cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of three methods of assessing sex-drive in yearling beef bulls and relationships with testosterone and LH levels

Abstract Three methods of assessing sex-drive were compared in 113 yearling beef bulls. These were the serving capacity score (SC), the libido score (L) and reaction time to first service (R). Ovariectomized heifers restrained in service crates were the stimulus for all tests. Bulls were assessed twice by each method. For the first libido and serving capacity tests (L1 and SC1), the heifers were induced to show estrus. For the second tests (L2 and SC2), the heifers were not induced to show estrus. On a non test day, single blood samples were taken from all bulls and assayed for LH and testosterone. Reaction times to first service (R1 and R2) in the two serving capacity tests were not significantly correlated. Although the numbers of services (SC1 and SC2) in both serving capacity tests, were significantly correlated (r = .67), 57% of the bulls did not achieve a service in both the tests with heifers in heat and with heifers not in heat. Libido scores between the test with heifers in heat and heifers not in heat were significantly correlated (r = .67). The libido score method had the advantage that more bulls received a positive score and the test duration was shorter than in the serving capacity test. Of the three scoring procedures compared, libido score appeared to have most advantage in assessing sex-drive in yearling beef bulls. The total number of services achieved in the first serving capacity tests (using ‘estrus’ heifers) did not differ from that achieved in the second tests (using non-estrus heifers). The total services achieved in 10-min compartments of the 30-min serving capacity tests showed no difference either within or between tests. It is concluded that a 10-min test provides as much comparative information on the sex-drive of yearling beef bulls as longer tests. Further, the use of females in estrus appears unnecessary to satisfactorily assess bull sex-drive, provided proper restraint and presentation of stimulus females is employed. LH and testosterone values were not significantly correlated or were poorly correlated with sex-drive measurements.
Student Composed Case Study in Adolescent Psychology.

A variation of the case study method is described. Students in Adolescent Psychology composed hypothetical cases, proposed solutions to problems, and surveyed other groups regarding case dilemmas and adolescent issues. The method appeared to help students integrate concepts covered in the course and to increase students' motivation.
Mean flow and shear stress distributions as influenced by vegetative windbreak structure

A major deterrent toward arriving at satisfactory estimates of shelter effect of vegetative windbreaks is the difficulty in quantifying permeability to air flow as a function of directly measured physical parameters such as porosity and plant surface area. This weakness seriously limits the accuracy of both empirical and numerical models in describing the effect of vegetative barriers without first knowing some aspects of the induced flow regime. An aerodynamic study of vegetative windbreaks was conducted in a wind tunnel and in the field to assess the effect of barrier structure upon windward and leeward reductions in near ground mean wind speed and surface shear stress. Results from this study show that decreasing windbreak porosities result in reduced or equivalent wind speeds at all leeward distances. An expression was derived to describe the near ground horizontal distribution of mean relative velocity as a function of the leeward minimum relative velocity, the position of this minimum, and surface roughness length. With the exception of the region in the near lee, this model also allows the estimation of the horizontal distribution of shear stress in the vicinity of a barrier. Minimum relative velocities were adequately described as non-linear functions of barrier porosity or projected plant surface area. However, the vertical distribution of porosity with height, largely controlled by plant form, had a major influence on these relationships.
Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia: Past, present, and future

Clinical scarring alopecia in African American women has been recognized for years. The classification of this unique form of alopecia dates back to Lopresti, who first described the entity called "hot comb alopecia." More recently, the term "central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia" has been adopted to describe a progressive vertex-centered alopecia most common in women of African descent. While this form of hair loss is widely recognized, and may even be on the rise, the causes of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia are a constant source of debate and remain to be elucidated. This review outlines the descriptive evolution of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia and the historical controversies ascribed to its pathoetiology; it also examines African hair structure and discusses how hair structure along with common physical and chemical implements utilized by individuals with African hair type may play a causal role in the development of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia.
PI 3-kinase, mTOR, protein synthesis and cancer

Abstract The mTOR kinase is an essential mediator of growth signals that originate from PI3-kinase. Downstream targets of mTOR, p70 S6 kinase and 4E binding protein are important regulators of protein synthesis. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin interferes with oncogenic transformation and with tumor development by gain-of-function in PI 3-kinase signaling.
Local atomic structure and infrared effective charges in tetrahedrally-bonded glasses from ab initio theory electronic structure calculations

Ab initio calculations are applied to small clusters containing the elements of short range order determined from X-ray and electron diffraction radial distributions for tetrahedrally-bonded, continuous random networks glasses including SiO 2 , GeO 2 , BeF 2 , and GeS 2 . The calculations have been used to determine the dependence of the total energy on the bond-angle at the two-fold coordinated O-, F-, and S-atom sites, and the infrared effective charges for normal mode infrared active network vibrations. The results of these calculations are in excellent agreement with experiment. Of particular significance are the calculated bond angle distributions for SiO 2 and GeO 2 , which are significantly narrower than previously assumed, but in good agreement with recent modeling and experimental studies.
Lox6, a leech Dfd ortholog, is expressed in the central nervous system and in peripheral sensory structures.

