cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ventrolateral medulla as a source of synaptic drive to rhythmically firing neurons in the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarius of the rat

Abstract We sought to determine whether the caudal ventrolateral medulla (cVLM), at the level of area postrema, influences the rhythmically beating neurons found within the dorsomedial NTS in rat brainstem slices. Intra- or extracellular recordings of neurons firing rhythmically at around 5 Hz were characterized as either auto-active (i.e. pacemaker; AA) or synaptically driven (SD) by pharmacological interventions. The nature of inputs evoked from the ipsilateral cVLM were orthodromic and the majority were excitatory (latency 3–20 ms). Further, this excitatory influence was found to be tonically active in 25/47 cells studies since inactivating the ipsilateral cVLM by localized cooling reduced the firing rate by 0.5–3.0 Hz (23% on average). Neuronal characterization showed that the most consistent and pronounced effect occurred on SD rather than AA cells. Control experiments that cooled other areas of the slice closer to the recording site proved ineffective. Additional studies showed that most rhythmically firing cells in the NTS received an excitatory synaptic input from the solitary tract ( ts ; latency 3–30 ms). This input was reduced or blocked by inactivating the cVLM in neurons in which the ts latency of activation was 8ms in half of the neurons tested. Subsequent pharmacological tests revealed that these neurons were predominantly SD. Identified AA neurons received an input from the ts at a shorter latency, typically , and this was unperturbed by cooling the cVLM in all cases. Further, there was no obvious differnce in the baseline discharge rates between cells in the hemi-slice and those recorded in an intact slice. In a hemi-coronal slice cooling the cVLM also produced a 20% decrease in firing rate in identified SD neurons but no consistent change in AA cells. We conclude that (1) the ipsilateral cVLM contributes principally tonic excitatory drive to rhythmically active neurons in the dorsomedial NTS in vitro and this preferentially effects SD neurons; (2) other excitatory drives other than those from the ipsilateral cVLM impinge upon SD cells, the origin of which are relatively local and likely to be in the NTS; (3) in the slice thr projection from the cVLM to the NTS appears to be present but the reciprocal connection is absent.
Quantification of pulmonary vein morphology using centerline tracking

The assessment of left atrial and pulmonary vein morphology has important applications in the context of atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the atria of the heart beat rapidly and irregularly. Following ablation therapy, a treatment strategy for atrial fibrillation, reverse structural remodeling has been demonstrated with decreases in both left atrial size and pulmonary vein diameters. Most techniques for assessment of pulmonary vein morphology, however, consist of manual measurements made on cross-sectional images or volume renderings, thereby limiting the ability to fully quantify the 3D structure of the veins. In this work, we propose a method to quantify the 3D morphology of the pulmonary veins by computing the cross-sectional area along the entire extent of the vein. A centerline is tracked along the vein and oblique image slices are extracted at each point along the curve. The overall method requires only minimal manual interaction during the data pre-processing steps and is demonstrated on each of the four pulmononary veins in five subjects scanned with CT imaging prior to ablation therapy.
Comment: A General “Theory of Emotion” Is Neither Necessary nor Possible

Progress in emotions research requires understanding why debate about the general nature of emotions remains intractable. Much confusion arises from proposals that offer one of the four different kinds of biological explanation, without recognizing the need for other three. More arises from tacitly thinking of emotions as products of design, when they are actually organically complex products of natural selection. Finally, debate persists because of categorizing emotions by functions, instead of recognizing that each emotion was shaped by the adaptive challenges posed by a recurring situation. No general explanation of the kind usually sought for emotions exists, however progress is possible if we study emotions as organically complex partially differentiated constellations of changes that have been useful in certain situations.
Group composition and decision making : How member familiarity and information distribution affect process and performance

Abstract This study examines the role of group composition and information distribution on group process and decision making. Three-person groups performed a decision task that involved solving a murder mystery (Stasser & Stewart, 1992). Groups were composed of (a) three individuals familiar to each other, (b) two familiar individuals and a stranger, or (c) three strangers. Prior to group discussion, evidence bearing on the case was either fully shared (all members possessed identical information) or partially shared (each member possessed several unique clues to which no other member had access). The results indicate that all-stranger groups were most likely to identify the correct suspect when information was fully shared, however, all-familiar and 2 familiar/1 stranger groups were most likely to identify the correct suspect when critical clues remained unshared. Group process analysis reveals that this pattern of results was due to an “aggregation strategy” on the part of strangers and an “information pooling strategy” on the part of groups composed of familiar individuals.
Abstract A45: Autocrine and paracrine IL-6 and IL-8 drive osteosarcoma metastasis

