cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer Simulation of an Armoured Battalion Swarming

Swarming is a tactical approach considered in modern armies combat activities conceptualisation. More intensive research of military application of swarming began after 2000, mostly in the areas of unmanned air, underwater, and ground vehicles, as well as in air force, navy and some special ground force units. In spite of relative inconveniences of contemporary main battle tanks to act as swarmers, some of initial results of the armoured mobile platforms swarming research have been presented. The motivation for the research is that adaptation of contemporary tanks for swarming could prolong their working life until the new generation comes, and could be the best investment in medium and smaller countries armiesi modernisation. Brief survey of the till date research, description of the simulation model and the results of experiments simulating swarming of the battalion-sized group of armed mobile platforms, defending territory from superior adversary unit, have been considered in the paper.
An agent-based architecture for fast context transfers during handoffs

Multimedia applications often involve multiple media types such as voice, text, video, and graphics. Many of these applications have low delay requirements and do not perform well under large delay conditions. To provide efficient support for mobile multimedia applications as well as seamless network connectivity, it is crucial that handoff delays are minimised. In this work, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of an architecture based on agent technology to minimise handoff delays. Our empirical results demonstrate that our proposed agent-based context transfer approach improves handoff delay performance by 54.8% compared to the traditional client/server context transfer approach which performs handoffs by exchanging multiple messages.
A double-blind comparison of intensive course 5-fluorouracil by oral vs. intravenous route in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma†

This radomized double-blind study was designed to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of the oral and i.v. routes for 5-FU administered in intensive courses to 100 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the large bowel, treated to equivalent levels of toxicity. An oral dose of 20 mg/kg day times 5 was found to produce comparable G.I., mucocutaneous, and hematologic side effects to a dose of 13.5 mg/kg day times 5 by rapid i.v. injection. Courses were repeated at 5 weeks. Nine of 47, or 19.1%, treated by the oral route have shown objective response, compared to 14 of 53, or 26%, treated by the i.v. route. If malignant hepatomegaly is considered alone, the response rates are 8 of 23, or 34.8%, by the oral route, and 7 of 22, or 31.8%, by the i.v. route. The mean duration of response for the oral group, 11.1 weeks, was shorter than for the i.v. route, 20 weeks, a statistically significant (p less than 0.02) difference. Serial serum 5-FU levels after two doses of 5-FU were determined by microbiological assay in 19 patients. For i.v. administration the curves were comparable among different patients as well as in the same patient. There was striking variability, however, for oral administration.
Cognitive vulnerability to comorbidity: looming cognitive style and depressive cognitive style as synergistic predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Abstract Background and objectives Because anxiety and depression are highly comorbid, it is likely that individuals with co-occurring cognitive vulnerabilities to depression and anxiety will experience more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, no study to date has examined the effects of co-occurring (simultaneous) cognitive vulnerabilities to depression and anxiety on the severity of symptoms. Method The present study examines the co-occurring effects of Alloy and Abramson’s (1999) Negative Cognitive Style, a vulnerability to depression, and Riskind’s (2000) looming cognitive style, a vulnerability to anxiety. Results Results indicated that those with co-occurring vulnerabilities experience a more severe level of anxiety and depression symptoms. Limitations The present study used a measure of symptoms rather than actual clinical diagnoses. Conclusion These findings address the previously ignored area of cognitive vulnerability to comorbidity. Co-occurring cognitive vulnerabilities to anxiety and depression synergistically confer risk for more severe anxiety and depression symptoms than the individual or additive effects of either vulnerability do alone.
Blowing up extremal Kähler manifolds II

This is a continuation of the work of Arezzo–Pacard–Singer and the author on blowups of extremal Kahler manifolds. We prove the conjecture stated in Szekelyhidi (Duke Math J 161(8):1411–1453, 2012), and we relate this result to the K-stability of blown up manifolds. As an application we prove that if a Kahler manifold $$M$$ of dimension $$>$$ 2 admits a constant scalar curvature (cscK) metric, then the blowup of $$M$$ at a point admits a cscK metric if and only if it is K-stable, as long as the exceptional divisor is sufficiently small.
Relationship of ectopic ACTH production to tumor differentiation: A morphologic and immunohistochemical study of prostatic carcinoma with cushing's syndrome

A case of Cushing's syndrome in a patient with an ACTH-producing prostatic carcinoma is presented. Initial transurethral biopsy showed a moderately well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. The development of Cushing's syndrome was associated with a change in the morphology of the tumor; repeat transurethral prostatic biopsy and autopsy showed an admixture of moderately well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma. Immunoperoxidase studies revealed ACTH only within the anaplastic component of the tumor, which also showed strong argyrophilia. Electron microscopic studies revealed abundant dense-core granules within the anaplastic portion of the tumor with only very scanty granules in the differentiated portion. This case strongly supports the contention that cells with APUD characteristics can differentiate within epithelial tissues of multiple embryologic origins, and that the possession of APUD features does not necessarily imply origin from any specific neuroendocrine progenitor cell.
A histology-based atlas of the C57BL/6J mouse brain deformably registered to in vivo MRI for localized radiation and surgical targeting

