cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SHAPES OF FIGURES IDENTIFIED AS A BABY'S HEAD.

Sunzmary.-The difference in shape between a profile view of the head of the infant and of the adult was used to derive a formula which yields a family of shapes, ranging from extremely exaggerated adult heads to extremely exaggerated baby heads. These figures were shown in pairs on a projection screen to 146 undergraduate women and 46 undergraduate men, who were instructed to judge which figure was more babyish. The results show that this dimension of head shape was an effective determinant oi such judgments and that it included distorted figures which were more optimal than the accurate representation of the baby's head. Using artificial models to vary the characteristics of the natural object, ethologists have investigated the stimuli for species-specific responses that occur to such objects as the mate, eggs, young, predators, etc. (Tinbergen, 1951). A general finding of such research on the identification of namral objects is that many characteristics of the object can be changed or omitted with minimal effects on responding, while a few, termed 'sign stimuli,' cannot. For example, a territory-holding male robin will attack a tuft of red feathers but ignore a complete mounted specimen that has a brown breast (Lack, 1943). Moreover, changes in the object can increase as well as reduce or fail to affect the likelihood of the identifying response: occasionally, the model proves more effective than the natural object and its characteristics are referred to as 'supernormal sign stimuli.' Thus, there are species of seabirds and shorebirds that choose to incubate an oversized artificial egg rather than their own, or artificial eggs with darker and larger spots rather than those of namral coloration, or a clutch with more eggs rather than one with the narural number (Tinbergen, 1951, 1953). The adaptive significance of this phenomenon has been a concern to biologically oriented students of behavior: why should organisms be more responsive to characteristics that are not found in the natural object than to those thac are? Buc experimencs using the appropriate series of models show that supernormal sign stimuli, the sign stimuli of the natural object, and the characteristics
GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY IN THE HUMAN FETAL AND PREPUBERTAL TESTIS: A HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activity was studied histochemically in the human fetal and prepubertal testis. In keeping with the importance of the hexose phosphate shunt in steroidogenesis, the fetal Leydig cells demonstrated marked activity of G-6-PD. Despite the absence of characteristic Leydig cells in the interstitium of the prepubertal testis, individual spindle cells in the interstitium showed marked activity of G-6-PD. Such cells were prominent not only focally in the interstitium but also in the tunica propria of the immature seminiferous tubules and surrounding nonmedullated nerve fibers in the hilum. It is suggested that these spindle cell forms are metabolically prepared for transition into Leydig cells under hormonal stimulation consistent with the development of puberty.
Priest, the Liar, and Gödel

In a recent paper, Graham Priest proposed an analysis of the Liar Paradox according to which the Liar sentence is both true and not true.’ Such a position regarding the paradox requires a complete overhaul of our logical theory as well as the rejection of the Law of Contradiction. To justify this radical position, Priest advanced an argument based on Godel’s First Incompleteness Theorem. This argument is the topic of my paper. Priest argues that we humans have the means by which we come to know mathematical truths, viz., by constructing intuitively valid proofs of the mathematical propositions from
Abstract 5058: Effects of honokiol on UACC-62 malignant melanoma cell line

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Studies from our laboratory have indicated the chemopreventive effects of honokiol on UVB-induced squamous cell carcinoma in mouse skin. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of honokiol on UACC-62 malignant melanoma cell and elucidate the mechanisms of action. UACC-62 cells were grown in RPMI media in cell culture conditions. The effects of honokiol on cell viability and cell proliferation were studied by the MTT and BrdU assays. To investigate the effects of honokiol on cell cycle, UACC-62 cells were treated with honokiol, stained with propidium iodide and analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell lysates were prepared in similar conditions as the previous experiments to assess how honokiol affected the expressions of proteins involved in different pathways. The MTT assay showed a significant decrease in cell viability starting at 75 μM honokiol at 24 hours. The BrdU assay results indicated decreased cell proliferation as early as 12 hours and 50 μM honokiol. The cell cycle analysis indicated that honokiol caused G0/G1 phase arrest in melanoma cells (p < 0.05) at 24h and 50 μM. Western blots of the cell lysates prepared showed that honokiol decreased the expressions of cyclin E, CDK4, cyclin D2, NF-kβ, and p-MEK starting at 50 μM honokiol at 24 hours. The expressions of apoptotic proteins cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, caspase 8, and cleaved PARP were increased by honokiol treatments. This data indicated that honokiol decreases cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of UACC-62 cells thus could be a candidate for pre-clinical studies as an agent for treating or preventing melanoma skin cancer. Supported by Translational Cancer Research Center funded as a 2010 Research Initiative Center by the State of South Dakota. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5058. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5058
At the Borderline between Glassy, Crystalline and Liquid Crystalline Macrocyclics1a

