cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tensile and corrosion behavior of Zr705 for nuclear hydrogen generation

Abstract Zr705 has been evaluated for its metallurgical and corrosion properties for application in nuclear hydrogen generation using a thermochemical process that involves the decomposition of hydroiodic acid at temperatures up to 400 °C. The results indicate that the tensile strength was gradually reduced with increasing temperature. However, the failure strain was enhanced up to a critical temperature (200 °C) followed by its reduction beyond it, possibly due to the dynamic strain aging effect. As to the cracking susceptibility in an acidic solution, no failure was observed under constant-load and self-loaded conditions. However, enhanced ductility was observed in slow-strain-rate (SSR) testing in an identical environment at elevated temperatures. The application of external potential during SSR testing enhanced the cracking susceptibility. The critical potentials obtained in the electrochemical polarization study became more active with increasing temperature. Ductile failures, characterized by dimples, were noted in all failed specimens.
DC Blocker Algorithms[DSP Tips & Tricks]

This paper presents a nonlinear-phase, but computationally efficient, dc blocking filter that achieves ideal operation when output data quantization is used. In addition, we described an alternate dc blocking filter that, at the expense of larger data memory, exhibits a linear-phase frequency response.
Cross product subsidization in the health insurance market with managed care: A model and issues

One theory of insurance markets suggests that entering insurers expect incumbent insurers to react to the entry of new products, offering a combination of products where, breaking even, one makes positive economic profits and the other makes a loss. This theory is extended to include moral hazard, in which the magnitude of the loss depends on insurance coverage, and a stylized model of managed care. With moral hazard, cross-subsidization is still predicted. In contrast to prior results, the coverage for the highest risk individuals will vary with the portion of high-risk individuals in the market. The inclusion of managed care as a signaling instrument does not disrupt cross-product subsidization. These theoretical predictions are discussed in light of the absence of empirical support to date and in light of other factors that might limit or enhance an insurer's ability to subsidize across products.
Agricultural landholding in Japan: Fifty years after land reform

Abstract Laws about agricultural landholding are an important locus of regulation in industrial societies. States fostering industrial production and consumption must allow growth to subsume and transform farmland, yet must move carefully against prior agrarian forms which serve the state's own needs for legitimation and stability. How specific national regimes of accumulation have sustained both economic growth and social assent on the same ground is a key question facing geographers. This study examines changes in the Japanese state's rules governing farmland over the past five decades. The postwar industrial growth regime won much of its cooperation from the countryside in the agrarian land reform and won its decades of political stability through an electoral system favoring millions of small-scale farmers. The state has had to conserve farmland in the hands of this important electorate while engineering expansion of the non-farm economy and farm scale enlargement on the same land. These contradictory imperatives have necessitated a continuous reregulation of farmland. Ever-widening legal and economic possiblities for Japan's farmland owners have gradually eroded their earlier homogeneity in social circumstances and land interests. The disorganization of landowners' interests has contributed to the disorganization of the political regime itself in the 1990s.
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Ryanodine Receptors

Nearly all available information on the three-dimensional structure of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) class of intracellular calcium release channels has come from electron microscopy. This review focuses on results that have been obtained by cryo-electron microscopy of purified, detergent-solubilized receptors in combination with single-particle image processing. This approach has led to the most detailed 3D models of RyRs, which are currently at resolutions of 20-30 . All three of the known genetic isoforms show essentially identical architectures at this resolution: a large, 4-fold symmetric, cytoplasmic assembly that accounts for greater than 80% of the receptor's mass and is composed of at least 10 discrete, loosely packed domains, and a transmembrane region whose dimensions lead us to conclude that very little of RyR's protein mass is present on the lumenal side of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum. Three-dimensional reconstructions determined for RyRs that have been exposed to conditions that promote either open or closed states show subtle differences, some of which are located in the cytoplasmic assembly, at sites more distant than 100 from the ion channel in the transmembrane region. Several of the ligands (FK506-binding protein, calmodulin, dihydropyridine receptor) that interact in vivo with the skeletal RyR have been, or are in the process of being, mapped to various locations on the cytoplasmic assembly.
A phosphetane catalyzes deoxygenative condensation of α-keto esters and carboxylic acids via P(III)/P(V)═O redox cycling.