The C57BL/6J laboratory mouse is commonly used in neurobiological research. Digital atlases of the C57BL/6J brain have been used for visualization, genetic phenotyping and morphometry, but currently lack the ability to accurately calculate deviations between individual mice. We developed a fully three-dimensional digital atlas of the C57BL/6J brain based on the histology atlas of Paxinos and Franklin (2001 The Mouse Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates 2nd edn (San Diego, CA: Academic)). The atlas uses triangular meshes to represent the various structures. The atlas structures can be overlaid and deformed to individual mouse MR images. For this study, we selected 18 structures from the histological atlas. Average atlases can be created for any group of mice of interest by calculating the mean three-dimensional positions of corresponding individual mesh vertices. As a validation of the atlas' accuracy, we performed deformable registration of the lateral ventricles to 13 MR brain scans of mice in three age groups: 5, 8 and 9 weeks old. Lateral ventricle structures from individual mice were compared to the corresponding average structures and the original histology structures. We found that the average structures created using our method more accurately represent individual anatomy than histology-based atlases alone, with mean vertex deviations of 0.044 mm versus 0.082 mm for the left lateral ventricle and 0.045 mm versus 0.068 mm for the right lateral ventricle. Our atlas representation gives direct spatial deviations for structures of interest. Our results indicate that MR-deformable histology-based atlases represent an accurate method to obtain accurate morphometric measurements of a population of mice, and that this method may be applied to phenotyping experiments in the future as well as precision targeting of surgical procedures or radiation treatment.
Broken Chiral Symmetry and the Veneziano Model

We investigate chiral-symmetry breaking within the $K\ensuremath{\pi}$ system when a Veneziano model is assumed for various off-mass-shell extrapolations. We derive expressions for the matrix elements of $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ terms and the divergence of the strangeness-changing current and discuss the implications to chiral-symmetry-breaking interactions. Application of our results to the ${K}_{l3}$ form factors gives $\frac{{f}_{K}}{{f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}{f}_{+}(0)}=1.35$ and the relation ${(\frac{{f}_{K}}{{f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}})}^{2}=cos[{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{{K}^{*}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}(0)({{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{K}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2})]$.
Assay of Jorpes-Mutt secretin and cholecystokinin.

. The technique worked out in the senior author's laboratory for assaying secretin and cholecystokinin in cats and dogs has been described in detail. Highly purified samples of these hormones, supplied by the Swedish workers, were found to have a strength of 3,300 Ivy dog units of secretin and 22 Ivy dog units of cholecystokinin per mg, respectively. Due attention was paid to the extreme lability of the purified secretion.
Shear-wave splitting in the Rio Grande Rift

Fast directions and lag times associated with SKS shear-wave splitting are determined for six digital stations in the Rio Grande Rift (RGR). The mean fast direction for three stations in the central RGR is about 45° oblique to the axis of the RGR. In contrast, fast directions approximately parallel to the axis of the RGR are found for two stations in the southern RGR (∼10°), and one station in the northern RGR (∼26°). The fast directions for southern stations are not aligned with the NE-SW extension direction of the Oligocene to early Miocene stage of extension. The significant N-S lateral variation in the SKS shear-wave splitting parameters is difficult to explain by fossil anisotropy because the mantle structure beneath the RGR is underlain by hot material with low seismic-wave velocities. Hence the fast direction of azimuthal anisotropy is probably related to the preferred orientation of olivine created by the present deformation in the upper mantle. Because none of the fast directions are parallel to the present E-W extension direction of the RGR the dominant upper mantle flow direction is not perpendicular to the axis of the RGR. The pattern of the fast directions along the RGR provides evidence for a rising asthenosphere beneath the central to southern RGR and suggests that thermally driven small-scale convection may be faster for flow parallel to the rift than perpendicular to it.
Strong binding of myosin increases shortening velocity of rabbit skinned skeletal muscle fibres at low levels of Ca2

At low levels of activation, unloaded shortening of skinned skeletal muscle fibres takes place in two phases: an initial phase of high-velocity shortening followed by a phase of low-velocity shortening. The basis for Ca2+ dependence of unloaded shortening velocity (Vo) in the low-velocity phase was investigated by varying the level of thin filament activation with Ca2+ and N-ethyl-maleimide myosin subfragment-1 (NEM-S1), a non-tension-generating, strong binding derivative of subfragment-1. Vo was measured with the slack-test method. Treatment of skinned fibres with 5 μm NEM-S1 eliminated the low-velocity phase of shortening but had no effect on the high-velocity phase of shortening during submaximal activation with Ca2+, or on Vo during maximal activation with Ca2+. Extensive washout of NEM-S1 from the treated fibres restored the low-velocity phase of shortening and returned low-velocity Vo to pre-treatment values. The effect of NEM-S1 to increase low-velocity Vo can be explained in terms of a model in which strong binding myosin cross-bridges activate the thin filament to a state in which the rate of ADP release from the actin-myosin-ADP complex and the rate of cross-bridge detachment from actin are accelerated during unloaded shortening.
Adventitial versus intimal liposome-mediated ex vivo transfection of canine saphenous vein grafts with endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene.

