cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dorsomedial Striatal Activity Tracks Completion of Behavioral Sequences in Rats.

For proper execution of goal-directed behaviors, individuals require both a general representation of the goal and an ability to monitor their own progress toward that goal. Here, we examine how dorsomedial striatum (DMS), a region pivotal for forming associations among stimuli, actions, and outcomes, encodes the execution of goal-directed action sequences that require self-monitoring of behavior. We trained rats to complete a sequence of at least 5 consecutive lever presses (without visiting the reward port) to obtain a reward and recorded the activity of individual cells in DMS while rats performed the task. We found that the pattern of DMS activity gradually changed during the execution of the sequence, permitting accurate decoding of sequence progress from neural activity at a population level. Moreover, this sequence-related activity was blunted on trials where rats did not complete a sufficient number of presses. Overall, these data suggest a link between DMS activity and the execution of behavioral sequences that require monitoring of ongoing behavior. Significance statement Dorsomedial striatal activity was recorded during a task requiring rats to track progress in the execution of lever press sequences. Dorsomedial striatal activity evolved across the behavioral sequence with a ramp-like pattern of activity, permitting accurate decoding of sequence progress at the population level. Additionally, the magnitude of sequence-related activity was blunted on incomplete trials, suggesting that DMS activity may be critical for proper monitoring and execution of behavioral sequences. This study demonstrates that DMS neurons encode progress toward a goal during execution of action sequences when animals are required to track their own behavior for efficient performance.
Of Outlaws, Christians, Horsemeat, and Writing: Uniform Laws and Saga Iceland

appearances in Old English manuscripts in the late tenth century. At that time the Old English word for law was, believe it or not, Be, written as a digraph called "ash." Now most readers, myself included, tend to experience anxiety when we confront a ligatured vowel like ae and so we untie it as a prelude to getting rid of it altogether: we turn an aesthete2 into an aesthete before finally humiliating him (or her) as an esthete, all to resolve our nervousness. King AEthelred the Unready becomes AEthelred before turning ignominiously into Ethelred. If aX had stayed our word for law and we make the necessary allowances for what happened to the pronunciation of Old English words that had an ash in them, instead of lawyers we would simply be "ers," which indeed was how Chaucer spelled arse.3 And imagine how hard it would be to maintain the pompous tone in which we are wont to speak of THE LAW if instead we were speaking of THE E, pronounced with
Police Integrity in Russia

This chapter explores the contours of police integrity in Russia. The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index suggests that Russia is perceived as a highly corrupt country. With about 1 million employees, the Russian police are one of the largest police agencies in the world. This chapter relies on the police integrity survey conducted in 2012–2013. Questionnaires were distributed to the police officers in two regions of the Russian Federation: Southern District–Rostov Region and North Caucasus–Karachaevo Cherkessia. With two exceptions, the respondents did not perceive the behaviors described in the scenarios as very serious. While most of the respondents did not have any problems recognizing these behaviors as rule violating, they supported and expected police agencies to mete out no discipline for the majority of these behaviors. Finally, the results suggest that the code of silence covers all of the behaviors described in the questionnaire.
Statistics of Brazil Current rings observed from AVHRR: 1993 to 1998

[1] A 6-year time series of sea surface temperature fields derived from NOAA polar-orbiter AVHRR 5-day composites is used to estimate the lifetime, size, and trajectory of 43 warm-core rings shed by the Brazil Current at the Southwestern Atlantic region in a consistent fashion for the first time. Ring lifetimes range from 11 to 95 days, and are not bi-modal as is the case for the Gulf Stream anticyclones. Translational speeds range from 4.2 to 27.2 km/day with a mean value of 13.1 km/day. After formation, rings are mostly elliptical with a mean major radius of 126 ± 50 km and a minor radius of 65 ± 22 km. None of the rings seem to last more than four months in the region. An attempt to explore possible connections between ring shedding variability and the Antarctic Dipole is also addressed.
Cation Segregation in Simulated Radioactive-Waste Zeolite-A Mixtures

Abstract Segregation of cations based on size is observed in samples of zeolite-A loaded with simulated radioactive-waste(∼5 wt.% Li, K, Cs and Ba, 1 wt.% Sr and Y,
Structure and expression of the human slow twitch skeletal muscle troponin I gene.

