cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in secretory status, cell height and percentage ciliation of epithelial lining of sheep fimbria oviduct during early pregnancy.

Studies have shown that the biosynthetic activity of the fimbria oviduct in the sheep changes during the first few weeks of pregnancy. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the secretory epithelial lining of the fimbria undergoes pregnancy-associated morphological alterations in a concordant manner. Oviducts obtained from ovariectomized, oestrous (day 0) and pregnant (day 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 16) ewes were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively using light and electron microscopy. The epithelium was low cuboidal in fimbria from ovariectomized sheep, significantly increased in height at day 1.5 of pregnancy, immediately decreased at day 2, and underwent an additional slight reduction at day 6 and day 16 of pregnancy. Ciliated and nonciliated cells were present in the epithelium at all reproductive stages. The proportions of ciliated and nonciliated cells varied during pregnancy and ciliated cells were always the major cell type. Consistent with previous data, the secretory organelles of nonciliated epithelial cells obtained from ovariectomized ewes were poorly developed. Maturation of secretory organelles in nonciliated cells occurred at oestrus and was maintained until days 2-3 of pregnancy ; regressive changes were then observed, characterized by atrophy of the Golgi apparatus and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and increases in heterochromatin and pronounced nuclear folds. Large, electron-dense lipid droplets were present throughout the cytoplasm of ciliated and nonciliated epithelial cells, beginning at day 1.5 of pregnancy and increasing at later stages of pregnancy. Apical protrusions and microvilli were observed at the luminal domains of nonciliated cells and were reduced in extent after day 3 of pregnancy. Cells were extruded from the epithelial lining at day 16 of pregnancy. These data show that the epithelial lining of the fimbria oviduct in the sheep undergoes distinct changes in cell height, percentage ciliation and secretory organelle development during the first few weeks of pregnancy.
A new constitutive model for hydration-dependent mechanical properties in biological soft tissues and hydrogels.

Abstract It is challenging to noninvasively determine the mechanical properties of biological soft tissues in vivo. In this study, based on the biphasic theory and the transport models, a new constitutive model for hydration-dependent mechanical properties in hydrated soft materials was derived: H A = A ( 1 − ϕ f ) n ( ϕ f ) 2 − n / ( 2 − ϕ f ) 2 , where H A ( = λ + 2 μ ) is the aggregate modulus, ϕ f is the volume fraction of fluid (i.e., hydration), A and n (>2) are two parameters related to the transport properties of the biphasic materials. A linear model for hydration-dependent shear modulus in the literature was verified for hydrogels. The effects of tissue hydration on mechanical properties (aggregate modulus and Poisson׳s ratio) were investigated. It was found that the value of Poisson׳s ratio was very sensitive to the tissue hydration in soft materials with high water content. The predictions of the aggregate modulus and shear modulus for hydrogels by the model compared well with those from experimental results. This study is important for developing new techniques for noninvasively assessing the mechanical properties of biological soft tissues using quantitative MRI methods as well as for designing scaffolds with proper mechanical properties for tissue engineering applications.
Media use and transnational political and civic participation: a case study of Mexicans in the USA

Although communication is largely understood as a prerequisite for transnational activity, little research explores exactly how transnational communities use media and what the implications of media use are for transnational civic and political participation. Research from communication studies suggests that media can affect civic and political participation in various, sometimes contradictory, ways. In an effort to merge literature from transnational and communication studies, in this study I focus on the case of Mexicans in the USA, offering secondary analyses of two datasets concerning their communication habits and civic and political participation in Mexico. Results suggest differential effects on participation based on preferences for certain media and pre-existing attitudes.
Empowerment, coercive persuasion and organizational learning: do they connect?

Although organizational learning is often defined as the result of many individuals learning generatively in an organizational context, the argument is made that such learning is de facto coercive persuasion. Generative learning by the individual requires free choice of exit if and when cognitive redefinition becomes painful. When organizations demand such redefinition as part of culture change programs they are de facto creating a situation of coercive persuasion. We must then examine our moral position with respect to both the methods of learning and the ultimate goals of the change effort.
Lessons from viral superinfections for HIV-1 vaccine design.

