cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Dynamic Distributed Key Tunneling Protocol for Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are being used for many applications ranging from mobile target surveillance to intelligent home networking. The data transmitted by those applications are sensitive. Then due to the weakness of the radio links, appropriate protection mechanisms are needed to prevent attackers from exploiting those lacks of security. In this paper we present a solution to authenticate the nodes and protect the sent data. We investigate the use of secure tunnels as a solution to improve the protection of WSNs. We propose a tunneling scheme that conforms to the security requirements of WSNs while having less computational and network overhead. A set of experiments has been conducted to assess the performance of the proposed scheme with regard to traditional tunnels built using the IPSec protocol. We found that our protocol considerably reduces the number of transmitted messages as well as the computational load, which makes it suitable for WSNs.
Ethane production and liver necrosis in rats after administration of drugs and other chemicals.

Lipid peroxidation and liver necrosis due to a number of drugs and chemicals were studied. The agents were administered to control, vitamin E-deficient, and selenium-deficient rats. Vitamin E deficiency was documented by a low serum tocopherol level (0.34 mg/100 ml) and selenium deficiency by a specific activity of the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase in 105,000g liver supernatant which was approximately 1% of the control value. Glutathione S-transferase specific activity, measured with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as substrate, was doubled by selenium deficiency. Ethane production was measured as the index of in vivo lipid peroxidation. Hepatic necrosis was assessed histologically and by measuring serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase. When no agents were administered, vitamin E-deficient rats produced more ethane than did control or selenium-deficient rats. Phenobarbital did not cause an increase in ethane production. CCl4 (60 μl/100 g) and BrCCl3 (5 μl/100 g) caused large ethane production and moderately severe liver necrosis. The vitamin E-deficient and selenium-deficient groups given BrCCl3 produced more ethane than the controls but had no more severe hepatic necrosis than the controls. Thioacetamide (5 mmol/kg) and acetaminophen (3 g/kg) caused moderate to severe liver necrosis but only small ethane production. Vitamin E deficiency potentiated acetaminophen hepatotoxicity and selenium deficiency inhibited it. Iodipamide (1.5 mmol/kg) caused very large ethane production and death within hours in vitamin E-deficient rats. At a dose of 2 mmol/kg it caused severe liver necrosis in control rats but only small ethane production. This dose caused no liver necrosis in selenium-deficient rats. Acetylhydrazine (30 mg/kg) caused moderate ethane production in all groups but no liver necrosis. A single dose of ethanol (0.68 ml/100 g) led to small production of ethane in all groups. This study shows that many agents are capable of causing in vivo lipid peroxidation, but that lipid peroxidation does not always correlate with liver necrosis. Selenium deficiency is not a simple glutathione peroxidase deficiency state, as hepatic glutathione S-transferase is increased by it and it protects against acetaminophen and iodipamide hepatotoxicity.
Sulfhydryl and Disulfide Groups in Skim Milk as Affected by Direct Ultra-High-Temperature Heating and Subsequent Storage

Abstract Concentrations of “reactive” and total sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds were determined in raw and ultra-high-temperature sterilized skim milk and compared to values for conventional laboratory heat treatments with lower temperatures and longer times. The method of analysis, which represents a modification of previously reported methods, gave results agreeing with theoretical values calculated from the protein composition of milk. Analyses for total half-cystine, which included that protein deposited on the heating surfaces, indicated that 6 to 15% of this amino acid was lost during a heat treatment of 100 C for 30 min, presumably by volatilization. A smaller fraction was lost during ultra-high-temperature processing. Comparison of our data for direct heating with that previously reported for indirect heating suggests that less whey protein is “denatured” by the direct heating method. Studies of sterilized skim milk stored at refrigeration or room temperature suggested that the “reactive” sulfhydryl groups oxidized more rapidly and also that a larger fraction was oxidized during storage at room temperature. These concentrations of “reactive” sulfhydryl groups in sterilized milk have been correlated with undesirable “cooked” flavor and possibly could contribute to instability of milk protein through disulfide interchange reactions.
EPISTATIC AND CYTONUCLEAR INTERACTIONS GOVERN OUTBREEDING DEPRESSION IN THE AUTOTETRAPLOID CAMPANULASTRUM AMERICANUM

