicone resin. Membranes made in an identical manner but containing only one type of exchanger serve as controls. The mosaic membranes are 50 to 100 times more permeable to potassium chloride than the controls; and furthermore they give rise to net volume flow from concentrated to dilute solutions of potassium chloride in the absence of a pressure gradient ("negative osmosis"), whereas the controls exhibit normal osmotic behavior. The negative reflection coefficients of the mosaics suggest potential applications in desalination.
Involvement of protein kinase C in the axonal growth-promoting effect on spinal cord neurons by target-derived astrocytes.

Astroglial cells participate in a variety of developmental events during neuronal morphogenesis. We have shown that axonal, but not dendritic, outgrowth of spinal cord neurons can be promoted by a diffusible factor or factors secreted from target region-derived cerebellar astroglia in vitro in comparison with spinal astroglia. In the present study, we examined the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the axon-promoting effect by astroglia. The inhibition of PKC by sphingosine or by the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) at high concentration greatly reduced the mean axonal length of spinal neurons cultured in medium conditioned by cerebellar astroglia (SCn-CBg), while activation of PKC by TPA at low concentration, or by retinoic acid, was not additive to the glial effect. The activation of PKC by TPA or retinoic acid promoted axon growth of spinal neurons cultured in medium conditioned by spinal astroglia (SCn-SCg), which otherwise would not be as supportive for axon growth as cerebellar astroglia. Western blotting and PKC activity assays showed that there was a trend for increased PKC activity and protein levels (in particular, PKCβ) in SCn-CBg cultures, which correlated with enhanced axon growth. Inhibition of PKC by sphingosine appeared to decrease protein levels, especially PKCβ, which correlated with suppressed axon outgrowth. In SCn-SCg cultures, phorbol ester activation of PKC increased both activity and protein levels of both PKCα and PKCβ. This activation correlated with stimulated axonal outgrowth. These results suggest that the glial signaling that regulates specific axonal outgrowth by target astroglia is mediated in part by the PKC second messenger system. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Structure elucidation of native N- and O-linked glycans by tandem mass spectrometry (tutorial)

Oligosaccharides play important roles in many biological processes. However, the structural elucidation of oligosaccharides remains a major challenge due to the complexities of their structures. Mass spectrometry provides a powerful method for determining oligosaccharide composition. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS) provides structural information with high sensitivity. Oligosaccharide structures differ from other polymers such as peptides because of the large number of linkage combinations and branching. This complexity makes the analysis of oligosaccharide unique from that of peptides. This tutorial addresses the issue of spectral interpretation of tandem MS under conditions of collision-induced dissociation (CID) and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD). The proper interpretation of tandem MS data can provide important structural information on different types of oligosaccharides including O- and N-linked.
Spleen Cells from Young Donors Eradicate Large Tumors–Letter

We have read with great interest the recent study by Schreiber and colleagues ([1][1]) in the May 1, 2012 issue of Clinical Cancer Research . This article elegantly uses a naturally induced tumor (8101 tumor) containing a mutated high MHC-binding epitope (p68) from RNA helicase as a target for
The distribution and abundance of herbaceous angiosperms in west-central Florida marshes

Abstract Cluster analysis, reciprocal averaging and a biotic boundary technique were used to analyze the relationship between community composition and topographic depth within 4 grass-sedge marshes in west-central Florida. Abundances of species fluctuated seasonally and varied between marshes. Communities in deep areas of individual marshes differed markedly from each other and from those in shallow areas. Reciprocal averaging showed no floristic gradients in the shallow marshes, but strong floristic gradients were highly correlated with water regime in deep marshes. Biotic boundaries within the marshes corresponded with water levels. The biotic boundary technique clearly delineated communities within the marshes and reflected the importance of seasonal water level fluctuations for community composition.
Why study? How reasons for learning influence strategy selection

Learners' use of strategies cannot be understood without understanding the nature of their motivation for learning. Using an intentional framework which emphasizes learners' purposes, research in the last 10 years has found that different goals, or different definitions of success and failure, have distinct implications for strategy selection and use. In this review, I describe what we have learned to date about these relationships and suggest how approaches to research on goals and strategies might be broadened.
Effects of space weather on satellite components

Space weather can affect satellite performance and cause “anomalies,” unexplained problems ranging from a minor temporary glitch to a complete failure of a component. Understanding these effects requires looking at the relationship between space weather conditions and anomalies. However, data on commercial satellite anomalies have not often been made available for scientists to study.
Ecosystem modeling with GIS

