cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in memory and cognition.

Serotonin 5-HT2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) are widely distributed in the central nervous system, especially in brain region essential for learning and cognition. In addition to endogenous 5-HT, several hallucinogens, antipsychotics, and antidepressants function by targeting 5-HT2ARs. Preclinical studies show that 5-HT2AR antagonists have antipsychotic and antidepressant properties, whereas agonist ligands possess cognition-enhancing and hallucinogenic properties. Abnormal 5-HT2AR activity is associated with a number of psychiatric disorders and conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. In addition to its traditional activity as a G protein-coupled receptor, recent studies have defined novel operations of 5-HT2ARs. Here we review progress in the 1) receptor anatomy and biology: distribution, signaling, polymerization and allosteric modulation; and 2) receptor functions: learning and memory, hallucination and spatial cognition, and mental disorders. Based on the recent progress in basic research on the 5-HT2AR, it appears that post-training 5-HT2AR activation enhances nonspatial memory consolidation, while pre-training 5-HT2AR activation facilitates fear extinction. Further, the potential influence that 5-HT2AR-elicited visual hallucinations may have on visual cue (i.e., landmark) guided spatial cognition is discussed. We conclude that the development of selective 5-HT2AR modulators to target distinct signaling pathways and neural circuits represents a new possibility for treating emotional, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
Control of nucleation and crystal growth kinetics of MOF-5 on functionalized gold surfaces

Abstract Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold (Au) substrates have been used to prepare metal–organic framework (MOF) thin films. Both highly-oriented single crystals (∼100 μm) and dense films of zinc terephthalate (MOF-5) were grown by room-temperature pretreatment of Au-SAM substrates with Zn 2+ ions to control nucleation and crystal growth in MOF-5 synthesis solutions. The particle size distribution in the film samples (1 × 10 4 –5 × 10 4 μm 2 ) was determined by image analysis of optical micrographs collected at different times during crystallization in order to study the crystal growth kinetics. An induction period of 2–3 d was observed before the onset of crystal growth. The crystal sizes saturate at a mean cross sectional area of 2.0–2.5 × 10 4 μm 2 .
Explosions in Semarang: Reading Malay tales in 1895

On the morning of 12 December 1895, a well-dressed young man enters the railway station in the city of Semarang. He purchases a ticket, walks around on the platform, and then gets on the train to Solo, ready for departure. Once the machine starts moving, the man looks out of the window, visibly confused.He turns to his fellow passengers, many of them unknown to him. In Malay, the language of travellers, he exchanges information, tells and hears stories, discusses issues of daily life, of himself, of the people who, out in the rice fields, on the roads, in the plantations, are staring at the roaring machine passing by. Now and then the man looks into his own heart again, losing himself in empty thoughts. And with every tick of his watch the landscape out there changes its appearance. And farmers and labourers stop their work, distracted by the awesome noise of the iron monster.
Autoradiographic and electron microscopic degeneration evidence for axonal sprouting in the rat corticopontine system

Newborn (2 or 3 days postnatal) rats were subjected to unilateral cerebral cortical lesions involving much of the anterior (sensorimotor) cortical surface in the right hemisphere. Three months later, the survivors were divided into two groups, one group receiving a [3H]leucine injection in the left sensorimotor cortex and the other sustaining a lesion involving the left sensorimotor cortex. Routine autoradiographic studies in the first group revealed abnormally dense axonal and terminal labeling in the pontine gray contralateral to the leucine-injected hemisphere, suggesting that much of the label was due to sprouting from intact corticopontine axons into the neonatally deafferented pontine gray. In the group with a second (adult) cortical lesion contralateral to the neonatal ablation, degenerating axons and boutons were abundant in the pontine gray contralateral to the adult lesion and at least some of these were interpreted to represent sprouted corticopontine axons and their terminals.
The Effects of Aging on Auditory Processing and Cognition

Purpose To briefly summarize existing data on effects of aging on auditory processing and cognition. Method A narrative review summarized previously reported data on age-related changes in auditory...
Laboratory Procedures to Generate Viral Metagenomes

This collection of laboratory protocols describes the steps to collect viruses from various samples with the specific aim of generating viral metagenome sequence libraries (viromes). Viral metagenomics, the study of uncultured viral nucleic acid sequences from different biomes, relies on several concentration, purification, extraction, sequencing and heuristic bioinformatic methods. No single technique can provide an all-inclusive approach, and therefore the protocols presented here will be discussed in terms of hypothetical projects. However, care must be taken to individualize each step depending on the source and type of viral-particles. This protocol is a description of the processes we have successfully used to: (i) concentrate viral particles from various types of samples, (ii) eliminate contaminating cells and free nucleic acids and (iii) extract, amplify and purify viral nucleic acids. Overall, a sample can be processed to isolate viral nucleic acids suitable for high-throughput sequencing in approximately 1 week.
Social impact assessment of regional plans: a review of methods and issues and a recommended process

