cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the National Archives of South Africa Act: A Comparative Analysis of the Previous and Present Statutes Governing Access to Archives and Public Records, with Special Focus on the Implications of PAIA for Public Archives Services

Access by the public to archives and public records in South Africa has been significantly affected by the introduction of the National Archives of South Africa Act (No. 43 of 1996), which replaced the Archives Act (No. 6 of 1962), and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000). This article attempts a comparative analysis of the previous and present statutes governing access to archives and public records with a special focus on the implications of the Promotion of Access to Information Act for public archives services. While the latter Act also provides for access to private records, this article focuses largely on public records. An organising theme relates to the notion that archives and public records issue from and express power relations within society. Consequently the acts of creating records, keeping them and having access to them are significant indicators of the balance of power in society. The article seeks to explore and question the extent to which the new legislation has shifted the location of power. The article commences with a general set of motivations for freedom of information legislation, and then offers some theoretical underpinnings relating to the organising theme. The previous position regarding access to public archives and official records, both in terms of statute and in practice, is discussed. The main body of the article discusses the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (in conjunction with the National Archives Act) regarding access to archives and public records with special focus on the implications thereof for public archives services. This is followed by some administrative implications and a conclusion. ESARBICA Journal Vol.21 2002: 2-16
Intestinal Lactase Activity in the Suckling Rat: Influence of Hypophysectomy and Thyroidectomy

Intestinal lactase activity, which is high in the infant rat intestine but falls to a low level by the end of the third week, fails to decline in animals hypophysectomized at the age of 6 days. Treating these animals with thyroxine lowers lactase activity to the control level at 24 days, but cortisone is only partly effective. Thyroidectomy at 6 days also results in persistence of high lactase activity; thyroxine again is more effective than cortisone in reducing activity. The thyroid gland appears to play a previously unsuspected role in intestinal maturation.
Energy dependence of cross section for charge pickup of relativistic heavy ions.

We have measured the cross sections for charge pickup ({Delta}{ital Z}=+1) reactions of {sup 139}La nuclei at three energies in the interval 390--560 MeV/nucleon in a stack of VG-13 glass detectors ({l angle}{ital A}{r angle}=26). Our results support evidence by Binnes {ital et} {ital al}. that the cross sections for charge pickup by heavy nuclei increase as the energy decreases below {similar to}600 MeV/nucleon.
The oxygen to carbon dioxide ratios observed in emissions from a wildfire in northern California

At Trinidad, California we observed elevated CO2 concentrations and concomitant lowered O2 levels coincident with forest fires 70 km distant (from 10/8/99 to 10/21/99). The precision of our O2 data, ±1 µmol O2/mol dry air, revealed the reduction of atmospheric oxygen resulting from the combustion of biomass, and the stoichiometric ratios (−O2/CO2) of the wildfire emissions. Estimates of daily −O2/CO2 ratios were obtained by regression of CO2 against corresponding O2 data (R² 0.86 to 0.96). Daily −O2/CO2 ratios changed from 1.15 to 1.41 on a particularly smoky day that coincided with elevated levels of CH4 and increased CH4/CO2 ratios. The change to a higher ratio during smoky conditions illustrates the association between changing emissions and −O2/CO2 ratios, possibly due to changing wildfire dynamics.
LIGHT-INDUCED CAROTENE SYNTHESIS IN MUTANTS OF PHYCOMYCES WITH ABNORMAL PHOTOTROPISM

— Mutants of Phycomyces. abnormal in their phototropic responses (the mad mutants), have been tested for their responses in light-induced carotene synthesis (LICS). The amount of carotene synthesized at any given fluence is significantly lower in the madA, madB and madD mutants than in the wild type. The amount of carotene is not lower in other mad mutants (madC, madE, madF and madG). The double mutant mad A madB and the triple mutant mad A madB madC show stronger effects. The wild type strain, as well as those carrying a single mad mutation (madA and madB) or those carrying two or three mad mutations (madA madB. madA madB madC) show closely similar sensitivity to LICS. This contrasts with phototropism and photoinitiation of sporangiophores which are sensitive to extremely small signals in the wild type and in which the madA mutation decreases the sensitivity by nearly a factor of 104 and madB mutation by a factor of 105. It appears that LICS does not share the signal amplification mechanisms characteristic of the other two responses.
Hippocampus-dependent learning facilitated by a monoclonal antibody or D-cycloserine

