cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase–Monoamine Oxidase B-Mediated Cell Death-Induced by Ethanol is Prevented by Rasagiline and 1-R-Aminoindan

The inhibitors of monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) are effectively used as therapeutic drugs for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. However, their mechanism of action is not clear, since the neuroprotective effect of MAO B inhibitors is associated with the blockage of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)-death cascade, rather than the inhibition of MAO B. Here, we provide evidence that GAPDH potentiates the ethanol-induced activity of MAO B and brain cell toxicity. The levels of nuclear GAPDH and MAO B activity are significantly increased in brain-derived cell lines upon 75 mM ethanol-induced cell death. Over-expression of GAPDH in cells enhances ethanol-induced cell death, and also increases the ethanol-induced activation of MAO B. In contrast, the MAO B inhibitors rasagiline and selegiline (0.25 nM) and the rasagiline metabolite, 1-R-aminoindan (1 μM) decreases the ethanol-induced MAO B, prevents nuclear translocation of GAPDH and reduces cell death. In addition, GAPDH interacts with transforming growth factor-beta-inducible early gene (TIEG2), a transcriptional activator for MAO B, and this interaction is increased in the nucleus by ethanol but reduced by MAO B inhibitors and 1-R-aminoindan. Furthermore, silencing TIEG2 using RNAi significantly reduces GAPDH-induced MAO B upregulation and neurotoxicity. In summary, ethanol-induced cell death, attenuated by MAO B inhibitors, may result from disrupting the movement of GAPDH with the transcriptional activator into the nucleus and secondly inhibit MAO B gene expression. Thus, the neuroprotective effects of rasagiline or 1-R-aminoindan on ethanol-induced cell death mediated by a novel GAPDH-MAO B pathway may provide a new insight in the treatment of neurobiological diseases including alcohol-use disorders.
Thermal scanner measurement of canopy temperatures to estimate evapotranspiration

Abstract Temperatures of soybean (Glycine max L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), and millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), measured with a thermal scanner flown at altitudes of 610 and 1220 m, were used in a resistance form of the energy-balance equation to estimate evapotranspiration (ET). Atmospheric attenuation produced errors of 1 to 6 °C in the scanner measurements. Errors from neglecting emissivity corrections were less than 1.0 °C. A correction procedure relating temperature error to atmospheric precipitable water was applied to the scanner measurements. Estimates of ET using the corrected temperatures differed from lysimetric measurements by -0.40 to 0.1 7 ly/min. It was found that accurately extrapolating scanner measurements to ground level was essential for estimating ET.
Parsimonious multivariate copula model for density estimation

The most common approaches for estimating multivariate density assume a parametric form for the joint distribution. The choice of this parametric form imposes constraints on the marginal distributions. Copula models disentangle the choice of marginals from the joint distributions, making it a powerful model for multivariate density estimation. However, so far, they have been widely studied mostly for low dimensional multivariate. In this paper, we investigate a popular Copula model - the Gaussian Copula model - for high dimensional settings. They however require estimation of a full correlation matrix which can cause data scarcity in this setting. One approach to address this problem is to impose constraints on the parameter space. In this paper, we present Toeplitz correlation structure to reduce the number of Gaussian Copula parameter. To increase the flexibility of our model, we also introduce mixture of Gaussian Copula as a natural extension of the Gaussian Copula model. Through empirical evaluation of likelihood on held-out data, we study the trade-off between correlation constraints and mixture flexibility, and report results on wine data sets from the UCI Repository as well as our corpus of monkey vocalizations. We find that mixture of Gaussian Copula with Toeplitz correlation structure models the data consistently better than Gaussian mixture models with equivalent number of parameters.
Optimizing perioperative Crohn's disease management: Role of coordinated medical and surgical care

AIM: To investigate rates of re-establishing gastroenterology care, colonoscopy, and/or initiating medical therapy after Crohn’s disease (CD) surgery at a tertiary care referral center. METHODS: CD patients having small bowel or ileocolonic resections with a primary anastomosis between 2009-2012 were identified from a tertiary academic referral center. CD-specific features, medications, and surgical outcomes were abstracted from the medical record. The primary outcome measure was compliance rates with medical follow-up within 4 wk of hospital discharge and surveillance colonoscopy within 12 mo of surgery. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients met study inclusion criteria with 92% (n = 81) of patients returning for surgical follow-up compared to only 41% (n = 36) of patients with documented gastroenterology follow-up within four-weeks of hospital discharge, P < 0.05. Factors associated with more timely postoperative medical follow-up included younger age, longer length of hospitalization, postoperative biologic use and academic center patients. In the study cohort, 75.0% of patients resumed medical therapy within 12 mo, whereas only 53.4% of patients underwent a colonoscopy within 12 mo of surgery. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the need for coordinated CD multidisciplinary clinics and structured handoffs among providers to improve of quality of care in the postoperative setting.
The effect of humor on memory: constrained by the pun

