cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opioid enhancement of the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine: evidence for involvement of μ and δ opioid receptors

Previous research in squirrel monkeys has shown enhancement of the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine by μ-opioid agonists, but not by the δ agonist BW373U86. To examine further the role of µ and δ receptor stimulation in the ability of opioid drugs to modulate the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine, the present study assessed the effects of cocaine alone and combined with SNC 80, a selective high-efficacy δ agonist, and fentanyl, a selective high-efficacy µ agonist. Five adult male squirrel monkeys were trained to discriminate IM injections of 0.3 mg/kg cocaine from saline under a fixed-ratio 10 schedule of food presentation. Cumulative doses of cocaine (0.03–1.0 mg/kg) engendered dose-related increases in drug-lever responding to a maximum of 100%, with a decrease in response rate observed at 1.0 mg/kg. Cumulative doses of SNC 80 (0.03–1.0 mg/kg) or fentanyl (0.001–0.01 mg/kg) resulted in a maximum of 22% and 48% drug-lever responding, respectively, accompanied by pronounced decreases in response rate. Administration of either SNC 80 (0.1–1.0 mg/kg) or fentanyl (0.001–0.01 mg/kg) prior to cumulative doses of cocaine produced dose-dependent leftward shifts in the cocaine dose-response function. When the selective δ antagonist naltrindole (1.0 mg/kg) was combined with SNC 80 (1.0 mg/kg) or fentanyl (0.01 mg/kg) prior to cumulative doses of cocaine, the leftward shift of the cocaine dose-response function produced by SNC 80 was blocked, whereas the leftward shift produced by fentanyl was not. By contrast, the µ antagonist naltrexone (0.3 mg/kg) blocked the cocaine-enhancing effects of fentanyl, but not of SNC 80. Combinations of SNC 80 (0.03–0.3 mg/kg) with fentanyl (0.001–0.003 mg/kg) resulted in leftward shifts in the cocaine dose-response function that were comparable in magnitude to the shifts in the cocaine dose-response function produced by either drug alone. These results suggest that opioid enhancement of the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine is mediated independently by δ- and µ-receptor mechanisms.
Natural history of optic arbors in the tectum of fish and frog

In developmental neurobiology, few ideas have captured the imagination or sparked controversy more than the assertion that retinal arbors shift across the tectum of growing fish and frogs 1 . This shift, thought to occur because of the disparate geometrical growth patterns of the retina and tectum, has widespread ramifications. Since the arbors make functional synapses while moving 3 , the shift is inconsistent with the idea of rigid chemoaffinity — unique cellular markers limiting each fiber to a small select set of postsynaptic partners 2 . In addition, in a system where synaptic rearrangements readily occur following surgical intervention, it offers a naturally occurring example of plasticity, one that cannot be attributed to surgical trauma. Two recent reports 3,4 have provided an unequivocal demonstration of these shifting connections and shown how the history of each optic arbor is written in its axon's trajectory.
Choice and stimuli that signal reward

Three pigeons pecked for food in a concurrent chain schedule. Pecks in both links of the concurrent chain produced the same rate and magnitude of access to food. Training consisted of two phases: In Phase 1, the two links were identical; in Phase 2, the availability of reward was signaled in one link. Initial link responding, averaged over the three birds, showed preference for the unsignaled link. The magnitude of preference depended upon the level of stimulus control in the terminal links. Subjects that responded differentially to the terminal links showed the highest level of choice. This result is different from previous studies, which have consistently shown preference for stimuli that signal reward.
Identification and regulation of human PDE5A gene promoter.

Abstract PDE5A gene encodes type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5), the principal cGMP-catalyzing enzyme in the penis and the primary target of sildenafil (Viagra). We have isolated a 3.7-kb DNA fragment that contains the human PDE5A gene promoter. The DNA fragment contains a sequence of 234 nucleotides at its 3′ end that corresponds to most of the untranslated region of the PDE5A1 mRNA. The remaining 3.5-kb upstream flanking sequence contains no apparent TATA box but has several sequences that resemble binding sequences for transcription factors such as androgen receptor (AR), AP1, AP2, AP4, Sp1, MyoD, Myc, and CArG. In search of promoter activities, we used a luciferase reporter system to examine 10 DNA fragments that cover various regions of the 3.7-kb fragment. We found that a full basal promoter activity was confined to a 139-bp region that includes 78 bp of the PDE5A1-specific first exon. A lesser basal promoter activity was still detectable in a 94-bp fragment that contains the same 78-bp PDE5A1-specific exon plus 16 bp of upstream sequence. Either the 139-bp or the 94-bp promoter fragment responded minimally to cAMP or cGMP (2 mM) stimulation. Longer fragments that contain either a 308-bp 5′ extension (from the 138-bp fragment) or a 156-bp 3′ extension (all exon sequence) responded at higher levels to cAMP and cGMP stimulation. The 5′ and 3′ extensions cooperated with each other to provide the highest level of responses to cAMP and cGMP stimulation. DNase I footprint analysis identified four AP2- and two Sp1-binding sites in the 5′ extension and four Sp1-binding sites in the 3′ extensions. Cyclic AMP and cGMP had similar stimulatory effects on the PDE5A promoter.
Social networking on smartphones: When mobile phones become addictive

