cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of meiotic maturation in Xenopus oocytes by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate

Fully grown Xenopus oocytes are physiologically arrested at the G2/prophase border of the first meiotic division. Addition in vitro of progesterone or insulin causes release of the G2/prophase block and stimulates meiotic cell division of the oocyte, leading to maturation of the oocyte into an unfertilized egg. The possibility that the products of polyphosphoinositide breakdown, diacylglycerol and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate are involved in occyte maturation was investigated. Microinjection of IP/sub 3/ into oocytes just prior to addition of progesterone or insulin accelerated the rate of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) by up to 25%. Half-maximal acceleration occurred at an intracellular IP/sub 3/ concentration of 1 ..mu..M. Treatment of oocytes with the diacylglycerol analog and tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) induced GVBD in the absence of hormone. Half-maximal induction of GVBD occurred with 150 nM TPA and was blocked by pretreatment of oocytes with 10 nM cholera toxin. Microinjection of highly purified protein kinase C from rat brain oocytes did not induce maturation but markedly accelerated the rate of insulin-induced oocyte maturation. However, injection of the enzyme had no effect on progesterone action. These results indicate that protein kinase C is capable of regulating oocyte maturation of Xenopus.
Dynamical Approach to Multiequilibria Problems for Mixtures of Acids and Their Conjugated Bases

Mathematical methods are described for the determination of steady-state concentrations of all species in multiequilibria systems consisting of several acids and their conjugated bases in aqueous solutions. The main example consists of a mixture of a diprotic acid H2A, a monoprotic acid HB, and their conjugate bases. The reaction equations lead to a system of autonomous ordinary differential equations for the species concentrations. The traditional equilibrium approach is briefly reviewed. Single variable polynomials are determined that are satisfied by the equilibrium proton concentrations. The remaining species are then given explicitly by rational functions of these proton concentrations, the equilibrium constants, and the initial concentrations of the other species. A quintic polynomial was derived to determine the equilibrium proton concentration for the example system. It is shown to reduce to a quartic polynomial in the absence of the second acid HB. An alternative dynamical approach to the equilib...
Reversible logic based multiplication computing unit using binary tree data structure

Reversible logic has emerged as a promising computing paradigm having applications in quantum computing, optical computing, dissipationless computing and low-power computing, etc. In reversible logic there exists a one-to-one mapping between the input and output vectors. Reversible circuits require constant ancilla inputs for reconfiguration of gate functions and garbage outputs that help in keeping reversibility. Reversible circuits of many qubits are extremely difficult to realize; thus, reduction in the number of ancilla inputs and the garbage outputs is the primary goal of optimization. In existing literature, researchers have proposed several designs of reversible multipliers based on reversible full adders and reversible half adders. The use of reversible full adders and half adders for the addition of partial products increases the overhead in terms of the number of ancilla inputs and garbage outputs. This paper presents a binary tree-based design methodology for an $$N \times N$$N×N reversible multiplier. The proposed binary tree-based design methodology for $$N \times N$$N×N reversible multiplier performs the addition of partial products in parallel using the reversible ripple adders with zero ancilla bit and zero garbage bit; thereby, minimizing the number of ancilla and garbage bits used in the design. The proposed design methodology shows a 17.86---60.34 % improvement in terms of ancilla inputs; and 21.43---52.17 % in terms of garbage outputs compared to all the existing reversible multiplier designs. The methodology is also extended to the design of $$N \times N$$N×N reversible signed multiplier based on modified Baugh---Wooley multiplication methodology.
Effect of α-actinin on actin viscosity

Abstract As determined by analytical ultracentrifugation, purified α-actinin does not form stable complexes with G-actin, myosin, tropomyosin, or the tropomyosintroponin complex. However, α-actinin forms a stable complex with F-actin polymerized either in 100 mM KC1 or in 2mM MgCl 2 without KCl. Viscosity studies confirm that α-actinin interacts as strongly with Mg 2+ -polymerized actin as it does with KCl-polymerized actin. When measured at o°, addition of 0.02–0.05 parts of purified α-actinin to 1 part of actin, by weight, causes a 4–5-fold increase in specific viscosity of F-actin. At 37″, 0.10–0.20 parts of purified α-actinin to 1 part of actin are required to cause a 2–3-fold increase in specific viscosity of F-actin. Addition of α-actinin above this level at 37″, results in precipitation of F-actin. Tropomyosin (0.25 parts to 1 part actin, by weight) has no effect on the α-actinin-induced increase in F-actin viscosity at o° but almost completely abolishes the effect of α-actinin on F-actin viscosity at 37°. The effects of temperature on the α-actinin-induced increase in F-actin viscosity are completely reversible. Trypsin treatment of α-actinin-F-actin mixtures for 5 min at trypsin to actin ratios of 1:50, by weight, completely destroys the α-actinin-induced increase in F-actin viscosity at 37°. Subsequent incubation of the trypsin-treated mixture at o°, however, shows the ability of α-actinin to increase F-actin viscosity at o° is only partially destroyed by 15 min of trypsin digestion. Similar results are obtained by treating purified α-actinin with trypsin and then mixing the treated α-actinin with untreated actin. Neither temperature nor trypsin has any effect on viscosity of F-actin in the absence of α-actinin; hence, trypsin and temperature affect α-actinin and the α-actinin-F-actin interaction. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that at o° α-actinin cross-links F-actin by binding strongly both along the length and at one end of the F-actin strand. At 37°, however, strong binding of α-actinin is restricted primarily to one end of the F-actin strand, and any weak binding that may occur along the length of the F-actin strand is abolished by tropomyosin.
Induction of sister chromatid exchange by various selenium compounds in Chinese hamster cells in the presence and absence of S9 mixture.

