cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic visual acuity during transient and sinusoidal yaw rotation in normal and unilaterally vestibulopathic humans.

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) stabilizes gaze to permit clear vision during head movements. It has been supposed that VOR function might be inferred from dynamic visual acuity (DVA), the acuity during imposed head motion. We sought to determine effectiveness of DVA for detection and lateralization of unilateral vestibulopathy, using rigorous psychophysical methods. Seventeen normal and 11 unilaterally vestibulopathic subjects underwent measurement of optically best corrected DVA during head motion. A variable size letter "E" 6 m distant was displayed in oblique random orientations to determine binocular DVA by a computer controlled, forced choice method. Three types of whole-body yaw rotation were delivered by a servo-controlled chair synchronized with optotype presentation. Two types of motion were predictable: (1) steady-state 2.0-Hz rotation at 10–130°/s peak velocity with repetitive optotype presentation only during head velocity exceeding 80% of peak; and (2) directionally predictable transients at peak accelerations of 1000, 1600 and 2800°/s2 with optotype presentation for 300 ms. For neither of these predictable motions did DVA in vestibulopathic subjects significantly differ from normal, with suggestions from search coil recordings that this was due to predictive slow and saccadic eye movements. Unilaterally vestibulopathic subjects experienced a significant decrease in DVA from the static condition during ipsilesional rotation for all three peak head accelerations. Only during directionally unpredictable transients with 75 ms or 300 ms optotype presentation was the sensitivity of DVA in unilaterally vestibulopathic subjects significantly abnormal during ipsilesional rotation. The ipsilesional decrease in DVA with head motion was greater for 75 ms than 300 ms optotype presentation. Search coil recordings confirmed hypometric compensatory eye movements during DVA testing with unpredictable, ipsilesional rotation. Receiver-operator characteristic analysis indicated ideal detection and lateralization of unilateral vestibulopathy by DVA tested with a 75-ms optotype exposure for unpredictable transient rotations to a peak acceleration of 2800°/s. DVA can reliably detect unilateral deafferentation only if precautions are taken to prevent compensation by predictive slow eye movements and saccades.
Incorporating Ecosystem Services Into Economic Assessments of Restoration Projects

On the Ground Rangeland restoration projects have defied quantitative economic assessment because of a lack of data and information that document benefits. From the literature, we assess the potential benefits of rangeland restoration efforts undertaken in New Mexico under the Restore New Mexico Project and conclude that the economic value of some of the goods and services generated are substantial, but little economic value exists for some of the ecosystem services used to justify the conservation effort. Given the complexity in measuring changes in ecosystem services following restoration efforts, we are pessimistic about the potential of placing a quantitative economic value on many rangeland ecosystem services. Identifying the expected direction of change and relative magnitude of change may be more useful and feasible.
Elastic Stress and Microstructural Evolution

The shapes, sizes, and distribution of second-phase precipitates are the principal factors determining the mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties of a wide variety of high technology alloys. In the initial processing, and also in high temperature applications, such as jet engine superalloys, the precipitate morphologies evolve in time and the properties change. An understanding of the elastic interactions between matrix and precipitates, among the precipitates, and between precipitates and dislocations is crucial for predicting and manipulating the properties of the alloys. Therefore, there has been a need for a computational technique, through which one can analyze the elastic state associated with arbitrarily-shaped precipitates whose elastic constants are different from those of the matrix phase. This overview presents a new technique, termed the Discrete Atom Method, which is predicated upon the combination of statistical mechanics and linear elasticity. The problems treated are the elastic strain energy and morphology of a coherent precipitate, the elastic interaction between precipitates, coherency-influenced coarsening, the effects of an applied stress, and the elastic interaction between a precipitate and edge dislocations.
Dissociation of early folding events from assembly of the human lutropin beta-subunit.

The human LH of the anterior pituitary is a member of the glycoprotein hormone family that includes FSH, TSH, and placental CG. All are noncovalently bound heterodimers that share a common α-subunit and β-subunits that confer biological specificity. LHβ and CGβ share more than 80% amino acid sequence identity; however, in transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, LHβ assembles with the α-subunit more slowly than does hCGβ, and only a fraction of the LHβ synthesized is secreted, whereas CGβ is secreted efficiently. To understand why the assembly and secretion of these related β-subunits differ, we studied the folding of LHβ in CHO cells transfected with either the LHβ gene alone, or in cells cotransfected with the gene expressing the common α-subunit, and compared our findings to those previously seen for CG. We found that the rate of conversion of the earliest detectable folding intermediate of LH, pβ1, to the second major folding form, pβ2, did not differ significantly from the pβ1-to-pβ2 conversion...
A neural system for human visual working memory