For patients with most types of solid tumors, metastases drive the morbidity and mortality of their disease. For patients with osteosarcoma this is particularly true, with metastases that occur almost exclusively within the lung. We set out to identify the factors that facilitate growth of osteosarcoma specifically within the lung environment. To do this, we identified a set of candidate genes and tested them for reliably enriched levels of expression in metastatic lesions relative to primary tumors in the same patients. IL-6 and IL-8 are among the most reliably enriched genes in the metastatic lesions. Osteosarcoma cell lines that express high-levels of IL-6 and IL-8 not only respond to these signals in an autocrine manner, but form lung metastases much more readily than cell lines with low IL-6 and IL-8 expression in mouse xenograft models. IL-6 and IL-8 drive chemokinesis, directional migration, and invasive activity in osteosarcoma cells independent of the degree to which they express these cytokines. Blocking IL-6 and IL-8 signals reduces the metastatic efficiency of osteosarcoma cells. These data suggest that IL-6 and IL-8 play a central role in the mechanisms that account for lung tropism in osteosarcoma and provide attractive targets for therapies intended to prevent metastasis in order to improve outcomes in patients with osteosarcoma. Citation Format: Ryan D. Roberts, Hemant K. Bid, Doris Phelps, Brett W. Hendrickson, Hakan Cam, Peter J. Houghton. Autocrine and paracrine IL-6 and IL-8 drive osteosarcoma metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pediatric Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Discovery into Improved Outcomes; Nov 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;74(20 Suppl):Abstract nr A45.
[125I]PIP HOE 140, a high affinity radioligand for bradykinin B2 receptors

A high affinity radioligand for bradykinin B2 receptors was prepared by coupling an activated ester of [125I]4-iodobenzoic acid to the amino terminus nitrogen of the potent B2 antagonist HOE 140. The ligand, [125I]para-iodophenyl HOE 140 ([125I]PIP HOE 140), bound to a homogeneous set of sites in guinea pig ileal membranes with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 15 pM and a maximal binding density of 193 fmole/mg protein. Competition studies with a number of BK-related peptides indicated that the ligand specifically labeled B2 receptors in the preparation. The results suggest that [125I]PIP HOE 140 will be a useful tool for future studies of B2 receptors.
A Magnet-Friendly Virtual Reality Fiberoptic Image Delivery System

A custom display was built into the MR radiofrequency headcoil to project high-resolution, wide field-of-view stereographic images. Advanced stimulus presentation technologies such as the one described could potentially contribute to a better understanding of the relation between what people are thinking or experiencing, and their associated patterns of brain activity (www.vrpain.com).
Second Harmonic Generation from AlAs/GaAs Vertical Cavity

Second harmonic generation(SHG) in semiconductors such as GaAs and AlGaAs has been demonstrated to realize compact short wavelength light sources.1·2·3·4·5·6·7 Most of the devices are surface emitters, which radiate SH wave normal to the surface with horizontally propagating fundamental waves.2·3’4·6·7 A stack of GaAs and AlGaAs with a period of half a wavelength of the second harmonic has been incorporated to give quasi phase matched(QPM) SHG.5·6·7
Imaging of DNA by photoelectron microscopy

Abstract The first photoelectron micrographs of unstained uncoated DNA are presented. DNA exhibits high contrast against the sample support.
Testing disease - survival dependence

Peto (1974) and Hoel and Walburg (1972) reviewed statistical methods for analyzing the results of experiments to detect occur-rence of cancer tumors in animals. The analysis for certain types of tumors rests on the assumption that time to tumor and time to death are independent for the animals. In this paper, a simple procedure for testing this assumption is described.
The embroidered musical ball: a squeezable instrument for expressive performance

In this paper, we describe the Embroidered Musical Ball, a soft, tactile computer/MIDI musical instrument, that lets untrained children, novices and/or professionals perform and manipulate expressive and detailed music with simple everyday physical hand gestures such as squeezing and stretching. Our new embroidered pressure sensors replace the hard, bulky and awkward continuous control sensors common in most computer instruments, i.e., sliders, knobs and buttons. The combination of this light and easily physically manipulated instrument with a new, immersive approach to musical software allows players to expressively explore music with an immediacy not experienced in traditional instruments, which emphasize years of training to learn the precise control of pitches, timing, levels and various expression instructions. Instead, the musical ball lets players manipulate and explore a complete musical composition that has been mapped to different embroidered sensors. This allows players to immediately squeeze and mold the ball to perform the pre-composed music in an expressive manner.
Racial similarity as a moderator variable in the perception of leader behavior and control

Abstract This study compared leader behavior ratings of black and white Army infantry squad members serving in squads led either by black or white leaders. One black and one white squad member, chosen at random from each of 34 racially mixed squads, rated their leader's Consideration and Initiation of Structure behaviors (Stogdill, 1963), and their leader's behavior relevant to French and Raven's (1959) five bases of social power. In general, it was found that members who were of the same race as their leader rated him as significantly less likely to use punishment-related behaviors than did members who were of a different race than their leader. However, same-race members did not rate their leader's considerate or structuring behavior differently than did different-race members. The overall pattern of findings were discussed in terms of the leaders' implicit reliance on their punishment power to obtain compliance from different-race subordinates.
Measuring currency exposure with quantile regression