In a series of experiments, we investigated the effect of pun humor on memory. In all experiments, the participants were exposed to knock-knock jokes in either the original form retaining the pun or in a modified form that removed the pun. In Experiment 1, the authors found that pun humor improved both recall and recognition memory following incidental encoding. In Experiment 2, they found evidence that rehearsal is not the cause of the humor effect on memory. In Experiments 3 and 4, the authors found that the constraints imposed by puns and incongruity may account for the humor effects observed. Puns constrain and limit the information that can fit in the final line of a joke and thus make recall easier.
Validation of the dietary risk assessment food frequency questionnaire against the Keys score for saturated fat and cholesterol.

Abstract Objective The objective of this pilot study was to validate the Dietary Risk Assessment (DRA) food frequency questionnaire against the Keys score obtained from 2 2-day dietary recalls in a sample of subjects. Design Cross-sectional study design. Setting Urban university-based family practice. Participants The 105 subjects included outpatients, medical students, and staff. Main Outcome Measure Correlation between the DRA and Keys score. Analysis Pearson correlation analysis. Results We found that the correlation between the DRA and Keys score derived from the dietary recalls was .62 (P Conclusions The simplicity of the DRA and its correlation with dietary recall may make this a useful dietary analysis and nutrition education tool for both patients and physicians.
T-cell-receptor affinity and thymocyte positive selection

Development of thymocytes involves two distinct outcomes resulting from superficially similar events. Recognition by thymocytes of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins plus peptides leads to their rescue from apoptosis (positive selection), and recognition of antigenic peptide induces cell death (negative selection). Antigen analogues, and sometimes low concentrations of antigenic peptide, induce positive selection; such analogues are often antagonists of mature T-cell clones. Various models seek to explain how recognition of different peptide/MHC complexes leads to such different outcomes: quantitative models relate response to the affinity, avidity or kinetics of T-cell-antigen receptor (TCR) binding, whereas qualitative models require conformational or spatial changes in the TCR or associated molecules to modulate signal transduction. We have used surface plasmon resonance to measure the kinetics of TCR interactions with positively and negatively selecting ligands to distinguish between these models, and find that affinity correlates to the outcome of selection. A 'window' of affinity resulting in positive selection extends over a 1-log range starting threefold below the affinity for negative selection.
Sensory neuroanatomy of Parastrongyloides trichosuri, a nematode parasite of mammals: Amphidial neurons of the first-stage larva.

Owing to its ability to switch between free-living and parasitic modes of development, Parastrongyloides trichosuri represents a valuable model with which to study the evolution of parasitism among the nematodes, especially aspects pertaining to morphogenesis of infective third-stage larvae. In the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, developmental fates of third-stage larvae are determined in part by environmental cues received by chemosensory neurons in the amphidial sensillae. As a basis for comparative study, we have described the neuroanatomy of the amphidial sensillae of P. trichosuri. By using computational methods, we incorporated serial electron micrographs into a three-dimensional reconstruction of the amphidial neurons of this parasite. Each amphid is innervated by 13 neurons, and the dendritic processes of 10 of these extend nearly to the amphidial pore. Dendritic processes of two specialized neurons leave the amphidial channel and terminate within invaginations of the sheath cell. One of these is similar to the finger cell of C. elegans, terminating in digitiform projections. The other projects a single cilium into the sheath cell. The dendritic process of a third specialized neuron terminates within the tight junction of the amphid. Each amphidial neuron was traced from the tip of its dendrite(s) to its cell body in the lateral ganglion. Positions of these cell bodies approximate those of morphologically similar amphidial neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, so the standard nomenclature for amphidial neurons in C. elegans was adopted. A map of cell bodies within the lateral ganglion of P. trichosuri was prepared to facilitate functional study of these neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:2493–2507, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nucleotide sequences of the 5′ termini of øX174 mRNAs synthesized in vitro

When using oX17U RFI DNA as a template, in vitro, E. coli RNA polymerase synthesizes four major purine triphosphate-containing 5' end sequences. RNase A digests of 32P labeled RNA were further digested with spleen exonuclease to remove the bulk of the oligonucleotides with 5' hydroxyls and then chromatographed on DEAE cellulose to resolve the remaining 5' terminal oligonucleotides. By application of standard separation and sequence techniques, the major 5' end sequences were shown to be: pppApUp(Cp), pppApApApUp(Cp), pppApApApApUp(Cp), and pppGpApUp(Gp).
Electronic structure and tunneling current for chemisorbed atoms

We discuss the tunneling current density in the vacuum region between two planar metal electrodes, one of which has an atom chemisorbed on its surface. The relation of this current distribution to the electronic structure of the adatom is analyzed. The study of this model problem leads to a better understanding of important aspects of the current flow in the scanning tunneling microscope. The emphasis of this work is not so much on the question of resolution discussed in other theoretical studies as on the characteristic signatures of chemically different atoms.
Comments on John Doris's Lack of Character