Working memory is the process of actively maintaining a representation of information for a brief period of time so that it is available for use. In monkeys, visual working memory involves the concerted activity of a distributed neural system, including posterior areas in visual cortex and anterior areas in prefrontal cortex. Within visual cortex, ventral stream areas are selectively involved in object vision, whereas dorsal stream areas are selectively involved in spatial vision. This domain specificity appears to extend forward into prefrontal cortex, with ventrolateral areas involved mainly in working memory for objects and dorsolateral areas involved mainly in working memory for spatial locations. The organization of this distributed neural system for working memory in monkeys appears to be conserved in humans, though some differences between the two species exist. In humans, as compared with monkeys, areas specialized for object vision in the ventral stream have a more inferior location in temporal cortex, whereas areas specialized for spatial vision in the dorsal stream have a more superior location in parietal cortex. Displacement of both sets of visual areas away from the posterior perisylvian cortex may be related to the emergence of language over the course of brain evolution. Whereas areas specialized for object working memory in humans and monkeys are similarly located in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, those specialized for spatial working memory occupy a more superior and posterior location within dorsal prefrontal cortex in humans than in monkeys. As in posterior cortex, this displacement in frontal cortex also may be related to the emergence of new areas to serve distinctively human cognitive abilities.
Activation of serotonin-immunoreactive cells in the dorsal raphe nucleus in rats exposed to an uncontrollable stressor

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and its serotonergic terminal regions have been suggested to be part of the neural substrate by which exposure to uncontrollable stressors produces poor escape responding and enhanced conditioned fear expression. Such stressor exposure is thought to selectively activate DRN serotonergic neurons in such a way as to render them transiently sensitized to further input. As a result of this sensitized state, behavioral testing procedures are thought to cause excess serotonergic activity in brain regions that control these behaviors. The present studies were conducted to investigate activity in the DRN following exposure to escapable and yoked, inescapable tailshock. Neural activity was characterized using immunohistochemistry to detect the immediate early gene product Fos in serotonin-immunoreactive cells in the DRN. Inescapable tailshock led to greater serotonergic neural activity than did escapable tailshock, supporting the hypothesis that uncontrollable stressors preferentially activate serotonergic neurons in the DRN.
Digital democracy: creating an online democracy education simulation in a software engineering class

This work in progress project presents a computer game development approach to enhance history learning for middle school and high school students. This project seeks to create an innovative software package that will serve as a model for democracy education in Tennessee and the United States. Through the collaboration of professors of computer science and history, historical content from Middle Tennessee State University's Gore Center will be digitized and manipulated to create an interactive, group-oriented, computer-based simulation of how democracy works. In the first phase of this project we are designing a computer game that allows students to learn about the history of the Civil Rights Bill through the decisions that Senator Gore Sr. made. Senator Gore Sr. was a Tennessee Senator during the time of the Civil Rights Bill.We also present our experiences in using this real world project as a basis for the semester long team project development for undergraduate and graduate software engineering class.
Marine adhesive proteins: natural composite thermosets

Abstract Marine environments are severely challenging for the performance and durability of synthetic adhesives. Factors commonly associated with adhesive failure are weak boundary layers (water, oxides), adhesive erosion and swelling. For many permanently attached marine organisms such as barnacles, mussels, oysters, etc., however, underwater adhesion is ‘business-as-usual’. Knowledge about the chemistry and bioprocessing of these marine adhesives will provide profound insights for the evolution of a new generation of environmentally safe, water-resistant adhesives. Despite their apparent structural diversity, marine adhesives are essentially analogous to composite thermosets, that is, the adhesive consists of fibre, filler and catalyst molecules that are dispersed in a cross-linked resin rendering it resistant to heat and solvents. The fibres and fillers in these composites are variable, e.g. collagen, fibroin, chitin present as fibres, and sand, shell, air and water present as fillers. The precured resins of seven organisms including members of the Mollusca, Annelida , and Platyhelminthes have now been isolated and partially sequenced. These are proteins with basic isoelectric points, high levels of the amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl- l -alanine (DOPA), and an extended, flexible conformation. The DOPA functional group in particular is thought to play a key role in (a) the chemisorption of these polymers to surface underwater, and (b) covalent cross-linking or setting of the adhesive, the latter reaction catalysed by the enzyme catecholoxidase. Much more needs to be done to explore the details of the adhesive processing and delivery strategies used by these organisms.
Absence of endogenous interleukin 10 enhances early stress response during post-ischaemic injury in mice intestine.

