cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High affinity group III mGluRs regulate mossy fiber input to CA3 interneurons

Stratum lacunosum-moleculare interneurons (L-Mi) in hippocampal area CA3 target the apical dendrite of pyramidal cells providing feedforward inhibition. Here we report that selective activation of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) 4/8 with L(+)-2-amino-4-phosphnobytyric acid (L-AP4; 10 μM) decreased the probability of glutamate release from the mossy fiber (MF) terminals synapsing onto L-Mi. Consistent with this interpretation, application of L-AP4 in the presence of 3 mM strontium decreased the frequency of asynchronous MF EPSCs in L-Mi. Furthermore, the dose response curve showed that L-AP4 at 400 μM produced no further decrease in MF EPSC amplitude compared with 20 μM L-AP4, indicating the lack of mGluRs 7 at these MF terminals. We also found that one mechanism of mGluRs 4/8-mediated inhibition of release is linked to N-type voltage gated calcium channels at MF terminals. Application of the group III mGluR antagonist MSOP (100 μM) demonstrated that mGluRs 4/8 are neither tonically active nor activated by low and moderate frequencies of activity. However, trains of stimuli to the MF at 20 and 40 Hz delivered during the application of MSOP revealed a relief of inhibition of transmitter release and an increase in the overall probability of action potential firing in the postsynaptic L-Mi. Interestingly, the time to first action potential was significantly shorter in the presence of MSOP, indicating that mGluR 4/8 activation delays L-Mi firing in response to MF activity. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the timing and probability of action potentials in L-Mi evoked by MF synaptic input is regulated by the activation of presynaptic high affinity group III mGluRs.
Phase-enhanced defect sensitivity for EUV mask inspection

In this paper, we present a complete study on mask blank and patterned mask inspection utilizing the Zernike phase contrast method. The Zernike phase contrast method provides in-focus inspection ability to study phase defects with enhanced defect sensitivity. However, the 90 degree phase shift in the pupil will significantly reduce the amplitude defect signal at focus. In order to detect both types of defects with a single scan, an optimized phase shift instead of 90 degree on the pupil plane is proposed to achieve an acceptable trade-off on their signal strengths. We can get a 70% of its maximum signal strength at focus for both amplitude and phase defects with a 47 degree phase shift. For SNR, the tradeoff between speckle noise and signal strength has to be considered. The SNR of phase and amplitude defects at focus can both reach 11 with 13 degree phase shift and 50% apodization. Moreover, the simulation results on patterned mask inspection of partially hidden phase defects with die-to-database inspection approach on the blank inspection tool show that the improvement of the Zernike phase method is more limited. A 40% enhancement of peak signal strength can be achieved with the Zernike phase contrast method when the defect is centered in the space, while the enhancement drops to less than 10% when it is beneath the line.
Genetic dissection of proteoglycan function in Drosophila and C. elegans.

Genetic analysis of the signaling pathways that govern patterning during development in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster and in the nematode C. elegans have provided insight into the in vivo functions of proteoglycans and their associated glycosaminoglycans. These studies have shown that patterning events dictated by Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors, Wnt, Transforming Growth Factor- beta(TGF- beta), and Hedgehog families of growth factors are regulated by proteoglycans. Recent biochemical and structural analyses have shown that the molecular machinery of glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis is highly conserved between these invertebrate organisms and mammals. Drosophila and C. elegans therefore provide powerful model systems for exploring the varied functions proteoglycans and their glycosaminoglycan modifications.
Mechanisms mediating adverse effects of air pollution on cardiovascular hemodynamic function and vulnerability to cardiac arrhythmias

Epidemiologic studies indicate an association between airborne particulate matter and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms require further investigation. This review examines insights derived from large animal inhalation studies on systemic and coronary hemodynamic function and susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias. We present evidence of acute cardiovascular alterations in chronically instrumented or anesthetized large animals exposed to concentrated ambient particles. Significant changes were observed in a number of clinically relevant variables. These included elevations in arterial blood pressure and reductions in myocardial perfusion during coronary occlusion that resulted in the exacerbation of ischemic parameters, such as ST-segment elevation and vasoconstriction. The involvement of sympathetic nerve activity was implicated by the fact that alpha-adrenergic blockade with prazosin significantly blunted the vasoconstrictor effects. Alterations in baroreceptor function during air particulate exposure were also substantial. Enhanced susceptibility to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias was demonstrated. These studies with clinically relevant large animal models underscore the importance of the role of air particulate pollution in inducing adverse effects on cardiovascular function and warrant further exploration of specific components of air pollution as well as the physiologic triggers that lead to cardiovascular events. New clinically applicable research tools have evolved, particularly heart rate turbulence, a noninvasive measure of baroreceptor function, and T-wave alternans, an index of susceptibility to life-threatening arrhythmias, which can be employed clinically to evaluate the impact of air pollution on cardiovascular risk.
Herpes Simplex Virus gE/gI Expressed in Epithelial Cells Interferes with Cell-to-Cell Spread