Persistent neuronal plasticity, including that observed at some hippocampal synapses, requires N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated transmission. NMDA receptor activation may be necessary for hippocampus-dependent learning as antagonists block acquisition in many such tasks. The behavioural effects of NMDA agonists are less well defined. We have shown that a monoclonal antibody (B6B21) displaced [3H]-glycine that was bound specifically to the NMDA receptor, and enhanced the opening of its integral cation channel in a glycine-like fashion, effects that were competitively antagonized by 7-chlorokynurenic acid. B6B21 also enhanced long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices. We report here that intraventricular infusions of B6B21 significantly enhances acquisition rates in hippocampus-dependent trace eye blink conditioning in rabbits, halving the number of trials required to reach a criterion of 80% conditioned responses. Peripheral injections of D-cycloserine, a partial agonist of the glycine site on the NMDA receptor which crosses the blood-brain barrier, also doubles rabbits' learning rates. Pseudoconditioning control experiments indicated a lack of nonspecific behavioural sensitization effects. Our data suggest that enhanced activation of the glycine coagonist site on the NMDA receptor/channel complex facilitates one form of associative learning and may be used in other learning tasks.
Rupture of the interventricular septum complicating myocardial infarction: Pathological analysis of 10 patients with clinically diagnosed perforations☆

Abstract Among 768 myocardial infarcts in 480 hearts studied after postmortem coronary arteriography and formalin fixation in a distended state, there were 10 infarcts (1.3 per cent) complicated by perforation of the interventricular septum. Infarcts with rupture were large (average 28 per cent of left ventricular surface area), transmural, usually first infarcts, produced by complete occlusion of a coronary artery, and had little opportunity to receive collateral blood flow because of either significant obstructions of adjacent arteries or the pattern of coronary artery distribution. Six hearts had inferior-basilar defects in inferior-septal infarcts and four had mid-apical defects in anterior-septal infarcts. Development of septal rupture may relate to alterations of septal configuration: more curved than normal with inferior-basilar ruptures and bulging into the outflow tract with mid-apical ruptures. Pain was a common feature (50 per cent) of the development of the septal defect. A loud holosystolic murmur and severe hypotension were noted in all cases. Left-sided congestive heart failure was absent in the early post-rupture period. Diagnosis was established by right heart catheterization in the eight patients studied. Post-rupture survival without operation varied from 0.5 to 52 days (average 8 days) and the interval from infarct to rupture ranged from 0.5 to 7 days (average 4 days). The clinical course and pathologic findings in these patients support the desirability of early operative intervention in septal ruptures complicating infarcts.
Anomalous scaling properties of optical excitations in random media

The eigenstates of small radius molecular excitations, coupled by the resonant dipole-dipole interaction, are examined for a system of random resonant centers. Anomalous scaling properties are seen even in the absence of external disordering, i.e. their properties are intermediate between localized and `true' delocalized states. The effective transport properties of excitations can be described in terms of anomalous diffusion, with a distance dependent diffusion coefficient scaling as D approximately 1/R. This anomalous behavior agrees with our simulation of boundary quenching of excitons and with the related experiment on organic light emitting diodes.
On an extension of the Grinberg theorem

Abstract An extension of the Grinberg condition for the existence of Hamiltonian circuits in a planar graph is discussed.
Isolation and separation of cells from the digestive gland epithelium of Busycon canaliculatum

A structural analysis of the intact digestive gland epithelium of Busycon canaliculatum was undertaken at the light and ultrastructual levels. Procedures were developed for the isolation and separation of component epithelial cells by modifying existing pronase digestion techniques. Three distinct cell types were identified following separation by velocity sedimentation. Cells identified after isolation, and separation can be related to the intact digestive gland epithelium.
Reproducibility of absolute resting blood flow by positron emission tomography with a 16-segment myocardial model in chronic coronary artery disease

Abstract Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) with N-13 ammonia (13NH3) and O-15 water (H215O) are widely used in both clinical and research settings. However, their reproducibility with a 16-myocardial segment model has not been examined in chronic coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to test the reproducibility of MBF measurements by PET 13NH3 and PET H215O in an animal model of chronic CAD. Methods: 12 swine (38+5 kg) underwent percutaneous placement of a copper stent in the mid circumflex artery, producing an intense inflammatory-fibrotic reaction with luminal stenosis (91+7%) at 4 weeks. Each animal then underwent repeat resting MBF measurements by PET H215O (19+3 mCi x 2, 10 min apart) and PET 13NH3(18+3 mCi x 2, 50 min apart). Attenuation corrected images were analyzed using commercial software to yield absolute MBF (ml/min/g) in 16 myocardial segments. MBF was also normalized to the rate-pressure product (RPP). Results: Bland-Altman reproducibility plots: Download : Download full-size image The 95% confidence limits for reproducibility were +0.23 and +0.37 ml/min/g for 13NH3 and H215O, respectively. Linear regression correlation coefficients were 0.88 and 0.81 for 13NH3and H215O, respectively. RPP-correction did not improve reproducibility. Conclusions: Using a 16-segment model, resting PET 13NH3MBF was more reproducible than resting PET H215O MBF. Larger studies are needed to confirm findings.
Performance Measurement and the Governance of American Academic Science.

