cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The VirD2 protein of A. tumefaciens contains a C-terminal bipartite nuclear localization signal: implications for nuclear uptake of DNA in plant cells.

Abstract Here we show that the VirD2 protein of A. tumefaciens functions as a nuclear localizing protein in plant cells. The nuclear localization signal of VirD2 consists of two regions containing 4–5 basic amino acids (KRPR and RKRER), located within the C-terminal 34 amino acids. These regions conform to the KR/KXR/K motif required for numerous nuclear localized nonplant eukaryotic proteins. Each region independently directs a β-glucuronidase reporter protein to the nucleus; however, both regions are necessary for maximum efficiency. VirD2 has been shown to be tightly bound to the 5′ end of the single-stranded DNA transfer intermediate, T-strand, transferred from Agrobacterium to the plant cell genome. The present results imply that T-strand transport to the plant nucleus is mediated by the tightly attached VirD2 protein via an import pathway common to higher eukaryotes.
In vivo argon laser vascular welding using thermal feedback: open and closed loop patency and collagen crosslinking

An in vivo study of vascular welding with a fiber-delivered argon laser was conducted using a canine model. Longitudinal arteriotomies and venotomies were treated on femoral vein and artery. Laser energy was delivered to the vessel wall via a 400 micrometer optical fiber. The surface temperature at the center of the laser spot was monitored in real time using a hollow glass optical fiber-based two-color infrared thermometer. The surface temperature was limited by either a room-temperature saline drip or direct feedback control of the laser using a mechanical shutter to alternately pass and block the laser. Acute patency was evaluated either visually (leak/no leak) or by in vivo burst pressure measurements. Biochemical assays were performed to investigate the possible laser-induced formation or destruction of enzymatically mediated covalent crosslinks between collagen molecules. Viable welds were created both with and without the use of feedback control. Tissues maintained at 50 degrees Celsius using feedback control had an elevated crosslink count compared to controls, while those irradiated without feedback control experienced a decrease. Differences between the volumetric heating associated with open and closed loop protocols may account for the different effects on collagen crosslinks. Covalent mechanisms may play a role in argon laser vascular fusion.
Pegylated siRNA-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticle-driven amplification of cancer cell internalization in vivo

The cell membrane is a critical barrier to effective delivery for many therapeutics, including those which are nanoparticle-based. Improving nanoparticle transport across the cell membrane remains a fundamental challenge. Cancer cells preferentially internalized pegylated calcium phosphate nanoparticles over normal epithelial cells. Furthermore, non-cytotoxic levels of doxorubicin markedly amplified this difference by increasing free unbound caveolin-1 and resulted in enhanced caveolin-mediated nanoparticle endocytosis in cancer cells. Engineered pegylated siRNA-loaded triple-shell calcium phosphate nanoconstructs incorporating ultra-low levels of doxorubicin recapitulated these effects and delivered increased numbers of siRNA into cancer cells with target-specific results. Systemic administration of nanoparticles in vivo demonstrated highly preferential entry into tumors, little bystander organ biodistribution, and significant tumor growth arrest. In conclusion, siRNA-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles incorporating non-cytotoxic amounts of doxorubicin markedly enhances nanoparticle internalization and results in increased payload delivery with concomitant on-target effects.
A Surplus Optimization Approach to Managing Municipal Debt

This article considers appropriate debt-funding strategies for state and municipal governments in the presence of a positive, tax-exempt term premium. In this context, the term premium measures the additional expected funding cost from issuing fixed-rate debt as opposed to issuing floating-rate debt. The correlation between a measure of income from rate-sensitive assets and the tax-exempt floating rate is the principal focus of the analysis. A single-period framework is used to identify the most important information required to design the optimal proportion of tax-exempt floating-rate debt for a municipal government. From this analysis, there are several compelling reasons for municipal entities to increase the quantity of floating-rate debt. This framework is used to assess the optimal state government debt maturity structure based on historical data.
John Cage and David Tudor: Correspondence on Interpretation and Performance by Martin Iddon

John Cage and David Tudor marks Cambridge University Press’s return to the letters of John Cage, last seen in The Boulez–Cage Correspondence (edited by Jean-Jacques Nattiez and Robert Samuels, 1995...
Effects on growing animals of a continuous exposure to experienced concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

Exposure of rats to less than 0.5 ppM NO/sub 2/ essentially continuously for 2, 4, 5, or 6 weeks resulted in increased blood catalase activity after 5 weeks, reduced catalase activity after 6 weeks, and higher mean aspartic acid excretion (no difference when data grouped, as there was great variation in individual values). No significant differences were observed in weights, lung or liver appearance (both groups showed symptoms of endemic viral pneumonia) or glutamic acid excretion.
Enduring direct association of baseline plasma renin activity with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive patients

