cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple Congenital Cardiac Lesions

Advances in cardiac surgery and the care of young patients with congenital heart disease have resulted in drastic improvement in survival of children with congenital heart disease. As a result, a greater number of children with congenital heart disease survive to adulthood. It is currently estimated that there for more adults than children with congenital heart disease in the United States. As interventional cardiology procedures and surgical techniques evolve, so will the profile of adult patients with congenital heart disease. Until the early 1980s, hypoplastic left heart syndrome was almost always a lethal diagnosis. Now, with palliative surgeries, many such children can be expected to survive to adulthood, and are beginning to populate adult congenital cardiology clinics. This chapter will discuss relatively simple congenital heart disease, including the common left-to-right shunt lesions atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and coarctation of the aorta. More complex lesions, including tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, and single ventricle lesions, will be addressed in the following chapter.
The value of trading relations in turbulent times

Abstract This paper investigates how dealers’ trading relations shape their trading behavior in the corporate bond market. Dealers charge lower spreads to dealers with whom they have the strongest ties and more so during periods of market turmoil. Systemically important dealers exploit their connections at the expense of peripheral dealers as well as clients, charging higher markups than to other core dealers. Also, intermediation chains lengthened by 20% following the collapse of a flagship dealer in 2008 and even more for institutions strongly connected to this dealer. Finally, dealers drastically reduced their inventory during the crisis.
Micropropulsion of air and liquid jet by acoustic streaming

This paper describes an ultrasonic, nozzleless jet propeller that can shoot out jet streams of liquid or air (from a spot of hundreds of micron in diameter) through an acoustic streaming effect. The propelled jet streams of liquid contain atomized liquid particles of 3 to 10 microns in diameter, and move at a rate as high as 37.5 /spl mu/l/s. In case of air, the speed of the propelled air jet can reach up to 1.2 m/s. This is the first time that acoustic streaming effect is experimentally confirmed in air at such a high frequency of 10.8 MHz.
Magnetic Resonance and Catalytic Studies of Pyruvate Kinase with Essential Sulfhydryl or Lysyl ε-Amino Groups Chemically Modified

Abstract Rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase has previously been shown to lose its ability to catalyze phosphoryl transfer when an essential lysyl e-amino group in each of the 4 subunits is converted to the N-trinitrophenyl derivative or when an essential sulfhydryl group in each of the 4 subunits is converted to a disulfide. The two modified forms have been examined for their ability to bind Mn2+ and substrates and to catalyze the detritiation of pyruvate, a partial reaction. Both forms bind four Mn2+ ions with an affinity indistinguishable from that of the native enzyme. The disulfide enzyme shows an order of magnitude decrease in the enhanced effect of the bound Mn2+ on the proton relaxation rate of water. Analysis of the temperature and frequency dependencies of the relaxation rates indicates this lowering of enhancement to be due to a decrease in both the number and the exchange rate of rapidly exchangeable water protons on the enzyme-bound Mn2+. The rate of water exchange decreases by two orders of magnitude. The trinitrophenyl-enzyme shows no significant change in the enhancement factor. Ternary enzyme-Mn2+-phosphoenolpyruvate complexes are detected with both modified enzymes. The affinity of the trinitrophenylenzyme-Mn2+ complex for phosphoenolpyruvate is unaltered but the affinity of the disulfide form for phosphoenolpyruvate is decreased by one order of magnitude. No indication of a ternary enzyme-Mn2+-ADP complex is detected with the lysine modification by proton relaxation titrations. With both modifications the ATP-activated detritiation of pyruvate is almost completely inhibited but the Pi-activated detritiation of pyruvate is preserved. With the trinitrophenylenzyme the Km of pyruvate and the Vmax of the detritiation reaction are indistinguishable from those of the native enzyme. With the disulfide modification, however, the Km of pyruvate is increased 3-fold and the Vmax is decreased by 26%. No evidence of ATP binding to the disulfideenzyme is obtained as judged by the effect of ATP on the phosphate-activated detritiation. It is therefore suggested that the sulfhydryl and lysine residues which are modified are both involved in the binding of nucleotides to the enzyme and that the sulfhydryl group is closer to, but not directly at, the Mn2+- and phosphoenolpyruvate-binding sites.
Mandated accounting changes and debt covenants: The case of oil and gas accounting☆

Abstract The relationships among mandated accounting changes, bond covenants and security prices has been the focus of several studies. These studies have provided mixed evidence on the existence of a bond covenant effect on security prices. This paper suggests that inconclusive prior results are a consequence of inappropriately measuring the default risk of debt. Using an option pricing framework, it is shown that the debt to equity alone is not an adequate measure of default risk. In particular, both the debt to equity ratio and the total risk of the firm are necessary to adequately model the bond covenant effects of an accounting change. These theoretical propositions are supported by the empirical analysis of the security market reaction to changes in oil and gas accounting.
Molecular Caulking: A Pore Sealing CVD Polymer for Ultralow k Dielectrics

