cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of cover crops in short rotation hardwood plantations to control erosion

Abstract This study was designed to test whether the cultivation of cover crops between tree rows in short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) plantations could reduce erosion. Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) seedlings were planted as the SRWC at a 1.5×3 m spacing. Four cover crops, annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L. a winter annual grass); tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L. a cool-season perennial grass); crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L. a winter annual legume); and Interstate sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont) G. Don. a summer growing-perennial legume], were tested at two different strip widths (1.22 and 2.44 m) in comparison with complete competition control. Erosion was measured from 1 August, 1995 to 8 March, 1997 (585 days) by sediment accumulation near the fence where 72 PVC pipes were inserted into soil on a 4.65 m2 (50 ft3) grid area of each plot. The total rainfall recorded during this period was 2422.91 mm (95.3 in.). All cover crops reduced erosion over the complete competition free plot (control), although tall fescue performed poorly at the narrow strip width. There were no significant differences between grasses and legumes for erosion control. Winter annual crops provided significantly more erosion protection than summer growing-perennials. With the exception of tall fescue, narrow strip widths performed as well as wider strip widths. The results indicate that cover crops ryegrass, crimson clover, lespedeza and tall fescue controlled about 64, 61, 51 and 37% soil erosion respectively as compared to the control during the critical early years of stand development in SRWC hardwood plantations.
Attachment of Mesophilic Aeromonads to Cultured Mammalian Cells

The interaction between mesophilic aeromonads and cultured mouse adrenal cells was examined. Preliminary experiments indicated that aeromonad attachment was dependent upon inoculum size, incubation time, and incubation temperature. Optimal attachment was observed after 30 min of incubation at 37°C with an inoculum size of 1×107 CFU. Heat-killed and formalin-treated organisms did not attach to the cultured cell system. The attachment of aeromonads to the mammalian cell surface was confirmed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Aeromonad attachment correlated both with the presence of pili and the specific aeromonad species, but not with hydrophobicity or the ability to autoagglutinate. Piliated strains were more likely to show high or moderate attachment.Aeromonas sobria, A. hydrophila, andA. veronii showed a greater ability to bind adrenal cells than didA. caviae. Removal of the pili from twoA. sobria isolates markedly reduced their attachment. In contrast, oneA. hydrophila isolate was strongly adherent after the removal of pili. The hemagglutination patterns produced byA. sobria and the other aeromonad species were distinctly different, but potentially predictive of the ability of aeromonads to attach to cultured mouse adrenal cells. These studies indicate that multiple mechanisms are important for the attachment of mesophilic aeromonads to mammalian cells. This model may prove useful for studying the pathogenesis of aeromonad infections.
Effects of scopolamine, amphetamine and benzodiazepines on conditioned suppression☆

Abstract Conditioned suppression of operant behavior was produced by preshock stimuli (i.e., stimuli that precede the noncontigent presentation of electric shock), or prereward stimuli (i.e., stimuli that precede the noncontingent presentation of food) in rats and squirrel monkeys responding on a variable interval schedule of food reinforcement. Benzodiazepine derivatives and amphetamine differentially affect conditioned reactions which are elicited by preshock and prereward stimuli. Conditioned suppression to prereward stimuli were unaffected by chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, scopolamine hydrobromide and scopolamine methyl nitrate but clearly reduced by amphetamine. On the other hand, chlordiazepoxide attenuated the conditioned suppression to preshock stimuli whereas amphetamine, scopolamine hydrobromide and scopolamine methyl nitrate had no significant effects in this paradigm. The results suggest that the effects of drugs on conditioned suppression cannot be interpreted, a priori , in terms of selective effects on mechanisms related to emotional behavior or inhibition.
A Comprehensive Model to Predict Three-Way Catalytic Converter Performance

This paper describes the development of a comprehensive mathematical and numerical model for simulating the performance of automotive three-way catalytic converters, which are employed to reduce engine exhaust emissions. The model simulates the emission system behavior by using an exhaust system heat conservation and catalyst chemical kinetic submodel. The resulting governing equations are solved numerically. Good agreements were found between the numerical predictions and experimental measurements under both steady-state and transient conditions. The developed model will be used to facilitate the converter design improvement efforts, which are necessary in order to meet the increasingly stricter emission requirements. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1424295#
Using base-specific Salmonella tester strains to characterize the types of mutation induced by benzidine and benzidine congeners after reductive metabolism.