A small-ring phosphacycle is found to catalyze the deoxygenative condensation of α-keto esters and carboxylic acids. The reaction provides a chemoselective catalytic synthesis of α-acyloxy ester products with good functional group compatibility. Based on both stoichiometric and catalytic mechanistic experiments, the reaction is proposed to proceed via catalytic PIII/PV═O cycling. The importance of ring strain in the phosphacyclic catalyst is substantiated by an observed temperature-dependent product selectivity effect. The results point to an inherent distinction in design criteria for organophosphorus-based catalysts operating via PIII/PV═O redox cycling as opposed to Lewis base (nucleophilic) catalysis.
Nativity and Serum Concentrations of Antioxidants in Mexican American Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

There is limited research on the effect of immigration on biological markers of nutrition among children of Mexican origin in the United States. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1988–1994), on a national and representative sample of 1559 Mexican American children, 4–16 years of age, and assess the associations of country of birth with serum concentrations of carotenoids, vitamin A, and vitamin E. In multiple regression analyses, Mexico-born Mexican American children had significantly higher serum concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin A, and vitamin E than their counterparts who were born in the United States after adjustment for age, sex, poverty income ratio, level of education of family reference person, body mass index, total serum cholesterol, serum cotinine, total energy intake, and vitamin/mineral consumption. Our findings confirm evidence for a negative effect of immigration/acculturation on dietary quality in this population. These findings also suggest that immigrant Mexican families should be encouraged to maintain their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Prospective studies are needed to further assess the effects of immigration/acculturation on diet and other health outcomes in children of Mexican origin and immigrants.
Cecal vascular malformation mimicking appendicitis in a child

A 5-year-old girl presented with abdominal pain suggestive of appendicitis. Intraoperatively, a solid cecal mass was identified along with mesenteric adenopathy. A right hemicolectomy was performed. Pathologic examination revealed a vascular malformation with evidence of recent hemorrhage.
Magnon modes in quasi‐periodic ferromagnets

Considering ferromagnetic exchange energies J1 and J2 between layers, which are arranged in quasi-periodic Fibonacci sequence, and the exchange energy J0 in a layer, a rescaling approach to magnons in quasi-periodic superlattice ferromagnets is presented. An exact decimation transformation is derived for magnon modes of α- and β-layers in ferromagnets. Iteration of the transformation provides numerial results for the local density of states (LDOS) and the magnetization, when J1 + J2 = 2J0 fixed, λ = J2/J1 ( > 1). The band width of LDOS of layer α is 16SJ0(2 + λ)/(1 + λ), but the band width of LDOS of layer β is 24SJ0, the magnetizations of layers α and β decrease as λ is increasing for a given temperature, the magnetization of layer β is always bigger than that of layer α. Eine Rescaling-Naherung fur Magnonen in Ferromagneten mit quasiperiodischem Ubergitter wird dargestellt unter Berucksichtigung der ferromagnetischen Austauschenergien J1 und J2 zwischen den in einer Fibonacci-Folge angeordneten Schichten und der Austauschenergie J0 in einer Schicht. Fur die Magnonenmoden der α- und β-Schichten wird eine exakte Dezimierungstransformation abgeleitet. Durch Iteration der Transformation erhalt man numerische Werte fur die lokale Zustandsdichte und die Magnetisierung, wenn J1 + J2 = 2J0 konstant ist, λ = J2/J1 > 1. Fur Schicht α ist die Bandbreite der lokalen Zustandsdichte 16SJ0(2 + λ)/(1 + λ), fur Schicht β 24SJ0; die Magnetisierung nimmt in beiden Schichten bei vorgegebener Temperatur ab, wenn λ zunimmt, wobei die Magnetisierung der Schicht β immer groser als die der Schicht α ist.
Oocyte maturation inhibitor (OMI) activity in protein granulosa cells

To determine the origin of oocyte maturation inhibitor (OMI), cumulus-enclosed porcine oocytes from medium follicles were cultured for two days in Medium 199 alone, the low molecular weight (< 2,000 daltons) fraction of porcine follicular fluid (pFFL), or extracts of granulosa cells from small (1–2 mm), medium (3–5 mm), and large (6–12mm) antral follicles. Additionally, the cumulus-oocyte complexes were grown in the presence of the low molecular weight fraction of “conditioned” medium from suspension cultures of medium follicle granulosa cells. The percent maturation in cultures with pFFL was significantly (P < .001) less than control cultures. Similarly, addition of the granulosa cell extracts at a 1/20 dilution resulted in a significant reduction in the percent oocyte maturation as compared with controls. The percent maturation after addition of conditioned medium was similarly reduced (P < .001). These results suggest that the granulosa cells probably synthesize and secrete OMI which inhibits oocyte maturation in vitro. Additionally, it appears that the content of OMI in the granulosa cells decreases as the follicle matures.
Hyperpolarizing GABAergic transmission depends on KCC2 function and membrane potential.

KCC2 comprises the major Cl- extruding mechanism in most adult neurons. Hyperpolarizing GABAergic transmission depends on KCC2 function. We recently demonstrated that glutamate reduces KCC2 function by a phosphorylation-dependent mechanism that leads to excitatory GABA responses. Here we investigated the methods by which to estimate changes in EGABA, as well as the processes that lead to depolarizing GABA responses and their effects on neuronal excitability. We demonstrated that current-clamp recordings of membrane potential responses to GABA can determine upper and lower limits of EGABA. We also further characterized depolarizing GABA responses, which both excited and inhibited neurons. Our analyses revealed that persistently active GABAA receptors contributed to loading Cl- during the glutamate exposure, indicating that tonic inhibition can facilitate the development of depolarizing GABA responses and increase excitability after pathophysiological insults. Finally, we demonstrated that hyperpolarizing G...
ZFP57: KAPturing DNA Methylation at Imprinted Loci

