cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An isoclinal approach to the comparative statics of biological communities

An understanding of the comparative statics of biological communities is important both as a means of explaining the long-term effects of changes in environmental conditions, and as a framework for viewing community time trajectories. A general formulation of community dynamics is presented here which, given full information about a particular community's dynamic behavior, describes the impact of a change in environmental conditions on the community steady state. However, since such full information is often lacking in studies of biological communities, various approaches to partial information analysis of comparative statics are presented and compared, including a generalized protocol for isocline analysis. The suggested isocline protocol is shown to be a useful tool for both full and partial information analyses, as well as for both general and partial equilibrium studies.
Forecasting Global Generation of Obsolete Personal Computers

Electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as a new policy priority around the world. Motivations to address e-waste include rapidly growing waste streams, concern over the environmental fate of heavy metals and other substances in e-waste, and impacts of informal recycling in developing countries. Policy responses to global e-waste focus on banning international trade in end-of-life electronics, the premise being that e-waste is mainly generated in the developed world and then exported to the developing world. Sales of electronics have, however, been growing rapidly in developing nations, raising the question of whether informal recycling in developing countries driven by international trade or domestic generation. This paper addresses this question by forecasting the global generation of obsolete personal computers (PCs) using the logistic model and material flow analysis. Results show that the volume of obsolete PCs generated in developing regions will exceed that of developed regions by 2016-2018. By 2030, the obsolete PCs from developing regions will reach 400-700 million units, far more than from developed regions at 200-300 million units. Future policies to mitigate the impacts of informal recycling should address the domestic situation in developing countries.
Activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is required for optimal alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced pigmentation.

The cAMP-dependent pathway has been long presumed to play a critical role in mediating alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH)-induced pigmentation, but it has never been demonstrated that this pathway is obligatory. In order to determine whether the cAMP-dependent pathway is required for a alpha-MSH-induced pigmentation, we inhibited the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), the main kinase mediating in this pathway, by introducing a physiologic cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor (PKI) into S91 murine melanoma cells and then measuring pigment response after alpha-MSH stimulation. Cells were stably transfected either with the pMXX-PKI expression vector that encodes the active part of PKI (the amino terminal 1-31 amino acids) under a metallothionein-inducible promoter and the pSV2-Neo expression vector alone. As expected, treatment of transfected cells with 1 microM CdCl2 for 24 h induced the expression of PKI mRNA in cells transfected with both vectors, but not in cells transfected with the pSV2-Neo expression vector alone. Subsequent treatment of these transfected cells with alpha-MSH for 5-6 days in the continual presence of 1 microM CdCl2 resulted in inhibition of PKA activity by 30-40% in cells expressing PKI. Parallel measurements revealed that alpha-MSH-increased melanin content five- to six-fold in control cells transfected with pSV2-Neo alone, while there was only a two-fold increase in PKI-expressing cells, a 40-50% inhibition in alpha-MSH-induced total melanin content. alpha-MSH-induced tyrosinase activity and tyrosinase mRNA and protein levels measured in parallel were also inhibited by 40-50% in PKI-expressing cells compared to control cells transfected with pSV2-Neo alone. Together, these results demonstrate for the first time that activation of PKA through the cAMP-dependent pathway is required for optimal alpha-MSH-induced pigmentation.
Multiple Exposures: Scientific Controversy, the Media, and Public Responses to Bisphenol A:

The controversy surrounding the potential health effects of bisphenol A (BPA) has recently spread from the scientific arena to mass mediated public debate. This study presents a theoretical account...
Fringing fields from step transitions of longitudinal and perpendicular magnetization on finite tracks

Analytical expressions for fringing fields are derived and evaluated for several examples. It is shown that fields from perpendicular (H/sub x/) and longitudinal (H/sub y/) transitions exhibit similar behavior at track center but differ significantly at the track edges and off-track. Fourier analysis is used to obtain an effective spacing as a function of z for the conventional exponential spacing loss, exp(-kd). For the longitudinal transition at all wavelengths, the effective spacing is approximately the distance from the track edge. For the perpendicular transition at short wavelengths, the effective spacing is approximately 1.5 times the distance from the track edge. This result indicates a more rapid decay of the field from the perpendicular transition at short wavelengths. The off-track H/sub y/ fields are found to have more long-wavelength components. >
Functionalized Carbon‐Nanotube Sheet/Bismaleimide Nanocomposites: Mechanical and Electrical Performance Beyond Carbon‐Fiber Composites

Since their discovery in 1991, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered as the next-generation reinforcement materials to potentially replace conventional carbon fibers for producing super-high-performance lightweight composites. Herein, it is reported that sheets of millimeter-long multi-walled CNTs with stretch alignment and epoxidation functionalization reinforce bismaleimide resin, which results in composites with an unprecedentedly high tensile strength of 3081 MPa and modulus of 350 GPa, well exceeding those of state-of-the-art unidirectional carbon-fiber-reinforced composites. The results also provide important experimental evidence of the impact of functionalization and the effect of alignment reported previously on the mechanical performance and electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites.
Probability Estimates and Paths to Consonant Normalization in Children With Speech Delay

