cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LRRK2: a common pathway for parkinsonism, pathogenesis and prevention?

The presence of α-synuclein Lewy body pathology is used to distinguish Parkinson's disease from parkinsonism, for which a broader spectrum of neuropathologies, including tau-immunopositive neurofibrillary tangles and ubiquitin inclusions, might accompany nigral neuronal loss. These neuropathologies define the endpoint of many neurodegenerative disorders but might be symptomatic rather than causative. Mutations in the gene encoding leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) were recently discovered in late-onset parkinsonism, the phenotype of which can be clinically and pathologically indistinguishable from Parkinson's disease. However, in some kindreds with LRRK2- associated disease, pathologically distinct forms of parkinsonism, including nigral neuronal loss with Lewy body disease or tau-immunopositive neurofibrillary tangles, were discovered. Understanding the molecular function of the LRRK2 protein and its associated pathways might elucidate the switch between Lewy body pathology and neurofibrillary tangles, and holds promise for prospective therapeutics that might slow or halt progression of many forms of parkinsonism.
Mass and photoelectron studies of UV-multiphoton fragmentation processes in molecules

Abstract Molecular photochemistry in relatively intense laser fields will be discussed from the perspectives of both the excitation and decay processes. Relative to the excitation mechanism, the questions of interest pivot around the competition between sequential absorption and dissociation processes. The decay mechanism will be probed by mass and photoelectron spectroscopic studies of the parent and daughter species. Pump-probe, two-pulse excitation with tunable ps lasers will be used to study the kinetics of the decay processes for molecules of various complexities. Possible mechanisms for UV-multiphoton ablation of organic solids will be discussed in the light of these results and those of other studies of multiphoton fragmentation of isolated molecules.
Sex Among Siblings: A Survey on Prevalence, Variety, and Effects

In a survey of 796 undergraduates at six New England colleges and universities, 15% of the females and 10% of the males reported some type of sexual experience involving a sibling. Fondling and touching of the genitals were the most common activities in all age categories. One-fourth of the experiences could be described as exploitative either because force was used or because there was a large age disparity between the partners. Reactions to the experiences were equally divided among those who considered them positive and those who considered them negative. Females were more likely than males to have been exploited and feel badly about it. Few participants of either sex ever told anyone. The research finds evidence that such experience may have long-term effects on sexual development. Females who report sibling sexual experiences, both positive and negative, have substantially higher levels of current sexual activity. Their level of sexual self-esteem may also have been affected, but more selectively. Those with positive sibling experiences after age 9 have more sexual self-esteem. However, experiences with much older siblings taking place before age 9 are associated with generally lower levels of self-esteem and no increase in current sexual activity.
Autogenic massacre as a maladaptive response to status threat

Autogenic massacres are killings of two or more individuals in a single spree, motivated by personal problems or psychopathology (Mullen, Behavioral Sciences and the Law 2004, 22(3), 311–323). No attempts known to us have been made to explain autogenic massacres from an evolutionary psychological perspective. We sought to determine whether these massacres were likely committed by males who experienced status threats, as throughout human evolution threats to status and barriers to ascent would have had profound reproductive consequences for males due to female selectivity (Buss & Schmitt, Psychological Review 1993, 100, 204–232). We gathered available information about occupational, economic, and relationship statuses of perpetrators of autogenic massacres and the triggers of such murders. As predicted, typical perpetrators were low- or mid-status males with relatively low educational attainment and a history of relationship problems, and the trigger in most cases was a status loss or threat. Our evidence ...
Development of a Model Surface Flow Membrane by Modification of Porous Vycor Glass with a Fluorosilane

An organic−inorganic hybrid membrane was developed by modification of a mesoporous Vycor glass with the organosilane heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyltrichlorosilane (HDFS). The presence of silane on the surface of Vycor glass was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A decrease in the surface area of the membrane after modification, measured by N2 adsorption, suggested that the silane molecules effectively filled or blocked the pores. The permeance was governed by the kinetic diameter of gases with contributions from the surface flow for condensable gases. The membrane showed selectivity for CO2 over other gases, whereas the untreated membrane was selective for n-C4H10. Mixed-gas selectivities were higher than pure-gas values for all gas pairs, which might be because of an enhanced permeance of CO2 at low pressure usually observed for glassy polymers. In comparison to the HDFS membrane, the sorption of gases controlled the permeance of the octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODS) modified mem...
Proposing a Core Set of Instructional Practices and Tools for Teachers of Science

Recent calls for teacher preparation to become more grounded in practice prompt the questions: Which practices? and perhaps more fundamentally, what counts as a model of instruction worth learning for a new professional—i.e., the beginner's repertoire? In this report, we argue the following: If a defined set of subject-specific high-leverage practices could be articulated and taught during teacher preparation and induction, the broader teacher education community could collectively refine these practices as well as the tools and other resources that support their appropriation by novices across various learning- to-teach contexts. To anchor our conversation about these issues, we describe the evolution, in design, and enactment, of a "candidate core" and a suite of tools that supported the approximation of equitable and rigorous pedagogy for several groups of beginning science teachers. Their struggles and successes in taking up ambitious practice informed not only our designs for a beginner's repertoire but also a system of tools and socioprofessional routines that could foster such teaching over time. C
Relationship of temperature and humidity to conception rate of Holstein cows in Hawaii.

