cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opto-galvanic spectroscopy of a neon discharge: Mechanism studies

Irradiation of gaseous discharges with a tunable laser produces easily observed voltage changes at wavelengths which correspond to electronic transitions for species in the discharge. This work reports observations made in the 572–654 nm region on a neon glow discharge, which is operated at 5 torr (670 Pa) pressure and 2–25 mA current. A wide variety of absorption transitions have been detected which originate in the 1sn (3P2,1,0, 1P1) and 2pn excited states. The resulting voltage signals are both positive and negative, and some transitions exhibit sign changes as a function of discharge current. Some of the results can be interpreted in terms of processes which directly affect the neon metastable atom concentration (3P2, 3P0) and states also produce voltage changes which can be explained in terms of processes which either enhance or decrease ionization.
Moral imagination in long-term care workers.

Our study focused on the cultural construction of dying and death in long-term care facilities. This article centers on direct care workers' perspective of residents' deaths. The data on which this article is based were gathered in a multi-year, multi-site study through formal ethnographic interviews, informal conversations, and on-site observations of residents and staff members. During fieldwork, we noticed an aptitude of direct care workers to deal with residents' deaths, which we named “moral imagination.” The term is borrowed from other disciplines to describe a “way of seeing” residents. The case studies presented—that of three direct care workers: a dietary aide, a nurse aide, and an assistant activities director—are suggestive of workers in each category. Our study offers implications for future research concerning direct care workers' value to residents' quality of life. We also propose questions for long-term care facilities about standards of formal caregiving at the end of life.
The emerging clinical significance of leptin in humans with absolute or relative leptin deficiency

Purpose of reviewThis article summarizes recent clinical investigations involving leptin administration in a variety of human disease states and presents new information regarding the role of leptin in the neuroendocrine control of energy homeostasis, reproduction, and immune function in humans.Rece
The effect of soluflazine on adenosine receptors in the rat brain

Abstract Soluflazine, a potent adenosine transport Inhibitor, was intracerebroventricularly administered to rats via ALZET mini osmotic pumps (4nmole, 0.5 L/hr) for 14 days and the effect on adenosine receptors was determined in specific brain areas. Soluflazine decreased adenosine Al radioligand binding in the hippocampus as measured by [3H]R-PIA, and lowered adenosine A2 binding sites in the striatum, as estimated by the “NECA minus R-PIA” assay. Previous work from our lab has shown the ability of diazepam and triazolam to decrease adenosine binding in the same brain areas. The data show that a specific adenosine transport Inhibitor produces the same effect on adenosine receptors as benzodiazepines, and suggest a role for adenosine In the CNS effects of benzodiazepines.
THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TERRESTRIAL ISOPOD PORCELLIO SCABER LATREILLE AND ONE OF ITS DIPTERAN PARASITES, MELANOPHORA RORALIS (L.) (RHINOPHORIDAE)

Melanophora roralis (L.), a rhinophorid fly, was reared from naturally infected sowbugs, Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt) and Porcellio scaber Latreille, collected at several locations in the eastern United States, the majority from P. scaber. Aspects of the host-parasite interaction were studied in a large sample ofisopods from North Carolina. The flies were sexually dimorphic for body size, and varied in size as a function of individual host size. Differences between the fly sexes were due to their differential utilization of a common range of host sizes rather than to the use of different host sizes; this result was directly confirmed with laboratory rearings of full sibships. Two potential indicators of individual fitness, adult longevity, and female fecundity, were direct functions of parasite, and hence host, size. The size dimorphism in Melanophora roralis, and physiological features associated with it, may reflect adaptations in this parasite for population persistence at low population densities. The Rhinophoridae are dipteran flies largely, or exclusively, specialized as larval parasites of terrestrial isopod crustaceans (Crosskey, 1977). The family is small, with about 100 species currently recognized, and has had a long and confused history of affiliation with both the Calliphoridae and the Tachinidae (for review see Crosskey, 1977; Kugler, 1978). Despite the generalizations often made about rhinophorid natural history, relatively little is known.about these flies. Host records for most species are lacking, and very little information has been published on host-parasite interactions since Thompson's (1934) monograph on the British species. Only one rhinophorid, Melanophora roralis (L.), is widespread in North America. The species ranges from Michigan to Kansas and from New Hampshire to Florida and Louisiana (Sabrosky and Araud, 1965). Although this fly has been frequently collected, it is rarely very abundant (Brues, 1903). M. roralis is known to be a parasite of Porcellio scaber Latreille (Thompson, 1934) and Oniscus asellus L. (Jones, 1948), but details of the host-parasite interaction have received little attention due to the sporadic and rare occurrence of adequate samples. We have occasionally reared M. roralis from isopods collected for other experimental purposes. One of these collections, from North Carolina, had an incidence of parasitism high enough to prompt the present study.
Airway Inflammation and Severe Asthma

