cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha by testicular macrophages

While it has been shown that culture medium from testicular macrophages can influence testosterone production when added to Leydig cells, the identity of the factor(s) responsible for this activity remains unknown. Since tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has been shown to be capable of influencing testosterone production by Leydig cells, a series of studies was conducted to determine if testicular macrophages produce TNF alpha. It was found that testicular macrophages from adult rats produce a factor that is capable of lysing L929 cells, which are used as a traditional bioassay for TNF alpha. The TNF alpha activity in the macrophage-conditioned medium could be neutralized by the addition of anti-murine TNF alpha but not with the addition of preimmune IgG. While lipopolysaccharide (LPS) slightly increased the release of TNF alpha, neither follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) nor testosterone had a similar effect. It was not determined if the isolation procedure had artificially 'activated' the macrophages. Medium from cultured Sertoli cells, Leydig cells and peritubular cells did not contain TNF alpha activity. These studies are consistent with the hypothesis that the paracrine interaction between testicular macrophages and Leydig cells is mediated in part by TNF alpha.
Summertime Artifical Aeration Increases Winter Oxygen Levels in a Michigan Lake

(1973). Summertime Artifical Aeration Increases Winter Oxygen Levels in a Michigan Lake. The Progressive Fish-Culturist: Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 82-84.
Loihichelins A−F, a Suite of Amphiphilic Siderophores Produced by the Marine Bacterium Halomonas LOB-5

A suite of amphiphilic siderophores, loihichelins A−F, were isolated from cultures of the marine bacterium Halomonas sp. LOB-5. This heterotrophic Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium was recently isolated from the partially weathered surfaces of submarine glassy pillow basalts and associated hydrothermal flocs of iron oxides collected from the southern rift zone of Loihi Seamount east of Hawai’i. The loihichelins contain a hydrophilic headgroup consisting of an octapeptide comprised of d-threo-β-hydroxyaspartic acid, d-serine, l-glutamine, l-serine, l-N(δ)-acetyl-N(δ)-hydroxyornithine, dehydroamino-2-butyric acid, d-serine, and cyclic N(δ)-hydroxy-d-ornithine, appended by one of a series of fatty acids ranging from decanoic acid to tetradecanoic acid. The structure of loihichelin C was determined by a combination of amino acid and fatty acid analyses, tandem mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. The structures of the other loihichelins were inferred from the amino acid and fatty acid analyses and tandem mass sp...
Synchronizing and desynchronizing effects of nonlinear delayed feedback deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease

Hypokinetic symptoms of Parkinson’s disease have been related to the excessive beta-band oscillations and synchrony in basal ganglia and other structures; suppression of these synchronized oscillations is believed to suppress the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease [1]. This leads to a strong interest in a possibility of desynchronizing these pathological oscillations through electrical stimulation of affected subcortical areas. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an accepted clinical practice, however, no feedback-based DBS algorithm has being implemented, which would desynchronize neural activity by delivering small currents. One method received a lot of attention recently and has appeared to be very promising: nonlinear delayed feedback control. Numerical simulation showed that a delayed feedback through the mean field (being a proxy for easy-to-record local field potentials, LFP) may cancel the effect of coupling and desynchronize ensembles of coupled oscillators (see, for example, [2]). When the dynamics became desynchronized, the stimulation currents needed to support it were very small (vanishing in the large number of neurons limit). Subsequent studies provided further computational evidence for the ability of nonlinear delayed feedback to destabilize synchronized state and thus to desynchronize synchronous dynamics. However, the dynamics of the neural activity in Parkinson’s disease exhibits complex intermittent synchronous patterns [3], far from the idealized synchronous dynamics used to study the delayed feedback stimulation. To investigate the action of nonlinear delayed feedback stimulation on the parkinsonian synchrony we employ the computational model of the basal ganglia networks [4], which successfully reproduces experimentally recorded neural activity, as ensured by the matching the temporal patterning of the synchronous dynamics [5]. The model [4] is based on the membrane properties of the basal ganglia cells and is can reproduce not only the average synchrony levels, but also the temporal patterns of the synchronous dynamics, recorded in experiment. We study the effect of delayed feedback in numerical experiment. When the parameters of our model are such that the dynamics is strongly synchronous, the feedback, in line with earlier studies, exerts desynchronizing action. However, this strongly synchronous dynamics is not physiologically realistic. When the model is tuned to reproduce highly variable temporal patterns observed experimentally, the same delayed feedback tends to increase the synchrony in the system. “Desynchronizing” delayed feedback acting on realistic partially synchronous dynamics boosts rather than suppresses synchronization. The study also indicates that in general, delayed feedback stimulation may not necessarily exhibit desynchronization effect, when acting on a realistic partially synchronous dynamics (the kind of dynamics expected in neuroengineering applications), and sets an example of how to estimate the stimulation effect.
Morphogenesis of the fetal membranes of the white-tailed deer.

