cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual dimorphic responses of C57BL/6 mice to Fisetin or Dasatinib and Quercetin cocktail oral treatment

Senolytic treatment in aged mice clears senescent cell burden leading to functional improvements. We hypothesized that administering senotherapeutics in young adulthood of mice would slow physiological markers of aging through mid-life. C57BL/6 mice were treated monthly with either Fisetin or a Dasatinib (D) plus Quercetin (Q) cocktail from 4-13 months of age. Fisetin treated male mice had reduced senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), enhanced glucose and energy metabolism, improved cognitive performance, and increased hippocampal expression of adiponectin 1 receptor and glucose transporter 4. D+Q treated females had increased SASP expression along with accumulation of white adipose tissue, reduced energy metabolism, and cognitive performance. Senotherapeutics in young adulthood, has beneficial, negligible, or detrimental effects in mice dependent upon sex and treatment.
Two sides of the same coin: A qualitative study of multiple stakeholder perspectives on factors associated with implementation of evidence-based practices for children with autism in elementary schools

Abstract Schools are the primary setting in which autistic youth receive intervention, yet fidelity to implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autism in schools varies. Fidelity is an important metric to determine whether educators are delivering EBPs as designed, and there are many different factors that predict fidelity to EBP implementation. This qualitative study used Domitrovich et al.’ (2008) multilevel framework to explore individual- and school-level factors that facilitated or impeded EBP implementation for autistic students in elementary schools. Semi-structured interviews with 26 special education teachers with high and low fidelity implementation of three EBPs for autism (discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and visual schedules) and 26 administrators in schools explored multiple stakeholders' perspectives of the implementation process. Thematic analysis revealed factors from the individual- to the macro-level that influenced teachers' implementation fidelity. Many of these factors are malleable and represent targets for implementation strategies to improve the use of EBPs for autistic students in schools.
An Introduction to Strategies and Styles of Learning

It seems appropriate to begin a book entitled Learning Strategies and Learning Styles with definitions of the terms style, strategy, and most basically, learning. Clarification of the meanings of these and other terms and important distinctions drawn between them will prepare the way for the remainder of the text. Learning can be described from various perspectives. I discuss three: the experiential, the behavioral, and the neurological.
Curiosity, Creativity, and Surprise as Analytic Tools: Grounded Theory Method

Grounded Theory Method offers a rigorous way to explore a domain, with an emphasis on discovering new insights, testing those insights, and building partial understandings into a broader theory of the domain. It begins with observations of a phenomenon for which no theory yet exists. Through layered coding of these observations and continual reexamination of the data, a theory emerges.
Dorothea Dix : Student, Reformer and Crusader

Dix began her prison reform work by visiting prisons across the country, and two systems emerged as the models of reform. Dix sought a total reform of the system, of both its physical structures, and more importantly, its programs and systems. In order to have a better understanding of the prison systems, Dix traveled throughout the country, visiting prisons, meeting with wardens and evaluating the various systems for their effectiveness. From 1841 to 1843, she visited state prisons, evaluating their respective benefits. Despite her efforts to remain objective, her opinions were always colored by her deeply held religious convictions. Finally, Dix was faced with two somewhat antithetical systems of prison reform to choose from, the Auburn system and the Pennsylvania system. Her eventual preference for the Pennsylvania system reflects the impact of her religious convictions on her point of view. The Auburn system was first implemented in New York at Sing-Sing prison in 1825. In this system the prisoners were kept on a strict schedule. The prisoners were isolated in own cells and slept alone at night, but labored together during the day and ate together at mealtimes. Although, these prisoners “were forbidden to converse with fellow inmates or even exchange glances while on the job, at meals, or in their cells,” in practice, however, this was seldom the case. Prisoners often conversed and were subjected to the adverse influences of their fellow inmates. Dix, like many other students of this system, feared that this led to free and open communication among the prisoners: “The prisoners are perfectly familiar with each other’s history and with many circumstances not occurring in the shop and yards.” Although the guards and wardens may have strictly enforced the rule of silence at some point in time, this system “generally ends in a certain degree of toleration in the use of speech.” This open communication could make prisons a training ground for a future life in crime, she concluded. This article is available in Constructing the Past: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol8/iss1/5
Principal–Agent Problem

The general problem of motivating one person or organization to act on behalf of another is known as the principal–agent problem. The principal–agent problem arises when the principal hires an agent to perform tasks on his/her behalf and the agent thereby influences the welfare of the principal. The principal–agent relationship provides a useful framework for analyzing situations in which there is asymmetric information and when there is a need to design a contract or monitor the behavior of parties. Although economists commonly assume profit maximization objective when describing the decision-making of a firm, the incentives of managers often differ from those of the shareholders and the efforts of the managers are impossible or too costly to monitor. Given existence of incomplete contracts due to bounded rationality, the firm's profit is below the profit-maximizing level and the difference is referred to as the residual loss. The principal–agent framework is often employed to analyze the role of monitoring and bonding activities in reducing the residual loss of the principal. Keywords: asymmetric information; moral hazard; agency problem; adverse selection; incomplete contracts; bounded rationality
A Differential Game Solution of a Renewable Resource Economics Problem

