cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface cables of cardiac myocytes.

Abstract Heart muscle cells prepared by mechanical disaggregation were seen by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to possess an intact glycocalyx. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of the surface of these cells revealed longitudinally oriented cables, 10 to 12 nm thick. Each surface cable appeared to be less than one sarcomere long, extending longitudinally from the glycocalyx close to one M-line to the glycocalyx close to an adjacent M-line. Cables having similar orientation, distribution, thickness, and attachment positions were present in SEM preparations of mechanically disaggregated myocytes from hamster, rat, and dog. Unbanded tubular fibrils, similar to the surface cables in size and location, were demonstrable by TEM. Tubular fibrils indistinguishable from those in contact with the glycocalyx were seen in the interstitial space at a distance from the cell surface. Similar fibrils were also seen in association with interstitial elastin that occasionally remained attached to the isolated myocytes. It is postulated that the tubular filaments and the surface cables are the same structure, and may be an important determinant of the mechanical properties of myocardium.
Atmospheric black carbon deposition and characterization of biomass burning tracers in a northern temperate forest

Abstract Aerosol black carbon (BC) is considered the second largest contributor to global warming after CO2, and is known to increase the atmosphere's temperature, decrease the albedo in snow/ice, and influence the properties and distribution of clouds. BC is thought to have a long mean residence time in soils, and its apparent stability may represent a significant stable sink for atmospheric CO2. Despite recent efforts to quantify BC in the environment, the quantification of BC deposition rates from the atmosphere to terrestrial ecosystems remains scarse. To better understand the contribution of atmospheric BC inputs to soils via dry deposition and its dominant emission sources, atmospheric fine particle (PM2.5) were collected at the University of Michigan Biological Station from July to September in 2010 and 2011. PM2.5 samples were analyzed for organic C, BC, and molecular markers including particulate sugars, carboxylic acids, n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and cholestane. Average atmospheric BC concentrations in northern Michigan were 0.048 ± 0.06 μg m−3 in summer 2010, and 0.049 ± 0.064 μg m−3 in summer 2011. Based on atmospheric concentrations, particulate deposition calculations, and documented soil BC, we conclude that atmospheric deposition is unlikely to comprise a significant input pathway for BC in northern forest ecosystem. The major organic tracers identified in fine particulates (e.g. levoglucosan and docosanoic acid) suggest that ambient PM2.5 concentrations were mainly influenced by biomass burning and epicuticular plant waxes. These results provide baseline data needed for future assessments of atmospheric BC in rural temperate forests.
Yoga, as a transitional platform to more active lifestyle: a 6-month pilot study in the USA

A 6-month pilot study explored the effects of a yoga program on the physical activity (PA) level of overweight or obese sedentary adults. Fourteen community-dwelling overweight or obese sedentary adults participated in a 6-month program (2-month yoga program and 4-month follow-up) delivered by two types of instruction [the direct guidance of an instructor (face-to-face group) vs. the self-learning method of using a DVD (DVD group)]. Measurements included program adherence (class attendance and home practice; min/week) and level of PA [metabolic equivalent (MET)-hour/week] at baseline, 2, 4 and 6 months. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used to describe the sample and examine differences by group and time. There were no significant differences in demographic variables by group assigned. Participants showed significant PA changes from baseline to each measurement point. The direct guidance of an instructor was preferred over the self-learning method. At each time interval, the DVD group showed higher levels of PA than the face-to-face group; the only difference that achieved statistical significance occurred at 4 months. The PA level significantly changed over 6 months in the DVD group, but not in the face-to-face group. The results indicate that a yoga program may be utilized as a 'stepping-stone' toward regular exercise among overweight sedentary adults. Research with a larger sample is needed to further evaluate the effects of the program on the level of PA among this population.
Representation and Recursion in the Archaeological Record

Living humans are unique among the animal kingdom with respect to their ability to externalize mental representations outside the brain through a variety of media and in a recursive or creative manner (i.e., generating a potentially infinite array of combinations). Earlier humans evolved two specialized organs—the hand and the vocal tract—as primary instruments for externalizing artificial or semantic representations. These organs and the externalized representations may have co-evolved with the Homo brain. The archaeological record yields examples of simple representations by 1.6 mya. More complex, hierarchical, and recursive forms are evident by roughly 0.25 mya. Complex and highly recursive representations in a wide range of media (including representations of representations in the form of visual art) emerge after 0.1 mya among anatomically modern humans.
Theory and modeling of ion acceleration from the interaction of ultra-intense lasers with solid density targets

The interaction of a high intensity, short-pulse laser with a thin target can lead to the generation of a highly collimated beam of fast ions off the rear target surface. These ion beams have the potential to impact inertial confinement fusion applications, including their use in diagnostics and fast-ignition. Recent work by the authors in the modeling of ion acceleration, using both full particle-in-cell and hybrid (particle ions, reduced electron physics) models, is leading to improved understanding of the physics governing ion acceleration.
Household debt, financialization, and macroeconomic performance in the United States, 1951-2009

