cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of intracerebroventricular α-MSH on food intake, adiposity, c-Fos induction, and neuropeptide expression

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide proposed to play a key role in energy homeostasis. To investigate the behavioral, metabolic, and hypothalamic responses to chronic central alpha-MSH administration, alpha-MSH was infused continuously into the third cerebral ventricle of rats for 6 days. Chronic alpha-MSH infusion reduced cumulative food intake by 10.7% (P < 0.05 vs. saline) and body weight by 4.3% (P < 0.01 vs. saline), which in turn lowered plasma insulin levels by 29.3% (P < 0.05 vs. saline). However, alpha-MSH did not cause adipose-specific wasting nor did it alter hypothalamic neuropeptide mRNA levels. Central alpha-MSH infusion acutely activated neurons in forebrain areas such as the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, as measured by a 254% increase in c-Fos-like immunoreactivity (P < 0.01 vs. saline), as well as satiety pathways in the hindbrain. Our findings suggest that, although an increase of central melanocortin receptor signaling acutely reduces food intake and body weight, its anorectic potency wanes during chronic infusion and causes only a modest decrease of body weight.
Recent Progress in BPSCCO Wire Fabrication and Application Prototypes

A Jc (77 K) of a 1,200 m long silver-sheathed bismuth-based wire has reached 10,000 A/cm2, as evaluated with a strict Ic criterion of 10-14Ω • m for overall wire cross-sectional area. One of the most important issues for Jc enhancement is grain connectability. Differential technique of ZFC (zero field cooling) curves proved to be a simple and effective evaluation method for grain connection. The performance of application prototypes progressed greatly. Three typical examples were as follows; 1) Current leads of 2,000 A carrying capability have been implemented to NbTi bending magnets of superconducting synchrotron radiation facility of Sumitomo Electric, and have been stably operated for over one year from December 1993. 2) Two flexible cable conductors of 1m-length, having Ic (77 K) of 5,800 A (Jc=12,000 A/cm2) and 12,000 A (Jc=11,000 A/cm2), were fabricated with multilayer wound technique. 3)A 60 mm bore magnet, cooled with GM refrigerator down to 21 K, has stably generated 3 T without any cryogen. The size of this magnet was large enough for actual applications.
The mechanisms involved during the wet braking of new and worn tires

Tires are used by the customers during several tens of thousands of kilometres, and before their replacement, the driver will encounter a continuous variation of tread depth due to the tire wearing...
Functional reconstitution of BRCA1 gene product modifies proteomic profile and sensitivity of HCC1937 breast cancer cells to mitotic spindle interfering agents

4751 Germ-line mutations in BRCA1/2 genes account for most of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Gene expression profiling studies have disclosed a specific molecular signature for BRCA1/2 breast tumors as compared to sporadic cases. We have recently reported that HCC1937 human cell line, derived from a breast cancer arising in BRCA1 setting, showes a peculiar chemosensitivity profile if compared to sporadic breast tumor-derived cell lines (MCF-7, MDAMB-231). This particular response is, however, completely reverted by reconstituted expression of the wild type BRCA1 gene function following transfection of a full length BRCA1 cDNA. We have investigated the sensitivity to microtubule interfering agents in this experimental model. HCC1937 cells are relatively sensitive to vinorelbine (IC:50 2.5 μM) and resistant to taxol (IC:50 >2 μMol). Reconstituted expression of wild type BRCA1 in three distinct HCC1937 BRCA1WT clones led to reduced sensitivity to vinorelbine (IC:50 20 μM) and enhanced response to taxol (0.4 μM). In order to assess the impact of the BRCA1 gene product on cell sensitivity to mitotic spindle interfering agents, we have investigated BRCA1 targeting to mitotic spindle in HCC1937 cells as well as in the reconstituted cell line by confocal microscopy. Interestingly, in both cell lines the BRCA1 protein was able to target the mitotic spindle and colocalized with alpha-tubulin. Moreover, we have performed a proteomic analysis on wild type and reconstituted HCC1937 cell lines. LC-MS/MS analysis of ICAT-treated cells showed important changes in the expression levels of different proteins, therefore identifying specific profiles. In particular, heat shock proteins HSP-90 and HSP-70 were significantly overexpressed in wild type HCC1937. This observation appears of interest taking in account the recent finding of increased sensitivity to taxol following inactivation of HSP-90. We hypothesize that the differential sensitivity to microtubule interfering agents disclosed by HCC1937 cells and derivative clones is not due to a failure of the mutated BRCA1 gene product to target the mitotic spindle, but it might be related to substantial changes in the whole cell proteome with enhanced expression of proteins like HSPs which are involved in the sensitivity profile to this class of anticancer compounds.
The Morse and Maslov indices for multidimensional Schrödinger operators with matrix-valued potentials

