cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of growth medium and cyclic AMP analogues on the cAMP-induced differentiation of F9 teratocarcinoma cells.

F9 teratocarcinoma cells differentiate into parietal endodermlike cells when treated with retinoic acid (RA) and cyclic AMP (cAMP). We have previously found that F9 cells can be induced to differentiate by treatment with cAMP in the absence of RA. In the course of determining why other investigators had failed to observe cAMP-induced differentiation, we found that the growth medium played an important role in determining the response of F9 cells to differentiating agents. When F9 cells were grown in minimal essential medium (MEM) and treated with either 8-bromo-cAMP (8BrcA) + 1-methyl, 3-isobutylxanthine (MIX), or dibutyryl cAMP (DBcA) + theophylline (T), they differentiated to parietal endodermlike cells without any requirement for exogenous RA. However, when F9 cells were grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DME), DBcA/T failed to induce differentiation alone and required exogenous RA to induce formation of parietal endoderm-like cells. 8BrcA/MIX alone was still able to induce some differentiation, although the extent was not as great as those cells grown in MEM. These results could not be explained by the different growth-promoting properties of the two culture media because there was no difference in the doubling time of F9 cells grown in either medium. Likewise, RA and cAMP both inhibited growth to the same extent in either medium. Inasmuch as almost all published reports on F9 cell differentiation have used DME as a growth medium, and RA with or without DBcA/T as the differentiating agents, these studies would not have had the appropriate conditions to detect the cAMP-induced differentiation of F9 cells.
Noncatalytic esterification of oleic acid in ethanol

Abstract We investigated the esterification of oleic acid with excess ethanol at sub- and supercritical reaction conditions (based on ethanol). This reaction can be used to make fatty acid ethyl esters, which are components of biodiesel fuel. The esterification proceeds smoothly with no added catalyst even at subcritical temperatures and pressures, which indicates that the more severe supercritical conditions are not required. Moreover, the reaction does not require a large excess of alcohol, and it can tolerate the presence of modest amounts of water in the feed stream. For the first time, the kinetics of noncatalytic ethyl esterification were determined. We report the forward and reverse rate constants at five different temperatures and the corresponding Arrhenius parameters.
Predictors of seizure onset after intracerebral hemorrhage and the role of long-term antiepileptic therapy.

Abstract Objective Seizures are a common complication after hemorrhagic stroke that may slow recovery and decrease quality of life. Recent evidence suggests that early- and late-onset seizures have distinct etiologies, rendering the role of prophylactic long-term antiepileptic drugs controversial. We investigated predictors of early- and late-onset seizures after evacuation of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in an attempt to guide antiepileptic drug management in this patient population. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 110 patients admitted to Columbia University Medical Center between 1999 and 2007 for ICH and subsequent clot evacuation. Patients were included if they had a head computed tomography indicating ICH, an operative note confirming surgical evacuation, and sufficient medical records to determine seizure status. Demographic, clinical, and radiographic findings were recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with early- and late-onset electrographic and clinical seizures. Results Seizures occurred in 41.8% of patients, 29.6% of which had clinical manifestations and 16.3% of which were recorded on continuous electroencephalogram (EEG). After controlling for demographic factors, multivariate analysis identified 3 factors that were predictive of early-onset seizures (volume of hemorrhage, presence of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and subdural hemorrhage) and 2 factors that were predictive of late onset seizures (subdural hemorrhage and increased admission international normalized ratio (INR)). Conclusions The presence of subdural hematoma and increased INR is predictive of late-onset seizures in patients undergoing clot evacuation after ICH. The use of long-term antiepileptic therapy should be further studied in patients with these radiographic and clinical characteristics.
Gender Differences in Privacy-Related Measures for Young Adult Facebook Users

ABSTRACTThis study examines gender differences in young adults’ privacy beliefs, their reactions to behavioral advertising, personal information-sharing behaviors, and privacy protection behaviors on social networks. This investigation uses a large-scale survey of college students based on a social networked sampling technique facilitated through a Facebook group. Results reveal several gender differences in these areas. Third-party data usage beyond the original purpose and behavioral advertising techniques are of concern to both genders but more to women. In addition, women engage in noticeably more proactive privacy protection behavior compared with a decade ago. The authors conclude with a discussion of implications for behavioral advertising.
Charcot arthropathy because of congenital insensitivity to pain in an adult.