BACKGROUND Interleukin 10 (IL-10) exerts a wide spectrum of regulatory activities in immune and inflammatory responses. AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate the role of endogenous IL-10 on modulation of the early inflammatory response after splanchnic ischaemia and reperfusion. METHODS Intestinal damage was induced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery and the coeliac trunk for 45 minutes followed by reperfusion in IL-10 deficient mice (IL-10 −/− ) and wild-type controls. RESULTS IL-10 −/− mice experienced a higher rate of mortality and more severe tissue injury compared with wild-type mice subjected to ischaemia and reperfusion. Splanchnic injury was characterised by massive epithelial haemorrhagic necrosis, upregulation of P-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and neutrophil infiltration. The degree of oxidative and nitrosative damage was significantly higher in IL-10 −/− mice than in wild-type littermates, as indicated by elevated malondialdehyde levels and formation of nitrotyrosine. Plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 were also greatly enhanced in comparison with wild-type mice. These events were preceded by increased immunostaining and activity of the stress regulated c-Jun NH 2 terminal kinase and activation of the transcription factor activator protein 1 in the cellular nuclei of damaged tissue. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that endogenous IL-10 exerts an anti-inflammatory role during reperfusion injury, possibly by regulating early stress related genetic response, adhesion molecule expression, neutrophil recruitment, and subsequent cytokine and oxidant generation.
DIETARY PATTERNS AND RELATIONSHIP TO OBESITY-RELATED HEALTH OUTCOMES AND MORTALITY IN ADULTS 75 YEARS OF AGE OR GREATER

Background The prevalence of obesity-related adverse health outcomes is increasing among older adults. Because it is thought that nutrition plays an important role in successful aging, there has been considerable interest in the association between dietary patterns of older adults and obesity-related health outcomes.
Novel cell-scaffold interactions encountered in tissue engineering: contractile behavior of musculoskeletal connective tissue cells.

Methods employed in the course of tissue engineering often offer unique opportunities to observe cell-matrix interactions that cannot otherwise be viewed. These observations may provide insights in...
DRESSING UP: CLOTHING, CLASS AND GENDER IN POST-ABOLITION ZANZIBAR

Pemba PerembaUkija na winda, hutoka na kilembaUkija na kilemba, hutoka na winda.(Proceed cautiously in PembaIf you come wearing a loin cloth, you leave wearing a turbanIf you come wearing a turban, you leave wearing a loin cloth.)Dress has historically been used as one of the most important and visually immediate markers of class, status and ethnicity in East African coastal society. As one of many forms of expressive culture, clothing practice shaped and gave form to social bodies. Examining transformations in dress and fashion illustrates, however, that boundaries between theoretically distinctive social categories were often vague in practice.
Distance-Dependent Differences in Synapse Number and AMPA Receptor Expression in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons

The ability of synapses throughout the dendritic tree to influence neuronal output is crucial for information processing in the brain. Synaptic potentials attenuate dramatically, however, as they propagate along dendrites toward the soma. To examine whether excitatory axospinous synapses on CA1 pyramidal neurons compensate for their distance from the soma to counteract such dendritic filtering, we evaluated axospinous synapse number and receptor expression in three progressively distal regions: proximal and distal stratum radiatum (SR), and stratum lacunosum-moleculare (SLM). We found that the proportion of perforated synapses increases as a function of distance from the soma and that their AMPAR, but not NMDAR, expression is highest in distal SR and lowest in SLM. Computational models of pyramidal neurons derived from these results suggest that they arise from the compartment-specific use of conductance scaling in SR and dendritic spikes in SLM to minimize the influence of distance on synaptic efficacy.
Does vagal stimulation liberate secretin and-or cholecystokinin in pigs?

Beim Schwein wird mittels Parameter des Pankreas nachgewiesen, dass Sekretin- oder auch Cholecystokinin-Sekretion vom Vagus reguliert wird.
Environmental Disasters and Human Rights

Many of the chapters in this book address the importance of strengthening links between the developing international law on disaster risk reduction, on the one hand, and older international environmental regimes, on the other. The present essay examines another relevant area that can often be overlooked by both the disaster and environmental regimes: human rights law. Specifically, it explains what a human rights perspective can bring to our ability to understand, prevent, and respond to disasters.
Cytoarchitecture of the dorsal thalamus of the rat

Abstract Although several neuroanatomical studies have previously described various subdivisions of the rat thalamus, no comprehensive description of the entire thalamus accompanied by photomicrographs has been available. To provide such a description, the Cytoarchitecture of the normal rat thalamus was studied in the coronal plane using a series of celloidin embedded, Nissl-stained 33 μm sections spaced 400 μm apart. Using the criteria of cell packing density, relative cell size, and the presence or absence of fibers, the thalamus can be subdivided into a ventral nuclear complex which includes the ventrolateral, ventromedial, and ventrobasal nuclei; the intralaminar nuclei which include central medial, central lateral, paracentral and parafascicular nuclei; the midline nuclei which include the medioventral, paratenial, rhomboid, paraventricular, and submedial nuclei; the anterior nuclear group which include the anterodorsal, anteroventral, and anteromedial nuclei; the mediodorsal nucleus; the lateral nuclear complex including both lateral posterior and lateral dorsal; the posterior nuclear complex; the reticular nucleus; and the diencephalic-mesencephalic junction. The terminology used is based on previous studies.
Hyperlocomotion and paw tremors are two highly quantifiable signs of SR141716-precipitated withdrawal from delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in C57BL/6 mice

