cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Simple Kinematic Mechanism for Mixing Fluid Parcels across a Meandering Jet

Abstract Recent observations of fluid parcel pathways in the Gulf Stream using isopycnal RAFOS floats revealed a striking pattern of cross-stream and vertical motion associated with meanders (Bower and Rossby 1989). In an attempt to explain the observed pattern, a two-dimensional kinematic model of a meandering jet has been developed which enables examination of the relationship between streamfunction patterns and fluid parcel trajectories. The streamfunction fields are displayed in a reference frame moving with the wave pattern so motions of fluid parcels relative to the jet can be seen more easily. The results suggest that the observed pattern of cross-stream motion results primarily from the downstream phase propagation of meanders. The model successfully reproduces several of the most distinctive features of the float observations: 1 ) entrainment of fluid into the Gulf Stream occurs at the leading edges of meander extrema while detrainment takes place at the trailing edges; 2) exchange between the Gu...
Scattering of electromagnetic waves from a layer with rough front and plane back (small perturbation method by Rice)

Rice's small perturbation method is extended to obtain first- and second-order terms of the field scattered from a rough layer. The first-order terms are utilized to obtain average scattering cross sections. Lossy and lossless layers are considered for horizontal and vertical polarizations.
Membrane Association of Glutathione S-Transferase mGSTA4-4, an Enzyme That Metabolizes Lipid Peroxidation Products

Abstract Lipid peroxidation products have signaling functions and at higher concentrations are toxic and may trigger cell death. The compounds are metabolized predominantly by glutathioneS-transferases exemplified by mGSTA4-4, an enzyme highly efficient in glutathione conjugation of 4-hydroxyalkenals, and possessing glutathione peroxidase activity toward phospholipid hydroperoxides. mGSTA4-4 belongs to the predominant group of “canonical” glutathione S-transferases that are soluble and generally localized in the cytoplasm. The intracellular localization of mGSTA4-4 was examined in hepatocytes of normal mouse liver and in transfected HepG2 cells by fluorescence microscopy and digital deconvolution. mGSTA4-4 was found to be predominantly localized at or near the plasma membrane in transfected HepG2 cells, as well as in hepatocytes endogenously expressing the protein. In vitro, mGSTA4-4 associated with liposomes, and this interaction was potentiated when the liposomes contained negatively charged phospholipids. Mutating lysine 115 to glutamic acid resulted in a loss of the plasma membrane targeting of mGSTA4-4 as well as in a significant reduction of its binding to liposomes in vitro. These data suggest preferential targeting of mGSTA4-4 to the plasma membrane that may contain the major substrate(s) for this enzyme. Lysine 115 is critically important for the membrane association of mGSTA4-4, most likely by entering into an electrostatic interaction with negatively charged phospholipid headgroups.
Coupling of the Proto-oncogene Product c-Cbl to the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

The proto-oncogene product, Cbl, is a 120-kDa protein present in lymphocytes that contains numerous PXXP motifs in its COOH-terminal region and constitutively binds the SH3-containing adaptor protein Grb2. Cross-linking of CD3 and CD4 receptors in Jurkat T cells causes tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl and its association with phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (Meisner, H., Conway, B., Hartley, D., and Czech, M. P. (1995) Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 3571-3578). Here we demonstrate that Cbl is also present in nonlymphoid cells, and that epidermal growth factor (EGF) elicits its rapid tyrosine phosphorylation in human embryonic 293 cells. Immunoprecipitates of Cbl from lysates of these cells contain Grb2 in the basal state, while EGF stimulation causes co-precipitation of tyrosine-phosphorylated EGF receptors. Similarly, EGF receptor immunoprecipitates from EGF-treated 293 cells contain Cbl and Grb2. Both Grb2 and EGF receptors are released from Cbl in the presence of a proline-rich peptide that binds the NH2-terminal SH3 domain of Grb2. These results indicate that autophosphorylated EGF receptors associate with the SH2 domain of Grb2, which is complexed through its SH3 domain with proline-rich regions of Cbl. Such recruitment of Cbl to EGF receptors may reflect an important mechanism for its tyrosine phosphorylation and for assembling signaling components that mediate or modulate EGF actions.
Comparison of photoelectron transfer between Ru(bpy)32+ and MV2+ in TiO2 and SnO2 colloids and dihexadecyl phosphate vesicles

The photoyields of methylviologen cation radical in frozen TiO{sub 2} and SnO{sub 2} colloids and dihexadecyl phosphate (DHP) anionic vesicles containing Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} and methylviologen as electron donor and acceptor are compared. The net yield of charge separation through direct photoelectron transfer from the electron donor to the electron acceptor in DHP vesicles is much lower than that through photoelectron and hole generation inside colloidal semiconductors with their subsequent trapping by the electron acceptor and the electron donor or that through electron transfer form the donor to the acceptor mediated by the semiconductor colloid. In contrast to the electron spin resonance (ESR) detection of methylviologen cation radical, Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 3+} cation radical was not detected by ESR in the above systems. 23 refs., 6 figs.
Protein catabolism in cultures of hepatocytes derived from mice of various ages

