cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outdoor Path Labeling Using Polynomial Mahalanobis Distance

Autonomous robot navigation in outdoor environments remains a challenging and unsolved problem. A key issue is our ability to identify safe or navigable paths far enough ahead of the robot to allow smooth trajectories at acceptable speeds. Colour or texture-based labeling of safe path regions in image sequences is one way to achieve this far field prediction. A challenge for classifiers identifying path and nonpath regions is to make meaningful comparisons of feature vectors at pixels or over a window. Most simple distance metrics cannot use all the information available and therefore the resulting labeling does not tightly capture the visible path. We introduce a new Polynomial Mahalanobis Distance and demonstrate its ability to capture the properties of an initial positive path sample and produce accurate path segmentation with few outliers. Experiments show the method’s effectiveness for path segmentation in natural scenes using both colour and texture feature vectors. The new metric is compared with classifications based on Euclidean and standard Mahalanobis distance and produces superior results.
Studies on the Rate and Site-Specificity of P Element Transposition

A single genetically marked P element can be efficiently mobilized to insertionally mutagenize the Drosophila genome. We have investigated how the structure of the starting element and its location along the X chromosome influenced the rate and location of mutations recovered. The structure of two P[rosy+] elements strongly affected mobilization by the autonomous "Jumpstarter-1" element. Their average transposition rates differed more than 12-fold, while their initial chromosomal location had a smaller effect. The lethal and sterile mutations induced by mobilizing a P[rosy+] element from position 1F were compared with those identified previously using a P[neoR] element at position 9C. With one possible exception, insertion hotspots for one element were frequently also targets of the other transposon. These experiments suggested that the genomic location of a P element does not usually influence its target sites on nonhomologous chromosomes. During the course of these experiments, Y-linked insertions expressing rosy+ were recovered, suggesting that marked P elements can sometimes insert and function at heterochromatic sites.
Efficient extraction of bile acid conjugates with tetraheptylammonium chloride, a liquid ion exchanger

Ethyl acetate or chloroform solutions of tetraheptylammonium chloride, an oil-soluble quaternary amine, quantitatively extract polar, anionic lipids such as steroid or bile salt conjugates from aqueous solution by a process of anion exchange.
Path Planning and Workspace Determination for Robot-Assisted Insertion of Steerable Electrode Arrays for Cochlear Implant Surgery

In previous works, the authors showed that using robot-assisted steerable electrode array insertions can significantly reduce the insertion forces compared to non-steerable electrode arrays. In addition to steering the electrode array, it is possible to change its angle of approach with respect to the scala tympani. This paper focuses on determining the relevance of changing the angle of approach of the electrode array by comparing steerable electrode array insertions using a two Degrees-of-Freedom (DoF) robot versus a four DoF robot. Optimal insertion path planning strategies are presented for both two and four DoF insertions. Simulation results and experiments show that the four DoF insertions can improve over two DoF insertions. Moreover, changing the angle of approach can further reduce the insertion forces. The simulation results also provide the workspace requirements for designing a custom parallel robot for robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery.
Categories for barriers to adoption of instructional technologies

Although higher education has spent millions of dollars on instructional technologies, often higher education administration complains that instructors are not adopting them. Without a full understanding of possible barriers, higher education institutes are hard-pressed to develop either appropriate goals or sound strategies for the adoption of instructional technology. A review of the literature on barriers to instructor adoption found conflicting results, in which some issues present more of a barrier than others. These range from a lack of definition of successful adoption (how many adopting instructors are enough?) to inadequate or inappropriate professional development (meeting differing instructors' needs) to resistance (based on self-efficacy, beliefs in pedagogy, etc.). Five categories are described based on literature researched: technology, process, administration, environment, and faculty. Within each of these categories is a description, based on the literature, of each barrier. A fish-bone diagram displaying the categories and barriers within them is presented. This review of the literature provides a framework for further research in methods for minimizing the impact of each barrier. The framework of categories of barriers presented here provides institutions with a starting point to approach adoption of instructional technology with a plan to mitigate and minimize as many barriers as possible, giving adoption a better chance of success.
Cable access beyond the hype: on residential broadband data services over HFC networks

Current efforts in digital data transmission over hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks will provide an efficient data transport mechanism for the "last mile" to residential users and will enable a very large number of services to the home. Provision of these services requires a complete end-to-end network architecture that provides an efficient connection between the server and the end user. Thus, it is necessary for the currently isolated HFC islands to gradually evolve into an efficient, highly connected, high-speed network. In this article, the authors review HFC networks and establish that they provide a more attractive and promising solution than the alternatives for "last mile" connectivity to the home, such as telephone connections. A list of broadband services are listed that are enabled by the high-speed data capabilities of HFC networks, and the necessary end-to-end infrastructure to support these applications is described, as well as possible evolution and migration paths for developing these end-to-end network architectures.
Breakup of carbon nanotube flocs in microfluidic traps