A two countries single renewable resource dynamic problem in economics is formulated in a differential game theoretic framework. A competitive market consumer benefit function is used as an objective function to be maximized by each country subject to the resource population-growth-catch dynamics. The optimal competitive catch strategies are derived and their economic implications are discussed. The solution can be written as one of nine different possibilities at every instant of time. In general, it is possible to conclude that competitive optimal catch strategies do not always occur. Possibilities for each country to be idle or to apply an optimal (monopolistic) catch strategy are also feasible. In the paper we show that under competitive conditions, each country must regulate its total catch and that the higher the future discount rates, the higher the catch rate will be, and the slower the convergence of the resource population to the desired level will be.
Rationale for intensive statin treatment in high-risk patients.

Intensive lipid-lowering therapy with 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) is now an established regimen for patients at high risk for cardiovascular events, regardless of baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Treatment with statins to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels significantly below 100 mg/dL has been shown to further reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in high-risk patients and has provided the necessary data for an update to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) guidelines. Intensive statin therapy is also well tolerated, with no increased risk of noncardiovascular adverse events and a low incidence of clinically significant liver or muscle enzyme abnormalities. Results of recent clinical and surrogate end point trials confirm that intensive lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is beneficial and safe in a majority of high-risk patients.
A Principal Component Clustering Approach to Object-Oriented Motion Segmentation and Estimation

This paper presents a framework for object-oriented scene segmentation in video, which uses motion as the major characteristic to distinguish different moving objects and then to segment the scene into object regions. From the feature block (FB) correspondences through at least two frames obtained via a tracking algorithm, the reference feature measurement matrix and feature displacement matrix are formed. We propose a technique for initial motion clustering of the FBs, in which the principal components (PC) of the two matrices are adopted as the motion features. The motion features have several advantages: (1) They are low-dimensional (2-dim). (2) They preserve well both the spatial closeness and the motion similarity of their corresponding FBs. (3) They tend to form distinctive clusters in the feature space, thus allowing simple clustering schemes to be applied. The Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is applied for clustering the motion features. For those scenes involving mainly the camera motion, the PC-based motion features will exhibit nearly parallel lines in the feature space. This facilitates a simple and yet effective layer extraction scheme. The final motion-based segmentation involves labeling of all the blocks in the frame. The EM algorithm is again applied to minimize an energy function which takes motion consistency and neighborhood-sensitivity into account. The proposed algorithm has been applied to several test sequences and the simulation results suggest a promising potential for video applications.
Proposed measurement of the anapole moment in francium

Summary form only given. The anapole moment of a nucleus is a parity nonconserving, time reversal conserving moment that arises from weak interactions between the nucleons. It can only be detected in a PNC electron-nucleus interaction. We study an earlier suggestion of directly measuring the probability of E1 transitions between the ground hyperfine states of an atom, allowed only through the anapole moment, with the present possibilities of atom manipulation.
Existence, uniqueness and convergence properties of a linear optimization technique for two-dimensional signal and system modeling with rational functions

A two-dimensional (2D) signal or image can be represented by a rational complex function. Also, a two-dimensional, linear and shift invariant system can be modeled by a two-dimensional auto-regressive, moving-averaging (ARMA) process. A recently proposed linear technique for image or 2D system representation, by using a rational function, is briefly presented. This method, which is based on the recursive like structure or equationary model, can approximate the unknown 2D system transfer function, or the transform of an image, in the frequency domain in the least-square sense. The authors discuss the important existence, uniqueness and convergence properties associated with this technique. In addition, design examples are also given to show the excellent performance of the algorithm. >
Software Engineering for Mathematics

Despite its mathematical origins, progress in computer assisted reasoning has mostly been driven by applications in computer science, like hardware or protocol security verification. Paradoxically, it has yet to gain widespread acceptance in its original domain of application, mathematics; this is commonly attributed to a "lack of libraries": attempts to formalize advanced mathematics get bogged down into the formalization of an unwieldly large set of basic resuts.
The Thermal Properties of Metallic Sodium Near Melt From Molecular Dynamics Calculation

Molecular dynamics simulations of the thermal properties of metallic sodium were performed in the high temperature anharmonic region near the melting point. The ion-ion interaction potential was derived from pseudopotential theory. From the molecular dynamics results, the anharmonic thermal energy was determined directly without the use of thermodynamic perturbation theory. Comparison of the calculated melting temperature, latent heat of fusion, fluid phase diffusion coefficient, and the atomic distribution function are all in good agreement with experiment.
The Multiple-Baseline Design