We study the Schrodinger operator L = −∆ +V on a star-shaped domain Ω in Rd with Lipschitz boundary ∂Ω. The operator is equipped with quite general Dirichletor Robin-type boundary conditions induced by operators between H1/2(∂Ω) and H−1/2(∂Ω), and the potential takes values in the set of symmetric N ×N matrices. By shrinking the domain and rescaling the operator we obtain a path in the Fredholm–Lagrangian Grassmannian of the subspace of H1/2(∂Ω)×H−1/2(∂Ω) corresponding to the given boundary condition. The path is formed by computing the Dirichlet and Neumann traces of weak solutions to the rescaled eigenvalue equation. We prove a formula relating the number of negative eigenvalues of L (the Morse index), the signed crossings of the path (the Maslov index), the number of negative eigenvalues of the potential matrix evaluated at the center of the domain, and the number of negative eigenvalues of a bilinear form related to the boundary operator.
A New Species of Bolbochromus Boucomont, 1909 (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae) from Mindanao, Philippines

A new species of Bolbochromus Boucomont, 1909, Bolbochromus tricostatus Selking, new species, is described from Mindanao, Philippines. The new species is illustrated and compared to similar congeneric species.
Therapeutic Efficacy of Alpha-Lipoic Acid against Acute Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Left Ventricular Remodeling in Mice.

Background. We hypothesized that daily administration of a potent antioxidant (α-lipoic acid: ALA) would protect the heart against both acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and left ventricular remodeling (LVR) post-AMI. Methods and Results. Two separate studies were conducted. In the AMI study, C57Bl/6 mice were fed ALA daily for 7 d prior to a 45-minute occlusion of the left coronary artery (LCA). Mean infarct size in control mice (fed water) was 60 ± 2%. Mean infarct size in ALA-treated mice was 42 ± 3% in the 15 mg/kg·d group and 39 ± 3% in the 75 mg/kg·d group (both vs. control). In the LVR study, AMI increased LV end-systolic volume (LVESV) and reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF) to a similar extent in both groups when assessed by cardiac MRI 1 day after a 2-hour LCA occlusion. Treatment with ALA (75 mg/kg·d) or H2O was initiated 1 day post-AMI and continued until study’s end. Both LVESV and LVEF in ALA-treated mice were significantly improved over control when assessed 28 or 56 days post-AMI. Furthermore, the survival rate in ALA-treated mice was 63% better than in control mice by 56 days post-AMI. Conclusions. Daily oral ingestion of ALA not only protects mice against AMI but also attenuates LVR and preserves contractile function in the months that follow.
Student Engagement in Active Learning Classes

As the evidence for the value of active learning in STEM classes grows, questions arise about how to implement such approaches to maximize their effectiveness. Definitions of active learning can lead us to believe that if students are doing content-related work in class rather than listening to lecture, their learning will naturally be improved. But research has shown that this is not necessarily the case. Successful active learning strategies in face-to-face classes depend on a multitude of factors, including question and activity design, faculty prompts, student incentives for participation, and group dynamics. In this chapter I discuss what research suggests is a key underlying reason that these factors impact the results of active learning approaches—their effect on the level of students’ cognitive engagement. In this chapter, I discuss the ICAP (interactive, constructive, active, passive) framework for student engagement and how it manifests in various active learning formats. This framework explains how certain student behaviors during active learning evoke deeper processing of ideas and, thus, lead to better student learning.
Associations Between Mother-Child Communication Apprehension, and Young Adult Resilience, Depressive Symptoms, and Self-Esteem.

This study tested associations between mother–child communication apprehension, adult child communication apprehension, and adult child resilience, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. Data were c...
Evaluating polygenic risk scores in assessing risk of nine solid and hematologic cancers in European descendants.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many genetic risk variants for cancers. The utility of these variants in assessing risk of esophageal, gastric and endometrial cancers, as well as melanoma, glioma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, chronic lymphoid leukemia and multiple myeloma, has not been adequately investigated. We constructed a site-specific polygenic risk score (PRS) for each of these nine cancers using their GWAS-identified risk variants. Using data from 400 807 participants of European descent in the UK Biobank, a population-based cohort study, we estimated the hazard ratios of each cancer associated with its PRS using Cox proportional hazard models. During a median follow-up of 5.8 years, 3905 incident cases of these nine cancers were identified in the cohort. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.53 to 0.69 for these cancers. Except for esophageal cancer, significant dose-response associations were observed between PRS and cancer risk. Compared to individuals in the middle quintile (40%-60%) at an average risk, those among the highest 5% of the PRS had a twofold elevated risk of melanoma, glioma, follicular lymphoma or multiple myeloma, and a fourfold elevated risk of chronic lymphoid leukemia. Using PRS, 63.0% of the participants could be classified as having an over twofold elevated risk for at least one cancer. The PRS derived using risk variants identified to date by GWAS showed the potential in identifying individuals at a significantly elevated risk of cancer for prevention.
Symptoms of COVID-19 Outpatients in the United States

