cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Antenna Sensor for Crack Detection and Monitoring

A major goal of structural health monitoring (SHM) is crack detection and monitoring. Because cracks are localized defects, quantifying the sizes and locations of the cracks would require placing many sensors over a large area. We present a crack sensor that is suitable for densely distributed sensor network because they can be remotely interrogated and do not need any wiring for data transmission or power supply. A rectangular patch antenna, consisting of a metallic patch on one side of a dielectric substrate and a ground plane on the other side of the substrate, is studied in this paper for crack detection and monitoring. The presence of a crack in the ground plane of the antenna changes its conductivity, which in turn reduces the resonant frequency of the antenna sensor. Experimental results demonstrated that the antenna sensor can monitor crack growth with sub-millimeter spatial resolution. Detailed experimental set-up and measurement results are presented.
Physical and chemical stratigraphy suggest small or absent glacioeustatic variation during formation of the Paradox Basin cyclothems

The Paradox Basin cyclothems previously have been interpreted as Milankovitch style glacial–interglacial cycles from the Late Paleozoic Ice Age, but an unambiguous test for a glacioeustatic origin has not been conducted. A high resolution coupled chemical and physical stratigraphic analysis of two outcrop sections and three core segments provides new evidence that supports either minor sea level change of several meters or an autocyclic mechanism for parasequence formation. High amplitude sea level change is ruled out by the scale of thin top-negative isotopic meteoric diagenesis trends associated with parasequence tops and subaerial exposure fabrics. Isotopic gradients from shelf (light) to basin (heavy) indicate that parasequences are deposited diachronously, with isotopes of more distal sections recording increased basin restriction. These results support the idea that the late Pennsylvanian was a prolonged period of relatively static eustasy, agreeing with recent studies in the western USA. The methods provide a new set of tools and context for extracting environmental information from cyclic upward shallowing carbonate parasequences.
NACP, a protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease and learning, is natively unfolded.

The “non-Aβ component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid plaque” (NAC) is a minor peptide component of the insoluble fibrillar core of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuritic plaque. NAC amyloid fibrils seed the polymerization of Aβ1−40, the major AD amyloid protein. NAC is derived from a 14 kDa precursor protein, designated NACP, a member of a highly conserved family of heat-stable brain-specific acidic proteins which have been suggested to be involved in synapse formation and/or stabilization. NACP has also been suggested to play a role in AD. We present herein a conformational analysis of human NACP. NACP has a much larger Stokes radius (34 A) but sedimented more slowly (s20,w = 1.7S) than globular proteins of similar molecular weight, indicating that the native protein is elongated. Circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicate the absence of significant amounts of secondary structure in NACP, while CD and ultraviolet spectroscopy suggest the lack of a hydrophobic core....
Some simple explicit results for the elastic dielectric properties and stability of layered composites

Abstract A string of partial results—aimed at shedding light on the behavior of dielectric elastomer composites—have been recently reported in the literature for the macroscopic electroelastic response and stability of layered composites with ideal elastic dielectric phases. Such results have been restricted to two phases and plane-strain loading conditions. It is the purpose of this paper to place on record simple explicit expressions for the macroscopic electroelastic response and stability of layered composites with any number of ideal elastic dielectric phases under general electromechanical loading conditions. Inter alia, these expressions provide insight into a variety of practical and theoretical issues in relation to the modeling of elastic dielectric composites with anisotropic microstructures, ranging from the choice of invariants to describe their free energy function to the effects of interphasial phenomena. This paper also places on record the conditions of ordinary and strong ellipticity for elastic dielectrics in full generality.
Solving large structural stiffness matrix equations in resumable segments

Abstract Underestimate of the computer time required for solution of a large system of linear algebraic equations often leads to unwanted termination at the closed-shop computer facilities. Resumable segmented Gaussian elimination method arranges the partially-completed results attained in the prior computer run(s) to be saved and recalled for completion of the solution of a large matrix equation in the subsequent run(s). An algorithm has been developed which provides the necessary procedures for retrieval and re-storing of the partially reduced rows of the coefficient matrix of the system. Particular reference is made to the manipulation of the structural stiffness matrices arisen from finite-element analyses of engineering problems.
A Study of the Ability of New York State Consumers to Distinguish Internal Egg Quality

Abstract CONSUMER knowledge of and preference for egg quality has long been a subject of debate and question. Some people maintain that the average consumer cannot distinguish between eggs of good and poor internal quality. There appears to be a great deal of evidence, however, that consumers do understand internal egg quality. Several studies have tested the ability of consumers to correctly rank broken-out eggs of different qualities, using either fresh eggs, plastic models, or pictorials. Baker and Goldman (1951) in a Des Moines, Iowa, survey showed that 57.1 percent of homemakers chose either the AA or the A quality egg as the best. Jasper and Cray (1953) reported that in a Columbus, Ohio, survey 54 percent of the participating consumers chose the AA quality egg from the pictures displayed, while the A, B, and C quality eggs were ranked first by 16.0, 9.7, 20.3 percent respectively. Kohls and Oppenheimer (1953)…
Prompt comprehension in UNIX command production.