Abstract Background Congenital insensitivity to pain is a rare disorder that can lead to neuropathic arthropathy of any joint including the spine. Most of the case reports in the literature are in the pediatric population. Purpose This case report emphasizes the importance of anterior and posterior fusion in patients with congenital insensitivity to pain. The patient was initially treated as if the deformity was postinfectious. Study designsetting The patient was treated in a university-based tertiary care center. Methods The patient underwent an anterior decompression and fusion with instrumentation that failed with ambulation. An anterior and posterior revision with instrumentation was then performed to stabilize the Charcot spine. Results The patient had an excellent final outcome. At 2 years postoperatively, he is solidly fused and back to his normal occupation. Conclusion Anterior and posterior fusion is essential in neuropathic spinal arthropathy. Congenital insensitivity to pain can manifest problems into adulthood.
Let's talk! speaking virtual counselor offers you a brief intervention

We developed a virtual counseling system which can deliver brief alcohol health interventions via a 3D anthropomorphic speech-enabled interface—a new field for spoken dialog interactions with intelligent virtual agents in the health domain. We present our spoken dialog system design and its evaluation. We developed our dialog system based on Markov decision processes framework and optimized it by using reinforcement learning algorithms with data we collected from real user interactions. The system begins to learn optimal dialog strategies for initiative selection and for the type of confirmations that it uses during the interaction. We compared the unoptimized system with the optimized system in terms of objective measures (e.g. task completion) and subjective measures (e.g. ease of use, future intention to use the system) and obtained positive results.
Market responses to asbestos in buildings

Asbestos materials in commercial buildings may produce losses to property owners long before asbestos poses any danger to occupants' health. Anticipated future costs of required removal and future demand reductions caused by frightened occupants may reduce present values and thus transactions prices. This empirical investigation seeks to determine the nature and extent of these valuation effects to date.
Photoacoustic FTIR spectroscopic study of undisturbed nacre from red abalone

Abstract In this work, photoacoustic Fourier transform infrared (PA-FTIR) spectroscopy has been utilized to study interfacial interactions of undisturbed nacre and nacre powder from red abalone shell. The spectra of both undisturbed nacre and nacre powder showed characteristic bands of aragonite and proteins. Although nacre powder and undisturbed nacre are chemically identical, PA-FTIR spectrum of undisturbed nacre is found to be significantly different from that of nacre powder. A broad and strong band is observed at around 1485 cm−1 in nacre powder. The intensity of this band is notably reduced in undisturbed nacre. This result is explained on the basis of interfacial interactions between aragonite platelets and acidic proteins. It is also observed that band at around 1788 cm−1 originates from three overlapping bands 1797, 1787 and 1778 cm−1. The band at around 1787 cm−1 is assigned to C O stretching of carboxylate groups of acidic proteins. The other two bands at 1797 and 1778 cm−1, originate from aragonite and have been assigned to combination bands, ν3 + ν4a and ν3 + ν4b, respectively. For the study of stratification in undisturbed nacre, PA-FTIR spectra have been collected in step scan mode. The variation in spectra with depth can be attributed to changes in conformation of proteins as well as interfacial interactions.
IBM'S Engineering Design System Support for VLSI Design and Verification

VLSI has fundamentally changed the relationship of the design automation tool developer and the product designer. IBM's design and verification subsystem responds to that change.
A classification of scientific visualization algorithms for massive threading

As the number of cores in processors increase and accelerator architectures are becoming more common, an ever greater number of threads is required to achieve full processor utilization. Our current parallel scientific visualization codes rely on partitioning data to achieve parallel processing, but this approach will not scale as we approach massive threading in which work is distributed in such a fine level that each thread is responsible for a minute portion of data. In this paper we characterize the challenges of refactoring our current visualization algorithms by considering the finest portion of work each performs and examining the domain of input data, overlaps of output domains, and interdependencies among work instances. We divide our visualization algorithms into eight categories, each containing algorithms with the same interdependencies. By focusing our research efforts to solving these categorial challenges rather than this legion of individual algorithms, we can make attainable advancement for extreme computing.
Frequency gradients during two different forms of fibrillation in the canine atria

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is thought to be sustained by multiple reentrant wavelets or firing foci. Objective The aim of this study was to compare the spectral domain characteristics in the left atrium (LA) and right atrium (RA) in two different models of AF. Methods Rectangular 8 × 14 electrode arrays were placed on the LA and RA of 14 anesthetized dogs. AF episodes were induced with burst pacing and aconitine in each dog. For each model, AF was induced from the RA in six dogs and from the LA in six dogs. Dominant frequencies (DFs) were obtained using the fast Fourier transform of the unipolar recordings obtained from each electrode of the array. Standard deviation (SD) was used to compute the frequency dispersion within an atrium. Regularity of the signal was quantified using an organization index (OI). Results DFs were largest in the atrium where aconitine was applied. Aconitine AF had larger gradients than burst-pacing AF (5.0 ± 4.5 vs. 0.9 ± 1.0 Hz: P P P Conclusions Differences in frequency gradients and organization were observed during AF induced by burst pacing and aconitine. This suggests that different mechanisms of AF are possible and may be identified with frequency domain analysis.
Cross-reactivity of antilymphocyte and antinuclear antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract Both antinuclear antibody (ANA) and antilymphocyte antibody (ALA) are prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This report presents data supporting cross-reactivity between these two antibodies. Differential absorption of SLE sera showed that chicken erythrocyte nuclei absorbed IgM ALA while intact human and chicken erythrocytes had no effect. RNase digestion of chicken nuclei fragments partially removed the ALA absorbing effect. Both IgM and IgG ANA were also absorbed by the chicken nuclei. Absorptions with intact human lymphocytes removed ALA activity and absorption with human mononuclear cells removed ANA activity. ALA and ANA were both found in PBS eluates from absorbed chicken nuclei, demonstrating specificity of nuclear absorption.
Biobanking and microRNA – small but with great dividend

