cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pain complaint and muscle soreness associated with high-voltage electrical stimulation: effect of ramp time.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ramp time on subjects' perception of discomfort/pain and muscle soreness associated with high-voltage electrical stimulation. 31 female students were randomly assigned to three treatment groups, each of which was assigned a different ramp time (1.0, 3.5, and 5.0 sec.). The subjects' wrist and finger flexors were stimulated with ElectroStim 180-2 unit using the bipolar electrode arrangement. During the stimulation, the subjects rated their experience of discomfort/pain at the threshold of sensory stimulation, the threshold of motor stimulation, and maximum tolerance of painful stimulation. The session was terminated after 10 tetanic isometric contractions. The subjects were instructed to rate their soreness, 24- and 36-hr. poststimulation using a 10-point ratio scale. A significant F ratio was noted for discomfort/pain perceptual levels but not for ramp time. Scheffe's post hoc analysis showed that the discomfort increased as the current intensity was increased. The F ratio for ramp time and time frame (24- and 36-hr. poststimulation) was not statistically significant for the ratings of muscle soreness. The findings suggest that the patients's complaint of pain and muscle soreness associated with high-voltage electrical stimulation is not affected by the rate of rise of current.
The origin of the western Lake Erie grooves, Ohio: implications for reconstructing the subglacial hydrology of the Great Lakes sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet

Abstract Streamlined grooves and s-forms cover the western Lake Erie Islands, Ohio, as well as the channels between the islands, and the adjacent mainland. Although previous interpretations advocate direct glacial ice erosion, we offer the alternative interpretation that forms were eroded by meltwater, specifically by plucking, sediment abrasion, and cavitation in high velocity, sediment-laden flows. We base our arguments on detailed descriptions and interpretations of the Glacial Grooves State Memorial site (GGSM) on Kelleys Island. The site consists of a linear furrow that is adorned by s-forms in its base and on its walls. These include linear forms, cavettos, sichelwannen, comma forms, multi-troughed forms, and plunging forms. All s-form sites provide a snapshot of the last phase of erosion after evolution of the local landscape through multiple generations of s-form formation. As s-forms are found on topographic highs and lows, we believe they represent a regional flow that overtopped the majority of the islands. Flow was initially as a sheet that quickly collapsed into channelized flow that was diverged around the islands. We also believe that this flow had a major impact on the Laurentide Ice Sheet in this region, resulting in rapid glacial advance and extremely low ice-sheet profiles.
An Assessment Analysis Methodology and Its Application to an Advanced Engineering Communications Program

An assessment of a discipline-specific advanced engineering communications program initiated over a decade ago and those assessment strategies that best measure the success of the program are described. Novel ideas for the visualization and interpretation of the data are presented. These techniques are conducive to an “assess-revise-assess” strategy for curriculum improvement since they can efficiently assist in defining an appropriate and rapid response to program needs and constituency expectations. Based in part on the assessment results, additions and extensions to the original program have been made. These include instruction in interpersonal communications, teamwork, engineering research and professional ethics, management and professional development skills, critical and creative thinking, and engineering design and are described briefly to place the current program in proper context for assessment. Positive correlations show that the program continues to be highly regarded by students, faculty, the college administration, alumni, and industry.
Growth and Yield of Pink Shrimp (Penaeus duorarum duorarum) in Feeding Experiments in Concrete Tanks

Abstract The paper gives results of two 63-day feeding experiments conducted with pink shrimp, Penaeus duorarum duorarum, in 36 concrete tanks, each 2 m2. Foods tested included a commercial catfish food, wheat bran, wheat straw, hay and bagasse. Postlarval shrimp 25 days old were stocked at densities of 7.5 and 15 per m2. Marl substrate vs. no substrate was also tested, in most cases, as was the effect of feeding rate. Average yield (g/m2) of shrimp was higher in tanks to which catfish food was added than in those to which wheat bran was added, it was higher at the lower stocking density, and it increased with increase in feeding rate. Average final weight per shrimp did not differ significantly between these two foods, thus the difference in yield was represented by greater survival of shrimp in tanks to which catfish food was added. Average final weight per shrimp was bigher at the lower stocking density. Marl substrate was associated with lowered mean dissolved oxygen concentration but also with higher...
The Effect of Land and Underwater Treadmill Training on Metabolic Responses to Exercise and Properties of Superficial Digital Flexor and Gluteal Muscle