The multiple-baseline research design has been proposed as an efficient alternative methodology for suitable between-group experimental designs in aviation (Whitehurst, 2013, Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors). However, without replicating a study, comparable statistical conclusions could not be stated. This study replicated one by Whitehurst and Rantz (2012, Journal of Aviation / Aerospace Education and Research) which investigated the flight performance of pilots trained on digital flight instrumentation when they transitioned to analog flight instrumentation for the first time. The data from this multiple-baseline replication showed a similar statistically significant degradation in flight performance postintervention to the original study. This suggests that the multiple-baseline design (MBD) can produce similar results to between-group experimental designs and could be an efficient design to use for suitable aviation studies.
Snowboarder’s Talus Fractures Experimentally Produced by Eversion and Dorsiflexion

Background: Fracture of the lateral process of the talus is an unusual injury that has received heightened attention in recent years because of its association with snowboarding. The diagnosis is often confused with that of lateral ankle sprain. If left untreated, it can cause long-term impairment, including osteoarthritis and subtalar joint degeneration. It is generally thought to result from dorsiflexion and inversion. However, few experimental studies have been conducted to investigate the injury mechanism.Hypothesis: Eversion of a dorsiflexed ankle is more likely to fracture the lateral process of the talus than inversion of a dorsiflexed ankle.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Ten cadaveric leg specimens were subjected to dynamic inversion or eversion of an axially loaded and dorsiflexed ankle.Results: Inversion failed to produce any fractures in three injured specimens. However, all six specimens subjected to eversion sustained a fracture of the lateral process of the talus.Conclusi...
A Digital pH Stat for Automated Kinetic Analysis

A "pH stat" that spectrophotometrically monitors pH and electrolytically generates either acid or base has been developed to follow the rates of certain enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The pH is monitored by coupling a pH indicator to the main reaction. As reaction proceeds, the instrument coulometrically pulses titrant into the photometer cell as required to maintain a constant pH. Generation is accomplished with Pt and Ag-AgCl electrodes. Constant-current conditions are used so that a given number of pulses corresponds to a constant reaction interval. A series of flip-flops counts the pulses as they occur; a timing circuit records the time required to generate a set number of pulses. A reciprocal time computer provides automated readout in units of absolute enzyme activity. Initial experiments on the acetylcholinesterase system (pH 7.60) show linear enzyme dependence curves with scatter of 2% or less. The change in pH during a single cycle is less than 0.05 units and the precision for replicate samples is about 2%.
Attentional demands of postural control: The ability to selectively allocate information-processing resources

Most studies have suggested the process of recovering body stability requires information-processing resources, but whether adults have the ability to selectively allocate resources to maintain balance is not known. Using a variable priority dual-task paradigm the present experiment investigated the extent to which young adults are able to shift attention between a postural task and a visual spatial memory task. Our results demonstrated a significant difference in verbal response time dependent on instructional set (focus on visual spatial memory versus postural task) but no difference in body sway measurement, indicating the ability of young adults to modulate visual spatial memory task, but not postural task focus. This suggests the existence of a hierarchy within attentional tasks with postural stability being a priority to stabilize gaze and head position.
Wet Disks? Try This

Recently a water pipe burst in the ceiling above the technical services area of Memorial Library, Mankato State University. When our staff arrived for work, they found carts of books, audiovisual materials, and computer software soaked with dirty water which continued to drip from ceiling tiles onto work areas, desks, and new materials.
The involvement of cyclic GMP in tyrosine aminotransferase degradation in rat hepatoma tissue culture cells

Theophylline, a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor, increases the rate of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) degradation in rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells. Theophylline (0.1-10 mM) causes a two- to five-fold increase in intracellular cAMP concentration but a 30-60% decrease in cGMP concentration. The decrease in cGMP occurs at doses of theophylline which increase the rate of TAT degradation. When cGMP levels are increased by incubating the cells with either Mn2+, an activator of guanylate cyclase, or 8-bromo-cGMP, an analog of cGMP, the effect of theophylline is reversed and the rate of TAT degradation is slowed. Thus, the rate of TAT degradation is inversely related to the concentration of cGMP in HTC cells. This raises the possibility that a cGMP-dependent event is involved in the control of specific protein degradation.
Earthworms and rate of breakdown of soybean and maize residues in soil