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Quenneville et al. (2011) characterize the role of ZFP57 in the maintenance of DNA methylation at imprinting control regions (ICRs), revealing an allele-specific binding pattern, binding motif, and interactions with other epigenetic regulators.
The female role in middle class women's magazines from 1955 to 1976: A content analysis of nonfiction selections

One hundred and sixty nonfiction articles and features from Ladies' Home Journal and Redbook were systematically selected and examined for their projections of the female role between 1955 and 1976. Changes found in both magazines, and particularly in Redbook, which directs itself toward younger women, paralleled a number of important societal changes. Attitudes toward female employment were found to have undergone changes during this period, as presented in magazine selections. At the same time, however, a rejection of traditional sex roles appeared decidedly less popular than a flexible consideration of nontraditional alternatives. The image of women as narrow creatures, interested only in home and family, was not supported even during the earlier years in this sample.
Adsorption of CO on W(110) as studied using electron-stimulated desorption and thermal desorption

The chemisorption of CO on the (110) face of W at room temperature is studied using a combined technique consisting of electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) and thermal desorption. Measurements of the ESD ion energy distribution as a function of CO exposure, crystal temperature, and incident electron energy are presented in conjunction with a comparison with the corresponding thermal-desorption spectra. The correlation between the presence of the binding states in the thermal-desorption spectra and the liberation of ions in ESD is discussed in detail. An interesting result is the observation that ${\mathrm{O}}^{+}$ and C${\mathrm{O}}^{+}$ are due to ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{1}$ and virgin states of CO, respectively. In conjunction with data acquired from other surface techniques, the present results are used to discuss and propose the bonding geometry of the various binding states of CO on W(110).
Bacillus subtilis mutants dependent on streptomycin.

Six streptomycin-dependent mutants of Bacillus subtilis, two of which were asporogenous, were isolated. All six mutants, SD1, SD2, SD6, SD7, SD9 and SD10, contained a single mutation causing streptomycin dependence and asporogeny, but four of these mutants (SD6, SD7, SD9, SD10) contained a second mutation which phenotypically suppressed the asporogenous character of the streptomycin dependence mutation. All six mutants grew more slowly than the wild type strain BR151, but those defective in sporulation grew the slowest. The streptomycin dependence mutations of SD9 and SD10B (a sporeplus transformant from SD10 carrying both the dependence mutation and the phenotypic suppressor) lie near or possibly within the strA locus. Ribosomes from SD9, SD10A (a spore-minus transformant from SD10 carrying only the dependence mutation), and SD10B were stimulated in vitro by concentrations of streptomycin that inhibit the activity of wild type strain BR151 ribosomes. The level of misreading as measured by poly(U)-directed isoleucine incorporation was greatly enhanced by streptomycin in wild type strain BR151 ribosomes, but misreading of mutant SD9, SD10A, and SD10B ribosomes, irrespective of the sporulation phenotype, was little affected by streptomycin. There were no apparent differences in the patterns obtained by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 70S ribosomal proteins of the mutants SD9, SD10A, SD10B, and wild type strain BS151.
Cdc42 stimulates neurite outgrowth and formation of growth cone filopodia and lamellipodia.

To assess the role of cdc42 during neurite development, cmyc-tagged constitutively active (CA) and dominant negative (DN) cdc42 were expressed in dissociated primary chick spinal cord neurons using adenoviral-mediated gene transfer. Three days after in- fection, >85% of the neurons in infected cultures ex- pressed cdc42 proteins, as detected by indirect immuno- fluorescence against cmyc. Growth cones of infected neurons displayed 1.83- (CAcdc42) and 1.93-fold (DNcdc42) higher cmyc immunofluorescence per square micrometer than uninfected controls. CAcdc42 expres- sion stimulated growth cones, almost doubling growth cone size and number of filopodia, and increased neurite growth rates by 65- 89%. In neurons plated onto fi- bronectin, the percent of growth cones with both filop- odia and lamellipodia increased from 71 to 92%. Total Texas Red-phalloidin staining in these growth cones doubled, and the percent of growth cones with F-actin localized to peripheral regions increased from 52% in controls to 78% after CAcdc42 expression. Expression of DNcdc42 did not significantly alter growth cone mor- phology or neurite growth rates. Addition of soluble laminin to spinal cord neurons resulted in the identical phenotype as CAcdc42 expression, including changes in growth cone morphology, F-actin localization, and neu- rite growth rates. Significantly, expression of DNcdc42 blocked the effects of laminin on growth cones. These results show that cdc42 promotes neurite outgrowth and filopodial and lamellipodial formation in growth cones and suggests that cdc42 and laminin share a common signaling pathway during neurite development. Addi- tion of laminin to CAcdc42-expressing neurons is inhib- itory to growth cones, indicating that laminin also may activate some other pathways. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Improving Concentration Measures Used for Evaluating Air Quality Models