Abstract Weather data and breeding records for a Holstein herd of 1300 cows in Hawaii were evaluated to determine effects of climate on reproductive performance. The dairy is in a coastal climate near latitude 21°N. Average maximum temperature, relative humidity, and resulting temperature-humidity index for the warmest month of the year were 31 C, 44%, and 79. Average minimum temperature and attending values for the same period were 20 C, 96%, and 68. From late April to November, conception rates were correlated negatively with the average temperature-humidity index of each day of the estrous cycle beginning 11 days prior to breeding. Slopes of regression lines differed, suggesting varying sensitivity of conception rate to heat stress on different days of the cycle. The temperature-humidity index of the 2nd day prior to breeding was most closely correlated with conception rate. Conception rates declined from 66% to 35% as the index increased from 68 to 78. Only the temperature-humidity index of the 2nd day prior to breeding had a significant partial correlation coefficient when the index of the 2nd and 1st day prior to breeding, the day of breeding, and the day following breeding were each evaluated with the index of the others held constant.
Treatment of the Photo-Oculodynia Syndrome with Botulinum Toxin A

Photo-oculodynia syndrome (POS) is an uncommon syndrome of idiopathic chronic eye pain and photosensitivity without evident ongoing tissue damage or inflammation. The pain mechanism of POS, which is usually triggered by ocular trauma, may be sympathetically mediated. Some POS patients respond to prophylactic migraine medications or sympathetic ganglion blocks, but often these treatments are ineffective. Botulinum toxin (BT) is a powerful therapeutic tool for neurologic and ophthalmic disorders such as strabismus, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, movement disorders, and migraine. We describe two patients who did not respond to conventional therapies. Both had partial relief of their symptoms with BT type A.
Distinct transduction difference between adeno-associated virus type 1 and type 6 vectors in human polarized airway epithelia

Of the many biologically isolated adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes, AAV1 and AAV6 share the highest degree of sequence homology, with only six different capsid residues. We compared the transduction efficiencies of rAAV1 and rAAV6 in primary polarized human airway epithelia and found significant differences in their abilities to transduce epithelia from the apical and basolateral membranes. rAAV1 transduction was ~10-fold higher than rAAV6 following apical infection, whereas rAAV6 transduction was ~10-fold higher than rAAV1 following basolateral infection. Furthermore, rAAV6 demonstrated significant polarity of transduction (100-fold; basolateral » apical), whereas rAAV1 transduced from both membranes with equal efficiency. To evaluate capsid residues responsible for the observed serotype differences, we mutated the six divergent amino acids either alone or in combination. Results from these studies demonstrated that capsid residues 418 and 531 most significantly controlled membrane polarity differences in transduction between serotypes, with the rAAV6-D418E/K531E mutant demonstrating decreased (~10-fold) basolateral transduction and the rAAV1-E418D/E531K mutant demonstrating a transduction polarity identical to rAAV6-WT (wild type). However, none of the rAAV6 mutants obtained apical transduction efficiencies of rAAV1-WT, suggesting that all six divergent capsid residues in AAV1 act in concert to improve apical transduction of HAE.
A genetic algorithm-based approach to calculate the optimal configuration of ultrasonic sensors in a 3D position estimation system

Abstract This paper provides a genetic algorithm-based approach to calculate the optimal placement of receivers in a novel 3D position estimation system that uses a single transmitter and multiple receivers. The novelty in the system is the use of the difference in the times of arrival (TOAs) of an ultrasonic wave from the transmitter to the different receivers fixed in 3D space. This is a different approach to traditional systems that use the actual times of flight (TOFs) from the transmitter to the different receivers and triangulate the position of the transmitter. The new approach makes the system more accurate, makes the transmitter independent of the receivers and does not require the need of calculating the time delay term that is inherent in traditional systems due to delays caused by the electronic circuitry. This paper presents a thorough analysis of receiver configurations in the 2D and 3D systems that lead to singularities, i.e. locations of receivers that lead to formulations that cannot be solved due to a shortage of information. It provides guidelines of where not to place receivers so as to get a robust system, and further, presents a detailed analysis of locations that are optimal, i.e. locations that lead to the most accurate estimation of the transmitter positions. The results presented in this paper are not only applicable to ultrasonic systems but all systems that use wave theory, e.g. infrared, laser, etc. This work finds applications in virtual reality cells, robotics, guidance of indoor autonomous vehicles and vibration analysis.
Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. South Atlantic: Data, Doubt, and Debate

