cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New insights into the metabolic regulation of insulin action and insulin resistance: role of glucose and amino acids.

In primary cultured adipocytes, metabolic substrates such as glucose and amino acids have profound effects on modulating insulin's stimulatory actions on glucose uptake and protein synthesis. Insights into how substrates modulate insulin action were recently obtained when we discovered that the routing of incoming glucose through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway leads to a refractory state over a period of several hours in which the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake is severely impaired--a state known as insulin resistance. Glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase was found to play a central role in the development of insulin resistance as this enzyme catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step in the formation of hexosamine products. Collectively, these results are consistent with the idea that the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway serves as a glucose sensor coupled to a negative feedback system that can limit the extent of glucose uptake in response to hyperglycemic and hyperinsuline...
Noisy Quantum Measurement of Solid-State Qubits: Bayesian Approach

We discuss a recently developed formalism which describes the quantum evolution of a solid-state qubit due to its continuous measurement. In contrast to the conventional ensembleaveraged formalism, it takes into account the measurement record and therefore is able to consider individual realizations of the measurement process. The formalism provides testable experimental predictions and can be used for the analysis of a quantum feedback control of solid-state qubits. We also discuss generalization of the Bayesian formalism to the continuous measurement of entangled qubits.
Biological Oxygen Demand and Economic Growth: An Empirical Investigation

Economic development frequently contributes to a decline in water quality; industrial effluents entering the water cause an increase of bacteria that strip the water of its oxygen, often then leading to mass die-offs of other aquatic life. However, the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) suggests that rising water pollution due to continuing economic growth ultimately stabilizes and then decreases, thus eventually resulting in more oxygenated water that can meet the biological oxygen demand (BOD) required by aquatic life. Yet previous studies have found mixed results for a BOD EKC, with some researchers confirming the inverted U scale of the EKC but others finding different patterns. We therefore re-evaluate the interaction between economic growth and water quality by using a balanced dataset from 1979–1995 and the more dynamic econometric technique of Arellano–Bover/Blundell–Bond generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimator. We compare different samples of OECD and non-OECD countries to determine the likelihood of an EKC. The results show that the OECD countries have an N-shaped curve and that the EKC only emerges with a general sample of non-OECD countries.
Revisiting UCS: Description, Fitness Sharing, and Comparison with XCS

This paper provides a deep insight into the learning mechanisms of UCS, a learning classifier system (LCS) derived from XCS that works under a supervised learning scheme. A complete description of the system is given with the aim of being useful as an implementation guide. Besides, we review the fitness computation, based on the individual accuracy of each rule, and introduce a fitness sharing scheme to UCS. We analyze the dynamics of UCS both with fitness sharing and without fitness sharing over five binary-input problems widely used in the LCSs framework. Also XCS is included in the comparison to analyze the differences in behavior between both systems. Results show the benefits of fitness sharing in all the tested problems, specially those with class imbalances. Comparison with XCS highlights the dynamics differences between both systems.
Anisotropic Elastoplastic Behavior of SiCp/Al Composite Sheets

Experimental research was performed to study the anisotropic elastoplastic responses of SiCp/Al composite sheets. To investigate the effects of the composite processing, two sets of specimens cut from the heat-treated and as-rolled composite sheets are tested using a universal material-testing machine. The dependence of the strength, plastic flow, and strain ratios on the rolling angles are discussed in detail. To model the phenomena observed in the experiments, a micromechanics based damage framework is developed. The interfacial debonding and the rolling angle’s effects are integrated into this model. Good consistence between the experimental results and the analytical predications shows the validity of the theoretical model.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Tip-Free Method Used to Locate Single Purple Membrane Patches for Atomic Force Microscopy

In atomic force microscopy (AFM), it can be difficult and time-consuming to locate sparsely distributed regions of interest. Typically, the tip is scanned until the desired object is located. This process can damage a fragile biological sample, particularly at high scan rates. Scanning over large areas can also degrade the tip from mechanical wear. Moreover, proteins from the surface may adhere to the tip, degrading its imaging capabilities and/or its chemical specificity (e.g., gold-coated tips binding to cysteine-containing proteins). We have previously developed an ultrastable AFM in which the tip and the sample positions are independently measured by, and stabilized with respect to, a pair of laser foci. This 3D stabilization is based upon back-scattered light from lasers passing through a glass substrate. Motivated by previous work locating single viruses using back-scattered light, we speculated that our tip-stabilization laser could detect patches of single lipid bilayers. Purple membrane - bacteriorhodopsin embedded in a lipid bilayer - was adsorbed onto a glass cover slip. We scanned the sample through the laser focus with the AFM tip retracted a few microns above the surface and the electronic gain turned up to detect the sub-10-nm height of a single bilayer. The high signal-to-noise ratio of the resulting images, enabled in part by intensity stabilization of the detection laser, allowed us to locate single patches within a 30 x 30 μm2 region. After optical detection, the AFM tip was lowered back down and used to validate patch detection. Thus, this rapid technique minimizes unnecessary tip-sample interaction during AFM study of biological samples, which could be especially useful in force-spectroscopy experiments that require a specific attachment between the tip and the sample.
Historical note: Jules Séglas on language in dementia☆