Probable ages of normalization were calculated for 24 children with speech delay, using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a threshold score of 85% on the Percent of Consonants Correct, Percent of Consonant...
Modeling and simulation of bubbling fluidized beds containing particle mixtures

A comprehensive model is presented for mathematically describing the isothermal, non-reactive, fluid dynamics of a mixture of particles in a gas. A multifluid approach was followed in which macroscopic transport equations were derived by taking suitable ensemble averages of the local gas and particle dynamic equations. A standard phasic ensemble average was selected for the gas phase, whereas the particle equations were derived using a kinetic theory approach in which collisional transfer is included. Separate transport equations were constructed for each of the particle classes, allowing for the description of the independent acceleration of the particles in each class and the equilibration processes whereby momentum and energy are exchanged between each class, leading to a wider range of applicability than common mixture equations have. Closure of the particle equations was exercised by providing separate velocity distributions for each of the particle classes, here specified as Gaussian: this is a valid approach for small gradients in the mean variables, and for nearly elastic particles. In the region of very high solids volume fractions, the relations obtained for the stress tensor were augmented by a model describing frictional transfer. The model was applied to three different test cases: (1) prediction of the shear and normal stresses in a homogeneous shear flow, (2) simulation of the particle pressure along the wall of a bubbling bed, and (3) a comparison between simulations of monodisperse and binary mixtures in a homogeneously aerated bed. Where possible to compare, correspondence between simulations and available experimental data is reasonable.
Effects of milk proteins on sperm binding to the zona pellucida and intracellular Ca2+ concentration in stallion sperm

Abstract Objectives were to determine the effects of extracellular Ca 2+ and milk proteins on intracellular Ca 2+ concentrations in stallion sperm; and to determine the effects of single caseins on sperm binding to the zona pellucida (ZP). In Experiment I, sperm were incubated in media containing 2 or 4mM Ca 2+ and intracellular Ca 2+ concentration was determined after ionomycin treatment and long-term incubation (3h). Extracellular Ca 2+ concentrations (2 compared with 4mM) did not affect baseline intracellular Ca 2+ concentration of sperm. However, incubating sperm in a medium containing 4 compared with 2mM Ca 2+ resulted in greater ( P 2+ into sperm. In Experiment II, sperm incubated in media containing 1mg/mL of native phosphocaseinate (NP) or sodium caseinate (SC) showed similar baseline intracellular Ca 2+ and influx of Ca 2+ than control (TALP). In Experiment III, sperm-ZP binding assays were performed in TALP medium containing: no additions (TALP); 1mg/mL SC; 1 or 3mg/mL of α-casein; 1 or 3mg/mL of β-casein; and 1 or 3mg/mL of κ-casein. The number of stallion sperm bound to bovine ZP was greatest ( P P 2+ concentration and milk proteins did not affect baseline intracellular calcium in stallion sperm. It appears that β- and κ-caseins may be responsible for enhancing sperm binding to ZP, but the mechanism remains unknown.
Cellular inflammation in asthma: neutral proteases of mast cells.

Atopy is a major risk factor for the development of asthma, and mast cells are the major effector cells of the immediate phase of allergic reactions. A variety of observations support the involvement of mast cells in asthma (table I). High numbers ofmast cells normally reside in the bronchial and alveolar walls, a few of which appear in the lumen (I). In asthmatic subjects, portions of the bronchial epithelium are shed, perhaps accounting for the modest increase in the numbers of luminal mast cells reported. Pulmonary mast cells respond to allergen in vivo as evidenced by increased concentrations of mast cell mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after inhalation of allergen by atopic subjects (2, 3). Furthermore, those atopic subjects with asthma show evidence for mast cell activation at baseline, when the only obvious pulmonary function abnormality is bronchial hyperreactivity (2). Finally, the hyperresponsiveness of atopic asthmatics to inhaled adenosine most likely occurs by the augmented release of preformed mediators from mast cells being activated concomitantly by other means (4-7). Whether this apparent state of mast cell activation in atopic asthma occurs through a classical IgE-allergen pathway or through other factors such as an imbalance in the ratio of histamine release factors and inhibiting factors is not known. The possibility of a more pervasive involvement of this cell type in asthma seems likely. Mast cells, when activated by allergen, release preformed mediators stored in secretory granules, which is typically accompanied by the synthesis and secretion 0 f lipid mediators and, possibly, eytokines (8). The predominant components that reside in the secretory granules of human mast cells include histamine, proteoglycan, either heparin or chondroitin sulfates, and neutral proteases. The neutral proteases include tryptase, chymase, carboxypeptidase (9), and a cathepsin-G-like enzyme (10). Tryptase resides in the secretory granules of all mast cells from the time granules first begin to form (11), whereas the others dwell in the granules of a subpopulation of mast cells. Those mast cells with tryptase alone are called MCT cells; those with all of the enzymes are called MCTe cells (12). Recently, five different cDNA molecules for human tryptase have been cloned and sequenced (13-15), and two genes for tryptase have been localized to chromosome 16. Whether more than one form of the catalytic enzyme exists and whether the cDNA products are distributed differently in different mast cell types are unknown at present. The possibility of additional forms of human chymase, analogous to the situation in rodents, also needs to be considered. The fact that these enzymes are selectively concentrated in mast cell secretory granules 518 should permit them to serve as indicators of mast cell activation and as markers of different types of mast cells. Also, their catalytic activities provide a mechanism for amplification of the phlogistic events observed in atopic disease. This discussion will focus on the neutral proteases of human mast cells as related to asthma.
"Superactive" charcoal adsorbs drugs as fast as standard antidotal charcoal.