We empirically examine the relationship between U.S. output and household debt. To account for structural change due to financial liberalization, we divide the sample at the fourth quarter of 1982. We find structural differences between earlier and later business cycles for the U.S. household sector and its relation to the macroeconomy. In the regression analysis for pre-1982, we find no evidence that household debt variables had any negative effect on output. However, we find some evidence that household debt variables have negative effects on output for the post-1982 period. A formal structural break test shows evidence of a structural change in the relationship of U.S. output to household debt. Unit root tests for the separate samples show that none of the household variables possesses a unit root in the earlier period, yet all of them do in the late period, indicating fundamental differences between earlier and later periods in terms of the data-generating process.
Tritium labelled alkenes via the Shapiro reaction

Abstract We report a simple synthesis of a variety of tritiated alkenes with high specific activity. In each case, the trisylhydrazone derivative of the ketone was converted to the vinyllithium intermediate, which was then quenched with high specific activity tritiated water to generate the corresponding tritiated alkene. The specificity of tritium labelling was determined by tritium NMR spectroscopy.
8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine as a biomarker of tobacco-smoking-induced oxidative stress.

Abstract 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo) is a useful biomarker of oxidative stress. However, its analysis can be challenging because 8-oxo-dGuo must be quantified in the presence of dGuo, without artifactual conversion to 8-oxo-dGuo. Urine is the ideal biological fluid for population studies, because it can be obtained noninvasively and it is less likely that artifactual oxidation of dGuo can occur because of the relatively low amounts that are present compared with hydrolyzed DNA. Stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography–selected reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry (LC-SRM/MS) with 8-oxo-[ 15 N 5 ]dGuo as internal standard provided the highest possible specificity for 8-oxo-dGuo analysis. Furthermore, artifact formation was determined by addition of [ 13 C 10 15 N 5 ]dGuo and monitoring of its conversion to 8-oxo-[ 13 C 10 15 N 5 ]dGuo during the analytical procedure. 8-Oxo-dGuo concentrations were normalized for interindividual differences in urine flow by analysis of creatinine using stable isotope dilution LC–SRM/MS. A significant increase in urinary 8-oxo-dGuo was observed in tobacco smokers compared with nonsmokers either using simple urinary concentrations or after normalization for creatinine excretion. The mean levels of 8-oxo-dGuo were 1.65 ng/ml and the levels normalized to creatinine were 1.72 μg/g creatinine. Therefore, stable isotope dilution LC–SRM/MS analysis of urinary 8-oxo-dGuo complements urinary isoprostane (isoP) analysis for assessing tobacco-smoking-induced oxidative stress. This method will be particularly useful for studies that employ polyunsaturated fatty acids, in which a reduction in arachidonic acid precursor could confound isoP measurements.
On the relation between pseudo-Hermiticity and dissipation

Abstract Pseudo-Hermiticity has recently been shown to be a general property of linearized Hamiltonian (dissipationless) operators. Here, we show how the anti-pseudo-Hermitian part of a general linear evolution operator is related to dissipation by considering two examples from plasma physics: the linearized Boltzmann-Coulomb equation, with a dissipationless self-consistent electrostatic interaction term and a dissipative Krook collision term, and linearized viscous magnetohydrodynamics, with dissipationless gyroviscosity and dissipative parallel viscosity.
Solubility product relations in the rare earth hydrous hydroxides

Abstract The solubility products for some rare earth hydroxides and their temperature dependence have been shown. Greater solubility is shown for larger atomic radii and for lower temperature.
Economics of Cropping Systems Featuring Different Rotations, Tillage, and Management

Economics is the dominant factor influencing the adoption of cropping systems. The objective of this 6-yr study was to determine profitability of cropping systems featuring four crop rotations (continuous corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]-corn, soybean-corn-corn, and soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)-corn), three tillage systems (moldboard, chisel, and ridge) and two management input (high and low chemical) systems. The soybean-corn rotation under low chemical management resulted in the greatest net returns in chisel ($100 ha -1 ) and moldboard plow tillage ($148 ha -1 ) because the reduction in production costs (∼$110 ha -1 ), associated with less fertilizer and pesticide costs in corn and less herbicide costs in soybeans, offset the reduction in gross returns ($72 ha -1 in chisel and $38 ha -1 in moldboard plow), associated with lower corn and soybean yields in chisel and lower corn yields in moldboard plow. Continuous corn under high chemical and soybean-corn-corn and soybean-corn rotations under low chemical management had similar net returns in ridge tillage ($33, $26, and $17 ha -1 , respectively). Growers who substitute soybean-corn and soybean-corn-corn (in ridge) rotations for continuous corn can maximize profits and reduce starter fertilizer use by 33 to 50%, N fertilizer by 60 to 70%, herbicides by about 60%, and insecticides by 65 to 100%. Growers who use moldboard plow tillage may realize maximum profits by adopting the soybean-wheat/red clover-corn rotation under low chemical management if they market the wheat straw, a common practice in New York.
Adsorption and superfluid onset of 4He films on intermediate strength substrates