In his book Des troubles du language chez les alienes (1892) Seglas applied the model of language processing of his teacher, Charcot, to analyze the language disorders of various groups of mentally ill, including patients considered to suffer from dementia. Among the language phenomena he described from dementia are logorrhea, neologisms, embolalia, near-mutism, angophrasia, automatic speech, alexia, and agraphia. Seglas must be credited for his early descriptions of how language behaviors cluster in various psychiatric and dementing diseases.
Structural properties of a carbon-nanotube crystal.

Carbon nanotubes of uniform size may soon be available in macroscopic quantities. Here we examine the ordered condensed phase of these tubes. As the tube diameter varies, the structural properties show a clear transition between two regimes with qualitatively different behavior. Tubes 10 \AA{} and less in diameter behave as rigid cylinders. For diameters over 25 \AA{}, the tubes flatten against each other under the van der Waals attraction, forming a honeycomb structure. This structure exhibits an anomalous rigidity, which does not decrease as expected with increasing tube diameter. Based on reported tube sizes, both regimes should be experimentally accessible.
Cytokine Use in the Management of HIV Disease

Summary:Multilineage hematopoietic defects occur in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and affect therapy of the disease and of associated opportunistic infections and neoplasms. Anemia and neutropenia are common in HIV patients, and can occur as a result of HIV-related myelo
Adolescents' Physiological Reactions to Their Parents' Negative Disclosures About the Other Parent in Divorced and Nondivorced Families

The purpose of this study was to determine how adolescents in divorced and nondivorced families respond psychologically and physiologically to their parents' negative disclosures when talking about their parents' relationship. The study also investigated how parents respond to their own disclosures about their relationship with the other parent. In general, the results illustrate the important role that adolescents' feelings of being caught can contribute to their well-being. The findings also supported the hypothesis that the valence of parental disclosures was a more important consideration than its frequency in the understanding of adolescents' reactions to their parents' disclosures, especially for adolescents from divorced families. Disclosure valence was also associated with parental anxiety, such that disclosure negativity predicted elevations in parents' anxiety during the discussion. Ultimately, children from divorced families who already felt caught between their parents and whose parents tended...
What Syria has to Teach Neo-Conservatives and Liberals about US Foreign Policy

The only means available to the US to assume a responsibility to protect the Syrian people from slaughter was by credibly threatening Bashar al-Assad and the security and military elite surrounding him with a decapitating air strike if they did not immediately cease murdering protestors and begin negotiations with opposition figures to the end of making the regime broadly representative of the Syrian population. Credibility probably demanded an initial decimation, a technically possible move. In part because the US lacks the ideology and institutional structure of a real imperial power, in part because it is post-Bush a careful calculator of national interests, Syria, unlike Libya but much like Sudan and the DRC, was a bridge too far.
Temporomandibular disorder and optimism: Relationships to ischemic pain sensitivity and interleukin-6

The current study examined patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) (n=20) and pain-free controls (n=28) under stress and relaxation conditions. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), norepinephrine and epinephrine (NE and E) were measured both before and during each of two conditions: a non-stressful relaxation period and a speech stressor. Ischemic pain sensitivity was also assessed after each of these conditions. Optimism (Life Orientation Test (LOT)), which has been associated with better outcomes in relationship to health and disease, was also evaluated in relationship to ischemic pain tolerance and unpleasantness ratings as well as to IL-6 levels under the two conditions. Regression analysis determined the unique contribution of each predictor and the interaction between Optimism and Group (TMD versus controls) after controlling for gender and blood pressure. During stress, IL-6 levels appeared to parallel NE with only controls displaying significant increases. After controlling for depressed mood, TMD patients as a whole showed a significantly blunted response in IL-6 levels produced during stress as compared to controls (β=0.31*). Although TMD subjects as a whole did not show the expected greater pain sensitivity to the ischemic task, those displaying a less optimistic style did exhibit lower pain tolerance times (β=−0.61*) and higher pain unpleasantness ratings (β=0.48*), compared with low optimism controls and high optimism TMD patients. Less optimistic TMD patients also had higher NE and IL-6 levels during stress than other TMD patients, while optimism was unrelated to responses in controls (*P<0.05).
Worker Monitoring Tests for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Results from an Industrial Longitudinal Study