(1980). “Superactive” Charcoal Adsorbs Drugs as Fast as Standard Antidotal Charcoal. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 123-125.
Atherosclerotic Plaque Macrophage Transcriptional Regulators Are Expressed in Blood and Modulated by Tristetraprolin

Circulating monocytes and plaque macrophages mediate inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We purified these cells from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy for advanced atherosclerosis and examined their in vivo transcriptomes using the serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) technique. We observed striking differences in transcriptional regulators as monocytes transformed into plaque macrophages in contrast to monocytes and lung macrophages from normal subjects. Consistent with its role in moderating inflammation, tristetraprolin (TTP, ZFP36) was among the most highly expressed macrophage transcriptional regulators. Interestingly, the mRNAs of a subset of the macrophage transcriptional regulators specifically interacted with TTP, revealing a network of genes that may be important in controlling macrophage inflammatory activity. Giving functional significance to this interaction, the knockdown of TTP increased both cognate macrophage gene mRNAs and inflammatory tumor necrosis factor protein release. In contrast, transient overexpression of TTP resulted in decreased levels of the same genes supporting its role in regulating macrophage gene expression. Together, our results indicate that the in vivo gene expression analyses of cells involved in pathogenesis can provide biological insights for functional studies with potential clinical implications.
Using neural networks to predict cardiac arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias are classified by abnormal activities in the heart. These abnormalities can be analyzed by an electrocardiogram (ECG). Details from this electrical signal can be used to classify what type of arrhythmia, if any, the patient has by analyzing the PQRST wave properties. The arrhythmias analyzed for this study are Bundle Branch Block, Supraventricular Tachycardia, Ventricular Tachycardia, Tachycardia, and Bradycardia. Multiple data samples of normal ECG characteristics also were read by an artificial neural network (ANN) and analyzed for the differences between a normal signal and an irregular signal. The data was extracted from the MIT-BIH Supraventricular database and the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database. A typical method used to analyze cardiac arrhythmias is to take the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the signal. In this study, an alternate method is used to predict cardiac arrhythmias. A neural network is designed and programmed with this data and then tested to validate the data set. The pattern recognition tool in MATLAB is then used to analyze and predict the data. The program results were tested to validate the data set. The ANN achieved 98.6% accuracy on the test data. The findings and outcome probabilities from this study are more accurate than some current methods of analysis used today. When neural networks are further used to analyze and test medical data samples, the medical community and patients will experience improvements in the diagnosis of heart abnormalities and early detection of debilitating medical conditions.
Coordinating principles and examples through analogy and self-explanation

Research on expertise suggests that a critical aspect of expert understanding is knowledge of the relations between domain principles and problem features. We investigated two instructional pathways hypothesized to facilitate students’ learning of these relations when studying worked examples. The first path is through self-explaining how worked examples instantiate domain principles and the second is through analogical comparison of worked examples. We compared both of these pathways to a third instructional path where students read worked examples and solved practice problems. Students in an introductory physics class were randomly assigned to one of three worked example conditions (reading, self-explanation, or analogy) when learning about rotational kinematics and then completed a set of problem solving and conceptual tests that measured near, intermediate, and far transfer. Students in the reading and self-explanation groups performed better than the analogy group on near transfer problems solved during the learning activities. However, this problem solving advantage was short lived as all three groups performed similarly on two intermediate transfer problems given at test. On the far transfer test, the self-explanation and analogy groups performed better than the reading group. These results are consistent with the idea that self-explanation and analogical comparison can facilitate conceptual learning without decrements to problem solving skills relative to a more traditional type of instruction in a classroom setting.
Teacher candidates’ perceptions of scientists: images and attributes

The masculine image of scientists as elderly men wearing white coats and glasses, working alone in the laboratory has been documented since the 1950s. Because it is important that teacher candidates have a scientifically literate image of scientists due to the impact they have on their future students, this investigation is salient. This study involved the examination of drawings of scientists using the Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST) and Draw-a-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist (DASTT-C) coupled with attributes listed by 91 teacher candidates enrolled in elementary education courses at an American university in south Louisiana. The purpose of this study was two-fold, first to investigate teacher candidates’ images of scientists and second, to determine associated characteristics. Reasons for images, demographic information and facts concerning science courses were collected as contributing data. Images drawn by teacher candidates in a planning and assessment course were compared to those drawn by elementary me...
Evaluation of a QRS scoring system for estimating myocardial infarct size. II. Correlation with quantitative anatomic findings for anterior infarcts.

