cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Public's Awareness of Vice Presidents and Their Policies in Successor Elections

After Gore’s surprising defeat in 2000, scholars began to explore how he could lose after serving in an administration that presided over the longest economic expansion in American history. A few studies suggest that vice presidents do not get credit for their administration’s record to the same extent an incumbent does when they run for reelection. This paper explores how well Americans are informed of vice presidents when they run to succeed presidents and compares this to how familiar the public is with incumbent presidents and the vice presidents’ opponents. It also explores the differences in how Ameircans evaluate an incumbent on the ballot compared to a vice president running to succeed them and the vice president’s challenger. My evidence lends further credence to claims that the public does not credit vice presidents with their administration’s accomplishments.
Research Issues in Migration and Long-Term Preservation

Long-term preservation and migration are concerns not only of the recordkeeping community, but also of other professions and institutions with stewardship or custodial responsibilities for information assets. Unanswered problems with preservation and access to information over time, including records in the archival sense, are acknowledged as a limitation to the development of digital libraries, electronic archives, electronic patient records, legal documentation, scientific databases, and administrative support systems. Properly framed research questions could draw support from a variety of sources to address the conceptual, process, and technical aspects of long-term preservation using multi-disciplinary methods and expertise. In 1996, a task force commissioned by the Commission on Preservation and Access and the Research Libraries Group issued a report on preserving digital information.1 Although the report has stimulated considerable discussion and follow-on activities in the library community and among preservationists, experts in electronic records management have been critical of the report’s conceptual basis and recommendations.2 As a member of the Task Force, I was an active contributor
The association between catastrophizing and craving in patients with chronic pain prescribed opioid therapy: a preliminary analysis.

Background A growing number of studies have shown that opioid craving (i.e., the perceived need or desire to consume opioids) is one of the strongest determinants of prescription opioid misuse in patients with chronic pain prescribed opioid therapy. To date, however, the factors that are associated with craving in patients with pain remain largely unexplored. Based on previous research, there is reason to believe that catastrophizing might be associated with heightened opioid craving. Objectives To test the hypothesis that catastrophizing would be associated with heightened craving in patients with chronic pain prescribed long-term opioid therapy. Design and Subjects, and Methods In this cross-sectional study, 109 patients with chronic pain were asked to provide self-reports of catastrophizing and craving. Patients also provided self-reports of pain intensity and depressive symptoms. Results We found that higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with higher levels of craving. Importantly, results of a regression analysis revealed that the association between catastrophizing and craving remained significant even after controlling for a host of demographic (i.e., age, sex), psychological (i.e., depressive symptoms), medical (i.e., pain intensity, pain duration), and medication regimen (i.e., opioid doses) variables. Conclusions Our preliminary findings provide valuable new insights into the determinants of craving in patients with pain. The finding that catastrophizing was associated with craving even after controlling for a host of demographic, psychological, medical, and medication regimen variables is particularly striking, and raises questions concerning the factors that underlie the association between catastrophizing and craving in patients prescribed opioid therapy.
System design verification tests - an overview

The test engineering community has a good understanding of physical tests (parametric, environmental, durability, key life tests, etc.) at component level, i.e. what they are and what is the best execution sequence. There are also well defined methods for component characterization and End Of Line (EOL) validation using 1149.1 and 1149.4. The same cannot be stated about system level tests. The quality of the latter typically depends on the test engineer's experience and the time available for writing the tests. This paper intends to define "system level test" and "functional test" as used in this paper, define the role of functional test in system design verification, state ways in which functional verification/validation can be achieved at different product integration stages, commenting on the commonalities and differences between test requirements at different integration stages, as well as how physical and functional tests should be combined for optimum results (cost, program timing and coverage).
The Occurrence and Timing of Events: The Application of Event History Models in Accounting and Finance Research

Event history analysis is a statistical method concerned with the study of events and the substantive processes that govern the occurrence and timing of events. Many research studies focusing on events use qualitative response models such as probit or logistic regression and typically examine the relation between the probability of an event and a set of covariates for a single year. Event history models, on the other hand, use longitudinal rather than cross-sectional data and focuses on the process that governs the occurrence and timing of events rather than the observation of a specific state. In this paper I review event history models and their applications in accounting and finance research. The paper discusses the issues of censored observations and time-varying covariates and reviews the more commonly used survival distributions. I provide a review of the trade-offs involved in choosing among non-parametric, parametric, and semi-parametric models as well as competing risk, multi-episode, and multi-episode/multi-state models.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Vacuum Belt Dried Tomato Powders