Sequence analysis of a newly isolated Hirudo medicinalis cDNA containing an Antennapedia (Antp)-class homeobox suggests that the corresponding gene, Lox6, is an ortholog of the DrosophilaDeformed (Dfd) gene. In situ hybridization of whole-mounted preparations shows that the major sites of Lox6 expression during embryogenesis are the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral sensory system. Lox6 mRNA can be detected in a subset of neurons in each ganglion from the subesophageal ganglion (RG2) to the most posterior ganglion, with the highest level of expression seen in RG3. Peripherally, Lox6 is expressed principally in the primordia of the sensillae and in the eyes. This pattern of expression of Lox6 suggests that one of its functions may be to contribute to the diversification of neuronal phenotypes.
Correction for: "Bumpy metrics and closed parametrized minimal surfaces in Riemannian manifolds'"

Main Theorem. Suppose that M is a compact connected smooth manifold of di mension at least four. Then (1) For a generic choice of Riemannian metric on M, every prime minimal two-sphere f : S2 ?? M is free of branch points and lies on a nondegenerate critical submanifold of dimension six which is an orbit for the G-action, whereG = PSL(2,C). (2) For a generic choice of Riemannian metric on M, every prime minimal two-torus f : T2 ?> M is free of branch points and lies on a nondegenerate critical submanifold of dimension two which is an orbit for the G-action, whereG = S1 xS1. (3) For a generic choice of Riemannian metric on M, every prime oriented minimal surface f : S ? M of genus at least two is free of branch points and is Morse nondegenerate in the usual sense.
Multi-Scale Predictability of High-Impact Stratospheric Clear Air Turbulence Events for Air Force Platforms

Vertical nesting and adaptive vertical gridding in nested mesoscale weather research and forecasting (WRF)/microscale codes are developed. The inner nest of WRF is coupled with a sequence of embedded microscale nests, both horizontally and vertically. The fully three-dimensional (3D), compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved with a stretched, adaptive grid in the vertical, with grid spacing down to a few meters in thin clear air turbulence (CAT) layers where strong turbulent mixing occurs. For nesting, both lateral and vertical boundary conditions are treated via relaxation zones where the velocity and temperature fields are relaxed to those obtained from the WRF inner nest. This methodology is applied to the analysis of field data from T-REX campaign of measurements. Real case simulations based on initial and boundary conditions from high resolution T799 L91 European centre for medium-range weather forecasts (ECMWF) analysis data are conducted. The embedded microscale nests predict localized shear layers and diagnose stiff gradients of vertical velocity and potential temperature above the tropopause and in the lower stratosphere. Three-dimensional instability mechanisms and turbulent dynamics within these CAT layers are fully resolved.
Plasmons from a gauge invariant effective action for hot gluons

Abstract The one-loop effective action for a gluon plasma is calculated in a general covariant background field gauge. The result is expressed in terms of the dielectric constant and the magnetic permeability, which immediately yields dispersion relations for both longitudinal and transverse plasma waves. The plasma frequency is gauge fixing independent and agrees with earlier calculations, while the plasma damping constant is gauge fixing dependent and negative definite. We argue that the result in Landau gauge is of physical significance, and that the calculated exponential growth of the plasmon amplitude is a signal for the breakdown of perturbation theory at scales of order ∼ g2T. The relevance of this for the dynamical description of the quark-gluon plasma is discussed.
High-linearity two-watt power amplifier for multiband wireless applications

Amplifiers in the final stages of wireless transmitters boost the power level of the up-converted signals, but the ultimate power level is not same for all transmitters. One specific amplifier can be used as a driver in a cellular base station or as last stage in applications like a pico-cell. However, the amplifier has to meet the stringent linearity requirement imposed by these different standards. In this paper, we present a highly linear single stage two watt power amplifier in GaAs HBT process. The amplifier can be externally matched at the input and output, thus provides flexibility to optimize it across a specific frequency band of interest between 400 MHz and 2700 MHz. The design includes a novel approach of utilizing the nonlinear base-collector and base-emitter diode capacitances of a transistor biased in the saturation region to improve the linearity of the amplifier. The transistor provides a nonlinear feedback path between the output and input of the amplifier and thus minimizes the third order intermodulation distortion (IM3) component.
Plug-holder unit for implanting stimulating or recording electrodes☆

Abstract The design of a plug-holder unit for electrode implants is described. The plug-holder attaches to the stereotaxic and facilitates the insertion of the electrode contact pins into the plug by retaining the connector plug in a fixed rigid position. In addition, it prevents the accidental breakage of contact lead wires which can normally occur during the contact pin insertion procedure. The unit is inexpensive and simple to construct.
Pharmacokinetics of very high-dose oral melphalan in cancer patients.

