cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Escape of Lyα Emission in the Starburst Galaxy Markarian 357: a Wind’s Far Side*

Hubble Space Telescope imaging and slitless spectroscopy are used to examine where the strong Lyα emission escapes from the interstellar medium in the starburst galaxy Mrk 357. An Hα image shows that the ionized gas is mostly in a global wind, rather than associated with the individual star-forming regions seen in the optical and UV continuum. The Lyα emission comes predominantly from the northwest side of the wind structure spatially, and shows a significant redshift relative to the optical lines. Both of these properties are signatures of seeing the line photons backscattered from the far side of a prolate or bipolar starburst wind, fitting both with escape calculations and evidence for winds in high-redshift galaxies with net Lyα emission. Scattering is most important within this wind itself, rather than involving a surrounding neutral medium, as shown by the decreasing relative redshift of the line peak from 250 to ≈30 km s-1 between the center and edge of the detected emission. The Lyα emission exhibits strong asymmetry in comparison with both the starlight and Hα structures. These results add to the evidence that kinematics, rather than gas metallicity or dust content, are the dominant effect in determining which galaxies have strong Lyα emission, and that powerful (and perhaps episodic) starbursts are common among Lyman break galaxies as well as those discovered from Lyα line emission.
Radium and radon in Charlotte Harbor Estuary, Florida

Abstract Radium-226 and 222 Rn activities are greater in the estuarine waters of northern Charlotte Harbor and the lower tidal Peace and Myakka Rivers, Florida, than in either the freshwater reaches of the rivers or waters of the lower estuary and the Gulf of Mexico. The activity of 226 Ra in the tidal rivers increases with decreasing river inflow, with a maximum value of 548 dpm 1001 −1 measured in the tidal Myakka River. The source of the high activity of 226 Ra and 222 Rn is predominantly ground water inflow. Because of the large ground water input, the contribution of 226 Ra from suspended and bottom sediments is a smaller fraction of the total 226 Ra input than in many other estuaries. Although ground water 226 Ra activity in the area varies widely, we estimate that artesian ground water inflow to the tidal rivers is similar in magnitude to the flow of the rivers above the tidal reach during the dry season.
Dietary Quercetin Exacerbates the Development of Estrogen-Induced Breast Tumors in Female ACI Rats

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that structurally mimic the endogenous estrogen 17beta-estradiol (E(2)). Despite intense investigation, the net effect of phytoestrogen exposure on the breast remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of quercetin on E(2)-induced breast cancer in vivo. Female ACI rats were given quercetin (2.5 g/kg food) for 8 months. Animals were monitored weekly for palpable tumors, and at the end of the experiment, rats were euthanized, breast tumor and different tissues excised so that they could be examined for histopathologic changes, estrogen metabolic activity and oxidant stress. Quercetin alone did not induce mammary tumors in female ACI rats. However, in rats implanted with E(2) pellets, co-exposure to quercetin did not protect rats from E(2)-induced breast tumor development with 100% of the animals developing breast tumors within 8 months of treatment. No changes in serum quercetin levels were observed in quercetin and quercetin+E(2)-treated groups at the end of the experiment. Tumor latency was significantly decreased among rats from the quercetin+E(2) group relative to those in the E(2) group. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity was significantly downregulated in quercetin-exposed mammary tissue. Analysis of 8-isoprostane F(2alpha) (8-iso-PGF(2alpha)) levels as a marker of oxidant stress showed that quercetin did not decrease E(2)-induced oxidant stress. These results indicate that quercetin (2.5 g/kg food) does not confer protection against breast cancer, does not inhibit E(2)-induced oxidant stress and may exacerbate breast carcinogenesis in E(2)-treated ACI rats. Inhibition of COMT activity by quercetin may expose breast cells chronically to E(2) and catechol estrogens. This would permit longer exposure times to the carcinogenic metabolites of E(2) and chronic exposure to oxidant stress as a result of metabolic redox cycling to estrogen metabolites, and thus quercetin may exacerbate E(2)-induced breast tumors in female ACI rats.
Late winter temperature response to large tropical volcanic eruptions in temperate western North America: Relationship to ENSO phases