The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of severe asthma chronically treated with high doses of glucocorticoids is poorly understood. Despite this, treatment has been aimed at advancing anti-inflammatory and immunomodulator therapy. This study was designed to evaluate both the presence and type of airway inflammation in patients with severe asthma. A prospective bronchoscopic study evaluated 14 severe, high-dose oral glucocorticoid dependent asthmatics. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was analyzed for cytology and inflammatory mediators. Endobronchial and transbronchial biopsies were performed in selected patients for morphometric evaluation of macrophage/monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes. These results were compared with lavage and endo- and transbronchial biopsy studies in normal controls and patients with moderate asthma. The concentration of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was highest in the moderate asthmatics not on glucocorticoids, with very little difference between normal controls and severe asthmatics (significant difference among the groups, P=0.007). In contrast, the severe asthmatics demonstrated a twofold higher concentration of neutrophils in lavage than either the mild-moderate asthmatics, or the normal controls (P=0.032 among the groups, P<0.05 between the severe asthmatics and both controls). Similar results were obtained in the endobronchial and transbronchial biopsy specimens, which consistently showed significantly higher numbers of neutrophils in the severe asthmatics than in the control groups. The eicosanoid mediators, thromboxane and leukotriene B4, were also highest in the severe asthma group (differences among the groups, P=0.019 and P=0.023, respectively). These findings suggest that inflammation remains in severe symptomatic asthmatics despite treatment with high dose glucocorticoids which may be due to the severity of disease, glucocorticoid treatment, or other as yet undefined factors.
Types and molecular weights of subunits of arachin-P6.

Abstract Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that arachin-P6 contained nine types of subunits. The subunits were designated K15 (15, 069), K17 (17, 334), K20 (20, 000), K22 (21, 750), K24 (23, 557), K29 (29, 019), K37 (37, 161), K41 (41, 326) and K43 (43, 104) and molecular weight of each is given in parenthesis following its name. This observation was qualitatively comparable to the results of electrophoretic analysis of arachin-P6 conducted in the presence of urea.
Left ventricular-arterial coupling.

The performance of the cardiovascular system depends on the interaction of its components. The left ventricle pumps its stroke volume into the arterial system, which then delivers the flow to the tissues. Thus, optimal cardiovascular function requires appropriate coupling of the left ventricle and the arterial system. Functional analysis of this interaction requires that the left ventricle and arterial system be described in similar terms. The left ventricle can be evaluated by plotting left ventricular (LV) pressure versus volume through the cardiac cycle (Figure 1A). The upper left-hand corner of the LV pressure-volume loop is end-systole. This is the point at which the left ventricle reaches maximal stiffness. Connecting the end-systolic points of variably loaded beats determines the LV end-systolic pressure-volume relation (Figure 1B). The slope of this relation is the LV end-systolic elastance (EES). An increase in contractility shifts the relation to the left and increases EES. Sunagawa et al proposed that the arterial system can be evaluated in an analogous manner. In this analysis, the arterial system is described by the relation between the stroke volume and end-systolic arterial pressure (Figure 1C). The higher the stroke volume, the greater the LV and arterial end-systolic pressure. The slope of this relation represents the effective arterial end-systolic elastance (EA). If it is assumed that zero stroke volume will be associated with zero pressure, then EA can be calculated as the ratio of end-systolic pressure to stroke volume. Furthermore, it is approximately equal to the peripheral vascular resistance times the heart rate. EES indicates how much the LV end-systolic volume will increase (and stroke volume will decrease) in response to an elevation of end-systolic pressure. However, LVend-systolic pressure is also determined by the arterial pressure-stroke volume relation; the higher the stoke volume, the higher the end-systolic pressure. Thus, the stroke volume and the end-systolic pressure results from the balance between EES (describing the LV) and EA (describing the arterial system) (Figure 1D). The left ventricle and arterial system are optimally coupled to produce stroke work (SW) when EA = EES or EA/EES = 1.0. The SW is the product of systolic arterial pressure and the stroke volume and measures how much useful work is produced by the left ventricle. When EES exceeds EA (EA/EES 1.0), SW falls and the left ventricle becomes less efficient. Normally, the left ventricle and arterial system are optimally coupled both at rest and during exercise. In patients with systolic heart failure, EES is reduced and peripheral vascular resistance (and thus EA) is increased. In this situation, the left ventricle and arterial system are suboptimally coupled (EA/EES > 1.0). Any increase in heart rate will further increase EA, making the coupling even worse. Vasodilator therapy, which lowers EA, will
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Is an Early Intermediate in the Gβγ-mediated Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway

The beta gamma-subunit of Gi mediates mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation through a signaling pathway involving Shc tyrosine phosphorylation, subsequent formation of a multiprotein complex including Shc, Grb2, and Sos, and sequential activation of Ras, Raf, and MEK. The mechanism by which G beta gamma mediates tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, however, is unclear. This study assesses the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) in G beta gamma-mediated MAP kinase activation. We show that Gi-coupled receptor- and G beta gamma-stimulated MAP kinase activation is attenuated by the PI-3K inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 or by over expression of a dominant negative mutant of the p85 subunit of PI-3K. Wortmannin and LY294002 also inhibit Gi-coupled receptor-stimulated Ras activation. The PI-3K inhibitors do not affect MAP kinase activation stimulated by over-expression of Sos, a constitutively active mutant of Ras, or a constitutively active mutant of MEK. These results demonstrate that PI-3K activity is required in the G beta gamma-mediated MAP kinase signaling pathway at a point upstream of Sos and Ras activation.
The oral assimilation of radiomanganese by the mouse.

