cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurotransmitters as ion shuttles in regulation of neural activity.

Abstract A molecular framework is described within which a single neural cell can modulate its excitability, or the quantity of transmitter released upon stimulation, in relationship to past stimulation. The key elements in this regulating system are complexation in the synaptic area by the transmitter molecule with extracellular ions, interaction of the complexed transmitter with the presynaptic receptor, possibly followed by reuptake of complexed transmitter. A number of mechanisms are suggested by which the transmitter/metal ion complex can regulate cellular function. Calculations are made to estimate the possible degree of change in the interior calcium concentration of a catecholaminergic cell by a calcium ion complex formed in the synapse. Experimental evidence is cited, which (a) documents the existence in the catecholaminergic cell of the necessary machinery for a calcium-ion-regulated cell-use registry device. (b) supports the hypothesis that catecholamines transport metal ions in neural systems, and (c) indicates that the ionic shuttle function of neurotransmitters plays a significant, but not exclusive, role in the transport of calcium. Calcium transported in this manner may be uniquely distinguishable from that derived from other sources of intracellular calcium in its temporal or spatial distribution. The existing evidence is discussed and rationalized with respect to the hypothesis that one of the chief presynaptic functions of many neurotransmitters is to feedback regulate cell function by performance as an ion shuttle.
William Werpehowski, American Protestant Ethics and the Legacy of H. Richard Niebuhr

Book reviewed in this article: William Werpehowski, American Protestant Ethics and the Legacy of H. Richard Niebuhr
Histamine-induced depression of serotoninergic dorsal raphe neurons: antagonism by cimetidine, a reevaluation

Microiontophoretic application of the histamine H2-receptor antagonist cimetidine selectively attenuated the histamine-induced, but not the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-induced, depression of serotoninergic cells recorded in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat. These data support the view that an H2-receptor mediates the effects of histamine on these serotoninergic neurons. We also now ascribe a previous report of GABA-like properties of cimetidine and metiamide to an impurity in the lots of these compounds used originally.
LASALITE, Na2Mg2[V10O28]· 20H2O, A NEW DECAVANADATE MINERAL SPECIES FROM THE VANADIUM QUEEN MINE, LA SAL DISTRICT, UTAH: DESCRIPTION, ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT, AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE PASCOITE GROUP OF MINERALS

Lasalite, Na 2 Mg 2 [V 10 O 28 ] ·20H 2 O, is a new mineral species from the Vanadium Queen mine, La Sal District, Utah, U.S.A.; the mineral is named after the mining district in which it was discovered. Lasalite occurs in efflorescences on the sandstone walls of the mine workings and in fractures in the sandstone. The mineral forms by oxidation of the primary vanadium oxide bronze phase (corvusite) by vadose water and reaction with dolomite and calcite cement of the host sandstone. Lasalite is yellow to yellow-orange with a yellow streak, and transparent with an adamantine luster. The Mohs hardness is 1; crystals are very brittle and shatter with the slightest pressure. No cleavage was observed. The density, measured with a Berman balance using an 8.4 mg sample, is 2.38(2) g/cm 3 , and the calculated density is 2.362 g/cm 3 , using the empirical formula. Lasalite crystallizes as blocky crystals elongate parallel to [010] to massive crusts of rounded crystals, up to 1–2 mm in diameter. On euhedral crystals, the forms present are {100}, {010}, {001}, {111} and {111}. Twinning has not been observed. Lasalite dehydrates rapidly under the electron beam and is soluble in water. Therefore, the chemical analysis was performed by wet-chemistry methods, yielding (oxide, wt.%) Na 2 O 4.06, MgO 5.42, CaO 1.75, K 2 O 0.47, V 2 O 5 61.85, SO 3 2.55, H 2 O (difference) 23.88. The analyses yield the empirical formula (Na 1.84 Ca 0.44 K 0.14 ) ∑2.42 Mg 1.89 (V 9.55 S 0.45 ) ∑10.00 O 28.55 ·18.61H 2 O (formula basis: V + S = 10 apfu ); on the basis of the crystal structure, the ideal formula is Na 2 Mg 2 [V 10 O 28 ] ·20H 2 O. The 2 V x for this optically negative biaxial mineral was determined at three wavelengths, 550 nm: 32(1)°, 589 nm: 43(1)°, and 650 nm: 53(1)°; lasalite thus exhibits strong r > v dispersion. The pleochroic formula is X light greenish yellow, Y light yellow, Z light brown. The indices of refraction are: α 1.743(5), β 1.773(5), γ 1.780(5) (at 589 nm). Lasalite is monoclinic, C 2/ c , with a 23.9019(7), b 10.9993(3), c 17.0504(5) A, β 118.284(1)°. The structure was determined using direct methods and three-dimensional X-ray-diffraction data measured with a CCD detector and refined to R = 0.0289. The mineral is a member of the pascoite group of minerals, which have a structural unit containing the [V 10 O 28 ] 6− decavanadate polyanion. In lasalite, the fully hydrated interstitial group has a composition of {Na 2 Mg 2 (H 2 O) 20 } 6+ . The interstitial unit is formed of Mg(OH 2 ) 6 octahedra and seven-coordinated Na atoms that occur in a [Na 2 O 6 (OH2) 6 ] dimer. The Na-complex dimer of the interstitial unit links to the structural unit by hydrogen bonding and by sharing oxygen atoms with the decavanadate group, whereas the Mg(OH 2 ) 6 shares none of its oxygen with any other polyhedron, bonding to the structural unit only through hydrogen bonding.
Stochastic analysis of multiserver systems