The critical stress to break flocs of multiwalled-carbon nanotubes suspended in low-molecular-weight polymer fluid is measured in planar elongational flow. Through image analysis of aggregates and their fragments, the extension rate of the flow and the size and aspect ratio of the aggregates are measured in real time. While trapping an aggregate at the stagnation point of the device, the flow rate is increased continually and breaking events are recorded, establishing a correlation between aggregate size and the critical elongation stress for fragmentation sigma. This relationship resembles that for the breakup of flocs comprising spherical particles, yet it indicates that the strength of these fibrous flocs depends much more strongly on the local particle concentration. Fracture avalanches (or cascades) are also observed.
Tethering Dimers of Voltage Sensor Toxins can Selectively Amplify their Affinity for Kv Channels

Potent and selective modulators are needed to elucidate the individual roles of ion channel subtypes in physiological systems. Many cystine knot peptides derived from tarantula venom allosterically modulate voltage sensors of ion channels. Although tarantula peptides have varying affinities for different channels, all affect multiple subtypes. Theoretically, a peptide's selectivity between channel types could be amplified by summing binding energies, if a multimeric version of the peptide could bind multiple subunits simultaneously. We have amplified the inherent specificity of a voltage sensor peptide, guangxitoxin-1E (GxTX), by tethering two peptides together to form a dimer coupled by a flexible polyethylene glycol linker. We synthesized GxTX mutants functionalized with artificial amino acids for chemoselective coupling and tethered them with homobifunctional linkers using azide-alkyne cycloaddition chemistry. The GxTX dimers inhibited Kv2.1 with higher affinity than GxTX monomers. Similar to GxTX monomers, these tethered dimers shifted channel opening to positive voltages. Association rates were reduced for the GxTX dimers versus monomers, indicating that increased affinity for Kv2.1 channels was entirely due to the extremely slow dissociation of GxTX dimers. The strong voltage dependence of dimer dissociation was consistent with a two step binding model, where the kinetics of the second GxTX binding domain determines the amplification of affinity by the dimer. This mechanism predicts that dimerization will selectively amplify the affinity for channels with slow toxin dissociation rates. Experimentally, dimerization amplified GxTX specificity for Kv2.1 over other channel subtypes. We conclude that tethered multimers can increase the pharmacological selectivity of voltage sensor modulators.
Rigidity and primary motoneuron damage in tetanus.

Abstract This study presents evidence that rigidity in tetanus is associated with damaged spinal motoneurons. Local tetanus with severe hind-limb rigidity was produced by inoculating intramuscularly dogs with suprathreshold doses of tetanus toxin. Histological examinations 4–14 days after the onset of rigidity showed chromatolysis of as many as 16.6% of the normal motoneuronal population at L7. These chromatolytic neurons exhibit the same topographic arrangement as those rendered chromatolytic by cutting the lumbar ventral nerve roots. They are, therefore, motoneurons. Neurons in exclusively interneuronal loci were normal. The rigidity could neither be abolished nor prevented by deafferenting both hind limbs, nor by spinal cord transection at the level of T 13 vertebral body. In this respect, tetanal rigidity resembles the rigidity caused by spinal cord ischemia, but the lesion in spinal ischemic rigidity comes from damaged interneurons producing secondary structural alteration of motoneurons, while tetanal rigidity is associated with primary damage to motoneurons. An alternative to the hypothesis that a loss of synaptic transmission is the basis for rigidity in tetanus is suggested; viz., primary motoneuronal damage may produce the rigidity.
Constructivist Beliefs About the Science Classroom Learning Environment: Perspectives From Teachers, Administrators, Parents, Community Members, and Students

This study examines the perceptions of teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and high school students about the science learning environment. The participants were active members of a grant project aimed at creating community action teams. Varrella and Burry-Stock's (1997) Beliefs About Learning Environments (BALE) Instrument was used as a theoretical model for constructivist belief identification and comparison. Two primary questions were explored: (a) What are the beliefs of the teachers and other school community members about the science learning environment? and (b) How do these belief structures compare? Analysis of the BALE responses indicated that, although beliefs varied greatly, the administrators and teachers possessed the most constructivist beliefs. The authors suggest that identifying the beliefs of teachers, as well as those of the entire school community, is crucial. If the school community does not believe in (or understand) the recommendations, the chance for long-lasting reform is improbable.
Determinants of different types of medication non-adherence in cholesterol lowering and asthma maintenance medications: A theoretical approach