Morphogenesis of the fetal membranes of the white-tailed deer was studied throughout pregnancy. In placentomes, the long, branched, fetal villi occupied corresponding maternal crypts. The bases of the villi and the arching areas connecting them (arcades) were covered with high columnar cytotrophoblast, which apparently had phagocytosed material from the adjacent degenerating rims of the crypts. This arcade cytotrophoblast contained much glycogen and occasional mitochondria, free ribosomes, and pigment granules. Elsewhere, the columnar cytotrophoblast cells usually contained three to five rows of rod-shaped mitochondria and other cytoplasmic organelles. Interspersed among them were numerous binucleate giant cells which usually contained peripheral lace-like granular endoplasmic reticulum and many complex lipoprotein droplets. Cryptal epithelium, deep to the degenerate rims, was low columnar, had infranuclear osmiophilic lipid droplets, and sparsely distributed cytoplasmic organelles. The microvilli of cryptal and cytotrophoblastic epithelia interdigitated and appeared as a brush border under light microscopy. The microvilli and their PAS-positive mucopolysaccharide material appeared capable of holding uterine and chorionic epithelia together during pregnancy. The placentomes were epitheliochorial, but showed “intra-epithelial” capillaries. Interplacenomal uterine and cytotrophoblasitc epithelia resembled those of the placentomes. Their microvill were inundated by endometrial gland secretion (uterine milk). The cytotrophoblast contained pigment granules and much absorbed uterine milk. The amniotic epithelium showed short microvilli, complexly folded lateral plasma membranes, many desmosomes, abundant glycogen granules, foot processes and other cytoplasmic organelles.
Biexponential diffusion attenuation in the rat spinal cord: computer simulations based on anatomic images of axonal architecture.

Water diffusion in neurological tissues is known to possess multicomponent diffusion behavior. The fractions of fast and slow apparent diffusion components have often been attributed to the volume fractions of extracellular space (ECS) and intracellular space (ICS) although diffusion fractions are at variance with the tissue compartment volume ratios. In this article this puzzle was examined with a finite difference diffusion simulation model on the basis of optical images from sectioned rat spinal cord. Here the results show that assignment of fractions obtained from biexponential fits of fast and slow diffusion attenuation to ECS and ICS volume ratios is not correct. Rather, the observed multicomponent diffusion behavior is caused by motional restriction and limited intercompartmental water exchange in that at long diffusion times diffusion attenuation is shown to become monoexponential. Although the measured apparent diffusion fractions also depend on T2 relaxation time of water protons in the various compartments, the sensitivity to T2 is small and thus T2 differences are unlikely to explain the mismatch between apparent diffusion fractions and cellular volume fractions. Magn Reson Med 47:455–460, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
First Excited Librational States for 〈100〉‐, 〈110〉‐, and 〈111〉‐Type Paraelectric Defects in Cubic Crystals

First excited librational eigenstates and energy eigenvalues are deduced in the tunneling approximation and listed for 〈100〉-, 〈110〉-, and 〈111〉-oriented paraelectric defects sites of cubic symmetry. These supplement the existing listings for the librational ground states. Erste angeregte Librationseigenzustande und Energieeigenwerte werden in der Tunnel-Naherung hergeleitet. Sie werden fur 〈100〉-, 〈110〉- und 〈111〉-orientierte paraelektrische Defekte kubischer Symmetrie tabuliert. Diese Tabellen erganzen bestehende Tabellen fur die Librations-Grundzustande.
Determination of boldenone sulfoconjugate and related steroid sulfates in equine urine by high‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Sulfoconjugated anabolic steroids were separated by micro-bore high-performance liquid chromatography. The eluent was introduced into the atmospheric pressure ion source of the triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer via an ion spray liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer interface operated in the negative ion mode. The limit of detection was 10 pg on-column by selected ion monitoring of the molecular ion and the response increased linearly over a concentration range of 2.4 orders of magnitude. Following work-up by a liquid-solid extraction procedure of equine urine samples, full-scan daughter ion spectra of boldenone sulfate could be obtained up to 17 days after a therapeutic dose of boldenone undecylenate to a horse.
Bio-cryptographic protocols with bipartite biotokens

Cryptographic protocols are the foundation of secure network infrastructure, facilitating authentication, transactions, and data integrity. In traditional cryptographic protocols, generated keys (and, in most cases, passwords) are used. The utility of biometrics as a convenient and reliable method for authentication has emerged in recent years, but little work has been performed on a serious integration of biometrics with cryptographic protocols. In this paper, we review the notion of revocable biotokens, explain their nesting properties, and extend them to bipartite bitokens and use these to develop protocols for transactions, digital signatures, and a biometric version of Kerberos. We show bipartite biotokens offer a convenient enhancement to keys and passwords, allowing for tighter auditing and non-repudiation, as well as protection from phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Optically Pumped NMR of Semiconductors and Two‐Dimensional Electron Systems

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Directly Detected vs. Optically Detected 3 Mechanism of Optical Pumping 4 Application to Two-Dimensional Electron Systems in the Quantum Hall Regime 5 Concluding Remarks 6 Biographical Sketches Related Articles
Evidence of a role for endogenous electrical fields in chick embryo development.