Increasing evidence suggests that marijuana abstinence leads to clinically significant withdrawal symptoms in humans. In mouse models, following chronic treatment with delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), administration of the selective cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 (rimonabant) elicited varying behavioral responses, depending on mouse strain and dosing regimen. In the present study, C57BL/6 mice were injected s.c. with THC (25 mg/kg) or vehicle twice daily for 4.5 days. SR141716 (15 mg/kg) was administrated i.p. 4 h following the last THC treatment. During a 2-h observation period immediately following the SR141716 challenge, the total locomotor, ambulatory and stereotypic activities of THC-treated mice were 4.1, 3.3, and 3.8 times those of vehicle-treated mice, respectively. The number of paw tremors elicited in THC-treated mice was 111+/-11 during the 45 min immediately following SR141716, whereas only 1.1+/-0.4 was associated with vehicle-treated animals. In contrast, the number of scratching bouts was higher in vehicle-treated (182+/-20) vs THC-treated (17+/-4) mice. The present study is the first to demonstrate hyperlocomotion as an explicit sign of THC abstinence in mice. Together with paw tremors, the two unambiguous withdrawal signs may permit highly quantitative investigation of THC abstinence in C57BL/6 mice and may facilitate investigation of the mechanisms involved via both pharmacological and genetic manipulations, and ultimately potential treatments for cannabis dependence.
Exploring Citizen Involvement in the Restoration of the Florida Everglades

Through a mixed methods research framework, this article examines the role and relevance of conceptual areas believed to shape citizen involvement in environmental restoration, with a particular focus on the Florida Everglades. Included are personal characteristics, individual attitudes, information sources, levels of social interaction, and resource management options. Using input from key informants and south Florida residents, qualitative data were collected to identify attitudes and opinions toward perceptions on communicating scientific information and opportunities for citizen engagement in Everglades restoration. Next, quantitative data collected through a mail survey of residents identified factors shaping awareness of Everglades issues, public decision-making processes, and citizen desires to actively participate in restoration efforts. Such information contributes to a better understanding of the potential for citizen involvement in natural resource management and environmental restoration. From...
Delegating Pricing Decisions in Competitive Markets with Symmetric and Asymmetric Information

Delegating pricing decisions to the salesforce has been a salient issue for marketing academics and practitioners. We examine this issue in a competitive market using standard agency theory with symmetric and asymmetric information. Under symmetric information we find that the optimal contracts have a nice property that allows managers to reach the upper bound on firms' profit by using either centralized or delegated pricing, and hence there are no incentive-based reasons to prefer centralized versus delegated contract types. Thus, managers can focus on the design of the optimal incentive scheme without worrying about the contract type. Under asymmetric information we find that there always exists an equilibrium where all firms use centralized pricing that is either unique or payoff equivalent to equilibria that have a combination of contract types. These results are robust to a large class of agent and market parameters. However, if restrictions are exogenously imposed on contract form or observability, the above results are no longer true, as in earlier work. We demonstrate our results by providing explicit solutions under the Holmstrom and Milgrom (1987) framework.
Low Cost MIMO Testing for RF Integrated Circuits

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-based systems are extremely popular as they offer data rates as twice as fast as currently available systems. Their testing becomes more complicated due to the increased number of RF paths. This increases the overall test cost of these devices both in terms of test time and instrumentation cost. In this paper, we demonstrate a low cost MIMO test solution which targets critical specifications that are fundamental to the MIMO system operation, such as gain, IIP3, and phase imbalances between the RF paths. Our test methodology measures these parameters with a single test setup that enables the calculation of these performance parameters. Using the proposed test method, RF MIMO systems can be tested using a mixed signal tester, and on-board circuitry within a reasonable accuracy. Both simulation and measurement results confirm the high accuracy and repeatability of our test technique.
Intra-amniotic administration and dietary inulin affect the iron status and intestinal functionality of iron-deficient broiler chickens

