cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Prenatal Ethanol Exposure on Phospholipase C‐β1 and Phospholipase A2 in Hippocampus and Medial Frontal Cortex of Adult Rat Offspring

Previous studies in our laboratory using a rat model of fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) suggest that FAE-induced behavioral deficits are, in part, linked to neurochemical and electrophysiological deficits in long-term potentiation (LTP) in the entorhinal cortical perforant path projection to the hippocampal formation. Several findings suggest that signal-activated phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) are critical to the induction and maintenance of LTP. Thus, alterations in phospholipid metabolism may play a significant role in the LTP deficits observed in FAE offspring. To test this hypothesis, we measured PLC-β1 and PLA 2 activities in the hippocampus and medial frontal cortex of adult rats prenatally exposed to ethanol. PLC-β1 acidifies were significantly decreased by 20 to 30% in both the hippocampus and medial frontal cortex of FAE rats, compared with ad libitum and pair-fed controls. Total Ca 2+ -dependent PLA 2 activity was 25% lower in the medial frontal cortex of FAE rats, but did not significantly differ from controls in the hippocampal formation. Approximately 30% of the measured activity in both the medial frontal cortex and hippocampal formation of ad libitum and pair-fed animals was associated with an 85 kDa cytosolic PLA 2 form. Cytosolic PLA 2 activities were significantly reduced in both the medial frontal cortex and hippocampal formation of FAE rats, compared with controls. These changes in Ca 2+ -dependent PLA 2 and PLC-β1 activities, coupled with reports of FAE-induced deficits in protein kinase C activity, indicate that prenatal exposure to moderate quantities of ethanol causes profound and long-lasting deficits in the cellular signaling mechanisms associated with activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and memory formation.
Morphological and biochemical changes in the pineal gland in pregnancy

Although systematic and detailed studies of pineal structure and function during pregnancy are rare, the available evidence indicates that morphological and biochemical changes do take place in this gland during this reproductive state. The majority of studies indicate increased activity in cytoplasmic organelles and enzymes of pinealocytes during gestation. Changes in pineal and plasma melatonin levels in pregnancy have been described in a number of species. Results of biochemical studies emphasize the existence of the feedback system which involves the gonads, the hypothalamus and the pineal gland. More ultrastructural and biochemical studies on this intriguing gland in pregnancy are fully warranted.
What ever happened to the norms for the Matching Familiar Figures Test

The Matching Familiar Figures Test is used almost exclusively to assess cognitive tempo, e.g., impulsive-reflective, etc., in subjects. Although norms for this test were published by Salkind in 1978, a comprehensive review of the literature on cognitive tempo covering 1979 through 1984 showed only 8% of the reviewed studies used the norms. The problems associated with the failure to use norms, most notably, the inability to generalize findings from one sample to another, are covered.
A Calorimetric Study of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals: Cure Energetics and Kinetics

Abstract Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films are formed by the phase separation of liquid crystal (LC) microdroplets from a polymer matrix during cross-linking (cure) of the matrix. Thus, studics of the cure energetics and kinetics of PDLCs provide insights into the mechanisms of their formation. We have carried out such studies for PDLCs cured in two different ways. We have measured the heat released during cure (ΔQ cure) and the time constant for the cure process (T cure) as a function of cure temperature (T cure) for two thermally-cured and four UV-cured systems. The heat of cure for both types of systems exhibits similar behavior: ΔQ cure goes through a broad maximum at a value of T cure where the degree of matrix cure is greatest. On the other hand, the behavior of the cure time constant differs for the two systems: T cure for thermally-cured PDLCs decreases monotonically with temperature, whereas that for UV-cured PDLCs exhibits a minimum. Both quantities are of importance for optimization...
Protein phosphorylation in the organ of Corti: Differential regulation by second messengers between base and apex

Major aspects of cellular physiology are regulated by the phosphorylation state of proteins through the action of protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Phosphorylation of proteins by endogenous protein kinase activity was assayed in homogenates from guinea pig inner ear tissues with [v-s*P] ATP. Phosphoproteins showed distinct distributions in organ of Corti, lateral wall and spiral ganglion. In the organ of Corti, several protein kinase activities were distinguished by their activation by appropriate agonists: protein kinase C, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases and cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases. Twelve putative substrates for these kinases were identified in organ of Corti on the basis of increased 32P-incorporation with addition of lipids, calmodulin, and cyclic nucleotides, respectively. In addition, differences in phosphorylation were observed between the base and apex of the organ of Corti. 32P-incorporation into proteins of molecular weights between 45 and 100 kDa was significantly higher in apical tissue than in tissue from the base. In contrast, phosphate incorporation into proteins of around 29 kDa was much lower in apical tissues than in basal tissues. Furthermore, labeling of both the high and low molecular weight proteins from the apex but not the base markedly increased in response to calcium. These data indicate the presence of differential modes of regulation that may underlie structural and functional gradients along the sensory epithelium.
On the observed response of ozone to NO x and VOC reactivity reductions in San Joaquin Valley California 1995–present