Neoliberal precepts of the governance of academic science-deregulation; reification of markets; emphasis on competitive allocation processes have been conflated with those of performance management—if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it—into a single analytical and consequent single programmatic worldview. As applied to the United States’ system of research universities, this conflation leads to two major divergences from relationships hypothesized in the governance of science literature. (1) The governance and financial structures supporting academic science in the United States’ system of higher education are sufficiently different from those found in many other OECD countries where these policies have been adopted to produce political pressures for an increase rather than a decrease in governmental control over university affairs. (2) The major impact upon academic science of performance measurement systems has come not externally from new government requirements but internally from the independent adoption of these techniques by universities, initially in the name of rational management and increasingly as devices to foster reputational enhancement. The overall thrust of the two trends in the U.S. has been less a shift as experienced elsewhere from bureaucratic to market modes of governance than the displacement of professional-collegial control by internal bureaucratic control.
Energy status, lipid-soluble vitamins, and acute phase proteins in periparturient Holstein and Jersey dairy cows with or without subclinical mastitis.

Abstract In a retrospective, case-controlled, observational study, associations among indices of negative energy balance, plasma lipid and lipid-soluble vitamin concentrations, plasma acute phase protein status, and occurrence of a new subclinical intramammary infection (IMI) during the periparturient period were determined. Cows were paired based on breed and expected parturition date (EPD) and monitored from the cessation of lactation through wk 8 of the subsequent lactation. A cow was identified as developing a new IMI if the intramammary pathogen isolated postpartum differed from that isolated in wk −9 (relative to EPD). Mean body condition score (BCS) of cows at wk −9 was 3.71±0.12. Fifteen Holstein and 15 Jersey dairy cows met the study selection criteria. Cows with a new IMI had greater body condition score, body weight, and body weight loss compared with cows that did not develop a new IMI. Prepartum plasma concentrations of β -carotene were greater for Jersey cows with a new IMI compared with Jersey cows without a new IMI and Holstein cows, regardless of IMI status. However, there was a significant delay in recovery of plasma concentrations of β -carotene postpartum for Jersey cows with a new IMI compared with Jersey cows without a new IMI. Plasma α-tocopherol, albumin, and retinol binding protein concentrations were greater during the periparturient period for cows without a new IMI. Plasma haptoglobin was increased at wk 1 postpartum for cows without a new IMI. Milk protein and lactose percentages and milk urea N were decreased and somatic cell counts were increased in cows identified with a new IMI compared with cows that did not develop a new IMI. Dairy cows with greater tissue energy stores prepartum and reduced plasma proteins, β -carotene, and α-tocopherol had a greater risk for developing a new IMI during the periparturient period.
Coherence- and correspondence-driven work domains: implications for systems design

Abstract A distinction is made between coherence- and correspondence-driven work domains. This novel domain taxonomy is used to argue that the widely accepted goal of making the interface representation compatible with the user's mental model is not always appropriate. For correspondence-driven domains, it is more meaningful to constrain design from the side of the work domain rather than from that of the user. The implications of the coherence/correspondence distinction for the modelling of work domains, for interface design in computer supported co-operative work, and for the development of a multidimensional taxonomy of work domains are also briefly pointed out. The discussion suggests that the correspondence/coherence taxonomy provides a powerful conceptual tool for addressing fundamental issues in human-computer interaction.
American Political Development from Citizens' Perspective: Tracking Federal Government's Presence in Individual Lives over Time

Although scholars of American political development (APD) have helped transform many aspects of the study of U.S. politics over the last quarter-century, they have barely begun to use the powerful analytical tools of this approach to elucidate the relationship between government and citizens. APD research has probed deeply into the processes of state-building and the creation and implementation of specific policies, yet has given little attention to how such development affects the lives of individuals and the ways in which they relate to government. Studies routinely illuminate how policies influence the political roles of elites and organized groups, but barely touch on how the state shapes the experiences and responses of ordinary individuals. As a result, we know little about how governance has influenced citizenship over time or how those changes have, in turn, affected politics.
Advances in Genetic Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental abnormalities characterized by stereotypical communicative and social impairments, affecting 1 in 88 children in the United States. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the etiology of ASD. Autistic traits may be part of features associated with certain syndromes or the sole clinical presentation. Due to extreme heterogeneity and variable expressivity of the condition, clinical diagnosis and management have been challenging. Major advances in genomic technologies, computing power, and bioinformatics analyses have resulted in the accelerated discovery of novel genes and risk loci associated with both inherited and sporadic forms of ASD. Pathogenic genetic defects related to ASD range from single nucleotide variation to gross chromosomal abnormalities. In this review, we first summarize the current understanding of the genetic etiology of ASD; we then discuss how genetic diagnostics may influence the management and genetic counseling of ASD; and finally, we outline the strategy to integrate genetic tests into clinical care of children with ASD. We hope to inform primary care pediatricians and clinical genetic specialists how recent advances in the genetic research of ASD have been translated into clinical genetic testing for patients.
Invisible Ink Revealed: Concept, Context, and Chemical Principles of “Cold War” Writing