This paper presents the initial findings from a study using two computer-controlled functional tests for sensory and motor deficits in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The gap detection sensory test quantifies dynamic tactile inspection thresholds for areas of the hand innervated by the median nerve. The rapid pinch and release psychomotor test measures the initiation and control of specific muscles innervated by the median nerve motor branch. The purpose of this ongoing study is to evaluate industrial subjects recruited from varying high risk industrial settings, such as poultry processing, automotive manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, assembly, and newspaper publishing for longitudinal changes in test outcomes. A total of 169 subjects were tested during the first year of this study. All subjects completed a symptom survey, underwent a physical examination of the upper limbs, shoulder and neck, had a nerve conduction study (NCS), and were administered the Wisconsin Test Battery. Both hands of the subjec...
Exercise barrier severity and perseverance of active youth with physical disabilities.

Purpose: The authors investigated perceived exercise and physical activity barriers of active youth with physical disabilities. Research Method/Design: A 46-item exercise barrier instrument was administered to 145 youth (117 boys and 28 girls, 12 to 19 years of age). Using the Rasch model, the authors estimated barrier severity and youths’ exercise perseverance. Model– data fit was determined by Infit and Outfit statistics ( 0.5 and 1.5). Results: Except for 1 item, the model fit the data well. The most difficult barriers that youth with physical disabilities faced were lack of time and pain or discomfort. The older youth demonstrated higher exercise perseverance than the younger youth. There were no differences in youths’ exercise perseverance scores by gender or National Wheelchair Basketball Association classification. Implications: Removing severe barriers should be a part of future exercise and physical activity interventions targeting this population.
La planificación lingüística y la revaloración del guaraní en el Paraguay: comparación, evaluación e implicación

Mientras que el espanol ha sido la unica lengua de la administracion, educacion e ingreso social y economico por casi 500 anos en el Paraguay, el guarani, recien en 1992, se reconoce como una de las lenguas oficiales y sirve de lengua de instruccion en el sistema educativo con la introduccion del Plan Nacional de Educacion Bilingue de Mantenimiento. El presente estudio compara los datos de investigaciones llevadas a cabo en dos ocasiones diferentes: en 1990 y en el ano 2000. Se examina el efecto de los esfuerzos de revaloracion de la lengua guarani y los incidentes significativos en la planificacion linguistica, acontecidos especialmente durante la ultima decada del siglo XX. Un total de 1035 estudiantes de las escuelas secundarias han participado en el presente proyecto.SummaryLanguage planning and language spread of Guarani in Paraguay: Comparison, evaluation and implicationSpanish has been the sole language of administration, education and social and economic advancement for nearly 500 years in Paraguay. Recently, in 1992, Guarani was recognized as an official language and it serves as the language of instruction in the educational system with the introduction of the National Plan for Bilingual Education and Maintenance. The present study compares data from research projects carried out on two separate occasions: in 1990 and in the year 2000. The effects of the efforts to promote the Guarani language and the significant events in language planning, especially those which occurred during the last decade of the 20th century, are examined. A total of 1,035 secondary school students participated in this project.ResumoLingvoplanado kaj lingvodisvastiĝo de la guarania en Paragvajo: Komparo, takso kaj implicojDum preskaŭ kvincent jaroj la hispana estis la sola lingvo de administrado, edukado, kaj socia kaj ekonomia evoluigo en Paragvajo. Lastatempe, en 1992, oni ekrekonis la guaranian kiel oficialan lingvon, kaj ĝi rolas kiel la instrulingvo en la eduka sistemo per enkonduko de la Nacia Plano por Dulingva Edukado kaj Konservado. La nuna studo komparas datenojn el esplorprojektoj realigitaj je du apartaj okazoj: en la jaroj 1990 kaj 2000. La artikolo ekzamenas la rezultojn de tiuj klopodoj antaŭenigi la guaranian lingvon kaj la signifajn paŝojn en lingvoplanado, precipe tiujn de la fina jardeko de la dudeka jarcento. Entute 1.035 mezlernejanoj partoprenis la projekton.
Moving Toward Integrative Care: Rationales, Models, and Steps for Conventional-Care Providers

Integration of conventional and complementary care in the United States is driven by the growing use of complementary therapies by patients, limitations in the effectiveness of conventional care fo...
Lipid changes in isolated brown fat cells from hibernating and aroused thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Citellus tridecemlineatus).