Abstract The contractile protein troponin I is encoded by a multigene family whose members are expressed differentially in various classes of muscle fibers. In vertebrates, the "slow" isoform of troponin I is expressed during early heart and skeletal muscle development but is restricted to slow twitch skeletal muscle in the adult. This diverse expression pattern offers an opportunity to study the regulation of a single gene within different developmental contexts. To initiate such studies, we have cloned the gene encoding the human slow twitch skeletal muscle isoform of troponin I and have identified 5'-flanking sequences required for its expression in skeletal muscle cells. The slow troponin I gene spans 12.5 kilobases and is divided into nine exons. In contrast to many muscle-specific genes, the troponin I promoter does not contain consensus CCAAT or TATA elements. Moreover, the sequence from -9 to +11 resembles an "initiator element" previously shown to direct transcription of some tissue-specific genes lacking TATA boxes (Smale, S. T., and Baltimore, D. (1989) Cell 57, 103-113; Brand, N. J., Petkovich, M., and Chambon, P. (1990) Nucleic Acids Res. 18, 6799-6806; Weis, L., and Reinberg, D. (1992) FASEB J. 6, 3300-3309). A transcriptional fusion construct, comprising 4.2 kilobases of troponin I 5'-flanking DNA linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase gene, exhibited cell type-specific and developmentally regulated expression. A muscle-specific enhancer regulated slow troponin I promoter activity.
Designing a portable MPI-2 over modern interconnects using uDAPL interface

In the high performance computing arena, there exist several implementations of MPI-1 and MPI-2 for different networks. Some implementations allow the developer to work with multiple networks. However, most of them require the implementation of a new device, before they can be deployed on a new networking interconnect. The emerging uDAPL interface provides a network-independent interface to the native transport of different networks. Designing a portable MPI library with uDAPL might allow the user to move quickly from one networking technology to another. In this paper, we have designed the popular MVAPICH2 library to use uDAPL for communication operations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first open-source MPI-2 compliant implementation over uDAPL. Evaluation with micro-benchmarks and applications on InfiniBand shows that the implementation with uDAPL performs comparably with that of MVAPICH2. Evaluation with micro-benchmarks on Myrinet and Gigabit Ethernet shows that the implementation with uDAPL delivers performance close to that of the underlying uDAPL library.
Effect of maternal ketoacidemia on the pregnant ewe and the fetus

Poorly controlled diabetic pregnancies are associated with hyperglycemia and elevated ketones. While glucose is known to cross the placenta, there is limited information regarding the placental transfer of ketones and their associated cardiovascular and metabolic effects in the fetus. Thus, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the transfer of the ketoacid beta hydroxybutyrate across the ovine placenta and to determine the effects of this ketoacid on maternal and fetal physiologic and metabolic parameters. Pregnant ewes (110 to 120 days' gestation) were instrumented with catheters in the lateral branch of both uterine arteries, uterine veins, femoral artery, and femoral vein, and electromagnetic flow probes were placed on both middle uterine arteries. Catheters were placed in the fetal carotid artery and jugular vein, and a catheter and balloon were placed in the amniotic fluid. Beta hydroxybutyrate (0.39 mmole/100 ml of uterine blood flow) and antipyrine (00.27 mmole/100 ml of uterine blood flow) as a second reference marker, were infused simultaneously into the uterine arteries for a period of 2 hours. The beta hydroxybutyrate concentrations in the uterine vein increased to 5.93 +/- 1.32 mmoles/L, and were associated with a significant increase in maternal heart rate and a slight but significant reduction in uterine blood flow. No changes in maternal arterial blood gas values were noted. The concentration of beta hydroxybutyrate in the fetal carotid arteries increased from 0.01 +/- 0.01 mmole/l to 0.15 +/- 0.03 mmole/L, and were associated with a significant reduction in fetal PaO2 (24.2 +/- 0.9 to 17.9 +/- 1.9 mm Hg) and an elevation of fetal lactate levels (1.86 +/- 0.17 to 5.07 +/- 1.56 mmoles/L).
Low molecular weight deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase from calf thymus chromatin. II. Initiation and fidelity of homopolymer replication.

Abstract Replication of polydeoxynucleotide templates catalyzed by the low molecular weight DNA polymerase from calf thymus chromatin proceeds only in the presence of a complementary initiator, complementary deoxynucleoside triphosphate, and a divalent cation. The minimum chain length of an initiator for initiation of polydeoxyadenylate is 7. Kinetic studies show a single binding site for deoxynucleoside triphosphate and one binding site for the template initiator. The Km for monomers varies from 28 to 42 µm. The Km for the template is about 1000-fold lower than for the monomer and is not markedly affected by base composition. The low molecular weight DNA polymerase does not have an associated 3'- to 5'-exonuclease function, enhancing the possibility for replicative errors. Several error mechanisms have been detected. When a mismatched nucleotide is present at the 3' terminus of the initiator molecule reaction does occur, and the initiator molecule with the mismatched nucleotide at the 3' terminus is incorporated into the product chain. In the absence of the complementary deoxynucleoside triphosphate the enzyme carries out a "limited" addition reaction at the 3' termini of initiated templates. The limited addition reaction is stimulated by the presence of the deoxynucleoside triphosphate complementary to the template, requires the presence of an initiated template, increases with increasing concentration of deoxynucleoside triphosphate, and is higher in Mn2+-catalyzed reactions than in Mg2+-catalyzed reactions. Nearest neighbor analyses on the products of homopolymer replication show that the 3'-termini of both the template chain and the product chain are used for this limited addition. A conservative estimate of the fidelity of the low molecular weight DNA polymerase in the poly(dA) replication is obtained by the thymidine to cytosine or thymidine to guanine ratio in the product, where C or G is the mismatched monomer found as the 3' neighbor to T. The T/C ratio is about 120,000 and T/G is about 10,000 in the products of Mn2+-catalyzed poly(dA) replication. In the products of Mg2+-catalyzed poly(dA) replication, the T/C ratio is about 180,000 and the T/G ratio is about 100,000.
The Laplace Transform