Management of natural resources is becoming a complex problem. To ensure sustainability of the resources, the manager must have better tools with which to make decisions. The development of simulation models that make use of GIS data bases is an emerging area of resource management. This paper examines several grid-based models and addresses the use of GIS programs to construct spatial dynamic models. Some considerations for the implementation of modeling using GIS data bases are provided. The capability to simulate ecosystem processes such as fire, erosion, and other factors will allow the resource manager to make more informed decisions by evaluating potential consequences on the computer.
A Transport Model for the Deterministic Stresses Associated With Turbomachinery Blade Row Interactions

The unsteady process resulting from the interaction of upstream vortical structures with a downstream blade row in turbomachines can have a significant impact on the machine efficiency. The upstream vortical structures or disturbances are transported by the mean flow of the downstream blade row, redistributing the time-average unsteady kinetic energy (K) associated with the incoming disturbance. A transport model was developed to take this process into account in the computation of time-averaged multistage turbomachinery flows. The model was applied to compressor and turbine geometry. For compressors, the K associated with upstream two-dimensional wakes and three-dimensional tip clearance flows is reduced as a result of their interaction with a downstream blade row. This reduction results from inviscid effects as well as viscous effects and reduces the loss associated with the upstream disturbance. Any disturbance passing through a compressor blade row results in a smaller loss than if the disturbance was mixed-out prior to entering the blade row. For turbines, the K associated with upstream two-dimensional wakes and three-dimensional tip clearance flows are significantly amplified by inviscid effects as a result of the interaction with a downstream turbine blade row. Viscous effects act to reduce the amplification of the K by inviscid effects but result in a substantial loss. Two-dimensional wakes and three-dimensional tip clearance flows passing through a turbine blade row result in a larger loss than if these disturbances were mixed-out prior to entering the blade row.
Antiferromagnetic structure of FePt 3 films studied by neutron scattering

The magnetism of antiferromagnetic ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{x}{\mathrm{Pt}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ thin films $(x=0.27$ and 0.30) epitaxially grown onto MgO (110) and a-axis sapphire $(\ensuremath{\alpha}{\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{A}\mathrm{l}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3})$ substrates has been studied by elastic neutron and x-ray scattering. Bulk chemically ordered ${\mathrm{FePt}}_{3}$ exhibits an antiferromagnetic spin structure with a wave vector ${Q}_{1}=2\ensuremath{\pi}/a(\frac{1}{2}\frac{1}{2}0)$ below ${T}_{N1}\ensuremath{\sim}160\mathrm{K}.$ For slightly Fe-rich alloys $(x\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.26)$ a spin-reorientation transition to a second antiferromagnetic phase with a wave vector ${Q}_{2}=2\ensuremath{\pi}/a(\frac{1}{2}00)$ occurs below ${T}_{N2}\ensuremath{\sim}100\mathrm{K}$ at the expense of ${Q}_{1}.$ For increased Fe content $(x\ensuremath{\sim}0.30)$ the ${Q}_{1}$ phase is strongly suppressed with a dominant ${Q}_{2}$ phase. For (111)-oriented films grown on a-axis sapphire the spin structure is the same as that found in the bulk. The $x=0.27$ film exhibits transitions at ${T}_{N1}$ and ${T}_{N2}.$ The film with $x=0.30$ exhibits an almost completely suppressed ${Q}_{1}$ phase and a dominant ${Q}_{2}$ phase with an enhanced ordering temperature of ${T}_{N2}\ensuremath{\sim}140\mathrm{K}.$ In contrast ${\mathrm{FePt}}_{3}$ (110) films grown onto MgO (110) exhibit only the ${Q}_{1}$ phase for both compositions $x=0.27$ and $x=0.30$ with the onset of the ${Q}_{2}$ phase suppressed. The distinct behavior of the films grown onto MgO from those grown onto a-axis sapphire and bulk ${\mathrm{FePt}}_{3}$ may be explained by higher strain and defect densities incorporated in the films grown onto MgO.
Genetic Diversity in Insect-Parasitic Nematodes (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae)☆

Little is known about the genetic structure of various species and populations of entomopathogenic nematodes. We determined genetic variability within and among isolates of seven Heterorhabditis species using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. We used 10 random primers which were previously identified as useful to quantify genetic variability among these species. Mean percentage similarity among the individuals of conspecific species was 96.25%, whereas, the mean value among different isolates for three species was 83.8%. Mean percentage similarity among different species was 31. 3%. The banding patterns produced by RAPDs positively correlated with described morphological classification; however, H. hawaiiensis could not be separated from H. indicus, or H. marelatus from H. hepialius. RAPD profiles placed an unidentified isolate (IS5) with H. indicus. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.
From the genius of the man to the man of genius, Part two: Inheriting (ideas about) genius