We hypothesize that a cognitive analysis based on the construction-integration theory of comprehension (Kintsch, 1988) can predict what is difficult about generating complex composite commands in the UNIX operating system. We provide empirical support for assumptions of the Doane, Kintsch, and Poison (1989, 1990) construction-integration model for generating complex commands in UNIX. We asked users whose UNIX experience varied to produce complex UNIX commands, and then provided help prompts whenever the commands that they produced were erroneous. The help prompts were designed to assist subjects with respect to both the knowledge and the memory processes that our UNIX modeling efforts have suggested are lacking in less expert users. It appears that experts respond to different prompts than do novices. Expert performance is helped by the presentation of abstract information, whereas novice and intermediate performance is modified by presentation of concrete information. Second, while presentation of specific prompts helps less expert subjects, they do not provide sufficient information to obtain correct performance. Our analyses suggest that information about the ordering of commands is required to help the less expert with both knowledge and memory load problems in a manner consistent with skill acquisition theories.
A vector lattice representation theorem and a characterization of locally compact Hausdorff spaces

Abstract By the extensions of Tychonoff and Stone-Weierstrass theorems in Sections 1 and 2, we characterize the so-called M -partition spaces with M -partitions P as the dense vector sublattices V of ( C ( Y ), k ) for some locally compact Hausdorff space Y such that V ∩ C ∞ ( Y ) is dense in ( C 0 ( Y ), ∥ · ∥), where k is the compact-open topology and ∥ · ∥ is the supremum norm. Furthermore, Y is compact Hausdorff iff P is finite. The uniqueness of the space Y up to homeomorphism is also studied. Finally, we characterize the Tychonoff spaces X as the locally compact Hausdorff spaces, iff ( C ( X ), k ) are M -partition spaces.
A 635pW battery voltage supervisory circuit for miniature sensor nodes

We propose a low power battery voltage supervisory circuit for micro-scale sensor systems that provides power-on reset, brown-out detection, and recovery detection to prevent malfunction and battery damage. Ultra-low power is achieved using a 57pA, fast stabilizing two-stage voltage reference and an 81pA leakage-based oscillator and clocked comparator. The supervisor was fabricated in 180nm CMOS and integrated with a complete 1 mm3 sensor system. It consumes 635pW at 3.6V supply voltage, which is an 850× reduction over the best prior work.
Differential expression of a chimeric CaMV-tomato proteinase Inhibitor I gene in leaves of transformed nightshade, tobacco and alfalfa plants.

The open reading frame and terminator region of a wound-inducible tomato Inhibitor I gene, regulated by the CaMV 35S promoter, was stably integrated into the genomes of nightshade (Solanum nigrum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. The expression of the foreign Inhibitor I gene in leaves of each species was studied at the mRNA and protein levels. The levels of Inhibitor I protein present in leaves of each species correlated with the levels of mRNA. The average levels of both mRNA and Inhibitor I protein were highest in leaves of transgenic nightshade plants (over 125 μg of Inhibitor I per g tissue), less in tobacco plants (about 75 μg/g tissue), and lowest in leaves of transgenic alfalfa plants (below 20 μg/g tissue). Inhibitor I protein was observed in all tissues throughout transgenic plant species, but inhibitor concentration per gram of tissue was 2–3 times higher in young developing leaf tissues and floral organs. The differences in the expression of the CaMV-tomato Inhibitor I gene among the different plant genera suggests that either the rate of transcription of the foreign gene or the rate of degradation of the nascent Inhibitor I mRNA varies among genera. Using electron microscopy techniques, the newly synthesized pre-pro-Inhibitor I protein was shown to be correctly processed and stored as a mature Inhibitor I protein within the central vacuoles of leaves of transgenic nightshade and alfalfa. The results of these experiments suggest that maximal expression of foreign proteinase inhibitor genes, and perhaps other foreign defense genes, may require gene constructs that are fashioned with promoters and terminators that allow maximum expression in the selected plant species.
Strong coupling superconductivity via an asymptotically exact renormalization-group framework

Abstract A renormalization-group approach for interacting electrons, which are also coupled to phonons was recently developed [1] . The method is described here in some detail, including the large-N analysis which shows that the theory is asymptotically exact and from which Migdal's theorem follows as a consequence. We present analytical and numerical results for the case of an isotropic Fermi surface and Einstein phonons. In this case Eliashberg's strong coupling theory emerges as the N → ∞ theory. Both T=0 and finite-T renormalization-group formalisms are developed.
Measurement of copepod predation on nauplii using qPCR of the cytochrome oxidase I gene