Abstract Stock assessments provide fisheries managers with information that is used in the regulation of a fish stock. Assessments often rely upon a wide array of biological and fisheries data of varying quantity and quality, making the assessment process data hungry, complex, and uncertain. Assessment scientists face the difficulty of estimating numbers of individuals (among other biological benchmarks) of a population of widely distributed, often mobile, fishes for which direct measurement of almost everything is impossible. Consequently, stock assessment scientists are forced to use tools designed to assemble a variety of indirect measures into a statistical model capable of producing predictions to inform fisheries management about stock status and the consequences of past, current and future fishing practices. Despite large differences in estimates of the status of red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico (U.S.) and south Atlantic Ocean (U.S.), and the management conclusions and decision drawn from t...
Food color, flavor, and conditioned avoidance among red-winged blackbirds.

The relationship between food flavors and postingestive feedback enables mammalian herbivores to procure nutrients and avoid toxins within ever-changing environments. We conducted four experiments with red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in captivity to determine the relative roles of color and flavor cues paired with negative postingestive feedback. We first conducted baseline tests to assess preferences for colors and flavors. All blackbirds preferred red- to blue-colored food, and they preferred umami- (l-alanine) flavored to bitter/astringent food (tannic acid). We observed no difference in consumption of salty (NaCl) vs sour (citric acid) foods during baseline tests (i.e., neutral flavors). We then conditioned experimentally naive blackbirds with intraperitoneal injections of lithium chloride (LiCl) to avoid food treated with red and l-alanine, or red and NaCl (n=30 birds per conditioning group). Subsequent to conditioning with LiCl, three test groups were established from each conditioned group to evaluate color and flavor preferences, and preferences for novel color-flavor pairings (e.g., red/tannic acid vs blue/l-alanine). Blackbirds avoided red and salty food throughout the 4-day test. Avoidance conditioned with LiCl extinguished for preferred flavors, but not for colors, of food. Conditioning affected indifference for the otherwise preferred flavor and avoidance for the otherwise neutral flavor. Relative to the neutral-flavor conditioning group, the group conditioned with a preferred flavor exhibited stronger conditioned avoidance of colored food. Unlike conditioned flavor avoidance, birds were conditioned to avoid red food only when blue food was made familiar prior to conditioning. Collectively, these results illustrate that blackbirds used affective processes (flavor-feedback relationships) to shift preference for both novel and familiar flavors, and cognitive associations (colors) to avoid food, subsequent to toxin exposure. We discuss the opportunities afforded by affective and cognitive processing for reducing agricultural damage caused by blackbirds.
Effectiveness of anti-islanding schemes following a faulty recloser operation

Islanding detection is one of the technical issues, which has gained prominence with the increasing penetration of distributed photovoltaic generation. Various anti-islanding algorithms have been proposed in literature, which use either passive or active methods to detect an island formation. However, all the anti-islanding studies done so far, assume a proper breaker or recloser operation, which results in a complete disconnection from the grid. This paper studies the effectiveness of two active anti-islanding schemes following a faulty recloser operation, when a single phase or two phases fail to disconnect. Results and the findings of a simulation study performed on a realistic test distribution system are presented.
Continuous Interpolation of Solutions of Lipschitz Inclusions

We show that given any finite set of trajectories of a Lipschitz differential inclusion there exists a continuous selection from the set of its solutions that interpolates the given trajectories. In addition, we present a result on lipschitzian selections.
A Case for Modular Design: Implications for Implementing Evidence-Based Interventions With Culturally Diverse Youth

Community-based therapists are frequently faced with the complex task of applying existing research knowledge to clients who may differ markedly from those enrolled in controlled outcome studies. The current paper examines the utility of modular psychotherapy design as one method of facilitating the flexible delivery of evidence-based mental health services to ethnically and culturally diverse children and families. Modularity complements existing approaches to the provision of culturally-sensitive, empirically-informed treatment through its ability to balance the prioritization of research evidence and local practitioner cultural knowledge. Specific applications of modular principles to clinical work with diverse youth are highlighted. Special considerations and limitations relevant to modular psychotherapy and the overall mental health services research literature are discussed, as well as the continued importance of individual clinicians' cultural competence and use of treatment progress monitoring, both of which should be combined with identified treatment modules to support the delivery of high-quality care.
SCN2A mutation is associated with infantile spasms and bitemporal glucose hypometabolism