The degradation of pulse-labeled protein was measured in cultures of hepatocytes derived from mice of 3--4, 15--16, and 28 months of age. The rates of protein degradation were determined in culture media with varying amino acid, insulin, and glucagon concentrations. No differences with age were seen. Also no difference with age was detected in the lysosomal degradation of 125I-labeled asialofetuin.
Interactions between subunits a and b in the rotary ATP synthase as determined by cross-linking

The interaction of the membrane traversing stator subunits a and b of the rotary ATP synthase was probed by substitution of a single Cys into each subunit with subsequent Cu2+ catalyzed cross-linking. Extensive interaction between the transmembrane (TM) region of one b subunit and TM2 of subunit a was indicated by cross-linking with 6 Cys pairs introduced into these regions. Additional disulfide cross-linking was observed between the N-terminus of subunit b and the periplasmic loop connecting TM4 and TM5 of subunit a. Finally, benzophenone-4-maleimide derivatized Cys in the 2–3 periplasmic loop of subunit a were shown to cross-link with the periplasmic N-terminal region of subunit b. These experiments help to define the juxtaposition of subunits b and a in the ATP synthase.
A DORSAL TAIL TUBERCLE CONTAINING HYPERTROPHIED GRANULAR AND MUCOUS GLANDS IS PRESENT IN FEMALE SALAMANDRA LUSCHANI (SALAMANDRIDAE)

The salamander Salamandra luschani is characterized by a tubercle, well documented in males, projecting from the dorsal surface of the tail base. To determine whether females have a tubercle containing modified secretory glands, we surveyed museum specimens and conducted a histological investigation of the dorsal tail base region. Our results show that most mature females do have a tubercle in the dorsal tail base region and even nontubercle females have hypertrophied glands in this area. Both granular and mucous glands within the tubercle are hypertrophied. The tubercle is smaller in females than in males. Underlying the hypertrophied granular glands in the tubercle region of some females are very large, previously undocumented, exocrine glands.
Rotational—vibrational circular dichroism

Abstract Experimental rotational—vibrational circular dichroism (RVCD) spectra are presented for methyloxirane. These spectra were obtained at 1 cm−1 resolution in the ≈ 1500-650 cm−1 region. It is found that the circular dichroism sign associated with the Q branch is opposite to those of the P and R branches for some vibrational bands. These unusual RVCD features are explained by developing the necessary theoretical analysis. It is found that the CD associated with the central Q branches of the rotational—vibrational bands in near-symmetric top chiral molecules provides a unique source for determining the signs of electric dipole and magnetic dipole moment derivatives.
Rotor acoustic monitoring system (RAMS): a fatigue crack detection system

The Rotor Acoustic Monitoring System (RAMS) is an embedded structural health monitoring system to demonstrate the ability to detect rotor head fatigue cracks and provide early warning of propagating fatigue cracks in rotor components of Navy helicopters. The concept definition effort was performed to assess the feasibility of detecting rotor head fatigue cracks using bulk- wave wide-bandwidth acoustic emission technology. A wireless piezo-based transducer system is being designed to capture rotor fatigue data in real time and perform acoustic emission (AE) event detection, feature extraction, and classification. A flight test effort will be performed to characterize rotor acoustic background noise and flight environment characteristics. The long- term payoff of the RAMS technology includes structural integrity verification and leak detection for large industrial tanks, and nuclear plant cooling towers could be performed using the RAMS AE technology. A summary of the RAMS concept, bench-level AE fatigue testing, and results are presented.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fasting urine pH is independent of insulin sensitivity

Background: It has recently been suggested that a low urine pH be added to the abnormalities linked to insulin resistance. This conclusion is based on the finding of a low urine pH in individuals with clinical syndromes associated with insulin resistance and not on studies in which a direct measure of insulin sensitivity was shown to be significantly related to differences in urine pH. Objective: To address this issue, we quantified insulin-mediated glucose uptake (IMGU) by using the insulin suppression test in 96 apparently healthy, nondiabetic individuals and defined its relation to fasting urine pH. Design: Urine samples were collected and analyzed from a cohort of healthy subjects within a narrow body mass index range who were recruited to determine insulin sensitivity. Results: There was an approximate 6-fold variation in values for IMGU in this population, with no relation to urine pH (r = 0.02). Furthermore, there was no relation between body mass index, as a surrogate estimate of insulin resistance, and urine pH (r = 0.06). Conclusion: On the basis of these findings, we question the view that a low urine pH be added to the abnormalities linked to insulin resistance in low-risk populations.
Spin-lattice relaxation in an homologous series of C18 esters of cholesterol