As the penetration of mobile phones in societies increases, there is a large growth in the use of mobile phones especially among the youth. This trend is followed by the fast growth in use of online social networking services (SNS). Extensive use of technology can lead to addiction. This study finds that the use of SNS mobile applications is a significant predictor of mobile addiction. The result also shows that the use of SNS mobile applications is affected by both SNS network size and SNS intensity of the user. This study has implications for academia as well as governmental and non-for-profit organizations regarding the effect of mobile phones on individual's and public health.
Improved performance of InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice detectors with SU-8 passivation

We report on surface passivation using SU-8 for type-II InAs/GaSb strained layers superlattice (SLS) detectors with a PIN design operating in mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral region (λ50% cut-off ~ 4.4 μm). Material growth and characterization, single pixel device fabrication and testing, as well as focal plane array (FPA) processing are described. High quality strain-balanced SLS material with FWHM of 1st SLS satellite peak of 36 arcsec is demonstrated. The electrical and optical performance of devices passivated with SU-8 are reported and compared with those of unpassivated devices. The dark current density of a single pixel device with SU-8 passivation showed four orders of magnitude reduction compared to the device without any passivation. At 77K, the zero-bias responsivity and detectivity are equal to 1.1 A/W and 4 x 1012 Jones at 4μm, respectively, for the SU-8 passivated test pixel on the focal plane array.
Personality correlates of retrieval processes in intentional and unintentional forgetting

Abstract Early accounts of intentional forgetting relied exclusively on mechanisms that operate at encoding. The results of more recent experiments indicate that memory-retrieval inhibition also is involved, thus linking waking intentional forgetting with hypnotic amnesia. The present Experiment 1 was designed to provide further support for the retrieval-inhibition hypothesis by testing four alternative explanations for some of the recent results. Experiment 2 examined the role of word affect in both intentional forgetting and unintentional forgetting to evaluate theoretical interpretations of the retrieval mechanisms thought to be involved. Unintentional forgetting of negative words was consistent with a repression-like interpretation, whereas intentional forgetting of negative words appeared to be limited by sensitization. Personality correlates of the recall results were identified and were found to be in support of these interpretations.
A randomized trial examining the effect of pretreatment point-of-care computed tomography imaging on the management of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis symptoms.

Background Recent consensus statements on the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) now require endoscopic or radiographic evidence of paranasal sinus inflammation. The timing of point-of-care (POC) computed tomography (CT) scan in the workup of these patients remains to be elucidated, particularly when endoscopy is negative. The objective of this research was to prospectively evaluate 2 algorithms for the initial management of patients with symptoms of CRS who manifest a normal nasal endoscopic examination. Methods A total of 40 such patients were randomized to 1 of 2 pathways: POC-CT at the initial visit followed by medical therapy based upon CT results (pre-CT group; n = 20), or empiric medical therapy (EMT) followed by POC posttreatment CT if symptoms persisted (EMT group; n = 20). Results The 2 groups were demographically and symptomatically similar with regard to 2003 Task Force major criteria. Otolaryngology follow-up was recommended in 11 of 20 pre-CT patients, all of whom (100%) returned. In contrast, only 10 of 20 EMT patients (50%) followed up as instructed (p < 0.05). Radiographic confirmation of CRS was found in 8 of 20 pre-CT patients, and only 2 of 9 patients after EMT (p = 0.61). EMT patients received more antibiotic prescriptions (relative ratio [RR], 2.50; 95% CI, 1.46–4.27), while pre-CT patients received more CT scans (RR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.37–3.61). Overall prescriptions costs were similar to the EMT group ($253 vs $218; p = 0.37) and the overall number of otolaryngology visits was similar. Conclusion In patients with symptoms of CRS but negative endoscopy, POC at initial presentation results in substantially less unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and significantly greater compliance with otolaryngology care but does result in a higher utilization of radiographic imaging. © 2011 ARS-AAOA, LLC.
Human immunoglobulin D: genomic sequence of the delta heavy chain

The DNA coding for the human immunoglobulin D(IgD) heavy chain (delta, delta) has been sequenced including the membrane and secreted termini. Human delta, like that of the mouse, has a separate exon for the carboxyl terminus of the secreted form. This feature of human and mouse IgD distinguishes it from all other immunoglobulins regardless of species or class. The human gene is different from that of the mouse; it has three, rather than two, constant region domains; and its lengthy hinge is encoded by two exons rather than one. Except for the third constant region, the human and mouse genes are only distantly related.
Integral circulant graphs

In this note we characterize integral graphs among circulant graphs. It is conjectured that there are exactly 2^@t^(^n^)^-^1 non-isomorphic integral circulant graphs on n vertices, where @t(n) is the number of divisors of n.
Derivation of Rigid Body Analysis Models from Vehicle Architecture Abstractions

