cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Ammonium Chloride Induced Acidosis on Calcium Metabolism in Ruminants

SUMMARY A mild acidosis was induced in goats and cows by oral administration of ammonium chloride. The effects of this treatment on the accretion rate of calcium into bone and on the size of the exchangeable calcium pool were investigated using the radioisotopes 85Sr and 45Ca. Ammonium chloride was found to cause a significant increase in exchangeable calcium and a reduction in accretion rate. In contrast oral administration of sodium carbonate or ammonium acetate was found to reduce the size of the exchangeable calcium pool. In some but not all animals mild acidosis increased the absorption of calcium from the alimentary tract. All these changes suggest that mild acidosis, as induced by ammonium chloride, might improve calcium metabolism in dairy cows. This might be particularly effective in animals receiving relatively alkaline diets and might be of benefit in the prevention of such diseases as parturient paresis.
Fermi-Pasta-Ulam, solitons and the fabric of nonlinear and computational science: history, synergetics, and visiometrics.

This paper is mostly a history of the early years of nonlinear and computational physics and mathematics. I trace how the counterintuitive result of near-recurrence to an initial condition in the first scientific digital computer simulation led to the discovery of the soliton in a later computer simulation. The 1955 report by Fermi, Pasta, and Ulam (FPU) described their simulation of a one-dimensional nonlinear lattice which did not show energy equipartition. The 1965 paper by Zabusky and Kruskalshowed that the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) nonlinear partial differential equation, a long wavelength model of the α-lattice (or cubic nonlinearity), derived by Kruskal, gave quantitatively the same results obtained by FPU. In 1967, Zabusky and Deem showed that a localized short wavelength initial excitation (then called an “optical” and now a “zone-boundary mode” excitation ) of the α-lattice revealed “n-curve” coherent states. If the initial amplitude was sufficiently large energy equipartition followed in a short time. The work of Kruskal and Miura (KM), Gardner and Greene (GG), and myself led to the appreciation of the infinity of denumerable invariants (conservation laws) for Hamiltonian systems and to a procedure by GGKM in 1967 for solving KdV exactly. The nonlinear science field exponentiated in diversity of linkages (as described in Appendix A). Included were pure and applied mathematics and all branches of basic and applied physics, including the first nonhydrodynamic application to optical solitons, as described in a brief essay (Appendix B) by Hasegawa. The growth was also manifest in the number of meetings held and institutes founded, as described briefly in Appendix D. Physicists and mathematicians in Japan, USA, and USSR (in the latter two, people associated with plasma physics) contributed to the diversification of the nonlinear paradigm which continues worldwide to the present. The last part of the paper (and Appendix C) discuss visiometrics: the visualization and quantification of simulation data, e.g., projection to lower dimensions, to facilitate understanding of nonlinear phenomena for modeling and prediction (or design). Finally, I present some recent developments that are linked to my early work by: Dritschel (vortex dynamics via contour dynamics/surgery in two and three dimensions); Friedland (pattern formation by synchronization in Hamiltonian nonlinear wave, vortex, plasma, systems, etc.); and the author (“n-curve” states and energy equipartition in a FPU lattice).
Factors associated with the use of flexible sigmoidoscopy as a screening test for the detection of colorectal carcinoma by primary care physicians

BACKGROUND. Despite current recommendations of flexible sigmoidoscopy as a screening test for the detection of colorectal carcinoma, relatively few asymptomatic patients undergo this procedure. To enhance the use of sigmoidoscopy, differences in the use of screening, as well as barriers to screening among specific physician groups, should be defined. METHODS. The authors surveyed 1762 practicing primary care physicians to determine their self-reported ability to perform sigmoidoscopy and perceived obstacles to either initiating or enhancing screening. RESULTS. A total of 884 physicians (50%) responded. Ninety percent of primary care physicians reported that they offered sigmoidoscopic screening to their patients, with 46% referring patients and 44% performing the procedure themselves. Physician characteristics were not associated with the overall use of sigmoidoscopy. In contrast, compared with physicians who referred patients for the procedure, physicians who performed sigmoidoscopy themselves were more often board certified, male, and graduated from medical school after 1970 (P <0.001). In a multivariate analysis, these characteristics were also independently associated with the ability to perform sigmoidoscopy. The barrier to sigmoidoscopy cited most often was poor patient acceptance, whether or not the physician performed or referred patients for sigmoidoscopic screening. Other barriers cited were lack of training, lack of equipment, and time required, each of which was identified most often by physicians who did not screen at all. CONCLUSIONS. Most physicians surveyed reported using sigmoidoscopic screening to some degree in their practice, although many did not perform the procedure themselves. Population-based interventions to increase screening may benefit from targeting specific physician subgroups and attempting to improve patient acceptance of the procedure.
Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Ethnic Minority Youth