This study evaluated by quantitative autopsy correlation a previously developed scoring system for estimating the size of myocardial infarcts based on the QRS complex of the electrocardiogram. This system was tested using electrocardiograms from patients with infarcts shown by autopsy to predominate in the inferior third of the left ventricle. The study was limited to patients whose electrocardiogram did not indicate left or right ventricular hypertrophy, left or right bundle branch block, or left anterior or posterior fascicular block. Thirty-one patients from 6 medical centers met these criteria. In the electrocardiogram of 28 of the 31 patients (90%), lead a VF exhibited a Q wave of at least 30 ms. The correlation coefficient between the total QRS score and the percent infarction of the left ventricle was 0.74. In patients without confounding factors in the electrocardiogram and with single infarcts, the electrocardiogram provides a marker for infarcts in the inferior third of the left ventricle and a quantitative QRS scoring system provides an estimate of infarct size.
Robustness Index Score: A New Stability Parameter for Designing Robustness into Biologic Formulations

ABSTRACT: Formulation robustness is critical to product quality. A challenge in designing robustness into biologic formulations is the absence of one global parameter, which allows equitable comparison across formulations and quality measures. The new measure introduced here derived from accelerated testing data allows for the design of globally optimal robust formulations. The measure is easy to understand and also numerically and computationally stable when performing optimizations. The measure termed here as robustness index (RobX) score is a relative measure allowing for global optimization across multiple critical quality attributes. Described here are the calculation methods, a discussion of the measure characteristics, and a brief example of using RobX to find a global optimal formulation across multiple quality characteristics within the framework of a mixture experimental design. The data presented are actual stability data generated during a formulation experimental design for a monoclonal antibody. We anticipate this approach will provide a good general measure of drug stability and will help to accelerate the drug development process. We believe it will improve formulation robustness, long-term stability, and the delivery of quality drug products to the patient. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
The Challenges and Benefits of Distance Mentoring

Distance mentors are increasingly common in nursing education and practice, particularly when the mentee is not geographically mobile and there are no available local mentors with relevant expertise. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nurses who worked with distance mentors for practice, research, or leadership development. We recruited a convenience sample to complete an on-line survey through professional organizations and schools of nursing. The responses from 67 nurses indicate that distance mentoring is used by clinicians, doctoral students, junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and administrators. Distance mentors are sought when a mentee's needs require specific areas of mentor expertise, no such match exists at the mentee's home institution, and the mentee is not geographically mobile. Most survey participants were satisfied with their mentoring experience and reported significant scholarly productivity. Based on the findings, a reciprocal model depicting factors for successful distance mentoring was developed with two key features: (a) communication of needs, goals, and expectations, and (b) planning time and methods for adequate connection. This study provides evidence that distance mentoring is an appropriate option to help meet nursing's needs for more scholars, leaders, educators, and clinicians.
Electron transport in biological procesess II: Electrochemical behaviour of Q10 immersed in a phospholipidic matrix added on a pyrolitic graphite electrode

Abstract In order to study the behaviour of ubiquinone inside a phospholipid matrix, the E-pH diagrams for CoQ10 adsorbed on a graphite electrode and on a phospholipid modified graphite electrode were compared. The stabilization area for the protonated free radical HQ was found to be larger in the presence of phospholipids, contrary to results obtained for the charged species. This fact strongly supports the role proposed for ubiquinone in the respiratory chain model where a stable neutral semiubiquinone radical would allow the unitary electron transport through the inner mitochondrial membrane.
An analysis of aggregate response of confined liquids in nanoenvironment

Based on a dimensional analysis of flow rate in nanoenvironment, the aggregate response of a nanoporous particle subjected to a dynamic pressure is studied in context of effective phase transformation. The numerical results indicate that in the early stage the system behavior is mostly determined by the nucleation and associated growth of saturated pore clusters (SPCs), while in the late stage the SPC coalescence becomes predominantly important. The relations between the absorption time and the sizes of the particle and the pores are highly nonlinear.
Formation and stability of acetaldehyde-induced crosslinks between poly-lysine and poly-deoxyguanosine.

