cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced response to the inhibitory action of LY171555, a dopamine D2-agonist, on in vivo striatal dopamine release in DOCA/NaCl-hypertensive rats.

Our previous studies have demonstrated that LY171555 (quinpirole), a specific dopamine (DA) D2-receptor agonist, has a pressor effect in the conscious rat which is accompanied by increased sympathetic outflow and arginine vasopressin release. To test the hypothesis that LY171555 inhibits in vivo release of DA and its metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), from central dopaminergic neurons of the conscious, freely moving rat by activation of presynaptic DA receptors in the central nervous system and that this mechanism may be altered in the desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)/NaCl model of hypertension, we used the in vivo push-pull perfusion method to study the effect of LY171555 on central DA release in normotensive and DOCA/NaCl-hypertensive rats. Levels of the DOPAC and HVA were measured in striatal perfusates by HPLC before and after administration of LY171555 (1 mg/kg, i.v.) of conscious, unrestrained 4-week DOCA/NaCl hypertensive and uninephrectomized H2O control rats. There were no significant differences in basal striatal HVA (80 ± 12 vs 89 ± 11 pg/min; DOCA/NaCl vs control) or DOPAC levels (37 ± 5 vs 17 pg/min; DOCA/NaCl vs control) during the entire 240-min collection period. LY171555 significantly reduced HVA and DOPAC levels in perfused striatum in both normotensive control and DOCA/NaCl-hypertensive rats. The LY 17555-induced suppression in HVA levels was significantly greater in DOCA/NaCl rats (Δ = 60.7 ± 3.6%) than in H2O controls (Δ = 49.0 ± 3.5%, P < 0.05). Pretreatment with metoclopramide (10 mg/kg, i.v.), a specific central and peripheral DA D2-receptor antagonist, completely blocked the suppressive effects of LY171555 on HVA and DOPAC levels. These observations provide direct evidence for the presence of functionally significant presynaptic inhibitory DA D2-receptors which modulate dopaminergic neuro-transmission in the striatum of conscious, freely moving rats. This regulatory mechanism appears to be altered in the DOCA/NaCl model of hypertension. These results support the concept that DOCA/NaCl-hypertensive rats have altered central dopaminergic activity.
Mutations Affecting the Delayed Rectifier Potassium Current in Drosophila

Mutations and pharmacological agents have been used to resolve and analyze several K+ currents in Drosophila. Mutations that affect channels carrying the voltage-activated IA and the Ca2+-activated ICF have helped greatly in analyzing the structure, function and regulation of these channels. We now report mutations that selectively affect the delayed rectifier current, IR. Flies mutagenized with ethylmethanesulfonate were screened for temperature-induced paralysis. Paralytic mutants identified in the screen were examined for K+ currents in the larval body-wall muscles. The z66 mutant larvae showed a significant reduction in IK. The mutation did not affect other K+ currents (IA, ICF, or ICS) or the Ca2+ channel current in the muscles. Another mutation, z4, which showed reduced IK, failed to complement z66. Genetic analysis localized the gene disrupted by z66 and z4 to the left arm of chromosome 3, in the 63A1–63B6 region on polytene chromosomes. The z66 and the z4 mutations, which lie in the Shab K+ channe...
The Absence of Interference Effects in Preschool Children's Picture Recognition

Summary Using a recognition procedure, children aged 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 were able to differentiate previously seen pictures from new pictures or pictures viewed in a previous experimental session. The lack of interference from readily available stored events was discussed in terms of tagging mechanisms or judgments of relative recency. The former was seen as the more likely.
Review of Geometric Solutions for Milling Burr Prediction and Minimization

In this paper a review of various methodologies for burr prediction and minimization in face milling is presented. In particular, the authors look into the geometric solutions employed, which typically consist of understanding and modifying tool engagement conditions. The extent of applicability of various approaches is discussed and the possible direction for future research is indicated.
Engineering High-Potency R-spondin Adult Stem Cell Growth Factors