This article reviews research on evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for ethnic minority youth using criteria from Chambless et al. (1998), Chambless et al. (1996), and Chambless and Hollon (1998). Although no well-established treatments were identified, probably efficacious or possibly efficacious treatments were found for ethnic minority youth with anxiety-related problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, conduct problems, substance use problems, trauma-related syndromes, and other clinical problems. In addition, all studies met either Nathan and Gorman's (2002) Type 1 or Type 2 methodological criteria. A brief meta-analysis showed overall treatment effects of medium magnitude (d = .44). Effects were larger when EBTs were compared to no treatment (d = .58) or psychological placebos (d = .51) versus treatment as usual (d = .22). Youth ethnicity (African American, Latino, mixed/other minority), problem type, clinical severity, diagnostic status, and culture-responsive treatment status did not moderate treatment outcome. Most studies had low statistical power and poor representation of less acculturated youth. Few tests of cultural adaptation effects have been conducted in the literature and culturally validated outcome measures are mostly lacking. Recommendations for clinical practice and future research directions are provided.
Real Time Imaging of SGLT1 Location and Activity in Mammalian Cell Lines

Real time imaging of SGLT1 location and activity in mammalian cell lines.In polarized epithelial cells with apical and basal membranes SGLT translocation to the apical surface is a complex and poorly understood process. We have engineered SGLT1 constructs linked to YFP or CFP to investigate transporter insertion into plasma membrane of COS, CHO and HEK cells. Activity was assessed in parallel, using the patch clamp technique, a FRET based glucose sensor and radioactive uptake. Insertion is both variable and highly regulated. In COS cells SGLT1 is constitutively inserted into the plasma membrane and active. In HEK cells SGLT1 is mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum, and its activity varies from cell to cell. In CHO cells SGLT1 is degraded, but localizes to mitochondria when co-expressed with EGFR (not endogenously present in WT CHO cells), or after incubation with the proteasome inhibitor III (MG-262, 1 μM). Incubation of HEK and CHO cells with the cholesterol inhibitor MβCD (15 mM) increases both insertion and activity, suggesting that SGLT1 internalization is lipid raft mediated. To test whether lipid raft mediated internalization involves caveolin, experiments were carried out in HEK cells co-expressing SGLT1 with caveolin WT, or the caveolin dominant negative P132L. Our data suggest that P132L may increase insertion of SGLT1 into the plasma membrane. Activity will have to be assessed to confirm this preliminary data. Finally, the lack of effect of the dominant negative dynamin (K44A) rules out a clathrin-dependent process and further supports lipid raft involvement. We propose that SGLT1 translocation to the apical surface involves a lipid raft-dependent route with stopover at the basal membrane. Accordingly, a decrease in membrane cholesterol content would cause accumulation of SGLT1 in the basal membrane and decrease insertion into the apical membrane.
Agglutinins for "null" red blood cells.

The sera from two patients with unexplained anemia gave a pattern of agglutination in vitro which was the converse of that described for Rh-like antibodies associated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. These sera reacted with not only Rhnull red blood cells but also U negative, Bombay and other cells lacking in usual agglutinogens. They appeared to contain antibodies directed against antigenic structures which are either absent or covered on the surface of red blood cells of the more usual types.
Inhibitory effects on serum and pituitary LH by a melatonin-free extract of bovine pineal glands

Abstract An aqueous extract of bovine pineal glands, partially purified by chromatography and ultrafiltration to exclude melatonin, was tested for it's ability to inhibit serum and pituitary LH in orchidectomized rats. The extract significantly inhibited the 24 and 96 hour post-castration rise of serum LH. Pituitary LH content and concentration were reduced after 4 days of treatment with the extract.
Cutaneous changes of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: predictor of early mortality and association with gadolinium exposure.

Objective Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a rapidly progressive, debilitating condition that causes cutaneous and visceral fibrosis in patients with renal failure. Little is known about its prevalence or etiology. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of NSF and associated risk factors Methods Two cohorts of patients were recruited from 6 outpatient hemodialysis centers and examined for cutaneous changes of NSF, which were defined using a scoring system based on hyperpigmentation, hardening, and tethering of skin on the extremities. Demographic data were gathered, mortality was followed up prospectively for 24 months, and gadolinium exposure was ascertained for a subgroup of patients in the second cohort. Results Examination reproducibility was 97% in cohort 1. In cohort 2, 25 (13%) of 186 patients demonstrated cutaneous changes of NSF. Twenty-four–month mortality following examination was 48% and 20% in patients with and those without cutaneous changes of NSF, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.4–5.9). Cutaneous changes of NSF were observed in 16 (30%) of 54 patients with prior exposure to gadopentetate dimeglumine contrast during imaging studies. Exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast was associated with an increased risk of developing cutaneous changes of NSF (odds ratio 14.7, 95% CI 1.9–117.0) compared with nonexposed patients. Conclusion In patients receiving hemodialysis, NSF is an underrecognized disorder that is associated with increased mortality. Exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast material appears to be a significant risk factor for the development of NSF.
Philipp Frank at Harvard University: His Work and His Influence

