cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Temperature Profiling System Provides Spatially Dense Measurements and Insights about Permafrost Distribution in an Arctic Watershed

Abstract. Soil temperature has been recognized as a property that strongly influences a myriad of hydro-biogeochemical processes, as well as containing important information on the properties modulating the soil thermal flux. In spite of its importance, our ability to acquire soil temperature data with high spatial and temporal resolution and coverage is limited, because of the high cost of equipment, the difficulties of deployment, and the complexities of data management. Here we propose a new strategy that we call Distributed Temperature Profiling (DTP), which consists of cheap, low-impact, low-power, vertically resolved temperature probes that independently and autonomously record soil temperature. We developed a prototype DTP system for characterizing and monitoring near-surface thermal properties, using an unprecedented number of laterally and vertically distributed temperature measurements. The DTP system was tested in an Arctic ecosystem near Nome, AK, to identify near-surface permafrost distribution and various thermal regimes in a discontinuous permafrost environment during the summer time. Results show that the DTP system enabled successful acquisition of vertically resolved profiles of summer soil temperature over the top 0.8 m at numerous locations. DTP also enabled high resolution identification and lateral delineation of near-surface permafrost locations from surrounding zones with no permafrost or deep permafrost table locations overlain by a perennially thawed layer. The DTP strategy overcomes some of the limitations associated with – and complements the strengths of – borehole-based soil temperature sensing as well as Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (FO-DTS) approaches. Combining DTP data with co-located topographic and vegetation maps obtained using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) data allowed us to identify correspondences between surface and subsurface property distribution, and in particular between topography, vegetation, shallow soil properties, and near-surface permafrost. Finally, the results highlight the considerable value of the newly developed DTP strategy for investigating the significant variability and complexity of subsurface thermal and hydrological regimes in discontinuous permafrost regions.
Han Chinese Representations of South Sea Merchants in Song China

For a period of seven hundred years, the port cities of China played host to long-lasting communities of foreign maritime merchants who came from across the vast expanse of maritime Asia. Using the writings of Chinese officials and literati, it is also possible to offer some observations concerning how these merchant communities interacted with and were perceived by their Chinese hosts during the Song dynasty (960–1279). This paper focuses on accounts from Guangzhou and Quanzhou, the two most popular ports for those from the South Seas, and finds that there was a remarkable degree of tolerance for them among official and literati writers. Wealthy merchants might be faulted for their great wealth, but not for their physical features, customs, dress, or religion. This was a reflection of their non-threatening presence and their relative integration into port society, and also of an apparent lack of curiosity about them among the Chinese elites.
TPACK-Based Professional Development on Web 2.0 for Spanish Teachers: A Case Study.

The topic of this study is professional development (PD) on Web 2.0 technologies for foreign language teachers and integration of these tools into the language classroom. This research explored the...
Trends and Racial Differences in First Hospitalization for Stroke and 30-Day Mortality in the US Medicare Population From 1988 to 2013.

PURPOSE The main purpose of this study was to determine whether there were temporal differences in the rates of first stroke hospitalizations and 30-day mortality after stroke between black and white Medicare enrollees. METHODS We used a 20% sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older and described the annual rate of first hospitalization for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes from years 1988 to 2013, as well as 30-day mortality after stroke hospitalization. We used linear tests of trend to determine whether stroke rates changed over time, and tested the interaction term between race and year to determine whether trends differed by race. RESULTS We identified 1,009,057 incident hospitalizations for ischemic strokes and 147,817 for hemorrhagic strokes. Annual stroke hospitalizations decreased significantly over time for both blacks and whites, and in both stroke subtypes (P-values for all trend <0.001). Reductions in stroke rates were comparable between blacks and whites: among men, the odds ratio for the interaction term for race by year was 1.008 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.004-1.012] for ischemic and 1.002 (95% CI, 0.999-1.004) for hemorrhagic; for women, it was 1.000 (95% CI, 0.997-1.004) for ischemic and 1.003 (95% CI, 1.001-1.006) for hemorrhagic. Both black men and women experienced greater improvements over time in terms of 30-day mortality after strokes. CONCLUSIONS Rates of incident hospitalizations for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes fell significantly over a 25-year period for both black and white Medicare enrollees. Black men and women experienced greater improvements in 30-day mortality after both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Neurobehavioral Effects of Local Anesthesia and Fetal Resuscitation