Biobanking represents a critical resource for personalized translational medicine discovery. It is a great challenge to establish a high quality and comprehensive tissue biobank for cancer research. Many hospitals and clinical centers have large archival existing formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue depository in the pathology department along with rich history of clinical diagnosis and long term follow up information. This is an existing gold mine for biomarker discovery. Our laboratory has first systematically demonstrated that unlike coding mRNA, a class of non-coding RNA, microRNA (miRNA), is rather stable in FFPE specimens [1]. This discovery established the foundation of miRNA based biomarker discovery using archival FFPE specimens. The superior stability of miRNAs in archival FFPE, and serum samples provides ideal candidates for biomarker discovery using current tissue bank. Mounting evidence showed that post-transcriptional and translational controls mediated by various regulatory molecules, such as RNA binding proteins and miRNAs, are critically important in cancer. Research involved in the translational regulation of suspected genes in cancer has become a new frontier in recent years. Our laboratory was first discovered that a number of miRNAs were regulated by tumor suppressor p53 in colon cancer [2]. Such regulatory mechanism was important in regulating cell proliferation, cycle control and cell death [3]. To investigate the impact of miRNA in chemoresistance to fluoropyrimidines and antifolates, we discovered that miR-215 suppresses the expression of both thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase [4]. In addition, the expression of miR-215 was directly regulated by p53. The expression of miR-215 was significantly associated with colorectal cancer patient survival [5]. miR-140 modulates chemosensitivity by suppressing HDAC4 expression, and the levels of miR-140 and miR-215 were elevated in colon cancer stem cells [6]. Our recent studies have shown that miR-194 was directly involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition, a critical event for tumor progression and metastasis. The expression of BMI-1 protein was suppressed by miR-194 directly at the 3’-UTR region of BMI-1 mRNA [7]. Given the significant role of miRNAs in many aspects of tumor development such as proliferation, cell cycle control, invasion, EMT and maintained tumor stem cell phenotype, we remain hopeful that miRNA based therapeutics, diagnosis and prognosis may emerge in the near future to benefit patients.
Sorting of membrane components from endosomes and subsequent recycling to the cell surface occurs by a bulk flow process

A central question in the endocytic process concerns the mechanism for sorting of recycling components (such as transferrin or low density lipoprotein receptors) from lysosomally directed components; membrane-associated molecules including receptors are generally directed towards the recycling pathway while the luminal content of sorting endosomes, consisting of the acid-released ligands, are lysosomally targeted. However, it is not known whether recycling membrane receptors follow bulk membrane flow or if these proteins are actively sorted from lysosomally directed material because of specific protein sequences and/or structural features. Using quantitative fluorescence microscopy we have determined the endocytic route and kinetics of traffic of the bulk carrier, membrane lipids, to address this issue directly. We show that N-[N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)-epsilon-aminohexanoyl]- sphingosylphosphorylcholine (C6-NBD-SM) in endocytosed as bulk membrane, and it transits the endocytic system kinetically and morphologically identically to fluorescently labeled transferrin in a CHO cell line. With indistinguishable kinetics, the two labeled markers sort from lysosomally destined molecules in peripherally located sorting endosomes, accumulate in a peri-centriolar recycling compartment, and finally exit the cell. Other fluorescently labeled lipids, C6-NBD-phosphatidylcholine and galactosylceramide also traverse the same pathway. The constitutive nature of sorting of bulk membrane towards the recycling pathway and the lysosomal direction of fluid phase implies a geometric basis of sorting.
Discharge Inception by Particles near Insulator Surfaces: the Proximity Effect

The influence of isolated conducting particulates which are in proximity to dielectric interfaces was investigated theoretically and experimentally. Localized enhancement of applied electric fields were calculated including effects of particle shape, distance to dielectric interface, and permittivity. The results showed significantly greater field enhancement can occur when particles are within a distance of about one partile radius from the interface and are stronger the greater the dielectric discontinuity. Experimental studies revealed that the discharge inception voltage was reduced as particles were brought close to an interface, in correspondence to the increase in local field enhancement. The effect was confirmed for three dielectrics: polyethylene, Delrin, and epoxy in SF6 gas from 100 to 700 kPa.
Ligand binding and internalization by the rat hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor does not generate polyphosphoinositide derived second messengers.