We have tested directly the hypothesis that the endogenous electrical field in the chick embryo plays a causal role in development. Conductive implants, which shunt currents out of the embryo and thus alter the internal field, were placed under the dorsal skin at the mid-trunk level of stage 11–15 embryos. Currents leaving the posterior intestinal portal (p.i.p.) of these embryos were reduced by an average of 30%. Control embryos receiving non-conductive implants showed no change in p.i.p. currents. In the group receiving current shunts, 92% of the embryos exhibited some developmental abnormality. Only 11% of the control group displayed defects. The most common defect in the experimental group (81%) was in tail development. Tail defects ranged from complete absence to the formation of a normal length, but morphologically abnormal tail. Internally, tail structures (neural tube, notochord and somites) were frequently absent or aberrantly formed. In 33% of the experimental embryos, the notochord continued lengthening in the absence of any other tail development. This led to the formation of ourenteric outgrowths from the hindgut. Defects in limb bud and head development were also found in experimentally treated embryos, but at a much lower frequency than tail defects. The abnormalities observed in experimental embryos were very similar to those produced naturally in rumpless mutant chicks. A vibrating probe analysis of these mutants (from both dominant and recessive strains) showed that currents leaving the p.i.p. were significantly lower in phenotypically abnormal mutants than in wild-type and phenotypically normal mutant embryos from both strains. There was no apparent correlation between the average transepithelial potential (TEP) of these mutants and the development of tail abnormalities. The possible role of endogenous electrical fields in chick tail development is discussed.
Coding of Sound Envelopes by Inhibitory Rebound in Neurons of the Superior Olivary Complex in the Unanesthetized Rabbit

Most natural sounds (e.g., speech) are complex and have amplitude envelopes that fluctuate rapidly. A number of studies have examined the neural coding of envelopes, but little attention has been paid to the superior olivary complex (SOC), a constellation of nuclei that receive information from the cochlear nucleus. We studied two classes of predominantly monaural neurons: those that displayed a sustained response to tone bursts and those that gave only a response to the tone offset. Our results demonstrate that the off neurons in the SOC can encode the pattern of amplitude-modulated sounds with high synchrony that is superior to sustained neurons. The upper cutoff frequency and highest modulation frequency at which significant synchrony was present were, on average, slightly higher for off neurons compared with sustained neurons. Finally, most sustained and off neurons encoded the level of pure tones over a wider range of intensities than those reported for auditory nerve fibers and cochlear nucleus neurons. A traditional view of inhibition is that it attenuates or terminates neural activity. Although this holds true for off neurons, the robust discharge when inhibition is released adds a new dimension. For simple sounds (i.e., pure tones), the off response can code a wide range of sound levels. For complex sounds, the off response becomes entrained to each modulation, resulting in a precise temporal coding of the envelope.
An integrated maintenance management information system is the key to enabling condition based maintenance

In the CBM environment, health or condition is a function of an individual component, not families of components. In order to understand how a component degrades to a level where maintenance has to be performed, it is essential that the health and condition of that component can be understood by its individual ID. Likewise, the maintenance actions that are driven by its condition must be understood at both the fleet and local levels. In order to achieve that level of understanding, effective metrics must be generated using the data that comes from a task based, UID enabled MMIS. To achieve this goal will require transformation, not modernization, of today's MMIS within the DoD.
Learning Higher-Order Graph Structure with Features by Structure Penalty

In discrete undirected graphical models, the conditional independence of node labels Y is specified by the graph structure. We study the case where there is another input random vector X (e.g. observed features) such that the distribution P(Y | X) is determined by functions of X that characterize the (higher-order) interactions among the Y's. The main contribution of this paper is to learn the graph structure and the functions conditioned on X at the same time. We prove that discrete undirected graphical models with feature X are equivalent to multivariate discrete models. The reparameterization of the potential functions in graphical models by conditional log odds ratios of the latter offers advantages in representation of the conditional independence structure. The functional spaces can be flexibly determined by kernels. Additionally, we impose a Structure Lasso (SLasso) penalty on groups of functions to learn the graph structure. These groups with overlaps are designed to enforce hierarchical function selection. In this way, we are able to shrink higher order interactions to obtain a sparse graph structure.
Maintenance of shoot growth by endogenous ABA: genetic assessment of the involvement of ethylene suppression