Social impact assessment (SIA) is defined and related to other policy analysis techniques. Conceptual problems in conducting SIA are reviewed. Various SIA methods are identified and evaluated for their probable effectiveness in assessing regional plans. Regional planning conditions are identified and constraints to, and demands on, SIA are examined. A strategy for SIA is proposed which uses public inputs during cyclical planning iterations for efficiently identifying and assessing the most important social impacts.
Modeling of Rumen Water Kinetics and Effects of Rumen pH Changes

Mechanistic elements for determining water kinetics and effects of pH on VFA production and cellulose hydrolysis were incorporated into a model of rumen digestion and metabolism. Elements necessary for water kinetics were estimates of salivary flow during eating, resting, and ruminating, time course and amount of drinking water, osmotic flux across the rumen wall based on changes in rumen fluid osmolality, and liquid turnover rate. Osmotic flux equations predicted a significant net absorption of water from rumens of dairy cattle. Water kinetic equations predicted experimental changes in rumen volume during twice daily feeding, and produced marker dilution data qualitatively resembling published data. Increased marker dilution during feeding was due to increased rumen volume. An empirical equation predicting rumen pH from VFA concentration was validated against literature data. Changes in molar percentages of acetate and propionate as pH declined below 6.2 were produced by decreasing cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation and by altering stoichiometric coefficients for fermentation of soluble sugars and starch. Insufficient data prevented an adequate challenge of equations predicting decreases in cellulose hydrolysis and changes in stoichiometric coefficients as pH decreased.
Development of Chemosensitivity in Neurons from the Nucleus Tractus Solitarii (NTS) of Neonatal Rats

We studied the development of chemosensitivity during the neonatal period in rat nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) neurons. We determined the percentage of neurons activated by hypercapnia (15% CO(2)) and assessed the magnitude of the response by calculating the chemosensitivity index (CI). There were no differences in the percentage of neurons that were inhibited (9%) or activated (44.8%) by hypercapnia or in the magnitude of the activated response (CI 164+/-4.9%) in NTS neurons from neonatal rats of all ages. To assess the degree of intrinsic chemosensitivity in these neurons we used chemical synaptic block medium and the gap junction blocker carbenoxolone. Chemical synaptic block medium slightly decreased basal firing rate but did not affect the percentage of NTS neurons that responded to hypercapnia at any neonatal age. However, in neonates aged <P10, but not in older neonates, chemical synaptic block medium increased CI. Carbenoxolone did not significantly alter the number of NTS neurons activated by hypercapnia in neonatal rats of any age. In summary, the response of NTS neurons from neonatal rats appears to be intrinsic and largely unchanged throughout early development. In young neonates (<P10) chemical synaptic input reduces the magnitude of the firing rate response to hypercapnia, but otherwise neither chemical synaptic input nor gap junctions significantly alter the percentage of NTS neurons that respond to hypercapnia or the magnitude of that response.
The effects of interviewer race and child race on sexual abuse disclosures in forensic interviews.

ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of interviewer race and child race on disclosures by alleged child sexual abuse victims during forensic interviews. Despite findings that supportiveness of caretaker, gender of interviewer, gender of child, and age of child affect disclosure, previous studies have failed to examine race as a variable impacting disclosure in a real-world setting. The study examined 220 cases from an archive of reports generated from forensic interviews in an urban setting. The reports were reviewed and coded for degree of disclosure, focusing on African American and Caucasian children and interviewers. The results indicate that child race and the interaction of child race and interviewer race reliably distinguished between no disclosure, tentative disclosure, and disclosure with detailed account of activity, while interviewer race alone failed to serve as a significant predictor. The interaction between child race and interviewer race was not in the predicted direction, with cross-ra...
STEAMEngine: Driving MapReduce provisioning in the cloud

MapReduce has gained in popularity as a distributed data analysis paradigm, particularly in the cloud, where MapReduce jobs are run on virtual clusters. The provisioning of MapReduce jobs in the cloud is an important problem for optimizing several user as well as provider-side metrics, such as runtime, cost, throughput, energy, and load. In this paper, we present an intelligent provisioning framework called STEAMEngine that consists of provisioning algorithms to optimize these metrics through a set of common building blocks. These building blocks enable spatio-temporal tradeoffs unique to MapReduce provisioning: along with their resource requirements (spatial component), a MapReduce job runtime (temporal component) is a critical element for any provisioning algorithm. We also describe tw o novel provisioning algorithms — a user-driven performance optimization and a provider-driven energy optimization — that leverage these building blocks. Our experimental results based on an Amazon EC2 cluster and a local Xen/Hadoop cluster show the benefits of STEAMEngine through improvements in performance and energy via the use of these algorithms and building blocks.
SoftCubes: Stretchable and self-assembling three-dimensional soft modular matter