The metabolism of orally administered radiomanganese was studied in mice. Assimilation of absorbed manganese (Mn) was determined using whole body counting techniques. When54MnCl2 was administered, 2.7% of the dose was retained after 10 d compared with 1.2% from the54Mn-nitrilotriacetate (NTA) complex. However, this difference was accounted for by the rapid and persistent adsorption of the Mn onto the teeth of the lower jaw when fed as the ionic salt at pH 2.0 compared with the NTA-chelate fed at pH 9.0. Once corrected for the amount adsorbed onto the teeth, the biodistribution and relative specific activity of the assimilated radiomanganese into a variety of tissues were similar for both forms of the metal.
Purification and Immunological Analysis of Phospholipase D from Castor Bean Endosperm

Phospholipase D (EC 3.1.4.4) has been implicated in diverse cellular processes, but its physiological role is not well established in plants. In order to develop immunological and molecular biology approaches to address the problem, we report here the immunological analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequence of a cytosolic phospholipase D from castor bean (Ricinus communis L.). The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity from germinating castor bean endosperm. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was enhanced by approximately 670-fold with an overall yield of 4%. Its molecular mass was estimated at 92 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this enzyme was KLVENIEETVGFGKG. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against the purified enzyme. The antibodies inhibited the activity of transphosphatidylation more than that of hydrolysis of phospholipase D. The differential effect on the two activities of this enzyme implies that different active sites on this enzyme may be involved in the two reactions. Immunoblot analyses showed that the amounts of phospholipase D protein relative to the total endosperm proteins increased during the first 5 days of germination. The antibodies cross-reacted to proteins from several tested plant species, and those proteins had molecular masses similar to that of castor bean phospholipase D. These results indicate that the expression of phospholipase D in castor bean changes according to growth stages and that phospholipase D enzymes of different plant species are structurally related.
Facile synthesis of glucose-type 1-N-iminosugars: New inhibitor of glycolipid biosynthesis

Abstract A new type of glucose-based 1- N -iminosugars was synthesized from mannose and found to be a potent inhibitor of β-glucosidase ( K i 4.3 μM) and glycolipid biosynthesis.
Electronic Contribution to Lattice Dynamics in Insulating Crystals

The electron contribution to the phonon spectrum is formulated in terms of the microscopic response function. The long-wavelength behavior of the lattice vibration is then investigated, with due attention to the long-range Coulomb interaction. An important quantity which emerges is the effective charge of the vibrating nuclei, which is shown to obey a sum rule. From this follows the existence of long-wavelength acoustic phonos. The infrared optical constants are also expressed in terms of the microscopic response function.
Selectivity and conductance among the glycerol and water conducting aquaporin family of channels

The atomic structures of a transmembrane water plus glycerol conducting channel (GlpF), and now of aquaporin Z (AqpZ) from the same species, Escherichia coli, bring the total to three atomic resolution structures in the aquaporin (AQP) family. Members of the AQP family each assemble as tetramers of four channels. Common helical axes support a wider channel in the glycerol plus water channel paradigm, GlpF. Water molecules form a single hydrogen bonded file throughout the 28 A long channel in AqpZ. The basis for absolute exclusion of proton or hydronium ion conductance through the line of water is explored using simulations.
Applications of subaperture stitching interferometry for very large mirrors

Full aperture interferometric metrology has enabled fabrication and verification of large primary mirrors with nm precision. The measurement of mirrors that are several meters in diameter with flat or convex aspheric surfaces can be performed using interferometric measurements of overlapping subaperture regions, then stitching the date from these measurements together to provide a full map. This paper explores the application of this measurement technique for very large mirrors, and discusses issues for measuring large flat or convex mirrors.
Pregnancies of unknown location after in vitro fertilization: minimally invasive management with Karman cannula aspiration.