Abstract Recent studies suggest that protein kinase C and, thus, possibly the rate of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis may regulate the function and distribution of the asialoglycoprotein (or galactosyl) receptor on isolated rat hepatocytes (Takahashi et al ., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1985, 126 , 1054; Fallon and Schwartz, J. Biol. Chem., 1986, 261 , 15081). We have studied the effects of asialoorosomucoid (ASOR) on the hydrolysis of [ 32 P]-inositol phospholipids in isolated rat hepatocytes. When internalization of ASOR is maximal at 310 molecules/cell/sec, there is neither a decrease in the amount of [ 32 P]-phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) nor an increase in [ 32 P]-phosphatidic acid (PA) up to 30 min after stimulation. On the other hand, 10 −6 M vasopressin, which was used as a positive control, caused a 35–40% decrease in the level of [ 32 P]-PIP 2 and a 70–80% increase in [ 32 P]-PA within 30 sec. Addition of orosomucoid or ASOR, even at concentrations 1000-times the K d , did not change the levels of any of the six phospholipids tested. Similarly, addition of ASOR did not increase the levels of soluble [ 3 H]-inositol phosphates, whereas vasopressin caused a 6-fold increase in [ 3 H] -inositol - 1, 4-diphosphate (IP2) and a 4-fold increase in [ 3 H] -inositol - 1, 4, 5-triphosphate (IP3) in isolated rat hepatocytes prelabeled with [ 3 H] -inositol. We conclude that the receptor mediated endocytosis of asialoglycoproteins by rat hepatocytes does not stimulate hydrolysis of the inositol phospholipids.
Thermal conductivity measurements of particulate materials: 5. Effect of bulk density and particle shape

[1] Thermal conductivities were measured with a line-heat source for three particulate materials with different particle shapes under low pressures of a carbon dioxide atmosphere and various bulk densities. Less than 2 μm kaolinite exhibited a general decrease in thermal conductivity with increasing bulk density. For the range of atmospheric pressures appropriate for Mars, a reduction in porosity of 24% decreased the thermal conductivity by 24%. Kaolinite manifests considerable anisotropy with respect to thermal conductivity. As the particles align the bulk thermal conductivity measured increasingly reflects the thermal conductivity of the short axis. When kyanite is crushed, it forms blady particles that will also tend to align with increasing bulk density. Without any intrinsic anisotropy, however, kyanite particles, like other particulates exhibit an increase in thermal conductivity with increasing bulk density. Under Martian atmospheric pressures, a reduction in porosity of 30% produces a 30% increase in thermal conductivity. Diatomaceous earth maintains a very low bulk density due to the highly irregular shape of the individual particles. A decrease in porosity of 17% produces an increase in thermal conductivity of 27%. The trends in thermal conductivity with bulk density, whether increasing or decreasing, are often not smooth. Whether oscillations in the trends presented in this paper and elsewhere have any physical significance or whether they are merely artifacts of the precision error is unclear. Clarification of this question may not be possible without higher-precision measurements from future laboratories and further development of theoretical modeling.
Task switching and response correspondence in the psychological refractory period paradigm

Three experiments examined the effects of task switching and response correspondence in a psychological refractory period paradigm. A letter task (vowel-consonant) and a digit task (odd-even) were combined to form 4 possible dual-task pairs in each trial: letter-letter, letter-digit, digit-digit, and digit-letter. Foreknowledge of task transition (repeat or switch) and task identity (letter or digit) was varied across experiments: no foreknowledge in Experiment 1, partial foreknowledge (task transition only) in Experiment 2, and full foreknowledge in Experiment 3. For all experiments, the switch cost for Task 2 was additive with stimulus onset asynchrony, and the response-correspondence effect for Task 2 was numerically smaller in the switch condition than in the repeat condition. These outcomes suggest that reconfiguration for Task 2 takes place after the central processing of Task 1 and that the crosstalk correspondence effect is due to response activation by way of stimulus-response associations.
ELISA to Quantify Triose Phosphate Isomerase to Potentially Determine Processing Adequacy in Ground Beef

Triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) was purified from bovine semimembranosus muscle using acetone precipitation, ammonium sulfate precipitation and cation exchange chormatography. Anti-TPI polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) were raised in rabbits. A sandwich ELISA with a limit of detection of 1 μg TPI/mL was developed using PAbs for capture and biotinylated PAbs for detection. Cross-reactivities of antibodies with other protein in beef muscle extracts and with TPI from different animal species were examined. TPI concentration and activity of ground beef decreased (P < 0.0001) as cooking temperature was increased from 48.9 to 76.7°C, suggesting that these assays might be used to monitor processing adequacy of beef products.
Stability of Concentrated Colloids: The Controlling Parameters