Abstract The proton spin-lattice relaxation has been measured in cholesteryl stearate, oleate, and linoleate in the smectic and cholesteric mesophases and in the isotropic liquid using conventional pulsed proton magnetic resonance methods at 30 MHz. For all the esters, relaxation is found to be exponential in the smectic mesophase and nonexponential in the cholesteric mesophase and in the isotropic liquid. The nonexponential relaxation is analyzed assuming two exponentials. The results of this and other studies of relaxation in cholesteryl alkyl esters are compared.
Aluminum binding to humic substances determined by high performance cation exchange chromatography

Abstract Aluminum binding to humic substances is studied using high performance cation exchange chromatography (HP-CEC) in both laboratory and field samples. HP-CEC provides independent quantification of both free and complexed Al(III), eliminating many of the uncertainties associated with previous measurements of aluminum speciation. We formulate and calibrate a simple aluminum complexation model, using solutions with variable total Al(III) (0.2–11 μM) and pH (4.0–8.2) and constant organic composition (12.4 mg/l Suwannee River fulvic acid, FA). The model is verified with HP-CEC data from a group of acid lakes and from literature data. The results indicate that Al(III) complexation by natural organic matter in several environments is similar to complexation by FA, and that Al dimers are potentially important species even at low environmental concentrations of Al. Furthermore, organic complexation of Al is not limited to acidic waters but appears to be important even at the alkaline pH values typical of marine systems.
Vessels and Nerves: Marching to the Same Tune

The patterning of the nervous system is achieved through coordinated action of a variety of repulsive or attractive neuronal guidance factors that direct the growth of growing axons to specific pathways. Recent studies suggest that the same or similar sets of factors also guide migration of endothelial cells, helping to direct the stereotypical embryonic patterning of the developing vertebrate vascular system.
Effect of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection on production, reproduction, and health traits in US Holsteins

Our objective was to estimate the effect of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection on milk, fat, and protein yield deviations, pregnancy rate, lactation somatic cell score, and projected total months in milk (productive life). A serum ELISA and fecal culture for M. paratuberculosis were performed on 4375 Holsteins in 232 DHIA herds throughout the US. Primarily first through third lactation cows (99% of total) were assayed for infection. Trait information (except productive life) was obtained for the lactation concurrent with disease tests. Productive life was total months in milk through a cow's life, which was projected if a cow was still milking. For most analyses, case definition for M. paratuberculosis infection was defined as either an ELISA S/P ratio>or=0.25 or a positive fecal culture for M. paratuberculosis or both. To determine if diagnostic test affected estimates, case definition was redefined to include only cows with ELISA S/P ratios>or=0.25 or only fecal culture-positive cows. Linear models were used to estimate effect of M. paratuberculosis infection on traits. M. paratuberculosis-infected cows (7.89% of cows) produced 303.9 kg less milk/lactation, 11.46 kg less fat/lactation, and 9.49 kg less protein/lactation (P<or=0.003). Infected cows had higher pregnancy rates (1.39%) (P=0.0385) and lower productive life (2.85 months) (P<or=0.0001). M. paratuberculosis infection did not affect somatic cell score. Effect of infection on milk and protein yields was larger in first lactation M. paratuberculosis-positive cows relative to cows that tested positive in later lactations. Fecal culture-positive cows had consistently larger effects on all traits than ELISA-positive cows. M. paratuberculosis infection, and not just clinical Johne's disease, decreases milk, fat, and protein yields, thus increasing the estimated cost of paratuberculosis to the US dairy industry.
Performance of the Effective Core Potentials of Ca, Hg, and Pb in Complexes with Ligands Containing N and O Donor Atoms.

This paper presents a systematic study of the performance of the relativistic effective core potentials (RECPs) proposed by Dolg-Stoll-Preuss, Christiansen-Ermler, and Hay-Wadt for Ca(2+), Hg(2+), and Pb(2+). The RECPs performance is studied when these cations are combined with ethyleneglycol, 2-aminoethanol, and ethylenediamine to form bidentate complexes. First, the description of the bidentate ligands is analyzed with the Kohn-Sham method by using SVWN, BLYP, and B3LYP exchange-correlation functionals, and they are compared with the Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2); for all these methods the TZVP basis set was used. We found that the BLYP exchange-correlation functional gives similar results like those obtained by the B3LYP and MP2 methods. Thus, the bidentate metal complexes were studied with the BLYP method combined with the RECPs. To compare RECPs performance, all the systems considered in this work were studied with the relativistic all-electron Douglas-Kroll (DK3) method. We observed that the Christiansen-Ermler and Dolg-Stoll-Preuss RECPs give the best energetic and geometrical description for Ca and Hg complexes when compared with the all-electron method. For Pb complexes the spin-orbit effect and the basis set superposition error must be taken into account in the RECP calculations. In general, the trend showed in the complexation energies with the all-electron method is followed by the complexation energies computed with all the pseudopotentials tested in this work.
EFFECTS OF ELK HERBIVORY ON VEGETATION AND NITROGEN PROCESSES