Objective To describe a standardized protocol for the assessment of asymptomatic patients with pregnancies of unknown location (PUL) after IVF. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting University-based infertility clinic. Patient(s) Women undergoing fresh IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles between 2005 and 2011. Intervention(s) Endometrial sampling using Karman suction cannula in patients with PUL and abnormal β-hCG trend (increase Main Outcome Measure(s) Proportion of patients spared methotrexate (MTX) administration. Result(s) Endometrial sampling was performed in 45 patients. Of these, 31 (68.9%) were diagnosed with failed IUP by either a sampling after the β-hCG decline (≥15%) and/or the presence of villi on final pathology. No further intervention was required. Fourteen patients (31.1%) were diagnosed with presumed EP by persistent β-hCG level after negative pathology. Ten of these patients (71%) were successfully treated with a single dose of MTX; three required an additional dose, and one required laparoscopy for a ruptured EP. Conclusion(s) In asymptomatic patients with PUL and abnormal β-hCG trends after IVF, the utility of Karman aspiration to confirm an IUP may obviate treatment with MTX in more than two-thirds of patients.
Acting Out to ACTing On: A Preliminary Investigation in Youth with ADHD and Co-morbid Disorders

The feasibility of using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to foster increases in congruence between values and behaviors pertinent to those values was evaluated with adolescents. Participants were nine, primarily African American, school aged children (11–15 years) with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, and behavior problems who were enrolled at a charter school in an urban, South-central area of the United States. Despite some feasibility obstacles, several significant Reliable Change Index scores on the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children—second edition and the Bull’s-Eye Values Assessment were found and other results approached statistical significance in the desirable direction. These findings suggest that ACT may be feasible for increasing congruence between values and behavior, and may have potential clinical utility with acceptance and mindfulness based treatments in youth with comorbid psychological and behavioral problems.
Endothelial cell loss 9 years after PRK and LASIK and its importance for eye banks

Purpose To measure changes in the endothelium of corneas 9 years after myopic PRK and LASIK to determine if these corneas are suitable donor tissue for posterior lamellar transplantation. Methods Central endothelial photographs were taken before and at 9 years after PRK in 9 eyes of 6 patients and after LASIK in 20 eyes of 10 patients. Preoperative spheroequivalent refraction was -3.5 ± 1.7 D (range -1.25 to -5.75) in PRK eyes and -6.2 ± 1.4 D (range -4 to -9.25 D) in LASIK eyes with intended correction to emmetropia in all eyes. Endothelial cells were analyzed with the center method by the same masked investigator from the endothelial images after calibration for magnification. Comparisons were made by using generalized estimating equation models to account for any correlation between fellow eyes of the same subject. Results Endothelial cell density at 9 years after PRK (2559 ± 423 cells/mm2) was not significantly lower than before PRK (2641 ± 340 cells/mm2, P=0.45, n=9). Endothelial cell density at 9 years after LASIK (2741 ± 308 cells/mm2) was lower than before LASIK (2925 ± 303 cells/mm2; P<0.001, n=20), representing an annual exponential cell loss of 0.7 ± 0.8%. This cell loss was not significantly different from the annual exponential cell loss of 0.6 ± 0.5 % during a ten-year period measured in 42 normal (unoperated) corneas of control subjects from a previous study (P=0.41, minimum detectable difference = 0.5%, α=0.05, s=0.20). Conclusion We found no effect of PRK or LASIK on the corneal endothelium 9 years after the procedure. Eye banks and surgeons can use donor corneas from PRK eyes and from LASIK eyes for posterior lamellar keratoplasty procedures.
Determining toxicity of leachates from Florida municipal solid waste landfills using a battery-of-tests approach.

The toxicity and physicochemical parameters of municipal solid-waste (MSW) landfill leachates from six sites in north and north-central Florida, United States, were determined. Landfill leachates are complex mixtures of organic and inorganic constituents. Leachate toxicity was assayed using the acute C. dubia (48-h) and Microtox™ (15-min) assays and the chronic S. capricornutum (96-h) assay. The landfill leachates were shown to be highly toxic to both C. dubia and S. capricornutum with an EC50 S. capricornutum > Microtox™. Chemical analyses showed high concentrations of un-ionized ammonia and salts in the landfill leachates but low concentrations of heavy metals. The toxicity of the landfill leachates varied between the sites sampled and within each of the landfill sites. A significant relationship was found between the total ammonia content of the leachates and toxicity as determined by the C. dubia and S. capricornutum assays. Although the chemical constituents in Florida MSW landfill leachates may be more dilute, the toxicity of the leachates is equivalent to that from industrial waste landfills. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 17: 258–266, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/tox.10053
The t expansion and SU(2) lattice gauge theory

This paper presents the results obtained by applying the t expansion to the case of an SU(2) lattice gauge theory in 3+1 space-time dimensions. We compute the vacuum energy density, specific heat, string tension sigma, mass M of the lowest-lying 0/sup + +/ glueball, and the ratio R = M/sup 2//sigma. Our computations converge best for the energy density, specific heat, and R, and these quantities exhibit behavior which agrees with what we expect on general grounds and what is known from Euclidean Monte Carlo calculations. In particular we see a broad lump in the specific heat and determine ..sqrt..R to be ..sqrt..R = 3.5 +- 0.2, a value which lies in the ballpark of values obtained from Monte Carlo calculations. Our direct computations of the mass of the 0/sup + +/ glueball and string tension cannot be easily compared to the results of Monte Carlo calculations, but appear to be consistent with what one would expect.
57Fe Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Zinc Ferrite Prepared by a Variety of Synthetic Methods