The Apgar score has been the traditional and the most frequently used criterion for assessing the well-being of the newborn and the effects of obstetric medication until the recent development of neonatal neurobehavioral assessments. While the Apgar score is an excellent screening test for vital functions during the first minutes of life, the subtle effects of drugs are likely to be overlooked. As a predictor of normal neurologic development, it is a crude tool. Many drugs used in obstetrics that were believed to have no effect on the newborn when evaluated by the Apgar score have been found to have discrete influences when neurobehavioral testing is performed. The Scanlon Early Neonatal Neurobehavioral Scale (ENNS) was the first screening evaluation clinically applicable, easy, rapid, and inexpensive to perform, while having a high inter-observer reliability (>85%). Recently, Amiel-Tison, Barrier and Shnider have devised a scoring system (ABS) to determine adaptive capacity and evaluate neurologic function in full-term infants. The ABS system is quicker than other examinations, puts more emphasis on neonatal tone, and does not use noxious stimuli. Preliminary results indicate that this examination is sensitive and has high inter-observer reliability. However, there are no long-term studies available to determine if the findings on a screening neurobehavioral examination have a significant correlation with later mental and neurologic development of the newborn. Maternal hypotension has been shown to produce neurobehavioral changes and biochemical alterations in the newborn secondary to aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus alone or in conjunction with major regional anesthesia. Short periods of hypotension (
Drought response of urban trees and turfgrass using airborne imaging spectroscopy

Abstract Vegetation growth and physiological functioning, including carbon uptake and transpiration, can be strongly affected by drought. During water-limited conditions, urban vegetation may be limited in its ability to provide ecosystem services, such as shading and evaporative cooling. While there has been extensive research on drought response in natural vegetation and agricultural systems using remote sensing, drought impacts on urban vegetation have remained understudied. With >50% of people worldwide living in cities and the increased potential for future droughts, it is important to understand how urban vegetation will respond and to evaluate potential impacts. Here, we used repeat flights of NASA airborne imaging spectroscopy (AVIRIS and AVIRIS-NG) to quantify the responses of common urban tree species and turfgrass in downtown Santa Barbara, California, USA to the 2012–2016 California drought. The effects of the drought on vegetation were quantified using several spectral indicators: fractional cover from multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA), vegetation indices, and continuum removed absorption features. We used existing tree crown object polygons that were classified to species and had associated estimates of pre-drought leaf area index and biomass. We also included polygons of turfgrass parks and recreational fields. All tree species and turfgrass had four or more spectral indicators with significantly lower mean values (p 0.4), suggesting co-occuring adjustments of greenness, water content, and plant pigments.
MAP Train My Brain: Meditation Combined with Aerobic Exercise Reduces Stress and Rumination While Enhancing Quality of Life in Medical Students

Medical students must commit a great deal of concentration and energy during their first 2 years of study, leaving minimal time for self-care. However, once they become physicians, they are in the ...
Women with a substance use disorder: Treatment completion, pregnancy, and compulsory treatment

Over the last several decades, research regarding substance use treatment programs has focused on the unique and differential outcomes of male and female illicit substance users. Research less frequently examines the unique individual and contextual factors that may influence treatment outcomes. One such population that merits special consideration is pregnant women, as substance use within this population has deleterious effects for both the women and their unborn children. The current study employs propensity score matching to determine if pregnancy and referral source to treatment affect treatment program outcomes. Findings suggest that pregnant women, compared to similarly situated nonpregnant women, are significantly less likely to complete substance use treatment; however, pregnant women who were referred to treatment by the criminal justice system were significantly more likely to complete treatment than those who entered treatment by other referral sources.
To Intubate or Not to Intubate: Asking the Right Questions

An elderly woman with end-stage dementia is short of breath. Nonbeneficial treatment options are not offered. Goals of care and thoughtful recommendations help guide this patient and her family through the last stage of her illness.
Developing context-specific safety performance functions for Florida intersections to more accurately predict intersection crashes

Safety performance functions (SPFs) are vital tools used to predict and reduce intersection crashes. Because SPFs developed in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) only use data from certain states, sev...
The Piney Branch site (District of Columbia, U.S.A.) and the significance of the quarry-refuse model for the interpretation of lithics sites

In the 1870s the amateur archaeologist Dr Charles Abbott discovered roughly-flaked bifacial artefacts that he called “paleoliths” near Trenton, New Jersey, which he claimed were artefact types similar to Lower Palaeolithic handaxes being found in western Europe at that time. This interpretation gave rise to what has been called the Great Palaeolithic War, a debate in the United States about the existence of an “American Palaeolithic” that only ended in 1890 when the archaeologist William H. Holmes from the Smithsonian Institution excavated the Piney Branch lithics site in Washington D.C.. On the basis of the bifacial reduction sequence that he reconstructed from the lithics excavated at Piney Branch, Holmes argued that any resemblance of paleoliths to Lower Palaeolithic handaxes was accidental. Holmes believed that paleoliths were discarded elements from the sequential reduction of stone nodules (which he called the “Progressive Series”) by recent American Indian knappers during the manufacture of projectile points. In other words, the Trenton paleoliths, and by implication similar roughly-flaked bifaces, were nothing more than quarry refuse (or “waste”). Since Holmes’ day the quarry-refuse model for the interpretation of large roughly-flaked bifacial implements as “waste” and not artefact types used in other activities, particularly for lithics sties in the arid western regions of the US, has been applied at times without adequate bridging arguments. A review of Holmes’ interpretation of the Piney Branch evidence suggests that his quarry-refuse model, even when applied to Piney Branch, required numerous untested assumptions, and that the model may inadvertently obscure a range of other prehistoric activities not strictly related to quarrying and knapping. As a consequence, the application of the quarry-refuse model today to lithics sites found in North America without careful examination may also fail to identify the complete range of cultural activity at those sites, and should be applied to lithics sites only with due caution and the testing of alternative hypotheses.
Introduction: Echoes of Refusal