The pharmacokinetics and systemic availability of melphalan after high-dose oral administration with and without 1,3-bis(2-Chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) or etoposide were examined in three patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation. Patient 1 (advanced melanoma) received melphalan at 80 mg/m2/day p.o. on days -6, -5, and -4, followed by BCNU at 300 mg/m2/day i.v. on days -3, -2, and -1 prior to bone marrow transplantation. Patient 2 (advanced colon carcinoma) received melphalan at 75 mg/m2/day p.o. on days -3, -2, and -1. Patient 3 (advanced refractory lymphoma) received etoposide at 800 mg/m2/day i.v. on days -7, -5, and -3, followed by melphalan at 157 mg/m2/day p.o. on days -2 and -1. Melphalan was administered as a bolus oral dose, using 2-mg tablets. Blood samples were collected at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 min and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 h after each dose of melphalan. Peak plasma melphalan concentrations in the three patients ranged from 0.354 (patient 2) to 1.768 micrograms/ml (patient 1). Plasma melphalan concentration X time products (C x Ts) showed extreme variability in one patient (patient 2), ranging from 0.76 to 4.48 micrograms.h/ml. To determine the relative systemic availability of orally administered melphalan, i.v. C X Ts proportional to the p.o. doses were extrapolated from previously reported i.v. bolus pharmacokinetic data. The p.o.:i.v. plasma C X T ratios for high-dose melphalan ranged between 0.09 (patient 3) and 0.58 (patient 2). Although these C X T data suggest a dose-response for orally administered melphalan, the systemic availability of these high p.o. melphalan doses was extremely variable, both within and between study patients. Thus, we cannot recommend the use of high-dose p.o. melphalan regimens in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation.
Comparative developmental toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Abstract In mature animals, the acute toxic potency of TCDD exhibits up to a 5000-fold interspecies variability in the Hartley guinea pig, Sprague-Dawley rat, and Golden Syrian hamster. The embryotoxic and teratogenic potential of TCDD was evaluated in these species to assess whether there is a similar interspecies variability in the developmental toxicity of TCDD. TCDD was a potent developmental toxicant in all three species. Teratogenic activity, consisting of hydronephrosis, was only observed in the hamster. The results indicate that although there are species and tissue specific responses associated with the developmental toxicity and teratogenicity of TCDD, the toxic potency of TCDD is similar (within 10-fold) during prenatal development in these species.
Nest temperatures and thermal preferences of a forest ant species: is seasonal polydomy a thermoregulatory mechanism?

We measured nest temperatures and performed laboratory and field experiments that determined thermal preferences of the forest ant Myrmica punctiventris Roger. We tested the hypothesis that the seasonal cycle of colony splitting (polydomy) that this species undergoes allows it to warm the brood, enhancing reproductive output. This ant species nests in performed cavities such as sticks, acorns, and hickory nuts. Laboratory choice experiments indicated that ants preferred to nest at a temperature between 16 °C and 21 °C. Workers and brood had very similar temperature preferences; queens had slightly higher temperature preferences. Field measurements of nest temperatures in Vermont recorded an average summer daytime nest temperature of 22.6 ± 0.38 °C s.e., n=53 nests, with few differences between temperatures in different types of nesting materials. Field experiments demonstrated that ants colonized artificial nest sites on cooler plots preferentially to those on warmer plots (artificial nest sites on these plots differed by 1 °C in temperature, on average). ¶Our results indicate that M. punctiventris preferred to nest at temperatures at the cooler end of the spectrum of available nest sites in the field. Thus, our results lend no support to the hypothesis that seasonal polydomy is a thermoregulatory mechanism that these ants employ to place their brood in the warmest available nest sites.
Motor neuron disease: the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion in FTD and ALS.

Two new studies provide strong evidence for the link between mutations in the C9orf72 gene and familial frontotemporal dementia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. One of the papers presents some unique associations between clinical features and C9orf72 mutation, and raises questions regarding the specificity of some previously reported pathological findings.
Estrogen receptors in dendrites and axon terminals in the guinea pig hypothalamus.

