cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cannabis use, use frequency, and use disorder in large metropolitan, small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas.

Abstract Background Despite significant geographical heterogeneity of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, little is known about potential differences in cannabis use behaviors in U.S. geographic areas. In this study, we examined cannabis use behaviors in large metropolitan, small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas. We focused on interactions between geographic areas and health insurance status and medical cannabis laws (MCL). Methods Data came from the 2015–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH; N = 171,766 adults; N = 36,175 cannabis users). Weighted chi-squares tests of independence and multivariable Poisson regression models were used to examine study questions. Results Past-year use was highest in large metropolitan areas (16.08 %). Frequent use was highest among nonmetropolitan area users (48.67 %). Uninsured adults had a higher likelihood of past-year use (RRR = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.14, 1.29) and frequent use (RRR = 1.27, 95 % CI = 1.14, 1.41), but a lower likelihood of cannabis use disorder (RRR = 0.77, 95 % CI = 0.66, 0.89). Uninsured adults in nonmetropolitan areas had a higher likelihood (RRR = 1.62, 95 % CI = 1.39, 1.88) of past-year use than insured nonmetropolitan area adults. MCL state residency was associated with a higher likelihood of frequent use among nonmetropolitan (RRR = 1.39, 95 % CI = 1.11, 1.74) and small metropolitan users (RRR = 1.30, 95 % CI = 1.15, 1.47). Cannabis use disorder likelihood did not vary by geographic area. Conclusions Lack of health insurance and MCL state residency are significant variables affecting cannabis use behaviors in small metropolitan and/or nonmetropolitan areas.
Effects of high-fat diet exposure on learning & memory.

The associations between consumption of a high-fat or ‘Western’ diet and metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease have long been recognized and a great deal of evidence now suggests that diets high in fat can also have a profound impact on the brain, behavior, and cognition. Here, we will review the techniques most often used to assess learning and memory in rodent models and discuss findings from studies assessing the cognitive effects of high-fat diet consumption. The review will then consider potential underlying mechanisms in the brain and conclude by reviewing emerging literature suggesting that maternal consumption of a high-fat diet may have effects on the learning and memory of offspring.
Microbial Formation of Methane

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the microbial formation of methane. The formation of methane is a unique biological event, which is confined to a small group of bacteria. The biological formation of methane is common in nature and methane bacteria are readily found in anaerobic environments where organic matter is being vigorously decomposed. Organic polymers such as cellulose are hydrolyzed by extracellular cellulases to sugars, which are fermented to a variety of compounds: fatty acids, alcohols, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. Some of these compounds, such as acetate, methanol, or carbon dioxide and hydrogen, are the preferred substrates for methane bacteria. Methane, the simplest member of the hydrocarbon family, is poorly soluble, is essentially inert under anaerobic conditions and is volatile. Thus, the final reduced product has ideal non-toxic properties and readily escapes from the anaerobic environment. Methane found in coal mines is believed to have been trapped when the coal has been formed, and the carboniferous swamps must have been an ideal environrment for methane bacteria. Methane is commonly produced in the digestive tract of animals (for example cows), where similar anaerobic food chains are important in the degradation of food. Man has designed an anaerobic environment in which the sludge from the aerobic portion of sewage treatment is allowed to digest under anaerobic conditions. The chapter also discusses the biochemistry of methane formation.
Planned Home VBAC in the United States, 2004–2009: Outcomes, Maternity Care Practices, and Implications for Shared Decision Making

Background In the United States, the number of planned home vaginal births after cesarean (VBACs) has increased. This study describes the maternal and neonatal outcomes for women who planned a VBAC at home with midwives who were contributing data to the Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project 2.0 cohort during the years 2004–2009. Method Two subsamples were created from the parent cohort: 12,092 multiparous women without a prior cesarean and 1,052 women with a prior cesarean. Descriptive statistics were calculated for maternal and neonatal outcomes for both groups. Sensitivity analyses comparing women with a prior vaginal birth and those who were at the lowest risk with various subgroups in the parent cohort were also conducted. Results Women with a prior cesarean had a VBAC rate of 87 percent, although transfer rates were higher compared with women without a prior cesarean (18% vs 7%, p < 0.001). The most common indication for transfer was failure to progress. Women with a prior cesarean had higher proportions of blood loss, maternal postpartum infections, uterine rupture, and neonatal intensive care unit admissions than those without a prior cesarean. Five neonatal deaths (4.75/1,000) occurred in the prior cesarean group compared with 1.24/1,000 in multiparas without a history of cesarean (p = 0.015). Conclusion Although there is a high likelihood of a vaginal birth at home, women planning a home VBAC should be counseled regarding maternal transfer rates and potential for increased risk to the newborn, particularly if uterine rupture occurs in the home setting.
The Endogenous Calcium Buffer and the Time Course of Transducer Adaptation in Auditory Hair Cells

