cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphorylation of TRPV1 S801 Contributes to Modality-Specific Hyperalgesia in Mice.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cationic channel activated by painful stimuli such as capsaicin and noxious heat, and enriched in sensory neurons of the pain pathway. During inflammation, chemical mediators activate protein kinases (such as PKC) that phosphorylate TRPV1 and thereby enhance its function, with consequent increases in nociceptor sensitization. However, the causal relationships between TRPV1 phosphorylation and pathological pain remain unexplored. To directly investigate the roles of one specific TRPV1 phosphorylation event in vivo, we genetically altered a major PKC phosphorylation site, mouse TRPV1 S801, to alanine. The TRPV1 expression pattern in sensory neurons of S801A knock-in (KI) mice was comparable to that in WT controls. However, sensitization of capsaicin-mediated currents after the activation of PKC was substantially impaired in sensory neurons from KI mice. Thermal hyperalgesia induced by PMA or burn injury in KI was identical to WT. Inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia was only marginally attenuated in KI mice. In contrast, PMA-evoked nocifensive responses and sensitization of capsaicin responses were significantly attenuated in the hindpaws of KI mice. Ongoing pain from inflamed masseter muscle was also reduced in KI mice, and was further inhibited by the TRPV1 antagonist AMG9810. These results suggest that PKC-mediated phosphorylation of TRPV1 S801 contributes to inflammation-mediated sensitization of TRPV1 to ligand, but not heat, in vivo. Further, this suggests that interference with TRPV1 S801 phosphorylation might represent one potential way to attenuate inflammatory pain, yet spare basal sensitivity and produce fewer side effects than more general TRPV1 inhibition. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) has been considered a potential target for pain intervention. Global inhibitors of TRPV1 function, however, produce side effects which could compromise their clinical utility. By precisely removing a unique PKC phosphorylation site (TRPV1 S801) in mice through CRISPR/Cas9 editing, we provide in vivo evidence for a highly specific inhibition that leaves basal TRPV1 function intact, yet alleviates some forms of hyperalgesia. These findings support inhibition of TRPV1 S801 phosphorylation as a potential intervention for pain management.
Targeting TAM to Tame Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death within the next few years. Current therapeutic strategies have limited effectiveness and therefore there is an urgency to develop novel effective therapies. The receptor tyrosine kinase subfamily TAM (Tyro3, Axl, MerTK) is directly implicated in the pathogenesis of the metastatic, chemoresistant, and immunosuppressive phenotype in pancreatic cancer. TAM inhibitors are promising investigational therapies for pancreatic cancer due to their potential to target multiple aspects of pancreatic cancer biology. Specifically, recent mechanistic investigations and therapeutic combinations in the preclinical setting suggest that TAM inhibition with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy should be evaluated clinically.
Accelerating the convergence of auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo in solids with optimized Gaussian basis sets.

We investigate the use of optimized correlation-consistent Gaussian basis sets for the study of insulating solids with auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC). The exponents of the basis set are optimized through the minimization of the second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) energy in a small unit cell of the solid. We compare against other alternative basis sets proposed in the literature, namely, calculations in the Kohn-Sham basis and in the natural orbitals of an MP2 calculation. We find that our optimized basis sets accelerate the convergence of the AFQMC correlation energy compared to a Kohn-Sham basis and offer similar convergence to MP2 natural orbitals at a fraction of the cost needed to generate them. We also suggest the use of an improved, method independent, MP2-based basis set correction that significantly reduces the required basis set sizes needed to converge the correlation energy. With these developments, we study the relative performance of these basis sets in LiH, Si, and MgO and determine that our optimized basis sets yield the most consistent results as a function of volume. Using these optimized basis sets, we systematically converge the AFQMC calculations to the complete basis set and thermodynamic limit and find excellent agreement with experiment for the systems studied. Although we focus on AFQMC, our basis set generation procedure is independent of the subsequent correlated wavefunction method used.
Understanding the Relationship Between Rationality and Intelligence: A Latent-Variable Approach

A hallmark of intelligent behavior is rationality – the disposition and ability to think analytically to make decisions that maximize expected utility or follow the laws of probability. However, th...
Prolonged Self-Resolving Neutropenia Following Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection

Multiple hematologic complications have been reported as a result of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. These include leukopenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia as well as increased risk of venous thromboembolism. Neutropenia is a relatively uncommon finding, especially in asymptomatic patients with no other evidence of systemic infection. A young, healthy male undergoing training for the Navy was admitted with rhabdomyolysis following intense physical activity. He was incidentally noted to have severe neutropenia with the white blood cell (WBC) count of 2.1 × 109/L and an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 355 cells/μL one month following prior asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. Further evaluation was negative for other infectious processes, nutritional deficiency, or underlying malignancy. Given young age without comorbidities and lack of febrile illness, watchful waiting was recommended in lieu of bone marrow biopsy which resulted in spontaneous resolution of neutropenia and normalization of WBC. The authors argue that although most hematologic complications of COVID-19 are reported in symptomatic patients, asymptomatic patients also appear to have a risk of developing hematologic complications including bone marrow suppression. Watchful waiting may be an appropriate diagnostic approach in such young, healthy individuals.
MultiModal Deception Detection: Accuracy, Applicability and Generalizability*

The increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in face recognition and video processing in recent times creates higher stakes for their application in daily life. Increasingly, critical decisions are being made using these AI systems in application domains such as employment, finance, and crime prevention. These applications are done through the use of more abstract concepts such as emotions, trait evaluations (e.g., trustworthiness), and behavior (e.g., deception). These abstract concepts are learned by the AI system using the verbal and non-verbal cues from the human subject stimuli (e,g., facial expressions, movements, audio, text) for inference. Because the use of AI systems often happens in high stakes scenarios, it is of utmost importance that the AI system participating in the decision-making process is highly reliable and credible. In this paper, we specifically consider the feasibility of using such an AI system for deception detection. We examine if deception can be caught using multimodal aspects such as facial expressions and movements, audio cues, video cues, etc. We experiment using three different datasets with varying degrees of deception to explore the problem of deception detection. We also study state-of-the-art deception detection systems and investigate whether we can extend their algorithm into new datasets. We conclude that there is a lack of reasonable evidence that AI-based deception detection is generalizable over different scenarios of lying (lying deliberately, lying under duress, and lying through half-truths) and that in the future additional factors will need to be considered to make such a claim.
COVIDNearTerm: A Simple Method to Forecast COVID-19 Hospitalizations

1 Abstract COVID-19 has caused tremendous death and suffering since it first emerged in 2019. In response, models were developed to help predict the course of various disease metrics, and these models have been relied upon to help guide public health policy. Here we present a method called COVIDNearTerm to “forecast” hospitalizations in the short term, two to four weeks from the time of prediction. COVIDNearTerm is based on an autoregressive model and utilizes a parametric bootstrap approach to make predictions. We evaluated COVIDNearTerm on San Francisco Bay Area hospitalizations and compared it to models from the California COVID Assessment Tool (CalCAT). We found that that COVIDNearTerm pre-dictions were more accurate than the CalCAT ensemble predictions for all comparisons and any CalCAT component for a majority of comparisons. For instance, at the county level our 14-day hospitalization median absolute percentage errors ranged from 16% to 36%. For those same comparisons the CalCAT ensemble errors were between 30% and 59%. COVIDNearT-erm is also easier to use than some other methods. It requires only previous hospitalization data and there is an open source R package that implements the algorithm.
μ opioid and CB1 cannabinoid receptor interactions: reciprocal inhibition of receptor signaling and neuritogenesis

Several studies have described functional interactions between opioid and cannabinoid receptors; the underlying mechanism(s) have not been well explored. One possible mechanism is direct receptor-receptor interactions, as has been demonstrated for a number of G-protein-coupled receptors. In order to investigate interactions between opioid and cannabinoid receptors, we epitope tagged mu, delta and kappa opioid receptors with Renilla luciferase and CB1 cannabinoid or CCR5 chemokine receptors with yellow fluorescent protein and examined the extent of substrate hydrolysis induced bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) signal. We find that coexpression of opioid receptors with cannabinoid receptors, but not with chemokine receptors, leads to a significant increase in the level of BRET signal, suggesting that the opioid-cannabinoid interactions are receptor specific. In order to examine the implications of these interactions to signaling, we used GTPgammaS binding and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation assays and examined the effect of receptor activation on signaling. We find that the mu receptor-mediated signaling is attenuated by the CB1 receptor agonist; this effect is reciprocal and is seen in heterologous cells and endogenous tissue expressing both receptors. In order to explore the physiological consequences of this interaction, we examined the effect of receptor activation on the extent of Src and STAT3 phosphorylation and neuritogenesis in Neuro-2A cells. We find that the simultaneous activation of mu opioid and CB1 cannabinoid receptors leads to a significant attenuation of the response seen upon activation of individual receptors, implicating a role for receptor-receptor interactions in modulating neuritogenesis.
Examination of the adaptor approach for the measurement of hand-transmitted vibration exposure

The specific mechanisms of the biodynamic effects is found and the optimized design of the adaptor and its hand-holding strategy is found so that the undesired effects could be minimized. Three adapters were considered and experiment was carried out on a hand-arm vibration test system equipped with an instrumented handle that can measure the tri-axial vibration excitations and the applied grip force. Three subjects participated in the test of the palm adapter and two of them participated in the tests of the other two adapters. The vibration transmissibility functions of the palm adapter under different test conditions are found. The results show that the vibration of a finger adapter could be greatly affected in the frequency range from 25 to 80 Hz, especially in the range (30 to 50 Hz) of the fundamental resonance of the hand-arm system. The rotational vibration is identified as one of the major sources affecting the translational vibration measurement required in the risk assessment of HTV exposure.
White Dwarf/Accretion Disk Interactions: Instabilities of Infinite, Differentially Rotating Cylinders