Abstract On strong binding substrates, such as graphite or mylar that are wetted by 4He at all temperatures, an adsorbed 4He film consists of ∼2 atomic layers of “inert” helium covered by a liquid layer that becomes superfluid via a Kosterlitz–Thouless (KT) transition. On weak substrates, for example cesium, superfluid onset above the wetting temperature also conforms to the KT picture. In contrast, superfluid onset on intermediate strength substrates, specifically heavier alkali metals and monolyer films of cesium on gold, deviates strongly from KT behavior. Here we describe superfluid onset of 4He on intermediate strength substrates and discuss the contributions of weak bindings and disorder to the non-KT behavior.
Observations on Estimation of Communication Effects on Political Knowledge and a Test of Intracommunication Mediation

The four studies in this issue–by happenstance all submitted on similar topics, using similar methods, and at approximately the same time to the same journal–indicate the centrality of the study of...
Automatic identification of the templates in matched filtering

In laser beam position determination, various shapes of markers may be used to identify different beams. When matched filtering is used for identifying the markers, one is faced with the challenge of determining the appropriate filter to use in the presence of distortions and marker size variability. If the incorrect filter is used, it will result in significant position uncertainty. Thus in the very first step of position detection one has to come up with an automated process to select the right template to use. The automated template identification method proposed here is based on a two-step approach. In the first step an approximate type of the object is determined. Then the filter is chosen based on the best size of the specific type. After the appropriate filter is chosen, the correlation peak position is used to identify the beam position. Real world examples of the application of this technique from the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are presented.
Parametrial involvement, regardless of nodal status: A poor prognostic factor for cervical cancer

Objective To evaluate the effect of resection of central disease when the parametria are involved by tumor in high-risk stage I cervical cancer patients. Methods Thirty-two patients with high-risk stage I cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy and had pathologic findings of positive lymph nodes ( N = 13), positive parametria ( N = 7), or both ( N = 12) were identified retrospectively. The effects of various histopathologic findings on disease-free interval and survival were evaluated, including the effect of resection of central disease with and without positive nodal disease. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared with the log-rank test. Multivariate analyses using a stepwise regression model were performed. Results Compared with other histologics, adenocarcinoma was associated with a significantly shorter disease-free interval ( P = .037). Among patients with parametrial involvement, lymph node status did not affect disease-free interval or survival. However, when patients with positive lymph nodes were examined, the additional finding of parametrial positivity significantly worsened both disease-free interval ( P = .039) and survival ( P = .036). When the 19 patients with positive parametria, regardless of lymph node status, were compared with those with positive lymph nodes alone, the former group had a significantly shorter disease-free interval ( P = .038). The tumor recurred in 12 of these 19 patients; all cases involved the pelvis, with a median time to recurrence of 15 months. Multivariate analysis showed that adenocarcinoma histology ( P = .038) and parametrial involvement ( P = .043) were independent, poor prognostic indicators for disease-free interval. Conclusion Involvement of the parametria, regardless of lymph node status, and adenocarcinoma histology confer a poor prognosis in high-risk patients undergoing radical hysterectomy. Caution should be used when contemplating resection of bulky tumors as part of primary therapy if the parametria appear to be involved by tumor.
LMI-based criteria for robust stability of Cohen–Grossberg neural networks with delay

Abstract This Letter considers the robust stability analysis of delayed Cohen–Grossberg neural networks. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, several sufficient conditions guaranteeing the global robust convergence of the equilibrium point are derived. The main results are compared with some existing results and an error in an earlier publication is reported. An example is also given to illustrate the effectiveness of our results.
FOREIGN FISHING FLEETS IN THE SUBSAHARAN WEST AFRICAN EEZ

Patterns of exploitation of the fisheries resources along the coasts of the Subsaharan West African states are of growing concern. Depletion of resources is widespread and there is an urgent need for conservation. There is also persistent high use by the fishing fleets of foreign, non-African nations. The author examines the problem and concludes that the whole system of existing controls for the 200 mile EEZ is in need of being redesigned. He calls for new and more effective measures on the part of local governments and for greater support by the international community. The final part of the article contains specific recommendations for changes and improvements.
Effect of Redox Conditions on MTBE Biodegradation in Surface Water Sediments

