cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lysis of Trypanosoma brucei by a toxic subspecies of human high density lipoprotein.

Abstract Trypanosoma brucei brucei is an important pathogen of domestic cattle in sub-Saharan Africa and is closely related to the human sleeping sickness parasites, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. However, T. b. brucei is non-infectious to humans. The restriction of the host range of T. b. brucei results from the sensitivity of the parasite to lysis by toxic human high density lipoproteins (HDL) (Rifkin, M. R. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 3450-3454). We show in this report that trypanosome lytic activity is not a universal feature of all human HDL particles but rather that it is associated with a minor subclass of HDL. We have purified the lytic activity about 8,000-fold and have identified and characterized the subspecies of HDL responsible for trypanosome lysis. This class of HDL has a relative molecular weight of 490,000, a buoyant density of 1.21-1.24 g/ml, and a particle diameter of 150-210 A. It contains apolipoproteins AI, AII, CI, CII, and CIII, and monoclonal antibodies against apo-AI and apo-AII inhibit trypanocidal activity. In addition to these common apolipoproteins, the particles also contain at least three unique proteins, as measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions. Treatment of the particles with dithiothreitol resulted in the disappearance of two of the proteins and abolished trypanocidal activity. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that these proteins were a disulfide-linked trimer of 45,000, 36,000, and 13,500-Da polypeptides and dimers of the 36,000- and 13,500-Da polypeptides or of 65,000- and 8,500-Da polypeptides. Studies on the lysis of T. b. brucei by the purified particle suggest that the lytic pathway may involve the uptake of the trypanocidal subspecies of HDL by endocytosis.
Clinical relevance of peripheral vascular occlusive disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract Introduction: Peripheral vascular occlusive disease (PVOD) and rheumatologic disease (RD) are common in older patients. The effect that coexistence of these diseases may have on patient health has not been rigorously investigated. The present study was undertaken in an attempt to characterize patients with PVOD plus RD in terms of inflammatory serologic disorders, medications, and procedures, and their relation to limb salvage. Methods: Medical records were reviewed retrospectively for all patients with diagnosed coexistent PVOD and non-arteritis RD treated over 15 years at the University of Michigan Hospital. Demographics, operative and medical therapies, and serologic studies were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to assess these variables in relation to limb salvage. Results: Forty-one patients (34 women, 7 men), with mean age of 67 years, were studied. Mean antinuclear antibody titer was 274, C-reactive protein concentration was 3.1 mg/mL, and sedimentation rate was 49. Twenty-nine percent of patients had claudication, 49% had rest pain, and 32% had tissue loss. Mean ankle brachial index was 0.55. Medications included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (67% of patients), corticosteroids (54%), and specific immunosuppressive agents (27%). Operative therapy included aortofemoral bypass grafting (n = 4), infrainguinal bypass grafting (n = 14), embolectomy (n = 4), and primary amputation (n = 7). Overall 5-year limb salvage rate was 70% in patients undergoing bypass surgery. Comparison of surgical with nonsurgical patients showed no significant differences in baseline risk factors, serologic disorders, or anatomic location of vascular disease. Multivariate analysis revealed that rest pain and lack of immunosuppression were significantly predictive of need for revascularization or amputation ( P Conclusion: Patients with RD should receive treatment on the basis of standard criteria for limb ischemia, in that surgical revascularization outcomes are satisfactory. Immunosuppressive agents may confer a protective effect against progression of PVOD.
Protein requirements of adults.

Abstract 1.1. Nitrogen balance studies on twenty-six adults in apparent good health were made using a low protein diet, devoid of animal protein, in which approximately 50 per cent of the protein was supplied by white bread, 12 per cent by other cereals, 30 per cent by vegetables, and 8 per cent by fruit. Adequate calories to maintain caloric equilibrium were supplied by sugars, starch, and fats. It was found that the nitrogen requirement is more closely related to surface area (basal caloric expenditure) than to body weight. The requirement for maintaining nitrogen balance was approximately 2.9 Gm. of nitrogen (18 Gm. conventional protein) per square meter of body surface. A man weighing 70 kilograms would thus require between 30 and 40 Gm. of protein, depending upon height. 2.2. On the same diet with one-third of the protein replaced by meat, the requirement appears to be about 2.4 Gm. nitrogen (15 Gm. conventional protein) per square meter. Protein requirement is thus about 17 per cent less on this diet than on the all-vegetable diet. 3.3. Data on digestibility and biologic value were determined and the equal importance of these two measurements for evaluating the nutritional value of a protein is emphasized. High quality proteins are more efficient, but less efficient proteins may serve equally well, provided enough can be fed to cover the requirement considering the specific digestibility and biologic value. 4.4. The biologic value of the low protein all-vegetable diet used in these studies was increased from 72.5 to 80.4 by replacing one-third of the protein with meat. The digestibility of the two diets was essentially the same. 5.5. There was no measurable objective change in the physical condition of any of the individuals throughout these studies. Some complained of undue postprandial hunger and fatigue on the low protein all-vegetable diets. These complaints were not present on high protein diets. 6.6. There were no significant changes in hemoglobin, hematocrit, or plasma volume. Total protein, plasma albumin, and plasma globulin tended to decrease on the low protein all-vegetable diet when fed at a level low enough to produce negative nitrogen balance. The replacement of one-third of the protein in this diet with meat resulted in a prompt increase in the globulin fraction. 7.7. It is most unlikely that protein deficiency will develop in apparently healthy adults on a diet in which cereals and vegetables supply adequate calories. 8.8. Considering the experimental data presented in this study, the National Research Council's daily recommended allowance of 70 Gm. of protein for an adult weighing 70 kilograms is most generous and could, if necessary, be reduced to 50 Gm. and still provide approximately 30 per cent margin above requirement. 9.9. It should be emphasized that the experimental data and the conclusions of this paper apply to adults in apparent good health and do not consider protein requirements in growth, pregnancy, lactation, or disease.
A price-directed heuristic for the economic lot scheduling problem