Abstract A field survey was conducted to determine the numbers and biomass of earthworms in soils receiving different tillage and cropping treatments, and to investigate in a greenhouse study the effect of earthworms on the rate of breakdown of soybean ( Glycine max ) and maize ( Zea mays L.) residues. The numbers and biomass of earthworms under continuous soybeans were greater than those present under maize, possibly due to the adverse effects of insecticide and anhydrous ammonia fertilizer used with maize. No-tillage doubled the population of earthworms under soybeans, when compared with ploughing. Numbers (141 m −2 ) and biomass (26.5 g m −2 ) of earthworms under no-till soybeans were still much lower than the numbers (1298 m −2 ) and biomass (224.5 g m −2 ) under pasture receiving heavy applications of animal manure. Using 16-1 pots in the greenhouse, the effect of 0, 15 (250m −2 ) and 30 (500m −2 ) earthworms ( Lumbricus rubellus ) pot −1 on the rate of breakdown during 54 days of 50 g of soybean or maize residues in the Raub silt loam (Aquic Argiudoll) was studied. At 36 days, 60% of the soybean residues were recovered from pots to which no earthworms had been added, whereas in the presence of earthworms, only 34% of the soybean residues remained. In the absence of earthworms, 85% of the maize residues were recovered at 36 days, compared with only 52% in the presence of earthworms. At 36 days, 48% of the original maize residues added were still > 2 mm in length in the absence of earthworms, whereas only 26% were > 2 mm in length in the presence of earthworms. Earthworms also increased the aggregate stability of the Raub soil, when determined on moist (19–22% w/w) samples, but had no effect on soil water retention at −33 and −1500 kPa. The possible implications of greater earthworm activity on increasing residue incorporation and breakdown and subsequent effects on soil temperatures under no-till maize production are also discussed.
Assay of adenosine 3′, 5′ cyclic monophosphate by stimulation of protein kinase: A method not involving radioactivity☆

In order to meet a need for a cAMP assay which is not subject to interference by compounds in plant extracts, and which is suitable for use on occasions separated by many 32P half-lives, an assay based on cAMP-dependent protein kinase has been developed which does not require the use of [γ-32P]ATP. Instead of measuring the cAMP-stimulated increase in the rate of transfer of [γ-32P] phosphate from [γ-32P]ATP to protein, the rate of loss of ATP from the reaction mixture is determined. The ATP remaining after the protein kinase reaction is assayed by ATP-dependent chemiluminescence of the firefly luciferin-luciferase system. Under conditions of the protein kinase reaction in which a readily measurable decrease in ATP concentration occurs, the logarithm of the concentration of ATP decreases in proportion to the cAMP concentration, i.e., the reaction can be described by the equation: [ATP] = [ATP]0 e−[cAMP]kt. The assay based on this relationship can detect less than 1 pmol of cAMP. The levels of cAMP found with this assay after partial purification of the cAMP from rat tissue, algal cells, and the media in which the cells were grown agreed with measurements made by the cAMP binding-competition assay of Gilman, and the protein kinase stimulation assay based on transfer of [32P] phosphate from [γ-32P]ATP to protein. All of the enzymes and chemicals required for the assay of cAMP by protein kinase catalyzed loss of ATP can be stored frozen for months, making the assay suitable for occasional use.
Aflatoxin sequestration in animal feeds by quality-labeled smectite clays: An introductory plan

Over the past two decades the use of smectite to suppress aflatoxin has been demonstrated for many farm animals; yet commercial marketing of smectite as an aflatoxin binder has been stymied and blending of grains containing aflatoxin persists. The suppression of aflatoxin depends of the adsorption capacity of the smectite clay binders but effectiveness is influenced by several factors. Our research indicates that smectite clays can be evaluated by the following methods: X-ray diffraction for smectite identification, Langmuir isotherm for aflatoxin binding effectiveness, structural composition by Fourier transform infrared, and cation exchange capacity for smectite quantification. Particle size determined by laser diffraction is a useful and convenient measure of smectite potential that accounts for 65% of the variability in aflatoxin adsorption by most of the clays investigated. Also, pH and Al influence are poorly understood and subjects that need further research. The organic matter content influences smectite quantitative estimates and may reduce aflatoxin adsorption. This introductory plan is intended to expedite the use of aflatoxin binders for grain while improving the performance of animals by sequestering aflatoxin permitted by regulatory action levels for aflatoxin in animal feeds.
Mechanisms governing the differentiation of a serotonergic phenotype in culture.

Abstract In this study, we explored whether a serotonergic (5-HT) phenotype could be novelly induced in the phenotypically plastic neurons of the developing striatum. We found that the 5-HT biosynthetic enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) was expressed in nearly 10% of neurons following treatment with an extract derived from adult raphe tissue. This effect was mimicked by co-treatment with a growth factor (aFGF, bFGF or BDNF; but not GDNF, IGF-1, EGF or TGF) and the neurotransmitter 5-HT (but not GABA, dopamine, glutamate) and/or a protein kinase activator (IBMX, forskolin, TPA). Treatment with combined factors (aFGF+5-HT+IBMX+forskolin+TPA) yielded the greatest level of TPH induction (15.6%). Moreover, TPH was enzymatically active (112.8±36 pmol/mg per h) and produced detectable levels of 5-HT (2.12±0.30 ng) and its metabolite 5-HIAA (4.24±0.11 ng) in maximally stimulated cultures. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to promote the differentiation of serotonergic phenotypic traits in developing brain neurons in culture.
Scanline algorithms in the JPEG discrete cosine transform compressed domain

