cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interplay of rumor propagation and clarification on social media during crisis events - A game-theoretic approach

Abstract For a rapid dissemination of information during crisis events, official agencies and disaster relief organizations have been utilizing social media platforms, which are susceptible to rumor propagation. To minimize the impact of rumors with limited time and resources, the agencies and social media companies not only need to wisely choose the cases to clarify amongst the numerous cases, but they should also make an informed decision on the timing of clarification. Reacting fast can be misjudged as an obvious best policy as partial/imprecise information may fail to contain the impact of the rumors. On the other hand, investment in terms of time, effort, and money to clarify with more complete information also allows the rumors to spread with their full force during the learning phase, thereby making the process of decision-making very challenging. The objective of this paper is to determine the optimal strategies for the official agencies and social media companies by developing two novel sequential game-theoretic models, namely “Rumor Selection for Clarification” and “Learning for Rumor Clarification”, that can help decide which rumor to clarify and when to clarify, respectively. Results from this study indicate that posting verified information on social media reduces the uncertainties involved in rumor transmission, thereby enabling social media users to make informed decisions on whether to support or oppose the rumor being circulated. This verification needs to be obtained within reasonable limits of time and cost to keep the learning process worthwhile.
Alfred Tennyson: The Critical Legacy

Alfred Tennyson: The Critical Legacy' explores the critics' reaction to the work of the nineteenth-century English poet most closely associated with the Victorian era. Perhaps more than any other Victorian poet, Tennyson's reputation has waxed and waned in the century since his death. He has been alternatively sanctified and vilified for his choice of subject matter, social outlook, morality, or techniques of versification. His reputation has weathered even the most vitriolic attempts to discredit both the man and his writings; and as criticism of the late twentieth century demonstrates, Tennyson's claim to pre-eminence among the Victorians is now unchallenged. Laurence Mazzeno begins this narrative analysis of Tennyson criticism with an look at how Tennyson was regarded by his contemporaries, before launching a detailed examination of twentieth-century criticism. A chapter is devoted to the period immediately following Tennyson's death, when a generation of post-Victorians reacted violently against what they considered his sappy sentimentalism, cloying moralism, and insensitive jingoism. Subsequent chapters describe how critics resurrected Tennyson, highlighting both his technical mastery and his social criticism. Special attention is given to major biographers and critics such as Harold Nicolson, the poet's grandson Sir Charles Tennyson, Jerome Buckley, R. B. Martin, Michael Thorn, and Peter Levi. A final chapter focuses on the ways Tennyson and his work have been addressed by poststructuralist critics. Throughout the study, Mazzeno demonstrates that the critics' reaction to Tennyson reveals as much about themselves and the critical prejudices of their own times as it does about the Victorian Laureate and his poetry. Laurence W. Mazzeno is president emeritus of Alvernia College, Reading, Pennsylvania.
The Tragedy of Mars Observer

Abstract The Mars Observer project was conceived by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the early 1980's as the first of a series of missions that would utilize commercially available earth orbital spacecraft adapted for deep space use. The spacecraft failed catastrophically on August 22, 1993, three days before reaching Mars. Subsequent failure investigations suggested a number of programmatic and technical flaws that may, or may not have contributed to the failure. NASA developed an action plan that called for significant programmatic and technical process changes to current and future projects to avoid additional tragedies like Mars Observer. This paper addresses the potential programmatic and technical flaws in the project, the lessons learned, and the changes that NASA applied to implement the lessons learned.
Epidermal Growth Factor Concentrations in Growth Hormone-Deficient Children

Urinary epidermal growth factor/creatinine (EGF/Cr) excretion increases after prolonged therapy with 0.09 to 0.1 mg/kg body weight/week pituitary-derived growth hormone (GH) given 3 times weekly to GH-deficient children. We studied the short term and 1-month effects of 0.3 mg/kg/week of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administered either daily (n=12, 0.043 mg/kg/day) or 3 times weekly (n=7, 0.1 mg/kg/day) on plasma and urinary EGF/Cr excretion in newly diagnosed GH-deficient children (all male, mean age 12.8 ± 3.3 years). Total 24-hour urinary EGF/Cr excretion was greater immediately after a single dose of rhGH 0.1 mg/kg compared with that after a single dose of 0.043 mg/kg (195.6 ± 27.4ng EGF/mg Cr vs 138.9 ± 10.2 ng/mg, respectively, p = 0.04). After 1 month, total 24-hour urinary EGF/Cr excretion of the daily group increased from 138.9 ± 10.2 ng/mg initially to 225.8 ± 38.8 ng/mg (p=0.03), and was virtually identical to that of the 1-month 3-times-weekly 24-hour excretion (216.9 ± 38.7 ng/mg). During a 24-hour period, urinary EGF excretion varied with rhGH dose, time and duration of therapy. Plasma EGF concentrations did not change after 1 month of either daily (1.6 ±0.1 ng/ml vs1.3 ± 0.2 pretreatment) or 3-times-weekly ( 1.3 ± 0.4 ng/ml vs1.1 ± 0.2 pretreatment) rhGH. We conclude that urinary EGF/Cr but not plasma EGF concentrations increase as a function of both rhGH dosage and duration of treatment in children with GH deficiency.
Improving DES hardware throughput for short operations