Abstract Purpose: Experiments were designed (1) to evaluate liposome-mediated endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) transfection in vein grafts and (2) to compare intimal and adventitial routes of transfection. Methods: Male mongrel dogs (N = 36) underwent bilateral femoral artery bypass grafting with the lateral saphenous vein. In each animal one vein was transfected with plasmid (pVR1012) containing the ecNOS gene, and another vein was transfected with plasmid alone (control). Gene transfer was performed from either the intimal surface (Group I, n=18) or the adventitial surface (Group II, n=18). In each group there were three transfection subgroups (n = 6 each): ( a ) 10 μg/mL naked plasmid DNA, ( b ) 10 μg/mL plasmid DNA + liposome (LipofectAMINE PLUS), and ( c ) 100 μg/mL plasmid DNA + LipofectAMINE PLUS. Grafts were harvested on the third postoperative day, and the transfection was assessed with molecular techniques and enzyme assay for activity of NOS by conversion of tritiated l-arginine to tritiated l-citrulline. Proliferating cells were quantified with a digital analysis of histologic sections after nuclear antigen Ki-67 (MIB1) immunohistochemistry. Results: Transgene was identified with polymerase chain reaction in all ecNOS-transfected grafts, regardless of transfection modality. However, significant transcription of the ecNOS transgene was observed only in Group II c (mean ecNOS messenger RNA, 8.7 ± 1.7 vs 3.1 ± 0.7 × 10 –2 attomole/μL, in transfected compared with control grafts, respectively, P =.01). NOS activity increased approximately twofold in this group (11.58 ± 2.1 and 6.3 ± 1.0 pmol tritiated l-citrulline per milligram protein per hour in transfected and control grafts, respectively, P =.05). Numbers of proliferating cells did not differ among ecNOS-transfected and control grafts in any transfection group. Conclusion: These results suggest that ecNOS transfection of vein grafts is feasible through intimal and adventitial routes with naked DNA or a liposomal vector. However, efficient transcription of the transgene is evident at postoperative day 3 only after adventitial transfection of 100 μg/mL of the gene. (J Vasc Surg 2000;32:1190-200.)
Firing technology for refractories made of sintered corundum

A technology was developed for firing corundum refractories, which, when used with a batch containing densely sintered chamotte having a water absorption of up to 3%, 40–45% finely milled corundum (minus 60 μm), and a fabrication pressure of 100 MPa, guaranteed the production of dense goods, and with the use of slightly sintered chamotte having a water absorption of up to 12% — high-density goods. With a reduction in the fabrication pressure of the green articles to 50 MPa the new technology ensures the production of densified goods.
Evidence-Based Literature Pertaining to Thyroid Dysfunction and Cushing's Syndrome in the Horse

The evidence-based literature pertaining to thyroid dysfunction and Cushing's syndrome is discussed in this article. Summaries of and recommendations for the treatment of these conditions are made. There is a need for reliable diagnostic tests for these conditions in horses.
Absorption Kinetics of Griseofulvin in Man

The distribution and elimination kinetics of griseofulvin have been examined in man. The drug was administered intravenously in polyethylene glycol 300 via a saline drip. The plasma-concentration time curve was satisfactorily described by a bi-exponential equation, the half-life for the first exponent was found to be 0.70–1.7 hr. and the second 9.5–21.0 hr. It was also shown that the area under the plasma-concentration time curve was proportional to the dose administered. Griseofulvin was then given orally and from the plasma concentration, the kinetics of the absorption of this drug were calculated. Absorption was found to occur up to 30 hr. after administration and 27–72.5 percent of the dose was absorbed.
Efficacy and Application Methods of Oxathiapiprolin for Management of Black Shank on Tobacco

Black shank, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae, is responsible for serious yield and quality reduction in tobacco production. Application of effective fungicides continues to be a viable component in developing integrated disease management programs. Experiments were conducted in 2011 to 2013 to determine the efficacy and application methods of a new fungicide, Zorvec (a.i. oxathiapiprolin), for management of black shank under field conditions. Oxathiapiprolin is the first member of a new class of isoxazoline fungicide. Application of Zorvec (0.35 liter/ha) onto tobacco seedlings 1 week prior to transplanting in conjunction with directed applications of the product at 0.7 liter/ha at first cultivation and lay-by (last cultivation) reduced black shank significantly compared to the nontreated control in the experiments conducted in 2011 and 2012. Application of Zorvec at 1.4 liter/ha through transplant water followed by directed sprays at first cultivation and lay-by at 0.7 liter/ha reduced black shank significantly compared with the nontreated control in 2012 and 2013 studies. These treatments were not significantly different (P = 0.05) in disease reduction compared to mefenoxam. All treatments involving Zorvec increased tobacco yield significantly (P = 0.05) or showed a tendency to increase tobacco yield over the nontreated control in all experiments conducted in 2011 to 2013. The results indicated that the new fungicide oxathiapiprolin was effective in reduction of P. nicotianae on tobacco.
Philosophical and psychological epistemologies in behaviorism and behavior therapy