Vacuum belt drying (VBD) was used to produce powders (a w = 0.2–0.3) from tomato pulp and skin-rich fractions. Drying times ranged from 3 to 14 h for pulp slices, when conduction heaters were specified at 100 to 60 °C, and between 1 to 3 h for thin layers of tomato skins. Modeling of moisture isotherms showed that dried pulp had greater monolayer moisture than dried skins and at a given a w had greater associated moisture content. Hygroscopicity measurements at 86 % relative humidity showed that while the pulp powders pick up more moisture, they do so at a rate similar to the tomato skin powders. Both fractions produced flowable powders, but skin powders had greater flowability than pulp powders. In general, tomato skin powders were darker and redder than tomato pulp powders, presumably as the fresh skins had greater lycopene content (2674 μg/g d.w.) than the pulp (1997 μg/g d.w.). The least decrease in trans-lycopene occurred for pulp dried at 60 °C (3.7 % decrease) and for skins dried at 80 °C (1.7 % decrease).
Considerations of scale in biodiversity conservation

The dilemma of conservation practice lies in weighing the urgency for action against the need for sustainable long-term solutions, with urgent responses incurring the risk of failure and long-term solutions incurring the cost of time. Wisdom of hindsight reveals that sustainable solutions are not achieved when conservation action is initiated at an inappropriate scale. Here, I review recent studies that have included considerations of scale to illustrate how conservation problems and solutions might be unapparent, or even counterintuitive, to conservation practitioners responding to issues at the scales at which they were first perceived. Case studies cover the conservation of ecosystems, ecosystem services, species and populations. These studies collectively illustrate how most biodiversity conservation efforts can be improved by considering the problem at a broader spatiotemporal scale than that at which local natural resource management has traditionally operated. Globalization is increasingly challenging conservation practitioners to search for solutions across an ever-wider range of spatiotemporal scales and institutional levels. Identifying real problems and threats at relevant scales is part of conservation triage, when opportunity costs and cost efficiencies of alternative interventions are evaluated and ranked, before action is implemented through the appropriate institutional levels.
Day-Care Center Exclusion of Sick Children: Comparison of Opinions of Day-Care Staff, Working Mothers, and Pediatricians

Day-care center staff are often faced with the decision of whether to send sick children home. Some pediatricians may question the criteria used by day-care centers to exclude children who have mild infectious illnesses. To determine whether there is a consensus on illness policy, we asked day-care center staff, mothers, and pediatricians which sick children in day care should be excluded. Randomly selected day-care center staff, mothers, and pediatricians in three North Carolina counties completed self-administered questionnaires. We asked how combinations of temperature and symptoms that occur with common childhood infections should affect the staff9s decisions to "call the parent for immediate pickup." Response rates were 302 of 347 staff (87%), 134 of 200 mothers (67%), and 69 of 80 pediatricians (86%). A temperature of 37.2° to 37.7°C (99° to 99.9°F) was considered a fever by 35% of staff, 24% of mothers, and 6% of pediatricians (P
Second language learning success revealed by brain networks

A recent movement in cognitive neuroscience is the study of brain networks through functional and effective connectivity. The brain networks approach has already found its influences in the study of the neurobiology of language, but has yet to impact research in the neurocognition of bilingualism and second language. In this article, we briefly review some preliminary evidence in this emerging field and suggest that the understanding of the dynamic changes in brain networks enables us to capture second language learning success, thereby providing new insights into the neural bases of individual differences, neuroplasticity, and bilingualism.
A HISPANO-ARABIC ASTROLABE WITH HEBREW STAR NAMES

title RIASSUNTO /title La Smithsonian Institution possiede nella sua collezione di strumenti astronomici un insolito astrolabio, costruito a Valencia da Muhammad Ibn al-Sahli, recante la data 483 (1090). Nell'articolo gli autori presentano una completa descrizione dello strumento con illustrazioni ed una discussione sul nome delle stelle e quello dei luoghi.
An execution profiler for Window-oriented applications

Execution profiles are important in analyzing the performance of computer programs on a given computer system. However, accurate and complete profiles are difficult to arrive at for programs that follow the client-server model of computing, as in the popular X Window System. In X Window applications, considerable computation is invoked at the display server and this computation is an important part of the overall execution profile. The profiler presented in this paper generates meaningful profiles for X Window applications by estimating the time spent in servicing the messages in the display server. The central idea is to analyze a protocol-level trace of the interaction between the application and the display server and thereby construct an execution profile from the trace and a set of metrics about the target display server. Experience using the profiler for examining bottlenecks is presented.
Iron Assay and Size Exclusion High Performance Liquid Chromatography of Ferritin and Magnetoferritin

