cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation and Remodeling of the Coronary Vascular Bed in the Embryonic Avian Heart

To study the formation of the coronary vessels in the developing avian heart, we stained developmentally staged quail hearts with the endothelial specific antibody QH-1. QH-1 reacted with individual cells in the proepicardial organ in Hamburger and Hamilton stage (HH) 17 embryos only after it had contacted the heart. In HH18 –26 hearts, individual QH-1 cells accumulated over the surface of the atria and ventricles. The first endothelial vessels appeared in the dorsal atrioventricular groove in HH23 hearts. CD45 hematopoietic precursors accumulated on the heart surface, demonstrating the close temporal relationship of hematopoiesis with vasculogenesis during heart development. However, CD45 expression preceded association of these cells with the vasculature, suggesting hematopoietic commitment precedes formation of blood islands in the coronary vasculature. Endothelial tubules first appeared on the dorsal and then the ventral aspects of the heart, coalescing into large sinusoids. These sinusoids remodeled into compact muscularized vessels by HH35. Smooth muscle cell markers were first expressed at HH27 and only in association with developing vasculature. We did not observe markers of smooth muscle differentiation in the proepicardium, but it remains uncertain whether cells in the proepicardium are committed to this cell fate. Our data support a strictly vasculogenic mechanism for the formation of the coronary vessels and blood islands. Developmental Dynamics 230:34 – 43, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis of Multi-Threaded Code Execution on Small Multi-Core Architectures

Utilizing threads and other parallel execution techniques efficiently to achieve concurrency on multiple processors/cores is becoming more difficult as the complexity of engineering applications increases. While hardware performance and scalability in this environment have been well-studied, software and operating system aspects of parallel code execution deserve additional attention. This is especially the case for smaller multi-core architectures such as those found in desktop computers. A matrix-multiply application has been customized to generate a multi-threaded load for testing, to address issues associated with mixing a multi-threaded load with available Linux benchmarking tools. This application was executed with the UNIXBENCH benchmark test suite in this study to conduct experiments designed to reveal problem areas that should be considered when implementing applications on modern parallel computing architectures. The analysis covers five types of operations: CPU intensive, Inter-process communication with pipes, shell script execution, file I/O and System call overhead. The results indicate that shell script execution, file I/O and system call overhead had the most degradation in performance as the multi-threaded load was increased. Pipe-based communication (directly between processes) and CPU intensive operations tended to scale well as the load increased.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Phase distortion of biological signals: extraction of signal from noise without phase error.

Abstract Analog filtering can produce distortion of signals by shifting phase. The signal-to-noise ratio achieved by averaging a small number of signals buried in noise will be improved greatly if that signal ensemble is averaged upon itself so that the time of signal onset varies over a predetermined series of intervals (interference filtering). The result of interference filtering is similar to the one obtained by sharp bandpass filtering, but provides zero phase shift. Transfer functions were constructed for first, second and third order interference filters. Effectiveness of interference filtering is demonstrated with synthesized signals and biological data. Distortion of signal shape and time characteristics were demonstrated in biological data where signal-to-noise ratio had been improved by analog frequency filtering.
Cycles in the complement of a tree

It is shown that the complement of the tree with n nodes and exactly two adjacent non-endnodes, one of which is adjacent to exactly two endnodes, contains fewer cycles than the complement of any other tree with n nodes, provided n >= 6.
Male contraceptive technology for nonhuman male mammals

Contraceptive techniques applied to males have potential to mitigate diverse instances of overpopulation in human and animal populations. Different situations involving different species dictate that there is no ideal male contraceptive, and emphasizes the value of varying approaches to reducing male fertility. A majority of work in this field has focused on non-surgically destroying the testes or obstructing the epididymis, and suppressing gonadotropin secretion or inducing immune responses to reproductive hormones or sperm-specific antigens. Injection of tissue-destructive agents into the testes or epididymides can be very effective, but often is associated with unacceptable inflammatory responses and sometimes pain. Hormonal vaccines are often not efficacious and provide only short-term contraception, although GnRH vaccines may be an exception to this generality. Finally, there are no clearly effective contraceptive vaccines based on sperm antigens. Although several techniques have been developed to the point of commercialization, none has yet been widely deployed other than surgical castration.
Discrete Element Modeling of Effect of Moisture and Fine Particles in Lightweight Deflectometer Test

The physical properties of the aggregate base of a pavement system have a significant influence on the bulk mechanical properties of that system. Simulations based on the discrete element method provide a powerful method to investigate the mechanics of granular materials, but they are limited, particularly when it comes to representing moisture and finer particles. Established discrete element method simulations were adapted with additional terms to account for moisture and finer particles to model established tests of the aggregate base of a pavement system. The presence of moisture in unsaturated granular material was modeled by using published experimental work with consideration of the form of the standard liquid bridge model, and the finer particle content was modeled through an effective friction coefficient. This combined model was used to simulate the lightweight deflectometer test, an established in situ test for a measure of the modulus of an aggregate base, and the results were compared with es...
Correlated spontaneous emission on the Volga

