cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional estimation of base flow for the conterminous United States by hydrologic landscape regions

Summary Information on base flow availability and/or contributions is needed to develop water quantity and water quality management strategies. Base flow availability varies over space and time in a region due to climate, topography, landscape, and geological characteristics. In this study, base flow index (BFI) (base flow/total stream flow) was estimated from daily streamflow records using a recursive digital filter method and interpolated to produce a raster grid map for the conterminous United States. When compared for validation, BFI estimated by recursive digital filter method showed good agreement overall with the USGS smoothed minima BFI method. Estimated base flow index and volume were analyzed, with Hydrological Landscape Regions (HLRs) developed for the United States to identify the mean hydrologic flow response within HLR. They were also used to determine relationships with hydro-geologic descriptive variables and used for defining the HLRs based on Pearson’s correlation table and a stepwise multiple regression. These descriptive variables used in defining the HLRs include relief, effective rainfall, potential evapotranspiration and percentage of sand. The regression results indicated that relief and percentage of sand were highly correlated to base flow index, and the amount of base flow volume can be related to gradient and the amount of effective rainfall. The regression results also suggested that the descriptive variables used in constructing the HLR can be used to define mean values of shallow ground water flow within the regions. Further testing is needed to ascertain if such relationships could be used to define flow within an HLR.
Computerized EEG spectral analysis in elderly normal, demented and depressed subjects

Computerized spectral analysis of the EEG was performed in 35 patients with Alzheimer's disease and compared to patients with major depression (23) and healthy elderly controls (61). Compared to controls, demented patients had a significant increase in the theta and alpha 1 bandwidths as well as an increased theta-beta difference. The parasagittal mean frequency, beta 1 and beta 2 activity were significantly decreased. Depressed patients differed from demented patients, particularly at the lower end of the spectrum, having significantly less delta and theta activity. Like the demented group, depressed patients also had a decreased parasagittal mean frequency, beta 1 and beta 2 when compared to controls. In demented patients, there was a high correlation between several spectral parameters (parasagittal mean frequency, delta and theta activity, and the theta-beta difference) and the Folstein score, EEG measures used for discriminant analysis were more accurate in identifying demented patients who had lower Folstein scores.
Protozoa in Termites of the Genus Amitermes

1. Six species of Amitermes, one from Panama and five from California, have been examined for protozoa. Certain protozoa have been found in many or all individuals examined of all species, but they are much less abundant than are flagellates in termites of the three xylophagous families below the Termitidae.2. Trichomonas lighti n.sp. has been found in all species, but not in all individuals.3. Chilomastix minuta n.sp. occurs in Amitermes beaumonti.4. Embadomonas termitis n.sp. is described from Amitermes beaumonti.5. Endamoeba beaumonti n.sp. has been observed in five host species. In its size and nuclear structure it resembles Endamoeba disparata of Mirotermes hispaniolae.6. Nyctotherus silvestrianus n.sp. has been found in three of the Californian species. It resembles N. termitis and N. ovalis, but is larger than the former and smaller than the latter. A long filament is attached to the end of the cytopharynx. A thickened, V-shaped structure lies against the cyto-pharynx. Several deeply staining fibrils arise from this V.7. A coccidian has been found in one individual of Amitermes minimus. This forms sixteen banana-formed merozoites and three sporoblasts as in Chagasella.8. Micro-organisms other than protozoa are very abundant in the intestines of all six species of Amitermes, and they are similar in all.
Hormone regulation of development in plant cells

Hormonal stimulation of dedifferentiation and redifferentiation can be studied in explanted, cultured plant tissues. Some of the questions about development which one would like to answer with such a system revolve around the role of quiescence in the stabilization of the differentiated state, the role of replication in the stimulation of redifferentiation and the means by which cells are brought out of the quiescent state. Such a system also offers the potential for revealing the level(s) at which plant hormones operate in the stimulation of replication and differentiation since the responses to hormones can be achieved in vitro. The pea-root cortical parenchyma system has been utilized as a model system in the study of cytokinin plus auxin stimulation of redevelopment of mature, quiescent root cells. The first detected response of the root parenchyma to excision and culture with both of these hormones is an enhanced rate of RNA synthesis between 9 and 12 hr after the initiation of culture. DNA synthesis is stimulated 36 to 39 hr after RNA synthesis (after 48 hr in culture). During this 48-hr period various cytological changes have been observed which are compatible with renewed nucleic acid synthesis, but cytological changes have not been observed prior to the onset of hormone-stimulated RNA synthesis. The first mitoses and cytokineses occur after 60 and 72 hr, respectively. Terminally differentiated tracheary elements are first formed in these cultures after 120 to 168 hr when both the cytokinin and auxin are present at adequate levels. Studies employing inhibitors suggest that tracheary element differentiation is dependent upon the DNA replication that normally accompanies cell replication. Temperature probes of the period between the initiation of cultures and the appearance of the terminally differentiated tracheary elements have been initiated and, in conjunction with previous studies employing inhibitors and analogues, may allow one to distinguish between a variety of potential models of hormone-stimulated redifferentiation.
The Politics of Carnival: Festive Misrule in Medieval England. By Chris Humphrey. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2001; pp. xiii +113. $19.95 paperback