The Laplace transform is an integral transformation that converts solving ordinary differential equations into solving a system of algebraic equations. Various types of integral transform methods exist, but due to its central role in control theory, this text focuses on Laplace transforms.
Phase-measuring fiber optic ESPI system: phase-step calibration and error sources

In this paper we discuss a fiber optic electronic speckle pattern interferometer (ESPI) for obtaining 3D information about surface deformation. Phase stepping is introduced by stretching the fiber wrapped around a piezo-electric transducer. Two schemes to stretch the fiber are discussed. Also calibration of the phase step is critical in phase measurement techniques for obtaining good phase plots. In this paper we outline a method used for calibrating the stretcher. We also discuss the error in the phase caused by temperature changes.
Analysis of the operation and control of a simple plant-wide module

This paper provides an analysis of the operation and control of a three-unit module common to many chemical and petrochemical manufacturing operations. A number of control alternatives are evaluated for their ability to control product quality, maintain production capacity, and maintain energy efficiency in the face of several simple disturbances. The study identifies and quantifies several plant-wide control issues which are often overlooked when local unit operations are controlled out of a plant-wide context.
The Relation Between Ageostrophy and Boundary-Layer Structure in the Western-Pacific Trades (Wake Island)

Eight years (1980–1987) of Wake Island rawinsonde data are used to derive atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) depth, integrated boundary-layer moisture, and a measure of boundary-layer ageostrophy. The variability in these processes controls the accumulation of moisture and heat in the tradewind regions and their transport to regions of intense convection. Preliminary analyses using different methods reveal quasi-periodic signals in these data in the 30–60 days range. Cross correlation calculations in this intraseasonal range show that these ABL variables are coherent with each other and with the low-level flow. The integrated ABL variables and the ABL height exhibit local in-phase relationships. At higher frequencies, the analyses show intense diurnal variation of boundary-layer height but only a weak diurnal signal in integrated ABL properties. At the lower frequency range, the analyses show a significant reduction in the amplitude of the seasonal and intraseasonal variation in ageostrophy during the strong El-Nino event of 1982/1983. The results clearly establish a relationship between integrated water vapour and divergent ABL processes (Ekman pumping/suction) in which shallower (deeper) ABLs are associated with mass and moisture divergence (convergence) and higher (lower) sea-level pressure. A possible interpretation in terms of a remote dynamic response of the trade inversion and ABL processes to equatorial deep convection is suggested.
Testifying in Court: Guidelines and Maxims for the Expert Witness

This work, designed for mental health professionals, offers guidance on effective modes of giving testimony, understanding the courtroom milieu, and evaluating the effectiveness of testimony before and after the actual experience.
Allosteric transition and ligand binding in hemoglobin Chesapeake.

Abstract The human hemoglobin (Hb) mutant Chesapeake (α92 Arg→Leu) is characterized by increased oxygen affinity, a Bohr effect, and a lowered value of n in Hill's equation in the midrange of saturation. The data presented here demonstrate that, in addition, the dissociation of oxygen from oxy Hb Chesapeake proceeds with a rate of 15 per s and that the carbon monoxide binding proceeds with a slightly accelerating time course at a rate of 3.5 x 105 m-1 s-1. The reactions of bromthymol blue and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate with oxy and deoxy Hb Chesapeake demonstrate that the R ⇄ T interconversion does occur in this mutant. Finally, oxygen binding and the oxygen equilibrium curve can be satisfactorily accounted for by a Monod, Wyman, Changeaux model (in its simplest form) with a small value of L (5 to 10) and a normal value of c. These results are in agreement with the analysis of Edelstein (Edelstein, S. (1971) Nature 230, 224–227) and the predictions of Shulman et al. (Shulman, R. G., Ogawa, S., and Hopfield, J. J. (1972) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 151, 68–74) that the functional properties of Hb Chesapeake can be explained by an early conversion from the T to the R state as ligand binding progresses.
Haldane, Bailey, Taylor and recombinant-inbred lines.