In Part One of ?From the Genius of the Man to the Man of Genius’ I argued that classical and medieval inscriptions of genius figures suggest a coevalence between characters in their respective cosmologies, making it relatively more difficult to delineate Man from “spirits” and “other organisms”. The labour that genii performed flowed around two significant tropes of production and reproduction whose specificities were inflected in and across sources. In medieval poetry, for instance, genius figures took up a new role in regard to the reproduction trope, as promoter of virtue (in the form of censuring the seven deadly sins) and condemner of vice (in the form of prohibition against same sex intercourse). The sedimentation (complex processes of character‐formation), directionality (patterns of descent) and sexual ecology (emergence of a field of ethics) that the medieval literature embodies also indexes an opening disarticulation of Man from universe and the possibility of grounding “morality” in and as His love choices. Through a series of narrative structures, binary concepts and new sources of authority under Christianity the figure now referred to in philosophy as “the subject” is given early grounds upon which to form in the medieval poems.
Axons Do Not Necessarily Compete for Targets

Competition exists if A receives less because of the presence of B. Synergism occurs when the effects of A and B acting together exceed the sum of their separate effects. It is in vogue to assume that interactions between axons are competitive; however, axons might be expected to interact synergistically in instances where they exert trophic effects upon their targets. Possibilities include trophic effects upon glial cells, promotion of the outgrowth of dendrites or dendritic spines, or prevention of cell death in neurons receiving axonal projections. In some of these circumstances, innervation of the target cell by axon A might increase, rather than decrease, the probability of synapse formation by axon B. Our recent observations indicate that taste axons in the rat vallate papilla normally interact in a noncompetitive, synergistic manner to augment the number of taste buds induced during development by mure than 150. The vallate papilla of the rat is normally innervated by the right and left IXth nerves. One IXth nerve alone forms a mean of 228 vallate taste buds.' Two IXth nerves form, not twice 228, but 610 taste buds? Thus, more than 150 additional taste buds are added because of synergistic interactions between the right and left IXth nerves. Taste buds in the vallate papilla are neurally induced during a sensitive period that is maximal from 0 to 10 days postpartum." After one IXth nerve is removed and the other crushed at three days of age, only 30 of the 610 vallate taste buds eventually develop. However, after both IXth nerves are crushed at three days, 144 vallate taste buds develop. Thus, in these experiments with crushed IXth nerves, the synergism among axons is even greater, as doubling the nerve supply (two crushed nerves) nearly quintuples the number of taste buds. The surviving axons of one crushed nerve (mean = 835 myelinated axons vs. 1897 in a normal nerve') may be so dispersed in the papilla that the innervation density is insufficient to form more than a few (30) taste buds. The addition of a second IXth nerve may increase the innervation density above the threshold level necessary to form taste buds at many sites in the gustatory epithelium. This implies that the number of bilaterally innervated taste buds should increase according to the number of axons in the right and left IXth nerves. This inference is supported by a stochastic analysis that predicted to a first approximation the number of bilaterally innervated taste buds, given the number of axons in the right and left IXth nerves after nerve crush.'
Lithium order-disorder transitions in 2H-LixTaS2

Abstract Electrochemical evidence for lithium order-disorder transitions at x= 1 3 and x= 2 3 in 2H-LixTaS2 is presented. The inverse derivative ∂x/∂V of the voltage V of a Li/LixTaS2 electrochemical cell shows temperature-dependent features associated with the formation of √3x√3 ordered structures. These features in ∂x/∂V are reproduced by a Monte Carlo calculation for a two-dimensional triangular lattice gas.
Solitary pelvic neural tumors with high steroid receptor content

Two pelvic benign neural tumors, a neurofibroma and a neurilemmoma, were found to have high levels of cell nuclear estrogen receptors and both cytoplasmic and nuclear progestin receptors. A review of the literature reveals that neurogenic tumors occur predominantly in young women. This observation together with the recent findings of elevated sex steroid receptor proteins in meningiomas supports a hypothesis for the common hormonal dependence of neoplasms arising from the neural supporting tissues.
Le panorama et les origines de la reconstitution cinématographique

Cet article se penche sur quelques-unes des proprietes du panorama qui, sur les plans phenomenologique et esthetique — mais aussi ideologique —, augurent certains traits fondamentaux du cinema. La reconstitution, en tant que principe structurant qui preside a « l’effet panorama », permet d’etablir certaines correspondances entre les deux medias. Les panoramas depeignant les grandes batailles historiques s’averent, a cet egard, particulierement utiles pour degager un certain nombre de procedes d’organisation spatio-temporelle qui anticipent les procedes qu’on trouvera bientot dans les vues animees.
Complete pulmonary venous drainage into the portal vein with multiple congenital anomalies.

