cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antibody Focusing to Conserved Sites of Vulnerability: The Immunological Pathways for 'Universal' Influenza Vaccines.

Influenza virus remains a serious public health burden due to ongoing viral evolution. Vaccination remains the best measure of prophylaxis, yet current seasonal vaccines elicit strain-specific neutralizing responses that favor the hypervariable epitopes on the virus. This necessitates yearly reformulations of seasonal vaccines, which can be limited in efficacy and also shortchange pandemic preparedness. Universal vaccine development aims to overcome these deficits by redirecting antibody responses to functionally conserved sites of viral vulnerability to enable broad coverage. However, this is challenging as such antibodies are largely immunologically silent, both following vaccination and infection. Defining and then overcoming the immunological basis for such subdominant or ‘immuno-recessive’ antibody targeting has thus become an important aspect of universal vaccine development. This, coupled with structure-guided immunogen design, has led to proof-of-concept that it is possible to rationally refocus humoral immunity upon normally ‘unseen’ broadly neutralizing antibody targets on influenza virus.
How visibility and convenience influence candy consumption.

How do environmental factors, such as a food’s visibility or convenience, influence one’s consumption volume of that food? Knowing the impact of these factors could help individuals better monitor and manage consumption tendencies of which they or their families may be unaware (Rolls, Engell & Birch, 2000). Yet surprisingly little research has investigated the impact of either visibility or convenience on consumption. What has been done has generated largely inconsistent findings. * James E. Painter is Assistant Professor of Nutritional Science and Quantity Foods Laboratory Manager; Brian Wansink is Professor of Nutritional Science, of Business Administration, and of Agricultural and Consumer Economics; and Julie Hieggelke is a graduate student. Please direct correspondence to Professor Brian Wansink, 350 Wohlers Hall, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. Tel. +1 217-244-0208, Fax +1 217-244-7969, Email wansink@uiuc.edu
Epidemiology of Spine Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Wrestling Athletes.

Background:Spine injuries are common in collegiate wrestlers and can lead to reinjury, persistent pain, and time lost from participation.Purpose:To describe the epidemiology of spine injuries in Na...
Twitter superstars don’t win elections: A Poster on Twitter Campaigning and Electoral Realities in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly Elections

Twitter’s role in driving political discourse is well documented in scholarship, yet, its affect on electoral outcomes is unclear. In this work, we analyze the Twitter activity of candidates from four major political parties contesting in assembly elections in the Indian state of West Bengal, alongside the outcomes of the election. We find that winning candidates are more likely to have a Twitter presence. However, Twitter presence in itself does not increase the likelihood of winning. We also find that candidates with high degrees of social media influence, typically celebrities, are more likely to lose, as their high following comes to signify their status as outsiders in politics. Finally, studying sub-regional metrics of social media engagement and election outcomes, we find that Twitter offers us insight into the geographical logic of attention paid by parties in the electoral campaign.
Outcomes Stratification of Head and Neck Cancer Using Pre- and Post-Treatment DNA Methylation in Peripheral Blood

Purpose/objective(s) Established risk factors for head and neck cancer recurrence include clinical and tumor features assessed prior to treatment. We report the first use of DNA methylation in peripheral blood before and after radiotherapy (RT) to further improve risk stratification. Materials/methods Peripheral blood samples were obtained from patients with non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck for methylation analysis, 1 week before initiation and 1 month after completion of RT. Patients were randomized to a discovery cohort or validation cohort. In the discovery cohort, associations between methylation change at 807,100 genomic sites (post-treatment minus pre-treatment) and progression-free survival (PFS) as well as overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Cox regression, adjusted for clinicopathologic covariates. A risk score (RS) was then constructed from methylation levels at the top associated sites, filtered for residing within regulatory elements of genes that are predominantly expressed in bone marrow, lymphoid tissue, or blood cells. The prognostic value of RS was separately assessed in the discovery cohort and validation cohort. Results Between December 2013 and September 2018, 115 patients enrolled in this study (Table) and consist of mostly males (72%) with locally advanced disease (91%). HPV negative status, oral cavity cancer, PEG tube insertion, and higher neutrophil count before RT were associated with shorter PFS and OS (P 10, P = 0.016) and OS (HR > 10, P = 0.017) in the discovery cohort, independent of the aforementioned risk factors. These findings were further replicated in the validation cohort where high RS also independently conferred poorer PFS (HR > 10, P = 0.002) and OS (HR 6.3, P = 0.015). Conclusion We successfully trained and validated a signature of DNA methylation in peripheral blood before and after RT that stratified outcomes among patients with head and neck SCC, implicating the potential for genomics-tailored consolidation treatment and surveillance. Efforts toward methylation analysis at additional post-treatment time points are ongoing.
Past, Present and Future Educational Technologies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the place of individuality and human freedom in a modern technological society. The crudest form of opposition to widespread use of technology in education and in other parts of the society is to claim that the real danger of men becoming slaves to machines is feared. No scientifically informed person seriously believes that the society could survive in anything like its present form without the widespread use of technology. Just as books freed serious students from the tyranny of overly simple methods of oral recitation, computers can free students from the drudgery of doing exactly similar tasks unadjusted and untailored to their individual needs. As in the case of other parts of the society, new and wondrous technology is there for beneficial use.
c-myb transactivates cdc2 expression via Myb binding sites in the 5'-flanking region of the human cdc2 gene.