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein heterodimer gE/gI plays an important role in virus cell-to-cell spread in epithelial and neuronal tissues. In an analogous fashion, gE/gI promotes virus spread between certain cell types in culture, e.g., keratinocytes and epithelial cells, cells that are polarized or that form extensive cell junctions. One mechanism by which gE/gI facilitates cell-to-cell spread involves selective sorting of nascent virions to cell junctions, a process that requires the cytoplasmic domain of gE. However, the large extracellular domains of gE/gI also appear to be involved in cell-to-cell spread. Here, we show that coexpression of a truncated form of gE and gI in a human keratinocyte line, HaCaT cells, decreased the spread of HSV between cells. This truncated gE/gI was found extensively at cell junctions. Expression of wild-type gE/gI that accumulates at intracellular sites, in the trans-Golgi network, did not reduce cell-to-cell spread. There was no obvious reduction in production of infectious HSV in cells expressing gE/gI, and virus particles accumulated at cell junctions, not at intracellular sites. Expression of HSV gD, which is known to bind virus receptors, also blocked cell-to-cell spread. Therefore, like gD, gE/gI appears to be able to interact with cellular components of cell junctions, gE/gI receptors which can promote HSV cell-to-cell spread.
Emphasizing interpersonal factors: an extension of the Witkiewitz and Marlatt relapse model.

Aim Recently, Witkiewitz & Marlatt reformulated the Marlatt & Gordon relapse model to account for current research findings. The present paper aims to extend this model further to incorporate social variables more fully. Methods The social-factors and alcohol-relapse literatures were reviewed within the framework of the reformulated relapse model. Results The literature review found that the number of social network members, investment of the individual in the social network, levels of general and alcohol-specific support available within the social network and specific behaviors of network members all predict drinking outcomes. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which these social variables influence outcomes. The authors postulate that social variables influence outcomes by affecting intra-individual factors central to the reformulated relapse prevention model, including processes (e.g. self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, craving, motivation, negative affective states) and behaviors (e.g. coping and substance use). The authors suggest specific hypotheses and discuss methods that can be used to study the impact of social factors on the intra-individual phenomena that contribute to relapse. Conclusion The proposed extension of the relapse model provides testable hypotheses that may guide future alcohol-relapse research.
Effects of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on secretion of pregnancy specific protein B (PSPB) and placentome weights in intact or ovariectomized 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes

Abstract Vehicle or 8 or 16 mg PGF2α/58 kg/body weight (BW) was given intramuscularly to intact or ovariectomized 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes in two separate experiments. Treatment with 8 mg PGF2α in intact 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes increased (P≤0.05) placentome weights, but not in ovariectomized 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes (P≥0.05). Concentrations of PSPB in uterine venous plasma of control 90 to 100 day intact pregnant ewes over the 72 hour sampling period averaged (52±5 ng/ml). Profiles of PSPB in uterine plasma in the 16 mg PGF2α/58 kg/BW-treated ewes differed (P≤0.05) from control or 8 mg PGF2α-treated 90 to 100 day intact pregnant ewes. Pregnancy specific protein B was increased (P≤0.05) at 64 hr in intact 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes by treatment with 8 mg PGF2α/58 kg/BW. There was a quadratic increase (P≤0.09) in PSPB in uterine venous plasma of all three treatment groups of intact 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes. Concentrations of PSPB in uterine venous plasma of control 90 to 100 day ovariectomized pregnant ewes over the 72 hr treatment period averaged (90±5 ng/ml). Profiles of PSPB did not differ among the vehicle, 8 mg PGF2α or 16 mg PGF2α-treated ovariectomized 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes. There was a quadratic increase (P≤0.10) in PSPB in uterine venous plasma of ovariectomized 90 to 100 day pregnant ewes treated with 8 or 16 mg PGF2α/58 kg/BW. It is suggested that PSPB may have a role in regulating placental steroidogenesis.
Communication scheduling and remote estimation with energy harvesting sensor

We consider a remote estimation problem with an energy-harvesting sensor and a remote estimator. The sensor harvests energy from its environment (say, for example, through a solar cell) and uses this energy for the purpose of communicating with the estimator. Due to the randomness of energy available for communication, we need to find a communication scheduling strategy for the sensor. The estimator relies on messages communicated by the sensor to produce real-time estimates of the sensor's observations. We consider the problem of finding a communication scheduling strategy for the sensor and an estimation strategy for the estimator that jointly minimize an expected sum of communication and distortion costs over a finite time horizon. We find a dynamic programming characterization of optimal strategies. Under some symmetry assumptions on source statistics and the distortion metric, we show that an optimal communication strategy is a threshold based one and that the optimal estimate is always the most recently received sensor observation.
Spontaneous conductance changes, multilevel conductance states and negative differential resistance in oxidized cholesterol black lipid membranes.