Ethical theories should respect our psychology; John Doris argues that we are deeply mistaken about that. We see Jane acting in a certain way in a situation, and we think that Jane acts that way because of having the corresponding character trait. This is taken to be an error because we are attributing too much, in explaining the action, to Jane and her character, and too little to the influence of the situation in which we see her act. Among this type of character trait are the virtues, and I will be concerned only with these; since much of the book is concerned to attack virtue ethics, I take it that this focus catches something central to the book. Doris makes heavy use of the situationist tradition in social psychology, but I think that there is a real issue here about the virtues whether we are relying on current social psychology or not. First impressions may mislead. We see Thomas behaving bravely in rescuing a child from a dog. We think that Thomas is brave, where this includes the thought that he will continue to act bravely in similar situations of physical danger and risk, and also the thought that he will act bravely in a wide range of different situations where bravery may be called for. We feel entitled to think that he has a virtue, a robust trait which Doris calls global, relevant to Thomas' life as a whole and available in a wide range of the situations he faces. Doris thinks that experiments in social psychology show that our risk of error is far more dramatic than we think. He relies on two rather different kinds of evidence. One is taken from
Decomposition of technical change into input-specific components: a factor augmenting approach ☆

Abstract This paper deals with modeling technical change. A factor augmenting (FA) approach which represents technical change through changes in input efficiency (productivity) is used for this purpose. The main advantage of this approach, unlike the generic time trend (TT) and general index (GI) models of technical change, is that one can measure input-specific productivity/efficiency and contribution of each input in the rate of overall technical change. In general, the FA approach gives more information about technical change than its competitors, viz. the TT and the GI models. Like the TT and GI models, the FA approach can also decompose technical change into pure, scale, and non-neutral components, and is capable of measuring input and scale biases in technical change.
Kinetics of heptane reforming on Pt/L zeolite

The kinetics of heptane reforming over 0.64% Pt/KBaL have been measured over a wide range of conditions from 390 to 475 ° C, 0.05 to 1.00 atm heptane, and 0.2 to 25.0 atm hydrogen. Below about 6 atm H2, the catalyst deactivates due to carbon fouling of the platinum particles. The reaction rate increases with hydrogen pressure under these conditions, presumably because this accelerates the rate of carbon hydrogenation off the metal surface. Above 6 atm H2, no deactivation occurs. The activation energies and reaction orders in heptane and hydrogen at high H2 pressure are: 39 kcal/mol, 0.7 and −1.9 for hydrogenolysis; 60 kcal/mol, 0.6 and −2.8 for isomerization; and 58 kcal/mol, 0.4 and −2.7 for dehydrocyclization. These kinetics are the same as those observed over platinum on nonacidic supports, and indicate that the reaction mechanism on Pt/KBaL is no different from that on monofunctional Pt catalysts.
Continuing clinical chemistry education in the united states

Governmental licensing agencies, professional certifying organizations, and healthcare institutions are establishing increasingly comprehensive requirements for formal continuing education in all branches of medicine, including clinical chemistry. Administrative procedures have been developed to accredit continuing education programs, and documentation of participation is frequently required for renewal of state licenses, reappointment to hospital staffs, and recertification by medical specialty boards. The rapid development of science and technology in clinical chemistry makes effective continuing education a mandatory objective both for the individual clinical chemist and for the profession.
The role of substrate carrier generation in determining the electric field in the oxide of MOS capacitors biased in the Fowler-Norheim tunneling regime

Abstract This paper investigates the role of substrate carrier generation in determining the field, potential, and carrier distributions in MOS capacitors biased in the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling regime. We focus especially on the oxide electric field obtained under nonequilibrium conditions. We find that it is significantly reduced from its value in thermal equilibrium at the same gate-to-bulk voltage. The dependence of the reduction in the oxide field on the carrier lifetime in the substrate was determined from device simulations.
Repeat Photography as a Tool for Emphasizing Movement in Physical Geography

Abstract The theme of movement in physical geography is extremely important, but sometimes difficult to convey to students. Repeat photography, through the seasons of a year and across the years, is a simple yet valuable method for portraying movement of physical features on the landscape. This paper briefly describes the technique of repeat photography, and provides several photographic illustrations for incorporating it into the classroom. Suggestions for possible classroom questions that can be posed based on repeat photographs are provided.
Eighteenth-Century Illustrations of the Novels of Tobias Smollett

