cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DEVELOPMENT AND STANDARDIZATION OF A READING TEST FOR BRAIN-DAMAGED PATIENTS

We conducted 2 studies to assess the psychometric properties and clinical utility of a reading test, the Iowa‐Chapman Reading Test (ICRT), which was developed as a means of measuring reading capacities in patients with brain damage. We first collected normative data from 101 adults, then applied the test to 145 patients with focal cortical brain damage. Forty‐two patients performed defectively on the test, with impairments being evident in connection with a variety of different brain regions. Most important, nearly all (89%) of the 64 patients with lingering complaints of reading difficulties performed below expectations on the ICRT, despite generally normal performances on other standard reading tests. The results indicate that the ICRT provides an economical and sensitive index of reading and in particular, chronic subtle weaknesses in reading that are evident to the patient but not detected by many conventional tests.
Semi-solid induction forging of metallic glass matrix composites

Metallic glasses have high strengths but are inherently brittle. To overcome this shortfall, metallic glass composites can be created by growing soft, crystalline particles in the glass to make it tougher. Processing these composites is difficult by any known method because they oxidize badly in open air and have high viscosity. This article describes a one-step casung process by which complex components can be made, opening the possibility for commercial and military hardware produced from high-strength toughened glassy composites.
Structural performance of near-optimal sandwich panels with corrugated cores

An experimental and computational study of the bending response of steel sandwich panels with corrugated cores in both transverse and longitudinal loading orientations has been performed. Panel designs were chosen on the basis of failure mechanism maps, constructed using analytic models for failure initiation. The assessment affirms that the analytic models provide accurate predictions when failure initiation is controlled by yielding. However, discrepancies arise when failure initiation is governed by other mechanisms. One difficulty is related to the sensitivity of the buckling loads to the rotational constraints of the nodes, as well as to fabrication imperfections. The second relates to the compressive stresses beneath the loading platen. To address these deficiencies, existing models for core failure have been expanded. The new results have been validated by experimental measurements and finite element simulations. Limit loads have also been examined and found to be sensitive to the failure mechanism. When face yielding predominates, appreciable hardening follows the initial non-linearity, rendering robustness. Conversely, for designs controlled by buckling (either elastic or plastic) failure initiation is immediately followed by softening. The implication is that, when robustness is a key requirement, designs within the face failure domain are preferred.
Integration of landsat thematic mapper and census data for quality of life assessment

Abstract The quality of life (QOL) of the Athens-Clarke County of Georgia was assessed by integrating environmental variables extracted from Landsat thematic mapper data with socioeconomic variables obtained from the U.S. Census data. The environmental variables extracted are (1) land use/cover, particularly percentage of urban use; (2) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); and (3) apparent surface temperatures. The socioeconomic variables from the census data are (1) population density, (2) per capita income, (3) median home value, and (4) percentage of college graduates. NDVI, which shows strong negative correlation with “per cent of urban use” and “surface temperatures,” is in turn strongly correlated with per capita income, population density, and median home value. The environmental and socioeconomic variables are integrated by means of two approaches: (1) principal components analysis and (2) geographical-information-system overlay of ranked data layers. These two approaches constitute respectively an objective and a subjective assessment of the QOL of the study area. The results of these analyses indicate that satellite inwge data can contplentent census data in providing QOL assessment with an environmental perspective.
Phosphorylation of Purified Estradiol-Liganded Estrogen Receptor by Casein Kinase II Increases Estrogen Response Element Binding but Does Not Alter Ligand Stability

Abstract The estrogen receptor is a ligand-activated transcription factor that binds to specific DNA sequences, estrogen response elements. Recent studies have characterized the location of tyrosine and serine residues in the estrogen receptor that are phosphorylated either by purified protein kinases in vitro or in response to ligand and DNA binding in vivo. Here we examined how phosphorylation of purified bovine uterine estrogen receptor in vitro by casein kinase II impacts estrogen receptor–estrogen response element binding and 17β-estradiol ligand binding stability. Our results show that phosphorylation doubles estrogen receptor–estrogen response element binding, but does not affect estradiol binding stability. These findings suggest that phosphorylation by casein kinase II on serine residues within the A/B domain results in intramolecular interactions affecting the DNA binding domain but not the ligand binding domain of the estrogen receptor.
Coverage evaluation of post-silicon validation tests with virtual prototypes

High-quality tests for post-silicon validation should be ready before a silicon device becomes available in order to save time spent on preparing, debugging and fixing tests after the device is available. Test coverage is an important metric for evaluating the quality and readiness of post-silicon tests. We propose an online-capture offline-replay approach to coverage evaluation of post-silicon validation tests with virtual prototypes for estimating silicon device test coverage. We first capture necessary data from a concrete execution of the virtual prototype within a virtual platform under a given test, and then compute the test coverage by efficiently replaying this execution offline on the virtual prototype itself. Our approach provides early feedback on quality of post-silicon validation tests before silicon is ready. To ensure fidelity of early coverage evaluation, our approach have been further extended to support coverage evaluation and conformance checking in the post-silicon stage. We have applied our approach to evaluate a suite of common tests on virtual prototypes of five network adapters. Our approach was able to reliably estimate that this suite achieves high functional coverage on all five silicon devices.
Phylogenetic hypotheses under the assumption of neutral quantitative-genetic variation