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the effect of 3 selenium compounds, namely, sodium selenite, sodium selenide and sodium selenate on induction of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in the Chinese hamster V79 cell line in the presence and absence of S9 mixture. The results indicated that the most potent SCE inducer in the presence of S9 mixture was sodium selenite and this was followed by sodium selenide, while in the absence of S9 mixture the most effective SCE inducer was sodium selenide which was then followed by sodium selenite. For sodium selenate, the data indicated no increase in SCE rate as compared to the control values both in the presence and absence of S9 mixture. In addition, it was observed that growth inhibition as measured by no sister chromatid differentiation or no metaphases was produced by certain doses of the compounds tested. Based on this, the compound that induced the most growth inhibition both in the presence and absence of S9 mixture was sodium selenide and this was followed by sodium selenite. For sodium selenate no growth inhibition was observed. The different capabilities of the selenium compounds tested to induce SCE were clearly demonstrated in the system employed in this study. It is felt that this effect is an important cytogenetic characteristic of these compounds, yet how this activity relates to the antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties of these agents is difficult to discern.
Impermeable dust mite covers in the primary and tertiary prevention of allergic disease: a meta-analysis

Abstract Background Up to 40% of the world's population has been diagnosed with an allergic disease. The most prevalent allergy is to house dust mites. Impermeable mattress covers are often the first treatment in the prevention and decrease of symptoms of allergic disease. Objective To perform a meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of impermeable mattress covers in the primary prevention of allergic disease and as a single intervention in the tertiary prevention of allergic disease symptoms. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL were systematically searched for relevant publications. Seven primary prevention trials (n = 3,461) and 17 tertiary prevention trials (n = 1,671) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All article reviews and abstractions were performed in duplicate. Results No significant pooled relative risks were found for the prevention of allergic disease. The pooled relative risks were 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–1.51) for house dust mite sensitization, 0.92 (95% CI 0.81–1.05) for wheeze, 0.85 (95% CI 0.70–1.02) for asthma, 1.03 (95% CI 0.90–1.19) for allergic rhinitis, and 1.05 (95% CI 0.84–1.32) for allergic dermatitis. Likewise, no significant pooled standardized mean differences were found in the tertiary prevention of symptoms. The pooled standardized mean differences were −0.03 (95% CI −0.15 to 0.09) for peak flow, −0.06 (95% CI –0.32 to 0.20) for asthma symptom score, and −0.39 (95% CI −0.88 to 0.11) for nasal symptom score. A significant effect was seen in the decrease of house mite dust level in the mattress (−0.79, 95% CI −0.98 to −0.60). Conclusion No evidence was found to support the use of impermeable mattress covers in the primary prevention of allergic disease or in the tertiary prevention of allergic disease symptoms.
Flow of a fluid—solid mixture between flat plates

Abstract A mathematical description for a flowing mixture of solid particulates and a fluid is developed within the context of mixture theory. Specifically, the equations governing the flow of a two-component mixture of a Newtonian fluid and a granular solid are derived. These relatively general equations are then reduced to a system of coupled ordinary differential equations describing a steady flow of the mixture between flat plates. The resulting boundary value problem is solved numerically and results are presented for cases in which drag and lift interactions are important.
The biochemical ecology of intracellular parasites

The environment of an organism is composed of physical forces and chemical stimuli, all of which contribute to patterns of threat and attraction. The ability to distinguish between threat and attraction and the associated ability to respond to these patterns are primary characteristics of different biological strategies. Among the sources of such patterns are other organisms; and the nature of the stimuli presented by organisms, the mechanisms by which these stimuli are perceived, and the systems of interaction between different species are among the concerns of biochemical ecology.
LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND THE JOB SEARCH THEORY: TESTS OF SOME NEGLECTED IMPLICATIONS