We argue for the following conclusions: (1) that despite what has traditionally been the received view, the epistemology of behaviorism is not similar to, was not historically influenced by, is not consistent with, and therefore does not share a linked fate with, logical positivism; (2) that this tradition of unfortunate exegesis and misattribution is alive and well in that some behavior therapists (e.g., Mahoney, 1989) have tried to construct arguments against radical behaviorism by falsely linking radical behaviorism with certain philosophical positions that they regard as erroneous; (3) that there has been a surprising variety of views on behavior therapy's epistemological commitments; (4) that developments within philosophy and philosophy of science, especially by Quine and Popper, are largely in agreement with naturalized psychological epistemologies such as Skinner's. Therefore, behavior therapists may not need to rely on philosophy for insights into epistemological questions, but rather may look toward neo-behaviorist theories of knowledge.
The predictive and discriminant validity of masculinity ideology.

Abstract Masculinity ideology is the extent to which an individual endorses traditional male-role norms. The present study examined the discriminant validity of this construct relative to other gender-related constructs. The subjects were 269 male participants who completed measures of masculinity ideology, sex-role orientation, gender-relation attitudes, and several outcome variables (e.g., homophobia) potentially related to these gender-related constructs. Masculinity ideology demonstrated substantial predictive validity and good discriminant validity by accounting for unique variance in several outcome variables such as homophobia, hostility, adversarial views of sexual relationships, and reported sexual activity. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis of Male Role Norms Scale (Thompson & Pleck, 1986) replicated itsa priori,three-factor structure. The results suggest that masculinity ideology offers a useful perspective for understanding the relation between male-role norms and important outcome variables.
Quantum-mechanical investigation of bonding and vibrational properties of CO-adsorbed copper

Density functional theory calculations are performed to determine the nature of vibrational modes associated with carbon monoxide chemisorbed to the copper (100) surface. The electronic states and charge density are determined using a plane-wave pseudopotential method within the local density approximation. The surface is modeled using a periodic slab geometry, and the force constant matrix is computed from first principles by displacing each atom in turn and determining the resulting forces on it and all other atoms. This matrix is then diagonalized to yield normal-mode polarization vectors and frequencies. The eigenvectors provide information about the strength of coupling between copper atom motions and CO vibrations. The computed vibrational spectrum is used to predict the transient response of the system to nonequilibrium heating, and the results are compared with recent pulse-laser experiments on this system.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Giant Coupling Effects in Confined 4He Near Tλ

Superfluid 4He shares with superconductors a transition into a low temperature state where the order parameter is a wave function. For the low temperature superconductors, which have a large zero temperature correlation length, this results in well known Josephson effects reflecting the overlap of the wave function across barriers and weak links. Similar phenomena are harder to realize for 4He because the zero temperature correlation length is of the order of interatomic dimensions. The fact that for 4He the critical region, where the correlation length diverges, is accessible experimentally leads to a possible new kind of coupling. This differs from that of a superconductor in the sense that critical fluctuations are important. We have seen such coupling whereby two regions of confined 4He interact and influence their respective thermodynamic behavior (Perron et al. in Nat. Phys. 6:499–502, 2010). This interaction extends over length scales which are much larger than the correlation length. We describe measurements of heat capacity and superfluid density which illustrate this behavior.
Age dependent effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine upon memory consolidation and cerebral protein synthesis

Abstract In four experiments consideration was given to the effect of intracranially administered 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) upon several age dependent cerebral processes. These included (1) the tissue uptake of exogenously administered intracranial 5-HT, which in 17-day old CF-IS strain mice did not lead to increases in forebrain 5-HT level; (2) when administered in close temporal proximity with a single trial passive avoidance training trial, intracranial 5-HT produced a significant degree of retrograde amnesia in 15, 20, and 30-day-old mice, with a temporal gradient for this amnesic effect measured out to eight min. No significant retrograde amnesic effect for such passive avoidance behavior was produced in 17-day old animals. The amnesic effect appeared to be specific to 5-HT, in that (3) other amines or 5-HT analogs administered intracranially in equimolar concentration, had no amnesic effect. The relationship between age and the effect of intracranially administered 5-HT was considered with regard to regional cerebral protein synthesis. The incorporation of radioactive leucine into proteins of several regions of the brain, including cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and diencephalon, midbrain, and cerebellum, was significantly inhibited within 20 min following 5-HT administration. No significant inhibition of cerebral protein synthesis was observed in 17-day old mice of the same strain given identical treatment. The data from the series of experiments generally supported the view that inhibition of protein synthesis may be effected by increases in the regional concentration of 5-HT, and under circumstances wherein such increases are precluded either because of endogenous metabolic circumstances or tissue uptake properties, protein synthesis inhibition may not occur. Such was the case for the 17-day old CF-1S strain mouse wherein protein synthesis inhibition was attenuated and the retrograde amnesic effect of intracranial 5-HT was antagonized.
Color Center Studies in Alkali Halides by Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation

The formation and decay of color centers in alkali halides have been studied using a pulsed electron beam. The F and V -type bands reach maximum heights in optical density at the end of the radiation pulse. V k and V 1 bands in KBr appear to show the first order decay kinetics; their room temperature life times are 1.3 and 3.8 µsec, respectively. A fraction of F and F ' bands bleach by the annihilation with migrating V k centers. The activation energies for the disappearance of H , V 1 and V k centers in KBr are found to be 0.09, 0.25 and 0.39±0.02 eV, respectively. A fraction of H centers in KCl decays with a temperature independent time constant (∼0.13 µsec) which is due to the tunneling with nearby F centers. In crystals containing U -centers (H - ions) the F band continues to grow for several microseconds after the pulse. Absorption bands which decay with the same time constant as the F band growth have been found at 775 mµ (KBr) and 725 mµ (KCl).
Mucopolysaccharidase activity during human deciduous root resorption

Abstract The periodontal ligaments of human deciduous teeth undergoing resorption were analysed biochemically for mucopolysaccharidase activity and the dentine and cementum for total glycosaminoglycan. Enzyme activity was measured colorimetrically by the release of terminal N -acetylhexosamine during incubation with tissue substrate. Activity was present in resorbing teeth, whereas control and ankylosed teeth exhibited none. Glycosaminoglycan levels were 33 per cent lower in resorbing teeth (0.48 μg/mg) than in control teeth. Ankylosed deciduous teeth exhibited a 19 per cent decrease (0.58μg/mg) over control teeth in glycosaminoglycan content, indicating that enzyme activity was present before ankylosis. Damage to the periodontal ligament in ankylosis was postulated for loss in enzyme activity. Thus mucopoly-saccharidase activity is partly responsible for physiological resorption.
Nonparametric Bayesian density estimation on manifolds with applications to planar shapes.

Statistical analysis on landmark-based shape spaces has diverse applications in morphometrics, medical diagnostics, machine vision and other areas. These shape spaces are non-Euclidean quotient manifolds. To conduct nonparametric inferences, one may define notions of centre and spread on this manifold and work with their estimates. However, it is useful to consider full likelihood-based methods, which allow nonparametric estimation of the probability density. This article proposes a broad class of mixture models constructed using suitable kernels on a general compact metric space and then on the planar shape space in particular. Following a Bayesian approach with a nonparametric prior on the mixing distribution, conditions are obtained under which the Kullback–Leibler property holds, implying large support and weak posterior consistency. Gibbs sampling methods are developed for posterior computation, and the methods are applied to problems in density estimation and classification with shape-based predictors. Simulation studies show improved estimation performance relative to existing approaches.
Observer variability in the sonographic measurement of renal length in childhood.

The intra- and interobserver variability of the measurement of renal length in an unselected series of children attending for renal tract ultrasound were estimated using a standard technique and test-retest protocol. The standard errors of measurement were calculated and the limits of agreement derived. The results indicate that for normal kidneys there is a 95% probability that a second measurement by one observer will be within 4.6 mm of his first reading. Similarly, a single measurement will be within 7.8 mm of a reading by a second examiner. For abnormal kidneys in this series the intraobserver variability was similar to normal kidneys but interobserver variability was greater. Observer error in the measurement of renal length is equivalent to between 2 and 3 years normal growth for children older than 1 years.
Comparative studies on the structure and aggregative properties of the myosin molecule. III. The in vitro aggregative properties of the lobster myosin molecule.

Abstract The solubility of rabbit skeletal and lobster abdominal muscle myosin has been studied in monovalent salt solutions as a function of pH (over the range 4.75 to 8.5) and ionic strength (50–500 mM). Rabbit skeletal muscle myosin was found to precipitate over a narrower pH range than the lobster abdominal muscle myosin but at equivalent pH values and ionic strengths the former exhibited greater solubility. Comparison of the solubility of rabbit myosin, per se with that of light meromyosin and lobster myosin with its equivalent proteolytically produced fragment (fraction B1) showed that both rod fragments were more soluble than their parent molecules. Under conditions of low solubility (low ionic strength and pH) the quantity of protein in solution remained essentially constant with increasing total protein, thus suggesting that the aggregation phenomenon is of a phase transition type. Examination of the aggregates by the electron microscopy revealed that rabbit myosin formed classical, elongate, spindle-shaped filaments similar to those previously observed by others. In contrast lobster myosin only formed short, dumbbell-shaped filaments 0.2-–0.3 μm long. Consideration of the pH ranges over which aggregation occurred suggests that protonation of histidine residues may be involved in rabbit myosin filament formation while for lobster myosin, aggregation may involve protonation of e-amino or guanidino groups. The possible relationship between the distribution of these groups along the rod portion of the myosin molecule and the formation of elongate filaments has been explored.
Determination of ciprofloxacin levels in chinchilla middle ear effusion and plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