The Introduction outlines the feelings of frustration and anger that have circulated in American political and popular culture during the first decades of the 2000s. This chapter argues that these feelings have formed a constellation of emotions revolving around a fantasy of refusing the entirety of the political and economic systems. The successful presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump is shown as exploiting these feelings. This chapter suggests the need to explore the way these feelings have circulated throughout popular cinema by tracing the affective echo of deep-seated political and cultural frustrations.
A Comparison of Statistical Process Control and Engineering Process Control

(1997). A Comparison of Statistical Process Control and Engineering Process Control. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 128-130.
Metastasis of Malignant Melanoma to Urinary Bladder: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Aims. Metastatic malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder is a rare clinical entity, with only twenty-three published cases to date. We present a case of this rare entity, a thorough review of the literature, and differential diagnosis of melanoma in the bladder. Methods and Results. A 55-year-old woman with a history of malignant melanoma of the right thigh, excised eight years ago, presented with back pain, fatigue, and hematuria. She underwent computed tomography (CT) scan and was found to have metastases within the liver, spleen, lungs, and urinary bladder. She underwent cystoscopy and transurethral resection of three polypoid lesions. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination revealed metastatic malignant melanoma involving bladder mucosa. Conclusions. This case illustrates the importance of including malignant melanoma in the differential diagnosis of high grade neoplasms of bladder, especially in cases where the relevant clinical history is not available.
Trust Management and Trust Negotiation in an Extension of SQL

Security policies of large organizations cannot be expressed in the access control policy language defined by the SQL standard and provided by widely used relational database systems, because that language does not support the decentralized policies that are common in large organizations. Trust management frameworks support decentralized policies but generally have not been designed to integrate conveniently with databases. This paper describes a trust management framework for relational databases. Specifically, this paper describes a SQL-based policy language with support for certificate discovery and trust negotiation, a portable system architecture, and a large case study based on an existing realistic policy for electronic health records.
Attitudes and Practices Regarding Analgesia for Newborn Circumcision

Study objective. To determine attitudes regarding routine use of analgesia for newborn circumcision among primary care physicians in southwestern Ontario. Design. Questionnaire survey conducted among all family physicians and pediatricians belonging to the London Academy of Medicine. The majority of pediatric primary care in this region is provided by family physicians. Setting. Metropolitan center in Southwestern Ontario. Respondents. A questionnaire was mailed to 279 physicians; 171 (61%) responded. Results. Seventy-four (43%) respondents performed circumcisions. Among physicians performing circumcisions, a minority (17; 24%) used any form of analgesia. The most commonly used analgesic (14; 20%) was oral ethanol. Only 3 (4%) physicians used dorsal penile nerve block. The most common reasons listed for not employing analgesia were lack of familiarity with analgesia use among neonates (56%), lack of familiarity with the technique of dorsal penile block (50%), and concern over adverse effects of analgesic drugs (49%) and regional analgesia (44%). Only a small minority of physicians (7; 12%) responded that they believe that neonates do not feel pain, and 20 (35%) believe that neonates do not remember pain. Conclusions. Despite evidence that neonates perceive pain and that there is a physiologic stress response to circumcision which can be reduced if analgesia is employed, the vast majority of physicians performing newborn circumcisions either do not employ analgesics or employ analgesics of questionable efficacy. Lack of familiarity with the use of analgesics among neonates and with dorsal penile block in particular are the most common reasons cited for lack of analgesic use. Educational efforts and research into less invasive techniques of analgesia for newborn circumcision are urgently required.
A framework for understanding the hydroecology of impacted wet meadows in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges, California, USA

Meadows of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains of California, USA, support diverse and highly productive wet-meadow vegetation dominated by sedges, rushes, grasses, and other herbaceous species. These groundwater–dependent ecosystems rely on the persistence of a shallow water table throughout the dry summer. Case studies of Bear Creek, Last Chance, and Tuolumne meadow ecosystems are used to create a conceptual framework describing groundwater–ecosystem connections in this environment. The water requirements for wet-meadow vegetation at each site are represented as a water-table-depth hydrograph; however, these hydrographs were found to vary among sites. Causes of this variation include (1) differences in soil texture, which govern capillary effects and availability of vadose water and (2) elevation-controlled differences in climate that affect the phenology of the vegetation. The field observations show that spatial variation of water-table depth exerts strong control on vegetation composition and spatial patterning. Groundwater-flow modeling demonstrates that lower hydraulic-conductivity meadow sediments, higher groundwater-inflow rates, and a higher ratio of lateral to basal-groundwater inflow all encourage the persistence of a high water table and wet-meadow vegetation, particularly at the margin of the meadow, even in cases with moderate stream incision.
Voice knowledge acquisition system for the management of cultural heritage