The consequences of combining divergent genomes among populations of a diploid species often involve F1 hybrid vigor followed by hybrid breakdown in later recombinant generations. As many as 70% of plant species are thought to have polyploid origins; yet little is known about the genetic architecture of divergence in polyploids and how it may differ from diploid species. We investigated the genetic architecture of population divergence using controlled crosses among five populations of the autotetraploid herb, Campanulastrum americanum. Plants were reciprocally hybridized to produce F1, F2, and F1-backcross generations that were grown with parental types in a greenhouse and measured for performance. In contrast to diploid expectations, most F1 hybrids lacked heterosis and instead showed strong outbreeding depression for early life traits. Recombinant hybrid generations often showed a recovery of performance to levels approximating, or at times even exceeding, the parental values. This pattern was also evident for an index of cumulative fitness. Analyses of line means indicated nonadditive gene action, especially forms of digenic epistasis, often influenced hybrid performance. However, standard diploid genetic models were not adequate for describing the underlying genetic architecture in a number of cases. Differences between reciprocal hybrids indicated that cytoplasmic and/or cytonuclear interactions also contributed to divergence. An enhanced role of epistasis in population differentiation may be the norm in polyploids, which have more gene copies. This study, the first of its kind on a natural autotetraploid, suggests that gene duplication may cause polyploid populations to diverge in a fundamentally different way than diploids.
Analytical and clinical performance characteristics of the Simplexa BK virus quantitative PCR assay for the diagnosis of polyomavirus-associated nephropathy in renal transplant recipients using plasma and urine specimens.

Abstract Background Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy is a significant cause of kidney rejection in renal transplant recipients. Quantification of BK viral load in plasma and urine can predict the development of polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, though each assay requires careful evaluation of analytical and clinical performance characteristics for optimal use. Objectives This study evaluated the analytical and clinical performance characteristics of the Simplexa BK virus quantitative PCR assay. Study design Analytical validation was performed using commercial standards, BK virus stock culture, and patient specimens. Clinical performance was evaluated using biopsy-proven BK nephropathy as the gold standard. Results The Simplexa BK virus quantitative PCR assay was linear over a range of 2.7–10.4 log 10 copies/mL. Limit of detection was 2.7–2.8 log 10 copies/mL in plasma and urine samples. Sensitivities were 100% and 100% and specificities were 84% and 86% for plasma and urine samples, respectively, when compared to a reference BK assay. Clinical cutoff values of 4.0 log 10 copies/mL (plasma) and 7.5 log 10 copies/mL (urine) yielded 100% sensitivity and specificities of 87.5% and 85%, respectively, for biopsy-proven polyomavirus nephropathy. Conclusions The Simplexa BK virus quantitative PCR assay has high sensitivity and acceptable analytical characteristics for clinical use. The clinical cutoff values presented here provide a rational approach to the monitoring and treatment of renal transplant recipients for polyomavirus-associated nephropathy.
Models of fiber-matrix interfacial debonding

In this paper shortcomings of the commonly used criteria for debonding of the fiber-matrix interface are considered. A criterion which addresses these difficulties is proposed. With this criterion, it is possible to deduce something about the range of validity of Outwater and Murphy's widely known approximate formula for debond initiation.
Effects of Numbered Heads Together on the Daily Quiz Scores and On-Task Behavior of Students with Disabilities.

Previous research has demonstrated that Numbered Heads Together, a cooperative learning strategy, is more effective than traditional teacher-led instruction in academic areas such as social studies and science. The current study compared the effects of two types of Numbered Heads Together strategies with a baseline condition during 7th grade language arts lessons. Results indicated that three students with various disabilities had higher percent intervals of on-task behavior and daily quiz scores during either Heads Together condition. Teacher satisfaction ratings suggested that Heads Together was easy to implement, and all three students preferred this strategy to baseline instruction. A discussion of study limitations, implications, and future research directions is included.
Habitat overlap of enemies: temporal patterns and the role of spatial complexity

Environmental heterogeneity can promote coexistence of conflicting species by providing spatial or temporal refuges from strong interactions (e.g., intraguild predation, competition). However, in many systems, refuge availability and effectiveness may change through time and space because of variability in habitat use by either species. Here I consider how the intensity of intraguild predation risk varies from day to night for aquatic insects that use both vegetated and open water habitats. Large (1,265 l) and small (42 l) mesocosms were used to test the hypothesis that Buenoa would choose an open-water habitat that minimized predation by the ambush predator Notonecta during the day, but that at night Buenoa would safely use both vegetated and open water. Regardless of container size, Notonecta remained in vegetated water during the day and exploited both habitats at night, despite exhibiting greatest instantaneous predation rates in open water during the day. In contrast, Buenoa maintained an even distribution throughout the mesocosms during day and night, even though habitat-specific predation risks were fivefold lower in open waters than in vegetation during the day and habitat-specific predation risk would have been reduced threefold by fully exploiting open waters. Thus, temporal heterogeneity was both beneficial and detrimental to Buenoa; darkness of night reduced predation, but spatial refuges also disappeared. Together, these patterns suggest that while environmental heterogeneity can dampen intense biotic interactions, enemies do not select habitats solely on the basis of conflict avoidance. Instead, it appears that habitat-specific variation in other biotic (e.g., visual predators) or physical factors (e.g., UV radiation) may also mediate species interactions by influencing habitat selection.
Factors Associated with Participation in Faith Communities for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families

Although disability is an unreliable predictor of the importance that spirituality and religion hold in people's lives, studies suggest faith community participation may be more limited for people with disabilities and their families. This study reports qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study exploring the perspectives of 416 parents on the welcome and support they have experienced within faith communities, both for themselves and for their sons or daughters with developmental disabilities. This study analyzed parents’ responses to open-ended survey questions, categorizing them into themes addressing factors associated with congregational participation. Key factors identified for this involvement included: (a) practices and supports provided by (or absent within) a faith community; (b) characteristics of individuals with disabilities, their parents, and faith communities; (c) attitudes and beliefs within faith communities; and (d) knowledge about persons with disabilities. Implications for support...
Ventrobasal thalamus necessary for visually-released defensive boxing of rat.