We have initiated an investigation of the coherent and quasiperiodic oscillations observed in some dwarf novae. The periods and relatively high Q associated with the coherent oscillations suggest a nonradial pulsation of the white dwarf primary for these variations, while the longer periods and lower Q of the quasi-periodic oscillations indicate a pulsation of the accretion disk. Guided by a terrestrial analogy, we have made a preliminary exploration of the shear layer instability which may drive the observed oscillations.
Dielectric response near the permittivity maximum in (Sr0.8Pb0.2)TiO3 ceramic solid solution

It is well known that the weak-field relative dielectric permittivity maximum ϵw(max) achieved at the paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transition in ceramic ferroelectric solid solutions in the perovskite structure family is a strong function of the processing conditions used in fabrications. Heretofore, the height and sharpness of the dielectric peak have often been regarded as good qualitative indicators of the quality and homogeneity of the solid solutions. In the SrTiO3–PbTiO3 solid solution system at low PbTiO3 concentrations, this sensitivity is again strongly evident. Now, however, even for samples with a very sharp ϵw(max) giving values >45000 at weak-field dielectric maximum temperature Tmax above the peak temperature, 1∕ϵw (ϵw: weak-field relative dielectric permittivity) departs from Curie-Weiss behavior more than 15°C above the Curie-Weiss temperature θ which now occurs above Tmax. The unusual condition Tmax<θ appears to occur for quite a wide range of processing conditions. Measurements of th...
Electrochemical irreversibility of ion transfers at liquid/liquid interfaces: Part IV. Transport in the absence of supporting electrolyte

Abstract The chronopotentiometric behavior of ions crossing an interface between two immiscible liquids in the absence of blocked supporting electrolyte differs significantly from the corresponding transport in supporting electrolyte. These changes result from mass transport-electric field coupled effects. The most notable difference is the “electrosorption/electrodesorption” effect which arises when two oppositely-charged ions are reversibly transported in the absence of supporting electrolyte. Expressions for the transition times for single ion crossings as well as simultaneous two opposite-charged ion transport, are derived. Factors which affect potential-time transients, such as reversibility and concentration of supporting electrolyte are examined.
SIMULATION OF CLIMATE BY A GLOBAL GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL

Abstract The primitive equations of motion in spherical coordinates are integrated with respect to time on global grids with mean horizontal resolutions of 500 and 250 km. There are nine levels in the models from 80 m to 28 km above the ground. The models have realistic continents with smoothed topography and an ocean surface with February water temperatures prescribed. The insolation is for a Northern Hemisphere winter. In addition to wind, temperature, pressure, and water vapor, the models simulate precipitation, evaporation, soil moisture, snow depth, and runoff. The models were run long enough beyond a state of quasi-equilibrium for meaningful statistics to be obtained. Time means of meteorological and hydrological quantities computed by the models compare favorably with observed climatic means. For example, the thermal structure of the model atmosphere is very similar to that of the actual atmosphere except in the Northern Hemisphere stratosphere; and the simulated distributions of the major arid reg...
A VHDL based design environment for VLSI circuits

Describes a design environment to model and simulate digital circuits described in VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language). The simulator presented can accept behavioral and data-flow style descriptions. The simulator consists of two primary sections: a front end of the simulator, called an analyzer, and a back-end, called the simulation executive. The analyzer checks for the static errors in the VHDL input description. The analyzer consists of a lexical analyzer, a syntax analyzer, and a semantic analyzer. The lexical analyzer eliminates all the white spaces from the input description; the syntax analyzer checks for VHDL syntax; and the semantic analyzer performs type checking. The simulation executive is directly implemented through the semantic action parts of the lexical analyzer. The simulator's front-end sections, the scanner and the parser, have been implemented using the automated compiler construction tools LEX and YACC. The results of execution in the test program indicated that the simulator works correctly. >
Microtubule orientation and spacing within bundles is critical for long-range kinesin-1 motility

Cells rely on active transport to quickly organize cellular cargo. How cells regulate transport is not fully understood. One proposed mechanism is that motor activity could be altered through the architecture of the cytoskeleton. This mechanism is supported by the fact that the cytoskeletal network is tightly regulated in cells and filament polarity within networks dictates motor directionality. For instance, axons contain bundles of parallel microtubules and all cargos with the same motor species will move in the same direction. It is not clear how other types of networks, such as antiparallel bundles in dendrites, can regulate motor transport. To understand how the organization of microtubules within bundles can regulate transport, we studied kinesin-1 motility on three bundle types: random-polarity bundles that are close-packed, parallel polarity bundles, and antiparallel polarity bundles that are spaced apart. We find that close-packed bundles inhibit motor motion, while parallel arrays support unidirectional motion. Spacing the microtubules with microtubule-associated proteins enhances run lengths. Our results indicate that microtubule bundle architecture dictates the motion of single motors and could have effects on cargo transport. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Demonstration of a 10-Hz, 41.8 nm laser

