cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Settling barnacle larvae avoid substrata previously occupied by a mobile predator

Abstract Settlement by the larvae of the barnacle Balanus glandula (Darwin) in the field is decreased on slate tiles that have been previously occupied by a predator of postmetamorphic stages, the whelk Nucella lamellosa (Gmelin). Settlement by another barnacle species, Semibalanus cariosus (Pallas), was not as greatly influenced by the same treatment. The effect on B. glandula also occurs when the substratum is treated with traces of the whelk by either forcing the foot over the plate or rubbing the plate with crushed individuals. This reduction in settlement can persist up to 3 wk after treatment of the substratum. A similar but lesser effect occurs after treatments with traces of a potential biological disturber of settling larvae, the limpet Tectura scutum (Rathke), but also occurs with mucus from the brown alga Fucus distichus (L.), which is not a demonstrated hazard to the barnacles. Mucus is naturally released by all of the above organisms and may be the cause of the reduced settlement. Control manipulations using a nonraucus-producing animal tissue, the pectoral muscle of the chicken Gallus gallus (L.), produced only a slight decrease in barnacle settlement. Mucus could reduce settlement either by acting as a cue for avoidance of high-risk areas, altering other settlement cues, or physically inhibiting attachment. However, not all mucus inhibits settlement: another investigator demonstrated that prior occupation by another predatory whelk induced greater settlement by another barnacle species; and we found that mucus from the dorid nudribranch Archidoris montereyensis (Cooper) increased settlement by B. glandula . Thus, our results suggest that the mucus might possibly act as a cue to the larvae, and we conclude that traces of mobile animals can influence the settlement of sessile animals. Since the threat of whelks to barnacles is delayed until some time after settlement, we hypothesize that the barnacle may be taking into account the long-term future risks (i.e., “the ghost of predation future”) when making the decision to settle. The avoidance response of the barnacle to the traces of limpets and macroalgae offers an alternative explanation (differential settlement) to patterns often attributed to biological disturbance (differential postsettlement mortality).
Targeting of Drugs to Solid Tumors Using Anti-Her2 Immunoliposomes

AbstractCancer therapy would clearly benefit from a carrier system capable of intracellular delivery of systemically administered drugs to cancer cells in solid tumors. Sterically stabilized immunoliposomes specific to the cells expressing HER2 protooncogene (anti-HER2 SIL), were designed by conjugating Fab’ fragments of a recombinant humanized anti-HER2 MAb to the distal termini of poly(ethylene glycol) chains on the surface of unilamellar liposomes (size 90–100 nm) of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and poly (ethylene glycol)—derivatized phosphatidylethanolamine. Anti-HER2 SIL avidly and specifically bound to cultured HER2-overexpressing cancer cells (8,000–23,000 vesicles per cell) and became endocytosed (ke = 0.022–0.033 min.−1) via the coated pit pathway. Anti-HER2 SIL showed prolonged circulation lifetime in rats (blood MRT approx. 24 hours) and significantly increased antitumor activity of encapsulated doxorubicin against HER2-overexpressing human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice. Although t...
Percutaneous vertebroplasty with a high-quality rotational angiographic unit

We evaluated the reliability of a rotational angiographic unit (RA) with flat-panel detector as a single technique to guide percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and for post-procedure assessment by 2D and 3D reformatted images. Fifty-five consecutive patients (104 vertebral bodies) were treated under RA fluoroscopy. Rotational acquisitions with 2D and 3D reconstruction were obtained in all patients for immediate post-procedure assessment. In complex cases, this technique was also used to evaluate the needle position during the procedure. All patients underwent CT scan after the procedure. RA and CT findings were compared. In all cases, a safe trans-pedicular access and an accurate control of the bone-cement injection were successfully performed with high-quality fluoroscopy, even at the thoracic levels and in case of vertebra plana. 2D and 3D rotational reconstructions permitted CT-like images that clearly showed needle position and were similar to CT findings in depicting intrasomatic implant-distribution. RA detected 40 cement leakages compared to 42 demonstrated by CT and showed overall 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to CT for final post-procedure assessment. Our preliminary results suggest that high-quality RA is reliable and safe as a single technique for PVP guidance, control and post-procedure assessment. It permits fast and cost-effective procedures avoiding multi-modality imaging.
Heightened cholinergic responsiveness in IgE-producing rabbits

Atopic humans express an array of autonomic nervous system abnormalities. An animal model of IgE-mediated allergy was herein employed to determine if the induction of an IgE antibody response would affect autonomic responsiveness. Rabbits were immunized so as to selectively produce IgE antibodies, and their pupillary miotic and mydriatic responses to cholinergic and alpha adrenergic stimuli, respectively, were determined. IgE-producing rabbits exhibited hyperresponsiveness to cholinergic but not alpha adrenergic stimulation, a pattern resembling that seen in nonasthmatic atopic humans. Repeated sublethal anaphylactic episodes induced in three IgE-producing rabbits did not affect the pattern of autonomic responsiveness when compared to controls challenged with saline, despite clear evidence of increased plasma histamine levels immediately after antigen challenges in the IgE group. This study indicates that elicitation of an IgE antibody response is associated with the concomitant development of cholinergic hyper-responsiveness.
Lord Brouncker's forgotten sequence of continued fractions for pi