Abstract The c-myb protooncogene is preferentially expressed in hematopoietic cells and is required for cell cycle progression at the G1/S boundary. Because c-myb encodes a transcriptional activator that functions via DNA binding, it is likely that c-myb exerts its biological activity by regulating the transcription of genes required for DNA synthesis and cell cycle progression. One such gene, cdc2, encodes a 34-kDa serine-threonine kinase that appears to be required for G1/S transition in normal human T-lymphocytes. To determine whether c-myb is a transcriptional regulator of cdc2 expression, we subcloned a segment of a cdc2 human genomic clone containing extensive 5'-flanking sequences and part of the first exon. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of two closely spaced Myb binding sites that interact with bacterially synthesized Myb protein within a region extending from nucleotides -410 to -392 upstream of the transcription initiation site. A 465-base pair segment of 5'-flanking sequence containing these sites was linked to the CAT gene and had promoter activity in rodent fibroblasts. Cotransfection of this construct with a full-length human c-myb cDNA driven by the early simian virus 40 promoter resulted in a 6-8-fold enhancement of CAT activity that was abrogated by mutations in the Myb binding sites. These data suggest that c-myb participates in the regulation of cell cycle progression by activating the expression of the cdc2 gene.
Legal Theory Lexicon 071: The New Originalism

The entry in the Legal Theory Lexicon series describes the New Originalism. Originalism can be viewed as a family of theories organized around two core ideas: (1) The Fixation Thesis, the factual claim that the linguistic meaning of the constitution is fixed at the time each provision is framed and ratified, and (2) The Constraint Principle, the normative claim that the original meaning should constraint constitutional practice. To these two core ideas, the New Originalism adds two others: (1) The Public Meaning Thesis, the claim that the original meaning of the constitutional text is its public meaning, and (2) the Interpretation-Construction Distinction, the claim that constitutional practice consists of two distinct activities: (a) Interpretation is the discovery of linguistic meaning, and (b) Construction is the determination of legal effect, including both constitutional doctrine and the decision of constitutional cases. Criticisms of the New Originalism are briefly summarized.
Safe Stratified Datalog with Integer Order Programs

Guaranteeing termination of programs on all valid inputs is important for database applications. Termination cannot be guaranteed in Stratified Datalog with integer (gap)-order, or Datalog, -,<z, programs on generalized databases because they can express any Turing-computable function [23]. This paper introduces a restriction of Datalog, -,<z that can express only computable queries. The restricted language has a high expressive power and a non-elementary data complexity.
Prolonged reversal of the phencyclidine-induced impairment in novel object recognition by a serotonin (5-HT)1A-dependent mechanism.

Abstract Many acute treatments transiently reverse the deficit in novel object recognition (NOR) produced by subchronic treatment with the N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor non-competitive antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), in rodents. Treatments which restore NOR for prolonged periods after subchronic PCP treatment may have greater relevance for treating the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia than those which restore NOR transiently. We examined the ability of post-PCP subchronic lurasidone, an atypical APD with potent serotonin (5-HT) 1A partial agonism and subchronic tandospirone, a selective 5-HT 1A partial agonist, to enable prolonged reversal of the subchronic PCP-induced NOR deficit. Rats treated with subchronic PCP (2 mg/kg, twice daily for 7 days) or vehicle, followed by a 7 day washout period were subsequently administered lurasidone or tandospirone twice daily for 7 days (day 15–21), and tested for NOR weekly for up to two additional weeks. Subchronic lurasidone (1, but not 0.1 mg/kg) or tandospirone (5, but not 0.6 mg/kg) significantly reversed the PCP-induced NOR deficit at 24 h and 7days after the last injection, respectively. The effect of lurasidone persisted for one more week (day 36, 14 days after the last lurasidone dose), while tandospirone-treated rats were able to perform NOR at 7, but not 14, days after the last tandospirone dose. Co-administration of WAY100635 (0.6 mg/kg), a 5-HT 1A antagonist, with lurasidone, blocked the ability of lurasidone to restore NOR, suggesting that 5-HT 1A receptor stimulation is necessary for lurasidone to reverse the effects of PCP. The role of dopamine, GABA and the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway in the persistent, but not indefinite, restoration of NOR is discussed.
Current Progress in Solving the Time-Dependent, Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations in Three-Dimensions by (Almost) the FEM