We have observed lasing in Xe/sup 8+/ XUV ion lasers operating by collisional excitation that required solid density targets and pump laser pulse energies of several hundred joules, a 10 Hz, 800-nm laser pulse with an energy of -70 mJ and time duration of -40 fs is longitudinally focused in a differentially pumped cell containing 5 to 12 ton: of Xe gas.
Production of medical radioisotopes with linear accelerators

In this study, we discuss producing radioisotopes using linear electron accelerators and address production and separation issues of photoneutron (γ,n) and photoproton (γ,p) reactions. While (γ,n) reactions typically result in greater yields, separating product nuclides from the target is challenging since the chemical properties of both are the same. Yields of (γ,p) reactions are typically lower than (γ,n) ones, however they have the advantage that target and product nuclides belong to different chemical species so their separation is often not such an intricate problem. In this paper we consider two examples, (100)Mo(γ,n)(99)Mo and (68)Zn(γ,p)(67)Cu, of photonuclear reactions. Monte-Carlo simulations of the yields are benchmarked with experimental data obtained at the Idaho Accelerator Center using a 44MeV linear electron accelerator. We propose using a kinematic recoil method for photoneutron production. This technique requires (100)Mo target material to be in the form of nanoparticles coated with a catcher material. During irradiation, (99)Mo atoms recoil and get trapped in the coating layer. After irradiation, the coating is dissolved and (99)Mo is collected. At the same time, (100)Mo nanoparticles can be reused. For the photoproduction method, (67)Cu can be separated from the target nuclides, (68)Zn, using standard exchange chromatography methods. Monte-Carlo simulations were performed and the (99)Mo activity was predicted to be about 7MBq/(g(⁎)kW(⁎)h) while (67)Cu activity was predicted to be about 1MBq/(g(⁎)kW(⁎)h). Experimental data confirm the predicted activity for both cases which proves that photonuclear reactions can be used to produce radioisotopes. Lists of medical isotopes which might be obtained using photonuclear reactions have been compiled and are included as well.
The Effect of Salmeterol on Markers of Airway Inflammation Following Segmental Allergen Challenge

Inflammation is a critical component of asthma. Drugs that control asthma generally reduce the degree of airway inflammation. There is theoretical controversy surrounding the effects of β2-agonists on airway inflammation, with some studies suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect, and others predicting a proinflammatory influence. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of the effect of the long-acting β2-agonist salmeterol on airway inflammation induced by segmental allergen challenge (SAC). We studied 13 allergic asthmatics controlled with as needed inhaled short-acting β2-agonists alone, and used bronchoalveolar lavage 5 min and 48 h after SAC to assess airway inflammation, and the effects of salmeterol on this process. Salmeterol therapy improved FEV1, but had no significant effect on the immediate or late cellular response to SAC. One measure of superoxide production was reduced, and interleukin-4 (IL-4) was reduced in baseline samples, but other indices of airway inflammation ...
A study of the connected moments expansions for the correlation energy via an exactly soluble problem

The recently developed connected moment expansions (CMXS) for the ground state energy are tested on an exactly soluble N-body problem. For a weak correlation limit the second order CMXS reproduce the correlation energy exactly, whereas for a strong correlation limit they account for half of the correlation energy. Going to higher orders, the CMX-LT approximation appears to be the most effective one. The results indicate that the CMX technique should be promising for the calculation of the correlation energy of other systems.
A pilot application of regional scale risk assessment to the forestry management of the upper Grand Ronde watershed, Oregon

ABSTRACT An issue in forestry management has been the integration of a variety of different information into a threat analysis or risk assessment. In this instance, regional scale risk assessment was applied to the Upper Grande Ronde watershed in eastern Oregon to examine the potential of risk assessment for use in the management of broad landscapes. The site was a focus of study for the U.S. Forest Service through the Interior Northwest Landscape Analysis System (INLAS) project. In the study, a range of stressors, habitats, and endpoints were identified from previous studies in the watershed, and endpoints were determined from meeting with the primary stakeholder, the U.S. Forest Service. These endpoints were focused around the historic range of variability (HRV) defined for the area. The relative risk model (RRM) incorporating a Monte Carlo analysis was used as the analysis tool. The risk model output showed the HRV fire regime was the endpoint most at risk. The results of this analysis were compared to...
Carrier-envelope phase sensitive strong-field photoemission from plasmonic nanoparticles

Strong-field photoemission from plasmonic nanoparticles is demonstrated on the surface of a chip under ambient conditions. The photoemission shows a carrier-envelope phase-sensitive component with a 27 dB signal-to-noise ratio at a 0.78 Hz resolution bandwidth.
Temperature dependence of the fracture behavior of nylon 6/ABS blends