THAT mouse Mecca, the Jackson Laboratory, has repeatedly pioneered in bringing mouse genetics to its present state. There was George Snell's Nobel-Prize-winning work on histocompatibility, Roy Stevens' work on embryonal carcinoma, Tibby Russell's on hematopoiesis, and many others (reviewed by Paigen 2003a,b). It has also been the site of several important methodological innovations. First and most important, C. C. Little had the foresight to establish inbred lines (Crow 2002). His first line was started in 1909; by 1980, there were >300 (Paigen 2003a). Another innovation was the development of congenic strains—inbred lines with a small foreign chromosomal region introgressed by repeated backcrossing into the line (Snell 1948). A third was chromosome substitution (consomic) strains. These have a single chromosome introgressed into an inbred line (Singer et al. 2004). The fourth innovation, in many ways the cleverest, was recombinant inbred (RI) lines. These innovations each required many years of advance work before they could be utilized effectively. Such projects certainly would not fare well as grant applications today. Only in an organization with a long-time commitment, such as the Jackson Laboratory, could such projects be carried through.
A multidecadal study of cirrus in the tropical tropopause layer

[1] Changes in the distributions of cirrus in the upper troposphere centered at 100 hPa in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) during the last 27 years (1985–2012) are quantified based upon an analysis of five independent data sets. Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II, Halogen Occultation Experiment, Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer, High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder, and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization data are used to determine cirrus frequency-of-occurrence geospatial distributions in the TTL in multiple year segments during 1985–2012. Full width at half maximum (FWHM) tropical widths of cirrus zonal averages of occurrence frequency centered at 100 hPa are calculated for each experiment. The FWHMs have a 2σ trend of 0.28 ± 1.5° decade−1. This statistically insignificant trend is similar to those calculated by Davis and Rosenlof (2012) based upon analyses of reanalysis tropopause height and tropopause latitudinal gradients near 100 hPa.
Exhaustive determination of (1023, 511, 255)-cyclic difference sets

An exhaustive search for (1023, 511, 255)-cyclic difference sets has been conducted. A total of 10 non-equivalent (1023, 511, 255)-cyclic difference sets have been found, all of which are members of previously known or conjectured infinite families. A fast and effective autocorrelation test method was utilized that can also facilitate the testing of longer sequences.
Improved Technology for Focused-Ion-Beam Thinning of Tissue for Cryo-Electron Tomography. Application to Triad Junctions

The use of focused-ion-beam milling (FIB) to thin vitreously frozen cells for application of cryo-electron tomography is an emerging technology. However, successful application of cryo-FIB milling and tomography to frozen biological tissue has, to our knowledge, not been reported. This is because bulk tissue cannot be effectively frozen by simple plunge freezing of EM grids, but rather must be prepared by high-pressure freezing, which requires extra steps. The cryo-transfers that are required at each step of the process can cause devitrification, excessive frost contamination and mechanical damage, consequently resulting in unacceptably high failure rates. To address these problems, we have devised a protocol and have designed new devices for manipulating the specimens as they are transferred from the high-pressure freezer, to a cryo-ultramicrotome (for rough trimming), to the FIB instrument, and finally to the transmission electron microscope. Using these improved procedures we have thinned toad fish swim bladder muscle to less than 150 nm, which is necessary to achieve resolutions of 2-3 nm, and we have determined the first cryo-tomograms of vitreously frozen triad junctions. The tomograms should reveal the three-dimensional architecture of the triad with an unprecedented fidelity and level of detail. (Supported by NIH).
Extended InGaAs/InGaAs quantum structures for near infrared photodetection beyond 1.9 /spl mu/m

Extended InGaAs quantum structures were grown on InP substrate using two strain compensation techniques by molecular beam epitaxy. The material quality was characterized and the absorption coefficient was measured with transmission spectroscopy.
Effect of cortical spreading depression on audiogenic seizure priming of C57BL/6 mice

Abstract At 19 days of age, C57BL/6Bg mice received KCl-induced cortical spreading depression during which they were acoustically primed by exposure to an initial uditory stimulus. At 28 days of age, the mice were tested for susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. Cortical spreading depression had no effect on acoustic priming of C57BL/6Bg mice and it had been previously reported to have no effect on acoustic priming of SJL/J mice. These findings are discussed in the context of pharmacogenetic differences for the effects of aminooxyacetic acid on acoustic priming of C57BL/6 and SJL/J mice.
Detection of overexpressed COX-2 in precancerous lesions of hamster pancreas and lungs by molecular imaging: implications for early diagnosis and prevention

The enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is overexpressed in many cancers, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and arthritis. Selective inhibitors of COX-2 have been developed as therapeutics or preventive agents for these diseases. However, recent reports have revealed a significant increase in cardiovascular mortality in long-term users of the COX-2 inhibitors Vioxx and Celebrex, emphasizing the need for noninvasive tests that allow the identification of individuals whose COX-2 levels are overexpressed prior to assignment to treatment with these drugs. In this study, we have prepared a radioiodinated analogue of the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib, and verified its binding to the COX-2 enzyme in vitro. Biodistribution studies in hamsters demonstrated significantly higher levels of radiotracer in animals treated with the tobacco carcinogen NNK in lung, pancreas, and liver. Assessment of COX-2 levels by whole-body planar nuclear imaging two hours after injection of the radiotracer was suggestive of a distinct increase in COX-2 in the pancreas and liver of a hamster treated for 10 weeks with NNK, in the lungs and liver of a second animal, and in the liver only, in two additional animals from the same treatment group. Immunostains showed selective overexpression of COX-2 in pre-neoplastic lesions of the pancreas and lungs in only those animals that showed tracer accumulation in these organs and in the livers of all NNK-treated hamsters. Immunostains for COX-1 yielded detectable reactions in the intestinal epithelium but not in pancreas, lungs, or liver, supporting the specificity of the tracer for COX-2. Our data provide proof of principle for the hypothesis that molecular imaging with radiolabeled COX-2 inhibitors can be used for the noninvasive monitoring of overexpressed COX-2 levels.
The Moors Are Coming, the Moors Are Coming! Encounters with Muslims in Contemporary Spain