Mechanoelectrical transducer currents in turtle auditory hair cells adapt to maintained stimuli via a Ca2+-dependent mechanism that is sensitive to the level of internal calcium buffer. We have used the properties of transducer adaptation to compare the effects of exogenous calcium buffers in the patch electrode solution with those of the endogenous buffer assayed with perforated-patch recording. The endogenous buffer of the hair bundle was equivalent to 0.1-0.4 mM BAPTA and, in a majority of cells, supported adaptation in an external Ca2+ concentration of 70 microM similar to that in turtle endolymph. The endogenous buffer had a higher effective concentration, and the adaptation time constant was faster in cells at the high-frequency end than at the low-frequency end of the cochlea. Experiments using buffers with different Ca2+-binding rates or dissociation constants indicated that the speed of adaptation and the resting open probability of the transducer channels could be differentially regulated and imply that the endogenous buffer must be a fast, high-affinity buffer. In some hair cells, the transducer current did not decay exponentially during a sustained stimulus but displayed damped oscillations at a frequency (58-230 Hz) that depended on external Ca2+ concentration. The gradient in adaptation time constant and the tuned transducer current at physiological levels of calcium buffer and external Ca2+ suggest that transducer adaptation may contribute to hair cell frequency selectivity. The results are discussed in terms of feedback regulation of transducer channels mediated by Ca2+ binding at two intracellular sites.
Lectures on Controllability and Observability

The theory of controllability and observability has been developed, one might almost say reluctantly, in response to problems generated by technological science, especially in areas related to control, communication, and computers. It seems that the first conscious steps to formalize these matters as a separate area of (system-theoretic or mathematical) research were undertaken only as late as 1959, by KALMAN [1960b-c]. There have been, however, many scattered results before this time (see Section 12 for some historical comments and references), and one might confidently assert today that some of the main results have been discovered, more or less independently, in every country which has reached an advanced stage of “development” and it is certain that these same results will be rediscovered again in still more places as other countries progress on the road to development.
Mannose receptor (CD206)-mediated signaling in human macrophages in the context of tuberculosis (INC7P.418)

The mannose receptor (MR, CD206) is abundantly expressed on alveolar and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), recognizes several pathogens, mediates phagocytosis and endocytosis, and regulates inflammatory signaling pathways. It is a major human macrophage phagocytic receptor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). We have shown that MR-mediated phagocytosis of M.tb by MDMs up-regulates PPARγ expression, a negative regulator of NF-kB activation. However, the associated receptor-specific downstream signaling molecules are unknown. Thus, we investigated the signaling molecules involved in MR-mediated phagocytosis and other immune functions in MDMs. M.tb infection of MDMs leads to phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the MR cytoplasmic tail that enable the recruitment of tyrosine kinases (e.g. Syk) which transmit the signals downstream. To identify MR-mediated signaling proteins, we assayed for MR-associated proteins by MALDI-TOF and Western blot using a pull down assay with macrophage lysates and phosphorylated and un-phosphorylated MR cytoplasmic tail peptides. We have identified several proteins bound to the phosphorylated peptides and linked to signaling pathways involved in MR-mediated phagocytosis and related immune funtions. In conclusion, we are identifying key signaling molecules and pathways used by the MR to transmit signals that initiate phagocytosis and other immune-related functions in human macrophages.
Ethanol Alters Cell Fate of Fetal Human Brain-Derived Stem and Progenitor Cells

Background: Prenatal ethanol (ETOH) exposure can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). We previously showed that ETOH alters cell adhesion molecule gene expression and increases neurosphere size in fetal brain-derived neural stem cells (NSC). Here, our aim was to determine the effect of ETOH on the cell fate of NSC, premature glial-committed precursor cells (GCP), and premature neuron-committed progenitor cells (NCP). Methods: NSC, GCP, and NCP were isolated from normal second-trimester fetal human brains (n = 3) by positive selection using magnetic microbeads labeled with antibodies to CD133 (NSC), A2B5 (GCP), or PSA-NCAM (NCP). As a result of the small percentage in each brain, NSC were cultured in mitogenic media for 72 hours to produce neurospheres. The neurospheres from NSC and primary isolates of GCP and NCP were used for all experiments. Equal numbers of the 3 cell types were treated either with mitogenic media or with differentiating media, each containing 0 or 100 mM ETOH, for 120 hours. Expression of Map2a, GFAP, and O4 was determined by immunoflourescence microscopy and western blot analysis. Fluorescence intensities were quantified using Metamorph software by Molecular Devices, and the bands of western blots were quantified using densitometry. Results: ETOH in mitogenic media promoted formation of neurospheres by NSC, GCP, and NCP. Under control conditions, GCP attached and differentiated, NSC and NCP formed neurospheres that were significantly smaller in size than those in ETOH. Under differentiating conditions, Map2a expression increased significantly in NSC and GCP and reduced significantly in NCP, and GFAP expression reduced significantly in GCP and NCP, and Gal-C expression reduced significantly in all 3 cell types in the presence of ETOH compared to controls. Conclusions: This study shows that ETOH alters the cell fate of neuronal stem and progenitor cells. These alterations could contribute to the mechanism for the abnormal brain development in FASD.
Longitudinal changes in handgrip strength, hyperinflation, and 6-minute walk distance in patients with COPD and a control group.