Superinfection refers to a second viral infection in the context of a pre-existing adaptive immune response to prior infection with a viral strain that has not been cleared, the two viruses being genetically distinct yet belonging to the same genus. As such, this phenomenon provides unique settings to gain insights into the immune correlates of protection against HIV-1. The focus of this review is to discuss the current knowledge about immune responses to HIV-1 and to other viruses that are associated with partial or complete immunity to superinfection, or lack thereof, and how that could be applied to future HIV-1 vaccine strategies
High-density lipoprotein and transport of cholesterol and triglyceride in blood

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) contain approximately 25% of the cholesterol and <5% of the triglyceride in the plasma of human blood. However, the dynamic exchange of lipids and lipid-binding proteins is not revealed by simply considering the mass of material at any point in time. HDL are the most complex of lipoprotein species with multiple protein constituents, which facilitate cholesterol secretion from cells, cholesterol esterification in plasma, and transfer of cholesterol to other lipoproteins and to the liver for excretion. They also play a major role in triglyceride transport by providing for activation of lipoprotein lipase, exchange of triglyceride among the lipoproteins, and removal of triglyceride rich remnants of chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoproteins after lipase action. In addition, antioxidative enzymes and phospholipid transfer proteins are important components of HDL. Many of the proteins of HDL are exchangeable with other lipoproteins, including chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoproteins. The constantly changing content of lipids and apolipoproteins in HDL particles generate a series of structures that can be analyzed by using separation techniques that depend on size or charge of the particles. Interaction of these various structures can be very different with cell surfaces depending on the size or apolipoprotein content. A series of different transport proteins preferentially exchange lipids with specific structures among the HDL but interact poorly or not at all with others. The role of these differing forms of HDL and their interactions with cells and other lipoprotein species in plasma is the subject of intense study stimulated by the potential for reducing atherogenesis. The strength of this is only partially indicated by the correlation of higher total levels of the HDL particles with reduced incidence of vascular disease in various clinical trials and epidemiological studies.
Moderate Stress Enhances Immediate and Delayed Retrieval of Educationally Relevant Material in Healthy Young Men

Retrieval practice is a powerful memory enhancer. However, in educational settings, test taking is often experienced as a stressful event. While it is known that stress can impair retrieval processes, little is known about the delayed consequences of testing memory for educationally relevant material under stressful conditions, which is the focus of the present study. Participants (38 women, 37 men) memorized a scientific text passage on Day 1. On Day 2, they were either exposed to a stressor (cold pressor test; CPS) or a warm water control, and immediately afterward, they were asked to recall the text passage (i.e., retrieval under stress vs. control). Salivary cortisol was measured as an index of the stress response before, and 20 min after the CPS versus control treatment. The delayed effects of testing under stress were assessed with a final recall test on Day 3. In comparison to the control condition, CPS caused significant increases in salivary cortisol, and, surprisingly resulted in enhanced memory in men. Importantly, this enhancement was not only observed in the test that immediately followed the stressor, but also in the delayed test. In women, CPS caused only marginal increases in cortisol concentrations, and retrieval remained unaffected. Our study suggests that moderate stress can improve memory performance for educationally relevant material in a long-lasting manner in healthy young men.
Feeling Superior but Threatened: The Relation of Narcissism to Social Comparison

The relationship of narcissism to naturalistic social comparison was examined in a daily diary study. Of the participants, 98 reported the social comparisons that they encountered and noticed in their everyday lives over a 3-day period. Participants reported experiencing positive affect from downward comparisons and negative affect from upward comparisons. These relationships were moderated by narcissistic personality traits, such that individuals high in narcissistic traits tended to experience more extreme affective responses to social comparison than did individuals low in narcissistic personality traits. Individuals with higher narcissism scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Hall, 1979) experienced increased positive affect from downward comparison and increased hostility from upward comparison; individuals with higher scores on the exploitiveness or entitlement subscale of the NPI experienced bolstered positive affect and self-esteem from downward comparison. These findings...
Unified network model for diffusion of condensable vapors in porous media

A unified network model is formulated for predicting effective Fickian diffusivities of condensable vapors in porous media where capillary condensation and adsorption-desorption hysteresis occur. The model unifies the equilibrium theory based on the poreblocking interpretation of hysteresis in the interconnected network of pores and the percolation model of mass transport in the network with randomly interspersed regions for capillary condensation and surface flow. The Bethe network is used to represent the porous medium, and the effective medium theory is employed to obtain the effective diffusivity. Using the information on the connectivity and the positions of the closure points of the hysteresis loop enclosed by the equilibrium primary adsorption and primary desorption isotherms, the concentration dependence of the effective diffusivity is predicted. The model is applied to the systems water vapor-silica gel, water vapor-activated alumina, and literature data. It successfully predicts the concentration dependence of the effective diffusivity in the whole range of relative pressures for systems both with and without a peak in the diffusivity.
On the Rate of Extinction of a Conditioned Reflex

Resume SUR LA VITESSE DE L'EXTINCTION D'UN REFLEX CONDITIONNEL Une methode deja decrite pour l'investigation de la formation d'un reflexe conditionnel est aussi bonne pour l'etude de l'extinction experimentale. On decrit un processus et reproduit quatre notations. La courbe typique peut ětre representee par une courbe logarithmique dessinee comme enveloppe. La courbe experimentale montre cependant une fluctuation caracteristique. Plusieurs types moins importants de confusion peuvent ětre presents dans des notations de cette sorte. Quand on s'en est rendu compte, la courbe inferee qui resulte ressemble aux ondes en nature. La fluctuation est cyclique. On peut l'expliquer en supposant que la condition essentielle de l'extinction (l'interruption d'une sequence de reflexes menant dans ce cas a l'ingestion de la nourriture) genere un effet “emotif” temporaire qui deprime la vitesse des reponses. On reproduit aussi des courbes qui montre l'extinction apres un nouveau conditionnement et l'extinction immediatemen...
Magnetic source imaging and brain surgery: presurgical and intraoperative planning in 26 patients.