The article formulates the well-known economic lot scheduling problem (ELSP) with sequence-dependent setup times and costs as a semi-Markov decision process. Using an affine approximation of the bias function, a semi-infinite linear program is obtained and a lower bound for the minimum average total cost rate is determined. The solution of this problem is directly used in a price-directed, dynamic heuristic to determine a good cyclic schedule. As the state space of the ELSP is non-trivial for the multi-product setting with setup times, the authors further illustrate how a lookahead version of the price-directed, dynamic heuristic can be used to construct and dynamically improve an approximation of the state space. Numerical results show that the resulting heuristic performs competitively with one reported in the literature.
Ultrathin TaOx film based photovoltaic device

Abstract Application of the economical metal oxide thin-film photovoltaic devices is hindered by the poor energy efficiency. This paper investigates the photovoltaic effect with an ultrathin tantalum oxide (TaOx) tunnel barrier, formed by the plasma oxidation of a pre-deposited tantalum (Ta) film. These ~ 3 nm TaOx tunnel barriers showed approximately 160 mV open circuit voltage and 3–5% energy efficiency, for varying light intensity. The ultrathin TaOx (~ 3 nm) could absorb approximately 12% of the incident light radiation in 400–1000 nm wavelength range; this strong light absorbing capability was found to be associated with the dramatically large extinction coefficient. Spectroscopic ellipsometry revealed that the extinction coefficient of 3 nm TaOx was ~ 0.2, two orders higher than that of tantalum penta oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ). Interestingly, refractive index of this 3 nm thick TaOx was comparable with that of stochiometeric Ta 2 O 5 . However, heating and prolonged high-intensity light exposure deteriorated the photovoltaic effect in TaOx junctions. This study provides the basis to explore the photovoltaic effect in a highly economical and easily processable ultrathin metal oxide tunnel barrier or analogous systems.
Pierre Gassendi und die Kopernikanische Zeitenwende. Das erste Großexperiment der Physik

Das heliozentrische Weltbild konnte sich lange Zeit nicht durchsetzen, weil aus der auf Aristoteles fusenden Impetus-Theorie gefolgert wurde, die Erde sei unbewegt. Die Schiffsexperimente des Franzosen Pierre Gassendi im Jahre 1640 sowie seine Experimente mit dem Fallrad widerlegten diese Bewegungstheorie. Sie ebneten damit dem heliozentrischen Weltbild und moderner experimenteller Wissenschaft den Weg.
Correlates of virulence in a frog-killing fungal pathogen: evidence from a California amphibian decline

The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused declines and extinctions in amphibians worldwide, and there is increasing evidence that some strains of this pathogen are more virulent than others. While a number of putative virulence factors have been identified, few studies link these factors to specific epizootic events. We documented a dramatic decline in juvenile frogs in a Bd-infected population of Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) in the mountains of northern California and used a laboratory experiment to show that Bd isolated in the midst of this decline induced higher mortality than Bd isolated from a more stable population of the same species of frog. This highly virulent Bd isolate was more toxic to immune cells and attained higher density in liquid culture than comparable isolates. Genomic analyses revealed that this isolate is nested within the global panzootic lineage and exhibited unusual genomic patterns, including increased copy numbers of many chromosomal segments. This study integrates data from multiple sources to suggest specific phenotypic and genomic characteristics of the pathogen that may be linked to disease-related declines.
Alignment of photoionization-produced He+(2p) between the n=2 and 3 levels.