There are many situations in which the only available characters for reconstructing phylogenies are morphological. Those traits that are subject only to the forces of mutation and random genetic drift can be used to obtain unbiased estimates of phylogenetic relationships. However, the accurate recovery of a phylogeny from information on neutral characters requires the procurement of data for a large number of independent traits, individuals, and populations. Phylogenetic trees fit to data from more than five species will almost always contain topological errors, even with very large data sets. The population-genetic consequences of the neutral model are reviewed, and some statistical methods for testing whether the diversification of a phylogeny is compatible with such a model are outlined. The theory is then applied to a very large data set on cranial morphology in modern man. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that interracial differences in human skull dimensions are a simple consequence of random drift and mutation.
Control of colonization by virulent Salmonella typhimurium by oral immunization of chickens with avirulent Δcya Δcrp S. typhimurium

Oral immunization with a delta cya delta crp Salmonella typhimurium strain has been shown to preclude colonization by wild-type, virulent S. typhimurium and induces humoral and cellular immune response in chickens. Intestinal tract colonization by the virulent challenge strain was used to determine the level of protection conferred by immunization with the delta cya delta crp mutant. The associated humoral and cellular immune responses were measured by ELISA and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) tests, respectively. The levels of colonization by both Salmonella strains were determined by enumeration of viable cells in the intestinal tract. A reduction in faecal excretion of the wild-type strain was observed with a single oral immunization with the delta cya delta crp mutant, but caecal colonization was not affected. However, double oral immunization with the delta cya delta crp mutant precludes caecal colonization by the virulent strain. IgM, IgA and IgG were detected against sonicated Salmonella whole-cell antigens. Outer membrane and flagella proteins induced DTH responses, whereas lipopolysaccharide failed to do so. The effectiveness of the delta cya delta crp strain in reducing caecal colonization by the highly virulent challenge strain in chickens demonstrates that oral vaccination with the delta cya delta crp S. typhimurium should aid in eliminating Salmonella carriers in chickens. The elimination of these carriers on the poultry farm should help to control Salmonella contamination of poultry products, therapy improving public health.
Household bargaining and excess fertility: An experimental study in Zambia.

We posit that household decision-making over fertility is characterized by moral hazard due to the fact that most contraception can only be perfectly observed by the woman. Using an experiment in Zambia that varied whether women were given access to contraceptives alone or with their husbands we find that women given access with their husbands were 19% less likely to seek family planning services 25% less likely to use concealable contraception and 27% percent more likely to give birth. However women given access to contraception alone report a lower subjective well-being suggesting a psychosocial cost of making contraceptives more concealable.
Smooth Muscle Lineage Diversity in the Chick Embryo

Lineage analysis studies in the avian embryo have identified two types of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the tunica media of large elastic arteries; one that originates within the cardiac neural crest and is ectoderm in origin (Ect) and another that arises from local mesenchyme of mesodermal origin (Mes). To determine if differences in primary embryonic lineage can give rise to SMCs with stable differences in growth and differentiation properties, we isolated Ect and Mes SMCs from the Day 14 chick embryo aorta. We report that despite different primary embryonic origins, Ect and Mes SMCs express nearly identical levels of seven SMC differentiation markers in vitro, consistent with their common smooth muscle developmental fates in vivo. By contrast, Ect SMCs displayed a greater capacity for growth in serum-free medium than Mes SMCs, but only under conditions permitting short-range cell-cell interactions. Most of the peptide growth factors tested that might account for serum-independent growth (PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB, basic FGF, EGF, or activin) stimulated DNA synthesis to similar extents in Ect and Mes SMCs. However, we found dramatic, lineage-dependent differences in SMC responses to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Exposure to TGF-beta1 (0.4 to 400 pmole/liter) consistently increased DNA synthesis in Ect SMCs, whereas in paired cultures of Mes SMCs, TGF-beta1 was growth inhibitory. In SMC cultures transfected with p3TP-lux, a luciferase reporter controlled by the TGF-beta1-response elements of the human PAI-1 promoter, TGF-beta1 (120 pM) produced 12 ± 2-fold increases in luciferase activity in Ect SMCs and only 3 ± 1.5-fold increases in Mes SMCs. Analysis of TGF-beta receptor phenotypes by Northern blot, radioligand binding, and crosslinking assays showed that Ect and Mes SMCs expressed similar levels of types I, II, and III TGF-beta receptors. However, using a polyclonal antibody specific for the chick type II TGF-beta receptor subunit, we demonstrate that Mes SMCs produce a fully glycosylated form of this protein while Ect SMCs elaborate only an unglycosylated type II TGF-beta receptor. These results show that Ect and Mes SMCs exhibit lineage-dependent differences in growth and receptor-mediated transcriptional responses to at least one important class of SMC morphogens and growth modifiers, e.g., the TGF-betas. Our findings suggest that different SMC populations within a common vessel wall may respond in lineage-dependent ways to signals that direct formation of the tunica media in the embryo and to factors involved in the progression of vascular disease later in life.
HPV testing results and histologic follow-up in women with ASC-H cytology in different age groups