Object. The availability of large-array biomagnetometers has led to advances in magnetoencephalography that permit scientists and clinicians to map selected brain functions onto magnetic resonance images. This merging of technologies is termed magnetic source (MS) imaging. The present study was undertaken to assess the role of MS imaging for the guidance of presurgical planning and intraoperative neurosurgical technique used in patients with intracranial mass lesions. Methods. Twenty-six patients with intracranial mass lesions underwent a medical evaluation consisting of MS imaging, a clinical history, a neurological examination, and assessment with the Karnofsky Performance Scale. Magnetic source imaging was used to locate the somatosensory cortex in 25 patients, the visual cortex in six, and the auditory cortex in four. The distance between the lesion and the functional cortex was determined for each patient. Twenty-one patients underwent a neurosurgical procedure. As a surgical adjunct, a frameless ste...
Modafinil for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease: A case report

We report a 59 year old woman with levodopa responsive Parkinson's disease who developed excessive daytime sleepiness [Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score of 13]. Treatment with Modafinil 400mg daily within two weeks produced a subjective improvement in her daytime sleepiness (ESS score after treatment is 8) with no significant change in her PD motor symptomotology.
Design of multi-state and smart-bias components using Shape Memory Alloy and Shape Memory Polymer composites

Abstract A Multifunctional Smart Material System (MSMS) consists of two or more different smart material phases in the form of a hybrid system, in which every phase performs a different but necessary function. In this work, thermally responsive Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) and Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) are combined to form a MSMS. The transformation temperatures martensitic start ( M s ), martensitic finish ( M f ), austenitic start ( A s ) and austenitic finish ( A f ) of SMA and the glass transition ( T g ) for the SMP play a critical role in designing such a MSMS. Multi-state smart bias systems with varying stiffnesses can be obtained by varying the T g of SMP between the transformation temperatures M f and A f of SMA. Guidelines to form such MSMS have been established by estimating the volume fractions of the individual constituents. Various ideas for “smart-bias” tools/devices have been proposed, such that they can operate under three different temperature regimes, with one material constituent being passive and the other active at a given temperature.
Audio‐frequency electromagnetic tomography in 2-D

The mathematical formulation of acoustic diffraction tomography is applied to the problem of low frequency, diffusive electromagnetic (EM) fields. EM tomographic inversion, in two-dimensional (2-D) Cartesian geometry, is illustrated for a crosshole source-receiver configuration. The object function of the conductivity distribution is related to the transformed and filtered data by an inverse Fourier transform in the vertical direction and an inverse Laplace transform in the lateral direction. The reconstructed conductivity image is found to be a band-limited version of the actual conductivity distribution. To stabilize the inversion, a regularized least-squares method is used for image reconstruction. As in the seismic case, the inversion quality can be understood by inspecting the wavenumber domain coverage of the object function. Numerical experiments show that the resolution is better in the vertical direction than in the horizontal and it is also a function of source operating frequency. The position and attitude of the target are recovered well.
Visual-deficit following long-term continuous light exposure.

Abstract Extensive retinal degeneration without significant visual deficit has been shown to follow long-term continuous light (CL) exposure of albino rats. The present study attempted to determine if vision was affected with the CL exposure extended beyond that necessary for complete degeneration of the rod cells. Performance of a light-dark discrimination task tested visual function in albino rats after 400 1x CL exposure. Microscopic examination of all retinas assessed rod cell density. Performance decrements and retinas without rod cells appeared after 90 days CL exposure. Five animals without rod cells accurately performed the discrimination task (84–99% correct.) No rod cells were found in retinas CL exposed more than 130 days. Animals CL exposed for 130–216 days showed a progressive performance decrement with exposure. Five animals trained early in a 120–150-day CL exposure period maintained high performance levels ( 96.8 %) . Lower performance levels ( 75.6 %) were obtained by animals trained after 120 days CL exposure. These results verify previous findings that rats could perform light-dark discriminations without rod cells. It was concluded that cells supporting visual function in the absence of rod cells were subject to functional deficits after long-term CL exposure. It was predicted that exposure to CL of sufficient intensity and duration would result in blindness. A process of generalization was proposed in which learning with intact rod cells generalized to other cell types to account for the maintained high performance levels of animals trained at the beginning of long-term CL exposure.
The role of mitochondrially bound arginase in the regulation of urea synthesis: studies with [U-15N4]arginine, isolated mitochondria, and perfused rat liver.