We have been pursuing the development of numerical methods which, while originally derived via the conventional Galerkin Finite Element Method (GFEM), have been significantly modified in the interest of cost-effectiveness to the point where we now refer to them as a useful blend of finite element and finite difference methods. Starting with the simplest 3-D isoparametric element and the simplest time integration method (explicit Euler), the principal modifications of GFEM are the following: (1) the “mass” matrix is diagonalized via lumping, (2) all Galerkin integrals are evaluated approximately using one-point quadrature. Additional gains in computational speed have been achieved by two modifications of the time integration method: (1) we have introduced a procedure called subcycling, which permits less frequent updates of the pressure relative to the stability-limited processes of advection and diffusion, and (2) the often expensively small time-step restriction required to assure numerical stability has been eased via the introduction of an additional anisotropic viscosity. This paper summarizes the current status of our hybrid method and presents sample numerical results.
Interhemispheric thermal gradient and tropical Pacific climate

[1] We explore the impact of interhemispheric thermal gradients forcing on the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere climate in an intermediate coupled model. The equatorial zonal sea surface temperature (SST) gradient strengthens with an increased northward interhemispheric thermal gradient, the increase arising from earlier onset and later retreat of the seasonal cold tongue, and intensification during the peak cold season. When the mean interhemispheric thermal gradient is reversed, the central equatorial Pacific SST annual cycle abruptly reverses in phase, with its cold season in Mar–May rather than Sep–Nov. While startling, this response is consistent with a prevailing hypothesis that ties the cold tongue SST annual cycle phase to the hemispheric mean asymmetry of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. El Nino-Southern Oscillation activity is also sensitive to the interhemispheric thermal gradient, with peak activity occurring when the mean gradient is small, reducing rapidly as the mean gradient increases in either direction.
The US-Europe technology gap in space transportation: the view from the USA

Abstract This paper examines the debate within the USA over how to meet the perceived competition from the successful European Ariane launcher and the loss of US market share for space launch services that it represented. In particular, it explores the origins of the 1983 Reagan Administration policy to turn over expendable launch vehicle production and operation to private industry. The Administration's other decisions to: (1) use the Space Shuttle to fly all government payloads, and (2) allow NASA to market Space Shuttle services commercially, conflicted with this commercialization policy. These policies effectively caused US industry to delay entry into the international competition for launch services until after the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger in January 1986.
EVALUATING RATIONAL PARTISAN BUSINESS CYCLE THEORY

This paper provides new tests of the recently developed theory of rational partisan business cycles. According to the theory, resolution of uncertainty about electoral consequences and partisan differences in economic behavior produce downturns following victories of conservative parties and booms following victories of liberal parties. The first tests utilize the behavior of financial markets to reassess the evidence for the United States. We provide evidence that the stock market does have predictive power for output and estimate an econometric relationship which is then used to gauge the extent to which the recessions are anticipated after elections. The second test uses an international sample of democracies in the postwar era to examine the theory outside the United States using time series models and political variables. The results of the tests provide little support for a strict interpretation of the theory.
Ectopic Centromere Nucleation by CENP-A in Fission Yeast

The centromere is a specific chromosomal locus that organizes the assembly of the kinetochore. It plays a fundamental role in accurate chromosome segregation. In most eukaryotic organisms, each chromosome contains a single centromere the position and function of which are epigenetically specified. Occasionally, centromeres form at ectopic loci, which can be detrimental to the cell. However, the mechanisms that protect the cell against ectopic centromeres (neocentromeres) remain poorly understood. Centromere protein-A (CENP-A), a centromere-specific histone 3 (H3) variant, is found in all centromeres and is indispensable for centromere function. Here we report that the overexpression of CENP-ACnp1 in fission yeast results in the assembly of CENP-ACnp1 at noncentromeric chromatin during mitosis and meiosis. The noncentromeric CENP-A preferentially assembles near heterochromatin and is capable of recruiting kinetochore components. Consistent with this, cells overexpressing CENP-ACnp1 exhibit severe chromosome missegregation and spindle microtubule disorganization. In addition, pulse induction of CENP-ACnp1 overexpression reveals that ectopic CENP-A chromatin can persist for multiple generations. Intriguingly, ectopic assembly of CENP-Acnp1 is suppressed by overexpression of histone H3 or H4. Finally, we demonstrate that deletion of the N-terminal domain of CENP-Acnp1 results in an increase in the number of ectopic CENP-A sites and provide evidence that the N-terminal domain of CENP-A prevents CENP-A assembly at ectopic loci via the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. These studies expand our current understanding of how noncentromeric chromatin is protected from mistakenly assembling CENP-A.
A critical evaluation of crustal dehydration as the cause of an overpressured and weak San Andreas Fault