Abstract Objective To quantify and compare the determinants of different types of medication non-adherence in cholesterol lowering and asthma maintenance medications using a theoretical approach. Methods Study design was online cross sectional survey. A conceptual framework was developed using Andersen's Behavioral Model and Leventhal's Common Sense Model to understand the determinants of medication non-adherence. Regression analyses were used to test the models for predicting non-adherence. Results The models based on Andersen's Behavioral Model and Leventhal's Common Sense Model were significant. While predisposing factors such as treatment convenience and beliefs in medications were significant in cholesterol lowering medications, need factors such as illness perceptions and disease severity were significant in asthma maintenance medications. Among the enabling factors, self efficacy was a significant predictor in both cholesterol lowering and asthma maintenance medications. Conclusion Different determinants explained different types of non-adherence and suggest the need to consider different types of non-adherence for different medications as well as different determinants for each type of non-adherence. Practice implications Identifying determinants of different types of non-adherence can help health care professionals develop targeted interventions which can be more successful than the current model of single and generalized interventions to reduce non-adherence.
Penetration of Steinernematid nematodes (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) into Japanese beetle larvae, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract Penetration of infective juveniles of Steinernema glaseri and Steinernema carpocapsae into Japanese beetle larvae, Popillia japonica , was compared using external exposure and injection methods. Steinernematids entered the grubs through the mouth and anus, but not through the spiracles or cuticle. For all treatments, S. glaseri had higher levels of penetration than S. carpocapsae . Penetration of the gut by orally injected nematodes began 4-6 hr postinoculation. All regions of the gut were penetrated, with more than 82% of all penetrating nematodes invading the host hemocoel via the midgut. Gastric cecae were important sites for nematode penetration. Penetration sites of anally injected nematodes were the rectal sac of the hindgut. Penetration rates of isolated guts and that in vivo did not differ. Defecation by P. japonica was rapid, with orally injected nematodes appearing in the feces in 4-8 hr. Our results indicate that compared with S. glaseri, S. carpocapsae is poorly adapted to parasitize Japanese beetle larvae.
Exposure and Response Prevention and Habit Reversal Training: Commonalities, Differential Use, and Combined Applications

Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) have compulsive (i.e., anxiety reductive) and impulsive (i.e., driven by emotional or involuntary impulses) features. The best established psychological treatments for these disorders are behavioral/cognitive-behavioral in nature. More specifically, exposure and response prevention (ERP) (with or without cognitive therapy) and habit reversal training (HRT) are commonly indicated in the treatment of OCSDs. This paper reviews the use of various components of these therapeutic approaches to treat compulsive and impulsive symptomology in individuals with variants of these disorders. Specifically, ERP monotherapy for compulsive (e.g., obsessive-compulsive, body dysmorphic) and impulsive symptoms (e.g., tics, trichotillomania) is discussed as well as a combined treatment approach that integrates elements of ERP and HRT for individuals displaying mixed symptomology. A case example is also provided that illustrates the successful application of various components of ERP and HRT to treat OCSD symptoms. Lastly, other potential OCSD treatments are discussed.
Atresia of the Aortic Arch

A case report of a 16-year-old white girl is presented with the cardiovascular anomaly consisting of interruption of the aortic arch between the innominate artery and the left common carotid artery and distal to a right ligamentum arteriosum. This case is unique because the interruption of the aortic arch was not associated with intracardiac anomalies, a patent ductus arteriosus was not present, and the patient had minimal symptoms. This is the sixth reported attempt at surgical correction of interruption of the aortic arch and represents the fourth successful one.
Prevention Research at the National Institutes of Health

Abstract Prevention of disease and disability and preservation of health are compelling strategies that are endorsed by the public, health care providers, and researchers. Despite this general acceptance of the concept, the “devil is in the details.” What can and should be recommended with confidence to the public and health care providers regarding prevention and how can these recommendations be implemented? Prevention programs should be based on durable evidence of efficacy and should assure that the benefits of interventions and changes exceed the risks. The latter is particularly important for population-based primary prevention because many are influenced but fewer may benefit. Prevention research must provide the evidence of benefit and risk. The responsibility of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to develop the scientific basis for prevention and to train prevention scientists who are responsible for creating this science base. The interpretation and dissemination of information from research studies are important and necessary aspects to assure translation of the science into personal and public health practices. The components of prevention research are investigation of the factors that place individuals and groups at risk of disease and disability; trials of the interventions that can modify this risk; and testing the approaches that can effectively implement beneficial changes. NIH is committed to addressing these endeavors, and its individual Institutes and Centers support a broad portfolio of prevention research. This paper will provide an overview of NIH support, the functional relationships of prevention research within NIH, and background information that can be useful to those interested in research.
Economic effects of the comprehensive health plan in the U.S.

This paper uses a demographically enhanced dynamic Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) to study the effects of a comprehensive health plan (CHP) on consumer behavior in the U.S. The dynamic AIDS model, with myopic habit formation and demographic effects, is consistent with a two-stage budgeting concept and utility maximization [Blanciforti and Green, Review o f Economics and Statistics, 1983; Alessie and Kapteyn, Economic Journal, 1991; Pollak and Wales, Oxford University Press, 1992; Ray, Review of Economics and Statistics, 1980]. By Sheppard's Lemma, the derivatives of a well-behaved expenditure function with respect to prices give the following AIDS model:
Introductory Remarks: Genetic Models and Statistical Approaches

(1992). Introductory Remarks: Genetic Models and Statistical Approaches. Annals of Medicine: Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 375-377.
Primary Auditory Stream Segregation of Repeated Word Sequences