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of the macrocyclic oligopolyethers based on the conformationally flexible 1-(4-hydroxy-4′-biphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane (TPB) with 1,4-dibromobutane [TPB-(c)4(z), where z indicates the degree of oligomerization of the macrocyclic] and with 1,6-dibromohexane [TPB-(c)6(z)], respectively are described. These cyclic oligomers were synthesized by the phase transfer catalyzed polyetherification of TPB with 1,4-dibromobutane or 1,6-dibromohexane under high dilution conditions and the individual compounds were separated by column chromatography. Their cyclic structure was confirmed by 200 MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The mesomorphic behavior of TPB-(c)4(z) and TPB-(c)6(z) was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical polarized microscopy. The macrocyclic derivative with the shortest spacer based on TPB and α,ω-dibromoalkanes which displays a liquid crystalline mesophase is the tetramer obtained with 1,4-dibromobutane [TPB-(c)4(4)]. However i...
Competition between two political parties

It is well known that even a very complex real life situation can be described through mathematical calculus. We present how a mathematical model can describe a political competition between two political parties. We used a deterministic dynamical system (DDS) or random dynamical system (RDS) model and study the attractors' points for this model.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN MYOCARDIAL MECHANICAL FUNCTION AND SUBCELLULAR ORGANELLES

This study investigates the developmental changes in myocardial mechanical function and the function of subcellular organelles utilizing the isolated, arterially perfused heart of the fetus (28th day of gestation), newborn (3-5 day old), and adult rabbit. Maximal force of contraction in the fetus was significantly less than in the newborn and both the fetus and newborn values were significantly less than in the adult. The myofibrillar content in the fetus and ATPase activity in the fetus and newborn were significantly less than in the adult. Both the amount of SR, and SR Ca2+ uptake per g muscle increased with age. Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was not observed at pCa more than 6 (physiological range) in all age groups. At pCa less than 6, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake (per g muscle) in the newborn was significantly greater than in the fetus and adult. Ca2+ uptake by crude homogenate in the newborn was also greater than in the fetus and adult. These data suggest that the age-related change in myocardial contractility is due to the differences in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and myofibrillar content as well as ATPase activity. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration may vary with development depending upon the relative capability of Ca2+-releasing system and Ca2+-sequestering system.
Diet quality affects egg size and number but does not reduce maternal antibody transmission in Japanese quail Coturnix japonica

Summary 1. The ability to resist infection is an important component of survival and lifetime reproductive success. Mounting and maintaining an immunological defence is assumed to be energetically costly and nutritional resources expended on immune function may induce trade-offs with other energetically expensive functions, including reproduction. Resource limitation may even have transgenerational effects on immune function during reproduction because mothers are the primary source of humoral immunity in young vertebrates. 2. To determine whether protein restriction affects humoral immunity, either within or across generations, we fed adult Japanese quail Coturnix japonica isocaloric diets containing either the recommended protein content for reproducing adults (20%), or a low protein diet (12%). 3. Females fed the low protein diet weighed less than control females and produced fewer eggs that were smaller in size. However, dietary treatment did not affect the antibody response to a novel antigen (SRBCs) or immunoglobulin concentration (IgG = IgY) in either females or their eggs. 4. This suggests that the magnitude of the humoral immune response is either not constrained by protein availability or that birds can compensate for low dietary protein intake when fed ad libitum . Maternal protein reserves may be catabolized to support egg production and antibody formation under protein restriction such that only very severe malnutrition would affect immune function. Future work should address whether other resources mediate the trade-off between immunity and reproduction or whether other components of the immune response are impacted by resource limitation.
Using Transparent Shaping and Web Services to Support Self-Management of Composite Systems

Increasingly, software systems are constructed by composing multiple existing applications. The resulting complexity increases the need for self-management of the system. However, adding autonomic behavior to composite systems is difficult, especially when the existing components were not originally designed to support such interactions. Moreover, entangling the code for integrated self-management with the code for the business logic of the original applications may actually increase the complexity of the system, counter to the desired goal. In this paper, we propose a technique to enable self-managing behavior to be added to composite systems transparently, that is, without requiring manual modifications to the existing code. The technique uses transparent shaping, developed previously to enable dynamic adaptation in existing programs, to weave self-managing behavior into existing applications, which interact through Web services. A case study demonstrates the use of this technique to construct a fault-tolerant surveillance application from two existing applications, one developed in .NET and the other in CORBA, without the need to modify the source code of the original applications
Putting more brain-like intelligence into the electric power grid: What we need and how to do it

Certain key features of brain-like intelligence are essential to fulfill the main goals of policy-makers and environmentalists for the “smart grid” - a key item in the new economic stimulus law, and a key item in a rational strategy for energy sustainability. This paper will explain why and how, and how the neural network community could play a crucial role in making this real.
Relativistic treatment of light quarks in D and B mesons and W-exchange weak decays.