Introduction Resistance training provided by underwater (UWT) treadmills may enhance strength and fatigue resistance of superficial digital flexor muscle thereby reducing tendon injury. This study examined effects of UWT and land (LT) treadmill training on SDF and gluteal muscle. Methods Six unfit horses (3 × 2 crossover design, 60d detraining period) walked on UWT and LT for 5d/week for 8 weeks (up to 40 min/day). A standardized exercise test (SET) was performed 2 weeks before, and after L or UW training, and V180 bpm and La10.5 m/s calculated. Resting and post-SET gluteal and SDF muscle biopsies were obtained. Muscle [glycogen], [lactate] and [ATP], fiber type composition and min/max fiber diameters were analysed. Comparisons were made using GLM or ANOVA, mean ± SD and significance of P<0.05. Results Post-exercise SDF muscle lactate increased 3–4 fold to 30 ± 12 (UWT) and 41 ± 15 (LT) mmol/kg dw post-exercise. Post-exercise gluteal muscle lactate increased 2 fold to 55 ± 18 (UWT) and 62 ± 18 (LT) mmol/kg. No significant differences were found between UW and L post-exercise muscle [glycogen], [lactate] and [ATP], V180 or LA10.5 or fiber type composition. Gluteal fiber diameters decreased significantly with UW and L training. Fiber diameters in SDF muscle decreased with training to a significantly lesser extent after UW vs. L training. Conclusions At maximal speed, both SDF and gluteal muscle have a significant anaerobic response which was not impacted by UWT or LT training at a walk. UWT may be of benefit by attenuating the training induced decrease in fiber sizes in SDF muscle thereby enhancing SDF muscle strength. Ethical Animal Research All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Minnesota. Sources of funding: Supported by University of Minnesota Equine Center with funds provided by the Minnesota Racing Commission, University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, and private donors. Competing interests: none.
Roles of calcium- and voltage-sensitive potassium currents in the generation of neuromagnetic signals and field potentials in a CA3 longitudinal slice of the guinea-pig

Abstract Objectives : Roles of calcium- and voltage-sensitive potassium currents in generation of neuromagnetic signals and field potentials were evaluated using the longitudinal CA3 slice preparation of the guinea-pig. Methods : Their roles were evaluated by using selective channel blockers (tetraethyl-ammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine (4AP)) and measuring their effects on the two types of signals and intracellular potentials. Fast γ-aminobutyric acid type A inhibition was blocked with picrotoxin. Results : Stimulation of the apical dendrites with an array of extracellular bipolar electrodes produced triphasic evoked magnetic fields with a spike and a slow wave typical of the slices. The evoked potentials in the apical and basal areas of the pyramidal cells closely resembled the magnetic field waveforms. Blockade of the potassium currents with TEA and 4AP had only subtle effects on the initial spike, but dramatically altered the slow wave. They also induced long-lasting spontaneous burst discharges synchronized across the slice. The results could be interpreted in terms of their known pre- and postsynaptic effects. Their post-synaptic effects were confirmed with intracellular recordings. Conclusion : Our results are consistent with a hypothesis that the calcium- and voltage-sensitive potassium currents, especially the A and C currents, play important roles in shaping the slow wave of the neuromagnetic and field potential signals produced by the mammalian hippocampus.
New detector for observing very high energy gamma rays from celestial sources

The Keck Solar Two Gamma-Ray Observatory is a ground-based instrument is being developed to detect 20-300 GeV gamma rays by sampling the Cherenkov light generated as gamma rays and cosmic rays interact with the atmosphere. The observatory utilizes the Solar Two Pilot Power Plant in Barstow, California (Figure 1) which has the largest heliostat mirror area in the world. It has over 1,818 heliostats each with about 41 m2 mirror area. The total active area is over 75,000 m2. Thus, Keck Solar Two Gamma Ray Observatory has the potential to be the most sensitive ground-based gamma-ray detector between 20-300 GeV. The secondary mirror systems, each capable of viewing 32 heliostats has been designed. The secondary mirror systems also include the photomultiplier tube (PMT) camera, electronics, and heliostat field. The first secondary camera has been manufactured and it is being calibrated. Work on building the second secondary camera system with 32 heliostats has been started. When the second system is completed a 64 heliostat telescope will be ready to observe 50-300 GeV gamma rays. Further enlargement of the telescope to 128 or 256 heliostat is expected to lower the energy threshold to about 20 GeV.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Genetic structure of landrace populations of the New World grain amaranths

Grain amaranth populations from their centers of origin in the New World had shown a pattern of allozyme variation that suggested most landraces to be highly homozygous mixtures of genotypes. To compare this pattern of variation with the variation for morphological traits, 15 selfed families from each of six populations were grown in a replicated field experiment. Four pigmentation traits known to be smiply inherited were scored along 18 other morphological traits. Populations varied for the amount of polymorphism for marker loci, and exhibited little heterozygosity. Analysis of variance for the quantitative traits showed significant interpopulation differences for each of the observed characters. Populations differed for the number of metric traits showing significant between-family differences for just one of the metric traits whereas another had between-family differences for all ten. These results suggested high levels of homozygosity within these landraces; thus, variation for quantitative traits conformed well with the allozyme variation patterns.
The role of liver biopsy in chronic hepatitis C