Previous work demonstrated that normal levels of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) are required to maintain shoot growth in well-watered tomato plants independently of effects of hormone status on plant water balance. The results suggested that the impairment of shoot growth in ABA-deficient mutants is at least partly attributable to increased ethylene production. To assess the extent to which ABA maintains shoot growth by ethylene suppression, the growth of ABA-deficient (aba2-1) and ethylene-insensitive (etr1-1) single- and double-mutants of Arabidopsis was examined. To ensure that the results were independent of effects of hormone status on plant water balance, differential relative humidity regimes were used to achieve similar leaf water potentials in all genotypes and treatments. In aba2-1, shoot growth was substantially inhibited and ethylene evolution was doubled compared with the wild type, consistent with the results for tomato. In the aba2-1 etr1-1 double mutant, in which ABA was equally as deficient as in aba2-1 and shoot growth was shown to be insensitive to ethylene, shoot growth was substantially, although incompletely, restored relative to etr1-1. Treatment with ABA resulted in the complete recovery of shoot growth in aba2-1 relative to the wild type, and also significantly increased the growth of aba2-1 etr1-1 such that total leaf area and shoot fresh weight were not significantly lower than in etr1-1. In addition, ABA treatment of aba2-1 etr1-1 restored the wider leaf morphology phenotype exhibited by etr1-1. The results demonstrate that normal levels of endogenous ABA maintain shoot development, particularly leaf expansion, in well-watered Arabidopsis plants, partly by suppressing ethylene synthesis and partly by another mechanism that is independent of ethylene.
Immunosuppressive activities of polychlorinated dibenzofuran congeners: quantitative structure-activity relationships and interactive effects.

Abstract The dose-response immunosuppressive effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 2,3,4,7,8- and 1,2,3,7,9-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF), 2,3,7,8- and 1,3,6,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF) on the splenic plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells were determined in C57BL 6 mice. The ED50 values for immunosuppression were 2.4, 3.0, 14.0, 710, and 35,700 nmol/kg for 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,7,9-PeCDF, and 1,3,6,8-TCDF, respectively, and the results confirmed that lateral chlorine substitutions were important structural determinants for the toxicity of the polychlorinated dibenzofuran congeners. Interaction of both 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF with subimmunotoxic doses of 1,3,6,8-TCDF resulted in significant antagonism of the immunotoxic effects of both 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF. Previous studies have also demonstrated that 1,3,6,8-TCDF also antagonizes the induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase by 2,3,7,8-TCDD and analysis of competitive receptor binding studies suggests that 1,3,6,8-TCDF acts as a competitive partial antagonist of the action of 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The antagonism of 2,3,7,8-TCDD immunosuppression was found to be dependent on the timing of administration of 1,3,6,8-TCDF. Using a protocol in which 2,3,7,8-TCDD is administered 5 days prior to the antigen and 9 days prior to assessing the splenic PFC response, it was possible to partially antagonize the immunosuppressive effects of 2,3,7,8-TCDD by administering the antagonist up to 5 days after the initial dose of the toxin. Administration of 1,3,6,8-TCDF after the antigen does not afford any significant protection from the effects of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and these results are consistent with the hypothesis that 2,3,7,8-TCDD modulates some early event in B-cell differentiation. However, these results do not exclude a role for 2,3,7,8-TCDD in modulating other cellular processes associated with the PFC response.
Pediatric Sepsis in the Global Setting

The approach to sepsis in a global setting can appear challenging at first, complicated by differences in infectious etiologies, limitations in resources, variability in treatment and prevention strategies, controversies in application of clinical trial results, public health policy, and variation in cultural norms. In reality, however, the basic approach to sepsis in any context follows core principles within the practice of emergency medicine and critical care. Here, we discuss pediatric sepsis from a global health perspective and review simple strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Combinatorial Complexity in a Transcriptionally Centered Signaling Hub in Arabidopsis

A subfamily of four Phytochrome (phy)-Interacting bHLH transcription Factors (PIFs) collectively promote skotomorphogenic development in dark-grown seedlings. This activity is reversed upon exposure to light, by photoactivated phy molecules that induce degradation of the PIFs, thereby triggering the transcriptional changes that drive a transition to photomorphogenesis. The PIFs function both redundantly and partially differentially at the morphogenic level in this process. To identify the direct targets of PIF transcriptional regulation genome-wide, we analyzed the DNA-binding sites for all four PIFs by ChIP-seq analysis, and defined the genes transcriptionally regulated by each PIF, using RNA-seq analysis of pif mutants. Despite the absence of detectable differences in DNA-binding-motif recognition between the PIFs, the data show a spectrum of regulatory patterns, ranging from single PIF dominance to equal contributions by all four. Similarly, a broad array of promoter architectures was found, ranging from single PIF-binding sites, containing single sequence motifs, through multiple PIF-binding sites, each containing one or more motifs, with each site occupied preferentially by one to multiple PIFs. Quantitative analysis of the promoter occupancy and expression level induced by each PIF revealed an intriguing pattern. Although there is no robust correlation broadly across the target-gene population, examination of individual genes that are shared targets of multiple PIFs shows a gradation in correlation from strongly positive, through uncorrelated, to negative. This finding suggests a dual-layered mechanism of transcriptional regulation, comprising both a continuum of binding-site occupancy by each PIF and a superimposed layer of local regulation that acts differentially on each PIF, to modulate its intrinsic transcriptional activation capacity at each site, in a quantitative pattern that varies between the individual PIFs from gene to gene. These findings provide a framework for probing the mechanisms by which transcription factors with overlapping direct-target genes integrate and selectively transduce signals to their target networks.
Loading effects on rat craniomandibular morphology: a system for gravity studies.