Introduction Assessment on human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and disease outcome of atypical squamous cell, cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) in different age groups is limited in published reports. We reviewed our experience over a 5-year period on ASC-H cytology and correlated age distribution with high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) status and histological follow-up in a large cohort study. Materials and methods Women with ASC-H cytology were retrieved from the hospital database. HR-HPV status and histological diagnoses on cervical biopsy or loop electrosurgical excisional procedure specimens were reviewed and correlated to 5 age groups. Results Ages of women with ASC-H ranged from 16 to 88 years, with 42% women 30 years. Among 647 cases diagnosed as ASC-H, 96% (618) had HR-HPV testing results, including 68.2% HR-HPV positive and 31.8% HR-HPV negative. HR-HPV positivity of ASC-H gradually decreased from 95.2% in women 51 years. Histologic follow-ups were available for review in 80% (517) of the cases. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, grade 2 or higher (CIN2+) lesions were found in 40.3% (208) cases, including 92.9% women with HR-HPV-positive/ASC-H and 7.1% of women with HR-HPV-negative/ASC-H. The detection rate of CIN2+ by ASC-H gradually decreased from 51.2% in women 51 years. The majority of postmenopausal women with HR-HPV-negative/ASC-H had atrophy-related change. Conclusions The specificity of ASC-H cytology in detection of cervical CIN2+ lesions is age-dependent: higher in younger women 30 years. The vast majority (93%) of CIN2+ lesions were seen women with HR-HPV-positive/ASC-H. HR-HPV testing improves the accuracy and specificity in women with ASC-H in almost all age groups, especially in age groups older than 40 years.
Selection and memory of a lower limb motor-perceptual task in 3-month-old infants

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test infants’ ability to learn and memorize a specific motor-perceptual task using a constraining reinforcement mobile protocol. Fifteen three-month-old infants received a mobile reinforcement for every correct movement they performed. The task was to cross 85 degrees of flexion with the right knee. Infants were tested over a series of three sessions, spaced 24 and 72 hr apart. Results indicated that infants increased the frequency of mobile jiggles by selecting a new and efficient motor solution: smaller movements around the required threshold. These data suggest infants modulated their preferred movement patterns in an economical way. The data also showed that infants memorized the task by the third session, indicating they can learn and retain a specific motor-perceptual task. This implies that infants at this age are sensitive to environmental information and to the consequences of their own posture and movements.
Topographic commissural and descending projections of the habenula in the rat

The habenular complex of the epithalamus connects the limbic basal forebrain with numerous neuromodulatory centers in the midbrain. The habenula consists of the medial and lateral nuclei, each of which is speculated to contain multiple subdivisions. Such anatomical arrangements raise the possibility that the habenula accounts for multiple channels of information flow from the limbic forebrain to the midbrain. For understanding whether and, if so, how the multiple streams are organized via the habenula, knowledge of the precise input-output connectivity of each habenular subdivision is essential. In the present study, biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin subunit B were used to delineate the differential outputs of various subregions of the medial and lateral nuclei of the habenula in the rat. Both anterograde and retrograde tracing uncovered a heavy commissural connection between the two habenulae on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides. The commissural projection arises primarily in the lateral nucleus and exhibits a fine topography in that a local commissural efferent terminates primarily in the corresponding subregion on the contralateral side. The subregions of the medial and lateral nuclei also give rise to distinct projections to midbrain areas such as the interpeduncular nucleus, the median/paramedian nuclei, and the central gray. These projections produce terminal fields centered in different areas of the targets, supporting the topographically organized descending projections from the habenula. These data together support the organization of multiple channels in the habenula that convey parallel streams of information to the contralateral habenula, midbrain, and brainstem.
2-D PIC Simulations of Electron Flow in the Magnetically Insulated Transmission Lines of Z and ZR

The ZR project [1] to refurbish the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories [2] is scheduled for completion in FY06. An important factor for the success of ZR is limiting current losses in the vacuum section. On Z today, late-time losses of 5 - 10% are observed, which are known to occur in the post-hole convolute region. The most direct way to mitigate these losses is to limit the electron flow into the convolute from the magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs). The key design consideration is the radial profile of the MITL gap. The MITL gap profile is a compromise between two competing constraints - limiting both the electron flow into the convolute and the MITL inductance. Larger gaps reduce the flow, while smaller gaps reduce the inductance. 2-D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations suggest that the current Z A-level MITL profile is close to optimum, in the sense of minimizing the flow for its total inductance. For ZR, operating at ~40% higher voltage and ~30% higher current, the decision was made to limit the flow into the convolute to be no larger than on Z today. Time-accurate simulations, with a Z-pinch load, show that profiles based on Z, but with 20% larger gaps meet this condition. It does not appear to be possible to meet the flow limitation without this increase in inductance.
The primordial high energy compound: ATP or inorganic pyrophosphate?

The pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase (PPi-PFK) of Entamoeba histolytica displays a millionfold preference for inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) over ATP (calculated as the ratio ofk cat/K m). The introduction of a single mutation by site-directed mutagenesis changes its preference from PPi to ATP. The single mutant has an 8-fold preference for ATP whereas a related double mutant shows a preference exceeding 10,000-fold. The results suggest the presence of a latent nucleotide binding site aligned for a catalytic role in PPi-PFK. It is proposed that the ancestral PFK was an ATP-dependent enzyme and that PPi-PFKs are a later evolving adaptation.
Fuel provision for nonbreeding deuterium-tritium fusion reactors

Nontritium-breeding D-T reactors have decisive advantages in minimum size, unit cost, variety of applications, and ease of heat removal over reactors using any other fusion cycle, and significant advantages in environmental and safety characteristics over breeding D-T reactors. Considerations of relative energy production demonstrate that the most favorable source of tritium for a widely deployed system of nontritium-breeding D-T reactors is the very large (∼10 GW thermal) semicatalyzed-deuterium (SCD), or sub-SCD reactor, where none of the escaping3He (> 95%) or tritium (< 25%) is reinjected for burn-up. Feasibility of the ignited SCD tokamak reactor requires spatially averaged betas of 15 to 20% with a magnetic field at the TF coils of 12–13 T.
Estimating Updraft Velocity from an Airplane Response

Abstract Airplanes have been used to estimate the magnitude and shape of thunderstorm updrafts by assuming that the airplane follows the updraft when the thrust, mass and pitch angle are held constant. This assumption is shown to be satisfactory, using simplified airplane equations of motion, for a Beechcraft Queen Air and a North American T-28, if the updraft is large with respect to the contribution of the drift of the pitch angle reference to the airplane vertical velocity. For thunderstorms, where updrafts >8 m s−1 with a diameter of ∼3 km are expected, the airplanes should follow the updraft closely enough that a “smooth” updraft profile can be distinguished from a “top hat” profile. The contribution to the vertical airplane velocity from horizontal wind variations is less than 20% of the horizontal wind variation if the pitch angle is held constant. If, instead, the airspeed is held constant, the contribution to the vertical airplane velocity would be as much as 100% of the horizontal wind variation...
Comparing the Slaking of Clay-Bearing Rocks Under Laboratory Conditions to Slaking Under Natural Climatic Conditions

The objective of this study was to compare the laboratory slaking behavior of common clay-bearing rocks to their slaking behavior under natural climatic conditions observed during a 1-year experimental study. Five-cycle slake durability tests were performed in the laboratory on five claystones, five mudstones, five siltstones, and five shales. Twelve replicate specimens of each of these 20 rocks were also exposed to natural climatic conditions for 12 months. After each month of exposure, one replicate specimen of each rock was removed from natural exposure and its grain size distribution was determined. The results of laboratory tests and field experiment were compared in terms of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th cycle slake durability indices (Id1, Id2, Id3, Id4, Id5), grain size distribution of slaked material, and disintegration ratio (D R), where D R is the ratio of the area under the grain size distribution curve of slaked material for a given specimen to the total area encompassing all grain size distribution curves of the specimens tested. Correlations of Id1, Id2, Id3, Id4, and Id5 with D R values for laboratory specimens exhibit R 2 values of 0.87, 0.88, 0.83, 0.75, and 0.70, respectively. However, the relationship between Id2 and D R, determined after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of natural exposure, becomes weaker with increasing time of exposure, with R 2 values of 0.65, 0.63, 0.63, and 0.25, respectively. The fifth-cycle slake durability index (Id5) for laboratory tested specimens shows a better correlation with D R values for naturally exposed specimens (R 2 up to 0.80). A comparison of grain size distribution curves of slaked material for laboratory specimens, after the 2nd cycle slake durability test, with those of specimens exposed to natural climatic conditions shows that the laboratory test underestimates the field durability for claystones, and overestimates it for siltstones.
Multiple simultaneous determinations of hemodynamics and flow distribution in conscious rat