A symmetric key cryptographic method is provided for short operations. The method includes batching a plurality of operation parameters (1503), and performing an operation according to a corresponding operation parameter (1505). The symmetric key cryptographic method is a Data Encryption Standard (DES) method. The short operations can be less than about 80 bytes. The short operations can be between 8 and 80 bytes. The method includes reading the batched parameters from a dynamic random access memory (1504), and transmitting each operation through a DES engine according to the operations parameter (1505).
Quasi-periodic oscillations

A brief review is given of the models that have recently been proposed to explain the high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations observed in several bright low-mass X-Ray binaries. We do not yet know what causes the oscillations, not even whether they are magnetospheric in origin. However, some proposed ideas could well be relevant to the various rather complex aspects of the oscillations. It is likely that more than one mechanism is at work.
ORIGIN OF PROTOTROPHIC VARIANTS IN MIXTURES OF AUXOTROPHIC MUTANTS OF SERRATIA MARCESCENS

Abstract Dushman, Mariam B. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge). Origin of prototrophic variants in mixtures of auxotrophic mutants of Serratia marcescens. J. Bacteriol. 86:1173–1181. 1963.—The mechanism whereby mixed cultures of Serratia marcescens auxotrophs gave rise to prototrophs was shown not to be a genetic exchange by mating, since cell-to-cell contact was not required for the formation of new types. New types arose when the two “parental” strains were not mixed; they were kept separate by means of a Millipore membrane filter. In mixed cultures on media selective for new cell types, these new types arose as a result of reversions in one strain, the apparent recipient, during residual growth promoted by materials excreted by the other strain, the apparent donor or “feeder.” Strains bearing one reverting and one nonreverting marker gave rise only to those types that could be accounted for by reversion. Ultraviolet irradiation of the feeder strain increased the frequency of formation of new types; streptomycin treatment of a streptomycin-sensitive feeder, even starting several hours after the onset of mixed cultivation, prevented the formation of apparent recombinants.
Evaluation and design optimization of piezoresistive gauge factor of thick-film resistors

On the basis of the analysis of all the thick-film design methodologies, the authors designed a test sample on which four different length-over-width ratios of resistors were designed. They found that the length-over-width ratio will substantially affect the gauge factor in some cases, in contrast to prior research. This can be modeled to generate a linear predictive model, The sensors designed on the insulator and the sensors underneath the insulator were also studied in order to simulate the multilayer hybrid technology and study the effects of insulator-resistor-substrate surface interaction. It is demonstrated that design techniques can affect the strain sensitivity of thick-film resistors. >
On the Succintness of Different Representations of Languages

The purpose of this paper is to give simple new proofs of some interesting recent results about the relative succinctness of different representations of regular, deterministic and unambiguous context-free languages and to derive some new results about how the relative succinctness of representations change when the representations contain a formal proof that the languages generated are in the desired subclass of languages.
Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian methods in two phase flow

This paper describes a Finite Element Method - Flux Corrected Transport (FEM-FCT) approach with an unstructured adaptive grid scheme to the simulation of two-phase flow. The gas equations are computed using an Eulerian frame of reference, while the particle transport is computed using both Eulerian and Lagrangian frames of reference. One dimensional shock wave attenuation was investigated to evaluate the performance of these methodologies and the gas-solid interphase transport models.
Knowledge Organization from an Indigenous Perspective: The Mashantucket Pequot Thesaurus of American Indian Terminology Project

Native Americans create, preserve, and organize knowledge within the context of community, thereby ensuring the inclusion of Native American philosophies. Historically, mainstream cataloging and classification systems have not adequately represented this knowledge. The Mashantucket Pequot Thesaurus of American Indian Terminology was designed to incorporate an Indigenous perspective into mainstream controlled vocabularies. Using story as pedagogy, this article examines the conceptual foundations, theoretical framework, and application of the Thesaurus to a museum setting.
Highlights from the latest articles in nanomedicine for deep tumor imaging and phototherapy.