An unfortunate difficulty in model evaluation is that the concentration measure that most models predict, namely the ensemble mean concentration under the plume centerline (or at some location relative to the plume centerline), cannot be measured directly. The problem can be ameliorated by judicious selection of a concentration measure against which to compare model predictions. Insufficient attention has been given in the past to the selection of an appropriate measure for use in air quality model evaluation studies, which may have resulted in biases in the results of those studies. Some studies have used the maximum concentrations along the arc (arc maximum) as the measure of choice. In this paper, the authors have considered two additional candidate measures, the fitted maximum concentrations and the near-centerline concentrations, which, intuitively, relate more closely to the ensemble mean concentrations. This study shows that the maximum concentrations along the arc are significantly higher than either the fitted maxima or the near-centerline concentrations. In addition, of the latter two measures, the authors conclude that use of the near-centerline concentration is preferable to the use of fitted maximum for the purposes of evaluating model performance.
Comparison of Starch Pasting Properties at Various Cooking Conditions Using the Micro Visco-Amylo-Graph and the Rapid Visco Analyser

ABSTRACT Pasting profiles of selected starches were compared by using a Micro Visco-Amylo-Graph (MVA) and a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Effects of cooking (heating/cooling) rate and stirring speed on starch pasting properties were examined. The pasting viscosity of a starch suspension (8%, w/w, dsb) was measured at a fast (6°C/min) and slow (1.5°C/min) cooking rate while being stirred at either 75 rpm or 160 rpm. The pasting temperatures (PT) of all starches were higher when measured at the fast cooking rate than those at the slow cooking rate, except for wheat measured by using the RVA. PT was also higher when measured at the slow stirring speed (75 rpm) than at the fast stirring speed (160 rpm) in both RVA and MVA. When stirring speed increased from 75 rpm to 160 rpm, peak viscosity of all starch pastes except potato decreased measured by using the RVA, but increased by using the MVA. In general, amylograms of these starches obtained by using the MVA showed less breakdown, but greater setback viscosity ...
Introduction to the special issue on role of fatty liver, dietary fatty acid supplements, and obesity in the progression of alcoholic liver disease

I am pleased to introduce this Special Issue of Alcohol, which is the result of a symposium organized by Vishnudutt Purohit, PhD, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This issue contains manuscripts that were prepared by the speakers of a symposium titled Role of Fatty Liver, Dietary Fatty Acid Supplements, and Obesity in the Progression of Alcoholic Liver Disease and held October 3, 2003, in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. I have read the majority of the papers in this Special Issue, and I am certain that the comprehensive overview of these important consequences of alcohol abuse, dietary fatty acid supplements, and obesity, as well as the pathogenesis of this “first response” to alcohol abuse in terms of progressive liver disease, will provide important resources. An important consequence of steatosis that was discussed in this symposium is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which has been recognized recently to be a pathogenic effect associated with obesity, diabetes, and perhaps other conditions. Study results from experimental models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and findings of clinical studies were presented at this symposium and are published in this Special Issue. It is hoped that these papers will stimulate research concerning these important health issues. This is the fourth in a series of Special Issues that have been assembled by Vishnu on the mechanisms of alcohol and liver disease. It was his stated goal to organize symposia and publish the papers presented in each symposium to cover all aspects of alcoholic liver disease. In my opinion, he has been magnificently successful. The four Special Issues are an extremely valuable contribution made by Vishnu to the field of alcohol research. This comprehensive collection of reviews and original research articles presents an in-depth description of the state of the art of all aspects of liver disease, from pathogenesis to potential treatment. I would also draw your attention to a Special Issue of the journal Pancreas that resulted from a symposium that Vishnu organized on the topic of alcoholic pancreatitis. Although this was published
Neural Responses Following Autotransplantation of the Canine Heart

Orthotopic autotransplantation of the canine heart is followed by loss of direct sympathetic and parasympathetic neural regulation. Stimulation of the vagus nerve or stellate ganglion fails to alter cardiac rate. Myocardial catecholamines are depleted and [see figure in the PDF file] hypersensitivity to exogenous l-norepinephrine is present for months. One year after the operation, there is evidence of cardiac reinnervation and return of normal responses to catecholamines.
Scheduling task-trees with additive scales on parallel/distributed machines

Scheduling interdependent tasks on parallel/distributed architectures is a hard problem. We consider jobs consisting of tasks whose interdependency relationships form a tree, such as QuickSort, Brute-Force Search, and other Divide-and-Conquer jobs. Tree nodes (tasks) have a scale which satisfies an “additive condition”: a leaf's scale is 1 and a non-leaf's is the sum of its children's. The execution time L of a task is a function of its scale S, like aSα+b for some known constants a, b, α. The task set and the shape of the tree, however, may or may not be known in advance. We provide a general algorithm that assigns these tasks to processors in a large set of architectures (including meshes, linear arrays, and rings). We also discuss the relationship between certain complexity parameters and the tree shape. We show that for almost all cases considered, the scheduling achieves optimal or nearly optimal time.
The ongoing problem with peripheral lymphadenopathies: which ones are malignant?