The job search theory, as developed since the early 1960s, is primarily a theory predicting the behaviour of unemployed job‐seekers responding to the costs of acquiring information about the wage possibilities available to them. However, implications can be derived for the influence on the individual's labour force participation (LFP) decision of the factors used in search theory, and these implications have never been tested. This paper will present a number of hypotheses regarding LFP and then test these hypotheses against a broad and diverse cross‐section sample of male heads of households, using ordinary least squares regression analysis. The results generally confirm the hypotheses and the view that the variables of the job search theory have a significant influence on the LFP decision.
A description of the single exercise analysis station (SEAS)

This paper describes the concept and approach toward the development of a prototype system designed to improve the efficiency and timeliness of creating Janus combat model scenarios that are based upon historical rotations conducted at the National Training Center (NTC). The SEAS project synergistically applies current leading edge technology and ideas which allow the investigation and understanding of the multimedia sources of data collected at the NTC. With the SEAS tools, an analyst or any user can create a Janus scenario that will accurately represent the actions occurring at the NTC. With a scenario of a unit's actual rotation, commanders can conduct extensive pre and post rotation training and investigate 'what if' excursions that are based upon alternate enemy courses of action. SEAS will assist in maintaining a high quality of training in units by providing an added dimension to a commander's training capabilities.
Reliably Scalable Name Prefix Lookup

Name prefix lookup is a core building block of information-centric networking (ICN). In ICN hierarchical naming schemes, each packet has a name that consists of multiple variable-length name components, and packets are forwarded based on longest name prefix matching (LNPM). LNPM is challenging because names are longer than IP addresses and the namespace is unbounded. Recently proposed solutions have shown encouraging performance, however, most are optimized for or evaluated with a limited number of URL datasets that may not fully characterize the forwarding information base (FIB). What's more, the worst-case scenarios of several schemes require O(k) string lookups, where k is the number of components in each prefix. Thus, the sustained performance of existing solutions is not guaranteed. In this paper, we present a LNPM design based on the binary search of hash tables, which was originally proposed for IP lookup. With this design, the worst-case number of string lookups is O(log(k)) for prefixes with up to k components, regardless of the characteristics of the FIB. We implemented the design in software and demonstrated 10 Gbps throughput with one billion synthetic longest name prefix matching rules, each containing up to seven components.We also propose level pulling to optimize the average LNPM performance based on the observation that some prefixes have large numbers of next-level suffixes in the available URL datasets.
Primary involvement of the mitral and aortic valves in Takayasu's arteritis

A 3-year-old boy developed acute pulmonary edema following 6 months of recurrent fevers and thrombocytosis. Echocardiography demonstrated moderate-to-severe insufficiency of both mitral and aortic valves. Angiography and intravascular ultrasound were used to diagnose this unusual presentation of Takayasu's arteritis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first histological demonstration of acute and chronic inflammatory changes in the mitral valve in these circumstances.
Cholesteryl hemisuccinate treatment protects rodents from the toxic effects of acetaminophen, adriamycin, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and galactosamine

In addition to its use as a stabilizer/rigidifier of membranes, cholesteryl hemisuccinate, tris salt (CS) administration has also been shown to protect rats from the hepatotoxic effects of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). To further our understanding of the mechanism of CS cytoprotection, we examined in rats and mice the protective abilities of CS and the non-hydrolyzable ether form of CS, gamma-cholesteryloxybutyric acid, tris salt (CSE) against acetaminophen-, adriamycin-, carbon tetrachloride-, chloroform- and galactosamine-induced toxicity. The results of these studies demonstrated that CS-mediated protection is not selective for a particular species, organ system or toxic chemical. A 24-h pretreatment of both rats and mice with a single dose of CS (100mg/kg, i.p.), resulted in significant protection against the hepatotoxic effects of CCl4, CHCl3, acetaminophen and galactosamine and against the lethal (and presumably cardiotoxic) effect of adriamycin administration. Maximal CS-mediated protection was observed in experimental animals pretreated 24 h prior to the toxic insult. These data suggest that CS intervenes in a critical cellular event that is an important common pathway to toxic cell death. The mechanism of CS protection does not appear to be dependent on the inhibition of chemical bioactivation to a toxic reactive intermediate (in light of the protection observed against galactosamine hepatotoxicity). However, based on the data presented, we can not exclude the possibility that CS administration inhibits chemical bioactivation. Our findings do suggest that CS-mediated protection is dependent on the action of the intact anionic CS molecule (non-hydrolyzable CSE was as protective as CS), whose mechanism has yet to be defined.
Cold‐Branding and Fin‐Clipping Atlantic Salmon Smolts on the Exploits River, Newfoundland

Abstract In 1982, 14,000 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts were cold-branded and had their adipose fins clipped in an experiment designed to assess brand retention and legibility on adults returning to the Exploits River in Newfoundland. Branding proved to be an unsuccessful marking technique; however, fin-clipping accompanied by cauterization of the wound resulted in an 8% smolt-to-adult return rate.
Is self-explanation worth the time? A comparison to additional practice