A relativistic bound-state equation is applied to formulate the nonspectator (or W-exchange) decay rates of D, D/sub s/, and B mesons, and their leptonic decay constants. The nonspectator decay rates are also calculated here in the Dirac-equation limit. In this limit we show that up to a logarithm the nonspectator rate grows with heavy-quark mass like m/sup 6/, faster than the spectator rate of m/sup 5/. Including an analysis of experimental D/sup +- /, D/sup 0/, and D/sub s/ decay rates shows that the enhancement of D/sup 0/ decays from the nonspectator diagram is about a quarter of the contribution from the spectator diagram. The relativistically calculated weak decay constant f/sub B/ is in the 260--300-MeV range. Predictions are also made for nonspectator B, B/sub s/, and B/sub c/ decay rates including the ratio tau/sub B//sub <//sub +- //sub =//tau/sub =/approx. =2. .AE
Oral Human Brain Natriuretic Peptide Activates Cyclic Guanosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate and Decreases Mean Arterial Pressure

Background— The objective of this study was to address the feasibility and the biological activity of orally administered human brain natriuretic peptide (hBNP). Proprietary technology has been developed in which short, amphiphilic oligomers are covalently attached to peptides. The conjugated peptides are intended to have an improved pharmacokinetic profile and to enable oral administration. We hypothesized that novel oral conjugated hBNP (CONJ-hBNP) increases plasma hBNP, activates cGMP, and reduces mean arterial pressure (MAP). Methods and Results— This randomized crossover-designed study tested the biological activity of oral CONJ-hBNP compared with oral native hBNP in normal conscious dogs. Measurements of MAP, plasma hBNP, and cGMP were made at baseline (BL) and repeated at 10, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after oral administration. Plasma hBNP was not detectable in dogs at BL. Plasma hBNP was detected after native hBNP and CONJ-HBNP administration. However, plasma hBNP concentration was signifi...
A Linkage Map Reveals a Complex Basis for Segregation Distortion in an Interpopulation Cross in the Moss Ceratodon purpureus

We report the construction of a linkage map for the moss Ceratodon purpureus (n = 13), based on a cross between geographically distant populations, and provide the first experimental confirmation of maternal chloroplast inheritance in bryophytes. From a mapping population of 288 recombinant haploid gametophytes, genotyped at 121 polymorphic AFLP loci, three gene-based nuclear loci, one chloroplast marker, and sex, we resolved 15 linkage groups resulting in a map length of ∼730 cM. We estimate that the map covers more than three-quarters of the C. purpureus genome. Approximately 35% of the loci were sex linked, not including those in recombining pseudoautosomal regions. Nearly 45% of the loci exhibited significant segregation distortion (α = 0.05). Several pairs of unlinked distorted loci showed significant deviations from multiplicative genotypic frequencies, suggesting that distortion arises from genetic interactions among loci. The distorted autosomal loci all exhibited an excess of the maternal allele, suggesting that these interactions may involve nuclear–cytoplasmic factors. The sex ratio of the progeny was significantly male biased, and the pattern of nonrandom associations among loci indicates that this results from interactions between the sex chromosomes. These results suggest that even in interpopulation crosses, multiple mechanisms act to influence segregation ratios.
Moderating the route angularity effect in a virtual environment: support for a dual memory representation.

Research has shown that increasing the number of turns that a route takes through the environment increases estimates of distance—the route angularity effect. This study tested implications of different memory-based explanations of the route angularity effect within a virtual setting. Participants maneuvered through virtual pathways of varying length that included zero, two, or seven turns. After each set of three paths, they estimated relative path lengths on an analog scale. Results demonstrated that both increasing memory load during navigation and making retrieval more difficult by interpolating another spatial task prior to estimation significantly increased the magnitude of route angularity effects. These results are consistent with the idea that the number of turns is categorically encoded and used as a memory heuristic when fine-grained memory for the route distance is degraded either at encoding or prior to retrieval.
Education and the social brain

The study of the social brain offers a number of opportunities for enhancing classroom education. This review focuses on the mentalizing network, a set of brain regions that support thinking about the thoughts, feelings, and goals of others. This network typically competes with brain regions supporting analytical thought and memorization. Rather than treating classroom learning and socializing as antithetical to one another, this paper suggests our natural social tendencies can be leveraged to improve learning, by making the content and process of education more social. Recommendations are made for history and English classes, as well as for STEM fields. Finally, it is proposed that educating adolescents about the social brain itself will reap educational rewards.
Hydroxyl-directed olefin hydrogenation with iridium catalysts. The documentation of catalyst: substrate stoichiometry as a variable in reaction diastereoselection.