Oxidized cholesterol lipid films were studied under voltage clamp conditions. Certain kinds of conductance phenomena closely resembling effects described in the literature and atributed to various additives were observed with unmodified lipid films. These include spontaneous conductance changes, multilevel conductance states and negative resistance phenomena in films formed from aged oxidized cholesterol-inhydrocarbon solutions. The multilevel conductance state manifests itself in the form of step changes in current under voltage clamp, the magnitudes of which correspond to conductance intervals of 5±2×10−10 mho and its multiples in 0.1n sodium chloride. These steps are attributed to channels that form in the film. Under certain conditions it has been observed that the action of the electric field was to close channels that were open at lower voltages. Under these conditions the current-voltage plot shows a distinct region of “negative differential” resistance. Films generated from freshly prepared oxidized cholesterol solutions did not exhibit multistable phenomena but under a prolonged voltage clamp the membrane conductance went into a transition from a stable, relatively noise-free-current state to a gradually increasing current with a large noise component. This sequence generally signalled imminent breakdown but the membrane could spontaneously revert to the original high-resistance, low-noise state. These kinds of intrinsic behavior sufficiently resemble certain effects produced by additives to merit special consideration during membrane reconstitution experiments.
Dynamic Airspace Configuration Using Approximate Dynamic Programming: Intelligence-Based Paradigm

On the basis of weather and high traffic, the Next Generation Air Transportation System envisions an airspace that is adaptable, flexible, controller friendly, and dynamic. Sector geometries, developed with average traffic patterns, have remained structurally static with occasional changes in geometry due to limited forming of sectors. Dynamic airspace configuration aims at migrating from a rigid to a more flexible airspace structure. Efficient management of airspace capacity is important to ensure safe and systematic operation of the U.S. National Airspace System and maximum benefit to stakeholders. The primary initiative is to strike a balance between airspace capacity and air traffic demand. Imbalances in capacity and demand are resolved by initiatives such as the ground delay program and rerouting, often resulting in systemwide delays. This paper, a proof of concept for the dynamic programming approach to dynamic airspace configuration by static forming of sectors, addresses static forming of sectors ...
Abstract A2: The efficacy of administrative and large-scale databases for measuring cancer health disparities among micro-minorities: The case of native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

This study examines the effectiveness of administrative databases and national-level health surveys to increase our understanding of cancer health disparities among U.S. Pacific Islanders, a racially and ethnically diverse population that is medically underserved both in terms of screening and treatment. The study provides a systematic analysis of four data sources: 1) National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), 2) Mortality Detail Files (MDF), 3) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and 4) National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). These studies are examined to determine their efficacy in the statistical representation of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) in the United States. The paper presents a systematic and comparative evaluation of population coverage or sample attributes for each of the studies. The paper also evaluates the ability to obtain statistically robust measures of cancer incidence across select socioeconomic characteristics among the NHPIs in each study. The paper concludes with a summary of the strengths and limitations of these large-scale databases in advancing our understanding of cancer risks, prevalence, incidence, and mortality among NHPIs. Study findings will also examine the various ways that census data has been used in association with health data to provide detailed demographic, social, economic and geographic information on NHPIs. The strategic use of census data can allow us to in some ways overcome the lack of robust microdata on cancer patterns across NHPI subgroups and within geographic areas of specific concern for this population. The paper also discusses and evaluates some of the key barriers using administrative data and large-scale surveys to better understand cancer risks among NHPIs. Among these barriers, the lack of detailed information on NHPI subpopulations is particularly troublesome. While useful for establishing incidence, studies such as NHDS and MDFs continue to report only on Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Guamanian/Chamorro subgroups and summarize the other NHPI populations in a residual other “Asian or Pacific Islander” category. In contrast, the SEER data base provides tremendous detail on NHPI subpopulations but does not attempt to estimate the annual population denominator estimates needed for the calculation of cancer rates. The paper concludes with a discussion of research methods and suggested approaches that may help overcome these kinds of data limitations and expand our understanding of cancer risks among this diverse and poorly understood population. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):A2.
Assessment of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs.

Abstract Data from an international survey of public relations educators and practitioners raises a number of concerns about how achievement is measured among public relations students. Fewer than one in four academic programs have actually assessed learning outcomes and used the results to enhance their students' educational experiences. Fewer than one in four practitioners have been involved in some way as assessors. The survey suggests that educators place too much stock in grades alone as an appropriate assessment tool. While both educators and practitioners value portfolio reviews as an assessment protocol, practitioners see much greater value in their involvement in this form of assessment than their faculty counterparts. These differences of opinion notwithstanding, current practice and the opinions of educators and practitioners coalesce around the value of capstone experiences such as internships, simulation or case study analysis and surveys of alumni satisfaction as a core around which assessment plans can be built. The Assessment Task Team at the 1998 NCA Summer Conference developed a multidimensional model of assessment that reflects three principles of good practice. First, assessment plans which measure knowledge, behavior and affect at various points in students' academic careers rather than only at the end of a degree program are able to demonstrate change and the value added by the program of study. Second, specific outcomes may be measured by repeated applications of the same assessment protocol or by the use of different protocols over time. Third, appropriate use of a single assessment protocol to measure multiple outcomes, especially when those outcomes are drawn from two or more of the broad categories of knowledge, behavior and affect results in maximizing the information gained while minimizing the resources devoted to assessment.
Textured Materials Templated from Self-Assembling Media