Purpose Peripheral lymphadenopathy is frequently encountered in children, but it is difficult to determine the etiology. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the risk of malignancy in childhood peripheral lymphadenopathy, determine the factors accompanying a malignant etiology and find out which additional findings strongly indicate malignancy.
Biological factors impinging upon control of external protozoan fish parasites

Abstract Various protozoans commonly occur on the external surfaces of fishes under aquaculture conditions. Their pathologic impact is dependent upon mode of attachment and feeding method, numbers of protozoans, and host condition. Economic impact is dependent upon population dynamics, pathologic potential, production expectation, and control costs. These factors complicate control decisions since prevention of all protozoan occurrence on the fish host is not usually cost-effective. This review describes various biologic features that contribute to a protozoan's disease causing potential and examines some of the opportunities fish health managers have for control.
Transient non-conformal domain decomposition using the Laguerre-FDTD method

In this paper, a transient non-conformal domain decomposition scheme is proposed based on the unconditionally stable Laguerre-FDTD method. Field continuity at the non-conformal domain interface is ensured by applying a mortar-element-like method. A time-derivative Lagrange multiplier is introduced at the domain interface which physically represents the interface current excitation. Simulation results have been presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Cognitive feedback in environments characterized by irrelevant information

Abstract Research in human information processing demonstrates that the presence of irrelevant information has an adverse effect on the quality of decisions. Decision makers are unable to identify and separate the effect of irrelevant information, thereby reducing the quality of decisions. The propensity to overutilize irrelevant information is significant because present day work environments are increasingly rich in information. This study examines the comparative efficacies of two types of information—cognitive feedback and outcome feedback—in identifying irrelevant information and thereby improving decision quality. Outcome feedback is information on the accuracy of a decision. Cognitive feedback is information on the how and why underlying the accuracy. The results show that subjects provided with cognitive feedback attained significantly better identification of irrelevant information than those relying solely on outcome feedback. The use of cognitive feedback also resulted in greater accuracy and cognitive control. We discuss the implications of the results for designing decision support systems and for research in decision aiding.
Empirical certainty and the theory of important criteria

Philosophers frequently treat certainty as some sort of absolute, while ordinary men typically do not. According to the Theory of Important Criteria, on which the present paper is based, this difference is not to be explained in terms of ambiguity or vagueness in the word ‘certain’, but rather in terms of disagreement between ordinary men and philosophers as to the importance of one of the criteria of the ordinary sense of ‘certain’. I argue that there is reason to think that certainty is some sort of absolute, and thus that no empirical statement is certain. And in any case, the problem of empirical certainty is not a pseudo‐problem, as metaphilosophers like Wittgenstein and Wisdom have thought.
Bell’s Inequalities and Methods of Quantifying Measures of Entanglement Correlations

Bell inequalities provide a specific setting for investigating the physics of entanglement in quantum mechanics. They give a basis for providing an experimental realization of these kinds of quantum phenomena and exhibit some of its more unusual consequences. Some useful ways to look at entanglement quantitatively are presented. It is intended that the presentation and results will provide insights which make effective experimental observation easier.
Evaluation of genital self-sampling methods for HPV detection in males.

Abstract Background There are no population-based HPV prevalence estimates in males because optimal sampling methods are unclear. Objectives To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and validity of different male genital self-sampling methods for HPV detection. Study design A total of 450 males, 14–59 years old, were randomly assigned to one of three genital sampling methods: (1) dry polyester-tipped swab; (2) dry foam swab; and (3) emery paper and wetted polyester-tipped swab. Samples were both self-collected and collected by a clinician. Subjects were queried on the acceptability of sampling methods. HPV was genotyped using an L1 consensus PCR assay. Results Specimen adequacy (92–96%, p = 0.28) and HPV detection (44–49%, p = 0.68) were comparable across the three methods. Concordance for HPV detection was observed between self- and clinician-collected specimen pairs for all methods (κ = 0.70–0.80). The collection procedure was reported to be very easy by 69% of dry polyester-tipped swab users and 64% of dry foam swab users compared to 48% of emery-wet swab users (p = 0.004). Similarly, 43–44% of dry swab and foam users reported the collection to be very comfortable compared to 24% of emery-wet swab users (p = 0.002). Pain was reported by 10% of emery-wet swab users compared to 3% and 5% of dry swab and foam users, respectively (p = 0.03). Self-collection by the emery-wet swab method required an average of 6 min compared to 3.3–3.5 min for the two dry methods (p Conclusions The dry collection methods are optimal for use in large epidemiologic studies or surveillance efforts based on their acceptability and feasibility.
VWF-mediated leukocyte recruitment with chromatin decondensation by PAD4 increases myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Innate immune cells play a major role in the early response to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Recombinant human ADAMTS13 (rhADAMTS13), cleaving von Willebrand factor (VWF), reduces leukocyte recruitment in mice. Death of cardiomyocytes and the possible formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) may result in chromatin release that is prothrombotic and cytotoxic. We investigated the pathophysiological role of extracellular chromatin during MI/R to evaluate the therapeutic potential of targeting extracellular DNA and VWF by using DNase I with/without rhADAMTS13. Finally, we examined the impact of histone citrullination and NETosis by peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) on MI/R. We used a 24-hour MI/R mouse surgical model. MI/R injury caused an increase in plasma nucleosomes, abundant neutrophil infiltration, and the presence of citrullinated histone H3 at the site of injury. Both monotherapies and coadministration of DNase I and rhADAMTS13 revealed a cardioprotective effect, resulting in subsequent improvement of cardiac contractile function. PAD4−/− mice, which do not produce NETs, were also significantly protected from MI/R and DNase I treatment had no further beneficial effect. We demonstrate that extracellular chromatin released through NETosis exacerbates MI/R injury. Targeting both VWF-mediated leukocyte recruitment and chromatin removal may be a new therapeutic strategy to reduce ischemia-related cardiac damage.
Here are only numbers ratified