Porosity has been introduced in existing low-k interlayer dielectrics to further reduce their dielectric constant. It is desirable to deposit a metallic layer on top of the porous dielectric by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However this presents the challenge of preventing the precursor from penetrating into the porous dielectric and depositing metal within this insulating layer. In the present paper a low-k CVD polymer capping (Molecular Caulking) is deposited at room temperature onto the porous ultralow k dielectric methyl silsesquioxane. Experiments show that the Molecular Caulking prevents precursor penetration during subsequent metallorganic CVD. In addition, while the Molecular Caulking itself slightly penetrates into the methyl silsesquioxane, it does not appreciably increase surface roughness or film dielectric constant.
Voluntary use of online lecture notes: correlates of note use and note use as an alternative to class attendance

Note taking and note reviewing are essential college student learning activities. A large number of carefully controlled studies have evaluated student effectiveness in implementing each of these skills and have found that both can be improved by providing instructor notes. While the Internet now offers a practical method for providing notes, some instructors are reluctant to offer notes because they fear that students will use these notes as an alternative to class attendance. This study used data collected by the server and questionnaires to describe voluntary use of online lecture notes, to search for correlates of individual patterns of note use, and to investigate student use of notes as an alternative to class attendance. Students primarily printed notes and used these notes during class presentations. There was some evidence that note users performed better on examinations than students who did not use notes. Some students did admit to using notes as an alternative to class attendance, but a comparison between the examination scores of those who admitted to this practice and those who claimed never to use notes for this purpose showed no significant differences in performance.
Student financial aid and degree attainment

This research examines the relationships of student aid with degree attainment using a sample of aid recipients, nonrecipients who applied for aid but were not eligible, and a representative group of controls selected from the 1970–1971 entering freshman class at Washington State University. When the other independent variables are statistically controlled, student aid is found to have a very small positive association with degree attainment. The denial of aid to those who were not eligible decreases their likelihood of graduation. A grant, loan, and work study package is found to be the most effective for enhancing degree attainment. The loan-grant package is also positively related to degree attainment, but the grant-loan package is detrimental to the completion of a college degree.
Juxtacrine cell signaling molecules

Cell adhesion molecules and diffusible growth factors have long been studied as two separate forms of intercellular communication. However, biologists working in these two areas are seeing their fields converge. This merge has been promoted by the identification of membrane-anchored growth factors that activate receptors on adjacent cells through intimate cell-cell contacts, and cell adhesion molecules that act as signaling receptors. Juxtacrine stimulation mediated by these two classes of molecules is critical in various aspects of tissue development and maintenance. Our increasing appreciation of juxtacrine interactions should foster rapid progress in this field.
Autonomic influence on cardiovascular performance in diabetic subjects

Purpose Cardiomyopathy, coronary artery atherosclerosis, or autonomic neuropathy may affect the cardiovascular performance of the diabetic patient To evaluate the role of parasympathetic nervous system activity on cardiovascular performance, 25 diabetic subjects who lacked symptoms, signs, or objective measurements of ischemia or cardiomyopathy were studied. Patients and methods Diabetic subjects were classified according to their RR variation, an index of cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activi- ty. Fourteen diabetic subjects bad a normal RR variation of greater than 30 (D-NOR), and 11 diabetic patients had an abnormal RR variation of less than 20 (D-ABN). Fifteen age- and weightmatched, healthy, nondiabetic subjects (NOR) constituted the control group. All subjects had oxygen consumption, multigated acquisition determination of cardiac output, and work product measured before and during supine bicycle maximum exercise testing. Results There was no difference in the resting cardiac output among the groups. Resting work product, however, was greatest in the D-ABN group when compared with performance in the other two groups (D-ABN: 11,500 ± 800; D-NOR: 9,000 ± 600; NOR: 8,700 ± 400; p Conclusions The increase in resting work product and the poor cardiac output responses to exercise in the D-ABN group are due to a decrease in cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activity and can be suggested by an abnormal RR variation. This index of parasympathetic nervous system activity can help the physician identify that subset of diabetic patients that may need special consideration when exercise training is prescribed.
Possible development ofcardiomyopathy in a patient with ventricular septal defect

Summary A 16-year-old boy has been described who has a moderate-sized ventricular septal defect which has almost closed. He has developed striking T-wave changes, as well as an abnormal exercise tolerance test. Cineangiography appears to demonstrate an abnormally thick ventricular septum. It is concluded that he has apparently developed a left ventricular cardiomyopathy.
The heat capacity of polyethylene fibers measured by multi-frequency temperature-modulated calorimetry