In this paper, we explore an alternative explanation of the exposure puzzle, the missing variable bias in previous studies. We propose to correct the bias with the quantile regression technique invented by Koenker and Bassett (Econometrica 46:33–51, 1978). Empirically, as soon as we take into account the missing variable bias as well as time variation in currency exposure, we find that 26 out of 30 or 87 % of the US industry portfolios exhibit significant currency exposure to the Major Currencies Index, and 23 out of 30 or 77 % show significant exposure to the Other Important Trading Partners Index. Our results have important theoretical and practical implications. In terms of theoretical significance, our results strengthen the findings in Francis et al. (J Financ Econ 90:169–196, 2008), and suggest that methodological weakness, not hedging, may explain the insignificance of currency risk in previous studies. In terms of practical significance, our results suggest a simple yet efficient approach for managers to estimate currency exposure of their firms.
Comparisons of human placental lactogen mRNA levels from placentas of diabetics and normal term

Abstract Overt diabetes and gestational diabetes (1–2.5% of all pregnancies) has been related to perinatal mortality, increased macrosomia and increased frequency of other pregnancy complications. Human placental lactogen (hPL), a hormone similar to growth hormone, is produced by the placenta and is a potent antagonist to insulin action. While hPL's presence in maternal circulation induces a sparing effect on nutrients including glucose, it exacerbates diabetes during pregnancy and may well relate to other clinical complications. To explore possible regulation of hPL in diabetic pregnancy and specifically to examine gestational diabetes, we have evaluated the levels of placental mRNA coding for hPL synthesis as well as other parameters from diabetic and normal term patients. By in vitro translation assays using nuclease-treated reticulocyte lysate, no substantial differences in translatable hPL-mRNA were observed when comparing normal term (3.5% of total synthesis), gestational diabetic (3.4%) and Type C diabetic (3.5%). However, translatable hPL-mRNA in Type R diabetes which was 2.7% of total synthesis was slightly reduced in comparison to normal term. To determine more directly hPL-mRNA levels in gestational diabetic placentas and normal term placentas, total RNA preparations were evaluated qualitatively by northern blot and quantitatively by dot blot of RNA and cDNA hybridization to a nick-translated hPL-pMB9 plasmid. The northern blot revealed no major size differences of the mRNA and the dot blot hybridization was quantitatively similar for both gestational diabetics and normal terms per unit of total RNA. By direct analysis of DNA per g tissue we found the DNA content of placentas from gestational diabetics and normal term to be statistically the same. However, total RNA in gestational diabetic placentas was significantly elevated over normal term placentas per g tissue.
Effects of a Single Therapeutic Dose of Glycerol on Cerebral Metabolism in the Brains of Young Mice: Possible Increase in Brain Glucose Transport and Glucose Utilization

: This is a study of the effects of a single “therapeutic” dose of glycerol [2 g(22 mmol)/kg i.p.] on brain carbohydrate and energy metabolism in normal nursing weanling mice. Findings were correlated with brain water and electrolyte content and with metabolite changes in plasma, red blood cells, and liver. Plasma glycerol levels peaked at 21 mM 7.5 min after injection and returned to the control value, 0.16 mM, by 2 h. Plasma Na+ concentration decreased and plasma protein increased for as long as 2 h after injection. Although red blood cells were freely permeable to glycerol, there was no evidence for glycerol metabolism in these cells. Glycerol levels in liver paralleled those in plasma. Glycerol injection increased liver glucose concentration 23% and doubled hepatic glycerol-1-phosphate levels. Liver ATP levels were reduced 24% after glycerol injection. Brain water concentration was significantly reduced from 7.5 min to 30 min after glycerol injection; brain Na+ and K+ levels were unchanged. There was no evidence for glycerol entry into brain (the amount detected in brain tissue could be explained by the glycerol content in the blood of the brain). While plasma glucose increased 33%, brain glucose increased 87%. Concomitantly there were statistically significant increases in fructose-1,6-diphosphate, lactate, α-ketoglutarate, and malate levels. The disproportionately high brain glucose value suggests increased transport of glucose from the blood to the brain. Increases in fructose-1,6-diphosphate, lactate, α-ketoglutarate, and malate are compatible with an increased metabolic flux in the glycolytic pathway and Krebs citric acid cycle. As has been previously shown for urea and/or mannitol, these changes may result from the effects of the hyperosmolar glycerol solution on the blood-brain barrier and on cerebral glucose utilization. The sustained lowering of plasma Na+ concentration after a single “therapeutic” glycerol injection suggests a need for monitoring plasma Na+ levels in the clinical situation. Possible lowering of hepatic ATP levels by the use of glycerol in humans is another concern.
Near-infrared Optical Imaging of Exposed Phosphatidylserine in a Mouse Glioma Model.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is normally intracellular but becomes exposed on the luminal surface of vascular endothelial cells in tumors. It also becomes exposed on tumors cells responding to therapy. In the present study, we optically imaged exposed PS in vivo using PGN635, a novel monoclonal antibody that binds PS. The F(ab′)2 fragment of PGN635 was labeled with the near-infrared (NIR) dye, IRDye800CW. In vivo dynamic NIR imaging was performed after injection of 800CW-PGN635 into mice bearing radiation-treated or untreated U87 glioma xenografts growing subcutaneously or orthotopically. NIR optical imaging revealed a clear tumor contrast in nonirradiated subcutaneous U87 gliomas after injection of 800CW-PGN635. The tumor contrast was visible as early as 4 hours later and was maximal 24 hours later (tumor-to-normal tissue ratio [TNR] = 2.8 ± 0.7). Irradiation enhanced the tumor contrast at 24 hours (TNR = 4.0 ± 0.3). Similar results were observed for orthotopic gliomas. Localization of 800CW-PGN635 to tumors was antigen specific because 800CW-Aurexis, a control probe of irrelevant specificity, did not localize to the tumors, and preadministration of unlabeled PGN635 blocked the uptake of 800CW-PGN635. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that 800CW-PGN635 was binding to PS-positive vascular endothelial cells in nonirradiated gliomas. Irradiation of the gliomas increased PS exposure on both tumor vascular endothelial cells and tumor cells and gave rise to an increase in tumor contrast with 800CW-PGN635 that was predictive of the reduction in tumor growth. 800CW-PGN635 may be a useful new imaging probe for detection of exposed PS in tumors responding to therapy.
Expensing e-books: how much should patron habit influence collection development?

