cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasticity of expression of a synaptic vesicle antigen in adult rat superior cervical ganglion

The effects of deafferentation and alterations of synaptic activity on levels of a synaptic vesicle-specific membrane protein (SV) were studied in the adult rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) in vivo, using a monoclonal antibody directed against the protein. Levels of SV were quantified by radioimmunoassay. Deafferentation of the SCG results in a transient increase in SV levels in the SCG on days 7 and 10 after surgery, with levels then dropping below control levels on days 14, 21, and 30 after surgery. Immunohistochemical labeling of deafferented ganglia indicates that the increase is confined to the perikarya of principal ganglionic neurons. Levels of SV in an SCG target tissue, the iris, do not differ from control levels on day 7 after deafferentation, but are elevated at days 10, 14, and 30 after surgery. After reinnervation of the SCG, levels of SV in the SCG are elevated above control values, but do not differ from control values in the iris. Treatment with chlorisondamine, which blocks synaptic transmission in sympathetic ganglia, produces a significant increase in SV levels in the SCG after 7 d of treatment. Long-term chlorisondamine treatment results in reductions in SV in the SCG after 14 and 28 d. Treatment with phenoxybenzamine for 6 d, which reflexly increases synaptic activity, produces a marked decrease in SV in the SCG. These results suggest that activity, mediated by transsynaptic factors, contributes to the regulation of synthesis of a synaptic vesicle protein in the SCG. The results further suggest that accumulation of synaptic vesicles in terminals of the principal ganglion neurons may help regulate the maintenance of normal synaptic vesicle pools within sympathetic neurons.
Trauma under Fire: Treating Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder in Sderot

This article provides an insight into the work of a child clinical psychologist in Sderot, a small city in the south of Israel that suffered for several years from rocket attacks from the adjacent Gaza Strip. The article discusses the intersection between clinical work and politics as it manifests in the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in the city. Using a clinical vignette, the article raises two questions regarding the responsibility of clinical psychologists. First, it invites them to consider political meanings during their clinical work, and second, to consider the role they play in creating a trauma-focused national narrative that preserves rather than tempers political conflicts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adolescent Adjustment to the Middle School Transition: The Intersection of Divorce and Gender in Review.

This study investigated the differences between adolescent boys and girls from divorced families’ adjustment to the middle school transition. A middle school transition survey measured the academic and social middle school transitional experiences of 196 adolescent boys and girls from divorced families. T-Test for Independent Means procedures revealed statistically significant differences between the male and female participants’ adjustment to the academic transition (F = 4.36, p < .05) and social transition (F = 3.79, p < .05) to middle school. The findings showed that girls from divorced families were more adjusted to the academic and social characteristics of the middle school transition than were boys from divorced families. One particular analysis revealed that girls from divorced families were less adjusted to making friends than were boys from divorced families. Overall, this and other findings indicate that gender can affect the transitional experiences of adolescents from divorced families. They also warrant the need to develop an awareness of the possible divorce-related transitional difficulties for middle school boys and girls.
Isokinetic Leg Muscle Strength in Older Americans and Its Relationship to a Standardized Walk Test: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000

Objectives: To describe isokinetic knee extensor muscle strength in older U.S. men and women by age and race/ethnicity and to ascertain its relationship to a standard, timed walking-speed test. Setting: The U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000. Design: A cross-sectional nationally representative health examination survey. Participants: All surveyed persons aged 50 and older (N=1,499) who performed muscle strength and timed walk examinations in the NHANES mobile examination center. Measurements: Concentric peak torque (strength) of the knee extensors at 1.05 rads/ s−1 velocity and a 6-m walk timed in seconds. Results: Knee extensor strength was inversely associated with age (P<.01), and women had less knee extensor muscle strength than men (P<.01). After adjustment for standing height, no significant difference in muscle strength was found across the three race/ethnicity groups (Mexican Americans, non-Hispanic blacks, and non-Hispanic whites) for men or women. After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, weight, and height, increasing knee extensor strength was associated with significant increases in meters walked per second (P<.01). Conclusion: Knee extensor muscle strength is affected by age and sex but not by race/ethnicity and it is significantly associated with timed walk.
Landscape patterns of understory composition and richness across a moisture and nitrogen mineralization gradient in Ohio (U.S.A.) Quercus forests