Abstract A theoretical framework has been developed for predicting and explaining the colloidal stability of concentrated dispersions. It is based on multiparticle interaction models for the electrical double layer (EDL) and van der Waals (vdW) interactions. An asymmetric cell model is used for estimating EDL interaction energy from the solution of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation. The unretarded vdW interaction energy is calculated via Hamaker's method, adopting the pairwise-additivity approach. Various dispersion parameters are investigated for their effects on the flocculation energy barrier. These include volume fraction, size, and surface potential of particles, as well as the ionic strength of the dispersing medium. The results show several new trends borne out of multiparticle interaction effects. A maximum in the energy barrier is predicted as a function of salinity, contrasting the monotonic dependence from the classical DLVO theory. This salinity dependence of the energy barrier provides the first comprehensive explanation of reported experimental findings on stability and rheological properties of concentrated dispersions. Other predictions include the occurrence of flocculation at a secondary minimum and the particle-size dependent variation of suspension stability with particle volume fraction.
Motor speech disorders associated with primary progressive aphasia

Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and conditions that overlap with it can be accompanied by motor speech disorders. Recognition and understanding of motor speech disorders can contribute to a fuller clinical understanding of PPA and its management as well as its localisation and underlying pathology.Aims: To review the types of motor speech disorders that may occur with PPA, its primary variants, and its overlap syndromes (progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome, corticobasal syndrome, motor neuron disease), as well as with primary progressive apraxia of speech.Main Contribution: The review should assist clinicians’ and researchers’ understanding of the relationship between motor speech disorders and PPA and its major variants. It also highlights the importance of recognising neurodegenerative apraxia of speech as a condition that can occur with little or no evidence of aphasia.Conclusion: Motor speech disorders can occur with PPA. Their recognition can contribute to clinical diagnosis and man...
Incubation of bovine PMNs with conditioned medium from BHV-1 infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells increases their susceptibility to Mannheimia haemolytica leukotoxin.

Abstract Active infection with bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) increases the susceptibility of cattle to secondary bacterial pneumonia with Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica A1. In the present study we found that bovine PMNs incubated with conditioned media from BHV-1 infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exhibited increased LFA-1 expression, enhanced LKT binding and increased LKT cytotoxicity. These effects were abrogated when the conditioned medium was pre-incubated with an anti-IL-1β Mab before being added to the PMNs. These findings suggest that BHV-1 infection, and the resulting release of IL-1β and perhaps other inflammatory cytokines, can stimulate activation of LFA-1 in bystander bovine PMNs, thus enhancing the binding and biological effects of LKT.
The number of dense arrangements

Abstract Consider arrangements of N elements of two kinds, A and B , such that any segment of length m contains at least k type A elements. We evaluate the number of such arrangements.
Status of the radiology job market, choosing the right career in radiology, and getting the right job: what does the resident need to know?

All radiology residents have a vested interest in obtaining a desirable postgraduate position. It seems intuitive that careful consideration, early in residency, of the options available and useful strategies in obtaining a position would benefit residents and lead to successful job searches. What are the available options? There are academic and private practice positions, but how much does a resident know about the differences between them? What are the strategies that have proved useful to diagnostic radiology residency graduates in obtaining desirable positions? There are no requirements by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to provide resident career counseling (1), but we believe this is an important function of the residency program. In an effort to develop guidelines for radiology resident career counseling, we surveyed our residency graduates to identify strategies that were useful to them in obtaining a postgraduate position in radiology, and we reviewed the literature regarding the current radiology job market and issues related to choosing a career in academic or private practice radiology. In November 1997, a survey was mailed to the 23 graduates of the 1993-1997 radiology residency program at the University of Wisconsin. Ten survey questions addressed the issues of when the residents started planning for fellowship and job placement, who advised them regarding this task, which strategies and sources were used in finding a position, and what helped them the most in their job search. Because the survey also addressed issues concerning satisfaction with other aspects of our residency program, the surveys were anonymous and respondents were told their responses would remain confidential. The surveys were coded such that respondents and nonrespondents could be identified by year of graduation. The most current published results of surveys of radiology residency graduates, program directors, chairmen, and hiring groups were reviewed to obtain information regarding the status of unemployment, starting salaries, fellowships, practice opportunities, and satisfaction of positions obtained. We also reviewed published reports regarding resident decisions to pursue academic versus private practice opportunities and the differences between the two. Last, we reviewed the literature regarding re
The effects of ultraviolet irradiation on a Baculovirus infecting Galleria mellonella

Abstract The nuclear-polyhedrosis virus ( Baculovirus ) of Galleria mellonella was inactivated by exposure to far ultraviolet radiation (2537 A) and to near ultraviolet radiation (3000–3800 A). Based on the dosage required for inactivation and the pattern of response, the mode of action of each type of radiation appears distinctive. The shape of the virus inactivation curve was found to depend on virus concentration, whereas the mode of action for each type of radiation was found to be constant.
On the effect of low-temperature seawater-basalt interaction on the distribution of sulfur in oceanic crust, layer 2