BACKGROUND In COPD, a decreased inspiratory capacity to total lung capacity ratio (IC/TLC) is associated with dynamic hyperinflation and poor exercise capacity. The association with upper-extremity force measured by handgrip strength (HGS) and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) has not been previously described. We hypothesized that IC/TLC affects muscle strength in the upper and lower extremities, affecting HGS and 6MWD. METHODS We prospectively measured lung function, HGS, and 6MWD in 27 patients with COPD and 12 healthy nonsmokers twice, 1 year apart. The patients were classified according to level of hyperinflation: IC/TLC > 25% or IC/TLC ≤ 25%. RESULTS Patients with COPD had reduced lung function, static hyperinflation, and reduced HGS and 6MWD compared with the control subjects on both evaluations (P P r = 0.429, P CONCLUSIONS HGS and 6MWD are reduced in patients with COPD, particularly in those with hyperinflation and evidence of longitudinal deterioration not seen in control subjects. This finding suggests that resting hyperinflation may exert a detrimental effect on cardiac function and plays a role in reduced exercise performance in patients with COPD.
The Evolution of Ghana Law Since Independence

On March 6, I957, the British Gold Coast achieved independence in circumstances that apparently offered a bright future for sovereign, independent Ghana. Since I95I, adroit leaders of a well-organized political party had operated a responsible parliamentary government under British tutelage and reservations of power that was in fact never exercised. A growing body of African civil servants was supplemented at critical points by expatriate officers whose continued work in Ghana was assured by attractive economic arrangements. The national economy was prosperous, there was no encumbering debt, and the young government could plan national development fortified by large foreign exchange reserves. Independence was celebrated under a warm aura of goodwill toward the former colonial masters who in turn regarded the infant state as the vindication of decades of colonial administration in sub-Saharan Africa.
An Incentive-Based Approach to Regulating Workplace Chemicals

The United States’ system for regulating employee exposures to hazardous chemicals is broken. Absent regulation, the labor market fails to produce efficient levels of precaution against chemical exposures. Information asymmetries, long disease latency periods, and other characteristics of chemical exposures thwart the market’s ability to produce efficient risk/wage tradeoffs. These same characteristics permit employers and chemical manufacturers to externalize the costs of injuries caused by chemical exposures. The current U.S. regulatory system, including a combination of OSHA regulations and state workers’ compensation programs, is not correcting the labor market’s failure. The result is a level of workplace chemical exposure risk that is systematically too high, and a level of precaution that is systematically too low. The reforms proposed in the literature to date do not harness the financial incentives of the least-cost information providers and least-cost risk avoiders: chemical manufacturers and employers. This Article takes the search for a solution in a new direction by using state workers’ compensation laws to capitalize on the incentives of chemical manufacturers and employers. The Article argues that state workers’ compensation laws should be amended in two ways: (1) shift the default burden of proof on causation to the respondents, but only in cases where there is no applicable OSHA exposure limit, and (2) allow employers to include chemical manufacturers as respondents in workers’ compensation proceedings for purposes of apportioning liability. These amendments could be implemented by convening a new National Commission on State Workers’ Compensation Laws. The result would be a new push for OSHA chemical exposure limits by chemical manufacturers and employers – the entities in the best position to provide the toxicity and precaution information necessary to support OSHA regulations.
Harmonic envelope detection and amplitude estimation using map seeking circuits

In this paper we introduce the use of map-seeking circuits for auditory pattern detection and classification. A map-seeking circuit is a signal processing structure used to detect a desired feature in a mixture by iteratively transforming, superposing, and comparing the composite mixture with a pattern template. The result is a mapping between the template and the position of the matched feature in the mixture. The iterative detection process is inspired by the neural connections in the human visual system. A particularly important feature of map-seeking classification is that the search operates on an additive superposition of allowable transformations of the desired feature vector, giving a linear increase in computation with increasing image complexity, rather than a brute-force feature detection that increases in computation geometrically
MOREWRIGHT (MWR), A NEW MEIOTIC MUTANT OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER AFFECTING NONEXCHANGE CHROMOSOME SEGREGATION

A new meiotic mutation, morewright (mwr) was identified by screening for new mutations that act as dominant enhancers of the dosage-sensitive Drosophila melanogaster female meiotic mutant, nodDTW.mwr is a recessive meiotic mutant, specifically impairing the segregation of nonexchange chromosomes. Cytological evidence suggests that the meiotic defect in mwr/mwr females is in homologue recognition because the chromosomes appear to be misaligned on an intact spindle. The mwr mutation was recovered during a screen of random P-element insertions on a chromosome with a single insertion located at 50C. The P-element insertion is a recessive female-sterile mutation. While excision of the P element from the mwr-bearing chromosome partially relieves the female sterility, the excisions retain the dominant nodDTW-enhancing activity. The mwr meiotic phenotype maps very close to the female-sterile P insertion. Thus the mwr locus appears to encode a function required for partner recognition in meiosis, although its relationship to the neighboring female-sterile mutation remains to be elucidated.
Technological change and embodiment hypothesis