Scanline algorithms are popular in computer graphics for complex geometric manipulations. The main characteristic of scanline algorithms is that a geometric transformation is decomposed into multipass transforms with each pass operating only along row or column scanlines. This leads to conversion of 2-D image manipulation problems to straightforward 1-D problems resulting in simple and systematic methods. The goal of this work is to examine the scanline approach for manipulation of transform-compressed images without decompressing them. We show how the scanline algorithms for rotation and projective mapping can be developed for JPEG/DCT images. The performance of the proposed scanline algorithms is evaluated with respect to quality, speed, and control and memory overhead.
Syllable Structure and the Distribution of Phonemes in English Syllables

Abstract In describing the phonotactics (patterning of phonemes) of English syllables, linguists have focused on absolute restrictions concerning which phonemes may occupy which slots of the syllable. To determine whether probabilistic patterns also exist, we analyzed the distributions of phonemes in a reasonably comprehensive list of uninflected English CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant) words, some 2001 words in all. The results showed that there is a significant connection between the vowel and the following consonant (coda), with certain vowel–coda combinations being more frequent than expected by chance. In contrast, we did not find significant associations between the initial consonant (onset) and the vowel. These findings support the idea that English CVC syllables are composed of an onset and a vowel–coda rime. Implications for lexical processing are discussed.
Attributions for Discriminatory Events and Satisfaction with Social Support in Gay Men

Attributions modulate the impact of stressful events on mental health. However, little is known about attributions for discriminatory events and their relationship to psychosocial outcomes in sexual minority individuals. Relationships were examined between gay men’s attributions for discrimination and their satisfaction with social support, a variable critical to mental health in this population. Gay men (N = 307) completed online measures of satisfaction with social support, attributions for discriminatory events, and key minority stress constructs. Self blaming attributions for discrimination were associated with decreased satisfaction with social support, independent of the frequency with which participants reported experiencing discrimination. The link between self blaming and satisfaction with social support was partially mediated by a latent affective construct comprised of anxiety, depression, and low positive affect. A moderation effect was also found, such that the relationship between frequency of perceived discriminatory events and dissatisfaction with social support was amplified for men reporting more blame toward perpetrators of discrimination. Results support attributions for discrimination as valuable additions to minority stress models. Assessing self and other blame for these discriminatory events may help to clarify pathways by which discrimination can undermine gay men’s satisfaction with their social support networks.
Descriptive epidemiologic features shared by birth defects thought to be related to vascular disruption in Texas, 1996–2002

BACKGROUND:In utero vascular disruptions are thought to be associated with a variety of birth defects. This study examined the descriptive epidemiology of several of those defects using data from a large birth defects registry. METHODS: Data on birth defects ascertained from pregnancies in 1996–2002 were obtained from the Texas Birth Defects Registry. Using Poisson regression, we calculated crude and adjusted associations between maternal and infant characteristics and birth defects thought to be related to vascular disruption. We repeated the analysis using isolated cases and cases occurring in mothers <20 years. RESULTS: The most commonly shared pattern was observed for plurality and five defects: large intestinal atresia (PR 3.67; CI: 1.63–7.13), renal agenesis (PR 2.05; CI: 1.55–2.65), transverse limb deficiency (PR 1.85; CI: 1.28–2.57), porencephaly (PR 5.18; CI: 2.40–9.87), and Goldenhar syndrome (PR 3.45; CI: 1.04–8.53). Hispanics had the highest prevalence of gastroschisis (PR 1.21; CI: 1.05–1.40), transverse limb deficiency (PR 1.19; CI: 1.01–1.40), microtia/anotia (PR 2.22; CI: 1.83–2.70), and Poland anomaly (PR 1.90; CI: 1.26–2.93). Male infants were at greatest risk for renal agenesis (PR 1.58; CI: 1.40–1.80), porencephaly (PR 1.66; CI: 1.03–2.72), and Poland anomaly (PR 1.52; CI: 1.05–2.21). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed findings in previous studies, but also uncovered several new associations. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A COMPELLING NEED FOR MANDATED USE OF SUPERVISED VISITATION PROGRAMS

Courts are frequently confronted by circumstances that do not justify termination of all contact with a parent, yet present legitimate concerns regarding the physical, emotional, or mental health of the child. Supervised visitation programs afford such parents and their children the opportunity to preserve the emotionally vital parent-child relationship while protecting the child, and sometimes the other parent, from harm. As the number of children deemed to be at risk continues to rise, demand for supervised visitation services steadily exceeds supply. This article proposes that all states should make supervised visitation programs universally available by enacting legislation that provides for their creation, regulation, and funding, together with clearly defined guidelines that mandate participation in supervised visitation programs whenever specific risk factors are present.
RENIN RESPONSE TO GRADED HAEMORRHAGE IN CONSCIOUS RATS