Chris Humphrey's reading of the customs of late-medieval English “festive misrule” offers a valuable critique of how contemporary approaches influenced by (chiefly) Mikhail Bakhtin's writings about carnival tend to overlook the particular contexts of and variations in cultural activities. Humphrey discusses the “safety-valve” and the “social protest” as contradictory theoretical strategies that characterize most analyses of carnival practices in the medieval period. The safety-valve approach sees carnival as a temporary outlet for suppressed social energies, which ultimately aims to restore social order at the end of an inversion of it. Alternatively, the social-protest attitude believes that carnival has the power to affectand, more important, the goal of affectingsocial relations and class struggle. Humphrey convincingly argues that although these two attitudes have great appeal, especially when one is trying to contextualize the contemporary practices of popular culture, these theories are both too general and too prescriptive, leading to inaccurate or even false conclusions about the evidence.
Investigating the myopathic effects of 6-mercaptopurine on developing skeletal muscle cells in vitro.

ABSTRACT6-Hercaptopurine (6-MP) is an adenine antagonist which has been sown to cause skeletal muscle atrophy in neonatal rats. To investigate the effects of 6-MP on developing muscles, pure populations of myoblasts and myotubes in vitro were treated with 6-MP (5–50 μg/ml). The viability and protein content of myotubes, but not myoblasts, was decreased by 6-MP. Microscopic examination of the 6-MP-treated (50 μg/ml) myotubes demonstrated that severe degenerative changes had occurred, including extensive necrosis, inhibition of myotube formation, and the appearance of intracellular vacuoles. However, 6-MP treatment decreased the incorporation of radiolabeled leucine and thymidine by myoblasts, but not myotubes. These findings indicate that 6-MP exerted a selective toxicity on myotubes but not myoblasts.
Depression, coping, hassles, and body dissatisfaction: factors associated with disordered eating.

Abstract The objective was to explore what predicts first-year college women's disordered eating tendencies when they arrive on campus. The 215 first-year college women completed the surveys within the first 2 weeks of classes. A structural model examined how much the Helplessness, Hopelessness, Haplessness Scale, the Brief COPE, the Brief College Student Hassle Scale, and the Body Shape Questionnaire predicted eating disordered tendencies (as measured by the Eating Attitudes Test). The Body Shape Questionnaire, the Helplessness, Hopelessness, Haplessness Scale (inversely), and the Denial subscale of the Brief COPE significantly predicted eating disorder tendencies in first-year college women. In addition, the Planning and Self-Blame subscales of the Brief COPE and the Helplessness, Hopelessness, Haplessness Scale predicted the Body Shape Questionnaire. In general, higher levels on the Helplessness, Hopelessness, Haplessness Scale and higher levels on the Brief College Student Hassle Scale related to higher levels on the Brief COPE. Coping seems to remove the direct path from stress and depression to disordered eating and body dissatisfaction.
Oxokationen der Übergangsmetalle

Erwartungs- und Bestandigkeitsbereich der Ubergangsmetall-Oxokationen in wasriger Losung werden diskutiert. Besonders interessant sind Spezies mit Bindungsordnungen der Metall-Sauerstoff-Bindung > 1. Diese Bindungsordnungen konnen bisweilen rontgenographisch aus Bindungslangen und Bindungswinkeln, meist aber nur IR-spektroskopisch untersucht werden. – Der Frequenzbereich der Metall-Sauerstoff-Valenzschwingung, der bisher etwa von 900 bis 1100 cm−1 angenommen wurde, mus nach diesen Untersuchungen bis mindestens 780 cm−1 erweitert werden, sofern alle Mehrfachbindungen, insbesondere die in trans-Dioxokomplexen, einbezogen werden sollen. Breite Banden bis hinab zu 650 cm−1 werden mit Metall-Sauerstoff-Brucken in Zusammenhang gebracht. – Die Existenz beispielsweise von Kationen wie ZrO2+ und VO, oder des „so gut bekannten” Titanyl-Ions, TiO2+, konnte bis heute nicht bewiesen werden. In vielen Fallen hat man O-verbruckte, mehrkernige Oxometall-Spezies anzunehmen.
Prodigious sulfur dioxide emissions from Nyamuragira volcano, D.R. Congo

[1] Nyamuragira (Virunga chain, D.R. Congo) is among Africa's most active volcanoes, but direct observations of its eruptions are rare. From 1978–2002 the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments measured SO2 emissions during each of Nyamuragira's 13 most recent eruptions. Due to continuous co-eruptive SO2 degassing, estimating the total atmospheric SO2 loading resulting from eruptions of Nyamuragira is not straightforward. Using TOMS SO2 plume cross-sections and model wind profiles we derive eruptive SO2 fluxes and SO2 loss rates for emissions on 19 October 1998 and 6 February 2001, giving peak SO2 fluxes of 0.21 and 0.74 Tg day−1 respectively and loss rates of ∼10−6–10−5 s−1. Based on current data, time-averaged SO2 emission rates at Nyamuragira are comparable to persistent emitters (Etna, Kilauea), but eruptive fluxes at Nyamuragira are much higher. Considering the alkaline composition of Virunga lavas, eruptive CO2 fluxes could be seven times the SO2 flux.
Arms and the theologian: Martin Luther’sAdversus Armatum Virum Cochlaeum