Abstract The apparent heat capacity of polyethylene fibers in the melting region was measured by quasi-isothermal, temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) and compared with results from standard differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the solid and liquid thermodynamic heat capacity as references from the ATHAS Data Bank. Using a multi-frequency, complex sawtooth modulation in the quasi-isothermal mode disclosed for the first time that the uncorrected apparent heat capacity C p = A Φ / ( A T s ω ) of the liquid polyethylene fiber increases with increasing frequency (AΦ is the differential heat-flow rate and A T s is the sample temperature). The frequency-dependent heat capacity cannot be represented by the expression: C p = A Φ / ( A T s ν ω ) [ 1 + ( τ ν ω ) 2 ] 0.5 because of a negative τ2. The results were later confirmed by independent measurements on single sinusoidal quasi-isothermal TMDSC on the same material. The error is caused by shrinking of the fiber, which deforms the sample pan.
Constitutive Expression of Metallothionein-III (MT-III), but Not MT-I, Inhibits Growth When Cells Become Zinc Deficient

BHK cells were stably transformed with plasmid constructs that allowed constitutive expression of either mouse metallothionein-I (MT-I) or MT-III to determine whether these isoforms have different physiological properties. Cells expressing equivalent amounts of MT-I or MT-III could grow in 60-fold more cadmium than nontransfected cells and they were 2- to 3-fold more resistant to zinc, copper, and cobalt. The results suggest that the two MT isoforms detoxify these metals similarly. MT-III reduced the amount of zinc available to activate a zinc-sensitive reporter gene; MT-I actually increased the expression of the reporter gene at low concentrations of zinc. Cells expressing MT-I or MT-III also responded differently to zinc deficiency. When cells expressing MT-I were deprived of zinc, the amount of MT-I protein declined to undetectable levels, even though MT-I mRNA was still abundant, and cell proliferation was unaffected. In contrast, when cells expressing the MT-III gene were deprived of zinc, cell proliferation was arrested and MT-III protein persisted. These results suggest that MT-I does not compete with essential zinc-requiring proteins and is degraded, whereas MT-III competes for zinc and exacerbates zinc deficiency.
Residual conductivity in unannealed amorphous germanium.

An enhanced residual conductivity which persists long after cessation of illumination has been observed in amorphous germanium at 77 K. The effect may be thermally quenched by heating to 120 K, returning the sample to its initial condition.
Stopping rules for surveys with multiple waves of nonrespondent follow‐up

In surveys with multiple waves of follow-up, nonrespondents to the first wave are sometimes followed intensively but this does not guarantee an increase in the response rate or an appreciable change in the estimate of interest. Most prior research has focused on stopping rules for Phase I clinical trials. To our knowledge there are no standard methods to stop follow-up in observational studies. Previous research suggests optimal stopping strategies where decisions are based on achieving a given precision for minimum cost or reducing cost for a given precision. In this paper, we propose three stopping rules that are based on assessing whether successive waves of sampling provide evidence that the parameter of interest is changing. Two of the rules rely on examining patterns of observed responses while the third rule uses missing data methods to multiply impute missing responses. We also present results from a simulation study to evaluate our proposed methods. Our simulations suggest that rules that adjust for nonresponse are preferred for decisions to discontinue follow-up since they reduce bias in the estimate of interest. The rules are not complicated and may be applied in a straightforward manner. Discontinuing follow-up would save time and possibly resources, and adjusting for the nonresponse in the analysis would reduce the impact of nonresponse bias.
Dense representation of affine coordinate rings of curves with one point at infinity

Traditional methods of representing rational functions on curves are unwieldy and unsuitable for solution of many problems. This paper describes a simple and elegant representation of elements of the affine coordinate ring of an algebraic curve and describes efficient, easy to implement algorithms to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and polynomial evaluation. This data structure overcomes many of the disadvantages of more unwieldy traditional representations. Elements are represented as vectors of elements of the ground field in a manner similar to the representation of polynomials of one variable as an array of coefficients. This data structure is a fundamental ingredient in the author's decoding method for algebraic geometry codes. The rational function approximation techniques used for decoding could not have been described with multivariate polynomials or truncated infinite series.
Use of Adjunctive Corticosteroids in Severe Adult Non-HIV Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia

Study objective To examine the use of adjunctive corticosteroids in cases of severe Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in non-HIV-infected adult patients. Design Retrospective review of medical records. Setting Tertiary care urban teaching hospital. Patients Review identified 31 consecutive histologically confirmed primary cases of adult non-HIV-related PCP. Complete records were available for 30 patients, including 20 male and 10 female patients with a mean age of 58.3±15 years (±SD). Underlying conditions included organ transplantation (n=13), long-term immunosuppressive therapy (n=9), and chemotherapy for malignancy (n=8). All patients had documented Po 2 Interventions Following the identification of P carinii , in addition to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or pentamidine therapy, 16 patients received increased steroids (≥60 mg prednisone daily equivalent; increased high-dose steroid group), whereas 14 patients were maintained on a regimen of low doses (≤30 mg prednisone equivalent daily) or had steroid therapy tapered (low-dose steroid group). Results The increased high-dose steroid group demonstrated a shorter required duration for mechanical ventilation (6.3±6 days vs 18.0±21 days; p=0.047), a shorter duration of ICU admission (8.5±7 days vs 15.8±8 days; p=0.025), and a shorter duration of supplemental oxygen use (10.0±4 vs 32.2±33; p=0.05). The hospital duration to discharge for the nine survivors in each group favored the use of corticosteroids (15.4±5 days vs 36.3±33 days; p=0.077). Similar rates were observed for intubation (75% vs 57%; p=0.442) and in-hospital mortality (44% vs 36%; p=0.722). Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that high-dose adjunctive corticosteroids may accelerate recovery in cases of severe adult non-HIV PCP.
The geostrophic coordinate transformation

Abstract The geostrophic coordinate transformation is a contact transformation that preserves the correspondence between the slopes of geopotential surfaces ϕ in physical space and the slopes of the surfaces ϕ, the maps of ϕ, in transformed space. The transformation back to physical space may be accomplished by integration along characteristic surfaces. This technique may be used to determine the time and place where a discontinuity would form as a function of the initial conditions. A model solution is used to illustrate properties of the transformation.
The category-partition method for specifying and generating fuctional tests

A method for creating functional test suites has been developed in which a test engineer analyzes the system specification, writes a series of formal test specifications, and then uses a generator tool to produce test descriptions from which test scripts are written. The advantages of this method are that the tester can easily modify the test specification when necessary, and can control the complexity and number of the tests by annotating the tests specification with constraints.
The Present Absence: Assessment in Social Studies Classrooms.

In this article, first the authors describe the aims of and a definition of social studies education and classroom assessment. Second, the authors provide an overview of issues related to classroom assessment followed by trends in social studies classrooms and assessment. Then the authors address essential systems and best practices related to classroom assessment, suggesting necessities for these practices to become widely accepted and implemented. The authors began our work with a thorough review of the extant literature on assessment in social studies classrooms, practices in classroom assessment, and research on assessment. As our analyses evolved, the authors found it necessary to move sideways into the literature as the empirical research in the field is sparse while the prescriptions for classroom assessment are plentiful; it is “the presence of an absence.” The article provides an overview of the empirical research literature alongside the literature that addresses assessment practices within P–12...
Characterization of uranium oxide thin films grown from solution onto Fe surfaces

A novel method has been discovered for growing uranium oxide films onto iron substrates from solution. The films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure. The as-grown films appear to be iridescent. They are composed of an amorphous uranium(VI) oxide with water incorporated, and are most likely a partially dehydrated schoepite. Topographic images reveal that the surfaces of the films are basically flat, but contain some small hills and valleys. Small cracks are distributed randomly across the surfaces. Upon heating in vacuum, the films crystallize and reduce to a uranium(IV) oxide, and the cracks enlarge. When a heated sample is exposed to air, the surface re-oxidizes to uranium(VI) while the bulk remains as crystalline uranium(IV) oxide.
Characterization of the Bacillus subtilis Spore Morphogenetic Coat Protein CotO

Bacillus spores are protected by a structurally and biochemically complex protein shell composed of over 50 polypeptide species, called the coat. Coat assembly in Bacillus subtilis serves as a relatively tractable model for the study of the formation of more complex macromolecular structures and organelles. It is also a critical model for the discovery of strategies to decontaminate B. anthracis spores. In B. subtilis, a subset of coat proteins is known to have important roles in assembly. Here we show that the recently identified B. subtilis coat protein CotO (YjbX) has an especially important morphogenetic role. We used electron and atomic force microscopy to show that CotO controls assembly of the coat layers and coat surface topography as well as biochemical and cell-biological analyses to identify coat proteins whose assembly is CotO dependent. cotO spores are defective in germination and partially sensitive to lysozyme. As a whole, these phenotypes resemble those resulting from a mutation in the coat protein gene cotH. Nonetheless, the roles of CotH and CotO and the proteins whose assembly they direct are not identical. Based on fluorescence and electron microscopy, we suggest that CotO resides in the outer coat (although not on the coat surface). We propose that CotO and CotH participate in a late phase of coat assembly. We further speculate that an important role of these proteins is ensuring that polymerization of the outer coat layers occurs in such a manner that contiguous shells, and not unproductive aggregates, are formed.
Evaluating anxiety in medical patients

