cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling effects of gas adsorption and removal on friction during sliding along diamond-like carbon films

In this paper, the physical and tribochemical processes that occur in a sliding contact between two diamond-like-carbon (DLC)-coated counterparts are discussed. The applicability of some of the most cited of the adsorption kinetics equations for modeling the gas adsorption process when environment molecules form bonds to the surface are examined. The process modeling is also discussed when part of the adsorbate is removed due to rubbing the surface by a slider. A direct connection between a kind of molecular friction and gradual wear is established. The models are compared with some recent experimental results. The present computer simulations of the adsorption and mechanical desorption of oxygen help to explain how microscopic processes, such as the breaking and forming of interatomic bonds, may affect macroscopic phenomena such as friction. In particular, it is shown that the initial roughness of the DLC surface may have a considerable influence on the probability of breaking bonds during mechanical removal of adsorbate and on the process of the gradual tribochemical wear of DLC films.
Motorized arthroscopic instruments: a review.

Editor's comments: The wide, almost dizzying assortment o f arthroscopic surgical equipment that has become available to the arthroscopic surgeon in the past few years has created confusion in the minds o f many surgeons who are called upon to make a choice. For example, should one use handpowered or motor-powered instruments; knives or scissors? How is each best used, and what are its limitations? Instruments are expensive, and many become dust collectors after being used once and found unsatisfactory for whatever reason. Arthroscopy is attempting to bring some order into this confusion by publishing a series of articles that we hope will be similar to this excellent one by Dr. Graf. Readers" comments will be welcome.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide-induced expression of cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage and 17 alpha-hydroxylase enzyme activity in hen granulosa cells.

Experiments were conducted to determine whether vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) can regulate expression of cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450,,) and P450 17a-hydroxylase (P450 17a-OH) mRNA levels and enzyme activity in granulosa cells from nonhierarchal (6-8-mm) follicles. Initial studies demonstrated that immunoreactive VIP is localized within the theca (but not granulosa) layer of both resting (< 0.5-mm follicles) and 6-8-mm follicles, thus providing a potential paracrine mechanism of action for VIP. While short-term (3 h) incubation of granulosa cells with VIP (0.001-1.0 tpM) failed to stimulate progesterone production from 6-8-mm follicle granulosa cells, a 4-h culture period in the presence of VIP resulted in increased cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation, and a 24-h culture period resulted in progesterone synthesis and increased P450,, mRNA levels; control levels of each endpoint measurement were not altered within the period observed. By contrast, culture with the growth factor transforming growth factor a (TGFa) in the presence of VIP (1 FIM) prevented increases in P450, mRNA levels and progesterone production. Similar effects of VIP and TGFa in the presence of VIP were demonstrated for P450 17a-OH mRNA levels and enzyme activity. Finally, there was an additive effect of VIP (0.1 ILM) plus recombinant human (rh) FSH (100 mlU) on the initiation of progesterone production in cultured 6-8-mm follicle granulosa cells compared to the addition of VIP or rhFSH alone. The ability of VIP to increase P450,, and P450 1 7a-OH mRNA levels and induce steroid production in nonhierarchal follicles is similar to previously published results following culture with rhFSH. Therefore, we suggest that VIP and FSH may act in concert to initiate steroid production at the time of follicle selection (proposed to occur at the 9-12-mm stage of development), possibly via the adenylyl cyclase/cAMP second messenger system. On the other hand, TGFa may represent a physiological mechanism to prevent premature expression of these enzymes.
What could arsenic bacteria teach us about life

In this paper, I discuss the recent discovery of alleged arsenic bacteria in Mono Lake, California, and the ensuing debate in the scientific community about the validity and significance of these results. By situating this case in the broader context of projects that search for anomalous life forms, I examine the methodology and upshots of challenging biochemical constraints on living things. I distinguish between a narrower and a broader sense in which we might challenge or change our knowledge of life as the result of such a project, and discuss two different kinds of projects that differ in their potential to overhaul our knowledge of life. I argue that the arsenic bacteria case, while potentially illuminating, is the kind of constraint-challenging project that could not—in spite of what was said when it was presented to the public—change our knowledge of life in the deeper sense.
Casein Kinase 1 Regulates Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Protein (SREBP) to Control Sterol Homeostasis

Sterol homeostasis is tightly controlled by the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) transcription factor that is highly conserved from fungi to mammals. In fission yeast, SREBP functions in an oxygen-sensing pathway to promote adaptation to decreased oxygen supply that limits oxygen-dependent sterol synthesis. Low oxygen stimulates proteolytic cleavage of the SREBP homolog Sre1, generating the active transcription factor Sre1N that drives expression of sterol biosynthetic enzymes. In addition, low oxygen increases the stability and DNA binding activity of Sre1N. To identify additional signals controlling Sre1 activity, we conducted a genetic overexpression screen. Here, we describe our isolation and characterization of the casein kinase 1 family member Hhp2 as a novel regulator of Sre1N. Deletion of Hhp2 increases Sre1N protein stability and ergosterol levels in the presence of oxygen. Hhp2-dependent Sre1N degradation by the proteasome requires Hhp2 kinase activity, and Hhp2 binds and phosphorylates Sre1N at specific residues. Our results describe a role for casein kinase 1 as a direct regulator of sterol homeostasis. Given the role of mammalian Hhp2 homologs, casein kinase 1δ and 1ϵ, in regulation of the circadian clock, these findings may provide a mechanism for coordinating circadian rhythm and lipid metabolism.
Teaching Group Work With The Great Debaters