Abstract Gravity effects on muscle and bone are a major impediment to long-term space travel. We introduce a model for studying these effects, the craniomandibular system. Some advantages of this system include: (1) craniomandibular morphology is determined by epigenetic factors including gravity, (2) relatively light forces can significantly alter its morphology, and (3) soft diet and tooth loss produce effects that are similar to those produced in lower limbs by weightlessness. In the study, implants made either of gold (experimental group) or lightweight acrylic (controls) were attached to adult rats’ mandibles. After 13 weeks, the animals’ skulls and mandibles were dissected. Pair-wise comparisons indicated that the experimental animals showed significantly shortened and narrowed cranial bases, and significant changes in the posterior zygomatic arch region. These results indicate that simulated macrogravity influences bone remodeling in the adult craniomandibular system.
Alignment of the Muon Spectrometer in ATLAS

Abstract The ATLAS muon spectrometer is designed to measure the momentum of a 1 TeV/c muon to an accuracy of 10%. A muon of this momentum bends, on average, 500 μm in the toroidal ﬁeld of ATLAS. Therefore, the position of the muon chambers within a tower and along the precision coordinate must be known to better than 50 μm. ATLAS uses a combination of an optical and track-based alignment to achieve such a precise alignment. Several analyses to monitor and validate the alignment were undertaken in the ﬁrst year of LHC operation. This report provides a brief overview of the motivation, building and commissioning of the optical system, performance, and validation of the alignment of the muon spectrometer.
BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE BEAMS STRENGTHENED WITH FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER LAMINATES UNDER IMPACT LOADING

Most of the research on application of composite materials in civil engineering during the past decade has concentrated on the behavior of structural elements under static loads. In engineering practice, there are many situations in which structures undergo impact or dynamic loading. In particular, the impact response of concrete beams strengthened with composite materials is of interest. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation conducted to study the impact effects on concrete beams strengthened with fiber-reinforced polymer laminates. Two types of composite laminates, carbon and Kevlar, were bonded to the top and bottom faces of concrete beams with epoxy. Five beams were tested: two strengthened with Kevlar laminates, two strengthened with carbon laminates, and one unretrofitted beam as the control specimen. The impact load was applied by dropping a steel cylinder from a specified height onto the top face of the beam. The test results revealed that composite laminates significant...
Effects of changes in central blood volume on carotid-vasomotor baroreflex sensitivity at rest and during exercise

The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether the effect of changes in central blood volume on carotid-vasomotor baroreflex sensitivity at rest was the same during exercise. Eight men (m...
A critical review of fouling of reverse osmosis membranes

Abstract Reverse osmosis technology is presently undergoing rapid growth in the area of municipal and industrial wastewater reuse. Control of membrane fouling due to organic compounds and particles in wastewater is a major expense in the design and operation of these facilities. This paper gives a general overview of what is known about the fouling process, and describes technology used to deal with the problem. Current research in the field is reviewed, including some recent developments in modeling and fouling control.
Critical Race Theory and Interest Convergence as Analytic Tools in Teacher Education Policies and Practices

In The Report of the AERA Panel on Research and Teacher Education, Cochran-Smith and Zeichner's (2005) review of studies in the field of teacher education revealed that many studies lacked theoreti...
PARADIGMS OF BELIEF, THEORY AND METATHEORY

. My account of the recent turnabout in the treatment of mental states in science and its basis in a modified concept of causal determinism and my claim that this opens the way for beliefs and values consistent with science are here reaffirmed in response to perceived weaknesses and “inherent incompleteness.” Contested issues are reviewed to better clarify the main thesis. An inherent weakness in respect to deep spiritual needs is recognized and tentative remedial measures explored.
Ryanodine receptors in human pancreatic β cells: localization and effects on insulin secretion

SPECIFIC AIMSPancreatic β cell secretory dysfunction is a key determinant of disease progression in type 2 diabetes. In diabetes, the expression and function of ryanodine receptor Ca2+ release chan...
General composition and universal composability in secure multi-party computation