Abstract. We describe the effects of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and organic reactivity reductions on the frequency of high ozone days in California's San Joaquin Valley. We use sixteen years of observations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and temperature at sites upwind, within, and downwind of three cities to assess the probability of exceeding the California 8-h average ozone standard of 70.4 ppb at each location. The comprehensive data records in the region and the steep decreases in emissions over the last decade are sufficient to constrain the relative import of NOx and organic reactivity reductions on the frequency of violations. We show that high ozone has a large component that is due to local production, as the probability of exceeding the state standard is lowest for each city at the upwind site, increases in the city center, is highest at downwind locations, and then decreases at the receptor city to the south. We see that reductions in organic reactivity have been very effective in the central and northern regions of the San Joaquin but less so in the southern portion of the Valley. We find evidence for two distinct categories of reactivity sources: one source that has decreased and dominates at moderate temperatures, and a second source that dominates at high temperatures, particularly in the southern San Joaquin, and has not changed over the last twelve years. We show that NOx reductions are already effective or are poised to become so in the southern and central Valley, where violations are most frequent, as conditions in these regions have or are transitioning to NOx-limited chemistry when temperatures are hottest and high ozone most probable.
Use of Sidman Avoidance to Increase Door-Locking Behavior among College Students Living in Residence Halls:

Sidman avoidance, facilitated by late-night telephone calls to occupants of dormitory rooms who left their doors unlocked upon retiring at night, was used to modify the behaviors of 17 students in 9 dormitory rooms. Baseline data were collected during 6 nights prior to the implementation of the intervention. Avoidance procedures were then administered to the target rooms for 6 nights before returning to the baseline conditions during the final 3 nights of the study. The procedure was effective in eliciting the desired response of locking the door upon retiring each evening.
Diphenylhydantoin reduces veratridine-induced sodium permeability in frog skeletal muscle

The effect of the anti-epileptic drug 5,5'-diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin) on Na permeability (PNa) in frog skeletal muscle was studied. Because there is no detectable tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na permeability in resting frog muscle, PNa was induced using the alkaloid 'neurotoxin' veratridine. Veratridine has been previously characterized as a useful 'tool' for producing a population of open Na channels in frog muscle. The amount of sodium permeability produced by veratridine was quantified in two ways: by measuring (a) membrane potential (Vm) and (b) 22Na influx. Dilantin was shown to reverse veratridine-induced depolarization by approximately one-third and to inhibit veratridine-induced Na influx in a dose-dependent manner, with an apparent Km of 78 +/- 8 microM.
From Opposition to Accommodation: How Rockefeller Foundation Grants Redefined Relations between Political Theory and Social Science in the 1950s

In this essay, I rely primarily on unpublished documents from the Rockefeller Foundation Archives as well as the annual reports of the Ford Foundation and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) to show that rather than being in a torpor, political theory in the 1950s was a large and eclectic field, marked by contest and rapid change. I focus on the Rockefeller Foundation's policy making for its program in Legal and Political Philosophy (LAPP), the largest grant program for political theory in the 1950s, both to see how the Foundation justified the creation of the program and how it defined its scope. I argue that when faced with the task of settling on a working definition of “political theory” for the purpose of awarding grants, the Foundation's officers and the academics who assisted them opted, after prolonged debate, for an eclectic definition of political theory. I read the emergence of this eclectic definition of political theory, however, not as evidence of pacific pluralism but as an attempt to contain some of the new challenges to the field by incorporating them into it, albeit in a subordinate position.
Photopolymerization of oriented monomeric liquid crystals

In order to obtain oriented liquid crystalline films which maintain the alignment of monomeric species from whence they are derived, it is necessary to induce rapid, isothermal polymerization processes. In recent studies, monofunctional and difunctional mesogenic methacrylate monomers with nematic and smectic phases have been aligned and polymerized to yield macroscopically oriented polymers. In some cases, the orientation is maintained even after the polymer is heated above its clearing temperature. By utilizing a thin-foil calorimeter, we have succeeded in measuring polymerization rates in macroscopically oriented liquid crystalline monomers. Although the macroscopic structure of the aligned system may be locked-in during polymerization, this does not necessarily result in enhanced rates compared to non-oriented samples. The experimental techniques used to measure the polymerization exotherms of oriented liquid crystals are described. Initial results which illustrate the effect of macroscopic alignment are discussed with respect to polymerization kinetic rates. Implications for polymerization of oriented liquid crystals are briefly discussed in the context of optical properties of the final films.
Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase: From X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia Toward Targeted Therapy for B-Cell Malignancies