This document presents our work on a definition and experimentation of a voice interface for cultural heritage inventory. This hybrid system includes signal processing, natural language techniques and knowledge modeling for future retrieval. We discuss the first results and give some points on future work.
Involvement of extracytoplasmic function sigma factors in virulence regulation in Porphyromonas gingivalis W83.

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are known to play an important role in the bacterial response to various environmental stresses and can significantly modulate their pathogenic potential. In the genome of Porphyromonas gingivalis W83, six putative ECF sigma factors were identified. To further evaluate their role in this organism, a PCR-based linear transformation method was used to inactivate five ECF sigma factor genes (PG0162, PG0214, PG0985, PG1660, and PG1827) by allelic exchange mutagenesis. All five isogenic mutants formed black-pigmented colonies on blood agar. Mutants defective in PG0985, PG1660, and PG1827 genes were more sensitive to 0.25 mM of hydrogen peroxide compared with the wild-type strain. Isogenic mutants of PG0162 and PG1660 showed a 50% decrease in gingipain activity. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that there was no alteration in the expression of rgpA, rgpB, and kgp gingipain genes in these mutants. Hemolytic and hemagglutination activities were decreased by more than 50% in the PG0162 mutant compared with the wild type. Taken together, these findings suggest that ECF sigma factors can modulate important virulence factors in P. gingivalis. ECF sigma factors encoded by the PG0162 and PG1660 genes might also be involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of the gingipains.
Media relations and the Internet: how Fortune 500 company web sites assist journalists in news gathering

A content analysis of all 2001 Fortune 500 Company Web sites was conducted to determine how corporations are using the Web to meet the informational needs of journalists. Analyses revealed that the majority of Web sites do not have dedicated press rooms where media content is centralized. In press rooms, news releases, executive biographies and executive photographs are the most commonly included materials. Statistical analyses suggest that higher-ranking companies more often provide press rooms and materials in press rooms than lower-ranking companies.
Electric field suppression of ultracold confined chemical reactions

We consider ultracold collisions of polar molecules confined in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Using a quantum scattering formalism and a frame transformation method, we calculate elastic and chemical quenching rate constants for fermionic molecules. Taking {sup 40}K{sup 87}Rb molecules as a prototype, we find that the rate of quenching collisions is enhanced at zero electric field as the confinement is increased but that this rate is suppressed when the electric field is turned on. For molecules with 500 nK of collision energy, for realistic molecular densities, and for achievable experimental electric fields and trap confinements, we predict lifetimes for KRb molecules to be 1 s. We find a ratio of elastic to quenching collision rates of about 100, which may be sufficient to achieve efficient evaporative cooling of polar KRb molecules.
How Neurosecretory Vesicles Release Their Cargo

Neurons and related cell types often contain two major classes of neurosecretory vesicles, synaptic vesicles (SVs) and dense-core granules (DCGs), which store and release distinct cargo. SVs store and release classic neurotransmitters, which facilitate propagation of action potentials across the synaptic cleft, whereas DCGs transport, store, and release hormones, proteins, and neuropeptides, which facilitate neuronal survival, synaptic transmission, and learning. Over the past few years, there has been a major surge in our understanding of many of the key molecular mechanisms underlying cargo release from SVs and DCGs. This surge has been driven largely by the use of fluorescence microscopy (especially total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy) to visualize SVs or DCGs in living cells. This review highlights some of the recent insights into cargo release from neurosecretory vesicles provided by fluorescence microscopy, with emphasis on DCGs.
Gravitational perturbation of the hydrogen spectrum

The perturbations of the energy levels of a freely falling one-electron atom in an arbitrary external gravitational field are considered. The energy-level shifts are calculated to first order in the Riemann tensor for the relativistic $2{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ levels and the nonrelativistic $3S$, $3P$, and $3D$ levels. These and earlier results are evaluated explicitly for atoms in radial orbits of the Schwarzschild and parametrized post-Newtonian metrics and for atoms in circular orbits of the Schwarzschild metric. Highly excited Rydberg atoms are also discussed.
Effects of neutron irradiation and hydrogen on ductile-brittle transition temperatures of V-Cr-Ti alloys