Abstract We used 35-year and 4-year ungulate exclosures to determine the effects of elk (Cervus elaphus) herbivory on above-ground and below-ground production and soil fertility on the elk winter range in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, USA. We used paired grazed and ungrazed plots to evaluate ungulate herbivory effects in short and tall willow (Salix spp.), aspen (Populus spp.), and upland grass/shrub vegetation associations. We measured nitrogen (N) fluxes (litter deposition, fecal and urinary deposition from elk, movements of N by elk, N mineralization, soil N availability, elk consumption rates) within the elk winter, above-ground and below-ground N pools (herbaceous, shrub and root biomass, %N in plants, roots, and soil), and N fluxes on and off the elk winter range (seasonal movement of N by elk). Nitrogen mineralization and soil nitrate (NO3) pools were reduced in the short willow community (P = 0.07 and 0.10, respectively; n = 4 sites) in grazed plots, but not in the upland grass/sh...
Psychiatric consultation in a rehabilitation hospital: A regression hypothesis

Abstract A regression hypothesis, utilizing current concepts of narcissism, is offered to explain the progression of emotional problems and behavioral crises observed in a large group of severely physically damaged patients undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation. This regression experience is separable into stages determined by particular intrapsychic conflicts; these conflicts are expressed in the form of stage-specific emotional problems and adaptational struggles with the environment. Evidence from both patient problems and staff reactions is cited to suggest that the critical depressive crisis, determining the outcome of the regression, depends on the fate of ego ideal and body image concerns. These factors are discussed in relationship to the restoration of self-esteem.
Muon-electron transitions in models of radiative lepton masses

In models where both the electron and muon acquire radiative masses, the same mechanism often allows μ-e transitions as well at a certain level. We discuss the phenomenological constraints on some recently proposed models of this type and show that they are incompatible with present experimental limits on μ→eγ, and in one case also μ→eee, without the fine tuning of parameters which these models are supposed to avoid.
A three‐dimensional model of membrane ruffling from transmission and scanning electron microscopy of cultured monkey kidney cells (LLCMK2)

SUMMARY Three-dimensional models of ruffling membrane were constructed by assembling enlarged Styrofoam duplicates of serial sections. The serial sections were taken from a cultured monkey kidney (LLCMK2) cell and were cut at right angles to the plane of the substrate. Various features of the models were corroborated by scanning electron microscopy.
Context effects in perceived environmental quality assessment: Scene selection and landscape quality ratings

Abstract Observer groups rated the scenic beauty of forest scenes represented by color slides presented in the context of different scene mixes. The proportion of scenes from recently harvested, low scenic beauty forests compared with those from unharvested, high scenic beauty forests had a significant effect on judgments of scenes common to both sets. The effects of different scene contexts on scenic beauty judgments can result from changes in observers' perception of the scenes and from shifts in their criteria for assigning ratings. A psychophysical scaling analysis is suggested as a means for dealing with criterion shifts. Because perceptual shifts may also occur, procedures used to assess scenic beauty should be designed to reflect accurately the context to which the assessment applies, and care should be exercised in comparing experimental results obtained in different contexts.
Reprogramming to pluripotency: stepwise resetting of the epigenetic landscape

In 2006, the “wall came down” that limited the experimental conversion of differentiated cells into the pluripotent state. In a landmark report, Shinya Yamanaka's group described that a handful of transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc) can convert a differentiated cell back to pluripotency over the course of a few weeks, thus reprograming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The birth of iPS cells started off a rush among researchers to increase the efficiency of the reprogramming process, to reveal the underlying mechanistic events, and allowed the generation of patient- and disease-specific human iPS cells, which have the potential to be converted into relevant specialized cell types for replacement therapies and disease modeling. This review addresses the steps involved in resetting the epigenetic landscape during reprogramming. Apparently, defined events occur during the course of the reprogramming process. Immediately, upon expression of the reprogramming factors, some cells start to divide faster and quickly begin to lose their differentiated cell characteristics with robust downregulation of somatic genes. Only a subset of cells continue to upregulate the embryonic expression program, and finally, pluripotency genes are upregulated establishing an embryonic stem cell-like transcriptome and epigenome with pluripotent capabilities. Understanding reprogramming to pluripotency will inform mechanistic studies of lineage switching, in which differentiated cells from one lineage can be directly reprogrammed into another without going through a pluripotent intermediate.
About Penetration Testing