Concurrent general composition relates to a setting where a secure protocol is run in a network concurrently with other, arbitrary protocols. Clearly, security in such a setting is what is desired, or even needed, in modern computer networks where many different protocols are executed concurrently. Our main result is a proof that security under concurrent general composition is equivalent to a relaxed variant of universal composability (where the only difference relates to the order of quantifiers in the definition). An important corollary of this theorem is that existing impossibility results for universal composability (or actually its relaxed variant) are inherent in any definition achieving security under concurrent general composition. We stress that the impossibility results obtained are not "black-box", and apply even to non-black-box simulation. Our main result also demonstrates that the definition of universal composability is somewhat "minimal", in that the composition guarantee provided by universal composability (almost) implies the definition itself. This indicates that the security definition of universal composability is not overly restrictive.
Time Allocation Decisions Associated with Job Market Preparation: Undergraduate Perceptions versus Market Realities

A survey of agribusiness firms identifies characteristics associated with above average starting salary offers in the allied fields of agribusiness, agricultural economics, business, and economics. A complementary survey is made of students at Texas A&M University and University of Georgia. Results show that firms value work experience and leadership experience more than students do, whereas students value raising grade point average and interview preparation more than do firms. Students seeking a firm's maximum starting salary offer will need to enhance academic performance with substantial work experience and leadership experience. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Salivary gland P2 nucleotide receptors.

Theeffects ofATPonsalivary glands havebeenrecognized since 1982. Functional andpharmacological studies of theP2nucleotide receptors thatmediate theeffects ofATPandother extracellular nucleotides havebeensupported bythe cloning ofreceptor cDNAs, bytheexpression ofthereceptor proteins, andbytheidentification insalivary gland cells ofmul- tiple P2receptor subtypes. Currently, there isevidence obtained frompharmacological andmolecular biology approaches for theexpression insalivary gland oftwoP2Xligand-gated ionchannels, P2Z/P2X7 andP2X4, andtwoP2YGprotein-coupled recep- tors, P2Y1 andP2Y2Activation ofeachofthese receptor subtypes increases intracellular Ca2+, asecond messenger withakey role intheregulation ofsalivary gland secretion. Through Ca2+regulation andother mechanisms, P2receptors appear toreg- ulate salivary cell volume, ionandprotein secretion, andincreased permeability tosmall molecules that maybeinvolved in cytotoxicity. Somelocalization ofthevarious salivary P2receptor subtypes tospecific cells andmembrane subdomains has beenreported, along with evidence fortheco-expression ofmultiple P2receptor subtypes within specific salivary acinar orduct cells. However, additional studies invivo andwithintact organ preparations arerequired todefine clearly theroles thevarious P2receptor subtypes play insalivary gland physiology andpathology. Opportunities foreventual utilization ofthese receptors aspharmacotherapeutic targets indiseases involving salivary gland dysfunction appear promising.
Parametric in vivo brain imaging during activation to examine pathological mechanisms of functional failure in Alzheimer disease.

Alzheimer disease (AD) patients demonstrate reduced “resting state” regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (rCMRglc) and reduced regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in cortical association areas, early and throughout the course of disease. In this paper, we hypothesize that parametric cognitive or passive stimulation, during in vivo brain imaging, can be used to elucidate the pathological basis of these flow and metabolic abnormalities in individual AD patients. Experimental data suggest that sigmoidal relations (nonlinear monotonically increasing relations reaching a horizontal asymptote) exist in the normal brain between rCBF or rCMRglc and a function (D, P) of task difficulty D (intensity, duration, pattern complexity) and subject performance P (reaction time, accuracy, effort, attention). Pathological mechanism I, under some conditions reversible and involving neural (including synaptic) element dropout or modification with retained capacity for full activation at high values of (D, P), is expe...
Infectivity of bovine viral diarrhea virus associated with in vivo-derived bovine embryos.

Abstract Early research indicated that bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) would not adhere to zona pellucida-intact (ZP-I), in vivo-derived bovine embryos. However, in a recent study, viral association of BVDV and in vivo-derived embryos was demonstrated. These findings raised questions regarding the infectivity of the embryo-associated virus. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the infectivity of BVDV associated with in vivo-derived bovine embryos through utilization of primary cultures of uterine tubal cells (UTC) as an in vitro model of the uterine environment and to determine if washing procedures, including trypsin treatment, were adequate to remove virus from in vivo-derived embryos. One hundred and nine ZP-I morulae and blastocysts (MB) and 77 non-fertile and degenerated (NFD) ova were collected on day 7 from 34, BVDV-negative, superovulated cows. After collection, all MB and NFD ova were washed according to International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) standards and exposed for 2 h to approximately 10 6 cell culture infective doses (50% endpoint) per milliliter of viral strain SD-1. Following exposure, some groups of
Microbial population dynamics and profiling of quorum sensing agents in membrane bioreactor