Many plate boundary faults, including the San Andreas Fault, appear to slip at unexpectedly low shear stress. One long-standing explanation for a “weak” San Andreas Fault is that fluid release by dehydration reactions during regional metamorphism generates elevated fluid pressures that are localized within the fault, reducing the effective normal stress. We evaluate this hypothesis by calculating realistic fluid production rates for the San Andreas Fault system, and incorporating them into 2-D fluid flow models. Our results show that for a wide range of permeability distributions, fluid sources from crustal dehydration are too small and short-lived to generate, sustain, or localize fluid pressures in the fault sufficient to explain its apparent mechanical weakness. This suggests that alternative mechanisms, possibly acting locally within the fault zone, such as shear compaction or thermal pressurization, may be necessary to explain a weak San Andreas Fault. More generally, our results demonstrate the difficulty of localizing large fluid pressures generated by regional processes within near-vertical fault zones.
Cation effects on chloride fluxes and accumulation levels in barley roots.

Accumulation of Cl- by excised barley roots, as of K+, approaches a maximum level at which the ion influx and efflux rates become equal. The rate of Cl- influx at this equilibrium is close to the initial rate while the efflux rate increases with time from zero to equality with influx. The Cl- fluxes are independent of simultaneous exchange flux of the cations, but depend on the nature and concentration of the salt solutions from which they originate. The Cl- content at equilibrium, however, is largely independent of the external concentrations. The approach to equilibrium reflects the presence of the cation. Cl- flux equilibrium is attained more rapidly in KCl than in CsCl or CaCl2. This is presumably an effect of much slower distribution of Cs+ and Ca++ than of K+ within the roots. Accumulated Cs+ appears to form a barrier to ion movement primarily within the outermost cells, thereby reducing influx and ultimately efflux rates of both Cl- and cations. Slow internal mixing and considerable self-exchange of the incoming ions suggest internal transport over a series of steps which can become rate-limiting to the accumulation of ions in roots.
An application of the Diffusion of Innovations theory to the investigation of blended language learning

This study investigates technology-enhanced blended learning in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program from the theoretical perspective of Diffusion of Innovations theory. The study first established that the use of a learning management system (LMS) in two ESL classes represented an educational innovation. Next, the innovation attributes described by Rogers (relative advantage, complexity, trialability, and observability) were examined. Then, the stages of the innovation-decision process (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation) were analyzed. Two ESL teachers and thirty-one students used the LMS to combine face-to-face classroom learning and online learning in the computer lab and for homework. Both qualitative data (in-depth teacher interviews, class and lab observations, and a student focus group) and quantitative data (student surveys) were analyzed. The main findings indicate that the innovation shared common attributes with other innovations and that both positive a...
The Influence of Demographic Risk Factors on Children's Behavioral Regulation in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten.

Research Findings: The present study examined the role of demographic risk factors in the development of children's behavioral regulation. We investigated whether being from a low-income family and being an English language learner (ELL) predicted behavioral regulation between prekindergarten and kindergarten. Results indicated that children from low-income families began prekindergarten with significantly lower behavioral regulation than their more economically advantaged peers. Furthermore, English-speaking children from low-income families exhibited a faster rate of behavioral regulation growth than low-income ELLs. English-speaking children from low-income families narrowed the gap with their more economically advantaged English-speaking peers by the end of kindergarten, but ELLs from low-income families did not. Practice or Policy: Discussion focuses on the importance of understanding the effects of being an ELL and being from a low-income family for the demands of formal schooling.
Integrated quantum optical networks based on quantum dots and photonic crystals

Single solid-state optical emitters have quantum mechanical properties that make them suitable for applications in information processing and sensing. Most of these quantum technologies rely on the capability to integrate the emitters in reliable solid-state optical networks. In this paper, we present integrated devices based on GaAs photonic crystals and InAs self-assembled quantum dots. These quantum networks are well suited to future optoelectronic devices operating at ultralow power levels, single-photon logic devices and quantum information processing.
Variable Selection for Semiparametric Mixed Models in Longitudinal Studies

We propose a double-penalized likelihood approach for simultaneous model selection and estimation in semiparametric mixed models for longitudinal data. Two types of penalties are jointly imposed on the ordinary log-likelihood: the roughness penalty on the nonparametric baseline function and a nonconcave shrinkage penalty on linear coefficients to achieve model sparsity. Compared to existing estimation equation based approaches, our procedure provides valid inference for data with missing at random, and will be more efficient if the specified model is correct. Another advantage of the new procedure is its easy computation for both regression components and variance parameters. We show that the double-penalized problem can be conveniently reformulated into a linear mixed model framework, so that existing software can be directly used to implement our method. For the purpose of model inference, we derive both frequentist and Bayesian variance estimation for estimated parametric and nonparametric components. Simulation is used to evaluate and compare the performance of our method to the existing ones. We then apply the new method to a real data set from a lactation study.
Error Analysis Of Object Space Motion Determination With Camera-Analyzer System