This paper examines the influence of Virgil on Martin Luther, paying special attention to a short verse composition of Luther’s in Latin,Adversus Armatum Virum Cochlaeum, based on the first lines of theAeneid. The study suggests that an adequate understanding of Luther’s relationship to and use of Virgil needs to take into full account the fact that the Reformer not only knew Virgil’s works and quoted from him frequently, but also himself composed verses based on Virgil’s.
GABAA receptor β2 subunit mRNA content is differentially regulated in ethanol-dependent DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice

Chronic ethanol treatment is known to alter gene expression and function of gamma-aminobutyric acid type-A (GABA(A)) receptors. Here we focus on the beta(2) subunit which is widely expressed in the mammalian brain, and plays a key role in the GABA binding site. Previous studies using rodent models of ethanol dependence show either increased or no change of beta(2) subunit mRNA and peptide content following chronic ethanol administration. In humans, polymorphism at the beta(2) subunit is associated with ethanol dependence in some, but not all, populations. In the present study we measured mRNA content in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex using ethanol-naive and ethanol-dependent DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice. The DBA/2J strain displays severe ethanol withdrawal severity, while the C57BL/6J strain shows milder withdrawal reactions. RNase protection analysis demonstrated that the DBA/2J strain is more sensitive to ethanol-induced increases in beta(2) subunit mRNA content in the cerebellum, showing significant increases at lower blood ethanol concentrations than C57BL/6J mice. The ethanol-induced regulation in C57BL/6J mice appears to be more complex, with decreases in beta(2) subunit mRNA content at low blood ethanol concentrations, and increases at higher concentrations. These data suggest that differences between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice in the degree of physical dependence (withdrawal) on ethanol may be related to differential sensitivity to ethanol regulation of beta(2) subunit expression.
Radiographic changes in cardiac contours following heart transplantation. Clarification by MR imaging.

Chest radiographs of 46 patients who had undergone heart transplantation were reviewed with special attention to abnormalities of the cardiac contours. MR imaging in 3 such patients revealed 3 type...
ON THE QUANTIZATION OF DAMPED SYSTEMS

Based on a simple observation that a classical second order differential equation may be decomposed into a set of two first order equations, we introduce a Hamiltonian framework to quantize the damped systems. In particular, we analyze the system of a linear damped harmonic oscillator and demonstrate that the time evolution of the Schrodinger equation is unambiguously determined.
Protein deprivation causes reversible impairment of mucosal immune response to cholera toxoid/toxin in rat gut

Scretory antibodies may be the major defence against mucosal infections, especially those due to viruses and non-invasive pathogens such as Vibrio cholerae and toxinogenic Escherichia coli. The high incidence of mucosal infections in malnourished protein-deficient children may result from defective antibody production, but evidence for this is conflicting. We report here that protein deficiency markedly impairs the mucosal immune reponse to cholera toxiod/toxin (CT), a protein antigen, in rats and that this impairment is rapidly reversed by refeeding.
Alcohol use and problems at colleges banning alcohol: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines student alcohol use and associated problems, including drinking and driving, at U.S. colleges that ban alcohol for all students on campus. METHOD: A nationally representative sample of students (N = 11,303, 61% women) attending U.S. colleges completed questionnaires regarding alcohol use and related behaviors in the spring of 1999. The responses of 2,252 students at 19 ban schools were compared with those of 9,051 students at 76 nonban schools. RESULTS: Students at ban colleges were 30% less likely to be heavy episodic drinkers and more likely to abstain from alcohol. The lower rates of heavy episodic drinking apply to students whether or not they were heavy episodic drinkers in high school. However, among drinkers, students at ban schools engaged in as much extreme drinking as drinkers at schools that do not ban alcohol and experienced the same rate of alcohol-related problems. At schools that ban alcohol, fewer students experienced secondhand effects of the drinking of others than did students at nonban schools. Students at ban schools were not more likely to drink and drive than were students at nonban schools. CONCLUSIONS: A campus ban on alcohol may support abstention from alcohol use and reduce heavy episodic drinking and the associated secondhand effects in college. Since this is a correlational study, we cannot determine whether the lower rates of heavy episodic drinking are due to the ban or to other factors (e.g., self-selection of students to these schools). Ban schools do not enroll fewer high school heavy episodic drinkers.
A Method for the Neutralization of Electron Space Charge by Positive Ionization at Very Low Gas Pressures