The physicist–philosopher Philipp Frank’s work and influence, especially during his last three decades, when he found a refuge and a position in America, deserve more discussion than has been the case so far. In what follows, I hope I may call him Philipp – having been first a graduate student in one of his courses at Harvard University, then his teaching assistant sharing his offices, then for many years his colleague and friend in the same Physics Department, and finally, doing research on his archival holdings kept at Harvard. I also should not hide my large personal debt to him, for without his recommendation in the 1950s to the Albert Einstein Estate, I would not have received its warm welcome and its permission, as the first one to do historical research in the treasure trove of unpublished letters and manuscripts, thus starting me on a major part of my career in the history of science.
Ethical issues raised by genetic testing with oligonucleotide microarrays

Because genes and alterations within them determine the identity, characteristics, and inheritance of every individual, the application of genetic science to humans has long been surrounded by apprehension, controversy, and real or perceived potential for abuse. Crude eugenics practices of the past now find a theoretical rebirth and transformation through the use of modern molecular genetic technologies for mutation detection, predictive and prenatal diagnosis, and, ultimately, gene replacement. The advent of oligonucleotide microarray analysis, in which hundreds or thousands of genes and mutations can be tested in parallel, offers tremendous promise for more accurate, sensitive, and efficient genetic testing. At the same time, however, this powerful technology dramatically increases the number and scope of ethical concerns accompanying each individual test request. This article considers the evolution and implications of these concerns, from the initial ordering of a microarray test by the physician to such issues as informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, clinical utility, discrimination, stigmatization, ethnic and population impact, and reimbursement.
Louisiana clings to reform

New administration under “Jimmie” Davis pledges itself to continue policies initiated by Governor Sam H. Jones; many unsolved problems offer challenge to new executive.
Theoretical Study of Dibenzothiophene Based Electron Transport Materials

Density functional methods have been used for the calculation of electronic structures, electronic transitions, vertical electron affinities and intermolecular reorganization energies for tri-aryl substituted dibenzothiophenes. These model compounds were then compared to the predicted values for dibenzo[b,d]thiophen-2-yltriphenylsilane (DBTSI 2) and to dibenzo[b,d]thiophene-2,8-diylbis(diphenylphosphine oxide) (PO15), known electron transport molecules. The results indicate that these model compounds can be used in a blue OLED system.
Continuum model study of preview effects in actively suspended long trains

Abstract Previous work has shown that there can be a significant improvement in the riding qualities of vehicles traveling at high speed over stochastically described rough roadways if information about the roadway profile ahead of the vehicle is properly utilized. In this study, this “preview” of the roadway ahead of a vehicle is obtained from the dynamic variables of preceding cars in a long train. The analysis is simplified by considering a continuous version of a long train and studying partial differential equations rather than a large set of simultaneous ordinary differential equations. The results have application to the design of active suspensions for vertical motion and may be readily extended to active roll control systems which could anticipate changes in track curvature for guided vehicles.
General and specific abilities to recognise negative emotions, especially disgust, as portrayed in the face and the body

We examined the ability of 150-166 undergraduate students to assign four negative emotions (sadness, fear, disgust, and anger) to five sets of emotion expression stimuli: a standard of face photographs expressing basic emotions, faces that were morphs of standards for these emotions, a special set of faces that was designed to detect different components of disgust expressions, and two sets of dynamic, video clips displays of emotions as described in traditional Hindu scriptures and used in classical Hindu dance. One of these sets presented the full body traditional displays (including hands and face), while in the second set, the same clips were used but the facial expressions were blocked out. Participants also completed an obsessive compulsive inventory and the disgust scale. Major findings are that: (a) there are some substantial individual differences in ability to correctly identify emotions; (b) the ability to detect facial emotions correlates substantially (.49) with ability to detect bodily emotions; (c) there is no evidence for specific deficits in the detection of any particular emotion; and (d) there is no relation between individual differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tendencies or disgust sensitivity, in a normal sample and the ability to detect disgust.
The fine structure of ventricular cells in the brains of mouse embryos homozygous for the loop-tail gene†