Abstract Essential work of fracture and critical strain energy release rate analyses were used to investigate the effect of temperature (from 25 to −25°C) and specimen ligament length on the fracture energy, obtained from an instrumented drop tower test, of two compatibilized nylon 6/ABS blends (40 and 25 wt% ABS) and the neat ABS. Three types of fracture were observed: ductile, mixed mode, and brittle. The essential work of fracture parameters were obtained by an analysis of the fracture energies for samples that failed in a ductile manner. The dissipative energy density, ud, was found to decrease with decreasing temperature for each of the three materials, while the specific limiting fracture energy, uo, was found to be nearly invariant with temperature for the two blends but to decrease with decreasing temperature for the ABS. The critical strain energy release rate, GIC, model gives an excellent description of the fracture energies of samples that failed in a brittle manner; GIC was found to decrease as temperature was reduced. The yield stress, σy, and the plane-strain critical stress intensity factor, KIC, were also determined. The yield stress was found to be invariant with temperature, while KIC decreases as the temperature is lowered.
Urban agriculture and ecological citizenship in Philadelphia

Green political theory has discovered urban areas as important spaces for the cultivation of ecological citizenship. Here, we explore urban agriculture's contribution to ecological citizenship, a concept that emphasises opportunities for public participation in, and social learning about, environmental decisions. Our analysis is based on participant-observation and open-ended interviews with the leaders and community participants of seven urban agricultural organisations in Philadelphia. Following a brief discussion of urban ecological citizenship and our study design, we discuss how urban agriculture promotes participation and learning.
Tragedy, Theodicy and 9/11: Rhetorical Responses To Suffering and Their Public Significance

Two general sorts of responses to the suffering caused by the 9/11 attacks are distinguishable in the statements of public officials, journalists, and citizens: one manifests a tragic sensibility, another takes the form of theodicy. Each response entails a distinctive set of expectations about the nature of political agency and solidarity in a democracy. With its claim of access to a transcendental form of truth, theodicy promises a robust sense of political solidarity and agency based on a shared religious belief. Tragic modes of appeal muster their consolatory effects by appealing to intuitions or taste rather than religious belief and therefore potentially remain open to more diverse public audiences.
One-sided continuous dependence of maximal solutions

Abstract We consider the maximal solution of u′(s) = ƒ(s, u(s)) , where ƒ satisfies a one-sided variant of Caratheodory's conditions. A best-possible condition is proved for the dependence of u on ƒ. Also we show that a function v satisfies v(t) − v(r) ⩽ ƒ r t ƒ(s, v(s))ds if and only if v is dominated by the maximal solution u.
Adaptive reversion of a frameshift mutation in Escherichia coli by simple base deletions in homopolymeric runs

Spontaneous mutations are thought to occur primarily in growing cells. However, spontaneous mutations also arise in nutritionally deprived cells, and in some cases this process appears to be adaptive. Here it is reported that when a Lac- strain of Escherichia coli is under selection for lactose use, the spectrum of Lac+ mutations that arises is different, and simpler, than that arising without selection. Mutations appearing during selection were mainly one-base deletions in runs of iterated bases. Similar mutations occurring in repetitive DNA elements are associated with a variety of human hereditary diseases and are increased in cells that cannot correct heteroduplex DNA.
Quantum mechanical and semiclassical description of a two-dimensional fission model

Abstract The penetration through a two dimensional fission barrier is investigated by a fully quantum mechanical coupled channel calculation and by a new semiclassical method. One finds a quantitative agreement.
Computer modeling of diode forward recovery characteristics

Ebers-Moll based computer models for diodes cannot accurately represent forward recovery characteristics. This occurs because the model is basically a modified RC network, while the forward recovery behavior is essentially inductive. The situation may be corrected using an Ebers-Moll modeled transistor, which shunts a resistor in series with the diode. The transistor is initially off, so there is a large voltage drop across the resistor. When the transistor turns on, the voltage drop is limited by the saturation voltage of the transistor. When properly modeled, excellent agreement with experimental data was found, and no detrimental effects on other simulated diode characteristics resulted.
Assessment of a hepatitis educational group for veterans with substance use disorders.

Background: In 2005 the substance use disorders (SUD) clinic at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center launched the Liver Health Initiative in an effort to improve hepatitis education, screening, prevention, and treatment referral services for veterans receiving SUD services. One component of the Liver Health Initiative is an hour-long educational group; the Healthy Liver Group. Objectives: After the Healthy Liver Group was firmly established, an evaluation took place in order to measure: 1) change in patient knowledge, 2) participant satisfaction, and 3) attitudes toward hepatitis A and B vaccinations. Methods: From August 2007 to May 2008, 102 veterans filled out a paper survey before and after their experience in the Healthy Liver Group. Significance and Conclusions: The results of this survey show an increase in basic knowledge of hepatitis, high levels of patient satisfaction, and strong acceptance of vaccinations for hepatitis A and B. Overall, the survey indicates that the Healthy Liver Gr...
An assessment of calixarene amides as potential magnetic resonance imaging enhancement agents for gadolinium(III)