In a recent paper [1], the emission of radiation from an ensemble of N atoms excited by a single photon was studied. That paper stimulated spirited discussions and debate. For example, it was argued at the 2006 Volga River conference on quantum control that the important conclusion that follows from the nuclear physics γ-ray studies of this problem was the prediction of the suppression of the resonance level width. In this connection, the results of [1] were argued to be incorrect since no line narrowing was reported. In the present paper, it is shown that there is no radiative suppression associated with the Dicke state given in [1]. However, the interplay between quantum optics (Dicke super and subradiant states) and nuclear physics (forward scattering of γ radiation) provides interesting problems and insights. The present paper is derived from the authors’ lectures and discussions on the subject and is intended to be pedagogical.
Equivalence of the Plasmon Energy and the Surface Energy Barrier in Simple Metals

Kohn’s theorem demonstrates duality (or equivalence) of the plasmonic and single-particle responses of simple metals in the long wavelength limit. It is shown here, that this duality implies, surprisingly, that the surface energy barrier, which confines electrons inside the metal is equal to the plasmon energy. In addition to being of fundamental importance, this remarkable quantum-plasmonic result proves also an old and closed formula, which predicts the electron work function of various metals better than the best “ab-initio” simulations.
Evoked potential variability: Effects of age, amplitude and methods of measurement ☆

Abstract Visual and auditory evoked potentials (EPs) were recorded from 120 children of 6–15 years of age. EP variability was measured using a variety of techniques. All of these techniques showed that variability decreased with increasing age. Similar measures applied to background EEG activity showed less adequate discrimination of age, suggesting that the effects observed are not entirely due to changes of background EEG activity. This contention is further supported by the polarity histogram measurement of variability, which indicates that variability of the late EP components (100 msec and later) decreases with increasing age more than does variability of earlier components. With some measures, variability is positively correlated with amplitude; with others, the correlations are negative. With all of the measures, variability is negatively correlated with age. This would indicate that the increasing EP stability with age is not a function of amplitude changes. These findings also illustrate some of the various EP variability measures available, how they relate to each other and how they are related to AEP amplitude.
The morphology of oxide-supported MOS2

MoS{sub 2} supported on oxides such as alumina and promoted with nickel or cobalt constitutes an active catalyst for reactions such as hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, and methanation. Recent work has shown that the support oxide has a marked effect on the specific activity of the sulfide catalysts, and it has been suggested that these activity differences may be related to the morphology of the MoS{sub 2} on the surface. In order to study the role the surface texture and particle size, the authors have examined the morphology of MoS{sub 2} on low-surface-area model alumina and silica powders and compared it with MoS{sub 2} supported on titania. These model supports on titania. These model supports allows them to separate the role of surface area and morphology from that of oxide surface chemistry, since all of these supports have comparable surface areas. The objective of this work is to document differences between the morphology of MoS{sub 2} supported on silica, alumina, and titania when powders of comparable surface area are used. Results suggest that the surface texture of the oxide support may be an important factor affecting the morphology, and indirectly the reactivity, of the dispersed phase in a heterogeneous catalyst.
Neurospora crassa glycogen phosphorylase: Interconversion and kinetic properties of the “active” form

Abstract Glycogen phosphorylase in cell-free extracts of Neurospora crassa is activated 10- to 15-fold by incubation with MgATP2−. When the MgATP2− is removed, the active form (a form) reverts to the inactive form (b form). The inactivation requires Mg2+ and is inhibited by NaF. The results confirm that Neurospora crassa glycogen phosphorylase exists in two interconvertible forms and strongly suggests that the interconversion is catalyzed by a kinase and phosphatase. The a form was partially purified. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 320,000. Uridine diphosphate glucose is a linear competitive inhibitor with respect to glucose-1-phosphate and a linear non-competitive inhibitor with respect to glycogen. Glucose-6-phosphate is a hyperbolic (partial) noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to all substrates in both directions. The b form of the enzyme in crude cell-free extracts is stimulated 2- to 3-fold by 5′-AMP. As the b form is purified, the 5′-AMP activation is diminished. The molecular weight of the partially purified “b” form was also 320,000.
Ultrastructure of the turtle spermatozoon.