Primary auditory stream segregation, the perceptual segregation of acoustically related elements within a continuous auditory sequence into distinct spatial streams, prevents subjects from resolving the relative constituent order of repeated sequences of tones (Bregman & Campbell, 1971) or repeated sequences of consonant and vowel sounds (Lackner & Goldstein, 1974). To determine why primary auditory stream segregation does not interfere with the resolution of natural speech, 8 subjects were required to indicate the degree of stream segregation undergone by 24 repeated sequences of English monosyllables which varied in terms of the degrees of syntactic and intonational structure present. All sequences underwent primary auditory stream segregation to some extent but the amount of apparent spatial separation was less when syntactic and intonational structure was present.
Carnitine and derivatives in embryonic chick tissue.

Abstract 1. 1. Carnitine, acetylcarnitine and long-chain acylcarnitine concentrations were determined for heart, brain and liver of chick embryos during various stages of development. The total carnitine concentration was approximately the same in all three organs and showed only small variations during development. Acetylcarnitine was not detected in any organ until the 17th day of incubation and represented about 20% of the total carnitine in each organ on the day of hatch. Concentrations of long-chain acylcarnitine generally represented from 5 to 10% of the total carnitine in each case. 2. 2. The levels of carnitine acetyltransferase follow the increase in acetylcarnitine concentrations with development in the heart and liver. The enzyme activity in the yolk sac is localized in the yolk-sac membrane. The possibility that this yolk-sac enzyme may function in the transfer of fatty acyl groups from the yolk into the embryo is discussed. 3. 3. Perchloric acid extracts of chick embryonic tissues contained a substance which interferes with the assays for carnitine and acetylcarnitine. The interference was attributed to an inhibitor of the carnitine acetyltransferase reaction used in the assays. By careful adjustment of the concentration of tissue extract in the assay mixture, carnitine and acetylcarnitine were accurately determined in the presence of the inhibitor.
N-Terminal 112 amino acid residues are not required for the sialyltransferase activity of Photobacterium damsela α2,6-sialyltransferase

Photobacterium damsela α2,6-sialyltransferase was cloned as N- and C- His-tagged fusion proteins with different lengths (16–497 aa or 113–497 aa). Expression and activity assays indicated that the N-terminal 112 amino acid residues of the protein were not required for its α2,6-sialyltransferase activity. Among four truncated forms tested, N-His-tagged Δ15Pd2,6ST(N) containing 16–497 amino acid residues had the highest expression level. Similar to the Δ15Pd2,6ST(N), the shorter Δ112Pd2,6ST(N) was active in a wide pH range of 7.5–10.0. A divalent metal ion was not required for the sialyltransferase activity, and the addition of EDTA and dithiothreitol did not affect the activity significantly.
RAPID ASSESSMENT OF POULTRY FEED MICROBIAL QUALITY USING POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION DETECTION OF MICROBIAL RIBOSOMAL GENE SEQUENCES

Rapid assessment of microbial quality in poultry feeds is critical for detection of specific pathogens and to directly evaluate the effectiveness of potential antimicrobial compounds. This requires methodology that is not only rapid and sensitive but also representative of the diverse microflora present on poultry feeds. The objective of this study was to examine a PCR-based assay using conserved 16S rRNA ribosomal sequences to evaluate microbial quality in naturally contaminated poultry feed samples. When examined on gel electrophoresis, PCR assays yielded visible bands detectable in at least 1 replicate from 6 out of 8 poultry feed samples. Further methodology improvement may yield a consistent method for rapid determination of feed microbial diversity and feed quality assessment as a function of specific feed and feed ingredient microbial profiles.
New White Dwarfs in the Southern Hemisphere: Third List

1Thoday, J. M., and Reed, J., Nature, 160, 608 (1947). 2 Giles, N. H., Jr., and Riley, H. P., these PROCEEDINGS, 35, 640 (1949). 3 Giles, N. H., Jr., and Riley, H. P., Ibid., 36, 337 (1950). 4 Giles, N. H., Jr., and Beatty, A. V., Science, 112, 643 (1950). 5 Baker, W. K., and Sgourakis, E., these PROCEEDINGS, 36, 176 (1950). 6 Hayden, B., and Smith, L., Genetics, 34, 26 (1949). 7 Mains, E. B., J. Heredity, 40, 21 (1949). 8 Stadler, L. J., and Roman, H., Genetics, 33, 273 (1948). 9 McClintock, B., Ibid., 26, 234 (1941). 10 McClintock, B., these PROCEEDINGS, 28, 458 (1942).
Flowfield coupled excitation and radiation model for nonequilibrium reacting flows