Abstract We introduce vintage capital into optimal growth models to explore the implications of technological change and economic growth. Our model predicts a positive association between growth rates in GNP and the savings rate, which is consistent with some empirical observations.
Global energy dissipation rate of deep-ocean low-frequency flows by quadratic bottom boundary layer drag: Computations from current-meter data

The global energy dissipation rate of deep-ocean low-frequency flows by quadratic bottom boundary layer drag is estimated in three ways. First, an average over the dissipations computed from the near-bottom velocities recorded by 290 moored current meters is multiplied by the World Ocean area. Second, near-global maps of surface velocities derived from satellite altimetry data are used to estimate the bias due to the sparse spatial coverage of the moorings. Third, a relationship between bottom and surface flows, computed over the mooring locations, is used to estimate global maps of bottom flows from the surface data. All three methods suggest that at least 0.2 TW of the wind-power input into geostrophic flows is dissipated in deep water by quadratic bottom drag. Implications for the oceanic overturning circulation, and for oceanic mesoscale eddy dynamics, are briefly discussed.
Application of the change in partition coefficient with pH to the structure determination of alkyl substituted guanosines.

Abstract A versatile method for the determination of the ionization of guanosine is described. Suitably derivatized alkyl-guanosines are partitioned between organic solvents and aqueous buffer solutions at various pH values. Ionization is revealed by a change in partition coefficient with pH. The method is ideally suited for application to micro samples since any quantitative method can be used to determine the partition coefficient. A procedure for distinguishing N 1 or O 6 , N 2 , and C 8 alkylation of guanosine is described.
Substituted NDP-MSH peptides paired with mutant melanocortin-4 receptors demonstrate the role of transmembrane 6 in receptor activation.

The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is involved in regulating energy homeostasis and is a potential therapeutic target for obesity and cachexia. Molecular interactions between peptide ligands and MC...
Multiphoton photoelectron emission microscopy of single Au nanorods: combined experimental and theoretical study of rod morphology and dielectric environment on localized surface plasmon resonances

Multiphoton photoelectron emission from individual Au nanorods deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates is studied via scanning photoionization microscopy, based on femtosecond laser excitation at frequencies near the rod longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The observed resonances in photoemission correlate strongly with plasmon resonances measured in dark field microscopy (DFM), thus establishing a novel scheme for wavelength-resolved study of plasmons in isolated metallic nanoparticles based on highly sensitive electron counting methods. In this work, we explore experimental and theoretical effects of (i) morphology and (ii) aspect ratio (AR) for longitudinal plasmon resonance behavior in Au nanorods. A quasilinear dependence between LSPR and aspect ratio (AR) is experimentally determined [Δλ ≈ +100(10) nm/AR unit] for Au nanorods on ITO, in excellent agreement with the first principles value from finite element computer modeling [Δλ = +108(5) nm/AR unit]. Interestingly, however, LSPR values for larger vs. smaller diameter rods (w ≈ 20 nm and 10 nm) are systematically red-shifted [ΔE ≈ −0.03(1) eV; Δλ ≈ +15(5) nm at λ ≈ 800 nm], indicating that electromagnetic retardation effects must also be considered for highest accuracy in LSPR position. To augment these results, the influence of the dielectric environment on the rod LSPR has been explored both experimentally and numerically. In particular, detailed finite-element simulations for ITO supported Au nanorods are found to yield plasmon resonances in near quantitative agreement (ΔE ≈ ±0.04 eV) with experiment, with residual differences arising from uncertainty in the refractive index of the ITO thin film. Furthermore, the results indicate that plasmon resonance predictions based on infinitely thick ITO substrates are reliable to a few meV for film thicknesses larger than approximately twice the rod width.
Genetics of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease and Their Interconnected Pathways: Lessons from Large Studies

Blood pressure (BP), hypertension (HT) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are common complex phenotypes, which are affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors. This article describes recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have reported causative variants for BP/HT and CVD/heart traits and analyzes the overlapping associated gene polymorphisms. It also examines potential replication of findings from the HyperGEN data on African Americans and whites. Several genes involved in BP/HT regulation also appear to be involved in CVD. A better picture is emerging, with overlapping hot-spot regions and with interconnected pathways between BP/HT and CVD. A systemic approach to full understanding of BP/HT and CVD development and their progression to disease may lead to the identification of gene targets and pathways for the development of novel therapeutic interventions.
Transesophageal Echocardiography in Thoracic Aortic Atherosclerosis

Transesophageal echocardiography opened a new window to the thoracic aorta and for the first time permitted in vivo imaging of aortic atherosclerotic disease. The technique is useful in assessing the extent of the disorder, its complications, and possible treatment modalities. It will also be useful in the assessment of the progression as well as the possible regression of the disorder with appropriate (dietary or chemical) therapy. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 13, March 1996)
Ligand Exchange on Gold Nanorods: Going Back to the Future