Extinction Rates. Edited by John H. Lawton and Robert M. May Oxford University Press: 1995. Pp. 233. £17.95, $27.95 (pbk).
The Comstockiella system of chromosome behavior in the armored scale insects (Coccoïdea: Diaspididae)

The Comstockiella chromosome system occurs in the armored scale insects and the closely allied palm scales. During development of the males, the paternal chromosome set becomes heterochromatic and remains so until spermatogenesis. With the exception of one chromosome, the heterochromatic complement loses its differential aspect during early spermatogenesis and its members pair with their euchromatic homologues There is but one division during which the two components of each bivalent separate to opposite poles. Both division products form sperm.
Alkalinization and precipitation characteristics of 0.2% ropivacaine.

Background and Objectives Alkalinization of local anesthetics has been used to increase the speed of onset of nerve blocks. However, alkalinization of local anesthetic solutions may cause precipitation, thereby decreasing bioavailability and anesthetic activity. Alkalinization of ropivacaine has not been described. This laboratory study assessed the alkalinization and precipitation characteristics of ropivacaine. Methods Aliquots (2 mL) of commercially available ropivacaine (Naropin, 0.2%; Astra Pharmaceutical, West-borough, MA) were alkalinized with increasing amounts (0.01, 0.02, 0.04 mL) of sodium bicarbonate (8.4%) and immediately monitored for pH change and onset of visible precipitation at room temperature. We then alkalinized ropivacaine with sodium bicarbonate and measured the amount of precipitate that accumulated after various incubation times. Results The pH of ropivacaine increases with the addition of small amounts of bicarbonate. The calculated percentage of nonionized ropivacaine increased from 0.3% to greater than 30% with alkalinization from pH of 5.51 to 7.63. Drug loss to precipitation increased with higher doses of bicarbonate, reaching 25% to 30% of the total ropivacaine. Even with a low dose of bicarbonate (0.1 mL bicarbonate/20 mL ropivacaine), precipitation increased with time of incubation, reaching a plateau at 20 minutes. Conclusions A laboratory evaluation that establishes the alkalinization characteristics of ropivacaine is a prerequisite for designing a clinical study of alkalinized ropivacaine. In our experiment, low doses of bicarbonate produced significant increases in the proportion of nonionized ropivacaine with only modest precipitation. There would be a low likelihood of substantial drug precipitation if the mixture was administered within 5 to 10 minutes after alkalinization. These results indicate that alkalinized ropivacaine should not be used for infusions and that ropivacaine should not be alkalinized until just before use.
Bacteroides spp. as reliable marker of sewage contamination in Hawaii's environmental waters using molecular techniques.

Standard PCR (SPCR) and quantitative PCR (QPCR) assays using primers for general and for human-specific Bacteroides 16S rRNA markers were selected as the molecular tests to assess sewage contamination in recreational waters of Hawaii and these same water samples were assayed for culturable concentrations of selected faecal microbial indicators. The results of this study showed that the general primer for Bacteroides was not useful because ambient and polluted water samples were positive for this marker. However, use of human-specific primers reliably detected sewage contamination. The human-specific Bacteroides detection data supported previously reported conclusions that concentrations of alternative faecal indicators ( C. perfringens, FRNA coliphages) but not traditional faecal indicators (faecal coliform, E. coli , enterococci) are reliable indicators of faecal contamination in Hawaii9s environmental waters. The QPCR assay for the human-specific Bacteroides 16S rRNA marker was faster, more sensitive and more reliable than comparable SPCR assay because QPCR assay provided additional information such as melting temperatures, which confirmed that the right amplicons were being measured and Ct values, which indicated the relative level of faecal contamination.
Self-esteem, locus of control, and task difficulty as determinants of task performance☆