Abstract Although benzidine (Bz), 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP), 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine HCl (DCBz), 3,3′-dimethylbenzidine (DMBz), 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine (DMOBz) and the benzidine congener-based dye trypan blue (TB) produce primarily frameshift mutations in Salmonella typhimurium , the base-substitution strain TA100 also responds to these compounds when S9 is present. Performing DNA sequence analysis, other investigators have shown that ABP induces frameshift, base-pair and complex mutations. Also, it was found that an uninduced hamster liver S9 preparation with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, FMN, NADH and four times glucose 6-phosphate gave a stronger mutagenic response than the conventional plate incorporation with rat S9 activation mixture for all the compounds tested. Using the base-specific tester strains of S. typhimurium (TA7001–TA7006) with the above reductive metabolic activation system, we surveyed these compounds for the ability to produce specific base-pair substitutions after reductive metabolism. Bz was weakly mutagenic in TA7005 (0.04 revertants/μg). ABP was mutagenic in TA7002 (1.4 revertants/μg), TA7004 (0.6 revertants/μg), TA7005 (2.98 revertants/μg) and TA7006 (0.4 revertants/μg). DCBz was weakly mutagenic in TA7004 (0.01 revertants/μg). It was concluded that benzidine induced some CG->AT transversions in addition to frameshift mutations. ABP induced TA->AT, CG->AT, and CG->GC transversions as well as GC->AT transitions. DCBz induced only GC->AT transitions. Because DMBz, DMOBz and TB were not mutagenic in this base-substitution mutagen detection system, their mutagenic activity was attributed strictly to frameshift mechanisms.
Inference Robustness of ARIMA Models under Non-Normality - Special Application to Stock Price Data

Wold's decomposition theorem [Wold] states that every weakly stationary stochastic process can be written as a linear combination of orthogonal shocks. For practical reasons, however, it is desirable to employ models which use parameters parsimoniously.Box andJenkins [1970] show how parsimony can be achieved by representing the linear process in terms of a small number of autoregressive and moving average terms (ARIMA-models). The Gaussian hypothesis assumes that the shocks follow a normal distribution with fixed mean and variance. In this case the process is characterized by first and second order moments. The normality assumption seems reasonable for many kinds of series. However, it was pointed out byKendall [1953],Mandelbrot [1963, 1967],Fama [1965],Mandelbrot andTaylor [1967] that particularly for stock price data the distribution of the shocks appears leptokurtic:
Wellness Activities of Rural Older Adults in the Great Plains

Growing interest in healthier aging coincides with the comprehensive whole person wellness model, defined by Hettler (2003 1 ), that includes physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, and social dimensions. This study examined current activities for older adults in rural senior centers in the Great Plains. A mail survey was administered to the directors of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska senior centers. Findings indicated that only 15 percent of the senior centers in the three states offered activities for all six wellness dimensions. To accommodate activities in a rural senior center, both programs and space for the programs for diverse activities should be addressed.
Pressure tuning of strain in CdTe/InSb epilayer: A photoluminescence and photomodulated reflectivity study

The heavy‐hole and light‐hole excitons of a CdTe epilayer, pseudomorphically grown on an InSb epilayer by molecular beam epitaxy, are studied with a diamond anvil cell as a function of applied hydrostatic pressure via photoluminescence (PL) and photomodulated reflectivity (PR) spectroscopies. They are compared with the excitonic features in the simultaneously measured PL spectra of a sample of bulk CdTe. Under applied pressure, the lattice mismatch‐induced splitting between the light‐hole and heavy‐hole related transitions increases in a continuous and reversible manner because of the additional pressure‐induced compression due to the difference in the compressibilities of CdTe and InSb. The unusually large strain sustained by the CdTe epilayer under pressure is discussed in the light of various models. The PR signal vanishes after the InSb epilayer goes through a structural phase transition at approximately 20 kbar, while the PL signal persists until it is irreversibly quenched by the CdTe epilayer under...
Stress between Work and Family

The contributors of this book have presented data from a variety of research projects that show the many and dynamic ways in which the worlds or work and family are intricately connected. This interconnectedness becomes even more apparent when stressful experiences in the workplace or the family upset the homeostasis that may otherwise have been achieved between these domains. As such, the investigation of chronic stress in the workplace and disruptions such as job loss becomes a potential window investigators can use to explore normative family processes, just as chronic stress and change in the family informs our understanding of the meaning of work roles.
AI and brain theory at the Univ. of Massachusetts

In the Computer and Information Science (COINS) Department of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, five of the thirteen faculty members are conducting active research in Cybernetics -- which in our department includes Artificial Intelligence and Brain Theory.
Responses of Developing Estuarine Macrobenthic Communities to Drilling Muds

The effects of drilling mud, used in oil drilling operations, on development of estuarine macrobenthic communities from settling planktonic larvae were assessed by comparing numbers and species of animals that grew in uncontaminated and contaminated aquaria for 8 weeks. Aquaria contained sand and were continuously supplied unfiltered seawater. Seven lignosulfonate-type drilling muds obtained from an active exploratory platform in estuarine waters were tested consecutively at nominal concentrations of 0.5, 5, and 50 parts per million (ppm) in the water column. Numbers of tunicates, mollusks, and annelids per aquarium were significantly (α=0.05) decreased from control numbers in 50 ppm. Structural differences in communities exposed to 50 ppm from those in the control and lower concentrations were indicated by a decrease in Spearman's measure of rank correlation of species abundance and an increase in the Shannon-Weaver index of species diversity. A total of 13 species occurred in 50 ppm compared to 23 species in each of the other situations. Growth in diameter ofMolgula manhattensis was significantly affected in all concentrations of mud.
Strategic Intelligence and Foreign Policy