An experiential learning activity, based on the film The Great Debaters (Washington, 2007), was used during a group work class. Description and preliminary evaluation of the activity is provided, including analysis of participant scores on the group leader self-efficacy instrument at multiple points. Implications and future directions for improvement are discussed.
Nature and evolution of the eclipsing millisecond binary pulsar PSR1957 + 20

A model in which a millisecond pulsar may be able to evaporate a very light companion by a particular component of its energetic radiation is applied to the recently discovered 1.6-ms pulsar PSR1957 + 20. Pulsar turn-on in the very low-mass X-ray binary follows a stage of mass transfer dominated by an evaporative wind from the surface of the companion. The wind is driven by a large MeV gamma-ray flux powered by an accretion dynamo. That source of radiation ceases when it is replaced by that from the millisecond pulsar, which has been spun up by accretion.
Patterns and dynamics of subventricular zone neuroblast migration in the ischemic striatum of the adult mouse

The migratory behavior of neuroblasts after a stroke is poorly understood. Using time-lapse microscopy, we imaged migration of neuroblasts and cerebral vessels in living brain slices of adult doublecortin (DCX, a marker of neuroblasts) enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) transgenic mice that were subjected to 7 days of stroke. Our results show that neuroblasts originating in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult mouse brain laterally migrated in chains or individually to reach the ischemic striatum. The chains were initially formed at the border between the SVZ and the striatum by neuroblasts in the SVZ and then extended to the striatum. The average speed of DCX-eGFP-expressing cells within chains was 28.67±1.04 μm/h, which was significantly faster (P < 0.01) than the speed of the cells in the SVZ (17.98±0.57 μm/h). Within the ischemic striatum, individual neuroblasts actively extended or retracted their processes, suggestive of probing the immediate microenvironment. The neuroblasts close to cerebral blood vessels exhibited multiple processes. Our data suggest that neuroblasts actively interact with the microenvironment to reach the ischemic striatum by multiple migratory routes.
Low temperature crystal structure of Ce3Al

Abstract The low temperature crystal structure of the heavy fermion compound Ce3Al has been studied by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction. The structure is monoclinic, with 16 atoms per unit cell.
Cellular mechanisms controlling melanophore stimulating hormone (MSH) release

Melanophore stimulating hormone (MSH) release from the vertebrate pars intermedia is under an inhibitory control by the hypothalamus. Catecholamines both inhibit and stimulate MSH release from the isolated frog neurointermediate lobe or rat (and mouse) pituitary. Classical pharmacological methods using specific adrenergic receptor agonists and antagonists reveal that inhibition of MSH release by catecholamines is mediated through either alpha adrenergic receptors and/or dopamine receptors whereas stimulation of MSH release by catecholamines is mediated through beta adrenergic receptors. These results provide the physiological correlate for the morphological evidence of pars intermedia regulation by direct neuronal innervation. Acetylcholine also stimulates MSH release from the frog neurointermediate lobe and this enhanced hormone secretion is mediated through cholinergic receptors (blocked by atrophine, but not by propranolol). The possible interactions of adrenergic and cholinergic receptor mechanisms in the control of MSH release is still to be determined. Neither boiled nor acid-treated hypothalamic extracts inhibit or stimulate MSH release in vitro thus failing to implicate (by these methods) hypothalamic inhibiting or stimulating factors, if present, in the control of MSH release. Our in vitro experiments also fail to support a so-called “auto-feedback” (mass action) regulation of MSH release in either the rat, the frog, or the toad. Numerous similarities between the mechanisms involved in the control of MSH and prolactin release are apparent.
Reflection-mode diffraction and matrix displays

Flat panel displays can exhibit undesirable visual effects previously unseen with other display devices. One such effect is the presence of bright bands, or multiple images, surrounding the mirror image of a small, intense light source, like the sun. These bands and multiple images have been identified as diffraction patterns caused by the display pixels. With some displays, the diffraction patterns are obvious, while others exhibit minimal diffraction. The appearance of a pattern varies considerably between display designs, while remaining consistent between displays of similar design and construction. Specific display design features and materials are responsible for many pattern characteristics. If the pattern is very bright, information presented by the display may be obscured. This presents obvious problems when the display must be read accurately and quickly, as in avionics or vehicle applications. In order to use flat panel displays effectively in these environments, a means must be found to control or eliminate the bands. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the characteristics, causes, measurements, and strategies for prevention of diffraction bands on display devices.
Protein Adsorption Modes Determine Reversible Cell Attachment on Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) Brushes