Mineral crystals with specific surface texture have been grown by a templating mechanism from a lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase. This experimental system is important in understanding mineralization in ordered organic media, a phenomenon of importance in biology and possibly in biomaterials technology as well. The first step in the process involves the doping of a mesophase with precursor ions for the mineral phase with little disruption of the order parameter. Growth of the mineral crystals is then induced by establishing interfacial contact between mesophases doped with different precursor ions. In the system studied here, mineralization occurs at the interface as a result of diffusion of calcium and phosphate ions toward regions of lower concentration. Characterization of the precipitate formed at the interface by X-ray as well as electron diffraction, elemental analysis, and transmission and scanning electron microscopy has revealed the formation of single crystals of brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O) with tr...
Gamma-ray yields from 12C + 13C reactions near and below the coulomb barrier

Abstract The γ-ray yields from low-lying transitions in heavy residual nuclei produced in the 12 C+ 13 C reaction have been measured from E c.m. = 3.1 to 11.9 MeV using a Ge(Li) detector. Total cross sections for compound nucleus formation were deduced from the experimental data with the aid of the Hauser-Feshbach model. Several independent checks on this procedure are described. These tests verify the assumptions made in the analyses of this reaction and suggest that the deduced cross sections have an absolute uncertainty of ±30 %. The present experimental results for the 12 C+ 13 C reaction are qualitatively very different from those for the 12 C+ 12 C reaction and do not provide any striking evidence for either broad singleparticle resonances in the total reaction cross section or for narrow non-statistical (quasimolecular) resonances in summed cross sections for proton and for α-particle emission to bound states of 24 Na and 21 Ne, respectively. The predictions of several optical models employing attractive nuclear potentials are compared to the data. None is successful in reproducing the measured cross sections over the entire range of bombarding energy. The predictions at low energies depend sensitively on the shape of the potential a few fm inside the region of the nuclear surface. A narrow, rapidly varying energy dependence of the γ-ray yields is observed, with a peak-to-valley ratio of typically 1.1. However, a statistical analysis shows that these fluctuations, and those observed in recent charged particle measurements of α-particle yields, are reasonably consistent with those expected from the formation and decay of strongly overlapping levels in the compound nucleus. Finally, several observations are made on the validity of certain approximations often made in statistical analyses of heavy-ion reactions.
Nutritional Evaluation of Irradiated Animal Protein By-Products

Blood, fish and meat-bone meals were irradiated at dose levels of 0, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kGy. Radiation induced an insignificant effect on the chemical composition of meals. Available lysine in irradiated fish meals was reduced by 8,04%. Losses occured in some amino acids especially the essential ones of the irradiated protein by-products. Isoleucine, phenylalanine and valine were the limiting amino acids in the irradiated blood, fish and meat-bone meal, respectively. At dose levels of 0, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kGy essential amino acids index (EAAI) was 48,24%, 42,89%, 48,38%, 53% and 55,95% for blood meal 37,91%, 39,71%, 39,71%, 41,18% and 37,90% for fish meal and 37,07%, 36,01%, 27,61%, 38,21% and 38,45% for meat-bone meal, respectively.
Theory of HF and VHF Propagation Across the Rough Sea, 1, The Effective Surface Impedance for a Slightly Rough Highly Conducting Medium at Grazing Incidence

One method of analyzing radiation and propagation above a surface is to employ an effective surface impedance to describe the effect of the boundary. In this paper an expression is derived for the effective impedance at grazing incidence of a slightly rough interface between air and a finitely conducting medium for which the Leontovich boundary condition is applicable. The perturbation technique of Rayleigh and Rice is employed, and attention is restricted to vertical polarization. The resulting effective surface impedance consists of two terms, the impedance of the lower medium when the surface is perfectly smooth and a term accounting for roughness. The latter term can be complex in general and depends on the strengths of the roughness spectral components present. The result is applicable to either deterministic periodic surfaces or random rough surfaces. Various alternate definitions of the effective surface impedance are examined and are seen to be equivalent. The analysis of power flow at the surface permits the interpretation of the interaction process in terms of scattered fields.
Finding Each Other's Hearts