'Lord Brouncker's continued fraction for p' is a well-known result. In this article, we show that Brouncker found not only this one continued fraction, but an entire infinite sequence of related continued fractions for p. These were recorded in the Arithmetica Infinitorum by John Wallis, but appear to have been ignored and forgotten by modern mathematicians. We identify these continued fractions and give a modern derivation.
A single transaminase for 1,4-diaminobutane and 4-aminobutyrate in a pseudomonas species

Abstract A Pseudomonas species uses a single transaminase to catalyze the transamination of 1,4-diaminobutane and 4-aminobutyrate.
A profile of student computer use, training, and proficiency

TO EXAMINE STUDENT COMPUTER USE, training and proficiency patterns, 688 undergraduate students were surveyed at a large state university. Students reported which computer applications they used and how they learned specific computer applications. They also rated their proficiency with computers. Common computer applications such as word processing and spreadsheets, Web browsers, and e-mail were used by 84%–90% of students; 86% of students own a computer. Eighty-nine percent of the students agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “my computer skills are adequate for my professors’ needs.” Approximately 25% of students considered themselves advanced computer users. Correlates with student ratings of proficiency included programming skills and the use of other operating and hardware systems, but also extended to construction of Web sites, the use of newsgroups, and the ability to use the Web for research. The predominant way students reported learning about the use of e-mail, the Web, and spread-sheets was informally; increased use of common applications was not correlated with formal training. Finally, even when major and class standing were held constant, differences existed for males and females in the use of specialized applications and self-ratings of proficiency. But, substantive gender differences were not evident for the use of common applications.
Electromagnetic field diffracted on two cracks in a conducting medium

A three-dimensional problem of diffraction of electromagnetic waves on two cracks is reduced to a system of two-dimensional hypersingular integral equations. For the numerical solution of this system, we propose to use the method of boundary elements. The solution obtained as a result is used for the analysis of the dependence of the space distribution of the magnetic field scattered by the cracks on the distance between these cracks.
Evaluation of a Standardized Sedation Assessment for Opioid Administration in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit

The impact of opioid-related sedation progressing to respiratory depression in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) can be extensive; however, there is a paucity of research on the subject of standardized assessment tools to prevent adverse events. The purposes of this study were: (1) to measure the efficacy of a standardized method of assessing sedation and administering opioids for pain management via the Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale (POSS) with interventions in the PACU; (2) to increase PACU nurses' confidence in assessing sedation associated with opioid administration for pain management and in the quality of care provided in their clinical area; and (3) to facilitate PACU and postoperative clinical unit nurses' communications during patient handoffs regarding safe opioid administration. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the POSS protocol. Two PACUs and six nursing units receiving postsurgical patients in a Midwestern inner-city hospital served as the setting for this research. Medical records were surveyed for outcome data to evaluate the efficacy of the care protocol in two patient cohorts before and after implementation of the POSS protocol. Nurses completed a written survey to identify changes in satisfaction with nurse-to-nurse communication, perceptions of quality of care, and confidence with opioid administration. The final sample included 842 PACU patients and 67 nurses from the PACU and clinical units. The intervention did not significantly change PACU length of stay or amount of administered opioids and patients were noted to be more alert at time of discharge from the PACU. Nurses reported increased perceptions of quality of care and confidence in opioid administration. The findings from this study support the use of the POSS Scale with interventions in the PACU care protocols.
Inflammatory cytokine and matrix metalloproteinase expression induced by collagen-coated and uncoated polypropylene meshes in a rat model

Objective The objective of the study was to compare the influence of collagen-coated vs uncoated polypropylene meshes on the expression of genes critical for wound healing. Study Design In 54 rats, abdominal wall defects were created, repaired by polypropylene sutures, and covered by an overlay of coated polypropylene (n = 20), uncoated polypropylene (n = 18), or no mesh (n = 16). Explants were harvested 7 or 90 days after repair and divided for histological, immunohistochemical, and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) analyses. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction arrays were used to profile the expression of 84 genes at the tissue-mesh interface. Results One week after implantation, coated mesh elicited a slightly greater inflammatory response and increased mRNA expression of 4 proinflammatory cytokines compared with uncoated mesh. Both materials, however, induced a comparable expression of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases relative to suture repair 90 days after implantation. Conclusion Collagen-coated polypropylene mesh induces elevated inflammatory cytokine expression compared with uncoated mesh early in the healing process, but the response to both meshes is similar 90 days after implantation.
Solar prominence magnetic configurations derived numerically from convection