The report of the 1997 National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on hepatitis C endorsed pretreatment liver biopsy. We revisit the following questions: Does liver histology help determine the urgency of, and predict the likelihood of response to, antiviral therapy, and can surrogate markers supplant histological assessment? Because the rate of progression of chronic hepatitis C is influenced by baseline histological grade/stage, patients can be stratified into those with moderate to severe hepatitis, who merit imminent therapy, and those with mild hepatitis, in whom therapy can be postponed until more effective/tolerable treatments become available. Less advanced baseline histology has been shown to be an independent predictor of responsiveness to antiviral therapy. Although the predictive value of biopsy is insufficient to withhold therapy from patients with advanced fibrosis, baseline biopsy helps gauge expectations for the outcome of therapy. Reports have been published recently suggesting that laboratory markers can predict distinctions between low-grade fibrosis and therapy-indicating septal fibrosis/cirrhosis. These indices, however, are insufficiently reliable to predict histological distinctions in populations with varying prevalences of fibrosis/cirrhosis or to provide anything more than broad qualitative distinctions, far short of the potential information in a liver biopsy. For most patients, the value of pretreatment liver biopsy outweighs its risks, provides information about the urgency of treatment, and should be retained. Studies to identify noninvasive laboratory markers of histological activity and stage, especially genetic predictors of accelerated disease progression, command a high priority.
The diseases of arthritis

There are over 100 separate diseases included under the general umbrella of the term arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the most important in general prac tice. The author presents valuable information on both, plus a table of other common diseases, and reviews a "normal joint."
Adaptive control of a robotic system undergoing a non-contact to contact transition with a viscoelastic environment

Control of a robot interacting with a soft compliant environment is a practically important problem, with potential applications in areas involving human robot interaction (HRI) like rehabilitation, search and rescue, assistive robotics and haptics. The objective, in this paper, is to control a robot as it transitions from a non-contact to a contact state with an unactuated viscoelastic mass-spring system such that the mass-spring is regulated to a desired final position. Because of its simplicity and better physical consistency in explaining the behavior of viscoelastic materials, a Hunt-Crossley nonlinear model is used to represent the viscoelastic contact dynamics. An adaptive Lyapunov based controller is proposed, and shown to guarantee uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) regulation of the system despite parametric uncertainty throughout the robot and mass-spring systems. The proposed controller only depends on the position and velocity terms, and hence, obviates the need for measuring the impact force and acceleration. Further, the resulting controller is continuous, and the same controller can be used for both non-contact and contact states of the robot with its environment.
The limitations of models and measurements as revealed through chemometric intercomparison

Interlaboratory Comparisons using common (reference) materials of known composition are an established means for assessing overall measurement precision and accuracy. Intercomparisons based on common data sets are equally important and informative, when one is dealing with complex chemical patterns or spectra requiring significant numerical modeling and manipulation for component identification and quantification. Two case studies of "Chemometric Intercomparison" using Simulation Test Data (STD) are presented, the one comprising STD vectors as applied to nuclear spectrometry, and the other, STD data matrices as applied to aerosol source apportionment. Generic information gained from these two exercises includes: a) the requisites for a successful STD intercomparison (including the nature and preparation of the simulation test patterns); b) surprising degrees of bias and imprecision associated with the data evaluation process, per se; e) the need for increased attention to implicit assumptions and adequate statements of uncertainty; and d) the importance of STD beyond the Intercomparison-i.e., their value as a chemometric research tool. Open research questions developed from the STD exercises are highlighted, especially the opportunity to explore "Scientific Intuition" which is essential for the solution of the underdeternined, multicollinear inverse problems that characterize modern Analytical Chemistry.
Targeting Glycosylation Pathways and the Cell Cycle: Sugar-Dependent Activity of Butyrate-Carbohydrate Cancer Prodrugs

Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-carbohydrate hybrid molecules that target both histone deacetylation and glycosylation pathways to achieve sugar-dependent activity against cancer cells are described in this article. Specifically, n-butyrate esters of N-acetyl-D-mannosamine (But4ManNAc, 1) induced apoptosis, whereas corresponding N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (But4GlcNAc, 2), D-mannose (But5Man, 3), or glycerol (tributryin, 4) derivatives only provided transient cell cycle arrest. Western blots, reporter gene assays, and cell cycle analysis established that n-butyrate, when delivered to cells via any carbohydrate scaffold, functioned as a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), upregulated p21WAF1/Cip1 expression, and inhibited proliferation. However, only 1, a compound that primed sialic acid biosynthesis and modulated the expression of a different set of genes compared to 3, ultimately killed the cells. These results demonstrate that the biological activity of butyrate can be tuned by sugars to improve its anticancer properties.
Two Bestrophins Cloned from Xenopus laevis Oocytes Express Ca2+-activated Cl- Currents