Abstract Background Genetic mutations play a crucial role in the etiology of cryptogenic infantile spasms, but the cause is still unknown in a significant proportion of patients. Whole exome sequencing technology shows great promise in identifying genetic causes of infantile spasms. Methods In this study whole exome sequencing was performed with 2-deoxy-2-( 18 F)fluoro- d -glucose positron emission tomography scan of an infant boy with infantile spasms. Exome sequencing was also performed in the parents to identify any de novo mutations. Results The positron emission tomography scan showed a pattern of bilateral symmetric temporal lobe glucose hypometabolism. A total of 8171 nonsynonymous variants were identified in the child. Despite the large number of nonsynonymous variants, there was only a single de novo missense mutation in SCN2A in the child (NCBI hg19 assembly, position: Chr2:166234116, K1422E). Subsequent Sanger sequencing confirmed the de novo status of this variant. This mutation has never been reported in 6500 individuals of the exome variant server database. Similarly, this variant is not reported in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man Database or the Human Gene Mutation Database. It has previously been shown that SCN2A mutations are associated with hippocampal hyperexcitability. Therefore, this study indicates that infantile spasms and bitemporal hypometabolism in this patient might have been caused by hippocampal hyperexcitability due to SCN2A mutation. Conclusions The simultaneous presence of an SCN2A mutation and bitemporal hypometabolism in this patient with infantile spasms suggests a plausible hippocampal origin. However, additional mechanistic and clinical studies are required to validate this link.
Pollen proteases: Their potential role in insect digestion

Abstract Pollens of plant taxa known to be visited by bees were analyzed in vitro for the presence of four enzymic activities: trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, carboxypeptidase A-like, and carboxypeptidase B-like. All pollens examined contained at least chymotryptic activity; other activities were irregular in occurrence. Quantities of the enzymes found are tabulated and are compared with levels of the same four enzymic activities of the midguts of Apis mellifera L. Honeybee midgut activity levels exceed those of the pollens, but the pollen enzymes seem sufficient in some cases for probable physiological activity.
Analysis of large scale water distribution systems

A variety of methodologies is currently available for computing flows in water distribution systems. One of these methods is the Newton-Raphson method which regenerates and factorizes Jacobian matrix at each iteration. In this method a great deal of computational effort is consumed in the determination and factorization of the Jacobian matrix.One alternative approach is to use the initial Jacobian matrix throughout, thus avoiding the expense of reforming and triangularizing the Jacobian matrix. However, in this approach the quadratic convergence characteristic of the Standard Newton-Raphson Method is no longer maintained. As a compromise between these two approaches, a class of methods known as Quasi-Newton Methods can be utillized. This paper presents a computer model which incorporates the use of Quasi-Newton Methods in the solution of large scale water distribution systems. Three water distribution systems of varying sizes were analyzed using this method. The computer results obtained using the Quasi-N...
Zog for Albania, Edward for Estonia, and Monarchs for All the Rest? The Royal Road to Prosperity, Democracy, and World Peace

Monarchy has been the predominant form of governance throughout recorded history, and its hegemony extended well into the twentieth century. On the eve of World War I, only four nations in Europe, and none of any consequence (France, Portugal, San Marino, and Switzerland), were not monarchies. Today, however, democracy reigns, and monarchs are widely seen, in the words of the American writer Austin O'Malley, as “a vermiform appendix: useless when quiet; when obtrusive, in danger of removal” (quoted in Esar 1962, 140), or even as the capstone of a sinister conspiracy. “The Royal Family stands at the pinnacle of the class system, and its wealth is linked to the creation of poverty and need,” charges British Marxist Mark Kirby (1998, 37). For antimonarchists, the crown is not only a symbol but also a source of centuries-old class domination, social injustice, and imperialism, a wasteful frippery at best (Came 1998) and a malignant atavism at worst (Nairn 1994).Thus, the forces of blond egalitarianism have humbled the Nordic royalty by replacing their horse-drawn carriages with bicycles, and the British have reduced their nobility to guiding hordes of T-shirted, gumsnapping American tourists through their ancestral homes in order to make ends meet. In Australia, “progressive” forces have succeeded in scheduling a referendum in 1999 on whether the current head of state, Queen Elizabeth, should be replaced by an illustrious Australian—if one can be found.Though an endangered species, monarchs are by no means extinct.
Differential response of splenic monocytes and DC from cattle to microbial stimulation with Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Babesia bovis merozoites

Both bovine peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) and myeloid DC from afferent lymph have been described, but resident DC from other bovine tissues have not been fully characterized. The spleen as a secondary lymphoid organ is central to the innate and acquired immune response to various diseases particularly hemoprotozoan infections like babesiosis. Therefore, we developed methods to demonstrate the presence of myeloid DC from the spleen of cattle and have partially characterized a DC population as well as another myeloid cell population with monocyte characteristics. The phenotypic profile of each population was CD13+CD172a+/-CD14-CD11a-CD11b+/-CD11c+ and CD172a+CD13+/-CD14+CD11a-CD11b+/-CD11c+, respectively. The CD13+ population was found exclusively in the spleen whereas the CD172a+ population was present at the same percentage in the spleen and peripheral blood. CD13+ cells developed a typical veiled appearance when in culture for 96 h. The two cell populations differed in their ability to produce nitric oxide and had a different pattern of cytokine mRNA when stimulated with Mycobacterium bovis BCG or Babesia bovis merozoites. The data demonstrate the presence of a myeloid splenic DC with attributes consistent with an immature status.
FACTORIZATION OF INVERTIBLE MATRICES OVER RINGS OF STABLE RANK ONE