By modifying secret writing formulas uncovered from the archives of the East German Ministry of State Security (MfS or Stasi), a novel general chemistry secret writing laboratory was developed. The laboratory combines science and history that highlights several fundamental chemical principles related to the writing. These include catalysis, redox reactions, kinetics, complex formation–precipitation, and acid–base reactions. After a background historical presentation, students don the mantle of counterintelligence to discover the location of a terrorist bomb on campus. In the process of deciphering the secret message, they pull together the chemical concepts to “save the day”.
Intrauterine Intracranial Hemorrhage in an Infant with lsoimmune Thrombocytopenia

An infant with isoimmune thrombocytopenia and presumed intrauterine intra cranial hemorrhage is presented. This infant developed focal seizures on day 6 of life which were controlled with phenobarbital. Presently, the infant is growing and developing normally. Previous cases have been described and are summarized in this paper. There is no known method for predicting or preventing this particular complication.
Evaluation of kel-f—graphite electrodes as detectors for continuous flow systems

Abstract A new electrode material, fabricated from Kel-F powder and graphite powder by pressing at 250°C and 1000 p.s.i., is applied as a detector in a thin-layer, flow-through cell, for applications to continuous flow streams. The detector is useful in a wide range of solvents for a wide range of species. Applications are described for 1,1'-bis(hydroxymethyl) ferrocene (BHMF), ascorbic acid, ferrocene, phenol, and hydroquinone, using various aqueous and methanolic solvent/electrolyte compositions. Detection limits range from 800 pg for BHMF to less than 20 pg for phenol. Background current fluctuations are used to estimate flow rate stability, which is the dominant factor in setting detection limits.
Photoacoustic Spectroscopy of Rare Earth Oxides

A collection of photoacoustic spectra of several readily available stoichiometric rare earth oxide powders is presented. J levels of these spectra are assigned. In addition to the traditional applications of photoacoustic spectroscopy (chemical, physical, and analytical investigations), the technique is useful for studying the kinetics and thermodynamics of intermediate phases of rare earth oxides and surface photochemical reactions of rare earth oxides. The spectra may also reveal information on the lattice structure of powder grains. The need for additional work in rare earth oxide spectroscopy is pointed out.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulates plasminogen activator activity by cultured rat granulosa cells and cumulus-oocyte complexes ☆

Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP), originally considered to be a gut hormone, has recently been found to increase estrogen and progesterone production by ovarian granulosa and luteal cells. Because several studies indicate that granulosa cells and oocytes are capable of producing plasminogen activators, we have studied the effects of VIP on plasminogen activator activity in cultured granulosa cells and cumulus-oocyte complexes collected from the ovaries of hypophysectomized, estrogen-treated immature rats. Using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by a fibrin overlay technique to assess plasminogen activator activity, we observed that treatment with VIP stimulated the secretion of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), but not urinary-type plasminogen activator (uPA), in a dose-dependent manner by cultured granulosa cells as well as by cumulus-oocyte complexes, but not by denuded oocytes. However, preparation of cumulus-free oocytes from cumulus-oocyte complexes which had previously been treated with VIP indicated substantial increases in tPA activity within the oocyte. The actions of VIP on tPA activity in granulosa cells were specific, because other closely related peptides (PHM-27 and glucagon) were ineffective. These effects of VIP, in addition to the previously observed effects on steroidogenesis, suggest that VIP may be an important regulator of ovarian function.
Excess Capacity and Entry Deterrence: The Case of Ocean Liner Shipping Markets

This paper attempts to shed light on the proposal that firms in concentrated industries may keep excess capacity to forestall entry or expansion by rivals. Excess capacity can deter entry by forming expectations on the part of potential entrants that dominant firms are capable of responding aggressively to threats. But in order to make a convincing case for excess capacity as a strategic entry deterrent, all potential sources of excess capacity must be considered simultaneously. These may include industry-specific structural factors, such as the divisibility of demand relative to supply, economies of scale or wide swings in demand. Ocean liner shipping exhibits structural factors that have led excess capacity for much of its history. It is a concentrated industry that until the late 1990s was dominated by price fixing industry groups known as liner shipping conferences. In spite of limited antitrust immunity granted by most governments to liner shipping conferences, excess capacity is and has been a persistent problem that could be a major cause of operational inefficiencies. As such, ocean liner shipping presents an ideal forum in which to distinguish between excess capacity that is an artefact of structural conditions of supply and demand and excess capacity that may be deployed as a strategic defense against opportunistic rivals. The results of a random effects model with instrumental variables show some limited support for the entry deterrence element of excess capacity in liner shipping.
Journalism and Islam in Indonesia and Malaysia: Five Approaches