The solar convection zone may be a mechanism for generating the magnetic elds in the corona that create and thermally insulate quiescent prominences. This connection is examined here by numerically solving a diusion equation with convection (below the photosphere) matched to Laplace's equation (modeling the current free corona above the photosphere). The types of elds formed resemble both Kippenhahn-Schluter and Kuperus- Raadu congurations with feet that drop into supergranule boundaries. 1. Prominence models The atmosphere of the Sun, from the base of the chro- mosphere through the corona, is structured by magnetic elds. Presumably generated in the convection zone these elds break through the photosphere stimulating a vari- ety of plasma formations, from small brils that outline convection cells to gigantic solar quiescent prominences that tower above the surface. In this paper we attempt a connection between the ejection of magnetism by con- vection cells to the structure of these prominences. The term \prominence" can refer to any formation of cool dense material in the corona but a quiescent prominence is the largest and most stable of these formations. First ob- served during eclipses in the middle ages, they have been described as both \clouds in the lunar atmosphere" and \mountains on the Sun". With the development of photo- graphic and spectrographic methods they are now known to be glowing masses of gas suspended in the Sun's atmo- sphere by magnetic elds. The rst mathematical models were developed by Menzel (1951) and Dungey (1953). These early mod- els proved unrealistic. For example, Menzel's model pre- dicted prominences that were as wide as they were tall. Better models were developed by Kippenhahn & Shluter (KS) (1957) and Kuperus & Raduu (KR) (1974). These models have better withstood the test of time and are the basis for much work on quiescent promi- nences. For detailed accounts of the history and physics of prominences see the books \Solar Prominences" by Tandberg-Hanssen (1974) and \Dynamics and Structure of Quiescent Solar Prominences" edited by Priest (1989).
Aged Muscle Demonstrates Fiber-Type Adaptations in Response to Mechanical Overload, in the Absence of Myofiber Hypertrophy, Independent of Satellite Cell Abundance

Although sarcopenia, age-associated loss of muscle mass and strength, is neither accelerated nor exacerbated by depletion of muscle stem cells, satellite cells, we hypothesized that adaptation in sarcopenic muscle would be compromised. To test this hypothesis, we depleted satellite cells with tamoxifen treatment of Pax7(CreER)-DTA mice at 4 months of age, and 20 months later subjected the plantaris muscle to 2 weeks of mechanical overload. We found myofiber hypertrophy was impaired in aged mice regardless of satellite cell content. Even in the absence of growth, vehicle-treated mice mounted a regenerative response, not apparent in tamoxifen-treated mice. Further, myonuclear accretion occurred in the absence of growth, which was prevented by satellite cell depletion, demonstrating that myonuclear addition is insufficient to drive myofiber hypertrophy. Satellite cell depletion increased extracellular matrix content of aged muscle that was exacerbated by overload, potentially limiting myofiber growth. These results support the idea that satellite cells regulate the muscle environment, and that their loss during aging may contribute to fibrosis, particularly during periods of remodeling. Overload induced a fiber-type composition improvement, independent of satellite cells, suggesting that aged muscle is very responsive to exercise-induced enhancement in oxidative capacity, even with an impaired hypertrophic response.
Gradient based threshold free color filter array interpolation

Color Filter Array (CFA) interpolation is an integral part of image processing pipeline for single sensor digital cameras. Many CFA algorithms have been proposed over the years to improve resulting image quality. One such algorithm is the highly successful Directional Linear Minimum Mean-Square Error Estimation (DLMMSE) method. We make several observations on this algorithm and propose a new method to address those points. The proposed method yields visually pleasing results and outperforms all CFA interpolation algorithms that are included in a recent survey paper in terms of PSNR.
Bed material cohesion and loss of fluidization during fluidized bed combustion of midwestern coal

Abstract Tests were conducted in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed combustor to determine the factors and mineralogical reactions that initiate agglomeration of bed particles and lead to defluidization of fluidized bed combustors. Combustion products from these tests were analysed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and petrographic relationships were determined from polished thin sections using transmitted polarized microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDX). Loss of bed fluidization resulted when a cohesive aluminosilicate material wetted the surface of bed particles. This occurred when the combustion air was below 100% of theoretical values for complete combustion. Reduced iron may have acted as a flux to promote the flow of aluminosilicate particles. Solid-solid reactions involving calcium oxides and silicates (aluminosilicate cohesive material and quartz grains) also contributed to the bonding of bed particles and loss of fluidization. Reaction products produced without limestone included pyroxene and amphibole; with limestone, wollastonite was ubiquitous.
Systematic identification of signaling pathways with potential to confer anticancer drug resistance.

