cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-Processing Noise of ZF Detector with Varying Channel Condition

Spatial multiplexing increases the efficiency of a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system by effectively using the available spectrum without the need of an additional power. Among the linear detector, ZF (zero forcing) is the most simple and effective, that regains multiple transmitted data at the receiver. Usually, in a service area, user may experience different channel type from highly scattered environment to less scattered one and hence the post processing noise will vary. Here, we present the mathematical derivation of post-processing SINR and hence the post-processing noise of ZF receiver with imperfect channel estimates for a seven cluster cellular network. We investigate the noise variation with channel condition at the output of MIMO ZF receiver when the channel varies from Rayleigh to Nakagami-m fading for different ‘m’ values in the cellular service area. We find that post processing noise with Rayleigh channel is higher than with Nakagami-m as expected at the ZF receiver output for MIMO system.
Shock compression of vanadium at extremes: Theory and experiment

The equation of state (EOS) and shock compression of bulk vanadium were investigated using canonical ab initio molecular dynamic simulations, with experimental validation to 865 GPa from shock data collected at Sandia's Z Pulsed Power Facility. In simulations the phase space was sampled along isotherms ranging from 3000 K to $50\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}000$ K, for densities between $\ensuremath{\rho}=3$ and $15\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$, with a focus on the liquid regime and the body-centered-cubic phase in the vicinity of the melting limit. The principal Hugoniot predicted from first principles is overall consistent with shock data, while it showed that current multiphase SESAME-type EOS for vanadium needed revision in the liquid regime. A more accurate SESAME EOS was developed using constraints from experiments and simulations. This work emphasizes the need to use a combined theoretical and experimental approach to develop high-fidelity EOS models for extreme conditions.
Evaluating Sales Training Effectiveness at the Reaction and Learning Levels

Sales managers acknowledge the significance of sales training in improving sales performance. This article empirically measures and utilizes trainee and trainer reaction and trainee learning feedba...
Massive Intraoperative Hemorrhage During Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery

Historically, liver and pancreatic surgery was associated with high mortality and morbidity. Large blood loss associated with liver surgery made it unsafe until better understanding of intricate anatomy of liver coupled with refinement in operative technique and advancements in intra- and perioperative management made safe liver surgery possible. Similarly, close proximity of the pancreas to major blood vessels makes pancreatic surgery perilous if performed by an inexperienced operator. Detailed understanding of the vascular anatomy, potential areas of pitfalls, and above all, a clearly defined plan for how to manage difficult intra-operative problems are critical to performing safe pancreatic resection.
Repair of Ultraviolet-Light-Induced Damage in Human Skin

Sunlight exposure induces skin thickening, hyper- and hypopigmentation, and skin cancer in man (see Epstein, 1970). Several lines of evidence indict the ultraviolet components (290–400 nm) of sunlight as the causative agent of both basal and squamous cell carcinomas: 1) the predominance of the cancers on sunlight-exposed skin areas (see Epstein, 1970); 2) the correlation of incidence of these types of skin cancer and latitude of residence of the patient (Urbach and Scotto, 1975); 3) the prevention of skin cancer in cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients by limitation of ultraviolet exposure (Lynch et al., 1980) (XP is a hereditary, recessive disease of sun-sensitivity, hyper- and hypo-pigmentation and development of cancerous lesions on sunlight-exposed areas; see Robbins et al., 1974). The correlation of melanoma and sunlight exposure is less clear, although recent data suggest that production of these cancers may correlate with occasional acute sunburning (see Committee on Impacts of Stratospheric Change, 1979).
Special Issue on Disasters and Long Term Recovery

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the First Special Issue for Current Psychology as Editor-in-Chief. This Special Issue, dealing with the psychological aftermath of a decade of disasters is in exceptional hands and I am happy to see Katie Cherry, Ph.D. at the helm of this Special Issue. Katie and I go back a long way. We both did dissertations on adult development and aging and routinely attend the biennial Cognitive Aging Conference in Atlanta. Katie is already an established expert in the field of Cognitive Aging with more recent work in Disasters and Aging, having published widely in each area. She now adds to this impressive list of research on the impact (shortas well as long-term) of the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2010 BP Oil Spill. I hope you enjoy these impressive papers as much as I do.
Spider toxins and their potential for insect control

Insects are the most diverse and successful animals on the planet, with the number of extant species estimated to be not, vert, similar5 million (Novotny et al., 2002). However, the ability of insects to inhabit a wide variety of ecological niches has inevitably brought them into conflict with humans. Although only a small minority of insects are classified as pests, they nevertheless destroy 20–30% of the world's food supply ( Oerke, 1994) and transmit a diverse array of human and animal pathogens. In terms of agronomic importance, lepidopterans are the most pernicious insects, with not, vert, similar40% of all chemical insecticides directed against heliothine species (Brooks and Hines, 1999). However, from a global human health perspective, mosquitoes are the most problematic arthropods, being responsible for the transmission of malaria, filariasis, and numerous arboviruses. Although malaria is unquestionably the most devastating insect-borne disease, causing an estimated 2 million deaths per year ( Gubler, 1998), the increasing incidence of epidemics caused by mosquito-borne arboviruses (e.g., dengue, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, and Rift Valley fever) is a mounting public health issue ( Gubler, 2002). Other insects of significant public health importance include sandflies, tsetse flies, fleas, and triatomid bugs, which transmit the causative agents of leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness), plague, and Chagas disease, respectively ( Gubler 1998 and Gratz 1999).
Induction of angiogenesis by intraperitoneal injection of asbestos fibers.