Abstract A brief review of the literature pertaining to anomalous pulmonary venous drainage is presented. A case of total pulmonary venous drainage into the portal vein associated with a trilocular heart whose left ventricle did not communicate with either the pulmonary or systemic circulation, a patent ductus arteriosus, an anomalous inferior vena cava continuous with the azygous vein, a persistent left superior vena cava, internal hydrocephalus, double cleft palate, a right pelvic kidney, an anomalous abdominal aorta, talipes varus of the right foot, an imperforate anus, and an anomalous uterus is presented.
Expertise identification and visualization from CVS

As software evolves over time, the identification of expertise becomes an important problem. Component ownership and team awareness of such ownership are signals of solid project. Ownership and ownership awareness are also issues in open-source software (OSS) projects. Indeed, the membership in OSS projects is dynamic with team members arriving and leaving. In large open source projects, specialists who know the system very well are considered experts. How can one identify the experts in a project by mining a particular repository like the source code? Have they gotten help from other people?We provide an approach using classification of the source code tree as a path to derive the expertise of the committers. Because committers may get help from other people, we also retrieve their contributors. We also provide a visualization that helps to further explore the repository via committers and categories. We present a prototype implementation that describes our research using the Apache HTTP Web server project as a case study.
Modeling of carbon nanotube Schottky barrier modulation under oxidizing conditions

A model is proposed for the previously reported lower Schottky barrier ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{Bh}}$ for hole transport in air than in vacuum at a junction between the metallic electrode and semiconducting carbon nanotube (CNT). We consider the electrostatics in a transition region between the electrode and CNT in the presence or absence of oxygen molecules (air or vacuum), where an appreciable potential drop occurs. The role of oxygen molecules is to increase this potential drop with a negative oxygen charge, leading to lower ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{Bh}}$ in air. The Schottky barrier modulation is large when a CNT depletion mode is involved, while the modulation is negligible when a CNT accumulation mode is involved. The mechanism prevails in both p- and n-CNT's, and the model consistently explains the key experimental findings.
Age-dependent increase of discoidin domain receptor 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression in temporomandibular joint cartilage of type IX and type XI collagen-deficient mice

Our previous studies demonstrated that mutations in type IX and type XI collagens in mice caused osteoarthritis (OA)-like changes in knee and temporomandibular (TM) joints. We also found that the overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (Mmp-13) was probably due to the up-regulation of a collagen receptor, discoidin domain receptor 2 (Ddr2), which was responsible for knee cartilage degeneration in mutant mice. The objective of our study was to determine whether the expression of Mmp-3, Mmp-13 and Ddr2 was increased in OA-like TM joints in mutant mice using immunohistochemistry. We found that the staining for Ddr2, Mmp-13 and Mmp-derived type II collagen fragments in tissue sections from 6-month-old mice was increased in TM joints of the mutant mice. In contrast, we found no difference in the staining for Mmp-3 amongst the two mutant mice and their wild-type littermates. We conclude that, similar to previous observations in knee joints, the overexpression of Ddr2 and Mmp-13 may be responsible for the OA-like change in TM joints in mutant mice.
Acquisition System for Arabic Noun Morphology

Many papers have discussed different aspects of Arabic verb morphology. Some of them used patterns; others used patterns and affixes. But very few have discussed Arabic noun morphology particularly for nouns that are not derived from verbs. In this paper we describe a learning system that can analyze Arabic nouns to produce their morphological information and their paradigms with respect to both gender and number using a rule base that uses suffix analysis as well as pattern analysis. The system utilizes user-feedback to classify the noun and identify the group that it belongs to.
War is peace.

The article discusses the Internet as an increasing source of disinformation which is the deliberate act of spreading false information. The author uses the debate on U.S. health care reform as an example of fabrications by individuals driving protesters to argue that their access to health care will be undermined should health care reform be enacted. He discusses what he feels makes people susceptible to disinformation in public discourse.
Frequency of eye deviation in stroke and non-stroke patients undergoing head CT.

Background and Purpose Although conjugate eye deviation (CED) on head CT has been described in patients with acute stroke, the incidence in other patient groups remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of eye deviation on head CT in non-stroke patients compared to patients with acute stroke symptoms.
MR imaging in the diagnosis of a retroperitoneal schwannoma

The computerized tomography (CT) and ultrasound characteristics of many of the primary retroperitoneal tumors are nonspecific, and thus preoperative diagnosis of these tumors is difficult. We describe a case of a retroperitoneal schwannoma in which the multiplanar capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provided anatomic information not obtainable by other modalities and helped to suggest the neural origin of the tumor.
Specific heat measurements of poly-(L-alanine) at low temperatures (1.8-20 K) and aspects of one dimensionality.