The turtle spermatozoon is vermiform in shape with a narrow pointed head that is curved. In general, the turtle sperm contains a typical head, midpiece and tail, similar in morphology to that of birds, amphibians and other reptiles. However, several structures are unique. These unusual features include (1) a perforatorial cap over the proximal end of the nucleus, which contains 2-3 rods that are contiguous with intranuclear tubules; (2) a connecting collar of dense material that surrounds the base of the nucleus; (3) a distal centriole containing central microtubules that extend its entire length and having outer triplicate microtubules that open toward the central cavity of the centriole; and (4) unusual spherical mitochondria containing 7-8 outer laminated membranes. Male and female reproductive cycles are not synchro- nized in temperature zone turtles, resulting in the pro- duction of their respective gametes at different times of the year (Licht, 1984). This necessitates a long interval of gamete survival which is accomplished by the stor- age of spermatozoa. This storage is thought to occur in the epididymis (Moll, 1979) but may also occur in the female reproductive tract (Gist and Jones, 1989). Pro- longed survival of sperm in both the male or female reproductive systems suggests that turtle sperm may possess morphological specializations contributing to their longevity. Past observations of their ultrastruc- ture have not revealed organelles unusually different from sperm of other species that are capable of long- term storage (Miranti et al., 1964; Kaplan et al., 1966; Furieri, 1970). The basic structure of the turtle sper- matozoon is well-defined (Furieri, 1970). However, methods for optimum preservation of tissues must be used to attain finer resolution of several structures. In particular, ultrastructures of the globular mitochon- dria, intranuclear tubules, and the distal centriole should be clarified. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the ultrastructural char- acteristics of turtle sperm using improved methods of fixation and staining. We report the sperm ultrastruc- ture of a species (Chrysemys picta) in which oviductal sperm storage may be an essential component of the reproductive cycle (Gist et al., 1990).
Scanning tunneling microscopy study of one-dimensional o-phthalaldehyde chain reactions on the Si(100)-2 × 1:H surface

Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals multiple binding configurations for o-phthalaldehyde (OP) molecules on the Si(100)-2 × 1:H surface, including evidence for a chain reaction in which OP molecules bind to the surface via two covalent bonds.
Ischemia in the dorsal hippocampus is associated with acute extracellular release of dopamine and norepinephrine

The cerebral dialysis technique was employed to monitor extracellular concentrations of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in the dorsal hippocampus of gerbils before and after cerebral ischemia induced by carotid artery occlusion. Extracellular concentrations of DA and NE in the dorsal hippocampus increased from baseline levels of <35 fmol/collection interval to 180 and 200 fmol/collection, respectively, within 36 minutes following carotid artery ligation (n=8 animals). Extracellular concentrations of the DA metabolites, DOPAC and HVA, did not change significantly following carotid artery ligation. These data demonstrate that ischemia in the dorsal hippocampus is associated with a mared release of DA and NE. This release may contribute to the selective vulnerability of the dorsal hippocampus to neuronal damage during ischemia.
PERSONALITY-BASED JOB ANALYSIS AND THE SELF-SERVING BIAS

This study tested the hypothesis that personality-based job analysis (PBJA) ratings are correlated with subject matter expert (SME) personality scale scores (through a self-serving bias). Some support was found for the hypothesis. However, PBJA ratings were somewhat predictive of the criterion-related validity of scale scores for the big five personality dimensions.
A simplified derivation of the quasichemical approximation in order-disorder theory

Abstract A simplified procedure is presented, whereby the so-called quasichemical approximation in order-disorder theory is derived; the complexities attendant to other derivations are avoided. Following the procedure of Hijmans and de Boer, the lattice consisting of A and B units is decomposed into representative arrays of “bonds” and “points”; the energy, entropy, and free energy for this system of arrays is then found in terms of probabilities of encountering the possible configurations AA, AB, BB, B, or A. Upon proper minimization of the free energy, the quasichemical result (16) is found.
Tocainide for refractory symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias

Abstract Tocainide, an oral form of lidocaine, was employed in 120 patients with recurrent malignant ventricular arrhythmia refractory to conventional antiarrhythmic drugs. After discontinuation of all antiarrhythmic agents, patients underwent control studies including 48 hours of ambulatory electrocardiographc monitoring and maximal symptom-limited exercise testing. One hundred patients had frequent as well as repetitive ventricular premature beats whereas in 20 patients, because of infrequency of ectopic activity, invasive electrophysiologic studies were carried out to provoke a repetitive ventricular response. Tocainide therapy was begun at 1,200 mg daily and increased to 2,400 mg daily guided by drug efficacy and the occurrence of adverse effects. After 48 hours of treatment with a fixed dose, drug action was evaluated by repeat monitoring and exercise stress testing or electrophysiologic testing. Fifty-five patients (46 percent) responded to tocainide. The average daily dose of drug and peak blood levels were equivalent in responders and nonresponders. Adverse effects occurred in 42 patients (35 percent) and were primarily related to the central nervous system. Lidocaine predicted the response to tocainide in 78 percent of patients. Thirty-four patients were continued on long-term maintenance therapy. After an average follow-up period of 16 months (range 2 to 39), treatment with the drug was discontinued in nine patients. The remaining 25 patients have had no adverse effects and no recurrence of ventricular arrhythmia.
First-principles temperature-pressure phase diagram of magnesium