An important and substantial part of the large research effort presently devoted to automotive safety involves human protection in vehicles. Human protection requires knowledge of the motion of the occupant during a crash, that is, his displacement, velocity, and acceleration as they are influenced by seating, occupant size, and direction of impact. With a detailed description of the occupant's motion, restraint systems and other structural components can be designed to take best advantage of man's ability to resist force with minimal injuries.© (1973) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nucleotide-Dependent Isomerization of Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Relation to Total RNA Contents of Peanut

The physiological function of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was investigated by treating germinating peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds with nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) solutions in order to alter the isoenzyme distribution patterns. The free nucleosides and nucleotides of the GTP-treated peanut were the highest [8.7 μmol g−1(f.m.)], and they decreased through the ATP-treated peanut [5.8 μmol g−1(f.m.)], and CTP-treated peanut [5.5 μmol g−1(f.m.)], to the UTP-treated peanut [4.1 μmol g−1(f.m.)]. The combination of 4 NTPs induced 20 % higher content of Pi [173 nmol g−1(f.m.)] than in the control, but the combined ATP+UTP treatment induced the lowest (93.0 nmol g−1(f.m.)] Pi. The 4 NTP treatment also induced the highest number of GDH isoenzymes (28) followed by the purine NTP treatments (15 to 20), but the pyrimidine NTP treatments and the combined purine + pyrimidine NTP treatments induced the lowest numbers ( ATP > CTP > GTP.
Depth Distribution and Migration of Implanted Helium in Metal Foils Using Proton Backscattering

Proton backscattering at 2.5 MeV has been used to measure the mean depth and profile of implanted helium distributions as a function of implant energy, implant fluence, and post-implant anneal temperature in copper foils of varying thickness. Distributions implanted at 54 keV; 104 keV, and 158 keV agree (to within 100 A) with calculated projected ranges for helium in copper at each energy. At room temperature the shape of the distributions is approximately Gaussian with no evidence of a supertail or of the peaks being skewed either toward the surface or the interior of the foils. Implantation of some foils was performed at two energies (highest energy first) using both equal and unequal doses. Resultant profiles were those expected from overlapping Gaussians centered at the predicted depths. Implanted helium fluences ranging from 5 × 1016 He+/cm2 to 3 × 1017 He+/cm2 result in back-scattering peaks for helium which increase in magnitude in the proper proportion to increasing fluence. Detection sensitivity of 1 at. % He in Cu has been demonstrated. In addition, profiling of other low Z elements (e.g. oxygen, carbon and deuterium) in the foils or on their surfaces is also described.
Recognition of unusual DNA structures by human DNA (cytosine-5)methyltransferase.

Abstract The symmetry of the responses of the human DNA(cytosine-5)methyltransferase to alternative placements of 5-methylcytosine in model oligodeoxynucleotide duplexes containing unusual structures has been examined. The results of these experiments more clearly define the DNA recognition specificity of the enzyme. A simple three-nucleotide recognition motif within the CG dinucleotide pair can be identified in each enzymatically methylated duplex. The data can be summarized by numbering the four nucleotides in the dinucleotide pair thus: 1 4 2 3 . With reference to this numbering scheme, position 1 can be occupied by cytosine or 5-methylcytosine; position 2 can be occupied by guanosine or inosine; position 3, the site of enzymatic methylation, can be occupied only by cytosine; and position 4 can be occupied by guanosine, inosine, O6-methylguanosine, cytosine, adenosine, an abasic site, or the 3′ hydroxyl group at the end of a gapped moleclule. Replacing the guanosine normally found at position 4 with any of the moieties introduces unusual (non-Watson-Crick) pairing at position 3 and generally enhances methylation of the cytosine at that site. The exceptional facility of the enzyme in actively methylating unusual DNA structures suggests that the evolution of the DNA methyltransferase, and perhaps DNA methylation itself, may be linked to the biological occurrence of unusual DNA structures.
The NIST robocrane

The Robot Systems Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been experimenting for several years with new concepts for robot cranes. These concepts utilize the basic idea of the Stewart platform parallel link manipulator. The unique feature of the NIST approach is to use cables as the parallel links and to use winches as the actuators. As long as the cables are all in tension, the load is kinematically constrained and the cables resist perturbing forces and moments with equal stiffness to both positive and negative loads. The result is that the suspended load is constrained with a mechanical stiffness determined by the elasticity of the cables, the suspended weight, and the geometry of the mechanism. Based on these concepts, a revolutionary new type of robot crane, the NIST ROBOCRANE, has been developed that can control the position, velocity, and force of tools and heavy machinery in all six degrees of freedom (x, y, z, roll, pitch, and yaw). Depending on what is suspended from its work platform, the ROBOCRANE can perform a variety of tasks. Examples are: cutting, excavating and grading, shaping and finishing, lifting, and positioning. A 6-m version of the ROBOCRANE has been built and critical performance characteristics analyzed.
Inhibitory glutamatergic regulation of evoked dopamine release in striatum.