Tumors and activated macrophages release angiogenic factors that stimulate migration and proliferation of capillaries. We studied the development of angiogenesis before the appearance of mesotheliomas in C57B1/6 mice. Weekly i.p. injections of crocidolite asbestos fibers produced mesotheliomas after 30-50 wk. The initial histologic response to asbestos fibers was a nodular lesion on the peritoneal lining composed of clusters of fibers, activated macrophages, and proliferating mesenchymal cells. The earliest visible evidence of angiogenesis was seen surrounding 7% of these lesions 14 days after a single injection of 200 micrograms of crocidolite asbestos fibers. After six weekly injections, 30% of the lesions containing asbestos fibers were surrounded by a capillary network radiating toward the center of the lesion. Other mineral fibers, including chrysotile asbestos and fiberglass, also induced angiogenesis after six weekly injections. In contrast, only 8% of the lesions containing short asbestos fibers (...
Determination of the amino acid sequence of the monkey, sheep, and dog proinsulin C-peptides by a semi-micro Edman degradation procedure.

Abstract Proinsulin C-peptides were isolated from the pancreas of the green monkey, sheep, and dog by established procedures. The amino acid sequences of these peptides have been determined using a semi-micro adaptation of the Edman degradation procedure. These sequences are compared with those of the human, bovine, porcine, and rat C-peptides. The bovine and ovine C-peptide sequences are identical, whereas the dog sequence appears to contain an 8 residue deletion near the NH2 terminus. Although the C-peptide sequences vary much more than the insulin A and B chain sequences among these species, several prominent features of the C-peptide structure have been conserved.
The changing frontiers of comparative education: A forty-year retrospective on european education

European Education (originally known as Western European Education) may no longer be directly associated with the field of comparative and international education, yet its establishment in 1969 was an attempt to make a direct contribution to the academic debates about the future of comparative education. The journal emerged at a time when comparative educators in the United States were engaged in a complex process of reexamining historical foundations of the field, exploring its methodological and theoretical directions, and expanding its geographic boundaries. While the debate on comparative education theory and method was often polarized into two extremes—advocating for either cross-national, quantitative research or single-case, historical studies—
Effects of linelength and bend structure on electromigration lifetime in Al-Cu submicron interconnects

The authors systematically study the dependence of electromigration lifetime on linelength and the number of bends in Al-Cu submicrometer lines. It is shown that, as the linelength increases from 10 to 50 mu m, the lifetime decreases slightly and then levels off at a linelength of 500 mu m. The independence of lifetime from linelength in Al-Cu submicrometer lines longer than 100 mu m can be understood by assuming that electromigration-induced failure is caused by intrinsic defects. The lifetime was also found to decrease almost linearly with an increasing number of bends in Al-Cu submicrometer lines. The effect of bend structure on the lifetime is discussed in terms of current crowding at the bend structure. >
The Development and Validation of a Reliable Alternate Form for Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices:

The development of an alternate form for Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) Test is described. Items for each of the original 60 items of the SPM were developed to be comparable to the corresponding original items in terms of the underlying strategy and difficulty. An alternate form reliability analysis on a diverse group of 449 children (77 African-American, 122 Asian, 54 Filipino, 156 Latino/Hispanic, 38 white, and 2 other) showed an alternate form reliability coefficient of .90. Kuder-Richardson reliabilities of the newly developed alternate and the SPM were identical at .94: A Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test, moreover, revealed no significant differences in central tendency, dispersion, and skewness for distributions of individual item difficulties. In addition, the two tests showed comparable predictive validity coefficients. The alternate form resolves one limitation of the SPM and could provide widespread utility as a research tool.
Homology in Character Evolution