Inulin, a linear β-fructan, is present in a variety of plants, with relatively high levels of up to 20% in chicory root. It exhibits prebiotic properties and was shown to enhance mineral absorption. Our objectives were to assess the effect of intra-amniotic administration of inulin at 17 d of incubation on the iron status of broiler chicks (at hatch, 21 d) and to continue to monitor iron status with and without dietary inulin on these hatchlings for 42 d. The study included 3 prehatch treatment groups (n = 30): 1) inulin, inulin solution (4% inulin/0.85% saline); 2) control 1, untreated eggs; and 3) control 2, saline solution (0.85% saline). Solutions were injected into the naturally consumed amniotic fluid of 17-d-old chicken embryos (groups 1, 3). Upon hatch (93% hatchability), and from each group, 10 chicks were killed and their small intestine, liver, and cecum were removed for mRNA abundance of intestinal iron-related transporters, liver ferritin amounts, and bacterial analysis of cecal content, respectively. From the remaining chicks of each group, chicks were allocated to a standard corn-based diet (± 4% inulin, n = 10). During the trial, hemoglobin concentrations and body hemoglobin-Fe values were higher in the inulin group versus controls (P < 0.05). On d 42, birds were anesthetized and their duodenal loops were exposed. A nonocclusive catheter was inserted into the duodenal vein for blood sampling. A solution containing ⁵⁸Fe (0.1 mg of Fe/10 mM ascorbic acid) added to the digested diet sample was injected into the loop. Blood samples were collected every 5 min and for 90 min postinjection and analyzed by inductively coupled argon-plasma mass spectrometry for ⁵⁸Fe concentrations. At the end of the procedure, animals were killed and cecum contents and sections of the duodenum and liver were removed. Results showed that ⁵⁸Fe absorption rates were at times higher in the inulin group versus the other groups. Also, mRNA abundance of DMT1 (an Fe transporter) and ferroportin in addition to liver ferritin amounts were higher (P < 0.05) in the inulin group versus controls. Results indicate that intra-amniotic administration and dietary inulin improved the iron status of iron-deficient broilers.
Shift‐and‐persist: A protective factor for elevated BMI among low‐socioeconomic‐status children

Objective Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with many adverse health outcomes, including childhood overweight and obesity. However, little is understood about why some children defy this trend by maintaining a healthy weight despite living in obesogenic environments. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that the psychological strategy of “shift-and-persist” protects low-SES children from overweight and obesity. Shift-and-persist involves dealing with stressors by reframing them more positively while at the same time persisting in optimistic thoughts about the future. Design and Methods Middle school children (N = 1,523, ages 9-15) enrolled in a school-based obesity prevention trial completed health surveys and physical assessments. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the role of SES, shift-and-persist strategies, and their interaction on BMI z-scores, while controlling for student race/ethnicity, gender, and reported diet and physical activity. Results Among children reporting engaging in less frequent shift-and-persist strategies, lower SES was associated with significantly higher BMI z-scores (P < 0.05). However, among children reporting engaging in more frequent shift-and-persist strategies, there was no association of SES with BMI z-score (P = 0.16), suggesting that shift-and-persist strategies may be protective against the association between SES and BMI. Conclusions Interventions aimed at improving psychological resilience among children of low SES may provide a complementary approach to prevent childhood overweight and obesity among at-risk populations.
MIER1 (mesoderm induction early response 1 homolog (Xenopus laevis)).

Review on MIER1 (mesoderm induction early response 1 homolog (Xenopus laevis)), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated.
Optical absorption and emission in rare earth heavy metal fluoride glasses

Trivalent thulium is a 4-level laser system which operates in the 1.47μm spectral region. A tunable amplifier at this wavelength is of great interest since it falls in one of the telecommunication windows. For lasing action to occur the relatively long lived 3F4 lower laser level must be quenched to eliminate the self-terminating behavior of thulium. Rosenblatt et al. co-doped Tm and Th into a ZBLAN host to quench the 3F4 lower laser level.[1] Co-doping with Ho offers the possibility of more efficient laser operation, but it must be established whether Ho can effectively quench the lower level of Tm. This preliminary study indicated appreciable energy transfer occurred from the 3F4 level of Tm to the 5I7 level of Ho which decreased the lower laser level lifetime by as much as two orders of magnitude. The subsequent decay of the Ho ions is an issue requiring further investigation.
Biliary reconstruction for liver transplantation and management of biliary complications: overview and survey of current practices in the United States.

iver transplantation has become a standard L medical treatment as a result of many advances in surgical technique, organ preservation, and immunosuppression. Despite this progress, problems of the bile duct remain a significant cause of short-term and long-term morbidity. Biliary complications can extend the hospital stay significantly, and they often require invasive procedures such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC), re-operation, or even retransplantation. In this article, we discuss the two major biliary reconstructions, choledocho-choledochostomy (CC) and Roux-en-Y choledocho-jejunostomy (RYCJ), with their respective advantages and shortcomings. In addition, options for management of biliary complications are addressed. Because of the lack of consensus in the preferred types of biliary reconstruction and management of common complications, we have conducted a survey of 65 of the largest adult liver transplant centers in the United States to supplement this overview. Centers were identified based on participation in the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) Liver Transplant Registry. Data were collected from April 19, 1994 to May 25, 1994. Fortynine of sixty-five (75%) directors of liver transplantation responded to the survey representing over 90% of all adult orthotopic liver transplants (OLT) performed yearly in the United States.
Reduced intensity in gait-slip training can still improve stability