Discovery of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) mutations as the cause for X-linked agammaglobulinemia was a milestone in understanding the genetic basis of primary immunodeficiencies. Since then, studies have highlighted the critical role of this enzyme in B-cell development and function, and particularly in B-cell receptor signaling. Because its deletion affects mostly B cells, BTK has become an attractive therapeutic target in autoimmune disorders and B-cell malignancies. Ibrutinib (PCI-32765) is the most advanced BTK inhibitor in clinical testing, with ongoing phase III clinical trials in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle-cell lymphoma. In this article, we discuss key discoveries related to BTK and clinically relevant aspects of BTK inhibitors, and we provide an outlook into clinical development and open questions regarding BTK inhibitor therapy.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF PERIDINUM CINCTUM F. OVOPLANUM (DINOPHYCEAE)1,2

SUMMARY Sexual reproduction is induced in the dinoflagelate Peridinium cinctum f. ovoplanum Lindemann when exponentially growing cells are inoculated into nitrogen deficient medium. Small, naked vegetative cells, produced by division of the thecate cells, then act as gametes. The zygote remains motile for 12–13 days during which time it enlarges and the theca which it forms becomes warty. Thirteen to 14 day s following plasmogamy the zygote is nonmotile, the protoplast contracts, a large red oil droplet appears, the wall thickens and becomes chitinized. This hypnozygote germinates within 7–8 weeks at 20 c producing 1 post-zygotic cell retaining the large red oil droplet. The presence of 4 nuclei in these post-zygotic cells may be demonstrated by staining them with acetocarmine. Two of these nuclei are smaller than the other two and probably abort. One may infer that meiosis occurs immediately prior to or at the germinartion of the hypnozygote. This post-zygotic cell divides within 24 h into 2 daughter cells each with a promment red oil droplet. These daughter cells divide after 2–3 days into ordinary vegetative cells. Attempts to induce sexual reproduction by changes in temperature or light and by inoculation of cells into media deficient in a number of basic elements were unsuccessful.
On the constancy of the specific enthalpy of fracture

The specific enthalpy of fracture due to ductile crack propagation in commercial polycarbonate sheet is calculated as γ* =A1c/R1c, whereA1c is the critical energy release rate associated with the onset of unstable crack propagation andR1c is the corresponding amount of damage (yielded material) formed per unit crack extension.A1c andR1c are determined from fatigue crack propagation experiments conducted at different maximum loads, load ratios and frequencies. The value of γ* obtained from all experiments is found to be 9.8±1.4 cal g−1 (1cal = 4.184 J) which indicates that γ* is a material constant. This finding substantiates predictions of the crack layer theory.
Obstructive sleep apnea/ hypopnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea (OSA/H) is a common disorder for which there are a variety of therapeutic options. All patients should make appropriate alterations in lifestyle and habits to reduce the risk of upper airway instability during sleep. The aggressiveness of additional treatment should be dictated by the severity of OSA/H, as measured by the condition’s physiologic and clinical impact. At this time, the most compelling reason to treat patients with OSA/H is to reverse daytime sleepiness, functional or performance impairments, and clinically significant hypoxemia. Given data that suggest strong associations between vascular diseases and OSA/H, however, it may be prudent to use a relatively low threshold when deciding whether to treat patients at high risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Although we do not completely understand the extent to which any given derangement in sleep architecture or sleep-associated gas exchange leads to short-or long-term morbidity, such an abnormality should alert the clinician to the possible need for intervention and the need for careful follow-up. In general, all patients with OSA/H who require treatment should have a trial of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the medical therapy of choice. This approach provides rapid and assured alleviation of OSA/H. Once CPAP therapy is under way, the patient and clinician can evaluate other options if the patient does not wish to continue long-term positive-pressure therapy. It is essential that patients and their caregivers understand the nature of OSA/H and its risk factors and realize that successful upper airway stabilization by means of medical and surgical interventions other than positive pressure or tracheostomy cannot be guaranteed. Surgical techniques cannot guarantee cure and can cause notable adverse consequences. Although it is almost invariably successful in maintaining upper airway patency during sleep, positive-pressure therapy may also have side effects. These generally are not lasting or severe, but they may nonetheless affect patient comfort. Measures are available to address these side effects. Increasing amounts of information support the importance to clinical care of patient education about both OSA/H and its therapy. Such education enhances the likelihood of successful treatment, improved quality of life, and improved long-term outcome.
Safety and immunogenicity of the live attenuated varicella vaccine following T replete or T cell depleted related and unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT)

There are limited studies assessing the live attenuated varicella vaccine following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Because of the morbidity of varicella acquired after childhood, we immunized and retrospectively analyzed the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in 46 varicella zoster virus (VZV) seronegative patients
Pediatric Patient and Hospital Characteristics Associated With Treatment of Peritonsillar Abscess and Peritonsillar Cellulitis