Ligand exchange on gold nanorods (NRs) is still too often dismissed or not given the importance it should deserve. The many applications of gold NRs, mainly in plasmonics, biological imaging, and sensing, are made possible by finely tuning not only the optical properties of the metallic core but also the tethered functional groups. Gold NRs are mainly synthesized by using CTAB as the morphology-guiding surfactant, and an intimate relationship between the crystallographic facets of the rod and the CTAB bilayer exists. Because of this, it is imperative to fully understand the ligand exchange mechanisms that allow replacing CTAB with functional ligands, including the energetic contributions. Here, the major applications of gold NRs are briefly overviewed, and what is known about ligand exchange mechanisms is summarized, as well as why it is important to achieve complete removal of CTAB, including the techniques that are used to characterize the exchange reaction products. The concept of interface in gold NRs is briefly examined, and explained why the scientific community should focus more on understanding and characterizing it. Starting from the published literature, the reader is guided through the reasons why it is thought that ligand exchange on gold NRs is perhaps the next grand challenge in the nanoparticle field.
Relationship between the Discrimination of /w-r/ and /t-d/ Continua and the Identification of Distorted /r/

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which listeners can perceive intraphonemic differences. In Experiment 1, subjects identified synthesized acoustic tokens of child-like speech t...
Characterization of novel oxidation products of cysteine in an active site motif peptide of PTP1B

We investigated the formation of hydroxyl radical (OH·) and H2O2 mediated oxidation products of a synthetic peptide, HCSAGIGRS, which is an active site sequence motif of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). We determined that a novel cysteine sulfinamide HC[S(O)N]SAGIGRS is produced in the oxidation reaction by Fenton reagents (Fe+2/H2O2) as well as by H2O2. These products were characterized by tandem mass spectrometry experiments on both singly and doubly charged precursor ions. MS3 experiments using an ion trap instrument as well as LC-MS/MS experiments using a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) instrument demonstrated that HC[S(O)N]SAGIGRS is not a water loss product of cysteine sulfinic acid [HC(SO2H)SAGIGRS]. We also obtained data from tandem mass spectrometry experiments that provided evidence for the existence of stable cysteine sulfenic acid [HC(SOH)SAGIGRS] in solution. A mechanism for the formation of the cysteine sulfinamide product is proposed based on the above experimental results. The preparation and identification of cysteine sulfinamide in this study may provide insight into the mechanism of both OH· and H2O2 induced oxidation reactions of protein tyrosine phosphatases.
Occluding the pulmonary artery to improve detection of patent foramen ovale during ventricular assist device placement

Unrecognized patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients after left ventricular assist device (VAD) placement could cause significant hypoxemia and paradoxical embolism. We aim to improve the techniques for PFO detection in this patient population before left ventricular device initiation. We evaluated the effects of main pulmonary artery occlusion on patients' hemodynamic and detection of PFO by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We compared between the standard and pulmonary artery occlusion technique. Sixty-two patients with ASA physical status class IV were studied. They presented with end-stage heart failure for left VAD placement. All patients received both Valsava maneuver and occlusion of their pulmonary arteries to assess their influence on detection of PFO. Occlusion of the main pulmonary artery consistently increased right atrial to left atrial pressure gradient. The PFO detection rate using TEE was significantly improved from 0% to 10% by this maneuver compared with the Valsava maneuver. Occlusion of the main pulmonary artery is a simple and effective method to improve PFO detection by TEE before left VAD initiation.
Locus control region elements HS1 and HS4 enhance the therapeutic efficacy of globin gene transfer in β-thalassemic mice

Globin gene transfer in autologous hematopoietic stem cells is a promising therapeutic option for subjects with β-thalassemia major. In this approach, high level, erythroid-specific globin transgene expression should correct ineffective erythropoiesis and hemolytic anemia following the delivery of only 1 to 2 vector copies per cell. The generation of vectors that provide high-level globin expression and require low vector copy (VC) integration is therefore essential for both safety and efficacy. We show here the major roles played by 2 lesser-known locus control region elements, termed HS1 and HS4. Partial deletions within HS4 markedly reduce in vivo globin expression requiring multiple VC per cell to correct the anemia. Most strikingly, addition of HS1 to HS2-3-4 increases globin expression by 52%, yielding 9 g Hb/VC in β-thalassemic mice. Thus, while vectors encoding HS2-3-4 provide curative levels of hemoglobin at 1 to 2 copies per cell, adding HS1 is a promising alternative strategy if upcoming clinical trials prove higher levels of expression to be necessary.
Helium emission spectra—II. Pressures to 0.91 torr