This paper proposes a self-assembling soft modular matter, called SoftCubes, where soft-bodied modules are disassembled into a flexible string by an external tension and self-assemble into the preprogrammed three-dimensional (3D) shape. The developed soft modular matter has three main design features. Firstly, entire modules of the 3D shape are serially connected. Such a structure allows all the modules to be disassembled by external tension. Secondly, the outer body of the modules and the connecting parts are made of soft stretchable elastomer. Due to the soft body of the modules, after disassembling, the serially connected modules become a highly flexible and soft string, and have an extreme shape adaptation capability. Also, if the external tension is removed, the preprogrammed 3D shape is recovered by the elastic restoring force of soft-bodied modules. Finally, embedded small permanent magnets induce magnetic self-assembling forces and maintain a mechanical robustness of the 3D shape of module assembly. Due to the magnetic self-assembly, the soft modules are precisely aligned with neighboring modules in a lattice structure. The paper also presents an algorithm to generate the serial connection path of modules for creating a given 3D shape. Various physical interactions between self-assembling module prototypes are visualized in two-dimensional motion tracking experiments. Finally, the shape reconfiguration ability of soft modular matter is demonstrated. SoftCubes is a new class of programmable modular matter where shape memory ability is embedded in the structure, and shows a physical implementation of various 3D shapes with a high resolution and a high scalability.
Negative pH and Extremely Acidic Mine Waters from Iron Mountain, California

Extremely acidic mine waters with pH values as low as −3.6, total dissolved metal concentrations as high as 200 g/L, and sulfate concentrations as high as 760 g/L, have been encountered underground in the Richmond Mine at Iron Mountain, CA. These are the most acidic waters known. The pH measurements were obtained by using the Pitzer method to define pH for calibration of glass membrane electrodes. The calibration of pH below 0.5 with glass membrane electrodes becomes strongly nonlinear but is reproducible to a pH as low as −4. Numerous efflorescent minerals were found forming from these acid waters. These extreme acid waters were formed primarily by pyrite oxidation and concentration by evaporation with minor effects from aqueous ferrous iron oxidation and efflorescent mineral formation.
Titration curves for creatinephosphokinase.

Abstract Titration curves of creatinephosphokinase are examined at various ionic strengths. Whereas the ionization curves for the phenolic groups are reversible, there are indications of irreversible alteration of the protein structure at low and high pH values. There are 124 protons bound by each protein molecule going from the isoionic point to the maximum acid binding level of the titration curve. A similar number of cationic groups is deduced from the titration in 0.015 M sodium dodecyl sulfate. Titration curves of the protein in 8 M urea and in 5 M guanidine HC1-1.2 M urea, however, are inconclusive. Subtracting the KCl titration curve from a formaldehyde curve yields 69 amino groups at the point of greatest difference; and calculations allow for 91 protons to be bound by carboxyl groups of the protein.
Overview of power delivery and laser damage in fibers

Fiber optic delivery systems are an important component of high power laser systems used for applications ranging from laser surgery to industrial cutting and welding. Conventional silica fiber optics may be used to deliver Nd:YAG laser powers in excess of 2,000 W whereas lasers operating beyond 2 micrometers require non-silica fiber optics. Specifically, IR transmissive fiber optics for Er:YAG or CO2 laser beam delivery require the use of special fiber optics such as sapphire, fluoride or chalcogenide glass, or hollow waveguides. The optical and mechanical properties of these unique guides and their power handling capability are reviewed along with those of silica fibers operating in the UV and near IR wavelength region of the spectrum.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of age and Parkinson's disease on cursor positioning using a mouse

Point-and-click tasks are known to present difficulties to users with physical impairments, particularly motor- or vision-based, and to older adults. This paper presents the results of a study to quantify and understand the effects of age and impairment on the ability to perform such tasks. Results from four separate user groups are presented and compared using metrics that describe the features of the movements made. Distinct differences in behaviour between all of the user groups are observed and the reasons for those differences are discussed.
The complexation of lanthanide ions with mandelate

Abstract The stability constants and the enthalpies and entropies of formation of lanthanide mono-mandelate have been determined by potentiometry and calorimetry in a medium of 2·0 M (NaClO 4 ) ionic strength. The thermodynamic data are comparable in magnitude to analogous data for complexation by related α-hydroxycarboxylate ligands.
Transposon Tn916insertional mutagenesis ofPasteurella multocidaand direct sequencing of disruption site