Sexual violence during the Peruvian internal armed conflict has come to light through the work of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2001–3) and Peruvian human rights and feminist non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This paper examines one feminist NGO's response to sexual violence during the internal armed conflict (1980–2000) and to their theorizing practices that contribute to the construction of a new culture of law. Examining the Study and Defense of Women's Rights (DEMUS) project on sexual violence in Manta, Huancavelica brings to light the narrow legal, political, socio-cultural and linguistic avenues available for addressing this violation. This analysis suggests that any effort to address sexual violence during internal armed conflict must attend to the legacy of colonialism because it undermines the goals of transitional justice by denying the victims personhood and circumscribing the conceptual optic through which to address human rights violations. DEMUS' project illustrates ...
Muscle Properties of Physically Restrained Stressor-Susceptible and Stressor-Resistant Porcine Animals

SUMMARY— Studies of the effects of duration of physical restraint of porcine animals revealed breed influences on the responses occurring in muscles. The rate and extent of glycolysis and the color and gross morphology of the muscles of Poland China animals became more severely affected as the duration of restraint increased. The muscles of Chester White animals, however, responded to the stressor initially but, with prolonged restraint, returned to glycolytic and morphological states resembling those of unrestrained animals. The results emphasize the importance of genetic influences on stress responses and resultant muscle morphology and indicate that a specific treatment may ultimately produce opposite effects in animals that differ in susceptibility to stressors.
Copper(II) complexes of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazine and 2-aminopyrazine: Strategies for designing crystalline materials using coordination polymers

Abstract Reaction of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazine (3-atz) or 2-aminopyrazine (2-apz) with Cu(hfac)2·xH2O led to the formation of the monometallic and trimetallic complexes Cu(hfac)2(3-atz)2 (1), Cu3(hfac)6(3-atz)2 (2), Cu(hfac)2(2-apz)2 (3) and Cu3(hfac)6(2-apz)2 (4). The azine molecules behave as both monodentate and bridging bidentate ligands. The Cu(II) ions exhibit a range of coordination geometries. In 1 and 3, the complex is distorted octahedral with the Jahn–Teller axis lying along one of the O–Cu–O axes. In 2 and 4, the central Cu(II) ion is also distorted octahedral with the Jahn–Teller axis lying along the N–Cu–N axis, while the terminal Cu(II) ions are five-coordinate. Structure analysis reveals that addition of the amino-substituent makes the ligands more coordinating, leading to shorter Cu N bonds. In the case of 4, this results in a stronger magnetic superexchange pathway and the complex exhibits antiferromagnetic behavior at low temperatures.
Preganglionic innervation of the adrenal gland of the rat: a study using horseradish peroxidase.

Abstract Adrenal medullae of 15-day-old and adult rats were injected with a solution of horseradish peroxidase. Preganglionic neurons in the 15-day-old rats were readily identified in the intermediate zone of the spinal cord after staining with diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride; horseradish peroxidase uptake could not be demonstrated in the adult rats. Adrenal preganglionic neurons were distributed between spinal segments T1 and L1. Approximately 50% of the neurons were located within segments T7 to T10. Only slight differences were observed between the distributions of neurons projecting to the right and left adrenal. The maximum velocity of transport of horseradish peroxidase was calculated to be approximately 4 mm/hr. Horseradish peroxidase filled neurons so that it was possible to observe the major orientation of perikarya and dendrites. The perikarya and dendrites exhibited a predominately transverse orientation.
Measurement of permeability I. Theory

Abstract According to Darcy's law, the rate of flow of liquid through a porous body is proportional to the pressure gradient in the pores. To measure the permeability, a pressure differential is applied across a layer of porous material and the rate of flow is measured. When the material is a gel, the analysis is complicated by deformation of the compliant sample under the applied pressure; in addition, there may be spontaneous contraction (syneresis) of the gel. In this paper, a viscoelastic analysis is presented that demonstrates the magnitudes of these effects. It is shown that the steady-state pressure distribution through the sample is nonlinear if the gel network is not purely elastic.
Recent Advancements in Understanding the Ecology of Soil Extracellular Enzymes

Extracellular enzymes are the agents of detritus decomposition, and are critical for biogeochemical cycling in soils. Despite decades of research, we have only a rudimentary understanding of the controls on enzyme production, stabilization, turnover, and in-situ activity. This limits our ability to interpret measured enzyme activities in an ecological framework. We will present several recent innovations that are advancing our understanding of how soil microbial community interactions with their abiotic environment affect in-situ enzyme activity. In Arctic tundra soils, we developed a model for in-situ Β-glucosidase activity by extrapolating from enzyme activities measured in the lab at a range of temperatures to actual field temperatures. The results of this model suggest that enzyme activity is limited by temperature in the winter and by nitrogen limitation to enzyme production in the summer. In a climate warming and precipitation manipulation experiment in a Boston old field, we found increased enzyme activities in drought plots despite a decrease in microbial biomass. Evidence from the temperature sensitivity of enzyme activity suggests that drought decreased the degradation rate of enzymes, resulting in larger enzyme pools. We will also discuss the importance of tannin inhibition of enzymes, which an often overlooked control on in-situ enzyme activities. We have found that different enzymes are not equivalently affected by increasing tannin concentrations, suggesting that changes in plant litter tannin chemistry in response to climate change could alter soil nutrient stoichiometry. By focusing on controls on in-situ enzyme activity, we hope to advance our understanding of the ecology of soil extracellular enzymes.
Completion times in serial mixed-storage multiproduct processes with transfer and set-up times

