cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Development for CGG Repeat Expansion-Associated Neurodegeneration

Non-coding repeat expansions, such as CGG, GGC, CUG, CCUG, and GGGGCC, have been shown to be involved in many human diseases, particularly neurological disorders. Of the diverse pathogenic mechanisms proposed in these neurodegenerative diseases, dysregulated RNA metabolism has emerged as an important contributor. Expanded repeat RNAs that form particular structures aggregate to form RNA foci, sequestering various RNA binding proteins and consequently altering RNA splicing, transport, and other downstream biological processes. One of these repeat expansion-associated diseases, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), is caused by a CGG repeat expansion in the 5'UTR region of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Moreover, recent studies have revealed abnormal GGC repeat expansion within the 5'UTR region of the NOTCH2NLC gene in both essential tremor (ET) and neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID). These CGG repeat expansion-associated diseases share genetic, pathological, and clinical features. Identification of the similarities at the molecular level could lead to a better understanding of the disease mechanisms as well as developing novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we highlight our current understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of CGG repeat expansion-associated diseases and discuss potential therapeutic interventions for these neurological disorders.
Distinguishing Features of the Urinary Bacterial Microbiome in Patients with Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction.

Purpose:We aimed to characterize the urinary microbiome of catheterizing patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) and to evaluate differences based on type of bladder manage...
A Review of “Noel, Hans. Political Ideologies and Political Parties in America”

There is a lot to like in Hans Noel's important new book, Political Ideologies and Political Parties in America. Kicking off the list is the fact that Professor Noel recognizes that ideas are at th...
THE ROLE OF THE LEGAL STATUS QUO IN SUPREME COURT DECISION -MAKING

In previous work, we proposed (Hammond, Bonneau, and Sheehan 2005) and tested (Bonneau, Hammond, Maltzman, and Wahlbeck 2007) a formal model of decision-making by the United States Supreme Court. A key assumption of this model was that for every legal case there exists a “current l egal status quo” which is a key point of reference for t he justices as they make decisions in each of the s tages of the Court’s decision-making process. For exampl e, regarding the final two stages involving opinion writing and coalition formation and then the final vote, it was assumed that each justice evaluates a draft majority opinion in terms of whether it is an impro vement over the current legal status quo: if the dr aft opinion is at least as good as the current legal st atus quo for the justice, the justice will support the opinion; if the draft opinion is worse than the cur rent legal status quo for the justice, the justice will not support the opinion. However, this assumption about the role of the current legal status quo has turn ed out to be controversial: some students of judicial politics consider the assumption to be unwarranted or unrelated to what justices actually think about dur ing the Court’s decision-making process. This pape r builds on our previous work to further advance our argument that the legal status quo is a critical as pect of Supreme Court decision-making.
High-Energy Petawatt Project at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics

AbstractA high-energy petawatt laser, OMEGA EP, is currently under construction at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Integrated into the existing OMEGA laser, it will support three major areas of research: (a) backlighting of high-energy-density plasmas, (b) integrated fast ignition experiments, and (c) high-intensity physics. The laser will provide two beams combined collinearly and coaxially with short pulses (~1 to 100 ps) and high energy (2.6 kJ at 10 ps). Cone-in-shell fuel-assembly experiments and simulations of short-pulse heated cryogenic targets are being performed in preparation for cryogenic integrated fast ignitor experiments on OMEGA EP.
It's a Bull's Market

From Darwin to Dolly, domesticated livestock have guided our understanding of evolution and biology. Moreover, for the past 10,000 years, livestock have provided sustenance to humans with their hides, hair, meat, milk, strength, speed, and companionship. Now, livestock are poised to give us even more, thanks to new insights from genomics and molecular phylogenetics. Five articles in this issue deal with the biogeography of domestication ( 1 , 2 ), the development of modern breeds ( 1 , 3 ), the genes responsible for agriculturally important traits ( 3 , 4 ), and the potential use of livestock species as models for human diseases ( 5 ).
A Robust Adaptive Controller For Linear Time-Invariant Plants With External Disturbances

We present a direct adaptive control algorithm which is robust with respect to external plant disturbances. In the presence of constant disturbances, or time-dependent disturbances which eventually approach a constant, this algorithm ensures that the tracking error approaches zero asymptotically. For general time-varying bounded distances, the (norm of the) tracking error will be asymptotically reduced to a sufficiently small number. Moreover, in the absence of disturbances, the algorithm guarantees zero tracking error.
Liberalism and Communitarianism