A second-order method is developed to correct a radiative transfer analysis for possible local thermodynamic nonequilibrium (LTNE) effects. It uses a two-species excitation model for nitrogen with chemical raction rates obtained from the Kunc and Soon (1989) atomic transition method. A vibrational energy equation is added to calculate a third temperature, which describes the average vibrational energy state of all the diatomic species. A new diffusional model is developed to improve the calculation of the diffusional fluxes of mass and energy, and second-order radiative correction factors are developed for a two-step excitation model for atomic nitrogen. Radiation reaching the wall with the second-order LTNE model shows a greater IR-line contribution and less UV-line center absorption than the first-order one.
Effect of light metal ions on the sorption of heavy metal ions on natural polymers

Dried ground formaldehyde-treated peanut skins, white ash bark, and So. Wisconsin red maple bark are efficient substrates for removal of many heavy metal ions from waste streams, but possible interference by common light metal cations has never been determined. The influence of Ca2+, Mg2+, or Na+ on the removal of the heavy metal ions Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ by the above substrates was studied in both batch and packed-column experiments. It was found that Pb2+ and Cu2+ were minimally affected by the presence of these light metal ions in solution, while the uptake of Cd2+ and Zn2+ was significantly reduced. Calcium ion produced the greatest effect of the light metals tested.
Primary culture of normal adult rat liver cells which maintain stable urea cycle enzymes.

Abstract Normal adult rat liver cells have been successfully cultured as monolayers without subjecting donor animals to a partial hepatectomy before cell isolation. Coating plastic tissue culture dishes with acid soluble calf skin collagen increases the efficiency of cell attachment. Hepatocytes form a monolayer in 24 hr in serum-free L-15 medium although 10% fetal calf serum for 24 hr increases efficiency of attachment. In serum-free medium the mono-layer remains viable for at least one week without added insulin. Cultured cells maintain tyrosine transaminase and four of the five urea cycle enzymes at levels above or equal to freshly isolated cells for 72 hr. Adenylyl cyclase activities are maintained for at least 72 hr, and are stimulated by epinephrine, glucagon and fluoride. Tyrosine transaminase activity is increased in cultured cells by glucagon and dexamethasone, but urea cycle enzymes are not.
Time and the rivers flowing: Fluvial geomorphology since 1960

Fluvial geomorphology has been the largest single subdiscipline within geomorphology for many decades. Fluvial geomorphic expertise is integral to understanding and managing rivers and to developing strategies for sustainable development. This paper provides an overview of some of the significant advances in fluvial geomorphology between 1960 and 2010 with respect to: conceptual models; fluvial features and environments being studied; tools used by fluvial geomorphologists; geomorphic specialty groups within professional societies; journals in which fluvial geomorphic research is published; and textbooks of fluvial geomorphology. During this half century, fluvial geomorphology broadened considerably in scope, from a focus primarily on physical principles underlying process and form in lower gradient channels with limited grain size range, to a more integrative view of rivers as ecosystems with nonlinear behavior and great diversity of gradient, substrate composition, and grain size. The array of tools for making basic observations, analyzing data, and disseminating research results also expanded considerably during this period, as did the diversity of the fluvial geomorphic community.
Prediction of Summer Maximum and Minimum Temperature over the Central and Western United States: The Roles of Soil Moisture and Sea Surface Temperature

Abstract A statistical model based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to explore climatic associations and predictability of June–August (JJA) maximum and minimum surface air temperatures (Tmax and Tmin) as well as the frequency of Tmax daily extremes (Tmax90) in the central and western United States (west of 90°W). Explanatory variables are monthly and seasonal Pacific Ocean SST (PSST) and the Climate Division Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) during 1950–2001. Although there is a positive correlation between Tmax and Tmin, the two variables exhibit somewhat different patterns and dynamics. Both exhibit their lowest levels of variability in summer, but that of Tmax is greater than Tmin. The predictability of Tmax is mainly associated with local effects related to previous soil moisture conditions at short range (one month to one season), with PSST providing a secondary influence. Predictability of Tmin is more strongly influenced by large-scale (PSST) patterns, with PDSI acting as a shor...
The KM-MCDM interface in decision design: tradeoffs-free conflict dissolution

Concepts of decision design are introduced via Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), Knowledge Management (KM) and optimisation. Decision-making conflict is defined as the absence of a prominent tradeoffs-free alternative. Because tradeoffs are properties of alternatives (the measured) and not of criteria (the measures), designing an optimal decision involves designing a tradeoffs-free alternative (or its proxy). Decision-making process becomes more important than its outcome: high-quality process assures high-quality outcome, not vice versa. A merger of MCDM and KM into an integrated decision support is outlined. Process-based MCDM paradigm emerges: decision making is neither art nor science ? but knowledge-based skill or practice.
Association of the CHRNA4 neuronal nicotinic receptor subunit gene with frequency of binge drinking in young adults.