Abstract The determination of completion times constitutes an important step in any algorithm for short-term production scheduling. In this paper, serial multiproduct batch/semicontinuous plants with a mix of interstage storage policies, nonzero transfer times and sequence-dependent set-up times are considered. A set of recurrence relations is presented for calculating the completion times for a given sequence of product batches on all processing units. The relations comprise an optimal, polynomially bounded, single-pass procedure which can be incorporated within any appropriate scheduling algorithm. Simplified expressions for several special cases of interest are deduced from the general results. Finally, important results concerning optimal production sequences for the limiting 2-unit configuration with infinite storage are derived.
Expectations, Alienation, and Drinking Motives among College Men and Women

Relationships among three motivational variables (negative-personal functions of drinking, alienation, and perceived discrepancies between valued goals and expected success toward valued goals) were evaluated in a group of 257 college drinkers. As predicted, a positive relationship between alienation scores and the extent of discrepancies between values and expectations for academic and social success was found. Negative-personal drinking functions were positively associated with both alienation and value-expectation discrepancies. Results are discussed in terms of heuristic consistency and potential applications.
Medical care utilization in a regional prepaid medical system

Aggregate dollar medical care utilization is estimated by applying a fee structure to 1967–70 medical care utilization of 3,418 members of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Portland, Oregon. The data indicated a very stable pattern of medical care utilization by the cohort during the period. The average yearly increase in medical care dollar utilization per person (prices constant) was only 1.5 percent. There was some tendency for resource utilizaton to become more concentrated among the highest users. Inpatient services accounted for about 40 percent of the dollar utilization with no tendency to decline or rise over the fouryear period. While age and death were the only factors significantly associated with the likelihood of being a “high user” in a given year ($2,500 threshold), family size, education, and sex joined these factors in being associated with medical care dollar utilization by an individual. Family size was negatively related while education and being female were related directly to dollar utilization. A limited comparison is made with experience in the U.S.
The involvement of the CNR1 gene in impulsivity and stress response in alcohol-related behaviors

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 146 (2015) e34–e117 e51 no effect on the conditioned locomotor response. Cyclohexamide (2.5–10mg/kg) attenuated acquisition of the conditioned response. Conclusions: The ability of these compounds to inhibit or exacerbate the conditionedbehavior suggests that plasticity-dependent signalingpathwaysmediate associations of context following acute cocaine exposure and are necessary for the acquisition and expression of the cocaine-conditioned locomotor response. Financial support: n/a. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.09.508 Preclinical evaluation of JPC-141 as a novel treatment for methamphetamine abuse Justin R. Nickell 1, Emily D. Denehy2, John P. Culver1, Peter A. Crooks3, M.T. Bardo2, Linda P. Dwoskin1 1 Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States 2 Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States 3 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United
Hemodynamic effects of enalapril on neonatal chronic partial mureteral obstruction

Hemodynamic effects of enalapril on neonatal chronic partial ureteral obstruction (CPUO). To evaluate the role of angiotensin II (ANG II) in renal vasoconstriction due to ipsilateral CPUO, guinea pigs were subjected to incomplete left ureteral stenosis within the first 48hr of life, and were given enalapril from the 14th day of life until study at 23 ± 3 days or 8 weeks of age. Renal blood flow (RBF) was measured using radioactive microspheres, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was derived from inulin extraction. The number of perfused glomeruli per kidney was determined following in vivo India ink perfusion. Enalapril treatment resulted in an 83% rise in RBF of the obstructed kidney, from 2.58 ± 0.26 to 4.73 ± 0.48ml/min (P
Synthesis of hybrid organic-inorganic materials from interpenetrating polymer network chemistry

Organic−inorganic interpenetrating polymer networks were synthesized with an SiO2 phase made by sol−gel chemistry and the organic phase made from poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate). The resultant morphologies were characterized by small-angle scattering and electron microscopy. When the vinyl polymerization is more rapid than the sol−gel reaction, gross phase separation occurs giving a heterogeneous structure. For comparable rates of the two polymerizations, the specimens have a dendritic morphology on the scale of 0.5 μm. The more rapid formation of the silica phase relative to the organic network produces rigid and optically transparent materials, with a finely divided structure as seen by transmission electron microscopy. The glass content of these materials is about 0.15 g/g and the sizes of the SiO2-rich domains are 100 A or less. Addition of tetrakis(2-(acryloxy)ethoxy)silane was also studied and found to promote phase mixing between the organic and inorganic phases.
The impact of reporting estimated glomerular filtration rate.