It is a commonplace amongst communitarians, socialists and feminists alike that liberalism is to be rejected for its excessive ‘individualism’ or ‘atomism,’ for ignoring the manifest ways in which we are ‘embedded’ or ‘situated’ in various social roles and communal relationships. The effect of these theoretical flaws is that liberalism, in a misguided attempt to protect and promote the dignity and autonomy of the individual, has undermined the associations and communities which alone can nurture human flourishing. My plan is to examine the resources available to liberalism to meet these objections. My primary concern is with what liberals can say in response, not with what particular liberals actually have said in the past. Still, as a way of acknowledging intellectual debts, if nothing else, I hope to show how my arguments are related to the political morality of modem liberals from J.S. Mill through to Rawls and Dworkin. The term ‘liberal’ has been applied to many different theories in many different fields, but I’m using it in this fairly restricted sense. First, I’m dealing with a political morality, a set of moral arguments about the justification of political action and political institutions. Second, my concern is with this modem liberalism, not seventeenth-century liberalism, and I want to leave entirely open what the relationship is between the two. It might be that the developments initiated by the ‘new liberals’ are really an abandonment of what was definitive of classical liberalism. G.A. Cohen, for example, says that since they rejected the principle of ‘self-ownership’ which was definitive of classical liberalism (e.g. in Locke), these new liberals should instead be called ‘social democrats.’My concern is to defend their political morality, whatever the proper label.
Cascade control of E. coli glutamine synthetase. I. Studies on the uridylyl transferase and uridylyl removing enzyme(s) from E. coli.

Abstract The state of adenylylation of glutamine synthetase in Escherichia coli is regulated by the adenylyl transferase, the PII regulatory protein, uridylyl transferase (UTase), and the uridylyl removing enzyme (UR). The regulatory protein exists in an unmodified state (PII) which promotes adenylylation and in a uridylylated form (PII·UMP) which promotes deadenylylation of glutamine synthetase. The UR and UTase enzymes catalyze the interconversion of PII and PII·UMP. The UR and UTase have been partially purified by chromatography over DEAE-cellulose, AH-Sepharose 4B, Sephadex G-200, and gel electrophoresis. The two activities co-purify at all steps in the isolation although preparations containing different ratios of UTase:UR activities have been isolated. These UR·UTase activities have apparent molecular weight of 140,000. Both activities are inactivated by sulfhydryl reagents, both activities are heat inactivated, and both are stabilized by high salt concentrations. Both activities are inhibited in the crude extract by dialyzable inhibitors, but the UR is also inhibited by a nondialyzable inhibitor. This endogenous inhibitor is of molecular weight greater than 100,000 daltons, and binds CMP and UMP which are the apparent inhibitory agents. CMP and UMP are antagonistic in their effects on the UR activity. No effect of the CMP, UMP, or the large inhibitor on the other steps in the cascade could be demonstrated. The Mn 2+ -supported UR activity was also shown to be inhibited by a number of divalent cations, particularly Zn 2+ .
Climate change resilience: can Joint Forest Management help Indian forest and communities?

The impacts of climate change are already being felt in developing countries like India, making its people and natural resources extremely vulnerable. In order to tackle such changes, it is important to take adaptive measures. The article does a literature review of the impacts of climate change on India and its forests. It also reviews literature across discipline of sustainable development and social-ecology that argue for the use of resilience framework as a way to tackle climate change for complex systems. Resilience framework is a promising way to manage complex social and ecological systems. Due to the nature and scale of adaptation strategies, institutions like Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) are being projected to increase adaptation at the local level. Joint Forest Management (JFM) as a type of CBNRM has become an obvious choice for the Government of India to increase adaptation at the local level. This article evaluates the potential of JFM in delivering adaptive strategies at the local level. However, JFM in its current state needs modification and unless modified it will be unable to create resilience. Increasing legal rights and ownership over resources along with creating networks enabling knowledge and resource sharing have been identified as the main strategies to increase the effectiveness of JFM.
Isomorphisms between nucleation theory and microemulsion theory

Publisher Summary The problem of the replacement free energy and the 1/S factor have visited the field of nucleation for more than thirty years, and even today, full concensus has not been established. The problems have their roots in the use of the capillarity approximation. For about thirty years, another problem concerning the so called “mixing entropy” has focused the attention of workers in the field of micro-emulsions. Again, the problem is rooted in the use of a model, this time referred to as the “phenomenomenological model.” It emerges that the capillarity approximation model and the phenomenological model are identical; both rely on the assumption that the intensive properties of drops or clusters,in the nucleation case, and mesodomains, drops included in the microemulsion case, can be taken equal to the corresponding properties in the corresponding bulk phases. Crossfertilization of ideas between the two fields can be valuable. This chapter shows the way the solution of the mixing entropy problem in micro-emulsions leads to a solution of the replacement free energy and the 1/S problems in nucleation theory. Perhaps the simplest example of a micro-emulsion is the globular or droplet type, consisting of a dispersion of water drops in a continuous phase of oil or vice versa.
Intraoperative brachytherapy in pancreatic cancer.