Microbial degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was observed in surface water−sediment microcosms under anaerobic conditions. The efficiency and products of anaerobic MTBE biodegradation were dependent on the predominant terminal electron-accepting conditions. In the presence of substantial methanogenic activity, MTBE biodegradation was nominal and involved reduction of MTBE to the toxic product, tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). In the absence of significant methanogenic activity, accumulation of [14C]TBA generally decreased, and mineralization of [U-14C]MTBE to 14CO2 generally increased as the oxidative potential of the predominant terminal electron acceptor increased in the order of SO4, Fe(III), Mn(IV) < NO3 < O2. Microbial mineralization of MTBE to CO2 under Mn(IV)- or SO4-reducing conditions has not been reported previously. The results of this study indicate that microorganisms inhabiting the sediments of streams and lakes can degrade MTBE effectively under a range of anaerobic terminal electron-ac...
L x-ray-production cross sections for (120--400)-keV proton bombardment of indium

The $L$-shell x-ray production in indium due to proton bombardment was studied using thin indium targets (19 \ensuremath{\mu}g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) over the proton energy range 120-400 keV. The total x-ray cross sections and five subshell cross sections were determined at 20-keV intervals in the energy range. The x rays were observed with a high-purity Ge low-energy-photon spectroscopy detector. The experimental cross sections were compared to the perturbed stationary-state theory with relativistic and Coulomb deflection corrections (CPSSR). The total $L$-shell x-ray cross sections were found to be in good agreement with the CPSSR theory. For the $L{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1,2}$ and $L{\ensuremath{\beta}}_{2,15}$ x-ray cross sections there was also reasonable agreement with the CPSSR theory. For the $L\ensuremath{\beta}$, $L{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}$, and $L{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{2,3}$ x-ray cross sections there is an effect that depends upon the proton energy. The ratios of these experimental and theoretical cross sections vary from about 1 at higher proton energies to near 2 for the lowest proton energies.
Comprehension Maturity Tests: A New Departure in Measuring Reading Ability

The comprehension maturity tests were designed to meet the need for a “deeper” measure of comprehension than is furnished by the usual reading test. Experimentation to date suggests the existence of types of readers and types of reading material. Reliability and validity of the new tests have been experimentally established
The growth of public and private bureaucracies

Bureaucratization is a pervasive fact of modern life. Not only have strong central governments emerged over the last century (and more recently in the United States), but large centrally administered firms have become the dominant economic actors in modern societies. The facts of bureaucratic growth are indisputable. By any measure, the size and influence of government have increased almost continuously to the present time. And whether measured by the intensity of supervision or the intensity of administration, bureaucratic growth in private enterprises has also occurred, in some instances more rapidly than in government.' These developments are hardly surprising, and they have not passed unnoticed. Governmental bureaucracy is regularly disparaged by the political right. The left has been more sensitive to increased concentration of productive capacity in giant corporate bureaucracies. Rhetoric aside, however, the causes of bureaucratic growth have not been sufficiently understood, and its consequences have not been sufficiently anticipated. One of the most fundamental social transformations of the last century, and one fraught with economic as well as political consequences, has been all but ignored by the social sciences.
Sugars and Acid Analysis and Effect of Heating on Color Stability of Northwest Concord Grape Juice

Changes during storage in color of Concord grape juice extracted after heating to different temperatures and the carbohydrate and nonvolatile acid composition of Concord grapes were studied. Heating crushed Concord grapes under pilot plant conditions to 88° and 99°C inactivated nearly all of the polyphenoloxidase, increased the extraction of anthocyanins (ACN) and reduced polymeric color in the grape juice. During storage of the juice for 8 months, the rate of ACN degradation and color density decrease was the same in all samples. Glucose, fructose and sucrose were the only sugars found in Northwest Concord grapes, while malic and tartaric acids were the major nonvolatile acids. Lesser amounts of phosphoric, citric and coumaric acids were present.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ENGINEERING STUDENTS' IMAGINED FUTURES

Background: Future Time Perspective (FTP) theory addresses how the content and dimensions of people’s imagined futures impact their learning and motivation. We used FTP theory to determine if gender differences existed in types of future events students envision and how these events were related to academic functioning. Purpose: In light of the intense national focus on career/life balance for women in the sciences, the focus of this study was to determine if students actually imagine such a trade-off when asked to think about the future. Design: We examined self-reported future events, motivation, and knowledge building from a sample of 366 engineering students. We analyzed the survey data using correlations, t-tests, and frequency counts to determine the relationship between imagined futures and academic functioning, as well as gender differences, respectively. Results: Results indicated that male students imagined significantly more professional events than female students, and that professional events were related to adaptive academic functioning. Analysis of the data suggests female engineering students self-reported a trade-off between professional and domestic events. Conclusions: We discuss the findings in the context of recent career/life balance initiatives and the need for improved industry mechanisms for helping women balance career and family.
Differential inhibition of 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA synthesis by actinomycin.