Perturbation training with "free" slips (i.e., with long slip distance) has been able to successfully improve stability and to reduce the incidence of falls among older adults. Yet, it is unclear whether a highly constrained training with reduced slip distance (and hence training intensity) can achieve similar effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether short-distance slips could also improve the control of stability, and whether such improvements could be generalized to a novel, "free" slip. Thirty-six young subjects were randomly assigned to either one of the two training groups, which underwent seven training trials with constrained slips of either 12-cm or 18-cm in distance before encountering a novel, "free" slip (up to 150cm) in the test trial; or the control group, which only experienced the same test trial of a novel, "free" slip. The results showed that while both training groups were able to significantly improve their control of stability in training; the 18-cm group had significantly better reactive control of stability than the 12-cm group. During the "free" slip, such advantage enabled the 18-cm group to exhibit significantly less balance loss incidence than 12-cm group (58.3 vs. 83.3%) and the controls (100%). These differences could be fully accounted for when we assume that the central nervous system directly controls slip velocity or slip distance during adaptation, whereby the level of similarity between training trials and the test trial governs the degree of generalization. The findings that low intensity training may still improve stability warrant further investigations among older adults. Language: en
The Effect of Green Density and the Role of Magnesium Oxide Additive on the Densification of Alumina Measured by Small‐Angle Neutron Scattering

Small-angle neutron scattering measurements were used to examine the effect of green density and the role of MgO additive on the evolution of the porous microstructure of alumina during intermediate- and final-stage sintering. It was found that the initial connectivity in the green state plays a dominant role in establishing the channel diameters during the intermediate stage of sintering, and contributes also to determining the onset density at which the final stage of sintering begins. The role of MgO as a sintering aid lies, at least in part, in prolonging the stability of intermediate-stage sintering such that the body achieves greater density before the transition to final-stage sintering after which isolated pores are formed.
Synergistic Impairment of Glucose Homeostasis in ob/ob Mice Lacking Functional Serotonin 2C Receptors

To investigate how serotonin and leptin interact in the regulation of energy balance and glucose homeostasis, we generated a genetic mouse model, the OB2C mouse, which lacks functional serotonin 2C receptors and the adipocyte hormone leptin. The OB2C mice exhibited a dramatic diabetes phenotype, evidenced by a synergistic increase in serum glucose levels and water intake. The severity of the animals' diabetes phenotype would not have been predicted from the phenotypic characterization of mice bearing mutations of either the leptin (OB mutant mice) or the serotonin 2C receptor gene (2C mutant mice). The synergistic impairment in glucose homeostasis developed at an age when OB2C mice did not differ in body weight from OB mice, suggesting that this impairment was not an indirect consequence of increased adiposity. We also demonstrated that the improvement in glucose tolerance in wild-type mice treated with the serotonin releaser and reuptake inhibitor fenfluramine was blunted in 2C mutant mice. These pharmacological and genetic findings provide evidence that the serotonin 2C receptor has direct effects on glucose homeostasis.
Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol Using Gold Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotubes

Nanomaterials between 1 and 100 nm in size typically exhibit uniqueelectrical,optical,andcatalyticproperties.Metalnanoparticles of various sizes show a significant reduction in potential compared to bulk metals as the Fermi potential of nanoparticles becomes more negative. This specific property allows for metal nanoparticles to act as catalysts in various electron transfer processes, even if the bulk form of the same metal is typically considered to be inert. Bulk gold is often considered chemically inert due to the inability of bulk gold to oxidize in air, along with the lack of reaction with a majority of chemical reagents. This low catalytic activity is directly related to the particle sizes present in bulk gold. However, small gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) supported over certain nanomaterials exhibit unprecedented catalytic activities. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel carbon allotrope that possesses structural and electronic properties that are unique from other carbon allotropes, such as graphite,
Sedimentation equilibrium in macromolecular solutions of arbitrary concentration. II. Two protein components.