SUMMARY 1. A haemorrhage volume/plasma renin activity (PRA) response relationship was established for five levels of acute haemorrhage ranging from 1.5 to 15 ml/kg in conscious rats. In addition, the effects of chronic indomethacin and/or acute propranolol administration on the PRA response to 5 and 10 ml/kg haemorrhage was assessed. 2. Mean arterial pressure decreased in a haemorrhage volume dependent manner which was not significantly altered by indomethacin and/or propranolol. 3. Haemorrhage volumes of 1.5 and 3.0 ml/kg did not significantly alter PRA. At haemorrhage volumes of 5.0 ml/kg and higher, PRA increased in a volume-dependent manner. Propranolol decreased basal PRA levels but had little effect on the response to haemorrhage. Indomethacin had no effect on basal PRA, but attenuated the response to haemorrhage somewhat. When propranolol and indomethacin were combined, the PRA response to haemorrhage was significantly attenuated. 4. The conscious cannulated rat model exhibits predictable and reproducible renin responses to haemorrhage and is an excellent model for studying the control of renin secretion.
Inclusive charged-pion electroproduction

We report measurements of semi-inclusive pion electroproduction from both hydrogen and deuterium targets carried out at the Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory at Cornell University. Measurements were made at the (W,Q/sup 2/) points (2.15 GeV, 1.2 GeV/sup 2/), (2.15, 4.0), and (3.11, 1.2) with hydrogen and deuterium, and at (2.15, 2.0), (2.67, 3.3), and (3.11, 1.7) with hydrogen only. The invariant virtual-photoproduction cross section for pions scaled by the total cross section is studied as a function of x', P/sub T/ /sup 2/, W, and Q/sup 2/. The invariant structure function shows no Q/sup 2/ dependence and a weak W dependence. The ratio of ..pi../sup +/ to ..pi../sup -/ production is also presented, but a distinction between a universal ..omega.. or W dependence cannot be made.
Compulsive Sexual Behavior: Definition of a Problem and an Approach to Treatment

Sexual compulsivity is defined as a lack of control over one's sexual behavior. Data were collected on 30 gay and bisexual men in New York City who defined themselves as sexually compulsive and who sought treatment for the problem, in order to determine: 1) whether they differed in psychological profile and sexual behavior from a matched control group of men seeking general psychotherapy; and 2) what the effect is of group psychotherapy for sexual compulsivity on the sexual behavior of group participants. It was found that men who are sexually compulsive differ from controls primarily in terms of the frequency and type of their sexual behavior. They do not display more neurotic symptoms. Further, it was found that group psychotherapy helps participants reduce the frequency of their sexual encounters with different partners. An objective measure of the sense of control one has over his/her sexual behavior is needed for further research on this subject.
A Study of Solutions for the Anisotropic Plate Subjected to a Concentrated Force

One of the objectives of this brief note is to present all three solutions and show how they are applied to the boundary element method formulation. Secondly, differences between these solutions are illustrated and discussed. The implications of these discrepancies is examined for the infinite plate as well as typical boundary value problem
c-jun/AP-1 activation does not affect the antiproliferative activity of phenethyl isothiocyanate, a cruciferous vegetable-derived cancer chemopreventive agent

Cruciferous vegetable-derived isothiocyanates (ITCs) display potent cancer chemopreventive activity, but also markedly stimulate oncogenic activator protein 1 (AP-1). AP-1 is well known to promote cell survival and proliferation. We examined the impact of AP-1 activation on antiproliferative activity of ITCs, using bladder cancer cells and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) as models. AP-1 transactivation induced by PEITC was almost completely suppressed by a dominant-negative c-jun (TAM67). However, suppression of AP-1 transactivation did not affect PEITC-induced apoptosis or cell-cycle arrest. Moreover, we previously showed that in response to ITC treatment c-jun was predominantly stimulated among AP-1 family members largely by c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) [Food Chem Toxicol 2005; 43: 1373-1380], but neither JNK inhibition nor forced expression of c-jun altered the antiproliferative activity of PEITC. In addition, cyclin D1, which is considered as an AP-1 target gene and promotes cell proliferation, was markedly elevated in PEITC-treated cells. Unexpectedly, neither TAM67 or JNK inhibition, nor forced c-jun expression had a significant impact on cyclin D1 induction by PEITC, indicating that c-jun/AP-1 does not play an important role in cyclin D1 induction by PEITC. In conclusion, despite the known role of c-jun/AP-1 as a stimulator of cell growth and proliferation, our data show that its activation does not diminish the antiproliferative activity of PEITC and is not responsible for cyclin D1 induction by PEITC.
Analytical potential of EDS at low voltages