Abstract A size-exclusion HPLC method was developed for analysis of the ferritin and magnetoferritin samples. In the ferritin sample three peaks corresponding to aggregate and monomer were observed, which are in contrast to the magnetoferritin sample in which only two peaks corresponding to aggregate and monomer were observed. A sensitive spectrophotometric method was developed for assay of iron in the ferritin and magnetoferritin samples. The method involves solubilization of iron core by HCl or acetic acid, reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ with sodium dithionite or sodium sulfite, and reaction of Fe2+ with 2, 2′ bipyridyl. Increasing concentration of acetic acid or sodium sulfite increased the iron content, suggesting that higher concentration of these reagents are needed to solubilize the iron core and to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+, respectively. An HPLC analysis of the protein after the experiment demonstrated that the proteins do not survive the analysis conditions.
MARKET STRUCTURE, UNION RENT SEEKING, AND FIRM PROFITABILITY

Abstract Unique survey data on firm union coverage, market share, and concentration are used to examine the hypothesis that profits deriving from market power provide a primary source for union gains. Based on evidence from 247 companies during 1972–1980, no support is found for this hypothesis.
Physiological studies of the rumen with emphasis on the animal factors associated with bloat.

Summary Several physiological processes were compared between animals with known bloat susceptibility fed a ration of fresh alfalfa tops. Only stable IVI (ingesta volume increase) and salivary secretion and composition differed significantly between susceptible and nonsusceptible cows. A second, more extensive study showed that the susceptible cows secreted significantly less saliva during rest and during feeding, with a significantly higher concentration of bicarbonate than the nonsusceptible animals. Whole ingesta from susceptible cows normally was higher in dry matter content and less dense (due to foaminess) than ingesta from nonsusceptible cows. No differences were found in salivary potassium, phosphate, sodium, and mucin; frequency and amplitude of rumen contractions; rate of gas production; total-, soluble-, and ammonia-nitrogen of rumen liquor; buffering capacity of ingesta and saliva; rumen pH and water consumption. When fed chopped alfalfa hay, a nonsusceptible cow appeared to secrete significantly more saliva during rest, with a significantly lower concentration of potassium than the susceptible cows. Salivary bicarbonate, phosphate, sodium, mucin, and water consumption did not differ significantly. Whole ingesta dry matter content was normally greatest in the susceptible cows. The physical nature of the ingesta is the most important characteristic distinguishing bloating from nonbloating animals. Saliva added to the rumen during periods of rest may exert an influence on this characteristic, we suggest, by preventing stable foam formation through reduced ingesta surface tension, and by reducing the concentration of agents responsible for foam stabilization through more complete fermentation.
Osmotic stress does not trigger brevetoxin production in the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis

With the global proliferation of toxic harmful algal bloom species, there is a need to identify the environmental and biological factors that regulate toxin production. One such species, Karenia brevis, forms nearly annual blooms that threaten coastal regions throughout the Gulf of Mexico. This dinoflagellate produces brevetoxins, which are potent neurotoxins that cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning and respiratory illness in humans, as well as massive fish kills. A recent publication reported that a rapid decrease in salinity increased cellular toxin quotas in K. brevis and hypothesized that brevetoxins serve a role in osmoregulation. This finding implied that salinity shifts could significantly alter the toxic effects of blooms. We repeated the original experiments separately in three different laboratories and found no evidence for increased brevetoxin production in response to low-salinity stress in any of the eight K. brevis strains we tested, including three used in the original study. Thus, we find no support for an osmoregulatory function of brevetoxins. The original publication also stated that there was no known cellular function for brevetoxins. However, there is increasing evidence that brevetoxins promote survival of the dinoflagellates by deterring grazing by zooplankton. Whether they have other as-yet-unidentified cellular functions is currently unknown.
Light-fraction soil organic matter: origin and contribution to net nitrogen mineralization

Abstract Two investigations were conducted to examine the nature of light-fraction ( −3 ) soil organic matter (OM): (1) determination of the relative contributions of above- and belowground litter to the light fraction (LF) pool in two oak stands (Noe Woods and Wingra Woods) that are part of a long-term (>30yr) litter manipulation study in southern Wisconsin, U.S.A.; and (2) evaluation of the monthly variation in LF mass and LF N mineralization potential, plus the contribution of LF to total net N mineralization, for a cornfield, pine stand, and maple stand in western Massachusetts, U.S.A. The long-term treatments at the Wisconsin plots include no-litter, 2 × litter, and one-time removal of the A horizon. In the first study, LF mass under the no-litter treatment was 64 and 32% lower for the Noe and Wingra sites, respectively, relative to the controls (unaltered litter inputs); LF mass under the 2 × litter treatment was 85% higher at Noe, but 15% lower at the Wingra site. The LF represented only 6.7 and 4.3% of the total mineral-soil C losses under no-litter and 7.0% (Noe alone) of the total mineral-soil C gain under 2 × litter. The results suggest that aboveground foliar litter contributed one-third (Wingra) to two-thirds (Noe) of the LF pool. Additionally, the heavy fraction (HF) declined quickly in response to relatively short-term changes in litter input and functioned as the primary long-term C sink. In the second study, LF represented 11% (corn), 13% (pine), and 2% (maple) of the N mineralization potential (anaerobic incubation) for the whole mineral soil; contribution of LF to net N mineralization could not be determined for the cornfield, but was calculated to be 3 kg N ha −1 yr −1 for both the pine and maple stands. N mineralization potential for the pine and maple sites was consistently lower for LF OM than for HF OM. Both LF mass (corn and pine) and LF N mineralization potential (all sites) showed differences by sampling month. LF constituted 5% (maple), 13% (corn), and 14% (pine) of mineral soil OM. Findings suggest that HF is the primary N source in coarse-textured mineral soils, and also that LF is a relatively minor N source in forest stands with mor-type soil.
Amyloid β-Protein Induces the Cerebrovascular Cellular Pathology of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disordersa