AbstractThere is a recent increased incidence of cancer of the pancreas that is more marked in men. Over 21,000 patients per year develop this disease. It currently ranks as the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and is the second most common gastrointestinal malignancy (1,2). Because of its inaccessible location in the body, lesions are not diagnosed until they are quite advanced. As a result, survival rates are low, with less than 2% of patients surviving 5 years (1). The death rate from cancer of the pancreas has risen from 10/100,000 in 1940 to 40/100,000 in 1960, to greater than 70/100,000 in the 1980s.
Complexity reduction of stochastic master equation simulation based on Kronecker product analysis

The fine-scale stochastic behavior of genetic regulatory networks is often modeled using stochastic master equations. The inherently high computational complexity of the stochastic master equation simulation presents a challenge in its application to biological system modeling even when the model parameters can be properly estimated. In this article, we present a new approach to stochastic model simulation based on Kronecker product analysis and approximation of Zassenhaus formula for matrix exponentials. Simulation results on model biological systems illustrate the comparative performance of our modeling approach to stochastic master equations with significantly lower computational complexity. We also provide a stochastic upper bound on the deviation of the steady state distribution of our model from the steady state distribution of the stochastic master equation.
Suicidal ideation and thought disorder associated with the formoterol component of combined asthma medication

Combination inhaled asthma medications containing corticosteroids and long-acting beta-adrenergic (LABA) agents are generally well tolerated, although a small minority of children receiving them may develop side-effects. Herein is reported a case of a 9-year-old boy who developed insomnia, pressured speech, agitation, and suicidal ideation within the 1st month after initiating formoterol + budesonide. He had not received oral glucocorticoids for >90 days. All symptoms resolved within 48 hr upon discontinuing formoterol while continuing budesonide. To our knowledge, this is the first report of childhood suicidal ideation strongly associated with use of a combination inhaled corticosteroid/LABA.
Use of a fiber optic camera to perform a trauma assessment during a confined space rescue.

Objective: Accurate medical evaluation of victims injured during confined space rescues poses significant operational, medical, and logistical challenges for medical providers of all disciplines and experience levels. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teaches rescuers to begin their assessment as soon as verbal contact is obtained with the victim. While a significant amount of information can be obtained by talking to the victim, an accurate assessment of the victim's condition is often limited or impossible. Many professional rescue agencies currently use cameras to locate a victim's position or visualize obstacles that prevent the successful extraction of casualties. However, there is no published literature describing the use of a camera to complete a medical evaluation. Results: The authors describe their use of a fiber optic camera to complete a limited but accurate primary and secondary trauma evaluation of a patient trapped inside an 18 in water pipe for a prolonged period of time. The providers' assessment provided critical information to the rescue team and assisted in the planning and eventual extrication of the patient from the confined space. Moreover, there was very little variation between the findings obtained during the assessment at the scene and the assessment in the receiving facility's trauma bay. Conclusion: When evaluating a trauma patient, there is no substitution for visual inspection and physical diagnosis. The use of a fiber optic camera can assist rescuers and medical providers in obtaining the information they desire, and enable the completion of an accurate patient assessment. The camera may also provide psychological reassurance and ease anxiety, as well as generate prehospital images that can be transmitted to the receiving facility for use in preparation of the casualty. Emergency medical service providers, urban search & rescue teams, fire departments, and other professional rescuers should be trained on the use and limitations of fiber optic cameras during confined space rescues. Furthermore, regulatory agencies such as FEMA should consider integrating the use of fiber optic camera and audiovisual devices into the current training courses offered to professional rescuers.
Towards continualized task-based resolution modeling in PET imaging

We propose a generalized resolution modeling (RM) framework, including extensive task-based optimization, wherein we continualize the conventionally discrete framework of RM vs. no RM, to include varying degrees of RM. The proposed framework has the advantage of providing a trade-off between the enhanced contrast recovery by RM and the reduced inter-voxel correlations in the absence of RM, and to enable improved task performance. The investigated context was that of oncologic lung FDG PET imaging. Given a realistic blurring kernel of FWHM h (‘true PSF’), we performed iterative EM including RM using a wide range of ‘modeled PSF’ kernels with varying widths h . In our simulations, h = 6mm, while h varied from 0 (no RM) to 12mm, thus considering both underestimation and overestimation of the true PSF. Detection task performance was performed using prewhitened (PWMF) and nonprewhitened matched filter (NPWMF) observers. It was demonstrated that an underestimated resolution blur ( h = 4mm) enhanced task performance, while slight over-estimation ( h = 7mm) also achieved enhanced performance. The latter is ironically attributed to the presence of ringing artifacts. Nonetheless, in the case of the NPWMF, the increasing intervoxel correlations with increasing values of h degrade detection task performance, and underestimation of the true PSF provides the optimal task performance. The proposed framework also achieves significant improvement of reproducibility, which is critical in quantitative imaging tasks such as treatment response monitoring.
Water/Chlorocarbon Winsor I ⇔ III ⇔ II Microemulsion Phase Behavior with Alkyl Glucamide Surfactants