The effects of neutron irradiation and hydrogen on the ductile- brittle transition temperatures (DBTTs) of unalloyed vanadium and V-Cr-Ti alloys were determined from Charpy-impact tests on 1/3 ASTM standard size specimens and from impact tests on 3-mm diameter discs. The tests were conducted on specimens containing <30 appm hydrogen and 600-1200 appm hydrogen and on specimens after neutron irradiation to 28-46 dpa at 420, 520, and 600C. The DBTTs were minimum (< {minus}220{degree}C) for V-(105)Ti alloys under for V-4-Cr-4Ti alloy with <30 appm hydrogen. The effect of 600-1200 appm hydrogen in the specimens was to raise the DBTTs by 100--150{degree}C. The DBTTs were minimum (< {minus}220{degree}C) for V-(1-5)Ti alloys and V-4-Cr-4Ti alloys after neutron irradiation.
Ab initio prediction of the gas- and solution-phase acidities of strong Brønsted acids: the calculation of pKa values less than -10.

The intrinsic gas-phase acidities of a series of 21 Bronsted acids have been predicted with G3(MP2) theory. The G3(MP2) results agree with high level CCSD(T)/CBS acidities for H2SO4, FSO3H, CH3SO3H, and CF3SO3H to within 1 kcal/mol. The G3(MP2) results are in excellent agreement with experimental gas-phase acidities in the range 342-302 kcal/mol to within <1 kcal/mol for 14 out of 15 acids. Five of the six acids in the range of 302-289 kcal/mol had an average deviation of 5.5 kcal/mol and the strongest acid, (CF3SO2)3CH, deviated by 15.0 kcal/mol. These high-level calculations strongly suggest that the experimental acidities in this very acidic part of the scale need to be remeasured. The CCSD(T)/CBS (mixed exponential Gaussian) additive approach for CH3CO2H, HNO3 ,H 2SO4 ,C H 3SO3H, FSO3H, and CF3SO3H gives excellent agreement ((1 kcal/mol) with experiment for the ¢Hf 0 ’s of non-sulfur containing species, and supports the low end of the experimental values for H2SO4 and FSO3H. Use of a larger basis set (aug-cc-pV5Z) in the CBS extrapolation improves the agreement with experiment for both H2SO4 and FSO3H. The G3(MP2) heats of formation for RSO3H molecules tend to be underestimated as compared to the CCSD(T)/CBS approach by 2.5-7.0 kcal/mol. COSMO solvation calculations were used to predict solution free energies and pKa values with pKa’s up to -17.4. Including the solvation of the proton gives good agreement with experimental pKa values in the very acidic regime, whereas it is less reliable for weaker acids. The use of CH 3CO2H and HNO3 as reference acids in the less acidic and more acidic regions of the scale, respectively, provided improved results to within ( 2p Ka units in nearly all cases ((3 kcal/mol accuracy).
A comparison of solid and liquid media for measuring the sensitivity of heat-injured Salmonella typhimurium to selenite and tetrathionate media, and the time needed to recover resistance

Sensitivity of heat-injured Salmonella typhimurium to selenite and tetrathionate media was measured by viable counts in liquid and on agar-solidified versions of these media and on nutrient media. All solid media, including the supposedly non-inhibitory nutrient agar, were more inhibitory to injured cells than the corresponding liquid media. Catalase or pyruvate increased counts on nutrient agar to the level obtained in nutrient broth. Therefore nutrient agar plus pyruvate was the most suitable reference medium against which to compare recoveries on other media. Although recoveries of injured cells varied widely depending on the composition and physical state of the medium, this had a minor effect on estimates of repair time because resistance to all selective media was regained by the end of the lag phase.
Hydergine revisited: A statistical analysis of studies showing efficacy in the treatment of cognitively impaired elderly

The pharmacologic treatment of dementia has received much attention in recent years. Hydergine, one of only two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of dementia, was largely abandoned in the 1980’s due to the uncertainty of its degree of clinical efficacy. The purpose of our study was to more precisely define the effect of Hydergine on cognitive function in elderly demented patients by combining the results of multiple weighted studies using similar methodology. All data came from randomized placebo controlled trials on a total of 271 subjects. Our results show that Hydergine had a statistically significant effect on global functional status compared to placebo, with the most significant improvement demonstrated on symptoms of depression, emotional lability, and indifference to surroundings. Further studies using Hydergine in the treatment of dementia appear to be justified.
Corticotropin-releasing factor antagonist reduces emotionality in socially defeated rats via direct neurotropic action.