Abstract The transposon Tn 916 , when introduced into Pasteurella multocida by electroporation on a nonreplicating plasmid, integrates into the bacterial chromosome. Efficiencies of approximately 8×10 4 mutants/μg of plasmid DNA were obtained. Restriction digestion and Southern analysis indicate that the Tn 916 element integrates in a quasi-random fashion throughout the genome. Most transformants had a single copy of the transposon but approximately 5% had two copies. Furthermore, the nucleotide sequence at the disruption site of any desired mutant was obtained by capitalizing on the differential sensitivity of the transposon and the genome to the restriction enzyme Hha I; molecular cloning or amplification by polymerase chain reaction was not required. The Tn 916 element has a single Hha I site. On the other hand, this restriction enzyme frequently cleaves the P. multocida chromosome with the vast majority of the resulting genomic fragments being less than 7 kb in length. Tn 916 integration adds a 12 kb segment to the genomic Hha I fragment at the site of disruption. The resulting chimeric DNA fragment was isolated on the basis of size from digests of mutant genomic DNA separated on agarose gels. DNA sequencing with primers corresponding to the terminus of the Tn 916 element was used to determine the sequence at the disruption site. In summary, Tn 916 can be used to disrupt and to clone genes of P. multocida in a rapid and facile fashion.
Pressure Oscillations in a Water-Cooled Nuclear Reactor Induced by Water-Hammer Waves

Shutdown of the Babcock & Wilcox reactor water-coolant pumps causes check valves to close which induces the generation of water hammers in the system. The magnitude, frequency, and duration of possible pressure oscillations in the pipeline and the discharge of the pressure oscillations into the attached plenum chamber were evaluated. Although the plenum chamber contains a great number of suspended rods, it was possible to establish the upper bound for the pressure loading across the internal structure of the plenum chamber at various stations for determination of design criteria. (auth)
Inhibition of in vitro anti-DNA B-cell responses by cyclosporine

Abstract The action of the immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine (CsA) on anti-DNA B-cell responses was investigated in an in vitro system. Spleen cells from autoimmune MRL- lpr lpr or control BALB/c mice, when cultured at high cell density, spontaneously produced significant amounts of IgM and IgG, including anti-DNA. IgG levels, both total and anti-DNA, were much higher for MRL- lpr lpr cells compared to BALB/c cells, suggesting similarity of this model system to the in vivo response. For cells of both strains, the production of IgM and IgG anti-DNA was 10- to 100-fold more sensitive to the inhibitory activity of CsA than total immunoglobulin production. The effect was not manifest, however, in cultures stimulated with the B-cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide. These observations suggest that CsA in certain dose ranges preferentially inhibits anti-DNA production, with efficacy determined by the mechanisms promoting B-cell hyperactivity.
Two distinct stress signaling pathways converge upon the CHOP promoter during the mammalian unfolded protein response.

CHOP is a non-ER localized transcription factor that is induced by a variety of adverse physiological conditions including ER stress. Accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER activates an unfolded protein response pathway that targets both ER resident chaperones (e.g. BiP) and CHOP. Hence, it is unclear if CHOP induction during ER stress occurs through the ER stress response element that is conserved in both CHOP and ER chaperone promoters, or through a separate regulatory pathway conserved among different CHOP inducing cellular stress conditions. We identified a bona fide ER stress element in the hamster CHOP promoter and found that similar transcription complexes containing NF-Y bound to both the CHOP and BiP ER stress response elements. In addition, we demonstrated for the first time the importance of the C/EBP-ATF composite site for CHOP regulation during ER stress. Activation of the ER transmembrane eIF2alpha kinase, PERK, induced ATF4 protein expression, direct binding to the composite site in CHOP promoter, and as a consequence, CHOP protein induction. We propose that this eIF2alpha-kinase/ATF4/C/EBP-ATF composite site pathway is conserved for CHOP regulation during various cellular stress conditions including ER stress. Our data indicate that both the ERSE and the PERK-ATF4 pathways converge on the CHOP promoter during ER stress and provide insights into the similarities and differences between CHOP and ER chaperone expression during normal and stress conditions.
Meeting Report: BSRL/JPL Seminar on the Lunar Motion