A determination of the alignment of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$(2p) between the n=2 and 3 levels was carried out by measuring the angular distribution of the 304-\AA{} fluorescence that follows photoionization with synchrotron radiation. The alignment ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{c}}^{0}$ is related to the cross-section ratio \ensuremath{\zeta}=${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}\mathit{k}\mathit{d}}$/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}}$ and thus provides a means of separating the kd and ks partial-wave contributions to the 2p ion production. The partial-cross-section ratio R=${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}}$/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{s}}$ was also determined by measuring the fluorescence signal at the magic angle with and without an external electric field that quenches the 2s ions. With these data a partition of the n=2 cross section into the partial cross sections ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{s}\mathit{k}\mathit{p}}$, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}\mathit{k}\mathit{s}}$, and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}\mathit{k}\mathit{d}}$ was carried out. The effect of the broad ${1}_{3}$ autoionizing resonance in these partial cross sections was determined. A comparison with the results of a many-body-perturbation-theory calculation shows good agreement for the alignment, as well as for R, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{s}\mathit{k}\mathit{p}}$, and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}\mathit{k}\mathit{s}}$, but somewhat of a discrepancy for ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{2\mathit{p}\mathit{k}\mathit{d}}$.
Therapeutic response of a brother and sister with xeroderma pigmentosum to imiquimod 5% cream.

background. Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is an autosomal recessive disease marked by solar sensitivity, photophobia, early onset of freckling, and solar-induced cutaneous neoplastic changes. These patients can often develop hundreds of cutaneous tumors, making surgical therapy difficult. Imiquimod 5% cream has been shown to have activity in treating various cutaneous malignancies. objective. To examine the effectiveness and tolerability of imiquimod 5% cream in treating facial basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in a brother and sister with XP. These patients were developing skin cancers faster than could be managed surgically and had failed 6 months of chemoprophylaxis with isotretinoin. methods. Imiquimod 5% cream was applied to the faces of these two patients as frequently as tolerated, with the goal of gaining control over the many clinically evident BCCs present on the faces of these siblings. We also examined whether we could reduce the rate of new neoplasm development. results. The brother in our study tolerated imiquimod 5% cream twice a day every day with minimal inflammatory response. He had clinical resolution of many of the BCCs present within the treatment area as well as shrinking of many of the remaining lesions. He has continued to produce new tumors at a substantially reduced rate relative to his pretreatment baseline. The sister in our study exhibited a severe inflammatory response to imiquimod 5% cream, with facial swelling and erosion of the treated area with application as infrequent as three times a week. In spite of the vastly different inflammatory response, her cutaneous tumors responded favorably to therapy as well. conclusion. Imiquimod 5% cream was effective in treating facial BCCs in these siblings with XP. As well, we have noted a significant reduction in the development of new tumors within the imiquimod-treated area. The inflammatory response to this medicine was at opposite extremes among these two siblings. However, this did not appear to alter the therapeutic benefit of this therapy.
In defense of the advance specification hypothesis for motor control.

Choice reaction times often depend on the relations between the responses that are possible. Rosenbaum, Inhoff, and Gordon (1984) accounted for these effects with an advance specification (AS) hypothesis, according to which subjects prepare for a choice by creating a single motor program with the “features” shared by the response alternatives; after the choice signal is presented, subjects are assumed to “fill in” the features that were missing. In a recent article, Heuer (1987) argued that the AS hypothesis cannot account for a number of results that he has obtained. He suggested hat a better hypothesis relies on the idea of programming interactions (PI), according to which programs for alternative responses have mutual facilitative or inhibitory influences, depending on their similarity. Heuer (1987) reported an experiment that was partly consistent with the PI hypothesis and, as implied by him, inconsistent with the AS hypothesis. We show that the results of this experiment, as well as the results of Heuer's earlier experiments, are in fact consistent with the AS hypothesis and inconsistent with the PI hypothesis. We show in addition that there are a number of logical problems with the PI hypothesis which make it a less attractive model of choice than the AS hypothesis.
Boiling from small cylinders

Heat transfer is observed as a function of temperature on small horizontal wires in water and four organic liquids. When the wire radius is sufficiently small, the hydrodynamic transitions in the boiling curve disappear and the curve becomes monotonic. Three modes of heat removal are identified for the monotonic curve and described analytically: a natural convection mode, a mixed film boiling and natural convection mode, and a pure film boiling mode. Nucleate boiling does not occur on the small wires. The study was motivated by an interest in predicting the behavior of large heaters at low gravity. The application of the present results to such circumstances is therefore discussed. It is proposed that the peak and minimum heat fluxes will vanish at low gravity as well as on small wires.
New System-in-Package (SiP) Integration technologies

New System-in-Package (SiP) with innovative Wafer-Level-System-Integration (WLSI) technologies that leverage foundry core competence on wafer processes have been demonstrated. The WLSI technologies include Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoSTM) 3DIC and interposer, Integrated Fan-Out (InFO) and Chip-Scale Wafer-Level-Packaging. Wide application portfolio from very low I/O pin-count, low-cost devices, to medium, high and ultra-high pin-count are realized. Chip-partition followed by flexible powerful integration of single-chip or multi-chips, advanced or matured Si, logic and memory, SoC and sensor/MEMS. System values include low profile, low power, high bandwidth along with competitive cost can be readily achieved. With the chip-partition, we can sustain Moore's law longer.
Facebook and romantic relationships: Intimacy and couple satisfaction associated with online social network use.