Secreted R-spondin proteins (RSPOs1–4) function as adult stem cell growth factors by potentiating Wnt signaling. Simultaneous binding of distinct regions of the RSPO Fu1–Fu2 domain module to the extracellular domains (ECDs) of the LGR4 G protein–coupled receptor and the ZNRF3 transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligase regulates Wnt receptor availability. Here, we examine the molecular basis for the differing signaling strengths of RSPOs1–4 using purified RSPO Fu1–Fu2, LGR4 ECD, and ZNRF3 ECD proteins in Wnt signaling and receptor binding assays, and we engineer novel high-potency RSPOs. RSPO2/3/4 had similar signaling potencies that were stronger than that of RSPO1, whereas RSPO1/2/3 had similar efficacies that were greater than that of RSPO4. The RSPOs bound LGR4 with affinity rank order RSPO4 > RSPO2/3 > RSPO1 and ZNRF3 with affinity rank order RSPO2/3 > > RSPO1 > RSPO4. An RSPO2–4 chimera combining RSPO2 ZNRF3 binding with RSPO4 LGR4 binding was a “Superspondin” that exhibited enhanced ternary complex formation and 10-fold stronger signaling potency than RSPO2 and efficacy equivalent to RSPO2. An RSPO4–1 chimera combining RSPO4 ZNRF3 binding with RSPO1 LGR4 binding was a “Poorspondin” that exhibited signaling potency similar to RSPO1 and efficacy equivalent to RSPO4. Conferring increased ZNRF3 binding upon RSPO4 with amino acid substitutions L56F, I58L, and I63M enhanced its signaling potency and efficacy. Our results reveal the molecular basis for RSPOs1–4 activity differences and suggest that signaling potency is determined by ternary complex formation ability, whereas efficacy depends on ZNRF3 recruitment. High-potency RSPOs may be of value for regenerative medicine and/or therapeutic applications.
Collective intelligence of the artificial life community on its own successes, failures, and future

We describe a novel Internet-based method for building consensus and clarifying conflicts in large stakeholder groups facing complex issues, and we use the method to survey and map the scientific and organizational perspectives of the artificial life community during the Seventh International Conference on Artificial Life (summer 2000). The issues addressed in this survey included artificial life's main successes, main failures, main open scientific questions, and main strategies for the future, as well as the benefits and pitfalls of creating a professional society for artificial life. By illuminating the artificial life community's collective perspective on these issues, this survey illustrates the value of such methods of harnessing the collective intelligence of large stakeholder groups.
TBX3 and Its Isoform TBX3+2a Are Functionally Distinctive in Inhibition of Senescence and Are Overexpressed in a Subset of Breast Cancer Cell Lines

TBX3 is a transcription factor of the T-box gene family. Mutations of TBX3 cause ulnar-mammary syndrome (MIM 181450) in humans, an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of the mammary glands and other congenital anomalies. It recently was found that TBX3 was able to immortalize mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) cells. In addition, TBX2, a homologue of TBX3, is active in preventing senescence in rodent cells and was found to be amplified in some human breast cancers, suggesting TBX3 plays a role in breast cancer. This study examined the function of TBX3 and its isoform, TBX3 + 2a. TBX3 + 2a differs from TBX3 in the DNA binding domain with an extra 20 amino acids produced by alternative splicing. We first examined the tissue expression and alternative splicing patterns of these two isoforms. We found that TBX3 and TBX3 + 2a are widely expressed in humans and mice, and alternative splicing could be tissue specific and species specific. Overexpression of TBX3 is able to immortalize MEF cells, whereas TBX3 + 2a shows an acceleration of senescence, a functional difference that may be explained by the fact that these two isoforms may have different downstream targets. TBX3, but not TBX3 + 2a, is able to bind to the previously identified T-box binding site in a gel shift assay. A subset of human breast cancer cell lines overexpresses TBX3. Our results indicate that TBX3 and TBX3 + 2a are functionally distinctive in inhibition of senescence of MEF cells and may play a role in breast cancer.
Validation of Satellite Rainfall Products for Western Uganda.

Central equatorial Africa is deficient in long-term, ground-based measurements of rainfall; therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of three high-resolution, satellite-based rainfall products in western Uganda for the 2001‐10 period. The three products are African Rainfall Climatology, version 2 (ARC2); African Rainfall Estimation Algorithm, version 2 (RFE2); and 3B42 from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, version 7 (i.e., 3B42v7). Daily rainfall totals from six gauges were used to assess the accuracy of satellite-based rainfall estimates of rainfall days, daily rainfall totals, 10-day rainfall totals, monthly rainfall totals, and seasonal rainfall totals. The northern stations had a mean annual rainfall total of 1390 mm, while the southern stations had a mean annual rainfall total of 900 mm. 3B42v7 was the only product that did not underestimate boreal-summer rainfall at the northern stations, which had ; 3t imes as much rainfall during boreal summer than did the southern stations. The three products tended to overestimate rainfall days at all stations and were borderline satisfactory at identifying rainfall days at the northern stations; the products did not perform satisfactorily at the southern stations. At the northern stations, 3B42v7 performed satisfactorily at estimating monthly and seasonal rainfall totals, ARC2 was only satisfactory at estimating seasonal rainfall totals, and RFE2 did not perform satisfactorily at any time step. The satellite products performed worst at the two stations located in rain shadows, and 3B42v7 had substantial overestimates at those stations.
Effects of methylphenidate dosage in hyperactive reading-disabled children: I. Behavior and cognitive performance effects.