The main goal of the current study was to elucidate the role of mitochondrial arginine metabolism in the regulation of N-acetylglutamate and urea synthesis. We hypothesized that arginine catabolism via mitochondrially bound arginase augments ureagenesis by supplying ornithine for net synthesis of citrulline, glutamate, N-acetylglutamate, and aspartate. [U-15N4]arginine was used as precursor and isolated mitochondria or liver perfusion as a model system to monitor arginine catabolism and the incorporation of 15N into various intermediate metabolites of the urea cycle. The results indicate that ∼8% of total mitochondrial arginase activity is located in the matrix, and 90% is located in the outer membrane. Experiments with isolated mitochondria showed that ∼60–70% of external [U-15N4]arginine catabolism was recovered as 15N-labeled ornithine, glutamate, N-acetylglutamate, citrulline, and aspartate. The production of 15N-labeled metabolites was time- and dose-dependent. During liver perfusion, urea containing one (Um+1) or two (Um+2) 15N was generated from perfusate [U-15N4]arginine. The output of Um+2 was between 3 and 8% of total urea, consistent with the percentage of activity of matrix arginase. Um+1 was formed following mitochondrial production of [15N]glutamate from [α,δ-15N2]ornithine and transamination of [15N]glutamate to [15N]aspartate. The latter is transported to cytosol and incorporated into argininosuccinate. Approximately 70, 75, 7, and 5% of hepatic ornithine, citrulline, N-acetylglutamate, and aspartate, respectively, were derived from perfusate [U-15N4]arginine. The results substantiate the hypothesis that intramitochondrial arginase, presumably the arginase-II isozyme, may play an important role in the regulation of hepatic ureagenesis by furnishing ornithine for net synthesis of N-acetylglutamate, citrulline, and aspartate.
Students' Interests in Particular Mathematics Topics.

Recent years have witnessed a considerable upsurge in the measurement of student interest in school subjects. The increase is partly the result of an emphasis on clear specification and measurement of educational objectives, an emphasis that has been most influential in the cognitive realm but also has had repercussions in the affective domain. And part of the increase seems to stem from a concern for humanistic education, as outlined, for example, by Patterson (1973) and Ringness (1975). Measurement of academic interests in the past has tended to concentrate on global statements about school subjects-for example, obtaining ratings on such statements as "I like science" or "Math scares me." The use of this
New targets for medical treatment of lipid disorders

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death and disability in the industrialized world. Included among the risk factors for CHD are an elevated level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The discovery of drugs that inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (statins), the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, constituted a major advance in the treatment of patients with elevated plasma concentrations of LDL cholesterol. However, although the statins are potent LDL-lowering agents, they may not be the therapy of choice for all dyslipidemic patients. This is particularly true for subjects whose primary lipid abnormality is a low level of HDL cholesterol with or without hypertriglyceridemia, a group that includes about one half of patients with CHD. In this report, we review emerging options for the treatment of patients with lipid disorders, including inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, acyl coenzyme A-cholesterol acyltransferase, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein, as well as liver X receptor agonists that up-regulate the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1.
Surface Geometry Acquisition using a Binary-Coded Structured Illumination Technique

Abstract A wide variety of techniques have been used to automatically measure the surface geometry of three-dimensional objects. The computational and mathematical techniques associated with binary-coded structured-light system is developed. Analysis and testing of a feasibility system indicates that such a system is capable of directly measuring several thousand surface points in real-time. A system which projects a square array of laser beams into a three-dimensional environment has been developed. By use of a computer-controlled electro-optic shutter, a binary code may be imposed on a beam or group of beams. The use of this structured, binary-coded illumination and a single camera are sufficient to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of any illuminated point.
Accounting Income and Market Prices: Explaining Core‐Deposit Premiums

Core‐deposit franchises usually fetch substantial premiums when placed on the market. Those premiums are consistent with the “core‐deposit hypothesis:” because of limitations on competition (rationing of charters), deposits provide below‐market funds to financial intermediaries (Spellman, 1982, Chapter 3). However, two other hypotheses can explain core‐deposit premiums. The first holds that generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) misallocate the costs of developing a core‐deposit base, by charging such costs against current income rather than capitalizing them as an asset; core‐deposit premiums merely represent a normal return to the costs of developing a core‐deposit base. The second holds that core‐deposit premiums arise from banks' good reputation (“goodwill”). A test which can discriminate between the three hypotheses is needed.
Solutions to Euler equations using Lie group analysis

Using a velocity potential function, steady-state solution of Laplace's equation in two and three dimensions are transformed into solutions of the steady Euler equations. Solutions to Laplace's equation are derived through the use of Lie groups. Time-dependent solutions to the Euler equations are constructed using transformations involving three and four arbitrary functions of time.
A Randomized Trial Examining Three Strategies for Supporting Health Insurance Decisions among the Uninsured.

