cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Midcingulate Cortical Activations Interrelate Chronic Craving and Physiological Responses to Negative Emotions in Cocaine Addiction

Abstract Background Negative emotions precipitate drug craving. Individuals vary in how they engage in negative emotions, as may be reflected in physiological arousal elicited by the emotions. It remains unclear whether physiological responses to negative emotions relate to cocaine craving and how regional brain activations support this relationship. Methods We examined brain activation and skin conductance responses (SCRs) among 40 cocaine-dependent (CD) subjects and 37 healthy control subjects during exposure to negative-emotional and neutral images. Imaging and SCR data were processed with published routines, and the results were evaluated at a corrected threshold. Results Relative to control subjects, CD subjects showed increased activation in the hippocampus, inferior parietal gyrus, and caudate in response to negative-emotional versus neutral images. CD subjects relative to control subjects showed diminished SCR to negative-emotional versus neutral images, and the difference (SCRNE-NU) was positively correlated with chronic craving, as evaluated by the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, and craving rating (negative-emotional – neutral), in CD subjects. Activations of the midcingulate cortex (MCC) were positively correlated with both chronic cocaine craving and SCRNE-NU and completely mediated the correlation between chronic cocaine craving and SCRNE-NU. Further, path analyses suggested a directional influence of SCRNE-NU on craving rating (negative-emotional – neutral): chronic craving → MCC activation → SCRNE-NU → craving rating. Conclusions CD subjects demonstrate hypoactive SCRs to negative emotions. Less diminution of SCR is associated with higher cocaine craving and MCC response to negative emotions. A hub of the limbic motor circuit, the MCC may translate chronic cocaine craving into physiological responses that precipitate cocaine seeking.
Unpacking gatekeeping in medical institutions: A case study of access to end-of-life patients:

We use end-of-life decision making as a case for examining processes of gatekeeping in medical settings. End-of-life is an exemplar in a broader context of research in professionalized and institut...
Basis for the Exclusion of Escherichia coli from the Rumen Ecosystem

The possible causes for the exclusion of Escherichia coli from the rumen ecosystem were investigated. Evidence presented indicates that oxidation-reduction potential, temperature, pH, CO2, volatile fatty acids, traces of heavy metals, and bacteriophage are not environmental factors which select against E. coli in the rumen ecosystem. The feeding of nutrients utilizable by E. coli to an artificially inoculated continuous-culture rumen ecosystem did not prevent the washout of the E. coli from the continuous cultures. The presence of an inhibitor of E. coli growth was demonstrated. High concentrations of rumen fluid (50 to 100%) were necessary to inhibit growth in Antibiotic Medium 3. The inhibitor may operate to control the growth of E. coli in the rumen ecosystem. Because of the presence of an inhibitor, the possibility that rumen fluid is deficient in nutrients to support the growth of E. coli cannot be eliminated.
Group Identity and Alienation: Giving the We Its Due

The purpose of this paper is to argue for greater understanding and valuing of group affiliation and the formation of allegiances to groups during early adolescence. An overemphasis on themes of individual identity, self-reliance, and autonomy as the developmental trajectory of adolescence leads to a lack of attention to the positive, normative mechanisms that permit young adolescents to achieve a sense of belonging and connection. We propose developmental processes which underlie the capacity for reflection about groups, 4 basic components of group identity, and 6 propositions about new capacities that emerge as young adolescents struggle with the dialectic between group identity and alienation. The final section suggests opportunities that can emerge through a more appropriate emphasis on group identity as a valued, normative aspect of development during the early adolescent years.
Defect in 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthesis in brachymorphic mice. II. Tissue distribution of the defect.

Abstract The tissue distribution of the defective PAPS synthetic pathway in homozygous brachymorphic mice ( bm bm ) has been investigated using four different criteria: (i) incorporation of 35SO42− into adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS), 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS), and endogenous macromolecular acceptors, (ii) APS kinase (adenylylsulfate kinase; ATP:adenylylsulfate 3′-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.25) activity, (iii) ATP sulfurylase (sulfate adenylyltransferase; ATP:sulfate adenylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.4) activity, (iv) thermostability of ATP sulfurylase. With respect to the first three criteria, the results indicate that liver is affected as profoundly as cartilage ( K. Sugahara and N. B. Schwartz, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (1982) 214, 589–601 ). In contrast, skin and brain show no differences between normal and mutant. Kidney is significantly, but only moderately, affected. The results from thermostability studies demonstrate that ATP sulfurylase activity is more labile in bm bm cartilage, liver, and kidney, but not in skin or brain, supporting the above-observed distribution of the defect. Therefore, the present results indicate a multiple, but not universal, tissue distribution of the defective PAPS synthetic pathway in bm bm mice. Furthermore, these findings support the suggestion that ATP sulfurylase as well as APS kinase is defective in brachymorphic mice.
High-performance manipulators and the application of high torque density actuator technology: nonlinear analysis, robust design, and deployment of high-precision robots