Abstract The compound 5,11,17,23-tert-butyl-25,26,27,28-carbomoyloxymethoxycalix[4]arene (1) has been evaluated as a ligand for potential use as a magnetic resonance imaging agent with gadolinium(III). The assessment procedures include high fueld relaxitivity 1H NMR measurements as well as UV-Vis stability constant measurement for the Gd(III) complex. Although the selected ligand provide to be unsuitable for in vivo applications because of the low stability constant for the complex it forms, the relaxivity value of R = 3.40(6) mM−1 s−1 is quite reasonable. These initial results however point to some future ligand modifications that are necessary in order to successfully design calixarene-based MRI enhancement agents for Gd(III).
A vasoactive peptide, endothelin-3, is produced by and specifically binds to primary astrocytes.

Abstract Primary rat astrocytes were found by immunohistochemistry to display positive staining for endothelin-3, located predominantly in the perinuclear area. The ability of these cells to produce and release endothelin-3 was confirmed by a combination of reverse-phase HPLC and radioimmunoassay, specific for endothelin-3, which demonstrated immunoreactive peptide in cellular extracts and astrocyte-conditioned medium. In addition, astrocytes were shown to possess a single class of binding sites for endothelin with comparable high affinity for endothelin-1, -2 and -3. These results suggests that astrocytes, by virtue of their ability to produce and secrete endothelin-3, serve as a potential extravascular source of intracerebral vasoregulation capable of influencing regional cerebral blood flow.
THE FLICKER RESPONSE CONTOUR FOR THE ISOPOD ASELLUS.

The flicker response contour for the isopod Asellus is a simple probability integral (F - log I) over the whole determinable range (F = 1 to 51). This contrasts with the "distorted" asymmetrical curves obtained with Apis, Anax, and other arthropods with large convex eyes. The explanation of the distortion as due to mechanical conditions affecting photoreception is therefore confirmed, as the structure of the Asellus eye does not make such a factor likely to be expected for this case. The Asellus curve agrees with the only other available complete and uncomplicated flicker response contour (from Pseudemys, turtle with rod-free retina), in showing the superiority of the probability integral formulation as compared with certain others which have been suggested. It is noted as a curious and probably important fact that the relative dispersion of the intensity thresholds (σ'log I) for the elements implicated in determining the flicker contour appears to be identical in bee, dragon fly nymph, and isopod. Other relevant information derived from similar experiments with vertebrates shows that this quantity is specifically determined by the organization of the animal. The nature of the common feature of neural organization in three such diverse arthropods, as contrasted with the diversity seen within one class of vertebrates (e.g., teleosts), remains to be discovered.
Claiming Mood as a Self-Handicap The Influence of Spoiled and Unspoiled Public Identities

The present study examined self-presentational claims of handicaps to future performance. Specifically, it was hypothesized that subjects would claim a handicap when others were unaware of a prior failing performance. Subjects initially completed a "social accuracy" test and received false feedback that they had failed. When led to believe that the experimenter was unaware of the previous failure, subjects were more likely to-claim mood as a handicap to an upcoming task than when they believed that the experimenter was aware of the failure. Results of the study are discussed in terms of a distinction between protective and acquisitive self-presentation and the role of public identity in self-handicapping behaviors.
An Approach to Multivariate Covariate-Dependent Quantile Contours With Application to Bivariate Conditional Growth Charts

Multivariate quantile contours are useful in numerous applications and have been studied in different contexts. However, no easy solutions exist when dynamic and conditional quantile contours are needed without strong distributional assumptions. In this article we propose a new form of bivariate quantile contours and a two-stage estimation procedure to take time effect into account. The proposed procedure relies on quantile regression for longitudinal data and is flexible to include potentially important covariates as necessary. In addition, we propose a visual model assessment tool and discuss a practical guideline for model selection. The performance of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by a simulation study, as well as an application to joint height–weight screening of young children in the United States. We construct bivariate growth charts by a nested sequence of age-dependent and covariate-varying quantile contours of height and weight, and use it to locate an individual subject's percentile ...
Continuous flow thermal cycler microchip for DNA cycle sequencing.