Abstract A detailed geochemical-petrological examination of layer 2 basalts recovered during Leg 37 of the DSDP has revealed that the original distribution, form and abundance of igneous sulfide have been profoundly altered during low-grade oxidative diagenesis. The net result appears to have been a rather pervasive remobilization of igneous sulfide to form secondary pyrite accompanied by a bulk loss of sulfur equivalent to about 50–60% of the original igneous value, assuming initial saturation. It is suggested that during infiltration of seawater into the massive crystal-line rock, igneous sulfide has experienced pervasive oxidation, under conditions of limited oxidation potential, to form a series of unstable, soluble sulfur species, primarily in the form of SO 3 2− and S 2 O 3 2− . Spontaneous decomposition of these intermediate compounds through disproportionation has resulted in partial reconstitution of the sulfur as secondary pyrite and the generation of SO 4 2− ion, which, due to its kinetic stability, has been lost from the basalt system and ultimately transferred to the ocean. This model not only satisfies the geochemical and petrological observations but also provides a suitable explanation for the highly variable δ 34 S values which characterize secondary sulfides in deep ocean floor basalts.
Evaluating the affect and reversibility of opioid-induced androgen deficiency in an orthopaedic animal fracture model.

Background Opioid pain medications are the basis for analgesia after orthopaedic injuries and procedures. However, opioids have many adverse effects, including opioid-induced androgen deficiency.
Perceptual Organization Based on Common Region in Infancy

We examined whether infants organize information according to the newly proposed principle of common region, which states that elements within a region are grouped together and separated from those of other regions. In Experiment 1, 6- to 7-month-olds exhibited sensitivity to regions by discriminating between the displacement of an element within a region versus across regions. In Experiments 2 (6- to 7-month-olds) and 3 (3- to 4-month-olds), infants who were habituated to 2 elements in each of 2 regions subsequently discriminated between a familiar and novel grouping in familiar and novel regions. Thus, infants as young as 3 to 4 months of age are not only sensitive to regions in visual images, but also use these regions to group elements in accord with the principle of common region. Because common region analysis is critical to such basic visual functions as figure-ground and object segregation, these results suggest that the organizational mechanism that underlies many vital visual functions is already operational by 3 to 4 months of age.
Simulation of Potential Oyster Density with Variable Freshwater Inflow (1965–2000) to the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, Southwest Florida, USA

Oyster beds are disappearing worldwide through a combination of over-harvesting, diseases, and salinity alterations in the coastal zone. Sensitivity of oysters to variable discharge and salinity is particularly acute in small sub-tropical estuaries subject to regulated freshwater releases. South Florida has sub-tropical estuaries where watershed flood control sometimes results in excessive freshwater inflow to estuaries during the wet season (May–Oct) and reduced discharge and increased salinities in the dry season (Nov–Apr). The potential to reserve freshwater accumulated during the wet season could offer the capacity to regulate freshwater at different temporal scales, thus optimizing salinity conditions for estuarine biota. The goal of this study was to use simulation modeling to explore the effects of freshwater inflows and salinity on adult oyster survival in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE) in southwest Florida. Water managers derived three different freshwater inflow scenarios for the CRE based on historical and modified watershed attributes for the time period of 1965–2000. Three different salinity time series were generated from the inflow scenarios at each of three sites in the lower CRE and used to conduct nine different oyster simulations. Overall, the predicted densities of adult oysters in the upstream site were 3–4 times greater in seasons that experienced reduced freshwater inflow (e.g., increased salinity) with oyster density in the lower estuary much less influenced by the inflows. Potential storage of freshwater reduced the frequency of extreme flows in the wet season and helped to maintain minimum inflow in the dry season near the estuarine mouth. Analyses of inflows indicated that discharges ranging from 0 to 1,500 cfs could promote favorable salinities of 10–25 in the lower CRE depending on wet versus dry season climatic conditions. This range of inflows is similar to that derived in other studies of the CRE and emphasizes the value of simulation models to help prescribe freshwater releases which benefit estuarine biota.
Short‐ and long‐term control of Vespula pensylvanica in Hawaii by fipronil baiting

BACKGROUND: The invasive western yellowjacket wasp, Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure), has significantly impacted the ecological integrity and human welfare of Hawaii. The goals of the present study were (1) to evaluate the immediate and long-term efficacy of a 0.1% fipronil chicken bait on V. pensylvanica populations in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, (2) to quantify gains in efficacy using the attractant heptyl butyrate in the bait stations and (3) to measure the benefits of this approach for minimizing non-target impacts to other arthropods. RESULTS: The 0.1% fipronil chicken bait reduced the abundance of V. pensylvanica by 95 ± 1.2% during the 3 months following treatment and maintained a population reduction of 60.9 ± 3.1% a year after treatment in the fipronil-treated sites when compared with chicken-only sites. The addition of heptyl butyrate to the bait stations significantly increased V. pensylvanica forager visitation and bait take and significantly reduced the non-target impacts of fipronil baiting. CONCLUSION: In this study, 0.1% fipronil chicken bait with the addition of heptyl butyrate was found to be an extremely effective large-scale management strategy and provided the first evidence of a wasp suppression program impacting Vepsula populations a year after treatment. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Assessment of Mathematical Concepts of Five-Year-Old Children.