Abstract Visually-released, pain-induced defensive boxing in the rat was abolished by lesions which destroyed the ventrobasal thalamus. The visually-released boxing was produced by facial anesthesia of one of a pair of rats which were administered footshock in a small chamber; the rat with facial anesthesia was forced to rely upon visual stimuli rather than the facial tactile stimuli which normally release the behavior. The abolition of the visually-released boxing was specifically related to destruction of the ventrobasal thalamus rather than adjoining structures. A particularly effective control procedure involved abolition of the response by unilateral lesions confined to the ventrobasal thalamus and removal of visual input to the contralateral side of the brain by closure of the ipsilateral eye. Since visually-released boxing is a learned behavior dependent upon the visual cortex, it would appear that cortical mechanisms incorporate higher levels of the tactile projection system into an alternative system which releases the behavior after facial anesthesia.
Antipeptide polyclonal antibodies specifically recognize each human thyroid hormone receptor isoform.

We characterized four antipeptide polyclonal antibodies (abs) able to specifically recognize each thyroid hormone receptor (TR) isoform. The abs immunoprecipitated both the in vitro synthesized receptor and the receptor expressed in E. coli and their specificity was confirmed by competition studies and immunohistochemistry. Ab activity measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay decreased after preabsorption of each ab with the immunizing peptide or the specific receptor protein expressed in E. coli. No specific activity was detectable in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, no nuclear staining was observed after affinity column immunoabsorption, and the specific bands obtained in Western blot analysis disappeared after preabsorption with the specific TR isoform expressed in E. coli. By immunohistochemical studies we detected coordinate expression of each receptor isoform in most tissues examined. However, in heart and muscle, the beta-isoform is expressed at a very low level compared to the alpha-isoform...
Side-Chain Degradation of Atrazine by Pulsed Electrical Discharge in Water

Degradation of atrazine by an advanced oxidation process (AOP) known as pulsed electrical discharge was investigated. In this system, the degradation of atrazine is caused by hydroxyl radicals formed by the electrical discharge. It was shown that for an initial pH 3 (adjusted with H2SO4) 90% of the atrazine (2 × 10-5 M) was degraded in 1 h. When ferrous ions were used as an electrolyte, atrazine was degraded within 10 min due to the hydrogen peroxide produced by the discharge, which, in combination with ferrous salts produces Fenton's reaction. The platinum anode, in contrast to a NiCr anode, affects atrazine removal only when sodium persulfate is used as an electrolyte (pH 4). Total organic carbon measurements revealed no mineralization for any electrode material or electrolyte in 1 h. All byproducts were identified and confirmed by HPLC and GC/MS with electron spray ionization which demonstrated that after 1 h the final degradation byproduct is ammeline.
Acute effects of glaucoma medications and benzalkonium chloride on pre-adipocyte proliferation and adipocyte cytotoxicity in vitro.

Purpose: To determine and compare the short-term, in vitro effect of prostaglandin analogues (PGAs), timolol, and benzalkonium chloride (BAK) on pre-adipocyte proliferation and adipocyte cytotoxicity.Methods: For the proliferation assay, human primary subcutaneous pre-adipocytes were incubated in the presence of either bimatoprost (0.015%, 0.03%, 0.06%) travoprost (0.002%, 0.004%, 0.008%), latanoprost (0.0025%, 0.005%, 0.010%), tafluprost (0.00075%, 0.0015%, 0.003%), timolol maleate (0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%), BAK (0.005%, 0.010%, 0.015%, 0.020%, 0.040%), or control of BAK vehicle. After 72 h in culture, cell numbers were determined by fluorescent assay with CellTiter-Blue® reagent. For the cytotoxity assay, mature human adipocytes were cultured for 72 h with the same test compounds and controls. Cell numbers were again determined in the same manner through fluorescence.Results: In the proliferation assay, all four PGA medications failed to show a statistically significant difference from BAK vehicle alone (p = ...
Electromagnetic scattering by surfaces of arbitrary shape

The electric field integral equation (EFIE) is used with the moment method to develop a simple and efficient numerical procedure for treating problems of scattering by arbitrarily shaped objects. For numerical purposes, the objects are modeled using planar triangular surfaces patches. Because the EFIE formulation is used, the procedure is applicable to both open and closed surfaces. Crucial to the numerical formulation is the development of a set of special subdomain-type basis functions which are defined on pairs of adjacent triangular patches and yield a current representation free of line or point charges at subdomain boundaries. The method is applied to the scattering problems of a plane wave illuminated flat square plate, bent square plate, circular disk, and sphere. Excellent correspondence between the surface current computed via the present method and that obtained via earlier approaches or exact formulations is demonstrated in each case.
Monilial Esophagitis: An Increasingly Frequent Cause of Esophageal Stenosis?