Abstract Every invertible n-by- n matrix over a ring R satisfying the first Bass stable range conditionis the product of n simple automorphisms, and there are invertible matrices which cannot bewritten as the products of a smaller number of simple automorphisms. This generalizes resultsof Ellers on division rings and local rings.1980 Mathematics subject classification (Amer. Math. Soc.) (1985 Revision): primary 15 A 23;secondary 20 H 25.Keywords and phrases: stable rank, modules, simple matrices. 1. Introduction In various situations it is instructive to represent a matrix as a product ofmatrices of a special nature. For example, every orthogona n matril «-byx-is the product of at most n reflections [1], [2, Proposition 5, Chapter IX,§6, section 4] (see [4], for further work on reflections). In linear algebra,one writes an invertible matrix as a product of elementary matrices. One canask how many elementary matrices (or commutators) are needed to representany product of elementary matrices (respectively, commutators); see [3]. Inmultiplicative simplex methods, one writes an invertible matrix over a field asthe product of matrices each o whicf h differs from the identity matrix by one
Water and metabolite transverse T2 relaxation time abnormalities in the white matter in schizophrenia

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that microstructural abnormalities in the white matter are important in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Diffusion MRI approaches which can provide evidence on tissue structure have been widely used to probe these abnormalities in vivo, but transverse relaxation times (T2) may provide additional insights since they are determined by molecule-microenvironment interactions not revealed by diffusion MRI. T2 of water - located both intra and extracellularly - and N-acetylaspartate (NAA - located intracellularly) reflect related but distinct processes due to their differential localization and interactions with other molecules. In this study, we collected water and NAA T2 data from 16 healthy subjects (HC), and 16 patients with schizophrenia (SZ) at 4 T in a 9 cm(3) voxel in the right prefrontal white matter. The SZ group had longer water but shorter NAA T2 relaxation times when compared with the HC group. This pattern resulted in a statistically significant metabolite×group interaction (F(18,1):4.980, p=0.039). Prolongation of water T2 and shortening of NAA T2 is consistent with an impoverishment of white matter macromolecule structures (including myelin) and abnormal intra-axonal milieu and volume in SZ.
High temperature superconductivity in rare-earth (R)-barium copper oxides (RBa2)Cu3O9−σ

Abstract The series of rare-earth (R)-barium copper oxides with nominal composition (RBa2)Cu3O9−σ and the prototype compound (YBa2)Cu3O9−σ have been prepared from the R (except Pm), Y, and Cu oxides and Ba carbonate by sintering, followed by arc-melting and annealing in pure oxygen. X-ray diffraction measurements show that, except for R = Ce, Tb, and Lu, the compounds have the perovskite-type structure reported by Cava et al. for high superconducting transition temperature Tc (YBa2)Cu3O9−σ. Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility vs temperature measurements reveal super-conductive onsets above 90 K for all R elements, except La, Ce, Pr, and Tb, for which no superconductivity was observed down to 4.2 K. Light (heavy) rare-earth compounds tend to have relatively little (large) orthorhombic splitting in their X-ray patterns, relatively high (low) normal-state resistivities with negative (positive) temperature coefficients, and broad (sharp) superconductive transitions. The negligible destructive effect of the R magnetic moments on superconductivity indicates that the superconducting electrons are primarily associated with the Cu-O polyhedral clusters and interact only weakly with the R ions, suggesting that the (RBa2)Cu3O9−σ compounds may constitute an interesting new class of “high Tc” magnetic superconductors.
Field-modulated microwave absorption study of Pb-modified BiCaSrCuO

Abstract High-resolution transmission-electron-microscopy (HRTEM) has established that samples of nominal composition Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 4 O y prepared by solid-state reaction are of mixed phase. These samples are mostly composed of the 115 K polytypoid structure with the 80 K polytypoid structure found at grain-boundaries and at planar defects within grains. The partial replacement of Bi by Pb leads to a single phase of the 115 K polytypoid as determined from HRTEM. Low-magnetic-field modulated microwave absorption in the absence of Pb yields absorption onsets associated with transitions around 115 K and around 80 K. The addition of Pb eliminates the lower temperature transition. This observation is consistent with the HRTEM observations and supports the general view that microwave absorption arises primarily from grain boundaries and planar defects.
Families, social support, and self-care among older African-American women with chronic illness.