An instrument, the Schwartz Early Mathematics Inventory (SEMI), was devised to assess, by means of group administration, the mathematical achievement of children ages 3 through 5. The data presented concern only the first stages of the process and deal only with 215 kindergartners. A reliability of . 94 was obtained on the eighty-one items administered on 64 pages. The mean for items correct 43. 2. The proportion of correct responses for various items ranged from . 85 to . 12. The children had satisfactorily acquired the physical and emotional attributes necessary for completing the inventory, namely, holding a pencil or crayon, turning pages, recording responses in designated areas, and maintaining satisfactory attention for the 12 to 28 minutes required for administering each of the three portions of the SEMI.
X-ray Induced Chromosome Aberrations in Normal Diploid Human Tissue Cultures

The aberrations in cultured epitheloid diploid human kidney cells after treatment with x rays are tabulated. Aberration counts were made on material fixed 42, 49, and 72 hours after treatment. Control material fixed at each interval was also examined. Two doses, 25 and 50 r, were used. (M. H. R.)
On the distribution of the state of a process at the moment of a quantal response

Abstract For the nonthreshold type stochastic models suitable for live situations involving a time-dependent quantal response process (see Puri [6, 8]), a simple method is presented for determining the distribution of the number of organisms at the response moment T. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by two live applications arising in the fields of Biology and Public Health.
290 DENERVATION OF PERIPHERAL OSMORECEPTORS AND LUNG RECEPTORS DOES NOT AFFECT PRODUCTION OF TRACHEAL FLUID IN FETAL SHEEP

290 DENERVATION OF PERIPHERAL OSMORECEPTORS AND LUNG RECEPTORS DOES NOT AFFECT PRODUCTION OF TRACHEAL FLUID IN FETAL SHEEP
Simulation analysis of evolutionary response of fish populations to size-selective harvesting with the use of an individual-based model

Abstract Many studies have been devoted to analyze data and/or discuss theory addressing the potential evolutive impacts of anthropogenic exploitation in fish populations. However, not many conclusions about the nature of long term changes in fish populations have been derived from wild population observations. Simulation models can help to identify factors that play important roles in the evolution of fish through genetic change. The objective of this paper is to present an individual-based model with a genetic component using parameters common to fish population dynamics. Such a model could help us gain insight in the impact of selective fishing mortality on the characteristics of the progeny through genetic based changes. The model deviates from quantitative genetics on its handling of trait inheritance. It also establishes a link between large scale population dynamic processes such as recruitment and the contribution of individual fish to the spawning stock biomass (SSB) and the resulting distribution of trait inheritance. The model uses parameter values for cod (Gadus morhua) from the literature to simulate four exploitation scenarios. The results indicate that smaller length-at-maturity, slower growth to smaller sizes and higher fecundity would be advantageous traits for adult survival under exploitation. However, the magnitude of such evolutive trend was very small with deterministic recruitment. Moreover, the effect of the selective forces determining the successful traits to be passed to the offspring was weakened even further under stochastic recruitment.
Predicting the natural drying of hay

Abstract The drying time required for hay to reach a safe moisture content for baling may often exceed the persistence of fair weather and rain may develop before a particular cutting can be put into storage. The decision as to whether the drying quality of the air over a given rain-free period is sufficient to remove the necessary amount of water has always been confounded by other factors such as the plant species being harvested, stage of plant growth, and the method of harvesting. Recent work in the hay drying area has shown that useful methods are available to predict hay drying time. The exponential drying rate exhibited by most hay material can be approximated by an exponential function of saturation vapor pressure deficit or accumulated latent evaporation. Comparisons of the various techniques of forecasting drying time were made with data gathered from fields of alfalfa—fescue, timothy—alfalfa, orchardgrass, bromegrass, and fescue. The tests showed the method of accumulated latent evaporation using appropriate crop constants provided the most accurate method of predicting drying time.
Pathogenesis and Disease Mechanisms of Occupational Asthma

Occupational asthma (OA) is one of the most common forms of work-related lung disease in all industrialized nations. The clinical management of patients with OA depends on an understanding of the multifactorial pathogenetic mechanisms that can contribute to this disease. This article discusses the various immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms and genetic susceptibility factors that drive the inflammatory processes of OA.
Valentin Silvestrov and the Echoes of Music History

In 1980 Soviet Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov began a series of “postludes,” a genre representing, in his words, a “collecting of echoes, a form opening not to the end, as is more usual, but to the beginning.” This article examines Silvestrov’s Symphony no. 5 (1980–82), and the theory, practice, and reception of his evolving “post” style. The symphony represents a unique congruence of modernism and postmodernism, nostalgia and continuity, expressed at the end of the Soviet Union, the end of the twentieth century, and what many believed to be the end of history. Completed near the conclusion of the Brezhnev period of stagnation, the symphony was intended to assuage the public’s acute dissatisfaction with life in the USSR. Yet when it was first heard in the mid-1980s, it offered a comforting familiarity amid the bewildering acceleration of perestroika. Examining Silvestrov’s “post” style requires considering the sociocultural impact of his sense of ending by treating his eschatology as a useful fiction that illuminates the conflicting sensations of stasis and acceleration during the last decades of the USSR. This article draws on interviews with Silvestrov and his close associates, as well as the Silvestrov Collection at the Paul Sacher Stiftung.
The Fundamental Thermal Niche of Adult Landlocked Striped Bass