Abstract The biofilm formation on membrane surface in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) leads to membrane biofouling and retards the filtration performance. Researchers have been focused towards investigating the physicochemical fouling control strategies ignoring the microbiological mechanism and agents responsible for biofouling. The study aimed at investigating the signal molecules like N-acyl homoserine lactones and dominant bacterial diversity responsible for cell to cell communication, known as quorum sensing which allow them to coordinate gene expression and regulate virulence, leading to formation of mature biofilm. Dominant strains were isolated from the activated sludge of MBR and screened for the ability to produce AHLs as signal molecules, using two biosensors, Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and Agrobacterium tumefaciens A136. 16S rRNA sequencing approach was used for identification of dominant bacterial diversity along with QS strains. Among AHLs producing strains, maximum biofilm formation ability was indicated by Pseudomonas kilonensis and Psychrobacter sp. All bacterial strains showed different biofilm forming tendencies, irrespective of their growth rate, verifies the role of QS agents responsible for biofilm development. The presence of short and medium chain AHLs (C4-HSL, C6-HSL and C8-HSL) was confirmed using HPLC. Production of AHLs and dominance of quorum sensing strains in activated sludge authenticate the key role of these substances in biofilm production and thereby membrane bio-fouling.
Why Choose? A Response to Rachlinski, Wistrich, & Guthrie's 'Heart versus Head: Do Judges Follow the Law or Follow Their Feelings?'

In "Heart Versus Head," Rachlinski, Guthrie, and Wistrich present experimental findings suggesting that judges sometimes rule on the basis of emotion rather than reason. Though there is much of value in their findings, they have presented a false choice. The experiments do offer strong evidence that judges' decisions can be influenced by the "affect heuristic," insofar as they show that prompting generalized feelings of good/bad and like/dislike can sway legal rulings that ought to be answered entirely on traditionally legalistic grounds. However, the experiments do not speak more broadly to the influence of judicial emotion, which is a far more complex phenomenon than the affect heuristic.
Getting Started with Microsoft Word 6.0 for Windows

From the Publisher: A step-by-step, hands-on, accessible guide which teaches basic skills using concise, focused activities that build to create actual applications. Emphasizes the use of the mouse, buttons and icons to carry out commands. Familiarity with menus is developed so that students can take advantage of the greater options. The convenient Feature Reference summarizes menu commands as well as mouse and keyboard shortcuts.
Factors influencing the heat coagulability of serum proteins.

Abstract A simple method is described for comparing the resistance of sera to coagulation by heat. The highest incidence of abnormal values is found in the acutely ill patient and in those recovering from the shock of surgery or injury. The frequency decreases in less overwhelming pathologic states. Evidence is presented which suggests that adrenal response to the stress of injury or disease may be an important factor influencing the heat coagulation time. Observations on the heat coagulation time of the serum of 1,350 patients indicate that no diagnostic significance can be ascribed to the procedure but rather that the results reflect a nonspecific disturbance in the metabolism of the diseased patient.
Sensing sheets based on large-area electronics and integrated circuits

Accurate and reliable early-stage identification of damage requires pervasive deployment of sensors in the critical areas of structures. Deployment of dense arrays of sensors enhances the probability that damage will directly affect the sensors and result in discernable output signals. However, the deployment of currently available sensors in the form of dense arrays over large areas represents a major challenge in terms of costs, complexity of installation, and data management. Consequently, new technological breakthroughs are needed. Large-area electronics (LAE) is an emerging technology that, combined with integrated circuits (ICs), has potential to enable the formation of practical and scalable dense sensor arrays in the form factor of a thin sensing sheet. The sensing sheet consists of a dense array of strain sensors patterned on a flexible substrate, as well as the electronics for strain readout, full-system self-powering, and communication. This chapter introduces LAE and IC technologies and presents several stages in the development of such sensing sheets.
BFDM prototype for cognitive radio systems

In order to achieve better spectral efficiency, several prototypes have been suggested as physical layer candidates for cognitive radio systems as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), SRRC (Square Root Raised Cosine) and others. In such models, we are confronted to problems of interference between the cognitive users and licensed users which degrade the performances of using models. In order to reduce the level of interference, we propose in this paper a candidate for cognitive radio systems naming Biorthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (BFDM) with localized time-frequency waveforms. We compare the proposed prototype with another prototype functions used in different multicarrier systems, in terms of power spectral density. Simulations results are provided to illustrate the interference power and show that BFDM has an attractive benefit over other prototypes functions.
Transition Prediction in Hypersonic Boundary Layers Using Receptivity and Freestream Spectra.

Boundary-layer transition in hypersonic flows over a straight cone can be predicted using measured freestream spectra, receptivity, and threshold values for the wall-pressure fluctuations at the tr...
Low level of response to alcohol as a predictor of future alcoholism.