Strategic intelligence, die evaluated informational product of intelligence bureaucracies, is a potentially important element in foreign policy decision making. But the role and impact of intelligence reports are very difficult to analyze, because of bodi secrecy and conceptual or definitional problems. Some new light is shed by a number of recent books, in three categories: essentially uncritical works by former insiders, muckraking exposes, and historical case studies. Collectively, these books improve our understanding of the variables that condition the impact of strategic intelligence on policy, or they illuminate die policy and bureaucratic context of intelligence activities. But only one of the recent books has a theoretical thrust. Great need remains, and opportunities exist, to move toward better dieoretical understanding of intelligence, or at least toward inproved information about when, how, or whether intelligence activities or reports have measurable impact on foreign policy decision making and policy outcomes in world politics.
Active sites of H-ZSM5 catalysts for the oxidation of nitric oxide by oxygen

The catalytic activities of H-ZSM5-18, H-ZSM5-150, Li-ZSM5-18, and H-Mag (numerical suffixes mark the Si/Al ratios of zeolites, H-Mag is the proton exchanged form of the layered sodium silicate, magadiite) were compared for the oxidation of NO by O2 at different ratios of reactants at reaction temperatures from 25 to 600°C. H-ZSM5-18 typically has activity maxima near 25 and 400°C at most O2/NO reactant ratios. Regardless of the partial pressures of reactants, NO±1/2O2 ⇋ NO2 equilibria are attained at 400°C and above. The H-ZSM5-150 and Li-ZSM5-18 zeolites are only active at temperatures near 25°C. H-Mag is practically inactive at the reaction conditions used. Results indicate that Lewis acidic lattice aluminium ions and silanol hydroxyls are not active in the oxidation of NO to NO2 over H-ZSM5 zeolites. Bronsted acidic bridging hydroxyls are probably active sites for this reaction at temperatures above 200°C.
Bremsstrahlung recoil force on second-order dynamic polarization charge of a relativistic test particle in a nonequilibrium beam-plasma system

The recoil force on the second-order dynamic polarization charge of a relativistic test particle participating in collective bremsstrahlung in a nonequilibrium beam-plasma system is calculated. Contributions arise both from terms involving direct interaction of the field of the test particle in second order with its own induced dynamic polarization, and from interaction of the field scattered by the dynamic polarization with the dynamic polarization itself.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Detection of atomic hydrogen in flames by resonance four-photon ionization at 365 nm

Abstract The first observations of the four-photon ionization of H atoms at 364.7 nm via a three-photon resonance on the Lyman alpha transition are reported. The resonance ionization detection of H and D atoms in an H2/D2/O2/Ar flame is demonstrated and H-atom density profiles are measured with good spatial resolution. A broadening of 2.2 cm−1 /GW cm2 of the four-photon resonance by ac Stark shifting is observed.
Lessons on immune tolerance from the monogenic disease APS1.

Autoimmunity is a complex disease process that results from a breakdown in the ability of the immune system to discriminate self from non-self. One approach to unraveling how autoimmunity occurs is to study monogenic diseases, for which a single gene defect is responsible. Recent work on the monogenic autoimmune disease ‘autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1’ (APS1) and on the causal gene of this disorder — autoimmune regulator (AIRE) — is providing new lessons on how immune tolerance is maintained.
Joint-layer encoder optimization for HEVC scalable extensions

Scalable video coding provides an efficient solution to support video playback on heterogeneous devices with various channel conditions in heterogeneous networks. SHVC is the latest scalable video coding standard based on the HEVC standard. To improve enhancement layer coding efficiency, inter-layer prediction including texture and motion information generated from the base layer is used for enhancement layer coding. However, the overall performance of the SHVC reference encoder is not fully optimized because rate-distortion optimization (RDO) processes in the base and enhancement layers are independently considered. It is difficult to directly extend the existing joint-layer optimization methods to SHVC due to the complicated coding tree block splitting decisions and in-loop filtering process (e.g., deblocking and sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering) in HEVC. To solve those problems, a joint-layer optimization method is proposed by adjusting the quantization parameter (QP) to optimally allocate the bit resource between layers. Furthermore, to make more proper resource allocation, the proposed method also considers the viewing probability of base and enhancement layers according to packet loss rate. Based on the viewing probability, a novel joint-layer RD cost function is proposed for joint-layer RDO encoding. The QP values of those coding tree units (CTUs) belonging to lower layers referenced by higher layers are decreased accordingly, and the QP values of those remaining CTUs are increased to keep total bits unchanged. Finally the QP values with minimal joint-layer RD cost are selected to match the viewing probability. The proposed method was applied to the third temporal level (TL-3) pictures in the Random Access configuration. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed joint-layer optimization method can improve coding performance by 1.3% for these TL-3 pictures compared to the SHVC reference encoder without joint-layer optimization.
An inorganic–organic hybrid material with a novel oxometallic framework: Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of [Zn3O3(C13H14N2)3]V6O15