Abstract Anxiety was evaluated in 124 medical inpatients to determine both the frequency of increased anxiety and its relationships with salient aspects of medical care. Severe anxiety was found in one-fourth to one-fifth of these patients; it was associated with patients' distortions of the severity of their illnesses, negative attitudes toward hospitalization, and lack of confidence in physicians. Also, these patients believed that their medical illnesses were associated with increased anxiety. Severe anxiety was expressed more often in combined forms (manifest symptomatology, increased worry, or characterologic disturbances) than singly. The discussion calls attention to the frequently overlooked characterologic expressions of anxiety in medical patients and to treatment programs.
Pn velocity and partial melting—discussion

Abstract The seismologically observed Pn velocity anomalies in the conterminous United States are restricted to the lithosphere, but the observed teleseismic delay-time variations are due principally to the regional variations in the physical state (i.e., thickness of lowvelocity zone and/or percent melt, etc.) of the asthenosphere. The observed low Pn velocity has been attributed to partial melting in the upper mantle, but it is shown that the partial-melting model alone cannot explain the seismologically observed Pn velocities in such an anomalous region as the Basin and Range Province. The present structure of the Basin and Range Province is possibly a result of rifting in the western conterminous United States; under it there may lie a mixed structure of old crust and mantle materials. The low-velocity zone under the Basin and Range Province would then be caused by downward chemical transition from the sub-Moho pyrolitic mantle material into a plagioclase-rich ophiolitic (old oceanic crust and upper mantle) composition and associated meltingand then into a peridotitic composition at the bottom of the lowvelocity zone. This mixed material model, with partial melting, would explain the low Pn velocity and low seismic Q in the region, as well as other geophysical observations.
Fusion of Motion Information with Static Classifications of Occupant Images for Smart Airbag Applications

In many real-time object recognition applications, the system experiences conditions where the classification results are not reliable due to a variety of environmental or object poses where correct classification is difficult or even impossible. We propose that by tracking the motion and orientation of the object of interest, and fusing this information with the classification results, we can greatly improve the classifier performance. This can be achieved firstly by estimating the reliability of the classification, and secondly by using track state estimates to derive additional classification cues. We develop a framework based on Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) Kalman Filtering, Dempster-Shafer evidential reasoning and fuzzy set memberships, for integrating the track and classification information from an incoming video image stream. We demonstrate the performance of our proposed framework in the application of a real-time vision system for smart automotive airbags. We show that our fusion approach improves the final performance to 100% correct classification, the level required for a robust safety system.
On the interpretation of fossil Poaceae pollen in the lowland humid neotropics

Abstract Poaceae pollen is abundant in fossil records and is often used as a paleoclimatic indicator. A common interpretation is to link increases in Poaceae pollen abundance to increased regional aridity. However, the representation of Poaceae pollen is influenced by a number of factors, such as the proportion of other plants in the flora that are anemophilous, the size of local marshes, and the influence of humans on the landscape. Abundant anemophilous trees are likely to mask the contribution of Poaceae pollen, whereas floras that are primarily entomophilous are likely to produce a pollen spectrum containing an over-representation of Poaceae. As most fossil pollen data are drawn from flooded settings, it is critically important that palynologists recognize the Poaceae pollen contribution derived from floating grasses and marshes that surround their coring site. Interpretations that ignore changes in effective lake size and assume that Poaceae percentage is a simple indicator of regional vegetation change are likely to overstate ‘dry’ episodes and transitions from wet forest to scrub environments. Human occupation of a site is sometimes manifested in increased Poaceae pollen abundance in lake sediments. The duration, intensity and land-use associated with occupation are all variables that influence Poaceae pollen representation. Very high (50–90%) abundances of Poaceae pollen provide a strong indicator of savanna habitats, but trying to determine transitional vegetation types between savanna and wet forest is best determined using other taxa. Indeed, reliance on Poaceae abundance as an indicator of paleoprecipitation is potentially very misleading when it is in the fossil record at moderate abundances.
National Launch System comparative economic analysis

Results are presented from an analysis of economic benefits (or losses), in the form of the life cycle cost savings, resulting from the development of the National Launch System (NLS) family of launch vehicles. The analysis was carried out by comparing various NLS-based architectures with the current Shuttle/Titan IV fleet. The basic methodology behind this NLS analysis was to develop a set of annual payload requirements for the Space Station Freedom and LEO, to design launch vehicle architectures around these requirements, and to perform life-cycle cost analyses on all of the architectures. A SEI requirement was included. Launch failure costs were estimated and combined with the relative reliability assumptions to measure the effects of losses. Based on the analysis, a Shuttle/NLS architecture evolving into a pressurized-logistics-carrier/NLS architecture appears to offer the best long-term cost benefit.
Neurons with mu opioid receptors interact indirectly with enkephalin-containing neurons in the rat dentate gyrus.