ABSTRACT For centuries the Spaniards have celebrated ‘Moors and Christians’, a popular enactment of the arrival of Islam in Spain and the subsequent Reconquista of the peninsula by Catholic forces. In this article we shall analyze how this celebration has evolved from being a religious commemoration and has become a secular holiday through which the population project their image of Muslims, drawing on historical perceptions. In addition, the changes introduced into ‘Moors and Christians’ during the past decades reflect developments in Spanish society in relation to gender issues, as well as adjustments to accommodate the increasing Muslim population.
Characterization of the structural, electronic and tribological properties of metal dichalcogenides by scanning probe microscopies

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to characterize the structural and electronic properties of single-crystal MoS2, nickel-substituted MoS2 (NixMo1−xS2), and chalcogenide-substituted MoS2 (MoS2−xChx, Ch ≡ Se, Te) at the atomic level. Images of Ni0.1Mo0.9S2 demonstrate that nickel substitution causes localized changes in the electronic states, although the structure of the surface sulfur layer is unchanged compared with MoS2. Investigations of MoS1.75Se0.25 also show that within the detection limits of AFM selenium substitution does not perturb the sulfur surface structure, and STM data further indicate that the substituted selenium is electronically delocalized. In contrast, AFM studies of MoS1.75Te0.25 show that tellurium substitution produces atomic-sized structural protrusions that may modify significantly the tribological properties of MoS2. In addition, we demonstrate that material wear can be characterized on an atomic scale by AFM. These studies indicate that the microscopic origin of material wear as well as the local structure and electronic properties should be considered to develop further models of friction and wear in metal dichalcogenide materials.
Iris categorization with texton representation

A key concern with iris recognition systems is the time required to reliably find a test sample's match in a large database of subjects. This work considers methods for categorizing irises within a database, so that a search for a match to a test sample can be focused on the test sample's category. This work uses texton learning to reduce the representation of the images and then clusters the images with the unsupervised k-means technique. Success of the system is assessed as its ability to consistently classify images from the same subject. This work includes experiments to determine the optimal number of textons and image clusters. It also investigates different accuracy metrics and analyzes the potential time saving impacts for finding a database match. I. INTRODUCTION
Helicopter overtriage in pediatric trauma

Abstract Background Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) have been designed to provide faster access to trauma center care in cases of life-threatening injury. However, the ideal recipient population is not fully characterized, and indications for helicopter transport in pediatric trauma vary dramatically by county, state, and region. Overtriage, or unnecessary utilization, can lead to additional patient risk and expense. In this study we perform a nationwide descriptive analysis of HEMS for pediatric trauma and assess the incidence of overtriage in this group. Methods We reviewed records from the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank (2008-11) and included patients less than 16years of age who were transferred from the scene of injury to a trauma center via HEMS. Overtriage was defined as patients meeting all of the following criteria: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) equal to 15, absence of hypotension, an Injury Severity Score (ISS) less than 9, no need for procedure or critical care, and a hospital length of stay of less than 24hours. Results A total of 19,725 patients were identified with a mean age of 10.5years. The majority of injuries were blunt (95.6%) and resulted from motor vehicle crashes (48%) and falls (15%). HEMS transported patients were predominately normotensive (96%), had a GCS of 15 (67%), and presented with minor injuries (ISS Conclusions Helicopter overtriage is prevalent among pediatric trauma patients nationwide. The ideal model to predict need for HEMS must consider clinical outcomes in the context of judicious resource utilization. The development of guidelines for HEMS use in pediatric trauma could potentially limit unnecessary transfers while still identifying children who require trauma center care in a timely fashion.
U.S. Warms to Law of the Sea Treaty

The United States is moving closer to ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, with the Bush Administration bestowing its blessings, and a broad spectrum of interest groups expressing support during recent U.S. Senate hearings. They said that the convention, with some minor clarification, supports U.S. defense, homeland security, and resource, scientific, and environmental goals. John Turner, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the State Department, said that becoming a party to the convention “represents the highest priority of United States international oceans policy.” He spoke at a 21 October hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin excretion in patients with orthostatic hypotension.