The ultrastructural localization of steroid hormone receptors has been made possible by the development of immunocytochemical procedures using monoclonal antibodies. Estrogen receptor-immunoreactivity (ER-IR) in the brain is present most abundantly in neuronal nuclei when observed with light microscopy. However, we have also observed ER-IR in the perikarya and cytoplasmic processes of neurons. To determine the organelles with which the cytoplasmic ER-IR is associated, we developed a technique for ultrastructural visualization of ER-IR. Ovariectomized guinea pigs were perfused, brains vibratome-sectioned, and estrogen receptors immunostained by either an immunoperoxidase-diaminobenzidine technique or by an immunogold-streptavidin procedure, each followed by silver intensification. Electron microscopic analysis confirmed distribution of ER-IR throughout cell nuclei, but ER-IR was also observed in proximal and distal dendrites and rough endoplasmic reticulum. Most surprisingly, however, ER-IR was found in ma...
Unmet Visual Needs of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients in Long-term Care Facilities

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of uncorrected visual disorders in nursing home patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to determine whether appropriate corrective measures were taken by nursing home staff. This study was conducted at 2 community nursing homes in the St Louis area. Whereas previous studies have shown that visual impairment is common among all residents of nursing facilities, our study was focused specifically on residents with AD. This population is less able to effectively express needs and more likely to endure unaddressed visual deficits. For AD patients, it is important to offer appropriate corrective remedies in order to maintain as much functional independence as possible. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2 private, skilled nursing facilities in St Louis County thought to be representative of community nursing homes in the United States. All subjects were patients with a diagnosis of dementia of probable AD. Demographic information collected included age, sex, and race. Mini-Mental State Examination scores were also obtained. The patients, their families, and nursing staff were interviewed to determine the patients' visual history, corrective measures, and the usage of corrective eyewear before and after admission to the nursing homes. The data were summarized to demonstrate how many patients suffered from uncorrected errors of refraction and what factors contributed to their visual status. Results Of the total of 85 patients included in the study, 80 (94.1%) required glasses for correction of presbyopia, myopia, or both. However, 25 of the 80 residents had not actively been using glasses since entering the nursing home. Of these 25 residents not wearing proper eyewear, 9 residents were too cognitively impaired to request them, 8 residents had broken or misplaced them, and 8 residents had prescriptions that were no longer sufficient to correct their vision. Discussion Our study found that nearly one third of the visually impaired nursing home residents with AD (25 of 80 patients) were not using their required eyewear. These 25 patients were the population of most interest because they were most likely to benefit from intervention. Many of these patients were not using glasses because they had been lost, damaged, or were no longer sufficient to correct their vision. Conclusions We have presented 3 recommendations intended to prevent uncorrected visual acuity in nursing home residents with dementia: (1) Label eyewear in appropriate patient populations to provide rapid identification in the event of misplacement, (2) recommend that an extra pair of glasses be made available if the current pair would be lost or damaged, and (3) ensure that all residents have annual or biannual eye exams. If adequate steps are taken to prevent unnecessary visual impairment in AD patients, it would limit their dependence on others, reduce the burden on nursing staff, and improve the patients' overall quality of life.
Impact of a novel web-based quality-reporting tool (QatchAll) embedded into the workflow in vascular and interventional radiology

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and the impact of using QatchAll to identify the frequency and type of technical issues reported in the Division of Vascular Imaging and Intervention at our institution. Materials and Methods To assess, document and improve the technical quality of imaging studies and image guided interventions, our department has developed a novel information technology system called QatchAll embedded into our current workflow to report and track technical issues. The QatchAll database was reviewed August 2011 to September 2012 time period for technical issues reported by radiologists in the Division of Vascular Imaging and Intervention. The frequency and the types of quality issues reported were examined. As a measure of improvement in the quality of care achieved through the use of QatchAll, the frequency of quality issues over the time period of the study was also assessed. Results 130 quality events were reported using the QatchAll interface integrated into the hospital Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) by 13 Vascular and Interventional Radiologists. 16% of the reports involved CT, 49% US, 16% MR, and 19% Procedures. During the study period, the average number of quality issues raised by the radiologists per month decreased in the second half of the study period (7.6 events) as compared to the first half (13 events). As a result of such reporting, there was increased frequency of communication between technologists and the radiologists, immediate correction of errors and a significant decrease in the number of call-backs for repeat examinations. Conclusion Monitoring and improving quality in interventional radiology is greatly assisted by the QatchAll reporting tool embedded into the daily workflow. Utilizing QatchAll allows for better communication between technologists and radiologists with overall improvement in the quality of imaging studies.
Family Planning Programs for the 21st Century: Rationale and Design

A collaboration between five prominent figures on the international demography circuit, Family Planning Programs for the 21st Century is a concise four-chapter ‘report’ that does two things well. T...
Can Focused US with a Diagnostic US Contrast Agent Favorably Affect Renal Function

Focused US with simultaneous administration of a US microbubble contrast agent was used to transiently increase the glomerular filtration rate while altering the sieving properties of glomeruli in normal rabbits; in its current form, this procedure process has very limited application potential to states of abnormal renal function.
A bully as an archetypal destructive leader