Abstract Online social networks, such as Facebook, have gained immense popularity and potentially affect the way people build and maintain interpersonal relationships. The present study sought to examine time spent on online social networks, as it relates to intimacy and relationship satisfaction experienced in romantic relationships. Results did not find relationships between an individual's usage of online social networks and his/her perception of relationship satisfaction and intimacy. However, the study found a negative relationship between intimacy and the perception of a romantic partner's use of online social networks. This finding may allude to an attributional bias in which individuals are more likely to perceive a partner's usage as negative compared to their own usage. Additionally, it was found that intimacy mediates the relationship between online social network usage and overall relationship satisfaction, which suggests that the level of intimacy experienced in a relationship may serve as a ...
Advances in the oxidation resistance of high‐temperature turbine materials

This overview highlights some of the key factors in understanding the protective ability of aluminum oxide scales for current gas turbine engine alloys and coatings. Dense, phase-pure, slow-growing and adherent scales are required. In most cases, solutions have been found through educated empiricism, with more complete understanding often lagging by decades. Nevertheless, the relentless application of new techniques to answer old questions has often provided radically different viewpoints and pointed the way to new engineering developments. Equally important, this understanding prevents prior misconceptions from taking too strong a hold and maintaining a limited perspective. The microstructure, kinetics, short-circuit diffusion, phase transformation, growth and residual stresses, interfacial segregation and adhesion provide a richness of topics for this singular and effective system. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell volume estimation from a sparse collection of noisy confocal image slices

Measurement and quantification of the volume of cells are very useful for analyzing and understanding cellular behavior, such as cell growth and differentiation. One popular practice is to use Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy(CLSM) to image cell slices and then reconstruct the 3-D volume of the cells from these serial optical slices. However, all of the current methods of volume estimation using CLSM imaging require large number of cell slices (i.e. high volume of image data). But in many practical situations, especially in case of CLSM based live cell imaging, such high depth resolution is not feasible in order to avoid photodynamic damage to cells from prolonged exposure to laser. In this work, we have addressed this problem of finding out the volume of a plant cell using CLSM when the amount of data is as limited as two to three slices per cell. We assume an ellipsoid model for a cell and estimate the minimum volume ellipsoid that encloses all three cell slices in the 3D stack. The level set based segmentation often tends to produce cell slice areas less than the actual due to poor signal to noise ratio in images and that is the reason why we choose a Minimum Volume Enclosing Ellipsoid over mean or best-fit ellipsoids. We tested the proposed computational method on time-lapse CLSM images of Shoot Apical Meristem (SAM) cells of model plant Arabidopsis Thaliana. The volume estimates of individual cells are reasonably close to what is expected from biological point of view.
The role of noncriterial recollection in estimating recollection and familiarity

Noncriterial recollection (ncR) is recollection of details that are irrelevant to task demands. It has been shown to elevate familiarity estimates and to be functionally equivalent to familiarity in the process dissociation procedure (Yonelinas & Jacoby, 1996). However, Toth and Parks (2006) found no ncR in older adults, and hypothesized that this absence was related to older adults' criterial recollection deficit. To test this hypothesis, as well as whether ncR is functionally equivalent to familiarity and increases the subjective experience of familiarity, remember-know and confidence-rating methods were used to estimate recollection and familiarity with young adults, young adults in a divided-attention condition (Experiment 1), and older adults. Supporting Toth and Parks' hypothesis, ncR was found in all groups, but was consistently larger for groups with higher criterial recollection. Response distributions and receiver-operating characteristics revealed further similarities to criterial recollection and suggested that neither the experience nor usefulness of familiarity was enhanced by ncR. Overall, the results suggest that ncR does not differ fundamentally from criterial recollection.
Calculated uncertainties of absolute γ-ray intensities and decay branching ratios derived from decay schemes

Abstract This paper presents analytical methods for calculating uncertainties of absolute γ-ray intensities and decay branching ratios derived from decay schemes. The equations have been derived with standard mathematical error-propagating techniques, using first-order approximations in Taylor series expansions of absolute γ-ray intensities.
Stabilization of bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by a pi-cation interaction.

Proteins can use aromatic side-chains to stabilize bound cationic ligands through cation-pi interactions. Here, we report the first example of the reciprocal process, termed pi-cation, in which a cationic protein side-chain stabilizes a neutral aromatic ligand. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that an arginine side-chain located in the deep binding pocket of a monoclonal antibody (4D5) is essential for binding the neutral polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[a]pyrene. This Arg was very likely selected for in the primary response, further underscoring the importance of the pi-cation interaction for ligand binding, which should be considered in protein analysis and design when ligands include aromatic groups.
Error Analysis Of Multicomponent Phase-Resolved Luminescence Spectroscopy