Abstract Purpose This study describes the specific type and extent of social support provided by family members to older African-American women managing chronic disease. Design Qualitative study with multiple in-depth interviews conducted over a 2-year time period. Setting Participants were interviewed in their homes in a large Midwestern city. Participants This was a purposeful study group of 12 middle-aged and older African-American women with diagnosed early-stage heart disease and other comorbidities. Methods Data were collected on women's beliefs about their heart disease and their descriptions of how family members helped or inhibited their self-care practices. Women's descriptions of family social support were analyzed as to the type and influence. Results Most women lived in interdependent, multigenerational situations with family members providing: instrumental support; a passive form of informational support based on family history of heart disease that was used to make health comparisons and ev...
Comparison of several molecular topological indexes with molecular surface area in aqueous solubility estimation

Abstract The molecular topological indexes proposed by Wiener (Wiener number), Hosoya ( Z -value), and Randic (branching index) were correlated with computed molecular surface areas and aqueous solubilities for the monofunctional aliphatic alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, esters, and hydrocarbons. Comparison of the indexes with molecular surface area indicates that all three indexes (or simple modifications) correlate with molecular surface area and, although computed in different manners, reflect molecular topology. Comparison of the correlations of log solubility with the several indexes leads to the following conclusions: (α) the branching index works well for aliphatic, acyclic monofunctional compounds but not cyclic aliphatic compounds; ( b ) the square root of the Wiener number correlates less satisfactorily with log solubility than the other indexes but more correctly handles cyclic compounds (when generalized after Hosoya); ( c ) correlations of log solubility with the log Z -value are satisfactory, but the index is difficult to compute; and ( d ) the molecular surface area represents the single best parameter with which to correlate and estimate aqueous solubility due to its generality. However, for a restricted series of compounds, the branching index is perhaps the most useful index by virtue of its simplicity.
Age dependent changes of certain peptide hydrolases and dehydrogenases in bovine dental pulp.

The concentrations of certain peptide hydrolases and enzymes of the aerobic and anaerobic catabolic cycles in the fibroblasts of bovine dental pulp have been examined as a function of the developmental stage of the tissue. It was shown that the enzyme content does not change uniformly during the aging process. Anaerobic catabolic pathways remained unchanged or increased with cell maturity whereas the citric acid cycle activity decreased. Peptide hydrolases remained essentially constant.
Characteristics of tripeptide transport in human jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles.

Abstract These studies are aimed at characterizing the transport of the tripeptide, glycylglycyl- l -proline (GlyGlyPro) across human jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles. GlyGlyPro (0.65 mM) was hydrolyzed by brush-border membrane vesicles with the extent of hydrolysis per mg protein being 23% at 0.5 min, 57% at 1 min and complete hydrolysis at 60 min. Treatment of the membrane vesicles with gel-complexed papain (to remove membrane peptidases) resulted in minimal hydrolysis of GlyGlyPro up to 10 min of incubation. Measurement of GlyGlyPro influx with papain-treated vesicles in the presence of increasing medium osmolarity showed that uptake occurred into an osmotically reactive intravesicular space. Transport of GlyGlyPro with normal and papain-treated membrane vesicles was similar in the presence of an inward Na+ or K+ gradient. No overshoot phenomenon was observed in the presence of an inward proton gradient (extravesicular pH 5.5; intravesicular pH 7.5). An interior negative membrane potential induced by a K+ diffusion potential in the presence of valinomycin stimulated the uptake of the peptide. The effect of increasing concentrations on initial rates of GlyGlyPro uptake revealed the presence of a saturable component as well as a diffusional component. Preloading the membrane vesicles with 20 mM glycylsarcosylsarcosine stimulated uptake by 4-fold. Uptake of GlyGlyPro was inhibited greater than 50% by dipeptides and tripeptides and less than 15% by free amino acids. These results indicate that GlyGlyPro uptake in jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles is not energized by a Na+ or proton gradient and that transport occurs by carrier-mediated and diffusional processes.
SOCIAL DESIRABILITY CORRELATES FOR ACCEPTANCE OF RAPE MYTH

To examine the social desirability correlates for acceptance of rape myths, university students, 134 women and 56 men, completed the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The mean score on the former was 98.8 and for the latter 14.3. Over-all, scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale were not significantly correlated with scores on the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (r = .10). Values were .03 for women and .16 for men.
The discourse of homeless families

(1994). The Discourse of Homeless Families. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness: Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 175-184.
The Internationalization of Kinship and the Feminization of Caribbean Migration: The Case of Afro-Trinidadian Immigrants in Los Angeles

The creation of "international families" is just one of many changes being brought about by the process of "globalization." For scholars of international migration there are important substantive and methodological lessons to be learned from a study of that process. Rather than treating migration as a linear, uni-directional flow, attention needs to be directed at the circular movements of populations. This article addresses Caribbean migration specifically, and focuses on the case of Afro-Trinidadian immigrants in Los Angeles. Because kinship lies at the heart of Caribbean social life both at home and abroad, the "recycling" behavior of Caribbean migrants has brought into existence "international families," new forms of kinship that call for rethinking what we mean by "family." "International families" operate on the principle of networks rather than households, and are given form and content by women. Women figure prominently not only in Caribbean migration, but in the creation and maintenance of these ...
Effect of Thickness and Substrates on the Mechanical Properties of Tantalum and Tantalum Nitride Thin Films

Determining the intrinsic mechanical properties of films by nanoindentation is complicated by the presence of the substrate. Generally, for very thin films (<100 nm) one unavoidably observes the properties of the film/substrate composite system. In order to determine the extent of the effect of the substrate on the mechanical properties of Ta and Ta-N thin films, we have grown these films in four different thicknesses (50, 250, 400 and 500 nm) and on three different substrates (glass, oxidized Si, and sapphire). The structure of the films was evaluated by x-ray diffraction and the mechanical properties (hardness and elastic modulus) were determined by nanoindentation.
Structure of pyruvate in aqueous solution.