Abstract Certain aspects of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease suggest that glutamate might have an inhibitory effect on dopamine release. Several studies have reported that the excitatory actions of ionotropic glutamate agonists on extracellular dopamine levels in striatum are resistant to tetrodotoxin, which suggests that glutamate excites an impulse-independent mechanism of dopamine release. We tested the hypothesis that an inhibitory action of glutamate on dopamine terminals in the striatum specifically involves an impulse-dependent mechanism of dopamine release. We used voltammetry to monitor electrically-evoked dopamine release in striatal slices, which is completely tetrodotoxin- and Ca2+-sensitive and so provides a model of impulse-dependent dopamine release. Agonists of the ionotropic glutamate receptors significantly decreased the amplitude of the response, while antagonists significantly increased the amplitude of the response, by as much as ≈60% in the case of kynurenic acid. These results support the hypothesis that ionotropic glutamate receptors can inhibit impulse-dependent dopamine release by a mechanism that acts locally within the striatum. This finding contrasts with previous reports that glutamate can excite impulse-independent dopamine release. This extends earlier findings that glutamate may both excite and inhibit subcortical dopamine systems by suggesting that the excitatory and inhibitory actions of striatal ionotropic glutamate receptors are specifically associated with impulse-independent and impulse-dependent dopamine release, respectively.
Deep space uplink receiver prototype for optical communications

A hardware prototype of a flight receiver for deep space optical communications has been developed where a single detector array is used for acquisition, tracking, and high-speed data recovery. A counting algorithm accumulates pulses on every pixel in a photon-counting array and extracts signal information encoded with a nested modulation scheme.
Tessera deformation and the contemporaneous thermal state of the plateau highlands, Venus

Abstract Geodynamic modeling of tessera deformation at the ancient Venusian plateau highlands implies lithospheric thermal gradients exceeding 17 K km−1. Regularly spaced contractional ridges in the highlands manifest the unstable growth of perturbations at a dominant wavelength of ≤ 20 km controlled by a mechanical layer of relatively uniform thickness. We model the deformation as the shortening of a plastic layer over a viscous substrate; a layer thickness of less than 6 km is consistent with the observed ridge spacings. Assuming an anhydrous diabase crustal rheology and a minimum strain rate of 10−16 S−1, the geotherm was at least 17 K km−1. Higher strain rates — consequently higher thermal gradients — are more probable. We rule out the possibility that the plateau highlands were locally anomalously hot at the time ridges formed in the tessera, that the highlands are dominantly composed of rock more felsic than diabase, or that the crust was weak because it was hydrated. Therefore, the average global lithospheric heat flux when the highlands tesserae were deforming was considerably higher than it has been since.
Along-wind gust effect on elevated structures☆

Abstract The interest in the evaluation of the dynamic response of elevated structures to wind force has increased considerably in recent years. This paper introduces a random process approach and its application to these special structures. As an example, a skylight structure is analysed by random approach in regard to the gust effect. For comparison, the same effects are also evaluated by using some of the current available building codes. Results show that the effect due to the gust is greater than that due to the steady wind. Wind pressure obtained through the random approach are quite comparable with those obtained by using the building codes. However, the random approach presented in this paper provides more detailed procedure than the building code approach for evaluating gust effect on elevuated structures.
Vipoxin both activates and antagonizes three types of acetylcholine response inAplysia neurons

The effects of vipoxin, a 13,000 Dalton protein component of Russell's viper venom on responses of voltage-clampedAplysia neurons to acetylcholine (ACh) and monoamines has been studied. At low doses vipoxin reversibly antagonizes all 3 types of ionic response to ACh or carbachol, the order of susceptibility to blockade being Na+ > K+ > Cl−. High doses of vipoxin directly evoke the same ionic response on a given cell as that evoked by ACh. Responses to vipoxin are reversibly antagonized by cholinergic antagonists (e.g. hexamethonium, tetraethylammonium), but not by monoamine antagonists (e.g. bufotenine, ergometrine, cimetidine). In addition to activation of cholinergic responses, high doses of vipoxin also produce a reversible potentiation of responses to dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine on some cells. In contrast to its effects onAplysia neurons, vipoxin has neither agonist nor antagonist actions at the frog neuromuscular junction. These results suggest that this venom protein acts as a partial agonist at molluscan ACh receptors and provides evidence for some phylogenetic difference between molluscan and vertebrate ACh receptors.
Comparison of the effectiveness of different methods of screening for bacterial soft rot resistance of potato tubers