Abstract An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed to determine ciprofloxacin levels in chinchilla plasma and middle ear fluid. Ciprofloxacin and the internal standard, difloxacin, were separated on a Keystone ODS column (100 × 2.1 mm I.D., 5 μm Hypersil) using a mobile phase of 30 mM phosphate buffer (pH 3), 20 mM triethylamine, 20 mM sodium dodecyl sulphate—acetonitrile (60:40, v/v). The retention times were 3.0 min for ciprofloxacin and 5.2 min for difloxacin. This fast, efficient protein precipitation procedure together with fluorescence detection allows a quantification limit of 25 ng/ml with a 50 μl sample size. The detection limit is 5 ng/ml with a signal-to-noise ratio of 5:1. Recoveries (mean ± S.D., n = 5) at 100 ng/ml in plasma and middle ear fluid were 89.4 ± 1.2% and 91.4 ± 1.6%, respectively. The method was evaluated with biological samples taken from chinchillas with middle ear infections after administering ciprofloxacin.
SANLab-CM: A tool for incorporating stochastic operations into activity network modeling

The Stochastic Activity Network Laboratory for Cognitive Modeling (SANLab-CM) is a new tool that incorporates stochastic operations into activity network modeling (Schweickert, Fisher, & Proctor, 2003). In this article, we discuss the core functionality of SANLab-CM and walk through a case study that expands a previously published single, static path model of telephone operators interacting with customers via a workstation (from Gray, John, & Atwood, 1993) into a stochastic model that generates 55 unique paths with different frequencies and a variety of qualitative properties. Without SANLab-CM, it would have been easy to mistake some of the more frequent critical paths as evidence for alternative strategies for task completion. With SANLab-CM, these critical paths can be shown to be simple emergent properties of variability in elementary cognitive, perceptual, and motor processes.
Separating true positive predicted residue contacts from false positive ones in mainly α proteins, using constrained Metropolis MC simulations

We present a method that significantly improves the accuracy of predicted proximal residue pairs in protein molecules. Computational methods for predicting pairs of amino acids that are distant in the protein sequence but close in the protein 3D structure can benefit attempts to in silico recognize the fold of a protein molecule. Unfortunately, currently available methods suffer from low predictive accuracy. In this work, we use Monte Carlo simulations to fold protein molecules with proximal pair predictions used as additional energy constraints. To test our methods, we study molecules with known tertiary structures. With Monte Carlo, we generate ensembles of structures for each set of residues constraints. The distribution of the root mean square deviation of the folded structures from the known native structure reveals clear information about the accuracy of the constraint sets used. With recursive substitutions of constraints, false positive predictions are identified and filtered out and significant improvements in accuracy are observed.
A Golden Age of Clinical Chemistry: 1948–1960

This segment of history aims to inform the new, and remind the not-so-new, members of the profession about the relatively recent period that initiated the dominant role played by technological innovation in the modern investigation of disease. The 12 years from 1948 to 1960 were notable for introduction of the Vacutainer tube, electrophoresis, radioimmunoassay, and the AutoAnalyzer. Also appearing during this interval were new organizations, publications, programs, and services that established a firm foundation for the professional status of clinical chemists. It was a golden age.
Functional importance of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in cytotoxic lymphocytes activity and associated gene expression. Impact on the age-related decline in lytic activity

Previously we found that the age-related decline in cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) activity in a murine allogeneic system is associated with declining expression of the perforin and two serine esterase genes by senescent CTL. To identify the cell subsets responsible for the age-related decrement in the generation of CTL, splenic T cells, subsets, and mixtures of subsets from aging and young BALB/c female mice were analyzed for their allo-responsiveness to C57BL/6 spleen cells. Depletion studies revealed that CD8+ cells expressed both the lytic activity and the CTL-associated genes, although both CD8+ and CD4+ cells were required for generation of optimal lytic and proliferative responses. Mixture experiments demonstrated that the reduced lytic activity generated by CD8+ cells from the spleens of old mice is a consequence of alterations in both CD8+ and CD4+ cells. The results of experiments in which CD4+ cells from young and old mice were mixed revealed that the alteration in CD4+ cells is consistent with a loss of function. These findings show that (a) the expression of the perforin and serine esterase genes in primary CTL is associated with CD8+ T cells in old and young mice, and exhibits an age-related decrement consistent with that for lytic activity, and (b) the senescent decline in CTL activity is a consequence of aging decreasing activity in both the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets.
Altered Responsiveness to 5-HT at the Crayfish Neuromuscular Junction Due to Chronic p-CPA and m-CPP Treatment