2015 Raman scattering nanostars for high-precision cancer detection Evaluation of: Harmsen S, Huang R, Wall MA et al. Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering nanostars for high-precision cancer imaging. Sci. Trans. Med. 7(271), 271ra7 (2015). Identification of tumor lesions and metastases, accurate assessment of cancer invasiveness and delineation of tumor boundaries present a major hurdle in successful diagnosis, staging, therapy and resection in patients. High precision cancer imaging requires both high sensitivity and high specificity along with high spatial resolution for accurate detection of tumor clusters. However, no single molecular imaging modality so far has proven to be sufficient in this regard. In this study, the authors have proposed to overcome the drawbacks of the existing modalities through a novel imaging agent, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering nanostars. The nanoprobe comprises a star-shaped gold core (∼75 nm) demonstrating a red shifted localized surface plasmon resonance in the near-infrared (NIR) range, an NIR detection laser (785 nm) resonant Raman reporter molecule and a biocompatible silica capsule for efficient incorporation of ionic resonant Raman reporter dyes. The surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering nanostars demonstrated femtomolar sensitivity, approximately 400-fold lower detection limit than the existent nonresonant Raman nanoparticles (such as gold nanospheres encased in silica shell), high signal specificity and high tumor-to-background ratios (an important advantage over fluorescence-based imaging) due to unique spectral signatures. The ability to delineate primary maliganant lesions as well as microscopic (as small as ∼100 μm) and premalignant tumor lesions irrespective of cancer stage and subtype via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and micropinocytosis demonstrated the universality of this versatile nanoprobe.
Helicobacter pylori eradication does not worsen quality of life related to reflux symptoms: a prospective trial.

Background: Concern has been raised that Helicobacter pylori therapy may lead to the development of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. This prospective study was designed to assess reflux-related quality of life and the symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in patients undergoing H. pylori therapy. Methods: Patients with a primary complaint of dyspepsia (upper abdominal pain or discomfort) and endoscopic biopsy positive for H. pylori received triple therapy for 2 weeks. A validated reflux-related quality of life questionnaire sensitive to change was given at baseline, 1 month and 6 months after therapy; symptoms were also recorded. A urea breath test was performed 1 month after the end of therapy; patients and investigators were blind to the results. Results: H. pylori was eradicated in 48 of 61 patients. The mean scores in cured patients for each of the five domains were comparable at baseline and 6 months after therapy: differences were − 0.23 to 0.13 (P > 0.20) on a scale of 1–7. The proportion of cured patients with a large decrease in quality of life (10–17% in the five domains) was similar to the proportion with a large increase (15–21%). Heartburn was present at baseline in 22 cured patients; at 6 months, it persisted in 13 and resolved in nine, whilst nine patients developed new heartburn. Conclusions: A population of patients presenting with dyspepsia should have no overall increase or decrease in quality of life due to symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in the 6 months after H. pylori therapy.
Near-infrared neuroimaging with NinPy

There has been substantial recent growth in the use of non-invasive optical brain imaging in studies of human brain function in health and disease. Near-infrared neuroimaging (NIN) is one of the most promising of these techniques and, although NIN hardware continues to evolve at a rapid pace, software tools supporting optical data acquisition, image processing, statistical modeling and visualization remain less refined. Python, a modular and computationally efficient development language, can support functional neuroimaging studies of diverse design and implementation. In particular, Python's easily readable syntax and modular architecture allow swift prototyping followed by efficient transition to stable production systems. As an introduction to our ongoing efforts to develop Python software tools for structural and functional neuroimaging, we discuss: (i) the role of noninvasive diffuse optical imaging in measuring brain function, (ii) the key computational requirements to support NIN experiments, (iii) our collection of software tools to support near-infrared neuroimaging, called NinPy, and (iv) future extensions of these tools that will allow integration of optical with other structural and functional neuroimaging data sources. Source code for the software discussed here will be made available at www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/Neural_SystemsGroup/software.html.
Simplified coagulum pyelolithotomy using cryoprecipitate

Abstract Coagulum pyelolithotomy has been beneficial in removing calyceal calculi when the diameter of the infundibulum and pelvis is adequate. By utilizing a simple, precise ratio of cryoprecipitate, thrombin, and calcium chloride (25:4:1), an effective Coagulum was obtained in 7 consecutive cases with complete stone removal in 5.
Captopril and enalaprilat do not scavenge the superoxide anion.

Abstract The ability of captopril and enalaprilat, 2 angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, to scavenge superoxide anion radical was examined. With use of a number of superoxide-generating systems, such as xanthine-xanthine oxidase, phorbol myristate acetate-activated neutrophils, auto-oxidizing dihydroxyfumarate, and auto-oxidation of epinephrine to adrenochrome, captopril was seen not to scavenge superoxide directly, because it did not inhibit superoxide-dependent cytochrome c or nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction. Superoxide-dependent cytochrome c reduction was inhibited only when captopril was preincubated with a lower concentration of cytochrome c (22 μM). This effect was due to a decrease in the concentration of cytochrome c, because captopril reduced cytochrome c directly. When this effect was compensated for, no cytochrome c reduction induced by superoxide was observed. Captopril inhibited the auto-oxidation of epinephrine to adrenochrome at pH 10.2 where this auto-oxidation is superoxide-dependent, and at pH 7.8 where it is superoxide-independent and superoxide dismutase insensitive. It appears that captopril, in this respect, acted as a nonspecific antioxidant, probably by reducing an intermediate in the complex oxidation of epinephrine to adrenochrome. Therefore, caution may be used in interpreting the role of captopril in the attenuation of reperfusion-induced myocardial dysfunction and in attributing this effect to the inhibition of free radical mechanism.
Potential Public Health Hazards, Exposures and Health Effects from Unconventional Natural Gas Development