Abstract One hundred twenty-six high school students responded to questionnaire measures of chronic self-esteem (CSE), task-specific self-esteem (TSSE), and locus of control of reinforcements (L of C) and were given a list of anagrams to solve that varied in level of task difficulty (TD). L of C and (to a lesser extent) TSSE were each related to task performance (TP), multiple R = .51 ( p
The location of central structures in trees

Abstract A nonlinear version of the path center location problem is analyzed. We introduce a closely related problem called the subtree location problem. Variants in which the endpoints of the central structure to be located may or may not be restricted to the vertex set are also studied. We give theoretical results for the nonlinear cases when the underlying structure is a tree with edges of varying length and linear time algorithms for the unweighted vertex case. The linear time algorithms have their basis in an efficient data structures for representing trees.
Resistance to abamectin and reversion to susceptibility to fenbutatin oxide in spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) populations in the Pacific Northwest

Tetranychid mite populations from pome fruit orchards in Washington and Oregon were surveyed in 1994-1995 for resistance status to 3 acaricides, abamectin, fenbutatin oxide, and hexythiazox. Lethal concentrations (LC) and lethal concentration ratios (LCR) were calculated from probit dose-response bioassays for various populations and compared with data from the same type of bioassay performed in 1989. After 7- 8 yr of widespread commercial use of abamectin in pear orchards, all Tetranychus urticae Koch populations collected from pear showed low to moderate levels of resistance (LCR-LC 50 s of 5-27, depending on the reference population used). Higher levels of resistance were found in T. mcdanieli McGregor populations from pear in Oregon (LCR-LC 50 s from 27 to 81). One population of T. urticae from apple (where abamectin was neither registered nor used) also showed a low level of resistance. Conversely, Panonychus ulmi (Koch) populations, which were collected only from apple, showed no changes in susceptibility to abamectin relative to 1989 baseline responses. Fenbutatin oxide LC 50 s were several orders of magnitude lower for both T, urticae and P. ulmi populations in comparison to the highly resistant populations found in 1989. Fenbutatin oxide was replaced largely by abamectin on pear and propargite on apple in the intervening years. Reversion was most complete in populations of T, urticae and P. ulmi (Washington) and less marked in T. mcdanieli (Oregon). The ovicidal acaricide hexythiazox has been little used on pear, and it was not registered on apple from 1989 to 1995. There were no consistent changes found in the LC 50 s for any of the 3 mite species to hexythiazox in comparison to the 1989 baselines. The implications for resistance management schemes on apple and pear are discussed.
Fracture Morphology and Fracture Toughness Measurement of Polymer-Modified Asphalt Concrete

Pavement distress occurs through a variety of mechanisms, but it is always controlled by the adhesive and cohesive performance of the asphalt binder. Although the causes of pavement failures are known, the precise mechanisms by which they occur remain to be understood. Observation of the fracture morphology of asphalt concrete can provide some information in this respect. The fracture morphology of asphalt concrete is dependent on the morphology of the binder. A network structure was observed in thin asphalt binder films and the fracture morphology and engineering properties of asphalt concrete were found to be dependent on the network morphology of the asphalt binder. Addition of polymers to asphalt binders causes changes in the nature of the network structure, and its effect can be qualitatively determined by characterizing the fracture morphology. Styrene butadiene styrene (SBS), styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) latex and an epoxy-terminated reacting polyolefin (...
Localization of elevated glutaminase immunoreactivity in small DRG neurons

Glutamate has long been considered to be a neurotransmitter candidate in vertebrate spinal sensory nerve cells. We report here the first immunohistochemical evidence in support of this hypothesis. We find that up to 30% of the moderately small dorsal root ganglion neurons in the rat contain elevated levels of glutaminase immunoreactivity. This enzyme, which mediates the synthesis of glutamate from glutamine, is not found at these high levels in large diameter neurons of the same ganglia. In contrast, another enzyme associated with glutamate metabolism, aspartate aminotransferase, is rather uniformly distributed within neurons of the sensory ganglia. These data define a subpopulation of sensory neurons which appear to contain an elevated capacity to synthesize glutamate through the glutamine cycle and suggest that glutaminase immunoreactivity may be an indicator of glutamatergic function in some nerve cells.
The relation between small size for gestational age and the sex ratio of children with birth defects.

Background: Infants with birth defects are more likely to be born small for gestational age (SGA) than are other infants. This study describes a relation noted between the percentage SGA and the percentage male among children with various defect types. The data source was case records collected by the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program, a population-based, active surveillance system, during 1968 through 1998. Methods: The study calculated the correlation between the percentage male and the percentage SGA for isolated cases of 44 different defect types for male-dominant and female-dominant defects separately. Results: The correlation coefficient was -0.47 (P 0.05) for female-dominant defects. Male-dominant defects were more likely to show less than 15% SGA and more likely to show the strongest risk differences by sex. Conclusions: These results are consistent with genetic causation of strongly skewed sex ratios, at least among male-dominant defects. Review of the literature suggests that defects with sex ratios closer to 1 are likely to have lower recurrence risks and therefore are less likely to be inherited than are other defects with skewed sex ratios. Sex ratios closer to 1 and a high percentage SGA may be markers of acquired or environmental birth defects.
Adenomatous Stomach Lesion of the Rat Associated with Heavy Cysticercus fasciolaris Infestation.