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel pathogen causing the current worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to insufficient diagnostic testing in the United States, there is a need for clinical decision-making algorithms to guide testing prioritization. Methods We recruited participants nationwide for a randomized clinical trial. We categorized participants into 3 groups: (1) those with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, (2) those with probable SARS-CoV-2 infection (pending test or not tested but with a confirmed COVID-19 contact), and (3) those with possible SARS-CoV-2 infection (pending test or not tested and with a contact for whom testing was pending or not performed). We compared the frequency of self-reported symptoms in each group and categorized those reporting symptoms in early infection (0-2 days), midinfection (3-5 days), and late infection (>5 days). Results Among 1252 symptomatic persons screened, 316 had confirmed, 393 had probable, and 543 had possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. In early infection, those with confirmed and probable SARS-CoV-2 infection shared similar symptom profiles, with fever most likely in confirmed cases (P = .002). Confirmed cases did not show any statistically significant differences compared with unconfirmed cases in symptom frequency at any time point. The most commonly reported symptoms in those with confirmed infection were cough (82%), fever (67%), fatigue (62%), and headache (60%), with only 52% reporting both fever and cough. Conclusions Symptomatic persons with probable SARS-CoV-2 infection present similarly to those with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was no pattern of symptom frequency over time.
Rapid determination of total phenolic content of whole wheat flour using near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics

Phenolics in whole wheat products provide many health benefits. Wheat breeders, producers, and end-users are becoming increasingly interested in wheats with higher total phenolic content (TPC). Whole wheat flour with higher phenolics may have greater marketing value in the future. However, conventional methods determining TPC are costly and labor-intensive, which are not practical for wheat breeders to analyze several thousands of lines within a limited timeframe. We presented a novel application of near-infrared spectroscopy for TPC prediction in whole wheat flour. The optimal regression model demonstrated R2 values of 0.92 and 0.90 for the calibration and validation sets, and a residual prediction deviation value of 3.4. The NIR method avoids the tedious extraction and TPC assay procedures, making it more convenient and cost-effective. Our result also demonstrated that NIR can accurately quantify phenolics even at low concentration (less than 0.2%) in the food matrix such as whole wheat flour.
In Pursuit of Alignment and Affiliation: The Practice of Anchoring Shared Knowledge in Japanese Conversation

Conversational interactants rely on each other to cooperate with ongoing actions and activities both structurally (alignment) and affectively (affiliation). They monitor one another’s cooperative b...
Managerial performance, Tobin's Q, and the gains from successful tender offers☆

Abstract For a sample of successful tender offers, we find that the shareholders of high q bidders gain significantly more than the shareholders of low q bidders. In general, the shareholders of low q targets benefit more from takeovers than the shareholders of high q targets. Typical bidders have persistently low q ratios prior to the acquisition announcement while target q ratios decline significantly over the five years before the tender offer. Our results are consistent with the view that takeovers of poorly managed targets by well-managed bidders have higher bidder, target, and total gains.
A Matter of Trust: Practical Strategies for Writing User-Centered, Values-Driven Description

An archives’ descriptive practices have a significant impact on researchers' ability to find, use, and understand records. Archivists do not fully utilize the descriptive fields that DACS and other...
Chirp Spread Spectrum Modulation for Intrabody Nanoscale Communication and Sensing

Optical signals are commonly used for intrabody applications, such as nano-bio-sensing and imaging and, more recently, nanoscale communication. However, due to the interaction of light with the building blocks of different body tissues, including different types of cells, organelles, and molecular components, the intrabody channel is highly frequency selective, compromising the communication between intrabody nano-devices as well as wearable devices. In this paper, Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) modulation is proposed as a way to overcome the frequency selectivity of the optical channel in intrabody applications. More specifically, after reviewing and highlighting the key properties of the intrabody optical channel, the performance of CSS analytically derived. Extensive numerical results are provided both for a generic optical frequency selective channel and for the near-infrared optical in-vivo channel to illustrate the performance of CSS. The obtained results demonstrate how the possibility to detach the symbol duration from the actual signal bandwidth leads to low bit error rates even when operating in very low signal to noise ratio conditions.
Gasoline demand in the OECD. An application of pooling and testing procedures

Abstract This study utilizes a pooled inter-country data set, finding the long-run price-elasticity falls in the range −0.55 to −0.9, depending on the choice of pooled estimators. The estimators included the OLS, within-, and between-country estimators, plus five feasible GLS estimators. Even allowing for a ten-year distributed lag on price to reflect changes in auto-efficiency characteristics, the within-country estimator yields appreciably more inelastic estimates than did the O:S estimator, which was heavily influenced by the between- or inter-country variation. This difference raises intriguing questions for future research.
Discovery of Sound in the Sea Website