Introduction of a socially naive male rat into the home territory of a resident counterpart results in agonistic interactions, leading to the rapid social defeat of the intruder. Exposure to the aggressive resident produces a stress-response profile consisting of neuroendocrine activation and coping behaviors such as submission. The present studies examined the dependence of these adaptive responses on endogenous brain Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF), a peptide hormone known to coordinate neuronally mediated- and pituitary-adrenal responses to stress. The Elevated Plus-Maze was employed as an animal model of emotionality in which stressors reduce subsequent exploration of open maze arms without walls in favor of enclosed maze arms. A CRF antagonist, alpha-hel CRF9-41, administered intracerebroventricularly (5 and 25 micrograms i.c.v.) immediately post-stress and 5 min prior to maze testing reversed the heightened emotionality produced by the resident exposure stressor. This action paralleled that of an anxiolytic dose of the short-acting benzodiazepine, midazolam (1.5 mg/kg i.p.). Intra-amygdaloid administration of lower doses of the CRF antagonist (125, 250 and 500 ng i.c.) also reversed, dose-dependently, the effect of exposure to an aggressive resident without altering the behavior of unstressed control animals. Further, the enhanced release of ACTH and corticosterone following social conflict was not modified over the short term by the intra-amygdaloid dose of CRF antagonist (250 ng i.c.) which was effective in reversing stress-induced hyper-emotionality. These results suggest that limbic system CRF substrates exert an anxiogenic effect on the exploratory behavior of socially defeated rats via a pituitary-adrenal-independent mechanism.
Energy metabolism in hypoxic astrocytes: protective mechanism of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate.

The protective effects of fructose-1,6-biphosphate (FBP) during hypoxia/ischemia are thought to result from uptake and utilization of FBP as a substrate for glycolysis or from stimulation of glucose metabolism. To test these hypotheses, we measumed CO2 and lactate production from [6-14C]glucose, [1-14C]glucose, and [U-14C]FBP in normoxic and hypoxic cultured astrocytes with and without FBP present. FBP had little effect on CO2 production by glycolysis, but increased CO2 production by the pentose phosphate pathway. Labeled FBP produced very small amounts of CO2. Lactate production from [1-, and 6-14C]glucose increased similarly during hypoxic hypoxia; the increase was independent of added FBP. Labeled lactate from [U-14C]FBP was minimal. We conclude that exogenous FBP is not used by astrocytes as a substrate for glycolysis and that FBP alters glucose metabolism.
The in vivo proconvulsant effects of corticotropin releasing hormone in the developing rat are independent of ionotropic glutamate receptor activation

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) produces age-dependent limbic seizures in the infant rat. Both the phenotype and the neuroanatomic matrix of CRH-induced seizures resemble the seizures induced by the rigid glutamate analogue, kainic acid (KA), and by rapid amygdala kindling. The experiments described in this study tested the hypothesis that the in vivo proconvulsant effects of CRH require activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Non-competitive (+MK-801) or competitive (CGP-39551) antagonists of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors decreased or eliminated the motor effects of CRH, but electrographic CRH-induced seizures were unaffected. Administration of CRH antagonists did not affect the acquisition or the maintenance of rapid kindling, which are mediated by NMDA and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptor activation, respectively. CRH receptor blockers failed to alter the latency or duration of seizures induced by activation of KA receptors, and threshold doses of CRH and KA had additive effects. CRH given repeatedly decreased the convulsant threshold dose of KA, probably via injury to hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that CRH and glutamate increase neuronal excitability via independent mechanisms. Because the proconvulsant effects of CRH are highly specific to the developmental period, glutamate-receptor-independent, CRH-receptor mediated excitation may account for some of the enhanced susceptibility to seizures during this period.
In vitro generated allospecific cytolytic T lymphocytes injure pancreatic islets.

Abstract The role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the rejection of pancreatic islet allografts remains poorly defined. The present study was designed to assess the ability of in vitro generated cytolytic T lymphocytes to produce allospecific functional and structural damage of mouse pancreatic islets. A mixed lymphocyte-islet coculture model (MLIC) has been developed, in which islets from DBA/2J mice (H-2 d ) stimulate the generation of allospecific cytolytic T lymphocytes (C57B1/6, H-2 b ), as measured by lysis of allospecific chromium-labeled tumor targets. Responder C57B1/6 splenocytes sensitized to DBA/2J islets were harvested from the MLIC on Day 5 and cocultured with either freshly isolated DBA/2J or B10.BR (H-2 K ) islets. Islet injury was determined by assessment of β cell function after 8 hr (as measured by insulin release in response to a glucose challenge) and islet destruction after 24 hr of coculture with the sensitized splenocytes. Whereas coculture of third party B10.BR islets with MLIC-sensitized C57B1/6 anti-DBA splenocytes had no effect on insulin release or structure, incubation of allospecific DBA/2J islets with these splenocytes resulted in inhibition of insulin release after 8 hr and disintegration of the islets by 24 hr. The depletion of MLIC-sensitized C57B1/6 anti-DBA splenocytes with anti-Lyt2 monoclonal antibody, but not anti-L3T4 monoclonal antibody, prevented the allospecific destruction of fresh islets by the splenocytes in culture. This study suggests that allospecific, cytotoxic T lymphocytes may play an important role in the effector mechanism of pancreatic islet allograft destruction.
Cytokinin content and tissue distribution in plants transformed by a reconstructed isopentenyl transferase gene