Relations describing sedimentation equilibrium in solutions containing two macromolecular solute components are derived for the following cases: (1) two nonassociating proteins at arbitrary concentration, (2) one dilute self-associating protein in the presence of a second inert protein at arbitrary concentration, and (3) two proteins at arbitrary concentration that can associate to form a single heterocomplex of arbitrary composition. As in earlier work (R. C. Chatelier and A. P. Minton (1987) Biopolymers, 26, 507–524), the relations are obtained by using scaled particle theory to calculate the thermodynamic activity of each species present at a given radial distance in the centrifuge. The results of numerical simulations of sedimentation equilibrium are presented as the dependence of apparent molecular weights, or apparent weight-average molecular weights, upon solution composition. Semiempirical methods are presented, by means of which the weight-average molecular weights of self- and heteroassociating proteins in highly nonideal solutions may be estimated from experimental data. It is found that the semiempirical methods yield reasonably accurate estimates of the true weight-average molecular weight over a broad range of experimental conditions, providing that the partial specific volumes of two components in a heteroassociating system do not differ by more than about 0.05 mL/g.
Alfred Marshall on Economic History and Historical Development

Introduction, 577. — I. The organic analogy, 579. — II. The principle of continuity, 584. — III. The many in the one, the one in the many, 590.
Variations in nursing practice environments: relation to staffing and hospital characteristics.

Background While improvements in nursing practice environments are considered essential to address the nursing shortage, relatively little is known about the nursing practice environments in most hospitals. Objectives The objectives of this study are to describe variations in nursing practice environments across hospitals and to examine their associations to hospital bed size, community size, teaching intensity, and nurse staffing levels. Methods The research design was cross-sectional analyses of nurse survey and administrative data for 156 Pennsylvania hospitals from 1999. For comparative reference, nurse survey data from earlier years from two small samples of nursing magnet hospitals were analyzed. The nursing practice environment was measured by the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI). Results Nursing practice environments varied greatly among the hospitals studied. The nursing practice environments of the small samples of magnet hospitals were superior to those of the Pennsylvania sample. About 17% of the hospitals in the Pennsylvania sample had favorable practice environments. Pennsylvania hospitals with better practice environments had higher RN-to-bed ratios. Practice environment differences were not associated with hospital bed size or community size. Hospitals with a modest teaching level had less favorable environments. Discussion Considerable variation exists in the quality of hospital nursing practice environments. Five out of six hospitals are targets for improvement. Favorable nursing practice environments can be achieved in a wide variety of hospital settings.
Clathrate Hydrates Are Poor Models of Biomolecule Hydration

Cluthratc hydrates .fi)rm the hasis of u gencrul model of biomolecide hydrution. In cluihrutc) hydrate crystul .structrirc~~s, the size qf f‘hydrogcm-bonded watc7r rings is Iiigkdy construined to,five rnernhers. Thc cluthrute hjdrutr modd predicts that the size of wuter ring.s neur hiomolecule sirrfuccs is sirnilur!,~ construined to jive members. This report dcxrihes u test of‘this modtd o/ hiomol~.c.iilr hjdrution. U’e have demonstrated thut,fivcJ-memhered water rings urc not u generul jiwtiire o/protc.in or nicckic ucid hydration. The cluthrute hydrute model upprurs to he inuppropriutci.fiv soliib1tJ hiornol~~ciile~s. 0 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Phycobilisome Antenna Deletion in a Cyanobacterium does Not Improve Photosynthetic Energy Conversion Efficiency or Productivity in a Bench-Scale Photobioreactor System

Light harvesting in cyanobacteria is performed by large peripheral phycobilisome antenna complexes that absorb light and transfer it to membrane integral antenna closely associated with the photosynthetic reaction center. In eukaryotic microalgae exposed to high light, truncation of the chlorophyll light harvesting antenna system results in an overall increase in cell growth and photosynthetic efficiency by reducing excess light absorption and subsequent energy dissipation on an individual cell level. In order to test this model in cyanobacteria, we used an optimized photobioreactor system for precise regulation of growth parameters and collected data over a wide range of culture conditions, including different CO2 and light regimes. Wild-type Synechocystis 6803 and a PAL mutant that lacks phycobilisomes were grown in batch-mode in these bioreactors. Our data show that lack of phycobilisome antenna do not provide an advantage to Synechocystis 6803 cells under any of the conditions tested.
Spatially controlled microstructural variation using a free-surface flow driven by a rotating cylinder electrode: Growth of anodic oxide films on A1 6061

Growth and characterization of oxide films with spatially controlled microstructure on Al 6061 using a coaxial rotating, axially translating electrochemical reactor (CRATER) are reported. This electrode/flow combination allows growth of oxide films with spatially controlled microstructure on a single working electrode (WE) under well-defined conditions of mass transfer electrode potential, and residence time. This is achieved by restricting electro-oxidation to a window of narrow axial extent just below the free surface of an electrolyte whose coaxial inner and outer boundaries are a rotating counter electrode and an axially translating WE, respectively. Axial translation of the WE maps temporal variation of a controlled parameter (e.g., applied potential, mass-transfer rate) to axial variation of oxide microstructure on the WE. In the present work the applied potential is scanned linearly in time, leading to each element of the WE undergoing electro-oxidation over a narrow range of potential. Each element of the WE has the same exposure time in the reactive window and is exposed to the same mass-transfer conditions. This produces an oxide film in which the cell size and pore size vary systematically with potential along the length of the WE. The film displays a high degree of azimuthal uniformity. Continuous scanning of process variables in a single experiment by this approach allows identification of desirable microstructures in narrow ranges of operating conditions. Application of CRATER methodology to electrodissolution and electrodeposition is discussed.
Obesity and Depression: Establishing Causality