Purpose – The purpose of this article is explore the difficulties in managing print and e-book expenditures in today’s libraries. Design/methodology/approach – The basis for this article stems from conflicting data showing patrons desiring to read more e-books versus print books at the beginning of the very e-book movement, and more recent studies showing this trend plateauing while e-book reading device purchasing increases. Findings – Two different phenomena may be occurring in tandem or separately in this case: less people are reading while having increased capacity to read e-books; libraries are adding more e-book content while print book reading is not falling off as fast as previously anticipated. Originality/value – E-book expense allocations are far from an exact science. Library budget managers are in need for continued research and insight to guide decision-making. This article adds to extant research in this area providing support for a “wait-and-see” approach toward spending on e-books.
Highway congestion and congestion tolls

Abstract Highway congestion is ubiquitous. We model the speed-flow relationship, identifying private and social costs, and the implied congestion toll for a number of proposed formulations. Using data for a limited access highway, we estimate these speed-flow relationships and find that flow as a quadratic function of speed fits best. The unit of observation is the individual vehicle and flow is measured in terms of the vehicles which passed a point shortly before or after the reference vehicle. Maximum possible flow occurs at 30–35 mph and the congestion toll is infinite for slower speeds. Rush-hour drivers have greater speeds for a given volume of traffic and thus congestion tolls must vary by time of day.
Note: Position dependence of time signals picked off a microchannel plate detector

Using an ultrafast laser and a precision mask, we demonstrate that time signals picked off directly from a microchannel plate detector depend on the position of the hit. This causes a time spread of about 280 ps, which can affect the quality of imaging measurements using large detectors.
Corrosion protection of steel and bond durability at polyphenylene sulfide‐to‐anhydrous zinc phosphate interfaces

Abstract : To enhance the performance of high-temperature polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) coating in protecting steels from corrosion, the cold-rolled steel surfaces were prepared with anhydrous zinc phosphate (Zn . Ph) conversion coatings containing poly (acid) anhydride as an interfacial tailoring material. The factors contributing to the formation of a good bond at the PPS/Zn . Ph joints were as follows: (1) the chemical reaction of PPS with Fe203 in the Zn . Ph layers, (2) PPS-to-poly (acid) anhydride interaction, and (3) the mechanical interlocking between PPS and the rough Zn . Ph crystal surfaces. Although such interfacial bond structures provide a superior durability of PPS/Zn . Ph joints against a hot H2SO4 solution, the cathodic reaction, H2O + 1/2 O2 + 2e - = 2OH-, occurring at any defect in the PPS/Zn . Ph joint system when NaCl is present will lead to the delamination of the PPS film from the phosphated steel. This cathodic delamination was due mainly to alkali-induced dissolution of Zn . Ph layers. However, the rate of delamination for the PPS/Zn . Ph systems was considerably lower compared with that for the PPS/steel system in the absence of Zn . Ph.
Comparative effects of potassium chloride and bicarbonate on thiazide-induced reduction in urinary calcium excretion.