Ca2+-activated Cl- channels play important diverse roles from fast block to polyspermy to olfactory transduction, but their molecular identity has not been firmly established. By searching sequence databases with the M2 pore domain of ligand-gated anion channels, we identified potential Ca2+-activated Cl- channels, which included members of the bestrophin family. We cloned two bestrophins from Xenopus oocytes, which express high levels of Ca2+-activated Cl- channels. The Xenopus bestrophins were expressed in a variety of tissues. We predict that bestrophin has six transmembrane domains with the conserved RFP domain playing an integral part in ionic selectivity. When Xenopus bestrophins were heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney-293 cells, large Ca2+-activated Cl- currents were observed. The currents are voltage- and time-independent, do not rectify, have a Kd for Ca2+ of approximately 210 nm, and exhibit a permeability ratio of I- > Br- > Cl- >> aspartate. The W93C and G299E mutations produce non-functional channels that exert a dominant negative effect on wild type channels. We conclude that bestrophins are the first molecularly identified Cl- channels that are dependent on intracellular Ca2+ in a physiological range.
Sorption-induced conductivity changes in thin compound semiconductors

Abstract The equilibrium conductivity of thin, wide band gap compound semiconductors may be changed greatly by chemisorption. Acceptor-like adsorbates 3 e.g. oxygen) decrease the conductivity of n -type adsorbents and increase the conductivity of p -type adsorbents. The reverse is true of donor-like adsorbates. Conductivity measurements on evaporated films and single crystals of CdS ( n -type) in oxygen ambient reveal a progressive reduction in conductivity coupled with an increase in activation energy with increasing pressure above a threshold. Evaporated films of CdS (which are polycrystalline) are more sensitive to oxygen chemisorption than are single crystals of comparable thickness and doping. On comparing the measured conductivities with those computed from different surface state models, the oxygen chemisorption states of CdS with disordered surfaces are distributed in energy according to D s ( E )= N 0 exp[( E - E c / kT ]. Such a distribution seems to be reasonable for the surfaces of ionic lattices. Ordering of the surface by vacuum processing renders it insensitive to chemisorption.
Comparison of Clinical and Research Diagnoses of Substance Use Disorders in a First-Admission Psychotic Sample

In a sample of 294 first-admission psychotic subjects participating in an epidemiologic study, a diagnosis of comorbid psychoactive substance use disorder (PSUD) was made less frequently by clinicians at the treating facilities (17.7%) than by the research diagnosticians (28.9%). The level of agreement was moderate (kappa = 0.49), and the clinical diagnoses showed high specificity (0.95) but low sensitivity (0.48). Concordance between clinical and research diagnosis of PSUD was not significantly associated with demographic or clinical characteristics; the major reason for the discordance was criterion variance.
Marginal Sea Overflows and the Upper Ocean Interaction

Abstract Marginal sea overflows and the overlying upper ocean are coupled in the vertical by two distinct mechanisms—by an interfacial mass flux from the upper ocean to the overflow layer that accompanies entrainment and by a divergent eddy flux associated with baroclinic instability. Because both mechanisms tend to be localized in space, the resulting upper ocean circulation can be characterized as a β plume for which the relevant background potential vorticity is set by the slope of the topography, that is, a topographic β plume. The entrainment-driven topographic β plume consists of a single gyre that is aligned along isobaths. The circulation is cyclonic within the upper ocean (water columns are stretched). The transport within one branch of the topographic β plume may exceed the entrainment flux by a factor of 2 or more. Overflows are likely to be baroclinically unstable, especially near the strait. This creates eddy variability in both the upper ocean and overflow layers and a flux of momentum and e...
Phase I Study of 30-Minute Infusion of Carfilzomib As Single Agent or in Combination With Low-Dose Dexamethasone in Patients With Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Purpose Carfilzomib is an irreversible inhibitor of the constitutive proteasome and immunoproteasome. This phase I study evaluated the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynam- ics of carfilzomib administered as a 30-minute intravenous (IV) infusion. Safety and efficacy of carfilzomib as a single agent or in combination with low-dose dexamethasone were assessed. mg/m 2 , followed thereafter by dose escalation to 36, 45, 56, or 70 mg/m 2 . Additionally, carfilzomib was combined with low-dose dexamethasone (40 mg/wk). Results Thirty-three patients were treated with single-agent carfilzomib. Dose-limiting toxicities in two patients at 70 mg/m 2 were renal tubular necrosis and proteinuria (both grade 3). The MTD was 56 mg/m 2 . Nausea (51.5%), fatigue (51.5%), pyrexia (42.4%), and dyspnea and thrombocytopenia (each 39.4%) were the most common treatment-related toxicities. Overall response rate (ORR) was 50% (56-mg/m 2 cohort). Increasing carfilzomib dosing from 20 to 56 mg/m 2 resulted in higher area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to last sampling and maximum plasma concentration exposure with short half-life (range, 0.837 to 1.21 hours) and dose-dependent inhibition of proteasome chymotrypsin-like activity. In 22 patients treated with 45 or 56 mg/m 2 of carfilzomib plus low-dose dexamethasone, the ORR was 55% with a safety profile comparable to that of single- agent carfilzomib. Conclusion Carfilzomib administered as a 30-minute IV infusion at 56 mg/m 2 (as single agent or with low-dose dexamethasone) was generally well tolerated and highly active in patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM. These data have provided the basis for the phase III randomized, multicenter trial ENDEAVOR.
The Parent-Child Relationship Survey: An Examination of its Psychometric Properties