This paper addresses some of the principles underpinning chemical microanalysis of bulk specimens in the scanning electron microscope using low beam voltages ( ≤5 kV) and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry. The advantages of this relatively new method lie primarily in the strong dependence of the sample penetration range on the electron beam energy (∼10x from 5 kV to 20 kV). This directly yields superior spatial resolution and sensitivity for the analysis of sub-micron particles, surface films and at interfaces. The correspondingly shorter x-ray escape range reduces the importance of the complex matrix absorption and fluorescence terms; the parameters for which may not always be known accurately. A useful x-ray signal can only be generated with a beam energy which is at least 1.3x the excitation energy for the relevant characteristic x-rays. Low voltage fluorescent yields are relatively low and depend strongly on overvoltage (U < 3) and low voltage x-ray signals are relatively weak. These considerations lead to the development of a radical new instrument which produces 9000 counts per second from an Aluminium target with a < 2 nm probe containing 0.2 nA of current at 5 kV, fast submicron resolution x-ray maps ( < 0.1 µm is possible), and close to 1 nm electron image resolution at 1 kV. The greatly improved (15x) EDS sensitivity and superior electron and x-ray imaging are being used to extend, to explore and to exploit more fully the superior performance envelope of the SEM with EDS at low voltages.
How to slow global warming

A General Agreement on Climate Change would accommodate the diverse and changing interests of nations as they seek to slowglobal warming alongside other socioeconomic objectives
Technique for generation of unipolar ultrasonic pulses

A transmit-receive switch has been developed that permits the generation and detection of broadband unipolar ultrasonic stress pulses in a pulse-echo mode. Results obtained with conventional planar transducers show that the bandwidths obtained are significantly larger than those realized with conventional ultrasonic pulse-echo techniques. The broadband technique is expected to be applicable to flaw sizing problems encountered in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and to the measurement of gradients in material properties that can be related to changes in the acoustic impedance. >
Regulation of the friction coefficient of articular cartilage by TGF-β1 and IL-1β

Articular cartilage functions to provide a low-friction surface for joint movement for many decades of life. Superficial zone protein (SZP) is a glycoprotein secreted by chondrocytes in the superficial layer of articular cartilage that contributes to effective boundary lubrication. In both cell and explant cultures, TGF-β1 and IL-1β have been demonstrated to, respectively, upregulate and downregulate SZP protein levels. It was hypothesized that the friction coefficient of articular cartilage could also be modulated by these cytokines through SZP regulation. The friction coefficient between cartilage explants (both untreated and treated with TGF-β1 or IL-1β) and a smooth glass surface due to sliding in the boundary lubrication regime was measured with a pin-on-disk tribometer. SZP was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay and localized by immunohistochemistry. Both TGF-β1 and IL-1β treatments resulted in the decrease of the friction coefficient of articular cartilage in a location- and time-dependent manner. Changes in the friction coefficient due to the TGF-β1 treatment corresponded to increased depth of SZP staining within the superficial zone, while friction coefficient changes due to the IL-1β treatment were independent of SZP depth of staining. However, the changes induced by the IL-1β treatment corresponded to changes in surface roughness, determined from the analysis of surface images obtained with an atomic force microscope. These findings demonstrate that the low friction of articular cartilage can be modified by TGF-β1 and IL-1β treatment and that the friction coefficient depends on multiple factors, including SZP localization and surface roughness. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27:249–256, 2009
Feline one-way mixed leukocyte reaction.

Abstract The feline one-way mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) was accomplished by a microtechnique assay using gradient purified mononuclear leukocytes from the peripheral blood of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) cats. An eight day assay was required with an appropriate serum supplement of rabbit or cat serum and obtainable cell concentrations of 1×105 mononuclear cells per well of each responder and stimulator population. This assay was devised as an in vitro correlate of cell-mediated immunity and to demonstrate that feline histocompatibility differences can be detected in culture.
A Review of Educational Technology for Management Development

Some of the strengths and weaknesses of using microcomputers, video (disc and tape) and teleconferencing (which may combine with other technologies even when distance is a factor) in business education are explored. It is argued that computers and interactive video appear to be among the most effective methods for learning and that one of their drawbacks – cost – is coming down.
IS journal review process: a survey on IS research practices and journal review issues

Journal publication is an important indicator of research productivity for individual researchers as well as academic institutions. It is also a contentious issue as various stakeholders have different and often conflicting interests and perspectives. This study explores how IS researchers view journal review and publication process based on their professional status, institutional mission, and role orientation. It also investigates publication practices of IS researchers, such as frequency of article submissions, acceptance/rejection rates, number of revisions required before publication, and publication outlets.
Conditional mating strategies are contingent on return from investment