Neutralization of space charge around a hot filament by imprisoned positive ions in gas at very low pressures.---(I) Design of tube. If a very small filament, diameter 0.01 cm, is run axially through a cylindrical anode with closed ends, positive ions formed between the electrodes can only rarely escape and will describe orbits around the filament until they lose sufficient energy by collision with gas molecules to enable them to fall into the cathode. The imprisoned ions, during their lives, neutralize a certain amount of the space charge between the electrodes. The effect should increase with the absolute temperature and with the ratio of the cross-section of the anode cylinder to that of the filament. A theoretical calculation indicates that in He at ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ mm, an ion which misses the filament on its first passage across the tube may circulate around the filament 300 times before discharging to the cathode. (2) Results in $\mathrm{He}$, $H$, $\mathrm{Ne}$, and $\mathrm{Hg}$ at pressures ranging from ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ mm are shown in curves. Comparison of the currents when the cylinder ends were connected (1) to the anode and (2) to the cathode gave the effect of the positive ions, and also their number, and therefore the increase in current per ion, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. At pressures so low that the 3/2 power space-charge law holds in an ordinary tube, imprisoned ions may still produce large deviations from this law, in favorable cases the current with the ions being 5 or 10 times the current as ordinarily limited by space charge. The relatively much greater effect in Hg vapor than in He is shown to agree well with the theory. If $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ depended only on mean free path, however, it should vary as $\frac{1}{p}$, but the results gave ${(\frac{1}{p})}^{\frac{2}{3}}$. This difference shows the influence of other factors. However, theoretical mean free paths are of the same order of magnitude as those calculated from $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. Moreover, in Hg vapor at 4.2 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ mm, the time required to reach equilibrium after the positive ions began to accumulate was found by oscillograms to be about the same as the calculated life of an ion, 1.4 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ sec. The simple theory, then, seems to be pretty well verified.
Low-contrast visualization in megavoltage cone-beam CT at one beam pulse per projection using thick segmented scintillators

Megavoltage cone-beam computed tomography (MV CBCT) using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) is a highly promising technique for providing valuable volumetric information for image guidance in radiotherapy. However, active matrix flat-panel imagers (AMFPIs), which are the established gold standard in portal imaging, require a relatively large dose to create images that are clinically useful. This is a consequence of the inefficiency of the phosphor screens employed in conventional MV AMFPIs, which utilize only ~2% of the incident radiation at 6 MV. Fortunately, the incorporation of thick, segmented scintillators can significantly improve the performance of MV AMFPIs, leading to improved image quality for projection imaging at extremely low dose. It is therefore of interest to explore the performance of such thick scintillators for MV CBCT toward the goal of soft-tissue contrast visualization. In this study, prototype AMFPIs incorporating segmented scintillators based on CsI:Tl and BGO crystals with thicknesses ranging from ~11 to 25 mm have been constructed and evaluated. Each prototype incorporates a detector consisting of a matrix of 120 × 60 scintillator elements separated by reflective septal walls, with an element-to-element pitch of 1.016 mm, coupled to an overlying ~1 mm thick Cu plate. The prototype AMFPIs were incorporated into a bench-top CBCT system, allowing the acquisition of tomographic images of a contrast phantom using a 6 MV radiotherapy photon beam. The phantom consists of a water-equivalent (solid water) cylinder, embedded with tissue-equivalent inserts having electron densities, relative to water, varying from ~0.43 to ~1.47. Reconstructed images of the phantom were obtained down to the lowest available dose (one beam pulse per projection), corresponding to a total scan dose of ~4 cGy using 180 projections. In this article, reconstructed images, contrast, noise and contrast-to-noise ratio for the tissue-equivalent objects using the various prototype AMFPIs are examined as a function of dose and compared to those of a conventional MV AMFPI.
Equilibrium spectra of secondary cosmic-ray positrons in the Galaxy and the spectrum of cosmic gamma-rays resulting from their annihilation.

General formula for calculating equilibrium spectra of secondary cosmic ray positrons in galaxy and cosmic annihilation gamma ray spectra
The Effect of Prestrain on Deformation of Ni3Al Single Crystals

Prestrain of bcc metals at temperatures T>0.2Tm decreases the flow stress at lower temperatures (T or were prestrained in compression up to 20% shear strain at -196°C and subsequently compression tested at 550°C. Specimens near the axial orientation were also prestrained at 550°C and then tested at -196°C. The initial flow stress of samples prestrained at - 196°C and tested 550°C was reduced up to 50% compared to samples solely compression tested at 550°C. The magnitude of the reduced flow stress and its extent as a function of plastic strain were dependent upon the amount of prestrain and orientation. Prestraining at 550°C and subsequent testing at -196°C increased the flow stress by as much as 60% over samples solely tested at -196°C. Dislocation substructures obtained from selected samples coupled with arguments based on dislocation dynamics and obstacle strengthening are used to explain the results.
Government spending, the balance of trade and the terms of trade in British history

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between government spending, the balance of trade and the terms of trade using early British data. A large open-economy intertemporal framework, in which Ricardian equivalence holds, predicts a larger effect of temporary government spending changes on the trade deficit than permanent ones. Further, a pure switch between debt and taxes should have no effect on trade flows. The results provide some support for these hypotheses, although they are sensitive to sample period and the method of decomposition of government spending. A negative relationship between government spending and the terms of trade is also found.
A species-generalized probabilistic model-based definition of CpG islands.