The rapid increase in unconventional natural gas (UNG) development in the United States during the past decade has brought wells and related infrastructure closer to population centers. This review evaluates risks to public health from chemical and nonchemical stressors associated with UNG, describes likely exposure pathways and potential health effects, and identifies major uncertainties to address with future research. The most important occupational stressors include mortality, exposure to hazardous materials and increased risk of industrial accidents. For communities near development and production sites the major stressors are air pollutants, ground and surface water contamination, truck traffic and noise pollution, accidents and malfunctions, and psychosocial stress associated with community change. Despite broad public concern, no comprehensive population-based studies of the public health effects of UNG operations exist. Major uncertainties are the unknown frequency and duration of human exposure,...
NMR studies of p-substituted fluorobenzene derivatives oriented in a lyotropie solvent

Abstract Proton NMR spectra have been obtained for the p -halofluorobenzenes, p -nitrofluorobenzene, and p -fluoroaniline dissolved in the lyotropic liquid crystal derived from potassium laurate. The spectra in all cases, with the exception of p -fluoroaniline, were not deceptively simple. Structural and orientational calculations have been performed and all parameters are reported here. The motional constants for the p -halofluorobenzenes show an increase in order along the C 2 axis as one moves through the series from Cl to Br to I.
Action and Interaction of Red and Far-Red Radiation on Lipoxidase Metabolism of Squash Seedlings

Lipoxidase, in the cotyledons of squash ( Cucurbita moscata ) seedlings grown in the dark, reached its peak activity on the fifth day and then declined to its lowest activity on the eighth day. Under continuous irradiation, the rate of enzyme disappearance was accelerated by red (655 mμ) and was retarded by far-red (735 mμ) radiation. Acceleration of enzyme disappearance caused by red light was reversed repeatedly by far-red light in seedlings that received an initial exposure to red radiation. These responses were independent of the duration of irradiation at each of the alternating wavebands. No change was observed when the white light was administered either 24 hours before or 24 hours after the red, far-red treatment. The lipoxidase system of the seedlings given an initial exposure to far-red radiation also responded reversibly to alternating far-red, red extended exposures, but it failed to respond reversibly when short exposures were employed. Similarly, no change occurred in these seedlings when either pre- or post-treatment with the white light was applied. These results demonstrate that the capacity of lipoxidase to act reversibly depends primarily on the duration of exposure and on the kind of light (red or far-red) to which the seedlings were exposed initially. In spite of these variations, lipoxidase metabolism can be considered an additional biochemical manifestation of red, far-red reaction that operates in the photomorphogenesis of plants.
Seasonal transmission of equine cyathostomes in warm climates

Abstract Few studies investigating the seasonal transmission of equine cyathostomes have been done in warm climates. Two Australian studies used experimentally-infected plots to determine hatching, development and survival of free living stages of equine cyathostomes. Four studies in the southern United States used pasture larval counts, and in some instances tracer animals, to determine seasonal availability of infective cyathostome larvae on naturally-infected pastures. With the exception of the dry Australian tropics, a general pattern of peak transmission of cyathostomes during the cooler seasons of the year and minimal transmission during the warmest seasons was observed. Infective larvae and developing stages survived poorly in hot weather, although the rate of development was most rapid during that time. In contrast, infective larvae and developing stages survived well in cool weather, although the rate of development was slower. Adequate moisture was crucial to cyathostome transmission in warm climates, thus hot, dry weather effectively sterilized a pasture, whereas cool, moist weather was optimum for transmission. These data suggest that suppression of cyathostome egg output in feces of horses beginning shortly before the onset of cooler and/or more moist weather, and continued through the favorable period for development and survival of larvae on pasture – usually the autumn and winter should provide adequate control of these parasites. However, the efficacy of such seasonal control programs has yet to be adequately tested against that of traditional year round treatments.
Amides as Phase Modifiers for N,N′-Tetraalkylmalonamide Extraction of Actinides and Lanthanides from Nitric Acid Solutions

Abstract The N,N′-tetraalkylmalonamides are a class of compounds under development for transuranic (TRU) separations under high nitric acid conditions. There are several issues that challenge the further development of these ligands. One is the development of improved synthetic procedures that lend themselves to commercial scale-up. Another major issue is the third-phase formation that occurs when the N,N′-tetraalkylmalonamides are contacted with medium-to-high nitric acid concentrations in hydrocarbon solvents. To address the synthesis issue we have developed a new synthetic approach for preparing these materials. Third-phase formation can be eliminated by addition of diluent modifiers such as tributylphosphate (TBP). TBP is inappropriate if a nonphosphate-containing process stream is required. Amides have been proposed as alternatives for TBP in a variety of applications because of their ease of synthesis and the variety of substituents that can be generated. We have been able to develop an amide phase-...
Enhanced sensitivity to attenuation of conditioned reinstatement by the mGluR 2/3 agonist LY379268 and increased functional activity of mGluR 2/3 in rats with a history of ethanol dependence.