IN a recent publication and its addendum by Dickens and Williamson and by Bellamy and Williams1, it was reported that the infra-red spectra of lithium pyruvate and hydroxypyruvate in the solid state show no ketonic carbonyl peak, and it was suggested that these compounds exist as the hydrate, RCH2C(OH)2COO−Li+, in the solid and in aqueous solution and that this hydrate may be the substrate for the enzymatic reduction of pyruvate to lactate at neutral pH.
INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF KETENE BY TWO-STEP PHOTODISSOCIATION

Abstract The infrared spectra of the ν 2 + ν 3 and ν 2 + ν 4 bands of ketene, from 3526 to 3538 cm −1 and from 3257 to 3277 cm −1 , respectively, have been obtained using an IR–UV double resonance photolysis scheme. A tunable IR laser pulse is followed by a UV photolysis pulse. When both an IR and a UV photon are absorbed, the LIF signal of the methylene (CH 2 ) photofragment is observed, following a third laser pulse. Due to the 4 K temperature of ketene in a free jet, the spectrum of ν 2 + ν 3 is very simple. All the lines observed, J ≤ 5, K a = 0, 1, K c ≤ 5, can easily be assigned. The spectrum of ν 2 + ν 4 is complicated by two overlapping bands, identified as ν 2 + ν 5 + ν 6 and 2ν 5 + 2ν 6 + 2ν 9 . The spectroscopic constants derived are compared to the results of ab initio calculation.
EFFECT OF MICROWAVE RADIATION ON THE HEMOPOIETIC SYSTEM OF THE RAT.

Abstract Exposure of Osborne-Mendel, CFN, and Fischer strain rats to minimal doses of microwave radiation (24,000 megacycles) induced a significant leucocytosis, lymphocytosis, and neutrophilia after 7 hours of continuous exposure to 20 mw/cm2 with recovery in 1 week; 10 minutes of continuous exposure to 20 mw/cm2; and 3 hours of continuous exposure to 10 mw/cm2 with recovery in 2 days. Effects on erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit differed in the three strains used. In Osborne-Mendel and CFN rats, all values increased; in Fischer rats, they decreased.
Nuclear size of cells in normal stomachs, in gastric atrophy and in gastric cancer.

Summary The measurement of gastric columnar cell nuclear size is simple and reliable. The gastric mucosal nuclei of patients with pernicious anemia are larger and more variable in size than are normal nuclei. The nuclei of patients with gastric cancer are still larger and more variable. The method offers potential usefulness as an adjunct to the diagnosis of gastric malignancy.
Role for Hsp90-associated cochaperone p23 in estrogen receptor signal transduction.

The mechanism of signal transduction by the estrogen receptor (ER) is complex and not fully understood. In addition to the ER, a number of accessory proteins are apparently required to efficiently transduce the steroid hormone signal. In the absence of estradiol, the ER, like other steroid receptors, is complexed with Hsp90 and other molecular chaperone components, including an immunophilin, and p23. This Hsp90-based chaperone complex is thought to repress the ER’s transcriptional regulatory activities while maintaining the receptor in a conformation that is competent for high-affinity steroid binding. However, a role for p23 in ER signal transduction has not been demonstrated. Using a mutant ER (G400V) with decreased hormone binding capacity as a substrate in a dosage suppression screen in yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), we identified the yeast homologue of the human p23 protein (yhp23) as a positive regulator of ER function. Overexpression of yhp23 in yeast cells increases ER transcriptional activation by increasing estradiol binding in vivo. Importantly, the magnitude of the effect of yhp23 on ER transcriptional activation is inversely proportional to the concentration of both ER and estradiol in the cell. Under conditions of high ER expression, ER transcriptional activity is largely independent of yhp23, whereas at low levels of ER expression, ER transcriptional activation is primarily dependent on yhp23. The same relationship holds for estradiol levels. We further demonstrate that yhp23 colocalizes with the ER in vivo. Using a yhp23-green fluorescent protein fusion protein, we observed a redistribution of yhp23 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon coexpression with ER. This nuclear localization of yhp23 was reversed by the addition of estradiol, a finding consistent with yhp23’s proposed role as part of the aporeceptor complex. Expression of human p23 in yeast partially complements the loss of yhp23 function with respect to ER signaling. Finally, ectopic expression of human p23 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells increases both hormone-dependent and hormone-independent transcriptional activation by the ER. Together, these results strongly suggest that p23 plays an important role in ER signal transduction.
Weak measurements, weak values and entanglement