Students generally learn red teaming, sometimes called penetration testing or ethical hacking, as "breaking into your own system to see how hard it is to do so". Contrary to this simplistic view, a penetration test requires a detailed analysis of the threats and potential attackers in order to be most valuable. Using the results of penetration testing requires proper interpretation. Neither testers nor sponsors should assert that the penetration test has found all possible flaws, or that the failure to find flaws means that the system is secure. All types of testing can show only the presence of flaws and never the absence of them. The best that testers can say is that the specific flaws they looked for and failed to find aren't present: this can give some idea of the overall security of the system's design and implementation.
Real-Time Structural Investigation of a Lipid Bilayer during Its Interaction with Melittin Using Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Interactions between membrane bilayers and peptides/proteins are ubiquitous throughout a cell. To determine the structure of membrane bilayers and the associated peptides/proteins, model systems such as supported lipid bilayers are often used. It has been difficult to directly investigate the interactions between a single membrane bilayer and peptides/proteins without exogenous labeling. In this work we demonstrate that sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy can be employed to study the interactions between peptides/proteins and a single lipid bilayer in real time, in situ, and without exogenous labeling. Using melittin and a dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol bilayer as a model system, we monitored the C-H and C-D stretching signals from isotopically symmetric or asymmetric dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol bilayers during their interaction with melittin. It has been found that the extent and kinetics of bilayer perturbation induced by melittin are very sensitive to melittin concentration. Such concentration dependence is correlated to melittin's mode of action. Melittin is found to function via the early and late stage of the carpet model at low and high concentrations, respectively, whereas the toroidal model is probable at intermediate concentrations. This research illustrates the potential of sum frequency generation as a biophysical technique to monitor individual leaflet structure of lipid bilayers in real time during their interactions with biomolecules.
Theoretical filtering of RLT bound-factor constraints for solving polynomial programming problems to global optimality

In this paper, we propose two sets of theoretically filtered bound-factor constraints for constructing reformulation-linearization technique (RLT)-based linear programming (LP) relaxations for solving polynomial programming problems. We establish related theoretical results for convergence to a global optimum for these reduced sized relaxations, and provide insights into their relative sizes and tightness. Extensive computational results are provided to demonstrate the relative effectiveness of the proposed theoretical filtering strategies in comparison to the standard RLT and a prior heuristic filtering technique using problems from the literature as well as randomly generated test cases.
Common Knowledge and Convention

This paper investigates the epistemic assumptions that David Lewis makes in his account of social conventions. In particular, I focus on the assumption that the agents have common knowledge of the convention to which they are parties. While evolutionary analyses show that the common knowledge assumption is unnecessary in certain classes of games, Lewis’ original account (and, more recently, Cubitt and Sugden’s reconstruction) stresses the importance of including it in the definition of convention. I discuss arguments pro et contra to argue that, although the assumption might be relevant to a descriptively adequate account of social convention, it is not required for its rational reconstruction. I then point out that Lewis’ account, properly speaking, is of common reason to believe, rather than of common knowledge, and argue that, in order to formalize aptly the distinction between reason to believe and belief, standard formal epistemic models need to be supplemented with so-called awareness structures. Finally, I stress that the notion of knowledge implicit in Lewis’ text involves interesting elements that cannot be captured in the standard propositional formalizations, but need the full expressive force of quantified epistemic logic.
Hematopoietic stem cells convert into liver cells within days without fusion.

Both plasticity and cell fusion have been suggested to have a role in germ-layer switching1,2,3,4,5,6,7. To understand the mechanisms underlying cell fate changes, we have examined a highly enriched population of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)8,9,10 in vitro or in vivo in response to injury for liver-specific phenotypic and functional changes. Here we show that HSCs become liver cells when cocultured with injured liver separated by a barrier. Chromosomal analyses and tissue-specific gene and/or protein expression show that microenvironmental cues rather than fusion are responsible for conversion in vitro. We transplanted HSCs into liver-injured mice and observed that HSCs convert into viable hepatocytes with increasing injury. Notably, liver function was restored 2–7 d after transplantation. We conclude that HSCs contribute to the regeneration of injured liver by converting into functional hepatocytes without fusion.
Detoxification of organophosphate pesticides using a nylon based immobilized phosphotriesterase from Pseudomonas diminuta

A partially purified phophostriesterase was successfully immobilized onto nylon 6 and 66 membranes, nylon 11 powder, and nylon tubing. Up to 9000 U of enzyme activity was immobilized onto 2000 cm2 of a nylon 6 membrane where 1 U is the amount of enzyme necessary to catalyze the hydrolysis of 1.0 μmol of paraoxon/min at 25°C. The nylon 66 membrane-bound phosphotriesterase was characterized kinetically where the apparentK m value for the immobilized enzyme was 0.35 mM. This is 5-6 times higher than that observed for the soluble enzyme. However, nylon immobilization limited the maximum rate of paraoxon hydrolysis to less than 10% of the value measured for the soluble enzyme. The addition of the cosolvent, methanol, resulted in an increase in the apparentK m value for paraoxon hydrolysis but concentrations up to 40% had no negative effect on the catalytic effectiveness with the soluble or immobilized phosphotriesterase. Based on the kinetic analysis, methanol appears to be a competitive inhibitor for both forms of enzyme. The nylon powder immobilized enzyme was shown to be stable for at least 20 mo. The immobilization of the phosphotriesterase onto nylon provides a practical method for the detoxification of organophosphate pesticides.
Effects of prior cocaine exposure on subsequent neuronal responsiveness