A new hybrid material [Zn3O3(C13H14N2)3]V6O15 (1) with extended framework structure has been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by vibrational spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and complete single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The compound has a complex three-dimensional covalent framework structure. It exhibits a fully oxidized novel oxometallic framework containing 10-membered {V4ZnO5} oxometalate rings and 4,4′-trimethylene dipyridine ligands (C13H14N2) that connect pairs of crystallographically equivalent zinc atoms. The extended structure of 1 may also be viewed as containing a framework of corner-sharing {VO4} and {ZnO2N2} polyhedra together with 4,4'-trimethylene dipyridine ligands linking zinc centers. The hybrid material is thermally stable up to 323 °C. It contains metal centers and coordination geometry that make it a potentially attractive model compound for investigating the structures of metallo-organic biomolecules by use of solid state NMR spectroscopic techniques. Crystal data for C39H42N6O18V6Zn3: monoclinicic P21, a = 10.9894(9) A, b = 18.1493 (15) A, c = 13.0903 (11) A, β = 109.8880(10)°, V = 2455.1(4) A3, Z = 2, Dcalc. = 1.873 Mg/m3. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Decreased Virulence of Chlorate-Resistant Salmonella typhimurium

Typhoid fever is a disease unique to man. No animal species has been identified that develops a typhoid-like illness after oral ingestion of Salmonella typhi. This lack of a suitable animal model for typhoid fever has hindered a complete understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease and is, in part, responsible for the early failure to develop a satisfactory vaccine for prevention of the disease. Salmonella enteritidis and Salmo-
Structure and oxidation state of hematite surfaces reacted with aqueous Fe(II) at acidic and neutral pH

Structural changes and surface oxidation state were examined following the reaction of hematite (0 0 1), (0 1 2), and (1 1 0) with aqueous Fe(II). X-ray reflectivity measurements indicated that Fe(II) induces changes in the structure of all three surfaces under both acidic (pH 3) and neutral (pH 7) conditions. The structural changes were generally independent of pH although the extent of surface transformation varied slightly between acidic and neutral conditions; no systematic trends with pH were observed. Induced changes on the (1 1 0) and (0 1 2) surfaces include the addition or removal of partial surface layers consistent with either growth or dissolution. In contrast, a <1 nm thick, discontinuous film formed on the (0 0 1) surface that appears to be epitaxial yet is not a perfect extension of the underlying hematite lattice, being either structurally defective, compositionally distinct, or nanoscale in size and highly relaxed. Resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity measurements determined that the surface concentration of Fe(II) present after reaction at pH 7 was below the detection limit of approximately 0.5–1 μmol/m2 on all surfaces. These observations are consistent with Fe(II) oxidative adsorption, whereby adsorbed Fe(II) is oxidized by structural Fe(III) in the hematite lattice, with the extent of this reaction controlled by surface structure at the atomic scale. The observed surface transformations at pH 3 show that Fe(II) oxidatively adsorbs on hematite surfaces at pH values where little net adsorption occurs, based on historical macroscopic Fe(II) adsorption behavior on fine-grained hematite powders. This suggests that Fe(II) plays a catalytic role, in which an electron from an adsorbed Fe(II) migrates to and reduces a lattice Fe(III) cation elsewhere, which subsequently desorbs in a scenario with zero net reduction and zero net adsorption. Given the general pH-independence and substantial mass transfer involved, this electron and atom exchange process appears to be a significant subsystem within macroscopic pH-dependent Fe(II) adsorption.
Variation in High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Dose Contribution Among Pelvic Lymph Node Groups in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Purpose/Objective(s): The standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is concurrent chemoradiation therapy followed by brachytherapy. However, there is institutional variation of the optimal radiation prescription dose to metastatic pelvic lymph nodes (LNs) in LACC. Previous work from our group showed high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy contributed about 7% of the total Equivalent Dose in 2-Gray Fractions (EQD2) of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and HDR brachytherapy. Due to the location in the pelvis and subsequent distance from the implant, LN groups receive differing amounts of brachytherapy contribution. In this study, we investigate a hypothesis that there is variation in HDR brachytherapy dose contribution among anatomical pelvic LN groups in LACC. Materials/Methods: Twenty-one patients with 45 positive pelvic LNs (9 common iliac (CI), 15 external iliac (EI), 12 internal iliac (II) and 9 obturator (Ob) LNs) treated in two institutions from Oct 2007 to Aug 2011 were included in this retrospective analysis. All patients received EBRT to the pelvis with a supplemental boost to the involved pelvic node, plus HDR brachytherapy. Pathologically involved LNs were contoured on the planning EBRT image as well as the 4 to 5 brachytherapy planning images. The mean received dose of each LN from the EBRT and brachytherapy plans was recorded and EQD2 was calculated. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was performed to determine if the mean brachytherapy EQD2 was significantly different among 4 pelvic LN groups. Results: The average prescribed doses from the EBRT, including the initial pelvic fields and boost contribution to CI, EI, II and Ob LNs, were 54.60Gy, 54.53Gy, 53.15Gy and 54.42Gy respectively. The average prescribed HDR doses to International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) point A were 26.83Gy, 27.84Gy, 29.79Gy and 28.49Gy accordingly. The average dose delivered to CI, EI, II and Ob LNs were 53.19Gy, 55.14Gy, 53.26Gy and 55.10Gy (EBRT), and 2.65Gy, 4.31Gy, 5.46Gy and 5.77Gy (HDR) respectively, with the corresponding EQD2 of 52.26Gy, 54.36Gy, 52.42Gy and 54.42Gy (EBRT), and 2.36Gy, 4.00Gy, 5.09Gy and 5.47Gy (HDR). The HDR contribution to CI, EI, II and Ob LNs was 4.10%, 6.93%, 8.83% and 9.48% of the total EQD2 (EBRT+HDR, 57.69Gy) of all LN groups respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in brachytherapy EQD2 among the 4 pelvic LN groups (p < 0.05), with the Ob LN receiving the most dose. Conclusions: Our study highlights the 4.1% to 9.5% variation in brachytherapy dose contribution of the total EQD2 among pelvic LN groups. This difference in HDR contribution needs to be considered when prescribing EBRT boost dose to each pelvic LN group for the optimal therapeutic total dose. Author Disclosure: Y. Lee: None. D.L. Rash: None. R.L. Stern: None. M. Mathai: None. D. Deer: None. F. Wang: None. J.S. Mayadev: None.
Further Observations on the Caribbean Sponge Cryptotethya crypta (de Laubenfels)