Abstract The present investigation documents the fact that hydroxyl-directed hydrogenation of cyclic and acyclic olefinic alcohols with the cationic iridium catalyst, Ir(COD)py(PCy3)PF6, exhibits reaction diastereoselectivity which is dependent upon catalyst-substrate stoichiometry.
A model-based probabilistic inversion framework for wire fault detection using TDR

Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) is one of the standard methods for diagnosing faults in electrical wiring and interconnect systems, with a long-standing history focused mainly on hardware development of both high-fidelity systems for laboratory use and portable hand-held devices for field deployment. While these devices can easily assess distance to hard faults such as sustained opens or shorts, their ability to assess subtle but important degradation such as chafing remains an open question. This paper presents a unified framework for TDR-based chafing fault detection in lossy coaxial cables by combining an S-parameter based forward modeling approach with a probabilistic (Bayesian) inference algorithm. Results are presented for the estimation of nominal and faulty cable parameters from laboratory data.
Effects of different durations of breath holding after inhalation of insulin using the AERx® insulin diabetes management system

Abstract Background: The AERx ® insulin diabetes management system (iDMS) is a new technology for the administration of insulin by inhalation. Objective: This study assessed the effects of different durations of breath holding (0, 3, and 10 seconds after inhalation) on the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties of insulin. Methods: This was an open-label, randomized, 3-period crossover study in which healthy subjects received a single inhalation of 45 IU regular human insulin followed by breath holding for 0, 3, and 10 seconds on 3 separate study days. Blood levels of insulin and glucose were assessed for 6 hours. Results: Twenty-one healthy subjects (8 men, 13 women; mean [SD] age, 32.1 [6.9] years; mean body mass index, 24.8 [3.2] kg/m 2 ) took part in the study. No significant differences were observed in any PK or PD parameter with the 3 durations of breath holding. Values for mean serum insulin area under the curve from 0 to 360 minutes were 8218, 8244, and 8404 μU/mL·min for the 0-, 3-, and 10-second durations of breath holding, respectively. Mean maximum insulin concentrations were a respective 44.9, 44.2, and 45.5 μU/mL. Values for mean plasma glucose area over the curve and below baseline from 0 to 360 minutes were a respective 3512, 4033, and 3708 mg/dL·min. Pairwise comparisons of serum insulin and plasma glucose concentrations showed no significant changes with the different durations of breath holding. Few adverse events were observed. Conclusions: The duration of breath holding after a single inhalation of insulin using the AERx iDMS had no significant effect on the PK or PD parameters of insulin. On the basis of the results in these healthy subjects, breath holding may not be necessary after inhalation of insulin using the AERx iDMS.
Reorientation of icy satellites by impact basins

[1] Large impact basins are present on many of the icy satellites of the outer solar system. Assuming that their present-day topography is uncompensated, such basins can cause significant poleward reorientations for slow-rotating satellites. This reorientation may have been accompanied by transient large-amplitude wobble. The largest basins on Tethys, Rhea and Titania are predicted to have caused reorientations of roughly 4°, 7° and 12°, respectively, resulting in global tectonic stresses up to ∼0.5 MPa. The potential anomalies associated with the basins can be up to one-third of those expected for a hydrostatic, tidally- and rotationally-deformed body, and may complicate interpretation of the satellite interior structure. Pluto and Charon, because of their slow rotation, are also likely to have undergone reorientation of 10–20° if they possess impact basins of comparable sizes to those of the Saturnian satellites.
Disk arrays: high-performance, high-reliability storage subsystems

As the performance of other system components continues to improve rapidly, storage subsystem performance becomes increasingly important. Storage subsystem performance and reliability can be enhanced by logically grouping multiple disk drives into disk arrays. Array data organizations are defined by their data distribution schemes and redundancy mechanisms. The various combinations of these two components make disk arrays suitable for a wide range of environments. Many array implementation decisions also result in trade-offs between performance and reliability. Disk arrays are thus an essential tool for satisfying storage performance and reliability requirements, while proper selection of a data organization can tailor an array to a particular environment. >
The 10-ps wave union TDC: Improving FPGA TDC resolution beyond its cell delay

There are two major issues in the delay chain based FPGA TDC due to uneven internal delay in the carry chain. (1) The bin widths are uneven and depend on temperature and power supply voltage, which must be calibrated as frequently as possible. The auto-calibration functional block developed in this work provides semi-continuous calibration that converts the TDC measurements from bins to picoseconds. (2) In many applications, the TDC resolution is limited by the “ultra-wide bins”, corresponding to the carry chain crossing at the boundaries of the logic array blocks. The apparent widths of these ultra-wide bins can be several times bigger than the average bin width. The “wave union launchers” described in this paper are designed to make multiple measurements with a single delay chain structure, effectively to sub-divide the ultra-wide bins in each raw measurement. Several TDC schemes with resolutions in 20 to10 picoseconds range implemented in today’s low cost FPGA have been tested.
The Circadian Neuropeptide PDF Signals Preferentially through a Specific Adenylate Cyclase Isoform AC3 in M Pacemakers of Drosophila