In this paper we present an instrumental variables estimate of the effect of obesity on depression in females. Previous research has established a significant correlation between the two. The direction of causality, however, is unclear. We use employment data from the ES202 program and prices from the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA) as a vector of instruments for obesity to examine the independent effect of obesity on depression. In conducting this analysis, we employ micro-level data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), covering years 1988 to 1994, as well as data from the 1979 cohort of the Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79). We find marginal evidence that being obese actually causes levels of depression to increase. We conclude that unobservable characteristics influencing both obesity and depression are the likely causes of the strong correlation, and that factors such as perception of one's weight possibly play a greater role in determining levels of depression.
Teacher-Reported Irritable and Defiant Dimensions of Oppositional Defiant Disorder: Social, Behavioral, and Academic Correlates

Previous research suggests that the symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) reflect both a general diagnostic construct and two distinct symptom dimensions, irritability and defiant behavior. Recent studies have found that these two symptom dimensions exhibit different patterns of correlates and outcomes (e.g., irritability linked to depressive symptoms, defiant behavior linked to conduct problems). The present study investigated common and unique correlates of the irritable and defiant dimensions of ODD symptoms in a sample of 706 school-age children (49 % female, ages 5–12) in grades K-5. Classroom teachers rated their students’ ODD symptoms, proactive and reactive aggression, relational and physical aggression and victimization, withdrawn/depressed symptoms, peer rejection, and academic performance. Multilevel regression models—controlling for grade level, gender, and shared variance between symptom dimensions and variable subtypes—showed that teacher-reported irritability and defiant behavior exhibit common correlates of physical and relational aggression, relational victimization, and peer rejection. With respect to differential correlates, irritability was uniquely associated with physical victimization and withdrawn/depressed symptoms, whereas defiant behavior was uniquely associated with proactive aggression and hyperactive–impulsive symptoms. Further, reactive aggression was more strongly linked to irritability than to defiant behavior. These findings provide further support for a multidimensional conceptualization of ODD symptoms within the school context and suggest that irritability and defiant behavior have important implications across several domains of children’s social–emotional development.
Telepressure and College Student Employment: The Costs of Staying Connected Across Social Contexts.

Telepressure is a psychological state consisting of the preoccupation and urge to respond quickly to message-based communications from others. Telepressure has been linked with negative stress and health outcomes, but the existing measure focuses on experiences specific to the workplace. The current study explores whether an adapted version of the workplace telepressure measure is relevant to general social interactions that rely on information and communication technologies. We validated a general telepressure measure in a sample of college students and found psychometric properties similar to the original workplace measure. Also, general telepressure was related to, but distinct from, the fear of missing out, self-control and technology use. Using a predictive validity design, we also found that telepressure at the beginning of the semester was related to student reports of burnout, perceived stress and poor sleep hygiene 1 month later (but not work-life balance or general life satisfaction). Moreover, telepressure was more strongly related to more negative outcomes (burnout, stress and poor sleep hygiene) and less positive outcomes (work-life balance and life satisfaction) among employed compared with non-employed students. Thus, the costs of staying connected to one's social network may be more detrimental to college students with additional employment obligations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differences in Yield Response to Cotton Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) Between Smooth-Leaf and Hairy-Leaf Isogenic Cotton Lines

DES 119 cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., and a smooth-leaf isoline were monitored, for cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, densities and effects on yield in aphicide-treated and untreated plots. The interactions of cotton genotype and aphicide treatment regime were significant for aphid density and cotton yield. Aphids caused a yield loss (≈140 kg lint per hectare) in DES 119 cotton when it was not treated with aphicide. No yield differences were observed between aphicide-treated and untreated plots containing the smooth-leaf isoline of DES 119. Yields for DES 119 with aphicide, the smooth-leaf isoline without aphicide, the smooth-leaf isoline with aphicide, and DES 119 without aphicide were 1105.0, 996.3, 971.0, and 964.0 kg lint per hectare, respectively. DES 119 treated with aphicide yielded more cotton than each of the other treatments. No differences were observed in the densities of, nor damages caused by, other cotton pests, which could account for yield losses that we attributed to cotton aphid. The data also indicated that the smooth-leaf isoline of DES 119 offers substantial resistance to cotton aphid. Thus, high-yielding, smooth-leaf cotton lines that do not respond to aphicide treatments might be viable alternatives to currently used chemical approaches, to cotton aphid management.