Background. The Affordable Care Act allows uninsured individuals to select health insurance from numerous private plans, a challenging decision-making process. This study examined the effectiveness of strategies to support health insurance decisions among the uninsured. Methods. Participants (N = 343) from urban, suburban, and rural areas were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions: 1) a plain language table; 2) a visual condition where participants chose what information to view and in what order; and 3) a narrative condition. We administered measures assessing knowledge (true/false responses about key features of health insurance), confidence in choices (uncertainty subscale of the Decisional Conflict Scale), satisfaction (items from the Health Information National Trends Survey), preferences for insurance features (measured on a Likert scale from not at all important to very important), and plan choice. Results. Although we did not find significant differences in knowledge, confidence in choice, or satisfacti...
An antibiotic-resistance enzyme from a deep-sea bacterium.

We describe herein a highly proficient class A β-lactamase OIH-1 from the bacterium Oceanobacillus iheyensis, whose habitat is the sediment at a depth of 1050 m in the Pacific Ocean. The OIH-1 stru...
Inhibition of crop sac growth by dexamethasone in ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

When either dexamethasone (100 μg) or progesterone (100 μg), but not corticosterone (1.0 mg) or testosterone propionate (100 μg), was administered daily to male ring doves (Streptopelia risoria) during a reproductive cycle, normally occurring crop—sac growth was completely suppressed. A second experiment was done to determine whether this steroid suppression of the crop—sac response to prolactin occurred at the target organ or the hypothalamo—pituitary level. The crop—sac growth response was therefore measured in male ring doves maintained in isolation after administration of exogenous prolactin in combination with either dexamethasone or progesterone. The mean ratio of crop weight (g)/body weight (g) X 100 was 1.62 ± 0.27 for prolactin—treated doves, 1.73 ± 0.54 for prolactin plus dexamethasone treated doves, and 1.72 ± 0.17 for prolactin plus progesterone—treated doves. These experiments indicate that progesterone and dexamethasone exert their suppressive effects on the hypothalamus, the pituitary or bo...
The estimation of neighborhood effects in the social sciences: An interdisciplinary approach☆

This paper critically examines the interdisciplinary research of neighborhood effects. Neighborhood effects are community influences on individual social or economic outcomes. Examples include labor force activity, child outcomes, criminal behavior, and other socioeconomic phenomena. The existing theoretical and empirical literature is reviewed. Conceptual definitions from sociology are linked and contrasted with economic models. Early studies are criticized for failing to account for a number of endogeneity concerns. Recent empirical studies are also explored. The results of these papers demonstrate that although neighborhood characteristics are important, their influences are much smaller than suggested by previous research. An additional emphasis is dedicated to linking the neighborhood effects literature to other research of local or spatial activity within economics, sociology, and geography. In particular, the potential employment of local interaction game theory and spatial econometrics in neighborhood effects research is discussed. Additionally, a catalogue of existing empirical research is assembled.
Errors in transforming length samples to age frequencies without age samples

Abstract The error characteristics of a commonly used method of transforming length samples to age frequencies when age samples are unavailable was studied by Monte Carlo simulation. Test results showed that the youngest age in the sample must be known a priori, only the younger few ages can be estimated, and that the variation of length at age is well estimated. If cohort abundance was invariant, or nearly so, a simple cutting (slicing) procedure proved best, however if cohort abundances varied fivefold or more, it failed. Unweighted least squares estimation based on proportional frequencies performed as well as or better than other methods considered. Estimation errors of the age frequency quickly increased with the variation of length at age. In the case of very low variation (CV=0.05) the younger half of the age distribution was estimated with errors of 20% or less, but at levels of variation commonly encountered (CV≈0.15) about one quarter or less of the age span was estimated with a useful level of reliability.
Temperature-Dependent Development of the Convergent Lady Beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Development of the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, was compared at six constant temperatures. Two populations, one from Corvallis, Oreg., and another from Tucson, Ariz., did not differ in larval survival or developmental rates. Mortality from eclosion of the first instar to adult emergence was 100, 83, 15, 18, 10, and 5% at 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, and 33°C, respectively. Development from oviposition to adult ranged from 51.9 d at 17°C to 11.4 d at 33°C. The heat-unit requirements for development from egg to adult were 228 degree-days above a developmental threshold of 12.5°C. Published data on development of H. convergens from Ithaca, N.Y., and Bushland, Tex., suggest a constancy in developmental requirements for the species from four widely separated regions of North America.
Mechanism of Ca2+-sensitive inactivation of L-type Ca2+ channels