Direct-drive actuators are used in high-performance robots. For directly actuated robots and servos, the paper develops a design concept to solve the motion control problem using nonlinear models. The Lagrange equations of motion are used to integrate torsional-mechanical and circuitry dynamics with the corresponding energy conversion and torque production analysis. The derived nonlinear models are applied in analysis and design. Due to open-loop instability and control bounds imposed, parameter variations and unmodeled dynamics, we apply the modified Hamilton-Jacobi theory to synthesize the bounded robust controllers. The admissibility concept is used to perform the analysis of stability needed to solve the motion control problem. By minimizing the nonquadratic performance cost and making use of necessary conditions for optimality, a bounded control law is designed. The sufficient conditions for stability are derived and examined based upon Lyapunov stability theory. Robustness of the resulting closed-loop system with the synthesized controller is studied. The results are verified for a directly actuated robot, and a nonlinear controller is designed, implemented, and thoroughly examined.
Do Elite Athletes Live Longer? A Systematic Review of Mortality and Longevity in Elite Athletes

Understanding of an athlete’s lifespan is limited with a much more sophisticated knowledge of their competitive careers and little knowledge of post-career outcomes. In this review, we consider the relationship between participation at elite levels of sport and mortality risk relative to other athletes and age- and sex-matched controls from the general population. Our objective was to identify, collate, and disseminate a comprehensive list of risk factors associated with longevity and trends and causes of mortality among elite athletes. English language articles were searched using the Web of Science database. Keywords athletes, death, elite, “high performance” life expect*, longevity, mortality, players, professional, and sport were used to locate research articles. Seventeen additional articles were retrieved from reference lists found in these papers and a general web search. The inclusion criteria were the following: (1) publication year 1980 or later; (2) the study examined elite-level athletes; and (3) outcome data measured mortality/longevity trends and/or causes. Fifty-four peer-reviewed publications and three articles from online sources met the criteria for inclusion. Baseball, football, soccer, basketball, and cycling had the most reported data on elite athletes’ lifespan longevities. A variety of mechanisms have attempted to explain mortality risk (e.g., handedness, playing position, achievement, etc.). Considerable support was found for superior longevity outcomes for elite athletes, particularly those in endurance and mixed sports. Future research into the mechanisms that may affect mortality risk is important for a better understanding of life expectancies in both eminent and non-eminent populations. Participation in elite sport is generally favorable to lifespan longevity.
Activities of Benzphetamine N-Demethylase and Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase in Cells Isolated From γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase-Positive Foci and Surrounding Liver

The levels of two cytochrome P-450-linked enzymes of xenobiotic metabolism, benzphetamine N-demethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, were determined in cells isolated from gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-positive foci and in cells from surrounding liver obtained from carcinogen-treated inbred F344 rats. Rat liver foci were initiated with diethylnitrosamine (CAS: 55-18-5) and promoted with sodium phenobarbital [(PB) CAS: 64038-21-7] for 4 1/2 or 12 months. The levels of both enzymes were relatively low in the GGT-positive hepatocytes, while the GGT-negative hepatocytes from the surrounding liver had elevated levels of both enzymes comparable to levels seen in rats treated with PB alone. After 12 months of promotion the PB was removed from the diet and the activities of both enzymes fell below the control levels in the GGT-positive hepatocytes and returned to the control levels in the surrounding GGT-negative hepatocytes. Therefore, the cells in the GGT-positive foci contained low levels of these two cytochrome P-450 enzymes in relation to the levels in GGT-negative cells. These levels were responsive to phenobarbital induction, although the induced levels in the GGT-positive cells were much lower than the induced levels in GGT-negative hepatocytes. The liver surrounding the foci responded to phenobarbital induction to the same degree as did the liver of noninitiated rats.
Structural and functional vegetation development in created and restored wetland mitigation banks of different ages

Abstract Vegetation surveys of seven Ohio wetland sites were conducted from 2008 to 2010 during peak biomass. These seven sites included five created/restored mitigation bank wetlands, a created riverine research wetland, and a natural reference wetland. All of the created/restored wetlands ranged in age from 3 to 18 years. The objective of this study was to examine the development of vegetation structure and function of mitigation bank wetlands less then 20 years of age and to compare these to reference wetlands. Vegetation structure examined included species richness, floristic quality assessment index (FQAI), Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H), and community diversity index (CDI). Functional attributes included aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and functional group composition of dominant species. For both structure and function, the reference wetlands were statistically different from the wetland mitigation bank sites (P
Rearrangeable circuit-switched hypercube architectures for routing permutations

Abstract Rearrangeable hypercube architectures and routing algorithms are developed to realize arbitrary permutations in circuit switching. We prove that if each connection between two neighboring nodes consists of two pairs of links (two full-duplex communication lines), the hypercube can handle two arbitrary permutations simultaneously. We also prove that a hypercube is rearrangeable if one additional pair of links is provided in any one dimension of connections.
A Pairwise Preferential Interaction Model for Understanding Peptide Aggregation