Background: Binge drinking is responsible for over half of all alcohol-related deaths and results in significant health and economic costs to individuals and society. Knowledge of genetic aspects of this behavior, particularly as it emerges in young adulthood, could lead to improved treatment and prevention programs. Methods: We have focused on the association of variation in neuronal nicotinic receptor subunit genes (CHRNs) in a cohort of 702 Hispanic and non-Hispanic White young adults who are part of the Social and Emotional Contexts of Adolescent Smoking Patterns (SECASP) study. Fifty-five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the variation in 5 CHRNs (CHRNA4, CHRNB2, CHRNA2, CHRNB3A6, and CHRNA5A3B4 )w ere studied. Results: Frequency of binge drinking and other correlated alcohol consumption measures were significantly associated with SNPs in CHRNA4 (p-values ranged from 0.0003 to 0.02), but not with SNPs in other CHRNs. This association was independent of smoking status in our cohort. Conclusions: Variants in CHRNA4 may contribute to risk of binge drinking in young adults in this cohort. Results will need to be confirmed in independent samples.
Residence time distributions and basic studies of flow and melting in a modular Buss Kneader

Experimental studies of residence time distribution, fill factor, temperature, and melting profiles of thermoplastic resins are presented. Residence time distributions were determined as a function of throughput and screw speed. The melting of polypropylene and low density polyethylene in the entrance region was investigated. Fill factor and temperature profiles are reported.
Phorbol Ester-induced Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells via Autocrine Activation of the Extrinsic Apoptotic Cascade A KEY ROLE FOR PROTEIN KINASE Cδ

It is well established that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol esters promotes apoptosis in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells. However, there is limited information regarding the cellular mechanisms involved in this effect. In this report we identified a novel autocrine pro-apoptotic loop triggered by PKCδ activation in prostate cancer cells that is mediated by death receptor ligands. The apoptotic effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in LNCaP cells was impaired by inhibition or depletion of tumor necrosis factor alpha-converting enzyme, the enzyme responsible for tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) shedding. Moreover, the apoptogenic effect of conditioned medium collected after phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment could be inhibited by blocking antibodies against TNFα and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), but not FasL, as well as by RNA interference depletion of TNFα and TRAIL receptors. Moreover, depletion or inhibition of death receptor downstream effectors, including caspase-8, FADD, p38 MAPK, and JNK, significantly reduced the apoptogenic effect of the conditioned medium. PKCδ played a major role in this autocrine loop, both in the secretion of autocrine factors as well as a downstream effector. Taken together, our results demonstrate that activation of PKCδ in prostate cancer cells causes apoptosis via the release of death receptor ligands and the activation of the extrinsic apoptotic cascade.
Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients With Depression Have Low Blood Cell Membrane Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels

Objective To determine the extent to which levels of membrane eicosapentaenoic (EPA)+docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) (the omega-3 index) were associated with depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Depression is associated with worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with ACS. Reduced levels of blood cell membrane omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (FAs), an emerging risk factor for both CV disease and depression, may help to explain the link between depression and adverse CV outcomes.
Specialized appendages on spermatia from the red alga aglaothamnion neglectum (ceramiales, ceramiaceae) specifically bind with trichogynes¹

Spermatia from Aglaothamnion neglectum Feldmann-Mazoyer specifically bind with trichogynes and hairs of female thalli, One of the functions of hairs on female thalli appears to be the catching of spermatia. Fertilization can occur if a spermatium binds first with a hair and then binds with a trichogyne. The binding of spermatia with trichogynes is not species specific, but only occurs beween closely related species. Spermatia have fimbriate coneshaped appendages projecting from each end that are responsible for initial binding with trichogynes.
Nicotinic depolarization of optic nerve terminals augments synaptic transmission

The role of acetylcholine (ACh) as the neurotransmitter at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction has served as a model in the study of synaptic physiology throughout the nervous system, but its function in the brain has remained obscure. Nicotinic ACh receptors are found on afferent nerve terminals in several regions of vertebrate brain, and nicotinic agonists can cause transmitter release (as measured biochemically). Yet there is no direct evidence that activation of these receptors modulates synaptic function. Here I report that nicotinic agonists directly depolarize optic nerve terminals in goldfish tectum recorded via sucrose gap and simultaneously enhance synaptic transmission recorded via tectal field potentials. I also show that a recurrent cholinergic circuit in tectum, acting on these terminals, initiates antidromic impulses that cause repeated transmission at the retinotectal synapses.
Hydrophobicity maps of the N-peptide coiled coil of HIV-1 gp41

Blocking HIV-1 viral entry into the host cell offers a promising new strategy for interfering with the HIV-1 life cycle. A major target of inhibitor design is to prevent binding of fusogenic gp41 C-peptides to the trimeric coiled coil of fusion-active N-peptides. Here, we map the hydrophobic character of the binding surface of the IQN17 peptide, a soluble analogue of the N-peptide coiled coil. The local binding affinity for a hydrophobic probe is determined by three methods: a hydrophobic force field, and molecular dynamics in solution analyzed by test particle insertion and inhomogeneous information theory. The regions of highest calculated hydrophobicity overlap with the positions of the hydrophobic anchor residues of the native C-peptides, and of two known inhibitors. Additional binding sites not exploited by these inhibitors are identified, and modifications for enhancing their binding affinity are suggested.
The production of cysteinesulfinic acid from cysteine in vitro.