mination of the selenodetic coordinates of surface features from the analysis of Lunar Orbiter photographs. The consistency of the results from different frames and different spacecraft is used as a measure of the accuracy of the techniques used. The present inconsistencies are on the order of 2 km, as a result of several improvements in the analysis. The 'periwiggle problem' that has plagued the data analyses of the Lunar Orbiter trajectories was the subject of a discussion by Gayle D. Barrow and Phillip E. Hong, Boeing Space Division. The periwiggle is a high-frequency systematic fluctuation in the doppler residuals of the spacecraft trajectory in the vicinity of the periapse, implying unexplainable excursions of perhaps as much as 60 m from the nominal orbit. An analysis of the residuals as a function of periapse altitude indicates that the cause might be correlated with lunar surface features. Fourier analysis of the residuals from both real and simulated data showed significant differences near periapse, but not in the rest of the orbit. No correlation could be found between the Fourier characteristics and possible missing frequencies in the harmonic expansion of the potential function. Paul M. Muller and Wm. L. Sjogren, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, followed this discussion by describing their discovery of a one-to-one correlation between large positive gravity anomalies and the ringed maria. Lunar Orbiter data were used to construct a gravimetric map of the visible face of the Moon. From this map, it was concluded (Muller and Sjogren, 1968) that each of the ringed maria contains a high-density mass concentration buried perhaps I00 km below the surface, such as, might be the result of the impact of a nickel-iron asteroid. This paper generated the most spirited discussion of the meeting. Muller emphasized that their findings, while qualitatively sound, could not be expected to be quantitatively reliable, nor do they prove that the ringed maria are impact features. The lunar potential field was treated by P. Sconzo, IBM, as a Helmert surface of
On the numerical solution of the equation $$\frac{{\partial ^2 z}}{{\partial x^2 }}\frac{{\partial ^2 z}}{{\partial y^2 }} - \left( {\frac{{\partial ^2 z}}{{\partial x\partial y}}} \right)^2 = f$$ and its discretizations, I

The equation indicated in the title is the simplest representative of the class of nonlinear equations of Monge-Ampere type. Equations with such nonlinearities arise in dynamic meteorology, geometric optics, elasticity and differential geometry. In some special cases heuristic procedures for numerical solution are available, but in order for them to be successful a good initial guess is required. For a bounded convex domain, nonnegativef and Dirichlet data we consider a special discretization of the equation based on its geometric interpretation. For the discrete version of the problem we propose an iterative method that produces a monotonically convergent sequence. No special information about an initial guess is required, and to initiate the iterates a routine step is made. The method is self-correcting and is structurally suitable for a parallel computer. The computer program modules and several examples are presented in two appendices.
The 3x+1 fractal

Abstract The 3x+1 sequence (also known as the Collatz sequence) is generalized to the complex function F : C → C defined by F(z)=z/2 if ceiling(|z|) is even; otherwise=3z+1. Extensions of the well-known 3x+1 conjecture are considered. A striking fractal in the complex plane C is constructed from iteration of F and a density plot of the resulting modulus. Also, some variants of F are studied.
Measurements on a 215-GHz subharmonically pumped waveguide mixer using planar back-to-back air-bridge Schottky diodes

This paper presents design and performance data for a 215-GHz subharmonically pumped waveguide mixer using an antiparallel-pair of planar air-bridge-type GaAs Schottky-barrier diodes. The waveguide design is a prototype for a 640-GHz system and uses split-block rectangular waveguide with a 2:1 width-to-height ratio throughout. The measured mixer noise and conversion loss are below that of the best reported whisker contacted or planar-diode mixers using the subharmonic-pump configuration at this frequency. In addition, the required local oscillator power is as low as 3 mW for the unbiased diode pair, and greater than 34 dB of LO noise suppression is observed. Separate sideband calibration, using a Fabry-Perot filter, indicates that the mixer can be tuned for true double sideband response at an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz. Microwave scale model measurements of the waveguide mount impedances are combined with a mixer nonlinear analysis computer program to predict the mixer performance as a function of anode diameter, anode finger inductance, and pad-to-pad fringing capacitance. The computed results are in qualitative agreement with measurements, and indicate that careful optimization of all three diode parameters is necessary to significantly improve the mixer performance. >
The Effectiveness of Quality Control Charts

Abstract The spacing and effectiveness functions of a quality control chart used either alone or in sets of two or more are derived for production at a constant level and for erratic production. The spacing of decision points is considered from a general point of view. The theory developed is fundamental in deciding which of two different decision techniques in quality control, each using the same spacing function, is the more effective. * Many of the results given herewith were obtained independently by the two authors.
A Note on the Use of A' as a Measure of Sensitivity.

Abstract The use of A ′, a nonparametric measure of sensitivity in tests of recognition memory, is discussed. In particular, two formulas for computing A ′ are considered. One formula, which was reported in a recent paper by Berch (1975) , should be used only when the observed hit rate is greater than or equal to the false alarm rate. A second formula is presented for computing A ′ when the hit rate is less than the false alarm rate.
Evaluation of Video Technology for Monitoring of Multispecies Longline Catches

Abstract At-sea catch monitoring of the Alaskan longline fishery for Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis is insufficient. The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) conducted studies in 2002 and 2004 comparing catch composition data from electronic monitoring (EM) systems to those of at-sea observers. The EM systems use automated data loggers linked to digital video cameras, a transducer on shipboard hydraulic systems, and a global positioning system receiver. The goal of both studies was to determine whether EM technologies could provide precise and verifiable catch composition data on commercial longline vessels to supplement and complement the data collected by fisheries observers. The EM video analyst's catch data were similar to the observers' data in the 2002 study; however, the video analyst recorded fewer fish for 7 of the 17 species categories investigated. In 2004, the IPHC employed EM technology in another study incorporating recommendations from the 2002 study, including improved ...
On the use and meaning of prepositions