The DNA of most vertebrates is depleted in CpG dinucleotides, the target for DNA methylation. The remaining CpGs tend to cluster in regions referred to as CpG islands (CGI). CGI have been useful as marking functionally relevant epigenetic loci for genome studies. For example, CGI are enriched in the promoters of vertebrate genes and thought to play an important role in regulation. Currently, CGI are defined algorithmically as an observed-to-expected ratio (O/E) of CpG greater than 0.6, G+C content greater than 0.5, and usually but not necessarily greater than a certain length. Here we find that the current definition leaves out important CpG clusters associated with epigenetic marks, relevant to development and disease, and does not apply at all to nonvertabrate genomes. We propose an alternative Hidden Markov model-based approach that solves these problems. We fit our model to genomes from 30 species, and the results support a new epigenomic view toward the development of DNA methylation in species diversity and evolution. The O/E of CpG in islands and nonislands segregated closely phylogenetically and showed substantial loss in both groups in animals of greater complexity, while maintaining a nearly constant difference in CpG O/E between islands and nonisland compartments. Lists of CGI for some species are available at http://www.rafalab.org.
Visual spatial perception and surgical competence.

Abstract Background: Proficiency in visual spatial perception (VSP) is a hypothetical component of surgical competence. Methods: Four tests of VSP, taken from the Cognitive Laterality Battery (CLB), were administered to 301 surgeons and surgical residents. Mean scores on each test were compared by Student t tests to those of the normative sample (n = 251) on which the test was originally standardized. Results: Mean scores on two of the tests (Orientation, Touching Blocks) were significantly greater ( P Conclusions: Surgeons tend to outperform the general population on tests of high-level VSP abilities (ie, envisioning depth and mentally manipulating two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional structures) identified previously as correlates of surgical skill acquisition. VSP proficiency is a valid component of surgical competence that should perhaps be included in career selection discussions with medical students and in assessment of the competence of surgeons.
Railroad Antitrust Immunity: Clarification, Discussion, and Evaluation

The U.S. Congress regulated the railroad industry in 1887, and over the course of the 20th century also granted the industry significant antitrust immunities. Antitrust immunities are laws that expressly exempt an industry from prosecution under antitrust laws, such as the Sherman Act. Presumably, the rationale for railroad antitrust immunities was that because railroads were stringently regulated, the regulators alone would uphold antitrust principles and make antitrust litigation unnecessary. However, culminating in the passage of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, the railroad industry was largely deregulated, yet retained many antitrust immunities. This has raised concerns among shippers and consumers that railroad companies, which often face neither regulation nor antitrust liability, can freely commit anticompetitive abuses. Given these concerns and currently proposed legislation to abolish railroad antitrust immunities, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy of legal outcomes in a counterfactual situation where antitrust immunities are abolished. To reach this end, I will first clarify railroad regulation and deregulation, antitrust laws as they apply to all other industries, and the poorly understood railroad antitrust immunities.
According to Jim: An Open Letter to the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan

Dear Mr. Secretary, As a former member of the federal education bureaucracy I have some idea of, and great empathy for, the multiple tasks you are about to undertake. There is one issue that is lik...
Penetration of interleukin-6 across the murine blood-brain barrier.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) can alter brain function after peripheral administration, suggesting that it, like IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha, might be able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We used multiple-time regression analysis to measure the unidirectional influx constant (Ki) into brain of radioactively labeled murine and human IL-6 given i.v. Ki values ranged from 3.05 to 4.54 (10(-4)) ml/g/min and were inhibited by unlabeled IL-6 but not IL-1 alpha or TNF-alpha, showing that the transport system for IL-6 is distinct from those for IL-1 alpha and TNF-alpha. Approximately 0.2% of the dose injected i.v. entered each gram of brain. The capillary depletion method showed that most of the IL-6 taken up by brain entered the parenchyma. However, only approximately 16% of the radioactivity recovered eluted as intact I-IL-6 in brain and approximately 50% in CSF after chromatographic separation by HPLC/Sephadex. The efflux rate for IL-6 injected into the lateral ventricle of the brain suggests that it enters the blood with the reabsorption of CSF. These results suggest that blood-borne IL-6 can reach sites behind the BBB, but that susceptibility to enzymatic degradation may limit contact time within the CNS.
The solubilization and fractionation of human erythrocyte membrane proteins

Abstract Hexafluoroacetone and 3% sodium laurylsulfate completely solubilized all classes of erythrocyte membrane proteins. Other solvents, including 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, were less effective in this respect. The erythrocyte membrane proteins were dissolved in hexafluoroacetone, dialysed into acidic 8 M urea and fractionated on an agarose column.
Congenital testicular maldescent: significance of the complete hernial sac

Objective To test the hypothesis that testicular maldescent is rarely congenital in the absence of a complete hernial sac. Patients and methods The study comprised 110 boys undergoing orchidopexy. Operative findings (complete hernial sac versus no hernial sac) were compared with recorded testicular descent at birth. Results Among 70 testes recorded as maldescended neonatally there was no example without a complete hernial sac at orchidopexy. Among 60 recorded as descended neonatally, 43 had no sac at orchidopexy. Conclusions The findings are consistent with the hypothesis, though not with the proposition, that the presence of a complete hernial sac at orchidopexy constitutes proof of congenital testicular maldescent.
Calorimetric measurement of the enthalpy of dissolution of diketopiperazine in water as a function of temperature