Abstract : LONG-TERM GOALS: The long-term goal of this effort is to educate the public on the basic science of sound in the sea; how people and animals use underwater sound to accomplish many of the tasks for which we use light in air; and how sound in the ocean affects marine life. The products of this effort include an interactive on-line resource, a CD-ROM, and printed materials. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this effort is to develop and maintain resources that address the long-term goal. The resources include a website (Figure 1), an educational CD-ROM, a tri-fold educational pamphlet, and an informational 16-page booklet. APPROACH: Efforts have focused on enhancing and expanding the scientific content of the Discovery of Sound in the Sea website that was launched in November 2002. During the past nine years, Marine Acoustics, Inc. (MAI) and the University of Rhode Island s Office of Marine Programs (OMP) have developed a successful working relationship to create the website, an educational CD-ROM, and associated printed materials. These resources undergo regular updates and rigorous scientific review by a panel of scientists in the field, led by Drs. Peter Worcester (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), Jim Miller and Jacqueline Webb (University of Rhode Island), and Darlene Ketten (Harvard University Medical School and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). MAI and OMP make all final decisions on the site content.
Distinguishing Maps II: General Case

A group $A$ acting faithfully on a set $X$ has distinguishing number $k$, written $D(A,X)=k$, if there is a coloring of the elements of $X$ with $k$ colors such that no nonidentity element of $A$ is color-preserving, and no such coloring with fewer than $k$ colors exists. Given a map $M$ with vertex set $V$ and automorphism group $Aut(M)$, let $D(M)=D(Aut(M),V)$. If $M$ is orientable, let $D^+(M)=D(Aut^+(M),V)$, where $Aut^+(M)$ is the group of orientation-preserving automorphisms. In a previous paper, the author showed there are four maps $M$ with $D^+(M)>2$. In this paper, a complete classification is given for the graphs underlying maps with $D(M)>2$. There are $31$ such graphs, $22$ having no vertices of valence $1$ or $2$, and all have at most $10$ vertices.
Mapeamento conceitual entre o protocolo OpenFlow e a recomendação ITU-T G.805

A recomendacao ITU-T G.805 – Generic Functional Architecture of Transport Networks (ITU-T, 2000) descreve uma arquitetura funcional generica para redes de transporte, descrita de forma independente de tecnologia. Portanto, essa recomendacao e usada como base para outras recomendacoes que descrevem as arquiteturas funcionais de redes e para avaliacao de desempenho e especificacao funcional de equipamentos. A ITU-T G.805 oferece um elevado nivel de abstracao dos elementos basicos de uma rede e define os conceitos relevantes para simplificar sua descricao. Por essa razao, (Barcelos, 2009) elaborou um modelo conceitual (ontologia) de tal recomendacao, que foi transformada em um artefato computacional em OWL (Web Ontology Language).
Abortion Politics in Congress: Strategic Incrementalism and Policy Change

Part I. Strategic Incrementalism and the Political Backdrop for Abortion Politics in Congress: 1. Some of the politics surrounding abortion policy 2. The strategic foundations for incrementalism in legislatures 3. The nature of Congress and incrementalism in abortion politics: views from the inside and views from the outside 4. A short legislative history of abortion Part II. Abortion in the House: 5. Sponsors of abortion policies 6. Playing the field: committee referrals of abortion-related proposals 7. Conclusion.
The Personal is Historical: Oral History and Undergraduate Research Papers

This essay shares how oral history enables students to personally identify with and find enhanced meaning in historical research. Students in two gender and ethnic studies history classes conduct interviews of family and community members, and contextualize the interviews in research papers and presentations. Teaching interview techniques through collaborative sessions where interview questions are generated as a class and then individualized for specific interviews can deepen students’ ownership of their project and lead to meaningful discussions about communication skills. Faculty across the disciplines may find the interview project useful in building personal connections between students, their courses, and their communities.
Psychology and Catholicism: Humanistic psychology and Catholicism: dialogue and confrontation

We have seen that Neoscholastic psychology kept the philosophical questions of psychology alive. The philosophers and theologians and Church officials looking over the psychologist's shoulders contested the boundaries of psychology. But after World War II, a new social, political, economic, and ecclesiastical landscape began to take shape. The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) and the changes it wrought had an effect on psychology. The American Catholic Psychological Association (ACPA) responded to the changes by redefining itself and its objectives. In discussing that re-organization, and at the end of the chapter on psychoanalysis, I alluded to emerging interest in phenomenology and humanistic psychology. In this chapter, we turn to these two movements and how they provided a new opening for Catholic psychologists. I will consider those psychologists who were at the intersection of what we can call the “Catholic questions” and humanistic psychology, beginning in the 1950s. I identify these psychologists primarily by their membership in the ACPA. By the “Catholic questions” I mean, on the one hand, those relating primarily to the nature of the human person, and on the other, those relating to how to treat persons, especially in psychotherapy. Those are the Catholic questions, because they were the ones that lay prominently on the boundary between the field of psychology and the domain of the Church. A list of Catholic psychologists who contributed to humanistic psychology includes a number of members of the ACPA: Charles A. Curran (1945; 1952; 1954a and 1954b; 1969), Magda Arnold (1954a), Adrian van Kaam (1964), Raymond McCall (1975), Alden Fisher (1969), Frank T. Severin (1965; 1973), Henryk Misiak and Virginia Staudt Sexton (1973), Vytautas Bieliauskas (1974), James E. Royce (1964), Andre Godin (1952), Annette Walters (1954), Eugene Kennedy (1975), and others.
A heterogeneous distributed database system based on extended relational model