In vivo electrophysiological experiments were conducted to examine the responses of single, spontaneously-active neostriatal neurons to repeated cocaine exposure. The second of two administrations in a 30 min interval, attenuated the magnitude and duration of cocaine-induced depression in discharge rate, and enhanced the same variables for cocaine-evoked excitation. These findings indicate that the responsiveness of striatal neurons to cocaine may vary predictably as a function of previous exposure.
ASSERT: a physician-in-the-loop content-based retrieval system for HRCT image databases

It is now recognized in many domains that content-based image retrieval from a database of images cannot be carried out by using completely automated approaches. One such domain is medical radiology for which the clinically useful information in an image typically consists of gray level variations in highly localized regions of the image. Currently, it is not possible to extract these regions by automatic image segmentation techniques. To address this problem, we have implemented a human-in-the-loop (a physician-in-the-loop, more specifically) approach in which the human delineates the pathology bearing regions (PBR) and a set of anatomical landmarks in the image when the image is entered into the database. To the regions thus marked, our approach applies low-level computer vision and image processing algorithms to extract attributes related to the variations in gray scale, texture, shape, etc. In addition, the system records attributes that capture relational information such as the position of a PBR with respect to certain anatomical landmarks. An overall multidimensional index is assigned to each image based on these attribute values.
Field test of the nematode Steinernema feltiae (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) against yellowjacket colonies ( Hym.: Vespidae )

The insect parasitic nematodeSteinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) was applied to 4 colonies ofVespula wasps in the field. At all treated colonies worker activity was reduced by at least 50% after one week. Two treated colonies partially recovered, and 2 colonies were completely destroyed.Vespula workers removed nematodekilled and dying nestmates from treated colonies. The results suggest that under certain conditions, nematodes could be used as biological control agents of yellowjackets.
Social processing improves recall performance.

One recent theory (Dunbar, 2003) has highlighted the importance that processing social information might have had on the evolution of human cognition. Based on an analysis of that theory, researchers predicted that processing information in a social manner would improve recall performance in comparison with nonsocial processing. In order to test this prediction, three experiments were conducted in which participants studied 30-item word lists that were composed of common character traits (Experiment 1) or common category exemplars (Experiments 2 and 3). Next, participants reviewed 5 list items that were purportedly recalled by either a group member or the computer. Finally, after a brief distractor task, participants were asked to complete an individual recall test for all of the items on the original 30-item list. Of primary interest was recall performance for the list items that were purportedly recalled by either another participant or the computer. We observed that recall performance for list items purportedly recalled by another participant was superior to that for items that were recalled by the computer.
Perceptions of speech‐pathology and audiology students concerning death and dying: a preliminary study

Background: Formal training in dealing with death and dying issues is not a standard content area in communication sciences and disorders programmes' curricula. At the same time, it cannot be presumed that pre‐professional students' personal background equips them to deal with these issues.Aim: To investigate the perceptions of pre‐professional speech–language pathology and audiology students' need for formal training in death and dying issues.Methods & Procedures: Participants were 230 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in communication sciences and disorders courses in a southern, metropolitan university, in the USA. A questionnaire developed by the researchers was given. Post‐hoc analyses were conducted.Outcomes & Results: Results indicated that participants desired training in the area of death and dying before entering the professional world, even though they rated themselves to be fairly knowledgeable about the topic. Preferred methods for acquiring knowledge about death and dying were per...
Additional cytogenetic abnormalities in adults with Philadelphia chromosome‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a study of the Cancer and Leukaemia Group B

Summary We analysed the nature and prognostic significance of secondary cytogenetic changes in 111 newly diagnosed adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) or its variants. Secondary aberrations were seen in 75 (68%) patients. They included, in order of descending frequency: +der(22)t(9;22), +21, abnormalities of 9p, high hyperdiploidy (>50 chromosomes), +8, −7, +X and abnormalities resulting in loss of material from 8p, gain of 8q, gain of 1q and loss of 7p. Eighty patients (72%) had ≥1 normal metaphase in their karyotype. There were four balanced and 12 unbalanced translocations previously unreported in ALL with t(9;22). The t(2;7)(p11;p13) and der(18)t(8;18)(q11.2;p11.2) were seen in two cases each, and have never before been reported in haematological malignancy. All but four patients were treated on front-line Cancer and Leukaemia Group B clinical protocols. The presence of −7 as a sole secondary abnormality was associated with a lower complete remission (CR) rate (P = 0·004), while the presence of ≥3 aberrations was associated with a higher CR rate (P = 0·009) and +der(22)t(9;22) with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (P = 0·02). It will be of interest to see if newly diagnosed t(9;22)-positive adult ALL patients with these and other secondary aberrations respond differently to treatment regimens that include imatinib mesylate.
Reliability of Welded Structures Containing Fatigue Cracks