ABSTRACT Forty-seven children diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity and Developmental Reading Disorder were randomly assigned to receive placebo or one of three methylphenidate dosages (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 mg/kg) twice daily for 6 months, and measurements of social behavior, short-term memory, associative learning, and methylphenidate plasma concentration were obtained at scheduled intervals. Teachers and parents rated hyperactive behaviors as significantly reduced in the 0.7 mg/kg dose group as compared with the placebo group. Where drug effects were obtained on the short-term memory and associative learning tasks, these also resulted in significantly improved performance in the 0.7 mg/kg dose group. Teachers perceived an increase in hyperactivity during the last 3 months of treatment, and this was not explained by changes in methylphenidate plasma concentration. Possible explanations for this unexpected finding in terms of situational factors and drug tolerance are discussed.
Prior knowledge guided MEL based model selection and adaptation for nonnative speech recognition

An improved method of model complexity selection for nonnative speech recognition is proposed by using maximum a posteriori estimation of bias distributions. An algorithm is described for estimating the hyper-parameters of the prior distributions, and an automatic accent detection algorithm is also proposed for integration with dynamic model selection and adaptation. Experiments were performed on the WSJ1 task with American English speech, British accent speech, and Mandarin Chinese accent speech. Results show that the use of prior knowledge of accents enabled reliable estimation of bias distributions in the case of a very small amount of adaptation speech, or without adaptation speech. Recognition results show that the new approach is superior to the previous MEL (maximum expected likelihood) method, especially when the adaptation data are extremely limited.
Rifaximin Improves Driving Simulator Performance in a Randomized Trial of Patients with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

Background & Aims Patients with cirrhosis and minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) have driving difficulties but the effects of therapy on driving performance is unclear. We evaluated whether performance on a driving simulator improves in patients with MHE after treatment with rifaximin. Methods Patients with MHE who were current drivers were randomly assigned to placebo or rifaximin groups and followed up for 8 weeks (n = 42). Patients underwent driving simulation (driving and navigation tasks) at the start (baseline) and end of the study. We evaluated patients' cognitive abilities, quality of life (using the Sickness Impact Profile), serum levels of ammonia, levels of inflammatory cytokines, and model for end-stage-liver disease scores. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who improved in driving performance, calculated as follows: total driving errors=speeding + illegal turns + collisions. Results Over the 8-week study period, patients given rifaximin made significantly greater improvements than those given placebo in avoiding total driving errors (76% vs 31%; P = .013), speeding (81% vs 33%; P = .005), and illegal turns (62% vs 19%; P = .01). Of patients given rifaximin, 91% improved their cognitive performance, compared with 61% of patients given placebo (P = .01); they also made improvements in the psychosocial dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile compared with the placebo group (P = .04). Adherence to the assigned drug averaged 92%. Neither group had changes in ammonia levels or model for end-stage-liver disease scores, but patients in the rifaximin group had increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. Conclusions Patients with MHE significantly improve driving simulator performance after treatment with rifaximin, compared with placebo.
Learning on the Fly: Font-Free Approaches to Difficult OCR Problems

Despite ubiquitous claims that optical character recognition (OCR) is a "solved problem,'' many categories of documents continue to break modern OCR software such as documents with moderate degradation or unusual fonts. Many approaches rely on pre-computed or stored character models, but these are vulnerable to cases when the font of a particular document was not part of the training set, or when there is so much noise in a document that the font model becomes weak. To address these difficult cases, we present a form of iterative contextual modeling that learns character models directly from the document it is trying to recognize. We use these learned models both to segment the characters and to recognize them in an incremental, iterative process. We present results comparable to those of a commercial OCR system on a subset of characters from a difficult test document.
Empty Ethics and Reasonable Responsibility: Vocabularies of Motive among Law and Business Students

Despite professional nonns of being socially responsible and providing service to the underprivileged, the attitudes of law students toward ethical duties and public service bear similarities to those of business students. Using data from multiple interviews with luw and business school students at one university, 1 find that these attitudes develop in response to the expectations of peers and professors during school experiences. Ethics courses are marginalized by the schools, and courses focus on such pragmatic issues as the professional code of conduct (law school) or how the appearance of social responsibility affects the bottom line (business school). Provided with little guidance on what they might do when they encounter real ethical dilemmas, students karn vocabularies of motive concerning how lawyers and managers should balance profits, cany out responsibilities to various stakeholders, and weigh ethical concerns, and they then moderate their own expressions of extreme self-interest or self-sacrifice. Both groups learn to maintain social responsibilities only within reason, emphasizing the separation of work from personal convictions. These elements have implications for the perfonnuwe of public service in their future careers, as well as for a scholarly understanding of professionalism.
Transmission of 112 Gb/s PM-QPSK signals over 7200 km of optical fiber with very large effective area and ultra-low loss in 100 km spans with EDFAs only

We experimentally investigate transmission of 16×112 Gb/s PM-QPSK signals over an optical fiber with effective area of 134 µm2 and attenuation of 0.162 dB/km. We demonstrate transmission over 7200 km with 100 km span lengths.
The Cell Phone Effect on Motor Vehicle Fatality Rates: a Bayesian and Classical Econometric Evaluation