Many high threshold, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, including the dihydropyridine-sensitive class (L-type), inactivate in response not only to voltage, but also to entry of Ca2+. Despite the physiological importance of this Ca(2+)-sensitive inactivation, its molecular mechanism is understood only in broad outline. We now demonstrate that Ca(2+)-dependent inactivation transpires by a Ca(2+)-induced shift of channel gating to a low open probability mode, distinguished by a more than 100-fold reduction of entry rate to the open state. A gating mechanism that explains this shift quantitatively and enables successful separation of Ca(2+)- and voltage-sensitive forms of inactivation is deduced and tested. Finally, both calmodulin activation and channel (de)phosphorylation are excluded as significant signaling events underlying Ca(2+)-induced mode shifts, leaving direct binding of Ca2+ to the channel as a likely chemical initiation event for inactivation.
Analytical optimization and sensitivity analysis of forced periodic chemical processes

Abstract Intentional periodic manipulation of the inputs to a chemical reactor can in some cases improve the amount of product and its composition. A variational method for analyzing the effects of single and multivariable periodic forcing functions on process performance is presented in this work and illustrated in several examples. While the method discussed here is not theoretically justified for large-amplitude input variations, comparisons of analytical results obtained with the method and simulation results for large-amplitude reactor cycling show good qualitative agreement. The approximate analytical method provides a reasonable initial estimate of the structure of an advantageous periodic control.
Th1-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is CXCR3 independent.

Drugs that block leukocyte trafficking ameliorate multiple sclerosis (MS). Occurrences of opportunistic infection, however, highlight the need for novel drugs that modulate more restricted subsets of T cells. In this context, chemokines and their receptors are attractive therapeutic targets. CXCR3, a Th1-associated chemokine receptor, is preferentially expressed on T cells that accumulate in MS lesions and central nervous system (CNS) infiltrates of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Surprisingly, mice genetically deficient in either CXCR3 or CXCL10 succumb to EAE following active immunization with myelin antigens. EAE is mediated by a heterogeneous population of T cells in myelin-immunized mice. Hence, disease might develop in the absence of CXCR3 secondary to the compensatory action of encephalitogenic CCR6+ Th17 cells. However, in the current study, we show for the first time that blockade or genetic deficiency of either CXCR3 or of its primary ligand has no impact on clinical EAE induced by the adoptive transfer of highly polarized Th1 effector cells. Our data illustrate the fact that, although highly targeted immunotherapies might have more favorable side effect profiles, they are also more likely to be rendered ineffective by inherent redundancies in chemokine and cytokine networks that arise at sites of neuroinflammation.
Is understanding explanatory or objectual

Jonathan Kvanvig has argued that “objectual” understanding, i.e. the understanding we have of a large body of information, cannot be reduced to explanatory concepts. In this paper, I show that Kvanvig fails to establish this point, and then propose a framework for reducing objectual understanding to explanatory understanding.
OUTPUT‐FLEXIBILITY and DIVERSE TECHNOLOGY

Output-flexibility's welfare effects are analyzed in two propositions involving linear total cost curves and absolute capacity limits. This paper demonstrates that, in a setting of competitive manufacturing, the conditions for two technologies to coexist are that the other is more output-flexible, i.e., produces at a lower expected average cost when expected capacity utilization is low. Output-flexibility is illustrated by the "buy" alternative in the make-or-buy decision and the "keep" alternative in the replace-or-keep decision. The writer proposes and demonstrates an output-flexibility indicator. Copyright 1989 by Scottish Economic Society.
Methylation and expression of the lactoferrin gene in human tissues and cancer cells

The lactoferrin gene promoter contains GC-rich regions that harbor consensus sequences for a variety of transcription factors. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated a link between methylation at the CpG sites of the mouse lactoferrin gene promoter and the level of its expression. The current work investigates the methylation profile in three regions of the human lactoferrin gene by bisulfite genomic sequencing. In addition, the methylation profiles of normal leukocyte DNA, and leukemia cell line and patient DNA were compared. The three regions are located at the -504/-190, which includes the estrogen response element, the -282/+271 which contains the lactoferrin promoter and the +1087/+1476, a region within the first intron that has the alternative delta lactoferrin promoter. Differential methylations were found within all the regions. Increased methylation at the CpG sites and the presence of non-CpG methylation of the lactoferrin promoters were found in the cancer samples.
A skin moisturizing cream containing Quaternium-18-Bentonite effectively improves chronic hand dermatitis.