Abstract Low doses of actinomycin inhibit the synthesis of 28s ribosomal RNA to a greater extent than 18s ribosomal RNA in phytohaemagglutinin stimulated lymphocytes. Under these conditions the excess 18s RNA continues to enter the cytoplasm for extended periods.
Supramolecular Architectures of Metal Complexes Controlled by a Strong π···π Stacking, 1,8-Naphthalimide Functionalized Third Generation Tris(pyrazolyl)methane Ligand

A new hetero-bifunctional ligand designed to form supramolecular structures with a combination of covalent and noncovalent forces has been prepared. The ligand, (1,8-naphthalimide)CH2C6H4CH2OCH2C(pz)3 (Ltris, pz = pyrazolyl ring), contains both a tris(pyrazolyl)methane coordination unit and a 1,8-naphthalimide strong π···π stacking unit. The reactions of iron(II), copper(II), and cadmium(II) tetrafluoroborate salts with 2 equiv of Ltris yield [Fe(Ltris)2](BF4)2 (1), [Cd(Ltris)2](BF4)2 (2), and [Cu(Ltris)2](BF4)2 (3), respectively. Vapor diffusion crystallization yielded two pseudopolymorphs for 1. In the solid-state structures of both forms, the iron is in an octahedral environment with bond distances expected for low-spin iron(II); both tris(pyrazolyl)methane donor sets are in a κ3-coordination mode with each Ltris ligand in a U-shaped, syn arrangement. In one pseudopolymorph, the 1,8-naphthalimide side chains are on the same side of the molecule when viewed down the metal axis (syn-1), twisted only 30° ...
Modelling the behaviour of crown rot in wheat caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum

Existing spatiotemporal models for disease progress are unsuitable for describing epidemics of residue-borne diseases of cereals like crown rot, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, which increase in incidence over successive years and where inoculum has a fixed location. Monte Carlo simulation was used to explore the behaviour of a simple mechanistic model for crown rot, in which inoculum from each infected plant in one season came into contact with a defined number of plants in the following season. Contacted plants became infected according to a probability of infection that was less than 1. Growth chamber experiments confirmed that contact between infested residue and plants was required for infection. Observed features of epidemics at a long term trial site, including disease progress and maximum incidence, were satisfactorily fitted by simulations with a starting incidence of 4 %, 12 plants contacted by inoculum from each infected plant, and probability of infection of 0.66. This confirms that our understanding of disease behaviour at moderate to high levels of incidence is basically correct. However, infection rate between seasons was sensitive to initial incidence, suggesting that dispersal methods such as ascospores or conidia may be important at low incidence. A simple descriptive model was developed for the disease in bread wheat in the northern grains region of eastern Australia. Inoculum potential was estimated from the square root of the product of crown rot incidence and yield (a surrogate for biomass) of the preceding crop. Incidence of disease was related to inoculum potential by an infection constant. Crown rot inoculum was assumed to decline exponentially with time between susceptible crops. These two relationships were combined to predict the behaviour of the disease in different rotation systems. Over time, crown rot incidence converged to an equilibrium level that was determined by the infection constant, average yield, and the survival rate of inoculum. Modelled epidemics behaved in a way that was consistent with field data for continuous wheat, wheat-chickpea and wheat-sorghum rotations. This descriptive model could be used in extension or as a way of understanding how management and environment affect the disease.
Imprint of distortions in the Oort Cloud on the CMB anisotropies

We study the effect of a close encounter of a passing star on the shape of the inner Oort Cloud, using the impulse approximation. The deviation of the perturbed Oort Cloud from sphericity adds angular fluctuations to the brightness of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) due to thermal emission by the comets. An encounter with a solar-mass star at an impact parameter of 2100AU, as expected based on the abundance and velocity dispersion of stars in the solar neighborhood, leads to a quadrupole moment C-2 = 4.5(3.5) x 10^(-15) 6.7(1.1) x 10^(-12), 1.1 (0.11) x 10^(-9) at v = 30, 353, 545 GHz, respectively in intensity and (temperature) fluctuations. We also quantify the quadrupole spectral distortions produced by the Scattered Disc, which will exist irregardless of any perturbation and the subsequent shape of the Oort Cloud. For comparison, the temperature fluctuation quadrupole moment predicted by the current cosmological model is C-2 = 1.76 x 10^(-10), which corresponds to fluctuation in the CMB intensity of C-2 = 2.9 x 10^(-10), 6.8 x 10^(-9), 1.6 x 10^(-8) at v = 30, 353, 545 GHz. Finally, we discuss how a measurement of the anisotropic spectral distortions could be used to constrain the trajectory of the closest stellar fly-by.
Population Dynamics Through the Lens of Extreme Environments