Objective. To identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with the choice of treatment for pediatric patients who present in the acute setting with peritonsillar abscess/cellulitis (PTA/PTC). Study Design. A retrospective cohort study was performed using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project emergency department, ambulatory, and inpatient state databases for the years 2010 and 2011. Children aged 0 to 17 years were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis code for PTA/PTC. The main outcome of interest was treatment received, which included medical therapy alone, incision and drainage (IND) or tonsillectomy. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to model non-clinical factors associated with treatment received after adjusting for age, hospital state, race, primary expected payer, existing chronic condition(s), and type of hospital. Results. We identified 2994 patients who presented with PTA/PTC. The mo...
Financial and Operational Analysis of Non–Operating Room Anesthesia: the Wrong Way Versus the Right Way

Most financial analysis regarding the cost of non-operating room anesthesia in hospitals is incorrect. This article indicates why this situation exists and suggests how to perform the cost analysis in the right way. It also reviews financial and operational strategies that can result in more efficient scheduling of anesthesia, thereby freeing up anesthesiologist time in the main operating room for non-operating room needs.
Identification of bacteria by studying one section under light microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy

A method for bacterial identification has been developed by means of studying the same histological sections through several types of microscopy. With this method, one section was processed and analyzed respectively for light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sections of gingival biopsies were Gram stained and bacteria tentatively identified by LM. Photographs of the sections were taken and presketched transparent acetate sheets (PTAS) were made from the photos. The same section was later prepared for SEM, areas previously thought to contain bacteria were localized by placing the PTAS onto the SEM monitoring screen. The SEM specimens were subsequently processed for TEM, bacteria were located, and micrographs obtained. The results showed that out of ten diseased gingival biopsies observed under the LM, bacteria were found to be present in all the specimens and were identified as both Gram positive and Gram negative. By transferring the section from LM to SEM, the bacteria could be relocated and their morphotype (cocci, rods, etc.) clearly identified in most of the cases. Since cocci may resemble other biological granular structures under SEM, they require further analysis under TEM for additional positive identification. This study demonstrated that the method described here is a useful tool for assessing the presence and identifying bacteria within the gingival tissues.
Explanatory models of diabetes: Patient practitioner variation

Most cases of diabetes, a complex disorder that requires many lifestyle changes, can be controlled if persons adhere to their prescribed regimen. However, compliance is difficult to attain. Differences in explanatory models between client and practitioner have been suggested as one reason for non-compliance in several disorders. In this ethnographic investigation, individual explanatory models were elicited from persons with diabetes and from health professionals working with these patients. Professionals described models of diabetes in general and their model of a particular patient's diabetes. A composite professional model was constructed and compared with each of the patients' models. The models were most congruent regarding treatment. Etiology, pathophysiology, and severity had less congruence, and time and mode of symptom onset were least congruent. The Spearman correlation coefficient showed a positive but non-significant association of explanatory model congruence between professionals and patients with normal glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Patients and professionals seem to emphasize different domains; patients emphasized difficulties in the social domain and the impact of diabetes on their lives while staff saw diabetes primarily as a pathophysiological problem with impact on patients' physical bodies. This study's importance rests on its clear articulation of significant differences between patients' and staffs' models even when they are similar in demographic characteristics.
Abstraction and unrealistic assumptions in economics

Economics has been persistently criticized for its heavy reliance on unrealistic assumptions. Some people reply to this criticism by saying that the unrealistic assumptions of economics result from abstraction from unimportant details, and abstraction is necessary for knowledge of a complex real world. So, far from unrealistic assumptions detracting from the epistemic worth of economics, such assumptions are essential for economic knowledge. I call this line of argument ‘the Abstractionist Defense’. After clarifying abstraction, unrealistic assumptions and kindred notions, I show that the Abstractionist Defense does not successfully rebut the position of those who criticize economics for its unrealistic assumptions.
Students as teachers: effectiveness of a peer-led STEM learning programme over 10 years

Peer-led small-group learning has been used quite extensively in the US to enhance performance and retention of undergraduate students in science, math, and engineering classes. This study presents the results from an evaluation of a peer-led small-group programme at a research university in the US over a 10-year period across five disciplines (biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, and mathematics) and seven courses. Data suggest the programme had a positive impact on participants' grades in five of the seven courses and on retention in the four courses that require students to take a course sequence. Effects of the programme were investigated across gender and ethnic groups. Participants benefited from the programme regardless of their gender or ethnicity. However, effect sizes were often larger for students from underrepresented groups. This was particularly true for course retention, where effect sizes for females were larger than those for males in four courses.
The geometry of transient crashes and their dependence on demographic rates

In theory and practice, many ecological communities possessing a stable coexistence steady state may, in actuality, be difficult to assemble species-by-species, due to temporarily low densities of one or more preexisting species after the introduction of a new community member. This article elucidates some of the conditions under which these transient near-extinctions are likely to occur. These conditions are given in terms of such geometric quantities as the position of the new coexistence state after an invasion, relative to the original coexistence state, and the severity of the post-invasion community's oscillations, as well as more directly biological quantities such as the demographic rates of the invader and the potential victim of a crash. Through graphical reasoning, numerical examples, and preliminary experimental results, the importance of these conditions is demonstrated.
Study of the teratogenic potential of gum arabic