A pairwise preferential interaction model (PPIM), based on Kirkwood-Buff integrals, is developed to quantify and characterize the interactions between some of the functional groups commonly observed in peptides. The existing experimental data are analyzed to determine the preferential interaction (PI) parameters for different amino acid and small peptide systems in aqueous solutions. The PIs between the different functional groups present in the peptides are then isolated and quantified by assuming simple pairwise additivity. The PPIM approach provides consistent estimates for the pair interactions between the same functional groups obtained from different solute molecules. Furthermore, these interactions appear to be chemically intuitive. It is argued that this type of approach can provide valuable information concerning specific functional group correlations which could give rise to peptide aggregation.
Cellular Stress Rather than Stage of the Cell Cycle Enhances the Replication and Plating Efficiencies of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 ICP0− Viruses

This lab reported previously that the plating efficiency of a herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0-null mutant was enhanced upon release from an isoleucine block which synchronizes cells to G 1 phase (W. Cai and P. A. Schaffer, J. Virol. 65:4078-4090, 1991). Peak plating efficiency occurred as cells cycled out of G 1 and into S phase, suggesting that the enhanced plating efficiency was due to cellular activities present in late G 1 /early S phase. We have found, however, that the enhanced plating efficiency did not occur when cells were synchronized by alternative methods. We now report that the plating efficiency of ICP0 − viruses is not enhanced at a particular stage of the cell cycle but rather is enhanced by specific cellular stresses. Both the plating and replication efficiencies of ICP0 − viruses were enhanced as much as 25-fold to levels similar to that of wild-type virus when monolayers were heat shocked prior to infection. In addition to heat shock, UV-C irradiation but not cold shock of monolayers prior to infection resulted in enhanced plating efficiency. We further report that the effect of cellular stress is transient and that cell density rather than age of the monolayers is the primary determinant of ICP0 − virus plating efficiency. As both cell stress and ICP0 are required for efficient reactivation from latency, the identification of cellular activities that complement ICP0 − viruses may lead to the identification of cellular activities that are important for reactivation from neuronal latency.
Counting bubbles acoustically: a review

Abstract The acoustical resonance characteristics of bubbles are the key to their detection by backscatter, excess attenuation and sound speed dispersion in bubbly liquids. The linear, lumped-constant, behaviour of single bubbles is reviewed and formulated in terms of the physical constants of the medium liquid, the bubble gas and the interface between. Acoustical techniques for bubble counting are discussed using in-situ experiments at sea as an example.
Profile of health-related quality of life outcomes after liver transplantation: univariate effects and multivariate models

Aim. To test the effects of pre- and post-transplant clinical covariates on post-transplant health-related quality of life (HRQOL) score profiles in liver transplant recipients. Material and methods. HRQOL was measured before and after transplantation using the SF-36® Health Survey. Clinical data [diagnosis, model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, post-transplant rejection and infection episodes], pre-transplant functional performance (FP), and demographics were collected. Multivariate models for the eight SF-36 scales and two summary components were developed using multiple regression. Discriminant analysis was used to test whether the score profiles differentiated among recipients with and without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Results. 104 adults reported pre- and post-transplant HRQOL. Time post-transplant averaged 9±8 months (range 1–39). Scores on all SF-36 measures improved from pre- to post-transplant (p<0.001), and 7 of 10 models were significant (p<0.05). After controlling for pre-transplant HRQOL and time post-transplant, HCV infection had a negative effect on the role physical, bodily pain, and role emotional scales. History of a rejection episode had a negative effect on the bodily pain and vitality scales. MELD scores ≥18 had a positive effect on the role physical scale. Pre-transplant FP and post-transplant infection episodes did not affect post-transplant HRQOL. HCV infection had a significant effect on the SF-36 score profile (canonical correlation=0.50; p<0.001). Conclusions. Pre-transplant HCV infection, MELD score, and post-transplant rejection episodes have significant independent effects on HRQOL after liver transplantation. Their specific effects vary among the individual SF-36 scales, and HRQOL score profiles differ among HCV+ and HCV– recipients.
Sym-Phenomenologizing: Talking Shop

In this essay I discuss the idea of deploying workshops in phenomenology -- i.e., teaching the discipline by practising it. I focus on the model proposed by Herbert Spiegelberg, the first person to give systematic attention to this idea and the first to institutionalize it over a period of several years. Drawing on my experience in several of the workshops he led at Washington University, St. Louis, I detail the method he recommended in preparation for a workshop I ten led at the inaugural meeting of “To the Things Themselves” at the University of New Hampshire.
Immunologic response to melanoma of sensitized perfused bone and spleen.