Acute monilial esophagitis generally responds well to oral nystatin therapy, and long-term sequelae of this condition have not been well recognized. Nor is it generally appreciated that Candida infections of the esophagus may occur in subacute or chronic form. Four men, 34, 40, 41, and 49 years old, have been treated for esophageal stenoses resulting from different types of chronic monilial esophageal involvement. All were seen with painless dysphagia and strictures of the upper half of the thoracic esophagus. In 2 patients, an associated roentgenographic pattern of "intramural esophageal pseudodiverticulosis" was present. Two patients have been treated successfully with esophageal dilation, 1 required substernal colonic bypass of the stenotic, perforated esophagus, and 1 is being evaluated for esophageal bypass. Esophageal moniliasis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of benign esophageal strictures, particularly those involving the upper half of the thoracic esophagus.
Chairman's corner IEEE SAC

I have been very involved with IEEE student activities during most of the time that I have been a member of the IEEE — dating back to the fall of 1961 when I was a freshman at Ohio Northern University. Ohio Northern is very special in that it helped instill in its students a real need to actively belong to the IEEE and to develop professionalism via that route. Through my continuing involvement with the IEEE, I have been able to see, in many schools, the impact that an outstanding IEEE Student Branch can have on the morale and quality of an EE department. This same involvement has taken me all the way up to the highest office in the IEEE that relates to student members, Chairman of the Student Activities Committee (SAC).
CT and MR Imaging of Intracranial Tuberous Sclerosis

CT and MR have permitted radiology to play a greater, but not definitive, role in detecting the pathologic components of tuberous sclerosis. SEN may be identified in only 80% of patients. Tubers are more ubiquitous and readily identified by MR in children and adults when the brain is myelinated. Since tubers are predominantly peripheral hypomyelinated lesions, the detection of small lesions may be delayed until an infant is over 16-18 months of age when the myelin will have extended to the junction between the cortical white and gray matter. SEGA typically evolve later during the first and second decades of life. Successful genetic counseling implies a need to detect tuberous sclerosis at a stage during infancy when imaging may fail to confirm the diagnosis, so tuberous sclerosis remains a clinical diagnosis.
A panel study of married women's work patterns

In the attempt to overcome shortcomings of previous research on women's employment patterns, married women's employment behavior was examined successively over a five year period (1976–1981). Logistic regression and discriminant function analyses were performed on a sample of 366 wives in dual earner families from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Attitudes as well as work and family factors differentiated women who worked continuously full-time from women who worked either part-time or intermittently during the five year period. The findings are discussed in the context of social change and the impact of changing norms on married women's work patterns.
Selective iNOS Inhibition Attenuates Acetylcholine- And Bradykinin-Induced Vasoconstriction in Lipopolysaccharide-Exposed Rat Lungs

Background Nonselective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition has detrimental effects in sepsis because of inhibition of the physiologically important endothelial NOS (eNOS). The authors hypothesized that selective inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibition would maintain eNOS vasodilation but prevent acetylcholine- and bradykinin-mediated vasoconstriction caused by lipopolysaccharide-induced endothelial dysfunction. Methods Rats were administered intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (15 mg/kg) with and without the selective iNOS inhibitors L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)-lysine (L-NIL, 3 mg/kg), dexamethasone (1 mg/kg), or the nonselective NOS inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME, 5 mg/kg). Six hours later, the lungs were isolated and pulmonary vasoreactivity was assessed with hypoxic vasoconstrictions (3% O2), acetylcholine (1 microg), Biochemical Engineering, and bradykinin (3 microg). In additional lipopolysaccharide experiments, L-NIL (10 microM) or 4-Diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide (4-DAMP, 100 microM), a selective muscarinic M3 antagonist, was added into the perfusate. Results Exhaled nitric oxide was higher in the lipopolysaccharide group (37.7+/-17.8 ppb) compared with the control group (0.4+/-0.7 ppb). L-NIL and dexamethasone decreased exhaled nitric oxide in lipopolysaccharide rats by 83 and 79%, respectively, whereas L-NAME had no effect. In control lungs, L-NAME significantly decreased acetylcholine- and bradykinin-induced vasodilation by 75% and increased hypoxic vasoconstrictions, whereas L-NIL and dexamethasone had no effect. In lipopolysaccharide lungs, acetylcholine and bradykinin both transiently increased the pulmonary artery pressure by 8.4+/-2.0 mmHg and 35.3+/-11.7 mmHg, respectively, immediately after vasodilation. L-NIL and dexamethasone both attenuated this vasoconstriction by 70%, whereas L-NAME did not. The acetylcholine vasoconstriction was dose-dependent (0.01-1.0 microg), unaffected by L-NIL added to the perfusate, and abolished by 4-DAMP. Conclusions In isolated perfused lungs, acetylcholine and bradykinin caused vasoconstriction in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats. This vasoconstriction was attenuated by administration of the iNOS inhibitor L-NIL but not with L-NAME. Furthermore, L-NIL administered with lipopolysaccharide preserved endothelium nitric oxide-dependent vasodilation, whereas L-NAME did not.
Synthetic peptidoglycan motifs for germination of bacterial spores.