Recent findings implicate group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/3) in the reinforcing and dependence-inducing actions of ethanol and identify these receptors as treatment targets for alcoholism. Here, we investigated the effects of mGLuR2/3 activation on conditioned reinstatement in rats with different ethanol-dependence histories and examined dependence-associated changes in the functional activity of mGluR2/3. Following ethanol self-administration training and conditioning procedures, rats were made ethanol dependent, using ethanol vapor inhalation, under three conditions: a single intoxication and withdrawal episode (SW), repeated cycles of intoxication and withdrawal (RW), or no intoxication (CTRL). At 1 week after removal from ethanol vapor, self-administration resumed until stable baseline performance was reached, followed by extinction of operant responding and reinstatement tests. Post-withdrawal self-administration was increased in the RW group, but all groups showed conditioned reinstatement. The mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 dose -dependently reduced reinstatement in all groups, but was more effective at low doses in the SW and RW groups. The highest dose of LY379268 tested reduced spontaneous locomotor activity and operant responding maintained by a non-drug reinforcer, without differences among groups. The heightened sensitivity to the effects of LY379268 in rats with an ethanol-dependence history was therefore specific to behavior motivated by ethanol-related stimuli. Both the SW and RW groups showed elevated [35S]GTPγS binding in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), relative to the CTRL group. The findings implicate changes in mGluR2/3 functional activity as a factor in ethanol dependence and support treatment target potential of mGlu2/3 receptors for craving and relapse prevention.
Linear Hamiltonian systems are integrable with quadratics

A new proof of a theorem of Williamson on the complete integrability of time‐independent, real, linear Hamiltonian differential equations with quadratic integrals is given. The sets where these integrals are functionally dependent are explicitly found.
Superior Vena Caval Obstruction in Patients with Gut Failure Receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition

Clinical suspicion and venographic conformation were used to diagnose 15 cases of superior vena caval obstruction (SVCO) in 107 home parenteral nutrition (HPN) patients over 379 cumulative years of HPN (3.9 cases/100 patient-years). Patients with SVCO had been on HPN a mean of 51.5 months and had used 6.2 (range 1-50) central catheters, including short- and long-term, before SVCO was diagnosed. The frequency of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with SVCO was approximately the same as that in our general HPN population. Positive blood cultures were present immediately preceding the diagnosis of SVCO in 40% (six of 15) of cases. Atypical line placements were noted in two cases. The most common management strategies employed were conversion to enteral feedings in five patients and placement of a new catheter directly into the right atrium by thoracotomy in another five patients. Two of the five with right atrial catheters experienced a postpericardiotomy syndrome (fever, pericardial rub, and pulmonary infiltr...
Prevalence and Descriptive Epidemiology of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Among Atlanta Children

Summary: Purpose: To determine the prevalence and descriptive epidemiology of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) among metropolitan Atlanta children. Methods: We conducted a population-based study of LGS as part of the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Study (MADDS) using a multiple-source surveillance system for epilepsy and developmental disabilities. Children were defined as having LGS if they had onset of multiple seizure types before age 11 years, with at least one seizure type resulting in falls, and an EEG demonstrating slow spike-wave complexes (<2.5 Hz). Mental retardation (MR) was not used as a diagnostic criterion. Results: The lifetime prevalence of LGS at age 10 years was 26/1,000. Ninety-one percent of those with LGS had MR (IQ <= 70), and 39% had a history of infantile spasms (IS). A comparison of children with LGS and those with multiple seizure types without slow spike-wave complexes demonstrated that those with LGS were more likely to have MR, history of IS, and multiple disabilities (MR, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairment). Seventeen percent of all children in Atlanta with profound MR (IQ < 20) had LGS. Conclusions: LGS accounts for only 4% of all childhood epilepsy, yet is a significant contributor to childhood morbidity.
3H-nicotine and 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin-labeled nicotinic receptors in the interpeduncular nucleus of rats. I. Subnuclear distribution.