One of the hallmark pathologic characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders is deposition of the 39-42 amino acid amyloid beta-protein (A beta) in the walls of cerebral blood vessels. The cerebrovascular A beta deposits in these disorders are associated with degenerating smooth muscle cells in the vessel wall which have been implicated in the expression of the amyloid beta-protein precursor (A beta PP) and formation of A beta. We have established primary cultures of human cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells as a model for investigating the cellular pathologic processes involved in the cerebral amyloid angiopathy of AD and related disorders. Recently, we have shown that A beta 1-42, the predominant pathologic cerebrovascular form of A beta, causes extensive cellular degeneration that is accompanied by a striking increase in the levels of cellular A beta PP, potentially amyloidogenic carboxyl terminal A beta PP fragments, and soluble A beta peptide in the cultured human cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells. Together, these studies provide evidence that A beta contributes to the onset and progression of the cerebrovascular pathology associated with AD and related disorders and suggests the mechanism involves a molecular cascade with a novel product-precursor relationship that results in the adverse production and accumulation of A beta.
Gate-width dependence of GaAs FET transient response

An analysis of the transient response of the GaAs FET by means of a distributed model is presented. Using a numerical-technique based on the direct evaluation of the Bromwich integral for inverse-Laplace transform, the propagation delay and rise time of devices with different gate widths are obtained. Results indicate that propagation effect is significant when the gate width exceeds 150 µm for a typical MESFET. The presented method can serve as the basis of time-domain device parameter optimization in CAD routines.
The Gram staining mechanism of cat tongue keratin. II. The role of potassium iodide-iodine solution.

The aniline-xylene decolorizer of the Gram-Weigert staining procedure failed to remove crystal violet dye from stained sections of cat tongue without prior treatment of the sections with potassium iodide-iodine solution. The potassium iodide of the iodide-iodine solution was found to release the major part of the crystal violet dye bound by the tongue sections. Iodine appeared also to play a role in dye release, but only to a slight degree. The amount of Gram-positive staining was increased both by alkaline treatment of the tissue prior to staining, and by increasing the pH of the iodide-iodine solution.
Integrative Medicine Research in New Mexico: Lessons From the Published Literature

This review provides an in-depth examination of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM) and/or integrative medicine (IM) research in New Mexico, where many unique cultural and traditional healing systems are still commonly used. A comprehensive search for all recent research studies relating to TCAM/IM in New Mexico was carried out by the author. The survey identified 14 research studies, both quantitative and qualitative, published from 1990 to 2004 that included subjects and data on New Mexico. The studies were grouped into the areas of traditional systems and beliefs, mind-body medicine, natural health products, and conventional providers and complementary and alternative medicine, and individual studies were summarized, with the author's commentary. The review confirms that patients in New Mexico from diverse cultures extensively use various forms of TCAM/IM, yet communication about this topic with conventional health care providers is not optimal. The results of this review will i...
Spherical, nonlinear Poisson—Boltzmann theory and its Debye—Hückel linearization

Abstract The limit of validity of the Debye—Huckel linearization of the spherical Poisson—Boltzmann equation is established analytically and confirmed by numerical solutions to the nonlinear equation.
Positron annihilation lifetime spectral changes on dehydration of natural beryls and cordierites

The effect on positron annihilation lifetime spectra, measured at room temperature, of the dehydration of single crystals of beryl and cordierite was studied. In each case, the spectra were satisfactorily fitted to three lifetime components. For the beryls, the dehydration considerably enhanced the intensity of the intermediate-lifetime component (I2) and reduced the intensity of the longest-lived component (I3). I2 is attributed to positron annihilation in the empty cages in the channels of the beryl structure and I3 to annihilation by a pick-off process via unknown foreign molecules. However, for the cordierites, the main effect of the dehydration was a slight (∼10%) increase in the lifetime of the intermediate component, τ2. Here I2 was relatively high both before and after dehydration and the increase in τ2 is attributed to Si-Al ordering. No changes in the lifetime spectra were produced by γ irradiation.
Lateral diffusion of proteins on supported lipid bilayers: additive friction of synaptotagmin 7 C2A-C2B tandem domains.