This study quantified relationships of understory vascular plant species composition and richness along environmental gradients over a broad spatial scale in second-growth oak forests in eastern North America. Species frequencies were recorded in 108 25 x 25 m plots in four study sites extending over 70 km in southern Ohio, U.S.A. The plots were stratified into three long-term soil moisture classes with a GIS-derived integrated moisture index (IMI). In addition to the IMI, the environmental data matrix included eight soil and three overstory variables. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that variations in understory species composition were most strongly related to topographic variations in predicted moisture (IMI), N mineralization rate, nitrification rate, and soil pH. In addition, floristic variation at the regional scale was correlated with variations in soil texture, nitrification, pH, and PO14, resulting from differences in the soil parent material complexes among sites. Species richness averaged 65 species/plot, and increased with moisture and fertility. Stepwise regression indicated that richness was positively correlated with Nmineralization rate and nitrification rate, and inversely correlated with tree basal area. Greater richness on fertile plots was the largely the result of increasing forb richness. Forb richness per quadrat (2 m2) was most strongly and positively related to N mineralization rate. Conversely, richness of understory individuals of tree species was greatest on xeric, less-fertile plots. Our results describe general, broad-scale species-environment relationships that occurred at both the topographic scale (long-term moisture status and fertility) and the regional scale (geomorphological differences among the sites). Strong species richness-N mineralization correlations indicate an important link between below-ground processes and above-ground iodiversity. Because N availability was a strong correlate to vegetation patterns at a broad-scale, our results suggest that the increasing rates of atmospheric N deposition in the region could have a major impact on understory vegetation dynamics.
Competence Mutants III. Responses to Radiations

Abstract Class 3 com− mutants [normal in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) uptake but poor in ability to transform] were investigated with regard to ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray sensitivity of colony-forming ability and with regard to their ability to be transformed by UV- and X-ray-irradiated DNA. Three mutants, com−40, 60, and 78, were highly UV-sensitive in colony-forming ability. None of the mutants was more sensitive than wild type to UV-irradiated transforming DNA; in fact, six of the mutants showed considerably greater resistance. Two of the mutants (com−40 and 60) were slightly more sensitive to X ray in colony formation, whereas most of the mutants showed some degree of sensitivity to X-ray-irradiated transforming DNA. In addition, the physical fate of X-ray-irradiated transforming DNA has been examined, and in one case (com−48) there was a significant drop in sedimentation value of X-ray-irradiated donor DNA after uptake by recipient cells. The com− mutants analyzed have been classified on the basis of their UV and X-ray sensitivities, and, where appropriate, possible biochemical lesions have been implicated.
Filtering of GCM simulated Sahel precipitation

[1] Atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs) forced with observed sea surface temperature (SST) reproduce some aspects of observed Sahel rainfall variability, particularly decadal variability. Here a filter based on signal-to-noise (S/N) EOFs is applied to seven GCM simulations of Sahel precipitation to extract SST-forced variability. Using filter coefficients based on GCM estimates of internal variability has limited, though positive, impact on simulation skill. Additional removal of empirically identified model error improves the representation of both decadal and interannual variability. The model error shows some coherence across the seven GCMs and correlates with local Atlantic SST. We hypothesize that the model error is related to the representation of ocean-atmosphere interactions in the SST-forced GCM simulations.
Malignancies in pregnancy

Malignancy complicating pregnancy is fortunately rare, affecting one in 1000 to one in 1500 pregnancies. Optimal treatment involves balancing the benefit of treatment for the mother while minimizing harm to the fetus. This balance is dependent on the extent of the disease, the recommended course of treatment, and the gestational age at which treatment is considered. Both surgery and chemotherapy are generally safe in pregnancy, whereas radiation therapy is relatively contraindicated. Iatrogenic prematurity is the most common pregnancy complication, as infants are often delivered for maternal benefit. In general, however, survival does not differ from the nonpregnant population. These patients require a multidisciplinary approach for management with providers having experience in caring for these complex patients. The aim of this review was to provide an overview for obstetricians of the diagnosis and management of malignancy in pregnancy.
Cloning and expression of the phospholipase D gene from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in Escherichia coli.

A toxic phospholipase D (PLD) is putatively involved in pathogenesis of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infections. We report here the cloning and expression of the PLD gene (pld) in Escherichia coli. A cosmid library of DNA from C. pseudotuberculosis biovar ovis isolate Whetten 1 was constructed and screened for PLD-producing recombinants by plating them on LB agar containing sheep erythrocytes and equi factors. One recombinant, designated pCpO1, yielded a gene product which displayed synergistic hemolytic and sphingomyelinase D activities, both of which are characteristic of PLD. Subcloning into pUC19 yielded a recombinant, pCpO50, which contained a 1.8-kilobase insert. Analysis of supernatant fluids and cell extracts of cultures of E. coli(pCpO50) revealed sphingomyelinase activity and a protein of about 31,000 Mr, neither of which were detected in E. coli(pUC19). The 31-kilodalton protein also reacted with antibodies in serum from a sheep naturally infected with C. pseudotuberculosis, serum which also contained PLD-neutralizing antibodies. When Southern blots of BamHI digests of DNA from biovar ovis and biovar equi isolates of C. pseudotuberculosis were probed with pCpO50, bands of 4.8 and 1.9 kilobases, respectively, were seen, suggesting that the genome organization of pld is different for isolates from the two biovars. Images
Novel alternative splicing isoform biomarkers identification from high-throughput plasma proteomics profiling of breast cancer