The neural tube in normal (+/+), heterozygous (Lp/+), and abnormal (Lp/Lp) mutant mouse embryos ranging in age from 10 to 12 days of gestation was studied by means of transmission electron microscopy. In the abnormal embryos, ventricular cells in defective regions of the brain show distortions and crowding together of internal cellular processes and a decrease in blebs and bulbous projections, as compared with their normal counterparts. At 12 days' gestation the abnormal brains show a scarcity of the T-shaped internal cellular processes characteristic of normal brains. The abnormal brains also show increased amounts of intercellular space and extensive gaps between the cells, particularly in basal regions. There are no striking differences between the normal and abnormal brains at 10 to 12 days' gestation with respect to the appearance and distribution of cilia, microfilaments, microtubules, tight junctions, and ribosomes.
Fluorination of halides with potassium fluoride; an old reaction—a new catalyst

Abstract The use of potassium fluoride in the exchange of fluorine for other halogens is a well known reaction. The literature contains many conflicting reports on yields and conditions necessary to achieve given reactions. This may be due to the fact that these reactions are, in some cases, subject to catalysis by impurities. We have recently uncovered a striking example of catalysis in the fluorination of active chlorides by potassium fluoride. Examples will be presented and the nature of the catalyst will be discussed.
Mother Courage and Her Soaps: Incendies, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, and Daytime Drama

The decline of the soap opera as a major form of popular culture highlights the importance of that form in creating and maintaining a shared subculture for women. Soap operas are contrasted with recent television and film works that present the struggles of women in a different way, highlighting the distinctive features of soap operas as women's subcultural forms.
Loss of specular reflection due to nonlinear crack-face interaction

The interaction between rough crack faces is modeled by nonlinear relations between the crack-face tractions and the crack-opening displacements. These relations account for crack closure and for the related resistance to crack-face sliding. The relations are used to investigate reflection and transmission of an incident pulse by an infinite flaw plane. The problem statement is reduced to a set of inhomogeneous nonlinear ordinary differential equations for the displacement discontinuities, [u] and [v], across the flaw plane. These equations have been solved numerically. The reflection and transmission of an incident pulse by a crack with interacting crack faces. Both incident longitudinal and transverse waves have been considered. The loss of specular reflection as compared to a perfect (traction-free) crack is exhibited by specific examples.
An Alternate Method to API RP 14E for Predicting Solids Erosion in Multiphase Flow

One commonly used method for determining oil and gas production velocities is to limit production rates based on the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 14E (API RP 14E). This guideline contains an equation to calculate an erosional or a threshold velocity, presumably a flow velocity that is safe to operate. The equation only considers one factor, the density of the medium, and does not consider many other factors that can contribute to erosion in multiphase flow pipelines. Thus, factors such as fluid properties, flow geometry, type of metal, sand production rate and size distribution, and flow composition are not accounted for. In the present paper, a method is presented that has been developed with the goal of improving the procedure by accounting for many of the physical variables including fluid properties, sand production rate and size, and flowstream composition that affect sand erosion. The results from the model are compared with several experimental results provided in the literature. Additionally, the method is applied to calculate threshold flowstream velocities for sand erosion and the results are compared with API RP 14E. The results indicate that the form of the equation that is provided by the API RP 14E is not suitable for predicting a production flowstream velocity when sand is present.
A Nondestructive Three-Dimensional Strain-Analysis Method

The objective of this paper is to develop the technique of the embedded grid for three-dimensional strain and stress analysis. The application to the case of a sphere subjected to diametral loading is described and results are compared with theoretical and photoelastic ones. The limitations of the method are outlined and suggestions for improvement made. As it stands now, the method allows the nondestructive determination of three-dimensional strain fields with good precision. The determination of stresses, however, is less precise.
Evolution of behaviours in Drosophila melanogaster in high temperatures: Genetic and environmental effects

Abstract Rapid evolution of behavioural and morphological adaptations were found in populations of Drosophila melanogaster exposed to laboratory natural selection in high temperatures. After 10 generations at 25, 27 and 30°C, flies were acclimated to 25°C and assayed for food-searching behaviour and preferred environmental temperature along a gradient. Flies showed significant differences in both traits. After 15 generations at the respective temperatures, flies from the 27 and 30°C populations were significantly smaller than those from the 25°C populations. These three traits were all directly correlated with the temperature treatments. As treatment temperatures increase, flies have more intense search behaviour, prefer higher temperatures and are smaller. The rearing temperatures of flies from the 25 and 30°C populations were reversed in the 12th generation, thereby changing the developmental temperature. This revealed a significant environmental effect for both behaviours. However, both behaviours were also shown to have genetic components, indicating that differences were created by the laboratory natural selection through evolutionary adaptations to temperature. Most previous studies demonstrated adaptations only after many more generations of laboratory natural selection. Additionally, development was retarded at 33°C and males were sterile at 31°C for this strain.
FIV Gag: virus assembly and host-cell interactions.