A B16 mouse melanoma which will not grow in tissue culture was implanted subcapsularly in 12 isolated perfused pig spleens and subperiosteally in four perfused pig femurs. Tumor implants grew to a maximum 3-mm size within five to seven days. Metastases developed within the substance of the spleen but not within bones during the 7 to 15 day perfusions. The protective effects of perfustate, concentrated perfusate cells, and suspensions of spleen cells were determined by injecting the fluid fractions simultaneously with melanoma in 25 mice. Concentrated perfusate cells and splenic cells from perfusions over 10 days characteristically prolonged the mean time of tumor appearance and mean survival time of mice inoculated with melanoma. The possible immunologic mechanisms responsible for such protection are discussed.
Changing Clinician Behavior: Necessary Path to Improvement or Impossible Dream?

In this issue, Brown and colleagues report that physicians who participated in a communications skills program believed that the program improved their skills, but patients did not. Methodologic co...
A (001) x-ray diffraction study of stage 1 α and β phases of graphite-CsBix

Results are reported of (00l) x-ray studies of the α(Ic = 10.65 A) and β(Ic = 11.49 A) phases of stage 1 graphite-CsBix ternary intercalation compounds that are air stable. The integrated intensities of the (OOl) x-ray lines are analyzed in terms of a centrosymmetric sandwich model that consists of two laycrs each of Cs, Bi, and C. The results of these analyses indicate that the Bi layers are nearly centered in the cell as Suggested by Lagrange et al. [Synth. Met. 12, 201 (1985)]. Furthermore, stoichiometries of the α and β phases are found to be Cs0.99 Bi0.43C4 and Cs0.83Bi0.81C4, respectively. The β phase is found to contain nearly twice as many Bi atoms’. The sample mass change upon intercalation is in good agreement with the x-ray analyses. The substantial difference in the Bi concentration in the α and β phases would be expected to have strong influence on the superconducting properties of these graphite intercalation compounds (GIC’s).
Eusociality in a coral-reef shrimp

THE apex of animal social organization is eusociality, which has three characteristics: overlapping generations, reproductive division of labour, and cooperative care of young1,2. So far, eusociality has been recognized only among social insects and the African mole-rats3–5. Here I report the first case of eusociality in a marine animal. The sponge-dwelling shrimp Synalpheus regalis lives in colonies that may have >300 individuals, but that contain only one reproductive female. Direct-developing juveniles remain in the natal sponge, and allozyme data suggest that most colony members are full sibs. In laboratory experiments, larger colony members, most of whom apparently never breed, defended the colony against heterospecific intruders. Ecological similarities among mole-rats, termites and these sponge-dwelling shrimp, all of which are diploid animals, strengthen arguments that eusociality is favoured by gradual metamorphosis, parental care, and occupation of protected, expansible niches6.
Crystalline perfection of GaN and AlN epitaxial layers and the main features of structural transformation of crystalline defects

We report on high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies of crystalline perfection and relaxation of elastic strain in GaN and A1N layers grown on SiC and sapphire substrates. Thin (300-500 nm) GaN layers are grown with a threading screw dislocation density of about 1-2 ×10 7 cm -2 . A density of 1.75-8.5 ×10 5 cm -2 , the lowest value ever reported for III-nitride epitaxial layers, is observed in thin (200-300 nm) A1N layers. In both cases, low density is observed in a surface layer formed over the defective nucleation layer. A model of spatial distribution of crystalline defects, based on generation of point defects on the growth surface, diffusion and further structural transformation under the action of volumetric elastic strain accounts for these observations. Perfect thin layers may be used as templates for epitaxial growth of perfect layers of other compositions, for example, GaN or InGaN layers for photovoltaic applications.
Reciprocal pointer chains for identifying layer boundaries in ground-penetrating radar data

Identifying the ground surface in ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data is useful and can be done efficiently and accurately using the Viterbi algorithm. This involves representing the radar image as a trellis graph and solving for the optimal path. To identify multiple layer boundaries in a radar image in this manner, it is necessary to find multiple disjoint paths through the trellis. Two main types of algorithms currently exist that find the k best disjoint paths whose aggregate sum is minimized. However, this criterion has drawbacks. Instead, we propose a novel criterion for choosing multiple disjoint paths in a trellis that we call the reciprocal pointer chain. This criterion has both a nice intuitive and theoretical justification, and leads to an algorithm with better qualitative results and significantly lower computational complexity than any of the methods previously proposed.
Seromuscular colocystoplasty lined with urothelium: experimental study

Abstract Objectives. Enterocystoplasty without bowel mucosa would be useful to preventmost complications related to the presence of bowel in the urinary tract. However, past attempts to remove the mucosa from intestinal segments have resulted in fibrosis and contraction of the patch. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that such contraction can be prevented by combining the principle of detrusorectomy and seromuscular colocystoplasty, covering the denuded urothelium with a de-epithelialized colonic segment, a procedure we named seromuscular colocystoplasty lined with urothelium (SCLU). Methods. SCLU was performed in 14 female mongrel dogs weighing 20 to 25 kg. We performed the procedure with and without preservation of the intestinal submucosa and in animals with intact and previously reduced bladders. We describe a new animal model of reduced bladder capacity. Bladder capacity and histology were evaluated 1 to 6 months after the procedure. Results. Twelve bladder specimens were available for analysis. In all cases, the seromuscularpatches remained viable and well vascularized. When the intestinal submucosa was not preserved in the patch, there was moderate contraction of the patch with subepithelial fibrosis and the bladder capacity was not preserved. In contrast, when the submucosa was preserved, there was no fibrosis and the capacity was preserved. In animals with previously reduced bladder capacity by either subtotal cystectomy or talc-induced fibrosis, SCLU effectively augmented bladder capacity Conclusions. The results suggest that the contraction of the intestinal patch in seromuscularenterocystoplasty can be avoided by the preservation of both the bladder urothelium and lamina propria, together with the submucosa and muscularis mucosa of the intestinal patch.
Sample sizes for clinical trials designed for patient accrual by cohorts