The neuropeptide Pigment Dispersing Factor (PDF) is essential for normal circadian function in Drosophila. It synchronizes the phases of M pacemakers, while in E pacemakers it decelerates their cycling and supports their amplitude. The PDF receptor (PDF-R) is present in both M and subsets of E cells. Activation of PDF-R stimulates cAMP increases in vitro and in M cells in vivo. The present study asks: What is the identity of downstream signaling components that are associated with PDF receptor in specific circadian pacemaker neurons? Using live imaging of intact fly brains and transgenic RNAi, we show that adenylate cyclase AC3 underlies PDF signaling in M cells. Genetic disruptions of AC3 specifically disrupt PDF responses: they do not affect other Gs-coupled GPCR signaling in M cells, they can be rescued, and they do not represent developmental alterations. Knockdown of the Drosophila AKAP-like scaffolding protein Nervy also reduces PDF responses. Flies with AC3 alterations show behavioral syndromes consistent with known roles of M pacemakers as mediated by PDF. Surprisingly, disruption of AC3 does not alter PDF responses in E cells—the PDF-R(+) LNd. Within M pacemakers, PDF-R couples preferentially to a single AC, but PDF-R association with a different AC(s) is needed to explain PDF signaling in the E pacemakers. Thus critical pathways of circadian synchronization are mediated by highly specific second messenger components. These findings support a hypothesis that PDF signaling components within target cells are sequestered into “circadian signalosomes,” whose compositions differ between E and M pacemaker cell types.
12A-4 In Vivo 3D Contrast-Enhanced Imaging of the Embryonic Mouse Vasculature

Vascular development depends critically on the proper regulation of many genetic factors, which are being widely studied with genetically-engineered mouse models. Direct in vivo visualization of the developing embryonic vascular system can provide an important tool for analyzing the complex 3- dimensional (3D) networks of vessel growth and patterning in both normal mouse embryos and in mice with mutations exhibiting vascular phenotypes. While micro-MRI has been shown to have the resolution to image the developing embryonic cardiovascular system in mice embryos, it does so in an ex vivo fashion. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) provides a noninvasive, real-time approach for imaging mouse embryos in utero, enabling dynamic, functional, volumetric and longitudinal studies to be performed. In this study we extend our work of microbubble contrast-enhanced UBM (CE-UBM) to analyze the vascular anatomy in living mouse embryos. By applying image processing algorithms to static and dynamic datasets before and after intracardiac injection of microbubble contrast agent, quantitative and qualitative 2D analysis were performed to study the brain vasculature. 3D respiratory-gated acquisition and digital filtering were used for volumetric segmentation of the major embryonic cerebral vasculature. Our results indicate that with these improvements in hardware and software, the power and sensitivity of CE-UBM has been extended for imaging the developing vascular system from relatively early stages of mouse embryogenesis.
Cross-species pharmacologic evaluation of plasmin as a direct-acting thrombolytic agent: ex vivo evaluation for large animal model development.

PURPOSE Human plasma–derived plasmin has been developed for the treatment of thrombosed hemodialysis arteriovenous grafts and vascular occlusive diseases. To further investigate this drug in large animal models and derive preliminary dosing estimates, the authors compared plasmin's relative lytic potential in four species, including man. The goal was to find which species' whole blood clots best compared to human clots in terms of lysis with plasmin. The results from these studies will serve to guide species selection for large animal experimentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Clotted blood from human, pig, sheep, and bovine subjects were treated with saline solution control, plasmin, or tissue plasminogen activator. Electron microscopy (EM) techniques were used to investigate the effects of clot size and fragmentation on plasmin lysis, the effects of intrathrombic infusion by injection of plasmin directly into whole blood clots, and species fibrin structural differences. RESULTS Under static conditions, plasmin efficiently lysed clots from all species studied at an optimal dose of 4–5 mg per 4–5 g of clot. With fragmented human clots, plasmin (5 mg)–induced lysis was 80% ± 2% at 60 minutes. Porcine clots were more resistant to plasmin lysis compared with human, ovine, and bovine clots. Percent lysis at 60 minutes with plasmin for ovine clots was 72% ± 3% (4-mg dose), compared with 50% ± 4% for porcine clots (5-mg dose; P CONCLUSION Human plasmin is an effective direct-acting thrombolytic agent that is capable of lysing fibrin from several species. Ex vivo lysis studies were used to investigate the most appropriate large animal model that best approximates plasmin lysis with human clots under certain conditions. It was determined that ovine clots treated with plasmin most closely resemble the lysis observed with human clots.
Auditory, Somatosensory, and Multisensory Insular Cortex in the Rat

Compared with other areas of the forebrain, the function of insular cortex is poorly understood. This study examined the unisensory and multisensory function of the rat insula using high-resolution, whole-hemisphere, epipial evoked potential mapping. We found the posterior insula to contain distinct auditory and somatotopically organized somatosensory fields with an interposed and overlapping region capable of integrating these sensory modalities. Unisensory and multisensory responses were uninfluenced by complete lesioning of primary and secondary auditory and somatosensory cortices, suggesting a high degree of parallel afferent input from the thalamus. In light of the established connections of the posterior insula with the amygdala, we propose that integration of auditory and somatosensory modalities reported here may play a role in auditory fear conditioning.
Effects of xylazine/ketamine on cardiac function and serum ionised calcium in horses