Direct measurement of the heat of dissolution of solid diketopiperazine (DKP), which mimics hydrogen bonding and other interactions in proteins, has been made using a high-sensitivity titration microcalorimeter (McKinnon et al., Anal. Biochem., 139 (1984) 134). A value of ΔHxxxs= 28.0 ±0.2 kJ mol−1 at 25 °C was obtained with a ΔCxxxp,s=−57+21 J mol−1 K−1 in the range 20–40°C. The thermodynamic properties of self-association of DKP in aqueous solution were also studied calorimetrically. The results were analyzed using a simple dimerization model and yielded an association constant of 0.19±0.08 M−12 at 25°C with an enthalpy of dimer formation of−29 ±7 kJ mol−1 dimer. The results extend earlier van't Hoff studies to enable calculations at high temperatures. The enthalpy of solution of DKP, scaled either to its surface area or to two glycyl residues, may be compared with the enthalpies of denaturation of proteins (lysozyme, ribonuclease and myoglobin) scaled either to “buried” area or “buried” residues. The comparison is made with reference to the temperature (110°C) where hydrophobic solvation is essentially enthalpic. Values of 11.6 kJ mol−1 Gly residue and 93.8 J mol−1 A−2 are obtained for DKP. This agrees well with values of 9.3, 9.2 and 9.1 kJ mol−1 “buried” residue and 57.7 J mol−1, 56.5 J mol−1 and 51.9 J mol−1 A−2 for the proteins ribonuclease, lysozyme and myoglobin respectively. This energetic evidence supports the view that the unsolvated protein core region behaves as an intramolecular solid.
The Respiratory Effects of Dezocine and Pentazocine in Man

The respiratory effects of dezocine and pentazocine were studied in five volunteers. Based on their effects over a 3-hour period, it was found that dezocine was 8.6 times as potent as pentazocine in terms of their respiratory depressant effects. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be determined.
A case of megaloblastic anemia associated with steatorrhea and the celiac syndrome.

Summary A case of megaloblastic anemia withclinical and laboratory evidence of an associated celiac syndrome has been presented. Prompt hematologic response to folic acid therapy was achieved. Complete restoration of normal gastrointestinal function followed only after the reversal of the dysplasia of the bone marrow. Observation of this child over a period of seven years has verified that the celiac symptoms and steatorrhea were manifestations of a nutritional deficiency of folic acid. The low incidence of this blooddyscrasia in the northeastern area of the United States as contrasted with the higher incidence elsewhere is noteworthy.
The Public-Private Choice: The Case of Marketing a Country to Investors

Abstract This article argues that in organizing to promote foreign investment, governments choose among organizational structures that have differing amounts of private and public sector involvement. In our analysis of 10 promotional agencies, we encountered three principal types of organization responsible for conducting investment promotion: government, “quasi-government,” and pr and private. The choice among these types of structure was influenced by the fact that the particular assignment had characteristics of tasks normally performed by public organizations and attributes of tasks normally performed by private organizations. Our findings from interviews with managers and investment promotion officials suggest that “quasi-government” and private promotional organizations have been more effective at investment promotion that have government organizations, perhaps because the “quasi-government” organizations were, in many cases, successful at capturing strengths of both the public and private approaches. Further, good managers found ways of overcoming some of the problems that seemed to be inherent in certain choices of structure. It is likely that the solutions we observed in these cases might be appropriate for other tasks that have some of the characteristics of tasks typically performed by government and some of the attributes of tasks typically performed by the private sector.
Role of intrasurface hydrogen bonding on silica dissolution

A recently formulated reactive Monte Carlo (RxMC) algorithm has been applied to determine the differential dissolution probability in topographically distinct crystallographic faces of β-cristobalite. Although the contribution of edge, kink, and step sites to the overall dissolution from a crystal is well-established, the effect of hydrogen bonding on flat terrace sites is less understood. In an earlier study (J. Phys. Chem. 111, 5169, 2007), 40 β-cristobalite surfaces were shown to have distinct intrasurface hydrogen bonding patterns between the hydroxylated surface groups. This study is an extension of the previous work with the aim to identify the role intrasurface hydrogen bonding has toward overall dissolution from these surfaces. Five surfaces have been chosen with varying ratios of Q2 (two surface OH groups per Si site) and Q3 (one surface OH group per Si site) groups. The results successfully show that pure Q2 {100} terrace sites with intrasurface hydrogen are less reactive than non-hydrogen bonde...
A Qualitative Study of Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Self-Determination for Students with Significant Disabilities.