This paper presents an overview of research in the stochastic analysis of multiserver systems, where scheduling often play a critical role. Our primary focus is on the stochastic analysis and optimization of multiserver systems in general, since most of this research directly investigates scheduling issues and all of this research provides the methods and results that have been and will continue to be used to study existing and future multiserver scheduling issues.
Anterior uveitis and multiple sclerosis.

Three patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and uveitis were studied. The uveitis presented as inflammation of the anterior segment of the eye (iridocyclitis) and was characterized by large keratic precipitates and posterior synechiae, consistent with a granulomatous iridocyclitis. Clinical and laboratory evidence militated against other central nervous system diseases often associated with uveitis including neurosarcoidosis, Behcet's syndrome, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, neurosyphilis, and tuberculosis. Further attention should be directed to the possibility of granulomatous anterior uveitis in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Parental assessments of internalizing and externalizing behavior and executive function in children with primary hypertension.

Objective To determine the relations between hypertension and parental ratings of behavior and executive functions in children with primary hypertension and to examine the potential moderating influence of obesity. Study design Hypertensive and normotensive control groups were matched for age, sex, race, intelligence quotient, maternal education, household income, and obesity. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess Internalizing and Externalizing problems and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess behavioral correlates of executive function. Results Thirty-two hypertensive subjects and 32 normotensive control subjects (aged 10 to 18 years) were enrolled. On the Child Behavior Checklist, hypertensives had higher Internalizing T-scores (53 vs 44.5, P = .02) with 37% falling within the clinically significant range vs 6% of control subjects (P = .005). Internalizing score increased with increasing body mass index percentile in hypertensive but not normotensive subjects. Hypertensives had worse Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function Global Executive Composite T-scores compared with control subjects (50 vs 43, P = .009). Conclusions Children with both hypertension and obesity demonstrate higher rates of clinically significant internalizing problems, and hypertensives (irrespective of obesity) demonstrate lower parental ratings of executive function compared with normotensive control subjects.
Epicardial surface dynamics in the closed-chest normal canine

Abstract Past studies of the changing three-dimensional shape of the heart in the closed chest during the cardiac cycle have been restricted to the measurement of local deformations at a relatively few specific locations, and often have required surgical procedures that alter the measurements obtained. In the study reported here, high precision displacement and velocity measurements were obtained at the epicardial interface using a Compton backscatter imaging technique that does not require a surgical intervention or contrast injections. Displacement and velocity measurements were obtained at more than 200 locations at the epicardial interface at 13 ms intervals throughout the cardiac cycle. Measurements of the changing shape of the heart during the cardiac cycle with this technique are precise to 0.1 mm (S.D.). Displacement and velocity patterns recorded in this study confirm and integrate the studies of many others and also add new information. An unexpected vigorous inward motion of both the LV (39 mms −1 ) and RV (26 mms −1 ) surfaces during isovolumic relaxation and early rapid refill is demonstrated. Velocities during this period equal or exceed those that occur during ejection. During ejection, inward LV motion at the base of the heart precedes that at the apex by 80–90 ms. Posterior LV displacements and velocities during ejection are 4–6 times greater than those at the anterior and apex. The Compton backscatter imaging technique for obtaining undisturbed measurements of cardiac dynamics in the closed chest has potential as a non-invasive clinical tool for serial studies of cardiac surface motion abnormalities. The data presented can also be used to set surface boundary conditions for biomechanical models of heart deformation.
Translocation, breakage and truncated transcripts of c-myc oncogene in murine plasmacytomas

Comparative nucleotide sequence analysis of a rearranged c-myc gene in a murine plasmacytoma and c-myc cDNA from normal spleen reveals that chromosomal translocation in the plasmacytoma breaks the c-myc gene within the first exon or intron. In the plasmacytoma truncated c-myc RNAs initiate from newly exposed promoter sites. Nevertheless, the myc polypeptide produced in the plasmacytoma is probably the same as that from the intact c-myc gene because the exon lost by breakage and translocation is non-coding. The second and third exons of the mouse c-myc gene are substantially conserved in the v-myc gene of the avian retrovirus, MC29.
Devonian in situ spores: a survey and discussion