A method to directly measure predation rates by older stage copepods upon copepod nauplii using species-specific primers for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit one gene (mtCOI) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was developed. The general approach is to determine the mtCOI gene copy number of an individual prey organism and the copy number of the same gene in the stomachs of predatory copepods collected in the field. From the knowledge of DNA disappearance rates in the stomachs, ingestion rates can be calculated. In October 2006, laboratory experiments were carried out with Acartia tonsa N1 and N2 as prey and adult female Centropages typicus as predator. The copepods were collected in Narragansett Bay, USA. A. tonsa mtCOI copy numbers copepod−1 were determined for stages N1–C1 and for adults. A. tonsa DNA was detectable in the guts of the predators for as long as 3 h. Exponential rates of decline in prey DNA from the stomachs of the predators are similar to those measured for gut pigments. Because of the very small amount of DNA in an individual N1 or N2 nauplius, procedures were developed to maximize the quantitative extraction and recovery of DNA and to increase the sensitivity of the method. Two quite divergent haplotypes of A. tonsa were found in Narragansett Bay, which required separate qPCR primers; one was present in summer (July) and the other in fall and winter (October and February). With modification, the methods in this study can likely be applied to a range of predator–prey systems.
A Turing Test Conversation

INT: Let's get down to business, then. I want to ask you about a sentence S in a system of logic L. The sentence has a code number N from which the sentence can be reconstituted, and says that the sentence with code number N is unprovable. All sentences that say of themselves that they are unprovable are true, if they belong to a consistent system of logic. If L is consistent, is S true? M1: Yes. INT: Now consider another sentence S' in another consistent logic L'. S' has code number N', and says that the sentence with code number N' is provable. But from now on, 'provable' means what 'unprovable' meant in sentence S with code number N in logic L, and conversely. Is S' true? M1: The general principle is that all sentences that say of themselves that they are unprovable are true if they belong to a consistent logic. But now 'provable' means 'unprovable', so the principle is transformed to hold that all sentences that say of themselves that they are provable are true if they belong to a consistent system of logic. This is what S' says; so, S' is true. INT: Good. Now what about sentence not-S in L, is it true or false? M1: Since S is true, not-S is false. INT: But not-S says that S is provable. What does the general principle imply about the truth of not-S? M,: Not-S is true. INT: I think you literally don't know what you are talking about. You seem incapable of distinguishing between this sentence and its negation, which suggests to me that you are unable to see beyond the purely syntactical transformations of any sentence to its intended meanings. You're a machine, aren't you? M,: How should I know?
Factors associated with health insurance coverage and health insurance knowledge among Congolese immigrants and African-Americans in Illinois

The disproportionately high rates of adverse health outcomes among the African-American community represent an important issue in the US. Moreover, previous research has shown substantial racial disparities in US health insurance status due to factors such as unemployment, lack of education, and poverty. However, the role of immigrant status within the Black community in understanding such disparities has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to assess factors associated with health insurance status and health insurance knowledge among Congolese immigrants and African-Americans in a micro-urban area of the Midwest. A cross-sectional survey of a community-based sample was conducted among Black residents (Congolese immigrants and African-Americans). A sample size of 109 people was obtained out of which fifty-five Congolese and fifty-four African-Americans were recruited. For Congolese, the length of stay in the US was statistically related to health insurance status; the shorter they have been in the country, the more likely they had coverage (p < .005). Limited English proficiency and high insurance premiums were identified as barriers to health care access among Congolese and African-Americans, respectively. The results highlight the heterogeneity of Black community. Understanding how ethnicity affects health behaviors such as health insurance coverage remains a topic for further research.
Torsade de pointes: The long-short initiating sequence and other clinical features: observations in 32 patients

The clinical setting, precipitating factors, electrocardiographic features and response to treatment of 32 patients with torsade de pointes were reviewed. Thirty-one patients had underlying cardiac disease and 30 patients had a previous underlying cardiac arrhythmia. Antiarrhythmic medications, often in association with electrolyte abnormalities (such as hypokalemia and Hypomagnesemia) were the most common precipitating factors. In 22 of 26 patients, the serum drug levels of the antiarrhythmic agents were found to be within the therapeutic range. However, before the administration of agents known to prolong the QT interval, 20 of the 32 patients had, either alone or in combination, baseline prolongation of the QT interval, hypokalemia or Hypomagnesemia. All patients had QTC interval prolongation (mean 0.59 second) immediately before the development of torsade de pointes. Marked lability of T wave morphology was frequently noted. Cardiac pacing was the only consistently effective mode of therapy. A characteristic long-short ventricular cycle length as the initiating sequence was found in 41 of 44 episodes of torsade de pointes. Reported data support the high frequency of this electrocardiographic feature of torsade de pointes in which its onset could be analyzed. It is suggested that this electrocardiographic characteristic will aid in both establishing the diagnosis of torsade de pointes and distinguishing it from other polymorphic forms of ventricular tachycardia.
Newcastle disease virus-induced apoptosis in chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes

Chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were infected with the GB strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). At 0, 1.5 and 3 h postinfection, PBL were stained with acridine orange-ethidium bromide and examined for apoptotic and necrotic indices under a UV microscope. At the end of 3 h, the cells were pelleted and were either fixed for electron microscopy or used for DNA extraction. Infected cells showed a significant amount of apoptosis and necrosis when compared with controls. Electron microscopy of the infected cells also showed characteristics of apoptosis, i.e. apoptotic bodies, margination of chromatin with crescent formation and fusion of cells. DNA extracted from virus-infected cells showed extensive fragmentation. Based on these findings it is concluded that NDV, in addition to causing necrosis in chicken lymphocytes, can induce apoptosis.
Mitotic Kinesin CENP-E Promotes Microtubule Plus-End Elongation

Summary Centromere protein CENP-E is a dimeric kinesin (Kinesin-7 family) with critical roles in mitosis, including establishment of microtubule (MT)-chromosome linkage and movement of mono-oriented chromosomes on kinetochore microtubules for proper alignment at metaphase [1–9]. We performed studies to test the hypothesis that CENP-E promotes MT elongation at the MT plus ends. A human CENP-E construct was engineered, expressed, and purified, and it yielded the CENP-E-6His dimeric motor protein. The results show that CENP-E promotes MT plus-end-directed MT gliding at 11 nm/s. The results from real-time microscopy assays indicate that 60.3% of polarity-marked MTs exhibited CENP-E-promoted MT plus-end elongation. The MT extension required ATP turnover, and MT plus-end elongation occurred at 1.48 μm/30 min. Immunolocalization studies revealed that 80.8% of plus-end-elongated MTs showed CENP-E at the MT plus end. The time dependence of CENP-E-promoted MT elongation in solution best fit a single exponential function ( k obs = 5.1 s −1 ), which is indicative of a mechanism in which α,β-tubulin subunit addition is tightly coupled to ATP turnover. Based on these results, we propose that CENP-E, as part of its function in chromosome kinetochore-MT linkage, plays a direct role in MT elongation.
Primary systemic amyloidosis mimicking chronic constrictive pericardial disease.

The characteristically altered physiologic pattern in chronic constrictive pericarditis is the resultant of the diminished cardiac expansibility. A widespread infiltrative myocardial disease in which cardiac expansibility was equally limited should simulate the former entity very closely. This extremely rare entity is illustrated in this case report.
Design of an Oncology Clinical Information System

The use of complex multimodality treatment plans and the necessity for detailed, precisely timed collection of measurements of tumor response, drug toxicity, biochemical markers, and other specific parameters of therapeutic evaluation has created the need for a clinically oriented data system which can assist the oncologist in the organization, collection, and analysis of multiple pieces of research and treatment related data. To serve this need, a prototype computer - based system is in routine use at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, and an interactive Oncology Clinical Information System (OCIS) is being implemented to replace it. The OCIS will support the functions of therapy planning, data evaluation, and medical record keeping; it will also be integrated with the Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical Information System. This paper describes the structure of the OCIS.
Seasonal physiological responses of two brown seaweed species from a North Carolina continental shelf habitat

Abstract This study examines the seasonal physiological response of the codominant, perennial brown algae Lobophora variegata (Lamour.) Womers. and Zonaria tournefortii (Lamour.) Mont. to experimental temperatures approximating the seasonal range of their North Carolina continental shelf habitat. Respiration rates of Lobophora over experimental temperatures (10, 21, 27, and 34°C) seasonally varied, suggesting an acclimation response. The respiration rates of both species at experimental temperatures were generally lower for plants collected in the winter than for those tested in summer, which might enhance winter survival, when seasonally low irradiance might limit photosynthesis. Photosynthetic performance for both species showed significant physiological acclimation throughout the study period. Notably, both species had distinctive seasons of optimal photosynthetic performance. For example, photosynthetic performance at temperatures closest to ambient ranged from 30 (in September) to about 65 (in January and May) nmol O 2 ·nmol Chl a −1 · h −1 for Lobophora . In contrast, lowest photosynthetic rate (40 nmol O 2 · nmol Chl a −1 · h −1 ) for Zonaria occurred in January; highest photosynthetic performance occurred in May (78 nmol O 2 · nmol Chla −1 · h −1 ). This difference in their photosynthetic performance may contribute to their continued coexistence in a habitat characterized by large seasonal temperature fluctuations.
An investigation of jet trajectory in flow through scaled vocal fold models with asymmetric glottal passages