The ‘Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative’ guidelines recommend laboratory reporting of a calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The United Kingdom and several states already...
Calibration of the Viking auroral imager using ultraviolet stars

Calibration of the Viking Auroral Imager Using Ultraviolet. StarsR.L. Gattinger, R.W. Little. F. Meo and J. NicholsonHerzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council of Canada100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6ABSTRACTA large number of excellent far ultraviolet auroral images were obtained by the Canadian ultravioletimager (UVI) dual camera system on board the Swedish Viking satellite launched in 1986. The highspatial and temporal resolutions of the observations have been used very effectively in the continuingdevelopment of theories of auroral morphology. The images can also be used to infer approximateaurora! energy deposition rates due to precipitating particles if the absolute sensitivities of the camerasare known. An in-flight calibration procedure is described in which ultraviolet stars are used as absoluteradiation standards. The calibration factors for Cameras 0 and 1 in the central region of the images werefound to be about 0.069 kilorayleighs (kR) per digitization number (DN) and 0.070 kR/DN respectivelyat the peaks ofthe spectral passbands. For Camera 0 this translates to about 0.17 kR/DN for the Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) nitrogen band system without allowance for absorption by atmospheric molecularoxygen in the Schumann-Runge region. The corresponding calibration for the energy deposition rate
Point mutations within the LdNT2 nucleoside transporter gene from Leishmania donovani confer drug resistance and transport deficiency

Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite, expresses an unusual inosine/guanosine-specific transporter, LdNT2, the gene for which was cloned by functional rescue of a drug-resistant, LdNT2-deficient (FBD5) strain. In this investigation, we have uncovered and characterized the mutations within the LdNT2 open reading frame that are the basis for the drug-resistance and transport-incompetent phenotype of the FBD5 line. The FBD5 cells were shown to be compound heterozygotes in which both mutant ldnt2 alleles harbor discrete point mutations, each of which impaired transport function and conferred resistance to formycin B, the drug to which the clonal FBD5 line was selected. One of the mutant ldnt2 alleles encoded an S189L alteration in predicted transmembrane domain 5, while the second allele accommodated a null mutation at codon 376, which truncated the transporter just prior to transmembrane domain 8. In addition to the null transport phenotype, very little S189L ldnt2 mutant transporter targeted to the surface of the parasite. The bulk of the truncated ldnt2 appeared to be sequestered internally, possibly within the endoplasmic reticulum, but some of the truncated transporter seemed to be cell surface exposed. The ability to dissect mutations within a viable parasite offers LdNT2 as an attractive model for implementing a thorough forward genetic dissection of transporter function in a eukaryotic cell.
A Role for Dietitians in Promoting Food Safety in the Classroom Using Multi-Media

Abstract An opportunity exists for Registered Dietitians (RDs) to play leadership roles in the national emphasis in promoting food safety. Food safety education has accelerated in importance with the highly publicized, deadly outbreaks of foodborne illness leading to President Clinton's National Food Safety Initiative and the FightBAC! Educational campaign launched by The Partnership for Food Safety Education. Adolescents, in particular, have a need for food safety education as they are tomorrow's food handlers, homemakers, and consumers. To meet this need for education, a CD-ROM program, Students Serving it Safe, was developed and evaluated for middle school children. This program provides for case-based learning and critical thinking based on the objectives of the FightBAC! Campaign, within a school food service setting. RDs, Dietetic Technicians, Extension agents, and paraprofessionals, using this computer program, can introduce and guide the education sessions on food safety content in classroom and after-school settings. One hundred and ten students from four eighth grade classes participated in the evaluation following a pretest/intervention/posttest design. Food safety knowledge scores improved significantly from pre-test to post-test (3.08 on pretest, 4.49 on posttest, out of a possible 6 correct; p=0.0001). Interestingly, students' attitudes toward school food service also improved significantly (2.91 on pretest, 2.7 on posttest on a 5-point scale with 1 being the most positive response; p=0.0001). Non-teaching staff were found to be as effective as classroom teachers in presenting food safety education with the use of this program. The computer program will be demonstrated and described in detail along with specifics of the evaluation process and suggestions for integration by dietitians, nutrition professionals, and paraprofessionals.
The effects of the intestinal glucosidase inhibitor bay m 1099 (Miglitol) on glycemic status of obese rats

Abstract An experimental pharmacological intestinal glucosidase inhibitor, Bay m 1099 (Miglitol), was used to investigate the effects of delayed carbohydrate absorption on parameters of glycemic status in a congenic rat strain that exhibits characteristics of early onset obesity and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), LA/N-cp (LA-corpulent). Male, lean and obese 8 week old rats were fed diets ad libitum containing 54% sucrose, 20% protein, 16% fat plus other essential nutients with and without Bay m 1099 (15 mg/100g diet) for 7 weeks. Periodic measures of body weight, food intake, glycemic status including daily postprandial glycosuria, and oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT), and glycosylated hemoglobin content were performed. Drug treatment was without effect on food intake or body weight, but resulted in improvement in several insulin-dependent metabolic parameters indicative of glycemic status including prominent reduction of glycosuria, gradual improvement in fasting insulin levels with partial normalization of OGTT in obese animals, and in lowered % glycosylated hemoglobin content in animals of both phenotypes. These results are consistent with improved insulin sensitivity and post-prandial glycemia following drug treatment, and suggest that Bay m 1099 may be a useful dietary adjunct in the treatment of obesity, type IV hyperlipoproteinemia, and other disorders associated with the insulin resistant state.
Improved magnetization preparation for navigator steady-state free precession 3D coronary MR angiography