Self-explanation, or generating explanations to oneself in an attempt to make sense of new information, can promote learning. However, self-explaining takes time, and the learning benefits of this activity need to be rigorously evaluated against alternative uses of this time. Aims In the current study, we compared the effectiveness of self-explanation prompts to the effectiveness of solving additional practice problems (to equate for time on task) and to solving the same number of problems (to equate for problem-solving experience). Sample Participants were 69 children in grades 2-4. Methods Students completed a pre-test, brief intervention session, and a post- and retention test. The intervention focused on solving mathematical equivalence problems such as 3 + 4 + 8 = _ + 8. Students were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions: self-explain, additional-practice, or control. Results Compared to the control condition, self-explanation prompts promoted conceptual and procedural knowledge. Compared to the additional-practice condition, the benefits of self-explanation were more modest and only apparent on some subscales. Conclusions The findings suggest that self-explanation prompts have some small unique learning benefits, but that greater attention needs to be paid to how much self-explanation offers advantages over alternative uses of time
An Antiviral Role for Antimicrobial Peptides during the Arthropod Response to Alphavirus Replication

Alphaviruses establish a persistent infection in arthropod vectors which is essential for the effective transmission of the virus to vertebrate hosts. The development of persistence in insects is not well understood, although it is thought to involve the innate immune response. Using a transgenic fly system expressing a self-replicating viral RNA genome analog, we have previously demonstrated antiviral roles of the Drosophila Imd (immune deficiency) and Jak-STAT innate immunity pathways in response to alphavirus replication. In the present study, comparative microarray analysis of flies harboring an alphavirus replicon and control green fluorescent protein flies identified 95 SINrep-sensitive genes. Furthermore, a subset of these genes is regulated by Rel or STAT transcription factors of the Imd and Jak-STAT pathways, respectively. We identified two antimicrobial peptide genes, attC and dptB, which are SINrep sensitive and regulated by STAT and Rel, respectively. SINrep flies heterozygous for attC had an increased viral RNA level, while knocking down dptB in SINrep flies resulted in impaired development. When injected with whole virus, the double-stranded RNA knockdowns of either attC or dptB showed a significant increase in virus titers. Our data demonstrate an antiviral response involving the Imd and Jak-STAT mediated expression of dptB and attC.
Research Article: Effects of low blood glucose on pilot performance

Abstract Proper nutrition is essential to meet the physiological demands of flying. Poor eating habits can be a contributory cause for decreased pilot performance. Research has shown that low blood glucose levels, especially after a fasting period, contribute toward decreased cognitive function. This is especially relevant for aircrew personnel given the physiological demands placed upon them. Previous work has indicated that some USAF fighter pilots do not regularly eat breakfast, an essential meal for restoring blood glucose after an overnight fast. Due to the detriment of low blood glucose on certain cognitive tasks, we investigated if skipping breakfast would adversely impact flying performance. Using a cross-over double-blinded design, eight individuals were provided alternating liquid breakfast drink conditions (low carbohydrate, high carbohydrate) and then tested on unusual attitude recovery using computerized flight simulator software and susceptibility to spatial disorientation using a motion bas...
Simultaneous HPLC analysis of triamcinolone acetonide and budesonide in microdialysate and rat plasma: application to a pharmacokinetic study.

A specific and reliable HPLC-PDA method for the quantitative determination of triamcinolone acetonide, budesonide and fluticasone propionate (as internal standards) in small volumes of microdialysate and rat plasma was developed. An efficient solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure for plasma samples yielded extremely clean extracts with overall recovery of 104.3% and 95.7% for triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and fluticasone propionate, respectively. Plasma extracts obtained after SPE and microdialysis samples were directly injected on a C18 columm to separation. The method has been validated with good linearity, sensitivity, specificity and high accuracy (RE −5.28% to 9.14%) and precision (CV 0.50% to 6.62%) on both matrices. In stability studies, TA and budesonide were stable during storage and assay procedures. The method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rodents using microdialysis to determine protein unbound TA concentrations in blood and muscle.
Two- and three-photon ionization in the noble gases

By using a characteristic Green's function for an exactly solvable Schr\"odinger equation with an approximation to the central potential of Hermann and Skillman, the cross section for nonresonant two- and three-photon ionization of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe were calculated in $\mathrm{jl}$ coupling. Expressions for cross sections in $\mathrm{jl}$ coupling are given. Comparison with the Ar two-photon cross section of Pindzola and Kelly, calculated using the many-body theory, the dipole-length approximation, and $\mathrm{LS}$ coupling shows a disagreement of as much as a factor of 2. The disagreement appears to arise from distortion introduced by shifting the Green's-function resonances to experimental values.
Orthogonal Eigenstructure Control for Vibration Suppression