Pulsatile two-dimensional flow through asymmetric static divergent models of the human vocal folds is investigated. Included glottal divergence angles are varied between 10° and 30°, with asymmetry angles between the vocal fold pairs ranging from 5° to 15°. The model glottal configurations represent asymmetries that arise during a phonatory cycle due to voice disorders. The flow is scaled to physiological values of Reynolds, Strouhal, and Euler numbers. Data are acquired in the anterior–posterior mid-plane of the vocal fold models using phase-averaged Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) acquired at ten discrete locations in a phonatory cycle. Glottal jet stability arising from the vocal fold asymmetries is investigated and compared to previously reported work for symmetric vocal fold passages. Jet stability is enhanced with an increase in the included divergence angle, and the glottal asymmetry. Concurrently, the bi-modal jet trajectory and flow unsteadiness diminishes. Consistent with previous findings, the flow attachment due to the Coanda effect occurs when the acceleration of the forcing function is zero.
Immobilization of the aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica on Mg2+/Al3+ layered double hydroxide particles.

A novel biomaterial formed by the immobilization of the Aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica (AAP) on synthetic Mg2+ and Al3+ ion-containing layered double hydroxide (LDH) particles was prepared. Immobilization of AAP on the LDH particles in a buffered, aqueous mixture is rapid such that the maximum loading capacity, 1 × 10−9 moles of AAP/mg LDH, is achieved in a few minutes. X-ray powder diffraction of LDH samples before and after treatment with AAP indicates that the enzyme does not intercalate between the layers of LDH, but instead binds to the surface. Treatment of AAP/LDH with various amounts of salt in a buffered mixture demonstrates that between 15 and 20% of AAP can be removed from the LDH by washing the composite material in 0.2 M NaCl. However, the residual AAP remains bound to the LDH even at 1 M salt concentrations. A suspension of the AAP/LDH biomaterial in 10 mM Tricine buffered, aqueous solution (pH 8.0 and 25° C) catalyzes the hydrolysis of l-leucine-p-nitroanilide demonstrating that...
Quantification of sPLA2-induced early and late apoptosis changes in neuronal cell cultures using combined TUNEL and DAPI staining.

The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) stain is in wide use for measuring apoptosis in neurons, as well as in other cell types. TUNEL may give false positive results due to variations in labeling technique as well as staining of cells that have undergone non-apoptotic DNA strand breaks. Therefore, in isolation, TUNEL is not a certain indicator of apoptosis. Recently, we have demonstrated the potent apoptotic effect of secreted phospholipase A2 from group III (sPLA2-III) on primary cortical neurons from rat. Here we describe a computer-assisted method for quantifying TUNEL-positive neurons after sPLA2-III induced apoptosis. Extent of TUNEL is normalized to total nuclear content using 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. Furthermore, DAPI counterstaining allows for determination of a nuclear morphology indicator, based on nuclear size and roundness, which we call the nuclear area factor. We found that the nuclear area factor is an early indicator of cell death (significant after 4 h post treatment), while TUNEL staining is significant at later times (26 h). Thus, the independent staining techniques using TUNEL and DAPI complement each other, and with commercially available image analysis software, may be used to indicate early as well as delayed cell injury processes.
Refuse Incinerator Particulate Emissions and Combustion Residues for New York City during the 20th Century

Refuse incineration data for New York City (NYC) have been compiled as a function of time during the 20th century to assess the historical significance of this pollutant source in a densely populated area. Thirty-two municipal and 17,000 apartment house refuse incinerators were identified. Approximately 1.1 x 10(8) t of refuse (wet weight) were combusted in NYC incinerators between 1908 and 1993, producing 3.4 x 10(7) t(dryweight) of combustion residue disposed in local landfills. Refuse incinerators were operated for most of this period without air pollution control and emitted 1.0 x 10(6) t of particles (a total of 120 mg for each cm2 of land in NYC). Incinerator particle emission (PE) rates per unit area of land were highest in Manhattan (equivalent total deposition of 530 mg cm(-2)). Incinerator PE exceeded 1.2 x 10(4) t yr(-1) between 1930 and 1975, with maximum emission rates (>2.2 x 10(4) t yr(-1)) in the late 1930s and 1960s. These and other factors support the conclusion that refuse incineration without air pollution control was an important source of airborne, respirable pollutants in NYC for many decades during the 20th century. Rates of particle emissions from Manhattan incinerators estimated here correlate stronglywith Pb accumulation rates as a function of depth (time) in Central Park Lake sediments, consistent with refuse incineration emitting large amounts of atmospheric lead in NYC for many decades afterthe 1920s.
Antiapoptotic and cytotoxic properties of delta opioid peptide [D-Ala(2),D-Leu(5)]enkephalin in PC12 cells.