The investigation of the microemulsification of chlorocarbons that contaminate aquifers is addressed in this study. The surfactants employed are alkyl glucamidesglucamine coupled with either n-heptanoic, n-nonanoic, or n-dodecanoic acids as well as the Guerbet version of the dodecanoic acid. The chlorinated hydrocarbons studied include tetrachloroethylene (PCE), carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB), 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), chloroform, methylene chloride, and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane. It was possible to generate classical Winsor I ⇔ III ⇔ II phase behavior with nearly all of the above chlorocarbons.
Effects of product-specific word-of-mouth communication on product category involvement

Drawing primarily from categorization theory, this paper presents justification for the effects of word-of-mouth (WOM) communication on product category involvement. Results of an empirical test of this relationship are presented showing an enduring effect of positive WOM communication on product category involvement; this effect was not found for negative WOM. These results suggest that positive WOM about one firm's brand may help competitors by increasing involvement, thus generating more sales (not necessarily of one's own brand) in an entire product category. Our findings, coupled with categorization theory, provide support for a series of propositions presented concerning the effects of changes in product category involvement on nondiscussed brand attitudes and purchase intentions.
The Lake Wobegon Effect: Why Most Patients Are at Below-Average Risk

This commentary discusses the paradoxical finding that most patients are at below-average risk and can expect to experience less-than-average benefits from a treatment. This “Lake Wobegon effect,” ...
Influence of Competition Between Binary Pairwise Interactions on the Phase Behavior in Ternary Blends

There are three binary pairs in a ternary blend and competition exists among these pairwise interactions owing to the asymmetry of the interaction energies between these binary pairs, which will determine the overall phase behavior of the blend. The influence of molecular weight of the components on the asymmetry of the interactions was discussed based on a ternary copolymer blend poly(styrene-co-acrylonitile)/poly(styrene-comethylmethacrylate/poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylonitile) (SAN/SMMA/MAN). It has been demonstrated that the asymmetry of the interactions between different binary polymer pairs is driven not only by the difference of interaction parameters, i.e. the so-called Dx effect, but also by the difference of chain length between different components in the mixture. If the two effects are coincident with each other, the asymmetry of the interactions will be intensified, promoting phase separation. On the other hand, the compatibility of the system may be improved remarkably as the two factors are in opposite directions. It implies that a miscible ternary blend may be available simply by exchanging the order of the molecular weight between the different components against the asymmetry direction caused by their corresponding interaction parameters, which is easier to do in many experimental conditions. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Polym. Adv. Technol. 8, 261–264 (1997) No. of Figures: 6 No. of Tables: 0 No. of Refs: 7
Properties of silicon-doped AlxGa1-xAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract The incorporation of silicon in AlxGa1-xAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy was investigated. In Al0.25Ga0.75As and Al0.35Ga0.65As doping levels were proportional to the incident silicon flux for effusion cell temperatures below 1125°C. At 1125°C the electron concentration saturated at about 2×1018 cm-3 and then decreased slightly. For cell temperatures above 1150°C silicon precipitation observable with an optical microscope took place. Silicon incorporation decreased with increasing growth temperature above 650°C with an activation energy of 2.1 eV. Electron mobilities in excess of 1000 cm2V-1 s-1 were obtained for doping levels above 1×1018 cm-3. Donor activation energies were typically between 5 and 20 meV and increased slightly as the silicon flux was increased.
Effects of copper deficiency on mouse yolk sac vasculature and expression of angiogenic mediators.

BACKGROUND: Cu deficiency results in embryonic defects and yolk sac (YS) vasculature abnormalities. In diverse model systems, Cu treatment modulates angiogenesis, perhaps by influencing the activity of angiogenic mediators such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Conversely, Cu chelators can suppress angiogenesis. METHODS: Gestation day (GD) 8.5 embryos from mice fed Cu-adequate (Cu+) or Cu-deficient (Cu−) diets were cultured in Cu+ or Cu− medium for 48 hr. Growth and development were evaluated, and YS vessel diameters were measured. Using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, the mRNA and protein expressions of VEGF, Flt-1, Flk-1, Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), and Tie-2 were analyzed. RESULTS: Cu+/Cu+ embryos developed normally, whereas Cu−/Cu− embryos showed a high incidence of developmental anomalies. Cu−/Cu− YS had a high proportion of vessels that were large in diameter compared to the Cu+/Cu+ YS. The mRNA expression of angiogenic mediators in Cu−/Cu− YS was similar to that in Cu+/Cu+ YS. The protein expression of VEGF in the Cu−/Cu− YS without any vessel defects, and Tie-2 in the Cu−/Cu− YS with both vessel defects and blood islands was significantly lower than that in the Cu+/Cu+ YS. The protein expression of Flt-1, Flk-1 and Ang-1 was similar among groups regardless of the presence, or type, of vessel defects. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the current study support the concept that Cu is required for the normal development of YS vasculature. Our data suggest that the impaired vascularization of Cu-deficient YS cannot be explained fully by the altered protein expression of the angiogenic growth factors reported here. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 77:445–454, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Food Poverty Profile and Decomposition Applied to Ghana