Background Plasma renin activity (PRA) has been associated with cardiovascular disease mortality (CVD) events among hypertensive patients. We now report a long-term follow-up to assess the enduring association of PRA to CVD and all-cause mortality. methodS Participants (3,791) in a systematic hypertension treatment study had entry systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 mm Hg and mean age 52. CVD and all-cause mortality was ascertained for mean of 16 years. Pretreatment PRA was analyzed as a continuous variable, and by tertiles. The 10-year Framingham score was similarly examined. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. reSult S There were 804 deaths, and 360 (45%) were CVD. PRA was associated with all-cause mortality and CVD, but not cancer or non-CVD. Although T3 had lower mean baseline and follow-up systolic BP than T1, (146 vs. 152 mm Hg (P < 0.001) and 135 vs. 139 mm Hg (P < 0.001), respectively), T3 had 37% higher all-cause mortality (HR: 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15–1.63, P < 0.001) and 70% higher CVD mortality (HR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.29–2.23, P < 0.001) after adjustment. The difference between T3 and T1 in mortality from coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction was more pronounced than for all CVD. PRA also significantly improved CVD risk estimation provided by Framingham. concluSionS These findings extend and reinforce previous evidence that pretreatment PRA has a significant, independent, specific, and direct long-term association with CVD mortality. Moreover, PRA adds significantly to risk identified by the Framingham score.
Certain systems of bilinear forms whose minimal algorithms are all quadratic

In this paper we prove that every minimal algorithm for computing a bilinear form is quadratic. It is then easy to show that for certain systems of bilinear forms all minimal algorithms are quadratic. One such system is for computing the product of two arbitrary elements in a finite algebraic extension field. This result, together with the results of the author in (E. Feig, to appear) and those of Winograd (Theoret. Comput. Sci.8 (1979), 359–377), completely characterize all minimal algorithms for computing products in these fields.
First-order linear logic without modalities is NEXPTIME-hard

Abstract The decision problem is studied for the nonmodal or multiplicative-additive fragment of first-order linear logic. This fragment is shown to be NEXPTIME-hard. The hardness proof combines Shapiro's logic programming simulation of nondeterministic Turing machines with the standard proof of the PSPACE-hardness of quantified boolean formula validity, utilizing some of the surprisingly powerful and expressive machinery of linear logic.
Nanoparticle Reinforced Metal Composites Prepared by Electrocodeposition

Improving the physical and mechanical properties such as hardness and strength of metal thin films can be achieved by incorporating nanoparticles into the pure metals, for example via electrocodeposition. However, the agglomeration of nanoparticles during electrocodeposition of nanocomposite thin films is an unresolved issue. This paper presents the preliminary results of electrocodeposition thin nanocomposite films under different processing conditions. The microstructure and distribution of Al2O3 nanoparticles in electrocodeposited Cu matrix nanocomposite thin films on a pure Al plate were examined. In addition, the effect of electrolyte concentration on the agglomeration of nanoparticles was studied. Different stirring times were used for electrodepositing the alumina/Cu nanocomposite and the pure Cu control film. Under the constant stirring condition, different deposition times including 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours were taken to study the differences between the agglomeration states of the alumina nanoparticles with the time change. We also examined the effect of turning the electromagnetic stirrer ON and OFF at different time intervals from as short as every 20 minutes to as long as ON and OFF every 2 hours on the nanoparticle agglomeration in the film. Optical and electron microscopic studies were made to reveal the microstructure of the nanocomposite. It is found that there is no significant difference in microstructures for the specimens that made under either intermittent stirring or constant stirring for the same length of time.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Online demonstration of SIMAN

This paper provides an overview of the SIMAN simulation language. The SIMAN language is FORTRAN based and runs on 16 bit microcomputers as well as large mainframe computers. Following the presentation of the language concepts, the program will be demonstrated on a personally owned microcomputer. The written paper provided here is concerned only with the modeling concepts included in SIMAN.
Computational modeling of the optical rotation of amino acids: a new look at an old rule for pH dependence of optical rotation.

The molar rotation of a solution of a natural alpha amino acid is changed in the positive direction by addition of a strong acid. Three decades ago, an attempt to rationalize this old rule, named for Clough, Lutz, and Jirgensons (CLJ), was made by assigning circular dichroism octants for overlapping carbonyl n to pi* transitions. Modern quantum chemical methods allow us to take a new look at this phenomenon. Time-dependent density functional theory was used to model the electronic structure and transitions responsible for CLJ. We show that sector rules originally developed for circular dichroism (CD) can be applied to the optical rotation in this case, but with some restrictions, and with great caution, due to the change of the overall charge of the acids upon protonation and the distortion of the COO- chromophore in the zwitterions. We have prepared sector maps based on first-principles computations to study the correspondence between CD and optical rotation for zwitterionic and protonated l-amino acid c...
Efficacy of Dronabinol as an Adjuvant Treatment for Chronic Pain Patients on Opioid Therapy