Leaders do not necessarily have the best interests of the organization in mind when they make decisions. Many times, leaders treat their own personal goals as more important in relation to the goals of the organization and frequently adopt a short-term decision horizon. Thus, leaders become destructive and make decisions for their own good at the expense of the organization. This article examines the bully as a leader and how the bully creates a dysfunctional environment where the bullied, the observer, and the organization suffer negative impact due to the decisions made by the bully. The externalities of bullying (i.e., unintended explicit and/or implicit consequences of bullying activities on the members of the organization) are discussed to highlight the importance of examining the spillover impact of bullying activities in organizations. In addition, the authors propose a method to address the negative impact of those who engage in bullying on the organizational as a whole.
Association of glycosphingolipids with intermediate filaments of mesenchymal, epithelial, glial, and muscle cells

We reported recently that two glycosphingolipids (GSLs), globoside (Gb4) and ganglioside GM3, colocalized with vimentin intermediate filaments of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. To determine whether this association is unique to endothelial cells or to vimentin, we analyzed a variety of cell types. Double-label immunofluorescent staining of fixed, permeabilized cells, with and without colcemid treatment, was performed with antibodies against glycolipids and intermediate filaments. Globoside colocalized with vimentin in human and mouse fibroblasts, with desmin in smooth muscle cells, with keratin in keratinocytes and hepatoma cells, and with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in glial cells. Globoside colocalization was detected only with vimentin in MDCK and HeLa cells, which contain separate vimentin and keratin networks. GM3 ganglioside also colocalized with vimentin in human fibroblasts. Association of other GSLs with intermediate filaments was not detected by immunofluorescence, but all cell GSLs were detected in cytoskeletal fractions of metabolically labelled endothelial cells. These observations indicate that globoside colocalizes with vimentin, desmin, kertain and GFAP, with a preference for vimentin in cells that contain both vimentin and keratin networks. The nature of the association is not yet known. Globoside and GM3 may be present in vesicles associated with intermediate filaments (IF), or bound directly to IF or IF associated proteins. The prevalence of this association suggests that colocalization of globoside with the intermediate filament network has functional significance. We are investigating the possibility that intermediate filaments participate in the intracellular transport and sorting of glycosphingolipids.
A three-dimensional model of vasculogenesis

Postnatal bone marrow contains various subpopulations of resident and circulating stem cells (HSCs, BMSCs/MSCs) and progenitor cells (MAPCs, EPCs) that are capable of differentiating into one or more of the cellular components of the vascular bed in vitro as well as contribute to postnatal neo-vascularization in vivo. When rat BMSCs were seeded onto a three-dimensional (3-D) tubular scaffold engineered from topographically aligned type I collagen fibers and cultured either in vasculogenic or non-vasculogenic media for 7, 14, 21 or 28 days, the maturation and co-differentiation into endothelial and/or smooth muscle cell lineages were observed. Phenotypic induction of these substrate-grown cells was assayed at transcript level by real-time PCR and at protein level by confocal microscopy. In the present study, the observed upregulation of transcripts coding for vascular phenotypic markers is reminiscent of an in vivo expression pattern. Immunolocalization of vasculogenic lineage-associated markers revealed typical expression patterns of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. These endothelial cells exhibited high metabolism of acetylated low-density lipoprotein. In addition to the induced monolayers of endothelial cells, the presence of numerous microvascular capillary-like structures was observed throughout the construct. At the level of scanning electron microscopy, smooth-walled cylindrical tube-like structures with smooth muscle cells and/or pericytes attached to its surface were elucidated. Our 3-D culture system not only induces the maturation and differentiation of BMSCs into vascular cell lineages but also supports microvessel morphogenesis. Thus, this unique in vitro model provides an excellent platform to study the temporal and spatial regulation of postnatal de novo vasculogenesis, as well as attack the lingering limit in developing engineered tissues, that is perfusion.
Application of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy to Cheese Analysis

Abstract The suitability of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy for determining cheese composition was investigated. The reflectance spectra of 30 hard and semihard cheese samples, including Cheddar, Colby, Parmesan, Romano, and Gruyere, were obtained in the region .9500 to 1.9500 μ m. The same samples were freeze-dried, and their reflectance spectra determined in the region 1.050 to 2.3985 μ m. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to select the best three wavelengths for predicting fat, protein, moisture, and moisture in nonfatty substance. The selected wavelengths for these constituents were in the 1.17 to 1.35 and the 1.64 to 1.71 μ m regions of the spectrum. The correlation coefficients for reflectance with constituent concentration were .942 for fat, .938 for protein, .965 for moisture, and .975 for moisture in nonfatty substance. Coefficients of variation of the linear regression for the above correlations were 4.18, 5.23, 4.36, and 3.85%. The relationship of reflectance at selected wavelengths to constituent concentrations was linear over the entire concentration range. Concentration ranges were 34.6 to 56.7% for fat, 37.8 to 68.7% for protein, 15.8 to 41.7% for moisture, and 22.9 to 61.9% for moisture in nonfatty substance.
An ACTH- and ATP-regulated background K+ channel in adrenocortical cells is TREK-1.