Abstract A new procedure for deriving a food poverty line and estimating a decomposable poverty measure is applied to the 1974–1975 Ghana Household Budget Survey. A food poverty profile is constructed which estimates the relative contributions of regional and socioeconomic variables to overall food poverty. The incidence of food poverty is found to be more prevalent in: (1) rural areas and locations close to the Sahel; and (2) households with many members and illiterate, female, or self-employed heads. Comparisons of least-cost diets and observed diets incorporating tastes suggest that households exercise food preferences which have relatively high costs.
Microbial contributions to cave formation: New insights into sulfuric acid speleogenesis

The sulfuric acid speleogenesis (SAS) model was introduced in the early 1970s from observations of Lower Kane Cave, Wyoming, and was proposed as a cave-enlargement process due to primarily H 2 S autoxidation to sulfuric acid and subaerial replacement of carbonate by gypsum. Here we present a reexamination of the SAS type locality in which we make use of uniquely applied geochemical and microbiological methods. Little H 2 S escapes to the cave atmosphere, or is lost by abiotic autoxidation, and instead the primary H 2 S loss mechanism is by subaqueous sulfur-oxidizing bacterial communities that consume H 2 S. Filamentous “ Epsilonproteobacteria ” and Gammaproteobacteria , characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization, colonize carbonate surfaces and generate sulfuric acid as a metabolic byproduct. The bacteria focus carbonate dissolution by locally depressing pH, compared to bulk cave waters near equilibrium or slightly supersaturated with calcite. These findings show that SAS occurs in subaqueous environments and potentially at much greater phreatic depths in carbonate aquifers, thereby offering new insights into the microbial roles in subsurface karstification.
Sexual Assault Among College Students: Family of Origin Hostility, Attachment, and the Hook-Up Culture as Risk Factors

Sexual assault has been recognized as a major public health problem and social concern among college students for several decades. In response to the inadequacies of many universities to effectively address this problem, researchers, policy makers, and the public alike have recently called for greater attention to reducing the high rates of sexual violence against college women. The present study expands on the current literature by investigating familial, individual, and sociocultural risk factors for sexual assault. Specifically, we examine insecure adult attachment styles and the hook-up culture on college campuses as mediators in the relationship between family of origin aggression and sexual assault perpetration by men and victimization among women. Research questions were addressed with a sample of 624 college undergraduates (54 % women). Consistent with hypotheses, results of structural equation modeling indicated that an avoidant attachment style and participation in the hook-up culture accounted for the relationship between exposure to interparental hostility and sexual assault perpetration by men and victimization among women. Further, among women, an anxious attachment style accounted for the relationship between harsh parenting and victimization. These findings have important implications for future research, relationship education programs for parents and young adults, and preventative interventions. For example, parents can learn about the risks of exposing their offspring to hostility and aggression while adolescents and young adults may benefit from relationship education programs that help establish healthy working models of relationships.
Inhibition of active sodium transport by radiographic contrast media.

Inhibition of active sodium transport by radiographic contrast media. We demonstrate that salts of diatrizoate and iothalamate, radiographic contrast agents, depress the active transport of sodium in the urinary bladder of the Columbian toad, Bufo marinus . Isolated toad bladders were incubated in isotonic Ringer's solutions with isosmolar displacement of sodium chloride by contrast media in experimental solutions. Sodium transport as measured both by short-circuit current (SCC) and by isotopic sodium flux was significantly depressed in the presence of sodium diatrizoate. Sodium transport measured by SCC was significantly depressed with sodium iothalamate and meglumine iothalamate. Equimolar methylsulfate Ringer's solution did not depress SCC. Although contrast media in isotonic Ringer's solutions depressed basal SCC, the vasopressin-stimulated increment in SCC was not depressed by contrast media. Separate experiments with hyperosmolar solutions (786 mM, as utilized in angiography) demonstrated equivalent suppression of SCC by contrast media and by other solutions made hyperosmolar with glucose or sodium methylsulfate, implying a general or nonspecific effect of hyperosmolarity. Inhibition of SCC by contrast media was reversible when the agents were removed by serial changes with standard Ringer's solution. Inhibition of sodium transport by contrast media might provide a basis for studies on some of the clinical toxicities of these agents.
Bladder and bowel control in hirschsprung's disease

Abstract We present here the development of bladder and bowel control in a three year old child following surgery for Hirschsprung's disease. Standard bladder control training procedures were used, resulting in improved control of both responses. The usefulness of these procedures is compared with direct anal sphincter control training (Kohlenberg, 1973) and the functional relationship between bladder and bowel control are discussed.
A new insight into the work-of-indentation approach used in the evaluation of material’s hardness from nanoindentation measurement with Berkovich indenter