Cancer cells can activate diverse signaling pathways to evade the cytotoxic action of drugs. We created and screened a library of barcoded pathway-activating mutant complementary DNAs to identify those that enhanced the survival of cancer cells in the presence of 13 clinically relevant, targeted therapies. We found that activation of the RAS-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), Notch1, PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)–mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), and ER (estrogen receptor) signaling pathways often conferred resistance to this selection of drugs. Activation of the Notch1 pathway promoted acquired resistance to tamoxifen (an ER-targeted therapy) in serially passaged breast cancer xenografts in mice, and treating mice with a g-secretase inhibitor to inhibit Notch signaling restored tamoxifen sensitivity. Markers of Notch1 activity in tumor tissue correlated with resistance to tamoxifen in breast cancer patients. Similarly,activationofNotch1signalingpromotedacquiredresistancetoMAPKinhibitorsinBRAF V600E melanoma cells in culture, and the abundance of Notch1 pathway markers was increased in tumors from a subset of melanoma patients. Thus, Notch1 signaling may be a therapeutic target in some drug-resistant breast cancers and melanomas. Additionally, multiple resistance pathways were activated in melanoma cell lines with intrinsic resistance to MAPK inhibitors, and simultaneous inhibition of these pathways synergistically induceddrugsensitivity.Thesedataillustratethepotentialforsystematicidentificationofthesignalingpathways controlling drug resistance that could inform clinical strategies and drug development for multiple types of cancer. This approach may also be used to advance clinical options in other disease contexts.
Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials of Finasteride

A meta-analysis was recently published based on six randomized clinical trials of at least one year duration involving finasteride 5 mg and placebo in the treatment of men with clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In a pooled analysis, mean improvement in symptoms and urinary flow rate with finasteride were found to increase with increasing prostate size. This article reviews the previous publication of this meta-analysis, which indicated prostate volume is a key predictor of outcomes with finasteride treatment and suggested that finasteride is most effective in men with large prostates.
Coaction discovery: segmentation of common actions across multiple videos

We introduce a new problem called coaction discovery: the task of discovering and segmenting the common actions (coactions) between videos that may contain several actions. This paper presents an approach for coaction discovery; the key idea of our approach is to compute an action proposal map for each video based jointly on dynamic object-motion and static appearance semantics, and unsupervisedly cluster each video into atomic action clips, called actoms. Subsequently, we use a temporally coherent discriminative clustering framework for extracting the coactions. We apply our coaction discovery approach to two datasets and demonstrate convincing and superior performance to three baseline methods.
Neutron-neutron scattering length from a comparison of the 2H(p,n) 2p and 2H(n,p) 2n reactions☆

Abstract A study of the reaction 2 H(p,n)2p is reported which resolves the discrepancy among the values of the 1 S 0 n-n scattering length deduced from the reaction 2 H(n,p)2n. Our value a n = −16.7 +2.6 −3.0 fm is consistent with results from the 2 H(π − , 2n)γ and 3 H(d, 3 He)2n reactions.
Covariance Analysis as an Alternative Event‐Study Methodology

Today the most common way of testing for the presence of abnormal stock market returns is by following the pioneering work of Fama, Fisher, Jensen, and Roll (1969). Their benchmark approach examines whether or not the stochastic behavior of firms' market‐conditional returns is significantly affected by some specific event like an earnings announcement, CEO's death, or brokerage house recommendation.
Heterogeneous Embedding via Aggregating Multiple Sources

Aggregating multiple correlated data sources may help improve the learning performance of a given task. For example, in recommendation problems, one can aggregate (1) user profile database (e.g., genders, age, etc.), (2) users’ log data (e.g., clickthrough data, purchasing records, etc), and (3) users’ social network (useful in social targeting) to build a recommendation model. All these data sources provide informative but heterogeneous features. For instance, user profile database usually has nominal features reflecting users’ background, log data provides term-based features about users’ historical behaviors, and social network database has graph relational features. Given multiple heterogeneous data sources, one important challenge is to find a unified embedding feature subspace that captures the knowledge from all sources. To this aim, we propose a principle of collective component analysis (CoCA), in order to find the optimal embedding across a mixture of vector-based features and graph relational features. The CoCA principle is to find a feature subspace with maximal variance under two constraints. First, there should be consensus among the projections from different feature spaces. Second, the similarity between connected data (in any of the network databases) should be maximized. The optimal solution is obtained by solving an eigenvalue problem. Moreover, we discuss how to use prior knowledge to distinguish informative data sources, and optimally weight them in CoCA. Since there is no previous model that can be directly applied to solve the problem, we devised a straightforward comparison method by performing dimensionality reduction on the concatenation of the data sources. Three sets of experiments show that CoCA substantially outperforms the comparison method.
Securitizing Water, Climate, and Migration in Israel, Jordan, and Syria