Using first-principles interatomic potentials derived from generalized pseudopotential theory, high-temperature solid-phase stability and melting in magnesium have been studied through a combination of analytic statistical methods and molecular-dynamics simulation. Extending our previous work on the hcp-bcc phase line in the solid below 1000 K [Phys. Rev. B 48, 13 253 (1993)], a complete and accurate temperature-pressure phase diagram to 3500 K and 60 GPa has thereby been obtained. The rapidly temperature-dependent hcp-bcc phase line in the solid is predicted to end in a triple point on the melting curve near 1200 K and 4 GPa. Calculated melting properties at ambient pressure and the hcp-liquid melt line to 4 GPa are in good agreement with existing experimental data. The high-pressure, high-temperature hcp-bcc and bcc-liquid phase lines should be readily accessible to experimental investigation via the laser-heated diamond-anvil cell.
Numerical Simulations of Industrial Melting Furnaces

A computational fluid dynamics code developed at Argonne National Laboratory was used to simulate turbulent mixing, combustion reaction, radiation heat transfer, and pollutant kinetics of the combustion flow in industrial melting furnaces. The code employs an integral approach to incorporate a lumped combustion reaction model in the flow calculation and a separate hybrid technique to perform pollutant kinetics calculations for NOx and soot. The code validated with experimental data collected from industrial furnaces, was used to evaluate the impacts of burner operation conditions on the energy efficiency of furnaces. The results indicate that the furnace configuration has a significant effect on the combustion efficiency; the burner injection velocity affects the flow penetration and the species mixing; and the burner injection angle has a significant impact on the flow patterns and heat transfer. The study demonstrates that CFD can be a useful tool for analyzing the combustion flow of an industrial furnace.© 2003 ASME
Will Hurricane Katrina Impact Shoreline Management? Here's Why It Should

Abstract The hurricane hit the Mississippi coast head on. Orrin Pilkey immediately rushed to Waveland to bail out his parents whose house was 4 blocks back from the Gulf of Mexico. Their house had been flooded up to the 5-foot level and a half dozen trees had crashed through the roof. Some neighboring houses were now piles of broken boards and glass. But the houses closer to the beach disappeared completely, leaving behind empty concrete pads as evidence of their former existence. The wood, the sinks, the refrigerators, the cars, and all the family treasures from the destroyed houses had piled up in a sort of dike or ridge well inland of the coast. Reopening of roads through the debris dikes resulted in large road cuts stratified with the layers of a human disaster. A railroad embankment on the back side of town halted the storm surge and marked the line between devastated homes and damaged homes. For once, it paid to have lived on the wrong side of the tracks. American flags flew from trees and house fra...
Insulin resistance and the use of U-500 insulin: a case report.

U-500 regular pork insulin offers some patients with insulin resistance improvement in metabolic regulation. This case report describes a 59-year-old diabetic woman with severe insulin resistance due to obesity. Discussion focuses on the types of insulin resistance, appropriate treatment, and benefits from U-500 insulin therapy.
Layout aware design of mesh based NoC architectures

Design of System-on-Chip (SoC) with regular mesh based Network-on-Chip (NoC) consists of mapping processing cores to routers, and routing of the traffic traces on the topology such that power consumption is minimized, and performance constraints are satisfied. Technology scaling increases the contribution of the link power to the overall power consumption of the NoC. Since link power consumption is dependent on the length of the link, its contribution cannot be accurately estimated without system-level floorplanning. In this paper, we propose a novel design technique that integrates system-level floorplanning into the NoC design flow. Our technique invokes an existing floorplanner to generate an initial layout of the cores. This is followed by invocation of a novel low complexity algorithm that generates the mesh based NoC architecture with complete information of the floorplan. In comparison to an existing approach, our technique results in lower total power consumption and much lower link power consumption.
Probing Phase-Separation Behavior in Polymer-Blend Microparticles: Effects of Particle Size and Polymer Mobility

We describe a new method for probing phase separation of polymer-blend systems in spherical microparticles generated from microdroplets of dilute polymer solution. Two-dimensional optical diffractiona technique sensitive to material inhomogeneity on a length scale of ≈30 nmis used to probe phase-separation behavior of bulk-immiscible polymers in attoliter and femtoliter volumes. Under conditions of rapid solvent evaporation (≈2−10 ms) and relatively low polymer mobility, homogeneous composite particles can be formed using different polymers that ordinarily undergo phase separation in bulk preparations. We show that, for homogeneous particles, the refractive index (related to material dielectric constant) can be tuned by adjusting the relative weight fractions of polymers in the blend. Molecular dynamics simulations of polymer-blend microparticles are presented to illustrate at a molecular level effects of polymer interactions and boundary conditions on phase separation in polymer-blend nanoparticles. Fina...
Uterus masculinus: an unusual complication in a case of feline urethral obstruction