This study investigates the reliability of a cracked fillet welded T-joint typically found in offshore structures. A formulation for the aspect ratio (a/c) of a propagating semi-elliptical fatigue crack located at the toe of the weld is developed using Newman and Raju`s stress intensity factor for a cracked flat plate in conjunction with a weld magnification factor. The reliability in terms of fatigue lifetime is then calculated using the aspect ratio and Paris`s law of crack propagation with both fracture toughness and elastic-plastic failure criteria. The variation in crack aspect ratio in the T-joint is compared to that in a cracked flat plate, and examples are provided of reliability calculations for tension and bending loads.
Synthesis of potyviral RNA and proteins in tobacco mesophyll protoplasts inoculated by electroporation

Abstract Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) mesophyll protoplasts were inoculated with the RNAs of the potyviruses tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV), tobacco etch virus or potato virus Y (PVY) by electroporation. Analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that the TVMV coat and helper component proteins accumulated to similar extents over a 72-h period after inoculation. No evidence of infection was observed in protoplasts electroporated in the absence of TVMV RNA or in protoplasts mixed with TVMV RNA without electroporation. Immunostaining of electroporated protoplasts with antibodies to the non-structural TVMV cylindrical inclusion protein indicated that the majority of protoplasts became infected. Replication of viral RNA, measured by molecular hybridization to 32p-TVMV cDNA in a quantitative dot blot assay, was most rapid between 3 and 15 h after electroporation. Electroporation resulted in greater accumulation of progeny viral proteins and RNA and less damage to the protoplasts than did fusion with liposomes containing TVMV RNA or treatment with a complex of TVMV particles and poly- l -ornithine (PLO).
Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses homologues of mammalian phenylalanine hydroxylase and 4 alpha-carbinolamine dehydratase/DCoH as part of a three-component gene cluster.

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses a multigene operon that includes phenylalanine hydroxylase (PhhA; phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase, EC 1.14.16.1). phhA encodes PhhA (M(r) = 30,288), phhB (M(r) = 13,333) encodes a homologue of mammalian 4 alpha-carbinolamine dehydratase/homeodomain protein transregulator, and phhC encodes an aromatic aminotransferase (M(r) = 43,237). The reading frames specifying phhB and phhC overlap by 2 bases. The P. aeruginosa PhhA appears to contain iron and is pterin dependent. Unlike the multimeric mammalian hydroxylase, the native P. aeruginosa enzyme is a monomer. The P. aeruginosa PhhA is homologous with mammalian PhhA, tryptophan hydroxylase, and tyrosine hydroxylase. Expression of PhhA from its native promoter required phhB. This may suggest a positive regulatory role for phhB, consistent with the dual catalytic and regulatory roles of the corresponding mammalian homologue.
Teacher credibility as a function of verbal content and paralinguistic cues

Considerable attention has been focused on the relationship between nonverbal communication behavior and student perceptions of the teacher. One important observation is that teachers frequently emit nonverbal messages that contradict their verbal ones, but the effects of this modal discrepancy are not well understood. In the present study, vocal cues are isolated as the nonverbal behavior for study. The interaction of vocal cues and verbal messages is examined with respect to its impact on teacher credibility. The results indicate that the students’ perceptions of sociability are influenced by perceived discrepancy between words and attitudes. Perception of competence, on the other hand, appears to be dependent on positive vocal cues.
Selective chemical etching of poly(ethylene terephthalate) using primary amines

Several primary amines have been examined as selective degradative etchants for the investigation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) morphology. The objective is to remove less ordered regions, leaving crystals intact. The amines include 40% and 20% aqueous methylamine, 70%–40% aqueous ethylamine and pure and 40% aqueous n-propylamine. Weight-loss and x-ray diffraction data show that certain concentration of aqueous amine solution simultaneously degrade and crystallize PET. This observation indicates the hazard of using some of these amine reagents to characterize PET morphology since the crystalline structure found after etching is likely to be a result of solvent-induced crystallization during degradation. Data for 40% aqueous methylamine used at room temperature shows that crystallization does not occur during etching, and in light of earlier research indicates the favorable nature of this reagent as a selective degradative medium for PET. Application of this reagent disclosed that in oriented PET fibers chemical stress cracking occurs, causing the degradative reagent to lose its selectivity.
The response of high-latitude convection to a sudden southward IMF turning

We describe the response of the high-latitude convection to a sudden southward turning of the IMF. In this event BZ recorded at the WIND satellite switched from +6 nT to −6 nT in 2½ minutes and effects in the ionosphere were observed by the SuperDARN HF radars. In the vicinity of noon MLT, the convection switched suddenly (∼2 min) from sunward to antisunward with the velocity change reaching magnitudes as great as 1500 m/s in about 6 minutes. Surprisingly, the responses at the other MLTs distributed from noon to midnight began at virtually the same time. Meridional flows near 22 MLT were observed to reverse direction in about 4 minutes with the velocity change reaching magnitudes as great as 750 m/s in about 8 minutes. This example shows that the convection can respond to a sudden IMF change practically simultaneously (∼2 min) over the entire high-latitude zone and reconfigure from a pattern characteristic of BZ+ to one characteristic of BZ− in a very short (2–4 min) time.
Dynamics-Based Design of a Soft Robot