Comparative effects of potassium chloride and bicarbonate on thiazide-induced reduction in urinary calcium excretion. Background The chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis that occurs in various renal disorders and in normal people, and that is related both to dietary net acid load and age-related renal functional decline, may contribute to osteoporosis by increasing urine calcium excretion. Administration of potassium (K) alkali salts neutralizes acid and lowers urine calcium excretion. Urine calcium excretion also can be reduced by the administration of thiazide diuretics, which are often given with supplemental K to avoid hypokalemia. We determined whether the K alkali salt potassium bicarbonate (KHCO 3 ) and the thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) combined is more effective in reducing urinary calcium than KHCO 3 alone or HCTZ combined with the conventionally coadministered nonalkalinizing K salt potassium chloride (KCl). Methods Thirty-one healthy men and women aged 50 or greater were recruited for a four-week, double-blind, randomized study. After a baseline period of 10 days with three 24-hour urine and arterialized blood collections, subjects were randomized to receive either HCTZ (50 mg) plus potassium (60 mmol daily) as either the chloride or bicarbonate salt. Another 19 women received potassium bicarbonate (60 mmol) alone. After two weeks, triplicate collections of 24-hour urines and arterialized bloods were repeated. Results Urinary calcium excretion decreased significantly in all groups. KHCO 3 alone and HCTZ + KCl induced similar decreases (-0.70 ± 0.60 vs. -0.80 ± 1.0 mmol/day, respectively). Compared with those treatments, the combination of HCTZ + KHCO 3 induced more than a twofold greater decrease in urinary calcium excretion (-1.8 ± 1.2 mmol/day, P 3 and KHCO 3 alone reduced net acid excretion significantly ( P Conclusions KHCO 3 was superior to KCl as an adjunct to HCTZ, inducing a twofold greater reduction in urine calcium excretion, and completely neutralizing endogenous acid production so as to correct the pre-existing mild metabolic acidosis that an acid-producing diet usually induces in older people. Accordingly, for reducing urine calcium excretion in stone disease and osteoporosis, the combination of HCTZ + KHCO 3 may be preferable to that of HCTZ + KCl.
Magnetic resonance imaging in MELAS syndrome.

MELAS syndrome is a distinct clinical entity belonging to a group of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies characterized by the tetrad of myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) findings are reviewed in a patient with MELAS. Serial CT studies demonstrated multiple “migrating” infarcts in various stages of evolution involving primarily the posterior temporal and occipital regions. MR was more sensitive than CT in demonstrating the number and extent of cortical lesions in this disease entity.
Biochemical analysis of transcriptional repression by Drosophila histone deacetylase 1.

To study the mechanisms by which deacetylases regulate transcription by RNA polymerase II, we investigated the biochemical properties of purified recombinantDrosophila histone deacetylase 1 (dHDAC1, also known as dRPD3). We found that purified dHDAC1 and Gal4-dHDAC1 polypeptides possess substantial deacetylase activity. Thus, deacetylation by dHDAC1 does not require any additional cofactors. Gal4-dHDAC1, but not dHDAC1, was observed to repress transcription in vitro by about 2–3-fold from chromatin templates, but not from naked DNA templates, in a Gal4 site-dependent manner. This magnitude of repression is similar to that commonly seen by deacetylases in vivo, as assessed by treatment of cells with deacetylase inhibitors. Transcriptional repression by Gal4-dHDAC1 was blocked by the deacetylase inhibitor, FR901228, and thus, deacetylase activity correlates with repression. Single round transcription analyses showed that Gal4-dHDAC1 reduces the absolute number of productive initiation complexes with chromatin templates. Moreover, with chromatin templates that were assembled with completely purified components, Gal4-dHDAC1 was found to deacetylate nucleosomal histones as well as to repress transcription. These experiments provide biochemical evidence for the requirement of chromatin for transcriptional repression by dHDAC1 and further show that dHDAC1 acts to repress the transcription initiation process.
Volume and glucose concentration of rat amniotic fluid: Effects on embryo nutrition and axis rotation

In order to pursue our previous studies of the changes in neural tube microvilli produced by glucose, we developed a micro method of measuring glucose concentration in the very small volumes of amniotic fluid during neurulation. The volume of amniotic fluid was found to increase nearly 10-fold during major neurulation (day 10 to day 11 in the rat). This increase in volume and our repeated observations that physical removal of the restraining amnion initiates embryonic rotation leads us to propose that the growth of the amniotic cavity is essential for conversion from the ventral- to dorsi-flexion of the embryonic axis. Amniotic fluid volume continues to increase until day 18 but dropped by day 20. A method for glucose determination was developed using the color reaction on glucose oxidase indicator paper. The intensity of the color was analyzed with a color scanner. Amniotic glucose was 27.1 +/- 1.6 mg/dl on day 10 and continued in this range with some fluctuation until day 20 when it decreased. We isolated days 10, 11, and 16 embryonic sites from their decidua and incubated them at 0 degrees C and 38 degrees C while measuring glucose concentration. The glucose concentration did not show significant decrease at 0 degrees C on day 10 or 11 or on day 16 at 38 degrees C. At 38 degrees C the day 10 embryo amniotic fluid glucose disappeared after 22 minutes and the day 11 amniotic fluid glucose was gone in 34 minutes. These depletion times were statistically different. The magnitude of glucose depletion on day 10 was shown by calculation to be approximately 323 mumoles/gm protein per hour which is a substantial portion of the glucose utilized by the embryo as determined in previous experiments (731 mumoles/gm protein per hour). This model may serve as a way to study glucose utilization by embryos after their exposure to various teratogens.
An in vitro Comparison of Three Fluoride Regimens on Enamel Remineralization