A method for multiple simultaneous determinations of cardiocirculatory dynamics, regional blood flow, and total cardiac output distribution in the conscious rat preparation is described. The preparation allows for intravenous administration of agents and can be performed on animals either at rest or during treadmill exercise. Instrumentation procedures involve placement of fluid-filled catheters in the left ventricle, right atria, right jugular vein, and caudal artery. Left ventricular pressures are recorded via a modified 4F Millar transducer-tipped manometer containing a 10-cm extension of fluid-filled PE 50 placed into the left ventricle via the right carotid artery. Radionuclide-labeled microspheres (15 +/- 5 mu) are injected into the left ventricle through the fluid-filled PE 50 at selected times for determination of cardiac output and regional blood flows using the caudal artery catheter as the source of the reference blood sample. Details and selected validation data for procedures involving anesthesia, instrumentation, recovery from anesthesia, data gathering, and data analysis are presented. Emphasis is placed on the procedures required for use of the radioactive microsphere technique in this model with special attention given to quality control of the microsphere stock, counting procedures, and computer analysis of these data.
Is inbreeding depression more severe in a stressful environment

Successful reintroduction of endangered species depends in part on their ability to respond to changing environmental conditions. Population genetics theory suggests that inbred populations lacking genetic variability may be unable to respond effectively to environmental stress. There have been very few studies designed explicitly to investigate the phenomenon of inbreeding depression under environmental stress, particularly in the context of conservation genetics. Three separate experiments using Drosophita melanogaster were designed to explore this issue. No increase in the magnitude of inbreeding depression was detected in laboratory lines subjected to three generations of continuous full-sib mating under temperature stress (28"C), lead stress (medium contaminated with 400 ppm Pb), or a combination of these stresses. Individual isofemale lines from a different population, however, did show significant increases in inbreeding depression when exposed to temperature stress for one generation of full-sib mating following three generations of full-sib inbreeding at 25°C. Further, chromosome-2 homozygotes showed, on average, a significant increase in inbreeding depression under lead stress when in competition with corresponding chromosome-2 heterozygotes compared to the same lines in a benign environment. Taken together, these results suggest that inbreeding depression is more severe under conditions of environmental stress and is more likely to be realized in an inter- or intraspecific competitive situation as can be experienced in the wild. Therefore, it is likely that reduced genetic variability through inbreeding is a much greater problem for recently reintroduced populations than it is for populations in a relatively benign zoo environment. 0 1994 Wiley-Lisa. Inc.
Optical Characterization of Polycrystalline Diamond Films

Infrared transmission reflection and scatter of freestanding polycrystallin diamond films have been measured. Raman spectra have also been obtained. Films with microcrystalline as well as (1 1 1 ) and (1 00) faces exposed are compared using scanning electron microg raphs . Altered gas mixtures anc temperature of substrate cause changes in surface microstructure and will bE discussed in regard to the effect on optical properties. 1 .© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reducing aliasing artifacts through resampling

Post-processing antialiasing methods are well suited for deferred shading because they decouple antialiasing from the rest of graphics pipeline. In morphological methods, the final image is filtered with a data-dependent filter. The filter coefficients are computed by analyzing the non-local neighborhood of each pixel. Though very simple and efficient, such methods have intrinsic quality limitations due to spatial undersampling and temporal aliasing. We explore an alternative formulation in which filter coefficients are computed locally for each pixel by supersampling geometry, while shading is still done only once per pixel.During pre-processing, each geometric subsample is converted to a single bit indicating whether the subsample is different from the central one. The ensuing binary mask is then used in the post-processing step to retrieve filter coefficients, which were precomputed for all possible masks. For a typical 8 subsamples, it results in a sub-millisecond performance, while improving the image quality by about 10 dB.To compare subsamples, we use a novel symmetric angular measure, which has a simple geometric interpretation. We propose to use this measure in a variety of applications that assess the difference between geometric samples (rendering, mesh simplification, geometry encoding, adaptive tessellation).
Phonological facilitation effects on naming latencies and viewing times during noun and verb naming in agrammatic and anomic aphasia.

Background: Phonological priming has been shown to facilitate naming in individuals with aphasia, as well as healthy speakers, resulting in faster naming latencies. However, the mechanisms of phonological facilitation (PF) in aphasia remain unclear.Aims: Within discrete vs. interactive models of lexical access, this study examined whether PF occurs via the sub-lexical or lexical route during noun and verb naming in agrammatic and anomic aphasia.Methods & Procedures: Thirteen participants with agrammatic aphasia and 10 participants with anomic aphasia and their young and age-matched controls (n = 20/each) were tested. Experiment 1 examined noun and verb naming deficit patterns in an off-line confrontation naming task. Experiment 2 examined PF effects on naming both word categories using eyetracking priming paradigm.Outcomes & Results: Results of Experiment 1 showed greater naming difficulty for verbs than for nouns in the agrammatic group, with no difference between the two word categories in the anomic gr...
NADPH oxidase is required for the Sensory Plasticity of the Carotid body by Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia

Respiratory motoneuron response to hypoxia is reflex in nature and carotid body sensory receptor constitutes the afferent limb of this reflex. Recent studies showed that repetitive exposures to hypoxia evokes long term facilitation of sensory nerve discharge (sLTF) of the carotid body in rodents exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). Although studies with anti-oxidants suggested the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated signaling in eliciting sLTF, the source of and the mechanisms associated with ROS generation have not yet been investigated. We tested the hypothesis that ROS generated by NADPH oxidase (NOX) mediate CIH-evoked sLTF. Experiments were performed on ex vivo carotid bodies from rats and mice exposed either to 10 d of CIH or normoxia. Acute repetitive hypoxia evoked a approximately 12-fold increase in NOX activity in CIH but not in control carotid bodies, and this effect was associated with upregulation of NOX2 mRNA and protein, which was primarily localized to glomus cells of the carotid body. sLTF was prevented by NOX inhibitors and was absent in mice deficient in NOX2. NOX activation by CIH required 5-HT release and activation of 5-HT(2) receptors coupled to PKC signaling. Studies with ROS scavengers revealed that H(2)O(2) generated from O(2).(-) contributes to sLTF. Priming with H(2)O(2) elicited sLTF of carotid bodies from normoxic control rats and mice, similar to that seen in CIH-treated animals. These observations reveal a novel role for NOX-induced ROS signaling in mediating sensory plasticity of the carotid body.
Linearized gravitational waves in nonlocal general relativity

We investigate gravitational radiation in the linear approximation within the framework of the recent nonlocal generalization of Einstein's theory of gravitation. In this theory, nonlocality can simulate dark matter; in fact, in the Newtonian regime, we recover the phenomenological Tohline-Kuhn approach to modified gravity. To account for the observational data regarding the rotation curves of spiral galaxies, nonlocality is associated with a characteristic length scale of order ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}=10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{kpc}$. It follows that in nonlocal gravity, the treatment of extremely low-frequency ($\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}$) gravitational waves with wavelengths of order ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}$ would be quite different than in general relativity. However, for radiation of frequency $\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}$, which is the frequency range that is the focus of current observational searches, the corresponding wavelengths are very small compared to ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}$. We find that in this frequency regime the nonlocal deviations from general relativity essentially average out and can be safely neglected in practice.
Interfacial Mass Flux at 11-Mercaptoundecanoic Acid Linked Nanoparticle Assembly on Electrodes

Thin films derived from nanocrystal cores and functionalized linkers provide a large surface area-to-volume ratio and three-dimensional ligand framework. This paper describes the results of an inve...
Durability assessment of high-performance concrete with SRAs and FLWAs

Abstract The use of pre-wetted fine lightweight aggregate (FLWA) and shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRAs) have been shown as effective means to reduce deleterious effects of autogenous and in limited studies, drying shrinkage in concrete. However, minimal research has been done on the durability performance of concretes made with these materials. In this study, freeze–thaw resistance, permeability, and restrained drying shrinkage of high-performance concrete (HPC) were determined. Two methods to reduce shrinkage, pre-wetted FLWA and SRAs, were studied. In mixtures containing either shrinkage reducing method, similar freeze thaw performance could be achieved with an adequate air void system when compared to the control mixture. The addition of FLWA and SRAs also reduced the permeability of HPC by 23% according to ASTM C1202. Furthermore, time to cracking in the restrained ring test (ASTM C1581) was prolonged in both shrinkage mitigation techniques.
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha is a phosphoprotein: regulation by insulin.

Abstract Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily implicated in adipocyte differentiation. The observations that PPAR alpha is a regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and that the insulin-sensitizing thiazolidinediones are ligands for PPAR gamma suggest that cross-talk might exist between insulin signaling and PPAR activity, possibly through insulin-induced PPAR phosphorylation. Immunoprecipitation of endogenous PPAR alpha from primary rat adipocytes prelabeled with [32P]-orthophosphate and pretreated for 2 h with vanadate and okadaic acid demonstrated for the first time that PPAR alpha is a phosphoprotein in vivo. Treatment with insulin induced a time-dependent increase in PPAR phosphorylation showing a 3-fold increase after 30 min. Insulin also increased the phosphorylation of human PPAR alpha expressed in CV-1 cells. These changes in phosphorylation were paralleled by enhanced transcriptional activity of PPAR alpha and gamma. Transfection studies in CV-1 cells and HepG2 cells revealed a nearly 2-fold increase of PPAR activity in the presence of insulin. In contrast, insulin had no effect on the transcriptional activity of transfected thyroid hormone receptor in CV-1 cells, suggesting a PPAR-specific effect. Thus, insulin stimulates PPAR alpha phosphorylation and enhances the transcriptional activity of PPAR, suggesting that the transcriptional activity of this nuclear hormone receptor might be modulated by insulin-mediated phosphorylation.
Designs with Redeeming Social Aspects for Evenings of Social Bridge

