cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epinephrine and the regulation of glucose metabolism: effect of diabetes and hormonal interactions

Elevations of plasma epinephrine comparable to those observed in physiologic stress, cause a sustained 20--35 mg/dl elevation of plasma glucose in normal humans. This hyperglycemic action is due to a transient increase in hepatic glucose output as well as a reduction in the rate of glucose disposal which accounts for the persistence of hyperglycemia. The latter results from epinephrine-induced suppression of endogenous insulin secretion and, more importantly from a direct inhibitory effect on insulin-stimulated glucose utilization. In diabetes, the hyperglycemic effect of epinephrine is markedly accentuated. The enhanced rise in plasma glucose is due to an alternation in response of the liver to epinephrine. Despite infusion of insulin, epinephrine produces a sustained rather than transient elevation in hepatic glucose output in diabetic subjects. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of epinephrine on glucose utilization is unchanged by the diabetic state. In normal subjects, the hyperglycemic action of epinephrine is enhanced by simultaneous elevations of glucagon and cortisol. The former increases the magnitude, but not the duration, of the rise in hepatic glucose output induced by epinephrine. The latter, converts epinephrine's hepatic action from a transient to a sustained response. Our data thus suggest that marked hyperglycemia in normal subjects requires the concomitant elevation of multiple anti-insulin hormones, whereas such changes may occur in diabetes if any member of this group of hormones is increased. These findings may account for long-standing clinical observation that stress adversely affects blood glucose regulation to a much greater extent in diabetics as compared to normal subjects.
Three down and one to go: modeling medulloblastoma subgroups.

In this issue of Cancer Cell , Pei et al. and Kawauchi et al. describe murine models of an aggressive medulloblastoma subtype driven by Myc . These tumors have a cellular origin, microscopic appearance, and molecular profile distinct from those of three other major subgroups. Thus, the models fill a significant clinical need.
Effects of High-Temperature Stress on Flowering and Grain-Setting Characteristics of Guodao 6

Abstract Eight leading rice (Oryza sativa L.) hybrids were used to study the physiological and morphological adaptability to 40–42°C air temperature stress. Plants were treated for 6 h each day from initial heading to the 15th day. Guodao 6 and Xieyou 46, which had significant differences in heat injury index under high-temperature stress, were selected for investigating flowering and grain-setting characteristics response to high-temperature stress. Guodao 6 showed a relative stability in grain setting probably because of its adaptability to heat avoidance by changing characteristics of flowing. It had a shortened flowering period and weakened “apical grain superiority” under high-temperature stress. Within a day, although the peak flowering hour (11:00) was the same as control (normal temperature), the glume-opening rate decreased from 40.0% (control) to 23.6% (high-temperature treatment). In addition, the daily number of spikelet flowering increased compared with the control, and the flowering clock was delayed for 2 h during initial heading period. High temperature reduced the grain-setting rate of Guodao 6 by increasing the sterile spikelets.
A simple quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) model for methanol

Abstract Mixed quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) models, in which one part of a system is treated at an ab initio level while the rest is described by an empirical force field, are becoming increasingly popular. In this Letter, we describe a simple QM/MM model for methanol (CH 3 OH) in which the OH constitutes the ab initio region and is treated within a density functional representation, while the methyl group, the MM region, is treated using the AMBER force field. The model is used to study the structure of the bulk liquid and is shown to compare favorably with the experimental structure.
UV spectrum of Enceladus

Abstract We present a far ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum of Saturn’s moon Enceladus from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We have put upper limits on emission from C, N, and O lines in Enceladus’ atmosphere and column densities for the C lines assuming solar resonance scattering. We find these upper limits to be relatively low—on the order of tens to thousands of Rayleighs and with C column densities on the order of 10 8 –10 15 cm −2 , depending on the assumed source size. We also present a segment of a reflectance spectrum in the FUV from ∼1900–2130 A. This region was sensitive to the different ice mixtures in the model spectra reported by Hendrix et al. (Hendrix, A.R., Hansen, C.J., Holsclaw, G.M. [2010]. Icarus, 206, 608). We find the spectrum brightens quickly longward of ∼1900 A, constraining the absorption band observed by Hendrix et al. from ∼170 to 190 nm. We find our data is consistent with the suggestion of Hendrix et al. of the presence of ammonia ice (or ammonia hydrate) to darken that region, and also possibly tholins to darken the mid-UV, as reported by Verbiscer et al. (Verbiscer, A.J., French, R.G., McGhee, C.A. [2005]. Icarus, 173, 66).
Magnetic particles in the lung: A probe for alveolar macrophage function

Ferrimagnetic particles instilled intratracheally into the lungs are phagocytized by alveolar macrophages. After these particles are magnetized by an external field, they produce a remanent field which decays rapidly due to particle misalignment from cytoplasmic motion (relaxation). Changes in relaxation rate with time following instillation might be related to cytoplasmic motility.
Simulation of drainage water quality with DRAINMOD