Background In the biopharmaceutical industry, biomarkers define molecular taxonomies of patients and diseases and serve as surrogate endpoints in early-phase drug trials. Molecular biomarkers can be much more sensitive than traditional lab tests. Discriminating disease biomarkers by traditional method such as DNA microarray has proved challenging. Alternative splicing isoform represents a new class of diagnostic biomarkers. Recent scientific evidence is demonstrating that the differentiation and quantification of individual alternative splicing isoforms could improve insights into disease diagnosis and management. Identifying and characterizing alternative splicing isoforms are essential to the study of molecular mechanisms and early detection of complex diseases such as breast cancer. However, there are limitations with traditional methods used for alternative splicing isoform determination such as transcriptome-level, low level of coverage and poor focus on alternative splicing.
All trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) induces re-differentiation of early transformed breast epithelial cells

Retinoids have been used as potential chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agents because of their differentiative, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and antioxidant properties. We investigated the effect of all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) at different stages of the neoplastic transformation using an in vitro model of breast cancer progression. This model was previously developed by treating the MCF-10F human normal breast epithelial cells with high dose of estradiol and consists of four cell lines which show a progressive neoplastic transformation: MCF-10F, normal stage; trMCF, transformed MCF-10F; bsMCF, invasive stage; and caMCF, tumorigenic stage. In 3D cultures, MCF-10F cells form tubules resembling the structures in the normal mammary gland. After treatment with estradiol, these cells formed tubules and spherical masses which are indicative of transformation. Cells that only formed spherical masses in collagen were isolated (trMCF clone 11) and treated with ATRA. After treatment with 10 or 1 μM ATRA, the trMCF clone 11 cells showed tubules in collagen; 10 and 43% of the structures were tubules in cells treated with 10 and 1 μM ATRA, respectively. Gene expression studies showed that 207 genes upregulated in transformed trMCF clone 11 cells were downregulated after 1 μM ATRA treatment to levels comparable to those found in the normal breast epithelial cells MCF-10F. Furthermore, 236 genes that were downregulated in trMCF clone 11 were upregulated after 1 μM ATRA treatment to similar levels shown in normal epithelial cells. These 443 genes defined a signature of the ATRA re-programming effect. Our results showed that 1 μM ATRA was able to re-differentiate transformed cells at early stages of the neoplastic process and antagonistically regulate breast cancer associated genes. The invasive and tumorigenic cells did not show any changes in morphology after ATRA treatment. These results suggest that ATRA could be used as a chemopreventive agent to inhibit the progression of premalignant lesions of the breast.
International Portfolio Analysis and Strategy: The Challenge of the 80s

This paper suggests an operational approach to strategic planning for international marketing using a portfolio perspective. The need for such a perspective is discussed, followed by an examination of current approaches to international business portfolio analysis and strategic planning. A new approach to international portfolios, based on a combined stochastic dominance and analytic hierarchy process approaches, is suggested. The data requirements and analysis of this approach are outlined and the issues and challenges in the design and implementation of an international business portfolio system are discussed.
Carbohydrate moiety of the Petunia inflata S3 protein is not required for self-incompatibility interactions between pollen and pistil.

For Petunia inflata and Nicotiana alata, which display gametophytic self-incompatibility, S proteins (the products of the multiallelic S gene in the pistil) have been shown to control the pistil9s ability to recognize and reject self-pollen. The biochemical mechanism for rejection of self-pollen by S proteins has been shown to involve their ribonuclease activity; however, the molecular basis for self/non-self recognition by S proteins is not yet understood. Here, we addressed whether the glycan chain of the S3 protein of P. inflata is involved in self/non-self recognition by producing a nonglycosylated S3 protein in transgenic plants and examining the effect of deglycosylation on the ability of the S3 protein to reject S3 pollen. The S3 gene was mutagenized by replacing the codon for Asn-29, which is the only potential N-glycosylation site of the S3 protein, with a codon for Asp, and the mutant S3 gene was introduced into P. inflata plants of the S1S2 genotype. Six transgenic plants that produced a normal level of the nonglycosylated S3 protein acquired the ability to reject S3 pollen completely. These results suggest that the carbohydrate moiety of the S3 protein does not play a role in recognition or rejection of self-pollen and that the S allele specificity determinant of the S3 protein and those S proteins that contain a single glycan chain at the same site as the S3 protein must reside in the amino acid sequence itself.
The role of residual calcium in the viscosity changes of sodium alginate solutions