Vehicle analysis models of every type have their basis in some type of physical representation of the design domain. Rather than describing three-dimensional continua of a collection of components as is done in detail-level CAD models, an architecture-level abstraction describes fundamental function and arrangement, while capturing just enough physical detail to be used as the basis for a meaningful representation of the design, and eventually, analyses that permit architecture assessment. The design information captured by the abstractions is available at the very earliest stages of the vehicle developing process, so the model itself can function as a “design space for ideas”. In this paper we describe a generalized process for analysis model extraction from vehicle architecture abstractions, and then apply that process to the specific case of rigid body response models. We also discuss implementation of a rigid body analysis engine that forms part of the analysis suite of a software package supporting all aspects of vehicle architecture design.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005

Abstract The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active of record. Twenty-eight storms occurred, including 27 tropical storms and one subtropical storm. Fifteen of the storms became hurricanes, and seven of these became major hurricanes. Additionally, there were two tropical depressions and one subtropical depression. Numerous records for single-season activity were set, including most storms, most hurricanes, and highest accumulated cyclone energy index. Five hurricanes and two tropical storms made landfall in the United States, including four major hurricanes. Eight other cyclones made landfall elsewhere in the basin, and five systems that did not make landfall nonetheless impacted land areas. The 2005 storms directly caused nearly 1700 deaths. This includes approximately 1500 in the United States from Hurricane Katrina—the deadliest U.S. hurricane since 1928. The storms also caused well over $100 billion in damages in the United States alone, making 2005 the costliest hurricane season of record.
Feeding and masticatory structures of selected Anomura (Crustacea)

Abstract Seven species representing the three superfamilies of the Anomura were studied regarding food, feeding mechanisms, and masticating ossicles of the gastric mill in order to determine whether the structure of the gastric mill was determined by diet or phylogeny. The hippid representative and both porcellanids examined feed on suspended detritus and plankton while the pagurids feed on a variety of substances ranging from detritus to motile prey. The morphology of the mouthparts and chela are related to feeding activity, especially the hippid and porcellanids, but general features of feeding requiring specific anatomical characters were not found in the paguridae. Feeding similarity was measured using the overlap measure of Horn. Among the species the masticating ossicles of the gastric mill differ in those species feeding primarily on detritus; it is finely toothed or setose with the masticating portions of the ossicles blunt. The gastric mill of the species feeding on macromaterial is strongly toothed and sparcely setose, with the masticating portions sharp and cutting. The structure of the gastric mill was found to be influenced by both diet and phylogeny, but the effect of diet appears to be more important.
The Theological Challenge of Charismatic Spirituality

In 1992 the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. In the course of those twenty-five years the Renewal has influenced thousands of lives in this country and has become an international movement in Christian spirituality. After a quarter of a century of charismatic spirituality, we would do well to take stock of its theological significance: both its contributions and the problems it has raised. My remarks on those contributions and problems fall into four sections. The first section attempts to reflect on the theological context within which the charismatic renewal originally occurred. The second section considers the initial theological impact that the renewal had on popular faith and the initial response it provoked in the academic community. The third section deals with some of the theological insights that have emerged from reflection on the renewal. The fourth section deals with the charismatic renewal's unfilled theological promise.
THE MAN WHO WAS WALTER

His tall upright figure and quick penetrating glance indicate the man of energy and decision, and those who are most intimately acquainted with him know best that these qualities are combined with a large measure of kindliness and breadth of view, and a readiness to be of use to such as are brought into contact with him in official capacity and in private life. (Biograph 158)IT IS MY PURPOSE to demonstrate that the above paragraph, published in 1880, is a description of the man who wrote My Secret Life, the man who called himself Walter. I shall be very little concerned with literary or psychological analysis. I intend simply to present the process of research which led me to conclude, beyond reasonable doubt, that I have discovered the identity of the author, then to summarize such biographical information as I have been able to obtain from contemporary sources or archival records, and to comment, where necessary, on the correspondences or differences between Walter’s narrative and the real man’s outer life.
Labor Staffing and Scheduling Models for Controlling Service Levels

The problems of labor staffing and scheduling have received substantial attention in the literature. We introduce two new models of the labor staffing and scheduling problems that avoid the limitations of existing models. Collectively, the models have five important attributes. First, both models ensure the delivery of a minimally acceptable level of service in all periods. Second, one model can identify the least expensive way of delivering a specified aggregate level of customer service (the labor staffing problem and a form of labor scheduling problem). Third, the other model can identify the highest level of service attainable with a fixed amount of labor (the other form of the labor scheduling problem). Fourth, the models enable managers to identify the pareto relationship between labor costs and customer service. Fifth, the models allow a degree of control over service levels that is unattainable with existing models. Because of these attributes, which existing models largely do not possess, we expect these models to have broad applicability in a wide range of organizations operating in both competitive and noncompetitive environments. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 44: 719–740, 1997
Dosage effect and the efficacy of a video-based teamwork-building series with urban elementary school children