Abstract Electron impact excitation is employed to study the pressure variation of the steady state luminescence from 27 levels of helium. Apparent cross sections are determined for these levels over the pressure range 0.025–0.91 torr, a much broader pressure range for observing collisional excitation transfer processes than has been previously investigated. Model calculations are carried out in which the data is fit to a set of coupled steady state equations. Primary and secondary electron excitation, radiative transfer, and bimolecular and termolecular collisional processes are accounted for in the analysis. We find that n 1 P → n 1 D collisional excitation transfer is much more important as a populating mechanism for n 1 D levels than has been previously believed. The cross section for 4 1 P →4 1 D collisional transfer is estimated to be (1.3±0.3)×10 −14 cm 2 . A termolecular process, believed to involve formation of He 2 + , becomes an important loss mechanism for the 3 1 P and 4 1 P levels at pressures above 0.5 torr. Rate constants for this process are estimated to be (6.6±1.0)×10 −27 cm 6 /sec and (1.9±0.4)×10 −26 cm 6 /sec for 3 1 P and 4 1 P , respectively. The magnitude of the 3 3 D and 4 3 D apparent cross sections require a large 4 3 F population, a result which leads us to conclude that the 4 F level is singlet-triplet mixed. There is evidence that collision induced transitions between all sublevels do not occur with equal probability. The most internally consistent results are arrived at by assuming Δ J =0 to be a favored collisional transfer process.
Dissociation and re-association of RNA polymerase with DNA during osmotic stress response in Escherichia coli

The thermodynamic association of RNA polymerase (RNAP) with DNA is sensitive to salt concentration in vitro. Paradoxically, previous studies of changes in osmolarity during steady-state cell growth found no dependence between the association of RNAP to DNA and K(+) concentration in Escherichia coli. We reevaluated this issue by following the interaction of RNAP and genomic DNA in time-course experiments during the hyper-osmotic response. Our results show that the interaction is temporally controlled by the same physical chemistry principle in the cell as in vitro. RNAP rapidly dissociates from the genome during the initial response when the cytoplasmic K(+) accumulates transiently, and concurrently the nucleoid becomes hyper-condensed. The freed RNAP re-associates with the genome during a subsequent osmoadaptation phase when organic osmoprotectants accumulate as K(+) levels decrease. RNAP first surrounds the hyper-condensed nucleoid forming a sphere of RNAP before it progressively moves in to the center of the nucleoid. Our findings reinterpret the dynamic protein-DNA interactions during osmotic stress response. We discuss the implications of the dissociation/association of RNAP for osmotic protection and nucleoid structure.
Mechanism of pore formation in reverse osmosis membranes during the casting process

The process of pore formation during the casting of reverse osmosis membranes is analyzed. The process consists of two steps. The first step is the evaporation step, where the cast polymer solution is allowed to dry for 1 ∼ 100 s. The second step is the gel formation step, where the cast is soaked in water leaving behind the membrane in form of a gel. The evaporation step gives rise to a thin (∼0.1 μm) skin of high density and very small pores which is chiefly responsible for desalination. The gel forms the backing (∼100 to 250 μm) and contains large pores. It is shown that low evaporation rates accompanied by shrinkage during evaporation gives rise to an instability leading to the formation of the skin region. The evaporation effect is fast, is confined to the skin region, and gives rise to very small pores. The gel formation is shown to be a very slow process which cannot interfere with the skin formation due to the vast differences in their rates of formation. It also gives rise to larger pores. All key features of the above experimental observations are explained. The kinetics of the process depend on the diffusion coefficients D and Dp of the solvent and the polymer. However, the main factor is the solution chemistry of the polymer-solvent system which controls both the effectiveness of the skin and the gel formed. For the first time, the relevant thermodynamic parameters which determine the extent and sizes of pore formation have been obtained.
Sidis in Mumbai: Negotiating Identities between Mumbai and Gujarat

In this essay, I discuss issues of identity within the context of social and economic circumstances of the Sidi1 community in Mumbai. I argue that the Sidis who work as caretakers of shrines in Mumbai are accorded dignity and status from the community of devotees who are often from the Muslim, Hindu and Parsi Zoroastrian communities. Those Sidis who are dispersed in different parts of the city and who work as domestics in the homes of middle class Muslim or Hindu families, on the other hand, merge into the nameless toiling masses of the city of Mumbai. Most of these Sidis work in low-income jobs and live in one or two room shanty dwellings. Part of my enquiry also raises the question of home and belonging for the Sidi community. Where do Sidis locate home and how do they construct belonging in India? Finally, I conclude my essay by examining a very different Sidi presence in Mumbai, that of the descendants of the royal family of the Sidis of Janjira (an island off the coast of Mumbai) who live in the upper middle class area of Mumbai. I discuss how the descendants of the Sidis of Janjira construct identity in terms of class and privilege.
Scientists Who Work with Insects: How Do Arts and Sciences and Agriculture School Faculty Differ in Where They Publish?