Gum arabic in the diet at 0, 1, 2, 4, 7.5 or 15% was available ad lib. to male and female Osborne-Mendel rats during premating and mating and throughout gestation. During gestation, the treated females consumed from 683 mg gum/kg body weight/day in the 1% group to 10,647 mg gum/kg/day in the 15% group. The animals were killed on gestation day 20. There were no dose-related changes in maternal findings, number of foetuses, foetal viability or external, visceral or skeletal variations. No terata were seen.
Investigation of Osteoclast Resorption Mechanisms in a Hybrid Cellular Automaton Model of Bone Remodeling

Bone is a living tissue which is continually adapting to its biological environment via continuous formation and resorption. It is generally accepted that bone remodeling occurs in response to daily mechanical loading. The remodeling process enables various functions, such as damage repair, adaptation to mechanical loads, and mineral homeostasis [1]. The cells that are responsible for the bone remodeling process are the bone resorbing osteoclasts and the bone forming osteoblasts. These cells closely coordinate their actions in a basic multicellular unit to renew “packets” of bone.© 2007 ASME
Asphaltic Thermoplastic Propellants

A need has surfaced over the past several years for low-cost access to space. The two primary avenues for cost reduction are to lower propellant raw material costs and to lower processing costs. Thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers will help achieve these reductions. Several families of candidate thermoplastic materials have been evaluated, including acrylic resins and physically modified asphalts. These materials meet the criteria for continuous or alternate processing, are inexpensive, and have latent benefits with respect to oxidizer compatibility. The classes of thermoplastic elastomers explored consist of styrenic block copolymers. These materials provide cost benefits as well as desired mechanical and ballistic performance. These materials generally require a high-shear premix before propellant processing. The components required for ternary binder compositions are summarized, and current research is reported, and a view of proposed raw material costs and applications is given.
The steady-state thermal stress field in an isotropic sphere with temperature dependent properties

For many purposes, the infinite series can be neglected in equations (29) and (30) for the stress field in a hollow sphere and in equations (47) and (48) for a solid sphere. The error estimate from equation (42) or equation (46) may be used as a criterion for deciding whether or not this is permissible. Finally, the method outlined in preceeding discussion is applicable to any one-dimensional thermoelastic problem with only very mild requirements on the variation of Young's Modulus as specified by equation (39). As would be suspected, the use of the procedure for higher dimensional problems entails the specific assumption that second order variations in Young's Modulus are negligibly small if any degree of calculational simplicity is to be retained. Still, this does not require small variations of first order.
Peter Drucker: modern day Aristotle for the business community

Purpose – Current headlines depicting the billion dollar government bailouts of some of the world's largest business corporations suggest that a new paradigm of management is needed. This paper seeks to propose that the management theory of Peter F. Drucker and certain Aristotelian concepts, expressed in the Nicomachean Ethics and Politics, are applicable to the business community today.Design/methodology/approach – Drucker's management philosophy is synthesized with the moral philosophy of Aristotle to suggest a practical management framework for contemporary business practitioners. In providing a virtue‐based moral framework for management grounded in a concern for character, communal wellbeing, and ultimate purpose, Drucker's Aristotelian‐style of business management provides a viable, virtue‐based management theory that contemporary managers should be able to embrace.Findings – Drucker has been regarded as one of the most influential management thinkers of the twentieth century. It is suggested that, ...
Proceedings of the 13th ACM SIGPLAN Symposium on Principles and practice of parallel programming

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to PPoPP'08: The 13th ACM SIGPLAN Symposium on Principles and Practice of Parallel Programming. Since its inception (as PPEALS) in 1988, PPoPP has provided a leading forum for work in all aspects of parallelism and concurrency, including theoretical foundations, programming models, algorithms, applications, and systems software. Never in the past 20 years, however, has the conference been as broadly relevant as it is today: with the move to ubiquitous multicore processors and heterogeneous systems-on-chip now well underway, parallelism has moved onto the critical path of almost every development effort. This year's call for papers attracted 102 submissions, a dramatic increase from last year's 65. Every paper was read by at least three members of the program committee; additional, outside reviews were solicited in special cases. At an in-person meeting of the program committee in October 2007, 25 papers were selected for presentation at the conference, on topics ranging from the theoretical (formal models, static analysis) to the highly applied (algorithms for special-purpose platforms). Transactional memory was the single most popular topic: the large number of acceptances in this area reflects an even larger number of very high quality submissions. Authors of high quality papers that could not be accepted for the conference proper were invited to present their work as posters. 13 of them accepted this invitation; 4 others were chosen from among 7 papers submitted explicitly as posters. Given the significance of parallel hardware trends, the steering committee chose this year to co-locate with the International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture. We are delighted to share with HPCA'08 not only the conference venue, but a much-anticipated keynote by IBM Fellow Emerita Frances Allen, parallel compiler pioneer and recipient of the 2007 ACM Turing Award. The PPoPP program also includes a panel on highly parallel programming models, moderated by John Mellor-Crummey, last year's Program Chair. Continuing a tradition begun on John's watch, the conference will be followed by a day of workshops and tutorials, among them the 3rd ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Transactional Computing (TRANSACT 2008).
Both Intra-and Interstrand Charge-Transfer Excited States in Aqueous B-DNA Are Present at Energies Comparable To, or Just Above, the 1ππ* Excitonic Bright States