Abstract A procedure has been developed, and tables presented, for estimating sample size requirements in the planning stage of a clinical trial where patients are to enter the study in cohorts rather than simultaneously. It is assumed that patient entry will be for T -yr, with one additional year of follow-up, before results are to be reported. The determination of required accrual rates is governed by the desire to demonstrate a statistically significant increase in the T -yr survival (or, more generally, incidence) rate of an experimental group over that experienced by a control group. The method also permits inclusion of anticipated loss to follow-up rates. It is stressed that the procedure can be of value in terms of providing guidelines for assessing the adequacy of sample accrual. Such projections may aid the investigator in planning for the optimum use of case material, facilities and personnel as well as in monitoring the trial as it progresses. It is to be noted that after the study is actually terminated analyses of the data based on total survival experience, rather than only the comparison of T -yr survival rates, should be considered. The use of the tables has been illustrated on two studies involving chronic disease. One deals with the planning of a clinical trial in patients with Stage I or II Hodgkin's disease; the other involves the planning of a currently ongoing five-year study designed to evaluate a new technique in the surgical treatment of colo-rectal cancer.
Toxicological and Pharmacological Properties of Sea Pansy, Renilla mulleri

Renilla mulleri specimens, collected from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, were homogenized and centrifuged, and the supernatant liquid was lyophilized. Mice injected with 100-250 mg./kg. i.p. of the lyophilized extract dissolved in phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) became lethargic, and most of them died within 24 hr. The LD50 in mice was 160 mg./kg. A dose of 10-20 mg./kg. i.v. produced a fall in blood pressure and a distinct bradycardia in anesthetized cats. These effects were not abolished by either bilateral vagotomy, atropinization, or adrenergic blockade. At higher doses, the extract produced irregularities of heart actions. In isolated rabbit heart preparations, the extract produced a decrease in the rate and amplitude of cardiac contractions and the coronary outflow. The extract had a relaxant effect on isolated rabbit duodenum, guinea pig ileum, and rat uterus. The effect of the extract on the blood pressure, heart, and isolated smooth muscles is due to a direct myotropic effect.
Energy Landscape and Dynamics of Biomolecules Extended Abstract

Proteins are not isolated homogeneous systems. Each protein can exist in a very large number of conformations (conformational substates) that are characterized by an energy landscape. The main conformational motions, similar to the α and β fluctuations in glasses, are linked to fluctuations in the bulk solvent and the hydration shell.
Fluctuations in vancomycin CNS tissue concentrations following intermittent and continuous infusions in the rat

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the variability of vancomycin concentrations in the serum and CNS when administered continuously or as intermittent intravenous infusions in the rat. The hypothesis for this investigation was that the magnitude of change in serum vancomycin concentrations directly relates to the extent of vancomycin concentration fluctuations in the CNS. Microdialysis and serum sampling techniques were employed and biologic samples were analysed for vancomycin using HPLC. Over the dosing interval, the mean changes in concentrations were 71.8 +/- 9.8% and 13.6 +/- 9.3% for serum and 61.7 +/- 7.8% and 6.8 +/- 3.5% for brain extracellular fluid in the intermittent and continuously infused groups, respectively. Accordingly, the relative changes in vancomycin concentrations in brain extracellular fluid were closely associated with corresponding changes in serum concentrations (R2=0.94). Thus, continuous intravenous administration of vancomycin results in minimal serum and CNS tissue concentration changes as compared to traditional intermittent dosing methods and allows for more consistent vancomycin concentrations in the CNS.
Mismatch repair-independent tandem repeat sequence instability resulting from ribonucleotide incorporation by DNA polymerase ε.