Abstract The amino acid residue and nucleoside specificity of acetaldehyde-induced DNA-protein crosslinks (DPXLs) were studied using a modified filter binding assay. A 40% inhibition of acetaldehyde-induced pUC13 plasmid DNA-calf thymus histone crosslink formation was achieved by addition of 50 mM lysine (free base), while arginine was unable to affect crosslink formation at concentrations to 150 mM. Polymers (5-mers) of lysine (poly-lys 5 ) were able to substitute for histones in acetaldehyde-induced plasmid crosslink formation, being equally effective at equimolar concentrations. Homopolymers (6-mers) of deoxyguanosine (poly-dG 6 ) (but not deoxyadenosine, deoxycytidine or thymidine) served as an efficient substrate for acetaldehyde-induced DPXL formation, using either calf thymus histones or poly-lys 5 as the protein source. Acetaldehyde-induced crosslinks between poly-dG 6 and ply-lys 5 were formed rapidly, but were unstable at 37°C (a half-life or 1.5–2 h). Stability of these crosslinks was unaffected by pH at a range of 5.5–9.0 at 37°C for 2 h. Results presented here suggest that unstable complexes of deoxyguanosine and lysine constitute a major portion of the DPXLs formed by acetaldehyde in vitro.
Navigating around educational road blocks: Mentoring for Pre-K to 20+ Latino/a students

Institutional disadvantages at every educational level for Latinos/as create a shortage of Latino/a professionals, which in turn creates a paucity of mentors for the fastest-growing student population. This review examines peer-reviewed literature focused on mentoring Latinos/as from Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) through professional settings, which is also known as the Pre-K to 20+ Pathway. Because of challenges in measuring program outcomes and the informal nature in which many mentoring relationships for Latinos/as take place, methodological limitations within the current Latino/a mentoring literature exist. Findings should be viewed with cautious optimism, but indeed as the foundation for establishing a more robust body of knowledge.
“They See Us as Resource”: The Role of a Community‐Based Youth Center in Supporting the Academic Lives of Low‐Income Chinese American Youth

Based on a 15-week ethnographic-based research, this article examines the role of a community-based youth center in supporting the academic lives of Chinese American youth from low-income families in an east coast city I call “Harborview.” This study demonstrates the significant role that community-based organizations play for low-income immigrant youth in providing them with social capital. This study also challenges the portrayal of Asian Americans as model minorities who do not face any barriers. [Asian American education, community-based organizations, out-of-school-time programs, social capital]
Diet mixing enhances the performance of a generalist caterpillar, Platyprepia virginalis

1. Platyprepia virginalis caterpillars are dietary generalists and feed on multiple host species within a single day. We conducted field experiments to evaluate their performance on diets consisting of only their primary food, Lupinus arboreus, or diets consisting of L. arboreus plus other acceptable host species. 2. We found that relative growth rates and rates of survival were higher when they fed on mixed diets compared to lupine only. These results were consistent with hypotheses that mixed diets provided balanced nutrition, diluted toxins, and/or allowed recovery from parasitoids, although our data did not allow us to separate these non-exclusive explanations. 3. We assayed alkaloids in their host foliage, in the caterpillars themselves, in parasitoids within caterpillars, in food boluses passing through their guts, and in frass that they excreted. We consistently found positive assays for alkaloids in foliage and in frass but negative assays in caterpillars, parasitoids, and food boluses. This suggests that the alkaloids that they ingest are metabolised or rendered non-reactive by unknown means during passage through the gut. We found no support for the hypothesis that mixed diets prevented caterpillars from exhausting food supplies or allowed them to sequester chemicals from their alkaloid-containing hosts. 4. Behavioural observations revealed that previous experience influenced a caterpillar's likelihood of moving to a different host. Caterpillars that had previously fed on other hosts were more likely to move to lupine while caterpillars previously collected on lupine were equally likely to choose more lupine or a different host. 5. These results are unusual in providing a clear and consistent benefit of diet mixing in a natural field setting where multiple ecological factors act upon the caterpillars.
Estimating Local Intrinsic Dimension with k-Nearest Neighbor Graphs

Many high-dimensional data sets of practical interest exhibit a varying complexity in different parts of the data space. This is the case, for example, of databases of images containing many samples of a few textures of different complexity. Such phenomena can he modeled by assuming that the data lies on a collection of manifolds with different intrinsic dimensionalities. In this extended abstract, we introduce a method to estimate the local dimensionality associated with each point in a data set, without any prior information about the manifolds, their quantity and their sampling distributions. The proposed method uses a global dimensionality estimator based on k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) graphs, together with an algorithm for computing neighborhoods in the data with similar topological properties
Dispersive–Dissipative Eddy Parameterization in a Barotropic Model

Recently a new class of coarse-grained equations, known as a models, have been proposed for the mean motion of an ideal incompressible fluid. The use of one such model to represent the time-mean component of a turbulent b-plane circulation characterized by potential vorticity mixing is considered. In particular, the focus is on the wind-driven circulation in a shallow ocean basin, a problem well studied as a prototype of more realistic ocean dynamics. The authors demonstrate the ability of an a model to reproduce qualitatively the structure of a four-gyre circulation that forms (in the time mean) when the barotropic vorticity equation is driven by a symmetric, double-gyre wind forcing, and when the dissipation is weak. This is offered as a first step in assessing the utility of the a-model approach to simulating more complex geophysical flows.
Oscillatory Mechanisms Underlying the Murine Circadian Clock