The most important requirement for a heterogeneous distributed database system (HDDBS) is the capability of providing an integrated view of its component databases that is transparent in data distribution and the heterogeneity of the components. While a HDDBS provides the logical integration of its constituent databases, it should preserve their autonomy. The authors propose a heterogeneous database management system which extends the relational model to integrate and capture the semantic heterogeneity of the component databases. >
Approximation Properties of Nuclear Frechet Spaces

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a survey of research in nuclear Frechet spaces from 1974 to the present time. The emphasis is placed on the problems connected with approximation properties. In 1974 appeared the paper of B.S. Mitiagin and N.M. Zobin solving (in the negative) the problem of existence of bases in nuclear Frechet spaces. Since that time, there has been a considerable amount of research into related questions and problems connected with other approximation properties. The chapter discusses the complete description of all results obtained in this area during this period. A Frechet space is a complete, metrizable locally convex space. Its topology is defined by an increasing sequence of seminorms (∥·∥ k ) k called a “fundamental sequence of seminorms.”
Deformable-Model based textured object segmentation

In this paper, we present a deformable-model based solution for segmenting objects with complex texture patterns of all scales. The external image forces in traditional deformable models come primarily from edges or gradient information and it becomes problematic when the object surfaces have complex large-scale texture patterns that generate many local edges within a same region. We introduce a new textured object segmentation algorithm that has both the robustness of model-based approaches and the ability to deal with non-uniform textures of both small and large scales. The main contributions include an information-theoretical approach for computing the natural scale of a “texon” based on model-interior texture, a nonparametric texture statistics comparison technique and the determination of object belongingness through belief propagation. Another important property of the proposed algorithm is in that the texture statistics of an object of interest are learned online from evolving model interiors, requiring no other a priori information. We demonstrate the potential of this model-based framework for texture learning and segmentation using both natural and medical images with various textures of all scales and patterns.
Historical Aspects Of Emil Fischer'S Fundamental Conventions For Writing Stereo-Formulas In A Plane

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the historical origins of the unequivocal stereo-formulas and names in order that the application of the conventions and definitions that underlie them, to the structures of carbohydrates, may have full clarity. The stereo-formulas I and II represent three-dimensional objects projected upon the plane of the paper in a highly conventionalized manner. The three-dimensional objects are the mechanical models of molecules that are universally accepted as showing the gross order of arrangement in space of the component atoms, as derived from the application of the principles of the Van't Hoff-Le Bel theory of the asymmetric carbon atom to a large collection of experimental facts. The shorthand method of specifying the mechanical model serves the purpose when one is considering the space relations of these rather simple types of substances, containing only two asymmetric carbon atoms.
Examining Through Visualization What Tools Learners Access as They Play a Serious Game for Middle School Science

This study intends to use data visualization to examine learners’ behaviors in a 3D immersive serious game for middle school science to understand how the players interact with various features to solve the central problem. The analysis combined game log data with measures of in-game performance and learners’ goal orientations. The findings indicated students in the high performance and mastery-oriented groups tended to use the tools more appropriately relative to the stage they were at in the problem-solving process, and more productively than students in low performance groups. The use of data visualization with log data in combination with more traditional measures shows visualization as a promising technique in analytics with multiple data sets that can facilitate the interpretation of the relationships among data points at no cost to the complexity of the data. Design implications and future applications of serious games analytics and data visualization to the serious game are discussed.
Characterization of a tick isolate of Borrelia burgdorferi that possesses a major low-molecular-weight surface protein.

An unusual strain of Borrelia burgdorferi (DN 127 cl 9-2) that was isolated from an Ixodes pacificus tick did not react with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to OspA and OspB surface proteins, which are found in most U.S. strains. The strain exhibited an abundant protein with an apparent molecular weight of 25,000 (25K protein). A MAb, 86 DN-1, that was prepared to the 25K protein was used in studies on the effect of proteases on the intact spirochetes, immune electron microscopy, and Western blot (immunoblot) analyses; the results indicated that the low-molecular-weight protein was an apparent surface protein that was loosely attached to the spirochete. Five tick isolates from California possessed low-molecular-weight proteins in the 20,000- to 25,000-molecular-weight range that reacted with the 86 DN-1 MAb. The 25K protein of DN 127 cl 9-2 was unaffected by prolonged in vitro passage of cultures in BSK II medium, while the low-molecular-weight proteins of the other strains of B. burgdorferi from California either decreased in quantity or became undetectable on long-term in vitro passage. Images
A comparative study of electrolysis and boiling for bubble-driven microactuations

Thermal generation (i.e., boiling) has been the most common bubble-generation method for bubble-driven microactuation, followed by the recent interests in electrochemical generation (i.e., electrolysis). This paper studies energy consumption of the two approaches through systematic experiments and simple thermal models. The objective is to start building a design guideline for the bubble-driven microactuators in microfluidic systems. The results indicate the power consumption of electrolysis microactuation is several orders of magnitude lower than that of boiling. Analysis of controllability, biocompatibility and scaling effect also shows the advantages of electrolysis. However, removal of bubbles is more problematic for electrolysis than that for thermal bubbles.
Water-use efficiency of tree species following calcium and phosphorus application on an abandoned pasture, central Amazonia, Brazil