We report here on the use of a polymer-based continuous flow thermal cycler (CFTC) microchip for Sanger cycle sequencing using dye terminator chemistry. The CFTC chip consisted of a 20-loop spiral microfluidic channel hot-embossed into polycarbonate (PC) that had three well-defined temperature zones poised at 95, 55, and 60 °C for denaturation, renaturation, and DNA extension, respectively. The sequencing cocktail was hydrodynamically pumped through the microreactor channel at different linear velocities ranging from 1 to 12 mm/s. At a linear velocity of 4 mm/s resulting in a 36-s extension time, a read length of >600 bp could be obtained in a total reaction time of 14.6 min. Further increases in the flow rate resulted in a reduction in the total reaction time but also produced a decrease in the sequencing read length. The CFTC chip could be reused for subsequent sequencing runs (>30) with negligible amounts of carryover contamination or degradation in the sequencing read length. The CFTC microchip was su...
Track Registration in Various Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors

In a number of materials energetic, heavy nuclear particles leave trails of radiation-damaged material which can be selectively attacked by chemical reagents to produce tracks visible in the optical microscope. The track-registration characteristics of three such materials---muscovite mica, Lexan polycarbonate, and cellulose nitrate---were investigated using fission fragments and various heavy ions from argon down to helium, each over a wide range of energies. Curves of energy-loss rate $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ versus particle energy were calculated for each solid, and the experimental results were displayed on the $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ curves. It was found that for each detector there is a fairly narrow range of $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ values over which the track-registration efficiency varies from unity to zero. This rapid drop in efficiency with $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ makes it reasonable to define a critical energy-loss rate ${(\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}})}_{\mathrm{crit}}$ for each detector, which appears to be independent of energy and atomic number. Crude estimates of particle masses can be made using several detectors with different ${(\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}})}_{\mathrm{crit}}$. For example, for particles with energies less than \ensuremath{\sim}3 MeV/amu, the mass must exceed 3, 12, and 28 amu if tracks register in cellulose nitrate, Lexan polycarbonate, and muscovite, respectively. For particles such as fission fragments, with initial $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}\ensuremath{\gg}{(\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}})}_{\mathrm{crit}}$, the track lengths are a fair approximation of the particle ranges. Particles incident at a very small angle to a detector surface are registered in mica but not in plastics or glasses. Solid-state track detectors presently offer unique advantages when heavy particles must be studied in the presence of a high background flux of light particles.
EFFECT OF EARLY ADOPTION ON I.Q. AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE OF MALNOURISHED CHILDREN

There has been recent interest in the thesis that the effects of early malnutrition can be reversed in children who are subsequently raised in an “enriched” environment. To test this possibility we examined the records of a cohort of Korean children, severely malnourished (SM), moderately nourished (MN), and well nourished (WN) during the first six months of life. All were adopted by U.S. families and school records were evaluated between ages 6 and 12. Results demonstrated that in those adopted before age two the I.Q. of the SM averaged 102, that of WN, 112, with the MN in between. Measurement of school performance showed a similar pattern (stanine 5 - SM; 5 - MN; 6 - WN. In those children not adopted until they were beyond two years of age, I.Q. and achievement was reduced in all groups so that the malnourished children fell significantly below American norms (stanine 4.5). An inverse relationship between height, I.Q. or achievement and time of adoption was noted. These data demonstrate that although certain differences may persist between previously malnourished and well nourished children, time of adoption is extremely important in determining the magnitude of these changes.
The power of populism: the Greek case

Abstract. PASOK's rise to power as well as its performance in office are analyzed in terms of the party's ability to construct a populist discourse. The political context and the structure of Greek society are presented as the main factors that enabled PASOK to articulate a populist discourse. It is argued that PASOK's performance in office served to expose its populist logic and that the party's policies in the field of the economy, labour and education show how populism affects political practice. PASOK's vagueness and contradictory policies are not accidental but the result of a populist logic that developed within specific social conditions and serves specific interests.
A Rapid Intertidal Megafauna Survey Method Applied to Upogebia pugettensis, and Its Introduced Parasite, Orthione griffensis

Declines or extinctions of the native northeast Pacific intertidal blue mud shrimp, Upogebia pugettensis (Dana, 1852), over the species range are directly associated with intense infestations by the introduced Asian bopyrid isopod parasite, Orthione griffenis Markham, 2004. Single point sampling sites and anecdotal records poorly resolve how this interaction occurs within estuaries and among geographical regions. This broad scale interaction can only be resolved at the meta-population scales over which they occur but the surveys needed for this research are proceeding slowly or, in most cases, have not begun. The large efforts and major field and computational resources that grid or random point surveys employed for this work to date have proven to be major obstacles. We therefore tested a new method in Alsea Bay, Oregon, in which shrimp bed perimeters and areas are algebraically defined previous to direct sampling within predefined population areas. This new method is intuitive, reduces logistics, greatly reduces field and computational resources and produces equally useful results to previous survey methods. The Alsea Bay populations of U. pugettensis surveyed by these new methods are sufficiently abundant to remain “ecosystem engineers.” However, intense infestations of their populations by Orthione cause significant reproductive losses. The Alsea Bay population appears to be declining along with all other known U. pugettensis in Oregon estuaries.
Palaeoanthropology: homing in on early Homo.