This animation depicts a schematic of the murine circadian clock mechanism in a single, pacemaking neuron in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, where the master pacemaker is located. Circadian clocks allow organisms to display behaviors and processes with a 24-hour rhythm even in the absence of light input. The basic molecular mechanism consists of two intertwined transcription-translation negative feedback loops. One loop--the "positive loop"--controls the rhythmic expression of a positive transcription factor gene, Bmal1 (also called Mop3 ). The second loop--the "negative loop"--controls the transcription of genes in the Period and Cryptochrome families, which encode repressor proteins. The loops are intertwined because the proteins PERIOD and CRYPTOCHROME directly repress transcription mediated by the transcription factors CLOCK and BMAL1, whereas the CLOCK:BMAL1 heterodimer drives transcription of the Period and Cryptochrome genes, as well as that of Rev-erb-alpha , which represses Bmal1 expression. Other proteins, such as casein kinase I ϵ (CKIϵ) play essential modulatory roles in mammalian circadian timekeeping.
INCORPORATION OF SULFATE INTO THE CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDE OF THE RED ALGA PORPHYRIDIUM

The accumulation of sulfate-35S by Porphyridium aerugineum cells and subsequent appearance of solubilized capsular polysaccharide-35S in the growth medium were examined The uptake of label by the cells was largely light dependent. Pulse-chase experiments using log phase cells revealed a rapid labeling of solubilized capsular polysaccharide, recovered from the medium as the cetylpyridinium chloride precipitate Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the polysaccharide-35S showed the sulfate to be firmly bound to an immobile fraction. Sephadex chromatography revealed the molecular weight of the polysaccharide to be in excess of 2 x 105. Acid hydrolysis of the polysaccharide-35S released sulfate-35S ion as evidenced by radioautography of thin layer chromatographs Preliminary electron microscope evidence suggests that the synthesis, movement, and deposition of the capsular polysaccharide on the cell surface are Golgi complex-mediated processes
Linear subband predictive filters for wideband signals

In this paper we present the design of multiband linear subband prediction (LSP) filters for wideband signals. A wideband signal is divided into narrowband subband signals via an array of lowpass/bandpass filters. A linear prediction filter is designed for each subband channel, which has its own designated frequency interval. The filter coefficients are fixed throughout the coding process. A closed form bound on the error of prediction shows that the LSP approach is accurate for wideband signals, which is further supported by simulations.
A Structural/Strategic Lens in the Treatment of Children With Obesity

Childhood obesity is an issue affecting an increasing number of families in the United States and the international community. In the past, obesity has been treated primarily by medical models that may or may not have included family therapy. It has been found that the use of family therapy in treating childhood obesity is helpful to produce long-term results. The authors suggest that the use of structural/strategic family therapy may also be useful in treating children and families dealing with obesity, as well as other medical issues that are a result of it.
The Role of Ekman Ocean Heat Transport in the Northern Hemisphere Response to ENSO

Abstract The influence of oceanic Ekman heat transport (Qek) on air–sea variability associated with ENSO teleconnections is examined via a pair of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments. In the mixed layer model (MLM) experiment, observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for the years 1950–99 are specified over the tropical Pacific, while a grid of mixed layer models is coupled to the AGCM elsewhere over the global oceans. The same experimental design was used in the Ekman transport/mixed layer model (EKM) experiment with the addition of Qek in the mixed layer ocean temperature equation. The ENSO signal was evaluated using differences between composites of El Nino and La Nina events averaged over the 16 ensemble members in each experiment. In both experiments the Aleutian low deepened and the resulting surface heat fluxes cooled the central North Pacific and warmed the northeast Pacific during boreal winter in El Nino relative to La Nina events. Including Qek amplified the ENSO-related SS...
How to Avoid and Manage Complications in Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Complications associated with arthroscopic shoulder surgery have been reviewed by numerous authors. Where most review studies suggest the rate varies between 5.8% and 9.5%, all recent review studies published make note of underreporting of complications and lack of consensus over what is considered a complication, which makes accurate assessment of the true rate of complications difficult.
Effects of causal networks on the structure and stability of resource allocation trait correlations