Protein adsorption and reversible cell attachment are investigated as a function of the grafting density of poly( N- isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes. Prior studies demonstrated that the thermally driven collapse of grafted PNIPAM above the lower critical solution temperature of 32 ° C is not required for protein adsorption. Here, the dependence of reversible, proteinmediated cell adhesion on the polymer chain density, above and below the lower critical solution temperature, is reported. Above 32 ° C, protein adsorption on PNIPAM brushes grafted from a non-adsorbing, oligo(ethylene oxide)coated surface exhibits a maximum with respect to the grafting density. Few cells attach to either dilute or densely grafted PNIPAM chains, independent of whether the polymer brush collapses above 32 ° C. However, both cells and proteins adsorb reversibly at intermediate chain densities. This supports a model in which the proteins, which support reversible cell attachment, adsorb by penetrating the brushes at intermediate grafting densities, under poor solvent conditions. In this scenario, reversible protein adsorption to PNIPAM brushes is determined by the thermal modulation of relative protein-segment attraction and osmotic repulsion.
Elastic moduli of a material containing composite inclusions: effective medium theory and finite element computations

Concrete is a good example of a composite material in which the inclusions (rocks and sand) are surrounded by a thin shell of altered matrix material and embedded in the normal matrix material. Concrete, therefore, may be viewed as consisting of a matrix material containing composite inclusions. Assigning each of these phases different linear elastic moduli results in a complicated effective elastic moduli problem. A new kind of differential effective medium theory (D-EMT) is presented in this paper that is intended to address this problem. The key new idea is that each inclusion particle, surrounded by a shell of another phase, is mapped onto an effective particle of uniform elastic moduli. The resulting simpler composite, with a normal matrix, is then treated in usual D-EMT. Before use, however, the accuracy of this method must be determined, as effective medium theory of any kind is an uncertain approximation. One good way to assess the accuracy of effective medium theory is to compare to exact results for known microstructures and phase moduli. Exact results, however, only exist for certain microstructures (e.g., dilute limit of inclusions) or special choices of the moduli (e.g., equal shear moduli). Recently, a special finite element method has been developed that can compute the linear elastic moduli of an arbitrary digital image in 2D or 3D. If a random microstructure can be represented with enough resolution by a digital image, then its elastic moduli can be readily computed. This method is used, after proper error analysis, to provide stringent tests of the new D-EMT equations, which are found to compare favorably to numerically exact finite element simulations, in both 2D and 3D, with varying composite inclusion particle size distributions.
From neurotoxin to neurotrophin.

Glucocorticoids are important for neuronal function, but their release in conjunction with a brain injury can intensify neuronal death, causing more harm than good. A new study shows that delivery of genes that have been modified to alter glucocorticoid signaling can block the toxic effects of the hormone in vitro and in vivo, converting what was once a neuron's worst enemy into its best friend.
Regeneration of taste buds in the lingual epithelium after excision of the vallate papilla.

Abstract Taste buds in the tongue are found in the epithelium of gustatory papillae and not in the surrounding epithelium. The buds disappear after denervation, and after reinnervation they appear only in the epithelium of the papilla. In the present study, the vallate papilla was excised in order to determine whether the remaining lingual tissue could regenerate a papilla and taste buds. Innervated and denervated tongues of adult rats were studied 40, 100, and 200 days after excising the papilla. Although papillalike structures were occasionally found, at no time was there definite evidence of normal papilla formation. Furthermore, these structures were similar in the innervated and denervated tongues, so that the nerve played no significant role in their development. Taste buds, however, did appear at all postoperative time intervals but only in the innervated tongues. The buds were present on the top surface of the tongue or in shallow grooves. The results demonstrate that epithelium other than that covering the vallate papilla can give rise to taste buds and that taste bud development does not depend on the presence of a papilla. I concluded that the nerve-epithelial interaction that results in taste bud formation does not require the presence of the original gustatory epithelium or papilla.
Estrogen and cognition: Applying preclinical findings to clinical perspectives

The effects of hormone replacement therapy on brain aging and cognition are an important public health issue, which, despite much research and debate, has not yet been resolved. In this Mini-Review, we describe how much of the clinical literature takes on new meaning when interpreted in light of recent preclinical data. We predict, based on these data, that hormone replacement therapy will in fact provide substantial benefit with respect to age-related cognitive decline, provided that therapy is administered in an appropriate regimen and is initiated within a window of time following the loss of ovarian function. The application of these data to recent clinical findings is discussed.
Measurements of metric nonlinearities of MCP-based lobster-eye x-ray telescope optics by moire interferometry