A 6-year-old, male castrated domestic short hair cat presented for urethral obstruction. Despite passage of a urinary catheter, urine could not be drained through the catheter, but urine flow was noted around the catheter. Special imaging studies, including ultrasound and fluoroscopy, revealed that the catheter had been passed into an abnormal small bicornuate structure that entered the urethra from dorsally within the pelvic canal. This structure was believed to be a uterus masculinus or remnants of the Mullerian ducts. The anomalous structure was not felt to be related to the cause of the urethral obstruction, but was simply an incidental finding which resulted in difficult catheterization.
Small angle neutron scattering and photoluminescence property of wet chemistry process synthesised ZnO nanoparticles

We report the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles from aqueous solution at 25°C and subsequent heating of the solution at 115°C by the suitable selection of the solution chemistry and the control of the alkaline conditions. The structure of the synthesised ZnO particles was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), confirming the formation of Wurtzite structure. The optical property of synthesised ZnO nanoparticles is investigated through room temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The PL of ZnO nanoparticles shows a strong UV emission band at approximately 385 nm, a blue–green band at approximately 473 nm and a very weak green band at approximately 554 nm, although polydispersity of the sample shows no presence on the PL spectrum. Small angle neutron scattering is used to determine the size and the size distribution of ZnO nanoparticles. The SANS data analysis and model fitting predict the size as about 18–20 nm, which is closely matched with XRD and transmission electron microscopy results wi...
On the "localness" of user-generated content

The "localness" of participation in repositories of user-generated content (UGC) with geospatial components has been cited as one of UGC's greatest benefits. However, the degree of localness in major UGC repositories such as Flickr and Wikipedia has never been examined. We show that over 50 percent of Flickr users contribute local information on average, and over 45 percent of Flickr photos are local to the photographer. Across four language editions of Wikipedia, however, we find that participation is less local. We introduce the spatial content production model (SCPM) as a possible factor in the localness of UGC, and discuss other theoretical and applied implications.
Difluoromethyl Phenyl Sulfone

[426-58-4] C7H6F2O2S (MW 192.18) InChI = 1S/C7H6F2O2S/c8-7(9)12(10,11)6-4-2-1-3-5-6/h1-5,7H InChIKey = LRHDNAVPELLXDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N [reductive difluoromethylating agent for preparation of structurally diverse (difluoromethyl)trialkylsilanes;1 nucleophilic (benzenesulfonyl)difluoromethylating agent for synthesis of (benzenesulfonyl)difluoromethylated carbinols;2 stereoselective difluoromethylenating agent for synthesis of 2,2-difluoropropane-1,3-diols;3 a difluorocarbene precursor4] Physical Data: mp 24.7–25.0 °C; bp 115–120/7 Torr; d 1.3241 g cm−3.4 Solubility: soluble in alcohols, ethers, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, DMF, and DMSO. Form Supplied in: colorless liquid; often prepared by the oxidation of difluoromethyl phenyl sulfide using aqueous hydrogen peroxide in acetic acid. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: PhSO2CF2H has high reactivity with bases and reducing metals; it has certain acidity; store under anhydrous, neutral conditions; use in a fume hood.
Temperature-monitored/controlled silicon photodiodes for standardization

Two alternative approaches to reducing errors in radiometers and photometers caused by temperature variations involve temperture monitoring and temperature control. In the first method, the measurement results are interpreted using the temperature of the detector at the time of measurement. The other method is to control the temperature of the detector to a constant value. Design considerations and examples of both approaches are discussed.
Performance-Oriented Parameter Dimension Reduction of VLSI Circuits

To account for the growing process variability in modern VLSI technologies, circuit models parameterized in a multitude of parametric variations are becoming increasingly indispensable in robust circuit design. However, the high parameter dimensionality can introduce significant complexity and may even render variation-aware performance analysis and optimization completely intractable. We present a performance-oriented parameter dimension reduction framework to reduce the modeling complexity associated with high parameter dimensionality. Our framework has a theoretically sound statistical basis, namely, reduced rank regression (RRR) and its various extensions that we have introduced for more practical VLSI circuit modeling. For a variety of VLSI circuits including interconnects and CMOS digital circuits, it is shown that this parameter reduction framework can provide more than one order of magnitude reduction in parameter dimensionality. Such parameter reduction immediately leads to reduced simulation cost in sampling-based performance analysis, and more importantly, highly efficient parameterized sub-circuit models that are instrumental in tackling the complexity of variation-tolerance VLSI system design.
A comparison of two techniques for inducing fibrous crystallization from solution

Experimental results are presented and discussed comparing two techniques for inducing fibrous growth of polyethylene crystals from flowing solutions: a plunging cone device and a standard rotating cylinder (Couette) device. Comparison of crystal “overgrowth” diameter to spacing ratios for the several experiments with predictions based on an earlier postulated model lead to conclusions regarding the model inadequacy. A detailed comparison is made of the melting behavior of crystals produced by both flow fields and those results are discussed in light of a modified model for the growth process presented elsewhere. The conclusion is reached that differences in melting behavior may be attributed to differences in extension of the high molecular weight chains involved in the growth processes occurring in the two different flow fields.
DEATH PERSONIFICATION IN THE KEVORKIAN ERA