Abstract Current information about in situ spores of Devonian plants is discussed and summarized. Spores are known from sporangia of about 40 species and 30 genera of Devonian plants and compare in morphology to approximately 17 genera of dispersed spores. While many gaps in our knowledge of in situ Devonian spores exist, those of some plant groups (e.g. trimerophytes) are now well characterized and some directions for future investigations can be discerned.
Infrared spectroscopic studies on metal carbonyl compounds VIII. Determination of the C-O stretching force constants of some trigonal bipyramidal complexes of the type RM(CO)4: Cobalt carbonyl hydride, methylcobalt tetracarbonyl, and triphenylphosphineiron tetracabonyl

Abstract A method has been elaborated, based on the Cotton-Kraihanzel force field, which enables the calculation of the C-O stretching force constants of metal carbonyl types having two different sets of CO ligands. The entire region of mathematically allowed results is simply obtained and represented graphically as the function of a parameter «cosβ». The details of the calculations are given for the trigonal bipyramidal compounds of the type RM(CO) 4 . Equations expressing the relations between this parameter on the one hand, and F matrix elements, valence force constants, relative amplitudes, coefficients of the normal coordinates, and declination angles of the equatorial ligands on the other hand are presented. C-O stretching force constants, interaction constants, and equatorial declination angles are given for HCo(CO) 4 , CH;Co(CO) 4 , and (Ph 3 P)Fe(CO) 4 .
Sex differences in factors affecting the daily variation of blood pressure

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the life experiences described by postural, situational, and emotional changes during the day have similar effects on the blood pressure of men and women. The subjects of the study were 137 men and 67 women from the clinical population of the Hypertension Center at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. There were 3023 individual pressure measurements available for study, 2072 from the men, and 951 from the women, which were taken using noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring techniques. Pressures were transformed to z-scores using the subject's daily mean pressure and standard deviation to assess the relative elevation during the various effects. Separate but identical ANOVA models were run for each sex. The results show that there were differences between men and women in the parameters associated with the level of systolic and diastolic pressure. Men's systolic pressure varied by situation of measurement (P <0.0001) and emotional state (P <0.0001), while that of women varied by posture (P <0.0005) and situation of measurement (P <0.0001). The diastolic pressure of men varied by emotional state as did that of women, except that men's diastolic pressure tended to be highest during reported anger while that of women tended to be highest during reported anxiety. Differences in occupation or environment, hormones, or in behavioral patterns related to the socialization process may all contribute to the differences between the sexes. While there are limitations with regard to the interpretation of the data, the findings are consistent with the concept that both the factors which influence blood pressure variation and the degree of variation associated with these factors are different between the sexes.
Sudden death risk in overt coronary heart disease: The Framingham Study

Over 30 years of surveillance of 5127 subjects free of CHD, 760 men and 574 women developed overt CHD, and there were 160 sudden deaths in men and 73 in women. Among those who sustained clinically manifest CHD, the sudden death risk was increased 6.7 times that of those without an interim event. Although the relative risk was comparable in the two sexes, CHD did not eliminate the female advantage over men. Myocardial infarction imposed a greater sudden death risk than angina pectoris, and silent infarctions were as dangerous as symptomatic infarctions. Onset of CHD put young and old at equal risk of sudden death. Some 40% of sudden deaths occurred in the 4% of the general population with overt CHD. The proportion of coronary attacks presenting as sudden death increased from 13% at ages 35 to 64 years to 20% at ages 65 to 94 years. The fraction of CHD deaths classified as sudden deaths was lower in those with than without interim CHD. In those with established CHD, factors reflecting ischemic myocardial damage and cardiac failure were the chief predictors of sudden death. The proportion of CHD deaths presenting as sudden deaths has not declined in subjects with prior CHD over three decades, despite a national decline in the overall CHD mortality rate.
Effects of pantothenic acid and its analogs in radiation injury by P32.

SummaryA significant protection against the injurious effects of P32 was observed by the administration of pantothenic acid to mice on a deficient diet. Pantoyltaurine was almost as effective in this respect as the natural vitamin.ω-methyl pantothenate was totally ineffective.
The role of Glauber exchange in soft collinear effective theory and the Balitsky–Fadin–Kuraev–Lipatov Equation