Abstract 1. 1. Increased brown fat mass occurs in mammalian hibernators after cold exposure. 2. 2. The increased tissue mass results primarily from deposition of neutral lipids in existing fat cells and from increased tissue water. 3. 3. Arousal from hibernation elicits mobilization of neutral lipids which are presumably utilized to support thermogenesis.
A database-based framework for gesture recognition

Gestures are an important modality for human---machine communication. Computer vision modules performing gesture recognition can be important components of intelligent homes, assistive environments, and human---computer interfaces. A key problem in recognizing gestures is that the appearance of a gesture can vary widely depending on variables such as the person performing the gesture, or the position and orientation of the camera. This paper presents a database-based approach for addressing this problem. The large variability in appearance among different examples of the same gesture is addressed by creating large gesture databases, that store enough exemplars from each gesture to capture the variability within that gesture. This database-based approach is applied to two gesture recognition problems: handshape categorization and motion-based recognition of American Sign Language signs. A key aspect of our approach is the use of database indexing methods, in order to address the challenge of searching large databases without violating the time constraints of an online interactive system, where system response times of over a few seconds are oftentimes considered unacceptable. Our experiments demonstrate the benefits of the proposed database-based framework, and the feasibility of integrating large gesture databases into online interacting systems.
Conditioning of agricultural soils with fatty acid still pitch

Still pitch remaining after the commercial distillation of soy and cottonseed oil fatty acids may be an effective agent for improving the tilth of certain agricultural soils. It greatly increases the water-holding capacity. Up to 98% of Boston blue clay was converted to water-stable aggregates by 4% of pitch. One per cent of pitch ($0.02/1b.) gave 10.8% aggregation while 0.1% of Krilium ($1.47/1b.) gave 8.5%.
Global Ethics, Christian Theology, and the Challenge of Sustainability

This paper considers how theology confronts sustainability as a global problem, and what that confrontation can contribute to the challenge of global ethics. After reviewing major models of religious engagement with global ethics, I argue for an analogical conception in which Christian social practices generate moral patterns with the capacity to meet the integrative challenge of global ethics. Theological reflection on those practices then helps sustain the discourse of sustainability as an effective working concept.
Volume operator for singly polarized gravity waves with planar or cylindrical symmetry

A previous paper constructed a kinematic basis for spin networks with planar or cylindrical symmetry and arbitrary polarization. This paper imposes a constraint which limits the gravitational wave to a single polarization. The spectrum of the constraint contains a physically reasonable number of zero eigenvalues, and the zero eigenvectors can be constructed explicitly. Commutation of the constraint with the Hamiltonian is expected to lead to a further constraint. This new constraint is not investigated in this paper, but I argue it will be nonlocal, relating states at two or more neighboring vertices.0.
Cesarean delivery outcomes after a prolonged second stage of labor

Objective We hypothesized that prolonged second stage of labor increases the incidence of unintentional hysterotomy extensions at cesarean delivery. Study Design A retrospective cohort of term pregnant women who underwent primary cesarean delivery after failed second stage of labor at Stanford University was assessed for hysterotomy extensions and other maternal and neonatal morbidities. Groups included second stage length of 1-3 hours and >4 hours. Data were analyzed with the use of chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Results Of the 239 women who were studied, the second stage of labor lasted 1-3 hours in 82 patients and >4 hours in 157 patients. Prolonged second stage of labor was associated with unintentional hysterotomy extensions (40% vs 26%; P = .03), particularly to the cervix (29% vs 5%; P = .005), and with surgery that lasted >90 minutes (9% vs 1%; P = .01). The incidence of hysterotomy extensions was associated positively with the length of the second stage. Other maternal and neonatal morbidities were similar between groups. Conclusion Prolonged second stage of labor is associated with an increase in unintentional hysterotomy extensions at cesarean delivery and prolonged operative time. The future risk of hysterotomy extensions merits further investigation.
Calculated Half-Widths and Line Shifts of Water Vapor Transitions in the 0.7-μm Region and a Comparison with Published Data

Abstract Pressure-broadened half-widths and pressure-induced line shifts for the two most important bands of water vapor in the 0.7-μm region are determined using the complex Robert–Bonamy (CRB) formalism. The calculations are made with nitrogen and oxygen as the perturbing gas from which values for air as the perturbing gas are determined. The intermolecular potential is taken as a sum of electrostatic contributions and Lennard–Jones (6–12) atom–atom, and isotropic induction and dispersion components. The dynamics of the collision process are correct to second order in time. The calculated values are compared with published measurements and agreement is observed for both half-widths and line shifts. The temperature dependence of the half-width, which is necessary for reduction of remotely sensed data, is determined.
Eye Marks in Vertebrates: Aids to Vision

Lines leading forward from the eye may function as aiming sights in many small vertebrates. The chief evidence is the correlation of distribution and positions of eye-lines in various vertebrate groups with predatory feeding habits. Dark patches around the eye may serve to reduce glare in species in bright environments. Facial patterns often have multiple functions.
Galatians 5.11: Evidence of an Early Law-observant Mission by Paul?