The marked viscosity increase of most sodium alginate solutions after freezing and thawing is due to and proportional to the amount of residual calcium present. The rheological character of such solutions is also altered as a result of freezing. Sequestering agents and polyols affect the initial viscosity and modify the effects of freezing.
The inequity of the Revised Arsenic Rule for very small community drinking water systems

Abstract The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reduced the maximum contaminant level for arsenic in community drinking water systems from 50 to 10 ppb. EPA uses net benefit analyses aggregated at the national-scale to set drinking water standards. Such aggregation may result in compliance options that are not cost-effective for very small systems, and may limit opportunities for these communities to receive variances. We completed a benefit-cost analysis and an affordability analysis of 14 tribal communities in Arizona to better understand the regulation's impact on very small water systems ranging from 6 to 95 service connections. Compliance alternatives included both technological and non-technological solutions. Health benefits were based on an EPA study of morbidity and mortality. The results show that all communities can comply with feasible alternatives; however, the tangible costs of the revised arsenic regulation far outweigh the expected health benefits and do not meet EPA's affordability criteria. The results support other studies that suggest a more equitable regulatory-setting process is needed to consider both health and economic impacts. Otherwise, the unintended result is a shifting of resources among risks instead of actual risk reduction.
Determinants of intra-firm sourcing and market performance

Abstract Earlier studies have shown that internal sourcing of major components has a direct bearing on the multinational firm's market performance. However, factors that affect the extent to which the firm employs intra-firm (internal) sourcing have not been explored. In this study, we examine the determinants of internal sourcing of major components, and revisit the relationship between internal sourcing of major components and market performance. Our results show that process innovation, asset specificity, management's attitude, nationality, and availability of substitute components strongly affect the degree of internal sourcing of major components that subsequently has a bearing on a product's market performance.
Microfluidics analysis of nanoparticle mixing in a microchannel system

The microfluidics of controlled nanodrug delivery to living cells in a representative, partially heated microchannel was analyzed, using a validated computer model. The objective was to achieve uniform nanoparticle exit concentrations at a minimum microchannel length with the aid of simple static mixers, e.g., a multi-baffle-slit or perforated injection micro-mixer. A variable wall heat flux, which influences the local nanofluid properties and carrier-fluid velocities, was added to ensure that mixture delivery to the living cells occurred at the required (body) temperature of 37°C. The results show that both the baffle-slit micro-mixer and the perforated injection micro-mixer aid in decreasing the microchannel length while achieving uniform nanoparticle exit concentrations. The injection micro-mixer not only decreases best the system’s dimension, but also reduces the system power requirement. The baffle-slit micro-mixer also decreases the microchannel length; however, it may add to the power requirement. The imposed wall heat flux aids in enhanced nanoparticle and base-fluid mixing as well.
Captopril renal scintigraphy: A new standard for predicting outcome after renal revascularization*

Abstract Purpose: Captopril renal scintigraphy (CRS) is a nuclear medicine technique for evaluating each kidney independently for changes in glomerular filtration rate and perfusion induced by captopril-associated alterations in vascular tone. This study was undertaken to determine the role of CRS in predicting the response to renal revascularization. Methods: The study group consisted of all patients who underwent preintervention CRS and arteriography, followed by renal revascularization performed between December 1987 and February 1992. After cessation of administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for 48 hours, a standard renogram was obtained, a 50 mg dose of captopril was given, and a second renogram was obtained. A captopril-induced change in the renogram was present when a normal pre-captopril renogram became abnormal after captopril administration. An abnormal baseline scan by definition cannot have a captopril-induced change. Blood pressure before revascularization was compared with blood pressure at 3 to 6 months after the procedure according to American Heart Association criteria for hypertension response. Results: Fifty patients received renal revascularization by operation (28 patients) or balloon angioplasty (22 patients). Preoperative captopril-induced changes were present in 29 of the 50 patients. Among the 29 patients with captopril-induced changes, hypertension was cured or improved in 26. When captopril-induced changes were not present, only one of 21 patients improved ( p Conclusion: On the basis of these data, CRS appears to reliably predict hypertension response to revascularization in patients with renovascular disease. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:280-7.)
On the use of focused horizontal arrays as mode separation and source location devices in ocean acoustics

It is shown that one can perform mode separation and source location using a focused horizontal array by utilizing the fact that the system response is greatest to a source located at or near the focal point. This mode separation/source location scheme is discussed for four different physical situations: (1) a motionless point cw source in a range invariant environment, (2) a motionless point cw source in a range varying environment, (3) a motionless point broadband source in a range invariant environment, and (4) a moving cw source in a range invariant waveguide environment. Two types of (horizontal) arrays are treated, the line array and the circularly curved array.
Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test: Evidence Supporting General as Well as Specific Factors