Protracted droughts and scarce water resources, combined with internal and cross-border migration, have contributed to the securitization of discourses around migration and water in much of the Middle East. However, there is no clear understanding of the conditions under which water, climate change, and migration are conceived of as security concerns or of their policy implications. This article explores the different means through which Israel, Jordan, and Syria have framed issues of water, climate change, and migration as national security concerns. Based upon an analysis of governmental and publicly available documents, coupled with field interviews with Israeli and Jordanian policymakers, experts, and nongovernmental organizations, we identify two different framings of the water–climate–migration nexus, depending on whether migration is largely external or internal. In Israel and Jordan, concern with influxes of external migrants elevated migration as a security issue in part through impacts on already-scarce water resources. In Syria, where severe drought in the early 2000s prompted large-scale internal migration, officials downplayed connections between scarce water resources, drought, and internal migration, part of a broader pattern of rural neglect. Unlike much of the conventional literature that has posited a linear relationship between climate change, decreasing water availability, and migration, we provide a more robust picture of the water–climate–migration nexus that shows how securitized framings take different forms and produce several unintended consequences.
Moisture effects on gas-phase biofilter ammonia removal efficiency, nitrous oxide generation, and microbial communities

Abstract We established a four-biofilter setup to examine the effects of moisture content (MC) on biofilter performance, including NH3 removal and N2O generation. We hypothesized that MC increase can improve NH3 removal, stimulate N2O generation and alter the composition and function of microbial communities. We found that NH3 removal efficiency was greatly improved when MC increased from 35 to 55%, but further increasing MC to 63% did not help much; while N2O concentration was low at 35–55% MC, but dramatically increased at 63% MC. Decreasing MC from 63 to 55% restored N2O concentration. Examination of amoA communities using T-RFLP and real-time qPCR showed that the composition and abundance of ammonia oxidizers were not significantly changed in a “moisture disturbance-disturbance relief” process in which MC was increased from 55 to 63% and then reduced to 55%. This observation supported the changes of NH3 removal efficiency. The composition of nosZ community was altered at 63% MC and then was recovered at 55% MC, which indicates resilience to moisture disturbance. The abundance of nosZ community was negatively correlated with moisture content in this process, and the decreased nosZ abundance at 63% MC explained the observation of increased N2O concentration at that condition.
Identification of brain target neurons using a fluorescent conjugate of corticotropin-releasing factor

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a peptide well known for its role in coordinating various neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral components of the vertebrate stress response, including rapid enhancement of locomotor activity. Although CRF's locomotor enhancing properties are well documented, the neuronal mechanisms and specific target neurons that underlie the peptide's effect on locomotor behavior remain poorly understood. In the present study, we describe the synthesis and functional characteristics of a CRF rhodamine analogue TAMRA-X conjugate mixture (CRF-TAMRA 1), to be used for tracking this peptide's internalization into target neurons in the brainstem of an amphibian, the roughskin newt (Taricha granulosa). CRF-TAMRA 1 conjugate administration into the lateral cerebral ventricle resulted in a rapid, endosomal-like internalization of fluorescence into brainstem medullary neurons. In addition, central CRF-TAMRA 1 administration produced neurobehavioral effects comparable to the native peptide, effects that were blocked by pre-treatment with the CRF receptor antagonist, alpha-helical CRF. Taken together, our results show the efficacy of CRF-TAMRA 1 as a novel tool for tracking CRF internalization into targets neurons in vivo and ultimately, aiding in elucidating the neuronal mechanisms and circuitry underlying CRF's influence on behavioral and physiological responses to stress.
DISTRIBUTION OF OCHRATOXIN A IN CHICKEN TISSUES AND EGGS

The kinetics of distribution of ochratoxin A (OA) in chicken tissues was studied. Day-old chicks were fed a starter diet alone or containing 1 ppm OA. After 5 weeks, all chicks were intubated with 50 μg 3H-OA per chick. The highest level of radioactivity was found in kidney and liver 8 hr after intubation. Peak levels of OA in kidney, liver and breast were found to be 12, 4, and 0.2 ppb, respectively. Over 90% of the radioactivity was eliminated 48 hr after intubation. Moreover, when laying hens were fed a diet containing 0.5 or 5.0 ppm of OA for 2 weeks, the highest levels of OA were found in the kidney (124 ppb) and liver (80 ppb) also. Levels of OA in breast, leg and eggs of laying hens were found to be 8, 7, and 2.8 ppb, respectively.
Reporter Mutation Studies Show That Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR) α5 Subunits and/or Variants Modulate Function of α6*-nAChR