Homology forms the basis of organisation for comparative biology. Richard Owen's simple definition of homology as the ‘same organ in different animals under every variety of form and function’ takes on new meaning in light of Darwin's concept of descent with modification. The modern study of comparative biology and phylogenetics is grounded in the notion that organisms share a greater proportion of homologous (i.e. ‘derived’) characteristics the more recently they share a common ancestor. Instead of solely being the purview of anatomical study, homology of these characteristics can be applied at the level of molecular evolution, genomic organisation and modern evolutionary developmental biology (‘evo/devo’). Aspects of homology help us formulate hypotheses about the meaning of changes in homologous structures in the inference of evolution of organisms at all levels of biological organisation. Key Concepts: Homology was originally a measure of correspondence between anatomical structures. Descent with modification explains homology as a result of shared ancestry that reflects modifications in characteristics within related lineages. Comparative methods use changes in homologous characteristics to infer evolution within groups (phylogenetics). Recent advances in molecular biology allow for the comparison of homologous characteristics at more diverse levels, including DNA sequences, genomic arrangements and developmental pathways. Recent work highlights homologous characteristics at a fundamental or ancient level, termed ‘deep homology’. Keywords: archetype; evolution; correspondence; gene; morphology; genome; phylogeny; development; deep homology
Heterochronic mutations affecting shoot development in maize.

Three semidominant, nonallelic mutations of maize, Teopod 1 (Tp1), Teopod 2 (Tp2) and Teopod 3 (Tp3), have a profound effect on both vegetative and reproductive development. Although each mutation is phenotypically distinct, they all (1) increase the number of vegetative phytomers; (2) increase the number of phytomers producing ears, tillers and prop roots; (3) increase the number of leaves bearing epidermal wax; (4) decrease the size of leaves and internodes; (5) decrease the size of both the ear and tassel; and (6) transform reproductive structures into vegetative ones. The analysis presented here suggests that this phenotype reflects the prolonged expression of a juvenile, vegetative developmental program which overlaps with the reproductive developmental program. The expression of these mutations is different in each of the four inbred backgrounds used in this study. Tp1 and Tp2 have similar phenotypes and are more highly expressed in the A632 and Oh51a inbred backgrounds than in W23 and Mo17. Tp3 has less extreme effects than either of these mutations and has the opposite modification pattern; i.e., it is more highly expressed in W23 and Mo17 than in A632 and Oh51a. The expression of Tp1 and Tp2 in the presence of varying doses of their wild-type alleles indicate that both are gain-of-function mutations. The phenotypes of Tp1 and Tp2 and the nature of their response to variation in gene dose suggest that they control related, but nonidentical functions. The developmental and evolutionary implications of the heterochronic phenotype of these mutations is discussed.
Optical properties of human amniotic fluid: implications for videofetoscopic surgery.

Objective: Videofetoscopy typically demands the substitution of oft-turbid amniotic fluid with clear crystalloid. This maneuver can be cumbersome and may lead to complications. We s
Specific Volume of Native Cellulose

Specific-volume measurements of native cellulose determined in different media and calculated from x-ray data are compared. Data for the specific volume of cellulose containing different amounts of water measured in a benzene medium are analyzed. On the assumption that the differ ence between the specific volumes measured in benzene and the specific volume calculated from x-ray data is due to voids, and that the differences between the x-ray value and the values deter mined in water are due to the compacting of water, reasonable compression values are obtained that are in accord with the concept of hydrogen bonding of water and other findings.
A computer model of mammalian cerebellar cortex.

Abstract A computer-simulated model of mammalian cerebellar cortex is described, in which the individual units correspond to 300 μm square regions of the cerebellar cortical sheet. Local properties of these units as well as their pattern of connectivity were derived from anatomical and physiological data. Selection of an appropriate set of parameters produced predicted neuronal firing patterns and excitability changes similar to those obtained from anesthetized cats. The role of Purkinje recurrent collaterals was investigated by varying the strength of Purkinje cell inhibitory coupling to Golgi and basket cells. It is shown that the recurrent collaterals may exert important effects upon the time course of Purkinje cell responses to parallel fiber inputs. For spatially-distributed mossy fiber inputs, a focusing effect of long time course is demonstrated.
Comments from the Special Issue Editor: The Emerging Dialogue on Environmental Justice