Commonly when a hostess prepares to have guests for a social evening of bridge, one of the first things she does is to purchase a set of "tally" cards for recording the guests' individuial scores. These tallies also indicate possible arrangements for the number of guests, say eight. The arrangements given are generally presented in such a way that over a sufficient number of rounds all players will have as their partner every other player. Recognizing that in a social game time may not permit such a complete matching of partners, possible alternate designs that have some interesting features of their own are examined. This article will discuss nine such designs. Others who have worked on such designs are invited to comment on these and suggest additional designs for this problem. The designs to be presented deal with 8, 12, or 16 players. In some instances they will be best for couples, husband and wife for instance, in others, individual play is best used. The balanced designs suggested are all given in Cochran and Cox [3]. The partially balanced designs can be found in Bose, Clatworthy, and Shrikhande [2]. The designs are presented for just their social qualities. Their value in selecting the "best" player or players has not been determined as yet. Bose and Cameron [1] have discussed the construction of designs for tournament play in which each player has every other player as his partner X1 times and plays against every other player X2 times. Specifically, they discuss four series of minimal designs, where the number of players, v, is 4t, 4t + 1, 4t + 2, 4t + 3, where Xi = 1, 2 = 2 and X1 = 2, X2 = 4.
Selenium deficiency and protein, RNA and DNA synthesis in rat pancreas and liver.

SummaryRats on a selenium-deficient torula yeast diet containing 100 mg Vitamin E/kg compared to a similar diet with 0.5 ppm selenium as sodium selenite do not show any decrease in protein, RNA and DNA synthesis in the pancreas or liver. The gross depression and change of pancreatic enzymes found in the chick on selenium-deficient diet were not apparent in the rat on a selenium-deficient diet.
Obtaining Absorptive Line Shapes in Two-Dimensional Infrared Vibrational Correlation Spectra

Absorptive line shapes in two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) vibrational spectra are important for an intuitive interpretation of molecular structure and dynamics. We obtain an absorptive 2D IR correlation spectrum by summing complementary spectra from experiments sampling vibrational coherences that oscillate with conjugate frequencies in the initial evolution time period. The 2D correlation spectrum of a coupled vibrational system reveals certain spectral features with tilted line shapes that are explained in terms of unequal contributions of Liouville-space pathways.
Medieval Irish saints' lives: an introduction to vitae sanctorum hiberniae

(1994). Medieval Irish saints' lives: an introduction to vitae sanctorum hiberniae. History of European Ideas: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 296-298.
Reactivity of oxidized oligothiophenes substituted with methoxy and thioalkyl groups

Abstract α-Oligothiophenes with one to five rings, substituted with β-methoxy groups and terminated with either (2-hydroxyethyl)thio ( 1–5 ) or (2-acetoxyethyl)thio groups ( 1a–5a ) were synthesized. Cyclic voltammetry, coulometry and vis spectroscopy were used to investigate the reactivity of the cation radicals and dications. The cation radicals, even the ‘monothiophene cation radical’ 3-methoxy-2,5-bis(hydroxyethylthio)thiophene ( 1 1+ ), were somewhat stable in acetonitrile. The dications of the acetoxy derivatives 2a–5a were also stable on this time scale. Dications 1a 2+ and 1 2+ – 5 2+ were not stable. The instability of 2 2+ – 5 2+ is attributed to an intramolecular reaction between the terminal hydroxy groups and the oxidized thiophene units. This reaction led to the isolation of an unusual spiro product from a preparative scale oxidation of bithiophene 2 . Several of the cation radicals precipitated on the electrode surface. The unusual shape of the voltammograms which resulted was investigated, and evidence for the formation of two different salts, one fully oxidized and one mixed valence, was obtained.
Social isolation risk factors in older hospitalized individuals.

Abstract Background Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social reduction, so there is an urgent need to identify the risks associated with social isolation. The aim of this paper was to analyze associations between psychological, socio-demographic, functional aspects on the risk of social isolation, mortality and re-hospitalization in older persons. Methods This is a longitudinal study on 580 hospitalized elderly sample aged ≥70 yrs recruited from 2005 to 2007 in the Geriatrics Operative Unit of INRCA in Fermo, Italy. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was used. Outcome measures included 36-month mortality and re-hospitalization. Results In all patients, approximately 20% (n = 112) of the subjects were socially isolated. Women perceived their social support significantly worse than men (77.7 vs. 22.3%; p Conclusions Our findings highlight several aspects related to the risk of social isolation and re-hospitalization in a specific group of older persons.
Renal response of ethanol-treated dogs to increased filtered loads of sodium, bicarbonate, and chloride☆