Abstract The synthesis of cysteinesulfinic acid from cysteine by the 105000 × g supernatant of rat liver is described. A method for 5- to 10-fold purification of the activity is presented. Properties of the activity according to cysteine and cysteinesulfinic acid concentrations, pH, time of incubation and use of cystine as a substrate are examined. The variation of cysteinesulfinic acid production by individual rat livers is demonstrated and shown to be related to the metabolism of cysteinesulfinic acid. Activity is demonstrated only in the 105000 × g supernatant of liver and cannot be shown to be present in any fraction (or combination of fractions) of heart, kidney, spleen or brain.
Intravital imaging of cell movement in tumours

Metastasis is the cause of death for patients with many types of cancer, but the process of tumour cell dissemination is poorly understood. As primary tumours are three-dimensional, departure of cells from primary tumours has been difficult to study. Multiphoton microscopy has been developed for in vivo imaging and, using this technique, we are beginning to understand how invasive tumour cells move.
Sustained generation of tissue dendritic cells from cats using organ stromal cell cultures

Currently most dendritic cells (DC) for in vitro study are generated from bone marrow or peripheral blood by culture in high concentrations of GM-CSF and other cytokines. However, in mice it is also possible to generate DC from spleen cells using long-term stromal cell cultures. To determine whether tissue DC could be also be generated from cats, we established stromal cell cultures from a number of different tissues of newborn cats. We found that stromal cell cultures from spleen, lung, liver, kidney, brain, and lymph node tissues were all capable of spontaneously generating DC over long periods of time (months), without requiring the addition of exogenous cytokines. The tissue DC generated from these stromal cell cultures could be readily isolated at high purity by simple mechanical detachment. The feline tissue DC expressed high levels of CD11c, CD11b, and MHC Class II and variable levels of CD80 and CD14 and exhibited high levels of spontaneous macropinocytosis. Moreover, DC from spleen stromal cell cultures, but not DC from lung or liver stromal cell cultures, stimulated mixed-lymphocyte reactions. The DC generated from the stromal cell cultures were relatively independent of GM-CSF for survival and proliferation, indicative of a dependence on other growth factors produced by the stromal cells. These results suggest that tissues of young cats contain a population of resident DC progenitor cells that under appropriate conditions are capable of spontaneous proliferation and generation of immature DC.
Esca studies of polyurethanes: blood platelet activation in relation to surface composition

Abstract Segmented polyurethanes (SPU) were synthesized with polyethylene oxide (PEO), polypropylene oxide, or polytetramethylene oxide as the “soft segment,” from the respective polyether diols, of which molecular weight varied from 600 to 2000. The “hard segment” was created from ethylene diamine and tolylene diisocyanate or 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate. Platelet activation was assessed using columns packed with beads coated with each of the SPU by solutions from which the solvent was subsequently evaporated. Citrated whole human blood was passed through the columns and the platelet count in aliquots leaving the columns was compared with the platelet count in blood that had not contacted the column surface. By this method the fraction of platelets retained in the column averaged for several donors, ρ, was determined. In parallel experiments, SPU surfaces formed under identical conditions by evaporation of solvent were examined by X-ray electron spectroscopy for carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen content of the surface. The carbon C1s spectra proved to be particularly useful, when analyzed for the components with peaks respectively at 286 eV (carbon not bonded to an ether oxygen) and at 288 eV (carbon bonded to an ether oxygen). The platelet retention index ρ was found to increase nearly linearly with the ratio of the 286-eV intensity to the 288-eV intensity, and extrapolated to nearly zero for zero value of the intensity ratio, which would correspond to amorphous PEO, suggesting that if a surface were only amorphous PEO it would be remarkably inactive toward platelets. In contrast, nitrogen spectra show no systematic relationship with ρ.
Enthalpy Increment Measurements for NaCl(cr) and KBr(cr) from 4.5 K to 350 K. Thermodynamic Properties of the NaCl + H2O System. 3†

Enthalpy increments for sodium chloride and potassium bromide were measured from 4.5 K to 350 K with an adiabatic calorimeter. These measurements were combined with other selected values from the literature to generate models that represented the thermal properties of crystalline sodium chloride and potassium bromide to the melting points. The entropy, enthalpy relative to 0 K, and the heat capacity of sodium chloride and potassium bromide were calculated from these models. The new measurements and models were compared to previous measurements of the thermodynamic properties of crystalline sodium chloride and potassium bromide. Additionally, the equation for the thermodynamic properties of copper given by Martin (Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1987, 58, 639), which is useful for calibration of calorimeters for temperatures below 310 K, was adjusted for the difference of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 from the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968.
Recovery from a near-lethal exposure to ultraviolet-C radiation in a scleractinian coral