For most modern readers, Tobias Smollett's novels are defined by violence and crude physical humor, both of which contribute to angry satire on society's vices. By drawing attention to eighteenth-century illustrations in Smollett's novels, I want to suggest that illustrators were engaged in their own interpretations of Smollett. Their images often criticize the texts they illustrate, and the readings they generate are alternative interpretive possibilities that the illustrators presumably deemed valid. While some of the passages chosen for illustration contribute to Smollett's grumpy attack upon humankind, many other kinds of scenes, such as sentimental or gently humorous ones, were also illustrated. In this article, I propose that paying attention to what these illustrators thought important will open up new ways of approaching these texts.
Reduction in acute toxicity of soils to terrestrial oligochaetes following the removal of bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with mild supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

Three soil samples contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that caused 100% mortality to terrestrial oligochaetes were extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide to remove the bioavailable fraction of PAHs. Although the remaining PAH concentrations were high after supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), 650 to 8,000 mg/kg, acute toxicity to Eisenia fetida and Enchytraeus albidus essentially was eliminated. These results demonstrate that mild SFE with pure carbon dioxide preferentially extracts PAH molecules that are bioavailable toxicologically to the oligochaetes, although biologically unavailable PAHs are not extracted, suggesting that SFE could be used for the removal of toxicity due to hydrophobic organic chemicals in soils during toxicity identification evaluations.
Optical flow measurement of human walking

This paper presents a method for using optical flow measurements to estimate stride length for pedestrian navigation applications. Optical flow sensors, such as the detectors used in an optical computer mouse, measure the velocity of visual features traversing an imaging array. We consider the case in which the optical flow sensor is attached to the leg of a pedestrian and used to infer distance traveled. In this configuration, optical flow data are a projection of the velocity and angular velocity of the leg to which the sensor is attached; a dynamic motion model is needed to estimate leg states and to infer stride length from the optical flow data. In this paper, we consider a very simple dynamic walking model, called the Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) model. In a hardware-based trial, the basic SLIP model estimated stride length with 10% error. We anticipate that refinements to the basic SLIP model will enable more accurate stride-length estimation in the future.
On the significance of transient heat release rate excursions above a set limit

When a heat release rate limit for a consumer product is set by a regulatory agency, it is of interest to know whether small excursions above that limit, such as may occur due to production line variability, represent a disproportionate increase in fire hazard. This paper presents a methodology to examine this issue. The heat release rate curve of the object is described by a Gaussian time variation; a perturbation peak, also Gaussian, is added to this main peak. The impacts of the perturbation peak on the build up of hazardous conditions in a room fire (where the object is the only item burning) and on the threat of ignition of secondary items are examined. For the peak heat release rate domain studied here, only the ignition threat is significantly affected by the perturbation peak. The results quantify the trade-off between the height of the perturbation peak and its duration for a fixed percentage of increase in the room area threatened by secondary object ignition. The results show that the increased threat is of the same order as the relative perturbation in heat release rate.
The geometry of projections

A complete crystal structure can be projected usefully only in a rational direction, although an appropriate portion of a structure, such as a unit cell, can be projected in any arbitrary direction. The plane of the projection can be any plane not parallel with the projection direction, but only the plarie normal to the projection direction has undistorted geometry. In many publications this relation is disregarded by mapping an axial projection (as if it were a section) on the face of a cell. The geometry of projections parallel to non-axial directions is discussed with regard to the metric features and the multiplicities of the projected cells as related to the space cell. Finally, the relations between the geometries of sets of three projections are discussed, and from this a graphical method of constructing a projection from any two arbitrary projections is derived.
The fine structure and phosphatase cytochemistry of the golgi complex and associated structures in the sertoli cells of Syrian hamsters.

The Golgi complex in the Sertoli cell of the Syrian hamster is well developed and consists of stacks of cisternae and associated vesicles. The inner-and outermost cisternae of the Golgi stacks are usually moderately dilated and exhibit numerous fenestrations. The middle portions of the intermediate cisternae are greatly flattened and not fenestrated, but toward the periphery these cisternae gradually become dilated and show a few fenestrations. On the inner aspect of the Golgi stacks the following structures are seen frequently: (1) one or two series of linearly arrayed circular profiles some of which are interconnected by tubules; (2) networks of anastomosing tubules with circular or oval meshes (800 to 1200 A in diameter); and/or (3) irregularly disposed tubules. The circular profiles and tubules are approximately 450 A in diameter. Acid phosphatase activity was localized in these anastomosing tubules when the tissues were incubated for more than one hour in a modified Gomori's medium (Barka and Anderson, 1963). Strong thiamine pyrophosphatase activity was demonstrated in the inner one to three cisternae of the Golgi stacks but not in the associated tubules. The system of the Golgi associated tubules is morphologically and histochemioally distinct from the Golgi stacks and is probably equivalent to the Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum-lysosome system (GERL) in other cell types. The three dimensional aspects of the GERL-equivalent system are discussed.
Costs and benefits of fat-free muscle mass in men: relationship to mating success, dietary requirements, and native immunity