Sommaire Antecedents: L'eczema d'irritation ou allergique des mains est difficile a maitriser chez les individus qui ne peuvent eviter l'exposition aux agents irritants ou allergisants. Les cremes «protectrices» se sont averees peu efficaces. Objectif: Determiner si l'eczema des mains, principalement de nature professionnelle, pourrait etre ameliore par l'utilisation d'une creme hydratante de conception nouvelle contenant du quaternium-18-bentonite. Methodes: Des hommes et des femmes d'âge adulte presentant une dermatite chronique des mains et dont la nature de la dermatite semblait etre, apres une periode d'observation de deux semaines, soit allergique, soit irritative soit combinee ont recu la creme a l'etude pour en faire l'application systematique. Lors des deuxieme, quatrieme et huitieme semaines, la peau de ces sujets a ete examinee par l'expert clinique et a fait l'objet de parametres, y compris l'erytheme, la desquamation, la formation de fissures ou de phlyctenes et le prurit selon une echelle numerique. Une evaluation globale a egalement ete effectuee. Des photographies ont ete prises a chaque visite. L'utilisation de corticoides topiques a ete consignee au dossier. Aucun autre traitement par voie generale a part les antihistaminiques ne fut permis. Resultats: Sur 37 sujets inclus dans l'etude, 33 ont ete suivis jusqu'a la fin. La moyenne des resultats des premieres evaluations globales du medecin et du sujet etait de 6,0 et de 5,8, respectivement (sur une echelle de 1-10). Les resultats finals etaient de 2,9 et de 2,8, respectivement, une amelioration de 50% (p < 0,001). L'utilisation de corticoides topiques a ete reduite chez 29 des 33 sujets. Quinze des 35 sujets ont eu un resultat final de 0-2, indiquant une guerison complete ou quasi complete. Seuls 10 sujets, dont deux ayant abandonne l'etude, n'ont pas reagi favorablement au traitement. Aucun effet indesirable n'a ete signale. Commentaires: La creme hydratante a nettement ameliore la dermatite chronique des mains chez la majorite des individus dont on n'avait pas reussi a maitriser la dermatite auparavant, et ce, malgre le fait qu'ils aient poursuivi leurs activites professionnelles normales.
A Magazine Taxonomy Based on Customer Overlap

The magazine industry is experiencing rapid proliferation of titles. This creates a challenge for magazine managers who must identify their competition and media planners and advertisers who must identify the appropriate magazines in which to place advertisements. This study introduces a metric based on core customer characteristics that serves as a similarity measure for deriving market structure. The metric has the practical advantage of being formed from syndicated readership data. A taxonomy of 81 magazines is developed that shows patterns of competition within as well as between submarkets. The strengths and weaknesses of this metric and the validity of the taxonomy are discussed.
Incidence of cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery in patients with and without uveitis using optical coherence tomography.

Purpose To determine the incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) after cataract surgery among eyes with and without uveitis using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to determine risk factors for postoperative CME among eyes with uveitis. Design Prospective, comparative cohort study. Methods Single-center, academic practice. Forty-one eyes with uveitis and 52 eyes without uveitis underwent clinical examination and OCT testing within 4 weeks before cataract surgery and at 1-month and 3-month postoperative visits. The main outcome measure was incidence of CME at 1 and 3 months after surgery. Results Both uveitic and control eyes gained approximately 3 lines of vision ( P = .6). Incidence of CME at 1 month was 12% (5 eyes) for uveitis and 4% (2 eyes) for controls ( P = .2). Incidence of CME at 3 months was 8% (3 eyes) for uveitis and 0% for eyes without uveitis ( P = .08). Eyes with uveitis treated with perioperative oral corticosteroids had a 7-fold reduction in postoperative CME (relative risk [RR], 0.14; P = .05). In uveitic eyes, active inflammation within 3 months before surgery increased the risk of CME when compared with eyes without inflammation (RR, 6.19; P = .04). CME was significantly associated with poorer vision ( P = .01). Conclusions Eyes with well-controlled uveitis may obtain similar outcomes to control eyes after cataract surgery (up to 3 months). Use of perioperative oral corticosteroids and control of uveitis for more than 3 months before surgery seemed to decrease the risk of postoperative CME among uveitic eyes in this study.
Investigation of double-diffusive convection during the solidification of a binary mixture (NH 4 Cl–H 2 O) in a trapezoidal cavity

The solidification of binary mixture (NH4Cl–H2O) inside a trapezoidal cavity is investigated experimentally in this study. The effect of the initial concentration of ammonium chloride (0–19.8%) and boundary temperatures (−30 to 0°C) on the solidification process was investigated. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique was used for the visualization of the dynamic field in the melt. Thirty-two thermocouples were used to monitor the temperature distribution inside the cavity and on the cooling walls. The convective flow field, the temperature distribution, the frozen layer thickness and the moving solid/liquid interface were obtained for different initial concentrations of ammonium chloride and various boundary temperatures. The results obtained in the course of this study reveal that: (1) the process of solidification is slower with an increase in initial concentration levels of the binary solution: as the concentration increases, the time needed to get the same thickness of frozen layer increases; (2) an increase in the initial concentration of ammonium chloride solution reduce significantly the temperature in the melt; and (3) the initial concentration play a significant role in the evolution of convection flow patterns.
Recent research on photovoltaic solar energy converters