The purpose of this work was to investigate a new magnetization preparation scheme for navigator steady-state free precession (SSFP) 3D coronary MR angiography (MRA) that executes the navigator and fat saturation pulses in steady state after the dummy RFs in order to minimize the delay between the magnetization preparation and the image echoes. Compared to the previous preparation scheme that executes the navigator and fat saturation pulses before the dummy RFs, the new scheme was found to provide more effective motion suppression, significantly improved blood-to-myocardium contrast-to-noise ratio (46%, P < 0.001) at slightly but insignificantly decreased blood signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) (2%, P = 0.73), significantly reduced fat SNR (32%, P < 0.001), and better overall image quality (P = 0.05; Wilcoxon paired sample signed rank test).
Processing of scan SAR mode data for Radarsat

Radarsat is an Earth observing SAR mission led by the Canadian Space Administration (CSA). NASA is participating as a partner and is responsible for the planning, processing, archiving and distribution of data collected at the Alaska SAR Facility (ASF). Among the five Radarsat operating modes, scan SAR represents a novel approach in data collection. The scanning beam data taking arrangement effectively acts like a burst mode radar allowing changing radar parameters from burst to burst much like the Venus mapping radar Magellan. With successive bursts 'scanned' from near to far range, swath coverage up to 500 km is achieved by properly combining images from these bursts. The paper presents a scan SAR data processor straw-man design that blueprints on the existing Magellan processing concept. Topics discussed include processing parameters derivation, signal compression algorithm selection, geometric rectification process and radiometric compensation strategy. >
Living Boundaries: Tracking Weed Seed Movement With Nondormant Seed

Abstract Synthetic seed banks are a useful tool for tracking how weed populations change over time. By sowing a known number of seeds of a given species within a quadrat with defined boundaries, an investigator can measure the number remaining and thereby calculate demographic rates (e.g., mortality). The alternative is to use in situ seeds and estimate their initial population density via sampling. To make a synthetic seed bank approach useful within an agricultural system subjected to soil disturbances such as tillage, one would need a way to account for seeds leaving the initial quadrat (i.e., a way to follow how the area encompassing the sown seeds changes over time). Without accounting for the change in location/extent of the synthetic seed bank, any field operation moving soil will create additional uncertainty in population size. Depending on the “aggressiveness” of specific field operations and the initial size of the quadrat, this effect might be negligible or so large as to be intractable. Here,...
Brown carbon formation from ketoaldehydes of biogenic monoterpenes

Sources and chemical composition of brown carbon are poorly understood, and even less is known about the mechanisms of its atmospheric transformations. This work presents molecular-level investigations of the reactive compound ketolimononaldehyde (KLA, C9H14O3), a second-generation ozonolysis product of limonene (C10H16), as a potent brown carbon precursor in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) through its reactions with reduced nitrogen compounds, such as ammonium ion (NH4+), ammonia, and amino acids. The reactions of synthesized and purified KLA with NH4+ and glycine resulted in the formation of chromophores nearly identical in spectral properties and formation rates to those found in similarly-aged limonene/O3 SOA. Similar chemical reaction processes of limononaldehyde (LA, C10H16O2) and pinonaldehyde (PA, C10H16O2), the first-generation ozonolysis products of limonene and α-pinene, respectively, were also studied, but the resulting products did not exhibit the light absorption properties of brown carbon, suggesting that the unique molecular structure of KLA produces visible-light-absorbing compounds. The KLA/NH4+ and KLA/GLY reactions produce water-soluble, hydrolysis-resilient chromophores with high mass absorption coefficients (MAC = 2000–4000 cm2 g−1) at λ ∼ 500 nm, precisely at the maximum of the solar emission spectrum. Liquid chromatography was used to isolate the light-absorbing fraction, and UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) techniques were used to investigate the structures and chemical properties of the light-absorbing compounds. The KLA browning reaction generates a diverse mixture of light-absorbing compounds, with the majority of the observable products containing 1–4 units of KLA and 0–2 nitrogen atoms. Based on the HR-MS product distribution, conjugated aldol condensates, secondary imines (Schiff bases), and N-heterocycles like pyrroles may contribute in varying degree to the light-absorbing properties of the KLA brown carbon. The results of this study demonstrate the high degree of selectivity of organic compound structures on the light-absorbing properties of SOA.