To further the understanding of functional α6α5*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR; the asterisk (*) indicates known or possible presence of other subunits), we have heterologously expressed in oocytes different, mouse or human, nAChR subunit combinations. Coexpression with wild-type α5 subunits or chimeric α5/β3 subunits (in which the human α5 subunit N-terminal, extracellular domain is linked to the remaining domains of the human β3 subunit) almost completely abolishes the very small amount of function seen for α6β4*-nAChR and does not induce function of α6β2*-nAChR. Coexpression with human α5V9′S subunits bearing a valine 290 to serine mutation in the 9′ position of the second transmembrane domain does not rescue the function of α6β4*-nAChR or induce function of α6β2*-nAChR. However, coexpression with mutant chimeric α5/β3V9′S subunits has a gain-of-function effect (higher functional expression and agonist sensitivity and spontaneous opening inhibited by mecamylamine) on α6β4*-nAChR. Moreover, N143D + M145V mutations in the α6 subunit N-terminal domain enable α5/β3V9′S subunits to have a gain-of-function effect on α6β2*-nAChR. nAChR containing chimeric α6/α3 subunits plus either β2 or β4 subunits have some function that is modulated in the presence of α5 or α5/β3 subunits. Coexpression with α5/β3V9′S subunits has a gain-of-function effect more pronounced than that in the presence of α5V9′S subunits. Gain-of-function effects are dependent, sometimes subtly, on the nature and apparently the extracellular, cytoplasmic, and/or transmembrane domain topology of partner subunits. These studies yield insight into assembly of functional α6α5*-nAChR and provide tools for development of α6*-nAChR-selective ligands that could be important in the treatment of nicotine dependence, and perhaps other neurological diseases.
The System of Spindle Optimization Design Based on GA

Aiming at the optimization design of spindle, this paper introduces deflection constraint, strength constraint, corner constraint, cutting force constraint, the limit of torsional deflection, boundary constraint of design variable, dynamic property constraint , realizes the expression of the mathematical model of the spindle optimization design. Through the introduction of the real number code rule, the selection operator is built by adopting the optimum maintaining tactics and proportional selection, the crossover operator is built by using the method of arithmetic crossover and the mutation operator is built by using the method of uniform mutation. In the platform of VC++, the system of spindle optimization design based on GA is built. The analysis of the example shows that using the genetic algorithm to optimize the spindle can ensure the convergence of the optimization course, expand the search space, and the effect of optimization is obvious.
Detailed analysis of tectonic levels in the Appalachian Piedmont

Recent mapping has provided a close look at detail relationships contrasting a major infrastructural zone with an adjacent suprastructural area in the southern U.S. Piedmont. The Inner Piedmont belt infrastructural flow folds terminate against a northeast trending polydeformational cataclastic zone as one traverses toward the southeast along the South Carolina — Georgia border. The broad axial part of the infrastructural Inner Piedmont is represented by a complex of sillimanite-bearing mica gneiss and schist. Interlayered amphibolite permits recognition of major nappe-like antiforms and synforms. The southeastern edge of the Inner Piedmont is devided from the axial core by a tectonic slide, and is a separate and distinct nappe. Granitoid gneiss and amphibolite dominate in it.
A dual-loop control of a balance beam system

A control system has been developed to maintain the tilting angle, provided by the user, of a two-rotor single-axis mechanical apparatus. The entire control scheme consists of two feedback loops. The inner loop regulates the rotational speed to one of the rotors, while the outer loop controls the tilting angle of the mechanical beam. The inner-loop controller was designed through pole-placement based on the mathematical model of the motor. The outer-loop controller was developed by using the rule-based modeling techniques with the control gains selected through experimentation and analysis of the system response. The controller was implemented in Simulink; and the response of the system yielded a minimal steady state error with a reasonable settling time for the application under various load and input angle conditions.
Summary of recent AUA guidelines for the management of vesicoureteral reflux in children

VUR is a common condition and it is a predisposing factor for pyelonephritis, and reflux nephropathy, which can cause end stage renal disease in children. Given the consequences and sequelae of UTI and VUR, and due to lack of consensus regarding management of this common condition, the American Urological Association (AUA) developed treatment guidelines for children with VUR in 1997 and 2012 to help physicians better manage children with VUR. In this review, the summary of the 1997 and 2012 AUA guidelines are discussed with a focus on the 2012 report. Recommendations about evaluation and management of children under and above one year with VUR, with and without bladder/bowel dysfunction, screening of siblings of patients with VUR, screening of the neonate/infant with prenatal hydronephrosis, and follow up of the children with VUR are discussed in this review. The identification and management of VUR in these groups, provide the potential opportunity to prevent renal damage and decrease the risk of UTI and pyelonephritis. According to these guidelines, risk assessment of renal injury/scarring in the individual patient based upon clinical factors is critical, and interventions should be appropriate to the risk profile. Informing families and healthcare providers of the potential risk of pyelonephritis and renal scarring and allowing them to participate in decision making is considered important.
Two short-term toxicity tests for the calanoid copepod Eurytemora herdmani using a complex effluent.