Serotonin (5-HT) levels in the hemolymph of crustaceans has been implied to alter aggressiveness which influences social interactions. The activation of IP3 as a second messenger cascade within crayfish motor neurons in response to application of 5-HT, suggests that the 5-HT receptor subtypes on the motor neurons are analogous to the vertebrate 5-HT2A receptors. Based on evidence in other systems, it would be expected that chronically sustained 5-HT levels in aggressive individuals would result in a compensatory negative feed-back regulation and/or that target tissues would diminish their sensitivity to high levels of circulating, free 5-HT. We addressed the issue of up- and down-regulation in the sensitivity of the responsiveness to exogenously applied 5-HT at the NMJs of crayfish in which the animals have altered endogenous 5-HT levels. Injections of the 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 vertebrate receptor agonist, 1-(3-Chlorophenyl) piperazine dihydrochloride (m-CPP), for 1 week resulted in a decreased responsiveness to application of 5-HT. The compound p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) blocks the enzymatic synthesis of 5-HT and following 7 days of p-CPA injections, a super-sensitivity to exogenous application of 5-HT for both tonic and phasic neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) was observed. However, acute applications of p-CPA and m-CPP, followed by extensive saline washing, did not reveal any altered receptivity to 5-HT application.
Seizures associated with synthetic cathinone exposures in the pediatric population.

Abstract Background Synthetic cathinones or "bath salts" are an increasing problem in the United States. Their adverse effects are related to sympathomimetic toxicity and seizures have been listed among the side effects. This study details the seizures that occur after synthetic cathinone exposure in the pediatric population. Methods We used the American Association of Poison Control Centers database to capture all known synthetic cathinone exposures in children Results Over the specified time period, there were 1328 pediatric synthetic cathinone exposures. Seizures complicated 73 (5.5%) of the cases, with 37 (50.7%) of those cases experiencing a single seizure, 29 (39.7%) multiple seizures, and seven (9.6%) status epilepticus. Fever and acidosis were associated with single seizures, multiple seizures, and status epilepticus. There was no correlation found between any seizure activity and electrolyte abnormalities, hallucinations and/or delusions, tachycardia, or hypertension. Coingestants were present in 33 (45%) of the seizure cases. The most commonly coingested substances were tetrahydrocannabinol, alcohol, and opioids. Conclusions Seizures complicated 5.5% of synthetic cathinone exposures in the pediatric population. Fever and acidosis were associated with seizure activity. The presence of fever after a synthetic cathinone exposure may warrant more aggressive monitoring and treatment.
Synergistic epithelial responses to endotoxin and a naturally occurring muramyl peptide.

We have investigated the synergistic interactions of a naturally occurring peptidoglycan fragment (muramyl peptide) and bacterial endotoxin in the induction of inflammatory processes within respiratory epithelial cells, at the levels of both signal transduction events and ultimate cellular metabolic effects. The source of the muramyl peptide is Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of the respiratory disease pertussis. During log-phase growth, B. pertussis releases the muramyl peptide tracheal cytotoxin (TCT), which has the structure N - acetylglucosaminyl - 1,6 - anhydro - N - acetylmuramyl - (l) - alanyl - γ - (d) - glutamyl - meso - diaminopimelyl - (d) - alanine, equivalent to a monomeric subunit of gram-negative bacterial peptidoglycan. When applied to hamster trachea epithelial (HTE) cells, TCT and endotoxin were found to be highly synergistic in the induction of interleukin-1α (IL-1α), type II (inducible) nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide production, and inhibition of DNA synthesis. Neither molecule alone significantly triggered these responses. The serine/threonine protein kinase inhibitor H7 blocked induction of both IL-1α and iNOS. More selective inhibitors of protein kinase C, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase were not capable of blocking the effects of TCT and endotoxin, suggesting that the H7-inhibited component in this pathway is not among the commonly described kinase targets of H7. Treatment of HTE cells with exogenous IL-1 reproduced the induction of iNOS and DNA synthesis inhibition caused by TCT and endotoxin. H7 was not capable of interfering with effects caused by exogenous IL-1, implying that the H7-sensitive step in the pathway is upstream of IL-1 protein production. Similar assays with the phorbol ester phorbol myristate acetate indicate that it could effectively synergize with endotoxin but not with TCT, suggesting that TCT and endotoxin induce different signal transduction events that combine synergistically. The synergy observed with TCT and endotoxin in epithelial cells is significantly different from their interaction with other cell types, revealing a unique inflammatory response by epithelial cells to these natural bacterial products.
The Microevolution of Mouse Salivary Androgen-Binding Protein (ABP) Paralleled Subspeciation of Mus musculus

Mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) is a major secretory product of the submaxillary glands. Although it is a common salivary protein among rodents generally, the function of ABP has yet to be determined. Here we report a comparison of the DNA coding sequences and putative amino acid sequences they determine for the three common alleles of the Alpha subunit gene (Abpa), alleles that appear to be diagnostic for the three subspecies of Mus musculus. Three other unique sequences were found in the species M. caroli, M. spretus, and M. spicilegus. Comparison of the six sequences shows that 8 of the 20 base substitution sites produce a high degree of variability in amino acids 32, 33, 36, and 39, a variability that creates unique sequence combinations in each species and subspecies. We compare the possibilities that selection or genetic drift caused this unusual microevolution and argue that selection is the more likely explanation. We speculate on the potential significance of this with respect to the proposal that ABP is involved in assortive mate kin selection.
Common Sense Obligation