Abstract In the dentate gyrus, mu opioid receptors (MORs) and their enkephalin agonists have overlapping distributions and influence excitability and plasticity. Released endogenous enkephalins can activate at least some of these MORs; however, whether these interactions involve synaptically associated profiles or more distant associations and whether some subcellular compartments (e.g., terminals or dendrites) are more likely to be targeted than others are not known. To elucidate the relationships between potential sites of enkephalin release and MORs, MOR1 and leucine–enkephalin (LE) immunoreactivities were localized in the hilus by electron microscopy, using immunoperoxidase and immunogold markers. Of the 573 MOR-immunoreactive (ir) profiles analyzed, most were axons and terminals (51 and 30%, respectively), and fewer were dendrites (12%), glia (3%), or unclassifiable (4%). Most MOR-ir profiles resembled interneuron processes, while most LE-ir terminals resembled mossy fibers. One third of MOR-ir profiles were within 3 μm and approximately half were within 4 μm of the nearest LE-ir profile. In contrast, few (3%) MOR-ir profiles contacted LE-ir profiles; only 16% of these contacts included observable synapses, and very few profiles (0.5%) colocalized MOR and LE immunoreactivity. MOR-ir axons, terminals, and dendrites were not distributed differently relative to LE-ir profiles. These results suggest that activation of hilar MORs by LE usually involves short-range volume transmission and that dendritic MORs are as likely as axonal and terminal MORs to be activated by released LE. However, the greater abundance of MOR-ir axons and terminals compared to dendrites indicates that presynaptic profiles are a more prominent target for enkephalins and exogenous MOR agonists such as morphine.
Femtosecond spectroscopy of semiconductors and large molecules

The basic considerations underlying the optical-correlation spectroscopic technique and the linear-prediction procedure for analysing the data are reviewed. Femtosecond quantum beats in dye molecules corresponding to molecular vibrations in the time domain have been observed for the first time. The rates for various intraband relaxation processes in GaAs and related compounds and structures were measured using the transmission-correlation technique. These results are summarized and discussed.
Lipid rafts are required in Galpha(i) signaling downstream of the P2Y12 receptor during ADP-mediated platelet activation.

Summary. ADP is important in propagating hemostasis upon its secretion from activated platelets in response to other agonists. Lipid rafts are microdomains within the plasma membrane that are rich in cholesterol and sphingolipids, and have been implicated in the stimulatory mechanisms of platelet agonists. We sought to determine the importance of lipid rafts in ADP-mediated platelet activation via the G protein-coupled P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors using lipid raft disruption by cholesterol depletion with methyl-β-cyclodextrin. Stimulation of cholesterol-depleted platelets with ADP resulted in a reduction in the extent of aggregation but no difference in the extent of shape change or intracellular calcium release. Furthermore, repletion of cholesterol to previously depleted membranes restored ADP-mediated platelet aggregation. In addition, P2Y12-mediated inhibition of cAMP formation was significantly decreased upon cholesterol depletion from platelets. Stimulation of cholesterol-depleted platelets with agonists that depend upon Gαi activation for full activation displayed significant loss of aggregation and secretion, but showed restoration when simultaneously stimulated with the Gαz-coupled agonist epinephrine. Finally, Gαi preferentially localizes to lipid rafts as determined by sucrose density centrifugation. We conclude that Gαi signaling downstream of P2Y12 activation, but not Gαq or Gαz signaling downstream of P2Y1 or α2A activation, respectively, has a requirement for lipid rafts that is necessary for its function in ADP-mediated platelet activation.
Traditional Agricultural Knowledge: Past Performance, Future Prospects, and Institutional Implications

Whether as economists concerned with agricultural development or conservationists concerned with sustaining the services of environmental systems, we have been of multiple minds with respect to traditional agricultural practices and their supporting cultural systems. Traditional knowledge has been viewed as part of a romantic past, as the major obstacle to development, as a nonissue, as a necessary starting point, and as a critical component of a cultural alternative to modernization. Only very rarely, however, is traditional knowledge treated as knowledge per se in the mainstream of the agricultural development and environmental management literature, as knowledge that contributes to our understanding of agricultural production and the maintenance and use of environmental systems. Our views have an extended romantic antecedent. But with modernization we rather
Economics of United States tuberculosis airline contact investigation policies: a return on investment analysis.

Summary Background In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modified its 2008 protocol for flight-related tuberculosis contact investigation initiation. The 2011 Modified protocol was implemented and replaced the 2008 CDC protocol based on comparative epidemiologic and economic analyses; this publication reports the economic analysis results. Methods A return on investment model compared relative changes in tuberculosis disease treatment costs resulting from expenditures on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis infection treatment for the 2008 CDC and Modified protocols. Results At moderate/high rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease, positive returns on investment indicated each $1.00 spent on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis treatment resulted in more than $1.00 of savings from reduced tuberculosis disease treatment costs. Low rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease resulted in negative returns on investment, indicating economic losses from tuberculosis disease treatment costs. There were smaller economic losses at low latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease rates with the Modified protocol in comparison to the 2008 CDC protocol, while both identified comparable numbers of persons at risk for tuberculosis. Conclusion The Modified protocol for conducting flight-related tuberculosis contact investigations represents a better use of resources and protects public health.
Epoxy acetylenic lipids: Their analogues and derivatives