The design and management of drainage systems should consider impacts on drainage water quality and receiving streams, as well as on agricultural productivity. Two simulation models that are being developed to predict these impacts are briefly described. DRAINMOD-N uses hydrologic predictions by DRAINMOD, including daily soil water fluxes, in numerical solutions to the advective-dispersive-reactive (ADR) equation to describe movement and fate of NO3-N in shallow water table soils. DRAINMOD- CREAMS links DRAINMOD hydrology with submodels in CREAMS to predict effects of drainage treatment and controlled drainage losses of sediment and agricultural chemicals via surface runoff. The models were applied to analyze effects of drainage intensity on a Portsmouth sandy loam in eastern North Carolina. Depending on surface depressional storage, agricultural production objectives could be satisfied with drain spacings of 40 m or less. Predicted effects of drainage design and management on NO3-N losses were substantial. Increasing drain spacing from 20 m to 40 m reduced predicted NO3-N losses by over 45% for both good and poor surface drainage. Controlled drainage further decreases NO3-N losses. For example, predicted average annual NO3-N losses for a 30 m spacing were reduced 50% by controlled drainage. Splitting the application of nitrogen fertilizer, so that 100 kg/ha is applied at planting and 50 kg/ha is applied 37 days later, reduced average predicted NO3-N losses but by only 5 to 6%. This practice was more effective in years when heavy rainfall occurred directly after planting. In contrast to effects on NO3-N losses, reducing drainage intensity by increasing drain spacing or use of controlled drainage increased predicted losses of sediment and phosphorus (P). These losses were small for relatively flat conditions (0.2% slope), but may be large for even moderate slopes. For example, predicted sediment losses for a 2% slope exceeded 8000 kg/ha for a poorly drained condition (drain spacing of 100 m), but were reduced to 2100 kg/ha for a 20 m spacing. Agricultural production and water quality goals are sometimes in conflict. Our results indicate that simulation modeling can be used to examine the benefits of alternative designs and management strategies, from both production and environmental points-of-view. The utility of this methodology places additional emphasis on the need for field experiments to test the validity of the models over a range of soil, site and climatological conditions.
The functional significance of epitope spreading and its regulation by co-stimulatory molecules

Epitope spreading is a process whereby epitopes distinct from and non-cross-reactive with an inducing epitope become major targets of an ongoing immune response. This phenomenon has been defined in experimental and natural situations as a consequence of acute or persistent infection and secondary to chronic tissue destruction that occurs during progressive autoimmune disease. We have investigated the functional significance of this process in the chronic stages of both autoimmune and virus-induced central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease models in the SJL/J mouse. During the relapsing-remitting course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (R-EAE) induced with defined encephalitogenic myelin peptides, CD4+ T cells specific for endogenous epitopes on both the initiating myelin protein (intramolecular epitope spreading) and distinct myelin proteins (intermolecular epitope spreading) are primed secondary to myelin destruction during acute disease and play a major functional role in mediating disease relapses. Similarly, epitope spreading to endogenous myelin epitopes appears to play a major functional role in the chronic-progressive course of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD), a virus-induced CD4+ T-cell-mediated immunopathology. In TMEV-IDD, myelin destruction is initiated by virus-specific CD4+ T cells which target virus epitopes persisting in CNS-derived antigen-presenting cells. However, the chronic stage of this progressive disease is associated with the activation of CD4+ T cells specific for multiple myelin epitopes. In both models, the temporal course of T-cell activation occurs in a hierarchical order of epitope dominance, spreading first to the most immunodominant epitope and progressing to lesser immunodominant epitopes. In addition, epitope spreading in R-EAE is regulated predominantly by CD28/B7-1 co-stimulatory interactions, as antagonism of B7-1-mediated co-stimulation using anti-B7-1 F(ab) fragments is an effective ameliorative therapy for ongoing disease. The process of epitope spreading has obvious important implications for the design of antigen-specific therapies for the treatment of autoimmune disease since these therapies will have to identify and target endogenous self epitopes associated with chronic tissue destruction.
Electrocatalysis of the HER in acid and alkaline media

Trends in the HER are studied on selected metals (M= Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ru, Ir, Ti) in acid and alkaline environments. We found that with the exception of Pt, Ir and Au, due to high coverage by spectator species on non-noble metal catalysts, experimentally established positions of Cu , Ag, Ru and Ti in the observed volcano relations are still uncertain. We also found that while in acidic solutions the M-Hupd binding energy most likely is controlling the activity trends, the trends in activity in alkaline solutions are controlled by a delicate balance between two descriptors: the M-Had interaction as well as the energetics required to dissociate water molecules. The importance of the second descriptor is confirmed by introducing bifunctional catalysts such as M modified by Ni(OH); e.g. while the latter serves to enhance catalytic decomposition of water, the metal sites are required for collecting and recombining the produced hydrogen intermediates.
Properties of a hyperpolarization-activated cation current in interneurons in the rat lateral geniculate nucleus

A hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance contributes to the membrane properties of a variety of cell types. In the thalamus, a prominent hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance exists in thalamocortical cells, and this current is implicated in the neuromodulation of complex firing behaviors. In contrast, the GABAergic cells in the reticular nucleus in the thalamus appear to lack this conductance. The presence and role of this cation conductance in the other type of thalamic GABAergic cells, local interneurons, is still unclear. To resolve this issue, we studied 54 physiologically and morphologically identified local interneurons in the rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus using an in vitro whole-cell patch recording technique. We found that hyperpolarizing current injections induced depolarizing voltage sags in these geniculate interneurons. The I-V relationship revealed an inward rectification. Voltage-clamp study indicated that a slow, hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance was responsible for the inward rectification. We then confirmed that this slow conductance had properties of the hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance described in other cell types. The slow conductance was insensitive to 10 mM tetraethylammonium and 0.5 mM 4-aminopyridine, but was largely blocked by 1-1.5 mM Cs+. It was permeable to both K+ and Na+ ions and had a reversal potential of -44 mV. The voltage dependence of the hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance in interneurons was also studied: the activation threshold was about -55 mV, half-activation potential was about -80 mV and maximal conductance was about 1 nS. The activation and deactivation time constants of the conductance ranged from 100 to 1000 ms, depending on membrane potential. The depolarizing voltage sags and I-V relationship were further simulated in a model interneuron, using the parameters of the hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance obtained from the voltage-clamp study. The time-course and voltage dependence of the depolarizing voltage sags and I-V relationship in the model cell were very similar to those found in geniculate interneurons in current clamp. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that thalamic local interneurons possess a prominent hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance, which may play important roles in determining basic membrane properties and in modulating firing patterns.
Characterization of the cellular receptors for the South American hemorrhagic fever viruses Junin, Guanarito, and Machupo.

Abstract The New World arenaviruses Junin, Machupo, and Guanarito are the causative agents of hemorrhagic fevers (HF) with high mortality in humans. The cellular receptor for Old World arenaviruses and one subgroup of the New World arenaviruses (Clade C) have been identified as α-dystroglycan (α-DG). In contrast, the receptor(s) of the South American HF viruses, which belong to the Clade B New World arenaviruses, are currently unknown. To begin to characterize the cellular receptors used by these pathogens, we generated recombinant retroviral pseudotypes with the glycoproteins of Guanarito, Junin, and Machupo. Infection with the South American HF viruses is independent of α-DG and functional receptors for Guanarito, Junin, and Machupo were found on most human cell types and cells derived from non-human primate and rodents. Guanarito, Junin, and Machupo share a common receptor, which is distinct from the receptor(s) used by the closely related non-pathogenic Clade B virus Amapari, and the genetically more distant Clade A and C New World arenaviruses. We show that the cellular receptor(s) for the South American HF viruses are proteins or protein-linked entities and that infection is not dependent on protein-linked N -glycans, O -glycans, or glycosaminoglycans.
Assessing the Value of Embedded Librarians in an Online Graduate Educational Technology Course.

The increase in online programs has been accompanied by the need for library instruction and support for online students. Students enrolled in off-campus programs have to be able to successfully access and use digital library resources to complete course requirements. An embedded librarian project in an online graduate educational technology course resulted in several benefits for students. The results of pre- and postassessment questionnaires, discussion forum feedback, and an instructor interview indicated that embedded librarians can greatly help students in their online assignments. Further research and recommendations for the implementation and assessment of embedded librarian projects are discussed.
Releasable luciferin-transporter conjugates: tools for the real-time analysis of cellular uptake and release

The design, synthesis, and evaluation of conjugates of arginine-rich transporters and luciferin are described that release luciferin only after entry into cells that are stably transfected with luciferase. Each molecule of free luciferin that is released after entry generates a photon that can be measured allowing for real-time quantification of uptake and release in cells. The process provides a method to assay uptake and release of free luciferin as a function of variations in the releasable linker and in the transporter.
Toward a Phenomenological Consumer Psychology: an Empirical Investigation of Buying

An empirical investigation of "buying" is presented in order to demonstrate the potential contribution of phenomenological research methods in consumer psychology. The methods used illustrate the principles delineated by Giorgi (1997). Raw data is presented with an invitation for readers to carry out their own analyses in order to compare different researchers' results and procedures. One Individual Psychological Structure and one General Psychological Structure of "buying" are presented. The findings highlight the meanings of such essential constituents as temporality, desire, cognition, social relations, the buying act, and ownership.
A High-Speed Adaptively-Biased Current-to-Current Front-End for SSPM Arrays