Abstract In soft collinear effective theory (SCET) the interaction between high energy quarks moving in opposite directions involving momentum transfer much smaller than the center-of-mass energy is described by the Glauber interaction operator which has two-dimensional Coulomb-like behavior. Here, we determine this n – n ¯ collinear Glauber interaction operator and consider its renormalization properties at one loop. At this order a rapidity divergence appears which gives rise to an infrared divergent (IR) rapidity anomalous dimension commonly called the gluon Regge trajectory. We then go on to consider the forward quark scattering cross section in SCET. The emission of real soft gluons from the Glauber interaction gives rise to the Lipatov vertex. Squaring and adding the real and virtual amplitudes results in a cancelation of IR divergences, however the rapidity divergence remains. We introduce a rapidity counter-term to cancel the rapidity divergence, and derive a rapidity renormalization group equation which is the Balitsky–Fadin–Kuraev–Lipatov Equation. This connects Glauber interactions with the emergence of Regge behavior in SCET.
Quantitative Analysis of Variability and Uncertainty with Known Measurement Error: Methodology and Case Study

The appearance of measurement error in exposure and risk factor data potentially affects any inferences regarding variability and uncertainty because the distribution representing the observed data set deviates from the distribution that represents an error-free data set. A methodology for improving the characterization of variability and uncertainty with known measurement errors in data is demonstrated in this article based on an observed data set, known measurement error, and a measurement-error model. A practical method for constructing an error-free data set is presented and a numerical method based upon bootstrap pairs, incorporating two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation, is introduced to address uncertainty arising from measurement error in selected statistics. When measurement error is a large source of uncertainty, substantial differences between the distribution representing variability of the observed data set and the distribution representing variability of the error-free data set will occur. Furthermore, the shape and range of the probability bands for uncertainty differ between the observed and error-free data set. Failure to separately characterize contributions from random sampling error and measurement error will lead to bias in the variability and uncertainty estimates. However, a key finding is that total uncertainty in mean can be properly quantified even if measurement and random sampling errors cannot be separated. An empirical case study is used to illustrate the application of the methodology.
Myocardial blood flow during exercise in dogs with left ventricular hypertrophy produced by aortic banding and perinephritic hypertension.

This study tested the hypothesis that for similar degrees of left ventricular hypertrophy, subendocardial blood flow would be facilitated by the increased diastolic coronary perfusion pressure associated with arterial hypertension, as compared with hypertrophy produced by banding the ascending aorta. Left ventricular hypertrophy was produced with perinephritic hypertension in seven adult dogs and by banding the ascending aorta in nine adult dogs. Left ventricular/body weight ratios were 6.15 +/- 0.59 g/kg in the hypertensive animals and 6.87 +/- 0.47 g/kg in dogs with aortic banding, as compared with 4.23 +/- 0.23 g/kg in seven normal dogs (p less than .01). Studies were performed at rest and during two stages of treadmill exercise to achieve heart rates of 195 and 260 beats/min. Diastolic aortic pressure was increased in animals with hypertension but not in dogs with aortic banding. Systolic ejection period was prolonged in dogs with aortic banding but not in hypertensive dogs. Mean blood flow per gram of myocardium measured with microspheres was similar at rest and during light exercise in all three groups of animals, whereas during heavy exercise blood flow was significantly greater than normal in both groups with hypertrophy. In normal dogs subendocardial/subepicardial (endo/epi) flow ratios did not change significantly during exercise. In both groups with hypertrophy, endo/epi ratios were normal at rest but decreased significantly during exercise. During heavy exercise the endo/epi ratio decreased to 0.73 +/- 0.08 in dogs with aortic banding as compared with 1.07 +/- 0.12 in hypertensive dogs (p less than .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
UNIQUE SOLUTIONS OF SOLAR WIND MODELS WITH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY.

The solutions of a radially symmetrical solar wind model with thermal conductivity are discussed in the neighborhood of the loci of the critical points, called the critical line, and at infinity. It is shown that for constant mass and total energy flux the conditions at infinity are related uniquely to the conditions at the critical line. Furthermore the requirement that the solution is continuous and has the proper behavior at infinity will determine uniquely one specific point on the critical line through which the solution has to pass.
Complementary and alternative medicine in reducing radiation-induced skin toxicity

Radiation therapy-induced acute and late effects, particularly skin toxicities, have significant impact on cancer patients’ quality of life and long-term survival. To date, no effective topical agents have been routinely used in the clinical setting to prevent skin toxicity. Using SKH-hr1 hairless mice, we investigated two complementary and alternative medicine in their effects on inflammation and ionizing radiation (IR)-induced skin toxicity: Calendula officinalis (CO) and Ching Wan Hung (CWH). They were applied immediately following each IR dosing of 10 Gy/day for 4 days. Skin toxicity and inflammatory factors were evaluated at multiple time points up to 15 days post-radiation. Serum interleukin (IL)-1α, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1), keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were significantly induced by radiation. Both CO and CWH significantly inhibited IR-induced MCP1 (p < 0.01), KC (p < 0.05), and G-CSF (p < 0.001). IR-induced erythema and blood vessel dilation were significantly reduced by CWH (p < 0.001) but not by CO at day 10 post-IR. Both agents inhibited IR-induced IL-1α (p < 0.01), MCP1 (p < 0.05), and vascular endothelial growth factor (p < 0.05). There were continuous inhibitory effects of CWH on IR-induced skin toxicities and inflammation. In contrast, CO treatment resulted in skin reactions compared to IR alone. Our results suggest that both CO and CWH reduce IR-induced inflammation and CWH reduced IR-induced erythema. In summary, CWH showed promising effects in reducing IR-related inflammation and skin toxicities, and future proof-of-principal testing in humans will be critical in evaluating its potential application in preventing IR-induced skin toxicities.
Intracranial pressure during intubation and anesthesia in infants.