This paper examines the potential effect of cell phones on motor vehicle fatality rates normalized for other driving related and socioeconomic factors. The model used is non-linear so as to address both life-taking and life-saving attributes of cell phones. The model is evaluated using classical methods along with Bayesian Extreme Bounds Analysis (EBA). The use of both classical and Bayesian methods diminishes the model and parameter uncertainties which afflict more conventional modeling methods which rely on only one of the two methods. The results indicate the presence of both life-taking and life-saving attributes of cell phones on motor vehicle fatality rates depending on the volume of cell phone subscribers in existence.
Power system reliability modeling with aging using thinning algorithm

Renewal process has been frequently employed as a mathematical model of components in power system reliability analysis. However, some of the components may enter an aging stage and this paper illustrates the effects of aging in reliability modeling. To implement the history of working and failure of system, Stochastic Point Process modeling based on Sequential Monte Carlo simulation is proposed. In the proposed method, the concept of thinning is used for Non-homogeneous Poisson Process characterization of lifetime of aging components. This simulation technique is applied to the Single Area IEEE RTS and the results are compared.
High-resolution phase-conjugate imaging in double-pumped phase conjugators

Phase-conjugate images with a resolution greater than 250 lines/mm are obtained through the use of a bridge, double-pumped phase conjugator. We demonstrate that this conjugator can carry out imageprocessing tasks, such as the addition and subtraction of complex spatial distributions, with a spatial resolution of >100 lines/mm. These results represent a significant improvement over previously reported resolutions obtained from photorefractive mutually pumped phase conjugators and approach the theoretical limit imposed by the grating spacing and cross talk.
Negative fluid balance predicts survival in patients with septic shock: a retrospective pilot study.

Objective We hypothesized that patients with septic shock who achieve negative fluid balance (≤ −500 mL) on any day in the first 3 days of management are more likely to survive than those who do not. Design Retrospective chart review. Patients Thirty-six patients admitted with the diagnosis of septic shock. Setting Twelve-bed medical ICU of a 300-bed community teaching hospital. Methods Medical records of 36 patients admitted to our medical ICU over a 21-month period were examined. Patients with septic shock who required dialysis prior to hospitalization were not included. A number of demographic and physiologic variables were extracted from the medical records. Admission APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II and daily sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were computed from the extracted data. Variables were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors and in patients who did vs those who did not achieve negative (≤ 500 mL) fluid balance in ≥ 1 day of the first 3 days of management. Survival risk ratios (RRs) were used as the measure of association between negative fluid balance and survival. RRs were adjusted for age, APACHE II scores, SOFA scores on the first and third days, and the need for mechanical ventilation, by stratified analyses. Results Patients ranged in age from 16 to 85 years with a mean (± SE) age of 67.4 ± 3.3 years. The mean admission APACHE II score was 25.4 ± 1.4, and the day 1 SOFA score was 9.0 ± 0.8. Twenty patients did not survive; nonsurvivors had higher mean APACHE II scores than survivors (29.8 vs 20.4, respectively) and higher first day SOFA scores than survivors (10.8 vs 6.9, respectively), and they were more likely to require vasopressors and mechanical ventilation compared to patients who survived. Whereas all 11 patients who achieved a negative balance of> 500 mL on ≥ 1 of the first 3 days of treatment survived, only 5 of 25 patient who failed to achieve a negative fluid balance of > 500 mL by the third day of treatment survived (RR, 5.0; 95% CI, 2.3 to 10.9; p = 0.00001). At least 1 day of net negative fluid balance in the first 3 days of treatment strongly predicted survival across the strata of age, APACHE II scores, first- and third-day SOFA scores, the need for mechanical ventilation, and creatinine levels measured at admission. Conclusion These results suggest that at least 1 day of negative fluid balance (≤ −500 mL) achieved by the third day of treatment may be a good independent predictor of survival in patients with septic shock. These findings suggest the hypothesis“ that negative fluid balance achieved in any of the first 3 days of septic shock portends a good prognosis,” for a larger prospective cohort study.
The Use of Person-Group Fit for Employment Selection: A Missing Link in Person-Environment Fit

Given an increased emphasis on work teams in organizations, it is important to select applicants based on their ability to make contributions to a given work team. This paper proposes that person–group fit should be useful to select applicants for work teams and suggests that effective use of person–group fit will create both more cohesive work units and more effectively functioning work units. It proposes ways to make valid and reliable assessments of person–group fit that could be used to minimize bias in the selection process. Finally, it addresses several implications of using the person–group fit paradigm for human resource management practice. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Duodenocolic Relationships: Normal and Pathologic Anatomy