Orthogonal eigenstructure control is a novel active control method for vibration suppression in multi-input multi-output linear systems. This method is based on finding an output feedback control gain matrix in such a way that the closed-loop eigenvectors are almost orthogonal to the open-loop ones. Singular value decomposition is used to find the matrix, which spans the null space of the closed-loop eigenvectors. This matrix has a unique property that has been used in this new method. This unique property, which has been proved here, can be used to regenerate the open-loop system by finding a coefficient vector, which leads to a zero gain matrix. Also several vectors, which are orthogonal to the open-loop eigenvectors, can be found simultaneously. The proposed method does not need any trial and error procedure and eliminates not only the need to specify any location or area for the closed-loop eigenvalues but also the requirements of defining the desired eigenvectors. This method determines a set of limited number of closed-loop systems. Also, the elimination of the extra constraints on the locations of the closed-loop poles prevents the excessive force in actuators.
Structure of superconducting thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-x grown on SrTiO3 and cubic zirconia.

Thin films of the superconductive oxide YBa2Cu307., have been made by electron-beam coevaporation of the metals in an oxygen atmo- sphere onto single-crystal { 001)-oriented SrTiO3 and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. The oxide films were superconducting in the as-deposited state (T, = 81-83K, J, = lo6 A/cm2 at 4.2K). Bright-field imaging, selected- area diffraction (SAD), and high-resolution imaging in the transmission elec- tron microscope were used to characterize the microstructure of these films. All of the films were polycrystalline. On SrTi03 the films were oriented, for the most part, with (110) parallel to the substrate surface. On YSZ, two microstructures were observed: one with smaller rectangular grains oriented with (100) or (010) parallel to the substrate surface and the other with (001) parallel to the surface (i.e., c-axis up).
Israel's Military Relationship with Ecuador and Argentina

The 1970s witnessed Israel's emergence as a major exporter of military equipment. A 1981 CIA report1 ranked Israel fifth among the world's military exporters in 1980; the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) ranked it fifteenth that same year.2 Other sources have placed it variously at twelfth and seventh.3 In absolute terms, estimates of the monetary value of Israel's arms exports range from $1 billion to over $2 billion per year.4 What is undisputed is that Israel has become an important arms supplier on the world market, exporting combat-tested, high performance military equipment ranging from light arms and ammunition, communications devices, and defense electronics to highly sophisticated main weapons systems such as jet fighters, heavy tanks, naval vessels, and a whole array of missiles. Israel's natural clientele for arms exports have been third world countries, since the Soviet bloc has been off-limits and most of the industrialized countries either produce their own weapons or purchase them from NATO allies. Yet, large segments of the third world market are also
Development of a Quantitative Measure of Holistic Nursing Care

Holistic care has long been a defining attribute of nursing practice. From the earliest years of its formal history, nursing has favored a holistic approach in the care of patients, and such an approach has become more important over time. The expansion of nursing's responsibility in delivering comprehensive primary care, the recognition of the importance of relationship-centered care, and the need for evidence-based legitimation of holistic nursing care and practices to insurance companies, policy-makers, health care providers, and patients highlight the need to examine the holistic properties of nursing care. The Holistic Caring Inventory is a theoretically sound, valid, and reliable tool; however, it does not comprehensively address attributes that have come to define holistic nursing care, necessitating the development of a more current instrument to measure the elements of a holistic perspective in nursing care. The development of a current and more comprehensive measure of holistic nursing care may be critical in demonstrating the importance of a holistic approach to patient care that reflects the principles of relationship-based care, shared decision-making, authentic presence, and pattern recognition.
Temperature controlled photoacoustic device for thermal diffusivity measurements of liquids and nanofluids

Abstract In this paper, the design and development of a device for thermal diffusivity measurement of fluids exploiting the photoacoustic effect is presented. Compared to similar devices working only at room temperature, the version of the apparatus we present allows precise measurements of thermal diffusivity of fluids from room temperature to 70 °C. The reliability of the measurements is shown by the estimation of thermal diffusivity of well-known test liquids. The possibility to detect slight thermal diffusivity variations (around 1%) is verified by measurements on alumina based water nanofluids showing remarkable advantages in respect to alternative techniques.
Rope Swing Injuries Resulting in Vulvar Trauma

Abstract Background River tree rope swings are popular for recreation along inland lakes and rivers, but not without hazard. In a comprehensive review of injuries related to rope swings, genital injuries accounted for nearly 3 percent. Case We describe significant genital injuries, with laceration and avulsion of the labia and a large vulvar hematoma in 2 young women as a consequence of rope swing use. Summary and Conclusions Visitors to inland waterways need to be cognizant of the hazards of rope swings and health care professionals should consider this mechanism of injury when confronted with vulvar trauma.
Christian Democracy in Italy: An alternative path to religious party moderation