Currently, approximately 250 natural acetylenic epoxy structures are known. The present review describes research concerning biologically active epoxy acetylenic lipids and related compounds isolated from different sources. Intensive searches for new classes of pharmacologically potent agents produced by living organisms have resulted in the discovery of dozens of such compounds that possess high anticancer, cytotoxic, antibacterial, antiviral, and other activities. Acetylenic epoxides primarily belong to a class of molecules containing triple bond(s) and epoxy group(s) belonging to different lipid classes and/or other groups. This review emphasises natural and synthetic acetylenic epoxides and other related compounds as important sources of leads for drug discovery. The present review is the first article devoted to natural acetylenic epoxides.
AGE DEPENDENT CHANGES IN SEROTONIN AND DOPAMINE RECEPTORS IN APLYSIA CALIFORNICA

Age related changes in dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors were examined in Aplysia californica. In this study dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) receptor levels were examined for animals belonging to 4-, 5-, 6-, 8-, 9- and 12-month age groups. Receptors analysis was performed using radio-labeled d-[3H] lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as the specific ligand. Specific binding for 5-HT was found to be significantly greater than that for DA in the young (4-month post-hatch) animals. The total DA and 5-HT receptor levels changed significantly with age. Dopamine levels increased from 5.34 fmol/mg of protein at 4 months to 19.11 fmol/mg at 12 months. Serotonin receptor levels increased from 7.35 fmol/mg at 4 months to 20.45 at 12 months.
Asf1, a Loveseat for a Histone Couple

In this issue of Cell, English et al. (2006) present the first crystal structure of a histone chaperone (Asf1) bound to histones (the H3/H4 heterodimer). The structure provides insights into how histone chaperones participate in nucleosome disassembly. It reveals that Asf1 physically blocks (H3/H4)2 tetramer formation and that the C terminus of H4 undergoes a dramatic conformational change upon binding to Asf1.
The Relationships Between Pesticide Metabolites and Neurobehavioral Test Performance in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Regression analysis was used to estimate and test for relationships between urinary pesticide metabolites and neurobehavioral test performance in adults, 20 to 59 years old, participating in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The 12 pesticide metabolites included 2 naphthols, 8 phenols, a phenoxyacetic acid, and a pyridinol. The 3 neurobehavioral tests included in the survey were simple reaction time, symbol-digit substitution, and serial digit learning. As the 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, and the pentachlorophenol concentrations increased, performance on the serial digit learning test improved. As the 2,5-dichlorophenol concentration increased, performance on the symbol-digit substitution test improved. At low concentrations, the parent compounds of these metabolites may act at acetylcholine and γ-aminobutyric acid synapses in the central nervous system to improve neurobehavioral test performance.
The contribution of marine geology to the knowledge of marine coastal environment off the Campania region (southern Italy): the geological map n. 502 “Agropoli” (southern Campania)

The marine geological map n. 502 “Agropoli”, located offshore the Cilento Promontory, southern Italy, is here described and the regional geology interpreted, particularly referring to water depths between the 30 and 200 m isobaths. The geologic map has been constructed in the frame of a research program financed by the National Geological Survey of Italy (CARG Project), finalized to the construction of up-to-date cartography of the Campania region. Geological and geophysical data on the continental shelf and slope offshore of the Southern Campania region have been collected in the study area, bounded northwards by the Salerno Gulf and southwards by the Policastro Gulf. A high resolution multibeam bathymetry allowed for the construction of a marine digital elevation map; sidescan sonar profiles also have been collected and interpreted. The latter, merged to the bathymetry, have represented the base for the marine geologic cartography. The integrated geologic interpretation of seismic, bathymetric and sidescan sonar data has been calibrated by sea-bottom samples. The morpho-structures and the seismic sequences overlying the outcrops of acoustic basement reported in the cartographic representation have been studied in detail using single-channel seismics. The interpretation of seismic profiles has been a support for the reconstruction of the stratigraphic and structural setting of the Quaternary continental shelf successions and the outcrops of rocky acoustic basement in correspondence to the Licosa Cape morpho-structural high. These areas result from the seaward prolongation of the stratigraphic and structural units, widely cropping out in the surrounding emerged sector of the Cilento Promontory. The cartographic approach is based on the recognition of laterally coeval depositional systems, interpreted in the frame of the system tracts of the Late Quaternary depositional sequence. We present evidence of now subaqueous terraces inferred to be palaeoshorelines representing past sea-level positions and tentatively correlated these to oxygen isotopic stratigraphy.
Pharmacokinetics of topically applied pilocarpine in the albino rabbit eye