Abstract The work-of-indentation approach employed to extract the hardness of a material from the load–displacement data is often misinterpreted and improperly compared with the Oliver and Pharr method. A theoretical basis is presented to show that the hardness values evaluated using these two methods are fundamentally different, but are interrelated. As such, an expression that relates one type of hardness to another is derived by considering an energy-based relationship between the contact and the maximum penetration depths for an ideally sharp Berkovich indenter. This modified work-of-indentation approach is first validated using the load–displacement data obtained from the finite element simulation of the indentation contact performed with a Berkovich equivalent conical indenter on materials having a wide range of elastic recovery. The real load–displacement data – with and without dwelling – from ceramics oxides and metals corresponding to a peak indentation load lying in the range 20–120 mN are also considered to validate the proposed method. It has been found that a correction due to the amount of work done during dwelling is required if the load–displacement data also feature a dwelling phase. The hardness value so obtained is found to be in close agreement with its Oliver and Pharr analogue for each material considered thereby indicating that the modified approach, in the present form, is applicable even for blunt indenter when the tip radius is very small as compared to the maximum penetration depth. Further refinement of this methodology is, however, required to take the effect of material’s pile-up, sink-in, and tip bluntness on the measured hardness into account.
Differential postnatal development of mu and delta opiate receptors

We found a differential postnatal development of mu and delta opiate receptors. Mu receptors labelled with low concentrations of [3H]naloxone appeared to develop earlier than did delta receptors labelled with [3H]D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin (0.5 nM). Competition binding studies also revealed a delayed appearance of delta receptors (day 12 postnatal).
Loss of bonded phase in reversed-phase liquid chromatography in acidic eluents and practical ways to improve column stability.

Silica-based, reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) stationary phases are very widely used to separate basic compounds in acidic eluents due to their high efficiency, good mechanical strength, and the versatile selectivity offered by different functional groups and the chemistry on the silica surface. However, the stability in acid of most silica-based stationary phases is poor, especially at elevated temperatures, due to hydrolysis of the siloxane bonds, which hold silanes on the silica substrate. This hydrolysis is commonly believed to be solely the result of catalysis by protons. However, we show that various metal cations (principally Fe3+/Fe2+, Ni2+, and Cr3+) released from acid corrosion of the stainless steel inlet frit greatly accelerate the hydrolysis of the siloxane bond. Furthermore, these metal cations, and not the high acidity per se, are mainly responsible for column instability. We show that removing the stainless steel inlet frit, or use of a titanium frit, greatly reduces or totall...
Sarcoplasmic reticulum contains adenine nucleotide-activated calcium channels

Rapid calcium efflux from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is a necessary step in excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle and is thought to be mediated by a calcium channel. Calcium efflux has been studied in fragmented SR vesicles by radioisotope efflux and fluorescence measurements. Several laboratories have reported that adenine nucleotides can stimulate calcium efflux from SR. In recent reports, Ca2+ release with a first-order rate constant as high as 100 s-1 has been observed for nucleotide-stimulated Ca2+ release from SR vesicles. Also, radioisotope efflux was blocked by Mg2+ and micromolar concentrations of the polycationic dye, ruthenium red. These high rates of transport are difficult to reconcile with a mechanism other than passive diffusion through a nucleotide-activated 'calcium release channel'. Using the fusion technique for inserting SR proteins into planar lipid bilayers, we report here single-channel recordings of calcium release channels from purified 'heavy' SR membranes. Channels have been identified on the basis of their activation by adenine nucleotides, blockade by ruthenium red, and selectivity for divalent cations. Surprisingly, the channel studied here exhibits an unusually large conductance of 170 pS in 50 mM Ba2+ while still being capable of discriminating against monovalent cations by a permeability ratio, P(Ba)/P(Cs) = 11.4.
The reactive oligodendrocyte. An electron microscopic study of cerebral cortex following alpha particle irradiation

The ultrastructural features of oligodendrocytes have been studied in a zone of cerebral cortex in which all neurons are destroyed and numerous processes damaged by heavy ionizing particles. This type of lesion fails to reveal signs of vascular inflammation and classical “gitter cells” in light microscopy or any signs of debris fragments in electron microscopy. Oligodendrocyte satellites of neurons or their processes display an acute swelling associated with signs of neuronal damage. This is followed by a marked increase in a morphologically rich variety of dense osmiophilic organelles of granular, lamellar, crystalline or amorphous sub-structure. Acid phosphatase activity has been demonstrated in some of these organelles, thus implying a participation in “lysosomal” intracellular breakdown. Invasion by microgliacytes and phagocytosis was not observed. Present evidence supports the efficacy of intracellular mechanisms in the breakdown of degenerating material and suggests a re-evaluation of the evidence for identification of microglia on the basis of granular inclusions.
The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance : Does it work with low-income urban children ?