An x-ray all-sky monitor based on a lobster-eye focusing optics concept is a very promising satellite for the future astronomical mission. The angular resolution of the optics based on Angel's geometry, implemented as an array of square pore channel pates is, in theory, limited by the physical size of individual channels. In practice, the metric uniformity, in particular channel misalignment, and surface roughness of the channel plates are the prime factors limiting the efficiency and resolution of the focusing optics. Most of the methods to test the metric uniformity suggested earlier allowed to study the quality of the pates only in local areas. We suggest another method of estimation of the global uniformity, and in particular the multifiber misalignments, over the entire plate area based on moire interferometry. It is shown that for conventional MCP with 60-pore multifiber diameter this technique in principle can detect the multifiber angular misalignments and twists with an accuracy of about 1.2 mrad. The channel long axis misalignments may also be measured with accuracy of 35/L/p mrad, where L/p is the channel length to interchannel distance ratio. We believe this technique is a powerful tool for the preliminary selection of channel plates to be used in focusing optics.
Testing skills and knowledge: introducing a laboratory exam in CS1

Testing students' programming skills remains a challenge for courses that teach beginning programming. This paper describes the introduction of a laboratory final examination into a CS1 course. We present our approach to a lab final and present initial evidence indicating the effectiveness of the lab final. We also describe the problems encountered and solutions to those problems, which may benefit others interested in instituting a similar exam.
Association of inhaled [14C]methyl chloride with macromolecules from various rat tissues.

Abstract Inhalation of 14 C-labeled methyl chloride (CH 3 Cl) by rats resulted in accumulation of radioactivity in lipid, RNA, DNA, and protein isolated from lung, liver, kidney, testes, brain, muscle, and intestine. At the end of a 6-hr exposure to 500 or 1500 ppm 14 CH 3 Cl, 8 to 20% of the radioactivity present in whole tissue homogenates was associated with acid-insoluble material. Most of this activity represented labeling of protein and lipid, although the concentration of 14 C was usually over 10-fold higher in nucleic acids, per mole of nucleotide, compared with protein, per amino acid residue. Sephasorb HP chromatography of DNA revealed that radioactivity derived from 14 CH 3 Cl was associated with normal purine bases and no methylated bases were detected. Similarly, 82% of the radioactivity present in the lipid fraction copurified with the major species of phospholipids upon thin-layer chromatography. Pretreatment of rats with cycloheximide reduced the amount of CH 3 Cl-derived radioactivity associated with tissue protein by 42 to 58%, whereas [ 3 H]leucine incorporation was inhibited by 75 to 85%, indicating that most, but not necessarily all, of the uptake of 14 CH 3 Cl into protein was dependent on normal protein synthesis. Pretreatment with methotrexate inhibited the uptake of 14 CH 3 Cl into lipid, acid-insoluble material, RNA, and DNA by 47, 64, 65, and 93%, respectively. Pretreatment with methanol inhibited 14 CH 3 Cl uptake into acid-insoluble material by 66%. These findings indicate that most of the 14 C appearing in macromolecules following inhalation of 14 CH 3 Cl arose through metabolic incorporation, stemming from metabolism of CH 3 Cl via the one-carbon pool. Methanol apparently competed with CH 3 Cl for entry into this pool, although the failure of ethanol, 4-methylpyrazole, or 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole to inhibit 14 CH 3 Cl incorporation indicated that CH 3 Cl was not metabolized to methanol per se. Methanol pretreatment also inhibited 14 CO 2 evolution from 14 CH 3 Cl, indicating that metabolism of CH 3 Cl via single-carbon pathways may be of major quantitative significance.
Understanding the Experience of Being Taught by Peers: The Value of Social and Cognitive Congruence.

Background Medical schools use supplemental peer-teaching programs even though there is little research on students’ actual experiences with this form of instruction.
Evolutionary similarity among peptide segments is a basis for prediction of protein folding.

Short segments of polypeptide, from a protein for which the primary sequence but not the three-dimensional structure is known, are compared to a library of known structures. The basis of comparison is the probability with which residues in the unknown segment might substitute through evolution for residues in segments of known structure. In test cases, segments from known structures that are similar in sequence to those from a protein treated as unknown are often found to be similar in three-dimensional structure to one another and to the true structure of the “unknown” segment. This provides a basis for prediction of the local configuration (secondary structure) of polypeptides.
Four Little-Known Pests of Sweetpotato Roots

At least 14 insect species feed on roots of swectpotatocs. Except for the well-known sweetpotato weevil, Cyclas formicarius elegantulus (Summers), little published information is available on the nature and extent of the injury caused by these insects. Marcovitch (1946), describing injuries caused by the elongate flea beetle, Systena elongata (F.), mentioned reports of injury by the banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata LeConte; the palestriped flea beetle, Systena blanda Melsheimer; the spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber; and the sweetpotato leaf beetle, Typophorus nigritis viridicyaneus (Crotch). Several other insects, including the southern potato wireworm, Conoderus falli Lane; the tobacco wireworm, Conoderus vespertinus (F.) ; the Gulf wireworm, Conoderus amplicollis (Gyllenhal) = Heteroderes laurentii (Guerin-Meneville) ; molecrickets; and white grubs, are generally recognized as sweetpotato pests. Kantack and Floyd (1956) listed Phyllophaga spp. among the soil insects injurious to swectpotatoes in Louisiana.
QoS-aware distributed spectrum sharing for heterogeneous wireless cognitive networks