Abstract Researchers have described the temperatures selected by landlocked striped bass Morone saxatilis in different locales throughout the USA. However, seasonally low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) in many systems prevented striped bass from using the cool waters (<22°C) they may have preferred. In Melton Hill Reservoir, a 92-km-long impoundment on the Clinch River in east Tennessee, 15 adult striped bass were tagged with temperature-sensing radio tags and tracked for an average of 418 d in 1999–2000. Cold, hypolimnetic discharges from an upstream dam and heated discharge from a steam-generating electric facility near the midpoint of this run-of-the-river reservoir provided a broad range of temperatures in most seasons, and hypoxic habitats were uncommon even during stratification. The mean temperature occupied by striped bass varied seasonally (repeated-measures analysis of variance, P < 0.0001) and was highest in summer (17.5°C), intermediate in spring and fall (15.4–16.9°C), and lowest in ...
Iran-Europe Relations: Challenges and Opportunities

Iran–Europe Relations: Challenges and Opportunities, Seyyed Hossein Mousavian, London: Routledge, 2008, ISBN 978-0-415-44756-0, 280pp. Written by Iran's former ambassador to Germany, Iran–Europe Re...
Multilayer perceptron equalizer for optical communication systems

Optical fibers are now widely used in communication systems, mainly because they offer faster data transmission speeds, compared to any other type of digital communication system. Despite this great advantage, problems remain that prevent the full exploitation of optical connection: by increasing transmission rates over longer distances, the data is affected by nonlinear inter-symbol interference caused by dispersion phenomena in the fiber. Adaptive equalizers can be used to compensate for the effects caused by nonlinear channel responses, restoring the signal originally transmitted. The present work proposes a multilayer perceptron equalizer based on artificial neural networks. The technique was validated using a simulated optical channel, and was compared with other adaptive equalization techniques.
Retinal damage by light in rats

The retina of laboratory rats is affected irreversibly by intense light applied for less than 1 hour or for up to 2 days depending upon experimental conditions. Exposure of unanesthetized and unrestrained animals was in chambers surrounded by a green filter and circular fluorescent lamps of a nominal brightness of 2,040 footlamberts. Eyes of anesthetized animals were exposed diffusely to either the light from a 100 to. zirconium arc passing through filters or monochromatic light of various icavelengths. Irreversible reduction in ERG amplitudes and degeneration of visual cells and pigment epithelium indicated the severity of the light damage. The effect was very dependent upon the body (eye) temperature during exposure. Hyperthermia greatly accelerated and intensified the damaging action of light and for this reason most experiments reported in this paper were performed at a high body temperature. At a body temperature around 104° F. severe damage teas produced with exposures to 5 to 10 iiw per square centimeter retina for 1 hour. The minimal damaging dose at a high temperature was estimated to be about 1 ixw per square centimeter. The action spectrum~of the daviaging effect approximated that of visual excitation as measured by the ERG. Hooded (pigmented) animals were no more affected than albinos of different strains. Recovery in the dark from a just subliminally damaging dose of light at a high body temperature required about 24 hours and was preceded by a period of time during ichich the retina was "sensitized" to an additional dose. During or following exposure to light at a high body temperature visual cell and pigmentepithelial_damage developedTabout simultaneouslu and was first indicated bit pyknosis Trncl cell swelling followed rapidly by the dissolution of nuclei and cytoplasm. The crucial reaction in producing the damage is considered a "dark-reaction" initiated by light of an -inte7isiiTj_ which bleaches measurably rhodopsin. Hypotheses on the reaction sequence which 'leads to damage are briefly discussed.
Nitric Oxide Emission and Soil Microbial Activities in Toluene Contaminated Soil

The purpose of this research is to consider a novel concept for measuring and monitoring (M&M) the presence and levels of contaminants in soil. Current M&M techniques include direct sensing for the target contaminant and the surrogate indicators of respired O2 and C O2 . The method suggested here is based on nitric oxide (NO). It is an alternative M&M method that could become quicker, easier, more reliable, and less expensive than the other M&M methods being used currently. NO emission from toluene contaminated soil and soil microbial activity were investigated to understand the NO-toluene-soil microbial relationships using fluorescent in situ hybridization molecular technique combined by enzymatic method. The relationships have been analyzed by the comparison of experimental measurements coming from analysis of variance statistical analysis, referring to toluene concentrations. Relationships between NO emissions and the microbial activity were significantly correlated (P<0.01) with the level of toluene c...