The present study represents a twofold investigation wherein (a) the construct validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PSPCSA) and (b) the developmental appropriateness of the PSPCSA were empirically examined for urban Head Start children. Data were collected from a sample of 476 African-American children (48-64 months) representing children enrolled in a large metropolitan Head Start program. In the first study, neither replication of the test author's statistical procedures nor a series of exploratory factor analyses produced psychologically meaningful constructs. A second study tested the assumption that the PSPCSA administration format is developmentally appropriate for preschool children. Results from this study did not support the assumption that the PSPCSA is developmentally appropriate for preschool children. Implications for establishing valid assessment methods for urban Head Start children were discussed.
Jackknifing in the presence of inhomogeneity

Under the classical assumption that data are a random sample from a distribution with cumulative distribution function F. the jackknife generally yields bias reduction, an (asymptotically) pivotal statistic, and a variance estimator for an estimator of an unknown parameter θ(F). In this article, the classical assumption is relaxed to allow for inhomogeneous subpopulations. The jackknife is been to account for these inhomogeneities automatically and. so, is valid in a class of problems much larger than that for which it was originally intended. Data from experiments to determine the acceleration of gravity at Washington, D.C., are analyzed. A family of weighted-mean estimators is considered, and recommendations are made regarding which estimators yield both valid and efficient jackknife-based inferences.
The Brightness of Jupiter's Satellite Io Following Emergence from Eclipse: Selected Observations, 1981-1989

Io's brightness was monitored following emergence from eclipse by Jupiter on 14 occasions during the Jupiter apparitions from 1981 to 1989 and no instance is found of what has been called posteclipse brightening. If all the observations are averaged, a 2 percent effect cannot be ruled out; however, this effect is also the size of the rms errors of the summed data set. If condensation followed by sublimation of SO2 frost is hypothesized to be the mechanism which causes posteclipse brightening, then solar insolation alone may not be sufficient to remove an optically thick layer of SO2 frost in the time required to conform with the positive reports of posteclipse brightening in the literature. An additional source of energy is required, such as warming caused by the impact of magnetospheric particles as they dissipate the energy of their motion into Io's surface.
ELECTRICAL STUDIES ON THE COMPOUND EYE OF LIGIA OCCIDENTALIS DANA (CRUSTACEA: ISOPODA)

The ERG of the compound eye in freshly collected Ligia occidentalis, in response to high intensity light flashes of (1/8) second or longer duration, begins with a negative on-effect quickly followed by an early positive deflection, rapidly returns to the baseline during illumination, and ends with a positive off-effect. As the stimulus intensity is decreased the early positivity progressively decreases and the rapid return to the baseline is replaced by a slowing decline of the negative on-effect. Responses were recorded with one active electrode subcorneally situated in the illuminated eye, the reference electrode in the dark eye. The dark-adapted eye shows a facilitation of the amplitude and rates of rise and fall of the on-effect to a brief, high intensity light stimulus. This facilitation may persist for more than 2 minutes. Following light adaptation under conditions in which the human eye loses sensitivity by a factor of almost 40,000 the Ligia eye loses sensitivity by a factor of only 3. The flicker fusion frequency of the ERG may be as high as 120/second with a corneal illumination of 15,000 foot-candles. Bleeding an otherwise intact animal very rapidly results in a decline of amplitude, change of wave form, and loss of facilitation in the ERG. When the eye is deganglionated without bleeding the animal the isolated retina responds in the same manner as the intact eye. Histological examination of the Ligia receptor layer showed that each ommatidium contains three different retinula cell types, each of which may be responsible for a different aspect of the ERG.
Mixed layer modeling in the East Pacific warm pool during 2002

Two vertical mixing models (the modified dynamic instability model of Price et al.; PWP, and K-Profile Parameterizaton; KPP) are used to analyze intraseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the northeast tropical Pacific near the Costa Rica Dome during boreal summer of 2002. Anomalies in surface latent heat flux and shortwave radiation are the root cause of the three intraseasonal SST oscillations of order 1°C amplitude that occur during this time, although surface stress variations have a significant impact on the third event. A slab ocean model that uses observed monthly varying mixed layer depths and accounts for penetrating shortwave radiation appears to well-simulate the first two SST oscillations, but not the third. The third oscillation is associated with small mixed layer depths (<5 m) forced by, and acting with, weak surface stresses and a stabilizing heat flux that cause a transient spike in SST of 2°C. Intraseasonal variations in freshwater flux due to precipitation and diurnal flux variability do not significantly impact these intraseasonal oscillations. These results suggest that a slab ocean coupled to an atmospheric general circulation model, as used in previous studies of east Pacific intraseasonal variability, may not be entirely adequate to realistically simulate SST variations. Further, while most of the results from the PWP and KPP models are similar, some important differences that emerge are discussed.
Morphology and number of Ommatidia in the compound eyes of Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis richteri, and their hybrid (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract The morphology and number of ommatidia of the compound eyes of Solenopsis invicta , Solenopsis richteri and their hybrid are investigated. Comparisons are made of the morphology and number of ommatidia in S. invicta , S. richteri and their hybrid. Major workers have significantly more facets than minor workers, male reproductive more than female reproductive, and the reproductives more than workers. Workers and reproductives have significantly more ommatidia in S. invicta than in S. richteri and significantly fewer in the hybrid than in either species. The major workers of each species have significantly wider facets than the minor workers, and workers have significantly wider facets than reproductives, which showed no difference in their facet diameter. There are no significant differences when the facet diameter is compared between the members of the castes of different species. These morphological and numerical dissimilarities are discussed in connection with known behavioral differences in the castes.
Programmed Upper-Rate Limit Dependent Endless Loop Tachycardia