Abstract Solid-state photomultiplier (SSPM) arrays are an interesting technology for use in PET detector modules due to their low cost, high compactness, insensitivity to magnetic fields, and sub-nanosecond timing resolution. However, the large intrinsic capacitance of SSPM arrays results in RC time constants that can severely degrade the response time, which leads to a trade-off between array size and speed. Instead, we propose a front-end that utilizes an adaptively biased current-to-current converter that minimizes the resistance seen by the SSPM array, thus preserving the timing resolution for both large and small arrays. This enables the use of large SSPM arrays with resistive networks, which creates position information and minimizes the number of outputs for compatibility with general PET multiplexing schemes. By tuning the bias of the feedback amplifier, the chip allows for precise control of the close-loop gain, ensuring stability and fast operation from loads as small as 50pF to loads as large as 1nF. The chip has 16 input channels, and 4 outputs capable of driving 100 n loads. The power consumption is 12mW per channel and 360mW for the entire chip. The chip has been designed and fabricated in an AMS 0.35um high-voltage technology, and demonstrates a fast rise-time response and low noise performances.
Temperature‐dependent expression of a 95 kD protein in rat testis

Testicular tissue from mature male Sprague-Dawley rats was maintained in culture at 33 degrees C or 37 degrees C. Detergent-extracted proteins were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by staining or fluorography. Unilateral surgical cryptorchidism was performed as an in vivo model for testicular exposure to abdominal temperature. Testes were harvested at various time points, followed by protein analysis as performed for in vitro studies. Tissue incubated in vitro for 48 h at 37 degrees C demonstrated loss of a prominent actively synthesized 95 kD protein (p95) seen at 33 degrees C. No other temperature-dependent protein changes were observed. Liver, kidney, spleen and thymus failed to reveal p95 or any other temperature-sensitive proteins when incubated at 33 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Surgical cryptorchidism resulted in loss of p95 by 1 week in abdominal testes and normal p95 expression in sham-operated scrotal testes. p95 appears to be a temperature-sensitive protein in rat testis, with increased degradation accounting for its loss at abdominal temperature. The failure to identify similar protein changes in other tissues suggests a role for p95 in the temperature-dependent function of the testis.
Immunohistochemical localization of luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone (LHRH) in the hypothalamus of adult female hamsters treated neonatally with monosodium glutamate or hypertonic saline

The immunohistochemical localization of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) was studied in paraffin and vibratome-sectioned tissue from adult female hamsters that were treated neonatally with monosodium glutamate (MSG) or hypertonic saline. There appeared to be a reduction in LHRH-positive fibers in the median eminence of animals with an MSG-induced lesion of the arcuate nucleus in paraffin-embedded tissue. However, when unembedded tissue was cut on a vibratome, the distribution of LHRH-positive fibers and perikarya was similar in both groups of animals. Fibers were seen coursing through the periventricular area and lateral hypo-thalamus to the median eminence. In addition, LHRH-positive fibers were seen in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, subfornical organ, septal and preoptic areas, fasciculus retroflexus, habenular complex, and several regions in the basal forebrain. Animals that were pretreated with colchicine had LHRH-positive perikarya in the medial habenular nucleus, diagonal band of Broca, and the medial olfactory tract.
Protein content of various developmental stages of three strains of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella

Comparison of the total body protein of male and female larvae, pupae, and adults of a diapause and 2 nondiapause strains of the pink bollwormPectinophora gossypiella indicated that the protein content of larvae of the diapause strains was significantly higher than of the non-diapause strain.
Hydra mesoglea: similarity of its amino acid and neutral sugar composition to that of vertebrate basal lamina.

Abstract 1. 1. A method is described for isolating large numbers of mesogleas from hydra. 2. 2. Amino acid analysis shows the mesoglea to be rich in glycine, and to contain significant hydroxyproline, proline and hydroxylysine. 3. 3. The neutral sugars of the mesoglea, shown to be mostly glucose and galactose with some fucose and rhamnose, made up 6·7 per cent of the dry weight of the mesoglea. 4. 4. Some of the glucose and galactose components are present as a dimer stable to hydrolysis by strong alkali. 5. 5. That these and other data support the view that hydra mesoglea is chemically like components of vertebrate basal lamina is presented in the Discussion.
Experimental Study on the Friction Characteristics of Lasertex Steel Sheets During Metal Forming Process