Abstract This study examines the role of implementation dosage in the effectiveness of a school-based social and emotional skills-building curriculum, the Talking with TJ video series, among urban, predominantly minority elementary school children. It was hypothesized that children in higher dosage schools will exhibit greater improvements in their social skills and reductions in their problematic behaviors than children from low dosage schools. It was also expected that children in higher dosage schools will report more positive feelings about their self-concept. Results from 655 second and third graders from 6 elementary schools in an urban district confirmed the first hypothesis. After controlling for pre-assessment differences between the two dosage groups, ANCOVAs confirmed that children in high implementation groups had higher ratings of social skills and lower ratings of problem behaviors during post-assessment period while their counterparts received higher ratings of problem behaviors and lower r...
Business Process Adaptations via Protocols

Business process management in service-oriented computing (SOC) environments poses special challenges. In particular, SOC environments are dynamic, thereby requiring frequent changes in business processes. Current business process modeling approaches handle such changes in an ad hoc manner, and lack a principled means of determining what needs to be changed and where. This paper addresses process adaptability through a novel application of business protocols, especially of protocol composition, introduced in our previous work. Through a real business scenario of auto-insurance claim processing, this paper demonstrates how a wide range of adaptations can be handled naturally and systematically via protocol composition. The illustrated adaptations have been evaluated via a prototype.
Comments on Solution of the system of linear algebraic equations by decreasing dimension

We show that the decreasing dimension method proposed by H. Wang and J. Jiang in ''Solution of the system of linear algebraic equations by decreasing dimension'' [Appl. Math. Comput. 109 (2000) 51], is a type of Schur complement domain decomposition method. The decreasing dimension method is more expensive than the standard Schur complement domain decomposition method for solving any linear systems.
Placement Instability and Risky Behaviors of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Youth who age out of foster care are at risk of poor outcomes and risky behaviors in young adulthood. Yet, little is known about what child welfare workers can do to decrease these risks. The effect of foster care placement instability on substance use and risky sexual behaviors is examined using data from 114 young adults who aged out of care. When controlling for variables commonly associated with these behaviors, a history of foster care placement instability increased the young adults’ likelihood to use substances. Child welfare practitioners could potentially reduce the vulnerability of this population by providing them greater stability during adolescence.
Synthetic Lethal Interactions Suggest a Role for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rtf1 Protein in Transcription Elongation

Strong evidence indicates that transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II (pol II) is a highly regulated process. Here we present genetic results that indicate a role for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rtf1 protein in transcription elongation. A screen for synthetic lethal mutations was carried out with an rtf1 deletion mutation to identify factors that interact with Rtf1 or regulate the same process as Rtf1. The screen uncovered mutations in SRB5, CTK1, FCP1, and POB3. These genes encode an Srb/mediator component, a CTD kinase, a CTD phosphatase, and a protein involved in the regulation of transcription by chromatin structure, respectively. All of these gene products have been directly or indirectly implicated in transcription elongation, indicating that Rtf1 may also regulate this process. In support of this view, we show that RTF1 functionally interacts with genes that encode known elongation factors, including SPT4, SPT5, SPT16, and PPR2. We also show that a deletion of RTF1 causes sensitivity to 6-azauracil and mycophenolic acid, phenotypes correlated with a transcription elongation defect. Collectively, our results suggest that Rtf1 may function as a novel transcription elongation factor in yeast.
Comparison of Some Wind Turbine Blade Tests in Various Configurations

As part of the SEM Dynamic Substructuring Subgroup, several different dynamic modeling scenarios are to be studied in an attempt to identify an overall substructuring modeling strategy that can be used. A wind turbine system was chosen as a test bed to deploy some of those techniques. Two separate wind turbines with a total of six blades are available for this study.
Designing a Constrained Optimal Orbit for Earth Observation Satellites Based on User Requirements

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate user requirements for a satellite observation mission can be used to determine a constrained optimal orbit based on observation site requirements, observation condition restraints, and sensor characteristics. The design process is outlined starting with mapping the user requirements into constraints. The cost function and optimization process are then discussed. Global and regional case studies are presented to show the effectiveness of the design process.
The invention of concurrent programming

The author selects classic papers written by the computer scientists who made the major breakthroughs in concurrent programming. These papers cover the pioneering era of the field from the semaphores of the mid 1960s to the remote procedure calls of the late 1970s. The author summarizes the classic papers and puts them in historical perspective.
Mercury concentrations of a resident freshwater forage fish at Adak Island, Aleutian Archipelago, Alaska

The Aleutian Archipelago is an isolated arc of over 300 volcanic islands stretching 1,600 km across the interface of the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean. Although remote, some Aleutian Islands were heavily impacted by military activities from World War II until recently and were exposed to anthropogenic contaminants, including mercury (Hg). Mercury is also delivered to these islands via global atmospheric transport, prevailing ocean currents, and biotransport by migratory species. Mercury contamination of freshwater ecosystems is poorly understood in this region. Total Hg (THg) concentrations were measured in threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected from eight lakes at Adak Island, an island in the center of the archipelago with a long military history. Mean THg concentrations for fish whole-body homogenates for all lakes ranged from 0.314 to 0.560 mg/kg dry weight. Stickleback collected from seabird-associated lakes had significantly higher concentrations of THg compared to non-seabird lakes, including all military lakes. The δ(13)C stable isotope ratios of stickleback collected from seabird lakes suggest an input of marine-derived nutrients and/or marine-derived Hg.
A culturalist critique of ‘online community’ in new media studies:

This essay provides an overview of the theoretical perspectives and trends in the study of online community. It traces the genealogy of the community concept, addressing the conflicting views of community as a morally valued way of life and as a complex of social relationships in Western sociology. The essay also critiques the network approach to online community for its inadequate conceptualization of culture, which provides a particular tradition of meanings for social action. Lastly, under the rubrics of development and modernization, the paper contrasts the conception of online community as social network with what has been observed about the social and political lifeworlds of East Asian societies.
Some Advances in Application of TLC to Diagnostic Toxicology

Abstract During this last year we have progressed in our abilities to make diagnostic toxicological analyses by TLC. Two which I will present are the analysis for Lincomycin and Slaframine.(1) The former, a drug which is very bad for horses, and the latter, a naturally occurring mycotoxin which has had a very large effect on animals this last year.(2) In addition to cases involving closer pastures, this last year alfalfa pasture and hay and grasses have been involved.
Classification of Neisseria meningitidis Group B into Distinct Serotypes. III. Application of a New Bactericidal-Inhibition Technique to Distribution of Serotypes among Cases and Carriers

The development of sensitive serologic techniques in this laboratory has enabled the subdivision of group B meningococci into 11 distinct serotypes. The establishment of serologic types within group B has permitted these preliminary epidemiologic studies of disease due to group B Neisseria meningitidis. A sensitive technique for bactericidal inhibition is described. This technique and two other methods have been used to serotype a large number of group B strains. Strains with the type 2 antigen (i.e., type 2-associated serotypes) were the most prevalent. Almost 75% of the group B, type 2-associated strains examined were isolated from patients with meningococcal disease. In addition, 69% of these type 2-associated strains were resistant to sulfisoxazole at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ 100 ml, whereas only 17% of non-type 2 serotypes were resistant to this level of sulfisoxazole. When strains from carriers were examined, the non-type 2 serotypes represented 78% of these carrier strains.
Nutritional “Omics” Technologies for Elucidating the Role(s) of Bioactive Food Components in Colon Cancer Prevention

Evidence continues to implicate dietary components and genetic susceptibilities as important determinants of cancer risk and tumor behavior. Variation in cancer incidence among and within populations with similar dietary patterns suggests that an individual's response may reflect interactions with genetic factors, which may modify gene, protein, and metabolite expression patterns. Nutrigenomics, defined as the interaction between nutrition and an individual's genome, will likely provide important clues about responders and nonresponders. In this symposium, the role of bioactive food components in colon cancer susceptibility was used to exemplify the application of "omic" technologies for cancer prevention. Topics that were addressed included dietary changes and gene polymorphisms (nutrigenetics), DNA methylation (nutritional epigenomics), gene expression (nutritional transcriptomics), altered formation or bioactivation of proteins (proteomics), and characterizing how the quantity and timing of exposure influence small molecular weight cellular constituents (metabolomics). The final presentation focused on exfoliated cells as a surrogate sample for the evaluation of bioactive food components in cancer prevention. The goal of the symposium was to provide an example of each of the "omic" technologies as they relate to nutrition, cancer risk, and tumor behavior, and to help the participants understand that an integrated framework that simultaneously examines all of the "omic" technologies is needed.
Alpha-synuclein targets the plasma membrane via the secretory pathway and induces toxicity in yeast.

A pathological feature of Parkinson's disease is the presence of Lewy bodies within selectively vulnerable neurons. These are ubiquitinated cytoplasmic inclusions containing α-synuclein, an abundant protein normally associated with presynaptic terminals. Point mutations in the α-synuclein gene (A30P and A53T), as well as triplication of the wild-type (WT) locus, have been linked to autosomal dominant Parkinson's. How these alterations might contribute to disease progression is unclear. Using the genetically tractable yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system, we find that both the WT and the A53T isoforms of α-synuclein initially localize to the plasma membrane, to which they are delivered via the classical secretory pathway. In contrast, the A30P mutant protein disperses within the cytoplasm and does not associate with the plasma membrane, and its intracellular distribution is unaffected by mutations in the secretory pathway. When their expression is elevated, WT and A53T, but not A30P, are toxic to cells. At moderate levels of expression, WT and A53T induce the cellular stress (heat-shock) response and are toxic to cells bearing mutations in the 20S proteasome. Our results reveal a link between plasma membrane targeting of α-synuclein and its toxicity in yeast and suggest a role for the quality control (QC) system in the cell's effort to deal with this natively unfolded protein.
Transaction capabilities application part and intelligent network services

The architecture of the transaction capabilities application part of the Signaling System Number 7 protocol as defined by CCITT is reviewed, and the key characteristics of the protocol and the formats and procedures are examined. The effectiveness of transaction capabilities for intelligent network service applications is illustrated by several transaction-based examples. These include the freephone or the 800 service, the calling card service, and the message transfer part routing verification test. >
Women Bound to Be Active: a pilot study to explore the feasibility of an intervention to increase physical activity and self-worth in women.