The psychometric properties of the Father and Mother Scales of the Parent-Child Relationship Survey were examined. 149 undergraduate students in psychology from divorced families and 155 students from continuously intact families completed the instrument which was designed to assess the perceived quality of older children's relationships with their parents. Results suggest that the Father and Mother Scales each assess primarily a unidimensional positive affective component of perceived parent-child relationships. Normative, reliability, and validity data are also presented. These findings support the research and clinical utility of the instrument.
Direct and GABA‐mediated indirect effects of nicotinic ACh receptor agonists on striatal neurones

Choline acetyltransferase-expressing interneurones (ChAT)(+) of the striatum influence the activity of medium spiny projecting neurones (MSNs) and striatal output via a disynaptic mechanism that involves GABAergic neurotransmission. Using transgenic mice that allow visual identification of MSNs and distinct populations of GABAergic interneurones expressing neuropeptide Y (NPY)(+), parvalbumin (PV)(+) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)(+), we further elucidate this mechanism by studying nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR)-mediated responses. First, we determined whether striatal neurones exhibit pharmacologically induced nicotinic responses by performing patch-clamp recordings. With high [Cl(-)](i), our results showed increased spontaneous IPSC frequency and amplitude in MSNs as well as in the majority of interneurones. However, direct nAChR-mediated activity was observed in interneurones but not MSNs. In recordings with physiological [Cl(-)](i), these responses manifested as inward currents in the presence of tetrodotoxin and bicuculline methobromide. Nicotinic responses in MSNs were primarily mediated through GABA(A) receptors in feedforward inhibition. To identify the GABAergic interneurones that mediate the response, we performed dual recordings from GABAergic interneurones and MSNs. Both TH(+) and neurogliaform subtypes of NPY(+) (NPY(+) NGF) interneurones form synaptic connections with MSNs, although the strength of connectivity, response kinetics and pharmacology differ between and within the two populations. Importantly, both cell types appear to contribute to nAChR-mediated GABAergic responses in MSNs. Our data offer insight into the striatal network activity under cholinergic control, and suggest that subclasses of recently identified TH(+) and NPY(+) interneurones are key mediators of striatal nicotinic responses via GABAergic tonic and phasic currents.
Grafting sulfated zirconia on mesoporous silica

Recently, sulfated zirconia has received considerable attention as a potential solid acid catalyst to replace problematic homogeneous acid catalysts. In this paper, the preparation and properties of acid catalysts obtained by grafting ziconia with atomic precision on MCM-41 mesoporous silica were studied. TEM and potential titration characterizations revealed that ZrO2/MCM-41 with monolayer coverage can be obtained using this grafting technique. Sulfated ZrO2/MCM-41 exhibits improved thermal stability than that of bulk sulfated zirconia, as evidenced by temperature programmed characterizations and XRD analysis. Temperature programmed reaction of isopropanol was used to evaluate the acidity of sulfated ZrO2/MCM-41. It was found that the acid strength of sulfated ZrO2/MCM-41 with monolayer coverage is weaker than bulk sulfated zirconia but stronger than SiO2–Al2O3, a common strong acid catalyst.
A scalable framework for parallel discrete event simulations on desktop grids

Utilizing desktop grid infrastructures is challenging for parallel discrete event simulation (POES) codes due to characteristics such as inter-process messaging, restricted execution, and overall lower concurrency than typical volunteer computing projects. The Aurora2 system uses an approach that simultaneously provides both replicated execution support and scalable performance of PDES applications through public resource computing. This is accomplished through a multithreaded distributed back-end system, low overhead communications middleware, and an efficient client implementation. This paper describes the Aurora2 architecture and issues pertinent to PDES executions in a desktop grid environment that must be addressed when distributing back-end services across multiple machines. We quantify improvement over the first generation Aurora system through a comparative performance study detailing PDES programs with various scalability characteristics for execution over desktop grids.
Medical informatics, knowledge, and expert systems

The role of information and knowledge in medical informatics is discussed and expert system technology is examined in that context. The scope of computer-based applications in medicine is presented. This is followed by a review of the current state of the art. It is shown how the information- and knowledge-oriented applications are merging. Some of the key concepts in both information and knowledge processing are discussed in the context of medical computing. >
Behavioural correlates of predation by tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus) and dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Nagarahole, India