Abstract We assessed the efficacy of dronabinol (Marinol capsules; Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Brussels, Belgium), a synthetic Δ 9 -THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), in 30 patients taking opioids for chronic pain to determine its potential analgesic effects as an adjuvant treatment. Phase I of this 2-phase study was a randomized, single-dose, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in which subjects were randomly administered either 10 mg or 20 mg of dronabinol or identical placebo capsules over the course of three, 8-hour visits. Baseline self-report measures, hourly ratings of pain intensity, pain relief, pain bothersomeness, treatment satisfaction, mood, side effects, and blood serum levels were obtained. Phase II was an extended open-label titrated trial of dronabinol as add-on medication to patients on stable doses of opioids. Results of the Phase I study showed that patients who received dronabinol experienced decreased pain intensity and increased satisfaction compared with placebo. No differences in benefit were found between the 20 mg and 10 mg doses. In the Phase II trial, titrated dronabinol contributed to significant relief of pain, reduced pain bothersomeness, and increased satisfaction compared with baseline. The incidence of side effects was dose-related. Overall, the use of dronabinol was found to result in additional analgesia among patients taking opioids for chronic noncancer pain. Perspective This study examines the effect of adding a cannabinoid to the regimen of patients with chronic pain who report significant pain despite taking stable doses of opioids. The results of our preliminary study suggest that dronabinol, a synthetic THC, may have an additive effect on pain relief.
A structural analysis of small vapor-deposited 'multiply twinned' gold particles

High resolution selected zone dark field, Bragg reflection imaging and weak beam dark field techniques of transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the structure of small gold particles vapor deposited on NaCl substrates. Attention was focused on the analysis of those particles in the 50-150 A range that have pentagonal or hexagonal bright field profiles. These particles have been previously described as multiply twinned crystallites composed of face-centered cubic tetrahedra. The experimental evidence of the present studies can be interpreted on the assumption that the particle structure is a regular icosahedron or decahedron for the hexagonal or the pentagonal particles respectively. The icosahedron is a multiply twinned rhombohedral crystal and the decahedron is a multiply twinned body-centered orthorhombic crystal, each of which constitutes a slight distortion from the face-centered cubic structure.
Symbols, Serfdom, and Peasant Factions: A Response to Hermann Rebel

The main fault that Hermann Rebel finds with the practitioners of “symbolic actionism” is a tendency to naturalize systems of power and cultural domination and to treat subaltern groups as if they were unable to examine their position in them critically. This tendency in turn causes symbolic actionists to misrecognize self-interested maneuvers within existing systems of domination as counterhegemonic symbolic manipulations. The overall effect of symbolic-actionist analysis, therefore, is to “downplay the degradation and terror experienced by victims of exploitation and persecution.” Rebel's view of such relationships could hardly differ more. As he sees it, hegemonic forces were so disruptive that to speak of peasant societies as culturally autonomous and of peasants as historical “agents” is at best self-deceiving.
2009, The Year Of Diversification

Today, no company is safe, no industry is secure, no rating is impartial, no advisor is certain, and no country is immune from economic and financial malaise. The days of optimistically believing the advisors and benefiting from investment in equity markets are long gone. Any recommended asset or a strategy is questioned and everywhere doubts outdo trust. In these financial dark days, however, few things are still true: rational and logical approaches endure, sound and understandable assumptions hold, diversification works. Diversification is a simple and yet powerful commonsensical approach to investment. It is easy to do and it works well for small and large portfolios with few or many assets. If one chooses to use diversifications techniques, an important question to ask is whether it is based on data across all time-periods, or over primarily down markets when diversification is most valuable. This study examines the performance of a well-diversified portfolio and compares the results with the performance of other portfolios including an equally-weighted equity portfolio over the down market from April 2, 2007 to April 4, 2009. Although there still exits a sense of uneasiness in the stock market about equity investing, the above average rate of returns and steady growth of diversified portfolios over the past two troubling years compels investors to consider diversifications again. The main goal of this work is to first examine the performance of several companies and compare their risk-adjusted returns to the returns of indexes, mainly S&P 500, and then compare the performance of a well-diversified portfolio with a balanced equity portfolio. Specifically, this study is going to address whether the performance of a well-diversified portfolio meets or surpasses the performance of a diversified equally weighted portfolio. More importantly the emphasis of this work is to determine whether diversification consistently and significantly contributes positively to the performance of the US equity portfolios. The asset selection and the optimization process applied to portfolios are identical to maintain consistency and comparability of the results. For each portfolio we used the 2005-2007 daily observations to optimize allocations and we used the 2007-2009 data to evaluate the performance of each portfolio.
Characterizing Perceptual Performance at Multiple Discrimination Precisions in External Noise