On average, men have 61% more muscle mass than women (d=3), a sex difference which is developmentally related to their much higher levels of testosterone. Potential benefits of greater male muscle mass include increased mating opportunities, while potential costs include increased dietary requirements and decreased immune function. Using data on males aged 18–59 years from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and including other relevant variables, fat-free mass (FFM) and/or limb muscle volume (LMV) are significant predictors of the numbers of total and past-year self-reported sex partners, as well as age at first intercourse. On the cost side, FFM and LMV are strong positive predictors of daily energy intake and strong negative predictors of C-reactive protein and white blood cell count, measures of native immunity.
A comparison of global ocean general circulation model solutions obtained with synchronous and accelerated integration methods

Abstract A 10 000-year synchronous control integration using a comprehensive ocean general circulation model (OGCM) subject to realistic, time-dependent forcing in a global domain is performed to quantitatively determine how well its solution is reproduced by two accelerated, but otherwise identical, equilibrium integrations. To our knowledge, this is the first long synchronous integration of such an OGCM. The two accelerated cases use tracer time steps increasing with depth and unequal momentum and tracer time steps, respectively. After accelerated equilibration, these cases are integrated further synchronously to achieve synchronous equilibration. The equilibration time is defined as the time when the annual- and global-mean potential temperature trend is below 10 −5 °C year −1 . The synchronous control integration achieves equilibrium in about 3500 years. The accelerated equilibration times are 685 and 3000 surface years for the two cases, respectively. Their synchronous extensions require about 100 and 700 surface years. The accelerated solutions do differ from each other and from those of the control experiment. However, for practical purposes, many aspects of the accelerated and control solutions are more similar than otherwise. Because of severe non-conservation issues associated with tracer time-step variations with depth, this technique is not recommended. Instead, unequal momentum and tracer time steps should be used. Compared to the control case, this method of acceleration provides a factor of 2.5 reduction in the computational cost (accelerated + synchronous equilibration) with the possibility of further reductions. Any accelerated integration must be followed by a synchronous extension to recover the correct seasonal cycle and to eliminate any possible oscillatory behavior present in the accelerated phase. If the incremental gains with further synchronous extensions are judged to be minimal or of minor significance, shorter (
A New Technique for the Production of Synthetic Corundum

LARGE crystals of corundum have been grown for many years by the flame-fusion process originated by Verneuil1. Crystals coloured by small amounts of chromium, titanium, vanadium and other transition metal oxides are used in the gem industry and as jewel bearings and gramophone styli. The recent interest in ruby (chromium-doped corundum) as a paramagnetic material for use in masers and lasers has directed attention to the imperfections of the flame-fusion crystals. In particular, the inhomogeneity of chromium distribution in the crystals, the excessive residual strain and gross lattice imperfections detract from their usefulness in micro-wave and optical devices. Alternative methods of growth capable of giving better quality crystals are therefore of considerable interest for research in solid-state physics.
Distributed-memory parallel algorithms for generating massive scale-free networks using preferential attachment model

Recently, there has been substantial interest in the study of various random networks as mathematical models of complex systems. As these complex systems grow larger, the ability to generate progressively large random networks becomes all the more important. This motivates the need for efficient parallel algorithms for generating such networks. Naive parallelization of the sequential algorithms for generating random networks may not work due to the dependencies among the edges and the possibility of creating duplicate (parallel) edges. In this paper, we present MPI-based distributed memory parallel algorithms for generating random scale-free networks using the preferential-attachment model. Our algorithms scale very well to a large number of processors and provide almost linear speedups. The algorithms can generate scale-free networks with 50 billion edges in 123 seconds using 768 processors.
Effects of vinca alkaloids on calcium-calmodulin regulated cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity from brain☆

Abstract The effects of a series of vinca alkaloids on calcium-calmodulin regulated brain cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity were examined. The alkaloids tested included the dimeric indole alkaloids, vinblastine, vincristine and desacetylvinblastine amide, and the monomeric alkaloids, catharanthine and vindoline. The order of magnitude of the inhibitory effects on the calcium-calmodulin stimulated activity of phosphodiesterase was vinblastine > desacetylvinblastine amide s > vincristine = catharanthine > vindoline. In contrast, both catharanthine and vindoline were more potent inhibitors than the dimeric vinca alkaloids of the basal unstimulated phosphodiesterase activity. Vinblastine and vincristine inhibition of calcium-calmodulin activated partially purified PDE was non-competitive with substrate. In contrast, the inhibitory actions of vinblastine, desacetylvinblastine amide, vincristine and catharanthine, but not of vindoline, were competitive with calcium-calmodulin. Colchicine inhibited both activated and basal phosphodiesterase activity. The inhibitory effect of colchicine was not reversed by the addition of either calmodulin or calcium. These results suggest that the calcium-calmodulin dependent inhibition of PDE activity by the dimeric vinca alkaloids had the greater specificity, and that this inhibitory action required the catharanthine moiety. In view of these results, dimeric vinca alkaloids may provide a useful tool for the elucidation of the physiological role of calcium-calmodulin.
Parenthood and Marital Satisfaction: A Meta-Analytic Review.