Behavioural factors that are likely to contribute to the coexistence of tiger Panthera tigris, leopard P. pardus and dhole Cuon alpinus, were investigated in the tropical forests of Nagarahole, southern India, during 1986–1992. Examination of predator scats and kills were combined with radiotracking of four tigers, three leopards, and visual observations of a pack of dhole. The three predators selectively killed different prey types in terms of species, size and age-sex classes, facilitating their coexistence through ecological separation. There was no temporal separation of predatory activities between tigers and leopards. Hunting activities of dholes were temporally separated from those of the two felids to some extent. Rate of movement per unit time was higher for leopards compared to tigers during day and night. In general, the activity patterns of predators appeared to be largely related to the activities of their principal prey, rather than to mutual avoidance. The three predator species used the same areas and hunted in similar habitats, although tigers attacked their prey in slightly denser cover than leopards. Both cats attacked their prey close to habitat features that attracted ungulates. There was no evidence for inter-specific spatial exclusion among predators, resulting either from habitat specificity or social dominance behaviours. Our results suggest that ecological factors, such as adequate availability of appropriate-sized prey, dense cover and high tree densities may be the primary factors in structuring the predator communities of tropical forests. Behavioural factors such as differential habitat selection or inter-specific social dominance, which are of crucial importance in savanna habitats, might play a relatively minor role in shaping the predator communities of tropical forests.
Reproducibility of retinal oxygen saturation in normal and treated glaucomatous eyes

Aim To measure the reproducibility of retinal oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ) levels among treated glaucomatous eyes and normal controls in a prospective non-randomised study. Methods Patients with perimetric glaucoma (PG) and normal controls were included. Exclusion criteria for both groups included visual acuity 2 ) and veins (v.SaO 2 ) were calculated. Results 23 PG (mean age 68.3±10.8 years) and 22 normal subjects (mean age 61.5±18.2 years; p=0.14) were included. The intraocular pressure and mean ocular perfusion pressure in glaucoma (14.4±4.2 mm Hg; 45.8±5.8 mm Hg) and controls (14.3±3.3 mm Hg; 45.8±6.1 mm Hg) were similar (p >0.05). In the PG group, the a.SaO 2 had a CoV of 1.6%, a CoR of 4.7 and an ICC of 0.97; the v.SaO 2 had a CoV of 5.9%, a CoR of 8.7 and an ICC of 0.96. In normals, the a.SaO 2 had a CoV of 0.98%, a CoR of 3.3 and an ICC of 0.97; the v.SaO 2 had a CoV of 4.8%, a CoR of 7.7 and an ICC of 0.93. Conclusions Retinal oximetry measurements using SRO are highly reproducible in both treated glaucomatous and normal eyes.
Spin transition in (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite under pressure

article i nfo We present a density functional study of the pressure-induced spin transition in ferrous iron (Fe 2+ ) at the A site in MgSiO3 perovskite. We address the influence of iron concentration and configuration (structural and magnetic), as well as technical issues such as the influence of the exchange-correlation functional (LDA versus GGA) on the spin transition pressure. Supercells containing up to 160 atoms were adopted to tackle these issues. We show that there are preferred configurations for high-spin and low-spin iron and that the spin transition pressure depends strongly on iron concentration and all the issues above. Across the spin transition, irons move into the middle of distorted octahedra causing drastic changes in the d states configuration and a blueshift in the band gap. Such blueshift should decrease the contribution of ferrous iron to the electrical conductivity and increase its contribution to the radiative conductivity in the lower mantle. Both LDA and GGA results suggest that the spin transition can occur in the pressure range of the lower mantle and of previous experiments. The transition range can encompass the entire lower mantle passing through a mixed-spin state caused by cation disorder and magnetic entropy.
Effects of nicotine on olfactogustatory incentives: preference, palatability, and operant choice tests.

INTRODUCTION The use of additives in tobacco may capitalize on the incentive motivational properties of tastes and scents such as mint (menthol), vanilla, and strawberry. These incentives are intended to increase tobacco experimentation, but their salience may also be enhanced by the incentive amplifying effects of nicotine (NIC). The goal of the present studies was to investigate the potential interaction between the incentive amplifying effects of NIC and gustatory incentives. METHODS One of two discriminable tastes (grape or cherry Kool-Aid®; 0.05% wt/vol; unsweetened) was paired with sucrose (20% wt/vol; conditioned stimulus [CS+]) in deionized water, whereas the other taste (CS-) was presented in deionized water. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of NIC pretreatment on preference for the CS+ versus CS- in 2-bottle choice tests. Experiment 2 investigated the effects of NIC on palatability of the CS+ and CS- using orofacial taste reactions. Experiment 3 investigated the effects of NIC on reinforcement by the CS+ and CS- using a concurrent choice operant task. RESULTS NIC pretreatment robustly increased operant responding for the CS+ but did not alter responding for the CS- in the operant choice task (Experiment 3). However, NIC pretreatment did not alter intake or palatability of the CS+ or CS- (Experiments 1 and 2). CONCLUSIONS NIC increases the reinforcing effects of gustatory incentive stimuli, even though these stimuli were not paired with NIC administration. The findings suggest that adding taste incentives to tobacco products may increase the attractiveness of these products to consumers and the probability of repeated use.
Alternative Splicing of a Novel Inducible Exon Diversifies the CASK Guanylate Kinase Domain