The purpose of this study was to compare the enamel remineralization effectiveness of a fluoride rinse, fluoridated dentifrice, and fluoride-releasing restorative material. Forty extracted molars had 1 x 5 mm artificial carious lesions formed at the interproximal contact point. One-hundred-micrometer sections were obtained at the caries sites, and polarized light photomicrographs were obtained. The sections had varnish placed, leaving only the external section site exposed, and were situated back into the original tooth. Forty other molars were obtained; 10 had Class-II glass ionomer cement restorations placed. These 40 teeth were mounted to have interproximal contact with the adjacent teeth containing artificial carious lesions. Specimens were placed in closed environments of artificial saliva for 1 month, with saliva being changed every 48 h. Ten specimen pairs were brushed with a fluoridated dentifrice for 2 min, twice per day, 10 specimen pairs were rinsed with a 0.05% sodium fluoride rinse for 1 min twice per day, 10 specimen pairs had Class-II glass ionomer cement restorations positioned adjacent to 10 teeth with artificial carious lesions, and 10 specimen pairs acted as controls. After 30 days, the same sections were photographed again under polarized light, and areas of the lesions were digitized quantitatively. Results demonstrated the mean (+/- SD) remineralization (mu m2) in Thoulet's 1.41 imbibition media to be: lesions adjacent to glass ionomer cement restorations, 2.45 +/- 170; lesions exposed to a fluoridated dentifrice, 223 +/- 102; lesions exposed to 0.05% sodium fluoride rinse, 374 +/- 120, and control lesions only exposed to artificial saliva, 101 +/- 69. Duncan's analysis indicated the fluoridated rinse to have significantly greater remineralization effects on adjacent caries than the other groups (p < or = 0.05). The glass ionomer restorative material and fluoridated dentifrice also had significantly greater remineralization effects on adjacent caries than the control, yet significantly less than the fluoridated rinse (p < or = 0.05).
Opposition to science

A molecular biologist explores the gulf between spirituality and his own rationalist viewpoint.
Monitoring the Effects of Biological Control of Water Hyacinths Using Remotely Sensed Data: A Case Study of Bangalore, India

Native to South America, water hyacinths were brought to India as ornamental plants and are now considered as one of the most dreaded aquatic weeds in the country. This plant has infested more than 200,000 ha of fresh water bodies in the country. The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research resorted to biological methods to control these weeds and received favorable results, however, these weeds tend to reinfest the fresh water bodies. For an effective weed control, the infestation needs to be monitored and remotely sensed data have been recommended for this purpose. In this research, SPOT multitemporal data have been used to monitor the infestation of water hyacinths in Bangalore, India. Using Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), this study delineated areas of clearing and new infestation in the fresh water tanks in the study area. This study concluded that host specific weevils can eradicate water hyacinths in large areas but that reinfestation remains an ongoing problem.
Quadratic invariants of elastic moduli

A quadratic invariant is defined as a quadratic form in the elements of a tensor that remains invariant under a group of coordinate transformations. It is proved that there are seven quadratic invariants of the 21-element elastic modulus tensor under SO(3) and 35 under SO(2). This answers some open questions raised by Ting and Ahmad in this journal.
Absolute Configurations of Spiroiminodihydantoin and Allantoin Stereoisomers: Comparison of Computed and Measured Electronic Circular Dichroism Spectra

The assignment of absolute configurations is of critical importance for understanding the biochemical processing of DNA lesions. The diastereomeric spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) lesions are oxidation ...
Subcellular Mechanisms in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Combinatorial Modalities that Inhibit Anterograde Trafficking and Cause Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type 2 Mislocalization:

AbstractThe natural history of familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) typically involves mutations in and/or haploinsuffciency of BMPR2 (gene for bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2) but with low penetrance (10%–15%), delayed onset (in the third or fourth decade), and a gender bias (two- to fourfold more prevalent in postpubertal women). Thus, investigators have sought an understanding of “second-hit” modalities that might affect BMPR2 anterograde trafficking and/or function. Indeed, vascular lung lesions in PAH have been reported to contain enlarged “vacuolated” endothelial and smooth muscle cells with dilated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cisternae, increased ER structural protein reticulon 4 (also called Nogo-B), and enlarged and fragmented Golgi apparatus. We recently replicated this cellular phenotype in primary human pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells in culture by acute knockdown of the estradiol 17β (E2)–responsive proteins signal tran...
Evaluation of Fracture Toughness of Ultra-Thin Amorphous Carbon Coatings Deposited by Different Deposition Techniques

Abstract The successful performance and reliability of thin coatings is often limited by their mechanical properties. Generally, harder coatings are more brittle and easily damaged by shock loads in practical applications. A necessary criterion for evaluating brittleness of thin coatings is to measure fracture toughness of the coatings. In this paper, the nanoindentation fracture of ultra-thin (100 nm thick) amorphous carbon coatings on Si substrate deposited by filtered cathodic arc (FCA), direct ion beam (IB), electron-cyclotron resonance plasma chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD), and sputter (SP) deposition processes was studied using a cube corner indenter. Based on the analysis of the energy release in cracking, the fracture toughness of the coatings was calculated. It is found that among the coatings tested, the FCA coating has the highest fracture toughness, followed by the ECR-CVD, IB, and SP coatings. The higher deposition kinetic energy, plasma density and electron temperature are believed to be responsible for the higher fracture toughness values for the FCA and ECR-CVD coatings.
Reinforced drawing in Macaca mulatta