Small variations in phenotypic characteristics (the length or shape of a bird’s beak or the color of its plumage, the timing of flowering in plants, the level of resistance to disease) have been used as markers to trace evolutionary processes in macroorganisms since Darwin’s Origin of Species (Darwin 1859). Until recently, microbiologists have had difficulty recognizing evolutionary processes in natural microbial populations because phenotypic characters and adaptations unique to certain populations have been virtually impossible to identify at the individual scale. High-resolution molecular techniques, such as multi-locus sequence analysis and environmental genomics, today provide the means to survey microheterogeneity in natural microbial systems. Already these molecular surveys have uncovered fine-scale patterns of diversity within populations previously thought to be homogeneous (Palenik 1994; Palys et al. 1997; Schleper et al. 1998; Whitaker et al. 2003; Acinas et al. 2004; Papke et al. 2004; Tyson et al. 2004; Venter et al. 2004; Thompson et al. 2005) and are beginning to provide clues to evolutionary mechanisms through which diversity is generated and maintained at this scale. Coming in the wake of studies that assessed microbial diversity through amplification and sequencing of single genes (particularly 16S rRNA) (Pace 1997), high resolution molecular tools have revealed a microbial world that is much more vast and far more complex than anyone had anticipated. How do we make sense of this diversity? What can it tell us about how microbial ecosystems are structured and how they function in their geochemical contexts? Is biodiversity consistently partitioned into species, and are species the most ecologically relevant units of diversity in microbial systems? Can we monitor diversity to determine how changes in environmental conditions shape communities and drive the evolution of new functions? The answers to these questions will in part result …
Augmentation therapy in α-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Background: α-1 Antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic disorder that leads to early-onset emphysema. Recently, exogenous supplementation of the enzyme has become a therapeutic alternative. Objective: To review the role of so-called augmentation therapy with pooled human plasma α-1 antitrypsin as a specific treatment for emphysema caused by α-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Methods: The authors performed a Medline (1966 – 2007) search with the keywords ‘α-1 antitrypsin deficiency’ and ‘therapy’. The authors focused on articles regarding biochemical and clinical efficacy. Results/conclusion: Augmentation therapy has been shown to raise antiprotease serum and epithelial lining fluid levels above the ‘protective threshold’ value. Evidence suggests that this approach slows the decline in lung function, could reduce infection rates, might enhance survival, and is well tolerated. Questions about the cost-effectiveness of this therapy remain.
Core Schemas and Suicidality in a Chronically Traumatized Population

The Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) has been dem- onstrated to tap into core beliefs, or maladaptive schemas, of clinical populations. This study used the YSQ to investigate maladaptive schemas of 137 chronically traumatized patients seeking outpatient psychiatric treatment and to assess whether specific schemas might be associated with suicide risk in this population. Participants completed a modified version of the YSQ-S (short form), post- traumatic diagnostic scale, dissociative experiences scale and self- harm and risk behaviors questionnaire-revised at treatment intake. Significant correlations were found between most YSQ scales and the post-traumatic diagnostic scale, and between all YSQ scales and the dissociative experiences scale. Suicide risk variables were most highly correlated with the social isolation/alienation, defectiveness/ shame and failure YSQ scales, suggesting that these schemas may mark individuals at particularly high risk for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. These results offer important implications for the assessment and treatment of high-risk traumatized patients.
Capital implications: the function of labor in the video art of Juan Devis and Yoshua Okón

It is increasingly evident that advanced forms of speculative value that have become the driving engine behind the inflated global art market are nonetheless inextricably bound to and dependent upon more informal market systems that operate through the spontaneous organization of exploitable, precarious, marginalized, and ultimately undervalued forms of labor. This fact makes labor a pivotal site where the linkages between these two purportedly independent markets (and their respective systems of value and exchange) come into focus and can be more tangibly assessed and critiqued. This paper will follow this current by first contextualizing the function of labor within two contrasting historical traditions/tendencies of art and cultural production that explicitly reference labor as an essential structuring condition of the work. It will then develop a detailed case study of a recent exchange between two contemporary media/video artists in Los Angeles that demonstrates the complexities of how the market val...
Serotonin 5-HT1A receptors regulate AMPA receptor channels through inhibiting Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II in prefrontal cortical pyramidal neurons.

We have studied the regulation of AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid) receptor channels by serotonin signaling in pyramidal neurons of prefrontal cortex (PFC). Application of serotonin reduced the amplitude of AMPA-evoked currents, an effect mimicked by 5-HT1Areceptor agonists and blocked by 5-HT1A antagonists, indicating the mediation by 5-HT1A receptors. The serotonergic modulation of AMPA receptor currents was blocked by protein kinase A (PKA) activators and occluded by PKA inhibitors. Inhibiting the catalytic activity of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) also eliminated the effect of serotonin on AMPA currents. Furthermore, the serotonergic modulation of AMPA currents was occluded by application of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitors and blocked by intracellular injection of calmodulin or recombinant CaMKII. Application of serotonin or 5-HT1Aagonists to PFC slices reduced CaMKII activity and the phosphorylation of AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 at the CaMKII site in a PP1-dependent manner. We concluded that serotonin, by activating 5-HT1A receptors, suppress glutamatergic signaling through the inhibition of CaMKII, which is achieved by the inhibition of PKA and ensuing activation of PP1. This modulation demonstrates the critical role of CaMKII in serotonergic regulation of PFC neuronal activity, which may explain the neuropsychiatric behavioral phenotypes seen in CaMKII knockout mice.
Energies of f72-shell nuclei