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing has a major impact on cellular functions and development with the potential to fine-tune cellular localization, posttranslational modification, interaction properties, and expression levels of cognate proteins. The plasticity of regulation sets the stage for cells to adjust the relative levels of spliced mRNA isoforms in response to stress or stimulation. As part of an exon profiling analysis of mouse cortical neurons stimulated with high KCl to induce membrane depolarization, we detected a previously unrecognized exon (E24a) of the CASK gene, which encodes for a conserved peptide insertion in the guanylate kinase interaction domain. Comparative sequence analysis shows that E24a appeared selectively in mammalian CASK genes as part of a >3,000 base pair intron insertion. We demonstrate that a combination of a naturally defective 5' splice site and negative regulation by several splicing factors, including SC35 (SRSF2) and ASF/SF2 (SRSF1), drives E24a skipping in most cell types. However, this negative regulation is countered with an observed increase in E24a inclusion after neuronal stimulation and NMDA receptor signaling. Taken together, E24a is typically a skipped exon, which awakens during neuronal stimulation with the potential to diversify the protein interaction properties of the CASK polypeptide.
“I don't advertise the fact that I'm a Catholic”: College students, religion, and ambivalence

ABSTRACTBased on twenty in-depth interviews with Catholic college students, this article investigates religious identity for emerging adults at a public university in the United States. Using sociological ambivalence as an analytical tool, I demonstrate how the expectations of collegiate emerging adulthood can shape students' expressions of religious identity. The students manage their expressions in strategic ways in order to craft particular kinds of identities as college students and religious people, and to situate themselves as either those who fit in or those who go against the norm.
Why Hydroxamates May Not Be the Best Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors - What Some May Have Forgotten or Would Rather Forget?

Hydroxamate-based histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have been approved as therapeutic agents by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in oncology applications. While the potential utility of such HDACIs in other areas of medicinal chemistry is tremendous, there are significant concerns that "pan-HDAC inhibitors" may be too broadly acting and/or toxic for clinical use beyond oncology. In addition to the isozyme selectivity challenge, the potential mutagenicity of hydroxamate-containing HDAC inhibitors represents a major hindrance in their application to other therapeutic areas. Herein we report on the mutagenicity of known hydroxamates, discuss the mechanisms responsible for their genotoxicity, and review some of the current alternatives to hydroxamates. We conclude that the hydroxamate group, while providing high-potency HDACIs, is not necessarily the best zinc-binding group for HDACI drug discovery.
Teacher Training: Music Methods for an Internationalized Approach to Instruction

How can music teachers and students connect with music and cultures in an honest and meaningful manner? Can music instruction increase intercultural skills and international-mindedness? If these initiatives are important, pre-service teachers need to know how to address these issues in their classroom content and pedagogy. In an effort to assist pre-service elementary classroom teachers to integrate music into their classrooms using an internationalized approach to instruction, I created eight strategies for their lesson planning and pedagogy. The pre-service teachers developed and taught lessons utilizing these strategies in music content integrated with any of the other required content areas. Putting these strategies into use in their lesson planning and teaching affected their preparation and teaching. According to the pre-service teachers, these strategies, embedded in their planning and teaching became the most difficult and meaningful learning associated with their pre-service music methods training. This article will address why internationalizing music content is important, the strategies to do so, as well as an example created by pre-service elementary school teachers.
The Rise and Fall of Lesser Included Offenses

All American jurisdictions recognize lesser included offenses as a device that permits a jury to acquit a defendant of a charged offense and instead to convict of a less serious crime that is necessarily committed during the commission of the charged offense. Some jurisdictions employ expansive tests that consider the manner in which particular offenses occurred. Such tests permit courts to find that assault with a deadly weapon is necessarily committed during a murder committed by stabbing. Other jurisdictions employ the elements test that focuses on the legal definition of crimes. The elements test defines a lesser included offense as a crime that includes some of the elements of the greater offense and no additional elements. The elements test requires courts to find that assault with a deadly weapon is not a lesser included offense of murder because the lesser crime requires proof of an element, use of the deadly weapon, that is not an element of murder. In the past twenty years, following the Supreme Court's use of the elements test as the test for whether prosecutions are barred under the Double Jeopardy Clause, a majority of states have followed federal courts in employing the elements test as the definition of lesser included offenses as a matter of their substantive criminal law. This Article contends that the elements test is bad theory because judicial experience has proven that the test is difficult to apply and creates new legal difficulties that have no satisfactory solution. The test is bad policy because it reduces the number of offenses that qualify as lesser included offenses and thus prevents prosecutors from amending indictments and encourages them to split closely related criminal charges, wasting public resources and failing to protect defendants from the burdens of defending against multiple prosecutions. Finally, extreme applications of the test that result in eliminating manslaughter as a lesser included offense of murder raise significant constitutional issues.
Teaching Bodies in Place

This chapter takes the reader back into the context of teacher education, specifically showing what becomes possible when students are afforded experiential assignments that are designed to promote engagement with the broader community surrounding the University context, affected through movement in a variety of spaces that then become significant material-discursive aspects of the curriculum. Using theories of space and spatiality, Stephanie and Jim explore and analyze the role of place in “learning” about ourselves, others, and the world.
Growth curve of Streptococcus oralis