This article argues that historical context can be a strong force for the origins of an ideologically and behaviourally moderate religious political party. It explores the origins of Italian Christian Democracy, following the trajectory of the Partito Popolare Italiano and Democrazia Cristiana in order to highlight a path to religious party moderation that excludes extremism and violence at all stages. That path includes the development of a moderate ideology prior to inclusion in the democratic system, influenced by efforts to reconcile Catholicism with democracy. Extremist alternatives are eliminated not through the moderating tendencies of a democratic political system but by historical events and by efforts of the moderate religious party to ensure that the democratic system does not collapse. Ideological and behavioural moderation are understood as acceptance of democracy and promotion of civil liberties, not as the notion that a party becomes in some way less religious.
Effects of growth factors and trefoil peptides on migration and replication in primary oxyntic cultures

Restitution, the lateral migration of cells over an intact basement membrane, maintains mucosal integrity. We studied the regulation of migration and proliferation of enzyme-dispersed canine oxyntic mucosa cells in primary culture. Confluent monolayers were wounded and cultured in serum-free medium, and cells migrating into the wound were counted. [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA was studied using subconfluent cultures. Considerable migration occurred in untreated monolayers; however, epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), two trefoil peptides, and interleukin (IL)-1beta further enhanced migration. The specific EGF receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody, MAb-528, inhibited both basal and TGF-alpha- or IL-1beta-stimulated migration, but not the response to trefoil peptide, bFGF, or IGF-I. Exogenous TGF-beta inhibited cell proliferation but did not alter migration. Immunoneutralization with anti-TGF-beta blocked the response to exogenous TGF-beta and produced a small enhancement of basal thymidine incorporation but did not attenuate basal or TGF-alpha-stimulated migration. In conclusion, endogenous EGFR ligands regulate proliferation and migration. TGF-beta inhibits mitogenesis; it did not upregulate migration in these cultures. Although bFGF, IGF-I, and IL-1beta enhance gastric epithelial migration, only IL-1beta acted in a TGF-alpha-dependent fashion.
Efficiently evolving programs through the search for novelty

A significant challenge in genetic programming is premature convergence to local optima, which often prevents evolution from solving problems. This paper introduces to genetic programming a method that originated in neuroevolution (i.e. the evolution of artificial neural networks) that circumvents the problem of deceptive local optima. The main idea is to search only for behavioral novelty instead of for higher fitness values. Although such novelty search abandons following the gradient of the fitness function, if such gradients are deceptive they may actually occlude paths through the search space towards the objective. Because there are only so many ways to behave, the search for behavioral novelty is often computationally feasible and differs significantly from random search. Counterintuitively, in both a deceptive maze navigation task and the artificial ant benchmark task, genetic programming with novelty search, which ignores the objective, outperforms traditional genetic programming that directly searches for optimal behavior. Additionally, novelty search evolves smaller program trees in every variation of the test domains. Novelty search thus appears less susceptible to bloat, another significant problem in genetic programming. The conclusion is that novelty search is a viable new tool for efficiently solving some deceptive problems in genetic programming.
A new brain drug delivery strategy: focused ultrasound-enhanced intranasal drug delivery.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are difficult to treat because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents most drugs from entering into the brain. Intranasal (IN) administration is a promising approach for drug delivery to the brain, bypassing the BBB; however, its application has been restricted to particularly potent substances and it does not offer localized delivery to specific brain sites. Focused ultrasound (FUS) in combination with microbubbles can deliver drugs to the brain at targeted locations. The present study proposed to combine these two different platform techniques (FUS+IN) for enhancing the delivery efficiency of intranasally administered drugs at a targeted location. After IN administration of 40 kDa fluorescently-labeled dextran as the model drug, FUS targeted at one region within the caudate putamen of mouse brains was applied in the presence of systemically administered microbubbles. To compare with the conventional FUS technique, in which intravenous (IV) drug injection is employed, FUS was also applied after IV injection of the same amount of dextran in another group of mice. Dextran delivery outcomes were evaluated using fluorescence imaging of brain slices. The results showed that FUS+IN enhanced drug delivery within the targeted region compared with that achieved by IN only. Despite the fact that the IN route has limited drug absorption across the nasal mucosa, the delivery efficiency of FUS+IN was not significantly different from that of FUS+IV. As a new drug delivery platform, the FUS+IN technique is potentially useful for treating CNS diseases.
Ultra-Short Pulsed Laser Transport in a Multilayered Turbid Media

This paper presents the modified method of characteristics for simulating the transient transport of light in an absorbing and scattering medium exposed to collimated light. This method is based on the method of characteristics that follows photons along their pathlines. After showing the validity of the method it is used to solve for the transient transport of light in human skin. Skin has been modelled as a seven layer medium with different scattering and absorbing coefficients and scattering asymmetry factors. The angular distribution of reflected light from skin is presented. This technique could be used as a tool for designing various biomedical applications.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
StochKit2: software for discrete stochastic simulation of biochemical systems with events

Summary: StochKit2 is the first major upgrade of the popular StochKit stochastic simulation software package. StochKit2 provides highly efficient implementations of several variants of Gillespie's stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA), and tau-leaping with automatic step size selection. StochKit2 features include automatic selection of the optimal SSA method based on model properties, event handling, and automatic parallelism on multicore architectures. The underlying structure of the code has been completely updated to provide a flexible framework for extending its functionality. Availability: StochKit2 runs on Linux/Unix, Mac OS X and Windows. It is freely available under GPL version 3 and can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net/projects/stochkit/. Contact: ude.bscu.gnireenigne@dloztep
Farm feather condition score survey of commercial laying hens.