HOMOPOLYPEPTIDES have long been considered as model systems for the study of protein conformation1,2, and synthetic homopolypeptides are now available commercially. Solid state and polymer physics have advanced to where the simpler homopolypeptides can be treated theoretically by lattice dynamics and experimentally by the physical techniques of neutron, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, which are more suited to the examination of the optical vibrational modes of a molecule which are of energy higher than, say, 70 cm−1. Specific heat methods, on the other hand, have the advantage that by measuring at low temperatures (1–20 K) only the acoustic modes are appreciably excited thermally (a temperature of 1 K corresponds approximately to 0.7 cm−1). Moreover, the specimen need not be in single-crystal form, and at low temperature the vibrational spectrum is easier to interpret, and the useful picture of Debye3 holds well. The specific heat measurements reported here are believed to be, by a factor of 100, the lowest temperature specific heat measurements made on a biopolymer4. Such measurements can give information about the proportion of a protein which is in alpha-helical or beta-sheet structure, and also will be necessary in evaluating the basic thermodynamics of enzyme reactions5.
Rapid analysis for theophylline in serum by use of high-pressure cation-exchange chromatography.

We have developed a quantitative assay for serum theophylline by high-pressure cation-exchange chromatography. As little as 0.1-ml aliquots of serum were prepared for analysis simply by diluting them with a solution of the internal standard (8-chlorotheophylline). Theophylline and the internal standard were eluted in 17 and 27.5 min, respectively, and the peaks for them were distinct from those of other xanthines and uric acids. We encountered no interference when we used: ( a ) plasma obtained from blood anticoagulated with citrate; ( b ) hemolyzed, lipemic, or icteric serum; or ( c ) 52 samples from patients who were receiving various other medications. An analysis of calibration suggested that errors greater than ±2.6 mg/liter, a clinically acceptable range, were highly unlikely. Sensitivity was sufficient to identify less than 2.5 mg/liter. This assay was compared with the usual method involving solvent extraction and absorbance measurement in the ultraviolet and found to have similar accuracy, although it is easier, faster, requires less sample, and potentially is more specific.
Automated Image Registration: I. General Methods and Intrasubject, Intramodality Validation

Purpose: We sought to describe and validate an automated image registration method(AIR 3.0) based on matching of voxel intensities. Method: Different cost functions, different minimization methods, and various sampling, smoothing, and editing strategies were compared. Internal consistency measures were used to place limits on registration accuracy for MRI data, and absolute accuracy was measured using a brain phantom for PET data. Results: All strategies were consistent with subvoxel accuracy for intrasubject, intramodality registration. Estimated accuracy of registration of structural MRI images was in the 75 to 150 µm range. Sparse data sampling strategies reduced registration times to minutes with only modest loss of accuracy. Conclusion: The registration algorithm described is a robust and flexible tool that can be used to address a variety of image registration problems. Registration strategies can be tailored to meet different needs by optimizing tradeoffs between speed and accuracy.
Inhibition of Pancreatic β-Cell Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II Reduces Glucose-stimulated Calcium Influx and Insulin Secretion, Impairing Glucose Tolerance

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from pancreatic β-cells is caused by Ca2+ entry via voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. CaMKII is a key mediator and feedback regulator of Ca2+ signaling in many tissues, but its role in β-cells is poorly understood, especially in vivo. Here, we report that mice with conditional inhibition of CaMKII in β-cells show significantly impaired glucose tolerance due to decreased GSIS. Moreover, β-cell CaMKII inhibition dramatically exacerbates glucose intolerance following exposure to a high fat diet. The impairment of islet GSIS by β-cell CaMKII inhibition is not accompanied by changes in either glucose metabolism or the activities of KATP and voltage-gated potassium channels. However, glucose-stimulated Ca2+ entry via voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels is reduced in islet β-cells with CaMKII inhibition, as well as in primary wild-type β-cells treated with a peptide inhibitor of CaMKII. The levels of basal β-cell cytoplasmic Ca2+ and of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores are also decreased by CaMKII inhibition. In addition, CaMKII inhibition suppresses glucose-stimulated action potential firing frequency. These results reveal that CaMKII is a Ca2+ sensor with a key role as a feed-forward stimulator of β-cell Ca2+ signals that enhance GSIS under physiological and pathological conditions.
An Improved Capillary Blood-Filter Paper-Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method for Lead Screening