This special issue of Social Problems provides an interdisciplinary look at the relationship of class, ethnicity, gender, and race to community and workplace environmental problems. Drawing upon case studies, interviews, textual analysis, survey research, and household, community, labor force, and policy data, these articles represent a methodologically eclectic approach to the interpretation of environmental issues as problems of justice in a stratified society. While the disparate impact of social problems on minorities, women, and the poor has long been a central concern in sociology, few sociologists have focused their attention on the environment. A growing public awareness of pollution, toxic exposures, and resource limits has produced new social movements with implications for social theory and practice. A dialogue on environmental justice is emerging in community groups and in the network of national and international organizations which support them. This suggests the need for a parallel dialogue within the community of academics. The Concept of Environmental Justice In the first article, "The 'Environmental Justice' Frame: A Conceptual Discussion and an Application," Stella Capek locates the concept of environmental justice at the intersection of resource mobilization and social constructionist theories. Arising from the experiences of local grass-roots groups confronting contamination in their communities, the concept of environmental justice frames the claims of groups who perceive themselves as unjustly exposed to environmental risks. The concept is transmitted to those in similar circumstances by an emerging network of national and international organizations. Edward Walsh, Rex Warland, and D. Clayton Smith propose an analytic distinction between what they call "equity" and "technology" movements. In "Backyards, NIMBYs, and Incinerator Sitings: Implications for Social Movement Theory," they compare two protest movements for which success or failure depended upon protesters' ability to ground their claims in scientific arguments about threats to health and safety. As shown in Capek's analysis of the Carver Terrace neighborhood of Texarkana, and in Suzanna Smith and Michael Jepson's analysis "Big Fish, Little Fish: Politics and Power in the Regulation of Florida's Marine Resources," movements based on social justice claims must also engage in political struggles to define objective, scientific assessments of their problems. Indeed, as Loren Lutzenhiser and Bruce Hackett show in "Social Stratification and Environmental Degradation: Understanding Household CO2 Production," policies based on apparently rational scientific and economic assessments of such problems as global warming have the effect of unequally distributing the costs of solutions by social class. The environmental justice perspective increases our understanding of the role of gender, race, and class in the social construction of work. In "Psychosocial Effects of Workplace Hazardous Exposure: Theoretical Synthesis and Preliminary Findings," J. Timmons Roberts
Tannin allocation in Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima)

Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) is a spinescent shrub occurring in nearly monospecific stands in the southwestern United States. Winter browsing by domestic goats stimulates spring twig production by blackbrush plants. Current season's twigs produced by older branches growing on the outer edges of the plant canopy (terminal branches) contained 2.37 times more tannins than did older twigs. Within blackbrush plants, current season's twigs on terminal branches contained 1.34 times more tannins than did current season's twigs on sprouts and younger branches (basal branches). When analysed separately, current season's terminal twigs contained 1.47 times more tannins than did leaves, while current season's basal twigs contained 1.10 times more tannins than did leaves. Phytochemicals, mainly phenolics, in blackbrush reduce its risk of being over-utilized by domestic herbivores, and the occurrence and distribution of tannins in blackbrush lend support to hypotheses dealing with secondary compounds as plant defences.
Jennings' theorem for p-split groups

Jennings [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 50 (1941) 175–185] used the descending central series of dimension subgroups to produce a basis of the radical layers of the group ring of a p-group over a field k of characteristic p and, with it, a Hilbert polynomial for the dimensions of these layers. Later, Quillen [J. Algebra 10 (1968) 411–418] employed Lie ring methods of Lazard [Ann. Sci. Ecole Norm. Sup. (3) 71 (1954) 101–190] to refine the proof of Jennings' theorem. Analogously, Alperin [Quart. J. Math. Oxford Ser. (2) 39 (154) (1988) 129–133] extended Jennings' methods to permutation modules for p-groups, while Shalev [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 120 (2) (1994) 333–337] later recast this in terms of Quillen's formulation. All of this naturally extends to p-split groups, finite groups with normal p-Sylow. Consider the filtration of the group ring kG by the powers of its Jacobson radical. When G is a p-group, Quillen showed that the associated graded ring is isomorphic to the graded p-restricted universal enveloping algebra UJ∗⊗k(G) for the graded p-restricted Lie algebra generated from the filtration of G by its descending central series of dimension subgroups. For a p-split group G with p-Sylow P and a given maximal subgroup A of order prime to p, the associated graded ring is isomorphic to the skew group ring UJ∗⊗k(P)⋊A (Theorem 4), where A is concentrated in degree zero and the action of A on UJ∗⊗k(P) is induced from its conjugation action on P. Let H be a subgroup of G and S a semisimple kH-module. Consider the graded module associated to the filtration by the powers of the Jacobson radical of the module formed by inducing S up to PH. This graded module will be isomorphic to the Hopf algebra tensor product of S (regarded as a semisimple kPH-module) with the quotient of UJ∗⊗k(P) by a left ideal generated by elements corresponding to q−1, where the q are elements of the p-Sylow of H; inducing this graded module up to G will preserve the grading (Theorem 5). Hilbert polynomials for the Brauer character of the radical layers allow explicit computation of the isomorphism classes of the radical layers of the module produced by inducing S to G.
Spin-filter effect of ferromagnetic europium sulfide tunnel barriers.