Journals particularly favored by two distinct groups of scientists for their manuscripts involving insects were compared. Scientists who worked in biology departments that were units of colleges of arts and sciences or some other academic unit with a designation meant to distinguish it from a college of agriculture had proportionally more publications in journals of the study of general genetics and genomics using insect models; journals of the study of general molecular, cellular, and developmental biology using insect models; journals of insect behavior and neuroscience, evolution, and systematics; and the more general journals of science and biology. Scientists who worked in entomology departments within colleges of agriculture had higher percentages of their papers in journals of general entomology and type of insect, journals of insect structure and function, and journals of economic entomology and crop protection. Authors of both types contributed at about the same rate to journals of ecological ent...
The relationship of health locus of control to patients with end-stage renal disease.

Abstract Twenty-eight patients with end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis at the University of Utah Medical Center were the subjects of a nonequivalent control group study. This study was designed to measure the impact of a preventive aerobic exercise/educational intervention on the patients' locus of control. A creative incentive plan was utilized to motivate patients to accept responsibility for acquiring cardiovascular fitness. There were no statistically significant differences before and after the intervention, as measured by the Multidimensional Locus of Control scale. The absence of change was partly attributed to an unusual internal orientation at the pretest level. Of the four factors examined that might account for this finding, the one that emerged with a statistically significantly high correlation was the duration on dialysis.
Temperature Dependent Solid Fuel Combustion Characterization and Fuel Ranking

Fuel combustion performance was quantified through measurement of the gravimetric response of the fuel as well as the energetic behavior. A Simultaneous Thermogravimetric Analyzer (STA) was used to measure the gravimetric, sensible energy, and latent heat energy (including heat of pyrolysis) for fuels. The heat release rate and heat of combustion of the fuels as a function of temperature released due to the combustion of the pyrolysis gases was measured using a Micro-Combustion Calorimeter (MCC). Fuels were tested at a heating rate of 20°C/min from room temperature to 800°C in inert (nitrogen) environment. Fuels considered in this study included US eastern coal, biomass (cornstover and switchgrass), polystyrene, glycerol and mixtures of some of these fuels. Biomass feedstocks were also evaluated for the effect of water leaching on fuel performance. A lumped model energy balance on a fuel particle revealed that fuel volatility can be ranked based on the net energy required to produce the volatile gas times the ratio of the heat of combustion to the heat of decomposition. This is different compared with previous research results in that it includes the temperature dependence of the fuel production in the volatility.© 2013 ASME
Effect of isothermal aging on the imidization of PMR-15

The imidization of polymerizable reactive mixtures, PMR-15 has been performed in a vacuum oven at isothermal aging temperatures ranging from 65 to 200°C for aging periods of 0.5 to 2.5 h. The weight loss of the resin and chemical changes that occurred as a result of aging were monitored gravimetrically and by FT-IR spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to determine the temperature at which imidization took place. Imidization was observed to commence at 65°C after long aging times, t ≥ 2.5 h and at ∼95°C at a shorter time, t ∼ 0.5 h. At higher aging temperatures of 135 to 165°C, extensive imidization occurred. This was shown by the dramatic increase in imide absorption bands at 1780 and 1380 cm -1 . Beyond 165°C, there were no significant changes in the imide absorption bands, suggesting that imidization was nearly complete. The activation energy for isothermal aging was determined from the slope of the log of the rate of weight loss vs 1/T curve to be ∼4.5 kJ/mol and is lower than the average activation energy for imidization ∼43 kJ/mol obtained from the plot of the log of the rate of increase of the imide carbonyl peak absorption at 1780 cm -1 vs 1/T.
Gauge boson masses and lepton mixing inO(4)⊗U(1) gauge model

The Cabibbo angle is introduced as a mixing angle of the gauge bosonsW± andX± in anO(4)⊗U(1) gauge model. Masses of gauge bosons are calculated to beMW=82 (input),\(M_z = \sqrt 2 M_W s\gamma = 130\) (γ is mixing angle, sin2 γ=0.21),Mx=666, andMY=660, in units GeV. TheWμ± andZμ0 couple to the familiar charged and neutral currents, respectively. The effective neutrino oscillation angle is found to be the Cabibbo angle.
Wideband observation of the Crab pulsar using a superconducting transition-edge sensor

Our detectors are superconducting transition edge sensors (TESs) optimized for the wide band detection of individual photons from the mid infrared, through the optical, and into the near ultraviolet. We typically achieve an energy resolution of 0.15 eV FWHM over this range with timing resolution of 100 ns. We have measured photon events with sub- microsecond rise times and 3 microsecond fall times allowing count rates as high as 30 kHz without significant degradation in energy resolution. Such characteristics along with the predicted high quantum efficiency (10% in IR to 50% in optical-UV) make our TES detectors very appealing for low-flux applications which have energy and timing requirements, such as fast spectrophotometry for observational astronomy. We present results from our recent observation of the Crab Pulsar (PSR BO531 + 21) which demonstrate the ability of our sensors to extract wide band phase-resolved spectroscopic information of the pulsar using the student-class 24 inch telescope on the campus of Stanford University. We present a description of the optical system and an analysis of the single pixel energy response.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Relationship of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity to benzo(a)pyrene-metabolizing activity of cells in culture