Ubiquitous wireless networking calls for efficient dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA) among heterogeneous users with diverse transmission types and bandwidth demands. To meet user-specific quality-of-service (QoS) requirements, the power and spectrum allocated to each user should lie inside a bounded region in order to be meaningful for the intended application. Most existing DSA methods aim at enhancing the total system utility. As such, spectrum wastage may arise when the system-wise optimal allocation falls outside individual users' desired regions for QoS provisioning. The goal of this paper is to develop QoS-aware distributed DSA schemes using game-theoretic approach. We derive DSA solutions that respect QoS and avoid naively boosting or sacrificing some users' utilities to maximize the network spectrum utilization. Specifically, we propose two game-based DSA algorithms: one resorts to proper scaling of the transmission power according to each user's useful utility range, and the other embeds the QoS factor into the utility function used during gaming. To evaluate DSA schemes from a practical QoS perspective, we introduce two new metrics, namely ''system useful utility'' and ''fraction of QoS-satisfied users''. Simulations confirm that the proposed DSA techniques outperform existing QoS-blind game models in terms of the spectrum sharing efficiency in heterogeneous networks. Convergence analysis of the proposed QoS-aware DSA algorithms is also provided.
Dietary Intakes and Characteristics of Two Groups of Elderly Females

Based on 24-hour diet recalls, the dietary intakes of 97 non-institutionalized elderly females were assessed to determine whether those consuming congregate noon meals had a higher intake of nutrients than their counterparts. Mean nutrient intakes approached 65% or exceeded two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowances except for B6. Congregate meal participants had significantly higher nutrient intakes at the noon meals than those not consuming congregate meals. However, other than for vitamin A, the consumption of congregate meals did not contribute to higher total daily nutrient intakes. Socioeconomic, health, and nutrition factors were also assessed. Increased age was associated with lower nutrient intakes; increased education was associated with higher nutrient intakes.
Influences of organic and synthetic soil fertility amendments on nematode trophic groups and community dynamics under tomatoes

Abstract Research was conducted to examine the effects of organic and synthetic soil amendments and tillage on nematode communities in field soils planted to tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum ) at two locations. The experimental design was a replicated split plot with chisel-plow tillage and bare-soil or chisel-plow tillage and surface mulch with wheat straw as main plots, and soil amendments of synthetic fertilizer, composted cotton-gin trash, swine manure, or a rye-vetch green manure as subplots. Tillage did not affect free-living or plant-parasitic nematode community dynamics, but soil amendments had a large impact on nematode community structure and diversity. Populations of bacterivorous nematodes mainly in the Rhabditidae and Cephalobidae, and fungivorous nematodes were greater after planting in soils amended with swine manure, composted cotton-gin trash, or rye-vetch, than in soils amended with synthetic fertilizer at both locations. Populations of nematodes in these trophic groups decreased through time in each year. Populations of Meloidogyne incognita in soil were not affected by soil amendments, but increased through time at each location. Root-gall indices were lower in plots containing swine manure or cotton-gin trash than in those with synthetic fertilizer or rye-vetch during the second season. The combined nematode maturity index values were greater at planting in soils amended with rye-vetch or fertilizer than in soils with swine manure and composted cotton-gin trash. Shannon’s diversity index decreased over time for both years at one location, regardless of soil amendment. At the second location, the Shannon’s diversity index decreased only in the second year. Use of descriptive indices, including the Enrichment index, structure index, and channel index provided useful information about the effects of organic amendments on the structure of nematode communities in tomato field soils.
The Effect of Alpha-Helix Linker Length on Volatile General Anesthetic Binding to the Four-Alpha-Helix Bundle (Aα2-L38M)2

In order to investigate the effects of the length of the linker connecting the alpha-helices in the di-alpha-helical protein Aα2-L38M on the overall structure and on the affinity of anesthetic binding to four-alpha-helix bundle (Aα2-L38M)2, we designed constructs containing six and four glycine residue linkers instead of the original eight, respectively. We used site-directed mutagenesis with primers designed to remove two and four glycine residues, respectively, out of eight residues of the original glycine linker present in the four-alpha-helix bundle (Aα2-L38M)2. Variant proteins were expressed in bacteria and purified to homogeneity using reverse-phase HPLC. Protein identities were verified using mass spectrometry. Our initial studies reveal that the variant four-alpha-helix bundle with a four glycine linker binds halothane with a dissociation constant of 1.00 ± 0.05 mM, as assessed using fluorescence spectroscopy. This represents a 10-fold decreased affinity for the volatile general anesthetic compared to the original (Aα2-L38M)2 design, which featured an eight glycine linker. The results indicate that the length of the glycine linker, and the resulting dynamic behavior of the four-alpha-helix bundle protein, dramatically influence volatile general anesthetic binding affinity.
Alzheimer dementia and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-diaphorase activity in senile plaques and the basal forebrain