The synaptotagmin (Syt) family of proteins contains tandem C2 domains, C2A and C2B, which bind membranes in the presence of Ca2+ to trigger vesicle fusion during exocytosis. Despite recent progress, the role and extent of interdomain interactions between C2A and C2B in membrane binding remain unclear. To test whether the two domains interact on a planar lipid bilayer (i.e., experience thermodynamic interdomain contacts), diffusion of fluorescent-tagged C2A, C2B, and C2AB domains from human Syt7 was measured using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy with single-particle tracking. The C2AB tandem exhibits a lateral diffusion constant approximately half the value of the isolated single domains and does not change when additional residues are engineered into the C2A–C2B linker. This is the expected result if C2A and C2B are separated when membrane-bound; theory predicts that C2AB diffusion would be faster if the two domains were close enough together to have interdomain contact. Stopped-flow mea...
Studies on the effect of reagent and protein charges on reactivity of the β93 sulfhydryl group of human hemoglobin using selected mutations

Abstract The reactivity of the β93 sulfhydryl (SH) group of human oxyhemoglobins with the negatively charged 5,5′-dithiobis(2,2′-nitrobenzoate) and the uncharged 2,2′-dithiodipyridine was determined as a function of pH. Selected mutant hemoglobins having increased oxygen affinity and having residue substitutions altering charge near the SH group (Wood, Malmo, Yakima, Kempsey, Andrew-Minneapolis, Osler, and Chesapeake) were compared to hemoglobin (Hb) A. Although both reagents reacted with GSH at the same rate and with the same enthalpies of activation, the rates with Hb were different and the difference showed a pronounced pH dependence. The charged reagent was sensitive to charges near the SH group; a positive charge increased the rate and a negative one decreased the rate. The uncharged reagent which reacted with Hb A with activation enthalpies similar to those for GSH was insensitive to neighboring charges, but was sensitive to tertiary and quaternary structural changes. The rates obtained with the latter reagent did not correlate with oxygen affinity. The evolutionary aspects of the β93 cysteine in relation to structure and function are reviewed.
Effects of trans-resveratrol on hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy using the partially nephrectomized rat model

trans-Resveratrol (resveratrol) has been shown to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system in a number of studies. It is, however, unclear whether this naturally occurring compound can protect against cardiac hypertrophy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of resveratrol on cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and the potential underlying mechanisms involving endothelin (ET), angiotensin (Ang) II and nitric oxide (NO) in partially nephrectomized rats. Animal models bearing cardiac hypertrophy were replicated in male Sprague-Dawley rats following partial nephrectomy (PNX). Resveratrol (10 or 50 mg/kg) was administered to rats by gavage for 4 weeks. Simultaneous PNX and sham operation controls were simultaneously established in the present study. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of rats was measured at baseline and, along with heart weight, after 4 weeks treatment. Serum ET-1, AngII and NO concentrations were determined. In the present study, it was shown that, compared with rats in the sham-operated group, rats in the PNX group had significantly higher SBP (154.1 +/- 22.7 mmHg), heart weight (1.69 +/- 0.24 g) and serum ET-1 (125.70 +/- 26.27 pg/mL) and AngII serum concentrations (743.63 +/- 86.50 pg/mL), whereas serum NO concentrations were lower (21.1 +/- 6.9 micromol/L; all P < 0.05). These values in the sham control group were 114 +/- 10 mmHg, 1.28 +/- 0.13 g, 52.44 +/- 21.85 pg/mL, 528.7 +/- 158.5 pg/mL and 53.21 +/- 23.87 micromol/L, respectively. After 4 weeks treatment with 50 mg/kg resveratrol, SBP, heart weight and ET-1 and AngII concentrations had decreased to 135.4 +/- 15.8 mmHg, 1.39 +/- 0.15 g, 97.11 +/- 26.74 pg/mL and 629.64 +/- 116.18 pg/mL, respectively. However, the serum NO concentration had increased to 40.1 +/- 14.6 micromol/L. These values were significantly different from those obtained for the PNX group. In conclusion, trans-resveratrol appears to be able to protect against the increase in SBP and subsequent cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and the mechanisms responsible may involve, at least in part, modulation of NO, AngII and ET-1 production.
A Review of Sam Harris’s Free Will

HARRIS, S. (2012) Free Will New York, NY: Free Press 83 pp., ISBN: 978-1-4516-8340-0 In his most recent book, Free Will, Sam Harris, a four-time New York Times best-selling author on morality, theology, and science (Harris 2012a), explores the idea that free will is an illusion. In doing so, Harris endorses the view that all human behavior is in part the combination of historical factors and genetic makeup, which is a view amenable to a behavioranalytic interpretation. While many of Harris’s assertions differ from those of behavior analysts—most notably, the reasons for the illusion of free will—several prominent features of Harris’s approach lend themselves well to a behavior analytic treatment and provide ample opportunities for collaborative efforts in developing strategies to support systems that advocate for a deterministic view of behavior. Harris’s treatment of free will, therefore, has more in common with a behavior analytic approach than not. The differences lay mostly in perspective, and not outcome. Overview
Nonlinear absorption in charge-transfer films