Certain Gram-positive bacteria—as exemplified by Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax—can produce dormant and environmentally resistant spores under conditions of nutritional limitation. These spores exit from dormancy via the process of germination that is triggered by exposure to specific molecules.[1] While the precise chemical nature of these molecules, known as germinants, varies according to the organism, they are typically nutrients.[2] Recently, we reported that supernatants from cultures of growing bacteria and constituents of the cell wall could serve as germinants of dormant B. subtilis and B. anthracis spores.[3] Since fragments of the cell wall are released in the course of bacterial growth, the presence of these molecules in the milieu as germination signals might be physiologically relevant.
Recent Literature on the Economic Development of Backward Areas

I. Introduction, 585. — II. The historical approach, 586. — III. Views of the classical school, 589. — IV. "Sociological" views, 593. — V. Economic "aspects," 596. — VI. Development in practice, 599. — VII. Concluding impressions, 602.
The importance of the postoperative anesthetic visit : Do repeated visits improve patient satisfaction or physician recognition ?

This study evaluates whether repeated postoperative visits by the anesthesiologist improve patient ability to recall the anesthesiologist's name and the patient's perception of and satisfaction with anesthesia services. In a randomized, prospective trial, 144 patients with an anticipated postoperative length of stay of at least three days were enrolled in three groups: Group A patients (n = 48) had one postoperative visit, Group B (n = 48) had two postoperative visits, and Group C (n = 48) had three postoperative visits. All postoperative visits were performed by the attending anesthesiologist on consecutive postoperative days. Patients were contacted two days after their last postoperative visit to complete a study questionnaire. Patients were able to recall the anesthesiologist's name significantly less frequently than the surgeon's name, and there was no difference in name recall among groups. Recall was not affected by patient age, sex, or ASA physical status; the mode of contact (telephone versus personal visit); the anesthesiologist's gender; the presence of preoperative medication; or the identity of the preoperative evaluator. Patients could identify the anesthesiologist's gender approximately 85% of the time, regardless of group, and were more likely to identify female anesthesiologists (P = 0.026, odds ratio 3.3). Patient evaluation of hospital, surgical, and anesthesia care was favorable in all groups and did not vary with group. Increasing the number of postoperative visits does not improve patient name recognition of the anesthesiologist or increase patient satisfaction with or perception of anesthesia services.
Flow cytometry of leukocytes after intravenous fluorescein angiography

Blood specimens were obtained for T lymphocyte analysis from patients undergoing intravenous fluorescein angiography (IVFA). Mononuclear cells were prepared by differential density centrifugation and analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Prior to IVFA, there was very little autofluorescence in the mononuclear cell population. After IVFA, there was an increase in the fluorescence of the mononuclear cells. Though barely visible by fluorescence microscopy, the fluorescence was uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm. By FCM, fluorescein was detected in 27% of the lymphocytes, 61% of the monocytes, and 75% of the granulocytes. Care must be taken when interpreting flow-cytometric lymphocyte subset data because of the increased nonspecific fluorescence of mononuclear cells in patients who have undergone IVFA.
Molecular modeling: a tool for predicting anthelmintic activity in vivo

The structural and electronic features of the broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic mebendazole [MBZ, methyl 5-(benzoyl)-benzimidazole-2-carbamate] have been determined using a combination of quantum mechanics, molecular graphics, and molecular modeling techniques. Using conformational analyses and quantum mechanics, we found that the three-dimensional structure and electronic features of MBZ were consistent with those previously reported for highly active broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintics and that in vivo drug efficacy againstHymenolepis diminuta depends upon the orientation of the benzoyl group at position 5 on the heterocyclic ring system, the magnitude of the molecular dipole moment, and the percentage of polar surface area. The chemotherapeutic actions of MBZ onH. diminuta in vivo were accompanied by marked changes in worm weight and chemical composition. Tapeworms recovered from rats that had received a therapeutically effective dose of MBZ 24 h earlier were significantly smaller and contained much less glycogen (as a percentage of the wet weight) than worms from untreated controls. In MBZ-treated worms, protein concentrations rose at a rate sufficient to offset the decline in glycogen concentration. Glycogen/protein ratios in MBZ-treated worms were considerably lower than the corresponding control values. Differences in the absolute amounts of glycogen between control and drug-treated worms were even more profound. Administration of a curative dose of MBZ to the rat host produced inH. diminuta another change, the onset of which coincided with the gross alterations in worm weight and chemical composition. In vitro studies carried out 24 h after treatment revealed that MBZ-treated worms absorbed and metabolized much smaller quantities of exogenous glucose than did the controls and that the ability of the worm to accumulate glucose against a concentration difference was significantly depressed. A mode of action common to MBZ and other structurally related broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintics is further indicated by the similarity of their biochemical and physiological effects on the tapeworms and their time course of action following their administration to rats infected withH. diminuta.
Topography of Methylphenidate (Ritalin)-Induced Gene Regulation in the Striatum: Differential Effects on c- Fos , Substance P and Opioid Peptides