Galatians 5.11 refers to Paul ‘proclaiming circumcision’—a proposition that he is concerned to refute because he constructs two compact but powerful inferences designed to falsify it. One argues from present persecution, the other from the cross. Following a precise reconstruction of these it can be shown that the three main previous interpretations of the reference of Paul's ‘proclamation of circumcision’ are dubious, whether in terms of a blatantly false charge by opponents, a phase in Paul's pre-Christian Jewish life, or an occasional apostolic mission to Jews. A fourth, embarrassing reading is more likely, especially when other comparable missionary work is considered. Early on Paul proclaimed a fully law-observant gospel to pagans that included circumcision, but then later revised his praxis.
Reversibility of muscle differentiation in the absence of commitment: Analysis of a myogenic cell line temperature-sensitive for commitment

The interrelationship between commitment (irreversible withdrawal from the cell cycle) and muscle-specific gene expression was analyzed with the myogenic cell line ts 3b-2, which is temperature sensitive for commitment and cell fusion. The rates of synthesis and levels of accumulation of muscle-specific mRNAs and proteins in the ts 3b-2 cells at permissive and nonpermissive temperatures are comparable, indicating that neither commitment nor cell fusion is required for induction of muscle-specific gene expression. In the absence of commitment, the cells are reversibly withdrawn from the cell cycle during gene induction, and expression of the muscle-specific genes is deinduced upon the switch to growth-stimulating conditions. The deinduction reflects coordinate and preferential cessation of muscle-specific mRNA synthesis, coupled with destabilization of the muscle-specific mRNAs in the cytoplasm, without effect on constitutively expressed housekeeping protein genes. The phenotype of the ts 3b-2 cells demonstrates that commitment and muscle-specific gene expression are both required, but alone are insufficient, to produce the terminally differentiated muscle phenotype.
Evidence-based assessment of well-established interventions: the parachute and the epidural hematoma.

BACKGROUND:: The methods of evidence-based medicine are a relatively recent development in the understanding of clinical practice. They are criticized as not providing support for interventions long held to be highly effective based on experience that predated the availability of evidence-based analysis. OBJECTIVE:: To determine if the methods of evidence-based medicine can be successfully applied to interventions established before those methods were developed. METHODS:: Systematic review of English language literature on the natural history and treated prognosis of acute epidural hematoma and analysis of existing data on mortality associated with parachute use.Data Sources included Medline, Old Medline, Science Citation Index, British and United States Parachute Associations, and Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board databases (both of the United States). Also included were national databases reporting mortality and total number of parachute uses. RESULTS:: The estimated mortality of falling from an airplane with an ineffective parachute is 74% (69-79). Mortality associated with effective parachute deployment is between 0.0011 and 0.0017%. For acute epidural hematoma, estimated mortality is 98.54% (95.1 - 99.9) without treatment and 12.9% (10.5 - 15.3) with treatment. The Number Needed to Treat to prevent one death for the parachute is estimated to be 1.35 (1.27-1.45) and for epidural hematoma 1.17 (1.13 - 1.22) (95% binomial confidence intervals in parentheses). CONCLUSION:: The methods of evidence-based medicine are robust and can deal with interventions of great face validity and those considered well established before such methods were well developed. We propose initial criteria for evaluating the quality of evidence supporting long established interventions. Language: en
Endplate contributions to the safety factor for neuromuscular transmission.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ), for most extremity and axial skeletal muscle fibers, with the exception of extraocular, middle ear, and some facial and pharyngeal muscles, is a “slave” synapse that is designed to activate the muscle fiber every time the nerve terminal is activated. The fidelity of the NMJ hinges upon the electrical depolarization produced by activation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), called the endplate potential (EPP), being larger than is needed to trigger an action potential (AP) in the skeletal muscle fiber. The safety factor (SF) is a measure of how much larger the EPP is than the depolarization needed to trigger an AP (EAP). The SF depends on the amount of transmitter released, AChR density, EAP, and the effectiveness of the EPP in stimulating the Na+ channels that trigger the AP. This study focuses on the postsynaptic factors that influence the SF and how the SF is altered in myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve, 2011
Activating Transcription Factor 4 Is Required for the Differentiation of the Lamina Propria Layer of the Vas Deferens

Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4/CREB2) is a member of the cyclic-AMP response element-binding (CREB) family. These proteins have been shown to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in a broad number of tissues during embryo development. Here we report that male ATF4(-/-) mice are subfertile, despite the fact that they produce sufficient sperm and are able to fertilize wild-type eggs in vitro. An analysis of the ejaculatory ducts revealed abnormal constrictions in the lumen of the vas deferens. The lamina propria layer of the vas deferens was significantly thicker in the ATF4(-/-) mice and the cells that make up this layer were rounder and more abundant than in the ATF4(+/+) littermates. The change in the morphology of the lamina propria was associated with sexual maturation. A histologic analysis of the lamina propria revealed a reduction in the production of elastic fibers and interstitial cells of Cajal, as judged by the expression of neuron-specific enolase. These observations predict that ATF4 is required for the normal differentiation of the lamina propria layer of the vas deferens at sexual maturation. The morphology of the ATF4(-/-) lamina propria and the constriction of the lumen are consistent with an obstruction in the vas deferens contributing to the subfertility of the ATF4(-/-) males.
F-actin-like ATPase Activity in a Polymerization-defective Mutant Yeast Actin (V266G/L267G)