RECENTLY, there has been some interest in the Caribbean sponge Cryptotethya crypta because of the presence, in extracts of this animal, of a number of unique nucleo-sides1,2: spongothymidine (3-β-D-arabofuranosylthymine)3, spongouridine (3-β-D-arabofuranosyluracil)3, and spongosine (9-β-D-ribofuranosyl-2-methoxyadenine)4,5. During an investigation6,7 to ascertain whether the sponge possessed an arabinose nucleic acid, it was shown that the ratio of the amounts of ribonucleic acid to deoxyribo-nucleic acid was the reverse of that found in other animal tissues. This result has been confirmed histochemically8, and evidence was presented to indicate the possible presence of an unusual nucleic acid. However, no definite evidence has come forth, as yet, for the existence of an arabinose nucleic acid in this sponge.
Criteria for assessing the tools of disability outcomes research

To recommend instrument assessment criteria, deriving from psychometric textbooks and articles and disability and research experts, for reviewing and assessing surveys and questionnaires for disability outcomes research. Traditional criteria are recommended, including psychometric properties of validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change, as are newer statistical methods for assessing scaling properties, such as Rasch analysis. Special consideration is needed for generic instruments that may be poorly scaled for disability research. Pragmatic aspects of data collection, including acceptability and disability accommodation, also are recommended.
Cholesterol Lowering, Low Cholesterol, and Mortality

Lowering of circulating cholesterol levels can prevent, arrest, and even reverse coronary atherosclerosis. Moreover, cholesterol lowering in patients with established coronary disease appears to be beneficial.
BRL37344, a β3-adrenergic receptor agonist, decreases nerve-evoked contractions in human detrusor smooth muscle isolated strips: role of BK channels.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which BRL37344, a β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-ARs) agonist, facilitates the inhibition of nerve-evoked contractions in human detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) isolated strips and to identify the role of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels in this process. Methods Human DSM specimens were obtained from open bladder surgeries on patients without preoperative history of overactive bladder symptoms. Isometric DSM tension recordings were conducted using force-displacement transducers and thermostatically controlled tissue baths. Nerve-evoked contractions were generated by electrical field stimulation (EFS). Results BRL37344, a β3-AR agonist, significantly decreased the amplitude, muscle force, and duration of the DSM contractions induced by 20 Hz EFS, in a concentration-dependent manner. This BRL37344-mediated inhibition of the amplitude and muscle force of the nerve-evoked DSM contraction was significantly reduced by iberiotoxin, a highly selective inhibitor of the BK channel, revealing a role for BK channels in the β3-AR-induced inhibition of human DSM nerve-evoked contractions. We further used atropine, α,β-methylene-ATP, and suramin to separate the cholinergic and purinergic components of human DSM nerve-evoked contractions. We found that the β3-AR agonist, BRL37344, inhibited both components of the EFS-induced (0.5-50 Hz) DSM contractions. Conclusion This study supports the concept that β3-AR agonists inhibit nerve-evoked contractions in human DSM. We have further revealed that BK channels play a critical role in BRL37344-mediated relaxation of nerve-evoked contractions in human DSM. The study suggests that in addition to β3-ARs, BK channels may also represent promising pharmacologic targets in the treatment of urinary bladder dysfunction.
Selective synthesis and accumulation of nuclear non-histone proteins during carcinogenesis of the colon induced by 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine.