A theoretical study of the properties of f/sub 1/2/-shell nuclei is presented. The binding energies and spectra of nuclei of Z - 22 to 28 are given. The contribution to the binding energies by the residual two-body interaction is considered. (R.E.U.)
Common Nonstationary Components of Asset Prices

Abstract Portfolio separation in a multi-period general equilibrium context implies that asset prices are collinear. In economies that do not exhibit separation, but that move close to separation, ‘approximate collinearity’ or cointegration emerges as a statistical model of actual data. A new test for cointegration is proposed. It is based on time-series canonical correlation analysis and solves the problem of unidentified parameters under the null hypothesis and of identification of the cointegrating vectors when more than two time series are investigated. An empirical analysis of prices of five size-based portfolios and five industry-based portfolios of common stock reveals substantial evidence of cointegration.
Perinatal lethality (ple): a mutation caused by integration of a transgene into distal mouse chromosome 15.

We have used cytogenetic and recombinational analysis to determine the position of a transgene integrated into the mouse genome. The transgene maps to band F on the physical map of mouse chromosome 15 by in situ analysis and is tightly linked genetically to a cluster of loci that include the mutations caracul (Ca) and microcytic anemia (mk). Genetic analysis of the offspring of noninbred animals carrying the transgene and marker loci demonstrates a significant deficiency of homozygous progeny at weaning. When inbred mice heterozygous for the transgene are mated, about one-quarter of their offspring are homozygous; none of these animals survives more than 1 day after birth. It appears likely that a recessive insertional mutation has occurred as a result of transgene integration into a locus required for postnatal viability. We call this mutation transgenic perinatal lethality (Tg.ple).
Design and calibration of a large broadband dielectric measurement cell

A large dielectric measurement cell was designed and calibrated to operate over a 1-MHz to 3-GHz frequency range. The cell is much larger than commercially available cells and is useful for measuring samples with large-grain heterogeneities like concrete or rock. The cell works on a coaxial transmission line principle. Once the S parameters of the two end sections are calibrated, the S parameters of the sample region can be found. Then the complex permittivity of the sample can be deembedded. Because of the broad frequency range, three calibration methods are used for the low-, intermediate-, and high-frequency ranges. The accuracy of the cell is tested by measuring materials of a known dielectric constant. Error analysis is also performed to determine the uncertainty of the measurements. >
A new voltage time recorder for transient measurements

ENGINEERING measurements of electric circuit quantities such as voltage, current, power, energy, and wave shapes have, for the steady-state conditions including both non varying quantities and recurring waves, been made with general satisfaction, through steadily improving designs of voltmeters, ammeters, wattmeters, and oscillographs. These are measurements of the quantities directly pertinent to the purposes for which the circuitry was designed. All circuitry, however, is also unintentionally subjected to electric transients when steady-state levels are changed and when abnormal electrifications or connections occur. These are mainly switching, lightning, and insulation failure transients and they involve voltage and current variations where fractions of a microsecond sometimes become important because of the high magnitudes of the voltages and currents involved.
Differentiating Duchenne from non-Duchenne smiles using active appearance models

Face-related biometrics research in recent years has moved from attempting merely to recognize faces, and even doing so under varying conditions, to considering a wide variety of aspects such as dynamics, gesture, aging, and expression. The state of an individual's face is a revealing indicator that may be used for soft biometrics, active authentication, deception detection, response feedback, and other areas of interface. One related psychological indicator is the Duchenne smile that usually indicates a genuine, spontaneous, or enjoyed emotional state rather than a forced or posed state, as likely expressed by a non-Duchenne smile. Differentiating between these is a useful task to automate for a variety of reasons. This paper discusses a classification technique that achieves higher recognition rates than previously published for similar comparisons.
Fibrillar Amyloid β-Protein Mediates the Pathologic Accumulation of Its Secreted Precursor in Human Cerebrovascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Cerebrovascular deposition of the amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is a key pathologic lesion seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease and certain related disorders, including hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type (HCHWA-D). The deposition of Abeta has pronounced deleterious effects on smooth muscle cells within the cerebral vessel wall. We have previously shown that Abeta(1-40) possessing the E22Q HCHWA-D mutation extensively assembles into fibrils on the surface of cultured human cerebrovascular smooth muscle (HCSM) cells. This cell-surface Abeta fibril formation induces a series of pathologic responses in cultured HCSM cells, including a marked increase in the levels of cell-associated amyloid beta-protein precursor (AbetaPP) and cell death. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between HCSM cell-surface Abeta fibril formation and the striking increase in cell-associated AbetaPP. Time course studies showed that cell-surface HCHWA-D Abeta(1-40) fibril formation occurred rapidly, whereas both the increase in cell-associated AbetaPP and loss of cell viability were delayed responses. Domain analysis using site-specific antibodies indicated that the vast majority of the increase in cell-associated AbetaPP was secreted AbetaPP (sAbetaPP). Localization studies showed that the sAbetaPP was present on the HCSM cell surface. This result raised the possibility that sAbetaPP may bind back to HCSM cell-surface fibrils formed by HCHWA-D Abeta(1-40). Indeed, binding of biotinylated sAbetaPP to fibrillar HCHWA-D Abeta(1-40) was demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, solid-phase binding assays showed that biotinylated sAbetaPP exhibited dose-dependent, saturable binding to fibrillar (but not soluble) HCHWA-D Abeta(1-40) with k(d) approximately 28 nM. Exon deletion experiments further defined a fragment of sAbetaPP (AbetaPP(18-119)), encoded by AbetaPP exons 2 and 3, to contain the fibrillar Abeta-binding domain. In addition, AbetaPP(18-119) effectively blocked the cell-surface accumulation of sAbetaPP and subsequent cell death in HCSM cells treated with pathogenic Abeta. Together, these findings could explain the accumulation of AbetaPP in cerebrovascular Abeta deposits observed both in vitro and in vivo and may contribute to the pathologic responses evoked by pathogenic forms of Abeta in HCSM cells.
Competitive Interactions Between Cells: Death, Growth, and Geography