Have death personifications changed over the past quarter of a century? A 1971 study explored the death personifications of college students, student nurses, nurses, and mortuary science students. The present study focused on 123 students of nursing and 324 students enrolled in general study courses at a large university in the American Southwest. The study also explored the possibilitythat Dr. Jack Kevorkian may have emerged as a contemporary image of death. Respondents were asked to imagine death as a character in the movies and to indicate the nature of this character through fixed-choice alternatives. Respondents were also asked to identify the sources or models for their personifications of death. It was found that male personifications of death still predominate, but that female personifications occur with greater frequency than in the earlier study, especially among female respondents. Although the "Gentle Comforter" is most often seen as an elderly person, overall the relationship between age and ...
A mouse model of hereditary pancreatitis generated by transgenic expression of R122H trypsinogen.

Background & Aims: Missense mutations in human cationic trypsinogen PRSS1 are frequently detected in patients with hereditary pancreatitis, a rare genetic disease of the pancreas characterized by autodigestive necrosis, chronic inflammation, and fibrosis. To examine the link between PRSS1 mutations and the initiation and progression of hereditary pancreatitis, we have sought to generate a transgenic mouse that carries a missense mutation in the PRSS1 that is most frequently observed in patients. Methods: A transgenic mouse was generated in which the expression of the mouse PRSS1 mutant R122H (R122H_mPRSS1) is targeted to pancreatic acinar cells by fusion to the elastase promoter. The expression of the mutant trypsinogen was assessed by immunohistochemical staining and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. The relationship between transgene expression and inflammation was analyzed by morphologic assessment of H&E-stained tissue sections, responsiveness to cerulein-induced pancreatitis, and immunohistochemical identification of cellular and biochemical components of the inflammatory response. Results: Pancreata from transgenic mice display early-onset acinar cell injury and inflammatory cell infiltration. With progressing age, the transgenic mice develop pancreatic fibrosis and display acinar cell dedifferentiation. Moreover, the expression of R122H_mPRSS1 transgene is associated with enhanced response to cerulein-induced pancreatitis. Finally, cell-specific activation of the inflammation-associated signaling pathways, c-jun-N-terminal kinase and extracellular signal–regulated kinase, was observed in response to expression of R122H_mPRSS1. Conclusions: These results underscore the importance of PRSS1 mutations as pathogenic mediators of hereditary pancreatitis and indicate that persistent pancreatic injury might be causally linked to chronic pancreatitis.
Regulation of atrial contraction by PKA and PKC during development and regression of eccentric cardiac hypertrophy

ANG II plays a major role in development of cardiac hypertrophy through its AT1 receptor subtype, whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are effective in reversing effects of ANG II...
Schizophrenia in late life

Antipsychotics, whether conventional or atypical, are the primary class of medications for the treatment of late-life psychosis. Although the efficacy of neuroleptics in controlling agitation and psychosis associated with late-life dementia has been established, evidence for their efficacy in treating core symptoms of late-life schizophrenia other than behavioral dyscontrol is just emerging. More controlled clinical trials are needed. The available data suggest that atypical neuroleptics are therapeutically efficacious, with a more favorable side-effect profile than conventional neuroleptics. This literature further suggests the importance of low therapeutic doses and careful attention to the emergence of side effects. Future studies must distinguish between patients with true schizophrenic disorder and patients with psychosis secondary to dementia, affective illness, or organic impairment. Patients must be characterized further as having EOS versus LOS because these disorders may differ in symptom profile, course, and response to treatment. There is also a need in future studies to separate out the results of treatment of patients with EOS who have been severely ill for most of their lives from those whose course has been less devastating. Within these two groups, treatment response, effective dose ranges, and sensitivity to side effects can be scrutinized more carefully.
Occurrence of Clover Stem Borer, Languria mozardi (Coleoptera: Languriidae), on Canola: A New Host Record

Abstract The clover stem borer (CSB), Languria mozardi Latreille (Coleoptera: Languriidae) at various life stages (larva, pupa and adult), was discovered on canola (Brassica napus L.; Brassicaceae) during the 2000-01 growing season; these plantings were part of the canola nursery at Alabama A&M University's Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station (WTARS) located in northern Alabama. This was the first and, so far, the only record of L. mozardi on canola. Given the wide range of host plants on which CSB has been reported to occur, this North American endemic species may pose a potential threat to canola production in the United States. Although our data showed differential preference for canola cultivars by CSB, damage by this species on canola was negligible. A comprehensive list of plant hosts of L. mozardi is also presented in this report.
Obsessive-compulsive aspects of craving: Development of the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale.