The basal level of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity was high in cultures of low passage hamster embryo (HE) cells but AHH inducibility by benz(a)-anthracene (BA) was low; in R72/3 rat liver cells, basal activity was low and inducibility was high. The metabolism of 3H--benzo(a)pyrene was similar in cultures of BA-induced R72/3 cells and uninduced HE cells. Thus, low AHH inducibility may not always be an indication of the cells' absolute hydrocarbonmetabolizing capacity.
The Effect of Cloud Type on Earth's Energy Balance: Global Analysis

Abstract The role of fractional area coverage by cloud types in the energy balance of the earth is investigated through joint use of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) C1 cloud data and Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) broadband energy flux data for the one-year period March 1985 through February 1986. Multiple linear regression is used to relate the radiation budget data to the cloud data. Comparing cloud forcing estimates obtained from the ISCCP-ERBE regression with those derived from the ERBE scene identification shows generally good agreement except over snow, in tropical convective regions, and in regions that are either nearly cloudless or always overcast. It is suggested that a substantial fraction of the disagreement in longwave cloud forcing in tropical convective regions is associated with the fact that the ERBE scene identification does not take into account variations in upper-tropospheric water vapor. On a global average basis, low clouds make the largest contri...
Electrophysiologic Effects of Surgical Isolation of the Right Ventricle

Abstract Surgical isolation of the entire right ventricular free-wall was performed in ten dogs to evaluate the effects of the procedure on a variety of electrophysiologic measurements. Complete surgical isolation of the right ventricle was confirmed by determining that right ventricular electrical activity was not conducted to the remainder of the heart and that electrical activity in the atria or left ventricle did not conduct to the right ventricle. Right ventricular isolation caused no change in right ventricular or left ventricular pacing thresholds, in effective refractory periods of the right ventricle or left ventricle, or in right ventricular free-wall conduction time. Moreover, the normal conduction time from the right atrium to the left ventricle was 139 ± 5 msec (mean ± standard error) preoperatively and 135 ± 5 msec postoperatively ( p is not significant), showing that atrial-to-left ventricular synchrony was unaltered by isolation of the right ventricle. However, following isolation, the right ventricle could not be electrically fibrillated in 9 of 10 animals, a finding that may have important implications in the future development of surgical procedures to control chronic, life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
An empirical examination of bank reserve management behavior

Abstract Bank regulators modify reserve accounting schemes for various purposes including to improve monetary control, simplify reserve account management, and decrease the reserve burden. However, the effect of modifications may not be as intended. Utilizing a micro-perspective we model the reserve management process, empirically estimate the model, and evaluate hypotheses concerning changes in the reserve accounting scheme. We find some unintended effects from modifications to the accounting scheme, tenuous support for the use of carryover as a futures in reserves instrument, and little change in banks ability to manage reserve balances as they moved from a lagged to a ‘contemporaneous’ reserve accounting environment.
Location, Location, Location: The Misprediction of Satisfaction in Housing Lotteries

People tend to overestimate the emotional consequences of future life events, exhibiting an impact bias. The authors replicated the impact bias in a real-life context in which undergraduates were randomly assigned to dormitories (or “houses”). Participants appeared to focus on the wrong factors when imagining their future happiness in the houses. They placed far greater weight on highly variable physical features than on less variable social features in predicting their future happiness in each house, despite accurately recognizing that social features were more important than physical features when asked explicitly about the determinants of happiness. In Experiment 2, we found that this discrepancy emerged in part because participants exhibited an isolation effect, focusing too much on factors that distinguished between houses and not enough on factors that varied only slightly, such as social features.
DNA strand transfer catalyzed by vaccinia topoisomerase: peroxidolysis and hydroxylaminolysis of the covalent protein-DNA intermediate.

Vaccinia topoisomerase forms a covalent DNA−(3‘-phosphotyrosyl)−enzyme intermediate at sites containing the sequence 5‘-CCCTT↓. The covalently bound topoisomerase can religate the CCCTT strand to a 5‘-OH-terminated polynucleotide or else transfer the strand to a non-DNA nucleophile such a water or glycerol. Here, we report that vaccinia topoisomerase also catalyzes strand transfer to hydrogen peroxide. The observed alkaline pH-dependence of peroxidolysis is consistent with enzyme-mediated attack by peroxide anion on the covalent intermediate. The reaction displays apparent first-order kinetics. From a double-reciprocal plot of kobs versus [H2O2] at pH 10, we determined a rate constant for peroxidolysis of 6.3 × 10-3 s-1. This rate is slower by a factor of 200 than the rate of topoisomerase-catalyzed strand transfer to a perfectly aligned 5‘-OH DNA strand but is comparable to the rate of DNA strand transfer across a 1-nucleotide gap. Strand transfer to 2% hydrogen peroxide is 300 times faster than strand t...
An Innovative Design for Excellence In Teacher Education

(1988). An Innovative Design for Excellence In Teacher Education. Action in Teacher Education: Vol. 10, The Changing Role of Supervision in Teacher Education, pp. 31-38.