Objective As part of a search for measurable attributes of an individual that might be related to the risk of alcoholism, the author's group previously compared 227 sons of alcoholics and 227 matched comparison subjects at the age of about 20 years. Forty percent of the men at high risk for alcoholism and less than 10% of the comparison subjects demonstrated a low intensity of response to alcohol challenge. This article reports the results of the follow-up of the first half of this study group almost a decade later. Method Of the men who had been tested at about age 20, 223 were about age 30 at this evaluation, which included personal and resource-person interviews, record searches, urine toxicology screens, and blood level markers of drinking. Results A low level of response to alcohol at age 20 was associated with a fourfold greater likelihood of future alcoholism in both the sons of alcoholics and the comparison subjects. Fifty-six percent of the sons of alcoholics with the lesser alcohol response developed alcoholism during the subsequent decade, compared to 14% of the men in this group who had highly sensitive alcohol responses. Neither family history of alcoholism nor response to alcohol predicted any other psychiatric diagnoses over the subsequent decade, and neither was a significant predictor of any other substance use disorder. Conclusions In a heavy-drinking society, a lower sensitivity to modest doses of alcohol is associated with a significant increase in the risk of future alcoholism, perhaps through increasing the chances that a person will drink more heavily and more often.
Adverse events following immunization in Baoshan district of Shanghai in 2010-2012

Objective To discuss the adverse events following immunization(AEFI)in Baoshan district of Shanghai,and to assess the performance of AEFI monitoring system. Methods A descriptive epidemiology method was adopted to analyze the AEFI data collected from 2010 to 2012. Results A total of 2 373 AEFI were reported with adverse reaction accounting for 99.70%.The overall incidence rate of AEFI was 99.76 per million doses.99% of AEFI were reported and investigated within 48 h.33.63% occurred in summer and64.26% were children younger than 1 year old.Vaccine with absorbent was on the top list of causing AEFI.Most common adverse reactions were fever,edema and induration.The first dose of vaccination usually resulted in higher incidence of AEFI(47.83%)and 46.65% occurred within 24 h.99.88% of AEFI disappeared either by proper treatment or recovered naturally. Conclusions AEFI monitoring system runs well and has higher sensitivity.The incidence of AEFI is related to a variety of factors.Personal training and standardized operation may help to reduce AEFI.
Application of Cooperative Particle Swarm Algorithm in Agent-Based Computational Economics Simulation of Electricity Market

ACE simulation of electricity market is an important research method of electricity market, however, the results of such a research on the agent simulation method are rarely reported. In this paper, the cooperative particle swarm algorithm is applied to the intelligent agent based bidding, and by means of simulative test of electricity market, the agent process of cooperative particle swarm algorithm during the simulation is analyzed. Through the tests of various cost variance and supply-demand level variance, the responses of cooperative particle swarm algorithm to cost factor and supply-demand factor in the agent based bidding are analyzed and compared with the agent based results adopting Q-learning algorithm. From test results it can be seen that it is feasible to apply cooperative particle swarm algorithm in the agent-based computational economics (ACE) simulation of electricity market.
A replacement genus-group name in Buprestidae (Coleoptera)

With the subsequent designation of a type species, the genus-group name Paracylindromorphus (Neomorphus) Cobos, 1953 became available as Neomorphus Bellamy, 1992. I was unaware, until recently informed by Dr. Huseyin Ozdikmen, that this genus-group name is preoccupied by the valid bird genus Neomorphus Gloger, 1827 (Aves: Cuculiformes: Cuculidae) (fide Neave, 1939). Therefore I propose the replacement name Duncanius to honor my friend and colleague Duncan MacFadyen, the manager of Research & Conservation for the Oppenheimer company, Johannesburg, in recognition of the recent successful completion of his Master’s degree and in remembrance of our joint field trips in South Africa from 1995-2000.
An Experiment in Integrating Critical Theory and Clinical Education

Critical theory is important in live-client clinical teaching as a means to achieve the pedagogical goals of clinical education. Feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and poverty law theory serve as useful frameworks to enable students to deconstruct assumptions they, persons within institutions, and broader society make about the students' clients and their lives. Critical theory highlights the importance of looking for both the "obvious and non-obvious relationships of domination." Thus, critical theory informs students of the presence and importance of alternative voices that challenge the dominant discourse. When student attorneys ignore or are unaware of such voices, other voices invisibly influence the lawyer-client relationship and lawyering activities, such as interviewing, case theory generation, fact investigation, strategic planning, counseling, and problem-solving. Critical theory also has a value in transmitting a structured and systemic critique "of law, legal institutions, and lawyering."This Article discusses the way in which the Women and the Law Clinic and the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Washington College of Law at American University have attempted to incorporate feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and poverty law theory into our jointly-run seminar in order to further the clinics' pedagogical goals. Our effort began with identifying feminist and other critical legal theories that resonate with the lives of our clinics' clients, their legal and non-legal issues, and the lawyering skills and values we teach. Next, we created a simulated fact pattern that is intended to highlight the theoretical issues we want to teach. Finally, we selected scholarly readings that discuss the theoretical concepts, and assign them to be read in preparation for the lecture and simulation exercise classes that we believe provide the best context in which to discuss the theory. This Article sets forth details of this ongoing project and explores the impact that infusion of critical theory in every aspect of the clinic has had on achievement of our pedagogical goals.