A revised procedure for processing a capillary blood sample collected on filter paper (FP) for analysis by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is described. A 1/4-in. diameter disk of the dried FP sample was used, and a correlation of 0.975 with a false-positive rate of 0.8% and a false-negative rate of 1.7% was found when the results from the FP sample and its corresponding venous sample compared. Several analytical variables were investigated, and the following was found: blood samples with hematocrit values of 30-39% did not show any significant differences between the paired FP and venous lead results; filter paper blank values were < 2 pg/dL with the use of aqueous standards without correction and 0.1 pg/dL with a paper blank correction; and during the collection of 163 samples from 6 different urban sites over a period of 1 year, no environmental lead contamination was encountered based upon the good agreement between all of the paired FP and venous lead results. The method described is easier to perform than an earlier version. All indications suggest that a fingerstick capillary blood sample collected on filter paper is suitable for lead screening. Proper precautions must always be taken to guard against contamination.
Preventing suicide by jumping: the effect of a bridge safety fence.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a bridge safety fence in preventing suicide. Methods: We examined suicides from jumping off the Memorial Bridge in Augusta, Maine, from 1 April 1960 to 31 July 2005. The safety fence was installed during 1983, the mid-point of the study period. Results: 14 suicides from the bridge were identified; all occurred before installation of the safety fence. The number of suicides by jumping from other structures remained unchanged after installation of the fence. Conclusion: The safety fence was effective in preventing suicides from the bridge. There was no evidence that suicidal individuals sought alternative sites for jumping.
Glycosidic constituents of Ipomoea Parasitica seed

Abstract The seeds of Ipomoea parasitica (HBK) Don. contain unique members of a class of glycolipids found in the plant family Convolvulaceae. They were shown to consist of acylated glycosides of (+)-11-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid. The acyl groups were removed by alkaline hydrolysis and obtained as α-methyl-butyric acid. These sugars were liberated by acid hydrolysis : d -fucose, 6-deoxy- d -glucose ( d -quinovose), and another tentatively identified as a 6-deoxygulose. These glycosides differ from others found in the Convolvulaceae in yielding this tentatively identified sugar, and also in containing neither d -glucose nor l -rhamnose. It was shown for the first time that different sugars can be released quite selectively from a convolvulaceous glycoside by graded acid hydrolysis. On the basis of these hydrolyses, a tentative structure for the glycosidic units is proposed.
Computer Memory, Collective Memory: Recovering History through Chilean Computing

This essay argues that computer histories contribute to collective memory and are especially important in nations where knowledge of the past has been erased or suppressed. Computer histories also can enrich national understandings of the past and contribute to ongoing debates over history and its relation to the present.
Injection locking of diode lasers

We present a theoretical analysis of the forward and reflected amplitudes in a diode laser oscillator cavity for both a single resonant mode and an injected signal. The analysis includes gain saturation and allows the gain coefficient at the injected frequency to be different from that at the resonant frequency. Analytic solutions for the axially dependent amplitudes are presented for the case of equal gain coefficients. For the more general case, a formula is presented for the intensity necessary for locking, which is shown to reduce in various limits to other expressions previously published. One immediate consequence of the present formalism is that the use of antireflection coatings on the diode end facets should act to reduce the injected signal intensity necessary for locking. In fact, reduction of the reflectivities to values of a few percent should enable locking over the entire gain curve with incident intensities which are small compared to the slave oscillator's normal output.
The lactate paradox: a review

The phenomenon known as the lactate paradox has been a topic of heated debate since it gained worldwide attention following Operation Everest in the early 1980s. What began as the simple finding that blood lactate (blood [La]) for a given sub-maximal workload or VO2 following acclimatization to high altitude is reduced compared with sea-level values, morphed into a complex set of parameters that have been redefined several times in the nearly 30 years that the lactate paradox has been researched. Though several strong hypotheses have been proposed to, to date, no one hypothesis has been able fully to explain the lactate paradox. The goal of the current article was to bring together the most prominent studies done on the lactate paradox and illuminate the details brought forth by each. In doing so we hope to stimulate new hypotheses and research studies that will further our understanding of the lactate paradox.
Distribution of surface coat material on fusing neural folds of mouse embryos during neurulation

Fusing and non-fusing regions of neural folds from mouse embryos were examined during neurulation for the distribution of extracellular macromolecules (surface coats) prior to and at the time of closure. Ruthenium red staining of 10th day ICR/DUB mouse embryos was used to detect the distribution of surface coat material. Light microscopic examination of fusing and non-fusing regions in the midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord showed a consistent increase in ruthenium red positive material immediately prior to closure. Heavy deposits of positive staining material were present along apical neural fold borders and overlying ectoderm cells. This staining pattern was consistent in the three regions examined, but the pattern of initial contact between opposing neural folds differed. In mid- and hindbrain areas contact was initiated by overlying ectoderm, whereas in spinal cord regions contact was first established by neuroepithelial cells. Once contact between opposing neural folds was initiated a decrease in stainable material was observed.
Low-Temperature Formation of Aluminum Orthophosphate