The distribution of nicotinic receptors within the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) was determined in male rats following in vitro labeling with the cholinergic ligands /sup 3/H-nicotine and /sup 125/I-alpha-bungarotoxin (BTX). Autoradiographic images of two rostrocaudal levels of IPN were analyzed by computer-assisted densitometry and the optical density contributed by displaceable labeling was determined in the rostral, central, intermediate, and lateral subnuclei. /sup 3/H-nicotine labeling density within the four subnuclei differs significantly at both levels of IPN. The greatest density of labeling is localized in the rostral subnucleus, followed in order of diminishing density by the central, intermediate, and lateral subnuclei. Labeling within the rostral subnucleus is prominently localized within its central zone. In the central subnucleus, a dense concentration of binding sites is apparent in the middle region, adjacent to less dense vertically oriented columns; /sup 3/H-nicotine binding sites in the lateral subnuclei appear to be most concentrated medially, adjacent to the intermediate subnuclei. /sup 125/I-BTX labeling density within the four subnuclei also differs significantly at both levels of IPN. The greatest density of labeling is found in the rostral subnucleus, followed in order of decreasing density by the lateral, central, and intermediate subnuclei. The ovoid regions of the rostral subnucleusmore » contain dense /sup 125/I-BTX labeling. In the lateral subnuclei, /sup 125/I-BTX binding appears to be predominantly along the lateral margins of the subnucleus. The present data indicate that the IPN contains two distinct populations of putative cholinergic nicotinic receptors identified, respectively, by /sup 3/H-nicotine and /sup 125/I-BTX labeling. Each population of labeled receptors is uniquely localized in patterns that suggest differences in density within and across subnuclei.« less
Human intestinal folate transport: Cloning, expression, and distribution of complementary RNA

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Despite intensive investigations, very little is known about the molecular identity(ies) of the intestinal folate transport system(s), especially in humans. The aim of this study was to isolate a functional human intestinal folate carrier complementary DNA (cDNA) clone and determine the distribution of complementary RNA at the tissue and cellular levels. METHODS: Hybridization screening, modified Marathon cDNA amplification, expression in Xenopus oocytes, Northern analysis, and in situ hybridization were used. RESULTS: The hIFC-1 cDNA contains an open reading frame for 591 amino acids (relative molecular mass = 64,826, pI = 9.4, 12 transmembrane domains, three protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, and one N-glycosylation site) with 74% DNA and 66% amino acid sequence homologies with the mouse cDNA counterpart. Xenopus oocytes injected with hIFC-1 cRNA show induced folate uptake that was (1) saturable with substrate concentration (apparent Michaelis constant = 0.71 +/- 0.06 micromol/L; maximum velocity = 128 +/- 3 fmol x h(-1) x oocyte(-1)), (2) inhibited by methotrexate, folinic acid, and folic acid (Ki = 0.84 micromol/L, 0.71 micromol/L, and 10 micromol/L, respectively), and (3) sensitive to 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'- disulfonic acid (Ki = 0.29 mmol/L). Northern analysis showed wide distribution of hIFC1-complementary messenger RNA species in various human tissues. In situ hybridization on sections of human jejunum showed preferential hIFC-1 expression in epithelial cells, especially in the upper half of the villi. CONCLUSIONS: These results represent the first molecular characterization of a human small intestinal folate carrier. (Gastroenterology 1997 Mar;112(3):783-91)
Physical and chemical properties of resin-reinforced calcium phosphate cements

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to improve the handling and physical properties of a self-setting, water-based calcium phosphate cement by combining it with polymerizable resins and to study the setting reactions involved. Methods. Dual-cured composite cements were prepared from a calcium phosphate cement powder and dental monomers that contain carboxylated hydrophilic resins or resin/water mixtures. The setting reaction of the calcium phosphate cement in the presence of the resins was evaluated by pH measurements, infrared spectroscopy, diametral tensile strength, x-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Results. Carboxylated resins were chosen because they can form ionic bonds to the mineral filler, which was confirmed by appearance of an infrared absorbance peak at 1552 cm−1 within 24 h after mixing due to the formation of a carboxylate salt. Hydroxyapatite did not develop in composites prepared from resin and calcium phosphate cement. However, composites from calcium phosphate cement, resin and water showed approximately 40% hydroxyapatite. The resulting composite cements have moderately high DTS of 14–15 MPa and high pH. Significance. Hydrophilic acidic resins allows mixing with water and/or allow rapid diffusion of water into the resinous cement so that the dissolution and reprecipitation processes required for the conversion of the calcium phosphate components to hydroxyapatite can occur. The characteristics of the resulting composite cements suggest that the materials may be useful in pulp capping and/or cavity lining.
The growing brown plague.