Abstract During DNA synthesis in vitro using dNTP and rNTP concentrations present in vivo, yeast replicative DNA polymerases α, δ and ɛ (Pols α, δ and ɛ) stably incorporate rNTPs into DNA. rNTPs are also incorporated during replication in vivo, and they are repaired in an RNase H2-dependent manner. In strains encoding a mutator allele of Pol ɛ (pol2-M644G), failure to remove rNMPs from DNA due to deletion of the RNH201 gene encoding the catalytic subunit of RNase H2, results in deletion of 2–5 base pairs in short repetitive sequences. Deletion rates depend on the orientation of the reporter gene relative to a nearby replication origin, suggesting that mutations result from rNMPs incorporated during replication. Here we demonstrate that 2–5 base pair deletion mutagenesis also strongly increases in rnh201Δ strains encoding wild type DNA polymerases. As in the pol2-M644G strains, the deletions occur at repetitive sequences and are orientation-dependent, suggesting that mismatches involving misaligned strands arise that could be subject to mismatch repair. Unexpectedly however, 2–5 base pair deletion rates resulting from loss of RNH201 in the pol2-M644G strain are unaffected by concomitant loss of MSH3, MSH6, or both. It could be that the mismatch repair machinery is unable to repair mismatches resulting from unrepaired rNMPs incorporated into DNA by M644G Pol ɛ, but this possibility is belied by the observation that Msh2–Msh6 can bind to a ribonucleotide-containing mismatch. Alternatively, following incorporation of rNMPs by M644G Pol ɛ during replication, the conversion of unrepaired rNMPs into mutations may occur outside the context of replication, e.g., during the repair of nicks resulting from rNMPs in DNA. The results make interesting predictions that can be tested.
A Common Gas-Phase Chemistry for Diffuse, Translucent, and Dense Clouds?

This paper consolidates and extends the results of a large observational and chemical modeling study of translucent clouds. Thirty-eight molecular species have been observed in an ensemble of 38 translucent objects, for which detailed self-consistent physical models have been constructed. These are used with microturbulent radiative transfer analyses to obtain reliable fractional abundances. The abundances are essentially the same in translucent clouds and cold dense clouds (TMC-1). We have also scaled the column densities of the 12 species studied by Liszt & Lucas in diffuse clouds by adsorption against point-continuum sources to yield fractional abundances. These in turn are found to be remarkably similar to those in translucent and dense quiescent clouds. Thus a global abundance pattern emerges, which holds over a range of hundredfold in density, and transcends the completely photon-dominated chemistry regime to the collision-dominated regime. We have developed comprehensive quiescent gas-phase chemical models, based on the New Standard Model (NSM) reaction data set. We have found a single set of parameters (elemental abundances, depletion factors, and other physical conditions) that can explain the abundances of 34 of the 38 species observed in translucent clouds, spanning the transition region 1 ≤ Av0 ≤ 5 mag. The NSM is insensitive to density in the translucent region. The similarity of abundances in translucent and dense clouds (TMC-1) is explained by the same chemical model with a slightly higher depletion factor for C and O. To explain the diffuse cloud abundances, we need to augment the NSM reaction set of 4,300 reactions with just three turbulence-driven, weakly endothermic reactions as analyzed by Spaans. These latter reactions lose effect as the density increases from the diffuse to the translucent regime, in just such a way that the diffuse-cloud abundances seamlessly join with the translucent abundances, thus replicating the constancy of abundances from diffuse conditions (200 cm-3) to dense cloud conditions (20,000 cm-3). It seems clear that purely low-temperature gas-phase chemistry can explain many more observations than previously recognized.
Fluorescence formation from the interaction of DNA with lipid oxidation degradation products

Abstract To clarify the mechanism of fluorescence formation between DNA and lipid degradation products in the presence of ferric chloride and ascorbic acid, a number of carbonyl compounds and decomposition products of pure methyl linolenate hydroperoxides were examined. Keto derivatives of methyl ricinoleate, linoleate, and oleate, alkanals and 2-alkenals produced little or no fluorescence with DNA in the presence of ferric chloride-ascorbic acid. 2,4-Alkadienals were more active and 2,4,7-decatrienal was the most active. Mixtures of volatile aldehydes prepared from linolenate hydroperoxide decomposed either thermally or with iron and ascorbate had the same activity as 2,4,7-decatrienal. Higher molecular-weight products from the decomposition of methyl linolenate hydroperoxides showed relatively low activity. β-Carotene, α-tocopherol and other antioxidants effectively reduced the amount of fluorescence formed by linolenate hydroperoxides. The results suggest that, in addition to hydroperoxide decomposition products, singlet oxygen and/or free radical species contribute significantly to the fluorescence formed from the interaction of methyl linolenate hydroperoxides with DNA in the presence of ferric chloride and ascorbic acid.
The antiatherogenic role of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Landmark clinical studies in the past 5 years that demonstrated diminished mortality and first coronary events following lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol stimulated considerable interest in the medical community. Yet, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which transports circulating cholesterol to the liver for clearance, clearly also exerts antiatherogenic effects. The Framingham Heart Study produced compelling epidemiologic evidence indicating that a low level of HDL cholesterol was an independent predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD). Emerging experimental and clinical findings are, collectively, now furnishing a solid scientific foundation for this relation. First, the reverse cholesterol transport pathway--including the roles of nascent (pre-beta) HDL, apolipoprotein A-I, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), cholesteryl ester transport protein, and hepatic uptake of cholesteryl ester from HDL by liver--is better understood. For example, the identification of a hepatic HDL receptor, SR-BI, suggests a mechanism of delivery of cholesteryl ester to liver that differs from the receptor-mediated uptake of LDL. Second, apolipoprotein A-I, the major protein component of HDL, and 2 enzymes on HDL, paraoxonase and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase appear to diminish the formation of the highly atherogenic oxidized LDL. Third, lower levels of HDL cholesterol are associated in a dose-response fashion with the severity and number of angiographically documented atherosclerotic coronary arteries. Fourth, low HDL cholesterol predicts total mortality in patients with CAD and desirable total cholesterol levels (<200 mg/dL). Fifth, low HDL cholesterol concentrations appear to be associated with increased rates of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. In terms of elevating HDL cholesterol, cessation of cigarette smoking, reduction to ideal body weight, and regular aerobic exercise all appear important. Most medications used to treat dyslipidemias will raise HDL cholesterol levels modestly; however, niacin appears to have the greatest potential to do so, and can increase HDL cholesterol up to 30%. Recognizing these data, the most recent report of the National Cholesterol Education Program identified low HDL cholesterol as a CAD risk factor and recommended that all healthy adults be screened for both total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels.
Strychnine binding associated with synaptic glycine receptors in rat spinal cord membranes: Ionic influences