Polymerization increases a low level G-actin ATPase activity yielding ADP-P(i) F-actin and then ADP F-actin following release of P(i). By monitoring P(i) release, we explored the relationship between the ATPase activity and polymerization characteristics of a mutant yeast actin, GG. In this mutant, two hydrophobic residues at the tip of a proposed hydrophobic plug between actin subdomains 3 and 4, Val(266) and Leu(267), were mutated to Gly. Although GG-actin does not polymerize by itself in vitro, GG cells are viable. We show that GG-actin ATPase activity increases under normal polymerization conditions, although stable filaments do not form. A plot of P(i) release rate versus actin concentration yields an apparent critical concentration, like that seen for actin polymerization, of approximately 8 microm for Mg(2+) GG-actin and 11 microm for Ca(2+) GG-actin. In contrast to WT-actin, P(i) release from GG-actin is cold-sensitive, reflecting the temperature sensitivity associated with mutations that decrease hydrophobicity in this region. Thus, under polymerization conditions, GG-actin exhibits a continuous F-actin-like ATPase activity resulting from the temperature-sensitive formation of unstable cycling F-actin oligomers. Tropomyosin limits the extent and rate of this activity and restores polymerization by capturing and stabilizing these oligomers rather than enhancing filament nucleation.
The flexibility of the collagen compartment of muscle

Collagen, the major connective tissue protein, is an integral constituent of muscle and, because of its occurrence and characteristics, is a factor contributing to the texture of meat. This brief review focuses on aspects of collagen biosynthesis and experimental data which indicate the collagens of muscle possess remarkable capacity for change. Over 90% of the intramuscular collagen of meat is located in the perimysium. This fibrillar collagen is comprised predominantly of two collagen phenotypes, types I and III, whose proportions vary with animal age, muscle type, gender and probably rate of collagen synthesis. Collagen in muscle can differ additionally in crosslinking profile. Collagen crosslinks are structures arising from the condensation of lysine or hydroxylysine residues and their aldehydes. Crosslinks link two or three collagen molecules or (collagen fibrils) together. Both the tensile strength of collagen and the toughening of meat due to its connective component are related to collagen crosslink type and concentration. With age and maturation there is a general and progressive shift in collagen type (toward more type I) and an increase in the concentration of mature crosslinks. Such alterations in collagen characteristics, rather than significant changes in collagen concentrations, are responsible for the toughening of meat as animals age. Data also suggest that management practices which alter growth and muscle accretion rates can have a profound affect on collagen characteristics. Increasing or decreasing plane of nutrition, compensatory growth, testosterone- and somatotropin-mediated growth, and exercise alter collagen crosslink and/or type proportionally. Such changes can sometimes be associated with increased shear force scores for cooked meat. Alterations in muscle collagen characteristics are linked directly or indirectly to perturbations in collagen synthesis and turnover rates accompanying growth and muscle accretion. The concept that collagen does not change once deposited extracellularly or that changes in its characteristics are unidirectional does not appear to be valid in muscle tissues. Rather collagen appears to be a very flexible component of the extracellular matrix. Potential for management practices to alter collagen characteristics therefore exists.
Prefrontal cortical recordings with biomorphic MEAs reveal complex columnar-laminar microcircuits for BCI/BMI implementation

The mammalian prefrontal cortex known as the seat of high brain functions uses a six layer distribution of minicolumnar neurons to coordinate the integration of sensory information and the selection of relevant signals for goal driven behavior. To reveal the complex functionality of these columnar microcircuits we employed simultaneous recordings with several configurations of biomorphic microelectrode arrays (MEAs) within cortical layers in adjacent minicolumns, in four nohuman primates (NHPs) performing a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) visual discrimination task. We examined: (1) the functionality of inter-laminar, and inter-columnar interactions between pairs of cells in the same or different minicolumns by use of normalized cross-correlation histograms (CCH), (2) the modulation of glutamate concentration in layer 2/3, and (3) the potential interactions within these microcircuits. The results demonstrate that neurons in both infra-granular and supra-granular layers interact through inter-laminar loops, as well as through intra-laminar to produce behavioral response signals. These results provide new insights into the manner in which prefrontal cortical microcircuitry integrates sensory stimuli used to provide behaviorally relevant signals that may be implemented in brain computer/machine interfaces (BCI/BMIs) during performance of the task.
Exploiting asynchronous amplify-and-forward relays to enhance the performance of IEEE 802.11 networks