Newly described fossils from Georgia in Eurasia and from Kenya shed more light on the earliest members of the genus Homo. These finds indicate that there was considerable variability in their size and shape.
Eliciting, Identifying, Interpreting, and Responding to Students’ Ideas: Teacher Candidates’ Growth in Formative Assessment Practices

With the goal of helping teacher candidates become well-started beginners, it is important that methods courses in teacher education programs focus on high-leverage prac- tices. Using responsive teaching practices, specifically eliciting, identifying, interpreting, and responding to students' science ideas (i.e., formative assessment), can be used to support all students in learning science successfully. This study follows seven secondary science teacher candidates in a yearlong practice-based methods course. Course assignments (i.e., plans for and reflections on teaching) as well as teaching videos were analyzed using a recursive qualitative approach. In this paper, we present themes and patterns in teacher candidates' abilities to elicit, identify, interpret, and respond to students' ideas. Specifically, we found that those teacher candidates who grew in the ways in which they elicited students' ideas from fall to spring were also those who were able to adopt a more balanced reflection approach (considering both teacher and student moves). However, we found that even the teacher candidates who grew in these practices did not move toward seeing students' ideas as nuanced; rather, they saw students' ideas in a dichotomous fashion: right or wrong. We discuss implications for teacher preparation, specifically for how to promote productive reflection and tools for better understanding students' ideas.
Quantitative investigations of biodiesel fuel using infrared spectroscopy: An instrumental analysis experiment for undergraduate chemistry students

Biodiesel has gained attention in recent years as a renewable fuel source due to its reduced greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, and it can be produced within the United States. A laboratory experiment designed for students in an upper-division undergraduate laboratory is described to study biodiesel production and biodiesel mixing with conventional petroleum-based diesel fuel using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The production of biodiesel from oil via a transesterification reaction is monitored by the intensity of the C–O ester peak (1098 cm-1), whereas the mixing of biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel is monitored by the C═O ester stretch (1746 cm–1). The impact of water on the precision of the biodiesel mixture is determined using a Karl Fischer titration to monitor water content. Students also gain experience with method validation using multiple sampling platforms (liquid cell, ATR-cell, and IR card). At the conclusion of the experiment, students are able to use FTIR to quant...
Fluorescent LYVE-1 Antibody to Image Dynamically Lymphatic Trafficking of Cancer Cells In Vivo

Background The lymphatic system is a major route for cancer cell dissemination, and a potential target for antitumor therapy. Despite ongoing interest in this area of research, the real-time behavior of cancer cells trafficking in the lymphatic system is poorly understood due to lack of appropriate tools to image this process. Materials and methods We have used monoclonal-antibody and fluorescence technology to color-code lymphatic vessels and the cancer cells inside them in a living animal. Monoclonal anti-mouse LYVE-1 antibody was conjugated to a green fluorophore and delivered to the lymphatic system of a nude mouse, allowing imaging of mouse lymphatics. Tumor cells engineered to express red fluorescent protein were then imaged traveling within the labeled lymphatics in real time. Results AlexaFluor-labeled monoclonal anti-mouse LYVE-1 created a durable signal with clear delineation of lymphatic architecture. The duration of fluorescent signal after conjugated LYVE-1 delivery was far superior to that of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran or control fluorophore-conjugated IgG. Tumor cells engineered to express red fluorescent protein delivered to the inguinal lymph node enabled real-time tracking of tumor cell movement within the green fluorescent-labeled lymphatic vessels. Conclusions This technology offers a powerful tool for the in vivo study of real-time trafficking of tumor cells within lymphatic vessels, for the deposition of the tumor cells in lymph nodes, as well as for screening of potential antitumor lymphatic therapies.
Electrical threshold for defibrillation of canine ventricles following myocardial infarction

Abstract The minimum current and energy (threshold values) required for direct ventricular defibrillation in dogs was measured before and after acute myocardial infarction produced by ligation of the interventricular descending branch of the left coronary artery. The current waveform employed was a single 8.33 msec. duration halfsinusoidal pulse. Myocardial infarction markedly increased the strength of electric countershock required for ventricular defibrillation in each of the fourteen subjects. The average current threshold increase was 55 per cent, whereas the average energy threshold increase was 155 per cent. The maximum increase in current and energy occurred during the first 30 minutes after infarction and gradually decreased toward control values over the following 90 minutes.
Binary affinity chromatography for the purification of glycogen phosphorylase

Abstract A binary affinity chromatography medium was prepared and found to be useful for the purification and quantitative isolation of glycogen phosphorylase from rabbit skeletal muscle and liver. Glycogen is used as the binary ligand as it has affinity toward both the column matrix and the enzyme. Agarose beads derivatized with concanavalin A bound glycogen to the level of 35 mg/ml. The glycogen-impregnated beads were able to bind 9 mg/ml of phosphorylase a or b. The phosphorylase is tightly bound so that the column can be washed free of contaminants before quantitative elution of the phosphorylase by 2 m glucose, which releases the glycogen-phosphorylase complex. It appears that binary affinity chromatography may have general utility for the isolation and purification of enzymes and other specific binding agents.