The surface of steel sheets used in the metal-forming process discussed in this article was textured by a laser-ablation technique. Differently shaped craters are formed in a patterned structure on the steel surface by controlling the pulsed-laser power density, pulse-repetition rate, and pulse duration. Lasertex sheets formed by this process have unique friction characteristics because of the uniform surface roughness and valley-biased topography. The friction of lasertex sheets was studied using a metal-forming bench test rig. Influencing factors, including surface roughness and sliding velocity, were studied under lubricated conditions. The friction of lasertex sheets was compared with that of shot-blasted sheets. The results showed that the coefficient of friction of the lasertex sheet under dry friction decreases with an increase in surface roughness and changes little with varying sliding velocity. With lubrication, the coefficient of friction of the lasertex sheet rises with an increase in surface ...
A descriptive measure of risk

Abstract A measure of the perceived riskiness of choice alternatives is introduced which will allow further assessment of the role of perceived risk in preference decisions. The risk function suggested here (CER, for conjoint expected risk) can predict a person's subjective risk judgments for risky choice alternatives (e.g., gambles) on the basis of a small number of easily estimated individual difference parameters. The CER function is shown to be superior to other risk measures previously suggested in its descriptive fit as well as its agreement with qualitative results regarding subjective risk judgments. A caveat against the exclusive use of two-outcome gambles in studies of judgment and decision making under risk is issued.
What’s Really Going On in Searle’s “Chinese room‘

Critique de l'experience de pensee de J. Searle sur la " chambre chinoise " dans laquelle on imagine un locuteur ignorant le chinois mais capable de repondre correctement a des sequences de questions dans cette langue. L'A. montre que les critiques de Searle contre l'intelligence artificielle " forte ", i.e contre la these qu'un programme ne peut authentiquement comprendre une langue, sont dirigees contre un homme de paille. Les vrais problemes auxquels S. aurait du s'adresser sont plus serieux, et portent sur la plausibilite en general d'une theorie fonctionnaliste de l'esprit
Absence of components of coagulation and fibrinolysis pathways in situ in mesothelioma

Interest in the mechanisms of interaction of mesothelioma with the coagulation mechanism stems from its common association with thrombocytosis (3,5,6) and hypercoagulability manifested by a high incidence of venous thromboembolism (3). The results of studies on the mechanism of coagulation activation in mesothelioma (using immunohistochemical techniques) are the subject of this report
Effective trust management through a hybrid logical and relational approach

Despite a plethora of recent research regarding trust management approaches to authorization, relatively little attention has been given to exactly how these technologies can be effectively deployed. In this paper, we investigate one way in which well-established logical trust management systems described in the literature can be deployed within enterprise environments. Specifically, we develop a framework within which logical trust management policies can be managed using a relational DBMS. We describe a correct and complete procedure for compiling CTM credentials into dynamic views within a database, and show how the resulting system can be used to perform role membership checks or to enumerate the members of a given role. We then propose a hybrid algorithm that leverages the logical ruleset and the underlying DBMS to efficiently enumerate the capabilities ascribed to a given user. We also present an evaluation of a prototype implementation of our framework that demonstrates the practicality of our approach. As CTM extends the RT family of trust management languages---which are representative of a large class of Datalog-based trust management systems---our work is likely generalizable to other trust management approaches.
The Ethernet approach to grid computing

Despite many competitors, Ethernet became the dominant protocol for local area networking due to its simplicity, robustness, and efficiency in wide variety of conditions and technology. Reflecting on the current frailty of much software, grid and otherwise, we propose that the Ethernet approach to resource sharing is an effective and reliable technique for combining coarse-grained software when failures are common and poorly detailed. This approach involves placing several simple but important responsibilities on client software to acquire shared resources conservatively, to back off during periods of failure, and to inform competing clients when resources are in contention. We present a simple scripting language that simplifies and encourages the Ethernet approach, and demonstrate its use in several grid computing scenarios, including job submission, disk allocation, and data replication. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations of this approach, and describe how it is uniquely suited to high-level programming.
High-field DNP and ENDOR with a novel multiple-frequency resonance structure.

Abstract We describe a new triply tuned ( e − , 1 H, and 13 C) resonance structure operating at an electron Larmor frequency of 139.5 GHz for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and electron nuclear double-resonance (ENDOR) experiments. In contrast to conventional double-resonance structures, the body of the microwave cavity simultaneously acts as a NMR coil, allowing for increased efficiency of radiofrequency irradiation while maintaining a high quality factor for microwave irradiation. The resonator design is ideal for low-γ-nuclei ENDOR, where sensitivity is limited by the fact that electron spin relaxation times are on the order of the RF pulse lengths. The performance is demonstrated with 2 H ENDOR on a standard perdeuterated bis-diphenylene-phenyl-allyl stable radical. In DNP experiments, we show that the use of this resonator, combined with a low microwave power setup (17 mW), leads to significantly higher 1 H signal enhancement (ϵ ∼ 400 ± 50) than previously achieved at 5-T fields. The results emphasize the importance of optimizing the microwave B 1 field by improving either the quality factor of the microwave resonator or the microwave power level.
Interpolation methods for phonon spectra in crystals