Abstract Two male Macaca mulatta were trained with food reinforcement to make marks with a crayon on an opaque plastic surface. Both subjects used repetitive arm movements in their drawing. One monkey produced fanlike patterns which have also appeared in the drawings of other primate species, including humans. It is suggested that the forms produced by reinforced drawing are similar to those found in the non-reinforced artwork of other primates and that the development of all primate art may be dependent on simple mechanical arm movements.
Active artificial immunization in diphtheria

Summary In more than 1,000 young adult student nurses, 63 per cent werefound susceptible to diphtheria by the Schick test. Groups were immunized by toxin-antitoxin, toxoid, and alum-precipitatedtoxoid over a period of eighteen years. Of the methods tried, the most effective procedures were found to be (1) two injections of alum toxoid with an interval of several months between or (2) three injections of plain toxoid with intervals of several weeks between the doses. As a result of immunization, the clinical incidence of diphtheriaamong these nurses has been reduced from 28.6 per cent to 0.2 per cent. In a group of 102 nurses, immunized by toxin-antitoxin and retestedsix to sixteen years later, more than 95 per cent were still immune.
Mass spectral rearrangements of N,N‐bis(4′‐arylthio‐2′‐butynyl)anilines and N,N‐bis(4′‐arylsulfonyl‐2′‐butynyl)anilines

The title compounds display unusual modes of fragmentation under electron impact. One of the dominant modes is the concerted elimination of the two arylthio and arylsulfonyl moieties followed by further extrusion of the C6H4 unit as a cumulene. No elimination of SO2 is observed from any of the sulfones nor an expulsion of the C4H4 fragment. Such behavior contrasts strikingly with that of 1,4-diarylsulfonyl-2-butynes and of the 1,6-diarylsulfonyl-2,4-hexadiynes.
Robert Browning's MESMERISM: An In[tro]duction to Gothic Nightmare

Robert Browning's “Mesmerism” has drawn scant critical attention since its first publication in 1855. Critics have noted that “Mesmerism” has a “supernatural tone” (Beetz 6) and opens with a “scene...
AN EVALUATION OF A COLORIMETRIC AND A BIOLOGIC METHOD FOR DETERMINING URINARY ANDROGENS1

BECAUSE of an increased interest of clinicians in testosterone as an aid to treatment in gynecology, it seemed advisable for us to try to find some simple method for the determination of the content of androgens in the urine, which we might use in certain cases in which there is clinical evidence of endocrinologic dysfunction. We were struck by the simplicity of the colorimetric method of Oesting using Hellige's colorimeter. The color is expressed directly in color units read from the color disc of the colorimeter and the number of color units in a 24′hour specimen of urine is calculated. This method of assay was checked by Oesting with the comb′ growth assay on capons and seemed to correlate satisfactorily. It was not convenient for us to use capons and since an adequate supply of male rats was available, we decided to try Moore's method (2, 3, 4) of using the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles as test objects.
Quantitative description of the dysarthria in women with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Speech intelligibility and its phonetic and acoustic correlates were studied in a group of 10 women with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Intelligibility assessment with a word-identification test indicated that the most disrupted phonetic features pertained to velopharyngeal valving, lingual function for consonant contrasts of place and manner, and syllable shape. An acoustic signature analysis based on trajectories of the first and second formants in selected monosyllabic test words revealed that the mean slope of the second formant (F2) was reduced compared with that of a normal geriatric control group. This F2 slope reduction is interpreted to reflect loss of lingual motoneurons. Acoustic measures of phonatory function for sustained vowel prolongation demonstrated abnormalities in fundamental frequency, perturbations of frequency (jitter) and amplitude (shimmer), and signal-to-noise ratio. The data for women with ALS are compared with data for a normal geriatric control group of women and with dat...
Effects of additives on the performance of two-component waterborne polyurethane coatings

The effects of various additives and solvents on a coating’s performance in a two-component waterborne polyurethane coating system are studied using a statistical experimental design method. Using a blocked arrangement of fractional factorial design matrices, six different independent variables, including the use of different additives, catalysts, as well as solvents at different levels, were examined for their effects on various coating performance parameters, such as gloss, hardness, viscosity, and chemical resistance. Statistical analysis revealed several significant effects of these additives on the coating performances. Most importantly, several two-factor interactions between additives were also found to significantly influence the performance properties of the coating. These interactions could be very difficult to detect using traditional one-at-a-time experimental approaches. The information obtained from this study could be used for designing coating systems with superior performance properties.
The empty supine stress test as a predictor of intrinsic urethral sphincter dysfunction