Abstract February–March temperature reconstructions in western North America from 1500–1980 in the Common Era (CE) are used to evaluate, from a regional perspective, the hypothesis that radiative forcing by large tropical volcanic eruptions induces a tendency in the climate system towards an early post-event El Nino (EN) response followed by a delayed La Nina (LN) response. Post-event spatial composites using superposed epoch analysis (SEA) detect indications for an EN-like pattern in post-event Years 1–2; this result, however, is sensitive to the set of eruptions evaluated. Highly significant LN-like patterns are also observed for two eruptions during Year 1. In contrast, a clear and unique LN-like response is found in both evaluated eruption sets during Years 3–5; Year 3 in particular represents the time of strongest post-event response. No significant EN-like patterns occur during these years. The relative homogeneity of the SEA response for each post-event year is evaluated in terms of the ratio of the amplitude of the SEA composite to its standard deviation across the eruption events. In relation to the same metric determined from random-event-year SEAs, these signal-to-noise ratios are most highly significant in the portions of the domain with the strongest anomalies in Years 1–5, especially Year 3. The signal-to-noise ratios tend towards uniformly low and insignificant values beyond the first half-decade after the eruption, indicating generally reduced coherence across events. In relation to the larger-scale circulation, post-eruption 500mb February–March geopotential height composites from the 20th Century Reanalysis show ENSO-type features that are largely consistent with the SEA results from the primary eruption set during Year 1, but are inconsistent with the EN-like pattern exhibited by the second eruption set during Years 1–2. In Year 3, the pressure composite over North America and the adjacent Pacific and Atlantic is strongly LN-like, consistent with all SEA results; similarly, weakening coherence across events as time progresses beyond Year 3 is also consistent with more variable pressure composites noted after that time. The relatively robust character of the delayed LN-like response is evaluated in terms of the dynamic rebound of the climate system towards its initial energy balance as the radiative impact of immediate post-eruption aerosol cooling dissipates. The LN-like SEA temperature response in Years 3–5 exhibits a slight shift of its southern warm anomaly to the north and west relative to pure composite LN conditions, which is detected as a specifically post-eruption feature in the region.
A within‐subject analysis of valence models of job preference and anticipated satisfaction

The study reported in this paper tested hypotheses concerning the relationship between the individual's job valence perceptions and his perceptions of job preference and anticipated job satisfaction. Within-subject analysis was used to examine the predictive validity of five alternative forms of a valence model. Strong support was found for the traditional Vroomian valence model and several alternatives. No evidence was found suggesting the alternative models were superior to the Vroomian model. The predictive validities of the models were highest in the prediction of anticipated higher-order need satisfaction and lowest in the prediction of lower-order need satisfaction.
Physicochemical properties of the cytoplasmic triiodothyronine binding protein from tadpole liver and tail fin.

Abstract The sedimentation velocity, gel filtration properties and pattern of elution from ion exchange gels of the cytoplasmic triiodothyronine (T 3 ) binding protein from Rana catesbeiana liver and tail fin cytosol were determined. The T 3 binding protein in liver cytosol had a sedimentation coefficient of 4.4S on sucrose gradients and a Stokes radius from Sephadex gel filtration of 38.2 ± 4.2 A. From these two values a molecular weight of 71,700 ± 4100 and a frictional ratio of 1.28 ± 0.05 for the T 3 binding protein from tadpole liver has been calculated. The liver T 3 binding protein was eluted from DEAE-Sephadex gels at a salt concentration of 0.233 ± 0.017 M NaCl. The sedimentation coefficient, Stokes radius and salt requirement for elution from DEAE-Sephadex of the T 3 binding protein from tail fin cytosol were essentially identical (4.4S, 35.2 ± 4.2 A and 0.213 ± 0.015 M NaCl respectively). The calculated molecular weight is 66,100 ± 7900 and the frictional ratio is 1.21 ± 0.10 for the tail fin T 3 binding protein. The great similarity in the physicochemical properties of the T 3 binding protein from the liver and tail fin implies that the T 3 binding protein in each tissue is similar if not identical. The possible reason for the differences in the dissociation constants previously reported for the binding of T 3 in the two tissues is discussed.
Multi-antenna channel estimation for key establishment in rician propagation

This paper focuses on a recently-developed technique for maximizing the number of encryption key bits that can be established using multi-antenna estimation of the reciprocal multipath electromagnetic propagation channel. The analysis shows that for Rician channels with a strong line-of-sight component, the performance of the original technique is degraded. A modified approach is then proposed to allow effective key establishment over a broad range of propagation conditions.
Affect, agency and responsibility: The act of killing in the age of cyborgs

I explore the role of affect (rages and panics) and pre-cognitive reflexes in enabling killing in infantry combat. I examine Vietnam-era infantry training, which constructed a practical agent of killing which operated at an emergent group level, using the trained reflexes of individual soldiers as its components. I show that individual soldiers sometimes retrospectively took guilt upon themselves (a responsibility that is traditionally reserved for acts of individual conscious intention) even though the practical agent was the group activating the non-subjective reflexes of the individual soldiers. To explain this phenomenon, I explore proto-empathetic identification, which produces psychological trauma at the sight of the blood and guts of the killed enemy, despite the common practice of dehumanization of the enemy. I also examine cutting-edge digital and video simulator training for urban warfare of the “shoot/no shoot” type, which produces a very quick decision upon recognition of key traits of the situation—an act that is close to reflexive, but a bit more cognitively sophisticated. The same proto-empathetic identification and individual guilt assumption is in play in this training regime, even as the use of real-time communication technology forms ever more distributed group cognition.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Interphotoreceptor Matrix: Vectorial Secretion and Regulation