The test designs and methodologies for two short-term static renewal tests, a 96-hr lethality test and a 5-day reproductive test, are described and statistically evaluated. The tests were developed specifically for use in the assessment of the toxicity of mixed effluents to copepods. Two tests using the calanoid copepod,Eurytemora herdmani, and one effluent yielded comparable results. The results indicate that mortality is a fairly sensitive measure of toxicant effect and is more easily quantified than the reproductive endpoint. The test designs allowed for the detection of a 7.8–22% difference in adult mortality between the control and any effluent treatment with a power of approximately 0.98. A 70% difference between the control and any other treatment was necessary to detect a difference in the chosen reproductive endpoint at a power of 0.98.
Aporphines. 25-trimethylislyl derivatives of N-methyl and N-propyl aporphines: gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric properties.

A series of synthetic, semisynthetic and naturally occurring aporphine alkaloids were converted to the O-trimethylsilyl derivatives, and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. A discussion of discussion of structurally informative fragment ions along with gas chromatographic data is presented. Their applicability to the analysis of biological metabolites of apomorphine, a CNS active structural analog of dopamine, is discussed.
Finite element modeling of ion-beam lithography masks for pattern transfer distortions

ABSTRACT As one ofthe Next Generation Lithographies, Ion-beam Projection Lithography (IPL) will be subject to strict error budgetsfor the sub-130 nm regime and will require high pattern placement accuracy. Meeting these stringent conditions in a timelyand cost-effective manner will depend upon accurate predictions of the mechanical distortions induced in IPL stencil masksduring fabrication and pattern transfer. To simulate pattern transfer, finite element (FE) structural models of the stencil maskshave been developed to predict distortions due to the fabrication of voids in stressed mask membranes. In this paper, anapplication of FE modeling for stencil masks has been demonstrated using both the IBM Falcon pattern and more uniformpatterns (to simulate the advantages ofcomplementary masks).Keywords: Ion-beam lithography, stencil masks, finite element analysis, equivalent modeling techniques. 1. INTRODUCTION With Ion-beam Projection Lithography (IPL) as a candidate for the Next Generation Lithography,'2 the development of ahigh resolution, low distortion stencil mask becomes a key issue. One of the primary sources of distortion is the fabricationof the perforations in the stressed mask membrane, also known as pattern transfer. The ability to simulate pattern transfer,and thus predict image placement accuracy is the first step in the design process. Subsequent procedures can then beperformed to correct or minimize these in-plane distortions (IPD).Previously, finite element (FE) modeling has been used to predict both fabrication and pattern transfer distortions.38 Becauseof the number and size of the perforations in IPL masks, equivalent models are needed to increase computational efficiency.Such modeling facilitates global distortion analysis which can subsequently be used with refined local models to predictpattern specific distortions. Fisher et al.3'4'6 were the first to develop equivalent modeling techniques for simulating thedistortions in perforated IPL masks. These techniques were based upon the determination of equivalent stiffness parametersfor uniform patterns of square holes in a square array, leading to the approximation and use of isotropic elastic properties.The focus of this paper is to refine the previous modeling by assessing the orthotropic characteristics of patterns of squareholes in a square array. In addition, a more general orthotropic pattern is considered to illustrate the modeling procedures;the IBM Falcon pattern9 is used as an example for this case.
Fading and tachyphylaxis to the contractile effects of substance P in the guinea-pig ileum.

Abstract Substance P (SP) caused an immediate and vigorous contraction of the longitudinal smooth muscle layer of the guinea-pig ileum. The contractile response to SP, unlike that to acetylcholine or histamine was not maintained but faded to baseline levels in about 6 min. When 0.3–1.0 nM SP was added the fading time was shorter than 6 min and tachyphylaxis did not develop. Higher concentrations of SP produced fading times of about 6 min that could not be increased even by adding extremely high concentrations of the peptide, up to 1 800 nM. Short fading timesand the lack of development of tachyphylaxis are the resulst of the rapid adsorption and/or metabolism of SP. The addition of exogenous peptidases such as pronase, chymotrypsin and an extract of black widow spider venom gland dramatically increased the rate of degradation of SP, shortened the fading response and blocked the development of tachyphylaxis. Tetrodotoxin and atropine reduced the fading time by 25%, while eserine increased its duration several-fold; these findings are consistent with the existence of a cholinergic nerve component in the mediation of some of the effects of SP. These studies demontrate that fading of the contractile effects of SP is a complex phenomenon due to desensitization of the SP receptor and, in part, to adsorption and metabolism of the peptide. The magnitude of the tachyphylaxis to SP was proportional to the concentration of the desensitizing dose of the peptide and was specific to SP and to the related peptide physalaemin; no cross-tachyphylaxis towards other agents was found.
Socialization and Developmental Change.