Nonlinear optical absorption in solid films of poly(3-octyl thiophene) (P3OT) sensitized with methanofullerene was investigated for wavelengths from 620 to 960 nm. The nonlinear absorption is enhanced over that in either of the component materials by more than two orders of magnitude at 760 nm. The large nonlinearity results from efficient photoinduced intermolecular charge transfer from P3OT to methanofullerene, followed by absorption in the charge separated excited state. P3OT/fullerene films are promising as optical limiters; the transmission clamps at an average fluence of approximately 0.1 J/cm2.
Heme Oxygenase and the Kidney

Heme plays a significant pathogenic role in several diseases involving the kidney. The cellular content of heme, derived either from the delivery of filtered heme proteins such as hemoglobin and myoglobin, or from the breakdown of ubiquitous intracellular heme proteins, is regulated via the heme oxygenase enzyme system. Heme oxygenases catalyze the rate-limiting step in heme degradation, resulting in the formation of iron, carbon monoxide, and biliverdin, which is subsequently converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. Recent attention has focused on the biological effects of product(s) of this enzymatic reaction, which have important antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective functions. Three isoforms of heme oxygenase (HO) enzyme have been described: an inducible isoform, HO-1, and two constitutively expressed isoforms, HO-2 and HO-3. Induction of HO-1 occurs as an adaptive and beneficial response to several injurious stimuli, and has been implicated in many clinically relevant disease stat...
Computed Tomography Angiogram in Diagnosis of Churg-Strauss Vasculitis

To the Editor: A novel diagnostic approach may be a helpful adjunct to clinical judgment in evaluating Churg-Strauss syndrome. A 51-year-old African American man with a 1-year history of asthma treated with inhalers, mometasone, and monteleukast presented to his primary care provider with 6 weeks of numbness and tingling of the hands and feet followed by dusky discoloration and pain in the fourth and fifth digits of the right hand. Similar changes occurred in the left hand 1 week later. He had a nonpruritic rash with associated ulcerations of the pretibial region bilaterally. A computed tomography angiogram (CTA) of the legs demonstrated multiple focal areas of dilatation and stenosis. A beaded appearance was evident throughout the posterior tibial arteries bilaterally that extended into the common plantar and lateral plantar arteries (Figure 1). Figure 1. CT angiography of the right lower extremity showing multiple focal areas of dilatation … Address correspondence to Dr. Moffett; E-mail: bkmoffett{at}insightbb.com
Correlates of cell-mediated immunity in nestling house sparrows.

Cell-mediated immunity is an important vertebrate defense against pathogens, but components of this response may vary in quality. Such variation could arise through the effects of ecology on optimal immunocompetence. We used injections of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) to measure the factors influencing T-cell proliferation in nestling house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Bivariate analyses revealed positive associations with nestling mass and size, but no effect of ectoparasites. The response to PHA was, however, strongly affected by brood identity. A mixed model with brood identity as a random factor and nestling mass, size, number of ectoparasites, parental feeding rate, clutch size, brood size at hatching, and date uncovered significant positive correlations between PHA response and both nestling mass and the brood size at hatching. Because many of these variables are related hierarchically, we used path analysis to explore the relationships in more detail. We found that a nestling immune response was affected by several indirect paths. Brood size at hatch had both positive and negative paths, and date in the season had several indirect negative effects through its effect on brood size and nestling mass. The approach used and the results obtained offer some new ideas for incorporating immune responses into life history theory.
Study of the surface chemistry of methyl iodide coadsorbed with hydrogen on Pt(111)

Abstract The surface chemistry of methyl iodide coadsorbed with hydrogen on Pt(111) was studied using thermal programmed desorption (TPD) spectroscopy. When methyl iodide is adsorbed on a surface previously exposed to high doses of hydrogen, heating of the sample yields methane almost exclusively. In the case of coadsorbed deuterium and normal methyl iodide, the methane product distribution shows maxima for CH3D and CD4 formation, a result typical of catalytic exchange reactions. That distribution results from competition between two different reaction pathways on the surface, both starting from chemisorbed methyl groups: single deuteriation takes place via a reductive elimination step that requires about 17 kcal mol to be activated, while multiple exchange follows a series of surface transformations including methylene formation, rapid methylene-methylidyne equilibration, and methylene stepwise hydrogenation to methyl and then to methane. The observed energy barrier for this second process is about 6–8 kcal mol , and is the result of a combined effect of at least two separate steps which contribute to the overall reaction rate. Additional experiments using deuterated methyl iodide were also performed to confirm some of the conclusions from the studies with D2, and CH3I.
Electron and energy transfer mechanisms to switch the luminescence of semiconductor quantum dots