The cytokinin gene, isopentenyl transferase (ipt), was placed under the control of a heat-inducible promoter from the Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 gene and introduced into Nicotiana plumbaginifolia by cocultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transformants were analyzed for organ-specific expression, cytokinin levels and effects on plant development before and after heat induction. The ipt gene transcripts were detected in leaves and stems but not roots of transgenic plants following a 2 hour, 45 °C treatment. Maximum mRNA levels observed occurred 2 hours after heat treatment and 46 hours later were detected only in leaves. Zeatin and zeatinriboside concentrations 2 hours after heat shock ranged from over 900 to 2000 pmol/g, representing a greater than 140- to 200-fold increase over uninduced levels. After 46 hours, approximately 50% of the cytokinins are still present in the leaves as opposed to much reduced levels in the stems. Transgenic plants were greener, shorter, had an underdeveloped root system, reduced leaf width, and increased growth of axillary buds. After a single heat treatment, plants exhibited a darker green pigment and continued growth of lateral buds. Transient accumulations of endogenous cytokinins following thermal induction did not appear to alter the plant's preprogrammed pattern of differentiation.
Strength and Ductility Trends for Concrete Members Strengthened in Flexure with Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement

For reinforced concrete (RC) beams and slabs under-reinforced with steel and strengthened in flexure with carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs), the yield plateau is eliminated and post-yield flexural capacity increases linearly by elastic straining in the CFRP. At the ultimate flexural limit state, failure occurs by either concrete crushing or CFRP rupture. The consequence is an increase in strength and decrease in ductility. In this study, a parametric analysis is presented where strength and energy ratios are investigated as a function of existing steel and strengthening CFRP reinforcements. Both normal-strength and high-strength concretes are considered. A graphical representation showing the controlling strength limit state is developed. Strength and energy ratios for various service, yield, and ultimate limit state combinations show that strength increase and ductility loss are significantly affected by the amounts of steel and CFRP reinforcements. The ultimate-to-yield strength ratio increases rapidly with decreasing steel and CFRP reinforcements; consequently, the service strength approaches the yield strength. Ductility loss is nonlinear and inversely related to the amounts of steel and CFRP reinforcements. For the parameters considered, ductility relative to the unstrengthened condition was reduced between 35 and 93%.
Improved Reconstruction of Protolanguage Word Forms

We present an unsupervised approach to reconstructing ancient word forms. The present work addresses three limitations of previous work. First, previous work focused on faithfulness features, which model changes between successive languages. We add markedness features, which model well-formedness within each language. Second, we introduce universal features, which support generalizations across languages. Finally, we increase the number of languages to which these methods can be applied by an order of magnitude by using improved inference methods. Experiments on the reconstruction of Proto-Oceanic, Proto-Malayo-Javanic, and Classical Latin show substantial reductions in error rate, giving the best results to date.
The perils of polarization and religious parties: the democratic challenges of political fragmentation in Israel and Turkey

With their “deeply divided societies”, distinctive electoral rules and pivotal religious parties, Israeli and Turkish politics offer crucial cases to probe into “polarization” processes and the ways in which religious parties play a role in them. Using a large sample of public opinion and experimental survey data, the analysis shows how polarization can be marked by some contravening trends. Despite declining social trust, religious party supporters do not denounce any institutions categorically; yet disregard some opposing parties as viable political alternatives. The political positions of religious partisans differ from their party leadership. Supporters assign different levels of significance to polarizing issues and carry the potential of forming issue-based coalitions across different ideological groups. Although they acquire news and political information from different venues, most partisans tend to process factual information through partisan lenses, reinforcing partisan ideological commitments. ...
Land use development patterns along an interstate highway corridor: An exploratory case analysis

The existence of a corridor for consumer household shopping travel behavior relative to the Interstate System has previously been verified. However, whether a corridor develops, as measured in terms of investment response and commercial development, following Interstate construction is unknown. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine the investment response, if any, following the construction of an Interstate highway in one southeastern state. The basis for the research was personal interviews with all owners or managers of businesses established along a 100 mile section of Interstate highway. Based on the research, it seems questionable whether a development corridor based on investment response could be attributed to the Interstate. This article focuses on reasons for this assertion. The development which occurred was nodally related only to the interchanges along the System and to meetinthneeds of motorist travelers on the System.
A semiempirical study of CO2 elimination in cationic polymerization of cyclic carbonates

The reaction paths of 1,3-dioxan-2-one during cationic ring-opening polymerization have been explored by AM1 semiempirical calculations. A species evolution diagram has been established, and the propagation chain ends on the ether-oxygen of carbonyl functional groups have been identified as the species that ultimately lead to decarboxylation. Three measures were proposed to reduce the degree of decarboxylation based on theoretical calculations: increasing the monomer concentration; decreasing the solvent polarity; and altering the ring substituents so as to bypass the decarboxylation route. Experimental investigations on a number of substituted DOO (including 4-vinyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one and its derivatives) support this conclusion.
Online Learning Communities: Enhancing Undergraduate Students' Acquisition of Information Skills