This research represents one of the first studies in Amazonia to examine soil moisture and water-use efficiency (WUE) in secondary forest (SF) vegetation regrowing on abandoned pastures subjected to reduced nutrient constraints via a nutrient addition experiment. Extensive forested areas (about 80% of deforestation) have been converted to pastures in Amazonia, which were later abandoned following soil degradation and reduction in grass productivity. Colonization of these areas proceeds through species adapted to adverse edaphic conditions, such as low soil nutrients. Yet there is little data from such environments showing the interaction of soil nutrients and water availability on plant physiological processes. The objective of this study was to test whether three common SF tree species have positive physiological responses, e.g. increased photosynthesis and water-use efficiency, when nutrient limitations are relaxed through fertilization. The experiment was conducted on an abandoned pasture in central Amazonia with 6-year-old secondary vegetation following the application of four treatments: control; +phosphorus (P); +phosphorus and lime (P + Ca); and +phosphorus, lime and gypsum (P + Ca + G). The control had higher mean soil moisture at 140 and 180 cm depth at the end of the dry season, indicating that the treatment plots responded positively to fertilizer additions by taking up additional water. Trees of Vismia japurensis and Bellucia grossularioides growing on the fertilized plots had the highest net photosynthesis rates (A) (18.7 and 20.4 μmol m−2 s−1, respectively). The three species utilized different strategies with regard to physiological and nutritional response, with V. japurensis, regardless of treatment, using these limiting resources most efficiently to colonize abandoned pastures. Trees growing on the P + Ca but not +P alone plots increased A rates, indicating that Ca is an important limiting nutrient in post-pasture secondary succession. The addition of Ca as ash by burning primary and secondary vegetation could explain the rapid growth and dominance of V. japurensis in abandoned pasture areas in central Amazonia. The efficiency of Vismia to use limiting resources could lead to a restructuring of SF and altered rates of stand-level productivity.
Pigment Epithelium–Derived Factor Is a Substrate for Matrix Metalloproteinase Type 2 and Type 9: Implications for Downregulation in Hypoxia

PURPOSE. Pigment epithelium– derived factor (PEDF), a protein secreted by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), acts on retinal survival and angiogenesis. Because hypoxia and VEGF regulate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), their effects on PEDF proteolysis were explored. METHODS. Mouse models for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were used. Cultured monkey RPE cells were exposed to low oxygen and chemical hypoxia mimetics. PEDF and VEGF mRNA levels in RPE were determined by RT-PCR. MMPs were assessed by zymography, DQ-gelatin degradation solution assays, and MMP immunostaining. PEDF proteolysis was assayed in solution and followed by SDS-PAGE and immunostaining. MMP induction by VEGF was performed in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. Retinal R28 cell survival, ex vivo chick embryonic aortic vessel sprouting, and directed in vivo angiogenesis assays were performed. RESULTS. Levels of PEDF in RPE/choroid significantly decreased in the ROP model. Hypoxia decreased PEDF levels in the media conditioned by RPE cells, with no significant change in PEDF mRNA. Conversely, PEDF proteolysis, gelatinolytic activities of 57-kDa and 86-kDa zymogens, and MMP-2 immunoreactivities increased with hypoxia. Addition of VEGF to BHK cells caused a time and dose-related upregulation of 57-kDa zymogens and of DQ-gelatinolytic and PEDF-degrading activity. The PEDF-degrading activity and 57-kDa zymogens in the BHK media shared MMP protease inhibition patterns and MMP-2 immunoreactivities with those in the vitreous. Limited proteolysis with MMP-2 and -9 degraded PEDF in a Ca 2 -dependent fashion. MMP-mediated proteolysis of PEDF abolished the retinal survival and antiangiogenic activities of the PEDF protein. CONCLUSIONS. Hypoxia and VEGF can downregulate PEDF through proteolytic degradation. PEDF is a novel substrate for MMP-2 and -9. These results reveal a novel posttranslational mechanism for downregulating PEDF, and provide an explanation for hypoxia-provoked increases in VEGF/PEDF ratios, in angiogenesis and/or in neuronal death. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:2736 –2747) DOI:10.1167/iovs.04-1489
Effect of Strain on Stripe Phases in the Quantum Hall Regime

Preferential orientation of the stripe phases in the quantum Hall (QH) regime has remained a puzzle since its discovery. We show experimentally and theoretically that the direction of high and low resistance of the two-dimensional (2D) hole gas in the QH regime can be controlled by an external strain. Depending on the sign of the in-plane shear strain, the Hartree-Fock energy of holes or electrons is minimized when the charge density wave (CDW) is oriented along the ½110� or ½1�� directions. We suggest that shear strains due to internal electric fields in the growth direction are responsible for the observed orientation of CDW in pristine electron and hole samples.
On the partial independence of optimism and pessimism