This meta-analysis finds that parents report lower marital satisfaction compared with nonparents (d=−.19, r=−.10). There is also a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and number of children (d=−.13, r=−.06). The difference in marital satisfaction is most pronounced among mothers of infants (38% of mothers of infants have high marital satisfaction, compared with 62% of childless women). For men, the effect remains similar across ages of children. The effect of parenthood on marital satisfaction is more negative among high socioeconomic groups, younger birth cohorts, and in more recent years. The data suggest that marital satisfaction decreases after the birth of a child due to role conflicts and restriction of freedom.
Dental abnormalities in the tricho-dento-osseous syndrome

Abstract The tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized primarily by abnormalities of the hair and teeth. The dental anomalies consist of amelogenesis imperfecta, taurodontia, and impacted teeth. Each of these traits has been attributed to defective epithelia of the dental organ. It is possible, then, that the three dental manifestations of the TDO syndrome are caused by the product of a mutant gene acting on the dental epithelia.
Probable binding region of small hydrophobic molecules on hemoglobin spin label-inducted nuclear magnetic relaxation

The interactions of phenylalanine, valine and alanine with hemoglobin have been compared using spin lattice nuclear magnetic relaxation and spin label-enhanced nuclear magnetic relaxation measurements. The results indicate that phenylalanine exhibits weak hydrophobic binding to hemoglobin, and that the binding site is probably located within about 7-13 A of the nitroxide free electron of spin-labeled hemoglobin. This distance is consistent with the binding site being located within a hydrophobic region comprised of the side chains of the beta-chain residues, phenylalanine beta 85, leucine beta 88 and leucine beta 91, and perhaps a segment of the beta heme porphyrin ring.
Organization, Selection, and Training of Crews for Extended Spaceflight: Findings from Analogs and Implications

Ample research evidence from space analogs points to the crucial role that teamwork plays in the performance of small groups in isolation and confinement. This paper surveys findings about the impacts of group behavior and social interaction on crew morale, coordination, and productivity. Implications for the organization, selection, and training of crews for extended spaceflight are discussed.
Characterization of novel phorbol ester- and serum-responsive sequences of the rat ornithine decarboxylase gene promoter

Ornithine decarboxylase (a), the key regulatory enzyme in mammalian polyamine biosynthesis, is rapidly induced by mitogens and tumor promoters. We used transient expression assays and DNA-protein binding studies to examine the regulation of ODC promoter activity by phorbol esters and serum growth factors. A fragment of the ODC 5′ flanking region (nt -1156 to + 13) was sufficient to confer 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (a) -responsive expression to a luciferase reporter gene when transfected into H35 cells. However, induction by TPA was not observed in Rat2 fibroblasts, although refeeding of serum-starved Rat2 cells with fresh serum-containing medium rapidly induced a fivefold to sixfold increase in ODC promoter activity, maximal about 8 h after refeeding. Deletion analysis demonstrated that several sequences contributed to basal ODC promoter activity but that nt -92 to +13 was sufficient for induction by TPA or by serum. This sequence lacked canonical TPA-responsive elements, and an activator protein-1 (AP-1) consensus oligonucleotide failed to compete effectively for proteins binding to this region. Two of four protein complexes observed by gel-shift analysis of nt -92 to +13 were competitively inhibited by wild-type but not mutant oligonucleotides encompassing a variant cyclic AMP-response element (a) (ODC nt -50 to -42); however, a consensus CRE did not compete. Mutagenesis of this site demonstrated that it contributes to basal expression of the ODC promoter but not to TPA or serum responsiveness. Thus, we conclude that the proximal ODC promoter (nt -92 to +13) responds to TPA and serum stimulation in a cell-type-specific manner that is not mediated by canonical AP-1 elements. © 1995 Wiley- Liss, Inc.
Continuous anti-aliased rotation and zoom of raster images

Raster graphics images are difficult to smoothly rotate and zoom because of geometric digitization error. A new algorithm is presented for continuous rotation and zoom, free from the disturbing aliasing artifacts introduced by traditional methods. Applications include smooth animation. No matrix multiplication of pixel coordinates is executed. Instead row and column parallel operations which resemble local digital filters are used. This suggests real time implementation with simple hardware. Anti-aliasing is inherent in the algorithm which operates solely on pixel data, not the underlying geometric structures whose images the pixels may depict. Zoom magnification is achieved without replicating pixels and is easily attained for any rational scale factor including but not restricted to the integer values which most existing commercial raster graphics systems use.The algorithm is based on a digitized code for lines on rasters, generalized to an interpolation scheme capable of executing all linear geometric transformations. Samples of images which have been rotated and zoomed by a software implementation of the algorithm are presented.
The Spectrum of the Arc in Hydrogen