Teaching self-determination to students with disabilities has long been a focus of the fields of special education and psychology, with much of the research focusing on why self-determination is important, the effects of self-determination skills on academic and adult outcomes, and identifying strategies teachers can use to teach self-determination in the classroom. The current study attempted to develop a greater understanding of how special education teacher candidates define and discuss self-determination within the context of a course on secondary special education and transition planning for students with significant intellectual disabilities. Researchers examined teachers' understanding of self-determination, their ability to incorporate self-determination into their daily instruction, and if their understanding reflected common misconceptions and misinterpretations.
Ergodic theorems for transient one-dimensional diffusions

Abstract For one-dimensional diffusions X that drift off to + ∞ we give conditions on a set B and the drift and diffusion coefficients of X for ( 1 t )∫ t 0 I B (X(u)) d u to converge w.p.l as t → ∞.
Management of Quality Improvement: An Empirical Study

ABSTRACTManaging a project is an important part of the quality improvement process. Nevertheless management practices in quality improvement projects have not received much research attention. The case study reported in this article focuses on the link between management practices and quality improvement performance. The findings indicate that quality improvement efforts that result in higher performance have a comparatively higher use of the basic management practices. Specifically comprehensive project plans, contingency plans, responsibility lists, and monthly progress reports are identified as the vital practices to use in an organization's quality initiative.
The nucleation and growth of oxide islands on aluminum

The growth mode of crystalline oxide islands in the surface of aluminum foils has been followed by direct observation in the electron microscope. These experiments provide detailed information on the induction, nucleation and growth of oxide islands, as well as the mode of formation of continuous crystalline film. Reaction kinetics were investigated at temperatures from 350 °C to 540 °C and in oxygen atmospheres from 10−5 Torr to 5 × 10−8 Torr. These data were used to evaluate possible mechanisms of crystalline oxide formation and growth. A semi-quantitative explanation of this behavior by prefilmed aluminum is given in terms of oxygen diffusion into the metal lattice through the existing “amorphous” surface film.
Reconsidering the necessity of aspirin in stable coronary artery disease.

Aspirin has been a cornerstone of secondary prevention in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) for more than 4 decades. Aspirin targets a specific pathophysiological process that is considered fundamental to the progression from stable to unstable coronary syndromes—platelet
Intracellular cystine loading causes proximal tubule respiratory dysfunction: effect of glycine.

ABSTRACT: The present study examined proximal tubular respiration in control proximal tubules and proximal tubules loaded with cystine using 2 mmol/L cystine dimethyl ester. Basal oxygen consumption was significantly less in cystine-loaded tubules (20.6 ± 0.5 versus 12.1 ± 0.6 nmol O2·min-1·mg protein-1, p < 0.001). In the presence of 10-4 mol/L ouabain, an inhibitor of the NaK ATPase, oxygen consumption was 10.2 ± 0.7 nmol O2·min-1·mg protein-1 in control tubules and 11.4 ± 1.0 nmol O2·min-1·mg protein-1 in cystine-loaded tubules. Thus, proximal tubular intracellular cystine loading specifically inhibits oxygen metabolism directed toward transport. Compared with control proximal tubules, cystine-loaded proximal tubules also had a lower rate of O2 consumption when the cells were permeabilized to sodium with nystatin and when mitochondrial respiration was uncoupled. Glycine, an amino acid that is cytoprotective to hypoxic proximal tubule injury, ameliorated the repiratory dysfunction observed in cystine-loaded tubules.
Smoke plume optical properties and transport observed by a multi-wavelength lidar, sunphotometer and satellite

Abstract Optical characteristics and long-distance transport of smoke plumes are studied using satellite observations and ground-based remote sensing in New York City. Vertical distribution and column optical properties of aerosol plume are derived from a combination of multi-wavelength lidar and sunphotometer measurement. Aloft smoke plumes from two cases are investigated in this paper from U.S. western and south-western forest fires. The smoke source and transport pathway to the U.S. east coast are analyzed by MODIS and CALIOP imageries as well as HYSPLIT backward trajectory analysis. In both cases, the plumes have relatively high optical depth (as much as 1.2 at 500-nm) and Angstrom exponent of up to 1.8, but show different intrusion heights, source regions and transport process. Lidar profiling observations indicate these smoke plumes mixing downward into the planetary-boundary-layer which are coincident with increasing trends of surface PM2.5 (particulate matter, diameter
Evaluation of serum immunoglobulin concentrations in the perinatal period by use of a standardized method of measurement

Concentrations of IgG, IgA, and IgM were quantitatively estimated by single radial diffusion in 133 maternal cord serum pairs and in 84 newborn sera. The antisera and reference standards were prepared in this laboratory and the IgM antibody-agar plates for cord and newborn sera contained the optimal amount of antiserum for IgM concentrations usually found at those ages. All data were converted to logarithms for statistical analyses. The ±2 standard deviation limits obtained for cord and newborn serum IgM concentrations were found to be sufficiently narrow to permit ready detection of deviations from the norm by standard statistical tests of significance.
Hearing protector attenuation: A perspective view☆

Abstract The design, performance and evaluation of hearing protectors are matters of substantial current interest. The specific scientific questions which command attention include the accuracy of the shift in free field hearing threshold as a measure of protection, the relationship between physical measurements of sound attenuation with real heads and psycho-physical methods of measurement, the relationship between physical measurements with real and artificial heads, the acoustical behaviour of hearing protectors and the factors which limit their performance, and the relationship between hearing protector attenuation and speech intelligibility. These questions have received considerable attention during the past twenty years but are not yet fully answered.
Characterization of ozone profiles derived from Aura TES and OMI radiances