The activity of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-diaphorase was examined histochemically in the amygdala, cortex and sublenticular substantia innominata (nucleus basalis of Meynert) of patients with Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). Senile plaques were characterized by increased enzyme levels and the presence of astrocytes highly reactive for NADH-diaphorase. In the sublenticular substantia innominata, the number of neurons positive for NADH-diaphorase was reduced in both Alzheimer's disease and SDAT, a result paralleled by a reduction of Nissl-stained cells, and this pathology was accompanied by an increase in the number of astrocytes. Intact substantia innominata somata in the former dementia, however, showed essentially normal levels of the enzyme, whereas in the SDAT patients, an abnormal distribution of NADH-diaphorase was observed frequently. It is proposed that the increased NADH-diaphorase associated with senile plaques and their accompanying astrocytes may be linked, in part, to the increased astrogliosis and decrease of neurons in the basal forebrain and that neuropathologic differences may exist between Alzheimer's disease and SDAT in terms of energy metabolism.
Scopemate: a tracking inspection microscope

We propose a new interaction mechanism for inspection microscopy. The novel input device combines an optically augmented web-cam with a head tracker. A head tracker controls the inspection angle of a webcam fitted with ap-propriate microscope optics. This allows an operator the full use of their hands while intuitively looking at the work area from different perspectives.
Equilibration in momentum space in the kinetic theory of polymer solutions

Abstract In the kinetic theory of dilute polymer solutions it is customary to assume a Maxwellian velocity distribution for the “beads” in the bead-spring models. For the sake of simplicity this velocity distribution function is generally taken to be Maxwellian about the fluid velocity at the center of mass of the macromolecule. In Brownian dynamics simulations it is more natural to assume that the velocity distribution is Maxwellian about the fluid velocity at the “beads”. It is found that the differences between the two approaches are important only at very high velocity gradients. This could be a confusing point in high-shear-rate Brownian-dynamics simulations. The extra terms arising in the constitutive equation because of bead-centered Brownian motion are non-objective.
Rape and Gender Conflict in a Patriarchal State

The handling of rape by the criminal justice system may be intimately intertwined with the gender inequality found in patriarchal communities. The present study examined the empirical relationship between female sociopolitical power and the rape rates and rape case clearance rates of 105 counties in an agrarian state with a reputation for patriarchal culture. The results suggested that, after controlling for contextual variables, counties with higher levels of female sociopolitical power also experienced higher rates of rape, and lower proportions of rape cases cleared by an arrest. The findings suggested that women in patriarchal communities experience a backlash effect as they achieve progress toward gender equality.
Emergency contraception institutional conscience and pharmacy practice.

“Emergency contraception” case law from the state of Washington is reviewed and analyzed. Important legal, social policy, and professional ethical questions are considered with focus on professional and institutional conscientious objection to participating in this therapy.
Panel On Languages For Formal Specification Of Security Protocols

In the last year or so, research in the formal analysis of cryptographic protocols has matured to the point where researchers are going beyond the mechanics of verification and considering the problem of providing specification languages that make it easier to specify protocols for analysis. A number of different approaches are being applied. Some are modifying existing formal specification languages, while others are implementing languages that are closely based on existing informal specification styles. Likewise, some are implementing languages that are closely tied to existing tools, while others are implementing toolindependent languages. An effort is also underway to develop a common language, CAPSL, that will serve as an interface to other tools and languages. The purpose of this panel is to bring together those who are working on this problem to compare notes and explore current issues. Some of the questions we will consider are: 1.
User Perspectives on Relevance Criteria: A Comparison among Relevant, Partially Relevant, and Not-Relevant Judgments

This study investigates the use of criteria to assess relevant, partially relevant, and not-relevant documents. Study participants identified passages within 20 document representations that they used to make relevance judgments; judged each document representation as a whole to be relevant, partially relevant, or not relevant to their information need; and explained their decisions in an interview. Analysis revealed 29 criteria, discussed positively and negatively, that were used by the participants when selecting passages that contributed or detracted from a document's relevance. These criteria can be grouped into six categories: abstract (e.g., citability, informativeness), author (e.g., novelty, discipline, affiliation, perceived status), content (e.g., accuracy/validity, background, novelty, contrast, depth/scope, domain, citations, links, relevant to other interests, rarity, subject matter, thought catalyst), full text (e.g., audience, novelty, type, possible content, utility), journal/publisher (e.g., novelty, main focus, perceived quality), and personal (e.g., competition, time requirements). Results further indicate that multiple criteria are used when making relevant, partially relevant, and not-relevant judgments, and that most criteria can have either a positive or negative contribution to the relevance of a document. The criteria most frequently mentioned by study participants were content, followed by criteria characterizing the full text document. These findings may have implications for relevance feedback in information retrieval systems, suggesting that systems accept and utilize multiple positive and negative relevance criteria from users. Systems designers may want to focus on supporting content criteria followed by full text criteria as these may provide the greatest cost benefit.
Dynamic vibrational stark spectroscopy: Measuring the solvent response in ultrafast charge-transfer reactions