Existing observer models developed for studies with the external noise paradigm are strictly applicable only to target detection or identification/discrimination of orthogonal target(s). We elaborated the perceptual template model (PTM) to account for contrast thresholds in identifying nonorthogonal targets. Full contrast psychometric functions were measured in an orientation identification task with four orientation differences across a wide range of external noise levels. We showed that observer performance can be modeled by the elaborated PTM with two templates that correspond to the two stimulus categories. Sampling efficiencies of the human observers were also estimated. The elaborated PTM provides a theoretical framework for characterizing joint feature and contrast sensitivity of human observers.
Characterization of a New Human Macrophage Cell Line 2MAC

A human macrophage-like line, designated 2MAC, has been established from peripheral blood. 2MAC expresses a number of lineage-specific markers as well as a broad array of intercellular adhesion molecules. In particular, 2MAC expresses CD16/Fc gammaRIII, the low-affinity Fc receptor for IgG, as well as high levels of HLA class I and class II. Consistent with this macrophage assignment, we present evidence that 2MAC expresses the macrophage form of CD16, namely, Fc gammaRIIIA/gamma. By several criteria also applicable to signal transducing NK CD16 and T cell CD3/TCR complexes, including modulation from the cell surface and Ca2+ mobilization in response to ligation by specific monoclonal antibody, CD16 expressed by 2MAC is functional. Ligation of 2MAC HLA class II, but not HLA class I, by specific mAb induces an increase in free cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). This Ca2+ flux appears to be physiologically relevant, as ligation of HLA-DR, but not HLA class I, by mAb results in the efficient, Ca2+ mobilization-dependent induction of tissue factor by 2MAC. 2MAC, therefore, should prove useful for studying signal transduction through macrophage CD16 and HLA class II.
Images of Society and Power

It is a fair guess that Swedes are more self-conscious about the kind of society they have created than any other people in the world. The rapidity of a social transformation that created enormous national wealth where enormous national poverty had existed barely fifty years earlier provides an easily-accessed supply of comparative images—how different it was when I was young!—that encourages national self-awareness. Swedes also receive large quantities of information about other nations from media institutions that usually have appeared committed to portraying other societies as less advanced, less wealthy and less tranquil than is Sweden itself. In a nation of virtually total literacy, these media biases structure widespread acceptance of clear national self-images: small, different, better. Among the governmental and commercial elites who regularly travel abroad, these general images are supplemented by detailed knowledge of other places, leading to a very sophisticated awareness of how and why Sweden is different. Assessments of Swedish society by senior government officials frequently rest on comparisons with other systems, personally experienced. More than most other national elites, perhaps, these officials know why they are what they are; they also know why Sweden is Swedish.
SAW chirp filter performance above 1 GHz

The performance of a practical compact SAW dispersive filter with a bandwidth in excess of 500 MHz and centered at 1.3 GHz is described. The linear FM chirp filter was fabricated and serially reproduced by electron-beam microfabrication. The effect of an externally implemented weighting function on the time domain performance is discussed. The filter has been found suitable for pulse compression in a high-resolution monopulse radar. Replication of filter sets with identical characteristics is discussed.
The Effect of Color Coding on Performance of an Alphabetic Filing Task

Color coding in filing tasks has often been accepted as superior to no color coding. The purpose of this experiment was to explore the effect of filing names, typical of a telephone directory, color coded on the first letter and on the second letter of the last name. A no-color-code condition was used as a control. Rate of production, number of errors, magnitude of errors, and user preference served as criteria.Twenty-two subjects filed 375 appropriately color-striped IBM cards into a box of IBM cards appropriately coded. The rate of performance and subject preferences indicated that the second-letter code was better than the other two conditions. Based on quantity of errors, the first- and second-letter codes were significantly (α < .05) better than the no-color-code condition. Considering the magnitude of errors, the first-letter code was significantly better than the two other codes. The results of this experiment suggest a color-coded filing system based on a simple first-letter scheme would significa...
Unblocking with Qualitative Change of Unconditioned Stimulus

Conditioned barpress suppression was used to examine the effects of qualitative changes in the unconditioned stimulus (US) between Phases 1 and 2 of a blocking paradigm. In Phase 1, rats received pairings of a conditioned stimulus (CS) with footshock. In Phase 2, experimental subjects received a single trial of the same CS or a different CS compounded with a second stimulus and followed either by a footshock or an ice water dunking. These two USs were equated in their potential to elicit conditioned suppression of barpressing. Less blocking of the second stimulus (i.e., unblocking) was observed in subjects that received a qualitative change in US between phases than in subjects for which the US was consistent between phases. This unblocking effect is discussed with respect to the differences between various models of conditioning and several prior successes and failures to demonstrate unblocking.
Kinin, a Mediator of Diabetes-Induced Glomerular Hyperfiltration