Vertical electronic excitations in model systems representing single- and double-stranded B-DNA are characterized using electronic structure theory, including both time-dependent density functional...
Delay discounting, but not disinhibition or inattention, partially mediates the effects of neuroticism on disordered eating in adolescents

Abstract Adolescence represents an integral developmental period for the prevention and intervention of disordered eating. Individuals with high levels of neuroticism have been shown to respond with greater impulsivity and use of disordered eating as a coping mechanism. However, the exact mechanism through which neuroticism and impulsivity affect disordered eating remains unknown. To understand the effects of personality and impulsivity on disordered eating in adolescence, the present study aimed to investigate whether impulsivity mediated the relationship between neuroticism and disordered eating. Adolescents ( N = 40) between the ages of 13 and 19 ( M age = 18.25 years; S.D. = 1.30) were queried on eating attitudes and personality, as well as completed behavioral tasks assessing impulsivity (delay discounting, disinhibition and inattention). Mediation analyses revealed that neuroticism was significantly associated with patterns of disordered eating, but delay discounting, and not disinhibition and inattention, appeared to mediate the relationship between neuroticism and disordered eating. These results should guide prospective research exploring the relations between neurotic and impulsive behavior, particularly delay discounting on disordered eating, which will assist in future treatment efforts targeting the development of maladaptive eating behaviors.
Achieving a system operational availability requirement model

The United State Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) has developed a methodology and model to aid achieving a system operational availability requirement optimally. The ASOAR model was developed in response to a challenge specified within Secretary of Defense Guidance. The objective is to size and fund peacetime stock secondary item inventory to support programmed weapon systems availability rates and operating tempos. Since analytical methodologies to achieve this do not now exist, the Service will develop and institute the ability to size weapon system initial and replenishment secondary item inventories to meet explicit weapon system availability and operating tempo objectives. The ASOAR model is a macro-level analysis tool. It is basically used for system level reliability, availability and maintainability analysis and early-on logistics support analysis (LSA). The ASOAR model uses a top down approach that improves the state-of-the-art in integrating RAM and LSA and in satisfying the Secretary of Defense objective. >
Recent results on least squares-based adaptive control of linear stochastic systems in white noise

Recently, progress has been made on establishing the stability and performance of linear stochastic systems when they are adaptively controlled in a certainty equivalent fashion using least squares- or extended least squares-based parameter estimates. Here we provide an overview of these results.
Using induction to design algorithms

An analogy between proving mathematical theorems and designing computer algorithms provides an elegant methodology for designing algorithms, explaining their behavior, and understanding their key ideas.
Increasing Productivity Through Performance Appraisal/Assessing Performance Appraisal

The article reviews several books, including “Increasing Productivity Through Performance Appraisal,” by Gary P. Latham and Kenneth N. Wexley and “Assessing Performance Appraisal,” by Marshall Sashkin.
The Electrical Properties of Black Phosphorus

The electrical conductivity of black phosphorus has been measured as a function of temperature and pressure up to 350\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and 8000 kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The Hall constant of the same material has been measured as a function of temperature at atmospheric pressure. At low temperatures $p$-type impurity conduction is observed; at high temperatures the phosphorus is an intrinsic semiconductor with a gap width of 0.33 ev. The mobilities at 27\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C are 350 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/volt sec and 220 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/volt sec for the holes and electrons, respectively. Application of hydrostatic pressure decreases the gap at a rate $\frac{\mathrm{VdW}}{\mathrm{dV}}=8.3$ ev. The results are also interpreted in terms of a two-dimensional semiconductor model.
Interrelationship of drugs influencing arterial pressure in man.