TWO BASIC factors explain why tobacco causes so much suffering and early death, and why that trend is getting worse for most of the world, as demonstrated in this issue of JAMA . Those factors are addiction and greed. Addiction to tobacco has become better understood in recent years. It is a powerful force that often negates the best intentions of even the most independent, self-reliant, and self-disciplined of people. Accurate knowledge, good intentions, and determined resolutions each night dissolve in a reflex puff of smoke in the morning. Despite the statements of the tobacco industry and the decisions by some legal jurisdictions, free will is not within the power of most smokers, and an affirmative choice is not possible each day. The window of free will, for most smokers, is short, usually early in life before what is thought of as the age of consent, and exercised in an atmosphere
Rapid effects of enucleation on neurotransmitter receptor binding in chick optic tecta

Abstract Rapid significant changes in tectal receptor populations occur one day after enucleation. A predominant increase of serotonin receptor binding in the denervated tecta was observed when compared to control tecta. This change seemed to be due to an increase exposure receptor sites rather than to any alterations of the binding affinity.
The role of natural enemy foraging guilds in controlling cereal aphids in Michigan wheat

Insect natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) provide important ecosystem services by suppressing populations of insect pests in many agricultural crops. However, the role of natural enemies against cereal aphids in Michigan winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is largely unknown. The objectives of this research were to characterize the natural enemy community in wheat fields and evaluate the role of different natural enemy foraging guilds (foliar-foraging versus ground-dwelling predators) in regulating cereal aphid population growth. We investigated these objectives during the spring and summer of 2012 and 2013 in four winter wheat fields on the Michigan State University campus farm in East Lansing, Michigan. We monitored and measured the impact of natural enemies by experimentally excluding or allowing their access to wheat plants infested with Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) and Sitobion avenae (F.) (Hemiptera: Aphidae). Our results indicate that the natural enemy community in the wheat fields consisted mostly of foliar-foraging and ground-dwelling predators with relatively few parasitoids. In combination, these natural enemy groups were very effective at reducing cereal aphid populations. We also investigated the role of each natural enemy foraging guild (foliar-foraging versus ground-dwelling predators) independently. Overall, our results suggest that, in combination, natural enemies can almost completely halt early-season aphid population increase. Independently, ground-dwelling predators were more effective at suppressing cereal aphid populations than foliar-foraging predators under the conditions we studied. Our results differ from studies in Europe and the US Great Plains where foliar foraging predators and parasitoids are frequently more important cereal aphid natural enemies.
Mixing among fermion generations

Abstract Using some very general as well as reasonable assumptions concerning the structure of the primordial fermion mass matrix, I obtain a number of simple approximate relationships among the mixing angles and masses of quarks and leptons.
Molecular machinery of auditory and vestibular transduction

Abstract The hunt for molecules that conduct mechanoelectrical transduction in hair cells has recently intensified. A hair cell's transduction apparatus adapts to sustained stimuli, and myosin Iβ and myosin VIIA have been advanced as candidates for the motor that mediates this process. The identity of the transduction channel remains unknown, although a viable suggestion proposes that it belongs to the amiloride-sensitive Na + channel family.
Cell Mass and Acid Production of Proteinase-Positive and Proteinase-Negative Lactic Cultures in Buffered Nonfat Milk

Abstract A sterile, nonfat, dry-milk substrate with beta glycerophosphate was used to differentiate proteinase-positive and proteinase-negative lactic streptococci. Fifteen pairs of both cell types were incubated in this medium 24h at 22°C. Proteinase-positive cells produced from 6 to 27 times the cell mass of the proteinase-negative variants. Streptococcus cremoris proteinase-negative isolates produced a significantly larger cell mass than did Streptococcus lactis isolates. Cell mass production from proteinase-negative variants did not correlate with those from parent strains producing high cell mass. When mixtures of the two cell types were grown in the medium, from 10 to 50% of proteinase-positive cells were required for growth and acid production to equal that of 100% proteinase-positive cells. It was possible to detect 2% proteinase-positive cells in a proteinase-negative culture.
Fossil footprints from the Dakota Group (Cretaceous) John Martin Reservoir, Bent County, Colorado: New insights into the paleoecology of the Dinosaur Freeway

Abstract The John Martin Reservoir tracksites from the Dakota Group of Bent County, in southeastern Colorado form part of the mid Cretaceous Dinosaur Freeway characterized by abundant ornithopod footprints ( Caririchnium ). Over 350 tracks (331 Caririchnium , 1 Magnoavipes , 22 crocodiles, and a few pterosaurs) were discovered at 10 new tracksites. All tracks were found as natural casts, including Caririchnium trackways that were still in-situ , parallel and regularly spaced, suggesting gregarious behavior. Most crocodile tracks are swimming tracks that consist of three or four scratch marks also with parallel orientations in many cases. A few pterosaur tracks consist of pes footprints and scratch marks suggesting swimming or floating activity in shallow water. This is the first pterosaur evidence from the Dakota Group. The Caririchnium size structure from John Martin Reservoir is consistent with the size structure tendency of the whole Dinosaur Freeway, which shows larger track size in the north. This tendency could be interpreted as evidence for more than one ornithopod species spread out across the Dinosaur Freeway. The alternative, that there was one ornithopod species that migrated north and south seasonally is less likely. The John Martin paleoecosystem is interpreted from the track evidence as a well-vegetated coastal plain environment with many ornithopods and a few theropods on land, crocodiles in the water, and pterosaurs in the skies and on the water.
Price communications in a multimarket context: An experimental investigation