This study explored the relationship between the use and meaning of 33 prepositions. The S s composed sentences for each preposition and then found sensible substitutes for the preppositions; other S s gave free associations to each preposition; and other S s grouped the repositions according to their meaning. Patterns of prepositional similarity, derived for the three procedures, showed that prepositions with overlapping substitutes generally had overlapping contexts in sentences, had overlapping free associations, and frequently belonged to the same groups. Free associations were most often the substitutes of a preposition and next most often nominals differing from, but having common properties with, its objects in sentences. The results implied: (a) that a S treats two prepositions as being semantically related to the extent that they are interchangeable in sentences; and (b) that a S implicitly uses hierarchical phrase structure rules and cognitive categories corresponding to prepositional and noun phrases when he gives free associations and when he makes judgments about meaning.
An Experimental Study of Managers' and Researchers' Use of Consumer Market Research

Little work has been done to experimentally measure the impact of information on new product decisions. The author reports on both manager and researcher use of information in assessing sales estimates. Findings indicate that the two groups differ widely in their decision-making style and research use.
Chiral Nickel(II) and Palladium(II) NCN-Pincer Complexes Based on Substituted Benzene: Synthesis, Structure, and Lewis Acidity

Air- and moisture-stable nickel(II) and palladium(II) complexes from phebox pincer ligands 1−5 have been synthesized, and their Lewis activity was investigated. 2,6-Bis(oxazolinyl)phenylnickel halide complexes [NiX(phebox)] and 2,6-bis(oxazolinyl)phenylpalladium halide complexes [PdX(phebox)] were synthesized via oxidative addition with [Ni(COD)2] or Pd2dba3, respectively, followed by halide abstraction using silver(I) salts to form complexes such as [Ni(phebox)][ClO4] (41). Herein, X-ray crystal structures are reported for several pincer complexes having the expected square-planar geometries with the terdentate NCN pincer system. Complexes with general structure [M(phebox)]X where X is a halogen showed no relative Lewis acidity. On the other hand, complexes where X was exchanged for a less coordinating counterion showed increased Lewis acidity. The relative Lewis acidity varies depending on the substituents on the benzene core of the pincer ligands, due to the electronic effects of the ligand on the meta...
Institute activities: President's message

Our newly elected president discusses three objectives toward which the Institute must work if it is to become more meaningful to a growing membership in a period of great expansion in science and technology.
Prosthesis-Related Abscess on In-111 Leukocyte SPECT/CT Imaging

A 77-year-old male with a history of right knee joint replacement 4 years ago presented with swelling and pain following a fall. He soon developed fever with an elevated WBC count, ESR and CRP levels. Blood cultures were negative. Whole body images were acquired in anterior and posterior projections after the intravenous administration of 543 μCi of In-111-labeled autologous WBCs (a,b). They showed a large area of abnormal accumulation of labeled WBCs in the right thigh. CT and fused SPECT/CT images in the coronal plane (c,d) localized the uptake to the antero-lateral aspect of the right femoral prosthesis, extending into the knee. Transaxial CT and fused SPECT/CT images (e,f) localized the uptake to an abnormal density with an air-fluid level (e) characteristic of an abscess (Fig. 1). The patient underwent drainage, irrigation and debridement. Fig. 1 Whole body images were acquired in anterior and posterior projections after the intravenous administration of 543 μCi of In-111-labeled autologous WBCs (a, b). They show a large area of abnormal accumulation of labeled WBCs in the right ... In-111-Labeled leukocyte scintigraphy is the imaging modality of choice for evaluation of patients with suspected joint replacement infections [1]. As compared to CT and MRI, scintigraphy is not limited by orthopedic hardware, and in combination with bone marrow scans (using Tc-99 m sulfur colloid), provides excellent sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of prosthesis infection [2, 3]. Limitations of In-111 labeled leukocyte scintigraphy include low image quality and poor anatomical resolution [4]. Fusion of SPECT images with a separately acquired CT has been shown to facilitate interpretation and alter patient management [5, 6]. SPECT/CT is gaining popularity as a hybrid imaging modality where the functional (scintigraphic) and anatomic (low dose CT) information is acquired together to generate coregistered images. SPECT/CT imaging has been shown to improve the sensitivity and specificity of labeled leukocyte imaging by providing the precise localization and extent of abnormalities [7, 8]. This case highlights the importance of SPECT/CT hybrid imaging in In-111 leukocyte scintigraphy.
Microentrepreneurs and homeworkers: Convergent categories