The precise anatomic relationships between the duodenal loop and the transverse colon are often of critical importance in the radiologic interpretation of upper abdominal pathology. Their points of most intimate relationship represent anatomic crossroads between intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal structures and thus permit specific localization and diagnosis of a disease process (6). Because of this relationship, a lesion originating in one may exert its major effects on the other. Particularly if radiologic investigation is initiated by a study that manifests the striking secondary effects, the presentation of findings may then be very misleading until the nature of the relationship and the primary site are appreciated.
Accelerating Gene Regulatory Network Modeling Using Grid-Based Simulation:

Modeling gene regulatory networks has, in some cases, enabled biologists to predict cellular behavior long before such behavior can be experimentally validated. Unfortunately, the extent to which biologists can take advantage of these modeling techniques is limited by the computational complexity of gene regulatory network simulation algorithms. This study presents a new platform-independent, grid-based distributed computing environment that accelerates biological model simulation and, ultimately, development. Applying this environment to gene regulatory network simulation shows a significant reduction in execution time versus running simulation jobs locally. To analyze this improvement, a performance model of the distributed computing environment is built. Although this grid-based system was specifically developed for biological simulation, the techniques discussed are applicable to a variety of simulation performance problems.
Examining the Authority and Ranking Effects as the result list depth used in data fusion is varied

The Authority and Ranking Effects play a key role in data fusion. The former refers to the fact that the potential relevance of a document increases exponentially as the number of systems retrieving it increases and the latter to the phenomena that documents higher up in ranked lists and found by more systems are more likely to be relevant. Data fusion methods commonly use all the documents returned by the different retrieval systems being compared. Yet, as documents further down in the result lists are considered, a document's probability of being relevant decreases significantly and a major source of noise is introduced. This paper presents a systematic examination of the Authority and Ranking Effects as the number of documents in the result lists, called the list depth, is varied. Using TREC 3, 7, 8, 12 and 13 data, it is shown that the Authority and Ranking Effects are present at all list depths. However, if the systems in the same TREC track retrieve a large number of relevant documents, then the Ranking Effect only begins to emerge as more systems have found the same document and/or the list depth increases. It is also shown that the Authority and Ranking Effects are not an artifact of how the TREC test collections have been constructed.
Analytical, experimental, and numerical studies of angular memory signatures of waves scattered from 1-dimensional rough surfaces

It is known that a change in the direction of an incident wave on a random medium is "remembered" by the scattered wave in the angular correlation characteristics. This "memory effect" is studied for rough surface scattering by means of theoretical (second-order Kirchhoff approximation (KA)), numerical (Monte Carlo simulations) and experimental (millimeter-wave range) approaches. The second-order KA has been found to be effective for wave scattering from very rough surfaces with large radii of curvature and high slopes (0.5 to 1.5). The results are presented in a form of memory signatures which clearly exhibit the important features of this effect.
Umklapp Processes at Low Temperatures

The intrinsic thermal resistivity at low temperatures is normally thought of as arising from three-phonon U-processes of the type q + q' -- q", where the phonon q is of low thermal frequency, and q', q" lie near the zone boundary, so that $$\underline q + \underline {q'} = \underline {q''} + b$$ (1) $$ f + {\text{ }}f' = {\text{ }}f'' $$ (2) Thus f', f" have frequencies close to fz, and the intrinsic resistivity has the form $$W_U = \emptyset \left( T \right)\exp \left( { - \theta _z /T} \right)$$ (3) where kθz=hfz. The magnitude and form of o(T) is not predicted clearly (e.g. Berman /1/), but the exponent θz should be given by the lowest zone boundary frequency.
Perceptions of accuracy in science writing

Technical experts and writers often disagree about what constitutes accuracy in popular writings about science and technology, such as news media reports. In previous attempts to quantify accuracy in science news reporting, many of the sources' comments pointed to objective errors, but a sizable number dealt with lack of completeness or stylistic issues. There has been no consensus among communication researchers on the kind of scheme that should be used to code such information. We suggest a scheme for categorizing empirical information about the different kinds of perceived "errors" that technical sources identify in articles about their work by journalists and other writers. This study may lead to strategies for enhancing the accuracy of popular writings about science and technology.
The role of similarity in the development of categorization

Early in development, humans exhibit the ability to form categories and overlook differences for the sake of generality. This ability poses several important questions: How does categorization arise? What processes underlie category formation? And how are categories mentally represented? We argue that the development of categorization is grounded in perceptual and attentional mechanisms capable of detecting multiple correspondences or similarities in the environment. We present evidence that: (a) similarity can drive categorization early in development; and (b) early in development, humans have powerful learning mechanisms that enable them to extract regularities in the environment. We conclude that, despite remaining challenges, the similarity-based approach offers a promising account of the development of categorization. In the story Funes, the Memorious, Jorge Luis Borges described Funes – an individual with an amazing memory but no ability, or need, for abstraction. In particular, Funes could not understand that each entity, such as any specific number, is an instance of a more general category. For Funes, each number existed as a distinct, integral and primitive whole that could be labeled by a proper name. The rest of us, fortunately, understand that individuals (e.g. my dog) are members of more general categories (i.e. dogs), and this understanding is a crucially important component of cognition. Categories are equivalence classes of different
A simulation of herbicide use based on weed spatial distribution