Cooperative communication is a promising path to recover from performance anomaly in IEEE 802.11 networks. However, a simple solution for employing multiple relays to enhance the relay link quality has not been proposed. The main obstacle for multiple relay utilization in distributed networks is that synchronizing relay transmissions requires huge signaling overhead. In this paper, we investigate the problem from both a physical-layer and MAC-layer point of view. In the physical layer, a simple, practical solution that provides diversity gain from asynchronous relay transmissions is introduced. In the MAC layer, a rate adaptation algorithm, RA-ARF, that takes the extra relay path into account is discussed, and R-MAC is designed to utilize relays in IEEE 802.11 networks. Our simulation results show considerable improvement in network performance using R-MAC.
Sex Differences in the Effect of Self-Efficacy on Willingness to Participate in a Performance Situation:

Building from Bandura's work on social cognitive theory wherein self-efficacy beliefs are important determinants of human action, this study examined whether affective control efficacy—the belief t...
Network effects and merger analysis: instant messaging and the AOL–Time Warner case

Abstract The AOL–Time Warner merger, announced in January 2000, was and still is the largest merger ever consummated. The merger plan was submitted to the FTC for antitrust review and to the FCC for license transfer review. The FTC approved the merger with conditions relating to open access. The FCC approved the merger subject to a condition (among others) that mandated interoperability for future (but not present) generations of AOL's popular instant messaging (IM) service, based on the potential leveraging of merger assets together with current IM network effects into market power in next-generation IM services. This condition was controversial and represents a new departure in antitrust analysis for industries imbued with network effects. This paper analyzes AOL's IM service and the ability to leverage merger assets into future market power in the context of the FCC condition; counter-arguments are considered and larger lessons for “new economy” antitrust are drawn from this experience and analysis.
In-vitro antibacterial activity of plant based phenolic compounds for food safety and preservation

Abstract Certain plant based natural phenolic compounds exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. These properties are known to provide health benefits by improving human health. However, their application in the area of food safety is relatively recent. Our objective was to evaluate antibacterial activity of plant derived curcumin, resveratrol, cinnamaldehyde, p-coumaric acid and coniferyl alcohol against E. coli W1485 and B. cereus, as models of common pathogenic microorganisms. Each phenolic compound was studied at four concentrations of 60 μg/ml, 120 μg/ml, 180 μg/ml and 240 μg/ml. E. coli W1485 and B. cereus were inoculated into the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) containing different levels of phenolics. Reductions in cell numbers of test cultures were enumerated by plating aliquots of diluted cultures on tryptic soy agar media and results were expressed in log10 CFU/ml. Up to 5.95 log10 CFU/ml of E. coli W1485 were reduced by resveratrol at 240 μg/ml of concentration and 6.2 log10 CFU/ml of B. cereus were reduced by cinnamaldehyde at 240 μg/ml of concentration within 4 h of incubation. Resveratrol and cinnamaldehyde are promising natural antimicrobials for food safety and preservation.
Choroideremia in a woman with ectodermal dysplasia and complex translocations involving chromosomes X, 1, and 3.

Background: Choroideremia is an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by vision loss with progressive atrophy of the retinal photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and choriocapillaris. Ectodermal dysplasia is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by a deficiency of two or more ectodermal derivatives. We report on the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of a 29-year-old woman with both choroideremia and ectodermal dysplasia.Materials and Methods: Observational case report with physical and ophthalmic examination, fluorescein angiography (FA), visual field testing, electroretinography, and cytogenetic analysis. This study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Institutional Review Board guidelines.Results: Physical and ocular examination revealed hypotrichosis, hypohidrosis, full dentures, meibomian gland hypoplasia, and a decrease in corneal tear film. Visual acuity was hand motions in the right eye and 20/50 in the left eye...
COULOMB RADIUS CONSTANT FROM NUCLEAR MASSES

On the assumption of a uniform charge distribution, the Coulomb energy constant obtained from a recent adjustment of the semiempirical formula to the mass data corresponds to the Coulomb radius constant 1.237 (in ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm). This result is in good agreement with the radius constant obtained from recent studies of $\ensuremath{\mu}$-mesonic x-rays, and can be readily reconciled with the radii obtained from electron scattering, isotope shift measurements, and mirror nuclide mass differences. In view of the importance of the question of the Coulomb radius, an attempt is made to refine the determination of the Coulomb radius constant based upon nuclear masses by using an objective criterion for best fit. A least-squares analysis involving a new adjustment procedure yields the radius constant 1.216. An investigation of the precision of this determination leads to the assignment of a probable error of 1 percent. This new radius constant agrees with the average radius constant obtained from $\ensuremath{\mu}$-mesonic x-rays within the small probable error assigned to each.
Trends in tropospheric humidity from reanalysis systems