The rates of melatonin formation and its diurnal fluctuations have been examined in patients with three types of orthostatic hypotension by measuring the urinary excretion rates of 6-hydroxymelatonin, the major metabolite of the pineal gland hormone. Deficiencies in the peripheral autonomic nervous system resulted in markedly diminished daily excretion (2.5 ± 1.3 μg) relative to controls (12.2 ± 1.2). Patients with impaired central nervous system function exhibited low and/or abnormal excretion patterns. Two patients with sympathotonic orthostatic hypotension excreted greater amounts of 6-hydroxymelatonin than any of the control subjects. Melatonin secretion by the pineal gland can be used as an index of sympathetic nerve function. The study of patients with altered function may reveal the role of the pineal gland in human physiology.
Importance of sampling rate for analysis of hepatic blood flow data demonstrated by non-chaotic solution of Poincaré equation

Hepatic blood flow data collected from an animal model appear to exhibit properties of chaos. The data analysis is complicated because the proper sampling rate is unknown. We introduce an exact solution for the Poincare equation which in fact demonstrates that the function is oscillator, not chaotic, if shorter time intervals are considered. This result has serious implications for the analysis of the hepatic blood flow as well as other time series data.
Pesticide encapsulation using a starch–borate complex as wall material

A new technique has been developed for encapsulating pesticides for controlled release. The method consists in mixing starch, pesticide, and water; adding alkali to gelatinize the starch; and treating the mixture with boric acid. The solid product is a starch–borate adduct, entrapping the pesticide within small cells. Initially, the adduct is a rubbery gel which, when treated with alcohol or ground with additional pearl starch, yields particles suitable for drying to the 10–35-mesh range. When the starch is used to break up the gel, the technique is useful for retaining water-soluble compounds. Water-insoluble pesticides, emulsifiable concentrates, and wettable powders are encapsulated and recovered in high yields. Acid-labile pesticides such as diazinon are stable in the borate gel. The process was scaled up successfully by use of a double planetary mixer.
Flow Measurements and Multiple Pure Tone Noise From a Forward Swept Fan

A forward-swept fan, designated the Quiet High Speed Fan (QHSF), was tested in the NASA Glenn 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel to investigate its noise reduction relative to a baseline fan of the same aerodynamic performance. The objective of the Quiet High Speed Fan was a 6-dB reduction in the Effective Perceived Noise Level relative to the baseline fan at the takeoff condition. The intent of the Quiet High Speed Fan design was to provide both a multiple pure tone noise reduction from the forward sweep of the fan rotor and a rotor-stator interaction blade passing tone noise reduction from a leaned stator. The tunnel noise data indicted that the Quiet High Speed Fan was quieter than the baseline fan for a significant portion of the operating line and was 6 dB quieter near the takeoff condition. Although reductions in the multiple pure tones were observed, the vast majority of the EPNdB reduction was a result of the reduction in the blade passing tone and its harmonics. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and shroud unsteady pressure measurement data were obtained upstream of the QHSF and baseline rotors to improve the understanding of the shocks which propagate upstream of the two fans when they are operated at high speeds. The flow phenomena that produce multiple pure tone noise is discussed and compared to measurements of the fan acoustic inlet modes and the far field noise signature of the fan.
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of metabolites in fermenting and respiring yeast cells

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with rapid chemometric analysis were used to identify chemical differences in metabolite extracts isolated from yeast cells either metabolizing glucose (repressed (R) cells) via fermentation or metabolizing ethanol by respiration (derepressed (DR) cells). Principal component analysis (PCA) followed by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) in concert with the LECO ChromaTOF software located and identified the differences in composition between the two types of cell extracts and provided a reliable ratio of the metabolite concentrations. In this report, we demonstrate the analytical method developed to provide relatively rapid analysis of three selective mass channels (m/z 73, 205, 387), although in principle all collected mass channels could be analyzed. Twenty-six metabolites that differentiate repressed cells from derepressed cells were identified. The DR/R ratio of metabolite concentrations ranged from 0.02 for glucose to 67 for trehalose. The average biological variation of the sample extracts was 31%. This analysis demonstrates the utility and benefit of using PCA combined with PARAFAC and ChromaTOF software on extremely complex samples to derive useful information from complex three-dimensional chromatographic data objectively and relatively rapidly.
An eight-year clinical evaluation of filled and unfilled one-bottle dental adhesives

ABSTRACT Background The strategies for accomplishing resin adhesion to dentin involve surface conditioning, priming and bonding. One-bottle adhesives combine the priming and bonding functions in a single solution. In this study, the authors compared the eight-year clinical performance of two one-bottle adhesives made by different manufacturers. Methods The authors placed a total of 99 Class V restorations using either a filled, ethanol-based adhesive (OptiBond Solo [OS], SDS Kerr, Orange, Calif.) or an unfilled, acetone-based adhesive (Prime & Bond 2.1 [PB] Dentsply Caulk, Milford, Del.) and a hybrid resin-based composite in 33 subjects with noncarious cervical lesions. The authors did not bevel the enamel margins and used no mechanical retention. They evaluated the restorations at baseline and for as long as eight years after placement using modified U.S. Public Health Service criteria. They analyzed differences between groups using appropriate statistical tests. Results The authors examined 56 restorations after eight years and found retention rates of 69 percent for OS and 59 percent for PB. These rates did not differ statistically ( P = .449) and were not significantly affected by subject or lesion characteristics. The authors noted marginal discoloration on 55 percent of the retained OS restorations and on 31 percent of the retained PB restorations, but they detected no secondary caries around any restoration. They noted poor anatomical form and poor marginal adaptation in 15 percent and 40 percent of the retained OS restorations, respectively. Conclusions The performance of both adhesives was good during this eight-year clinical trial. The filled, ethanol-based adhesive OS demonstrated slightly better bond durability than did the unfilled, acetone-based adhesive PB, but the difference between the two materials was not statistically significant. Clinical Implications Despite a high incidence of marginal discoloration, the one-bottle adhesives evaluated in this study provided good clinical retention of Class V restorations without mechanical retention. When the materials are used properly, restorations are retained at an acceptable rate through at least eight years of clinical service.
Intertemporal issues in international macroeconomics