ABSTRACT Increasing physical activity (PA) has become a national health objective due to its associated health benefits, but low participation rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of an 8-month (September 2006–April 2007) PA book club (Women Bound to Be Active-WBA) in increasing PA and self-worth (SW) among women. Fifty-six adult women participated in an 8-month intervention consisting of weekly meetings designed to improve PA knowledge, awareness, confidence, and SW. Results indicated a significant increase in PA and SW. The WBA program represents a creative theory-based approach to empowering women to be more active.
Glucose: A Simple Molecule That Is Not Simple to Quantify

Small increments in blood glucose substantially increase the risk of developing diabetes mellitus; but preanalytical and analytical variables, such as the absence of harmonization for glucose assays, make it difficult to correctly apply these epidemiological insights to individual patients. Harmonization can be improved if 3 variables are addressed: changing proficiency test grading from consensus based to accuracy based, effectively controlling glycolysis, and taking into account the time of day blood was collected. The continuous and graded quantitative relationship of fasting glucose measurements to the risk of developing diabetes was well documented recently by Tirosh et al.(1). They found an increased risk of type 2 diabetes across quintiles of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentrations within the newly defined reference range, <5.55 mmol/L (<100 mg/dL). For example, a person with an FPG between 4.83 and 5.00 mmol/L (87 and 90 mg/dL) has an age-adjusted risk of developing diabetes that is 1.81 times that of a person with an FPG <4.55 mmol/L (82 mg/dL; 95% CI 1.16–2.83). Thus, a difference as small as 0.28 mmol/L (5 mg/dL) nearly doubles the risk. Higher concentrations of FPG …
Thin Film Polymer Composite Scintillators for Thermal Neutron Detection

Thin film polystyrene composite scintillators containing <path id="x36" d="M137 343l67 33q37 17 63 17q79 0 129.5 -53t50.5 -131q0 -92 -58 -156.5t-147 -64.5t-147 68t-58 182q0 63 17 119t43 95.5t61.5 72t69 52t67.5 31.5q62 22 128 33l6 -32q-56 -11 -108 -35q-149 -71 -184 -231zM227 337q-47 0 -95 -27q-6 -23 -6 -70q0 -93 36 -155.5 t96 -62.5q53 0 78 45.5t25 105.5q0 68 -35 116t-99 48z" /> <path id="x46" d="M493 503l-29 -4q-13 56 -28 80q-13 22 -35.5 29.5t-78.5 7.5h-76q-22 0 -27.5 -5t-5.5 -27v-238h103q66 0 82.5 12t25.5 62h29v-193h-29q-9 54 -25.5 67t-82.5 13h-103v-181q0 -64 15 -78.5t84 -19.5v-28h-272v28q61 5 74.5 19.5t13.5 78.5v399q0 64 -13 78t-72 19v28 h440q1 -40 10 -147z" /> and organic fluors have been fabricated and tested as thermal neutron detectors. Varying fluorescence emission intensities for different compositions are interpreted in terms of the Beer-Lambert law and indicate that the sensitivity of fluorescent sensors can be improved by incorporating transparent particles with refractive index different than that of the polymer matrix. Compositions and thicknesses were varied to optimize the fluorescence and thermal neutron response and to reduce gamma-ray sensitivity. Neutron detection efficiency and neutron/gamma-ray discrimination are reported herein as functions of composition and thickness. Gamma-ray sensitivity is affected largely by changing thickness and unaffected by the amount of in the film. The best neutron/gamma-ray discrimination characteristics are obtained for film thicknesses in the range 25–150 μm.
Distributed signal cancelation inspired by Witsenhausen's counterexample

We consider the problem of two-stage signal cancelation based on noisy observations. This problem turns out to be an extension of the Witsenhausen counterexample — a famous open problem in distributed control. Cost is imposed on the power expended by the first controller, and the residual signal after the actions of the two controllers. Along the lines of a recent approximate solution to the Witsenhausen counterexample, we provide an approximate solution to this distributed signal cancelation problem to within a constant factor. This approximation holds uniformly over all problem parameters and for all vector lengths.
Coral calcification feels the acid

As the world’s largest reservoir of exchangeable carbon on millennial timescales, the oceans play a dominant role in global change. Indeed, the oceans currently act as a major sink for anthropogenic carbon (1), partially moderating increases in atmospheric CO2 at the expense of a more acidic ocean. One of the great challenges for the next century is understanding how this shift in seawater chemistry will affect marine systems. Serving as a vivid microcosm for the ocean as whole, coral reefs display the beauty, diversity, and complexity of the ocean, while also exhibiting the ocean’s sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Built from a framework of CaCO3 skeletons, coral reefs are particularly sensitive to ocean acidification because acidified seawater tends to slow skeletal growth (2). Despite the threat posed by ocean acidification to reef health, the detailed mechanisms responsible for this sensitivity are still poorly understood. In PNAS, Venn et al. (3) address a key component of this problem, providing a detailed view of the chemical-scale changes that link coral skeletal growth and ocean acidification.
Fortify particle swam optimizer (PSO) with principal components analysis: A case study in improving bound-handling for optimizing high-dimensional and complex problems