Comparison of hemodynamic changes (cardiac output, renal plasma flow, and extremity blood flow) observed during reserpine-induced hypotension with those occurring during pentolinium-induced hypotension suggests better adaptation following reserpine. This difference is believed to be related to the gradation of onset of hypotension. It was found that reserpine-induced hypotension is potentiated by norepinephrine, and pentolinium-induced hypotension by serotonin. Pretreatment with the hypotensive agent increased the pressor response to norepinephrine and serotonin respectively, if the pressor substance was administered before the onset of hypotension.
Localization of intraflagellar transport protein IFT52 identifies basal body transitional fibers as the docking site for IFT particles

Abstract Intraflagellar transport (IFT) [1, 2] is a motility in which particles composed of at least 17 polypeptides [3–5] move underneath the flagellar membrane [1, 2]. Anterograde (outward) and retrograde (inward) movements of these IFT particles are mediated by FLA10 kinesin-II [2, 3] and cytoplasmic dynein DHC1b [6–8], respectively. Mutations affecting IFT particle polypeptides [9] or motors result in the inability to assemble flagella [2, 6–8, 10–12]. IFT particles and the motors moving them are located principally around the basal bodies as well as in the flagella [3, 7, 13, 14]. Here, we clone the cDNA encoding one of the IFT particle proteins, IFT52, and show by immunofluorescence that while some IFT52 is in the flagella, the majority is found in two horseshoe-shaped rings around the basal bodies. Immunoelectron microscopy indicates that IFT52 is associated with the periphery of the transitional fibers, which extend from the distal portion of the basal body to the cell membrane and demarcate the entrance to the flagellar compartment [15–18]. This localization suggests that the transitional fibers form a docking complex for the IFT particles destined for the flagellum. Finally, the flagellaless mutant bld1 completely lacks IFT52 due to a deletion in the gene encoding IFT52 [19].
Two-Level Theories and Fuzzy-Set Analysis

Two-level theories explain outcomes with causal variables at two levels of analysis that are systematically related to one another. Although many prominent scholars in the field of comparative analysis have developed two-level theories, the empirical and methodological issues that these theories raise have yet to be investigated. In this article, the authors explore different structures of two-level theories and consider the issues involved in testing these theories with fuzzy-set methods. They show that grasping the overall structure of two-level theories requires both specifying the particular type of relationship that exists between and within levels of analysis and specifying the logical linkages between levels in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions. They argue that for the purposes of testing these theories, fuzzy-set analysis provides a powerful set of tools. However, to realize this potential, investigators using fuzzy-set methods must be clear about the two-level structure of their theori...
Messenger RNas : their utilization and degradation during pollen germination and tube growth

During pollen germination and tube growth at least 230 new proteins are synthesized, as determined by 35 S-methionime labeling and two dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of the labeled proteins. The same number and pattern of protein spots is seen whether or not actinomycin D is included in the, medium, indicating that the mRNAs present in the unger-minated pollen grain and those newly synthesized code for the same proteins. The genetic program during at least the latter part of pollen maturation prior to anthesis and that during pollen germination and tube growth thus appears to be similar if not identical. During the first hour of pollen tube growth about 500/0 of the protein synthesis that occurs utilizes previously synthesized mRNAs. The remaining 50% occurs on newly made mRNAs. The ungerminated mature pollen grain contains 196 pg of RNA and approximately 6 X 10 6 molecules of poly(A)+ RNA, i.e. mRNAs. The rate of protein synthesis corrected for internal pool changes in the labeled amino acid used ( 3 H-leucine) is highest during the first 15 min of pollen tube growth. The rate decreases rapidly thereafter for the next 45 min. Concurrent with the reduction in rate of protein synthesis there is a reduction in the poly(A) content of the pollen RNA and in the amount of poly(A) per pollen, grain. The total RNA per pollen grain, however, appears not to change during this period.
Multiple-Lead Exercise Electrocardiography Experience in 107 Normal Subjects and 67 Patients with Angina Pectoris, and Comparison with Coronary Cinearteriography in 84 Patients

A system of multiple-lead exercise electrocardiography has been applied to the study of 107 normal subjects and 67 patients with angina pectoris. The results of this test are compared to those of coronary cinearteriography in 84 patients. In-exercise ECGs gave useful additional information in 59% of the angina patients but were essential for interpretation in 9%. It added considerably to the safety of the test. The value of each individual lead and of the multiple lead system was assessed. Lead V6 was the most often positive, but each made a contribution in some cases. Test-retest reproducibility survey indicated that five of 65 tests on 25 subjects failed to conform. Evidence has been presented that 1.0 mm of ischemic S-T segment shift was the best criterion for a positive test in the subjects studied. The test was positive in 84% of 67 patients with angina pectoris and 3.7% of 107 normal subjects (excluding vasoregulatory hyperreactors). The double two-step test given to the first 41 of the same angina patients for comparison was found to give 61% positive reactions despite the use of multiple leads and in-exercise recording. The test was administered to 84 subjects who were studied concurrently by selective coronary cinearteriograms and these two parameters were compared with the clinical diagnosis of angina in each patient. Since each of these parameters represents a different facet of coronary arterial disease, the agreement among them is very instructive.
AEROTHERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS FOR AXISYMMETRIC PROJECTILES AT SUPERSONIC/HYPERSONIC SPEEDS