A simple method of determining the errors in a multicomponent analysis by phase resolved luminescence spectroscopy (PRS) is presented. Without resorting to many tedious experiments, one can determine a priori the optimum phase angles and frequencies for an analysis based only on the component's lifetimes. The approach allows estimation of the theoretical limiting precision of a data acquisition-reduction method. This, in turn, allows assessment of whether different noise sources or systematic errors are present and where improvements in experimental design can enhance the measurement. Finally, it allows direct analysis of the effect of different types of noise sources. An evaluation of the errors in a two-component analysis in the presence of photon noise is presented.
Optimization of unbalanced power distribution networks via semidefinite relaxation

The papers considers an economic dispatch problem for unbalanced three-phase power distribution networks with distributed generation (DG) units. The objective is to minimize the overall active power supplied by the DG units and drawn from the substation, subject to constraints on the voltage magnitudes at the nodes, and on the power factor (PF) at the substation. The latter constraint is also applied to nodes equipped with capacitor banks. Similar to its optimal power flow counterparts for balanced systems, the formulated optimization problem is nonconvex. Nevertheless, a semidefinite relaxation technique is advocated to obtain a relaxed convex problem solvable in polynomial-time complexity. Numerical tests on the IEEE 13-node test feeder demonstrate the ability of the proposed method to attain the globally optimal solution of the original nonconvex problem.
Distributed publishing: delivering publisher-neutral information to the research community

Abstract Researchers should not need to remember the source of a document in an online environment in order to find it. Whilst researchers will continue to need assurances that the information sought has been `quality-filtered', they should be able to easily obtain high-quality, relevant information starting from one source, and then seamlessly follow `information trails' which encompass all the important work in their chosen field. Here we describe how Institute of Physics Publishing and other organisations are working to create these entry points, and discuss the important guidelines that must be laid down now to ensure that the `trails' remain unbroken, permanent, and invisible.
Contemporary management of femoral popliteal revascularization

Symptomatic peripheral artery disease of the femoral popliteal segment can be treated by surgical and endovascular revascularization, but controversy exists about the best approach. Conventional approaches to revascularization have focused on lesion anatomy to decide on bypass versus endovascular treatment, but advances in endovascular therapy make an endovascular-first approach increasingly feasible-either as a single approach or as an adjunct to short-segment bypass (ie, hybrid procedure). In this review, we discuss the medical, endovascular, and surgical treatment of femoral popliteal revascularization with a special emphasis on advances in percutaneous therapy.
Memory and event-related potentials for rapidly presented emotional pictures

Dense array event-related potentials (ERPs) and memory performance were assessed following rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of emotional and neutral pictures. Despite the extremely brief presentation, emotionally arousing pictures prompted an enhanced negative voltage over occipital sensors, compared to neutral pictures, replicating previous encoding effects. Emotionally arousing pictures were also remembered better in a subsequent recognition test, with higher hit rates and better discrimination performance. ERPs measured during the recognition test showed both an early (250-350 ms) frontally distributed difference between hits and correct rejections, and a later (400-500 ms), more centrally distributed difference, consistent with effects of recognition on ERPs typically found using slower presentation rates. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that features of affective pictures pop out during rapid serial visual presentation, prompting better memory performance.
Very Large Optical Telescope (VLOT) integrated model enhancements

The integrated modeling tools for Canada's 20-meter telescope model, VLOT, have advanced significantly in the last year. Specifically, the flexibility of the tool and the pre-processing and post-processing functions have been enhanced. Also, closed loop control of the primary mirror and feeding the optical displacements through an adaptive optics tool, have been developed. This paper details the enhancements made to the tool and discusses the future challenges of the integrated modeling team.
Schaffer collateral and perforant path inputs activate different subtypes of NMDA receptors on the same CA1 pyramidal cell

The two major inputs to CA1 pyramidal neurons, the perforant pathway (PP) that terminates on distal dendrites and the Schaffer collaterals (SCH) that terminate on proximal dendrites, activate both AMPA and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In an in vitro slice preparation, the pharmacologically isolated NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) (NMDA-EPSCs) of either pathway can be selectively activated onto a single CA1 pyramidal neuron. Analysis of the decay phase of PP and SCH NMDA-EPSCs revealed no significant difference in their time constants, suggesting no apparent different distribution in NR2-subunit composition in the NMDA receptors (NMDAR) activated by the two synaptic inputs. However, application of the NR2B-selective antagonist, ifenprodil, differently affected the NMDA-EPSCs activated by the PP and SCH inputs. The reduction of the PP responses was only 30% compared to 75% for the SCH responses. In addition, for both pathways, the ifenprodil-insensitive component of the NMDA-EPSCs had significantly more rapid decay kinetics than those prior to application of ifenprodil. Our results show a greater NR2B subunit contribution to the NMDA component of the SCH EPSC, compared to the NMDA component of the PP EPSC and that in single CA1 pyramidal neurons NMDA composition is anatomically specific to the afferent input. British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 142, 317–322. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705744
A tectonic earthquake sequence preceding the April-May 1999 eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska

On 4 March 1999, a shallow ML 5.2 earthquake occurred beneath Unimak Island in the Aleutian Arc. This earthquake was located 10–15 km west of Shishaldin Volcano, a large, frequently active basaltic–andesite stratovolcano. A Strombolian eruption began at Shishaldin roughly 1 month after the mainshock, culminating in a large explosive eruption on 19 April. We address the question of whether or not the eruption caused the mainshock by computing the Coulomb stress change caused by an inflating dike on fault planes oriented parallel to the mainshock focal mechanism. We found Coulomb stress increases of ~0.1 MPa in the region of the mainshock, suggesting that magma intrusion prior to the eruption could have caused the mainshock. Satellite and seismic data indicate that magma was moving upwards beneath Shishaldin well before the mainshock, indicating that, in an overall sense, the mainshock cannot be said to have caused the eruption. However, observations of changes at the volcano following the mainshock and several large aftershocks suggest that the earthquakes may, in turn, have influenced the course of the eruption.
Evidence of Jet Streak Vertical Circulations

Abstract A Man Computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) has been used to great advantage in the monitoring and processing of weather data on a real-time basis. In particular, McIDAS facilitated the timely acquisition of data for the study of a Midwest cyclone which was characterized by a well-defined jet streak aloft. Moreover, study of this jet streak revealed patterns of ageostrophic motion and divergence which agree well with the theory of jet streak vertical circulations. Previously, there had been only limited documentation of these patterns using an actual case study. The most striking results of this study were as follows: 1).Machine computation of synoptic-scale ageostrophic motions and divergence patterns can beaccomplished with a high degree of reliability and consistency. 2)The weather over large areas of the United States can be affected by a single, well-definedjet streak. 3)Significant research can now be accomplished on a near real-time basis. Systems such as McIDAS hold the promise...
Particle filtering with path sampling and an application to a bimodal ocean current model

This paper introduces a recursive particle filtering algorithm designed to filter high dimensional systems with complicated non-linear and non-Gaussian effects. The method incorporates a parallel marginalization (PMMC) step in conjunction with the hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) scheme to improve samples generated by standard particle filters. Parallel marginalization is an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) strategy that uses lower dimensional approximate marginal distributions of the target distribution to accelerate equilibration. As a validation the algorithm is tested on a 2516 dimensional, bimodal, stochastic model motivated by the Kuroshio current that runs along the Japanese coast. The results of this test indicate that the method is an attractive alternative for problems that require the generality of a particle filter but have been inaccessible due to the limitations of standard particle filtering strategies.
Receptor for mouse hepatitis virus is a member of the carcinoembryonic antigen family of glycoproteins.

Abstract The receptor for mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), a murine coronavirus, is a 110- to 120-kDa glycoprotein on intestinal brush border membranes and hepatocyte membranes. The N-terminal 25-amino acid sequence of immunoaffinity-purified MHV receptor was identical to the predicted mature N termini of two mouse genes related to human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and was strongly homologous to the N termini of members of the CEA family in humans and rats. Polyclonal antibodies to human CEA recognized the immunoaffinity-purified MHV receptor and the MHV receptor in liver membranes and intestinal brush border membranes from MHV-susceptible mouse strains. In membranes from MHV-resistant SJL/J mice, the anti-CEA antibodies recognized a homologous glycoprotein that failed to bind MHV. The MHV receptor glycoprotein was detected in membranes of BALB/c colon, small intestine, and liver, which are the principal targets for MHV replication in vivo. The MHV receptor glycoprotein resembled members of the human CEA family in molecular weight, acidic pI, extensive glycosylation, solubility in perchloric acid, and tissue distribution. Thus, the MHV receptor is, to our knowledge, the first member of the CEA family of glycoproteins to be identified as a virus receptor.
Nurturing Multicultural Competence in an Early Childhood Graduate Teacher Licensure Program

Abstract This study was designed to describe effective ways to address cultural competency in the education of early childhood teachers in a graduate-level alternative preparation program. The study's 2 major questions were as follows: Can a 15-month graduate-level intensive alternative licensure program's coursework and field experiences provide students with the knowledge and dispositions to teach in culturally competent ways? Is it possible for a teacher preparation institution, through an alternative educational program, to provide schools with culturally competent teachers? Both quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate that students perceive that they have the knowledge and dispositions to interact appropriately with diverse classroom populations. Implications for future programs, as well as a description of the graduate-level program, are provided.
Fetal and maternal thyroid hormone responses to ethanol exposure during the third trimester equivalent of gestation in sheep.