[1] A recent paper (Paltridge et al., 2009) found that specific humidity in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis declined between 1973 and 2007, particularly in the tropical mid and upper troposphere, the region that plays the key role in the water vapor feedback. If borne out, this result suggests potential problems in the consensus view of a positive water vapor feedback. Here we consider whether this result holds in other reanalyses and what time scale of climate fluctuation is associated with the negative specific humidity trends. The five reanalyses analyzed here (the older NCEP/NCAR and ERA40 reanalyses and the more modern Japanese Reanalysis (JRA), Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)-interim reanalyses) unanimously agree that specific humidity generally increases in response to short-term climate variations (e.g., El Nino). In response to decadal climate fluctuations, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis is unique in showing decreases in tropical mid and upper tropospheric specific humidity as the climate warms. All of the other reanalyses show that decadal warming is accompanied by increases in mid and upper tropospheric specific humidity. We conclude from this that it is doubtful that these negative long-term specific humidity trends in the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are realistic for several reasons. First, the newer reanalyses include improvements specifically designed to increase the fidelity of long-term trends in their parameters, so the positive trends found there should be more reliable than in the older reanalyses. Second, all of the reanalyses except the NCEP/NCAR assimilate satellite radiances rather than being solely dependent on radiosonde humidity measurements to constrain upper tropospheric humidity. Third, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis exhibits a large bias in tropical upper tropospheric specific humidity. And finally, we point out that there exists no theoretical support for having a positive short-term water vapor feedback and a negative long-term one.
Respiratory motion-compensated radial dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of chest and abdominal lesions

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI is becoming an increasingly important tool for evaluating tumor vascularity and assessing the effectiveness of emerging antiangiogenic and antivascular agents. In chest and abdominal regions, however, respiratory motion can seriously degrade the achievable image quality in DCE-MRI studies. The purpose of this work is to develop a respiratory motion-compensated DCE-MRI technique that combines the self-gating properties of radial imaging with the reconstruction flexibility afforded by the golden-angle view-order strategy. Following radial data acquisition, the signal at k-space center is first used to determine the respiratory cycle, and consecutive views during the expiratory phase of each respiratory period (34-55 views, depending on the breathing rate) are grouped into individual segments. Residual intrasegment translation of lesion is subsequently compensated for by an autofocusing technique that optimizes image entropy, while intersegment translation (among different respiratory cycles) is corrected using 3D image correlation. The resulting motion-compensated, undersampled dynamic image series is then processed to reduce image streaking and to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) prior to perfusion analysis, using either the k-space-weighted image contrast (KWIC) radial filtering technique or principal component analysis (PCA). The proposed data acquisition scheme also allows for high frame-rate arterial input function (AIF) sampling and free-breathing baseline T(1) mapping. The performance of the proposed radial DCE-MRI technique is evaluated in subjects with lung and liver lesions, and results demonstrate that excellent pixelwise perfusion maps can be obtained with the proposed methodology.
Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Effects on Cotton Plant Residue Decomposition

Assessing the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on the global environment is hampered due to a lack of understanding of global C cycling. Carbon fixed within plant biomass ultimately enters the soil via plant residues, but the effects of elevated-CO 2 -grown plant material on decomposition rates and long-term soil C storage are unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the decomposition rate of plant residues grown under an elevated CO2 environment as affected by soil type. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. 'Delta Pine 77') samples were collected from a free-air CO 2 enrichment (550 μL L -1 ) experiment. The plant residues were incubated under ambient CO 2 conditions to determine decomposition rates of leaves, stems, and roots and potential N and P mineralization-immobilization in three soil series: a Blanton loamy sand (loamy siliceous, thermic Grossarenic Paleudult), a Decatur silt loam (clayey, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Paleudult), and a Houston clay loam (very fine, montmorillonitic Typic Chromudert). No significant difference was observed between plant residue grown under CO 2 enrichment vs. ambient CO 2 conditions for soil respiration or P mineralization-immobilization. Significantly greater net N immobilization was observed during the incubation in all soil types for plant residue grown at elevated CO2. These results indicate that while decomposition of plant residue may not be reduced by CO2 enrichment, N dynamics may be markedly changed.
Seismic properties of heavy oils—measured data

Seismic techniques hold great potential for characterization and recovery monitoring of heavy oil reservoirs. However, to be more effective, we must understand the seismic properties of the heavy oils and the heavy oil sands because this knowledge of in-situ properties is key to linking the seismic response to reservoir properties and changes. In this article, we examine the seismic properties of heavy oils in detail.