Infection of domestic cats with virulent strains of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) leads to an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), similar to the pathogenesis induced in humans by infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Thus, FIV is a highly relevant model for anti-HIV therapy and vaccine development. FIV is not infectious in humans, so it is also a potentially effective non-toxic gene therapy vector. To make better use of this model, it is important to define the cellular machinery utilized by each virus to produce virus particles so that relevant similarities can be identified. It is well understood that all replication-competent retroviruses encode gag, pol, and env genes, which provide core elements for virus replication. As a result, most antiretroviral therapy targets pol-derived enzymes (protease, reverse transcriptase, and integrase) or env-derived glycoproteins that mediate virus attachment and entry. However, resistance to drugs against these targets is a persistent problem, and novel targets must be identified to produce more effective drugs that can either substitute or be combined with current therapy. Elements of the gag gene (matrix, capsid, nucleocapsid, and “late” domains) have yet to be exploited as antiviral targets, even though the Gag precursor polyprotein is self-sufficient for the assembly and release of virus particles from cells. This process is far better understood in primate lentiviruses, especially HIV-1. However, there has been significant progress in recent years in defining how FIV Gag is targeted to the cellular plasma membrane, assembles into virions, incorporates FIV Env glycoproteins, and utilizes host cell machinery to complete virus release. Recent discoveries of intracellular restriction factors that target HIV-1 and FIV capsids after virus entry have also opened exciting new areas of research. This review summarizes currently known interactions involving HIV-1 and FIV Gag that affect virus release, infectivity, and replication.
The effect of hamster age on u.v.-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis in freshly isolated lung and kidney cells

Abstract The percentages of hamster lung and kidney cells exhibiting u.v.-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and the mean grain counts of repairing cells remain generally similar from the age of 9 days to more than 520 days. This period comprises 2/3 of the maximum life span of this hamster strain. Repair synthesis is approx. 2-fold higher in lung cells than in kidney cells. Absence of a systematic decrease in UDS with age suggests that decline of excision repair capacity is not an important factor in normal aging. A significant increase in the proportion of irradiated lung and kidney cells exhibiting u.v.-induced UDS occurs between days 4 and 9. This may represent a developmental regulation of DNA repair.
Profile of a Nurturing College Professor

This paper describes a college professor who believes that being a good role model involves more than being professionally competent. It is argued that professors can improve the quality of teaching by becoming more sensitive to the students' needs and by understanding and appreciating their individuality. The paper discusses the role of the professor in creating an environment where the students feel comfortable being themselves and enjoy the whole experience of learning. In this environment students can feel that they are important, that their needs are important, and that other people experience joy in helping them get their needs met. It is also argued that when the teacher is able to focus on assisting the students in meeting their needs, the teacher's needs get met. To conclude, the author presents a personal reflection on his own experiences as an engineering student and professor.
A comparison of vowel production by children with multichannel cochlear implants or tactile aids: perceptual evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in perceived vowel production accuracy over time in prelingually deafened children who use a multichannel cochlear implant (Nucleus 22 channel) or a multichannel tactile aid (Tactaid 7) and to compare the levels of perceived vowel production accuracy attained by the two device groups. DESIGN: The subjects were participants in longitudinal studies of the effects of sensory aids on the development of perceptual, speech, and language skills. As part of these studies, imitative vowel productions were elicited and transcribed before each child received their sensory aid and at 6 mo intervals thereafter. Data for the current study was obtained from the predevice interval and a later interval (postdevice) that was an average of 1.8 yr after the subjects received their respective devices. The subjects' vowel productions were judged for accuracy in matching an imitative model and for correctness of vowel features (height and place). Within-group analyses were completed to determine if vowel production scores improved over the course of the study for each device group. Between group comparisons were performed to examine differences in mean scores at each interval. RESULTS: Before receiving their multichannel devices, the two groups of subjects demonstrated similar imitative vowel production skills. After an average of 1.8 yr of device use, the cochlear implant subjects demonstrated significantly improved production of diphthongs and all vowel categories except low vowels. The Tactaid 7 subjects demonstrated significant improvement only in the production of diphthongs. Thus, cochlear implant recipients' vowel production skills were found to be significantly better than those of the Tactaid 7 users after a comparable amount of device experience. CONCLUSIONS: The vowel production gains of the cochlear implant subjects were similar in amount to those noted in other studies of children who use the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant and further confirm the potential of this device for improved speech production in prelingually deafened children. The differences between the performance of the two groups demonstrate that vowel production skills improved to a greater degree through use of a multichannel cochlear implant than through use of the Tactaid 7.
The FEN-1 family of structure-specific nucleases in eukaryotic dna replication, recombination and repair