A SECONDOR factor analysis was performed on the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) items endorsed by 200 repeat driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) offenders and nonviolent felony offenders. The result of the factor analysis showed a higher-order general factor measuring general alcohol dependence as well as several more primary dimensions of alcohol abuse and/or alcoholism such as (a) psychoactive substance dependence, (b) denial, (c) antisocial drinker, (d) discord, and (e) vocational impairment. Thompson's SECONDOR factor solution provides empirical support for the literary controversy that the MAST measures both unidimensional and multidimensional signs and symptoms of alcoholism.
Reconstructing the story of Simplemente Maria, the most popular telenovela in Latin America of all time

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate a spectacular mass media phe nomenon that occurred some twenty-five years ago: The case of a highly popular Peruvian telenovela Simplemente Maria ...
Adsorption of Uranium(VI) to Manganese Oxides: X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Surface Complexation Modeling

The mobility of hexavalent uranium in soil and groundwater is strongly governed by adsorption to mineral surfaces. As strong naturally occurring adsorbents, manganese oxides may significantly influence the fate and transport of uranium. Models for U(VI) adsorption over a broad range of chemical conditions can improve predictive capabilities for uranium transport in the subsurface. This study integrated batch experiments of U(VI) adsorption to synthetic and biogenic MnO2, surface complexation modeling, ζ-potential analysis, and molecular-scale characterization of adsorbed U(VI) with extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The surface complexation model included inner-sphere monodentate and bidentate surface complexes and a ternary uranyl-carbonato surface complex, which was consistent with the EXAFS analysis. The model could successfully simulate adsorption results over a broad range of pH and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations. U(VI) adsorption to synthetic δ-MnO2 appears to ...
Simulation studies of bilayers of N2 adsorbed on graphite at 25 and 35 K

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations of bilayers of model nitrogen molecules adsorbed on the graphite basal plane at 25 and 35 K are reported. Systems considered include commensurate bilayers and three uniaxially compressed films, namely, two with different compressions along the X -axis (perpendicular to the herringbone lattice glideline) and one with a compression along the Y -axis, relative to the commensurate spacing. For comparison, commensurate and X -compressed monolayer films were also simulated. Properties simulated include: center-of-mass (COM) molecule-surface densities as a function of separation distance: in-plane COM pair correlation functions; in-plane and out-of-plane distributions of the molecular axis orientations; average potential energies for N 2 -surface and for N 2 -N 2 interactions; and velocity time-correlation functions for translational and orientational motion perpendicular to and parallel to the surface. These results indicate that the N 2 layers at these temperatures are nearly harmonic oscillator solids, with considerable orientational freedom. Molecules tend to be coplanar with the surface in both layers. The in-plane orientations for the compressed films form a herringbone lattice, in both layers, with variable angles between the molecular axis and the crystal glidliines; the commensurate film does not show herringbone ordering for the potential model used in this work. It is concluded that both the orientational and translational the degrees of freedom strongly coupled, between layers as well as within the layer. It is also shown that the Y -compressed film is unstable and that both layers in the bilayer spontaneously rearrange into a (rotated) uniaxially X -compressed structure.
Comparison of Sequential Coded Wire and Passive Integrated Transponder Tags for Assessing Overwinter Growth and Survival of Juvenile Coho Salmon

Abstract Wild juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch in a natural stream were marked with either sequential coded wire (s-CW) tags or passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to assess possible differences in growth and survival from fall to spring between fish tagged with the two types of tags. Survival, estimated from recovery of out-migrants, varied between years (25.4% in 1990–1991 and 42.1% in 1991–1992), but there was no difference in apparent survival between fish of the two tag groups in either year. Weight gain from fall until emigration from the stream the following spring also varied between years (0.021 and 0.028 g/d in 1990–1991 and 1991–1992, respectively; final weights: 4.55 g in 1990–1991 and 6.01 g in 1991–1992), but growth did not differ between tag groups. Differences in survival and growth were not detected in even the smallest size-class tagged (53–70 mm). We conclude that overwinter growth and survival estimates of coho salmon as small as about 2.8 g and 65 mm fork length would n...
Atmospheric temperature profiles and ray paths from occultation spectra.

Simulated equivalent width data of weak lines in occultation spectra have been analyzed to retrieve both the atmospheric temperature profile and the tangent heights of the rays. The SNR of these widths varied from 5 to 100. The mixing ratio of the absorbing gas and sea level pressure were assumed but not the satellite position. Temperature and tangent heights with accuracies of 1 K and 0.25 km, respectively, were determined from lines with temperature-dependent and temperature-independent intensities.
Numerical simulation of fluid–solid interaction using an immersed boundary finite element method