We have observed electron-spin polarization in the tunnel current in metal-EuS-metal junctions. The value of polarization can be as high as 85%. This polarization is attributed to the exchange splitting of the EuS conduction band as a result of the ferromagnetic transition occurring in EuS at about 15 K. This conduction-band splitting lowers the tunnel barrier height for spin-up electrons and raises it for spin-down electrons, giving rise to spin polarization in the tunnel current. Tunnel barrier lowering is also manifested in the observed decrease of junction resistance with temperature below 15 K. The exchange interaction between quasiparticles in Al and the magnetic ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{2+}$ ions in EuS greatly enhances the Zeeman splitting of the superconducting quasiparticle density of states; in fact, some junctions show Zeeman splitting corresponding to an internal field of ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathit{i}}^{\mathrm{*}}$=3 T before any external magnetic field is applied.
Scaling of the critical slip distance for seismic faulting with shear strain in fault zones

THEORETICAL and experimentally based laws for seismic faulting contain a critical slip distance1–5, Dc, which is the slip over which strength breaks down during earthquake nucleation. On an earthquake-generating fault, this distance plays a key role in determining the rupture nucleation dimension6, the amount of premonitory and post-seismic slip7–10, and the maximum seismic ground acceleration1,11. In laboratory friction experiments, D c has been related to the size of surface contact junctions2,5,12; thus, the discrepancy between laboratory measurements of Dc (∼10−5m) and values obtained from modelling earthquakes (∼10−2m) has been attributed to differences in roughness between laboratory surfaces and natural faults5. This interpretation predicts a dependence of Dc on the particle size of fault gouge2 (breccia and wear material) but not on shear strain. Here we present experimental results showing that Dc scales with shear strain in simulated fault gouge. Our data suggest a new physical interpretation for the critical slip distance, in which Dc is controlled by the thickness of the zone of localized shear strain. As gouge zones of mature faults are commonly 102–103 m thick12–17, whereas laboratory gouge layers are 1–10 mm thick, our data offer an alternative interpretation of the discrepancy between laboratory and field-based estimates of Dc.
Late effects of radiotherapy on patients with cerebellar medulloblastoma

Nine long-term survivors of cerebellar medulloblastoma treated with surgery and irradiation were retrospectively examined with a complete battery of neuropsychological tests and the results compared with their nonirradiated siblings. Significant decreased scores were found in the full-scale intelligence quotients (IQ), performance IQ, and verbal IQ with all nine irradiated patients scoring below their siblings. Also, educational quotients (EQ) of the irradiated patients were 12 to 17 points below the nonirradiated siblings with arithmetic EQ significantly decreased. Most severely affected were those children younger than 8 years at time of irradiation. No correlation was found with whole-brain dose, or objective physical or neurologic findings.
MOCVD growth of asymmetric 980 nm InGaAs/InGaAsP broad-waveguide diode lasers for high power applications

Abstract Asymmetric 980 nm InGaAs/InGaAsP laser structures have been grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, and broad-waveguide diode lasers of very large equivalent transverse spot size (0.80 μm) have been fabricated. High-quality, relatively thick (>0.7 μm), high-bandgap InGaAsP ( E g =1.80 eV) layers were developed, as needed for the successful implementation of a device design for high-power, single-transverse-mode operation. Uncoated 100-μm-wide stripe, 2-mm-long lasers exhibit a threshold-current density of 188 A/cm 2 , an internal loss coefficient of 1.4 cm −1 , a differential quantum efficiency of 66%, and high characteristic temperatures for the threshold-current density and the external quantum efficiency (i.e., T 0 =190 K and T 1 =520 K).
Election 2000 and the Production of the Unknowable

As the 2000 US Presidential election demonstrated, many of the findings of science and technology studies (S&TS) about calibration, witnessing, credibility, expertise, and technological systems are relevant to the domain of electoral politics. But in addition to providing an occasion for congratulating ourselves on how much we have already learned, the episode surrounding the Florida vote also offers an opportunity to engage in a more critical self-reflexive exercise. Research in S&TS often asks how knowledge is produced and spread, but very few studies take as their primary focus efforts to eliminate the possibility of knowing something. The Florida episode raises the question of whether the field devotes enough attention to the production of the unknowable. Should our discipline expend a greater proportion of its energy studying the production of absences of knowledge? Should we pay more attention to the processes that restrict the flow of knowledge, and spread knowledge incapacity, in highly selective ways, throughout societies? These issues, to be sure, have not been entirely neglected. Most scholars in S&TS recognize that the suppression, containment and destruction of knowledges are inextricably entangled with their production and spread. We are all aware that new facts often displace existing ones, and that technologies succeed each other through a process of creative destruction. We know that systems of classification obscure some phenomena even as they bring others into focus. We know that expertise is fundamentally relational and that experts often silence non-expert voices. We know that all ways of seeing make some things invisible. We know, in short, that the production and suppression of knowledge are entangled in a dynamic or better, dialectical relationship with one another.
Implanted biofuel cells operating in vivo – methods, applications and perspectives – feature article

This feature article is an overview of the recent research activity in the area of enzyme-based biofuel cells implanted and operating in vivo in living creatures (insects, mollusks, rats, rabbits, etc.). The electrical power extracted from these biological sources presents use for activating microelectronic devices for biomedical applications (e.g. pacemakers) or sensors/biosensors for environmental monitoring. The inequality of the voltage generated by the biofuel cell (which is thermodynamically limited by the redox potentials of the biomolecular fuel and oxygen) and the voltage demanded by the electronic devices requires special attention and can be resolved by specific interfacing with charge pumps and DC–DC converters. The paper focuses on the problems in the present technology as well as offers their potential solutions. Lastly, perspectives and future applications of the implanted biofuel cells are also discussed.
Selective distribution of μ-opioid receptors in C1 adrenergic neurons and their afferents