Gangestad & Simpson present an evolutionary functional analysis of mating strategies. This commentary interprets their argument using a central concept from life history theory, return from investment. Incorporating return from investment allows further specification of costs and benefits from short-term mating in women as well as men and in ecological settings of high environmental variation in mortality and resource availability.
Pharmacokinetic analysis of the effect of the ophylline on pulmonary function in asthmatic children

Previously published data of plasma concentrations and pharmacologic effects obtained after rapid intravenous injection and during constant rate intravenous infusion of theophylline in asthmatic children were analyzed pharmacokinetically to determine the relationship between effect on pulmonary function (improvement of forced expiratory volume in the first second) and drug level. The pharmacokinetics of distribution and elimination of theophylline are well described by a linear two-compartment open model consisting of a central and a tissue compartment. There is an essentially linear correlation between the intensity of effect and the logarithm of the amount of drug in the tissue compartment. This correlation exists both with decreasing and increasing drug concentrations, i.e., after intravenous injection and during intravenous infusion of theophylline.
The Last Sixty Years: Toward a Social History of Americanist Archeology in the United States

This paper provides an overview of the development of Americanist archeology in the United States. Since the 1920s, there have been two, and sometimes more, interpretive communities among Americanist archeologists in the United States. These reflect and are related to the development of U.S. society. One articulates the concerns of national capital and its allies; the other, the interests of international capital and its allies. They are grounded in different theoretical traditions. The discourses produced by their proponents resonate with particular world views that reflect different relations to power.
Magneto-Electric (ME) Effects in BiFeO3 Ferroelectromagnet

In this paper, a bulk BiFeO3 single phase ceramic has been fabricated by a rapid thermal processor (RTP) technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has revealed that the sample has high phase purity. The Magneto-Electric (ME) effects in this ferroelectromagnetic material are investigated by applying a higher voltage across the sample. The electric hysteresis data show the ferroelectricity of the sample and the magnetization measurement shows that the sample has weak ferromagnetism. The voltage between the two parallel surfaces across the sample with an applied magnetic field parallel or perpendicular to the surfaces, respectively, is measured and the results are discussed within the frame of thermodynamics theory and Minkowski space theory.
Quantification of Arterial Wall Inhomogeneity Size, Distribution, and Modulus Contrast Using FSI Numerical Pulse Wave Propagation

Abstract Changes in aortic wall material properties, such as stiffness, have been shown to accompany onset and progression of various cardiovascular pathologies. Pulse Wave velocity ( PWV ) and propagation along the aortic wall have been shown to depend on the wall stiffness ( i.e. stiffer the wall, higher the PWV ), and can potentially enhance the noninvasive diagnostic techniques. Conventional clinical methods involve a global examination of the pulse traveling between femoral and carotid arteries, to provide an average PWV estimate. Such methods may not prove effective in detecting focal wall changes as entailed by a range of cardiovascular diseases. A two-way-coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation study of pulse wave propagation along inhomogeneous aortas with focal stiffening and softening has previously proved the model reliable. In this study, simulations are performed in inhomogeneous aortic walls with hard inclusions of different numbers, size and modulus in order to further characterize the effects of focal hardening on pulse wave propagation. Spatio-temporal maps of the wall displacement were used to analyze the regional pulse wave propagations and velocities. The findings showed that the quantitative markers – such as PWV s and r 2 s on the pre-inclusion forward, reflected and post-inclusion waves, and the width of the standing wave – as well as qualitative markers – such as diffracted reflection zone versus single reflection wave – allow the successful and reliable distinction between the changes in inclusion numbers, size and modulus. Future studies are needed to incorporate the wall softening and physiologically-relevant wall inhomogeneities such as those seen in calcifications or aneurysms.
Nonlinear optical properties of colloidal quantum-dot composite materials with tailored organic coatings

Colloidal, "quantum-dot" semiconductormaterials, as exemplified by the sharp-cut yellow-red filter glasses which contain small (less than 100 A diameter) crystallites of cadmium sulfide and/or cadmium selenide, are of current interest because of the large near-resonant third-order nonlinear optical response they exhibit. Because these semiconductors are generally soluble only in inorganic media, such as silicate glasses, they have not been considered widely as candidates for inclusion in organic polymer waveguides. We report here the initial results of a continuing study in which very small colloidal particles of both cadmium sulfide and cadmium selenide (with crystallite diameters of typically 30-50 A) have been prepared by the reverse-micellar technique and then "capped" with a variety of organic reagents, using the methodology described several years ago by Brus and Steigerwa1d14. By varying the organic capping reagent, we find that we are able to produce significant variations in both the solublilty and the nonlinear optical response of the resulting composite materials. In particular, we find that the solubility of the particles in organic polymers such as PMMA and polycarbonate varies greatly with the nature of the capping reagent, with corresponding changes in the nonlinear refractive index of the composites. The feasibility of developing organic nonlinear optical waveguides based on this approach will be discussed.