Unlike the most well-characterized prokaryotic polymerase, E. coli DNA pol l, none of the eukaryotic polymerases have their own 5' to 3' exonuclease domain for nick translation and Okazaki fragment processing. In eukaryotes, FEN-1 is an endo- and exonuclease that carries out this function independently of the polymerase molecules. Only seven nucleases have been cloned from multicellular eukaryotic cells. Among these, FEN-1 is intriguing because it has complex structural preferences; specifically, it cleaves at branched DNA structures. The cloning of FEN-1 permitted establishment of the first eukaryotic nuclease family, predicting that S. cerevisiae RAD2 (S. pombe Rad13) and its mammalian homolog, XPG, would have similar structural specificity. The FEN-1 nuclease family includes several similar enzymes encoded by bacteriophages. The crystal structures of two enzymes in the FEN-1 nuclease family have been solved and they provide a structural basis for the interesting steric requirements of FEN-1 substrates. Because of their unique structural specificities, FEN-1 and its family members have important roles in DNA replication, repair and, potentially, recombination. Recently, FEN-1 was found to specifically associate with PCNA, explaining some aspects of FEN-1 function during DNA replication and potentially in DNA repair.
Local electronic structure of dicarba-closo-dodecarboranes C2B10H12.

We report nonresonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NRIXS) measurement of core-shell excitations from both B 1s and C 1s initial states in all three isomers of the dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes C2B10H12. First, this data yields an experimental determination of the angular-momentum-projected final local density of states (l-DOS). We find low-energy resonances with distinctive local s- or p-type character, providing a more complete experimental characterization of bond hybridization than is available from dipole-transition limited techniques, such as x-ray absorption spectroscopies. This analysis is supported by independent density functional theory and real-space full multiple scattering calculation of the l-DOS which yield a clear distinction between tangential and radial contributions. Second, we investigate the isomer-sensitivity of the NRIXS signal, and compare and contrast these results with prior electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements. This work establishes NRIXS as a valuable tool for borane chemistry, not only for the unique spectroscopic capabilities of the technique, but also through its compatibility with future studies in solution or in high pressure environments. In addition, this work also establishes the real-space full multiple scattering approach as a useful alternative to traditional approaches for the excited states calculations for aromatic polyhedral boranes and related systems. This research was supported by DOE, Basicmore » Energy Science, Office of Science, Contract Nos. DE-FGE03-97ER45628 and W-31-109-ENG-38, ONR Grant No. N00014-05-1-0843, Grant DE-FG03-97ER5623, NIH NCRR BTP Grant RR-01209, the Leonard X. Bosack and Bette M. Kruger Foundation, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Initiative of DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and the Summer Research Institute Program at the Pacific Northwest National Lab. Battelle operates the Pacific Northwest National Lab for DOE. The operation of Sector 20 PNC-CAT/XOR is supported by DOE Basic Energy Science, Office of Science, Contract No. DE-FG03-97ER45629, the University of Washington, and grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, under Contract W-31-109-Eng-38. We thank Mark Lee and Fred Hawthorne for providing some of the samples used in this study. We thank John Rehr, Aleksi Soininen, Adam Hitchcock, and Ed Stern for stimulating discussions.« less
The Resolution of Dynamic Speech in L2 Listening

In the absence of a comprehensive theory of the oral language, very little is really known about auditory decoding as a speech dynamic process in either L2 or L1. Since listening comprehension presupposes an orderly conversion of running speech into discrete linguistic units, certain restoration processes (operating on phonated speech as the input for listening) must apply. Thus, it is possible to view speech perception as a mirror-image of speech production processes. Listening comprehension can then be seen to require two types of recovery rules: restoration to reverse the effects of absorption and boundary marking to facilitate the decomposition of the quasi-uninterrupted acoustic signal into isolate lexical items. The approach adopted here provides a principled way to explain the striking metamorphosis language undergoes from dynamic speech representations to citation form strings, under listening conditions, and suggests speech perception strategies helpful to L2 listeners for acquiring and improving listening comprehension skills. The account of performance characteristics presented here shows that speech event and formal content belong to separate domains of language, mediated not so much by derivation as by covariation.
The dynamic regulation of integrin adhesiveness

The integrins are a family of transmembrane heterodimeric adhesion molecules that play important roles in wound healing, immune system function and organ development. Recent studies indicate that adhesion of integrins to their ligands is not constitutive but is dynamically regulated by intracellular signal transduction pathways.
Phospholipid composition of guinea pig lung lavage

Phospholipids from guinea pig lung lavage were analyzed. The total lavage phospholipid content was 2.65 + 0.67 mg per gram of lung, which accounted for 85% of the total lipids in lung wash. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) accounted for over 60% of the total phospholipids. The other phospholipid fractions, in order of predominance, were phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), sphingomyelin (SPH), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and lysophosphatidyl-choline (LPC). Disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) comprised 80% of the total PC, and it contained mostly palmitic acid. The DSPC content of the lung lavage fluid per square meter of alveolar surface area was 5.76 +/- 0.42 mg.
Facilitation of the induction of long-term potentiation by GABAB receptors