This experiment assesses the effects of nonbinding price communications in a multi-market, posted-offer environment. In half of the ten sessions, three symmetric sellers continuously submitted nonbinding prices for two minutes prior to posting final binding prices. In the remaining sessions sellers posted only binding prices. Competitive prices were observed infrequently in either treatment, but prices were persistently higher when communications were possible. The way that communications affect performance is unclear. With or without communications, high prices appear to be more a consequence of some sellers supporting the defections of others, than of a developed ‘language of conspiracy.’
Experimental assessment of resolution improvement of a zoom-in PET

We have proposed a zoom-in positron emission tomography (PET) system that incorporates a high-resolution detector into an existing PET scanner to obtain high-resolution images of a region of interest. Previously we have shown by computer simulations that the high-resolution detector can improve the overall system performance in terms of spatial resolution and lesion detectability. In this study, we assessed the resolution improvement in a real system by incorporating a high-resolution detector into our existing microPET II scanner. The high-resolution detector consists of a 14 × 28 array of 0.5 × 0.5 × 10 mm3 lutetium oxyorthosilicate scintillator elements and is placed near the center of the microPET II scanner. It is coupled to two 64-channel photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) via tapered optical fiber bundles. The PMT signals were read out by the electronics in the microPET II scanner. A 15 µCi Na-22 point source was positioned at various locations above the high-resolution detector. Images were reconstructed using the data measured by the microPET II scanner alone and the microPET II data combined with the high-resolution detector data. Profiles taken through the reconstructed point sources show substantial reduction in full-width-at-half-maximum along the direction parallel to the face of the high-resolution detector.
International Comparison of Public and Private Employees’ Work Motives, Attitudes, and Perceived Rewards

This article presents a conceptual perspective on the distinctive characteristics of public organizations and their personnel. This perspective leads to hypotheses that public organizations deliver distinctive goods and services that influence the motives and rewards for their employees. These hypotheses are tested with evidence from the International Social Survey Programme in order to compare public and private employees in 30 nations. Public employees in 28 of the 30 nations expressed higher levels of public-service-oriented motives. In all of the countries, public employees were more likely to say they receive rewards in the form of perceived social impact. In most of the countries, public employees placed less importance on high income as a reward and expressed higher levels of organizational commitment. Practitioner Points The findings presented here add to previous evidence that public employees seek and attain more altruistic and public-service-oriented rewards than private sector employees. In particular, we add evidence that these differences hold in many different nations and cultural contexts. Compensation and incentive system reforms in many governments have often concentrated on financial incentives and streamlining procedures for discipline and removal. Such matters are important but should not drive out concerns with showing public employees the impact of their work on the well-being of others and on the community and society. Leaders and managers should invest in incentive systems that emphasize such motives and rewards. Leaders and managers should invest in the use of altruistic and socially beneficial motives and rewards in recruiting systems.
Role of methyl groups in dynamics and evolution of biomolecules

Recent studies have discovered strong differences between the dynamics of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) and proteins, especially at low hydration and low temperatures. This difference is caused primarily by dynamics of methyl groups that are abundant in proteins, but are absent or very rare in RNA and DNA. In this paper, we present a hypothesis regarding the role of methyl groups as intrinsic plasticizers in proteins and their evolutionary selection to facilitate protein dynamics and activity. We demonstrate the profound effect methyl groups have on protein dynamics relative to nucleic acid dynamics, and note the apparent correlation of methyl group content in protein classes and their need for molecular flexibility. Moreover, we note the fastest methyl groups of some enzymes appear around dynamical centers such as hinges or active sites. Methyl groups are also of tremendous importance from a hydrophobicity/folding/entropy perspective. These significant roles, however, complement our hypothesis rather than preclude the recognition of methyl groups in the dynamics and evolution of biomolecules.
Simultaneous liquid Chromatographie analysis of amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, doxepin, and nordoxepin

Abstract A simultaneous method for the therapeutic monitoring of amitriptyline, doxepin, imipramine, and their active demethylated metabolites nortriptyline, nordoxepin, and desipramine, respectively, in plasma or serum by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is presented. The drugs and the internal standard (loxapine) are first extracted from 2 ml of serum into butylchloride at pH 14, and then back extracted into 200 μl of 0.025 mol/l hydrochloric acid. An aliquot of the aqueous acid phase is injected into the Chromatograph and eluted with acetonitrile-phosphate buffer (21: 79, by vol.) containing 0.6 ml of n-nonylamine per liter of phosphate buffer. The drugs are eluted in a total Chromatographie time of approximately 13 min at ambient temperature and detected at 200 nm. A sensitivity of 5 μg/l of serum for each drug is obtained. Recoveries for these drugs ranged from 77% to 103%; and the coefficient of variation (day-to-day) ranged from 4.2 to 7.8. Of 35 basic or neutral drugs tested for possible interference, only propoxyphene interferes with the analysis of nortriptyline.