Abstract. We present satellite based ozone profile estimates derived by combining radiances measured at thermal infrared (TIR) wavelengths from the Aura Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths measured by the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). The advantage of using these combined wavelengths and instruments for sounding ozone over either instrument alone is improved sensitivity near the surface as well as the capability to consistently resolve the lower troposphere, upper troposphere, and lower stratosphere for scenes with varying geophysical states. For example, the vertical resolution of ozone estimates from either TES or OMI varies strongly by surface albedo and temperature. Typically, TES provides 1.6 degrees of freedom for signal (DOFS) and OMI provides less than 1 DOFS in the troposphere. The combination provides 2 DOFS in the troposphere with approximately 0.4 DOFS for near surface ozone (surface to 700 hPa). We evaluated these new ozone profile estimates with ozonesonde measurements and found that calculated errors for the joint TES and OMI ozone profile estimates are in reasonable agreement with actual errors as derived by the root-mean-square (RMS) difference between the ozonesondes and the joint TES/OMI ozone estimates. We also used a common a priori profile in the retrievals in order to evaluate the capability of different retrieval approaches on capturing near-surface ozone variability. We found that the vertical resolution of the joint TES/OMI ozone profile estimates shows significant improvements on quantifying variations in near-surface ozone with RMS differences of 49.9% and correlation coefficient of R = 0.58 for the TES/OMI near-surface estimates as compared to 67.2% RMS difference and R = 0.33 for TES and 115.8% RMS difference and R = 0.09 for OMI. This comparison removes the impacts of using the climatological a priori in the retrievals. However, it results in artificially large sonde/retrieval differences. The TES/OMI ozone profiles from the production code of joint retrievals will use climatological a priori and therefore will have more realistic ozone estimates than those from using a common a priori volume mixing ratio profile.
Why Do Sleeping Nematodes Adopt a Hockey-Stick-Like Posture?

A characteristic posture is considered one of the behavioral hallmarks of sleep, and typically includes functional features such as support for the limbs and shielding of sensory organs. The nematode C. elegans exhibits a sleep-like state during a stage termed lethargus, which precedes ecdysis at the transition between larval stages. A hockey-stick-like posture is commonly observed during lethargus. What might its function be? It was previously noted that during lethargus, C. elegans nematodes abruptly rotate about their longitudinal axis. Plausibly, these “flips” facilitate ecdysis by assisting the disassociation of the old cuticle from the new one. We found that body-posture during lethargus was established using a stereotypical motor program and that body bends during lethargus quiescence were actively maintained. Moreover, flips occurred almost exclusively when the animals exhibited a single body bend, preferentially in the anterior or mid section of the body. We describe a simple biomechanical model that imposes the observed lengths of the longitudinally directed body-wall muscles on an otherwise passive elastic rod. We show that this minimal model is sufficient for generating a rotation about the anterior-posterior body axis. Our analysis suggests that posture during lethargus quiescence may serve a developmental role in facilitating flips and that the control of body wall muscles in anterior and posterior body regions are distinct.
Spin transport in bimetallic pentalene complexes

Abstract Spin transport in bimetallic pentalene complexes (CpM(pentalene)M′Cp;M,M′=Fe,Co,Ni) between two gold electrodes was investigated, using a Green’s function formalism under density functional theory. Variation of the metal atom species in the complexes gives a considerable change in their spin properties, with hetero-bimetallic complexes containing an odd number of electrons exhibiting spin filter behaviour. In contrast, alternation in the contact condition, whether Cp-anchoring or adducting by sulphur–gold bonds, had almost no effect on spin filter behaviour, but did lead to variation in electrical conduction. We examined suitable bimetallic pentalene complexes in order to enhance their spin filter efficiency.
Effect of Dietary Fat in Isocaloric Rations on the Nitrogen Content of Milk From Holstein Cows

Abstract Effects of dietary fat on milk composition, particularly milk N, were evaluated using 12 lactating Holstein cows in a replicated 4×4 Latin-square design. Four complete mixed diets were formulated to contain either 0 or 3.5% added fat (grease) and either 1.6 or 1.7 Mcal NE 1 (0, 1.6; 0, 1.7; 3.5, 1.6; and 3.5, 1.7). Diets were fed for ad libitum intake, and periods were 21 d. Adding fat to the diet depressed total milk N, casein N, and whey protein N concentration compared with no added fat at both energy densities. The proportion of total N in the casein fraction was not affected by dietary fat, whereas the proportion of N associated with the NPN fraction was increased with diets containing added fat. The high concentrate diet (0, 1.7) contained the highest content of milk N and casein N. Added dietary fat increased the proportion of long-chain fatty acids (C 18 and C 18:1 ) in milk fat and decreased the proportion of short-chain fatty acids (C 8 to C 16 ). Daily milk yield was higher for the high energy fat diet (3.5, 1.7) than for the other three diets, which were similar. Blood concentrations of triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, and cholesterol were increased by diets containing added fat.