Background: Abnormal thyroid hormone system function in the mother or fetus during pregnancy can result in brain defects, some of which resemble those found in children with fetal alcohol syndrome. It has been hypothesized that ethanol may act to mediate alcohol-related birth defects in part by altering thyroid hormone system function. We investigated whether a binge pattern of maternal ethanol consumption over the last trimester equivalent of gestation in sheep results in an alteration in fetal or maternal thyroid function. Methods: Pregnant ewes received saline or ethanol beginning on day 109 of gestation (term, 145 days) for three consecutive days per week followed by 4 days without exposure. The fetuses were surgically instrumented on day 113, and experiments were performed on days 118 or 132. Fetal and maternal blood samples were collected, and plasma tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and free T4 concentrations were measured. Results: Fetal T3 and T4 on day 118, fetal T3 on day 132, and maternal T3 on day 132 were lower in response to ethanol. Fetal and maternal free T4 and maternal T4 did not change in response to ethanol. Fetal thymus and adrenal weights were reduced in response to ethanol. Conclusions: We conclude that, in sheep, maternal ethanol exposure during the third trimester equivalent resulting in blood ethanol concentrations that are commonly achieved by ethanol abusers decreases circulating thyroid hormone concentrations in the mother and fetus and fetal thyroid and thymus mass.
Intestinal NADPH Oxidase 2 Activity Increases in a Neonatal Rat Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a complication of prematurity. The etiology is unknown, but is related to enteral feeding, ischemia, infection, and inflammation. Reactive oxygen species production, most notably superoxide, increases in NEC. NADPH oxidase (NOX) generates superoxide, but its activity in NEC remains unknown. We hypothesize that NOX-derived superoxide production increases in NEC. Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, formula-fed, formula/LPS, formula/hypoxia, and NEC (formula, hypoxia, and LPS). Intestinal homogenates were analyzed for NADPH-dependent superoxide production. Changes in superoxide levels on days 0-4 were measured. Inhibitors for nitric oxide synthase (L-NAME) and NOX2 (GP91-ds-tat) were utilized. RT-PCR for eNOS, NOX1, GP91phox expression was performed. Immunofluorescence studies estimated the co-localization of p47phox and GP91phox in control and NEC animals on D1, D2, and D4. NEC pups generated more superoxide than controls on D4, while all other groups were unchanged. NADPH-dependent superoxide production was greater in NEC on days 0, 3, and 4. GP91-ds-tat decreased superoxide production in both groups, with greater inhibition in NEC. L-NAME did not alter superoxide production. Temporally, superoxide production varied minimally in controls. In NEC, superoxide generation was decreased on day 1, but increased on days 3-4. GP91phox expression was higher in NEC on days 2 and 4. NOX1 and eNOS expression were unchanged from controls. GP91phox and p47phox had minimal co-localization in all control samples and NEC samples on D1 and D2, but had increased co-localization on D4. In conclusion, this study proves that experimentally-induced NEC increases small intestinal NOX activity. All components of NEC model are necessary for increased NOX activity. NOX2 is the major source, especially as the disease progresses.
Excitation of afferent cardiac sympathetic nerves is modulated by nitroglycerin.

AbstractWe examined the effect of nitroglycerin on stimulation of sympathetic nerve fibers arising from receptor sites in the left ventricular wall during acute coronary artery occlusion. Sympathetic afferent nerve activity was recorded in single and multifiber nerve preparations dissected from slips of T3 white rami communicantes. Acute left anterior descending or left circumflex coronary artery occlusion produced an increase in segmental myocardial length and excitation of afferent cardiac sympathetic nerve fibers in the region of the myocardium supplied by the occluded artery. Intravenous administration of nitroglycerin in doses up to 100 μg/kg and sodium nitroprusside (50 μg/min) reduced systolic bulge during coronary occlusions and suppressed excitation of these myelinated and unmyelinated afferent fibers. Local intracoronary injection of nitroglycerin (100 μg) produced neither a change in systemic blood pressure nor a change in excitation of the afferent nerve fibers during coronary occlusion. Syste...
Married Women's Property Laws and Female Commercial Activity: Evidence from United States Patent Records, 1790–1895

Nineteenth-century laws granted wives previously withheld rights to their own property and earnings as well as liability for debts and contracts. I use 4,198 women's patents to assess whether these laws encouraged greater female commercial activity. Patentees were motivated by potential profits and were responsive to market incentives. Women's patenting jumped significantly in states with legal reforms and was lowest in states without such laws. Much of the subsequent increase occurred in metropolitan centers where property rights were of greater concern. Thus, by reducing transactions costs and increasing expected benefits, legal reforms arguably stimulated women's investments in patenting and commercial activities.
Regional Stress Variations in the Pembina-Warburg Area of the Alberta Basin: Implications in Coalbed Methane Exploration

Abstract This study documents a comprehensive investigation of the in-situ stress magnitude and orientation data from borehole breakouts, mini- and micro-fracture tests, bulk density logs and other stress data, for strata in or adjacent to the Mannville Group and Edmonton Group coals in a part of the west-central Alberta Basin, Canada. The horizontal in-situ stress orientation data can be used to plan horizontal well trajectories in the coal strata of interest to intersect natural fractures and cleats possessing the highest permeability. Horizontal stress orientation data can also be used to assess the effects of well trajectory or borehole collapse risks during drilling, completions, and production operations. Subtle variations in the vertical total stress in the study area may reflect similar trends in the mean effective stress. However, this would need to be confirmed with more complete horizontal stress magnitude and formation pressure data.
Apoptosis down-regulates inflammation under the advancing epithelial wound edge: Delayed patterns in diabetes and improvement with topical growth factors