Renal kallikrein is increased in diabetic patients and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats with hyperflltration. Chronic inhibition of renal kallikrein reduces glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) in hyperfiltering STZ-induced diabetic rats. To investigate whether these actions of kallikrein and its inhibition are kinin-mediated, we used a B 2 -kinin receptor antagonist (BKA). In STZ-induced diabetic rats with hyperflltration, renal kallikrein excretion rate was significantly increased ( P −1 · min −1 ) or vehicle. Infusion of the kinin receptor antagonist reduced the GFR and RPF significantly. GFR was reduced by 18%, from an average baseline value of 2.07 ± 0.11 to 1.70 ± 0.06 ml/min, P P P
How visual query tools can support users searching the Internet

Visual tools have been developed to help users formulate advanced Internet queries. Users can control the query coordination process at the level of the individual search terms or at the level of the search engines to be consulted. This work addresses the usability issue of the level at which visual query tools can provide the greatest benefit to users searching the Internet. MetaCrystal and its Category View and Cluster Bulls-Eye tools are used to visualize the degree of overlap between the results returned by different query formulations or search engines. It is shown that certain types of similarity relationships between ranked lists give rise to unique visual patterns in the Cluster Bulls-Eye. The MetaCrystal toolset is used to show why visual query tools may provide greater benefits to users who want to coordinate meta searches rather than individual search terms.
Cohort Profile: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a nationally representative longitudinal survey of more than 37 000 individuals over age 50 in 23 000 households in the USA. The survey, which has been fielded every 2 years since 1992, was established to provide a national resource for data on the changing health and economic circumstances associated with ageing at both individual and population levels. Its multidisciplinary approach is focused on four broad topics—income and wealth; health, cognition and use of healthcare services; work and retirement; and family connections. HRS data are also linked at the individual level to administrative records from Social Security and Medicare, Veteran’s Administration, the National Death Index and employer-provided pension plan information. Since 2006, data collection has expanded to include biomarkers and genetics as well as much greater depth in psychology and social context. This blend of economic, health and psychosocial information provides unprecedented potential to study increasingly complex questions about ageing and retirement. The HRS has been a leading force for rapid release of data while simultaneously protecting the confidentiality of respondents. Three categories of data—public, sensitive and restricted—can be accessed through procedures described on the HRS website (hrsonline.isr.umich.edu).
The Ca2+ Synapse Redo: A Matter of Location, Location, Location

The past decade has witnessed the evolution of a new paradigm in thinking about the intimate interrelationship between cellular structure and physiological function in biological processes. It is not surprising that this evolution has, perhaps, its clearest history in the field of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, which has had to wrestle with the long-standing paradox of how the release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) can be graded by membrane potential1 in the presence of regenerative Ca2+ release (Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release2–4⇓⇓). In retrospect, it is clear that the resolution of this paradox had to await both methodological and theoretical breakthroughs that allowed researchers to change the scale of our measurements and thinking. Until the early 1990s, measurements of intracellular Ca2+ were limited to spatially averaged whole-cell Ca2+ transients or Ca2+ waves. The corresponding theoretical constructs assumed a spatially continuous distribution of SR Ca2+ release, which successfully predicted the properties of Ca2+ waves but precluded graded Ca2+ transients—hence the paradox. In 1992, Stern5 made a key advance toward the resolution of this paradox by recognizing that all-or-nothing SR Ca2+ release could be avoided by having discrete Ca2+ release sites that were spatially segregated. This model was unique in that it included the …
The Effect and Implications of Sex Offender Residence Restrictions

Research Summary We evaluated the efficacy of sex offender residence restrictions in Michigan and Missouri using a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching. First, we examined the implementation of the laws and found that sex offenders in both states were less likely to live in restricted areas after the implementation of the laws than the prerestriction sample, but the differences were not statistically significant. In our outcome analysis, we find little evidence that residence restrictions changed the prevalence of recidivism substantially for sex offenders in the postrelease period. In Michigan, trends indicate that the implementation of the laws led to a slight increase in recidivism among the sex offender groups, whereas in Missouri, this effect resulted in a slight decrease in recidivism. Technical violations also declined for both groups in Missouri. The small effect sizes, inconsistent results across states, and the null results between sex offender and non–sex offender models cast doubt on the potential usefulness of the laws to influence individual patterns of recidivism broadly. Policy Implications The results caution against the widespread, homogenous implementation of residence restrictions. Instead, we advocate individualization in sex offender programming and call for the development of risk-centered models of residence restrictions that draw on the established literature. In addition, the research highlights the practical challenges in defining restricted areas, enforcing restrictions, and promoting successful returns to the community. Furthermore, a call for reframing the focus of sex offender reentry to include collaborative treatment groups and enhanced communication and services between key stakeholders is made. Finally, we close with a discussion of several best practice models that provide alternative housing sources for individuals sentenced under residence restrictions without a suitable home plan.
Intervento sulla crisi con persone sieropositive