Abstract Bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express a background K+channel (IAC) that sets the resting potential and acts pivotally in ACTH-stimulated cortisol secretion. We have cloned a bTREK-1 (KCNK2) tandem-pore K+ channel cDNA from AZF cells with properties that identify it as the native IAC. The bTREK-1 cDNA is expressed robustly in AZF cells and includes transcripts of 4.9, 3.6, and 2.8 kb. In patch clamp recordings made from transiently transfected cells, bTREK-1 displayed distinctive properties of IAC in AZF cells. Specifically, bTREK-1 currents were outwardly rectifying with a large instantaneous and smaller time-dependent component. Similar to IAC, bTREK-1 increased spontaneously in amplitude over many minutes of whole cell recording and was blocked potently by Ca2+ antagonists including penfluridol and mibefradil and by 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP. Unitary TREK-1 and IAC currents were nearly identical in amplitude. The native IAC current, in turn, displayed properties that together are specific to TREK-1 K+ channels. These include activation by intracellular acidification, enhancement by the neuroprotective agent riluzole, and outward rectification. bTREK-1 current differed from native K+ current only in its lack of ATP dependence. In contrast to IAC, the current density of bTREK-1 in human embryonic kidney-293 cells was not increased by raising pipette ATP from 0.1 to 5 mm. Further, the enhancement of IAC current in AZF cells by low pH and riluzole was facilitated by, and dependent on, ATP at millimolar concentrations in the pipette solution. Overall, these results establish the identity of IAC K+ channels, demonstrate the expression of bTREK-1 in a specific endocrine cell, identify potent new TREK-1 antagonists, and assign a pivotal role for these tandem-pore channels in the physiology of cortisol secretion. The activation of IAC by ATP indicates that native bTREK-1 channels may function as sensors that couple the metabolic state of the cell to membrane potential, perhaps through an associated ATP-binding protein.
Solar Heating and Cooling.

We have adequate theory and engineering capability to design, install, and use equipment for solar space and water heating. Energy can be delivered at costs that are competitive now with such high-cost energy sources as much fuel-generated, electrical resistance heating. The technology of heating is being improved through collector developments, improved materials, and studies of new ways to carry out the heating processes. Solar cooling is still in the experimental stage. Relatively few experiments have yielded information on solar operation of absorption coolers, on use of night sky radiation in locations with clear skies, on the combination of a solar-operated Rankine engine and a compression cooler, and on open cycle, humidification-dehumidification systems. Many more possibilities for exploration exist. Solar cooling may benefit from collector developments that permit energy delivery at higher temperatures and thus solar operation of additional kinds of cycles. Improved solar cooling capability can open up new applications of solar energy, particularly for larger buildings, and can result in markets for retrofitting existing buildings. Solar energy for buildings can, in the next decade, make a significant contribution to the national energy economy and to the pocketbooks of many individual users. very large-aggregate enterprises in manufacture, sale, and installation of solar energy equipment can result, which can involve a spectrum of large and small businesses. In our view, the technology is here or will soon be at hand; thus the basic decisions as to whether the United States uses this resource will be political in nature.
The Effect of Inbreeding on Reproductive Fitness of S. C. W. Leghorns

Abstract THE reproductive fitness of an animal may be defined as the number of its offspring reaching breeding age. When all birds in a breeding flock are given an equal opportunity to reproduce themselves, in the sense that the beginning and duration of the hatching season are held constant and that no young are culled, wide variation in reproductive fitness exists. This variation is of particular importance in the production of inbred lines, where selection for fitness may have to be practiced in order to prevent the reproductive rates from decreasing below replacement levels. Should the variation in fitness be dependent on the variation in the degree of homozygosity of either the parents or the offspring (thus producing differential rates of elimination), the accuracy of computed increases in homozygosity under inbreeding (the inbreeding coefficients) may be brought into question. The present study is designed to throw some light on this question, . . .
Frictional and Electrical Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

This presentation examines the tribological properties and contact resistance of oriented capped carbon multiwalled nanotube (MWNT) films. Highly anisotropic tribological behavior of MWNT films oriented in mutually orthogonal directions is observed. The average values of coefficient of friction varied from high values (μ = 0.795) for vertically aligned nanotubes grown on rigid substrates to low values (μ = 0.090) for the same nanotubes dispersed flat on the same substrates. The results were insensitive to humidity, which is in contrast to graphite materials. The multiwalled nanotube layers also had a monotonic decrease in friction coefficient with increased surface temperature in both orientations, having a 32% drop in friction coefficient over a 73°C temperature rise. Preliminary results from contact resistance measurements of nanotube films grown through a porous alumina are investigated as a function of applied static load.© 2005 ASME
Resistance in the intermediate state of type I superconductors

Abstract It has recently been suggested that the potential difference observed in the intermediate state is due to the motion of vortices. In this letter the conditions under which such voltages can appear in type I materials are discussed.
Changes in spinal cord injury-induced gene expression in rat are strain-dependent.