It is reported that the absorbing bound-handling approach may paralyze PSO when it is applied to high-dimensional and complex problems. In this study, we introduce principal components analysis (PCA) into PSO in order to remedy the problem caused by the absorbing bound-handling approach. The experiments on 100-D composition functions demonstrate the effectiveness of PCA. Furthermore, the strong influence of bound-handling on PSO is also evidently revealed by the results. The fact that none of the studied bound-handling methods excels on all of the benchmark functions highlights the necessity of developing more sophisticated and robust bound-handling approaches that can facilitate the application of PSO on high-dimensional problems.
Coke formation of model compounds relevant to pyrolysis bio-oil over ZSM-5

Abstract Formation of coke during biomass catalytic pyrolysis deteriorates the selectivity to valuable liquid products and deactivates the catalyst, due to pore blocking and active site poisoning. In this work we investigate reaction mechanisms of coke formation and the structure of coke, formed from model compounds of relevance to biomass catalytic pyrolysis. Specifically, toluene, propylene, tolualdehyde and furan are catalytically pyrolyzed over ZSM-5, focusing on their yields to catalytic coke. Pyrolysis over inert silica is also performed, in order to understand the extent of thermal reactions. The pyrolysis product distribution of each model compound is presented and discussed in comparison with coke formation mechanisms proposed in the literature. It is shown that coke is mainly formed via oligomerization and polymerization of aromatic hydrocarbons and olefins. Catalytic reactions enhance the production of coke with higher crystallinity, less condensed structure and higher H/C ratio. Catalytic pyrolysis of toluene and tolualdehyde produces coke of similar structure, containing significant amounts of aliphatic carbons. Among the model compounds studied, furan produces the most condensed form of coke with no aliphatic carbons.
Strategisches Management und Controlling von Technologien

Mehrere parallel ablaufende Entwicklungen haben in den vergangenen Jahren zu einer Intensivierung des technologischen Wettbewerbs und zu einer wachsenden Bedeutung unternehmerischer Innovation beigetragen. Hierzu zahlen u. a. die Globalisierung der Markte (Stichworte “Triade” und “1992”), eine nicht abebbende Flutwelle technischer Neuentwicklungen mit Breitencharakter (Mikroelektronik, Materialtechnik, Biotechnologie) und nicht zuletzt die immer wieder zu konstatierenden Umbruche in den Markt-und Wettbewerbsstrukturen. Letztere fuhren dazu, das in verstarktem Mase Ubergriffe uber Branchengrenzen hinweg erfolgen, die durch Querschnittstechnologien erleichtert oder gar erzwungen werden.
Crosslinking of Polymers with Dimaleimides. I.

Abstract From gelation and compounding studies, dimaleimides were found to crosslink a wide variety of polymers including unsaturated hydrocarbon types, polyethylene, polymers containing amino groups and a urethan polymer. Except for the amino-containing polymers, the presence of catalytic amounts of peroxide was necessary for effective crosslinking. The chemistry of the crosslinking processes is discussed.
The Nature of Civil Society in Hybrid Regimes in the MENA Region

Since the end of the Cold War, authoritarian leaders in the Arab world have responded to mounting pressures from both internal and external actors to democratize by adopting a variety of liberalization measures, including implementing elections, opening up the space for civil society and granting new civil liberties to previously disenfranchised groups, such as women and minorities. During the past five years alone, regimes across the region instituted remarkable acts that appeared to set the Middle East on a course toward electoral democracy. Several states held historic elections - Saudi Arabia held its first municipal elections in 50 years, Bahrain its first parliamentary elections in 30 years, Egypt its first ever competitive presidential elections, and opposition parties made great gains in elections in Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon and Egypt– while Qatar adopted its first written constitution. However, while these acts largely succeeded in appeasing Washington (and London and Paris), these liberalization measures were not benevolent acts by Arab regimes interested in increasing the political rights and civil liberties of their citizens, but rather a conscious strategy to satisfy international donors and the masses, while simultaneously maintaining a hold on power. As Robert Bianchi, writing in the 1980s, described the situation in one Arab state, “Fearful of the social unrest and political opposition that such choices would inevitably provoke, Egypt’s rulers have tried to promote a live-and-let-live attitude among antagonistic interests and ideologies without relinquishing power to any of them.”In response to this wave of liberalization without democratization, scholars have stopped asking, “Why is the Arab world not democratic?” and instead asked over and over again, “why is the Arab world still autocratic?” This has led to a much better understanding of how Arab autocrats manipulate institutions and actors in order to stay in power while maintaining domestic and international legitimacy. But, despite the breadth of scholarship on the persistence of authoritarianism in the Arab world, today we understand very little about how this form of entrenched authoritarianism impacts the people who live in Arab regimes.As I will argue in more detail below, over the past few decades, Arab regimes have initiated multiple strategies to simultaneously give off the appearance of political liberalization while limiting the capacity of non-regime actors to successfully function. This has led to a unique configuration of “liberalization under coercion.”
Regulation von Low- (LDL) und High- (HDL) Density Lipoprotein-Bindungsorten an Fibroblasten von Stoffwechselgesunden und homozygoten familiären Hypercholesterinämikern (HFH)