Abstract This paper presents applications of a recently proposed immersed boundary method to the solution of fluid–solid interaction. Solid objects immersed into the fluid are considered rigid and their movement is determined from the interaction forces with the fluid. The use of body-conformal meshes to solve such problems may involve extensive mesh adaptation work that has to be repeated each time a change in the shape of the domain or in the position of immersed solids is needed. Mesh generation and solution interpolation between successive grids may be costly and introduce errors if the geometry changes significantly during the course of the computation. These drawbacks are avoided when the solution algorithm can tackle grids that do not fit the shape of immersed objects. We present here an extension of our recently developed immersed boundary (IB) finite element method to the computation of interaction forces between the fluid and immersed solid bodies. A fixed mesh is used covering both the fluid and solid regions, and the boundary of immersed objects is defined using a time dependent level-set function. Boundary conditions on the immersed solid surfaces are imposed accurately by using a Body Conformal Enrichment (BCE) method. In this approach, the finite element discretization of interface elements is enriched by including additional degrees of freedom which are latter eliminated at element level. The forces acting on the solid surfaces are computed from the enriched finite element solution and the solid movement is determined from the rigid solid momentum equations. Solutions are shown for various fluid–solid interaction problems and the accuracy of the present approach is measured with respect to solutions on body-conformal meshes.
The fine structure of neurons and synapses in ventrobasal thalamus of the cat.

Abstract The ventrobasal complex (VB) of the cat thalamus has been studied by light and electron microscopy. The majority of the neurons in VB are about 25 μ in diameter, with dendrites that exhibit irregular appendages along their shafts. Several synaptic types are recognized large and small knobs containing rounded vesicles and forming asymmetrical junctions; knobs with a mixture of flattened and rounded vesicles which make symmetrical contacts; and infrequent axo-somatic synapses. A population of synapses arising from profiles resembling dendrites is also present. The large synaptic knobs usually synapse upon larger dendrites in the neuropil, and are also seen in segregated synaptic complexes called synaptic islands. Small knobs containing round vesicles and knobs with flattened vesicles synapse upon medium to small dendritic profiles. It is likely that the various synaptic types represent differences in the sites of origin of the parent axons giving rise to these synapses. When axo-axonal complexes are seen, the postsynaptic element is always a profile containing flattened vesicles. Neurofilamentous rings are present in some dendrites, and probably correspond to neurofibrillar rings seen by light microscopy. Extensive desmosome-like contact regions are found between dendrites of all sizes.
Assessment of cortical motor output: compound muscle action potential versus twitch force recording.

To determine whether motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and area are accurate measurements of the magnitude of response to magnetic cortical stimulation, we simultaneously recorded the twitch and MEP in the first dorsal interosseous muscle of 8 normal subjects. Consecutive stimuli were delivered at increasing stimulus intensities (SI) or with increasing levels of background voluntary muscle contraction (BVC). There was stimulus to stimulus variability in MEP amplitude, area and twitch force. At low SI and at low levels of background contraction, there was a good correlation between twitch amplitude and MEP amplitude and area (r = 0.6-0.96, P 0.01). With increasing SI, MEP amplitude and area plateaued but twitch force continued to increase. A similar pattern was observed with higher levels of background muscle contraction although in some subjects a second increase in MEP amplitude and area was seen. Collision experiments demonstrated that the amplitude of the EMG activity resulting from repetitive motoneuron firing increased as SI was increased. This is due to multiple descending volleys which result in repetitive firing of some spinal motoneurons. Rapid, repetitive firing of some motor units is likely to result in phase cancellation and, therefore, the MEP amplitude, and to a lesser extent area, do not accurately reflect the net motor output.
Examining a conceptual framework of intimate partner violence in men and women arrested for domestic violence

Objective: There is a paucity of research developing and testing conceptual models of intimate partner violence, particularly for female perpetrators of aggression. Several theorists' conceptual frameworks hypothesize that distal factors-such as personality traits, drinking patterns, and marital discord-influence each other and work together to increase the likelihood of physical aggression. The purpose of the present study was to investigate these variables in a relatively large sample of men and women arrested for domestic violence and court-referred to violence intervention programs. Method: We recruited 409 participants (272 men and 137 women) who were arrested for domestic violence. We assessed perpetrator alcohol problems, antisociality, trait anger, relationship discord, psychological aggression, and physical abuse. We also assessed the alcohol problems, psychological aggression, and physical abuse of their relationship partners. We used structural equation modeling to examine the interrelationship...
Scrapie and chronic wasting disease

Scrapie and CWD share many features. There are marked similarities in the clinical presentations, the lesions, and the pathogenesis of these diseases, and some similarities in the epidemiology. Extrapolation from the scrapie model of TSE disease to CWD--which occurs in three different species, and should not be considered to be uniform in their response--may be erroneous, however. Such differences may influence diagnostics (e.g., the amount and distribution of PrPC in these different species), pathogenesis (e.g., the influence of genetics on susceptibility and resistance), and epidemiology (e.g., the mode and dynamics of transmission and influences of domestication). IHC is used widely for diagnostics and in the study of the pathogenesis of scrapie and CWD. This technique holds promise for antemortem diagnosis of infection in the peripheral lymphoid tissues such as lymphoid follicles of the nictitating membrane and the tonsil.
Lateral forces on spheres in turbulent uniform shear flow