The delta opioid peptide [D-Ala2,D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADLE) has been shown to promote organ survival and to protect against methamphetamine-induced neurodegeneration. However, the cellular mechanisms of these actions of DADLE are not totally clear. We examined the action of DADLE in serum-deprived pheochromocytoma cells (PC12) and found that DADLE protected against cell death in those cells. However, the dose–response curves of the protective effects of DADLE are U-shaped as judged by three biochemical or morphological assays: the LDH release, the DNA laddering, and the apoptotic nuclei. It was found that femtomolar to picomolar concentrations of DADLE are antiapoptotic, whereas micormolar concentrations of DADLE are cytotoxic in PC12 cells. The protective effect of DADLE could be attenuated by a selective delta2 opioid antagonist and the cytotoxic action of DADLE was reduced by a selective mu opioid receptor antagonist. The treatment of cells with PD98059, a selective inhibitor of ERK kinase (MEK), or the transfection of cells with a dominant interfering form of MEK (MEK-KA97) blocked both the protective effect of DADLE and the ERK phosphorylation induced by DADLE. Cytotoxic concentrations of DADLE, on the other hand, caused an increase of Fas-ligand (FasL) in PC12 cells that was attenuated by a selective mu antagonist. Our results suggest, therefore, that endogenous opioid peptides may, at low concentrations, promote cell survival via the MEK-ERK pathway perhaps through delta2 opioid receptors, whereas they may kill cells at high concentrations via the activation of FasL through an as-yet unknown mechanism involving mu opioid receptors. Synapse 43:86–94, 2002. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Producing anaglyphs from synthetic images

Distance learning and virtual laboratory applications have motivated the use of inexpensive visual stereo solutions for computer displays. The anaglyph method is such a solution. Several techniques have been proposed for the production of anaglyphs, We discuss three approaches: the Photoshop algorithm and its variants, the least squares algorithm proposed by Eric Dubois that optimizes in the CIE color space, and the midpoint algorithm that minimizes the sum of the distances between the anagylph color and the left and right eye colors in CIEL*a*b*. Our results show that each method has its advantages and disadvantages in faithful color representation and in stereo quality as it relates to region merging and ghosting.
Damage observations on synchrotron beam-line mirrors

Catastrophic damage has been observed in ZERODUR mirrors used as first mirrors in two beam lines at the National Synchrotron Light Source. ZERODUR was selected as a substrate for these uncooled, grazing incidence mirrors because of its superior thermal expansion properties near room temperature. Despite the high reflectivity of the coatings used on these mirrors, a significant flux of high energy photons penetrates below the coating and is absorbed mainly in a thin layer at the top of the substrate. Over a long time period the absorbed flux causes the glass material to compact, leading to a build-up of surface stress, gross figure changes, and the growth of fractures. The total dose of absorbed radiation for these mirrors is estimated to be in the range of 106 MRads, i.e. 1012 Rads, which is orders of magnitude greater than the dose used in conventional radiation damage studies for space-borne optics and deep UV lithography systems.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Academic research productivity, department size and organization: Further results, rejoinder

Abstract This article shows that graduate faculty ratings reflect total departmental publication performance rather than average research productivity. Hence, such ratings are a poor proxy for the dependent variable when modeling research output per faculty member.
THE EFFECTS OF PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY ON THE BLOOD PRESSURE AND RENAL FUNCTION OF HYPERTENSIVE DOGS.

Summary A group of 14 dogs that had undergone contralateral nephrectomy was subjected to partial nephrectomy six weeks or more after the onset of hypertension resulting from constriction of the renal artery. None of the dogs was relieved of hypertension after the first partial nephrectomy, but the blood pressure of one of five dogs subjected to a second partial nephrectomy did return to a normal level. All of the dogs had considerable functional renal reserve and there was a demonstrable increase in renal mass after the partial nephrectomies. The dogs tolerated removal of almost 40 per cent of the solitary kidney before persistent elevation of blood urea occurred. One dog survived heminephrectomy. Radioisotope renograms and Hippuran clearances were unaffected either by constriction of the renal artery or by partial nephrectomy. The histologic appearance of specimens of kidney was normal except in one instance in which focal pyelonephritis was found. The dog from which this specimen was removed did not survive partial nephrectomy. This study indicates that, in dogs, prolonged hypertension of renal origin is not relieved by partial nephrectomy. Our data do not seem to corroborate the theory of Braun-Menendez 3–5 that hypertension of renal origin is caused by failure of the kidney to neutralize a renotrophin.
Integrating culture, crowds and non-lethal effects into a constructive simulation for training and experimentation

As the number of military, security and humanitarian operations being deployed across the world increases, there is a sense of urgency to field Non-Lethal Weapon (NLW) systems that have a range of capabilities to handle various threats and crises. Commanders in the field must be able to decide with confidence that the use of a NLW will decrease rather than increase the level of confrontation in the civilian population. Moreover cultural factors perform a crucial role in determining a crowd's reaction to and perception of the employment of NLWs by coalition forces.With the help of One Semi-Automated Forces (OneSAF) Computer Generated Forces (CGF) simulation combined with AI.implant©, aspects of culture, crowds and NLW effects are integrated and examined in urban environments useful for experimentation, training and planning applications.
Cytosolic Proteolysis of τ by Cathepsin D in Hippocampus Following Suppression of Cathepsins B and L