SummaryThe production of adenomatous stomach lesions of the rat, associated with heavy liver infestations of Cysticercus fasciolaris, is reported. The adenomatous stomach lesions have been produced in 3 different strains of rats.
Decentralizing an economy: The role of bureaucratic corruption in China's economic reforms

Government interventions in markets through price, quality, and quantity controls impose disequilibria on that process by disallowing cash price fluctuations to clear markets. Contracting parties are thus forced to create alternative exchange channels to achieve consumption and production equilibria. The process of solving government-induced market disequilibria using alternative (and particularly, sub-rosa) methods of decentralized transacting is popularly termed corruption. In the case of centrally controlled economies, the most prominent practitioners of corruption are the officials of the government. Their simultaneous actions of enforcing and breaking the system's rules substantially influence the level and distribution of income in an economy. For these reasons, its study is important. In this note I discuss the role of corruption within one economy in particular - that of the People's Republic of China. Since 1949, the People's Republic of China has been organised and administered (at least on paper and, depending on the year, to a greater or lesser degree) as a centrally-controlled economy. Beginning in 1978, however, Deng Xiaoping and his co-leaders set out to re-establish some private incentives in China's economy. Their intentions were to assert individuals' right to transact with each other and therefore ease problems encountered in the central coordination of agricultural and industrial production. To do this, they re-established some private property rights and allowed decentralized markets a larger role in allocating scarce goods. Within these markets they allowed prices to fluctuate. (They by no means, however, relinquished all control. Still today, the government maintains economic plans and quantity targets and closely monitors price fluctuations.) These reforms, begun in 1978 and on-going today, have provoked a barrage of articles decrying the extensive amount of corruption they supposedly have incited within the Chinese system. Journalistic criticism comes not only from international but domestic sources as well. Mainland newspapers, for example, document corruption's various forms. In a single month (December of 1985)
Phytotoxins from Alternaria cassiae

Abstract The isolation, structure determination, and phytotoxicity of stemphyperylenol, stemphyltoxin II, alterperylenol, and altertoxin I from Alternaria cassiae are reported.
Gaze and posture coordinate differently with the complexity of visual stimulus motion

In this study, we explored whether gaze and posture would exhibit coordination with the motion of a presented visual stimulus, specifically with regard to the complexity of the motion structure. Fourteen healthy adults viewed a set of four visual stimulus motion conditions, in both self-selected and semi-tandem stance, during which the stimulus moved horizontally across a screen, with position updated to follow a sine, chaos, surrogate, or random noise trajectory. Posture was measured using a standard force platform in self-selected and semi-tandem stance conditions while gaze was recorded using image-based eye-tracking equipment. Cross-correlation confirmed the continuous coordination of gaze with each type of stimulus motion, with increasing lag as stimulus motion complexity increased. Correlation dimension and approximate entropy were used to assess the complexity of the measured gaze and posture behaviors, with these values compared against those of the actual stimulus via ANOVA and dependent t tests. We found that gaze behavior was particularly sensitive to the complexity of the stimulus motion, according to both metrics. Posture seemed to be unaffected by stimulus motion viewing; however, different stance conditions did exhibit differences in posture metrics. Our results support an evolving understanding of how vision is used for determining perception and action.
SUBRETINAL FLUID IN ACUTE POSTERIOR MULTIFOCAL PLACOID PIGMENT EPITHELIOPATHY

Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) was first described by Gass1 as a self-limited inflammatory disorder of the retina and choroid in young, otherwise healthy adults. This idiopathic condition affects men and women equally and is associated with a viral prodrome in over one third of cases.1 Bilateral involvement is common, and significant visual loss can occur when the macula is involved. Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy has been described in association with many common illnesses, including mumps,2 adenoviral infection,3 and Lyme disease4; administration of vaccines for varicella5 and hepatitis B6; and in patients with Wegener’s granulomatosis.7 Vascular inflammation is thought to be a component as evidenced by its association with neurosensory hearing loss8 and central retinal vein occlusions.9 Patients can present with headache, and some patients develop cerebral vasculitis and ischemia.10 –13 Clinical examination of patients with APMPPE may reveal mild nongranulomatous anterior chamber inflammation. Retinal findings include creamy yellow, postequatorial subretinal lesions that vary in size. These lesions typically resolve over several weeks leaving behind areas of retinal pigment epithelial mottling and depigmentation. Fluorescein angiography shows characteristic early blockage and late staining of the subretinal lesions.14 Most patients regain vision of ≥20/30, although permanent visual loss is possible.15,16 Visual improvement typically follows the resolution of the retinal lesions.1 Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been used to evaluate the retinal lesions17 as well as one case of late cystoid macular edema after APMPPE.18