Agonists of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) have profound effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration that may be mediated by C1 adrenergic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL). C1 neurons are sympathoexcitatory and are involved in both tonic and reflex regulation of sympathetic outflow. This study was designed to determine whether C1 neurons, or their afferents, contain MOR. C1 neurons were identified by using an antibody against the epinephrine synthesizing enzyme phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase (PNMT), whereas MOR was localized by using an antipeptide antibody that recognizes the cloned MOR, MOR1. Combined immunoperoxidase and immunogold methods were used to examine the cellular distribution of MOR1 relative to PNMT-containing neurons in the RVL. MOR1 was found in 22% of PNMT-containing dendrites (n = 392), whereas MOR1-containing axons or axon terminals contacted 14% of PNMT-containing dendrites. This distribution was heterogenous with regard to dendritic size: PNMT-labeled dendrites containing MOR1 were usually large (60% were >1.2 microm), whereas PNMT-containing dendrites that received MOR1-labeled afferents were usually small (79% were <1.2 microm). Individual dendrites rarely contained MOR1 at both pre- and postsynaptic sites. Together these results suggest that MOR agonists may directly influence the activity of C1 neurons, as well as the activity of select afferents to these cells. Plasmalemmal membrane labeling for MOR1 was more frequent in smaller PNMT-containing dendrites, suggesting that postsynaptic receptors are more readily available for ligand binding in small dendrites, although the receptor was more frequently detected in larger PNMT dendrites. The selective distribution of MORs to specific pre- and postsynaptic sites suggests the receptor may be selectively trafficked to positions where it may regulate afferent activity that is heterogeneously distributed along the dendritic tree of C1 neurons.
Inositol 3,4,5,6-Tetrakisphosphate Inhibits the Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II-activated Chloride Conductance in T84 Colonic Epithelial Cells

Abstract The mechanism by which inositol 3,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(3,4,5,6)P4) regulates chloride (Cl−) secretion was evaluated in the colonic epithelial cell line T84 using whole cell voltage clamp techniques. Our studies focused on the calcium-dependent chloride conductance (gClCa) that was activated either by mobilizing intracellular calcium (Cai) stores with thapsigargin or by introduction of the autonomous, autophosphorylated calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) into the cell via the patch pipette. Basal concentrations of Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 (1 μM) present in the pipette solution had no significant effect on Cl− current; however, as the concentration of the polyphosphate was increased there was a corresponding reduction in anion current, with near complete inhibition at 8–10 μM Ins(3,4,5,6)P4. Corresponding levels are found in cells after sustained receptor-dependent activation of phospholipase C. The Ins(3,4,5,6)P4-induced inhibition of gClCa was isomer specific; neither Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, Ins(1,3,4,6)P4, Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, nor Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5 induced current inhibition at concentrations of up to 100 μM. Annexin IV also plays an inhibitory role in modulating gClCa in T84 cells. When 2 μM annexin IV was present in the pipette solution, a concentration that by itself has no effect on gClCa, the potency of Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 was approximately doubled. The combination of Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 and annexin IV did not alter the in vitro activity of CaMKII. These data demonstrate that Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 is an additional cellular signal that participates in the control of salt and fluid secretion, pH balance, osmoregulation, and other physiological activities that depend upon gClCa activation. Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 metabolism and action should also be taken into account when designing treatment strategies for cystic fibrosis.
Regulation of ARNO nucleotide exchange by a PH domain electrostatic switch.

Abstract ARNO is a member of a family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors that activate small GTPases called ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) [1–3], which regulate vesicular trafficking and, in one case (ARF6), also regulate cortical actin structure [4]. ARNO is located at the plasma membrane, and in the presence of activated protein kinase C (PKC) can induce cortical actin rearrangements reminiscent of those produced by active ARF6 [5–8]. High-affinity binding of ARNO to membranes, which is required for exchange activity, is mediated cooperatively by a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and an adjacent carboxy-terminal polybasic domain [3,9]. ARNO is phosphorylated in vivo by PKC on a single serine residue, S392, located within the carboxy-terminal polybasic domain. Mutation of S392 to alanine does not prevent ARNO-mediated actin rearrangements, suggesting that phosphorylation does not lead to ARNO activation [6]. Here, we report that phosphorylation negatively regulates ARNO exchange activity through a ‘PH domain electrostatic switch'. Introduction of a negatively charged phosphate into the polybasic domain reduced interaction of ARNO with membranes both in vitro and in vivo , and inhibited exchange in vitro . This regulated membrane association is similar to the myristoyl electrostatic switch that controls membrane binding of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) [10], but to our knowledge is the first demonstration of an electrostatic switch regulating the membrane interaction of a protein containing a PH domain. This mechanism allows regulation of ARNO lipid binding and exchange activity at two levels, phosphoinositide-dependent recruitment and PKC-dependent displacement from the membrane.
Psycho-social aspects of chronic pain in spinal cord injury