Tubers from eight potato cultivars (cvs) grown at two different locations in Wisconsin were tested for bacterial soft rot resistance using different inoculation techniques. The procedures included 1) point inoculations of tubers with different inoculum levels followed by incubation in ambient or low oxygen condtions, 2) inoculation of mechanically bruised tubers followed by incubation in a mist chamber, and 3) a standard slice inoculation method. The point titration test followed by incubation in dew chamber and the mist chamber-bruise test showed similar patterns of resistance for cultivars that were used in these experiments. These two methods are considered to be effective for screening potato tubers for bacterial soft rot resistance. Point titration methods are very useful if only limited numbers of tubers are available. The mist chamber-bruise test is simpler than the other procedures; however, to obtain reproducible results large numbers of tubers are required. Because of the great variability of the results obtained in inoculation of slices, the reliability of this approach can be questioned as a standardized method for evaluation of resistance. Tubers of somatic hybrids ofS. brevidens andS. tuberosum and their sexual progeny were significantly more resistant to bacterial soft rot than tubers of moderately resistant cultivars when evaluated by each of the assay procedures.
Non-invasive assessment of microvascular and endothelial function.

The authors have utilized capillaroscopy and forearm blood flow techniques to investigate the role of microvascular dysfunction in pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Capillaroscopy is a non-invasive, relatively inexpensive methodology for directly visualizing the microcirculation. Percent capillary recruitment is assessed by dividing the increase in capillary density induced by postocclusive reactive hyperemia (postocclusive reactive hyperemia capillary density minus baseline capillary density), by the maximal capillary density (observed during passive venous occlusion). Percent perfused capillaries represents the proportion of all capillaries present that are perfused (functionally active), and is calculated by dividing postocclusive reactive hyperemia capillary density by the maximal capillary density. Both percent capillary recruitment and percent perfused capillaries reflect the number of functional capillaries. The forearm blood flow (FBF) technique provides accepted non-invasive measures of endothelial function: The ratio FBFmax/FBFbase is computed as an estimate of vasodilation, by dividing the mean of the four FBFmax values by the mean of the four FBFbase values. Forearm vascular resistance at maximal vasodilation (FVRmax) is calculated as the mean arterial pressure (MAP) divided by FBFmax. Both the capillaroscopy and forearm techniques are readily acceptable to patients and can be learned quickly. The microvascular and endothelial function measures obtained using the methodologies described in this paper may have future utility in clinical patient cardiovascular risk-reduction strategies. As we have published reports demonstrating that microvascular and endothelial dysfunction are found in initial stages of hypertension including prehypertension, microvascular and endothelial function measures may eventually aid in early identification, risk-stratification and prevention of end-stage vascular pathology, with its potentially fatal consequences.
Floor-of-mouth dermoid cysts: report of 3 variants and a suggested change in terminology.

Purpose Dermoid cyst is a frequently used descriptive term, but its definition changes according to the clinician (eg, dermatologists, neurologists, gynecologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and plastic surgeons). It is sometimes used synonymously with teratoma. In oral and maxillofacial surgery, it is applied to describe congenital floor-of-mouth cysts of 3 histologic types: epidermoid, dermoid, and teratoid. This terminology is confusing and has led to some ambiguity in the literature. The purpose of this report is to document 3 cases illustrating the utility of a more specific term, congenital germline fusion cyst of the floor of the mouth. Patients and Methods Patients who presented with floor-of-mouth swelling were evaluated by history, clinical examination, and imaging studies (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography). Results Three cases (1 epidermoid variant, 1 dermoid variant, and 1 teratoid variant) are documented to illustrate the new terminology. Conclusion Congenital germline fusion cyst is more reflective of the embryologic origins of the lesion than dermoid cyst and is inclusive of all 3 histologic variants.
An unusual instance of thyroxine-binding by human serum gamma globulin.

Thyroxine comprises the major portion of the serum iodine in euthyroid and hyperthyroid humans (1–3). Gordon et al. (4) and others have demonstrated that most of the serum thyroxine is attached to an alpha globulin, and the remainder is bound to albumin. Little or no thyroxine has been found in association with the beta and gamma globulins. The present report describes the unusual occurrence of thyroxine-binding by serum gamma globulin in a patient with functioning carcinoma of the thyroid. This was a unique finding among 23 such patients in whom detailed studies of the serum iodine were performed (5).
Learning strategies and multimedia techniques for scaffolding size and scale cognition