The spectrum of an arc-like discharge in ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and HD of about 50 cm pressure at a current of about one ampere was photographed with a 15 ft. grating and compared with the spectrum of the ordinary vacuum discharge. The spectrum of the arc is very different in appearance but the differences can be easily understood if one takes into account the conditions under which the arc operates. The behavior of unclassified lines in the arc is very useful for their identification. The arc spectrum of hydrogen is very similar to the spectrum obtained in the presence of an excess of helium. An ordinary discharge operated at high pressures and current densities produces a spectrum which deviates from the spectrum of a discharge at low pressures and low currents in the direction of the arc spectrum.
Curvularia/Drechslera sinusitis

Sinusitis due to unusual fungal pathogens is thought to occur primarily in immunocompromised individuals. However, the fungi Curvularia, Drechslera, and others produce sinusitis in healthy young adults. The signs and symptoms produced by these organisms are usually considered to be complications of sinusitis. Of the three cases that we report, two manifested decreased visual acuity, and the third presented with acute onset of seizures. Computed tomography scans were helpful in delineating the extent of disease and in following the results of therapy. Aggressive surgical treatment is necessary; indeed, two of our cases required a second operation to eradicate all disease. If histopathology shows tissue invasion by the fungus, intravenous amphotericin B is recommended. Fungal cultures and smears should be obtained when healthy patients present with complications of sinusitis.
The Follicular versus Marginal Zone B Lymphocyte Cell Fate Decision Is Regulated by Aiolos, Btk, and CD21

Most splenic B cells in mice that lack Aiolos are mature IgD(hi)IgM(lo) follicular lymphocytes, suggesting that maturation signals delivered via the BCR are enhanced in the absence of Aiolos. The enhanced maturation of follicular B cells is accompanied by the absence of MZ B lymphocytes and the downregulation of CD21 expression in follicular B cells, all of which depend on the generation of signals via Btk, which is in epistasis to Aiolos. The inverse relationship between the strength of BCR signaling and MZ B cell development is supported by an examination of MZ B cells in CD21 null mice. These data support the view that antigens (in contrast to "tonic" signals) drive the development of naive B cells.
Adrenergic Regulation of HCN4 Channel Requires Protein Association with β2-Adrenergic Receptor

β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors utilize different signaling mechanisms to control cardiac function. Recent studies demonstrated that β2-adrenergic receptors (β2ARs) colocalize with some ion channels that are critical for proper cardiac function. Here, we demonstrate that β2ARs form protein complexes with the pacemaker HCN4 channel, as well as with other subtypes of HCN channels. The adrenergic receptor-binding site was identified at a proximal region of the N-terminal tail of the HCN4 channel. A synthetic peptide derived from the β2AR-binding domain of the HCN4 channel disrupted interaction between HCN4 and β2AR. In addition, treatment with this peptide prevented adrenergic augmentation of pacemaker currents and spontaneous contraction rates but did not affect adrenergic regulation of voltage-gated calcium currents. These results suggest that the ion channel-receptor complex is a critical mechanism in ion channel regulation. Background: Protein complexes often play critical roles in signal transduction. Results: The HCN4 channel binds the β2-adrenergic receptor to form a macromolecular complex. Disruption of this channel-receptor complex abolishes adrenergic modulation of pacemaker currents and spontaneous contraction rates in sinoatrial nodal cells. Conclusion: The channel-receptor association is critical for cardiac chronotropic regulation. Significance: Channel-receptor complexes are the fundamental form of channel regulation.
Molecular mechanism of the lead-induced inhibition of rod cGMP phosphodiesterase

Abstract Retinal cGMP hydrolysis is inhibited following developmental and in vitro lead exposure. To determine whether Pb 2+ directly inhibits the rod-specific cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) and to examine the kinetic mechanism of this inhibition, purified bovine rod cGMP PDE was assayed at varying [cGMP], [Mg 2+ ]and [Pb 2+ ]. Increasing [cGMP]or [Mg 2+ ]shifted the Pb 2+ curves leftward or rightward revealing increased or decreased potency of Pb 2+ (nM to pM range), respectively. A 1/velocity vs. 1/Mg 2+ plot revealed that picomolar [Pb 2+ ]competitively inhibited PDE relative to millimolar [Mg 2+ ]. These novel findings reveal that Pb 2+ binds at the Mg 2+ site but with 4–6 log units higher affinity, thus preventing cGMP hydrolysis. These results may have implications for other enzymes using Mg 2+ as a co-factor and suggest that Mg 2+ may be useful for reversing the PDE inhibition by Pb 2+ .
Cardiac pacemaker cell failure with preserved If, ICaL, and IKr: A lesson about pacemaker function learned from ischemia-induced bradycardia