Abstract A feather score survey of Babcock B300, ISA White, and Hy-Line W-98 laying hens (ages 21 to 113 wk) was conducted on 2 commercial laying hen farms. A 5-point scale was used to score feathers of hens, where 1 = fully feathered and 5 = very poorly feathered with naked spots and injury to the skin. Feather scores were plotted over time and increased during the first production cycle, indicating deterioration of feather condition. Molt improved feather score, but feather condition did not return to the optimal feather score observed from 21 to 35 wk of age. Feather score increased again during the second production cycle, which lasted 30 wk. The rate of feather condition decline was similar (P > 0.05) across first and second production cycles.
A test of gas exchange measurements on excised canopy branches of ten tropical tree species

We studied gas exchange of leaves on branches that had been cut and then re-cut under water to assess the utility of measuring gas exchange on leaves of excised canopy branches. There was large variation between species in their ability to photosynthesize following excision. Some species maintained up to 86.5 % of intact photosynthetic rate 60 min after excision, whereas other species dropped below 40 % of intact photosynthetic rates within 3 min. Three species showed significant reductions in maximum rates of gross photosynthetic rate (PG) on leaves of excised branches relative to intact branches. Excision significantly reduced carboxylation rates (Vcmax) in four species and electron transport (Jmax) in two species. There were also significant increases in compensation irradiance and reductions of day rates of respiration relative to intact measurements. While gas exchange on excised branches can provide useful measures for canopy species, responses of individual species to branch excision need to be taken into account. Measurements on pre-screened species allow a greater understanding of canopy photosynthesis of large trees when canopy access is not an option.
Development of resistance in candida isolates from patients receiving prolonged antifungal therapy.

The impact of prolonged antifungal therapy on the development of resistance was examined in 61 patients with oropharyngeal thrush. Fifty-nine patients had symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection, one had lung cancer, and one had metastatic prostate cancer. Cultures of pharyngeal samples from all patients were positive for yeasts and included 57 (93.4%) Candida albicans, 3 (4.9%) Candida glabrata, and 1 (1.6%) Candida krusii. Of 61 patients, 32 (52.5%) were receiving or had recently received antifungal therapy. Clotrimazole was the most commonly prescribed azole, followed by ketoconazole and fluconazole. Two patients had received amphotericin B therapy and one had received flucytosine. The duration of therapy with clotrimazole, ketoconazole, and fluconazole ranged from 3 to 240, 14 to 44, and 7 to 138 days, respectively. There was no overall difference in the susceptibilities of the clinical isolates from treated and untreated patients to amphotericin B, nystatin, flucytosine, clotrimazole, ketoconazole, and fluconazole. A.C. albicans isolate from one patient who had clinically failed on ketoconazole, fluconazole, and amphotericin B was resistant to these drugs. The lack of difference in the susceptibility pattern indicates that clinically significant emergence of resistance does not occur in those patients who receive prolonged antifungal therapy.
Transient pupillary abnormalities following fetal brain transplantation for Parkinson's disease

The authors report the observation of transient pupillary abnormalities in a 53-year-old man with Parkinson's disease, four days after he had undergone fetal brain transplantation. Possible explanations of the nature of the authors' findings will be discussed.
Welcome Guests, or Inescapable Victims?: The Causes of Prisoner Abuse in War

The treatment of prisoners varies enormously across wars. Why are some prisoners horribly abused, while others are cared for humanely? The author argues key attributes of the belligerents, alongsid...
Severe hearing loss in Dlx1 mutant mice

The Dlx homeobox gene family participates in regulating middle and inner ear development. A significant role for Dlxl, in particular,has been demonstrated in the development of the middle ear ossicles, but the functional consequences of Dlx.l gene mutation on hearing thresholds has not been assessed. The present study characterizes auditory brainstem responses to click and tonal stimuli in a non-lethal variant of a Dlxl gene knockout. We found that peripheral hearing thresholds for click and tonal stimuli were significantly elevated in homozygous Dlxl knockout (Dlxl-/ ) compared to both heterozygous (Dlxl+/ ) and wild type (Dlxl+/+) mice. Thus, abnormal mor-phogenesis of the incus and stapes that has been documented previously with histological measures is now known to result in a severe peripheral hearing deficit.
Mechanism and Regulation of Meiotic Recombination Initiation