Size and scale cognition is a critical aptitude associated with reasoning with concepts and systems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, the teaching and learning of concepts related to size and scale present major challenges because objects at certain scales are unable to be perceived by humans with the naked eye. A potential way to overcome this challenge could be by means of learning strategies coupled with multimedia learning. In this study we propose learning strategies, instantiated by multimedia are for learning tools that may result in improved learning of size and scale cognition based on the FS2C framework. This framework consists of five levels to characterize size and scale cognition and the cognitive processes supporting them. Participants of this quasi-experimental design included 224 undergraduate students who experienced one of three different multimedia for learning tools, and then were assessed through five tasks whose design was based on the FS2C framework. Results suggest that learning strategies prompting students to compare objects of different sizes, may increase their abilities in ordering and classifying objects. Having students to interact with a logarithmic scale may also have increased participant posttest performance scores in the numerical proportional and absolute measurement tasks. Finally, we propose that the use of multimedia for learning affordances like 3D interaction, zoom in and zoom out, and direct interaction with a scale metaphor may help students make explicit connections and become familiar with objects of different sizes and scales. Students increased their performance in most of the tasks associated with the FS2C framework.Significant increases in all groups occurred for the classifying and numerical proportional tasks.Significant increases occurred for the NS group in the ordering and measurement tasks.Significant increases occurred for the US group in the logical proportional and measurement tasks.Comparisons of objects seem to be beneficial when assisted by interactive features and visual aids.
Experimental determination of the matrix-to-fracture transfer functions for oil recovery by water imbibition

Abstract Unique determination of the parameters of the triple-exponential matrix-to-fracture transfer functions is of profound importance to accurately simulate waterflooding and determine sweep efficiency in naturally fractured reservoirs. To accomplish this task, two novel approaches are investigated. Firstly, to our knowledge, the first attempt is made to facilitate not only the function values and their derivative, but also the integral to uniquely determine the transfer function parameters from a suite of in-house imbibition data. Secondly, a random number-based algorithm is applied to uniquely compute the parameters, and its results are compared to those generated through a conventional, nonlinear optimization method using spreadsheet software. The inclusion of the random component helps alleviate the inherent tendency of parametric optimization type algorithms to converge to that possible solution, predefined through the guessed values assigned to the parameters as starting values. Through precisely and more importantly uniquely determining the parameters of the matrix-to-fracture transfer function, experimental imbibition data can be correctly matched and better transposed to field applications. The presented approach of simultaneous correlation of the function and its derivative and integral provides an effective method to scale from laboratory experiments to field applications. Comparative studies presented in this paper delineate the outstanding advantages of the presented approach over the previous and frequently utilized function correlation approaches, which do not generally yield unique determination of transfer function parameters. With the help of a mathematically sound, uniquely defined model, a variety of issues pertaining to spontaneous imbibition can be addressed and resulting problems remedied. One such area of application is underbalanced drilling, where precise and advance knowledge of a formation's imbibition behavior would allow for optimized design and minimized formation damage. Another area is exploitation from naturally fractured reservoirs, in the presence of a strong water drive or a waterflood. Detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing matrix, fracture, and fluid interactions will result in optimized development and exploitation strategies.
Effect of intraperitoneal neostigmine on peritoneal transport characteristics in CAPD.

Effect of intraperitoneal neostigmine on peritoneal transport characteristics in CAPD. Lymphatics have been suggested to play a major role in the absorption of dialysate, which consequently affects the adequacy of peritoneal dialysis. Neostigmine has been found to decrease lymphatic absorption in rats, presumably by causing constriction of the lymphatic stomata. We investigated the effect of neostigmine on seven continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients in a prospective study. We performed modified peritoneal equilibration tests both with and without intraperitoneal neostigmine in a random order. Radiolabeled albumin (0.8 mg) was added to 2 liters of dialysate ± 2.0 mg neostigmine. We evaluated ultrafiltration and creatinine, phosphate, and urea clearances. The dialysate bag and the peritoneum were scanned at the initiation and conclusion of the four-hour dwell period. We found no change in ultrafiltration, residual volumes, creatinine, phosphate and urea clearances, or albumin recovered. Of the seven patients exposed to neostigmine, four had diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. In conclusion, we found that 2 mg i.p. neostigmine did cause significant side-effects and did not alter transport characteristics in CAPD patients.
The metabolism of perchlorate in the rat.

The disposal of K36C1O4 has been studied in rats maintained on a low iodine (Remington) diet. After intraperitoneal administration the radionuclide reached its maximal concentration in the thyroid, at about 4 hr and at a level of approximately 2.5% of dose per g gland. All the radionuclide in the thyroid was trichloroacetic acid soluble. No significant concentration was found in kidney, liver, brain or spleen. The rates of disappearance of the radionuclide from the plasma and thyroid and rate of appearance in the urine were exponential, with half times of approximately 20 hr. These rates were closely similar to disposal rates of 131I found by others (6). (Endocrinology 92: 1536, 1973)
Pattern of action of the amylase and the cyclodextrinase of Bacillus macerons

Abstract The pattern of action of purified preparations of the amylase and the cyclodextrinase of Bacillus macerans was studied by multiple ascending paper chromatography. The results showed that only the amylase catalyzes the formation of Schardinger dextrins from a variety of substrates. In addition, the amylase catalyzes an amylomaltase-like reaction with linear oligosaccharides. The cyclodextrinase cleaves Schardinger dextrins and short-chain oligosaccharides, but cannot catalyze the amylomaltase-like reaction.