Summary Intensive field surveys were conducted to deter mine the spatial distribution of composite broad leaf and grass weed seedlings in seven maize and five soybean fields in eastern Nebraska in 1992. Farmer fields where herbicides were applied in a 38-cm band over 76-cm spaced rows were chosen for this study. Weed populations were measured in the interrow and in the band-treated intrarow. Spatial maps constructed for grass or broadleaf weeds revealed that individual species as well as species assemblages are highly aggregated. On average, 30% of the sample area in the 12 fields surveyed was free of broadleaf weeds and 70% free of grass weeds in the interrow area (no her bicide). Where a pre-emergence herbicide was applied (intrarow), 71% of the sample area was free of broadleaf weeds and 94% free of grass weeds. Increasing the threshold to some value other than zero resulted in a larger field area not requiring a herbicide application. The results of these distribution studies indicate that herbicide use could be substantially reduced if weed dis tribution maps or real-time plant sensing were available to provide information for intermittent herbicide application systems or refinement of economic thresholds.
GIP and Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is the most effective modality of achieving weight loss as well as the most effective treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is an incretin and is implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and T2DM. Its role in weight loss and resolution of T2DM after bariatric surgery is very controversial. We have made an attempt to review the physiology of GIP and its role in weight loss and resolution of T2DM after bariatric surgery. We searched PubMed and included all relevant original articles (both human and animal) in the review. Whereas most human studies have shown a decrease in GIP post-malabsorptive bariatric surgery, the role of GIP in bariatric surgery done in animal experiments remains inconclusive.
A Review of: “Greenough, Paul, and Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing. Nature in the Global South: Environmental Projects in South and Southeast Asia”

Modernist development projects often do great violence to the environments in which they are implemented. Environmental projects frequently disregard the welfare and livelihoods of human communitie...
Task/effector system models of dexterity for machine assembly

The author reviews the need for a quantitative measure of dexterity based on task/effector interactions. These are quantified in the human perspective, and machine dexterity is shown to have parallel measures and limitations. An information-based definition of dexterity is shown to provide a quantitative measure between different robotic systems that have varying degrees of dexterity and the interactions between a specific assembly task being performed. Values for the index of difficulty are shown to vary in the work space, and the loci of maximum dexterity which indicate the most favorable task/effector arrangements are determined. The peg-in-hole task is used as an example application of this approach. >
Rhodopsins, retinula cell ultrastructure, and receptor potentials in the developing pupal eye of the mothManduca sexta

The compound eye of the tobacco hornworm mothManduca sexta differentiates during the 3 to 4 week period of the pupal instar. We used a morphological system to divide pupal development into 17 stages, each stage representing from 1 to 2 days of chronological age. We followed the progressive maturation of retinular ultrastructure, measured rhodopsin in slices of retina by microspectrophotometry (MSP), and recorded electroretinograms (ERGs) from stages 8 to 17. 1. Endomembrane that accumulates within the receptor cells between stages 5 and 7 (Fig. 3) appears to contribute to the formation of rhabdomere microvilli beginning at stage 9 or 10 (Fig. 4). Rhabdomere volume increases by at least 30-fold between pupal stage 11 and the adult moth. 2. The first ERGs were recorded at stage 10 (Fig. 6, 7) when the rhabdomeres begin to differentiate. The earliest ERGs are pure receptor potentials; higher order components do not appear until stage 14–15. Photoreceptor response, determined by the light intensity required to elicit 1 mV criterion responses from dark-adapted eyes at peak ultradian or circadian sensitivity, increases by a factor of 105 between stages 11 and 15. A further 3 log unit increase between stages 15 and 16, brings it nearly to the adult level. This final jump in responsiveness results from the initial migration of distal screening pigment into its normal dark-adapted position during stage 15. 3. The retina of the adult contains three visual pigments: a green sensitive rhodopsin (R520) and smaller amounts of blue sensitive (R440) and ultraviolet sensitive (R345) rhodopsins. No rhodopsin was measured prior to pupal stage 6. R520, the easiest of the rhodopsins to measure, is first present in developing retinas at stage 6–7 (Fig. 9). We have evidence that R440 is present from at least stage 12, and R345 from at least stage 15. At stage 10, when the rhabdom is just beginning to form, the retina already contains 10–20% of the adult concentration of R520 (Fig. 11). At stage 11 and later, R520 is transformed by orange light to stable metarhodopsin (M485), which can be photoregenerated to R520 with blue light (Fig. 10). At stages 7 and 8, the metarhodopsin of R520 differs from that of the later pupal stages and the adult moth (Fig. 12). Itsλmax is about 470 nm, and photoreversal does not occur. 4. Since the retina contains rhodopsin prior to the formation of the rhabdomere microvilli, and a relatively large amount is present when the rhabdomeres are just forming, there must be an extrarhabdomeric pool of rhodopsin. During these early pupal stages, rhodopsin may be associated with the endomembranes of the differentiating photoreceptor cells.
Visceral Smooth Muscle α-Actin Deficiency Associated With Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction in a Bengal Cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis)