Abstract Background and Context The functional recovery of animals subject to experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) is dependent on the injury model as well as the species and strain of animal used. Previous studies have shown differences in rates and degree of recovery between rats of different strains. Purpose We sought to explore the hypothesis that differences in gene expression are associated with differences in functional recovery. Study Design/Setting Laboratory study involving cohorts of three different strains of rat. Methods We used the Impactor device to produce identical spinal cord contusion injuries in groups of Long Evans, Sprague-Dawley, and Lewis rats (10 each). The functional recovery of animals was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan rating scale. Six weeks after injury, rats were killed and the spinal cords were harvested for deoxyribonucleic acid microarray analysis. Changes in gene expression compared with intraspecies controls (3 each) were assessed at the region of injury and at a rostral segment of the spinal cord. Selected genes were also studied with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results We found that different strains tended to exhibit different patterns of functional recovery. There were differences between the strains in terms of gene expression. Conclusions These results emphasize the importance of testing novel therapies for SCI in a variety of animal species before introduction into human trials. Further research into the influence of several gene products on functional recovery is needed.
Examining Software Maintenance Processes in Small Organizations: Findings from a Case Study

Software maintenance constitutes a critical function that enables organizations to continually leverage their information technology (IT) capabilities. Despite the growing importance of small organizations, a majority of the software maintenance guidelines are inherently geared toward large organizations. Literature review and case-based empirical studies show that in small organizations software maintenance processes are carried out without following a systemic process. Rather, they rely on ad-hoc and heuristics methods by organizations and individuals. This paper investigates software maintenance practices in a small information systems organization to come up with the nature and categories of heuristics used that successfully guided the software maintenance process. Specifically, this paper documents a set of best practices that small organizations can adopt to facilitate their software maintenance processes in the absence of maintenance-specific guidelines based on preliminary empirical investigation.
Trends in overweight and obesity in soldiers entering the US Army, 1989-2012.

Objective The US Army recruits new soldiers from an increasingly obese civilian population. The change in weight status at entry into the Army between 1989 and 2012 and the demographic characteristics associated with overweight/obesity at entry were examined. Methods 1,741,070 unique individuals with complete sex, age, and anthropometric information contributed data to linear and logistic regressions examining time trends and associations between demographic characteristics and overweight/obesity. Results The prevalence of overweight (body mass index 25-<30 kg/m2) generally increased, from 25.8% (1989) to 37.2% (2012), peaking at 37.9% (2011). The prevalence of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) also increased from 5.6% (1989) to 8.0% (2012), peaking at 12.3% (2009); 2005-2009 annual prevalence exceeded 10%. The most consistent demographic characteristics predicting overweight/obesity were male sex, older age, Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Island race/ethnicity, and being married. There were no distinct geographic trends. Conclusions The US Army is not immune to the US obesity epidemic. Demographic characteristics associated with being overweight or obese should be considered when developing military-sponsored weight management programs for new soldiers.
Neotectonic history of eastern Maine evaluated from historic sea-level data and 14C dates on salt-marsh peats

We constructed a local relative-sea-level curve for eastern Maine from 14 C dates on salt-marsh peats to evaluate potential Holocene neotectonic activity. This sea-level chronology indicates that, contrary to suggestions made previously, low elevations of late-glacial shoreline features in eastern Maine are not related to neotectonic activity during the past 5 ka. A comparison between seismicity and tide-gauge records leads to the conclusion that there is no relation between seismic activity and contemporary subsidence of eastern coastal Maine. We propose that eastern Maine has not been affected by anomalous subsidence during at least the past 5 ka.
Lipids and the kidney.

There is now abundant evidence demonstrating that the kidney is a major target organ for both hypertension and lipid-induced injury. In addition, the kidney may have an important role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, and it is possible that lipid-induced renal alterations could contribute to the development and maintenance of elevated blood pressure
Effects Due to and Derived from Spontaneous Ordering in III-V Semiconductor Alloys