The use of the Fourier expansion technique, which is based entirely on crystal symmetry, is studied by application of the technique to the phonon dispersion relations in silicon and germanium. In order to facilitate the convergence of the Fourier expansion, the interaction between the phonons and the low-lying electronic excitations is explicitly considered in terms of a Fourier expansion of this interaction. In the present approach, which only treats short-range forces, the simplest model which provides an adequate fit to the known experimental data utilizes nine adjustable parameters. By comparing certain tunneling and inelastic neutron scattering data, the location of the conduction band minima in germanium along the Δ axis is determined. The fractional distance to the X point for these minima is 0.82 ± 0.04.
Ten-Kilodalton Domain in Ty3 Gag3-Pol3p between PR and RT Is Dispensable for Ty3 Transposition

Ty3 is a gypsy-type, retrovirus-like element found in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In cells overexpressing Ty3 under the GAL1 upstream activation sequence, Ty3 RNA, proteins, and DNA are made. Elucidation of the molecular masses and amino-terminal sequences of protease and reverse transcriptase indicated the existence of an additional intervening domain, designated J, in the Ty3 Gag3-Pol3p polyprotein. A region analogous to J can be found in many retrotransposable elements closely related to Ty3; however, J does not correspond to any of the highly conserved retroviral protein domains. Ty3 mutants deleted for the J-coding region showed moderately reduced transposition frequency but greatly reduced levels of Ty3 DNA. These results show that under galactose regulation, the Ty3 J domain is not absolutely essential.
When does cooperative learning increase student achievement

This article reviews research on the achievement effects of cooperative learning instructional methods, in which students work in small groups to learn academic materials. Methodologically adequate field experiments of at least 2 weeks' duration in regular elementary and secondary schools indicate that among cooperative learning methods in which students study the same material together) only methods that provide group rewards based on group members' individual learning consistently increase student achievement more than control methods. Cooperative learning methods in which each group member has a unique subtask have positive achievement effects only if group rewards are provided. Group rewards and individual accountability are held to be essential to the instructional effectiveness of cooperative learning methods. Over the past 30 years there has been a considerable quantity of research concerning the effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic incentive structures on individual and group productivity. A cooperative incentive structure is one in which two or more individuals are rewarded based on their performance as a group; a competitive incentive structure indicates that two or more individuals are compared with one another, and those performing best are rewarded; and an individualistic incentive structure is one in which individuals are rewarded based on their own performance, regardless of others' performances. The research on these incentive structures has been reviewed on several occasions (e.g., Johnson & Johnson, 1974; Michaels, 1977; MillerHSlavin, 1977). All of these reviewers agreed that research relating different incentive structures to performance produces inconsistent findings. Some studies find that cooperative incentive
Spatial mapping of protein abundances in the mouse brain by voxelation integrated with high-throughput liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Temporally and spatially resolved mapping of protein abundance patterns within the mammalian brain is of significant interest for understanding brain function and molecular etiologies of neurodegenerative diseases; however, such imaging efforts have been greatly challenged by complexity of the proteome, throughput and sensitivity of applied analytical methodologies, and accurate quantitation of protein abundances across the brain. Here, we describe a methodology for comprehensive spatial proteome mapping that addresses these challenges by employing voxelation integrated with automated microscale sample processing, high-throughput liquid chromatography (LC) system coupled with high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer, and a “universal” stable isotope labeled reference sample approach for robust quantitation. We applied this methodology as a proof-of-concept trial for the analysis of protein distribution within a single coronal slice of a C57BL/6J mouse brain. For relative quantitation of the protein abundances across the slice, an 18 O-isotopically labeled reference sample, derived from a whole control coronal slice from another mouse, was spiked into each voxel sample, and stable isotopic intensity ratios were used to obtain measures of relative protein abundances. In total, we generated maps of protein abundance patterns for 1028 proteins. The significant agreement of the protein distributions with previously reported data supports the validity of this methodology, which opens new opportunities for studying the spatial brain proteome and its dynamics during the course of disease progression and other important biological and associated health aspects in a discovery-driven fashion.
Book Review â€” American Higher Education: A History

American Higher Education: A History , by Christopher J. Lucas is a historical narrative of the origins and development of the system of higher learning in place in contemporary America. It extends and updates earlier works in this area, and provides, as the author had hoped, "a more 'accessible' historical account, useful chiefly for nonspecialists and a more general readership . . ." but is nonetheless a thorough review of the historical underpinnings of American higher education. This work is recommended for students and professionals who seek a broad understanding of contemporary higher education and how it came to pass.
A cell decomposition approach to cooperative path planning and collision avoidance via disjunctive programming