The lateral force on a tethered rigid sphere submerged in a turbulent, uniform shear flow of water was measured. Periodic and non-periodic motions of the sphere were observed depending on flowrate, shear and sphere density. The direction of the observed lateral force was opposite to that predicted by inviscid theory and increased in magnitude as the sphere’s Reynolds numbers based on relative velocity, Re ,a nd average shear, Rer, increased. The lateral force was found to correlate with the product Re Rer. The data suggests that a sign reversal occurs at relatively small values of the product Re Rer, where the lateral force is dominated by inviscid eAects. The results are explained assuming that the lateral forces on rigid spheres are a consequence of two competing factors: namely, inviscid lift forces and the vortex shedding-induced lateral forces which are dominant for higher Reynolds numbers. An estimate of the kinetic energy in the wake was used to show that the vortex shedding-induced lateral forces correlate with the product Re Rer and are in a direction opposite to the inviscid lift force. Combining the experimental data of this study with similar data a correlation for the lift coeAcient of spheres in turbulent shear flows was developed. This correlation is applicable to turbulent multiphase flows having a spherical dispersed phase. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Shift register realizations of asynchronous sequential machines

A model for the realization of asynchronous sequential machines is presented which allows the asynchronous systems to operate in an essentially synchronous manner. With the aid of this model, existing methods for synthesizing synchronous sequential machines can be utilized to synthesize asynchronous sequential machines. Therefore, the realization brings closer together the theories of synchronous and asynchronous sequential machines. Shift registers are used to store the previous input and/or output signals as well as the present input signals. The detail hazard-free logic design of each cell of shift registers is shown. By using the outputs of the left most cells of feedback output shift registers as the output lines of the asynchronous sequential machine, the hazards on the output lines are eilminated. The realization of this paper can be used to realize definite events which are free of critical races.
Honest signalling through chemicals by elephants with applications for care and conservation

Chemical signals are difficult to fake because they are often directly associated with phenotype and physiological condition, and hence likely to be honest signals for intraspecific communication. Chemical signals may be modified after release by the sender or by the environment. The proximate and ultimate signal meanings are dependent not only on the condition of the sender, but also on the physiological status of the receiver. Understanding the relationships and linkage among signal modality, signal function and receiver response is an essential first step before using natural signals for animal care and conservation. Our studies on chemical communication in Asian and African elephants combine observational and experimental work in captive and wild settings to further this understanding. Recent discoveries of pheromones in Asian elephants and the biochemistry of these compounds provide strong evidence that such chemical signals are honest indicators of reproductive status. Chemically identifying the signals and verifying their functional context with statistically robust behavioural studies are essential aspects for understanding the communication system. Additionally, the investigative process of discovering, identifying and verifying the function of chemical signals among captive elephants offers safe and stimulating enrichments. The knowledge garnered from such studies has potential conservation benefits for managing wild elephant populations. A firm foundation of scientific information is required for successful behavioural investigations and applied conservation and enrichment components.
Thermodynamic and kinetic measurements of promoter binding by T7 RNA polymerase

Previous steady state kinetic studies of the initiation of transcription by T7 RNA polymerase have shown that melting of the DNA helix near the transcription start site is not rate limiting [Maslak...
Leptin deficiency-induced obesity affects the density of mast cells in abdominal fat depots and lymph nodes in mice

Mast cells are implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance. Here, we explored the effects of leptin deficiency-induced obesity on the density of mast cells in metabolic (abdominal fat depots, skeletal muscle, and liver) and lymphatic (abdominal lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus) organs. Fourteen-week-old male leptin-deficient ob/ob mice and their controls fed a standard chow were studied. Tissue sections were stained with toluidine blue to determine the density of mast cells. CD117/c-kit protein expression analysis was also carried out. Furthermore, mast cells containing immunoreactive tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine involved in obesity-linked insulin resistance, were identified by immunostaining. ob/ob mice demonstrated adiposity and insulin resistance. In abdominal fat depots, mast cells were distributed differentially. While most prevalent in subcutaneous fat in controls, mast cells were most abundant in epididymal fat in ob/ob mice. Leptin deficiency-induced obesity was accompanied by a 20-fold increase in the density of mast cells in epididymal fat, but a 13-fold decrease in subcutaneous fat. This finding was confirmed by CD117/c-kit protein expression analysis. Furthermore, we found that a subset of mast cells in epididymal and subcutaneous fat were immunoreactive for TNF-α. The proportion of mast cells immunoreactive for TNF-α was higher in epididymal than in subcutaneous fat in both ob/ob and control mice. Mast cells were also distributed differentially in retroperitoneal, mesenteric, and inguinal lymph nodes. In both ob/ob mice and lean controls, mast cells were more prevalent in retroperitoneal than in mesenteric and inguinal lymph nodes. Leptin deficiency-induced obesity was accompanied by increased mast cell density in all lymph node stations examined. No significant difference in the density of mast cells in skeletal muscle, liver, spleen, and thymus was noted between ob/ob and control mice. This study demonstrates that leptin deficiency-induced obesity is accompanied by alterations in the density of mast cells in abdominal fat depots. The divergent distribution of mast cells in subcutaneous versus visceral fat might partially account for their differential biological behavior. Mast cells might also play a role in adaptive immune response occurring in regional lymph nodes in obesity.
Co-operative Research: An Organizational Response of Marine Science to the New Challenges