Competitive interactions between cells are the basis of many homeostatic processes in biology. Some of the best-described cases of competition between cells occur in Drosophila: cell competition, whereby somatic cells within a growing epithelium compete with one another for contribution to the adult, and stem cell competition, in which germline or somatic stem cells vie for residency in the niche. Both types of competition are conserved physiological processes, with much to tell us about how cellular neighborhoods influence cell behavior, and have importance to stem cell biology, regeneration and transplantation, and cancer.
Maintenance of the bronchial alveolar stem cells in an undifferentiated state by secreted frizzled-related protein 1

Bronchoalveolar stem cells (BASCs) are mobilized during injury and identified as lung progenitor cells, but the molecular regulation of this population of cells has not been elucidated. Secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) is a critical molecule involved in alveolar duct formation in the lung and here we demonstrate its importance in controlling cell differentiation during lung injury. Mice lacking SFRP1 exhibited a rapid repair response leading to aberrant proliferation of differentiated cells. Furthermore, SFRP1 treatment of BASCs maintained these cells in a quiescent state. In vivo overexpression of SFRP1 after injury suppressed differentiation and resulted in the accumulation of BASCs correlating with in vitro studies. These findings suggest that SFRP1 expression in the adult maintains progenitor cells within their undifferentiated state and suggests that manipulation of this pathway is a potential target to augment the lung repair process during disease.
Anthropogenic calcium depletion: a unique threat to forest ecosystem health?

Numerous anthropogenic factors can deplete calcium (Ca) from forest ecosystems. Because an adequate supply of Ca is needed to support fundamental biological functions, including cell membrane stability and stress response, the potential for Ca deficiency following the individual, cumulative, or potentially synergistic, influences of anthropogenic factors raises important questions concerning organism and ecosystem health. Past work has shown that one Ca-depleting factor (foliar acid mist exposure) reduces concentrations of biologically important membrane-associated Ca (mCa) from red spruce foliar cells, destabilizes these cells, and results in their increased susceptibility to the freezing injury responsible for red spruce decline in northeastern U.S. montane ecosystems. Data presented here indicate that these same disruptions can occur for other tree species and that soilbased Ca manipulation can also alter critical mCa pools. Considering the unique role Ca plays in the physiological response of cells to environmental change and stress, we hypothesize that depletion of biologically available Ca (e.g., mCa) could result in a scenario similar to recognized immune deficiency syndromes in animals. A hypothetical pathway through which anthropogenically induced Ca deficiencies could predispose plants, and possibly animals, to exaggerated injury following exposure to environmental stress is presented, and the potential implications of this scenario to ecosystem health are discussed.
A Low-Cost GPS Receiver for Land Navigation

This paper describes an experimental single channel GPS sequential receiver based on L1/C/A code for land navigation. The salient features of the receiver hardware designs and operations, as well as the navigation algorithms are summarized and reported. Some of the design problems which were encountered and the subsequent actions taken to resolve them are discussed. An HP 9825 desktop computer was used to perform the necessary navigation computations. In order to ensure good immunity to loss of lock in the presence of interference and under a dynamic environment, a Z-80 microprocessor was used to perform the receiver control functions and some digital signal processings. With the aid of an HP 9872 plotter, position fixes were marked on USGS 7.5 minute and 40 minute maps. Under static conditions, we were able to achieve 20 meters of accuracy in longitude and 8 meters of accuracy in latitude. Receiver test results in places like downtown San Francisco and the San Francisco International Airport are also reported in this paper. Based on our test results, we feel that we have proven the feasibility of land navigation with a low-cost GPS receiver. Finally, other possible civil applications of this receiver and the emerging new technologies for a low-cost GPS receiver will also be discussed.