The complement of nuclear non-histone proteins in epithelial cells of the colon is progressively altered during the course of carcinogenesis induced by 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine, until finally the nuclear proteins of tumor cells are easily distinguishable from those of the surrounding normal tissue. These changes in nuclear protein composition reflect earlier differences in the rates of synthesis of individual protein species. Radioisotopic double-labeling experiments show that the synthesis of nuclear proteins of molecular weights 44,000 and 62,000 is selectively accelerated within 4 weeks after administration of the carcinogen, long before any morphological indications of malignancy appear.
A membrane potential threshold for phage T4 DNA injection

Abstract DNA penetration from T4 phage adsorbed to Escherichia coli was measured at different membrane potentials. There was a precipitous reduction in DNA penetration between 110 mV and 60 mV. This threshold of membrane potential for DNA penetration is independent of ΔpH and rather insensitive to external pH between 6 and 8.
On the mechanism of grain formation during spray atomization and deposition

Abstract The mechanisms governing the morphological changes in the microstructure of spray atomized and deposited Ni3Al were studied, with particular emphasis on the formation of a spheroidal grain morphology. Accordingly, the various microstructural features present in the spray deposited material were rationalized on the basis of thermal energy considerations. The formation of spheroidal grains was proposed to evolve from: (a) the homogenization of dendrites that did not deform extensively during deposition; and (b) the growth and coalescence of deformed or fractured dendrite fragments. Support for this suggestion was provided by experimental results and numerical analyses which show that the microstructure of Ni3Al is exposed to a high temperature anneal during deposition. Moreover, the results show that during high temperature annealing, the deformed or fractured dendrite fragments that were initially present in the spray deposited materials grew and coalesced leading to the development of a spheroidal grain morphology. On the basis of a coarsening mechanism, the relative annealing time under a particular cooling rate may be calculated and converted into a spheroidal grain size, dsph, from the following equation, dsph = 15.2· Ṫ−0.35. The experimental results were observed to concur with this relationship.
Extent and control of shock affects naltrexone sensitivity of stress-induced analgesia and reactivity to morphine

Opioid and nonopioid mediated changes in pain sensitivity have been observed after exposure to various stressful conditions. A series of inescapable shocks sequentially produces an early form of analgesia which is not affected by the opiate antagonist, naltrexone, and a late antinociceptive response which is sensitive to reversal by naltrexone. Here, this is shown to be true over a wide range of doses. In a further experiment subjects given either escapable or inescapable shock were analgesic immediately after the stress session. However, the analgesia of inescapably shocked subjects was more sensitive to reversal by naltrexone. A final experiment revealed that inescapably shocked subjects, but not escapably shocked subjects, were hyperreactive to the analgesic effects of morphine 24 hr after shock. These results suggest that activation of an opiate system occurs only after extended exposure to stress and that this activation is greater when the stress is inescapable. Implications for opioid versus nonopioid mechanisms of stress-induced analgesia are discussed.
Phosphorylation of innate immune adaptor proteins MAVS, STING, and TRIF induces IRF3 activation

During virus infection, the adaptor proteins MAVS and STING transduce signals from the cytosolic nucleic acid sensors RIG-I and cGAS, respectively, to induce type I interferons (IFNs) and other antiviral molecules. Here we show that MAVS and STING harbor two conserved serine and threonine clusters that are phosphorylated by the kinases IKK and/or TBK1 in response to stimulation. Phosphorylated MAVS and STING then bind to a positively charged surface of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and thereby recruit IRF3 for its phosphorylation and activation by TBK1. We further show that TRIF, an adaptor protein in Toll-like receptor signaling, activates IRF3 through a similar phosphorylation-dependent mechanism. These results reveal that phosphorylation of innate adaptor proteins is an essential and conserved mechanism that selectively recruits IRF3 to activate the type I IFN pathway.
Synthesis and Coordination of a Cleft-Stabilized Triphosphazane Hydride: C6H4N2[P(S)(NEt2)2]2PH

Reaction of the molecular cleft-containing triphosphazane C6H4N2[P(S)(NEt2)2]2PCl (2) with LiBH4 yields the borane-coordinated triphosphazane hydride C6H4N2[P(S)(NEt2)2]2P(BH3)H (3). The complex is...
Tomographic reconstruction of simulated two-dimensional propagation data

The forward propagation equation (FPE) has been used extensively for simulating ionospheric propagation data. However, for most applications the structured region has been replaced by an equivalent phase screen. This allows fully three-dimensional simulations under strong-scatter conditions, but it does not capture detail with sufficient fidelity to support tomographic reconstruction. The problem is compounded by the fact that field-aligned structure extends to altitudes approaching 1000 km. To meaningfully populate a data space with representative structure over the full range of scale sizes is challenging in its own right, but a two-dimensional slice captures the essential attributes of propagation through highly extended structure. Tomographic reconstruction makes use of multiple propagation paths that intersect a common ionospheric volume. A modified form of the FPE reproduces data from a receiver at the ground intercept of the ray from the source. The nominal propagation angle is local reference. While most simulations have concentrated on realizations of a single receiver, varying the propagation direction is equivalent to reception by a displaced receiver. With care to manage the phase relations, one can generate data representative of multiple widely separated receivers. Moreover, because the FPE contains additive differential diffraction and structure components, the diffraction term can be bypassed to generate the path integration that forms the basis of tomographic reconstruction schemes.
Response patterns of gibberellic acid-treated sweet cherry fruit at different soluble solids levels and leaffruit ratios