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Specific Detection and Identification of Xylella fastidiosa Strains Causing Oleander Leaf Scorch Using Polymerase Chain Reaction

A pair of PCR primers, QH-OLS05/QH-OLS08 specific for strains of Xylella fastidiosa causing oleander leaf scorch was developed. The primers were designed according to a DNA sequence of a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product unique to oleander strains. The PCR assay using primer pair QH-OLS05/QH-OLS08 allowed quick and simple detection and identification of oleander strains in cultured bacterium and infected plant samples. The assay also can be applied to insect samples. Specific detection and identification of oleander strains of X. fastidiosa by PCR is useful for epidemiologic and etiologic studies of oleander leaf scorch by identifying what plants and insect vectors harbor or carry this particular strain of X. fastidiosa, especially in locations where mixed natural infections by oleander and other strains of X. fastidiosa occur.
Chemokines, a Family of Chemotactic Cytokines

Chemokines are low-molecular-weight proteins that stimulate recruitment of leukocytes. They are secondary proinflammatory mediators that are induced by primary pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-I (IL-1) or tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The physiologic importance of this family of mediators is derived from their specificity. Unlike the classic leukocyte chemo-attractants, which have little specificity, members of the chemokine family induce recruitment of well-defined leukocyte subsets. Thus, chemokine expression can account for the presence of different types of leukocytes observed in various normal or pathologic states. There are two major chemokine sub-families based upon the position of cysteine residues, i . e.,CXC and CC. All members of the CXC chemokine sub-family have an intervening amino acid between the first two cysteines; members of the CC chemokine sub-family have two adjacent cysteines. As a general rule (with some notable exceptions), members of the CXC chemokines are chemotactic...
Developmental Screening Referrals: Child and Family Factors that Predict Referral Completion.

This study researched the predictive impact of developmental screening results and the effects of child and family characteristics on completion of referrals given for evaluation. Logistical and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used to determine the significance of 10 independent variables on the predictor variable. The number of concerns was the most significant variable in predicting screening referral outcomes. Health concerns noted in child screening results were highly predictive of having no referral evaluation completed. Social-emotional concerns had a less striking but consistently negative relationship with referral completion. Speech-language delays and developmental concerns were not significant predictors. Being female and White were strong predictors of completed referrals. The findings have implications for the timing of referrals for children’s atypical screening results and underscore the importance of follow-up in developmental screening referrals made for children with mult...
Nonlinear system identification and control of a reactive ion etcher

This paper presents experimental results on empirical nonlinear models (of the Hammerstein type) for a reactive ion etcher. A nonlinear tracking controller design based on the nonlinear model was implemented. Experimental data on the performance of the control system is also included.
Ascorbic acid determination with an automated enzymatic procedure

Given the widespread interest in antioxidant nutrients, we have developed a new procedure that will permit the automated determination of plasma ascorbic acid (AA) concentration with a Roche Fara centrifugal analyzer. After the deproteinization of plasma with metaphosphoric acid, AA is oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid by AA oxidase. The product is coupled to o-phenylenediamine to produce a chromophore for which the absorbance is measured at 340 nm. The procedure allows much faster throughput than conventional HPLC methods while yielding results that correlate well and provide improved precision. Linearity extends beyond the reference range of 26.1-84.6 micromol/L, and severe hemolysis is the only interference identified.
Spatial and temporal assessment of pollen- and seed-mediated gene flow from genetically engineered plum Prunus domestica.