"Craving" for alcohol needs improved definition and measurement. This review provides a rationale for considering at least certain aspects of craving as having obsessive and compulsive features. As such, there may be phenomenological, but not necessarily etiological, overlap with obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are increasing data that suggest a neuroanatomical overlap between addiction/craving and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The self-rated Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), based on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for heavy drinking interview (YBOCS-hd), was developed to assist in the examination of certain aspects of "craving" in alcoholics. The development, reliability, face validity, congruent validity and predictive validity of the OCDS are presented and discussed in this paper. The utility of the OCDS as a measurement tool in cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological alcoholism treatment research is highlighted. The potential of this instrument as a research and clinical tool for the understanding and evaluation of alcohol dependence needs further evaluation.
Unexpected barrier properties of structurally matched and unmatched polyelectrolyte multilayers

Structurally unmatched hyperthin (14 nm) polyelectrolyte multi-layers (PEMs) formed on poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propyne] supports exhibit exceptionally high CO2/N2 permeation selectivities, ranging from 100 to 150. Structurally matched PEMs show similar selectivities with significantly higher permeances.
Transcription Enhancer Factor-5 and a GATA-Like Protein Determine Placental-Specific Expression of the Type I Human 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Gene, HSD3B1

The enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase (3βHSD) is required for the biosynthesis of all active steroid hormones. It exists as multiple isoforms in humans and rodents, each a product of a distinct gene. Two isoforms, 3βHSD I and II, are expressed in a tissue-specific manner in humans. 3βHSD I is the only isoform expressed in the placenta, where it is required for the biosynthesis of progesterone and thus essential for the maintenance of pregnancy. We recently identified two transcription factors, activating protein-2γ (AP-2γ) and the homeodomain protein, distaless-3 (Dlx-3), that are expressed in both human and mouse trophoblast cells that were shown to be required for trophoblast-specific expression of the orthologous murine 3βHSD, 3βHSD VI. Although we identified specific binding sites for AP-2γ and Dlx-3 in the distal promoter of the human 3βHSD I gene, HSD3B1, it was found that these transcription factors were not involved in determining placental-specific expression of human 3βHSD I. Inst...
CHEMISTRY OF THE ADRENAL CORTICAL HORMONE

ACTIVE CHEMICAL work on the adrenal cortex dates from about 1930 JLX, when Swingle and Pfiffner (1) and Hartman and Brownell (a) announced the preparation of extracts capable of maintaining the life of adrenal-ectomised animals. The work has been carried on, in the main, by threegroups, Reichstein and his associates at Zurich, Wintersteiner and Pfiffner (3) at Columbia, and Kendall, Mason and associates (4–9) at The Mayo Foundation. After the isolation of several compounds Wintersteiner and Pfiffner gave up their work, so that most of the information has been obtained in the other two laboratories. Reichstein (10–21) has made brilliant contributions in the isolation and determination of the structure of a large number of compounds. We have also contributed to the determination of structures but have centered our attention on those substances which are active physiologically, particularly on that substance, as yet unisolated, which possesses the highest degree of activity.
Effect of oxic and anoxic conditions on nitrous oxide emissions from nitrification and denitrification processes

A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor fed with real municipal wastewater was used to study nitrous oxide (N(2)O) emissions from simulated wastewater treatment processes. The experiments were performed under four different controlled conditions as follows: (1) fully aerobic, (2) anoxic-aerobic with high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, (3) anoxic-aerobic with low DO concentration, and 4) intermittent aeration. The results indicated that N(2)O production can occur from both incomplete nitrification and incomplete denitrification. N(2)O production from denitrification was observed in both aerobic and anoxic phases. However, N(2)O production from aerobic conditions occurred only when both low DO concentrations and high nitrite concentration existed simultaneously. The magnitude of N(2) O produced via anoxic denitrification was lower than via oxic denitrification and required the presence of nitrite. Changes in DO, ammonium, and nitrite concentrations influenced the magnitude of N(2)O production through denitrification. The results also suggested that N(2)O can be produced from incomplete denitrification and then released to the atmosphere during aeration phase due to air stripping. Therefore, biological nitrogen removal systems should be optimized to promote complete nitrification and denitrification to minimize N(2)O emissions.
什麼傳統？誰的領域？：從泰雅族馬里光流域傳統領域調查經驗談空間知識的轉譯

This paper aims to discuss the translation of spatial knowledge and the social space in which the knowledge was translated. Since Native American communities successfully claimed their land rights with community map originally developed under the academic interest of geographers and anthropologists in 1970s, community mapping has been gradually applied by indigenous communities around the world and developed into diverse methodologies. In 2002, Taiwan government launched the nation-wide ITTS in response to the rising indigenous land claims, under which community mapping was designed as a main method to identify traditional territory for every indigenous community. In 2007, Taiwan government firstly announced the traditional territory of Marqwang group of indigenous Atayal people, but unexpectedly caused further conflict between Marqwang group and its neighbor Atayal communities. Aiming to explore the epistemological controversy and methodological limits of community mapping in ITTS, this paper examine how the method of ”indigenous community mapping” was translated in Taiwan society and how indigenous traditional territory was socially constructed under the influence of this translation. Further more, by review the Marqwang case, this paper examine how Atayal spatial knowledge was translated into modern concept of ”territory” in the implement of ITTS, and led to the conflicts between indigenous communities. In the end, this paper argues that the misappropriation of indigenous knowledge is the fundamental reason caused the conflicts.
Current steering to activate targeted neural pathways during deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic region