Two interesting and important aspects of spontaneous CuPt ordering in III-V semiconductor alloys, which have only been investigated recently, are reviewed in this paper. The first aspect addresses the statistical effects that should be considered as the most unique consequence of the phenomenon of ordering, more specifically, how ordering affects the alloy fluctuations and hence the physical properties of the alloy. The second aspect tackles some intriguing properties of the domain twins of two CuPt ordered variants, specifically, considering the transmission of a ballistic electron beam through such a domain twin and its analogy to a highly interesting phenomenon, negative refraction, for light. along one of the (111) directions of the cubic lattice with alternating Ga-rich and In-rich layers: Ga0.5+η/2In0.5-η/2P and Ga0.5-η/2In0.5+η/2P, with η being the order parameter varying from 0 (full random) to 1 (full ordered). Experimentally, by empirically adjusting the growth parameters, the order parameter is found to be tunable from η ≈ 0 to η ~ 0.6. 6 Note that even though the maximum order parameter achieved so far is still not close to η = 1, it is actually higher than that reported for artificially ordered structures, e.g., GaAs/AlAs-(001) mono-layer superlattices. 7 Beside the effort in attempting to reveal the mechanism for the formation of ordering, a vast amount of studies have been devoted to explore the effects of ordering. The most extensively investigated area is the modifications in the band structure properties due to or related to the symmetry change as a result of ordering. 4, 5 These properties are usually obtained by averaging the corresponding properties over a large volume probed by a given experimental technique. These macroscopic effects of ordering may include, for instance, band gap reduction, valence band splitting, changes in both conduction and valence band effective masses, optical anisotropy, band offsets with respect to other semiconductors, phonon modes, etc. Although these effects are critically important for understanding the ordering process and device applications, their underlying physics in fact often shares some similarity with that of other types of perturbations, say, uniaxial stress and quantum confinement. The unique feature and the kernel of the ordering phenomenon should be the statistical aspect of ordering with alloy fluctuations continuously tunable by changing the order parameter. This aspect has not received much attention until recently when the improvement in sample quality and theoretical modeling capability has made
Determining camera pose using free-form lines

Determining pose or exterior orientation of a camera is an important step in surface reconstruction and subsequent steps such as perceptual organization and object recognition in photogrammetry or computer vision. Pose refers to position and attitude of a perspective camera at the time of exposure. It is generally determined using a set of points in object space and image space. Using free-form lines as a common feature between image and object spaces has always been a challenge. It is basically due to the unavailability of a mathematical model that relates free-form lines in object space, image space and pose of the camera. This paper introduces an innovative mathematical model to determine the camera pose using free-form lines. Everything recorded by a sensor can be considered a discretization of the physical surface [1]. Hence, it is less likely that the same points can be recorded or identified in both image and object space and it is usually easier to find corresponding lines. The method will lead a way to determine pose of images using historical Geographical Information System(GIS) or object space data.
Sliding mode control of electronic throttle valve

This paper focuses on the design of a controller for the throttle valve that is used in combustion engines for the purpose of adjusting air-fuel ratio. Due to the right-hand side discontinuities and uncertainties in the throttle body's mathematical model, sliding mode concept is utilized after the employment of feedback linearization techniques in the intermediate stages of design. Finally, the performance of the proposed controller is evaluated with the simulation and experimental studies.
Computationally efficient determination of threshold voltages in narrow-channel and short-channel MOSFETs using infinite-network manipulations

Infinite network theory provides a computationally advantageous method for computing the threshold voltage of a narrow-channel or short-channel MOSFET. It takes into account the fringing of the electric field upward into the air and sideways into the oxide and semiconductor. This approach also has the advantages of smaller computer memory requirements and execution times as compared with the classical method. >
Repression of HMGA2 Gene Expression by Human Cytomegalovirus Involves the IE2 86-Kilodalton Protein and Is Necessary for Efficient Viral Replication and Inhibition of Cyclin A Transcription

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection results in dysregulation of several cell cycle genes, including inhibition of cyclin A transcription. In this work, we examine the effect of the HCMV infection on expression of the high-mobility group A2 (HMGA2) gene, which encodes an architectural transcription factor that is involved in cyclin A promoter activation. We find that expression of HMGA2 RNA is repressed in infected cells. To determine whether repression of HMGA2 is directly related to the inhibition of cyclin A expression and impacts on the progression of the infection, we constructed an HCMV recombinant that expressed HMGA2. In cells infected with the recombinant virus, cyclin A mRNA and protein are induced, and there is a significant delay in viral early gene expression and DNA replication. To determine the mechanism of HMGA2 repression, we used recombinant viruses that expressed either no IE1 72-kDa protein (CR208) or greatly reduced levels of IE2 86-kDa (IE2 86) protein (IE2 86ΔSX-EGFP). At a high multiplicity of infection, the IE1 deletion mutant is comparable to the wild type with respect to inhibition of HMGA2. In contrast, the IE2 86ΔSX-EGFP mutant does not significantly repress HMGA2 expression, suggesting that IE2 86 is involved in the regulation of this gene. Cyclin A expression is also induced in cells infected with this mutant virus. Since HMGA2 is important for cell proliferation and differentiation, particularly during embryogenesis, it is possible that the repression of HMGA2 expression during fetal development could contribute to the specific birth defects in HCMV-infected neonates.