Pollen flow from a 0.46 ha plot of genetically engineered (GE) Prunus domestica located in West Virginia, USA was evaluated from 2000–2010. Sentinel plum trees were planted at distances ranging from 132 to 854 m from the center of the GE orchard. Plots of mixed plum varieties and seedlings were located at 384, 484 and 998 m from the GE plot. Bee hives (Apis mellifera) were dispersed between the GE plum plot and the pollen flow monitoring sites. Pollen-mediated gene flow from out of the GE plum plot to non-GE plums under the study conditions was low, only occurring at all in 4 of 11 years and then in only 0.31% of the 12,116 seeds analyzed. When it occurred, gene flow, calculated as the number of GUS positive embryos/total embryos sampled, ranged from 0.215% at 132 m from the center of the GE plum plot (28 m from the nearest GE plum tree) to 0.033–0.017% at longer distances (384–998 m). Based on the percentage of GUS positive seeds per individual sampled tree the range was 0.4% to 12%. Within the GE field plot, gene flow ranged from 4.9 to 39%. Gene flow was related to distance and environmental conditions. A single year sample from a sentinel plot 132 m from the center of the GE plot accounted for 65% of the total 11-year gene flow. Spatial modeling indicated that gene flow dramatically decreased at distances over 400 m from the GE plot. Air temperature and rainfall were, respectively, positively and negatively correlated with gene flow, reflecting the effects of weather conditions on insect pollinator activity. Seed-mediated gene flow was not detected. These results support the feasibility of coexistence of GE and non-GE plum orchards.
Feasibility of extracting lead from lead battery recycling site soil using high‐concentration chloride solutions

This paper describes research on a technique for removing lead from soil using 4 -6 M chloride solutions at pH 4. Two soils we re studied in this work: (1) a high-silt, highclay, lead battery recycling site (LBRS) soil and (2) a highsand LBRS soil. Testing determined that a batch-extraction process using chloride solutions reduced the lead in the high-silt, high-clay soil from 67,400 to 1,500–2,000 mg/kg and in the high-sand soil from 14,400 to 600 mg/kg. Both treated soils passed the EPA's Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure test. In addition, concentrated chloride solutions we re as effective as both EDTA and HCl at removing lead from the high-silt, high-clay soil. The ability of chloride solutions to remove lead as efficiently as EDTA while providing easy recovery of the chloride-complexed lead illustrates the viability of the process.
Micromachining Techniques for Realization of Three-Dimensional Microelectrode Arrays

Cellular function and response has been a significant subject of human fascination since time immemorial and a major field of study that has improved understanding of the mechanics of the human body. Specifically the functioning of electrogenic or electrically active cells is of particular interest as these cells control several important physiological functions such as visualization, locomotion, and activities of key organs such as the brain, heart, eyes, ears, and spinal cord. Advances in both engineering (including microelectronics, signal processing, microelectronic and biomedical packaging techniques, and micromachining technologies) and biology (including electrophysiology, neuroscience, cardiology, etc.) have contributed toward a better understanding of this field by introducing instrumentation capable of interfacing with cells and tissue. This chapter summarizes the technological achievements in the development of one such instrument which has been fundamental toward electrical interfacing with biological constructs—three-dimensional microelectrode arrays (3-D MEAs), also called 3-D multielectrode arrays or 3-D micromachined probes. These electrode arrays are utilized in stimulating and recording applications both in vitro (outside the body) and in vivo (within the body) from neural tissue, neural cultures, neuromuscular tissue, cardiac tissue, cardiac cultures, 3-D cocultures of electrically active cells, stem cell cultures, and cultured networks of various electrically active cells (e.g., retinal cells).
A self-learning worm using importance scanning

The use of side information by an attacker can help a worm speed up the propagation. This philosophy has been the basis for advanced worm scanning mechanisms such as hitlist scanning, routable scanning, and importance scanning. Some of these scanning methods use information on vulnerable hosts. Such information, however, may not be easy to collect before a worm is released. Questions then arise whether and how a worm can self-learn and use such information while propagating, and how virulent the resulting worm may be. In this paper, we design a self-learning worm using importance scanning. An optimal yet practical importance-scanning strategy is derived based on a new metric. A self-learning worm is demonstrated to have the ability to accurately estimate the underlying vulnerable-host distribution if a sufficient number of infected hosts are observed. Experimental results based on parameters chosen from Code Red show that after accurately estimating the distribution of vulnerable hosts, a self-learning worm can spread much faster than a random-scanning worm, a permutation-scanning worm, and a Class A routing worm. Some guidelines for detecting and defending against such self learning worms are also discussed.
A distributed transaction facility for design task management

The authors describe the design task model and its prototypical implementation on Sprite. The design task manager can exploit the process-level parallelism within a task by running independent steps in parallel on a network of workstations. The authors present the mechanisms through which the task manager implements parallelism extraction, remigration, and atomicity guarantees. The task manager also records the operation history of an individual task. When a task is completed, its history record is passed to the activity manager of Papyrus, a design process manager developed in Berkeley. >
The 2011 Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program

This year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the initial stages of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Incentive Programs, which will financially reward physicians and hospitals for the “meaningful use” of EHR technology. With these programs, providers are eligible to earn up to $44,000 over 5 years in the Medicare program or $63,750 over 6 years in the Medicaid program. Starting in 2015, providers who do not use EHRs will be subject to penalties through the Medicare program. The total incentive payment awarded to an eligible provider (EP) or a hospital depends on the year in which they first qualify for one of the programs (see Table 1 for the Medicare program payments).
Refugees in the UK labour market: The conflict between economic integration and policy-led labour market restriction