SUMMARY Haemodynamic variables, with emphasis on right ventricular (RV) contractility, were measured in horses prior to, during and following anaesthesia with xylazine/ketamine. In an attempt to elicit mechanisms of anaesthetic-induced alteration of myocardial function, serum ionised and total calcium concentrations were also measured. Xylazine caused decreased cardiac function, including RV contractility, that was not reversed immediately by ketamine but was insignificant from pre-anaesthetic baseline by recovery (45 min following induction). Serum ionised and total calcium concentrations did not change.
Comparing phase transitions and peak cost in PP-complete satisfiability problems

The study of phase transitions in algorithmic problems has revealed that usually the critical value of the constrainedness parameter at which the phase transition occurs coincides with the value at which the average cost of natural solvers for the problem peaks. In particular, this confluence of phase transition and peak cost has been observed for the Boolean satisfiability problem and its variants, where the solver used is a Davis-Putnam-type procedure or a suitable modification of it. Here, we investigate the relationship between phase transitions and peak cost for a family of PP-complete satisfiability problems, where the solver used is a symmetric Threshold Counting Davis-Putnam (TCDP) procedure, i.e., a modification of the Counting Davis-Putnam procedure for computing the number of satisfying assignments of a Boolean formula. Our main experimental finding is that, for each of the PP-complete problems considered, the asymptotic probability of solvability undergoes a phase transition at some critical ratio of clauses to variables, but this critical ratio does not always coincide with the ratio at which the average search cost of the symmetric TCDP procedure peaks. Actually, for some of these problems the peak cost occurs at the boundary or even outside of the interval in which the probability of solvability drops from 0.9 to 0.1, and we analyze why this happens.
Managing and aligning assessment knowledge

The process of including learning objectives in course syllabi and the subsequent course evaluation process are good knowledge building experiences for the faculty teaching the courses. The assessment and program management processes associated with evaluating all courses in such a manner, however, are difficult to track and maintain. The experience at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) shows that most generated assessment information is not accessible to faculty when needed to plan and evaluate courses. In addition, the assessment results from the individual courses are not shared with faculty to integrate learning across the curriculum. This paper provides an overview of academic and nonacademic best practices for managing and sharing knowledge for improving course and curriculum offerings as well as student learning. Topics discussed include curriculum mapping in K-12 programs, integrative learning, and knowledge management (KM) practices and their possible application and affect in higher education. The initial design of the UTC KM curriculum process is also described
Human impacts on terrestrial hydrology: climate change versus pumping and irrigation

Global climate change is altering terrestrial water and energy budgets, with subsequent impacts on surface and groundwater resources; recent studies have shown that local water management practices such as groundwater pumping and irrigation similarly alter terrestrial water and energy budgets over many agricultural regions, with potential feedbacks on weather and climate. Here we use a fully-integrated hydrologic model to directly compare effects of climate change and water management on terrestrial water and energy budgets of a representative agricultural watershed in the semi-arid Southern Great Plains, USA. At local scales, we find that the impacts of pumping and irrigation on latent heat flux, potential recharge and water table depth are similar in magnitude to the impacts of changing temperature and precipitation; however, the spatial distributions of climate and management impacts are substantially different. At the basin scale, the impacts on stream discharge and groundwater storage are remarkably similar. Notably, for the watershed and scenarios studied here, the changes in groundwater storage and stream discharge in response to a 2.5??C temperature increase are nearly equivalent to those from groundwater-fed irrigation. Our results imply that many semi-arid basins worldwide that practice groundwater pumping and irrigation may already be experiencing similar impacts on surface water and groundwater resources to a warming climate. These results demonstrate that accurate assessment of climate change impacts and development of effective adaptation and mitigation strategies must account for local water management practices.
Detailed Analysis of a Complex ISS Rapid Charging Event

Following up on work done previously, I analyze in detail a complex-shaped Rapid Charging Event (RCE) on the International Space Station. This RCE occurred on May 25, 2008, was observed by the Floating Potential Measurement Unit, and was characterized by a very long timescale (about 90 seconds) and an extremely complex initial charging pulse followed by a quiescent period and a final simple-shaped charging event. The analysis will use the RCE Theory of Ferguson et al (2009), wherein the charging is due to simple electron and ion collection by as-yet uncharged surfaces on ISS following eclipse exit. It will show that, in combination with considerations due to solar air mass zero spectrum, UV absorption by the atmosphere, solar cell voltage response to wavelength, eclipse-exit cloud conditions, and solar infrared refraction and extinction, the RCE Theory can explain all of intricacies of this most complex RCE.
A quarter century of declining suspended sediment fluxes in the Mississippi River and the effect of the 1993 flood