Meiotic recombination involves the formation and repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) catalyzed by the conserved Spo11 protein. This review summarizes recent studies pertaining to the formation of meiotic DSBs, including the mechanism of DNA cleavage by Spo11, proteins required for break formation, and mechanisms that control the location, timing, and number of DSBs. Where appropriate, findings in different organisms are discussed to highlight evolutionary conservation or divergence.
Behavioural conditions affecting saccadic eye movements elicited electrically from the frontal lobes of primates

We assessed the effects of varying the time at which electrical stimulation was delivered to the dorsomedial frontal cortex (DMFC) and the frontal eye fields (FEF) relative to the onset of a visual target. Monkeys were required to fixate the visual target to obtain a drop of apple juice as reward. We found that the probability of eliciting saccades increased with increases in the delay of electrical stimulation relative to target onset. Also, the current threshold to evoke saccades decreased as electrical stimulation was delivered later following target onset. There were major differences in the magnitude of this effect with stimulation of the DMFC versus the FEF. The current threshold to evoke saccades from the DMFC was 16 times greater when electrical stimulation was delivered 200 ms after target onset as compared to when it was delayed 200 ms after target offset. In contrast, the current threshold to evoke saccades from the FEFs was only three times greater when stimulation was delivered under similar conditions. These results suggest that the FEF are more closely connected with the saccade generator for the execution of saccadic eye movements than is the DMFC, even though both regions have direct projections to brainstem oculomotor centres.
The Roles and Interplay of Intragroup Conflict and Team Emotion Management on Information Seeking Behaviors in Team Contexts

This study developed a cross-level model to study the effects of contextual factors, including team-level conflict and team-level emotion management (EM), on how individual team members seek information. Cross-level analysis using data collected from 175 individuals in 30 teams showed that team-level relationship conflict (TRC) had a negative effect on individual information seeking (IS) behavior, whereas team-level task conflict (TTC) did not have a significant effect. EM at both team and individual levels had positive effects on individual IS behavior. The same set of analyses conducted using a subset of 22 of these teams at an earlier time point confirmed the same pattern of relationships. In addition, team-level EM interacted with TRC in influencing individual IS behavior, although the patterns varied for the two time points of data collection. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Optimal selection of voltage regulator modules in a power delivery network

High efficiency low voltage DC-DC conversion is a key enabler to the design of power-efficient integrated circuits. Typically a star configuration of the DC-DC converters, where only one converter resides between the source and each load, is used to deliver currents with appropriate voltage levels to different loads in the circuit, hi this paper we show that using a tree topology of suitably chosen voltage regulators between the power source and loads yields higher power efficiency in the power delivery network. We formulize the problem of selecting the best set of regulators in a tree topology as a dynamic program and efficiently solve it. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of proposed problem formulation and solution.
Liver transplantation as a treatment option for three siblings with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Kucukkartallar T, Yankol Y, Kanmaz T, Topaloglu S, Acarli K, Kalayoglu M. Liver transplantation as a treatment option for three siblings with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 281–284. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: FH is a hereditary inherited disorder of cholesterol metabolism. Homozygous form of the disease associates severe form of atherosclerotic disease. Clinicians have been tried to inhibit the progression of the homozygous FH with medical and surgical treatment. We here present three siblings with homozygous FH who were successfully treated with liver transplantation.
Recent Advances in Ozone Treatment of Drinking Water

Ozonation has been used to treat drinking water since 1906 starting in Nice, France. Today, more than 3 000 plants are using ozone, for a variety of purposes throughout the world. After a brief review of the classical disinfection and oxidation uses of ozone in drinking water treatment, some of the newer applications of ozone will be discussed. These include the use of multiple stages of ozonation, the once-through use of oxygen to produce ozone, new concepts in disinfection of cysts, viruses and bacteria (Ct values), Advanced Oxidation Processes (ozone coupled with UV radiation, hydrogen peroxide, or elevated pH), and the impacts of production of Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC) on downstream processing.
Intelligent load sharing between man and robot

Neither robots nor computers are likely to work alone under complex and possibly dangerous conditions, so they must share control. I develop the analogy between this kind of load sharing and the load sharing in a human between conscious and subconscious control.
A Practical Tennis Serve Test: Measurement of Skill under Simulated Game Conditions

Abstract The Avery-Richardson Tennis Service Test was constructed to maximize the practical relationship between skills tests and playing situations. The test incorporates the game-like criteria of two balls per trial, service attempts to both right and left service courts, and comparable credit for flat, slice, and spin serves. In addition, norms were established for both college males and females at beginning and intermediate skill levels in tennis. Construct validity was established for the service test. There was a significant difference [F (1, 306) = 30.18, p < .00001] between beginning males and intermediate males, as well as a significant difference [F (1, 334) = 48.39, p < .00001] between beginning and intermediate females. To determine reliability, 93 males and 59 females were given the test on two separate occasions. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated with resulting reliability estimates which ranged from .64 to .80 for the groups studied.