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) play an essential role in both normal and pathological extracellular matrix degradation, and a TIMP has been associated with at least one type of retinal degeneration. We have studied expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 by zymography, immunocytochemistry, and immunoblotting in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from normal, aged and diseased retinas. MMPs and TIMPs were found in the rat RPE, interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM), and in media conditioned by human and rat RPE in culture. In other polarized cells. MMPs and TIMP-2 are secreted vectorially towards the basal lamina. In the RPE, however, MMP-2 and TIMP-1 were secreted preferentially from the apical surface, the surface bordering the IPM. These findings provide new evidence that MMPs and TIMPs could play a role in the turnover of IPM components. Cell homogenates and conditioned media from RPE isolated from mutant Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats with inherited retinal dystrophy had similar amounts of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 as those from congenic control rats. The secretion of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 from RPE cell cultures isolated from young and aged human donors varied widely. However, with increasing cell passage number, secretion of MMPs and TIMPs from human RPE increased dramatically. Also, growing human RPE on bovine corneal endothelial cell-generated extracellular matrix instead of plastic reduced the secretion of both MMPs and TIMPs. These data suggest that the integrity of Bruch's membrane may serve to regulate RPE functions in MMP and TIMP secretion and that extracellular matrices contain signals that regulate MMP and TIMP synthesis and/or secretion by the RPE.
Use of iron(VI) and iron(V) in water and wastewater treatment

Fe(VI) (Fe VI O 4 2- ) and Fe(V) (Fe V O 4 3- ) have high oxidizing power, selectivity, and upon decomposition produce a non-toxic by-product, Fe(III), which makes them potential oxidants in water and wastewater treatment. Rates of oxidation increase with a decrease in pH and are related to protonation of Fe VI O 4 2- and Fe V O 4 3- . Oxidation of sulfur- nd nitrogen-containing pollutants by Fe(VI) can be accomplished in seconds to minutes with formation of non-hazardous products. Fe(VI) can easily oxidize the amino acid components of microcystins and is a suitable disinfectant for detoxifying toxins in water. The oxidation of pollutants and amino acids with Fe(V) is 3-5 orders of magnitude faster than with Fe(VI). The use of ionizing radiation and photocatalytic techniques in the presence of Fe(VI) results in Fe(V) formation and may have synergistic effects on the oxidation of pollutants and removal of toxins in water and wastewater. This paper summarizes the results of multi-functional properties of Fe(VI) and Fe(V) to treat water and wastewater.
MCS: A Method for Finding the Number of Clusters

This paper proposes a maximum clustering similarity (MCS) method for determining the number of clusters in a data set by studying the behavior of similarity indices comparing two (of several) clustering methods. The similarity between the two clusterings is calculated at the same number of clusters, using the indices of Rand (R), Fowlkes and Mallows (FM), and Kulczynski (K) each corrected for chance agreement. The number of clusters at which the index attains its maximum is a candidate for the optimal number of clusters. The proposed method is applied to simulated bivariate normal data, and further extended for use in circular data. Its performance is compared to the criteria discussed in Tibshirani, Walther, and Hastie (2001). The proposed method is not based on any distributional or data assumption which makes it widely applicable to any type of data that can be clustered using at least two clustering algorithms.
Sensory quality of French fries prepared from BelRus and Russet Burbank potatoes

Frozen par-fries were processed in January, February, and March using BelRus and Russet Burbank potatoes which were obtained from the same source and held under the same storage conditions. At each processing date, total solids of the raw tissue were determined and the par-fries were analyzed for fat content. Samples were finish-fried and presented to panels for evaluation of sensory qualities.
Santa Fe previews contributions of rock magnetism

Inspired by ideas from the first Santa Fe conference two years ago, geomagnetists reconvened in Santa Fe last June to consider how findings in rock magnetism could increase understanding in the fields of global climate change and geodynamics. The conference, entitled Remagnetization and Environmental Rock Magnetism: Clues to Records of Past Geodynamic and Global Change, was sponsored by the Institute for Rock Magnetism (IRM) in Minneapolis and funded in part by the Earth Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation. Following lead talks that emphasized connections between geomagnetism and other geoscientific disciplines, more than 50 participants from the United States and Canada took part in an extended free-form discussion that resulted in a lively and fertile exchange of ideas.
SU‐FF‐T‐43: A Simplified Framework for CT Simulation of Left Breast Patients Using Deep Inspiration Breath‐Hold (DIBH)