Although the principles of journalism –truth, verification, balance, and independence from power– are arguably universal, they are interpreted through the prisms of local culture. Five news organizations in Indonesia and Malaysia suggest a variety of approaches to understanding the relationship between journalism and Islam. Whereas writers at Indonesia’s Sabili magazine were selected based on their experience in the tarbīyah or education movement, at Republika (an Indonesian newspaper established to serve the Muslim community), journalistic skills are more important than outward demonstrations of piety. Muslim journalists at the two most liberal of these publications, Indonesia’s Tempo magazine and Malaysia’s news-portal Malaysiakini , see their work in substantive rather than scripturalist terms, and editors of Harakah , the newspaper of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party, are outspoken champions of freedom of expression. These varied approaches suggest there is much to be learned from the influence of Islam on the practice of journalism in Southeast Asia. DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v21i3.1218
Distribution and seasonal occurrence of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) on the Island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands.

A distinct distribution pattern for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, was determined from trap and fruit infestation data. C. capitata was found at upper elevations as expected. However, it was also found breeding in low-elevation localities along the coast and in major valleys of western Kauai. Traps in areas that receive little rainfall consistently caught higher numbers of C. capitata than those in areas that receive abundant rainfall. Hosts were generally abundant in ecotone areas between dry and wet habitats. The most important hosts were coffee, Coffea arabica L., strawberry guava, Psidium cattleianum Sabine, and peach, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. There was evidence that C. capitata moved from these areas into certain dry areas. Generally, populations of C. capitata were absent from large areas of native forests except where the alien strawberry guava had invaded. Our study differed from previous studies by its heavy reliance on plastic fruit fly traps for delineating distributional limits of C. capitata over large and remote areas. Once flies were detected in an area, host fruit collection data were used to establish whether flies were breeding in an area.
A method to determine the filter matrix in four‐dye fluorescence‐based DNA sequencing

In a previous paper (Yin et al., Electrophoresis 1996, 17, 1143–1150), an automated method for matrix determination in four-dye fluorescence-based DNA sequencing was presented. As a continuation of that work, we have developed an alternative method to estimate the matrix from raw sequence data. The method uses an iterative clustering technique to associate each 4 × 1 data vector with one column of the desired filter matrix, using Kullback's I-divergence as a distance measure. The method requires less preprocessing of the data and less computation than the approach described by Yin et al. (Electrophoresis 1996, 17, 1143–1150). An example demonstrating applicability of the proposed method to Applied Biosystems sequencer data is given.
Scripting language for state configured layered control of the Tethys long range autonomous underwater vehicle

A scripting language for state configured layered control of a long range autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is introduced. The XML-based language has been designed to meet the complex requirements for long-term autonomous operation. It does not require that mission planners be programmers, yet allows them to have a high degree of certainty at deployment that the robot will do what they want it to do. The script is simple to execute on the vehicle, both to minimize CPU power usage and to minimize the chance of failure due to complexity. Users do not need a high-fidelity model of the AUV to plan a mission, as the robot may change in unexpected ways over the course of the mission. Those who wish to do more advanced programming of mission commands and behaviors can do so in the script and are not able to crash the vehicle's operating system. To address these needs, the “Tethys script” state-configured layered control language has been developed.
Can emotions be truly group level? Evidence regarding four conceptual criteria.

Recent advances in understanding prejudice and intergroup behavior have made clear that emotions help explain people’s reactions to social groups and their members. Intergroup emotions theory (D. M. Mackie, T. Devos, & E. R. Smith, 2000; E. R. Smith, 1993) holds that intergroup emotions are experienced by individuals when they identify with a social group, making the group part of the psychological self. What differentiates such group-level emotions from emotions that occur purely at the individual level? The authors argue that 4 key criteria define group-level emotions: Group emotions are distinct from the same person’s individual-level emotions, depend on the person’s degree of group identification, are socially shared within a group, and contribute to regulating intragroup and intergroup attitudes and behavior. Evidence from 2 studies supports all 4 of these predictions and thus points to the meaningfulness, coherence, and functionality of group-level emotions.
Simultaneous brightness contrast as a function of repeated trials

Each of five Ss, over a priod of 10 successive days, made 500 judgments in a simultaneous brightness contrast situation, being given no knowledge of results. Contrary to expectation, the illusion showed a tendency to increase with repeated exposure; furthermore, intercurrent control judgments also showed significant changes with time. The findings pose a problem for either a judgmental or a retinal theory of brightness contrast.
Berberine acutely activates the glucose transport activity of GLUT1