Long-term potentiation (LTP), an in vitro model of learning, was induced in hippocampal slices by 5-hertz stimulation. During induction, gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) inhibition decreased, causing the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated excitation to increase. 2-OH Saclofen, a GABAB receptor antagonist, prevented the reduction of inhibition, the increase of excitation, and the induction of LTP. Therefore, disinhibition caused by GABAB receptors is required for induction of LTP by 5-hertz stimulation. GABAB receptor modulation of synaptic plasticity occurs at frequencies in the range of the endogenous hippocampal theta rhythm, which has been shown to modulate LTP in vivo.
Profitability of Various Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa Cropping Systems

Producers are frequently most interested in economic comparisons of various cropping systems. We compared continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and continuous soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] with 2-, 3-, and 5-year rotations, the latter two including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), using either chisel plow or no-tillage practices. Crop yield and returns to land and management were evaluated. Yields for continuous corn (C-C-C) were not different from those in rotation [corn-soybean (C-S), soybean-wheat/soybeancorn (S-W/S-C), or corn-soybean-alfalfa-alfalfa-alfalfa (C-S-A-A-A)] for either tillage practice, but rotated corn had lower nitrogen (N) inputs. Soybean yield in the 5-year rotation was greater than for continuous soybean (S-S-S) in 2001 for both tillage practices, but in 2000, a tillage by rotation interaction resulted from severe crusting in S-S-S that reduced stand density and lowered yield for the chisel plow treatment. Wheat and alfalfa yields were not affected by tillage practice. Using average annual crop prices, the 5-year rotation generated returns that were 100 and 158% higher than for C-S using either no-tillage or chisel practices. This study confirms that producers who incorporate alfalfa into their crop rotations can significantly increase returns to land and management. However, returns for the rotation including alfalfa are more realistic where a viable forage market exists.
Raising Healthy Children: Examining the Impact of Promoting Healthy Driving Behavior within a Social Development Intervention

This study evaluated the impact of two targeted family sessions focused on driving issues delivered within the context of the Raising Healthy Children project. The Raising Healthy Children project began in the fall of 1993, drawing students in the 1st or 2nd grades from 10 schools. Schools were assigned to an intervention or control condition, and the school-wide, family- and student-focused preventive intervention to address developmentally salient risk and protective factors was delivered during elementary and middle school. The family driving sessions were administered to families in the intervention condition prior to and after teenagers received their driver's license. The first session consisted of a home visit with families designed to help parents and their children improve decision-making skills concerning driving and to develop clear standards and expectations regarding driving-related behavior. A second session, at the time of licensure, was designed to help parents and teens develop a written contract that stated family expectations, a plan for monitoring compliance with these expectations, and consequences for compliance or non-compliance. Consistent with the study's group-randomized design, intervention effects were assessed with multi-level logistic regression models in which students were grouped by their original school assignment. These models assessed specific effects of the driving sessions by adjusting for control variables measured when students were in 8th grade, prior to the driving sessions. Results indicated that students in the intervention group were more likely than students in the control group to report that they had a written driving contract (p = .003, OR = 4.98), and had participated in making the driving rules in the family (p = .025, OR = 1.70). Further, students in the intervention group reported significantly fewer risky behaviors including driving under the influence of alcohol (p = .021, OR = .45) and driving with someone who had been drinking (p = .038, OR = .56).
Three-dimensional movements and swimming activity of a northern elephant seal.

Abstract We attached a video system and data recorder to a northern elephant seal to track its three-dimensional movements and observe propulsive strokes of the hind flippers. During 6 h of recording, the seal made 20 dives and spent 90% of the time submerged. Average dive duration, maximum depth and swimming speed were 14.9 min±6.1 S.D., 289 m±117 S.D. and 1.1 m s −1 ±0.12 S.D., respectively. The distance swum during a dive averaged 925 m±339 S.D., and the average descent and ascent angles were 41°±18 S.D. and 50°±21 S.D., respectively. Dive paths were remarkably straight suggesting that the seal was navigating while submerged. We identified three modes of swimming based on the interval between propulsive strokes: continuous stroking; stroke-and-glide swimming; and prolonged gliding. The seal used continuous stroking from the surface to a mean depth of 20 m followed by stroke-and-glide swimming. Prolonged gliding started at a mean depth of 60 m and continued to the bottom of dives. For dives to depths of 300 m or more, 75% of the descent time was spent in prolonged gliding and 10% in stroke-and-glide swimming, amounting to 5.9–9.6 min of passive descent per dive. Average swimming speed varied little with swimming mode and was not a good indicator of propulsive effort. It appears that the seal can use prolonged gliding to reduce the cost of transport and increase dive duration. Energetically efficient locomotion may help explain the long and deep dives that routinely exceed the theoretical aerobic dive limit in this species.
Composition of pore water in lake sediments, research site B , Osage County, Oklahoma: Implications for lake water quality and benthic organisms