Chemosensors, able to signal the presence of target analytes with luminescence enhancements, can be designed around electron and energy transfer processes. Specifically, the association of a target analyte with a complementary receptor can be transduced into a significant change in the emission intensity of an organic fluorophore on the basis of these processes. The photophysical properties of semiconductor quantum dots, however, are significantly more attractive than those of organic dyes. As a result, the identification of strategies to adapt similar transduction mechanisms to quantum dots can lead to the emergence of luminescent chemosensors with improved performances. In this context, we developed two strategies based on electron and/or energy transfer to probe pH and signal receptor–substrate complementarities with luminescent quantum dots. In particular, we coated preformed CdSe–ZnS core–shell quantum dots with pH-sensitive [1,3]oxazines, in one instance, and 4,4′-bipyridinium dications, in the other. Both species exchange electrons and/or energy with the nanoparticles upon excitation, and hence quench their emission. However, their absorption wavelengths, redox potentials and distance from the nanoparticles can be designed to vary in response to pH changes or the presence of complementary receptors. These modifications alter the quenching ability of the organic ligands and culminate into significant enhancements in the luminescence of the inorganic nanoparticles. Thus, our transduction mechanisms can successfully be exploited to signal the presence of target analytes with luminescence changes, and can ultimately lead to the development of innovative luminescent chemosensors based on the unique photophysical properties of semiconductor quantum dots.
A lower bound for crossing numbers of graphs with applications to Kn, Kp,q, and Q(d)

Abstract In this paper we obtain a combinatorial lower bound δg(G) for the crossing number crg(G) of a graph G in the closed orientable surface of genus g, and we conjecture that equality holds in a wide range of interesting cases. The lower bound is applied to the crossing number of the 1-skeleton of a d-dimensional cube to show that this crossing number must be at least 4, and a constructive technique is used to show that the crossing number is at most 8. Finally, we show that the crossing number of any graph is at most k2 times the crossing number of the underlying simple graph, where k = maximum multiplicity of an edge.
Dissociation between the aversive and pharmacokinetic effects of ethanol in female Fischer and Lewis rats

In humans and laboratory animal models, vulnerability to alcohol abuse is influenced by endogenous factors such as genotype. Using the inbred Fischer and Lewis rat strains, we previously reported stronger conditioned taste aversions (CTA) in male Fischer rats that could not be predicted by genotypic differences in alcohol absorption [34]. The present study made similar assessments in Fischer and Lewis females via four-trial CTA induced by 1 or 1.5 g/kg intraperitoneal (IP) ethanol (n = 10-12/strain/dose) as well as measures of blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) at 15, 60 and 180 min post-injection with 1.5 g/kg IP ethanol or saline (n = 7-8/strain/dose). Dose-dependent CTAs were produced, but the strains did not differ from each other in these measures; however, BACs in the Lewis females were significantly higher than Fischer at all three time points. As with males of the Fischer and Lewis genotypes, a dissociation between BACs and the aversive effects of alcohol was observed. These data are the first assessments of these particular phenotypes in Fischer and Lewis females, and when considered with the historical data, suggest a Genotype × Sex interaction in the centrally-mediated sensitivity to alcohol's aversive effects.
Novel image–novel location object recognition task sensitive to age-related cognitive decline in nondemented elderly

Traditional tests used in the clinic to identify dementia, such as the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), are useful to identify severe cognitive impairments but might be less sensitive to detect more subtle age-related cognitive changes. Previously, the novel image–novel location (NINL) object recognition test was shown to be sensitive to detect effects of apolipoprotein E4, a risk factor for developing age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, in nondemented elderly. In the present longitudinal study, performance on the MMSE and the NINL tests were compared over a 4-year period. Individual NINL scores over this period were highly correlated. In addition, while MMSE scores did not change over the 4-year period, NINL scores did. In a final testing session of a subset of the participants, NINL scores correlated with logical memory and word recall lists, cognitive tasks used to detect dementia in the clinic, as well as clinical dementia rating scales. These results support that the NINL might be a valuable tool to assess age-related cognitive decline.
Humanoid robot control using depth camera