This study tested the hypothesis that the moderate correlation between optimism (O) and pessimism (P) scores (their non-bipolarity) found in earlier studies may be an artifact of the differential sensitivity of O and P items to two response sets: defensive pessimism and Pollyannaism. The data failed to support either component of the hypothesis. Thus, defensive pessimists, as measured in two quite different ways, had lower depression scores (BDI) than genuine pessimists, but contrary to prediction, had higher depression scores than optimists. Moreover, deleting P items with a strong defensive quality from the P scale failed to increase the correlation between O and P scores. Similarly, controlling Pollyannaism by a partial correlation procedure failed to increase the strength of the relation between O and P. The results in general support the notion that optimism and pessimism are not polar opposites.
Treatment of organic impotence with penile prosthesis in renal transplant patients

Seven patients were identified who underwent both renal transplantation and penile prosthesis implantation at our institution between June 1980 and June 1990, and their charts were retrospectively reviewed. A total of nine penile prostheses were placed in these patients, five prior to transplantation and four following transplantation. One patient received two prostheses prior to transplantation. One patient received a prosthesis both before and after transplantation. No complications were seen in the four prostheses placed following transplantation with a follow-up of one to forty months (mean 18 months). Of the five prostheses placed prior to transplantation, two were removed due to periprosthetic infections, a cylinder leak developed in one, and one was complicated by penile and scrotal erythema with sepsis.
Numerical effective formulation for guided wave propagation in a metamaterial plate with anisotropic mass density

A numerical method for obtaining the effective anisotropic mass density of elastic composite with arbitrary periodic microstructure is presented and the effective anisotropic mass density is proved to be a second-order tensor. Using the proposed method, a new metamaterial plate with strong anisotropicity in mass density is obtained. Using 3-D elasticity theory, the metamaterial plate is modeled as a continuum medium with obtained effective material properties. The accuracy of the continuum model was evaluated by comparing the dispersion curves with those obtained by exact finite element analysis. Moreover, mode coupling and level repulsion in the anisotropic metamaterial plate are discussed. Finally, preferential directions of wave propagation and energy flow are studied through the comparison of the difference between the phase velocity and group velocity directions.
Capacity of Mass Participant Sport Events for the Development of Activity Commitment and Future Exercise Intention

Mass participation sport events are often cited as increasing population-level physical activity, but empirical evidence is scarce as to their effectiveness. The current research examined the developmental role of these events in increasing positive attitudes toward physically active leisure by a) determining its motivational capacity and b) investigating how sport event participation contributes to activity commitment and future exercise intentions. A multiattribute survey was distributed on-line to participants of a running event held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (N = 2,791) three months after the event. Inferential statistics revealed that 10 motives directed participation across 75% of the population. Multivariate multiple linear regression analyses revealed event participation motives combined with event satisfaction and physical activity involvement explained 30% of running commitment and 31% of future exercise intentions. Most notably, the event promoted stronger attitudes toward regular exercise...
Immobilized pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii: resolution and some properties.

Abstract Pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii (ATCC 9104) has been successfully immobilized on Sepharose 4B by means of cyanogen bromide. A method for measuring the enzyme activity by continuously monitoring product formation spectrophotometrically is described. The effects of pH and buffers on the catalytic behavior of the enzyme were examined. The enzyme was deactivated by imidazole buffers at pH values where the enzyme in either potassium phosphate or Tris buffers exhibited close to maximal catalytic activity. The immobilized enzyme is partially inactivated by exposure to 0.1 m potassium phosphate buffer at pH 5.5 in the presence of NADH or NADPH. Phosphate buffer at pH 5.5 alone or in combination with thioNAD + , NAD + , or NADP + was not very effective in inactivating the enzyme. The catalytic activity of the enzyme could be restored by FAD but not FMN at pH 7.0. It appears that the enzyme is a flavoenzyme in which the reduced flavin is much less tightly bound than the oxidized flavin.
Strongly regular graphs and Hurwitz-Radon numbers

The maximum numbers of mutually nonadjacent vertices in a family of strongly regular graphs arising from orthogonal geometries overGF(2) are expressed in terms of the classical Hurwitz-Radon numbers and their generalizations.
Modules with local Pierce stalks