Recent work in macroeconomics in general, and in international macroeconomics in particular, has emphasized the need to base such models on firm microeconomic underpinnings. Essentially, this has come to mean that the underlying behavioral relationships are derived from some form of intertemporal optimization by representative agents, with particular attention being devoted to ensuring that the equilibrium is consistent with the intertemporal resource constraints facing the individual and the economy. While it is fair to say that macroeconomic theory is increasingly being carried out within this type of framework, there are eminent economists who remain skeptical of what this approach has to offer. This view is expressed most forcibly by Riidiger Dornbusch, who in the introduction of his recent collection of essays writes: ‘Although much of policy-oriented open-economy macroeconomics stands unproved, I am impressed with near-complete sterility of the intertemporal approach in the face of actual policy issues. Perhaps as it matures in the hands of some of the excellent scholars now working in that mode, it will come to yield a richer harvest.’ This special issue of the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control is devoted to studying intertemporal issues in international macroeconomics. There are two features to the intertemporal approach which those who adopt this framework find to be attractive. First, by deriving the model from underlying microeconomic principles, much of the arbitrariness associated with macroeconomic modeling is eliminated. But the extent to which this is accomplished should not be overstated, since a good deal of arbitrariness inevitably still remains. The nature of the objective function, the range of decision variables, the specification of the constraints, all typically remain subject to choice. Secondly, by explicitly introducing some intertemporal measure of welfare, the intertemporal approach provides a natural frame-
eText: an interactive environment for learning parallel programming

How can parallel programming be made tractable for students in high schools and community colleges, to programmers in four-year colleges, to commercial and government employees, to interested independent users learning on their own, and as CASE tools for professional software designers? We aim not only to enable people to use more powerful computers, but also to enable people to use computers more powerfully, by nurturing the techniques that enable them to develop efficient, correct code with relative ease. This paper briefly presents the concept of an Archetype, a software engineering methodology developed at the Caltech for patterns of problem solving, and for providing media for quick reference and natural software reuse. We then describe eText, an interactive multimedia electronic textbook that facilitates the teaching of, navigating through, and referring to Archetypes. Initial experience with Archetypes and the electronic textbook suggests that this approach to teaching parallel programming can aid computer users in the immediate future.
Differentiation of Fraction 1 protein in relation to age and distribution of Angiosperm groups

Fraction 1 protein (F-1-protein) (ribulose bisphosphate carboxy-lase-oxygenase) contained inLemnaceae has been evolving for at least 50 million years because fossils of these plants have been identified in strata belonging to the Upper Cretaceous. Electrofocusing F-1-protein resolves the large subunit polypeptides coded by extranuclear DNA and the small subunit polypeptides coded by nuclear DNA. Four differences affecting isoelectric points of the large subunit polypeptides and eight affecting the small subunit polypeptides are now present among eleven species representing the four genera comprising theLemnaceae. In comparison, four differences in the large and 13 in the small subunit polypeptides exist among 63 species ofNicotiana; four differences in the large and eight differences in the small subunit polypeptides exist among 19 species ofGossypium. The number of differences in F-1-protein composition being of the same order of magnitude for the generaNicotiana, Gossypium, and the familyLemnaceae, we infer that these Angiosperms are of similar antiquity. Nicotiana species indigenous to Australia and Africa contain F-1-proteins whose large subunit polypeptides are different but some of whose small subunit polypeptides are like those found in species from the Western Hemisphere. The same situation is found for the F-1-protein inGossypium. These results are in harmony with the view that species ofNicotiana andGossypium have arrived in Australia via former land connections between S. America, Antarctica, and Australia.
What Choline Metabolism Can Tell Us About the Underlying Mechanisms of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