Incubation of cultured hippocampal slices with an inhibitor [N-CBZ-L-phenylalanyl-L-alanine-diazomethyl ketone (ZPAD)] of cathepsins B and L resulted in the degradation of high molecular weight isoforms of tau protein and the production of a 29-kDa tau fragment (tau 29). A tau antibody that is sensitive to the phosphorylated state of its epitopes did not recognize tau proteins or the tau 29 fragment in slices that had been treated with a protein phosphatase inhibitor. This strongly suggests that the tau fragment was located in an extralysosomal compartment accessible to kinases and phosphatases. tau 29 exhibited a significant capacity for binding to microtubules and thus has the potential for interfering with normal tau-tubulin interactions. Three lines of evidence indicated that ZPAD-induced tau proteolysis was mediated by cathepsin D: (a) slices treated with the inhibitor had markedly elevated levels of cathepsin D in both lysosomal and extralysosomal compartments; (b) co-incubation of cathepsin D and tau at neutral pH resulted in a loss of intact tau proteins and production of a 28-kDa fragment; and (c) the lysosomotropic drug chloroquine blocked ZPAD-induced increases in mature cathepsin D, and this was accompanied by a suppression of ZPAD-induced tau proteolysis. Changes in lysosomal hydrolases and cytoskeletal perturbations occur during brain aging. The present results suggest that the enzymatic and structural effects are related and, more specifically, are linked by alterations in the concentration and localization of cathepsin D. The tau fragments with microtubule binding capacity generated by cathepsin D could also be a source for the small polypeptides found in association with age-related pathological features.
The discourse of ‘respect for customers’

Although consumers value respect and expect to be respected by providing firms (Daskou et al., 2004) it appears that some industries (i.e., telecommunications as per Vittore (2001) fail to apply respect for the customer. In an effort to address the utility of recognising, appreciating and understanding the concept of respecting customers, the paper focuses on the discussion of concept, an issue that has received very little empirical attention from the perspective of the business disciplines. With the view of future research on the subject, the paper offers propositions on the ontology of respect for the customer, the facets of respect, ways firms may manifest their respect for the customer, and the potential customer behavioural consequences of respecting the customer. The theory presented examines work springing from philosophy, services management, fairness, and fairness literatures. The paper concludes with recommendations for research that could reveal the dimensions of customer respect in commercial contexts, may aid in the quantitative measurement of customer experienced respect, and may lead to the development of respect recovery strategies.
LESSONS FROM ANIMAL MODELS OF OBESITY

Obesity in animals may result from genetic, dietary, or neuroendocrine perturbations. Study of these models has identified the central systems that regulate food intake and energy expenditure and identified the interdependence of feeding behavior, the autonomic nervous system, and adrenal glucocorticoids in the development of obesity. The animal models of obesity have been influential in showing that adipose tissue is an important secretory tissue. The recent identification of five genes that cause obesity will provide new insight into the physiologic systems that regulate energy balance.
Matrix eQTL

Motivation: Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis links variations in gene expression levels to genotypes. For modern datasets, eQTL analysis is a computationally intensive task as it involves testing for association of billions of transcript-SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) pair. The heavy computational burden makes eQTL analysis less popular and sometimes forces analysts to restrict their attention to just a small subset of transcript-SNP pairs. As more transcripts and SNPs get interrogated over a growing number of samples, the demand for faster tools for eQTL analysis grows stronger. Results: We have developed a new software for computationally efficient eQTL analysis called Matrix eQTL. In tests on large datasets, it was 2–3 orders of magnitude faster than existing popular tools for QTL/eQTL analysis, while finding the same eQTLs. The fast performance is achieved by special preprocessing and expressing the most computationally intensive part of the algorithm in terms of large matrix operations. Matrix eQTL supports additive linear and ANOVA models with covariates, including models with correlated and heteroskedastic errors. The issue of multiple testing is addressed by calculating false discovery rate; this can be done separately for cis-and trans-eQTLs. Availability: Matlab and R implementations are available for free at http://www.bios.unc.edu/research/genomic_software/Matrix_eQTL Contact: shabalin@email.unc.edu
Association Between Body Weight Growth and Selected Physiological Parameters in Male Japanese Quail (Coturnrix japonica).