Abstract Home-based workers are not easily identified as either self-employed or dependent workers because these categories of employment status fail to capture gender subordination which is particularly salient in the case of home-based work. Yet development practitioners tend to treat homebased workers as self-employed microentrepreneurs, providing them credit and training. Unions, on the other hand, consider them exploited workers, push for the enforcement of labour laws and sometimes have begun to organize homeworkers and bargain collectively on their behalf. We present the cases of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India and the West Yorkshire Homeworking Group of Great Britain as examples of successful organizations which support home-based workers by combining microenterprise development and union organizing.
Review: antisecretory drugs: cellular mechanisms of action

SUMMARY Parietal cell secretory function may be inhibited by three mechanisms. (1) Receptors for gastrin, histamine and acetylcholine are present on the canine parietal cell, and parietal cell function may be directly inhibited by specific antagonists for each of these receptors. (2) Receptor activation of parietal cell function is mediated by cyclic AMP-dependent (histamine) and calcium-dependent (cholinergic agents and gastrin) mechanisms. The antisecretory action of prostaglandins reflect interference with histamine activation of adenylate cyclase. The current generations of calcium channel blockers have only weak antisecretory actions in vivo and are unlikely to be useful in clinical practice. (3) A third mechanism of inhibition is blockade of H+/K+-ATPase by substituted benzimidazoles, such as omeprazole. Each of these three mechanisms provides modalities of potential clinical usefulness for treating acid-peptic disease. Gastrin and acetylcholine receptors are present on other fundic cells, in addition to the parietal cell. These other cells include the somatostatin cell in the dog fundic mucosa and the histamine-containing enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell present in the fundic mucosa of several species. The relative impact of these receptors on different cell types on the regulation of acid secretion remains uncertain, and is probably variable among different species. One gastrin receptor of considerable importance is the gastrin receptor that exerts a trophic effect on the ECL cell in the fundic mucosa. Sustained hypergastrinaemia in response to profound hypochlorhydria is associated with hyperplasia of this cell type; the elucidation of the conditions that promote this hyperplasia and the clinical consequences of this association are pressing challenges.
Modeling of clusters by a molecular dynamics model using a fast tree method

The dynamics of clusters irradiated by a high-intensity ultrashort pulse laser has been studied using a fully relativistic three-dimensional Molecular Dynamics Model. A fast three-dimensional tree algorithm for computing the electrostatic force has been developed and compared with the conventional particle-particle method. The particle-particle method requires computation time, which scales as O(Np2), and it is faster for small number of particles Np 103, the preferred method is the tree algorithm whose computation time scales as O(Np log Np). The tree algorithm has been benchmarked against the particle-particle method for clusters composed of xenon and deuterium atoms and its accuracy and computation time have been analyzed. The optimum free parameter of the tree method has been determined to be θ≈0.5. We addressed the effects of boundary conditions by studying the contribution of adjacent clusters to the total electromagnetic force exerted on individual particles. We found that the adjacent clusters play a minor role in the overall cluster dynamics.
Expression of HoxA5 in the heart is upregulated during thyroxin-induced metamorphosis of the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum).

Widespread external and internal changes in body morphology have long been known to be hallmarks of the process of metamorphosis. However, more subtle changes, particularly at the molecular level, are only now beginning to be understood. A number of transcription factors have recently been shown to alter expression either in levels of message or in isoforms expressed. In this article, we describe a dramatic increase in the expression of the homeobox gene HoxA5 in the heart and aorta of the Mexican axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum during the process of thyroxin-induced metamorphosis. Immuno-histochemical analysis with anti-HoxA5 antibody in thyroxin-induced metamorphosing animals showed a pattern of expression of HoxA5 comparable to that in spontaneously metamorphosing animals. Further, by in situ hybridization, we were able to show significant qualitative differences in the expression of this gene within the heart. Maximum HoxA5 expression occured at the midpoint of metamorphosis in the myocardium, whereas the hearts of completely metamorphosed animals had the highest levels of expression in the epcardium and endocardium. In the aorta, smooth-muscle cells of the tunica media as well as cells of the tunica adventitia had an increase in expression of HoxA5 with thyroxin-induced metamorphosis. HoxA5 expression significantly changed in cells of the aorta and ventricle with treatment by thyroid hormone. HoxA5, positive regulatory of p53, may be involved with the apoptotic pathway in heart remodeling during amphibian metamorphosis.
Axonal projections of mechanosensory neurons in the connectives and peripheral nerves of the leech, Haemopis marmorata