An aerothermodynamic design code for axisymmetric projectiles has been developed using a viscous‐inviscid interaction scheme. Separate solution procedures for the inviscid and the viscous (boundary layer) fluid dynamic equations are coupled by an iterative solution procedure. Non‐equilibrium, equilibrium and perfect gas boundary layer equations are included. The non‐equilibrium gas boundary layer equations assume a binary mixture (two species; atoms and molecules) of chemically reacting perfect gases. Conservation equations for each species include finite reaction rates applicable to high temperature air. The equilibrium gas boundary layer equations assume infinite rate reactions, while the perfect gas equations assume no chemical reactions. Projectile near‐wall and surface flow profiles (velocity, pressure, density, temperature and heat transfer) representing converged solutions to both the inviscid and viscous equations can be obtained in less than two minutes on minicomputers. A technique for computing local reverse flow regions is included. Computations for yawed projectiles are accomplished using a coordinate system transformation technique that is valid for small angle‐of‐attack. Computed surface pressure, heat transfer rates and aerodynamic forces and moments for 1.25 &le Mach No. &le 10.5 are compared to wind tunnel and free flight measurements on flat plate, blunt‐cone, and projectile geometries such as a cone‐cylinder‐flare.
Reversal of impaired oxidative phosphorylation and calcium overloading in the skeletal muscle mitochondria of CHF-146 dystrophic hamsters

Membrane-mediated excessive intracellular calcium accumulation (EICA) and diminished cellular energy production are the hallmarks of dystrophic pathobiology in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. We reported reversal of respiratory damage and Ca2+-overloading in the in vitro cardiac mitochondria from CHF-146 dystrophic hamsters (DH) with hereditary muscular dystrophy (Bhattacharya et al., 1993). Here we studied respiratory dysfunctions in the skeletal muscle mitochondria from young and old DH, and whether these abnormalities can be reversed by reducing [Ca2+] in the isolation medium, thereby lowering intramitochondrial Ca2+-overloading. Age- and sex-matched CHF-148 albino normal hamsters (NH) served as controls. As an index of EICA and cellular degeneration, Ca and Mg levels were assayed in the skeletal muscle and mitochondria. Mitochondria from young and old DH, isolated without EDTA (Bo medium), revealed poor coupling of oxidative phosphorylation, diminished stimulated oxygen consumption rate, and lower respiratory control ratio and ADP/O ratios, compared to NH. Incorporation of 10 mM EDTA (BE medium) in the isolation medium restored mitochondrial functions of the dystrophic organelles to a near-normal level, and reduced Ca2+-overloading. The mitochondrial Ca level in DH was significantly higher than in NH, irrespective of the medium. However, compared to Bo medium, the dystrophic organelles isolated in BE medium had lower Ca levels and markedly improved oxidative phosphorylation as seen in NH. Muscle Ca contents in the young and old DH were elevated relative to NH, showing a positive correlation with the increased mitochondrial Ca2+-sequestration. Dystrophic muscle also revealed Ca deposition with an abundance of Ca2+-positive and necrotic myofibers by light microscopy, and intramitochondrial Ca2+-overloading by electron microscopy, respectively. However, Mg levels in the muscle and mitochondria did not alter with age or dystrophy. These data parallel our observations in the heart, and suggest that functional impairments and Ca2+-overloading also occur in the skeletal muscle mitochondria of DH, and are indeed reversible if EICA is regulated by slow Ca2+-channel blocker therapy (Johnson and Bhattacharya, 1993).
STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF RED KIDNEY BEAN á-AMYLASE INHIBITOR IMPORTANT IN BINDING WITH á-AMYLASE

The structural features of the glycoprotein α-amylase inhibitor from red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) important for binding to α-amylase were examined. The inhibitor contained 13.0% carbohydrate. The carbohydrate portion of the inhibitor is composed of 25 mannose, 2 xylose, 1 fucose and 17 N-cetylglucosamine residues per mol. Seventy (70) percent of the neutral carbohydrates were removed from the inhibitor by treatment with endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase H. The carbohydrate remaining attached to the protein consisted of 7 mannose, 2 xylose, and 1 fucose residues (N-acetylogucosamine was not determined). The intact glyco chains obtained from the pronase digest of the inhibitor failed to inhibit β-amylase (3.3 times 105 fold molar excess of glyco chains to enzyme) when preincubated with the enzyme at 30°C for 30 min at pH 6.9 before adding starch as substrate. Oxidation of one tryptophan residue of the α-amylase inhibitor with N-bromosuccinimide at pH 6.0 led to a 50% loss in inhibitory activity. Periodate oxidation of α-amylase inhibitor led to less of two tyrosine and one methionine residues per mole of inhibitor within 15 min. There was not a direct correlation between modification of these residues and loss of inhibitory activity. Modification of three of the five histidine residues with diethylpyrocarbonate resulted in about 50% loss in inhibitory activity.