Abstract Shallow ground water at US Geological Survey research site B in northeastern Oklahoma is contaminated with NaCl-rich brine from past and present oil production operations. Contaminated ground water provides a potential source of salts, metals, and hydrocarbons to sediment and water of adjacent Skiatook Lake. A former brine storage pit 10 m in diameter that is now submerged just offshore from site B provides an additional source of contamination. Cores of the upper 16–40 cm of lake sediment were taken at the submerged brine pit, near an offshore saline seep, and at a location containing relatively uncontaminated lake sediment. Pore waters from each 2-cm interval were separated by centrifugation and analyzed for dissolved anions, cations, and trace elements. High concentrations of dissolved Cl− in pore waters (200–5000 mg/L) provide the most direct evidence of contamination, and contrast sharply with an average value of only about 37 mg/L in Skiatook Lake. Chloride/Br− mass ratios of 220–240 in contaminated pore waters are comparable to values in contaminated well waters collected onshore. Dissolved concentrations of Se, Pb, Cu and Ni in Cl−-rich pore waters exceed current US Environmental Protection Agency criteria for probable toxicity to aquatic life. At the submerged brine storage pit, the increase of Cl− concentration with depth is consistent with diffusion-dominant transport from deeper contaminated sediments. Near the offshore saline seep, pore water Cl− concentrations are consistently high and vary irregularly with depth, indicating probable Cl− transport by layer-directed advective flow. Estimated annual contributions of Cl− to the lake from the brine storage pit (∼20 kg) and the offshore seep (∼9 kg) can be applied to any number of similar sources. Generous estimates of the number of such sources at site B indicate minimal impact on water quality in the local inlet of Skiatook Lake. Similar methodologies can be applied at other sites of NaCl contamination surrounding Skiatook Lake and elsewhere.
The Papillomavirus E1 Helicase Activates a Cellular DNA Damage Response in Viral Replication Foci

The papillomavirus E1 and E2 proteins are essential for viral genome replication. E1 is a helicase that unwinds the viral origin and recruits host cellular factors to replicate the viral genome. E2 is a transcriptional regulator that helps recruit the E1 helicase to the origin and also plays a role in genome partitioning. We find that when coexpressed, the E1 and E2 proteins from several papillomavirus types localize to defined nuclear foci and result in growth suppression of the host cells. Growth suppression was due primarily to E1 protein function, and nuclear expression of E1 was accompanied by activation of a DNA damage response, resulting in phosphorylation of ATM, Chk2, and H2AX. Growth suppression and ATM activation required the ATPase and origin-specific binding functions of the E1 protein and resulted in active DNA repair, as evidenced by incorporation of nucleotide analogs and detection of free DNA ends. In the presence of the E2 protein, these activities became localized to nuclear foci. We postulate that these foci represent viral replication factories and that a cellular DNA damage response is activated to facilitate replication of viral DNA.
Material Properties of the Post-Mortem Stomach in High-Rate Equibiaxial Elongation

Risk of serious abdominal injury in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) is substantially reduced with the proper use of seatbelts [1]. However, a significant increase in occurrence of gastrointestinal tract injury exists with belt loading [2]. Crash-induced injuries of the stomach that occur in MVCs include gastric rupture and laceration [3]. To characterize the biomechanical response of the stomach associated with these failure modes, the multidirectional failure properties of cruciate tissue samples were investigated with high-rate biaxial stretch.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Left vagal nerve stimulation in children with medically refractory epilepsy

Abstract Objective: To assess the use of intermittent left vagal nerve stimulation in a large population of children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Study design: Sixty children who were entered into controlled or compassionate use protocols of left vagal nerve stimulation all had been monitored for at least 3 months after their left vagal nerve stimulators were activated. Results: The age range was 3½ to 18 years (median 15 years). Sixteen of these 60 patients were younger than 12 years. Fifty-seven percent of the patients had partial complex seizures, and generalized tonic clonic seizures occurred in 27%. After 3 months of intermittent stimulation of the left vagal nerve, a median reduction in seizure frequency of 23% occurred in 60 patients. At 6 months the median reduction was 31% in 55 patients, at 12 months 34% in 51 patients, and at 18 months 42% in 46 patients. Improvement was not associated with any seizure type or seizure cause. Adverse events during stimulation included fever, coughing, colds, and voice alteration. None of these necessitated cessation of stimulation. Complications included aspiration pneumonia and necrosis of skin overlying the generator. Conclusions: Intermittent stimulation of the left vagal nerve appears to be a safe, adjunctive therapy for the treatment of children with epilepsy intractable to available antiepileptic drugs. The reduction in seizure frequency in children was similar to that reported in adults. (J Pediatr 1999;134:563-6)