Most human interactions with the environment depend on our ability to navigate freely and to use our hands and arms to manipulate objects. Developing natural means of controlling these abilities in humanoid robots can significantly broaden the usability of such platforms. An ideal interface for humanoid robot teleoperation will be inexpensive, person-independent, require no wearable equipment, and will be easy to use, requiring little or no user training.This work presents a new humanoid robot control and interaction interface that uses depth images and skeletal tracking software to control the navigation, gaze and arm gestures of a humanoid robot. To control the robot, the user stands in front of a depth camera and assumes a specific pose to initiate skeletal tracking. The initial location of the user automatically becomes the origin of the control coordinate system. The user can then use leg and arm gestures to turn the robot's motors on and off, to switch operation modes and to control the behavior of the robot. We present two control modes. The body control mode enables the user to control the arms and navigation direction of the robot using the person's own arms and location, respectively. The gaze direction control mode enables the user to control the focus of attention of the robot by pointing with one hand, while giving commands through gestures of the other hand. We present a demonstration of this interface, in which a combination of these two control modes is used to successfully enable an Aldebaran Nao robot to carry an object from one location to another. Our work makes use of the Microsoft Kinect depth sensor.
High energy and particle confinement times in PDX scoop discharges

Abstract Scoop limited discharges in PDX with neutral beam heating achieved energy and particle confinement times higher than those inferred from similar poloidal rail limiter discharges. We present transport simulations using TRANSP and BALDUR and neutral simulations using DEGAS. Large neutral densities and ionization rates localized near the scoop are inferred. Thermal neutral ionization increases the edge electron density substantially, resulting in a flattened density profile. Fueling from the scoop limiter is deeper than from simple limiters.
The relationship between Polycystic ovary syndrome and antiepileptic drugs: A review of the evidence

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a serious endocrine disorder characterized by ovulatory dysfunction and hyperandrogenism that is thought to have a higher prevalence in women with epilepsy and perhaps bipolar disorder. Various theories have been offered to explain this higher prevalence of PCOS and other reproductive disorders in these patient populations, including the effects of the disease itself and of antiepileptic drugs, especially valproate, which may directly cause PCOS or indirectly lead to the disorder by causing weight gain that triggers insulin resistance, increased testosterone levels, and other reproductive abnormalities. A prospective, longitudinal study with larger cohorts in newly diagnosed women with epilepsy or bipolar disorder is needed to definitively characterize the relationship between antiepileptic drugs and PCOS. Until data from such a study are available, physicians need to be aware that there is a possibility of developing symptoms of PCOS in women of reproductive age who are treated with antiepileptic drugs. Despite this concern, the choice of antiepileptic drug for women with epilepsy or bipolar disorder should be based on the most effective agent for controlling neurologic symptoms.
Internal Behavior in Fish Schools

Structural changes within fish schools correlate with declines in environmental oxygen. The changes may result from the responses of individual fish to the environmental consequences of group metabolism. Individual behaviors are adaptive to the school in that they tend to maintain stability between school members and their environment.
Activation of an insulin-stimulated S6 kinase in 3T3 L1 cell-free extracts by proteolysis

Using chromatography on a Fast S-Sepharose column, the insulin-stimulated S6 kinase can be resolved from other S6 kinases present in 3T3 L1 cell extracts. Only one S6 kinase is greatly activated by insulin (4–5-fold) and phosphorylates S6 with a high stoichiometry (4–5 mol phosphate per mol S6). This insulin-dependent S6 kinase can be activated in cell-free extracts by incubation with high concentrations of Ca2+. This activation is blocked by protease inhibitors such as leupeptin and is mimicked by trypsin. The stimulation does not require the presence of the protein kinase dependent on phospholipids and calcium (PK-C) in the cell extracts. The level of stimulation produced by proteolysis in the cell extracts is comparable to that reached in vivo by incubation with insulin.
Modeling and Simulation of Milling Frozen Biological Samples by Focused Ion Beam

Focused Ion Beam (FIB) has been used widely for sample preparation in material research and nanoscale device fabrication. The introduction of FIB system to biological samples preparation, especially for frozen samples, provides the potential to produce delicate submicron geometries on the samples, as well as the potential to be fully digitally controlled. In this paper, we first study the ion interactions with water and different cryoprotectants, and the sputtering yields under different conditions are estimated as the milling rate. A geometric simulation model is also proposed which can be used as a process planning tool to perform cryo-sectioning by FIB. Finally, discussions and suggestions for future work are presented.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Improve drilling efficiency with two nozzles and more weight-on-bit

Field tests evaluated the performance of three-cone insert bits using only two nozzles sized from pressure measurements made at the rig to give maximum hydraulic impact. The tests were conducted on two rigs in California and three in Texas. Test techniques entailed finding a suitable formation that required two identical bits to drill through. The first bit was operated with three nozzles while the subsequent bit was operated with two nozzles. During the test the drilling parameters (such as weight-on-bit, rotary speed, nozzle flow area, pump pressure, circulation rate, and mud weight) were kept as constant as possible. Drilling rates of the two bits were then compared and analyzed with the aid of mud-logs, electric-logs, and drilling recorder information. The depth and the relative position of the formation were also carefully compared with offset well bit records.