Le ultime stime indicano come, alla fine del 2003, la prevalenza del virus HIV - il numero totale di persone con siero conversione HIV - fosse di circa un milione (una gamma stimata tra 1.039.000 e 1.185.000) (CDC, 2008); si pensa che, approssimativamente, un quarto (24–27%) delle persone infette da HIV non siano a conoscenza della propria infezione e che cio evidenzi il bisogno di aumentare la diffusione e la portata dei test per l’HIV.
CALHM1 Deletion in Mice Affects Glossopharyngeal Taste Responses, Food Intake, Body Weight, and Life Span

Stimulation of Type II taste receptor cells (TRCs) with T1R taste receptors causes sweet or umami taste, whereas T2Rs elicit bitter taste. Type II TRCs contain the calcium channel, calcium homeostasis modulator protein 1 (CALHM1), which releases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) transmitter to taste fibers. We have previously demonstrated with chorda tympani nerve recordings and two-bottle preference (TBP) tests that mice with genetically deleted Calhm1 (knockout [KO]) have severely impaired perception of sweet, bitter, and umami compounds, whereas their sour and salty tasting ability is unaltered. Here, we present data from KO mice of effects on glossopharyngeal (NG) nerve responses, TBP, food intake, body weight, and life span. KO mice have no NG response to sweet and a suppressed response to bitter compared with control (wild-type [WT]) mice. KO mice showed some NG response to umami, suggesting that umami taste involves both CALHM1- and non-CALHM1modulated signals. NG responses to sour and salty were not significantly different between KO and WT mice. Behavioral data conformed in general with the NG data. Adult KO mice consumed less food, weighed significantly less, and lived almost a year longer than WT mice. Taken together, these data demonstrate that sweet taste majorly influences food intake, body weight, and life span.
Reproductive Biology of the Cigarette Beetle, Lasioderma serricorne. 1. Quantitative Laboratory Bioassay of the Female Sex Pheromone from Females of Different Ages,

Pheromone quantities detectable by laboratory bioassay were obtained from 10- to 12-hour-old Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) adult females. Attractant production increased rapidly during the 1st few days of adult life, reached a maximum at 4–5 days of age, and declined thereafter. At peak production, the calculated 50% response level was 2✕104 female equivalents. The age at which maximum pheromone production occurred was coincident with maturation of the oldest ovarian follicles and the onset of sexual receptivity. Male response to the pheromone involved a sequence of discrete acts. Antennal elevation, leg extension, locomotion, and copulatory movements were successively elicited by exposure to increased quantities of pheromone.
Stability of I and SR Radiophases in Cement Matrices

The following study is a portion of a comprehensive research program that is examining the stability of a variety of nuclear waste forms. In addition to the bulk waste forms, important individual radiophases are being studied to obtain a more complete understanding of the behavior of the components of complex multiphase radwaste systems. The stability of the strontium radiophase in supercalcine and an iodine-radiophase will be discussed. The strontium radiophase in this study was Sr-powellite and the iodine radiophase was I-sodalite. Each radiophase was incorporated into bulk compositionally adjusted portland and aluminate cements. Two processing variables were studied: curing at 60°C and warm pressing at 150°C and 345 MPa. Sr-powellite in portland cement leaches incongruently; a combination of dissolution and diffusion-controlled exchange of Ca for Sr is demonstrated. In the warm-pressed aluminate cement these reactions are masked by reactions with the curing cement. I-sodalite leaching data indicate dissolution, dominant at long times, combined with diffusion, dominant at short times.
Software, Benchmarks and Results

The first version of Dragon placement tool was released in 2000, with the name “Dragon2000” [161]. The project incorporates several previous work which were published in [128, 169]. Dragon combines the state-of-the-art hypergraph partitioning package hMetis [85], cluster-based and bin-based simulated annealing into a top-down, multi-level placement flow. The first version of Dragon is a pure wirelength minimization tool, showing the ability to create placements better than previously the best academic placement tool TimberWolf 7.0 and a high quality industrial tool Itools 1.4.0.
Validation of transcranial Doppler ultrasound with an in vivo stereotactic technique.

Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided stereotac­ tic techniques that allow precise in vivo ana­ tomic location have recently been developed (1). Using such a system, we tested the hypoth­ esis that we are insonating from the midpoints of the M 1 segment of the middle cerebral artery and A 1 segment of the anterior cerebral artery during clinical hand-held transcranial Doppler examinations. We also compared our routine maximum mean linear blood flow velocity (peak velocity) measurements with those ob­ tained using the MR-guided stereotactic tech­ nique. Methods Transcranial Doppler studies were carried out on five healthy volunteers (mean age, 34.7 ± 6.7 years) with a hand-held 2-MHz pulsed-wave Dopple r probe (Transpect, Medasonics, Fremont, Calif) using criteria for vessel iden ­ tification detailed previously (2) . The depth of insonation and peak velocity were recorded for each vessel. Each subject was then fitted with a thermoplastic fa ce mask. Transcranial Doppler studies we re again performed using conventional MR-guided stereotactic technique with a Brown-Roberts-Wells (Radionics, Burlington, Mass) ste­ reotactic head ring , a Cosman-Roberts-Wells (Radionics) arc frame, and a specially fabricated probe adapter. A 1.5-T MR instrument (General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis) was used to obtain contiguous 3 - to 4-mm-thick gradient-echo images (34-51 /1 3-15/2-4 [repetition time/ echo time/excitations], 30° flip angle).
Influence of Design and Bearing Materials on Wear: Comparing Two Different TKA Designs

It is difficult for surgeons to make the decision on which design or material to use given multiple available options for total knee arthroplasty. Due to the complex interaction of soft tissue, implant position, patient anatomy, and kinematic demands of the patient, the prosthetic design of a knee device has traditionally been more important than materials. The purpose of this study was to examine the overall influence of both implant design and materials on volumetric wear rates in an in vitro knee simulator study for two knee designs. Two different designs (single radius and J-curve) with two highly crosslinked materials (Sequentially crosslinked and annealed PE (X3®, Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, NJ) (7.5 kGy moderately crosslinked UHMWPE (XLPE, Smith and Nephew, Memphis, TN)) were evaluated. The two designs tested were the Triathlon® CR knee system (single radius design)(Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, NJ) and the Legion™ Oxinium® CR knee system (J-curve design) (Verilast™, Smith and Nephew, Memphis, TN). Three inserts per condition were tested in this study. This comparison incorporates the effects of both materials and designs: different femoral component materials, different tibial bearing materials, and implant geometry (J-curve vs. single radius saggital profile). All devices were tested under ISO 14243-3 normal walking using an MTS knee simulator for a total of 5 million cycles. Standard test protocols were used for cleaning, weighing and assessing the wear loss of the tibial inserts (ASTM F2025). Soak control specimens were used to correct for fluid absorption with weight loss data converted to volumetric data (by material density). Statistical analysis was performed using the Student9s t-test. Total volume loss results are shown in Figure 1. Test results show a 36% reduction (p Results indicate superior wear resistance for the single radius system. This finding indicates that a combination of implant design and prosthesis material plays a significant role in knee wear rates. The in vitro low volumetric wear observed in the single-radius prosthesis could theoretically influence long term survivorship in vivo , and supports the potential for improved durability and long term wear performance for this design when compared to a J-curved femoral component. Longer term clinical evidence such as published studies or outcomes reported in the available joint registries will be needed to establish whether any material or design can achieve a 30-year or longer outcome.
Congenital systemic artery to pulmonary artery fistula in children:4 cases report and literature review

Objective The purpose of this study was to summarize the diagnosis and treatment of systemic artery-pulmonary artery fistula (or systemic artery-pulmonary artery malformation) in children.Methods The clinical data of four cases with systemic artery-pulmonary artery fistula who were diagnosed from March 2007 to February 2008 were summarized,including present history,past history,family history,physical examination,complete blood count (CBC),percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2)/artery blood gas,chest X-ray (CXR),contrast 64-multidetector-row CT (MDCT),3D-volume rendering (VR),digital subtraction angiography(DSA) for bronchial arteriography and treatment.All cases were still under follow-up until May 2009.Results All cases were diagnosed as bronchial artery to pulmonary artery fistula,including 1 boy and 3 girls,aged from 2 months old to 11 years old. The major symptom was hemoptysis. Three cases had massive hemoptysis.Case 2 had chest pain and case 4 had dyspnea as accompanied symptom. All cases had no specific signs of this disease except case 2 with clubbing.CXR showed atelectasis or infiltration caused by hemoptysis in three cases.CXR of case 3 was negative.Contrast MDCT and 3D-VR of case 1 showed tortuous bronchial artery and no shunt between systemic artery and pulmonary vessels. Contrast MDCT and 3D-VR of case 2 after transcatheter embolization (TCE) showed tortuous right bronchial artery and probable shunt to pulmonary artery.Contrast MDCT and 3D-VR of case 3 showed bronchial artery to pulmonary artery shunt.Contrast MDCT and 3D-VR of case 4 was negative.Three cases with bronchial artery to pulmonary artery fistula were confirmed by DSA bronchial arteriography and were treated by TCE. Case 3 didn't receive TCE for the very young age,and had medical treatment instead. There was no evidence of pulmonary artery to pulmonary vein fistula (PAVF) in case 2 although he had clubbing. In follow-up,the disease recurred in case 1 indicated by the recurrence of bloody sputum and did not recur in the other three cases.Three cases were highly suspected as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia(HHT) and the other was higher risk.Conclusions Systemic artery (bronchial artery)-pulmonary artery fistula could be a rare cause for massive hemoptysis in children. It had no specific signs on CXR. Contrast MDCT and 3D-VR could show the lesion. It was confirmed by DSA. TCE could be used for treatment. Follow-up should be recommanded to understand the natural history and the long-term effects of TCE.
“A Welcome Weapon of Criticism”: Tribal Policy and Its Discontents, 1930–1939