Abstract Background. Wound healing is involved in many aspects of care, ranging from anastomoses and skin incisions to foot ulcers and decubitus. Clinical healing failures are a major challenge to the physician and cause significant morbidity and mortality in select patient populations. As we are starting to understand more fully the mechanisms of impaired wound healing, the diabetic mouse (C5 7BL/KsJ-db/db) has been a good model for research. The diabetic wound exhibits significant delays in healing, previously identified as impaired cellular infiltration and granulation tissue formation. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is intimately involved in the regulation of inflammation and ultimately should play a role in the inflammatory phase of wound healing. Methods. To examine its role in wound healing, patterns of apoptosis in large, full-thickness cutaneous wounds were compared between groups of diabetic and nondiabetic mice. Results. Initially apoptosis was mainly limited to the wound edge and followed the advancing epithelial edge toward the center of the wound as healing progressed. Significant delays in the appearance of the apoptotic pattern were noted in the diabetic mice. Wounds in diabetic mice were then treated with topical application of growth factors. The delay in apoptotic pattern was reversed after treatment with the combination of insulin-like growth factor—II and platelet-derived growth factor, approaching levels in nondiabetic animals. Conclusions. Apoptosis appears concurrently with reepithelialization of the wound and may signal the end of the inflammatory phase of healing at that site in the wound. One can speculate that a signal for apoptosis and down-regulation of inflammation in the wound is derived from the epithelium.
El trastorno mental de Hamlet: un diálogo con H. Tellenbach

Antecedentes: Este trabajo intenta reconocer las deudas que tiene la psiquiatria con el Prof. Dr. Hubert Tellenbach. El pensaba que la ciencia sin reflexion no era ciencia genuina o ciencia centrada-en-el-hombre. Objetivos: El tratamiento de la anormalidad psiquica que encontramos en las grandes obras literarias es en si de interes como expresion de lo que es la naturaleza esencial del fenomeno mental. El proposito de este articulo es traer a presencia los hallazgos de "La tragedia de Hamlet" de Shakespeare como muestra de un trastorno patologico. Metodo: Se analiza "La melancolia de Hamlet" de Tellenbach con "La locura de Hamlet" del autor. Resultados: De acuerdo a Tellenbach, el observador experimenta lo que sucede al interior de Hamlet. El llega a la conclusion que la obra poetica de Shakespeare hace transparentes fases muy decisivas en el desarrollo de una melancolia. Con un enfoque alternativo, seguimos las huellas de Hamlet en su curso hacia el delirio; es posible insinuar los puntos de viraje que dirigen el proceso necesario e inevitable de la locura de Hamlet. Conclusiones: La psiquiatria refleja mejor que otras ramas de la medicina el espiritu de una epoca. El problema de una psiquiatria antropologica es tratado con profundidad en los trabajos y libros de H. Tellenbach
The incidence of clinically isolated syndrome in a multi-ethnic cohort

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), a potential precursor of multiple sclerosis (MS), and whether it varies by race/ethnicity in a multi-ethnic, population-based cohort. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of over 9 million person-years of observation from the multi-ethnic, community-dwelling members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California Health Plan from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2010. Incidence of CIS and risk ratios comparing incidence rates between racial/ethnic groups were calculated using Poisson regression. We identified 468 newly diagnosed CIS cases that did not meet McDonald criteria for MS. The average age at diagnosis was 39.0 years (range 2.7-85.8) and 68.8% were women. The female preponderance was more pronounced among black (75.7%) and Hispanics (70.5%) than in white and Asian individuals with CIS (66.5 and 54.5%, respectively; P = 0.14). The most common presenting symptom in Hispanics was optic neuritis (P = 0.008), and in blacks, transverse myelitis (P = 0.07). Incidence of CIS was lower in Hispanics (3.8, 95% CI 3.2-4.4, P < 0.0001) and Asians (2.4, 95% CI 1.5-3.6, P < 0.0001) and similar in blacks (6.8, 95% CI 5.3-8.5, P = 0.30) compared with whites (5.9, 95% CI 5.1-6.7). The incidence of CIS varies by race/ethnicity and sex in a similar pattern to MS. In addition, the clinical presentation of CIS varies by race/ethnicity. These findings strengthen the probability that the old belief that blacks have a decreased risk of MS is no longer true. These findings highlight that studies that include minorities are likely to lead to important insights into the etiology and prognosis of CIS and MS.
Griseofulvin and human spermatogenesis.

Summary and ConclusionsDaily administration of 2 g of griseofulvin to 14 normal men for 3 months did not produce significant changes in semen quality or in histology of the testes of 8 of the individuals.