Abstract Pre-harvest, gibberellic acid-treated (10 mg 1−1, 21 days before harvest) ‘Bing’ and ‘Lambert’ sweet cherry fruit were larger, firmer, and had more soluble solids than non-gibberellic acid-treated fruit. Fruit firmness was a function of gibberellic acid-treatment, soluble solids and leaf fruit ratio, although the response varied with cultivar, location and year. Treated fruit had a greater increase in firmness than untreated fruit as soluble solids levels increased. Fruit weight was a function of gibberellic acid-treatment and ln ( leaf fruit ) ratio.
Stripes, non-fermi-liquid behavior, and high-T c superconductivity

The electronic structure of the high-Tc. cuprates is studied in terms of “large-U” and “small-U” orbitals. A striped structure and three types of quasiparticles are obtained, polaron-like “stripons” carrying charge, “svivons” carrying spin, and “quasielectrons” carrying both. The anomalous properties are explained, and specifically the behavior of the resistivity. Hall constant, and thermoelectric power. High-temperature superconductivity results from transitions between pair states of quasielectrons and stripons.
Computability of Countable Subshifts in One Dimension

We investigate the computability of countable subshifts in one dimension, and their members. Subshifts of Cantor–Bendixson rank two contain only eventually periodic elements. Any rank two subshift in 2ℤ is decidable. Subshifts of rank three may contain members of arbitrary Turing degree. In contrast, effectively closed ($\Pi^{0}_{1}$ ) subshifts of rank three contain only computable elements, but $\Pi^{0}_{1}$ subshifts of rank four may contain members of arbitrary $\Delta^{0}_{2}$ degree. There is no subshift of rank ω+1.
Basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) predicts response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)-intrauterine insemination (IUI) therapy.

Purpose This work investigates the relationship of basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements and age to ovarian responsiveness and pregnancy occurrence following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intrauterine insemination (COH-IUI).
Isolation and characterization of 17 new microsatellite markers for the ember parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus, and cross‐amplification in four other parrotfish species

We describe the isolation and characterization of 17 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the ember parrotfish Scarus rubrioviolaceus. In a Hawaiian sample of 69 fish, we found between three and 20 alleles per locus, and observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.283 to 0.896. Four of these loci consistently cross-amplified in the stareye parrotfish Calotomus carolinus, the spectacled parrotfish Chlorurus perspicillatus, the palenose parrotfish Scarus psittacus, and the bullethead parrotfish Chlorurus sordidus, but others gave mixed results. These loci will be useful for describing mating systems and population structure in marine species with broad dispersal potential that play key ecological roles in tropical environments.
“Dime con Quien Andas”: Notions of Chicano and Mexican American Families:

Social workers, whether family practitioners or not, have historically begun their examination or analysis of what constitutes family with normative understandings. To more comprehensively intervene with families, social work practitioners need to begin with a broad understanding of family. Given U.S. ethnic demographic shifts, and changes in economic trends, social workers will have to entertain a myriad of family form in their assessments, as they necessarily interact with a multiplicity of situations that require alternative models for understanding family.
A panel of lung injury biomarkers enhances the definition of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) after lung transplantation.

Background We aimed to identify combinations of biomarkers to enhance the definition of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) for translational research. Methods Biomarkers reflecting lung epithelial injury (soluble receptor for advance glycation end products [sRAGE] and surfactant protein-D [SP-D]), coagulation cascade (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 [PAI-1] and protein C), and cell adhesion (intracellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1]) were measured in the plasma of 315 individuals derived from the Lung Transplant Outcomes Group cohort at 6 and 24 hours after transplantation. We assessed biomarker utility in 2 ways: first, we tested the discrimination of grade 3 PGD within 72 hours; second, we tested the predictive utility of plasma biomarkers for 90-day mortality. Results PGD developed in 86 of 315 individuals (27%). Twenty-patients (8%) died within 90 days of transplantation, of which 16 (70%) had PGD. Biomarkers measured at 24 hours had greater discrimination than at 6 hours. Individually, sRAGE (area under the curve [AUC], 0.71) and PAI-1 (AUC, 0.73) had the best discrimination of PGD. The combinations of sRAGE with PAI-1 (AUC, 0.75), PAI-1 with ICAM-1 (AUC, 0.75), and PAI-1 with SP-D (AUC, 0.76) had the best discrimination. Combinations of greater than 2 biomarkers did not significantly enhance discrimination of PGD. ICAM-1 with PAI-1 (AUC, 0.72) and ICAM-1 with sRAGE (AUC, 0.72) had the best prediction for 90-day mortality. The addition of ICAM-1, PAI-1, or sRAGE to the concurrent clinical PGD grade significantly improved the prediction of 90-day mortality ( p Conclusions Measurement of the combination of a marker of impaired fibrinolysis with an epithelial injury or cell adhesion marker had the best discrimination for PGD and prediction for early death and may provide an alternative outcome useful in future research.
Reversal of the Red Beet Tonoplast H+-ATPase by a Pyrophosphate-Generated Proton Electrochemical Gradient