In the aftermath of the Frontier uprising of 1930, British policies in the settled districts of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) became a source of heated debate in both India and Britain. Indian nationalists and their allies lambasted the Government of India’s use of excessive force in the settled districts of the Frontier, arguing that this illustrated the fundamental violence that underwrote Britain’s Indian Empire. This criticism, combined with the magnitude of the nationalist movement on the Frontier, convinced the British administration of the need to extend reforms to the NWFP, which brought the administered districts into the All-India political sphere. No longer a “forbidden land,” as one nationalist critic called it, cut off from the rest of India, the Frontier assumed a key role in the constitutional wrangling of the 1930s.1
Lenient learning in independent-learner stochastic cooperative games

We introduce the Lenient Multiagent Reinforcement Learning 2 (LMRL2) algorithm for independent-learner stochastic cooperative games. LMRL2 is designed to overcome a pathology called relative overgeneralization, and to do so while still performing well in games with stochastic transitions, stochastic rewards, and miscoordination. We discuss the existing literature, then compare LMRL2 against other algorithms drawn from the literature which can be used for games of this kind: traditional ("Distributed") Q-learning, Hysteretic Q-learning, WoLF-PHC, SOoN, and (for repeated games only) FMQ. The results show that LMRL2 is very effective in both of our measures (complete and correct policies), and is found in the top rank more often than any other technique. LMRL2 is also easy to tune: though it has many available parameters, almost all of them stay at default settings. Generally the algorithm is optimally tuned with a single parameter, if any. We then examine and discuss a number of side-issues and options for LMRL2.
A Theory of Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior Extended to the Domain of Corrective Advertising

The literature on corrective advertising is replete with conflicting reports on its effectiveness in changing attitudes and/or behavior. Part of the ambiguity in the published literature is due to lack of theoretical specificity and conceptual clarity about the potential outcomes associated with mass media efforts to correct deception in commercial advertisements. Moreover, the published research suffers from methodological imprecision in measuring the social impacts of corrective advertisements that make cross-study comparisons difficult, if not impossible. This chapter develops a prepositional calculus to explain corrective advertising effects based upon a significantly modified version of Fishbein’s theory of belief, attitude, intention, and behavior. It is argued that while Fishbein’s theory provides impetus for a theoretical formulation of corrective advertising effects, the model suffers from a major logical deficiency in explaining how corrective advertisers attempt to have limited impact in revisi...
Ego Development and the Internalization of Conflict in Young Adults

The theory and measurement of ego development (Loevinger in Ego development: Conceptions and theories. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1976) have enjoyed success in the empirical literature as a means of conceptualizing psychological maturity. One unresolved issue concerns the uncertain relationship between ego development and positive adjustment or well-being. The current study tests the hypothesis that ego development in the transition to young adulthood entails an increase in internalizing symptoms and a decrease in externalizing symptoms of psychopathology. Two samples of college students (total n = 263, age range 18–22 years) completed a measure of ego development, the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT; Hy and Loevinger in Measuring ego development. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, 1996), and either the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI; Ihilevich and Gleser in Defense mechanisms: Their classification, correlates, and measurement with the Defense Mechanisms Inventory. Psychological Assessment Resources, Odessa, 1993) or select scales from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey in Personality Assessment Inventory professional manual 2. Psychological Assessment Resources, Lutz, 2007). Results indicate that WUSCT scores are positively correlated with internalizing defense preferences, anxiety-related disorders, unstable mood and identity, and sense of stress. WUSCT scores are negatively correlated with externalizing defense preferences and alcohol problems, and with aggression in males. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ego development is related to the specific type, rather than overall level, of psychopathology experienced by young adults.
Assessing the inter-rater reliability and accuracy of pharmacy faculty’s Bloom’s Taxonomy classifications

Abstract Objective To identify inter-rater reliability and accuracy of pharmacy faculty members' classification of exam questions based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Methods Faculty at a college of pharmacy was given six example exam questions to assign to the appropriate Bloom’s level. Results Inter-rater reliability and accuracy were both low at 0.25 and 46.0%, respectively. Accuracy increased to 81.8% when the six Bloom’s levels collapsed to three. Conclusions Both inter-rater reliability and accuracy were low. Faculty members' misclassifications suggested a three-tier combination of the Bloom’s levels that would optimally improve accuracy: Knowledge, Comprehension/Application, and Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation. Faculty development should also be considered in improving accuracy and reliability.