This paper contains a review of recent work on photovoltaic cells fabricated from semiconductors other than silicon; the effects of radiation on silicon n/p and p/n cells, and gallium arsenide p/n cells; and thin film photovoltaic cells.
Rational Curves with Polynomial Parameterization

Rational curves and splines are one of the building blocks of computer graphics and geometric modeling. Although a rational curve is more flexible than its polynomial counterpart, many properties of polynomial curves are not applicable to it. For this reason it is very useful to know if a curve presented as a rational space curve has a polynomial parameterization exists, and to compute the parameterization. In algebraic geometry it is known that a rational algebraic curve is polynomially parameterizable if it has one place at infinity. This criterion has been used in earlier methods to test polynomial parameterizability of space curves. These methods project the curve into the plane and test parameterizability there. But this gives only a sufficient condition for the original curve. In this paper we give a simple condition which is both necessary and sufficient for polynomial parameterizatability. The calculation of the polynomial parameterization is simple, and involves only a rational reparameterization of the curve.
White Matter Fiber Tract Segmentation Using Nonnegative Matrix Factorization

Accurate and efficient white matter fiber tract segmentation is an important step in clinical and anatomical studies that use diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) tractography techniques. In this work, we present a novel technique to group white matter fiber tracts reconstructed from DTI into bundles using Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) of the frequency-tract matrix. A fiber tract is quantified by Fourier descriptors in terms of frequencies. Fourier descriptors derived from the shape signature, the central angle dot product, are used to construct the nonnegative frequency-tract matrix which is analogous to the term-document matrix in the document clustering context. In the NMF derived feature space, each basis vector captures the base shape of a particular fiber tract bundle. Each fiber tract is represented as an additive combination of the base shapes. The cluster label of each fiber tract is easily determined by finding the basis vector with which a fiber tract has the largest projection value. Preliminary experimental results with real DTI data show that this method efficiently groups tracts into plausible bundles. This indicates that NMF may be used in fiber tract segmentation with appropriate fiber tract encodings.
Implementation of a low-cost dual voice-response system (DUVO).

Abstract A low-cost stand-alone voice-response system (DUVO) for biomedical applications is described. The system combines a touch-tone decoding input unit with a central microprocessor and taped and synthetic voice-generating devices. The inclusion of the microprocessor permits the DUVO unit to initiate and maintain contact with a larger central time-shared computer. It also makes it possible to format all input and output messages to the individual requirements of the central computer. Thus, the DUVO appears as a standard remote terminal to the central processor and requires no modification of the main computer system. The DUVO unit has been applied in a wide variety of medical applications where the input vocabulary is limited and hard-copy output is not required. Since any standard touch-tone telephone can now serve as a computer terminal, a number of existing computer applications to medicine can now be made more universally available and cost effective.
Child rights as a framework for advancing professional standards for practice, ethics, and professional development in school psychology

The United Nations (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child was designed to promote and protect the survival, development, and well-being of children, thus extending human rights to individuals...
MINIMIZING SPLITS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE STAMPING PROCESS BY LOGISTIC REGRESSION

Splits of the sheet metal during the drawing process in stamping is a major cause of defects and downtime. A logistic regression methodology is used to determine the process control parameters that will minimize splits. Process control ranges are derive..
Chicago's old first ward. A case study in politicl behavior

We have all heard of “Bathhouse” Coughlin and “Hinky Dink” Kenna and theycan be duplicated in any large city. But what about their constituencies? What are their hopes and fears and politics? And why?
Method for measuring small optical absorption coefficients with use of a Shack-Hartmann wave-front detector.

We present a method for measuring absorption at the 1 × 10-5 cm-1 level in high-quality optical materials. Using a Shack-Hartmann wave-front detector, thermal lensing in these materials may be measured. Then, the absorption coefficient may be estimated by fitting the observed deformation to a thermal lensing model based on the temperature dependences of the refractive index and the thermal expansion coefficient. For a particular sample of fused silica, the absorption coefficient was determined to be 1.8 ± 0.4 × 10-5 cm-1. Obtaining this result requires a resolution in the optical path length better than ±0.1 nm.
Side Chain Interactions Can Impede Amyloid Fibril Growth: Replica Exchange Simulations of Aβ Peptide Mutant

Using replica exchange molecular dynamics, we study the effect of Asp23Tyr mutation on Aβ10−40 fibril growth. The effect of this mutation is revealed through the computation of free energy landscap...