An adult Bengal cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis) with a prolonged history of partial anorexia, regurgitation, and weight loss and a clinical, radiographic, and ultrasonographic diagnosis of persistent megaesophagus and gastrointestinal ileus was submitted for necropsy. The intestinal tract was diffusely distended by gas and fluid with appreciable loss of muscle tone and an absence of luminal obstruction, consistent with the clinical history of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Histologically, the autonomic nervous system was intact, but the smooth muscle within the gastrointestinal wall exhibited a marked basophilia that was most pronounced in the jejunum. Immunohistochemistry for neurofilament, synaptophysin, CD117, and desmin demonstrated that the number of myenteric ganglia, number of interstitial cells, and leiomyocyte desmin content were similar when compared with the unaffected age- and species-matched control. Immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle α-actin demonstrated a striking loss of immunoreactivity, predominantly in the circular layer of the jejunum, that corresponded with the tinctorial change in leiomyocytes. Transmission electron microscopy revealed loss of myofibrils, loss of organelle polarity, and significantly larger central mitochondria (megamitochondria) in affected leiomyocytes, as well as nonspecific degenerative changes. Although the presence of a primary leiomyopathy and a causal relationship could not be confirmed in this case, leiomyopathies are considered a cause of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in human medicine, and loss of smooth muscle α-actin immunoreactivity is one recognized marker for intestinal dysmotility.
Sodium butyrate, an epigenetic interventional strategy, attenuates a stress-induced alteration of MK-801's pharmacologic action

Twenty-four hours after mice are exposed to a single session of forced swimming in cold water, the ability of MK-801 (dizocilpine), a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, to antagonize electrically precipitated seizures is reduced. Conceivably, this reduction in MK-801's antiseizure efficacy reflects a stress-induced alteration in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission due to changes in gene expression 24 h after a single stress. Recently, epigenetic interventional strategies impacting expression of genes whose regulation is controlled by the acetylation status of histone proteins in the nucleosome, an octomeric complex of histone proteins and promoter regions of double-stranded DNA, have been tested in preclinical models of various neuropsychiatric disorders, including Huntington disease and major depression. These strategies have been studied extensively in cancer biology. In the current investigation, the severity of the stress-induced reduction of MK-801's ability to raise the threshold voltage for the elicitation of tonic hindlimb extension was reduced when sodium butyrate (1.5 g/kg, ip) was administered around the time of stress. Prior research showed that this dose of sodium butyrate reliably increased the acetylation status of H3 and H4 histone proteins in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of mice. Thus, the attenuation of the stress-induced reduction of MK-801's antiseizure efficacy may be due to the increased acetylation of histone proteins in the nucleosomal core and promotion of gene expression. These data encourage development of epigenetic strategies to prevent some of the deleterious consequences of stress.
Gas adsorption on solids withGaussian micropore-size distributions

This paper presents a theoretical description of gas adsorption on microporous solids withGaussian micropore-size distributions. This description comprises equations for the overall adsorption isotherm, the adsorption potential distribution, the differential molar enthalpy, and the differential molar entropy of adsorption. The truncatedGaussian micropore-size distribution is assumed to represent the structural heterogeneity of the micropores, whereas the adsorption potential distribution is used to characterize the energetic heterogeneity of these micropores.
Conscience and Antimilitarism in Vigny's Servitude et grandeur militaires

Alfred de Vigny's Servitude et grandeur militaires is a highly personal work, but it is related to the historical and literary conjuncture of the 1830's, which saw the French army's Napoleonic grandeur sullied in the suppression of working-class revolts. A refutation of Joseph de Maistre's concept of the soldier as an apocalyptic executioner and Lamennais's denigration of the soldier's honor, Servitude is a characteristic Vigny triptych, but only the third tale, “La Canne de jonc,” provides a morally determining lesson. Here the necessity of experience in the formation of conscience is emphasized. The hero of the tale, Captain Renaud, who throughout his career meets a series of negative and absent fathers (suggesting a metaphysical void that must be filled with human values), inadvertently kills a young Russian cadet during the campaign of France. Years later, Renaud is mortally wounded by a talionic reincarnation of the enfant russe, and expiates his crime in stoic silence. Conscience, as in Vigny's poetry, is attained in the grandeur and honor of silence and renunciation.
INTRODUCTION OF A REVISED, COMBINED ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE PACK, WITHIN AN INPATIENT PALLIATIVE CARE SETTING