Dopamine action alters gene regulation in striatal neurons. Methylphenidate increases extracellular levels of dopamine. We investigated the effects of acute methylphenidate treatment on gene expression in the striatum of adult rats. Molecular changes were mapped in 23 striatal sectors mostly defined by their predominant cortical inputs in order to determine the functional domains affected. Acute administration of 5 and 10 mg/kg (i.p.) of methylphenidate produced robust increases in the expression of the transcription factor c-fos and the neuropeptide substance P. Borderline effects were found with 2 mg/kg, but not with 0.5 mg/kg. For 5 mg/kg, c-fos mRNA levels peaked at 40 min and returned to baseline by 3 h after injection, while substance P mRNA levels peaked at 40-60 min and were back near control levels by 24 h. These molecular changes occurred in most sectors of the caudate-putamen, but were maximal in dorsal sectors that receive sensorimotor and medial agranular cortical inputs, on middle to caudal levels. In rostral and ventral striatal sectors, changes in c-fos and substance P expression were weaker or absent. No effects were seen in the nucleus accumbens, with the exception of c-fos induction in the lateral part of the shell. In contrast to c-fos and substance P, acute methylphenidate treatment had minimal effects on the opioid peptides dynorphin and enkephalin. These results demonstrate that acute methylphenidate alters the expression of c-fos and substance P preferentially in the sensorimotor striatum. These molecular changes are similar, but not identical, to those produced by other psychostimulants.
Constitutive expression of a stress-inducible heat shock protein gene, hsp70, in phylogenetically distant Antarctic fish

Previous research on Antarctic notothenioid fishes demonstrated the loss of the heat-shock response characterized by the rapid synthesis of molecular chaperones in response to increasing pools of damaged proteins. We determined that this loss was the result of constitutive expression of the inducible hsp70 gene. In this study, we examined the extent of this unique expression pattern in Antarctic fish by comparing the expression of two genes, the constitutive hsc71 gene and the inducible hsp70 gene, in tissues from Trematomus bernacchii to expression in tissues of Pagothenia borchgrevinki, a second Antarctic notothenioid, and Lycodichthys dearborni, a phylogenetically distant Antarctic species. Our study indicated that the expression of hsc71 is similar in all species; however, the constitutive expression of the inducible hsp70 gene was also manifested in these species. These data further suggest that cold denaturation of proteins at ecologically relevant temperatures may be contributing to this change in expression of the hsp70 gene.
Variational conditions and the proto-differentiation of partial subgradient mappings

Subgradient mappings have many roles in variational analysis, such as the formulation of optimality conditions and, in the special case of normal cone mappings, the statement and analysis of variational inequalities and related expressions. Central to the study of perturbations of solutions to systems of conditions in which subgradient mappings appear are concepts of generalized differentiation such as proto-differentiability, which is unhampered by a solution mapping’s potential multivaluedness. This paper extends the known examples of proto-differentiability by showing that a large and important class of “partial” subgradient mappings have this property. Until now the main examples have been the complete subgradient mappings associated with fully amenable functions. The extension, made difficult by the need to deal geometrically with projections of graphs, relies on the notion of a fully amenable function having additional variables that provide a “compatible parameterization.” The results are applied to the sensitivity analysis of generalized variational inequalities in which the underlying set need not be convex and can vary with the parameters.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Among Twins