Abstract Ammonium salts of some anions decrease the potency of glycine in inhibiting [ 3 H]strychnine binding associated with synaptic glycine receptors. A correspondence exists between the ability of the ammonium salts of anions to increase the IC 50 of glycine in inhibiting the [ 3 H]strychnine binding, their capacity to reduce the [ 3 H] strychnine binding itself, and their capacity to reverse inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. The decrease of [ 3 H]strychnine binding in the presence of chloride is abolished by sodium, while the decrease of the potency of glycine in inhibiting [ 3 H]strychnine is not. Binding of [ 3 H]strychnine is influenced by monovalent cations in a biphasic fashion. Concentrations of Li + , K + , and Na + up to 150 mM decrease [ 3 H]strychnine binding, while higher concentrations of the cations increase [ 3 H]strychnine binding. Inhibition by glycine of [ 3 H]strychnine binding is enhanced by low concentrations of these cations.
The threshold feeding response of microzooplankton within Pacific high-nitrate low-chlorophyll ecosystem models under steady and variable iron input

The equatorial Pacific is an HNLC (High-Nitrate Low-Chlorophyll) region. Modeling and in-situ process studies have confirmed the importance of microzooplankton grazing in this ecosystem. Unfortunately, both the parameters and functions representing microzooplankton grazing within current ecosystem models are poorly constrained. We used a simple 4-component food web model to test the assumption that a lower grazing threshold, which is common in many models, is necessary to achieve the HNLC condition. Without the grazing threshold, the model did not reproduce the HNLC condition. However, by raising the half-saturation constant within the microzooplankton functional response with no threshold, it was possible to reproduce the critical dynamics of the HNLC condition under both steady and moderate seasonal variability in nutrient input. It was also possible to reproduce the HNLC system using a sigmoidal functional response for the microzooplankton, with results somewhere between the other two forms of the model, although this version had the highest sensitivity to changes in its parameters. The three models predicted similar phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity under steady nutrient input, but diverge in these metrics as the amplitude of nutrient input variability increases. These three functional responses also imply certain important differences in the microzooplankton community. Whereas the threshold model had the least sensitivity to parameter choice, the high half-saturation constant, no-threshold model may actually be a better approximation when modeling a community of grazers. Ecosystem models that predict carbon production and export in HNLC regions can be very sensitive to assumptions concerning microzooplankton grazing; future studies need to concentrate on the functional responses of microzooplankton before these models can be used for predicting fluxes in times or regions where forcing is beyond that used to constrain the original model.
Factors influencing survival after distal splenorenal shunt.

Prospective study of 206 patients treated by distal splenorenal shunts for esophagogastric hemorrhage due to portal hypertension reveals a probability of survival at 6 years of 0.53. The actuarial analyses show a marked difference in survival between alcoholic patients (0.39) and non-alcoholics (0.68) during the same interval. In the latter group, those patients with stable liver disease had a probability of survival of 0.78.
Observations on the F-signature of local rings of characteristic p

Abstract Let ( R , m , k ) be a d-dimensional Noetherian reduced local ring of prime characteristic p such that R 1 / p e are finite over R for all e ∈ N (i.e. R is F-finite). Consider the sequence { a e q α ( R ) + d } e = 0 ∞ , in which α ( R ) = log p [ k : k p ] , q = p e , and a e is the maximal rank of free R-modules appearing as direct summands of R-module R 1 / q . Denote by s − ( R ) and s + ( R ) the liminf and limsup, respectively, of the above sequence as e → ∞ . If s − ( R ) = s + ( R ) , then the limit, denoted by s ( R ) , is called the F-signature of R. It turns out that the F-signature can be defined in a way that is independent of the module finite property of R 1 / q over R. We show that: ( 1 ) If s + ( R ) ⩾ 1 − 1 ( d ! p d ) , then R is regular; ( 2 ) If R is excellent such that R P is Gorenstein for every P ∈ Spec ( R ) ∖ { m } , then s ( R ) exists; (3) If ( R , m ) → ( S , n ) is a local flat ring homomorphism, then s ± ( R ) ⩾ s ± ( S ) and, if furthermore S / m S is Gorenstein, s ± ( S ) ⩾ s ± ( R ) s ( S / m S ) .
Involuntary psychiatric hospitalization: a review of the statutes regulating the social control of the mentally ill.