This article draws on data from a survey of 400 refugees and shows low levels of labour market activity. The minority of refugees who are working are in secondary sector jobs with little opportunity for progression.Moreover, refugees with high levels of skills who are working are not in jobs commensurate with their skills and qualifications. The article examines the human capacity and personal characteristics that have an impact on refugee employment, and finds the greatest difference in employment is between men and women, although English language fluency and training are also very important. Employment is a major part of the refugee integration strategy, and employment initiatives focus on capacity- uilding rather than discrimination or reversing restrictive policies. The article concludes that strategies need to focus on individual employability as well as measures to overcome personal and structural barriers to the labour market.
A note on anti-plane shear for compressible materials in finite elastostatics

This note gives a necessary and sufficient condition that a compressible, isotropic elastic material should admit non-trivial states of finite anti-plane shear.
Food Distribution and Food Stamp Program Effects on Food Consumption and Nutritional “Achievement” of Low Income Persons in Kern County, California

Participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Distribution Program received more food than they would have purchased with food stamps in the market. These participants had slightly higher achievement ratios for some specific nutrients, such as protein, iron, and thiamine, than did nonparticipants. Food stamp recipients also had somewhat similar gains in nutrients, while spending a lower percentage of money income on food than nonparticipants.
Organizational Commitment and Employees' Performance Ratings: Both Type of Commitment and Type of Performance Count

This study, conducted in a Fortune 500 manufacturing organization, examined the relationship between employees' commitment and performance. Several months after 85 employees' affective and continuance commitment had been measured, their global job performance and four specific performance facets were rated by their supervisors. Affective commitment was related to two performance facets but was unrelated to the other two facets. Continuance commitment was unrelated to any of the performance facets. Neither type of commitment was related to global performance. Results were interpreted as suggesting that the link between organizational commitment and performance may depend on the extent to which motivation rather than ability underlies performance. These results, consistent with motivational frameworks offered by Vroom in 1964 and Katz and Kahn in 1978, also supported the distinction between affective and continuance commitment suggested by Meyer and Allen in 1991.
Involvement counts: Family and community partnerships and mathematics achievement

National and international studies have made student performance in mathematics a high priority in schools. Using longitudinal data from elementary and secondary schools, the authors examined the connections between specific family and community involvement activities and student achievement in mathematics at the school level. After the authors controlled for prior levels of mathematics achievement, analyses indicated that effective implementation of practices that encouraged families to support their children's mathematics learning at home was associated with higher percentages of students who scored at or above proficiency on standardized mathematics achievement tests. Findings suggest that subject-specific practices of school, family, and community partnerships may help educators improve students' mathematics skills and achievement.
Deformation Time-Series Generation in Areas Characterized by Large Displacement Dynamics: The SAR Amplitude Pixel-Offset SBAS Technique

We exploit the amplitude information of a sequence of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, acquired at different times, in order to generate displacement time-series in areas characterized by large and/or rapid deformation, the size of which is on the order of the image's pixel dimensions. We follow the same rationale of the Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) approach, by coupling the available SAR images into pairs characterized by a small separation between the acquisition orbits. We exploit the amplitudes of the selected image pairs in order to calculate the relative across-track (range) and along-track (azimuth) pixel-offsets (PO). Finally, we apply the SBAS inversion strategy to retrieve the range and azimuth displacement time-series. This approach, referred to as pixel-offset (PO-) SBAS technique, has been applied to a set of 25 ENVISAT SAR observations of the Sierra Negra caldera, Galapagos Islands, spanning the 2003-2007 time interval. The retrieved deformation time-series show the capability of the technique to detect and measure the large displacements affecting the inner part of the caldera that, in correspondence to the October 2005 eruption, reached several meters. Moreover, by comparing the PO-SBAS results to continuous GPS measurements, we estimate that the accuracy of the PO-SBAS time-series is on the order of 1/30th of a pixel for both range and azimuth directions.
Eviction of linker histone H1 by NAP-family histone chaperones enhances activated transcription