Objective To assess the usefulness of a proposed test for intrinsic urethral sphincter dysfunction. Methods Subjects were included in the study if they had complaints of incontinence, did not have substantial pelvic prolapse, and had undergone multichannel urodynamic testing. The initial evaluation involved uroflowmetry, catheterized residual urine, history, urogenital examination, and a cough stress test within 20 minutes after catheterization. Standardized multichannel urodynamic testing was performed at a follow-up appointment. Test indices were calculated based on the result of the empty supine stress test, the presence of genuine stress incontinence, and maximum urethral closure pressures. Results Three hundred four women met the inclusion criteria; 124 had a positive empty supine stress test and 180 had a negative test. Genuine stress incontinence was diagnosed in 238 subjects. A positive empty supine stress test was found to have 70% sensitivity and 90% negative predictive value for detecting very low urethral closure pressures, and 98% positive predictive value for genuine stress incontinence; in low-risk populations, the test had 95% negative predictive value for excluding urethral dysfunction. Conclusion The empty supine stress test is easy to perform, inexpensive, and without significant risk. By itself, a positive empty supine stress test is essentially diagnostic for genuine stress incontinence, and in combination with a fixed urethra, it is diagnostic for intrinsic urethral sphincter dysfunction. In low-prevalence populations, a negative test reliably excludes the presence of intrinsic urethral sphincter dysfunction. However, for high-prevalence and referral populations, the low predictive values of the test limit its usefulness.
Design, synthesis and evaluation of non-urea inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase

Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) has been proposed as a new pharmaceutical approach for treating hypertension and vascular inflammation. The most potent sEH inhibitors reported in literature to date are urea derivatives. However, these compounds have limited pharmacokinetic profiles. We investigated non-urea amide derivatives as sEH inhibitors and identified a potent human sEH inhibitor 14-34 having potency comparable to urea-based inhibitors.
Mechanism of action of antilipolytic agents: comparison of the effects of insulin, tolbutamide, and phenformin on lipolysis induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP plus theophylline.

Abstract The effect of insulin, tolbutamide and phenformin on lipolysis in vitro was examined in isolated fat cells from epididymal adipose tissue of fasted rats. Lipolysis was stimulated by small and by large concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP plus theophylline. Insulin inhibited the effects of small but not of large concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP plus theophylline. In contrast, both tolbutamide and phenformin effectively inhibited both small and large concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP plus theophylline.
Model reference adaptive control of structurally perturbed second‐order distributed parameter systems

We consider a class of second-order distributed parameter systems with structured perturbations in which both partial position and partial velocity measurements are assumed available. The control objective is to design an adaptive controller so that the plant state follows the state of a second-order reference model despite the presence of the perturbation terms. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A MULTI-STAGED SOFTWARE DESIGN APPROACH FOR FAULT TOLERANCE

This paper presents a multi-stage software design approach for fault-tolerance. In the first stage, a formalism is introduced to represent the behavior of the system by means of a set of assertions. This formalism enables an execution tree (ET) to be generated where each path from the root to the leaf is, in fact, a well-defined formula. During the automatic generation of the execution tree, properties like completeness and consistency of the set of assertions can be verified and consequently design faults can be revealed. In the second stage, the testing strategy is based on a set of WDFs. This set represents the structural deterministic test for the model of the software system and provides a framework for the generation of a functional deterministic test for the code implementation of the model. This testing strategy can reveal the implementation faults in the program code. In the third stage, the fault-tolerance of the software system against hardware failures is improved in a way such that the design and implementation features obtained from the first two stages are preserved. The proposed approach provides a high level of user-transparency by employing object-oriented principles of data encapsulation and polymorphism. The reliability of the software system against hardware failures is also evaluated. A tool, named Software Fault-Injection Tool (SFIT), is developed to estimate the reliability of a software system.
A Comparison of Approaches for Improving the Reliability of Objective Level Scores

This study is an evaluation of the psychometric issues associated with estimating objective level scores, often referred to as ‘‘subscores.’’ The article begins by introducing the concepts of reliability and validity for subscores from statewide achievement tests. These issues are discussed with reference to popular scaling techniques, classical test theory, and item response theory. Methods for increasing the reliability of subscore estimates that have been suggested in literature are then reviewed. Based on this review, an empirical study comparing some of the more promising procedures was conducted. Test score data from a large statewide testing program were analyzed in this study. The comparison of subscore augmentation approaches found that generally all methods were very successful in dramatically increasing the reliability of subscore estimates. However, this increase was accompanied by near-perfect correlations among the subscore estimates. This finding called into question the validity of the res...
n-channel polymers by design: optimizing the interplay of solubilizing substituents, crystal packing, and field-effect transistor characteristics in polymeric bithiophene-imide semiconductors.

Electron transporting (n-channel) polymer semiconductors for field-effect transistors are rare. In this investigation, the synthesis and characterization of new electron-depleted N-alkyl-2,2′-bithiophene-3,3′-dicarboximide-based π-conjugated homopolymers and copolymers containing the 2,2′-bithiophene unit are reported. A novel design approach is employed using computational modeling to identify favorable monomer properties such as core planarity, solubilizing substituent tailorability, and appropriate electron affinity with gratifying results. Monomeric model compounds are synthesized to confirm these properties, and a crystal structure reveals a short 3.43 A π−π stacking distance with favorable solubilizing substituent orientations. A family of 10 homopolymers and bithiophene copolymers is then synthesized via Yamamoto and Stille polymerizations, respectively. Two of these polymers are processable in common organic solvents: the homopolymer poly(N-(2-octyldodecyl)-2,2′-bithiophene-3,3′-dicarboximide) (P1...