Abstract Berberine, which has a long history of use in Chinese medicine, has recently been shown to have efficacy in the treatment of diabetes. While the hypoglycemic effect of berberine has been clearly documented in animal and cell line models, such as 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myotube cells, the mechanism of action appears complex with data implicating activation of the insulin signaling pathway as well as activation of the exercise or AMP kinase-mediated pathway. There have been no reports of the acute affects of berberine on the transport activity of the insulin-insensitive glucose transporter, GLUT1. Therefore, we examined the acute effects of berberine on glucose uptake in L929 fibroblast cells, a cell line that express only GLUT1. Berberine- activated glucose uptake reaching maximum stimulation of five-fold at >40 μM. Significant activation ( P m of glucose uptake from 6.7 ± 1.9 mM to 0.55 ± 0.08 mM, but had no effect on the V max of uptake. Compound C, an inhibitor of AMP kinase, did not affect berberine-stimulated glucose uptake, but inhibitors of downstream kinases partially blocked berberine stimulation. SB203580 (inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase) did not affect submaximal berberine activation, but did lower maximal berberine stimulation by 26%, while PD98059 (inhibitor of ERK kinase) completely blocked submaximal berberine activation and decreased the maximal stimulation by 55%. It appears from this study that a portion of the hypoglycemic effects of berberine can be attributed to its acute activation of the transport activity of GLUT1.
Optimal Denoising in Redundant Bases

Image denoising methods are often based on estimators chosen to minimize mean squared error (MSE) within the sub-bands of a multi-scale decomposition. But this does not guarantee optimal MSE performance in the image domain, unless the decomposition is orthonormal. We prove that despite this suboptimality, the expected image-domain MSE resulting from a representation that is made redundant through spatial replication of basis functions (e.g., cycle-spinning) is less than or equal to that resulting from the original non-redundant representation. We also develop an extension of Stein's unbiased risk estimator (SURE) that allows minimization of the image-domain MSE for estimators that operate on subbands of a redundant decomposition. We implement an example, jointly optimizing the parameters of scalar estimators applied to each subband of an overcomplete representation, and demonstrate substantial MSE improvement over the sub-optimal application of SURE within individual subbands.
Calcium-dependent affinity chromatography of calmodulin on an immobilized phenothiazine.

Abstract The reversible, calcium-dependent binding of a calmodulin to phenothiazines has been demonstrated using an immobilized chlorpromazine analog. Calmodulin has been purified from crude extracts of bovine brain utilizing calcium-dependent binding to phenothiazine-Sepharose 4B as an initial affinity-based chromatographic procedure. Chromatography of a crude extract of bovine brain, prepared under non-denaturing conditions, yielded calmodulin contaminated with several other minor EGTA-elutable components. These components were removed by calcium-dependent affinity chromatography on calmodulin-Sepharose 4B and ion-exchange chromatography.
Speciation in systems containing aluminum, nucleoside diphosphates, and fluoride

Abstract Al 3+ and excess F − are commonly added to G-protein systems containing guanosine diphosphate (GDP), and it has been proposed that AlF 4 − serves as a tetrahedral pseudophosphate bound to GDP or other nucleoside diphosphate (NDP). In this paper we use 19 F and 1 H NMR to analyze the ternary system Al 3+ -NDP-F − in aqueous solutions. Ternary complexes (NDP)AlF x (x = 1 to 3) are identified, but no (NDP)AlF 4 is found. The ternary complex (NDP)AlF appears with a frequency that is equal to that expected statistically on the basis of binary complex stabilities. Under the conditions of maximum effect in G-protein experiments in neutral solutions, most Al 3+ occurs as (HO)AlF 3 − ; the lesser amount of nucleoside diphosphate is not competitive. By separately gluing the NDP and AlF 4 − in close proximity, the protein provides a special environment that links them together.
Ovarian tissue banking for cancer patients Reduction of post‐transplantation ischaemic injury: intact ovary freezing and transplantation

Despite reasonable achievements in different animal species, the debate about many technical aspects of ovarian tissue banking is continuing. Human ovarian tissue banks are increasingly established around the world without a clear plan about how to make the best use of such tissue. One of the important challenges facing this growing technology is to determine the ideal method for the use of this cryopreserved ovarian tissue. It is not uncommon in medicine to introduce a technology without a clear understanding of the consequences. If it is decided that ovarian tissue is to be autotransplanted, what is the most suitable place? Which technique should be implemented? As a part of the ongoing debate on ovarian tissue banking in cancer patients, this paper supports the notion that cryopreservation of an intact ovary with its vascular pedicle may be a viable alternative to the currently available techniques. Research in the development of technology to cryopreserve whole organs as well surgical techniques for the auto-transplantation of an ovary with its vascular pedicle should be encouraged.
In-sample vs. out-of-sample tests of stock return predictability in the context of data mining