Confirmation of the suggestion of B site Zn 2+ in nanocrystalline ZnF e 2O 4 has been sought through X-ray diffraction, 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility and TEM measurements on bulk and nanocrystalline samples prepared by different techniques. Measurements on bulk samples are in agreement with previously reported ones. Samples prepared at low temperature from solutions of salts exhibit broadened XRD patterns, susceptibilities 4-5 times that of bulk samples, broadened Mossbauer spectra and particle sizes between 5-20nm. Low-impact, ball-milled bulk samples exhibited properties similar to the low temperature. nanocrystalline samples. At 298K, the Mossbauer spectra exhibit no magnetic hyperfine splitting and no evidence for a significant proportion of A site Fe 3+ ions. The unusually high susceptibilities appear to result mainly from the decreased particle size and not from profound changes in the cation distribution of a well-defined, spinel structure.
Channel-adaptive zero-margin & process-adaptive self-healing communication circuits/systems: Special session paper

Communication circuits/systems suffer from design margins required to support wide channel variations, increasing manufacturing process variations and multi-standard operation. Recent advances in channel and process adaptive communication systems, enabling zero-margin power-efficient operation and adaptive variation-tolerant self-healing systems enabling yield improvement are discussed.
Large-scale screening identifies a novel microRNA, miR-15a-3p, which induces apoptosis in human cancer cell lines

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis and, as such, have been suggested as tools for cancer detection and therapy. In this work, a large-scale screening of the complete miRNA mimics library demonstrated that hsa-miR-15a-3p had a pro-apoptotic role in the following human cancer cells: HeLa, AsPc-1, MDA-MB-231, KB3, ME180, HCT-116 and A549. MiR-15a-3p is a novel member of the pro-apoptotic miRNA cluster, miR-15a/16, which was found to activate Caspase-3/7 and to cause viability loss in B/CMBA.Ov cells during preliminary screening. Subsequent microarrays and bioinformatics analyses identified the following four anti-apoptotic genes: bcl2l1, naip5, fgfr2 and mybl2 as possible targets for the mmu-miR-15a-3p in B/CMBA.Ov cells. Follow-up studies confirmed the pro-apoptotic role of hsa-miR-15a-3p in human cells by its ability to activate Caspase-3/7, to reduce cell viability and to inhibit the expression of bcl2l1 (bcl-xL) in HeLa and AsPc-1 cells. MiR-15-3p was also found to reduce viability in HEK293, MDA-MB-231, KB3, ME180, HCT-116 and A549 cell lines and, therefore, may be considered for apoptosis modulating therapies in cancers associated with high Bcl-xL expression (cervical, pancreatic, breast, lung and colorectal carcinomas). The capability of hsa-miR-15a-3p to induce apoptosis in these carcinomas may be dependent on the levels of Bcl-xL expression. The use of endogenous inhibitors of bcl-xL and other anti-apoptotic genes such as hsa-miR-15a-3p may provide improved options for apoptosis-modulating therapies in cancer treatment compared with the use of artificial antisense oligonucleotides.
Use vs. access: design and use in educational digital libraries

The poster will compare and contrast the design and usage assumptions of existing educational digital libraries and repositories to challenge digital library developers to meet the needs of their increasingly sophisticated users. Traditionally, assumptions have focused on access to a site and discovery of content, whereas we define use as content and its application (context, audience, etc.).In this poster we will review the assumptions that have driven the design of digital libraries, their services and evaluation. Measures of success such as page views of metadata rest on assumptions associated with access, i.e., the number of times a metadata record is displayed. This measure provides a very limited view of how a digital library is used. We believe that educational digital libraries need to go beyond such a limited view and think about what people actually do with material: Are they using it? Are they returning to it? Are they modifying it? Are they sharing it with others? We will explore an alternate set of metrics for determining the success (or failure) of educational digital libraries by examining metrics focused on use of the contents of educational digital libraries.
A measurement of the strange quark contribution to the nucleon spin via neutrino-nucleon elastic scattering

Abstract Results from deep-inelastic scattering indicate that the strange quark contribution to the nucleon spin, Δ s , is significant. Neutrino-nucleon scattering offers a complementary method to check this. Results on neutrino-nucleon scattering from BNL E734 and LSND are reported and ideas for definitive measurement of Δ s using neutrino-nucleon scattering are presented.
Dissecting latitudinal diversity gradients: functional groups and clades of marine bivalves