In the Metazoan nucleus, core histones assemble the genomic DNA to form nucleosome arrays, which are further compacted into dense chromatin structures by the linker histone H1. The extraordinary density of chromatin creates an obstacle for accessing the genetic information. Regulation of chromatin dynamics is therefore critical to cellular homeostasis, and histone chaperones serve as prominent players in these processes. In the current study, we examined the role of specific histone chaperones in negotiating the inherently repressive chromatin structure during transcriptional activation. Using a model promoter, we demonstrate that the human nucleosome assembly protein family members hNap1 and SET/Taf1β stimulate transcription in vitro during pre-initiation complex formation, prior to elongation. This stimulatory effect is dependent upon the presence of activators, p300, and Acetyl-CoA. We show that transcription from our chromatin template is strongly repressed by H1, and that both histone chaperones enhance RNA synthesis by overcoming H1-induced repression. Importantly, both hNap1 and SET/Taf1β directly bind H1, and function to enhance transcription by evicting the linker histone from chromatin reconstituted with H1. In vivo studies demonstrate that SET/Taf1β, but not hNap1, strongly stimulates activated transcription from the chromosomally-integrated model promoter, consistent with the observation that SET/Taf1β is nuclear, whereas hNap1 is primarily cytoplasmic. Together, these observations indicate that SET/Taf1β may serve as a critical regulator of H1 dynamics and gene activation in vivo. These studies uncover a novel function for SET that mechanistically couples transcriptional derepression with H1 dynamics. Furthermore, they underscore the significance of chaperone-dependent H1 displacement as an essential early step in the transition of a promoter from a dense chromatin state into one that is permissive to transcription factor binding and robust activation.
Regulation of rRNA Transcription Is Remarkably Robust: FIS Compensates for Altered Nucleoside Triphosphate Sensing by Mutant RNA Polymerases at Escherichia coli rrn P1 Promoters

We recently identified Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) mutants (RNAP beta' Delta215-220 and beta RH454) that form extremely unstable complexes with rRNA P1 (rrn P1) core promoters. The mutant RNAPs reduce transcription and alter growth rate-dependent regulation of rrn P1 core promoters, because the mutant RNAPs require higher concentrations of the initiating nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) for efficient transcription from these promoters than are present in vivo. Nevertheless, the mutants grow almost as well as wild-type cells, suggesting that rRNA synthesis is not greatly perturbed. We report here that the rrn transcription factor FIS activates the mutant RNAPs more strongly than wild-type RNAP, thereby compensating for the altered properties of the mutant RNAPs. FIS activates the mutant RNAPs, at least in part, by reducing the apparent K(ATP) for the initiating NTP. This and other results suggest that FIS affects a step in transcription initiation after closed-complex formation in addition to its stimulatory effect on initial RNAP binding. FIS and NTP levels increase with growth rate, suggesting that changing FIS concentrations, in conjunction with changing NTP concentrations, are responsible for growth rate-dependent regulation of rrn P1 transcription in the mutant strains. These results provide a dramatic demonstration of the interplay between regulatory mechanisms in rRNA transcription.
Outcomes of epilepsy surgery in adults and children

Summary Surgery is widely accepted as an effective therapy for selected individuals with medically refractory epilepsy. Numerous studies in the past 20 years have reported seizure freedom for at least 1 year in 53–84% of patients after anteromesial temporal lobe resections for mesial temporal lobe sclerosis, in 66–100% of patients with dual pathology, in 36–76% of patients with localised neocortical epilepsy, and in 43–79% of patients after hemispherectomies. Reported rates for non-resective surgery have been less impressive in terms of seizure freedom; however, the benefit is more apparent when reported in terms of significant seizure reductions. In this Review, we consider the outcomes of surgery in adults and children with epilepsy and review studies of neurological and cognitive sequelae, psychiatric and behavioural outcomes, and overall health-related quality of life.
Undermining Mexico's Dangerous Drug Cartels

Since President Felipe Calderon launched a military-led offensive against Mexico's powerful drug cartels in December 2006, some 42,000 people have perished. The situation is so bad that the Mexican government's authority in several portions of the country, especially along the border with the United States, is shaky, and the growing turbulence creates concerns that Mexico is in danger of becoming a failed state. Although such fears are excessive at this point, even that dire scenario can no longer be ruled out.U.S. political leaders and the American people also worry that Mexico's corruption and violence is seeping across the border into the United States. That danger is still fairly limited, but the trend is ominous. Both the number and severity of incidents along the border are rising.Experts propose several strategies for dealing with Mexico's drug violence. One suggestion is to apply the model used earlier to defeat the Colombian drug cartels. But the victory in Colombia is not as complete as proponents contend, and the situation in Mexico is far less favorable to using that strategy. Another suggested approach is to try to restore Mexico's status quo ante, in which the government largely looked the other way while drug traffickers sent their product to the United States. But too much has changed politically in Mexico for that approach, which would be only a temporary Band-Aid solution in any case.The only lasting, effective strategy is to defund the Mexican drug cartels. Reducing their billions of dollars in revenue requires the United States, as the principal consumer market for illegal drugs, to abandon its failed prohibition policy. That move would eliminate the lucrative black-market premium and greatly reduce the financial resources the cartels have available to bribe officials or hire enforcers to kill competitors and law enforcement personnel and intimidate the Mexican people. A refusal to abandon prohibition means that Mexico's agony will likely worsen and pose a significant security problem for the United States.