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has steadily evolved into an established surgical therapy for numerous neurological disorders, most notably Parkinson's disease (PD). Traditional DBS technology relies on voltage-controlled stimulation with a single source; however, recent engineering advances are providing current-controlled devices with multiple independent sources. These new stimulators deliver constant current to the brain tissue, irrespective of impedance changes that occur around the electrode, and enable more specific steering of current towards targeted regions of interest. In this study, we examined the impact of current steering between multiple electrode contacts to directly activate three distinct neural populations in the subthalamic region commonly stimulated for the treatment of PD: projection neurons of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), globus pallidus internus (GPi) fibers of the lenticular fasiculus, and internal capsule (IC) fibers of passage. We used three-dimensional finite element electric field models, along with detailed multicompartment cable models of the three neural populations to determine their activations using a wide range of stimulation parameter settings. Our results indicate that selective activation of neural populations largely depends on the location of the active electrode(s). Greater activation of the GPi and STN populations (without activating any side effect related IC fibers) was achieved by current steering with multiple independent sources, compared to a single current source. Despite this potential advantage, it remains to be seen if these theoretical predictions result in a measurable clinical effect that outweighs the added complexity of the expanded stimulation parameter search space generated by the more flexible technology.
The Staff Perceptions of Behavior and Discipline Survey A Tool to Help Achieve Systemic Change Through Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support

The practices of schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) are dependent on staff implementation in classroom and common areas throughout the school. Thus, gaining the support and commitment of ...
CHANGING INCIDENCE OF ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY

The apparent incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms among Rochester, Minnesota residents increased seven-fold between 1951 and 1980, while the incidence of thoracic aortic aneurysms declined somewhat. Rates for abdominal aneurysms rose with age and were greater among men. The overall incidence in 1971-1980 was 36.5 per 100,000 person-years. While all clinical classes of abdominal aortic aneurysms became more frequent, the greatest rise in incidence was for small, asymptomatic, and uncomplicated aneurysms which suggested an important role for more complete case ascertainment in recent years. The secular trend in abdominal aortic aneurysm incidence seems to be different from that observed for stroke or for coronary heart disease in the same community.
Sedimentary records of mercury stable isotopes in Lake Michigan

Mercury (Hg) concentrations and Hg isotopic composition were investigated in three sediment cores in Lake Michigan (LM). Two cores were collected from Green Bay, a region heavily impacted by Hg contamination and one core from an offshore region of LM absent of direct point source Hg. Historical trends of Hg influxes suggest increased Hg deposition began in the 1890s in Green Bay and in the early 1800’s in offshore LM. Recently deposited sediment reflecting more anthropogenic influence shows similar δ202Hg values (-1.0 to -0.5‰) for all three cores however, deep core sediments, reflecting pre-industrial eras, show much lower δ202Hg values (-1.7 to -1.2‰). Using a binary mixing model based on δ202Hg signatures, the proportion of anthropogenic Hg was estimated. Model output confirms that Green Bay is more contaminated by local point source than the offshore LM. An increase in positive Δ199Hg values (-0.02 to +0.27‰) was observed from inner Green Bay to the offshore of LM, which may indicate increased input of atmospheric Hg and decreased watershed inputs along this transect. Overall, this study suggests that sedimentary Hg isotopes maybe a useful tracer in understanding Hg sources and history of Hg contamination in large lakes.
Abstract 606: Antithrombin Nanoparticle Therapy Safely Restores Endothelial Barrier Integrity and Reduces Vessel Hypercoagulability in Atherosclerotic Mice

Introduction: Thrombin plays a major role in regulating signaling pathways responsible for atherogenesis, hypercoagulability and plaque permeability. Herein, we report the therapeutic effects of perfluorocarbon core nanoparticles (PFC-NP) conjugated to the thrombin inhibitor D-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl-L-chloromethylketone (PPACK-NP) on vascular barrier integrity and hypercoagulability. Methods and Results: ApoE-/- mice were fed a Western diet for 4 months, and received 3 doses/week of saline or 1 ml/kg PPACK-NP for the final month of feeding. Endothelial barrier integrity was assessed by quantifying the ability of atherosclerotic aortas to take up circulating semipermeable PFC-NP (~250 nm diameter). Whole aortas (arch to iliacs) were excised after 2 hour in vivo exposure to PFC-NP and underwent fluorine magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19F-MRS) to quantify plaque-permeating PFC-NP. 19F-MRS data revealed a significant decrease in plaque permeability to PFC-NP after PPACK-NP treatment compared to saline contro...