The temporal and spatial pattern of [3H]-pilocarpine nitrate distribution in the albino rabbit eye following topical administration was determined. A four-compartment caternary chain model describing this disposition corresponds to the precorneal area, the cornea, the aqueous humor, and the lens and vitreous. Simultaneous computer fitting of data from tissue corresponding to some compartments in the model supported the proposed model. Additional support was provided by the excellent correlation between predicted and observed values in multiple-dosing studies. Several important aspects of ocular drug disposition are evident from the model. The extensive parallel elimination at the absorption site gives rise to an apparent absorption rate constant that is one to two orders of magnitude larger than the true absorption rate constant. In addition, aqueous flow accounts for most of the drug removal. Thus, major effects on absorption and elimination, independent of the drug structure, suggest the possibility of similar pharmacokinetics for vastly different drugs.
CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILITY PROPERTIES OF POLAR EXTRACTS DERIVED FROM A RECENT SHALE LIQUID

ABSTRACT A shale fuel of marginal stability has been used as a source of nitrogen-rich polar extracts. Polar compounds were isolated by mild acid extraction followed by silica gel adsorption and were identified by GC/HS. Alkyl substituted pyridines were the prevalent class of compounds present in most extracts. The effects of adding these shale derived fractions as dopants to a stable shale diesel fuel (0-11) were examined in terms of sediment formation and peroxide number under accelerated storage stability test conditions. The activities of the extracts in inducing fuel instability were correlated with their composition.
Asymptotic Behavior of Dynamic Equations on Time Scales

As a way to unify a discussion of many kinds of problems for equations in the contionous and discrete case(but also in order to reveal discrepancies between both cases), a theory of "time scales" was proposed and developed by Sulbach and Hilger. In our paper we investigate the asymptoic behaviour of so-called dynamic equations on time scales, and sych dynamic equations are differentialequations in the continous case and difference equations in the discrete case. We offer a perturbation result that leads to a time scales version of Levinson's Fundamental Lemma. Crucial are a dichotomy condition and a growth condition on the perturbation. Also, in the case that Levinson's result cannot be applied immediately, we suggest several preliminary transformations that might lead to a situation where Levinson's lemma is applicable. Such tranformations have been suggested by Harris and Lutz in the continuous case and by Benzaid and Lutz in the discrete case. Both those cases are covered by our theory, plus cases "in ...
Bufalin is a steroid receptor coactivator inhibitor-response

We would like to thank Calderon-Montano and colleagues ([1][1]) for their letter expressing their opinions about our characterization of bufalin as a potential “proof-of-principle” compound for depleting SRC-3 and killing cancer cells ([2][2]). First, the issue of whether bufalin is able to
A column technique for determining sorption of organic solutes on the lithological structure of aquifers

In recent years the problem of ground-water contamination by organic substances of anthropogenic origin and the fate of these solutes has received increased attention. Such contaminants in an aquifer system may be transported in solution, sorbed by sediments, volatilized, altered chemically or metabolized by organisms. The quantitative aspects of these physical, chemical, and biological factors must be determined to understand adequately the fate of the contaminants in the system. The sorption of these organic contaminants on the lithological framework is addressed in this paper as well as the development of a technique to prepare solutions of sparingly soluble compounds. High performance liquid chromatography equipment was used to conduct these studies.
An Integration of Theory: Adolescent Sexual Contacts.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the predictive validity of several theoretical factors drawn from control, social learning, and differential association theories for explaining adolescent sexual behavior. The sample consisted of 1478 adolescents who attended ten private schools located in different areas of this country. When examined together in multivariate regression equations, the theoretical factors accounted for 47.2% and 42.7% of the respective variances in frequency of sexual intercourse among males and females. The single factor of differential association with peers accounted for most of the respective variances (males, 33.1%; females, 26.8%). The discussion addressed the theoretical implications of the present findings for future research.
Effects of aging on the electrophysiological properties of layer 5 pyramidal cells in the monkey prefrontal cortex

A significant decline in executive system function mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) often occurs with normal aging. In vitro slice studies have shown that layer 2/3 pyramidal cells in the monkey PFC exhibit increased action potential (AP) firing rates which may, in part, contribute to this decline. Given that layer 5 cells also play a role in executive system function, it is important to determine if similar age-related changes occur in these cells. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in in vitro slices prepared from the PFC of young and aged behaviorally characterized rhesus monkeys were employed to answer this question. Basic membrane and repetitive AP firing properties were unaltered with age. Aged cells exhibited significantly decreased single AP amplitude, duration and fall time and increased slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) amplitude, but these changes were not associated with cognitive performance. This study demonstrates that layer 5 pyramidal cells, unlike layer 2/3 pyramidal cells, undergo only modest electrophysiological changes with aging, and that these changes are unlikely to contribute to age-related cognitive decline.