Background Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a major contributor to infant mortality. Previous studies have suggested that infants born of twin pregnancies are at greater risk for SIDS and that a twin who survives after a co-twin dies is at increased risk for SIDS. Objective To attempt to confirm the increased risk of SIDS among and within twin pairs through the use of US vital statistics data. Methods We analyzed data from the US-linked birth and infant death certificate tapes for the years 1987 through 1991 to determine the risk of SIDS in twin births compared with singleton births and to describe the characteristics of twin pairs in whom SIDS occurred. The analysis was limited to live births with weights of 500 g or more and gestational ages of 24 weeks or more. We used an algorithm to match co-twins (infants within a twin pair) to measure sex and birth weight concordancy; to identify twin pairs, in which one or both twins died of SIDS; and to examine, when both twins died, whether they died on the same day. Results There were 23,464 singleton SIDS deaths and 1056 twin SIDS deaths during the 5-year period. The crude relative risk for SIDS among twins compared with singleton births was 2.06 (95% confidence interval, 1.94-2.19). The adjusted relative risk independent of birth weight and sociodemographic variables was 1.13 (95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.31). We successfully matched the co-twins of 172,029 twin pregnancies. Of these, 767 were twin pregnancies in which one or both twins died of SIDS. Among the 767 twin pregnancies in which one or both twins experienced SIDS, there were only 7 in which both twins died of SIDS (rate ratio, 4.0 per 100,000 twin pregnancies). In only 1 of these 7 did both twins die on the same day (rate ratio, 0.58 per 100,000 twin pregnancies). The relative risk for a second twin dying of SIDS was 8.17 (90% confidence interval, 1.18-56.67). Conclusions Independent of birth weight, twins do not appear to be at greater risk for SIDS compared with singleton births. In addition, the occurrence of both twins dying of SIDS is uncommon, and the occurrence of both twins dying on the same day is extremely uncommon.
GENDER IS AN ORGANON

. Gender is a social construct. Technically, it is a grammatical structuring category that may refer to sex, as is typical of Indo-European languages, or to another set of features such as animate versus inanimate, as is typical of Algonkian languages. Gender in language forces speakers of the language to be continually conscious of application of the category, and they tend to project the categorization into their experience of the world and collocate observations under these broad categories. Western science has been developed by speakers of Indo-European languages employing male/female (and sometimes neuter) genders, and in a cultural tradition that at least since the time of Classical Greece has collocated male with active, creative, rational, and public (political)/dominant (Olympian), and female with passive, irrational/emotional, and private (nonpolitical)/subordinate. Religion and science-organons for rendering existential experience intelligible-have always been used by the dominant class as instruments of power, and therefore in Western cultures have been entangled with legitimization of a congeries of concepts collocated with male gender. This paper illustrates the social construction of this congeries by contrasting it with non-Western usages and valuations.
Approximate probability distributions for the extreme spread

Abstract : The extreme spread, or greatest distance between all pairs of points on a target, is often used as a rapid measure of dispersion or precision of shot groups on a target. It is therefore desirable to know its statistical properties. Since the exact theoretical distribution has not yet been worked out, this report examines the accuracy of several approximations which are checked against large sample Monte Carlo values.
Canine pulmonary angiotensin-converting enzyme. Physicochemical, catalytic and immunological properties.

Antiontensin-converting enzyme (peptidyldipeptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.15.1) has been solubilized from canine pulmonary particles and purified to apparent homogeneity. A value of approx. 140000 was estimated for the molecular weight of the native and the reduced, denatured forms of the enzyme. No free NH2-terminal residue was detected by the dansylation procedure. Carbohydrate accounted for 17% of the weight of the enzyme, and the major residues were galactose, mannose and N-acetylglucosamine with smaller amounts of sialic acid and fucose. Removal of sialic acid residues with neuraminidase did not alter enzymatic activity. The enzyme contained one molar equivalent of zinc. Addition of this metal reversed stimulation and inhibition of activity observed in the presence of Co2+ and Mn2+, respectively. Immunologic homology of pure dog and rabbit enzymes was demonstrable with goat antisera. Fab fragments and intact IgG antibodies displayed similar inhibition of dose vs. response curves with homologous enzyme, whereas the fragments were poor inhibitors of heterologous activity compared to the holoantibodies. The canine glycoprotein was much less active than the rabbit preparation in catalyzing hydrolysis of Hip-His-Leu. In contrast, the two enzymes exhibited comparable kinetic parameters with angiotensin I as substrate.
Form–meaning mappings in the aspectual domain: What about the L1? A response to Bruhn de Garavito and Valenzuela

Any person who has taught Spanish as a second language or who has interacted with a non-native speaker of Spanish can easily tell that mastering the correct use of the copulas ser and estar is very difficult in both spoken and written production. But L2 learners are not alone. The Spanish copulas also present difficulty and frustration for L2 instructors of Spanish, since most pedagogical explanations of the uses of ser and estar provided in textbooks are incomplete and inaccurate. However, the acquisition of copular constructions has not received the attention it deserves in the acquisition literature, making a special issue of Bilingualism: Language and Cognition dedicated to this topic particularly welcome. A reason for the scarcity of research in this area may be related to both the linguistic complexity of Spanish ser and estar and the inadequacy of many available theoretical treatments to explain their complementary distribution. Although constructions with ser and estar are highly frequent in the input, they are grammatically quite intricate, straddling between the levels of morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Accordingly, Bruhn de Garavito and Valenzuela correctly frame their study within the current debate on interface vulnerability in language development in general, and in adult L2 acquisition in particular (Sorace, 2004; White, in press). In a nutshell, grammatical areas which require the integration of different levels of linguistic knowledge (e.g., syntax–discourse, syntax–morphology, morphology–semantics, etc.) for processing, production, or interpretation, show developmental delays and instability in monolingual and bilingual acquisition. In the case of monolingual acquisition, instability or non-target-like behavior is temporary, but in L2 grammars, instability can persist up to very advanced levels of proficiency, eventually leading to fossilization.
Estimating Factors to Convert Chinese 'Total Dust' Measurements to ACGIH Respirable Concentrations in Metal Mines and Pottery Industries