Abstract We undertake an extensive analysis of in-sample and out-of-sample tests of stock return predictability in an effort to better understand the nature of the empirical evidence on return predictability. We find that a number of financial variables appearing in the literature display both in-sample and out-of-sample predictive ability with respect to stock returns in annual data covering most of the twentieth century. In contrast to the extant literature, we demonstrate that there is little discrepancy between in-sample and out-of-sample test results once we employ out-of-sample tests with good power. While conventional wisdom holds that out-of-sample tests help guard against data mining, Inoue and Kilian [Inoue, A., Kilian, L., 2004. In-sample or out-of-sample tests of predictability: which one should we use? Econometric Reviews 23, 371–402.] recently argue that in-sample and out-of-sample tests are equally susceptible to data mining biases. Using a bootstrap procedure that explicitly accounts for data mining, we still find that certain financial variables display significant in-sample and out-of-sample predictive ability with respect to stock returns.
Core model calculation of the electric field gradient: Projection operator formalism with application to NH3

A core model approach to the calculation of deuteron quadrupole coupling constants is investigated using NH3 as an example. First the deuteron quadrupole coupling constant is calculated from a CNDO wave function. This result is subsequently improved by recomputing the N—D bond orbital by means of a variational calculation using the CNDO function to construct a core potential for the bond Hamiltonian. In order to simplify integrations a single-center basis is chosen to represent the variational wave function. A projection operator formalism is used as a computational scheme to maintain orthogonality of the bond orbital to core orbitals. Excellent agreement with experiment is obtained. The procedure is applicable to more complicated molecules.
Membrane-associated aquaporin-1 facilitates osmotically driven water flux across the basolateral membrane of the thick ascending limb

The thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle (TAL) reabsorbs ∼30% of filtered NaCl but is impermeable to water. The observation that little water traverses the TAL indicates an absence of water ch...
Evaluation of O3-NOx-VOC sensitivities predicted with the CMAQ photochemical model using Pacific Northwest 2001 field observations

[1] The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was used to predict O3-NOx-VOC chemistry for the Pacific Northwest and these results were evaluated by comparing to aircraft measurements of CO, NOy, O3, and VOCs collected during the Pacific Northwest field experiment in the summer of 2001 (PNW2001). The evaluation focused on three areas: 1) photochemical indicator values (O3/NOy), 2) accuracy of the emission inventory, and 3) VOC reactivity. The evaluation was performed for two modeling scenarios: a standard scenario and a reduced VOC scenario, which was developed based on the comparisons of measurements with the emission inventory. Results showed that model-predicted O3/NOy ratios were closely related to VOC-NOx sensitive conditions, with transitional values similar to those identified from previous studies. Peak O3 was associated with VOC-sensitive conditions, but these were not far from the transitional regime. The standard modeling scenario over-predicted peak O3 and the O3/NOy slope, indicating an overestimation of sensitivity to NOx, probably due to too much VOC in the emission inventory. The reduced VOC scenario resulted in better agreement with measurements in terms of peak O3 as well as O3/NOy correlations. Comparisons of observed CO and VOC to NOy ratios from the morning urban samples with those from the emission inventory also supported an overestimation of VOC in the standard scenario, with CO concentrations over-predicted by about 80% and the total VOC reactivity over-predicted by 30%. The standard modeling scenario substantially overestimated the reactivity from CO. The reduced VOC scenario showed generally good agreement with observations of the relative contributions to the total VOC reactivity.
The On-line Electronic Commerce Forecast Based on Least Square Support Vector Machine

The using of least square support vector machine for on-line forecast has been gradually applied to the field on management science research. The traditional support vector machine algorithm contains inequality constraints, which requires solving quadratic programming problems so that the computing can be very complicated when there are a lot of training samples. In this paper, first of all, the least square support vector machine algorithm has been improved so as to solve the sparsity and time lag problems existing in traditional method, and then set up the LS-SVM on-line forecasting model of the least support value sample based on time factor eliminating, and input observed data on the network sale instances about one production into the model for testing. The results show that: the forecast and actual value are comfortably approximate, and can well indicate the trends of e-commerce sales forecast; the error between forecast and actual value from this method is smaller than the forecast error from common least square support vector machine method and BP neural network method.
Anesthetization of morphologically similar species with carbon dioxide for separation and culture.