As a resource, quantum entanglement provides enormous power to quantum information processing and quantum communication. We focus on new properties of entanglement as revealed by quantum weak measurements. Weak measurements are performed between a pre-selected and post-selected states, one, or both or which are entangled.
Milk Replacer, Electrolytes, and Glucose for Treating Bluecomb in Turkeys

Abstract COMMONLY, management and therapeutic procedures for bluecomb in turkeys in Minnesota have included provision of a warm environment, dry litter, and additives in the feed and drinking water. All of the procedures seem to partially reduce mortality and severity of illness. Milk replacer and KC1 are nutrients often supplied in the drinking water during the period of anorexia which is characteristic of bluecomb in the first one or two weeks following onset of signs in affected flocks. It had been previously reported that turkeys continued to consume water during bluecomb after feed intake had ceased (Dziuk et al., 1969b) and that, using a common ration, force-feeding turkeys which had bluecomb did not prevent weight losses (Dziuk et al., 1969a). Since GI motility is reduced (Duke et al., 1969a) during bluecomb, distension of the crop prevented further force-feeding in the most severely affected turkeys. It has been reported that the cause…
Is rate of ontogenetic growth constrained by resource supply or tissue growth potential? A comment on West et al.'s model

Summary 1West et al. (2001) describe a general model of ontogenetic growth in which growth represents the surplus of energy acquisition over maintenance energy requirement, which themselves are allometric (power) functions of body mass with exponents 3/4 and 1, respectively. Furthermore, the intercept of the maintenance requirement decreases with the –1/4 power of adult mass. 2These relationships determine the sigmoid shape of the postnatal growth curve and the 3/4 allometric slope of time to complete growth as a function of adult mass. 3West et al.'s growth function is a particular form of the generalized Putter growth model dm/dt = amy − bmz, which includes other familiar growth functions, such as the logistic and von Bertalanffy equations. 4Empirical estimates of the allometry of resting metabolism in growing birds are close to z = 1 in some precocial species, but are approximately 50% higher in altricial and semiprecocial birds, which challenges the generality of any single growth function for birds. 5Rather than growth rate being limited by the difference between energy acquisition and maintenance expenditure, it may also be determined by the growth potential of tissues, which is traded off against functional capacity. Predicted growth curves based on increasing tissue function with age are indistinguishable from the West et al. and related equations. 6Models based on growth rate–functional maturity trade-offs also can produce observed allometric relationships of growth rate to adult mass by incorporating the relative size of the chick at hatching. 7In contrast to West et al.'s model, declining variance in size among individuals as chicks approach adult size implies targeted growth and control of growth rate by feedbacks of body size itself on growth rate. 8The existence of plausible alternative hypotheses for the control of postnatal growth should stimulate additional experimental studies to elucidate mechanisms of growth rate regulation and to understand the evolutionary diversification of postnatal growth.
Efficacy and Safety of Oral Phenylephrine: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background:Oral phenylephrine is used as a decongestant, yet there has been no previously published systematic review supporting its efficacy and safety.Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of oral phenylephrine as a nonprescription decongestant.Methods:MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, EMBASE International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and the Federal Register were searched for-English and non–English-language studies published through January 2007 that measured the effects of oral phenylephrine on nasal airway resistance (NAR) in patients with nasal congestion. The retrieved studies were supplemented with information from our personal files and by hand searches of the references in any of the studies. Additionally, a Web of Science Search was conducted using the Cited Reference function for all published clinical trials identified. Studies included in the analysis were randomized, placebo-controlled trials; studies of combination products were excluded. Two investigators in...
Visualization of origins and propagation of excitation in canine gastric smooth muscle

The origin and spread of excitation were visualized with fluo 3 fluorescence in tissues isolated from canine gastric antrum. Sheets of circular muscle (5 × 6 mm) had at least 1 (30%) and up to 3 di...
Refinement of the retinogeniculate pathway

Much of our present understanding about the mechanisms contributing to the activity-dependent refinement of sensory connections comes from experiments done in the retinogeniculate pathway. In recent years the mouse has emerged as a model system of study. This review outlines the major changes in connectivity that occur in this species and a potential mechanism that can account for such remodelling. During early postnatal life when spontaneous activity of retinal ganglion cells sweeps across the retina in waves, retinal projections from the two eyes to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) segregate to form non-overlapping eye-specific domains. There is a loss of binocular innervation, a pruning of excitatory inputs from a dozen or more to one or two, and the emergence of inhibitory circuitry. Many of these changes underlie the development of precise eye-specific visual maps and receptive field structure of LGN neurons. Retinal activity plays a major role both in the induction and maintenance of this refinement. The activity-dependent influx of Ca(2+) through L-type channels and associated activation of CREB signalling may underlie the pruning and stabilization of developing retinogeniculate connections.