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of online learning communities (OLC) on enhancing the undergraduate students' acquisition of information skills. OLC was compared with online tutorials and one-shot face-to-face sessions designed to facilitate students' information skill acquisition. Data were gathered through multiple sources: a pre-test and a post-test, focus groups, course discussion postings, and course emails. The ANOVA on the post-test revealed that there was significant statistical difference among different formats. The ad-hoc Tukey test revealed that the OLC was the most effective delivery format in terms of student's acquisition of information skills.
Eliminating disulfide exchange during glutamyl endopeptidase digestion of native protein.

Abstract Numerous advantages of using immobilized enzymes over free-solution protein digests have been cited in the literature. This investigation examines both the rate of hydrolysis and the extent of disulfide bond exchange in disulfide bridged dipeptide fragments formed during proteolysis of native protein. Gutamyl endopeptidase as both an immobilized enzyme and in free solution was used in these studies. It was found that extensive hydrolysis of insulin was achieved in 2 min with immobilized enzyme cartridges operated in the stopped-flow mode orders. This is orders of magnitude faster than was seen in free solution. Other advantages ranging from ease of use and reduction in sample size to the potential for automation were also noted with the immobilized enzyme cartridge. Normal free-solution proteolysis generally requires 12–24 h, based on the lower enzyme-to-substrate ratio in solution. A disturbing feature noted in these lengthy free-solution reactions was the tendency to form disulfide bridged peptide artifacts. This could lead to the erroneous conclusion that disulfide bonding in a sample was not that of the native protein. It is concluded that the advantage of immobilized enzymes over free-solution reactions will be most important in the pharmaceutical industry where proteolytic fragment “fingerprinting” of recombinant proteins is being used to confirm structure.
Social Reversal of Sex‐Biased Aggression and Dominance in a Biparental Cichlid Fish (Julidochromis marlieri)

In biparental species, aggression, dominance, and parental care are typically sexually dimorphic. While behavioral dimorphism is often strongly linked to gonadal sex, the environment—either social or ecological—may also influence sex-biased behavior. In the biparental cichlid fish Julidochromis marlieri, the typical social environment for breeding pairs consists of large females paired with smaller males. While both sexes are capable of providing territory defense and parental care, the larger female provides the majority of defense for the pair, while the smaller male remains in the nest guarding their offspring. We examine the contributions of sex and relative mate size to these sex-biased behaviors in monogamous J. marlieri pairs. Both female-larger and male-larger pairs were formed in the laboratory and were observed for territorial aggression (against conspecifics and heterospecifics), dominance, and parental care. In female-larger pairs, territorial aggression and intra-pair dominance were female-biased, while in male-larger pairs this bias was reversed. For both pairing types, the presence of an intruder amplified sex differences in territorial aggression, with the larger fish always attacking with greater frequency than its mate. Though less robust, there was evidence for plasticity of sex-bias for some egg care related behaviors in the inverse direction. Our study suggests that relative mate size strongly influences the sex bias of aggression and dominance in J. marlieri and that this aspect of the social environment can override the influence of gonadal sex on an individual's behavior. The remarkable plasticity of this species makes Julidochromis an exciting model that could be used to address the relationship between proximate and ultimate mechanisms of behavioral plasticity.
On the Physics of Seabed Logging over 3D Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

Summary We present numerical modeling of seabed logging (SBL) for 3-D hydrocarbon detection. We show that the SBL results for the 3-D reservoir are very sensitive to survey configuration. Three dimensional forward modeling and plotting of the fields and currents in the sub-seafloor sediments is helpful to optimize SBL survey configuration and understand its response.
Effects of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) on pituitary responsiveness to progesterone and LHRH in the hen, Gallus domesticus

Abstract Laying hens were primed once daily with either pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) or saline until spontaneous ovulations were suppressed (PMSG-treated birds) or for 5–7 days (controls). PMSG-primed hens and saline-primed hens were subsequently injected with vehicle, 500 μg progesterone or 20 μg [Arg 8 ]-LHRH. Twelve hr following the injection, PMSG-treated hens were found to lack a normal follicular hierarchy and to have a significantly greater number of follicles larger than 2.5 cm compared to saline-primed hens. Treatment with PMSG also increased basal plasma concentrations of estradiol-17β and decreased plasma LH compared to controls. Finally, challenge with progesterone or LHRH failed to either stimulate LH release or to overcome the ovulation-suppressing effect of PMSG. Results suggest that the action of PMSG in the hen can be attributed, at least in part, to the unresponsiveness of the pituitary to the normal LH-stimulating hormone(s).