The relationship between persistent pain in spinal cord injury and medical-descriptive, demographic, psychological and familial-social data was studied. Multiple linear regression and discriminant analysis were used to predict (1) presence or absence of pain; (2) severity of pain; (3) time post-injury onset of pain; (4) whether or not pain interfered with activities of daily living. The best combinations of predictor variables accounted for only 15 and 19% of the dependent measures pain vs. no-pain and onset of pain, respectively. The best combinations of predictor variables accounted for 43 and 44%, respectively of the dependent measures severity of pain and whether or not pain interfered with activities of daily living. Higher levels of subjective pain were associated with greater age, higher verbal intelligence, higher levels of anxiety and a more negative psycho-social situation. Persons who reported pain interfering with activities of daily living were more likely to be older, of higher intelligence, more depressed, clinically rated as experiencing greater levels of distress and immersed in a more negative psycho-social environment. The importance of psycho-social variables in the understanding of persistent spinal cord injury pain and the need for prospective studies along these lines are demonstrated.
Can preterm deliveries be prevented

Our hospital serves poor, inner-city women who have a 17% preterm delivery rate. Middle-class women in San Francisco at high risk for preterm delivery have benefited from an antepartum program which emphasized patient education and close follow-up. Using a controlled, randomized design, we are investigating the impact of similar interventions. Patients determined to be at high risk before 18 weeks' gestation on the basis of the Creasy system are randomly assigned to the Preterm Labor Prevention Clinic or serve as high-risk controls. Sixty-four women assigned to the Preterm Labor Prevention Clinic and 68 high-risk control women have been delivered of their infants. No significant differences were noted for the percentages of preterm infants, mean gestational age, or birth weight. Preterm rupture of the membranes accounted for 40% of preterm deliveries in all high-risk patients. Thirty percent of preterm births were indicated for maternal or fetal reasons. The remaining 30% represented failure of tocolytic therapy.
Restriction map of Chinese hamster mitochondrial DNA containing replication coordinates: comparison with Syrian hamster mitochondrial genome

Abstract A precise physical map, containing the structurally and operationally defined D-loop origin, terminal region, and direction of heavy-strand replication, has been constructed for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from ovary (CHO-KI) and lung cells of Chinese hamster ( Cricetulus griseus 2 N = 22), and compared with our previously established genome coordinates for mtDNA from Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus 2 N = 44). All four Hpa I sites in Cricetulus are conserved in Mesocricetus (8 sites). Extensive variation exists for hexanucleotides cleaved by Eco RI Hin dIII Pst I. Kpn I and Bam HI. Sequence divergence between Chinese and Syrian hamster mtDNAs, as reflected from analysis of the mapped recognition sites for these six endonucleases, is estimated as 5–9% base substitutions. mtDNAs from both hamster and several other mammalian species contain a commonly conserved Hpa I site in the region of light strand initiation.
Making global markets: Historical institutionalism in international political economy

ABSTRACT As dramatically evidenced by the global financial crisis, the interaction of domestic regulatory systems has significant international consequences. Nevertheless, these relationships have received only limited attention from international relations scholars. This special issue, therefore, provides a detailed examination of international market regulation – the processes through which the domestic regulatory activities of states and other actors set the effective rules of internationally-exposed markets. To this end, we borrow and extend on arguments developed by historical institutionalists in comparative politics and American political development. In particular, the contributions adapt two mechanisms – policy feedbacks and relative sequencing – to explain state and bureaucratic preferences over international market regulation as well as bargaining strength in relevant negotiations. In addition to contributing to central IPE debates about international economic governance, the individual contrib...
Predicting cutability of packer-trimmed pork loins.

This study explored the possibility of determining retail yields of packer-trimmed pork loins by the use of either a swine backfat probe or the Hennessy and Chong Fat Depth Indicator. The standard deviation for retail yield in this study was 3·82. Regression equations developed to predict percentages of retail yield from pork loins produced residual standard deviations that ranged from 4·20 to 2·94. Low to intermediate relationships were found between fatness measurements and percentages of fat-free lean from packer-trimmed pork loins. Prediction equations utilising the Fat Depth Indicator predicted retail yield percentages with greater precision than did a swine backfat probe (2·94 versus 3·33, respectively).
An Examination of the Role Individual Differences Play in Videogame-Based Training

Videogames are emerging as an increasingly popular training tool in the military. Given this trend, it is important to investigate factors that maximize the effectiveness of this training medium. T...
Media Exposure and Tobacco, Illicit Drugs, and Alcohol Use Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