Purpose: We presented a simplified framework for deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) in AAPM 2006. This study presents the implementation of the framework for patient simulation using AcQSim CT simulator. Materials and methods: An aqua‐plastic mask band of 1.0–1.5in was made before simulation while the patient was instructed in DIBH for 30s or longer. The mask band was set near the umbilicus and the RPM marker box was set ∼1cm superior or inferior to the mask. The DIBH signal was also displayed on a monitor set close to patient, which was a duplicate display of patient's signal in the RPM computer. The patient can physically achieve DIBH by the mask band. She can also visually guide herself for stable breathing amplitude. The CTimages were acquired in spiral rather than in gated axial mode such that much faster scanning can be made. The RPM system was simply used to monitor the breathing and in case patients cannot hold her breath, the spiral scanning can be manually terminated and then resumed for the next breath hold. For each patient, two sets of CT were acquired, one in DIBH and the other in free breathing. Patient tattoo was made while the patient was in DIBH. Results: The framework was successfully applied for the simulation of three left breast patients. During the simulation, two patients can hold their breath for ∼60s or longer with very stable amplitudes, such that CT scanning can be made in spiral rather than in the gated axial mode in just one breath hold. The DIBH CTimages have less motion artifacts compared to the free breathing CTimages.Conclusion: The system can be reliably applied for the simulation of left breast patients with DIBH. A modern multislice CT simulator can be more efficient to make the DIBH scanning.
Simplified dynamics and control of Modular Multilevel Converter based on a terminal behavioral model

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) are emerging to be an attractive approach for high power applications. Equivalent circuit models and dynamic models for the MMC that provide a faithful representation of system behavior are quite complex given the large number of energy states and control variables. They are not particularly useful in studying the terminal behavior of the converter and for the development of an intuitive control approach to regulate power transfer. This paper reduces the complexity of the MMC analytical model to an equivalent boost-buck converter circuit while providing particularly insightful transparency of the converter's physical operation from a terminal perspective. A control approach which manages throughput power as well as the MMCs internal capacitive states based on terminal quantities is developed eliminating individual feedback of module capacitor voltages to a centralized controller. An extension of the control to mitigate the circulating currents within the MMC caused by bridge voltage harmonics is also developed. The transformed boost-buck converter model and control performance are verified using simulations and experiments using a laboratory scale prototype.
Decidualized pseudopregnant rat uterus shows marked reduction in Ang II and Ang-(1-7) levels.

Abstract Previous studies showed that angiotensin (Ang) II and Ang-(1-7) concentrations were reduced in the implantation site at day 7 of pregnancy in Sprague–Dawley rats as compared to the site immediately adjacent to it, which does not have the embryo attached, clearly showing the importance of the blastocyst in the regulation of renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the regulation of the RAS in the decidualized uterus in the pseudopregnant rat, a model without the presence of a conceptus. Methods Ovariectomized, adult female rats were sensitized for the decidual cell reaction with steroid treatments; decidualization was induced by oil-injection of the right horn; the left horn served as a control. The uterine content of Ang I, Ang II, and Ang-(1-7) was examined in the decidualized and non-decidualized uteri. Results Both Ang-(1-7) and Ang II and ACE and ACE2 mRNA were significantly reduced in the decidualized horn as compared to the non-decidualized horn. Immunocytochemical characterization of Ang II, Ang-(1-7), ACE and ACE2 demonstrated that Ang-(1-7), Ang II, and ACE2 polarize to the anti-mesometrial pole with decidualization. Conclusion The decidualization process elicits marked reduction in uterine Ang II and Ang-(1-7) content as compared to the non-decidualized horn. The differential immunocytochemical expression of Ang II and Ang-(1-7) with ACE2, but not ACE in the anti-mesometrial pole of the decidualized horn may favor the formation and action of Ang-(1-7) in the anti-mesometrial pole, an area which plays a role in triggering the decidualization process.
Modulation of prolactin binding sites in vitro by membrane fluidizers. IV. Differential effects on plasma membrane and Golgi fractions of male prostate and female liver in the rat.

Abstract In vitro treatment of crude particulate fractions of male rat ventral prostate and female rat liver with membrane fluidizers (aliphatic alcohols) has been previously reported by us to increase prolactin (PRL) receptor levels, presumably by unmasking cryptic prolactin receptors. The objective of this study was to determine if similar in vitro treatment of purified plasma membrane- and Golgi-rich fractions of male rat prostate and female rat liver with ethanol produced differential effects on prolactin binding in these two subcellular fractions. The degree of fluidization was monitored by a fluorescence polarization method using 1,6-diphenylhexatriene. 125 I-PRL specific binding to Golgi-rich fractions of male ventral prostate and femlale liver was approximately 4-fold higher than that observed in plasma membrane-rich fractions. The microviscosity parameter, inversely related to lipid fluidity, was consistently lower in Golgi-rich fractions than that in plasma membrane-rich fractions in both prostate and liver. In vitro ethanol treatment of prostatic and hepatic plasma membrane fractions produced a dose-related increase and then decline in prolactin binding and a maximal (60–75%) increase in prolactin binding was observed at 4.8% and 2.0% ethanol in prostatic and hepatic membranes, respectively. This in vitro treatment also produced a significant increase in apparent lipid fluidity of plasma membrane-rich fractions of prostate gland and liver. However, similar in vitro ethanol treatment of Golgi fractions of both prostate gland and liver exhibited little increase in prolactin binding without changing microviscosity. Our observations are consistent with the direct relationship between membrane fluidity and prolactin receptor levels. The changes in prostatic and hepatic plasma membrane fractions following in vitro ethanol treatment suggest that prolactin receptors located on the plasma membranes may be modulated (via membrane lipid microviscosity changes) in vitro to a greater extent by various physiological agents than those located within the Golgi fraction.
Computing the Chromaffin Cell