Difference between the artificial transformation in Gram-negative E. coli K-12 (gene cloning with double stranded DNA) and natural transformation in diplococcic Gram-positive Streptococcus has been ignored. The artificial transformation, an uptake of recombinant DNA (double stranded only) has been mostly used in gene-cloning experiments with Gram-negative E. coli K-12. The exact mechanism of such recombinant DNA uptake by competent E. coli K-12 cells still remains unknown. However, the natural transformation in diplococcic Streptococcus as initially reported by Dr. Griffith in 1928, has so far been limited within their two types of colonies, smooth and rough. Our data on S. oralis, S. mutans and S. pneumoniae, demonstrates that these two colony types are bacterial physiological changes (phenotypes) and therefore the uptake of exogenous donor DNA, double or single stranded, apparently has no role in such a physiological normal growth of bacteria (changes of colony types on solid blood agar medium). The growth curve of S. oralis presented in this work clearly demonstrates that there is a pre-competent phase in addition to their competent and post-competent phases of growth.
Physico-chemical phenomena in comets—I: Experimental study of snows in a cometary environment

Abstract The existence and thennodynamic stability of the clathrate hydrate of methane is checked in the 100°K temperature range, and its dissociation pressure is measured. Contrarily to ordinary ice or snow of water, it has the morphological appearance of a peculiar powder snow made of small icy grains. Their apparent density is between 0.33 and 0.54 g cm−3. Their actual size distribution is established and has a sharp peak for grains between 0.1 and 1 mm in dia. In a vacuum simulating cometary conditions, grains are constantly stripped from the main body of snow, by gases originating from the dissociation of the hydrate. As it is likely that all known clathrate hydrates behave in the same way, it is submitted that they could build up a halo of ice grains within the inner coma of comets. This halo may play an important role in the understanding of the cometary phenomena.
How dialogue creates opposite characters: An analysis of Arthur & George

This article offers an analysis of the dialogue in Julian Barnes’s Arthur & George, drawing on relevance theory (Grice, 1989; Sperber and Wilson, 1995) and politeness theory (Brown and Levinson, 19...
Grafting of preformed polyamide onto cellulose acetate

Introduction de groupes mesyl dut l'zcetate? le greffage de polyamide preforme avec des groupes terminaux carboxylates libres de place, le groupe mesyl et forme une liaison ester dans une reaction en phase homogene (rendement 70%)
Transformation of the Nucleus During Mammalian Spermatogenesis and Fertilization: Implications for Contraceptive Development

Formation of the mammalian spermatozoon requires the precise temporal synthesis and assembly of many unique polypeptide and glycoprotein constituents. These processes occur primarily, if not exclusively, during meiosis and spermiogenesis6,5, 6 6, while the differentiating germ cells are located within the central compartment of the seminiferous epithelium, behind the Sertoli cell junctions8. The advanced spermatocytes and spermatids, therefore, are excluded from immune surveillance and so many constituents involved in sperm biogenesis are auto-antigenic. These germ cell-specific components provide potential targets for immunological probes designed to act as contraceptive vaccines. The principal questions then reside in: 1 ) identifying suitable antigens with known functions, hence allowing for predictable actions and consequences of the immune vaccination, 2) selecting a mode of delivery and effect that ensures optimal specificity and efficacy, and 3) designing a procedure that allows “normal” expression of physiological and behavioral sex. In the case of male contraceptive vaccines directed against sperm antigens, some level of finesse will be required to abrogate the potential induction and deleterious effects of allergic orchitis. The choice of physiological mechanisms and pathways necessitates an understanding of the structural and functional organization of the mature spermatozoon.
Upping Your Game: Transforming Teaching

This chapter begins by introducing the game behind the book, including the mission and the first quest. The overall mission serves as the vehicle for designing and developing a curricular game while the first quest prepares the reader for any resistance he or she might encounter in the process of transforming his or her curriculum into a game. The chapter supports the reader in doing so by situating curricular games within the current context of education. In order to do this, this chapter outlines how this book conceives of game-based teaching both by describing it and by contrasting it with what it is not, building on deCastell and Jenson’s (J Curric Stud 35:649–665, 2003) work. The chapter delves into the needs of the twenty-first century learners (Educ Res 29:4–15, 2000) and the workforce in the twenty-first century (The world is flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century, Picador, New York, 2007; Educ Leadersh 66:20–25, 2008) and uses learning theories (How people learn. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2000) to demonstrate how game-based teaching can help meet these needs. Each subsequent chapter begins with the next quest in the mission, i.e., steps in designing a curricular game, and ends with a worksheet to help guide the reader in accomplishing that quest along with a rubric. Activities called challenges within chapters are designed to help the reader apply and practice the concepts. The worksheets and rubrics along with other supporting materials such as further readings allow this book to be used as a textbook by teacher education professors as well as providing supports for teachers and professors using this as a manual to guide their own self-study in game-based teaching.