Die Kenntnis des Stoffwechsels der Lipoproteine und ihrer einzelnen Bestandteile, insbesondere des Cholesterins, ist in den letzten Jahren wesentlich durch Untersuchungen an Zellkulturen von Hautfibroblasten Stoffwechselgesunder wie familiarer hypercholeste-rinamischer Patienten erweitert worden. Dabei konnte an normalen Hautfibroblasten gezeigt werden, das VLDL, LDL und HDL an die Zelloberflache gebunden, danach in die Zelle aufgenommen und in den Lysosomen abgebaut werden konnen. Sie unterscheiden sich in der jeweiligen Bindungsaffinitat zur Zelloberflachenmembran, der Aufnahmerate und in den ihrem Abbau folgenden regulativen Eigenschaften auf die HMG-CoA-Reduk-tase, die Acyl-CoA: Cholesteryl-Acyl-Transferase und auf die LDL-Rezeptorenkonzentration.
Pseudolymphoma of the stomach.

The inclusion of patients with pseudolymphoma, a benign lesion that may be confused with lymphosarcoma, may be the explanation for the variation in clinical course reported in series of patients with gastric lymphosarcoma. Pseudolymphoma of the stomach may be a variation of chronic gastric ulcer.
Charlotte Brontë, ‘Biographical Notice of Ellis and Acton Bell’, written for a new edition of Wuthering Heights, 1850; rpt, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë (Ellis Bell) and Agnes Grey, by Anne Brontë (Acton Bell), in Works of the Sisters Brontë, Haworth Edition, vol. v (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1903), pp. xliii-li

it has been thought that all the works published under the names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell were, in reality, the production of one person. This mistake I endeavoured to rectify by a few words of disclaimer prefixed to the third edition of ‘Jane Eyre’. These, too, it appears, failed to gain general credence, and now, on the occasion of a reprint of ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Agnes Grey’, I am advised distinctly to state how the case really stands.
Rinnegan: Efficient Resource Use in Heterogeneous Architectures

Current processors provide a variety of different processing units to improve performance and power efficiency. For example, ARM's big.LITTLE, AMD's APUs, and Oracle's M7 provide heterogeneous processors, on-die GPUs, and on-die accelerators. However, the performance experienced by programs using these processing units can vary widely due to contention from multiprogramming, thermal constraints and other issues. In these systems, the decision of where to execute a task must consider not only execution time of the task, but also current system conditions. We built Rinnegan, a Linux kernel extension and runtime library, to perform scheduling and handle task placement in heterogeneous systems. The Rinnegan kernel extension monitors and reports the utilization of all processing units to applications, which then makes placement decisions at user level. The Rinnegan runtime provides a performance model to predict the speedup and overhead of offloading a task. With this model and the current utilization of processing units, the runtime can select the task placement that best achieves an application's performance goals, such as low latency, high throughput, or real-time deadlines. When integrated with StarPU, a runtime system for heterogeneous architectures, Rinnegan improves StarPU by performing 1.5– 2× better than its native scheduling policies in a shared heterogeneous environment.
Exit site care in pediatric peritoneal dialysis

小児腹膜透析 (PD) 患者においてカテーテル出口部感染症は透析の継続にかかわる重大な合併症であるが, 出口部ケアに統一された方法はない. 今回, 私たちはわが国および北米主要PD施設におけるカテーテルケアの現状を把握するため, 郵送による記入式アンケート調査を行ったので報告する.調査はわが国の20施設およびNorth American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) に所属する66施設のPDナースまたは担当医宛に行った. 調査項目は以下の通りである. (1) カテーテル挿入直後のケア: 初回包帯交換時期, 消毒・出口部カバーの方法, シャワーの開始時期 (2) 日常のカテーテルケア: 包帯交換の頻度, 出口部の清潔ケア方法, シャワー・入浴・水泳の許可について.アンケートの回収率はわが国, 北米それぞれ65.0%, 43.9%であった. カテーテル挿入直後の出口部ケアは, 概ねpovidone iodine液消毒・ガーゼカバーであった. 術後, 初回の包帯交換は日本では翌日に行われる施設が多かったが, ほとんどの北米施設では2日目以降, 21.4%が7日目に行っていた. 同様に日常の出口部ケアにも違いがみられた. わが国ではpovidone iodine液消毒が多いのに対して, 北米では石鹸洗浄に主眼が置かれ, 48.2%の施設が石鹸だけでケアを行っていた. また, 北米施設の31.0%が出口部をカバーしていないことも特徴的であった.今回の検討から, 消毒に関する是非はともかくPDカテーテルケアの原則は石鹸と水での入念な洗浄とカテーテルのしっかりした固定であり, 消毒薬や出口部カバーについてはそれぞれの国, および各施設により異なった意見を持っていた. 今後, これらの出口部ケア方法を統一した定義を作り, それに基づいて算出された出口部感染率によって評価していく必要があると考えられた.