The axonal projections of the seven mechanosensory neurons in the connectives and peripheral nerves were examined by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injections. In the connective the closely functionally related mechanosensory neurons travel in two bilaterally symmetrical regions, which comprise less than 10% of the connective's cross-sectional area. This grouping may reflect the similar functional properties and synaptic connections of the cells. Serial sections through the neuropil-connective junction zone showed that the organization of the axons is independent of glial fasciculation. Fascicles are not rigid structures; they were found to part and fuse in a seemingly random manner. The glial cell seems therefore to have only a supportive structural function and not to play any role in axonal guidance or to define any specific nerve fascicles in the leech. The projections of the mechanosensory cells in the peripheral roots were not as stereotyped as in the connective. However, examination of the branching of the medial and lateral P cells in the posterior root showed that the roots are highly structured and that some axons may be confined to tracts which have specific positions related to the branching of the root. The possible role of the P cells in pioneering these tracts is discussed.
Surgical restoration of antegrade flow in the occluded infarct artery improves long-term survival in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that survival after myocardial infarction is strongly influenced by the presence or absence of antegrade flow in the infarct artery: patients with antegrade flow have a higher survival rate than those whose infarct artery remains occluded. In patients with an occluded infarct artery and no other coronary artery disease (single-vessel disease), the mechanical restoration of antegrade flow--via balloon angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting--improves long-term survival. This study was carried out in order to assess the influence of bypass grafting on long-term prognosis in survivors of myocardial infarction who had an occluded infarct artery and stenoses of one or both remaining arteries (multivessel disease). METHODS Over a 10-year period, 157 survivors of first infarction (95 men and 62 women, aged 30-78 years) with an occluded infarct artery and stenoses of one or both remaining arteries were identified. Of these, 91 (group 1) were treated medically, and 66 (group 2) underwent multivessel bypass grafting. RESULTS The two groups were similar in age, sex, and extent of coronary artery disease. Over 62 +/- 35 months of follow-up, 42 (46%) of the 91 medically treated (group 1) patients died of cardiac causes compared with only 12 (18%) of the 66 surgically treated (group 2) patients (P = 0.023). Multivariate analysis showed that the significant predictors of survival were left ventricular ejection fraction, patient age, extent of coronary artery disease, and bypass grafting. CONCLUSION In survivors of myocardial infarction with an occluded infarct artery and multivessel coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with improved long-term survival.
Co-simulation of detailed whole building with the power system to study smart grid applications

Modernization of the power system in a way that ensures a sustainable energy system is arguably one of the most pressing concerns of our time. Buildings are important components in the power system. First, they are the main consumers of electricity and secondly, they do not have constant energy demand. Conventionally, electricity has been difficult to store and should be consumed as it is generated. Therefore, maintaining the demand and supply is critical in the power system. However, to reduce the complexity of power models, buildings (i.e., end-use loads) are traditionally modeled and represented as aggregated “dumb” nodes in the power system. This means we lack effective detailed whole building energy models that can support requirements and emerging technologies of the smart power grid. To gain greater insight into the relationship between building energy demand and power system performance, it is important to constitute a co-simulation framework to support detailed building energy modeling and simulation within the power system to study capabilities promised by the modern power grid. This paper discusses ongoing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and presents underlying tools and framework needed to enable co-simulation of building, building energy systems and their control in the power system to study applications such as demand response, grid-based HVAC control, and deployment of buildings for ancillary services. The optimal goal is to develop an integrated modeling and simulation platform that is flexible, reusable, and scalable. Results of this work will contribute to future building and power system studies, especially those related to the integrated ‘smart grid’. Results are also expected to advance power resiliency and local (micro) scale grid studies where several building and renewable energy systems transact energy directly. This paper also reviews some applications that can be supported and studied using the framework introduced to understand their implications before they can be successfully implemented in the power system.
The effect of cortisone treatment upon the longevity and productivity of Trichinella spiralis in the rat.

Trichinosis until recently belonged to that dwindling group of diseases which relegate the physician largely to the role of an interested spectator at a contest between infectious organism and host. The growth and maturation of the ingested larval worms, and their subsequent production of more larvae could not be halted, or the symptoms of the disease significantly modified. With the introduction of ACTH and the corticosteroids this situation has been altered to a considerable degree. The antiinflammatory properties of these drugs promised to be of value in the treatment of trichinosis during the stages of larval migration and encystment, and thus to tide the patient over the critical period. Early reports of Luongo, Reid and Weiss (1951) and David and Most (1951) on the use of ACTH, and of Rosen (1952), among others, concerning cortisone, substantiated that promise. Further clinical experience with these hormones has not in any way modified this conclusion.
Growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to sublethal concentrations of organic chemicals.

Abstract The determination of a short-term LC 50 toxicity value for a chemical is a useful indicator of the potential biological effect of the chemical if released into the environment. However, it is possible that adverse effects of the chemical may occur at sublethal concentrations far below LC 50 values. Using the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny) as an indicator organism for soil ecosystems, concentrations of 10 organic chemicals were evaluated for sublethal effects on earthworm growth and reproduction. Following short-term exposure to sublethal concentrations of carbaryl and dicldrin, E. fetida was allowed to resume growth and reproduction to determine whether such effects were permanent. The effect on earthworm populations as a representative soil organism could be a sentinel for the effects of more destructive soil processes.