Three major factors contribute now to what can be described as technological, legal, and political challenges to contemporary marine science. The first factor could be attributed to the realisetion by the international community of the need to master the mineral resources of the ocean. As a result, new technologically sophisticated but prohibitively expensive methods of ocean bottom investigation have been elaborated. Another factor has evolved from the emerging customary sea law recently codified in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Its provisions establish impediments for the free conduct of marine research in almost 80 per cent of the scientifically most significant areas. Finally, this legal order also adds new elements to existing political tensions in the world. Legal provisions are applied to marine science for achieving purely political results and sometimes marine research itself becomes an instrument to that end. The challenges created by these factors can only be met by marine science if adequate forms of co-operative research are developed. Such forms should include technology sharing between researching nations and more active direct interaction between oceanographic groups and institutions across political boundaries.
Cancer-Related Search for Meaning Increases Willingness to Participate in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Objective. A cancer diagnosis can prompt an examination and reevaluation of life’s meaning, purpose, and priorities. There is evidence that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may help facilitate the meaning-making process. This study examined the influence of meaning in life on willingness to participate (WTP) in MBSR and identified factors associated with the search for and/or presence of meaning. Methods. A cross-sectional survey study of 300 patients undergoing radiation therapy was conducted. WTP in MBSR was dichotomized into yes/no by asking, “Would you participate in an MBSR program if it was offered at the cancer center?” The search for, and the presence of, meaning were assessed using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Results. Eighty patients (27%) indicated WTP in MBSR. In a multivariate logistic regression model, search for meaning was the only significant predictor of WTP in MBSR (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =1.04, P ≤ .001, 95% CI = 1.01-1.08). Identifying as non-white (adjusted β = 4.62...
Stoichiometry and specificity of in vitro phosphopantetheinylation and aminoacylation of the valine-activating module of surfactin synthetase

Surfactin synthetase is the enzyme responsible for biosynthesis of the lipoheptapeptide antibiotic surfactin by Bacillus subtilis. Fragments of SrfB1, the l-valine-activating module of the second subunit of surfactin synthetase, were overproduced in Escherichia coli. In addition to a 143-kDa SrfB1 fragment that contains four domains putatively involved in activation (adenylation domain), autoaminoacylation (peptidyl carrier protein (PCP) domain), and peptide bond formation (two condensation domains), subfragments comprising two domains (104-kDa condensation−adenylation and 73-kDa adenylation−PCP), and one domain (18-kDa PCP) were also overproduced in and purified from E. coli as N-terminal hexahistidine fusion proteins. Incubation of these domains with pure Sfp, a phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) from B. subtilis, and CoA allowed quantitation of posttranslational phosphopantetheinylation of Ser999 by mass spectrometry for the 18-kDa PCP fragment and by radioassay using cosubstrate [3H] pantetheiny...
Vascular procedures in nonagenarians and centenarians are safe.

Abstract Background An increasing number of elderly patients present for elective and emergent vascular procedures. The purpose of this study was to analyze the 30-day and long-term outcome of patients in their 10th decade of life undergoing vascular procedures. Methods We reviewed the outcomes of all patients in the 10th decade of life included in our registry. Results In a 15-year period, there were 176 patients, 102 women and 74 men, with a mean age of 92 (range 90–102) undergoing 196 vascular operations for acute and chronic limb ischemia, aortic and popliteal aneurysms, and carotid stenosis. Overall morbidity and mortality rates were comparable as well as the return to preoperative functional status. Conclusions Patients in their 90s can safely undergo vascular procedures with reasonable early outcomes. Most patients return to their preoperative status. Age alone should not be a determinant in refusing surgery in this age group.
The planar mechanism as a special case in the automatic computation of static equilibrium

Abstract Aspects of the planar mechanism are considered as a special case in the development of a scheme, where joint loads are calculated from equations of static equilibrium set up automatically by computer on the basis of input specifying the types of joints and link dimensions.