Discovering the mechanisms by which genetic variation influences phenotypes is integral to understanding life-history evolution. Models describing causal relationships among traits in a developmental hierarchy provide a functional basis for understanding the correlations often observed among life-history traits. In this paper, we evaluate a developmental network model of life-history traits based on the perennial herb Arabidopsis lyrata, evaluate phenotypic, genetic, and environmental covariance matrices obtained under different scenarios of quantitative trait locus (QTL) effects in simulated crosses, test the efficacy of structural equation modeling to identify the correct basis for multiple-trait QTL effects, and compare model predictions with field data. We found that the trait network constrained the phenotypic covariance patterns to varying degrees, depending on which traits were directly affected by QTLs. Genetic and environmental covariance matrices were strongly correlated only when direct QTL effects were spread over many traits. Structural equation models that included all simulated traits correctly identified traits directly affected by QTLs, but heuristic search algorithms found several network structures other than the correct one that also fit the data closely. Estimated correlations among a subset of traits in F2 data from field studies corresponded closely to model predictions when simulated QTLs affected traits known to differ between the parental populations. Our results show that causal trait network models can unify several aspects of quantitative genetic theory with empirical observations on genetic and phenotypic covariance patterns, and that incorporating trait networks into genetic analysis offers promise for elucidating mechanisms of life history evolution.
Functional Neuroanatomy: An Interactive Text and Manual

Preface. 1. External Anatomy. 2. Internal Anatomy. 3. Histology. 4. Neuroimaging. 5. Somatosensory System. 6. Craniosensory Systems. 7. Vision and Hearing. 8. Neuromuscular System (with David Dawson). 9. Basal Ganglia. 10. Cerebellum. 11. Brainstem and Control Systems. 12. Cranial Nerves. 13. Hypothalamus. 14. Limbic System (with Changiz Geula). 15. Cortex (with Changiz Geula). 16. Development. 17. Trauma. 18. Review. Appendix I: Normal Neuroimaging. Appendix II: Brain Atlas. Appendix III: Sheep Brain Dissection. Appendix IV: Neuroimaging Principles (with William Copen). Appendix V: Marterials List. Key Terms for Self Study. Index.
Speech recognition by machines and humans

Abstract This paper reviews past work comparing modern speech recognition systems and humans to determine how far recent dramatic advances in technology have progressed towards the goal of human-like performance. Comparisons use six modern speech corpora with vocabularies ranging from 10 to more than 65,000 words and content ranging from read isolated words to spontaneous conversations. Error rates of machines are often more than an order of magnitude greater than those of humans for quiet, wideband, read speech. Machine performance degrades further below that of humans in noise, with channel variability, and for spontaneous speech. Humans can also recognize quiet, clearly spoken nonsense syllables and nonsense sentences with little high-level grammatical information. These comparisons suggest that the human-machine performance gap can be reduced by basic research on improving low-level acoustic-phonetic modeling, on improving robustness with noise and channel variability, and on more accurately modeling spontaneous speech.
Cerebrovascular regulation in men and women: stimulus-specific role of cyclooxygenase

Greater cerebral artery vasodilation mediated by cyclooxygenase (COX) in female animals is unexplored in humans. We hypothesized that young, healthy women would exhibit greater basal cerebral blood flow (CBF) and greater vasodilation during hypoxia or hypercapnia compared to men, mediated by a larger contribution of COX. We measured middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv, transcranial Doppler ultrasound) in 42 adults (24 women, 18 men; 24 1 years) during two visits, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design (COX inhibition, 100 mg oral indomethacin, Indo). Women were studied early in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (days 1–5). Two levels of isocapnic hypoxia (SPO2 = 90% and 80%) were induced for 5-min each. Separately, hypercapnia was induced by increasing end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) 10 mmHg above baseline. A positive change in MCAv (DMCAv) reflected vasodilation. Basal MCAv was greater in women compared to men (P < 0.01) across all conditions. Indo decreased baseline MCAv (P < 0.01) similarly between sexes. Hypoxia increased MCAv (P < 0.01), but DMCAv was not different between sexes. Indo did not alter hypoxic vasodilation in either sex. Hypercapnia increased MCAv (P < 0.01), but DMCAv was not different between sexes. Indo elicited a large decrease in hypercapnic vasodilation (P < 0.01) that was similar between sexes. During the early follicular phase, women exhibit greater basal CBF than men, but similar vasodilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia. Moreover, COX is not obligatory for hypoxic vasodilation, but plays a vital and similar role in the regulation of basal CBF (~30%) and hypercapnic response (~55%) between sexes.
Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in patients treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

The opinions and assertions contained herein are private and are not to be construed as official or representing those of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or the Department ...
Predictors of Texas Police Chiefs’ Satisfaction with Police–Prosecutor Relationships

Although strain in police–prosecutor relationships may be built into the criminal justice system’s checks and balances, the administration of criminal justice can benefit from the adoption of practices which improve these working relationships. A first step towards the adoption of such practices can be taken by first adding to the knowledge base regarding this understudied topic. Using a survey of a state-wide sample of Texas police chiefs, this exploratory study identifies which aspects of police–prosecutor interaction styles are predictors of police chiefs’ satisfaction with police–prosecutor relationships. Results indicate that perceived level of police input in prosecutors’ plea bargain and charging decisions, perceived directness of felony trial preparation communication method, and perceived frequency of decision-maker interactions predict police chiefs’ satisfaction with police–prosecutor relationships. Policy implications are discussed.
Obenrum viel los