We present the first implementation of dynamic vibrational Stark-effect spectroscopy and demonstrate its use as a probe of non-equilibrium dynamics in phototriggered charge-transfer reactions.
Coping with Bereavement: Long‐Term Perspectives on Grief and Mourning

The cross-cultural study of mourning offers promising ground for exploring the relationship between culture and emotional experience. Rosenblatt et al. (1976) have documented the profound feelings of grief, anger, and fear that accompany losses everywhere, suggesting that there is a "core grieving process" that occurs across cultures (Rosenblatt 1993:111; see also Kracke 1981, 1988; Rosaldo 1989). At the same time there is considerable evidence that cultural beliefs that influence the meaning of death, and funerary practices that govern the expression of emotion, can radically alter people's emotional reaction to bereavement (e.g., Keyes 1985; Maschio 1992; Rosenblatt et al. 1976; Tuzin 1975,1989; Vitebsky 1993; Wellenkamp 1984, 1988, 1991; Wikan 1990). For anthropologists, then, exploring bereavement cross-culturally has allowed focused comparison of the effect of various cultural belief systems on an experience that has a pan-human core. The articles in this issue address the relationship between cultural beliefs and the experience of mourning in cultures as diverse as the Yucatan Maya of Mexico (Woodrick), the Toraja of Sulawesi, Indonesia (Hollan), the Midwestern United States (Maxwell), and the BumbitaArapesh (Leavitt) and Kwanga (Brison) of Papua New Guinea. Two things characterize our approach. First, instead of
Direct measurement of 248- and 193-nm excimer-induced densification in silica–germania waveguide blanks: reply to comment

The criticisms raised by Poumellec and Niay in their Comment on our paper are primarily based on their misreading the original paper. We respond to their concerns and reiterate that Bragg gratings are not formed primarily by compaction from 248-nm exposure. New calculations are presented that corroborate our previous analysis.
Survival in the first hours of the Cenozoic

For several hours following the Chicxulub impact, the entire Earth was bathed with intense infrared radiation from ballistically reentering ejecta. The global heat pulse would have killed unsheltered organisms directly and ignited fires at places where adequate fuel was available. Sheltering underground, within natural cavities, or in water would have been a necessary but not always sufficient condition for survival. Survival through sheltering from an initial thermal pulse is not adequately considered in literature about Cretaceous- Tertiary nonmarine extinctions. We compare predicted intense, short-term, thermal effects with what is known about the fossil record of nonmarine vertebrates and suggest that paleontological evidence of survival is compatible with theoretical results from bolide physics.
Monitoring of minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia: Methods and best applications

Posttherapy minimal residual disease assessment in acute myeloid leukemia is an important prognostic indicator as well as a potential early surrogate measure of therapeutic effectiveness. The goal of this brief review is to discuss the broad classes of targets for molecular diagnostic assays, with specific examples of each, and to describe the analytic approach to flow cytometry testing for minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia. Several of the most significant recent contributions to this field are highlighted.
In-site process monitoring using laser-based ultrasound

Manufacturers of polymer composite materials are seeking more economical methods for fabricating structures with complex contours. One such method is resin transfer molding (RTM). A method that uses a laser-based ultrasonic technique to monitor the resin flow front during transfer of the resin into the mold is described. The flow of a vinyl ester resin through a preform made from high density random chopped glass mats and an acrylic ester through a preform made from low density random chopped glass mat is studied. The essential features of these experiments are described, and sequences of ultrasonic images of the resin flow front during the transfer are presented. This monitoring technique provides an accurate measure of the progress of the resin through the mold, shows whether void areas develop, and provides an accurate measure of their elimination through continued resin transfer. >
An i.r. study of benzoate complexes

Abstract Two sets of carboxylate i.r. bands found in the spectra of trihydrated bis(benzoate) complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II) are attributed to the presence of two benzoate anion types: one coordinated to metal, the other noncoordinated. Regularity in the average of antisymmetric and symmetric carboxylate frequencies for other prepared [M(BzO)2 and M(OH)BzO, M = Cu(II) and Zn(II)] and reported benzoate complexes is used as the basis for identifying and assigning metal-coordinated carboxylate frequencies in the trihydrated complexes.
Child Care Utilization by Disadvantaged Teenage Mothers

This paper presents findings from a survey of child care use by teenage parent Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients in three low-income metropolitan areas. The teenage mothers surveyed were participants and control group members in demonstration programs that provided access to a range of services similar to those being implemented under the Family Support Act of 1988—employment training, education, and supportive services including child care assistance. The results focus on the need for care, the extent to which child care is a barrier to participation in employment-related activities, the types of child care used, the cost of care, and mothers' satisfaction and problems with their arrangements. The child care arrangements made by the teenage mothers are also compared to those made by other mothers of young children in the local areas.
A fiber-optic interferometric seismometer