Japanese quail is very popular research animal model. Its continued characterization for various norms is highly desirable for obtaining accurate and reliable results. This study was designed to asses s various physiological parameters which are associated with body growth and development. Among various physiological parameters, blood constituents and hormones are commonly used as diagnostic tools in both physiological and pathological evaluations of humans and animals. Japanese quail hatchlings were housed in the temperature controlled brooders up to 3 weeks of age and then shifted to hanging cages in ai r conditioned room at ~74 F under 14L:10D lighting system and free access to feed and fresh water. Starting d8, a group of birds of uniform size and weight were selected randomly and euthanized at 4-day intervals up to d52 of age. The birds were weighed and blood sampled from the brachial vein for measuring Blood Glucose (BGL), Total Plasma Proteins (PP) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV). It was found that starting d36 all the three physiological parameters altered with approaching sexual maturity (d48-52): BGL decreased (252 vrs.182 mg/dl, p 0.05). Accordingly, BGL, PCV and PP values demonstrated significant potential to predic t approaching sexual maturity in male Japanese quail.
Quasiparticle approximations and electron propagator theory

A comparison of quasiparticle concepts arising from the Dyson equation of electron propagator theory and from orbital functional theory shows close relationships between self–energy expressions in the former to correlation potentials in the latter. Detailed formulae are presented for second-order theories with general occupation numbers. Limitations of the Dyson and Landau quasiparticle concepts in the context of perturbative correlation formulae are discussed. Numerical results on N2, H2O, and their valence ionization energies are presented. Comparisons are made between total energy differences, orbital energies, and transition operator results. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003
Dimorphism and the functional basis of claw strength in six brachyuran crabs

By examining the morphological basis of force generation in the chelae (claws) of both molluscivorous and non-molluscivorous crabs, it is possible to understand better the difference between general crab claw design and the morphology associated with durophagy. This comparative study investigates the morphology underlying claw force production and intraspecific claw dimorphism in six brachyuran crabs: Callinectes sapidus (Portunidae), Libinia emarginata (Majidae), Ocypode quadrata (Ocypodidae), Menippe mercenaria (Xanthidae), Panopeus herbstii (Xanthidae), and P. obesus (Xanthidae). The crushers of the three molluscivorous xanthids consistently proved to be morphologically ‘strong,’ having largest mechanical advantages (MAs), mean angles of pinnation (MAPs), and physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSAs). However, some patterns of variation (e.g. low MA in C. sapidus, indistinguishable force generation potential in the xanthids) suggested that a quantitative assessment of occlusion and dentition is needed to understand fully the relationship between force generation and diet. Interspecific differences in force generation potential seemed mainly to be a function of differences in chela closer muscle cross-sectional area, due to a sixfold variation in apodeme area. Intraspecific dimorphism was generally defined by tall crushers with long in-levers, though O. quadrata exhibited an extreme dimorphism suggesting that factors unrelated to a speed–strength dichotomy (e.g. sexual selection) have shaped dimorphism of that species. It is concluded here that: (1) the majority of interspecific claw strength variation is a function of closer muscle cross-sectional area; (2) variation in claw morphology related to force production and transmission does have some relation to hardness of diet; (3) claw dimorphism in many species does seem to be related to strength and speed trade-offs; (4) factors besides molluscivory must be considered to understand claw evolution fully; (5) a quantitative assessment of force distribution, lacking in the literature, is essential for a more complete understanding of the relationship between claw design and ecological function.
Neuromodulatory signaling in hippocampus-dependent memory retrieval.

Considerable advances have been made toward understanding the molecular signaling events that underlie memory acquisition and consolidation. In contrast, less is known about memory retrieval, despite its necessity for utilizing learned information. This review focuses on neuromodulatory and intracellular signaling events that underlie memory retrieval mediated by the hippocampus, for which the most information is currently available. Among neuromodulators, adrenergic signaling is required for the retrieval of various types of hippocampus-dependent memory. Although they contribute to acquisition and/or consolidation, cholinergic and dopaminergic signaling are generally not required for retrieval. Interestingly, while not required for retrieval, serotonergic and opioid signaling may actually constrain memory retrieval. Roles for histamine and non-opioid neuropeptides are currently unclear but possible. A critical effector of adrenergic signaling in retrieval is reduction of the slow afterhyperpolarization mediated by β1 receptors, cyclic AMP, protein kinase A, Epac, and possibly ERK. In contrast, stress and glucocorticoids impair retrieval by decreasing cyclic AMP, mediated in part by the activation of β2-adrenergic receptors. Clinically, alterations in neuromodulatory signaling and in memory retrieval occur in Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and recent evidence has begun to link changes in neuromodulatory signaling with effects on memory retrieval. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Indulgent parenting and the life satisfaction of college students: An examination of eating, weight, and body image

A cross-sectional design based on social cognitive theory was used to examine the association between mother and daughter perceptions of parental indulgence and family health discussions as they influenced eating motivations, health outcomes, and life satisfaction of college females. Results indicated that daughters perceived greater overall indulgence and overnurturance than mothers. Indulgence had both positive and negative associations with daughters’ life satisfaction. Daughters’ perceptions of parental overnurturance and giving too much had the greatest total effects on life satisfaction. Even as daughters began to transition away from their parents, mothers still played an integral role in their health behaviors and outcomes. Additional research was recommended, along with practice recommendations for family and health professionals.