Abstract The reversal of the tonoplast H + -ATPase to mediate ATP synthesis was investigated in tonoplast vesicles isolated from red beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) storage tissue. Our approach involved use of the H + - PP i ase to establish a proton electrochemical gradient (ΔμH + ) across the tonoplast vesicle membrane to drive the H + -ATPase in reverse. However, an initial problem with this approach was the presence of an adenylate kinase activity in the tonoplast fraction that interfered with measurement of ATP synthesis as a coupling between the H + -ATPase and H + PP i ase. Inclusion of the adenylate kinase inhibitor plp5-di(adenosine)pentaphosphate (Ap5A) in assays at 50 μM led to a complete inhibition of this activity and allowed measurement of ATP synthesis coupled to PP i hydrolysis. When measured in the presence of Ap5A, PP i -dependent ATP synthesis was blocked by Triton X-100 and inhibited by gramicidin D, imidodiphosphate, nitrate, and bafilomycin A. These results are consistent with PP i -dependent ATP synthesis occurring as a coupled process involving a ΔμH + established across the membrane. Furthermore, the observation that ATP synthesis is inhibited by inhibitors of the tonoplast H + -ATPase (nitrate and bafilomycin A) would suggest that this enzyme is involved in the synthetic reaction and can operate in reverse to synthesize ATP from ADP and P i . A thermodynamic analysis of coupling between the H + - PP i ase and H + -ATPase suggests that PP i -driven ATP synthesis could only occur under these reaction conditions if the H + /substrate stoichiometries for the H + - PP i ase and H + -ATPase were 1 and 2, respectively. These values are consistent with transport stoichiometries previously determined for these enzymes in red beet tonoplast vesicles using kinetic methods.
Elucidating and reprogramming Escherichia coli metabolisms for obligate anaerobic n-butanol and isobutanol production

Elementary mode (EM) analysis based on the constraint-based metabolic network modeling was applied to elucidate and compare complex fermentative metabolisms of Escherichia coli for obligate anaerobic production of n-butanol and isobutanol. The result shows that the n-butanol fermentative metabolism was NADH-deficient, while the isobutanol fermentative metabolism was NADH redundant. E. coli could grow and produce n-butanol anaerobically as the sole fermentative product but not achieve the maximum theoretical n-butanol yield. In contrast, for the isobutanol fermentative metabolism, E. coli was required to couple with either ethanol- or succinate-producing pathway to recycle NADH. To overcome these “defective” metabolisms, EM analysis was implemented to reprogram the native fermentative metabolism of E. coli for optimized anaerobic production of n-butanol and isobutanol through multiple gene deletion (∼8–9 genes), addition (∼6–7 genes), up- and downexpression (∼6–7 genes), and cofactor engineering (e.g., NADH, NADPH). The designed strains were forced to couple both growth and anaerobic production of n-butanol and isobutanol, which is a useful characteristic to enhance biofuel production and tolerance through metabolic pathway evolution. Even though the n-butanol and isobutanol fermentative metabolisms were quite different, the designed strains could be engineered to have identical metabolic flux distribution in “core” metabolic pathways mainly supporting cell growth and maintenance. Finally, the model prediction in elucidating and reprogramming the native fermentative metabolism of E. coli for obligate anaerobic production of n-butanol and isobutanol was validated with published experimental data.
Students' perceptions of women and men as learners in higher education

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in women and men's classroom behavior from the perspective of both traditional college-age and adult students in higher education. A sample of 358 students in four institutions responded to a questionnaire with 39 classroom behaviors. Factor analysis of the survey responses yielded seven dimensions of perceived classroom behavior. Perceptions of male and female behavior differed significantly on six of the seven factors. Perceived differences did not conform entirely to the findings of other research. Gender and age of respondent were related to perceptions of behavior.
Actin Filament Structure: The ghost of ribbons past

The high-resolution structures now available for monomeric actin, and for the actin-binding proteins profilin, gelsolin and myosin, have important implications for structural models of the actin filament.
Microdiffraction, stem imaging and ELS at crystal surfaces

Abstract The interaction of electrons with the flat face of a small crystal, when the beam is almost parallel to the face, is strongly influenced by the form of the potential field at the surface and the excitations associated with the surface. Microdiffraction patterns show evidence of refraction displacements from which information on the form of the potential distribution can be deduced. Channeling of the electrons along the surface gives additional spots in the microdiffraction patterns and fringes of varying periodicity in the image. The generation of transition radiation as the electron is accelerated in the vicinity of the surface gives rise to prominent characteristic features in the 0–30 eV range of the energy loss spectra. Also the peaks associated with excitations of surface electronic states are strong.
Large-Volume High-Pressure Mineral Physics in Japan

American high-pressure research with large sample volumes developed rapidly in the 1950s during the race to produce synthetic diamonds. At that time the piston cylinder, girdle (or belt), and tetrahedral anvil devices were invented. However, this development essentially stopped in the late 1950s, and while the diamond anvil cell has been used extensively in the United States with spectacular success for high-pressure experiments in small sample volumes, most of the significant technological advances in large-volume devices have taken place in Japan. Over the past 25 years, these technical advances have enabled a fourfold increase in pressure, with many important investigations of the chemical and physical properties of materials synthesized at high temperatures and pressures that cannot be duplicated with any apparatus currently available in the United States.