Hermatypic (reef building) corals live in an environment characterized by high ambient levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Photoadaptive mechanisms have evolved to protect the sensitive cell structures of the host coral and their photosynthetic, endosymbiotic zooxanthellae. Environmental stressors may destabilize the coral-zooxanthellae system resulting in the expulsion of zooxanthellae and/or loss of photosynthetic pigment within zooxanthellae, causing a condition known as bleaching. It is estimated that 1% of the world's coral population is lost yearly, partly due to bleaching. Despite intensive research efforts, a single unified mechanism cannot explain this phenomenon. Although UVA and UVB cellular damage is well documented, UVC damage is rarely reported due to its almost complete absorption in the stratosphere. A small scale coral propagation system at the University of Maine was accidentally exposed to 15.5h of UVC radiation (253.7 nm) from a G15T8 germicidal lamp, resulting in a cumulative surface irradiance of 8.39 x 10(4) J m(-2). An experiment was designed to monitor the progression of UVC induced damage. Branch sections from affected scleractinian corals, Acropora yongei and Acropora formosa were submitted to histopathology to provide an historical record of tissue response. The death of gastrodermal cells and necrosis resulted in the release of intracellular zooxanthellae into the gastrovascular canals. Zooxanthellae were also injured as evidenced by pale coloration, increased vacuolization and loss of membrane integrity. The recovery of damaged coral tissue likely proceeds by re-epithelialization and zooxanthellae repopulation of gastrodermal cells by adjacent healthy tissue.
Semiconductor packages for automotive applications

Automotive Electronics Revolutions in automotive technology have been driven by two motivations; maximizing comfort and fun, and “zeronizing” accidents and eco-hazards.[1] Recent resource-conservation move has promoted applications of electronic technology for better gas utilization. Many mechanical parts have been replaced by semiconductor devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and electric motors to make vehicles safer, more comfortable and eco-friendly. Numbers of electronic control units (ECUs), MEMS and electric motors used in a vehicle have reached 100 to 130 pieces now. Downward trend of MEMS costs has also boosted the adoption of MEMS for vehicles.
31 Association of Medical Injury and Mortality During Congenital Heart Surgery Admissions

Background Despite complexity of care and high death risk, there has been no broad assessment of medical injury rates or its association with mortality following congenital heart surgery. Our objectives were to examine the rate of medical injuries and he independent effect of medical injuries on risk-adjusted mortality during congenital heart surgery admissions.
Thyroid Hormone Use in Patients With Breast Cancer: Absence of an Association

IN 1976, Kapdi and Wolfe 1 reported that among women undergoing mammography, the prevalence of breast cancer was higher among those who had received thyroid hormone therapy than among those who did not. A reanalysis of the published data 2 showed that breast cancer frequency correlated with increasing age, and that within each group there was no clear-cut relationship with the presence or duration of thyroid hormone therapy. In a companion article, the American Thyroid Association 3 reviewed the biological and statistical evidence for a role of thyroid hormone therapy in the cause and pathogenesis of breast cancer. They found the evidence for this relationship tenuous, and recommended that patients taking thyroid hormones for well-established indications continue to take their medications. In a case-control study testing menstrual and reproductive hypotheses relating to breast cancer risk at the University of Iowa, we have collected information concerning the use and duration of
Infant death among Ohio resident infants born at 32 to 41 weeks of gestation

Objective The aim of this study was to determine gestational age-specific, adjusted infant mortality rates for Ohio. Study Design Using a retrospective cohort design, all births and infant deaths from 2003–2005 were included in multivariable regression analyses. Variations in cause and timing of infant death were determined. Results Compared with births at 39 or 40 weeks, adjusted likelihood of infant death increased progressively between 38–32 weeks' gestational age. At later gestational ages, death was more likely caused by sudden infant death syndrome or intentional injury compared with congenital malformations and asphyxia or cerebral palsy at earlier gestational ages. Less mature infants tended to die earlier. Conclusion The current study confirms for Ohio and extends the findings of others that infant mortality risk is increased for births at late preterm and near-term gestational ages. Decisions to deliver before 39 weeks should consider increased likelihood of infant death that may be unrelated to fetal malformations or maternal illness.
An Improved Process for the Production of Rabeprazole Sodium Substantially Free from the Impurities

The present work details the journey towards development of a simple and cost-viable process for large-scale synthesis of rabeprazole sodium substantially free from the impurities. The detailed study of different parameters affecting the quality and yield percentage of the compound has been presented. Yield is increased from 40% (reported process) to 75% with the improved process at sulfoxidation stage.
Phenomenology of minimal SU(5) unification with dynamical supersymmetry breaking.

We consider the constraints from proton decay and $b$-$\tau$ unification in the minimal supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified theory with a `visible' dynamical supersymmetry breaking sector. We show how the presence of vector-like messenger fields and the constrained superparticle mass spectrum affect the phenomenology of the model. We include the messenger fields in our renormalization group analysis between the messenger scale ($\sim 100$ TeV) and the GUT scale. We show that the simplest model of this type, a minimal SU(5) GUT with an additional {\bf 5}+\bfbar{5} of messenger fields is excluded by the constraints from proton decay and $b$-$\tau$ unification.