Two decades ago the laws regulating involuntary mental hospitalization were very flexible and allowed for substantial abuse. Due to recent court rulings and changes in law, the legal context of involuntary hospitalization has been drastically changed. In the present paper we briefly review recent court rulings on rights of the mentally ill and then systematically review the laws regulating involuntary hospitalization, showing how those laws changed from 1960 to 1981. In most states persons can be hospitalized only if they are mentally ill and pose an immediate danger to themseleves or others. If hospitalization occurs, periodic reviews take place in most states. Although actual practice rarely conforms stringently to legal statutes, the statutes reviewed apparently have had a major impact on practice, affecting the characteristics of persons hospitalized, the treatment they receive, and the rights they retain. As a consequence, social scientists need to modify their understanding of mental hospitalization...
A meta-analysis of geochronologically relevant half-lives: what’s the best decay constant?

Twenty-first century advances in both the analytical procedures and instrumentation used in geochronology promise age accuracy better than ±1‰, but realizing this potential requires knowledge of decay constants (λ) that exceed this level. Given the paucity of improved recent measurements of λ, the community has experimented with hybrid methodologies utilizing data largely generated during the 1970s. In this article, we perform a systematic review of laboratory decay constant determinations relevant to geochronology (i.e. 87Rb, 147Sm, 176Lu, 230Th, 232Th, 235U, and 238U), focusing on methodological consistency. For radioisotopes for which multiple studies are available, results are combined through a random effects model to yield the best available values and associated uncertainties. Unfortunately, despite its vital role in modern geochronology, only one experimental determination of 238U decay met our criteria for consideration, significantly limiting the ability to assess its reliability. Thus, utilizin...
Equivalent particle diameter and length scale for pressure drop in porous metals

The internal architecture of metal foam is significantly different from that of traditional porous media. This provides a set of challenges for understanding the fluid flow in this relatively new class of materials. This paper proposes that despite the geometrical differences between metal foam and traditional porous media, the Ergun correlation is a good fit for the linear pressure drop as a function of the Darcian velocity, provided that an appropriate equivalent particle diameter is used. The paper investigates an appropriate particle diameter considering the physics of energy dissipation, i.e. the viscous shear and the form drag. The above approach is supported by wind tunnel steady-state unidirectional pressure drop measurements for airflow through several isotropic open-cell aluminum foam samples having different porosities and pore densities. For each foam sample, the equivalent particle diameter correlated well with the surface area per unit volume of the foam. This was also very well valid for previous porous metal pressure drop data in the open literature.
Global Sea Surface Temperature Analyses: Multiple Problems and Their Implications for Climate Analysis, Modeling, and Reanalysis

A comprehensive comparison is made among four sea surface temperature (SST) datasets: the optimum interpolation (OI) and the empirical orthogonal function reconstructed SST analyses from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the Global Sea-Ice and SST dataset (GISST, version 2.3b) from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office, and the optimal smoothing SST analysis from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO). Significant differences exist between the GISST and NCEP 1961–90 SST climatologies, especially in the marginal sea-ice zones and in regions of important small-scale features, such as the Gulf Stream, which are better resolved by the NCEP product. Significant differences also exist in the SST anomalies that relate strongly to the number of in situ observations available. In recent years, correlations between monthly anomalies are less than 0.75 south of about 10°N and are lower still over the southern oceans and parts of the tropical Pacific where root-mean-square differences ...
ICESat profiles of tabular iceberg margins and iceberg breakup at low latitudes

[1] ICESat elevation profiles of tabular iceberg margins and the Ronne Ice Shelf edge reveal shapes indicative of two types of bending forces. Icebergs and shelf fronts in sea-ice-covered areas have broad (∼1000 m wide), rounded, ∼0.6 m high ‘berms’ and outer edges that slope down several meters toward the water. Bergs in warmer water have 2 to 5m ‘ramparts’ with ∼1500 m wide edge-parallel ‘moats’ inboard of the edge. This latter pattern was first revealed in images from International Space Station (ISS) showing edge-parallel melt ponds on one iceberg just prior to its disintegration. Model results indicate the patterns are caused by hydrostatic and lithostatic forces acting on the ice face. ‘Berm’ profiles arise from differences between ice and water pressure along the face. ‘Rampart-moat’ profiles result from waterline erosion, creating a submerged bench of ice that lifts the ice edge. We use the results to discuss iceberg breakup at low latitudes.