This paper presents a novel approach for planning the minimum-distance path of multiple robotic vehicles with discrete geometries in an obstacle-populated workspace. The approach utilizes approximate cell decomposition to obtain a disjunctive program representation of C-obstacles for obstacles that are not necessarily convex polyhedrons, and robot geometries that are capable of rotating and translating in a Euclidian workspace. In order to produce programs that are computationally tractable, this approach derives a subset of all possible inequality constraints by pruning the connectivity graph based on adjacency relationships between cells, and the principle of optimality. The approach overcomes the limitations of existing approaches by simultaneously planning the paths of multiple robots, subject to any kinodynamic constraints, in environments populated by a large number of non-convex non-polyhedral obstacles. The approach is implemented using readily-available software, such as TOMLAB/CPLEX, and is illustrated here through several numerical simulation examples.
A polymicrobial outbreak of surgical site infections following cardiac surgery at a community hospital in Florida, 2011–2012

We describe an outbreak of 22 sternal surgical site infections following cardiac surgery, including 4 Gordonia infections. Possible operation room environmental contamination and suboptimal infection control practices regarding scrub attire may have contributed to the outbreak.
Integrated Day Care as Special Education: Profiles of Programs and Children

Thirteen Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) day care programs that enrolled both handicapped and nonhandicapped youngsters collaborated in this descriptive research. Profiles of program characteristics were obtained through telephone surveys of day care administrators. Child profiles (n = 45) were generated through the use of two clinical judgment scales that assess staff perceptions of child developmental and behavioral status. The program characteristics surveyed included information on agency sponsorship, special children enrolled, legally regulated characteristics, logistics, family involvement, inservice training, and administrative satisfaction. Clinical perceptions of child status revealed that a wide range of developmental competencies had to be accommodated. Overall, a difference of at least one clinical category distinguished the handicapped and nonhandicapped groups. Discussion and implications for day care as an option for exceptional preschoolers are presented.
Late Holocene geomorphic record of fire in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests, Kendrick Mountain, northern Arizona, USA

Long-term fire history reconstructions enhance our understanding of fire behaviour and associated geomorphic hazards in forested ecosystems. We used 14C ages on charcoal from fire-induced debris-flow deposits to date prehistoric fires on Kendrick Mountain, northern Arizona, USA. Fire-related debris-flow sedimentation dominates Holocene fan deposition in the study area. Radiocarbon ages indicate that stand-replacing fire has been an important phenomenon in late Holocene ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and ponderosa pine–mixed conifer forests on steep slopes. Fires have occurred on centennial scales during this period, although temporal hiatuses between recorded fires vary widely and appear to have decreased during the past 2000 years. Steep slopes and complex terrain may be responsible for localised crown fire behaviour through preheating by vertical fuel arrangement and accumulation of excessive fuels. Holocene wildfire-induced debris flow events occurred without a clear relationship to regional climatic shifts (decadal to millennial), suggesting that interannual moisture variability may determine fire year. Fire-debris flow sequences are recorded when (1) sufficient time has passed (centuries) to accumulate fuels; and (2) stored sediment is available to support debris flows. The frequency of reconstructed debris flows should be considered a minimum for severe events in the study area, as fuel production may outpace sediment storage.
Evoked accelerometry: a sensitive and accurate method for evaluating facial nerve function using a portable device.

A new electrodiagnostic technique has been developed which can be used to monitor facial nerve function. The technique has been termed “evoked accelerometry” (EAC) and is administered by a portable DC powered device. In performing a test, the device stimulates the facial nerve and then measures the evoked muscular response by a small accelerometer sensor affixed to the face with suction. The magnitude of the response is displayed as a digital readout on the device meter. The degree to which a reading is subnormal indicates the extent of nerve degeneration. In a study of normal participants the stimulus-response characteristics of the EAC technique were found to be similar to those of ENoG, indicating the clinical efficacy of the technique. However, evoked accelerometry was found to be more sensitive than ENoG (i.e., detectable response of 0.3% to 0.6% vs. 1.8% to 5.2%) and more accurate than ENoG (average error of 6.8% v.s. 13.9% to 20.7%).
Regime Changes, Neighborhoods, and Interstate Conflict, 1816-1992

This article investigates whether a new political regime's institutional type and the political composition of its geographic neighborhood influence patterns of intraneighborhood militarized conflict. An event count model is used to analyze data on 360 new political regimes. Variables assess attributes of each new regime's geographic neighborhood, including size, political composition, stability, the presence of alliances, the presence of major powers, the distribution of capability, and the frequency of militarized disputes initiated by and against new regimes. Results show evidence of an interactive relationship between a new regime's type, the political composition of its neighborhood, and militarized disputes. However, independent of the political composition of their neighborhoods, new democratic regimes are less likely to initiate disputes against neighboring states. Furthermore, an inverted U-shaped relationship obtains between the degree of democracy in a neighborhood and the rate at which new reg...
Kinetics of carbothermal reduction of quartz under vacuum.