Annual fluxes, flow-weighted concentrations and linear least squares trendline calculations for a number of long-term Mississippi River Basin (MRB) sampling sites covering 1981 through 2007, whilst somewhat ‘noisy’, display long-term patterns of decline. Annual flow-weighted concentration plots display the same long-term patterns of decline, but are less noisy because they reduce/eliminate variations due to interannual discharge differences. The declines appear greatest in the middle MRB, but also are evident elsewhere. The pattern for the lower Ohio River differs and may reflect ongoing construction at the Olmsted lock and dam that began in 1993 and currently is ongoing. The ‘Great Flood of 1993’ appears to have superimposed a step function (a sharp drop) on the long-term rate of decline in suspended sediment concentrations (SSC), annual fluxes and flow-weighted concentrations in the middle MRB at St Louis and Thebes, Missouri and Vicksburg, Mississippi, and in the lower MRB at St Francisville, Louisiana. Evidence for a step function at other sites is less substantial, but may have occurred. The step function appears to have resulted from losses in available (erodible) sediment, rather than to a reduction in discharge; hence, the MRB appears to be supply limited rather than discharge limited. These evaluations support the need for daily discharge and SSC data collections in the MRB to better address questions regarding long-term trends in sediment-related issues. This is apparent when the results for the Mississippi River at Thebes and St Louis sites are compared with those from other MRB sites where intensive (daily) data collections are lacking. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
OK you are now an approved supplier—but you still do not get orders Understanding the case of the P-Card

Abstract The purchase card (P-Card) was introduced in the 1990s as a payment mechanism for smaller value items so that purchase paperwork is reduced, itemized reporting and control become possible, and purchasing and payment are decentralized at the user level. Since the late 1990s, with E-procurement and B-to-B E-commerce, the possibilities of P-Card use have magnified exponentially. However, the adoption and success of P-Cards in organizations has been short of initial expectations. Using P-Cards with approved suppliers is an ideal situation for both buyers and sellers. In practice however, many P-Card users seem to buy many items from suppliers who are not on the approved supplier list. To make payments to these “new” suppliers, organizations need to make exceptions resulting in paperwork, costs, and loss of business for approved suppliers. However, there are many P-Card users who indeed follow the company-approved list and these users may be called “P-Card conforming users.” This article takes a knowledge-based approach and presents a model for conforming P-Card use (CPU). The model is tested in an organization, and results are used to derive managerial and research implications. While orientation training of P-Card users is important, both business marketers and purchasing departments need to reach out directly to the P-Card user to ensure that approved supplier lists work well in an electronic age.
Biological Markers and Antidepressant Treatment Response

The use of biological markers to predict antidepressant treatment response may lead to more rational selection of specific drugs for individual patients. Research must first determine which biological measurements have the requisite properties to serve as reliable guides to treatment selection before those markers can be tested for their predictive abilities. Those properties include ease of performance, reliability and reproducibility of the measurement, insensitivity or predictable response to “background” physiological variables, ability to differentiate meaningful subgroups of depressed patients, and cost effectiveness. In this paper we review the status of several biological markers being developed as potential predictors of antidepressant treatment response. Although biological marker research is primarily concerned wtih predicting response to drug treatment, it may also prove to be useful in predicting which depressed patients may respond best to psychological or combined biological and psychological treatments.
Outlet glacier response to forcing over hourly to interannual timescales, Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland

The loss of the floating ice tongue on Jakobshavn Isbrӕ, Greenland, in the early 2000s has been concurrent with a pattern of thinning, retreat and acceleration leading to enhanced contribution to global sea level. These changes on decadal timescales have been well documented. Here we identify how the glacier responds to forcings on shorter timescales, such as from variations in surface melt, the drainage of supraglacial lakes and seasonal fluctuations in terminus position. Ice motion and surface melt were monitored intermittently from 2006 to 2008. Dual-frequency GPS were deployed 20–50 km upstream of the terminus along the glacier center line. Gaps in surface melt measurements were filled using a temperature-index model of ablation driven by surface air temperatures recorded during the same time period. Our results corroborate the premise that the primary factors controlling speeds on Jakobshavn Isbrӕ are terminus position and geometry. We also observe that surface speeds demonstrate a complex relationship with meltwater input: on diurnal timescales, velocities closely match changes in water input; however, on seasonal timescales a longer, more intense melt season was observed to effectively reduce the overall ice flow of the glacier for the whole year
Inhibition of RNA Synthesis by Derivatives of the Carcinogen 2-Acetylaminofluorene

SummaryThe way in which the carcinogen N-hydroxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene inhibits hepatic RNA synthesis was studied using the reactive ester N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-acetoxy AAF). Preincubation of isolated nuclei with N-acetoxy AAF inhibited the ability of those nuclei to carry out RNA synthesis using endogeneous template or an exogenous template poly d(AT). Likewise, the template ability of DNA for RNA synthesis and the transcriptional capacity of RNA polymerases I and II were inhibited by preincubation of these macromolecules in vitro with N-acetoxy AAF. Inactivation of enzyme or template by N-acetoxy AAF was associated with and presumably caused by binding of AAF derivatives to these macromolecules. AAF binding required to inactivate polymerase or DNA in vitro was greater than that observed in vivo under conditions where RNA synthesis was inhibited to a comparable extent suggesting that additional mechanisms may operate in vivo to sensitize enzyme and template to inactivation by AAF binding.
High-impedance surfaces with periodically perforated ground planes