Uns ist vollkommen selbstverstandlich, wie wir die Welt wahrnehmen, und wir haben einen eindeutigen Blick auf unsere Umwelt. Das psychologische Konzept des Konstruktivismus wirft aber eine vollkommen gegensatzliche Deutung der menschlichen Wahrnehmung auf: Wie wir die Welt sehen, ist eine Konstruktion, wir interpretieren, was wir sehen, und „bauen“ somit unsere eigene Sicht auf die Welt. Diese eigene Welt ist das Hauptproblem und ihre Konstruktion ist sehr unbewusst.
Social Networks and Conjugal Roles: A Test of Bott's Hypothesis

dents from the other castes. Very low values of the intra-class correlations, however, suggested that differences were not so great when compared with differences within castes. When matched for fathers' occupation, the differences in the mean achievement of the students from the different castes did not turn out to be statistically significant. This suggests that the comparatively poorer performance of the students belonging to Scheduled Castes was probably due to their poorer economic condition and not to any inherent differences in the castes. TABLE 4. MEAN INTELLIGENCE TEST SCORES AND MEAN HIGH SCHOOL MARKS FOR THE LEFT OUT STUDENTS
Weichteilschaden – Strategien zur Infektvermeidung

Zusammenfassung Die schwerste Komplikation bei offenen Frakturen ist die Infektion. Strategien zur Infektvermeidung beinhalten das Primat der Weichteilrekonstruktion vor der definitiven Knochenbruchbehandlung. Zentrale Pfeiler in der Behandlung von Frakturen mit offenem Weichteilschaden stellen ein radikales, serielles Debridement, eine Osteosynthese mit biologischen Verfahren, eine zunachst offene Wundbehandlung und eine Deckung von frei liegendem Knochen innerhalb 1 Woche dar. Adjuvante Masnahmen sind eine ¶i.-v.-Antibiotikabehandlung, eine lokale Antibiotikabehandlung in ausgewahlten ¶Fallen sowie die Analgetikagabe, Antiphlogistikaapplikation und i.-v.-Heparinisierung. Bei Einhaltung eines detaillierten Behandlungsprotokolls lasst sich heutzutage eine erstaunlich niedrige Infektrate erzielen.
Suppression of Male Rhyacionia frustrana Response to Live Females by the Sex Pheromone of R. buoliana

Attraction of Rhyacionia frustrana males to traps baited with live females was reduced by 71.9% by air permeation with the sex pheromone of R. buoliana ((E), 9 dodecenyl acetate). A compound previously shown to inhibit R. frustrana ((E,E) 8,10 dodecadienyl acetate) failed to reduce trap catches.
Shop 'Till We Drop: A Historical and Policy Analysis of Retail Goods Movement in the United States

The movement of retail goods is central to modern economies and is a significant—but understudied—fraction of our overall energy footprint. Thus, we propose a new category for energy analysis called Retail Goods Movement (RGM) that draws its boundaries around the portion of freight dedicated to retail goods and the portion of driving dedicated to shopping. Historically, the components of RGM have not enjoyed policy priority. However, the net payoff from energy research and policy directed at RGM may now be high enough relative to other options to deserve increased investment. We combine a quantitative decomposition of the dynamics of RGM energy use with a qualitative discussion of what trends could have contributed to them. The RGM sector’s energy use grew from 1.3 EJ (2.8% U.S.) in 1969 to 7.0 EJ (6.6% U.S.) in 2009. The major drivers were increases in population, freight tonnage (before 1990), distance freighted per tonne and driven per shopping trip (after 1990), and weekly shopping trips per household...
Calculated frequencies of O-H stretching for different local orderings of Fe and Mg in simple clinoamphiboles

The short-range repulsion between oxygen and hydrogen can be represented conveniently in an exponential form, W. = \exp(-rlp), where r is the O-H separation; tr, and p are constaqts characteristic of the O-H interaction, Values for )r and p can be determined empirically by conducting a search for the values that best satisfy the observed position of hydrogen and the observed frequency of O-H stretching. The procedure, as originally developed, does not adequately account for local structural details (related to nonconvergent disorder of cations) that are not resolved in structure analyses based on diffraction data. In this paper, we use Distance-Least-squares (DLS) analysis to create more realistic geometries for the M(1) and M(3) polyhedra in simple clinoamphibolps containing Fe and Mg. Frequencies of O-H stretching are then calculated for structures consistent with the differerrt local arrangements of Fe and Mg at the M(3) and M(l) sites. The DlS-adjusted local structures are tested by coniparing calculated and observed frequencies of O-H stretching. By reproducing reasonable frequencies for the A, B, C and D bands, our goal is to learn more about local deviations from the average structures of simple Fe-clinoamphiboles. Differences in the frequencies of the A, B, C and D bands are specifically related to local variations in the structure, especially with regard to the position of the hydroxyl oxygen, O(3). The most important factor influencing the position of the O(3) oxygen is the ionic radius of the M(l) and M(3) cations.