Twenty, male, mongrel dogs were given either 3 g/kg (33% vv solution) of ethanol or an isovolumetric quantity of water by oral intubation. Sixteen hours later the animals were anesthetized and after a control renal clearance, infused with either a hypertonic sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate solution for an additional three clearance periods. The rate of infusion of solutions was increased progressively prior to each of the next periods. At each new rate, 45 min was permitted for equilibration before the clearance period. The hypertonic NaCl infusion produced similar increases in GFR, the filtered loads of Na and Cl, and the excretory rates of Na and Cl in both the water and ethanol groups. Although the hypertonic NaHCO3 infusion produced equal increases in GFR and filtered loads of Na and HCO3, there were dissimilar increases in Na and HCO3 excretions. Sodium excretion increased by 17.1 ± 1.1 μeq/min/kg and percentage reabsorption decreased by 3.5 ± 0.3% in the water group while in the ethanol group, UNa · V increased by 10.0 ± 1.4 μeq/min/kg (p < 0.01) and %RNa decreased by 1.9 ± 0.2% (p < 0.01). In the ethanol group, bicarbonate excretion increased by 8.1 ± 1.3 μeq/min/kg and in the water group by 12.3 ± 1.1 μeq/min/kg (p < 0.05). The reduction in %RHCO3 was significantly less in the ethanol group in comparison to the water group (8.1 ± 1.0 vs 12.1 ± 0.8%). Known effectors of sodium bicarbonate reabsorption, i.e., volume status, pCO2, potassium stores, and filtration rate were not different between groups. It is concluded that ethanol pretreatment ameliorated the depressant effect of the NaHCO3 infusion on tubular reabsorption.
Study of neutron-induced ionization in helium and argon chamber gases

Abstract We present studies of helium- and argon-filled ionization chambers exposed to intense neutron fluxes from PuBe neutron sources (En=1– 10 MeV ) . The sources emit about 108 neutrons per second. The number of ion pairs in the chamber gas volume per incident neutron is derived. While limited in precision because of a large gamma ray background from the PuBe sources, our results are consistent with the expectation that the neutrons interact purely elastically in the chamber gas.
A remarkable consistency in conformational preference for a series of 1,3-disubstituted-2,2-dimethylpropanes

Abstract 1 H NMR spectra at low temperature for five 1,3-disubstituted-2,2-dimethylpropanes reveal a strong preference for one molecular geometry (C 2 symmetry) which is qualitatively consistent with empirical force field calculations.
Fabrication of nano-island structures and application to solar cells

The improvement of photovoltaic performance using micro- and nano-sized scale manufacturing is discussed in this paper. The development and design of small structures for photovoltaic applications are the most challenging aspects in enhancing light absorption efficiency. We demonstrate novel methods that allow for more efficient and successful manufacture and improvement of absorption properties using a nano-particle spraying method and generation of nano-islands by making a thin film and heat treatment of the thin film. In the nano-particle spraying method, a solution which can disperse particles uniformly is sought. The nano-particles are sprayed on a typical polycrystalline silicon solar cell with an air brush gun, and then an intense pulsed light is irradiated onto the surface to cause surface driven diffusion to the nano-particles and form the nano-islands. The whole process was performed under dry and ambient conditions. The secondary method, generation of nano-islands was achieved to improve the uniformity of scattered nanostructures. A deposition process, evaporation and sputtering under vacuum, is used to manufacture the metallic thin films with 10~30 nm thickness, and thermal treatment provides surface energy so that uniform nano-sized islands are generated. Both methods are verified through the improvement of light absorption and short circuit current density – an improvement of 14.8% and 17.1%, respectively. The simulated model verified the enhancement of light absorption under the range of the solar spectrum and the absorption profile into the photoactive layer.
Machine-readable data files of government publications

Abstract Because government-produced data files are becoming a very important information resource, this column will be published on a quarterly basis. Future columns will deal with reference tools, specific data files, groups of files and user applications. User contributions are solicited and will carry the name of the contributor.
The Plastic Compressibility of 7075.T651 Aluminum.Alloy Plate

The change in volume, and therefore the change in mass density, of an aluminum alloy was measured in uniaxial tension using clip-on extensometers. The experimental data do not agree with the assumption of plastic incompressibility found in the classical theories of plasticity. In fact, the elastic and plastic volume changes are of the same order of magnitude. Plastic anisotropy is thought to be the prime cause of this plastic compressibility.
Periodic Operators in High-Contrast Media and the Integrated Density of States Function

ABSTRACT This paper studies the asymptotic behavior for the integrated density of states function for operators associated with the propagation of classical waves in a high-contrast, periodic, two-component medium. Consider a domain Ω+ contained in the hypercube [0, 2π) n . We define a function χτ which takes the value 1 in Ω+ and the value τ in [0, 2π) n \ Ω+. We extend this setup periodically to ℝ n and define the operator L τ = −∇χτ ∇. As τ goes to infinity, it is known that the spectrum of L τ exhibits a band-gap structure and that the spectral density accumulates at the upper endpoints of the bands. We establish the existence and some important properties of a rescaled integrated density of states function in the large coupling limit which describes the non-trivial asymptotic behavior of this spectral accumulation.