Because of the design limitations of conventional high-impedance surfaces (HIS), it is not possible to miniaturize the HIS and increase the bandwidth, simultaneously. To overcome this, a novel HIS is proposed with a periodically perforated ground plane. The magnetic flux flowing through the perforations results in an extra inductance which increases the fractional bandwidth and decreases the center frequency. Since the perforated HIS can also be considered as a defected ground structure (DGS), surface wave suppression can also be achieved by properly determining the geometry of the perforations. Therefore, a bandgap can be obtained without the need of vias, which considerably increase fabrication costs. It is also possible to tune and overlap the reflection phase and surface wave suppression bands. However, due to the rotational asymmetry of the structure, surface wave suppression is achieved in only one direction.
Improved Electromigration Lifetime for Copper Interconnects using Tantalum Implant

In this study, a novel method is explored for improving the electromigration lifetime of Cu wires, using Ta implantation into Cu. For high implant doses (2E15 cm −2 ), the electromigration lifetime is improved by over 5X using this method. An increase in lifetime is achieved, even for an average surface concentration of Ta on the order of 0.1 atm%. We propose that the improvement in electromigration lifetime is due to the reduction of defects at the SiN/Cu interface due to the presence of Ta. The line-to-line leakage at high voltages (> 5V) increases with the Ta implant, with higher leakage at higher Ta concentrations, so the Ta dose must be limited to avoid excessive leakage.
An improved method of fractal image compression

Fractal image compression becomes a hot topic because of its high compression ratio,but it also has some disadvantages especially the imbalance between coding and encoding.According to the basic principle of fractal image compression,an improved method is given,which replaces the traditional method and simplifies the computation based on the main diagonal before matching the range pool and the domain pool.Experimental results show that this method leads to better results on time and PSNR.
Affect of the psychological intervention on parents in lower compliance with hyperbaric oxygen treatment in infants

Objective:To evaluate the effect of the psychological intervention on parents in the lower compliance with hyperbaric oxygen treatment(HBOT) in infants and young children's clinic.Methods:67 parents of lower compliance in HBOT had psychological intervention.Measured with self-made compliance questionnaire,to compare the changes before intervention and after.Results:The attitude of the parents before the intervention,11 cases of hesitation,34 cases of not accepting generally,22 cases of resolutely leaving.The attitude after the intervention,12 cases of willing to accept,13 cases of generally accepting,14 cases of hesitation,12 cases of resolutely leaving;there was a significant difference be tween the two groups(χ2=36.83,P0.01).According to self-made compliance questionnaire,the score was(1.84 ±0.68) scores before intervention and(2.90±1.44) scores,there was a significant difference between the two groups(t=-5.445 4,P 0.01) after intervention.Conclusion:The psychological intervention on parents is effective to patients with low compliance in HBOT.
Effect of substrate on mitochondrial NADH, cytosolic redox state, and phosphorylated compounds in isolated hearts

The effect of metabolic substrates on the relation among cytosolic redox state (NADHc/NAD+) mitochondrial NADH (NADHm), and [ATP]/([ADP] x [Pi]) was studied in isolated working rabbit hearts. Substrates were varied from 5.6 mM glucose alone to glucose in combination with 10 mM lactate and/or 10 mM pyruvate while afterload and preload were held constant. Changes in NADHm were determined from epicardial NADH fluorescence. The ratio of glycerol 3-phosphate (G-3-P) to dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), determined from tissue extracts, was used as an index of cytosolic redox. Myocardial 31P metabolites were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The addition of pyruvate to the perfusion medium caused increases in myocardial oxygen consumption (MVo2), NADHm fluorescence, phosphocreatine (PCr), and [ATP]/([ADP] x [Pi]) and a decrease in NADHc/NADc+ (decreased G-3-P/DHAP). Although the addition of lactate to the perfusion medium caused an increase in NADHm similar to pyruvate, MVo2 and PCr did not change significantly, [ATP]/([ADP] x [Pi]) increased less than with pyruvate, and there was an increase in NADHc/NADc+. The findings suggest that variations in the cytosolic redox state do not necessarily result in obligatory changes in either the mitochondrial redox state or in the [ATP]/([ADP] x [Pi]). This implies that under the conditions of this study an equilibrium is not maintained between [ATP]/([ADP] x [Pi]) and NADHc/NADc+. Furthermore, similar levels of NADHm can be associated with different values for [ATP]/([ADP] x [Pi]) and MVo2, depending on the substrates available to the heart.