The authors systematically reviewed 42 quantitative studies on the relationship between media exposure and tobacco, illicit drug, and alcohol use among children and adolescents. Overall, 83% of studies reported that media was associated with increased risk of smoking initiation, use of illicit drugs, and alcohol consumption. Of 30 studies examining media content, 95% found a statistically significant association between increased media exposure and negative outcomes. Similarly, of the 12 studies evaluating the quantity of media exposure, 67% reported an association with a negative outcome. Overall, all 17 of the identified longitudinal studies supported a causal association between media exposure and negative outcomes over time. The evidence was strongest for links between media exposure and tobacco use; it was moderate for illicit drug use and alcohol use. Substantial variability in methodological rigor across studies and expanding definitions of media exposure contribute to persistent gaps in the knowledge base.
Graphic Warnings for Cigarette Labels

Beginning in September 2012, the Food and Drug Administration will require larger, more prominent health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. These new labels mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and represent an important advance in communicating the dangers of smoking. The nine different text warnings and accompanying graphic images are designed to increase awareness of the specific health risks associated with smoking, such as addiction, lung disease, cancer, stroke, heart disease, and death . . .
Parallax mitigation for hyperspectral change detection

A pixel-level Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) statistic for hyperspectral change detection is developed to mitigate false change caused by image parallax. Change detection, in general, represents the difficult problem of discriminating significant changes opposed to insignificant changes caused by radiometric calibration, image registration issues, and varying view geometries. We assume that the images have been registered, and each pixel pair provides a measurement from the same spatial region in the scene. Although advanced image registration methods exist that can reduce mis-registration to subpixel levels; residual spatial mis-registration can still be incorrectly detected as significant changes. Similarly, changes in sensor viewing geometry can lead to parallax error in an urban cluttered scene where height structures, such as buildings, appear to move. Our algorithm looks to the inherent relationship between the image views and the theory of stereo vision to perform parallax mitigation leading to a search result in the assumed parallax direction. Mitigation of the parallax-induced false alarms is demonstrated using hyperspectral data in the experimental analysis. The algorithm is examined and compared to the existing chronochrome anomalous change detection algorithm to assess performance.
The vibrational contribution to the thermal conductivity of a polyatomic fluid

A simple analytical expression is proposed in this article to calculate the vibrational contribution to the thermal conductivity of a polyatomic fluid. The analytic expression was obtained based on the assumption that the self-diffusion process is the major mechanism in the transport of vibrational energy. The proposed expression is validated by comparing the thermal conductivity of CO2 calculated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to experimental data over a wide range of temperature and pressure. It is also demonstrated that the proposed analytic expression greatly increases the accuracy of calculated thermal conductivity for CO2 at the supercritical state.
Mutations of DMYPT cause over constriction of contractile rings and ring canals during Drosophila germline cyst formation

Ring canals, also known as stable intercellular bridges, are derived from the contractile rings of incomplete cytokinesis (IC) in most organisms. Formation of ring canals is necessary to generate functional eggs and sperm in multiple organisms including insects, birds, mammals and various plants. How the constriction of a contractile ring is arrested and how an arrested contractile ring is transformed into a ring canal is unknown. We describe here the function of the Drosophila melanogaster myosin binding subunit of myosin phosphatase (DMYPT) in both processes. We have found that DMYPT is highly enriched in the cytoplasm of cells undergoing IC during oogenesis. DMYPT mutations in germ cells, but not in somatic follicle cells, resulted in over-constriction of contractile rings and ring canals. This leads to formation of small ring canals and mis-regulation of centriole migration during female germline cyst formation. Our results suggest that there may be two parallel mechanisms to prevent the contractile rings from being completely closed, physical resistance and inhibition of myosin II activity via DMYPT.
Binding of I-131 labeled thyroxine by water soluble human pituitary proteins

Etude de la propriete qu'ont les proteines pituitaires solubles dans l'eau de lier la thyroxine d'indice I-131. L'electrophorese au pH 8,6, en utilisant comme tampons le veronal et le tris-maleate, de meme que l'autoradiographie sur bandes de papier montrent que ces proteines lient la thyroxine I-131 dans une zone correspondant a la fraction des globulinesβ du serum humain.
“I Do Lots of Things”: Children with cerebral palsy’s competence for everyday activities

This study explored how children with cerebral palsy describe competent performance in everyday activities and sought to better understand the processes by which the children developed competence. Five children with cerebral palsy aged six to 17 years participated in a three-step procedure that included two observations, one semi-structured interview with narrative elaboration, and one cognitive interview. Three factors influenced the competence of children in this study: the environment—people, places, and objects; the quality of the activity—fun and importance; and the child’s personal characteristics—strengths and impairments. The process of building competence was characterised by practice and problem-solving. The outcome of this process was being competent or “doing lots of things”. Children played an active role by problem-solving impairment-related challenges or environmental barriers. “Doing” was not related to the child’s skills or level of independence, but to engagement in activities considered...