This paper develops a methodology for converting the results of coarse dynamic simulations into fully realized designs. In particular, we demonstrate how to convert a caterpillar-like soft-bodied robot from a lumped-parameter form into a CAD model that could be easily manufactured. To simplify this design problem, we propose a decomposition method involving three steps. The first step groups the elements of the lumped model into segments. This segmentation simplifies the second step, where rough CAD models are automatically synthesized for each segment from the union of many prisms. In the third step, a human designer combines and smoothes these segment models to create a full-body CAD model. This approach simplifies the development of a high degree-of-freedom soft robot by guiding the designer to a final model with an almost fully automated process.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate as the Mediator of ACTH-Induced Ascorbic Acid Depletion in the Rat Adrenal

Rats were hypophysectomized, and 2 hr later one adrenal was excised. An intravenous infusion was then carried out for 1 hr followed by the removal of the remaining adrenal. Assay of the 2 adrenals revealed that infusion of 30 mg dibutyryl cyclic AMP resulted in a decrease in ascorbic acid concentration of 20±2% (mean±SEM, 17 rats), while 5 U of ACTH produced a decrease of 28±3% (11 rats). Saline controls exhibited an increase of 6±3%. During 1-hr incubations of rat adrenals, 10 mM cyclic AMP produced a 13±3% decrease in ascorbic acid levels, a result similar to that produced by ACTH. These results suggest that cyclic AMP mediates the ascorbic acid depleting effect of ACTH. Cycloheximide in quantities sufficient to block adrenal protein synthesis and the stimulation of steroidogenesis also impaired the ascorbic acid depleting effects of ACTH and cyclic AMP in vivo and in vitro. An NADPH generating system produced a significant increase in corticosterone production, but failed to bring about ascorbic acid r...
Acute and chronic effects of pirbuterol on left ventricular ejection fraction and clinical status in severe congestive heart failure

Abstract To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the orally active beta-adrenergic sympathomimetic agent pirbuterol (PBL) in patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) we assessed the effect of 4 weeks of PBL therapy on clinical status and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measured by gated blood pool scan in nine patients with New York Heart Association functional class III or IV symptoms. Three hours after the first administration of PBL (30 mg) LVEF increased from mean 0.20 ± 0.03 to 0.26 ± 0.04 (p
Effects of marine algal toxins on thermoregulation in mice.

Hypothermia is often seen in mice and rats exposed acutely to marine algal toxins, but the mechanism of action of these toxins on thermoregulation is not well understood. Our laboratory has assessed the thermoregulatory mechanisms of two marine algal toxins, maitotoxin and brevetoxin in the mouse. Radiotelemetry was used to measure core temperature in the unrestrained mouse while it was housed in a temperature gradient allowing the exhibition of thermoregulatory behavior. Both maitotoxin (338 ng/kg) and brevetoxin (180 μg/kg) were shown to elicit profound hypothermic responses accompanied by a preference for cooler ambient temperatures in the gradient. This behavioral response would suggest that the toxins alter the central neural control of body temperature, resulting in a regulated reduction in body temperature. Following recovery from the acute hypothermic effects of brevetoxin, mice developed an elevation in their daytime core temperature that persisted for several days after exposure. This fever-like response may represent a delayed toxicological effect of the marine algal toxins that is manifested through the thermoregulatory system. Overall, algal toxins have acute and delayed effects on temperature regulation in the mouse. A better understanding of the mechanisms of action of the toxins on thermoregulation should lead to improved methods for treating victims of ciguatera and other toxin exposures.
On the Design and Optimization of Three-Terminal Light-Emitting Device in Silicon CMOS Technology

The fabrication and performance of a MOSFET-like silicon light source that is able to monolithically integrate with silicon photo-detector in standard 3-μm CMOS process technology is introduced. The relation between gate voltage Vg and the breakdown voltage BV of the p-n junction in the gate-controlled diode is simulated to show that the modulation of light intensity can be reasonably explained by the decrease in BV, since the reverse-bias of the junction is fixed and the relation between the reverse current flowing through the p-n junction and the light intensity is linear. Based on such linearity, the paper attempts to explain the physical mechanisms responsible for the light emission in Si as a function of hot-carrier distribution functions. In order to further investigate the optical properties, measurement of photon emission and reverse current in silicon gate-controlled diode in avalanche breakdown has been made using electrical and near-infrared microscopy.
Military Avionics Fiber Optics Photonics Packaging Technology Forecast

A new wave of photonics packaging research and development is required to enable a robust next generation BIT-capable avionics LAN technology solution based on single mode fiber and advanced WDM and RF components. Similarly, for high-speed point-to-point multimode fiber-optic links, cost-effective transmitter and receiver (transceiver) packaging with in-package optical BIT capability is needed to enable fully BIT-capable fiber optic links on legacy and future military / aerospace platforms.