Factors influencing the low-temperature formation of AIPO4 and its precursor phases, AIPO4·xH2O (1 x 2), were investigated. AIPO4 formed by reaction between 33.3 wt% H3PO4 solution and alumina. Five aluminas (three anhydrous and two hydrated) were utilized. Each differed in particle size, surface area, and crystallinity. The reaction temperatures investigated were 113°, 123°, and 133°C. The high-surface-area aluminas were sufficiently reactive in the phosphoric acid solution at these temperatures to produce crystalline reaction products. However, only hydrated forms of AIPO4, AIPO4·xH2O (1 x 2), crystallized directly out of solution. x generally decreased as the curing temperature was increased. Upon dehydration of these hydrated reaction products, anhydrous AIPO4 was formed, primarily in the berlinite and/or cristobalite modifications. Both the temperature of reaction and the alumina used influence the hydrates that form. In turn, the hydrates which form, the macroscopic assemblages into which they may crystallize, and the morphologies of the crystallites all affect the polymorphic form and the crystallinity of the anhydrous AIPO4 phase ultimately produced on dehydration. Phase-pure and highly crystalline AIPO4-cristobalite (the high-temperature modification) was formed by the dehydration of AIPO4·H2O at a temperature as low as 113°C.
Nest survival in Dusky Canada Geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis): Use of discrete-time models

Abstract The Dusky Canada Goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) population that breeds in the Copper River Delta, Alaska, has declined substantially since the late 1970s. Persistent low numbers have been attributed to low productivity in recent years. We examined patterns in survival rates of 1,852 nests to better understand ecological processes that influenced productivity during 1997-2000. We compared 10 nonparametric models of daily survival rate of nests (DSR) that included variation among years, calendar dates, nest initiation dates, and nest ages with equivalent models based on parametric functions. The unequivocal best model included patterns of DSR that varied among discrete periods of years, calendar dates, and nest ages. Generally, DSR was low early in the nesting season and higher midseason. Across years, patterns in DSR were most variable early and late in the nesting season. Daily survival rates of nests declined between the first and second week after initiation, increased until the fourth ...
Bayesian Robustification for Audio Visual Fusion

We discuss the problem of catastrophic fusion in multimodal recognition systems. This problem arises in systems that need to fuse different channels in non-stationary environments. Practice shows that when recognition modules within each modality are tested in contexts inconsistent with their assumptions, their influence on the fused product tends to increase, with catastrophic results. We explore a principled solution to this problem based upon Bayesian ideas of competitive models and inference robustification: each sensory channel is provided with simple white-noise context models, and the perceptual hypothesis and context are jointly estimated. Consequently, context deviations are interpreted as changes in white noise contamination strength, automatically adjusting the influence of the module. The approach is tested on a fixed lexicon automatic audiovisual speech recognition problem with very good results.
Endosomal accumulation of pH indicator dyes delivered as acetoxymethyl esters.

Intracellular distributions of the putative cytosolic pH indicator dyes BCECF [2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(and 6)-carboxyfluorescein], C.SNARF [5(and 6)-carboxy-seminaphthorhodafluor-1], and C.SNARF-calcein have been examined in Neurospora crassa and in murine fibroblasts (NIH-3T3 cells) under conditions in which both kinds of cells produce visible microscopic vacuoles. All three dyes were administered in electroneutral forms, with the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups esterified (designated as -AM esters). As judged qualitatively from fluorescence levels, hydrolytic derivatives of the two heavily esterified dyes (BCECF-AM and C.SNARF-calcein-AM) accumulated in the vacuoles after exposures of approximately 15 min or more, while the simpler dye (C.SNARF-AM) and its derivatives were almost excluded from visible vacuoles. Fluorescence from this dye, alone among the three, also washed out of Neurospora rapidly upon removal of extracellular dye. There was no evidence for stable accumulation of any of the dyes in cytosol per se. For BCECF(-AM), comparison of the distribution of fluorescence with the size distribution of vacuoles in Neurospora strongly suggests that the dyes are also accumulated by endomembranal vesicles (EMVs) which lie below the limit of resolution in the light microscope, and the same inference can be drawn for the fibroblasts. Uptake of -AM dyes by EMVs, including frank vacuoles, probably results from the action of intravesicular esterases, following diffusional entry of lipophilic neutral molecules or partially de-esterified anions. Calculations of actual cytosolic pH values, or even changes of pH, based on intracellular fluorescence of these dyes, clearly depend upon quantitative knowledge of the subcellular dye distribution. Therefore, until the problem is reliably solved of how to visualize submicroscopic vesicles in living cells, the safest approach to the use of BCECF, C-SNARF and their congeners for cytosolic pH measurement would be to devise methods for coaxing uptake of the ionic forms of these dyes and to abandon use of the esterified forms.
Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders

Background The psychological outcomes that accompany smoking cessation are not yet conclusive but positive outcomes could help to persuade quitting. Method We used data from the longitudinal National Epidemiological Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between cigarette smoking reduction and Wave 2 status of addiction/mental health disorder among daily smokers at Wave 1, stratified by status of the diagnosis of interest at Wave 1. We adjusted for differences in baseline covariates between smokers with different levels of smoking reduction between Wave 1 and Wave 2 using propensity score regression adjustment. Results After adjusting for propensity scores and other mental health/addiction co-morbidities at Wave 2, among daily smokers who had current or lifetime history diagnosis of the outcome of interest at Wave 1, quitting by Wave 2 predicted a decreased risk of mood/anxiety disorder [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4–0.9] and alcohol disorder (aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5–0.99) at Wave 2. Among daily smokers with no lifetime history diagnosis of the outcome of interest at Wave 1, quitting smoking by Wave 2 predicted a decreased risk of drug use disorder at Wave 2 (aOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1–0.9). Conclusions There is no support in our data for the concern that smoking cessation would result in smokers' increased risk of some mental disorders. To the contrary, our data suggest that smoking cessation is associated with risk reduction for mood/anxiety or alcohol use disorder, even among smokers who have had a pre-existing disorder.
Stock Price Volatility of Banks and Other FinancialsEmanating from the Inception ofLeveraged, Inverse, and Traditional ETFs

Changes in stock price volatility of banks and other financials resulting from the inception of the first-ever, leveraged, inverse and traditional, purely financial exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are investigated. Financials have become much more accessible to investors through these creative and increasingly popular ETF securities. Results from using a constant-variance, first-order, Markov regime-switching model show a significant increase in the volatility of banks and other financials following the introduction of XLF, the traditional ETF representing the Financial Select Sector SPDR, and the leveraged (long and inverse) ETFs, UYG and SKF, benchmarked to the Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index. Volatility emanating from the inception of the leveraged ETFs was several orders of magnitude greater than that of the traditional ETF. Banking and large-cap financials were most prominently affected by the XLF. All sectors and size categories of financial firms were significantly impacted by UYG and SKF, the leveraged ETFs.
Physiology and pathology of the blood-brain barrier: implications for microbial pathogenesis, drug delivery and neurodegenerative disorders

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) regulates the passage of solutes between the CNS and the blood. The BBB not only restricts the entry of serum proteins into the CNS, but it also controls the passage of nutrients, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, free fatty acids, peptides, and regulatory proteins in both the brain to blood and blood to brain direction. The BBB performs these functions through a number of saturable and non-saturable mechanisms. For example, efflux (CNS to blood) mechanisms regulate the levels of nutrients and minerals in the CSF, detoxify the CNS, reinforce the impermeability of the BBB against circulating toxins and many drugs, secrete CNS-originating substances into the blood, and drain substances directly into the cervical lymphatic nodes. Influx mechanisms control the homeostatic environment of the CNS, supply the brain with nutrients, and help to integrate CNS and peripheral functions. These mechanisms are altered in and can be the basis for disease and many of these systems are altered in neuroAIDS. We review here examples of several diseases in which the functions of the BBB are altered, and some conditions, such as alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, obesity, and a subtype of mental retardation, where those altered functions may underlie the pathophysiology. Finally, we consider some of the ways in which these aspects of the BBB could be active in neuroAIDS, including the efflux of anti-virals, the transport of virus by adsorptive endocytosis, egress routes for HIV-1 via brain lymphatics, and the release of neurotoxins from brain endothelial cells.
Ground-wave propagation characterization and prediction for HF cognitive radio

Various high-frequency (HF) ground-wave propagation models are evaluated by comparing the models' path-loss estimates with field measurements. Multiple sources of ground conductivity and permittivity information and various methods for estimating terrain effects are employed, with the goal of approximating the measured path-loss values as accurately as possible. Estimates are obtained using the Rotheram-Millington spherical-Earth model as well as models that take the path's terrain profile into account, including a simple clearance angle model and more elaborate models estimating knife-edge diffraction loss using the methods of Bullington, Epstein-Peterson, and Deygout. Ground conductivity and permittivity values are obtained from standard ITU conductivity maps or directly measured at the transmit and receive locations. The Google Maps API is used to provide the terrain profile across each link. The resulting improvements in ground-wave path-loss estimation will contribute to more effective communications planning in HF radio networks, and to defining realistic scenarios for simulation studies of MANET protocols and cognitive radio techniques for use at HF.