Abstract: Exocytosis, stimulus-secretion coupling, real-time measurements of neurosecretion, and stimulus-secretion-synthesis coupling (stimulus-transcription coupling) were all initially proposed and verified in the chromaffin cell. Detailed analysis of the molecules and pathways responsible for secretion and transsynaptic regulation of gene expression patterns in neuroendoccrine cells have been very fruitfully explored in chromaffin cells and the related PC12 pheochromocytoma cell line, using modern molecular biologcal, cellular imaging, and expression profiling techniques. The time is clearly at hand for a concerted bioinformatics approach to acquiring and synthesizing electrophysiological, biochemical, and proteomic/genomic data on the chromaffin cell. Accelerating this process will fully realize the unique attributes of the chromaffin cell as a homogeneous, accessible, fully functional model of the posttmitotic neuroendocrine cell.
Multiscale theory and simulation of plasmon‐enhanced molecular optical processes

Theoretical descriptions of molecular optical processes occurring in the presence of a surface plasmon resonance are surveyed in this Perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on semiclassical approaches that blend together first principles molecular quantum mechanics with the full-wave continuum electrodynamics of the molecule's nanoplasmonic environment. It is demonstrated how the latter can be built into the former through many-electron Green's function techniques combined with numerical values of the plasmon's locally scattered field. The effects of the plasmon on the molecule's one-body and many-body electronic structure is described in detail and several open theoretical challenges are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of phenytoin on [3H]norepinephrine release from synaptosomes

Phenytoin reduces depolarization-linked [3H]norepinephrine release from rat brain synaptosomes. When choline chloride was substituted for NaCl the phenytoin effect was attenuated but still significant. This is consistent with the theory that phenytoin reduces both Na and Ca influx during depolarization.
Water quality trading in the United States : trading programs and one-time offset agreements

This paper provides a systematic overview of water quality trading programs and one-time offset agreements in the USA. The primary source of information for this overview is a detailed database, collected and compiled by a team of researchers at Dartmouth College. Details discussed include: sources of the pollutant, types of pollutants traded, legal liability, main regulatory drivers, market structure, trading ratios, transaction and administrative costs and difficulties encountered in trading. We find that trading has often been explored as a way to meet more stringent discharge limits or watershed-wide caps. The most common type of trading program in the United States is between point sources and non-point sources. Point sources are usually held liable for non-point source reductions. The pollutants most commonly traded in the USA are nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and almost all offset and trading programs focus on one pollutant only. However, market structures, trading ratios and other details of the trading framework vary widely among programs. No single characteristic appears to be a good predictor of a successful trading program.
A new semi-smooth Newton multigrid method for control-constrained semi-linear elliptic PDE problems

In this paper a new multigrid algorithm is proposed to accelerate the convergence of the semi-smooth Newton method that is applied to the first order necessary optimality systems arising from a class of semi-linear control-constrained elliptic optimal control problems. Under admissible assumptions on the nonlinearity, the discretized Jacobian matrix is proved to have an uniformly bounded inverse with respect to mesh size. Different from current available approaches, a new numerical implementation that leads to a robust multigrid solver is employed to coarsen the grid operator. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method, which shows to be computationally more efficient than the full-approximation-storage multigrid in current literature. In particular, our proposed approach achieves a mesh-independent convergence and its performance is highly robust with respect to the regularization parameter.
“Modifying the Traditional for the Good of the Whole”: Commentary on State-Building and Bureaucracy in Nassau, Baden, and Saxony in the Early Nineteenth Century

The three articles of this symposium contribute to a vital debate about the nature of modern German politics. The works by Barbara Anderson, Loyd Lee, and Lawrence Flockerzie discuss the political culture upon which the post-Napoleonic reconstruction of Germany rested. This political culture transcended the conventional concepts “liberal” and “conservative.” It was based on bourgeois ideals.
Neurodevelopment, growth, and viral load in HIV-infected infants