Rings with local Pierce stalks first became of interest when Monk characterized commutative exchange rings as commutative rings with local Pierce stalks [7, Theorem 31. In [3], Burgess and Stephenson gave several characterizations of non-commutative rings with local Pierce stalks including a generalization of Monk’s Theorem: A ring has local Pierce stalks if and only if it is an exchange ring all of whose idempotents are central [3, Theorem 3.41. We first show that an R-module A has local Pierce stalks precisely when there is an a E A such that every element of A is of the form c + ea where c is a generator of A and e is a central idempotent of R. For A = R this implies Burgess and Stephenson’s Theorem: a ring has local Pierce stalks precisely when every element is the sum of a unit and a central idempotent. We next extend a characterization of projective modules with the finite exchange property, given by Nicholson, to quasi-projective modules. This is used to generalize Burgess and Stephenson’s generalization of Monk’s Theorem to: The following are equivalent for any finitely generated quasi-projective R-module A: (i) A has local Pierce stalks; (ii) The endomorphism ring of A has local Pierce stalks and every central idempotent of the endomorphism ring of A is left multiplication by a central idempotent of R; (iii) A has the exchange property and every idempotent of the endomorphism ring of A is left multiplication by a central idempotent of R. We include an example which demonstrates that the above is false without the hypothesis that A is quasi-projective. The trivial case, a finitely generated quasi-projective module is local if and only if its endomorphism ring is local, extends a theorem of Ware’s [ 13, Theorem 4.21. Throughout this paper R denotes an associative ring with an identity and all modules are unitary.
Utilizing First-Year Curricula Linkage to Improve In-Major Persistence to Graduation: Results from a Four-Year Longitudinal Study, Fall 2000—Spring 2004

Academic departments have expanded the typical persistence agenda of First-Year Seminars to use them specifically as tools for in-major retention. This article reports the empirical results of a fo...
Resting and concanavalin-A stimulated levels of cyclic nucleotides in splenic cells of aging mice with spontaneous cancers

Abstract The resting levels of cyclic 3′, 5′ -adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic 3′, 5′ -guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in splenic lymphoid cells of 25 aged (C57BL/10 × C3H)F1 hybrid mice with spontaneous tumors, including 5 with hepatoma, 10 with lung tumor, 2 with lymphoma, and 8 with several varieties of tumor, as well as in 18 young and 13 tumor-free aging mice, were measured. The alterations in cyclic nucleotide levels in spleen cells characteristic of normal aging in tumor-free animals may be additionally influenced by the occurrence of spontaneous neoplasia. Furthermore, the levels may vary with different types of late-life tumors. For example, levels of cAMP in resting spleen cells of old mice with hepatomas were not different than in age-matched controls, whereas spleen, cells from old mice with lung tumors showed exceedingly high levels of resting cAMP. Upon in vitro stimulation by Con-A, the splenic lymphoid cells from mice bearing spontaneous late-life lung and liver tumors displayed different kinetic patterns of percent changes in cAMP, cGMP and cAMP/cGMP ratios when compared to either young or age-matched tumor-free controls. Thus, both resting and Con-A stimulated levels of cAMP and cGMP and their ratios in splenic lymphoid cells may be affected by spontaneous cancer elsewhere in the body, including cancer of non-lymphoid type and origin. These findings plus the known functional decline in immune response capacity and the increase in spontaneous tumor incidence with age may suggest the existence of a complex relationship among cyclic nucleotide levels, immunity, aging, and cancer.
Interoceanic variation in the rare earth, major, and trace element depositional chemistry of chert: Perspectives gained from the DSDP and ODP record

Rare earth element (REE), major, and trace element abundances and relative fractionations in forty nodular cherts sampled by the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) indicate that the REE composition of chert records the interplay between terrigenous sources and scavenging from the local seawater. Major and (non-REE) trace element ratios indicate that the aluminosilicate fraction within the chert is similar to NASC (North American Shale Composite), with average Pacific chert including ~7% NASC-like particles, Indian chert ~ 11% NASC, Atlantic chert ~ 17% NASC, and southern high latitude (SHL) chert 53% NASC. Using La as a proxy for ∑REE, approximations of Laex (the amount of La in excess of that supplied by the detrital aluminosilicate fraction) indicate that Pacific chert contains the greatest Laex (85% of Latotal) and SHL chert the least (38% of Latotal). As shown by interelement associations, this Laex is most likely an adsorbed component onto aluminosilicate and phosphatic phases. Accordingly, chert from the large Pacific Ocean, where deposition occurs relatively removed from significant terrigenous input, records a depositional REE signal dominated by adsorption of dissolved REEs from seawater. Pacific chert CeCe* ⪡ 1 and LanYbn ~ 0.8–1, resulting from adsorption of local Ce-depleted seawater and preferential adsorption of LREEs from seawater (e.g., LanYbn ~ 0.4), which increases the LanYbn ratio recorded in chert. Chert from the Atlantic basin, a moderately sized ocean basin lined by passive margins and with more terrigenous input than the Pacific, records a mix of adsorptive and terrigenous REE signals, with moderately negative Ce anomalies and LanYbn ratios intermediate to those of the Pacific and those of terrigenous input. Chert from the SHL region is dominated by the large terrigenous input on the Antarctic passive margin, with inherited CeCe* ~1 and inherited LanYbn values of ~1.2–1.4. CeCe* does not vary with age, either throughout the entire data base or within a particular basin. Overall, CeCe* does not correlate with P2O5 concentrations, even though phosphatic phases may be an important REE carrier. This and previous studies of the large-scale controlling parameters of sedimentary REEs across ocean basins collectively indicate that REE indices of depositional regime (e.g., CeCe*, LanYbn, Laex) are reproducible in a variety of sediment and rock lithologies, ages, and ocean basins, and present a coherent tool for paleoceanographic and tectonic basin reconstructions.