Study of the kinetics of carbothermal reduction of quartz in a batch reactor between 0.25 torr and 1 microtorr. The effects of temperature, CO partial pressure, SiO2 phase transformation, and alkali and alkaline-earth oxide additives on the rate of reaction are reported. The results are consistent with a model based on a transitory phase intermediate.
Non-deterministic Semantics for Dynamic Topological Logic

Abstract Dynamic Topological Logic ( D T L ) is a combination of S 4 , under its topological interpretation, and the temporal logic L T L interpreted over the natural numbers. D T L is used to reason about properties of dynamical systems based on topological spaces. Semantics are given by dynamic topological models, which are tuples X , T , f , V > , where X , T > is a topological space, f a function on X and V a truth valuation assigning subsets of X to propositional variables. Our main result is that the set of valid formulas of D T L over spaces with continuous functions is recursively enumerable. We show this by defining alternative semantics for D T L . Under standard semantics, D T L is not complete for Kripke frames. However, we introduce the notion of a non-deterministic quasimodel, where the function f is replaced by a binary relation g assigning to each world multiple temporal successors. We place restrictions on the successors so that the logic remains unchanged; under these alternative semantics, D T L becomes Kripke-complete. We then apply model-search techniques to enumerate the set of all valid formulas.
Using dive behavior and active acoustics to assess prey use and partitioning by fin and humpback whales near Kodiak Island, Alaska

Near the Kodiak Archipelago, fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales frequently overlap spatially and temporally. The Gulf Apex Predator-prey study (GAP) investigated the prey use and potential prey partitioning between these sympatric species by combining concurrent analysis of vertical whale distribution with acoustic assessment of pelagic prey. Acoustic backscatter was classified as consistent with either fish or zooplankton. Whale dive depths were determined through suction cup tags. Tagged humpback whales (n = 10) were most often associated with distribution of fish, except when zooplankton density was very high. Associations between the dive depths of tagged fin whales (n = 4) and the vertical distribution of either prey type were less conclusive. However, prey assessment methods did not adequately describe the distribution of copepods, a potentially significant resource for fin whales. Mean dive parameters showed no significant difference between species when compared across all surveys. However, fin whales spent a greater proportion of dive time in the foraging phase than humpbacks, suggesting a possible difference in foraging efficiency between the two. These results suggest that humpback and fin whales may target different prey, with the greatest potential for diet overlap occurring when the density of zooplankton is very high.
A Survey of International Studies Programs at Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities in the Midwest: Characteristics and Correlates

International studies majors have become increasingly popular at liberal arts colleges and universities in the Midwest. What are the features of various international studies programs, particularly regarding the degree of “structure” in the major? What factors appear to be related to whether a liberal arts college or university offers an international studies major in the first place? What explains the variations that exist that characterize international studies majors? This paper empirically investigates these questions by surveying sixty-six liberal arts and sciences colleges and universities in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. We find that although international studies majors are somewhat prevalent in the “heartland,” there is considerable variation in how they are structured. Further, the results suggest that whether or not an institution has an international studies program is largely a function of whether an institution has a graduate program in a field that allows for a concentration in international affairs. We conclude with some observations that might promote future discussion on development of international studies majors.
Life-Threatening Interactions Between HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors and the Illicit Drugs MDMA and γ-Hydroxybutyrate

Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitors have dramatically reduced the morbidity and mortality due to HIV-1 infection. However, most of these antiretrovirals are also potent inhibitors (and occasionally inducers) of hepatic and intestinal cytochrome P450 systems and, therefore, have the potential to alter the elimination of any substance that utilizes these metabolic pathways. We describe a patient infected with HIV-1 who was treated with ritonavir and saquinavir and then experienced a prolonged effect from a small dose of methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA or ecstacy) and a nearly fatal reaction from a small dose of γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). We also discuss the potential for HIV-1 protease inhibitors to alter the metabolism of other abusable prescribed and illicit substances.
Determination of radiative properties of pulverized coal particles from experiments

Abstract A detailed experimental-theoretical procedure is introduced to determine the effective radiative properties of pulverized coal particles. A CO2 laser nephelometer system was used to measure the scattered intensity distributions around a downflow of pulverized coal particles. A semi-analytical inverse radiation analysis was used to determine the ‘effective’ scattering phase function of particles without altering their morphology. The results showed that the phase function of coal particles was highly forward-scattering and less sensitive to size variations then predicted from the Lorenz-Mie theory for homogeneous spheres. They displayed more side scattering than predicted for spheres of the same size range, indicating irregular shapes and fragmentation of particles. An effective complex index of refraction mλ = 1.8 − 0.2i is suggested for determination of coal radiative properties from the Lorenz-Mie theory using an ‘equivalent sphere’ model.