The relation of HIV-1 infection to infant growth and neurodevelopment was studied prospectively in a cohort of 65 infants born to women at risk for HIV infection. No differences were observed at birth between infected infants (INF) and uninfected infants (SR) of HIV-infected women, and infants of uninfected women (SN) with similar socioeconomic background and exposure to drugs. However, postnatal linear growth and cognitive-motor development of INF infants were impaired when compared to SR and SN infants. Declines in linear growth were observed within the first 6 months of life, whereas delays in neurodevelopment were first appreciated at 12 months. In INF infants, decreased linear growth was positively correlated with developmental delay. Moreover, growth and development were both correlated with HIV viral load. INF infants with high plasma HIV RNA copies (> 5 x 10(5)/ ml) at 6 months of life were more likely to exhibit severe growth and developmental delay than infants with a lower viral burden. The implications of these findings with respect to the mechanism of action of HIV-related growth and neurodevelopmental impairments are discussed.
Ca2+-activated and phospholipid- dependent hepatic protein kinase (protein kinase C): A standardized method for the determination of enzyme activity

This report represents a quantitative, reproducible, and accurate assay for measuring hepatic protein kinase C activity in either crude homogenates or partially purified, subcellular fractions of rat liver. The method takes in consideration (1) the particulate nature of the enzyme, (2) the existence of the latent form of the enzyme, and (3) the extreme susceptibility of the enzyme to proteolytic degradation.
Joining of 14YWT and F82H by friction stir welding

The feasibility of using friction stir welding (FSW) to join specimens of the advanced oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloy (NFA) and a plate of F82H tempered martensitic steel (TMS) was investigated. The sample used in the FSW experiment consisted of spot welding four specimens 14YWT prepared from prior tested dual notch fracture toughness bend bars in a corresponding slot that was machined in the F82H plate. The FSW run was successfully performed on the sample using a polycrystalline boron nitride tool (PCBN) that resulted in joints showing good bonding between butt joints of 14YWT specimens and 14YWT specimens and F82H plate. The joints were characterized by light microscopy and SEM analysis and were observed to be relatively narrow in width. The ultra-fine grain size associated with 14YWT increased by a factor of up to 3 while that of F82H was refined by a considerable amount in the thermomechanically affected zones (TMAZ) due to FSW. In addition, porosity was observed in the TMAZ of 14YWT on the advancing side of the FSW joint and at the interface between F82H and 14YWT. Vickers hardness (VH) measurements showed a decrease of ~120 VH from ~500 VH (~20% decrease) for 14YWTmore » and an increase of ~220 VH from ~220 VH (~100% increase) for F82H in the FSW zones. Further refinements in the FSW process will be required to minimize defects including porosity.« less
Learning to recognize names across languages

The development of natural language processing (NLP) systems that perform machine translation (MT) and information retrieval (IR) has highlighted the need for the automatic recognition of proper names. While various name recognizers have been developed, they suffer from being too limited; some only recognize one name class, and all are language specific. This work develops an approach to multilingual name recognition that allows a system optimized for one language to be ported to another with little additional effort and resources. An initial core set of linguistic features, useful for name recognition in most languages, is identified. When porting to a new language, these features need to be converted (partly by hand, partly by on-line lists), after which point machine learning (ML) techniques build decision trees that map features to name classes. A system initially optimized for English has been successfully ported to Spanish and Japanese. Only a few days of human effort for each new language results in performance levels comparable to that of the best current English systems.
Detecting effective connectivity in networks of coupled neuronal oscillators

The application of data-driven time series analysis techniques such as Granger causality, partial directed coherence and phase dynamics modeling to estimate effective connectivity in brain networks has recently gained significant prominence in the neuroscience community. While these techniques have been useful in determining causal interactions among different regions of brain networks, a thorough analysis of the comparative accuracy and robustness of these methods in identifying patterns of effective connectivity among brain networks is still lacking. In this paper, we systematically address this issue within the context of simple networks of coupled spiking neurons. Specifically, we develop a method to assess the ability of various effective connectivity measures to accurately determine the true effective connectivity of a given neuronal network. Our method is based on decision tree classifiers which are trained using several time series features that can be observed solely from experimentally recorded data. We show that the classifiers constructed in this work provide a general framework for determining whether a particular effective connectivity measure is likely to produce incorrect results when applied to a dataset.
The therapeutic potential of RORγ modulators in the treatment of human disease

Nuclear receptors (NR) are ligand-regulated transcription factors that bind DNA in proximity to their target genes and exert their effects as a result of binding by small molecule ligands such as sterols, lipids, fatty acids, retinoids, and steroid hormones. The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors or RORs (NR1F1-NR1F3) are nuclear receptors that regulate multiple cellular processes, including metabolism, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis, in a range of tissues and organs. These receptors bind as monomers to ROR response elements commonly called ROREs present in promoter regions of target genes and tether chromatin remodeling enzymes, facilitating recruitment of transcription machinery. Several recent reports have highlighted the potential role for RORs in human disease, and more importantly, studies have demonstrated that these receptors can be modulated by exogenous synthetic ligands, paving the way for development of novel therapeutics. Here we review the current status of synthetic ligand development as well as the structural aspects governing modulation of ROR signaling pathways as they relate to metabolic diseases and autoimmune disorders.
CATHODIC POLARIZATION AND PROTECTION OF SIMULATED PRESTRESSED CONCRETE PILINGS IN SEAWATER