MACCOBY, E. E. Socialization and Developmental Change. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1984, 55, 317-328. This paper considers the divergent paths that have been taken by research in cognitive development and research in social-emotional development, and notes that cognitive studies have dealt primarily with normative developmental change, while studies of social behavior in childhood have focused on individual differences and the socialization factors that bring them about. It is argued that studies of socialization need to become more developmental. 2 meanings of development are distinguished: sequentially dependent steps that may or may not be taken by individual children, and developmental changes that occur in predictable order in nearly all children. The way in which both these kinds of changes may affect the socialization process is discussed. The question is raised as to whether, and how, developmental change and individual differences can be brought into the same conceptual framework; the possibility of distinctive self-stabilizing developmental trajectories is discussed in relation to the degree and kind of parental socialization pressure and reciprocation that is likely to be effective at different points along these trajectories.
Evoked potential correlates of stimulation-induced impairment of attention in Macaca mulatta

Abstract Electrical stimulation of the brain was administered concurrently with photic stimulation to five Macaca mulatta monkeys trained to perform a visual attention task. This required the animal to press for a red (positive) stimulus and to withhold responses to green or blue (negative) stimuli. The brain regions selected for this study were those which prior work had indicated were associated with stimulation-induced errors in performance. The present results indicated that stimulation which induced omission errors in performance (not responding to the positive stimuli) was typically associated with reduction in the amplitude of visually evoked potentials, whereas stimulation which induced commission errors (responding to the negative stimuli) tended to be associated with increase in visually evoked potential amplitude. Error-related potential changes were not systematically related to changes in activation level as measured by the amount of fast activity in the electroencephalogram. Omission error-related potential decrease effects were most often elicited by stimulation of the mesopontine reticular formation and commission error-related potential increase effects were scattered over a wide range of subcortical structures. These results are in agreement with those of prior evoked potential investigations of this region of the brain, and may have some relevance to the pathophysiological events occurring in human petit mal epilepsy.
Tissue-specific transcriptomics of the exotic invasive insect pest emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).

Background The insect midgut and fat body represent major tissue interfaces that deal with several important physiological functions including digestion, detoxification and immune response. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), is an exotic invasive insect pest that has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) primarily in the Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada. However, despite its high impact status little knowledge exists for A. planipennis at the molecular level. Methodology and Principal Findings Newer-generation Roche-454 pyrosequencing was used to obtain 126,185 reads for the midgut and 240,848 reads for the fat body, which were assembled into 25,173 and 37,661 high quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for the midgut and the fat body of A. planipennis larvae, respectively. Among these ESTs, 36% of the midgut and 38% of the fat body sequences showed similarity to proteins in the GenBank nr database. A high number of the midgut sequences contained chitin-binding peritrophin (248)and trypsin (98) domains; while the fat body sequences showed high occurrence of cytochrome P450s (85) and protein kinase (123) domains. Further, the midgut transcriptome of A. planipennis revealed putative microbial transcripts encoding for cell-wall degrading enzymes such as polygalacturonases and endoglucanases. A significant number of SNPs (137 in midgut and 347 in fat body) and microsatellite loci (317 in midgut and 571 in fat body) were predicted in the A. planipennis transcripts. An initial assessment of cytochrome P450s belonging to various CYP clades revealed distinct expression patterns at the tissue level. Conclusions and Significance To our knowledge this study is one of the first to illuminate tissue-specific gene expression in an invasive insect of high ecological and economic consequence. These findings will lay the foundation for future gene expression and functional studies in A. planipennis.
Quasiparticle spectrum in a nearly antiferromagnetic Fermi liquid: Shadow and flat bands

We consider a two-dimensional Fermi liquid in the vicinity of a spin-density-wave transition to a phase with commensurate antiferromagnetic long-range order. We assume that near the transition, the Fermi surface is large and crosses the magnetic Brillouin zone boundary. We show that under these conditions, the self-energy corrections to the dynamical spin susceptibility, \ensuremath{\chi}(q,\ensuremath{\omega}), and to the quasiparticle spectral function, A(k,\ensuremath{\omega}), are divergent near the transition. We identify and sum the series of most singular diagrams, and obtain a solution for \ensuremath{\chi}(q,\ensuremath{\omega}) and an approximate solution for A(k,\ensuremath{\omega}). We show that (i) A(k) at a given, small \ensuremath{\omega} has an extra peak at k=${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{F}}$+\ensuremath{\pi} (shadow band), and (ii) the dispersion near the crossing points is much flatter than for free electrons. The relevance of these results to recent photoemission experiments in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ systems is discussed.
Learning a near-optimal estimator for surface shape from shading

Abstract The problem of determining surface shape from shading is formulated in terms of Bayesian estimation. The goal is to select an estimate of surface shape that best fits some criterion on the posterior probability of the surface conditional on the image data. This conditional probability is a function of the imaging function and the prior probability of the surface. A gradient descent technique is used to compute the best linear estimator of the mean of the conditional distribution from a set of random fractal surfaces and their images. Simulations show that the derived estimator works well for a wide range of surfaces, including non-fractals. Once learned, the estimator could be used to implement a fast, non-iterative parallel device for estimating shape from shading with arbitrary light source directions. The estimator has similar perceptual deficits to human observers. In particular, it exhibits a loss of coarse-scale surface shape, while accurately reconstructing fine-scale details.