To attack the sophists’ conception of weakness of will, Aristotle cites Sophocles’ (Aristotle, 335B.C., Philoctetes VII, 2, 1146a19). Philoctetes had wandered into a forbidden garden, through no fault of his own, and had been punished by the gods with a disfiguring disease. Banishing him to a remote island, they had taken everything from him but his bow. As the play opens, the gods reveal to Odysseus that only that bow can win the Trojan War. So, Odysseus orders Neoptolemus to trick Philoctetes out of his bow.
A simplified leader election process using a new topology for personal area networks using a system of systems approach

In this paper, we study how the organization of personal area network devices into a system of systems greatly simplifies the leader election problem. The leader election protocol is the foundation protocol upon which many other important network protocols are based. We propose a three tier system of systems that starts with the cognitive radio system at tier one, and ends with the new architecture for personal area networks at tier three. Based on the system of systems approach we introduce new concepts and terminology and implement, compare and contrast a few variants on the “extrema-finding” method used for leader election.
EVALUATION OF SSVEP AS PASSIVE FEEDBACK FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF BRAIN MACHINE INTERFACES

Research in brain-computer interfaces have focused primarily on motor imagery tasks such as those involving movement of a cursor or other objects on a computer screen. In such applications, it is important to detect when the user is interested in moving an object and when the user is not active in this task. This paper evaluates the steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) as a feedback mechanism to confirm the mental state of the user during motor imagery. These potentials are evoked when a subject looks at a flashing objects of interest. Four different experiments are conducted in this paper. Subjects are asked to imagine the movement of flashing object in a given direction. If the subject is involved in this task, the SSVEP signal will be detectable in the visual cortex and therefore the motor imagery task is confirmed. During the experiment, EEG signal is recorded at 4 locations near visual cortex. Using a weighting scheme, the best combination of the recorded signal is selected to evaluate the presence of flashing frequency. The experimental result shows that the SSVEP can be detected even in complex motor imagery of flickering objects. The detection rate of 85% is achieved while the refreshing time for SSVEP feedback is set to 0.5 seconds.
A State of Interdependence: Caryl Phillips and the Postwar World Order

This essay examines Caryl Phillips’s second novel, A State of Independence , suggesting that it is often left out of critical accounts of Phillips’s career not only, as has been assumed, because of its formal simplicity, but also and primarily because of its ambivalent representation of the United States. Considering the novel’s critical reception within the broader patterns of postcolonial literary scholarship, the essay argues for a reading of the book that emphasizes its measured evaluation of U.S. influence in the post-independence landscape. In doing so, it ties the novel’s concerns directly to Phillips’s later work and career, while proposing that his entire oeuvre can be seen to suggest a mode of critique far more attuned to the affective, political, and economic nuances of global U.S. power than is normally encouraged by postcolonial critical paradigms.
Identifying Novel Helix–Loop–Helix Genes in Caenorhabditis elegans through a Classroom Demonstration of Functional Genomics

A 14-week, undergraduate-level Genetics and Population Biology course at Morgan State University was modified to include a demonstration of functional genomics in the research laboratory. Students performed a rudimentary sequence analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome and further characterized three sequences that were predicted to encode helix-loop-helix proteins. Students then used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to determine which of the three genes is normally expressed in C. elegans. At the end of this laboratory activity, students were 1) to demonstrate a rudimentary knowledge of bioinformatics, including the ability to differentiate between "having" a gene and "expressing" a gene, and 2) to understand basic approaches to functional genomics, including one specific technique for assaying for gene expression. It was also anticipated that students would increase their skills at effectively communicating their research activities through written and/or oral presentation. This article describes the laboratory activity and the assessment of the effectiveness of the activity.
MNP: multihop network reprogramming service for sensor networks

Reprogramming of sensor networks is an important and challenging problem as it is often necessary to reprogram the sensors in place. In this paper, we propose a multihop reprogramming service designed for Mica-2/XSM motes. One of the problems in reprogramming is the issue of message collision. To reduce the problem of collision and hidden terminal problem, we propose a sender selection algorithm that attempts to guarantee that in a neighborhood there is at most one source transmitting the program at a time. Further, our sender selection is greedy in that it tries to select the sender that is expected to have the most impact. We also use pipelining to enable fast data propagation. MNP is energy efficient because it reduces the active radio time of a sensor node by putting the node into "sleep" state when its neighbors are transmitting a segment that is not of interest. Finally, we argue that it is possible to tune our service according to the remaining battery level of a sensor, i.e., it can be tuned so that the probability that a sensor is given the responsibility of transmitting the code is proportional to its remaining battery life