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of localized cathodic polarization for reducing corrosion of simulated prestressed concrete piles containing continuous and segmen...
Experimental study of micronized coal/water slurry rheology at high shear rates

the rheological behavior of four micronized coal water slurry (CWS) samples was studied experimentally for a wide range of shear rates between 3 and 30,000 s{sup {minus}1}. The systematic rheological characterization of the slurry fuel shows that the rheological behavior of these CWS is very complex and depends on coal particle size, temperature, coal loading, conditioning additives, and the capillary tube diameter as well as the shear rate. This study indicates that better appreciation of the unique and complex rheological behavior of non-Newtonian CWS fuels is vital to developing high-quality slurries suitable for use in coal-fired diesel engines, and suggests that a more comprehensive data base for CWS rheology under actual diesel engine operating conditions is needed prior to using such CWS fuels in diesel engines.
All I Want for Christmas: An Analysis of Children's Brand Requests to Santa Claus

La periode de Noel est largement reconnue comme etant devenue une fete commerciale avant tout. Des etudes, aux Etats-Unis, se sont interessees au contenu des lettres envoyees par les enfants au mythique Pere Noel (Santa Claus) afin de classifier les demandes en fonction de l'appartenance sociale. La presente analyse se consacre a la comprehension des biens materiels par les enfants, en reperant dans les lettres les mentions faites de produits de marque. En quantifiant le nombre de marques mentionees par enfant, il peut en etre deduit un certain degre de comprehension de la diversite du marche par l'enfant. La difference des genres et l'augmentation du nombre de jouets demandes au cours de la decennie sont egalement des facteurs analyses
Surface properties of dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-ethylphosphocholine, a cationic phosphatidylcholine transfection agent, alone and in combination with lipids or DNA.

Long-chain cationic amphipaths are routinely used for transfecting DNA into cells, although the mechanism of DNA delivery by these agents is poorly understood. Since their interfacial properties are undoubtedly involved at some stage in the process, a comprehensive study of the surface behavior of at least one of these compounds is highly desirable. Hence, the behavior of the cationic transfection agent EDOPC (dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-ethylphosphocholine or O-ethyldioleoylphosphatidylcholine), has been characterized at the air-water interface, by itself and in mixtures with other phospholipids. Surface pressure-molecular area isotherms obtained at the argon-buffer interface revealed that EDOPC is considerably (5-10 A 2 ) more expanded than the parent phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) and even more expanded than the corresponding phosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), which has a similar charge density (of opposite polarity) as EDOPC. A 1:1 mixture of EDOPC and DOPG is very slightly condensed relative to DOPG and considerably condensed relative to EDOPC. The surface/dipole potential of this mixture is the mean of those of EDOPC and DOPG and is almost the same as that of DOPC. When the composition of EDOPC mixtures was varied, several surface parameters, including surface dipole moment, collapse pressure, and compressibility, exhibited discontinuities at a 1:1 mole ratio. EDOPC is unusually surface-active; the equilibrium surface tension of its dispersion was lower and the rate of fall of the surface tension (dynamic surface activity) of a dispersion with an initially clean surface was more than an order of magnitude greater than that for dispersions of DOPG. A 1:1 mixture of the cationic lipoid and phosphatidylglycerol had lower surface activity than DOPC in water but similar surface activity in 0.1 NaCl. Analysis, in terms of surface concentration, of the formation of EDOPC monolayers at the air interface of vesicle dispersions revealed a simple exponential rise to a maximum, at least for higher concentrations. Addition of a small proportion of DNA to EDOPC increased its dynamic surface activity even though DNA alone has no detectable surface activity at the concentrations used. This enhancement by DNA is presumably due to the disruption of the continuity of the bilayer and creation of defects from which lipoid spreads readily. The surface properties of this cationic compound, both alone and in combination with anionic lipids, provide insight into the previously described nonbilayer phase preferences of cationic-anionic lipid mixtures. In addition, they provide critical data (area condensation of mixed cationic-anionic monolayers) supporting a previously proposed mechanism of fusion of cationic bilayers with anionic bilayers. Such a process, involving anionic cellular membranes, is believed to be required for release of DNA from lipoplexes and is therefore a key stage of transfection.
Ovary of the golden crab, Chaceon fenneri: I. Post-spawning and oosorption.