Historical data on the dust exposures of Chinese workers in metal mines (iron/copper, tin, tungsten) and pottery industries are being used in an ongoing joint Chinese/United States epidemiological study to investigate the exposure‐response relationship for the development of silicosis, lung cancer, and other diseases. The historical data include ‘total dust’ concentrations determined by a Chinese method. Information about particle size distribution and the chemical and mineralogical content of airborne particles is generally not available. In addition, the historical Chinese sampling strategy is diAerent from a typical American eight-hour timeweighted average (TWA) sampling strategy, because the Chinese samples were collected for approximately 15 minutes during production so the sample could be compared to their maximum allowable concentration (MAC) standard. Therefore, in order to assess American respirable dust exposure standards in light of the Chinese experience, factors are needed to convert historical Chinese total dust concentrations to respirable dust concentrations. As a part of the joint study to estimate the conversion factors, airborne dust samples were collected in 20 metal mines and 9 pottery factories in China during 1988 and 1989 using three diAerent samplers: 10 mm nylon cyclones, multi-stage ‘cassette’ impactors, and the traditional Chinese total dust samplers. More than 100 samples were collected and analysed for each of the three samplers. The study yielded two diAerent estimates of the conversion factor from the Chinese total dust concentrations (measured during production processes) to respirable dust concentrations. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) reveals that, with a fixed sampling/analysis method, conversion factors were not statistically diAerent among the diAerent job titles within each industry. It also indicates that conversion factors among the industries were not statistically diAerent. However, the two estimates consistently showed that conversion factors were the lowest in the pottery industry. Average conversion factors were then calculated for each of the estimates across the industries studied. A pooled mean conversion factor, 0.252 0.04, was then derived for all the job titles and industries. Respirable dust levels were estimated from the historical ‘total dust’ concentrations collected between 1952 and 1992 by adopting the American standard. 7 2000 British Occupational Hygiene Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Keyword proximity search on XML graphs

XKeyword provides efficient keyword proximity queries on large XML graph databases. A query is simply a list of keywords and does not require any schema or query language knowledge for its formulation. XKeyword is built on a relational database and, hence, can accommodate very large graphs. Query evaluation is optimized by using the graph's schema. In particular, XKeyword consists of two stages. In the preprocessing stage a set of keyword indices are built along with indexed path relations that describe particular patterns of paths in the graph. In the query processing stage plans are developed that use a near optimal set of path relations to efficiently locate the keyword query results. The results are presented graphically using the novel idea of interactive result graphs, which are populated on-demand according to the user's navigation and allow efficient information discovery. We provide theoretical and experimental points for the selection of the appropriate set of precomputed path relations. We also propose and experimentally evaluate algorithms to minimize the number of queries sent to the database to output the top-K results.
Feedback Based Supply Voltage Control for Temperature Variation Tolerant PUFs

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are on-chip identifiers which have found many applications related to security. However, such devices suffer from instability due to time varying noise. Variation in operating temperature is a chief contributor to instability in PUFs. In this paper, we propose two different approaches to increase the stability of the popular ring oscillator PUFs against variations in temperature. The first approach involves using non-feedback based optimization of key circuit topologies including the drive strength of transistors and the stage length of the ring oscillators. However, to improve the stability even further, we propose a feedback based supply voltage control scheme. In this scheme, the supply voltage of the PUF is varied based on the operating temperature of the PUF IC. The optimal supply voltage to be applied to the PUF at each of the operating temperature is identified during the evaluation stage of the PUFs and is stored in the form of a micro-code. Also, a novel architecture supporting this scheme is proposed. Experimental results show that a 40% reduction in hardware is achieved by using this novel architecture.
Reactivity and Type of Verbal Report in SLA Research Methodology: Expanding the Scope of Investigation.

The present study addresses the reactivity of two types of verbal protocols in SLA research. It expands on the work of Leow and Morgan-Short (2004), who found nonmetalinguistic verbalization during a second-language reading task to be nonreactive for beginning learners' text comprehension, intake, and production of the targeted morphological form. The present study investigated the reactivity of both metalinguistic and nonmetalinguistic protocols, using a syntactic structure and advanced language learners of Spanish. Results indicated that neither type of verbalization significantly affected text comprehension or written production of old or new exemplars of the targeted structure when compared to a control group, although metalinguistic verbalization appeared to cause a significant decrease in text comprehension over nonmetalinguistic verbalization. Furthermore, both types of verbalization significantly increased the amount of time on task.