Introduction of a revised, combined Admission and Discharge pack, within an inpatient Palliative care setting. Background Discharge documentation in a Specialist Palliative Care unit was found to be repetitive, time consuming, not user friendly, and poorly utilised by nurses. Aim To create a comprehensive, streamlined and user friendly admission to discharge pack. The intention was to enhance communication between multi-disciplinary and community teams. Method A group was formed to review and redress the identified problems. An admission-to-discharge pack was designed, reducing existing documentation. The scheme was piloted. A survey was sent to the target community health care professionals within one week of discharge. Results Survey response rate was 40%. All respondents indicated that the information was ‘Very useful’ and relevant post-discharge. No irrelevant material was identified; the format was reported as organised and comprehensive. Suggestions for additional information were ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation status (DNAR)’, medication summary, and inclusion of other inpatient specialists. Discussion The new documentation was successful in that it mapped relevant information from admission to discharge. It was also comprehensive enough to use at discharge to community HCP, thus negating the need for transferring information to additional referral forms; which is time consuming and repetitive. Inpatients9 DNAR status is not transferable and should be re-assessed post-discharge, and a medication summary is faxed therefore no changes were made pertaining to these two request; ‘Other hospital specialist/s’ was added. Conclusion This survey showed positive feedback from community HCPs. The new documentation was well received and found to be useful. Providing timely and comprehensive information to community HCPs is imperative for care and its planning, especially at end-of-life when changes can rapidly occur due to the complexities within this client group. The overall aim was achieved and the documentation greatly improved. A subsequent audit confirms improved compliance with document completion.
Effectiveness of a Survivorship Program: An Assessment of Patients With Breast Cancer in a Community Setting

Purpose:This study assesses the effectiveness of a single institution’s breast cancer survivorship program on patient perceptions, quality of life (QOL), and compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for follow-up.Methods:Sampled patients completed all their breast cancer treatment at a single tertiary center. Surveys designed to evaluate QOL were obtained, and retrospective medical record review was conducted to assess NCCN compliance. Survivorship clinic (SC) attendees and nonattendees were matched for age and disease stage for comparison of the outcomes (QOL, NCCN compliance, and overall effectiveness).Results:SC patients (n = 63) tended to perceive their concerns in various categories to be addressed more adequately than did nonattendees (n = 54), with significant differences in the areas of practical concerns (P = .03) and late-term adverse effects (P = .03). There was a significant difference in compliance with three NCCN guidelines (history and physical every 3 to 6 mo...
The Assessment of Cognitive Function in the Elderly

Evidence of impaired cognitive function requires careful evaluation to arrive at correct diagnosis and, possibly, treatment. Steps in this evaluation that might be undertaken in primary care are enumerated and discussed. The role of brief formal tests of cognitive functions in such an evaluation is emphasized.
Photoemission Spectra of C60 Clusters in Metal and Nonmetal Systems

Changes in the weighted electronic density of states of C60 molecules deposited on a variety of substrates have been studied by HeI ultraviolet photoemission (UPS). Spectra of C60 deposited on polycrystalline Ag exhibit a C60, LUMO-derived band which appears to originate in interactions at the interface. C60 was also exposed to Rb, developing a LUMO-derived band and similar phase characteristics to those observed in KxC60 compounds. The effect of atomic H as an adsorbate was also investigated. While adsorbates generally show increased broadening of the πp and σp occupied states of C60 with increasing coverage, exposure to atomic H resulted in spectra where the distinct molecular features were completely lost, bearing a distinct resemblence to graphite. However, Raman spectroscopy indicates the essential C60 structure has not been changed.
Roles of Chondrocytes in Endochondral Bone Formation and Fracture Repair.

The formation of the mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) and its subchondral bone is an important but understudied topic in dental research. The current concept regarding endochondral bone formatio...
Retention mechanism of metal cations in recycled and never-dried pulps

Linerboard and never-dried kraft pulp were used in cationic soaking experiments. Chloride salts of calcium, sodium, and barium were added to the slushed pulps. Pulps were dewatered, and the water samples were analyzed for metals content with inductively coupled plasma (ICP). When the cation levels were compared, barium showed a much higher concentration in the pulp than did calcium and sodium. Apparently, the cations are retained by an ion-exchange mechanism. Application : optimize washing steps to maintain the strength properties of recycled fiber.
Geopotential Height Errors in NWS Rawinsonde Data at Denver

A recent examination of Denver National Weather Service radiosonde data has revealed an error in the procedure used to establish the surface baseline pressure for Denver soundings obtained between 14 April 1983 and 2 March 1988. As a result of this error the baroswitch was improperly set on each sounding, resulting in geopotential heights that average from 16 to 30 m too low. This article alerts users of the Denver data to the existence and nature of this problem and shows the effect that such subtle bias errors in radiosonde height data can have on derived quantities such as geostrophic vorticity.