Oosorption has been considered an important strategy in many invertebrate species which occurs in response to behavioral, ecological, or physiological factors. In crustaceans, the early light microscopic studies of the ovary attributed a role in oosorption to follicle cells, hemocytes, or phagocytes. In this study, ovaries were collected from female golden crabs following spawning and processed for examination by electron microscopy. Following spawning, several unspawned oocytes which had become dissociated from their follicle cells were found in the ovaries. They appeared to be lodged within the lumen. Such oocytes were observed undergoing various stages of autolysis. At no time were hemocytes or recognizable phagocytes found in the lumen of the ovaries or in contact with the degenerating oocytes. Follicle cells which had surrounded the oocytes prior to the time of spawning exhibited disrupted membranes. Resorption of unspawned eggs appears to occur by autolysis of the individual oocytes. Several of the females who had recently spawned had numerous sperm in their ovaries. Such sperm may have been pressed into the lumen at the time of spawning or during the fixation process.
Diastereoselectivity in the directed aldol reactions of 1-fluoro-3,3-dimethyl-butanone enolates and enol silyl ethers

Abstract High diastereoselectivity was observed in the directed aldol reaction of lithium enolates of 1-fluoro-3,3-dimethylbutanone while an apparent reversal of diastereoselection was found in Lewis acid mediated reactions of corresponding enol silyl ethers.
Vasectomy and vasectomy reversal: An update

Vasectomy is an elective surgical sterilization procedure for men that is intended to obstruct or remove a portion of both vas deferens, thereby preventing sperm from moving from the testes to the ejaculatory ducts. Although intended for permanent sterilization, vasectomy can be reversed in most men seeking to restore their fertility due to a change in marital status or reproductive goals. The purpose of this document is to provided a synopsis of the latest techniques used in vasectomy and reversal.
Different Suicide Inactivation Processes for the Peroxidase and Cyclooxygenase Activities of Prostaglandin Endoperoxide H Synthase-1

Prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthases (PGHSs)-1 and -2 have a cyclooxygenase (COX) activity involved in forming prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) from arachidonic acid and an associated peroxidase (POX) activity that reduces PGG2 to PGH2. Suicide inactivation processes are observed for both POX and COX reactions. Here we report COX reaction conditions for PGHS-1 under which complete COX inactivation occurs but with > or = 60% retention of POX activity. The rates of POX inactivation were compared for native oPGHS-1 versus Y385F oPGHS-1, a mutant that cannot form the Tyr385 radical of COX Intermediate II; the rates were the same for both native and Y385F oPGHS-1. Our data indicate that a COX Intermediate II/acyl or product complex is the precursor in COX inactivation. However, another species, probably an Intermediate II-like species but with a radical centered on a tyrosine other than Tyr385, is the immediate precursor for POX inactivation.
Determination of Right Ventricular Volume by Two-Dimensional Echocardiography With a Crescentic Model

Right ventricular volume in 14 fixed hearts from dogs was determined by echocardiography with an algorithm that takes into consideration the crescentic shape of the right ventricular (RV) cross-sectional area. To validate this model the volumes obtained by echocardiography were compared with volumes obtained by water displacement of silicone casts of the same 14 hearts. A strong linear correlation was demonstrated between the echocardiographic volumes and the volumes obtained by water displacement of RV casts (r = 0.96). The results also showed that the echocardiographic volume determination underestimated the RV volume obtained from cast with an almost constant ratio averaging 0.755 as a result of the exclusion of the RV outflow tract volume from the echocardiographic model. We conclude that a crescentic model allows accurate echocardiographic determination of RV volume.
SOCIAL ECOLOGY AND LIVING SYSTEMS THEORY

Social ecology studies the manner in which human societies adapt to their environment. This includes not only the impact of the society on the environment, but also the impact of the environment on the society. In fact, as societies adapt to their environment, they alter it, and this altered environment subsequently impacts back upon the society. Living Systems Theory (LST) discusses twenty critical subsystems which process either matter/energy or information in living systems, including social systems. This paper first presents a general model of social ecology. It then concentrates upon the ten subsystems of LST which process matter/energy, and analyzes how knowledge of these subsystem processes can be applied to our model of social ecology. These ten subsystems—the reproducer, boundary, ingestor, distributor, converter, producer, matter–energy storage, extruder, motor, and supporter—are all shown to occupy key roles in ecological adaptation, and the role of each is explicated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behavioral and physiological responses of female house mice to foraging variation.

Abstract Peripubertal female house mice were required to work for their food at either 23°C or 9°C. We used a special caging system in which animals had to emerge from a thermally-buffered burrow and run a programmable number of running wheel revolutions to obtain a pellet of food. Of concern here were the behavioral and physiological adjustments necessary to accommodate growth and reproductive development when faced with the need to forage for different lengths of time at different temperatures. When female house mice are confronted with poor foraging at cool temperatures they allot their highest priorities to maintaining energy balance; body growth is next, and reproductive development and nonforaging activity have the lowest priorities. Our results also demonstrate that the time spent foraging while exposed to low ambient temperature is critical for this species. This relationship probably determines whether or not house mice will breed continuously or seasonally in a particular habitat.
The first detection of CN and the distribution of CO+ gas in the coma of Comet P/Schwassmann-Wachman 1

Abstract We present spectroscopic observations of Comet P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 in which we detected CN emission for the first time in this comet. We also observed many bands due to CO + emission and present the distribution of the CO + gas. OH was not detected, and an upper limit is given.