The latitudinal diversity gradient, with maximum taxonomic richness in the tropics, is widely accepted as being pervasive on land, but the existence of this pattern in the sea has been surprisingly controversial. This is partly due to Thorson9s influential claim that the normal latitudinal diversity gradient occurs in marine epifauna (taxa living on the surface of the substratum) but not in infauna (burrowing or boring into the substratum), a contrast he attributed to the greater spatial and temporal environmental homogeneity of infaunal habitats. In an analysis of 930 species of north-eastern Pacific marine shelf bivalves, we found that bivalves as a whole, and both infauna and epifauna separately, show a strong latitudinal diversity gradient (measured as number of species per degree latitude) that is closely related to mean sea surface temperature (SST), even in analyses of residuals and first differences. This agrees with results for marine gastropods, but contradicts Thorson9s environmental homogeneity hypothesis. The relationship between SST and diversity is consistent with a species-energy hypothesis, but the linkages from SST to diversity remain unclear. Most bivalve clades within broad functional groups conform to the general latitudinal trend, except for the deposit-feeding protobranchs. This group9s non-directional pattern may be related to its mode of development, because a similar effect is seen in several other groups locked into this low-fecundity, non-feeding larval mode.
How not to integrate the history and philosophy of science: a reply to Chalmers

Abstract Alan Chalmers uses Robert Boyle’s mechanical philosophy as an example of the irrelevance of ‘philosophy’ to ‘science’ and criticizes my 2006 book Atoms and alchemy for overemphasizing Boyle’s successes. The present paper responds as follows: first, it argues that Chalmers employs an overly simplistic methodology insensitive to the distinction between historical and philosophical claims; second, it shows that the central theses of Atoms and alchemy are untouched by Chalmers’s criticisms; and third, it uses Boyle’s analysis of subordinate causes and his debate with Henry More in the 1670s to demonstrate the inadequacy of Chalmers’s construal of the mechanical philosophy.
Analysis of field-effect and capacitance–voltage measurements in amorphous semiconductors

Abstract We describe the details of an iterative computer method for deriving N(E), the density of gap states, from field-effect or capacitance–voltage measurements without using simplifying approximations. The method of analysis has been tested by fitting artificially constructed data derived from an arbitrarily chosen N(E). It shows that, although gross features of N(E) can be determined, the presence of detailed structure or narrow peaks cannot be verified. Several different N(E) can yield good fits to the same set of data. The determination of experimental parameters needed for this analysis is discussed. Field-effect and capacitance–voltage measurements are complementary but each is particularly useful in a different range of field voltage values. The field effect probes a layer less than 100 A thick at the interface. This has significant implications for the interpretation of the results. We question whether N(E) deduced from field-effect measurements represents the density of localized gap states i...
The serotonin transporter is required for stress-evoked increases in adrenal catecholamine synthesis and angiotensin II AT(2) receptor expression.

High numbers of serotonin transporter (SERT) binding sites and high serotonin (5-HT) content are expressed in the adrenal medulla of wild-type (SERT+/+) mice. Acute restraint stress increases adrenomedullary 5-HT, norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) release, adrenomedullary tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA, and angiotensin II AT(2) receptor expression. There are no alterations in adrenal catecholamine content during restraint. In littermate SERT-/- mice, which do not express SERT binding sites, the basal adrenomedullary 5-HT content is significantly reduced and does not increase after stress. The stress-induced increase in plasma E is higher in SERT-/- than in SERT+/+ animals. In SERT-/- mice, the stress-induced increase in expression of TH mRNA does not occur, and as a consequence, adrenal E content decreases, and adrenal E and NE content are lower than that of SERT+/+ mice during restraint. In addition, instead of increased expression, stress induces a profound decrease in the number of adrenomedullary AT(2) receptors in SERT-/- mice. Our results indicate that SERT is necessary for the stress-induced increase in adrenomedullary catecholamine synthesis and AT(2) receptor expression. These data further indicate a close relationship between the adrenomedullary 5-HT and angiotensin II systems, and an important role of adrenomedullary AT(2) receptors in catecholamine synthesis and release during stress.
Abdominal and flank pain as presenting symptoms of schwannoma

Spinal cord tumors have been reported to cause abdominal, flank, and back pain. This case report describes an extensive evaluation of an adolescent male presenting with flank, abdominal, and back pain leading to the diagnosis of a schwannoma. The case underscores the need to consider spinal cord tumors in the differential diagnosis of abdominal and/or flank pain.
Characterization of an extracellular lipase and its chaperone from Ralstonia eutropha H16