The consequences of fetal exposure to alcohol are very diverse and the likely molecular mechanisms involved must be able to explain how so many developmental processes could go awry. If pregnant rat dams are fed alcohol, their pups develop abnormalities characteristic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), but if these rat dams were also treated with choline, the effects from ethanol were attenuated in their pups. Choline is an essential nutrient in humans, and is an important methyl group donor. Alcohol exposure disturbs the metabolism of choline and other methyl donors. Availability of choline during gestation directly influences epigenetic marks on DNA and histones, and alters gene expression needed for normal neural and endothelial progenitor cell proliferation. Maternal diets low in choline alter development of the mouse hippocampus, and decrement memory for life. Women eating low-choline diets have an increased risk of having an infant with a neural tube or orofacial cleft birth defect. Thus, the varied effects of choline could affect the expression of FASD, and studies on choline might shed some light on the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for FASD.
Your Friends and Your Machines

Mr. Robinson's article 'How to Tell Your Friends from Machines'" is an interesting exercise in standing John Wisdom's techniques on their heads. Wisdom used to argue that certain philosophical beliefs were defended in ways similar to neurotic beliefs in clinical experience. Mr. Robinson seems to be arguing that belief in the existence, or possibility, of intelligent machines is neurotic or even psychotic, therefore it is ipsofacto not a philosophical belief. As a general form of argument this will not, I fear, serve Mr. Robinson's overall purpose, for Wisdom's more strongly entrenched arguments suggest that, if an associated neurosis disqualifies a belief as philosophical, then a great number of other apparently philosophical beliefs, such as the nonexistence of material substance, will have to go as well, and the philosophical cupboard may end up looking rather barer than Mr. Robinson intended. Mr. Robinson's case seems to me to contain two specific defects: one of fact and one of principle. He says that '. . . our society's reaction to behaviour that manifests a genuine belief in the intelligence of machines is quick and extreme' (p. 505). It is perhaps unfair to make an ad hominem reply that involves professors, by pointing out that many such believers are, on the contrary, elevated to chairs of psychology, computer science and machine intelligence, so let us stick to the man in the street. Mr. Robinson is simply wrong, for quite ordinary people already discuss, with all appearance of serious belief, whether or not a given trick will outwit a credit card company's computer. Mr. Robinson is too late, for that is already an established and well understood way of speaking. The error of principle is that he seeks to single out a philosophical problem, that of minds and machines, and sometimes that of 'other minds' as well, on grounds which do not, in fact, distinguish it from other familiar philosophical problems. 'The problem of machine intelligence', he writes, 'is not a real problem for us in the sense that nothing hangs on its solution' (p. 506). But in the terms of his argument, where what can hang are 'legal, moral and social or diagnostic decisions', what hangs on the solution of any philosophical problem? That line of attack can only be on philosophy as a whole, not on a sub-problem within it. In spite of these two defects, Mr. Robinson's paper is worth discussing, and on the ground he himself chooses, that of 'social pathology of beliefs about machines', rather than on the well-trodden ones he avoids so carefully, where the question 'Are there intelligent machines?' is tackled head on. The social point on which I think Mr. Robinson is mistaken, and importantly so, is that not only is there a widespread attribution of intelli
Ubiquitination of red blood cell α-spectrin does not affect heterodimer formation

Erythrocyte alpha-spectrin is ubiquitinated in repeats alpha20/alpha21, which also represents the nucleation site for contact with the beta subunit which leads to heterodimer formation by a zippering mechanism. In this study we have determined the second-order rate constant for association of ubiquitinated alpha'-spectrin, nonubiquitinated alpha-spectrin, and beta-spectrin into the alpha'beta or alphabeta heterodimer. The rate constant for incorporation of monomers into heterodimers at 37 degrees C were (5.181 +/- 0.001) x 10(5) M(-1) sec(-1) for total alpha-spectrin (alpha + alpha'), (5.121 +/- 0.001) x 10(5) M(-1) sec(-1) for alpha'-spectrin, and (5.178 +/- 0.003) x 10(5) M(-1) sec(-1) for beta-spectrin. We conclude that ubiquitination of alpha-spectrin does not regulate heterodimer formation.
The simulation of slow-drift motions of offshore structures

Abstract The large amplitude surge-sway-yaw ‘slow-drift’ motions of a floating body constrained by weak restoring forces in random waves are considered. A multiple time scales approximation is employed to separate the fast time scale associated with the linear motions from the slowly varying motions. The ideal fluid free surface flow is approximated by a perturbation series expansion for small slow-drift velocities and wave-steepness, and is solved around the instantaneous position of the body. The linear zero-speed and forward-speed velocity potentials are solved for arrays of vertical cylinders, using exact interaction theory. The horizontal mean drift forces and the wave-drift damping are obtained, and results for realistic configurations are compared with well-established methods. The surge-sway-yaw equations of the slow-drift motions are solved numerically in the time domain under the influence of short-crested, random waves, including viscous forces. The random wave-signal is generated by the filtering of white Gaussian noise. The slowly-varying forces are obtained using the Newman approximation and efficient summations of time series. The results are compared with full QTF-matrix (Quadratic Transfer Function-matrix) computations of the exciting force. The use of a robust random number generator and the Fast Fourier Transform allows for efficient simulations of long records of the slow-drift motions, and the study of its statistical parameters. The sensitivity upon the simulation length, transients, drag-coefficient and directional spreading are demonstrated.