A fiber-optic interferometric sensor has been developed which consists of a seismic mass of 520 gm supported by two rubber mandrels, each wound with a single layer of single-mode optical fiber 6.5 m long. One end of each fiber is cleaved to enhance reflection. The other ends are interconnected via a fiber-to-fiber 3-dB coupler, forming a Michelson interferometer. When the case of the sensor is displaced, the fiber around one mandrel extends in length while the other contracts. The resulting "push-pull" mechanical operation of the sensor allows both legs of the interferometer to be active, providing good common mode rejection of spurious effects, as a reference leg is not required. This, together with the fact that the light traverses each leg of a Michelson interferometer twice due to reflection, provides the sensor with four times the sensitivity of a conventionally constructed interferometric sensor. Sensitivities of 8500 rad of optical phase shift per micrometer of case displacement have been measured above the mass-spring resonance, where the sensor operates as a seismometer. Below resonance the sensor operates as an accelerometer with a measured sensitivity of 10 500 rad/g, the highest reported to date. Including both thermodynamic and demodulator noise sources ( \approx 10 \mu rad/ \sqrt{Hz} ), below resonance the sensor has a detection threshold of 1 ng/ \sqrt{Hz} , a 20- dB improvement over the best existing conventional low noise vibration sensors.
The role of RANKL (TRANCE/TNFSF11), a tumor necrosis factor family member, in skeletal development: effects of gene knockout and transgenic rescue

We report the skeletal manifestations of restoring RANKL (TNFSF11/TRANCE; see foot note on nomenclature) expression in null mice using a lymphocyte-specific promoter. RANKL was discovered independently by immunologists and bone researchers by virtue of its essential roles in lymph node organogenesis, normal cellular immunity, and osteoclastogenesis. "Rescue" of RANKL knockout mice by a T- and B-cell expressed transgene reversed many immunological manifestations of the knockout, while it had highly selective effects on the skeletal pathology. RANKL-null mice exhibit severe osteopetrosis, no tooth eruption, markedly reduced skeletal growth, and growth plate chondrodystrophy. The transgene induced tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) positive cells in long bones as early as 3 days postpartum, restored marrow spaces in long bones, produced lamellar bone in the diaphyses, and restored osteoclasts at many endosteal sites, but not in periosteum nor the jaws. It did not improve the chondrodystrophy, chondroosseous junction defects, or tooth eruption. The ends of limb and axial skeletal elements remained highly sclerotic while diaphyses became osteopenic, and growth retardation persisted. Together, these results demonstrate the importance of local delivery of RANKL for many skeletal processes.
Modeling the plastic response of thin metal membranes

Using a dislocations-based model of slip and crystal plasticity, we show by illustrative examples that the experimentally observed increase in the yield stress of very thin metallic membranes most likely is due to the variation of grain orientations through the thickness of the membrane, as well as the surface hardness due to oxidation or contamination, both of which generally are insignificant when there is a sufficient number of interior crystals through the membrane thickness; the overall effect may well be produced by a combination of these two causes. We show that crystal plasticity models can account for such size effects without a need for resorting to phenomenological straingradient models. We illustrate this using Nemat-Nasser’s dislocations-based slip-induced crystal plasticity model that inherently includes length scales, although other rate-dependent slip models, e.g., the classical power-law slip model, most likely would qualitatively produce similar results. Our numerical results, based on the experimentally supported dislocation-induced slip model and the values of the model parameters given in Nemat-Nasser and Li [1998. Flow stress of F.C.C. polycrystals with application to OFHC Cu. Acta Mater. 46, 565–577], correlate well, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with the experimental results reported by Hommel and Kraft [2001. Deformation behavior of thin copper films on deformable substrates. Acta Mater. 49, 3935–3947] and Espinosa et al. [2004. Plasticity size effect in free-standing submicron polycrystalline FCC films subjected to pure tension. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 667–689] for thin copper membranes, suggesting that, for submicron-sized samples, the classical crystal plasticity with slip models, does qualitatively account well for the small-size effects, and that quantitative predictions are obtained when, in addition, a physics-based dislocation model that includes length scales, is used. It is thus concluded that the length-scale effect and the size effect are two separate issues in metal plasticity, both of which
A new approach to computer directed insulin management systems: DiaComp

The DiaComp computerized diabetes management system is presented, which consists of an artificial intelligence advice engine integrated with a database management system and education module to provide decision support 24 h/d at a reasonable cost to the patient. The advice engine for DiaComp represents a hybrid design that uses elements of both decision analysis models and heuristic artificial intelligence techniques. It provides insulin dosage management, tracks clinical trends, generates patient management reports, offers patient education, provides a research database, and is predicted to reduce the cost of health care for its users. >