Lipase enzymes catalyze the reversible hydrolysis of triacylglycerol to fatty acids and glycerol at the lipid–water interface. The metabolically versatile Ralstonia eutropha strain H16 is capable of utilizing various molecules containing long carbon chains such as plant oil, organic acids, or Tween as its sole carbon source for growth. Global gene expression analysis revealed an upregulation of two putative lipase genes during growth on trioleate. Through analysis of growth and activity using strains with gene deletions and complementations, the extracellular lipase (encoded by the lipA gene, locus tag H16_A1322) and lipase-specific chaperone (encoded by the lipB gene, locus tag H16_A1323) produced by R. eutropha H16 was identified. Increase in gene dosage of lipA not only resulted in an increase of the extracellular lipase activity, but also reduced the lag phase during growth on palm oil. LipA is a non-specific lipase that can completely hydrolyze triacylglycerol into its corresponding free fatty acids and glycerol. Although LipA is active over a temperature range from 10 °C to 70 °C, it exhibited optimal activity at 50 °C. While R. eutropha H16 prefers a growth pH of 6.8, its extracellular lipase LipA is most active between pH 7 and 8. Cofactors are not required for lipase activity; however, EDTA and EGTA inhibited LipA activity by 83 %. Metal ions Mg2+, Ca2+, and Mn2+ were found to stimulate LipA activity and relieve chelator inhibition. Certain detergents are found to improve solubility of the lipid substrate or increase lipase-lipid aggregation, as a result SDS and Triton X-100 were able to increase lipase activity by 20 % to 500 %. R. eutropha extracellular LipA activity can be hyper-increased, making the overexpression strain a potential candidate for commercial lipase production or in fermentations using plant oils as the sole carbon source.
Development and Sensory Analysis of a Textured Whey Protein Meatless Patty

Whey protein concentrate (WPC, 80% protein) was textured using thermoplastic extrasion to produce textured whey protein (TWP). Binding agents were investigated for their usefulness in the formation of a TWP meatless patty. Sensory analysis of 2 TWP patty formulations and a commercially available textured vegetable protein (TVP) patty was performed. Patties were evaluated on appearance, texture, flavor, aftertaste and overall acceptance. There were no significant differences among the appearance and texture of the 3 patties, whereas the flavor, aftertaste and overall acceptance were significantly different. Sensory analysis demonstrated that TWP patties were as acceptable as the commercial TVP patty.
Determination of synthetic by-products and an intermediate in the colour additive D&C Orange No. 5 using high-performance liquid chromatography

Specifications in the US Code of Federal Regulations for the colour additive D&C Orange No. 5 (Colour Index No. 45370:1) limit the levels of the synthetic by-products 2-(3,5-dibromo-2,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)benzoic acid (Br2BBA) and brominated resorcinol (Br3R) as well as the level of the intermediate phthalic acid (PhthAc). The present work reports the development and application of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of these impurities in D&C Orange No. 5 and its lakes. Br2BBA, Br3R and PhthAc were quantified by using five-point calibration curves with data points that ranged from 0.010% to 0.700%, from 0.012% to 0.706% and from 0.006% to 1.383% by weight, respectively. The HPLC method was applied to the analysis of test portions from 11 lots of D&C Orange No. 5 and one lot of D&C Orange No. 5 lake submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for certification.
Selection factors among international medical graduates and psychiatric residency performance.

The authors examine the association between the selection factors used in a psychiatric residency program and subsequent clinical and academic performance among international medical graduate (IMG) candidates. The authors completed a retrospective review of application files and residency evaluations of 50 IMG residents who completed the 4- year psychiatry training in a university- affiliated program from July 1994 through June 2004. United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and personal interview appear associated with residents’ performance determined by the program director’s ranking. Standardized examinations before (USMLE Step 1 and 2) and during the residency (PRITE) were significantly correlated (USMLE 1, r = 0.37; USMLE 2, r=0.40, p<0.003). Personal interview scores and psychotherapy treatment session evaluations were also significantly associated (r=0.38, p<0.003). Further research is necessary to determine predictive factors related to psychiatric residents’ performance, especially among IMGs. Adjusting current selection criteria may result in better outcomes for training programs and future psychiatrists.
Language Disabilities and the Language Clinician

A viewpoint is shared relative to the nature of some of the more subtle language disabilities experienced by school age children. The resultant breakdown in language performance and of the interruption of learning and communication is considered. Finally, a therapy program is recommended to cope with some of the communication disabilities.
Higher Power Output in a PEMFC Operating under Autonomous Oscillatory Conditions in the Presence of CO

Time-averaged cell voltage, cell efficiency, and power density in an autonomous oscillatory state was higher than that in stable steady-state for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell ~PEMFC! operating in the presence of CO in the anode feed reformate gas. The average power density under such an oscillatory state at 55°C is twice that under a stable steady state. The average cell voltage and power density gain are due to the decrease of the time-averaged anode overpotential in the oscillatory state. This report thus provides experimental evidence that autonomous oscillatory operation of fuel cells in the presence of CO can increase the power output as compared to that in stable steady-state operation.
Sphere Methods for LP

For solving an optimization problem in which an objective function z(x) is to be minimized subject to constraints, starting with an initial feasible solution, a method that works by generating a sequence of feasible solutions along which the objective value z(x) strictly decreases is known as a descent algorithm. Strict improvement in the objective value in each step is an appealing property, and hence descent algorithms are the most sought after.
International professors in China: Prestige maintenance and making sense of teaching abroad