Cardiac ischemia is an important global health problem. It leads to contraction failure, arrhythmias, and cardiac cell death. Sinus bradycardia characterized by a slow heart rate (<60 bpm) is a prominent ischemia-related arrhythmia directly caused by a deficiency of heart beat initiation within the sinoatrial node (SAN), due to a failure of the heart’s primary pacemaker cells (SANC). The study presented by Yi-Mei Du and Richard Nathan in this issue of Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology [1] deals with the ionic basis of ischemia-induced bradycardia in isolated SANC. The results of their study not only contribute to understanding of ischemia-induced bradycardia, but also help to delineate the fundamental mechanisms of cardiac pacemaker cell function.
Statistical aspects of isotope production in heavy ion reactions

We exploit a simple direct reaction model to explain the characteristic behavior of isotope production in heavy ion reactions. The temperature parameter can, in this way, be related to the mean energy loss per nucleon transfer and to the transfer probability. It is not connected with the thermodynamical temperature of a partially equilibrated nuclear system.
Comparison of energy expenditure between aquatic and overground treadmill walking in people post-stroke.

Background and Purpose This study aimed to compare the cardiorespiratory responses between aquatic treadmill walking (ATW) and overground treadmill walking (OTW) in people with hemiparesis post-stroke. Methods Eight participants post-stroke aged 58.5 ± 11.4 years and eight healthy adult controls aged 56.1 ± 8.6 years participated in a cross-sectional comparative study. Participants completed three 8-minute walking sessions separated by at least 72-hour rest. On the first visit, participants identified their comfortable walking speed on an aquatic and overground treadmill. The second and third visit consisted of either ATW or OTW at a matched speed. Oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), minute ventilation (VE) and energy expenditure (EE) were measured at rest and during walking in both exercise modes. Results Mean steady-state cardiorespiratory responses during ATW showed a significant decrease compared with OTW at a matched speed. During ATW, mean VO2 values decreased by 39% in the stroke group and 21% in the control group, mean VCO2 values decreased by 42% in the stroke group and 30% in the control group, and mean EE decreased by 40% in the stroke group and 25% in the control group. Mean steady-state VE values and resting cardiorespiratory response values showed no significant change between the two conditions. Conclusion This study demonstrated a decreased metabolic cost when ATW at matched speeds to that of OTW. Reduced metabolic cost during ATW may allow for longer durations of treadmill-induced gait training compared with OTW for improved outcomes. This knowledge may aid clinicians when prescribing aquatic treadmill exercise for people post-stroke with goals of improving gait and functional mobility. However, decreased metabolic cost during ATW suggests that to improve cardiovascular fitness, ATW may not be a time-efficient method of cardiovascular exercise for healthy adults and people post-stroke. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is delay in the development of the osseous centers pathognomonic of thyroid hypofunction

Summary A case is reported of retarded development of the osseous centers in a boy of one year and ten months, in which hypothyreosis can in all likelihood be excluded. The case seems to support Hohenner's hypothesis that the brain influences the development of the osseous centers.
Physical Properties of Ni3Al Containing 24 and 25 Atomic Percent Aluminum

Thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal expansion data were obtained on well-annealed Ni 3 Al containing 24 and 25 at. % Al. The results span the temperature range 300 to 1000 K. The expansion coefficients did not vary with composition and increased with temperature, reaching values of aIout 17 × 10 −6 K −1 at 1000 K. The thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity changed rapidly with composition, and the thermal conductivity of 24 at. % Al is as much as 30% lower than that for stoichiometric Ni 3 A1. The electronic Lorenz function of Ni 3 Al was obtained by subtracting the estimated phonon conductivity component and found to be within about 5% of the Sommerfeld prediction from 300 to 1000 K. The electrical resistivity results for stoichiometric Ni 3 Al are influenced by the loss of ferromagnetic order at lower temperatures and are not adequately described by the Bloch-Gruneisen equation.
Direct foreign ownership, institutional investors, and firm characteristics ☆

In this paper, we characterize foreign ownership using a dataset of ownership and attributes of Swedish "rms. The analysis reveals that foreigners show a preference for large "rms, "rms paying low dividends, and "rms with large cash positions on their balance sheets. When we further analyze the preference for large "rms, we "nd that market liquidity and presence in international markets, measured through export sales or listings on other exchanges, seem to characterize foreign holdings better than "rm size alone. Foreigners also tend to underweight "rms with a dominant owner. Importantly, we demonstrate that most of the features associated with foreign ownership are driven by the fact that foreign investors typically are mutual funds or other institutional investors. Hence, we identify an institutional investor bias rather than a foreign investor bias. Finally, using ownership data on a country level, we conclude that the results are particularly strong among U.S. investors, who comprise the largest institutions among foreign investors. ( 2001 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved. JEL classixcation: G1; G15