Nematologists frequently encounter congeneric species in sampling for nematodes. No convenient method for the separat ion of morphological ly similar species has been described. For Meloidogyne spp., inoculum consisting of hundreds of eggs can be easily obta ined from a single egg mass and a pure popula t ion reared on a suitable host. T h e separation and culture of other plantparasitic nematode species, such as Paratrichodorus spp., is often more difficult. T h e species may be separated by placing a single female in the rhizosphere of a host plant, but the chances of a single nematode increasing to a high popula t ion in a short t ime are not great. T h e dissecting microscope may also be used for separat ing species which are not very dissimilar, but obta in ing high numbers of a single species is difficult, especially when the dissimilarities between species are not easily discernible. We have also tried separat ing nematodes which had been placed on glass slides and cooled to immobil i ty , bu t their recovery rate was rapid or many specimens were killed. We have developed a method, using vaporphase perfusion of carbon dioxide (CO2), for anesthetization of nematodes. Th is method allowed us to start greenhouse cultures wi th large, pure populat ions of desired species. We were concerned with the separat ion and culture of a mixed popula t ion of Paratrichodorus christiei (Allen) Siddiqi and Paratrichodorus porosus (Allen) Siddiqi. T h e nematodes were extracted from soil by Cobb's method (l) and placed in a drop of water on a glass slide. T h e slide was placed next to a 50-gin piece of dry ice, and bo th were enclosed in an inverted 2-liter beaker. T h e solid CO2 was allowed to sublime and perfuse into the water drop. After 3 min,
My recollections of Hubel and Wiesel and a brief review of functional circuitry in the visual pathway

The first paper of Hubel and Wiesel in The Journal of Physiology in 1959 marked the beginning of an exciting chapter in the history of visual neuroscience. Through a collaboration that lasted 25 years, Hubel and Wiesel described the main response properties of visual cortical neurons, the functional architecture of visual cortex and the role of visual experience in shaping cortical architecture. The work of Hubel and Wiesel transformed the field not only through scientific discovery but also by touching the life and scientific careers of many students. Here, I describe my personal experience as a postdoctoral student with Torsten Wiesel and how this experience influenced my own work.
Adaptive channel equalization using context trees

The maximum likelihood sequence estimator is the optimal receiver for the intersymbol interference (ISI) channel with additive white noise. A receiver is demonstrated that estimates sequence likelihood using a variable order Markov model constructed from a crudely quantized training sequence. Receiver performance is relatively unaffected by heavy-tailed noise that can undermine the performance of Gaussian based algorithms such as decision feedback equalization with gradient based (LMS) adaptation.
Will a handheld ultrasound scanner be applicable for screening for heart abnormalities in newborns and children

Abstract Background There is significant interest in opportunities to provide echocardiography services for detection of congenital heart disease with portable, or even handheld, devices in remote areas or third world countries where conventional ultrasound systems may not be available. We tested a handheld system (HHS) (SonoHeart, SonoSite Inc, Bothell, Wash) equipped with a broadband, 7- to 4-MHz, miniaturized, curved, linear-array transducer and implemented with an improved directional Doppler flow map. Methods All echocardiography scanning was performed in the neonatal nursery, pediatric intensive care department, or pediatric echocardiography laboratory of our institution. We reviewed limited echocardiography view sequences sequentially obtained by the same expert examiner (D.J.S.) in 50 infants and children (age: 1 day to 6 years), with preoperative or postoperative forms of congenital heart disease. Each patient was studied twice, once with a conventional full-feature system (FFS) and then a limited scan with the HHS using similar frequency transducers. The cardiologist (D.J.S.) and blinded research laboratory reviewers (X.L., G.K.M., R.A.R.) read the FFS and HHS image sequences for diagnosis and for grading the quality of the anatomic and flow feature images. The studies were performed and reviewed with the examiner and reviewers blinded to patient diagnosis. Results The major diagnoses (eg, patent ductus arteriosus, atrio-ventricular (AV) canal, peripheral pulmonary valve stenosis, aortic coarctation, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, preoperative or postoperative tetralogy of Fallot, and mitral regurgitation) were made by both readers, who were unaware of each other's diagnosis results. Furthermore, the average composite HHS cardiac anatomic feature score on a scale of 0 (not visualized) to 3 (visualized precisely) from the parasternal long-axis and 4- or 5-chamber view for cardiac anatomy were 2.67 ± 0.49 (SD) and 2.50 ± 0.55, respectively, versus 2.73 ± 0.45 and 2.55 ± 0.54 for the FFS. The mean flow feature score, comprising all views, was 2.67 ± 0.45 (HHS) versus 2.72 ± 0.48 (FFS). The P values for all above comparisons were >.05. Image quality of the FFS anatomic structures were, thus, not statistically different from the HHS. Although the color cosmetic was different for the HHS directional (nonvelocity) map, only 9% of 150 total findings (including structural abnormalities and flow features, none of which were critical) were missed, whereas the other 91% regurgitant, shunt, stenosis flow features or heart structure were imaged adequately by the HHS in this population. Conclusions Implementing high-frequency transducers and programs optimized for tissue and flow imaging on the HHS should provide images of sufficient quality for targeted echocardiography examinations to determine the presence, absence, or status of congenital heart disease in newborns and young children.