A new pattern of global migration is that of skilled or educated people moving from developed to developing countries in search of work. In this qualitative research study, 41 non-Chinese university instructors teaching in Beijing were asked about their decisions to migrate to the mainland. Foreign professors moved to China for various reasons: it had been their last resort, for research purposes and career advancement, or for adventure. The instructors collectively maintained that teaching at Chinese universities did not have the same level of prestige or respect as teaching at universities in western countries. To combat perceived lower social status, international professors in China rationalized their new temporary positions by creating a positive sense of self and situation. This article describes the ways in which prestige is maintained by professors dealing with perceived social downgrade.
Essay Review: Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941–1999 by C. G. Williams

(2003). Essay Review: Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941–1999 by C. G. Williams. Annals of Science: Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. 321-325.
Treatment of time in the TAT.

Summary Part of a larger empirical investigation to identify and classify subjective probability notions and explore their relationship to personality variables (Lipgar, 1965). Four factors that distinguished four types of subjective probability notions had been obtained from a matrix of intercorrelations among 30 Ss' Q sort ratings on patterns of “head-tail” guesses. To investigate the possibility that subjective probability notions are associated with other orientational activities in situations of uncertainty, a typology of time orientations and rating scales was derived from TAT stories by those Ss who best represented the four subjective probability factors. These and other stories were rated by four judges independently, and an association between treatment of time in the TAT and subjective probability notions was substantiated.
Angiotensin-(1-7) Induces Bradykinin-Mediated Hypotensive Responses in Anesthetized Rats

Abstract Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] reportedly potentiates hypotensive responses to bradykinin. We studied whether increases in circulating bradykinin would alter responses to Ang-(1-7). In rats anesthetized with thiobutabarbital, bradykinin infusion (5 μg/kg per minute IA) resulted in a rapid decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) of about 20 mm Hg ( P P P P P
Estimation of artificial neuron parameters that obtain a required distribution of coupled system periods in a hybrid network

Rhythmic neuronal activity is a hallmark of many higher-level functions of the nervous system including the expression of rhythmic motor patterns and generation of behaviors such as cognition, memory, arousal, and sleep. Many rhythmic networks underlying these behaviors consist of one or more pacemaker neurons that are coupled with non-pacemaking neurons, and exhibit reliable stereotyped activity that however displays diverse levels of activity variability between networks – and sometimes those circuits that exhibit high levels of activity variability even depend upon their variability to accomplish some behavioral goal [1,2]. While it is understood that synaptic feedback from non-pacemaking neurons coupled to pacemaker neurons can limit variability of rhythmic activity [3,4], it is not yet understood how specific neuronal dynamics influence variability of the coupled network. Here we develop a theoretical approach to predict how network activity variability – as quantified by the probability distribution of observed periods – changes with altered phase response dynamics of non-pacemaking neurons, and demonstrate this theoretical approach’s predictive efficacy in hybrid networks established in the stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) of Cancer borealis. These hybrid networks consist of one biological pacemaker neuron (Anterior Burster/Pyloric Dilator complex [AB/PD]) and one artificial non-pacemaker neuron (designed to mimic the burst timing of the Lateral Pyloric [LP] neuron), which allows us to vary the phase response dynamics of the latter element. Our simple theoretical approach to predict the effects of network coupling on activity variability is based on three assumptions. First, within the range of variation of AB/PD neuron’ intrinsic period, it is assumed that there is always at least one stable fixed-point in the dynamics of the coupled system. Second, it is assumed that any drifting of the AP/PD neuron’s intrinsic period is significantly slower than the duration of one intrinsic period, so that the coupled system is capable of reaching a steady-state condition. Third, it is assumed that as the period of AB/PD varies, any changes in this neuron’s phase resetting curve (PRC) are negligibly small. The first two assumptions allow us to directly map an AB/PD neuron’s intrinsic period onto the network period in the coupled system. The last assumption allows us to recalculate the map for different intrinsic periods and predict the distribution of periods in the coupled network based upon the known distribution of intrinsic periods of AP/PD neuron. Using previously developed analyses [5] and a linear tS-tR curve for the artificial neuron we are able to qualitatively predict how slope and bias of the artificial neuron’s tS-tR curve affect the distribution of network periods. All experiments are performed using standard intracellular electrophysiological methods for the pyloric network of the STNS, and hybrid networks are established with the dynamic clamp.
Oxidative enzyme systems of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L.

1. Oxidative dissimilation has been studied in enzymes from the honey bee. Using mitochondria isolated from the thoraces, complete oxidation of most of the TCA cycle members has been shown. 2. The presence of the acetate-activating enzyme, citrate-condensing enzyme, isocitric dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate, and 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase has been demonstrated and the cofactor requirements established. 3. The oxidation of isocitric acid has been shown to be either non-specific for the D- or L-isomer, or the presence of a racemase is indicated. 4. The presence of the pentose cycle is indicated in the soluble portion of the thoracic homogenate.