In a patient with a VDD dual chamber pacemaker, an endless loop tachycardia (ELT) appeared spontaneously or could be provoked by magnet application and removal. The duration of the ELT was dependent on the programmed upper-rate limit of the pacemaker, ie, the higher it was set, the shorter the duration of the ELT. This was caused by the automatic variable pacemaker AV delay (the Wenckebach effect) which prolongs maintaining the programmed cycle length at each upper-rate limit during the tachycardia. This case illustrates the mechanism by which increasing the upper-rate setting of this unit prevents or restrains the ELT.
Deamidation of the asparaginyl-glycyl sequence.

The deamidation of Ac-Asn-Gly-NHMe and Ac-Isn-Gly-NHMe has been studied as a model for the facile deamidation of the Asn-Gly sequence in proteins. At alkaline pH, the product in each case is an identical mixture of Ac-alpha-Asp-Gly-NHMe (approximately 22%) and Ac-beta-Asp-Gly-NHMe (approximately 78%) as determined by n.m.r. spectroscopy. Because this same ratio is obtained from both Ac-Asn-Gly-NHMe and Ac-Isn-Gly-NHMe, the postulated mechanism, that deamidation proceeds through a cyclic imide intermediate, is confirmed. Unlike peptides of aspartyl esters, cyclization does not occur under nonaqueous conditions or at low pH in aqueous solution.
Female Genital Tract Bacterial Coisolates With Candida albicans in Patients Without Clinical Vaginitis

Objective: In vitro, Candida albicans has demonstrated the ability to inhibit replication of selected bacteria. Little information exists on the impact of C. albicans on the vaginal bacterial flora in vivo. The purpose of this study is to identify the coexisting bacterial florawhen C. albicans is isolated from vaginal cultures submitted to a hospital-based testing facility for reasons other than vulvovaginitis. Methodology: All specimens (240) received from ambulatory care clinics over a six-month period were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and Candida species. Those specimens submitted for cervicitis, vaginitis, or vaginal discharge and those from which yeasts other than C. albicans were isolated were eliminated. To control for sample biases, a subgroup composed of all pregnant women for whom cultures were done as screening procedures was similarly studied. Chi-square analyses, comparing the prevalence of individual bacteria isolated with and without the presence of C. albicans, were done for all study populations using SPSS for Windows software (1994). Results: Two hundred and forty consecutive specimens were bacteriologically analyzed. Of the 220 vaginal samples used in the study, C. albicans was isolated in 44 instances (20%). Neither the presence of the lactobacilli nor the presence of Gardnerella vaginalis markedly influenced the isolation rate of C. albicans. The group B streptococci had a greater probability of coisolation when C. albicans was present (27.3% verses 16%), but this was not statistically significant (P < 0.8). Dissociation between the presence of C. albicans and the coisolation of Peptostreptococcus species and anaerobic gram-positive cocci and/or bacilli was noted (P < 0.0819). while the incidence of gram-positive aerobic bacilli was reduced in the presence of C. albicans (30/176 17.1%] versus 6/44 [13.6%]), this reduced incidence was not statistically significant. Isolation data of the subgroup of pregnant women supported these observations. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, statistically, the data suggests that an inverse relationship exists between the presence of C. albicans and recovery of Peptostreptococcus and anaerobic gram-positive cocci and bacilli. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 6:52-56, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Controlling deamidation rates in a model peptide: effects of temperature, peptide concentration, and additives.

The rate of deamidation of the Asn residue in Val-Tyr-Pro-Asn-Gly-Ala (VYPNGA), a model peptide, was determined at pH 9 (400 mM Tris buffer) as a function of temperature and peptide concentration. Over the temperature range 5-65 degrees C, deamidation followed Arrhenius behavior, with an apparent activation energy of 13.3 kcal/mol. Furthermore, increasing the peptide concentration slows the rate of deamidation. Self-stabilization with respect to deamidation has not been reported previously. The rate of deamidation was also determined in the presence of sucrose and poloxamer 407 (Pluronic F127). In both cases, the rate of deamidation was retarded by up to 40% at 35 degrees C. In aqueous solutions containing poloxamer 407, the degree of stabilization is independent of formation of a reversible thermosetting gel. With sucrose, maximum reduction in the deamidation rate was attained with as little as 5% (w/v). Addition of sucrose results in a greater conformational preference for a type II beta-turn structure, which presumably is less prone to intramolecular cyclization and subsequent deamidation.