cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beta-blocker exposure in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cardiac uncoupling.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac uncoupling and reduced heart rate (HR) variability are associated with increased mortality after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent data has shown beta-blocker (betaB) exposure is associated with improved survival in this patient population. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of betaB exposure on the mortality risk of patients with severe TBI and early cardiac uncoupling. METHODS: From December 2000 to October 2005, 4,116 patients were admitted to the trauma intensive care unit. Four hundred forty-six patients (12%) had head Abbreviated Injury Scale score >/= 5 without neck injury and had continuous HR data for the first 24 hours. One hundred forty-one patients (29%) received betaB. Cardiac uncoupling was calculated as the percent of time that 5-minute HR standard deviation was between 0.3 bpm and 0.6 bpm on postinjury day 1. RESULTS: A relationship between betaB and survival was observed when the population was considered irrespective of length of stay or betaB start time (p < 0.001). Cardiac uncoupling appears to stratify patients into groups who might receive additional benefit from betaB, and identifies patients with increasing mortality. However, the association of betaB with survival was attenuated when analyses accounted for selection bias in betaB administration. CONCLUSIONS: betaB exposure was associated with reduced mortality among patients with severe TBI. Though loss of HR variability has previously been associated with an increase in mortality, betaB exposure appears to be associated with increased survival across all stratifications of cardiac uncoupling.
Location, Regional Accessibility, and Price Effects: Evidence from Home Sales in Hennepin County, Minnesota

Regional location factors exert a strong influence on urban property markets, and measures of accessibility are foremost among them. More local influences, such as proximity to urban highway links, also may positively or negatively influence the desirability of a location. This study used a cross section of home sales in Hennepin County, Minnesota, from the years 2001 through 2004, along with a set of disaggregate regional accessibility measures, to estimate the value of access to employment and resident workers. The effects, whether as amenity or disamenity, were estimated for locations near major freeway links that had recently under-gone major construction to add capacity (or were scheduled to undergo such construction) at the time of the home sales. The richness of the home sales data set allowed for control of a number of structural attributes, as well as some site characteristics. Additional neighborhood characteristics (such as income levels and local educational quality) were added from supplement...
Alterations in transporter expression in liver, kidney, and duodenum after targeted disruption of the transcription factor HNF1α ☆

The transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 1alpha (HNF1alpha) is involved in regulation of glucose metabolism and transport, and in the expression of several drug and bile acid metabolizing enzymes. Targeted disruption of the HNF1alpha gene results in decreased Cyp1a2, and Cyp2e1 expression, and increased Cyp4a1 and Cyp7a1 expression, suggesting these enzymes are HNF1alpha target genes. Since hepatic metabolism can be coordinately linked with drug and metabolite transport, this study aims to demonstrate whether HNF1alpha regulates expression of a variety of organic anion and cation transporters through utilization of an HNF1alpha-null mouse model. Expression of 32 transporters, including members of the Oat, Oatp, Oct, Mrp, Mdr, bile acid and sterolin families, was quantified in three different tissues: liver, kidney, and duodenum. The expression of 17 of 32 transporters was altered in liver, 21 of 32 in kidney, and 6 of 32 in duodenum of HNF1alpha-null mice. This includes many novel observations, including marked downregulation of Oats in kidney, as well as upregulation of many Mrp and Mdr family members in all three tissues. These data indicate that disruption of HNF1alpha causes a marked attenuation of several Oat and Oatp uptake transporters in liver and kidney, and increased expression of efflux transporters such as Mdrs and Mrps, thus suggesting that HNF1alpha is a central mediator in regulating hepatic, renal, and intestinal transporters.
The effects of variable speed and drive train component efficiencies on wind turbine energy capture

A wind turbine rotor achieves optimal aerodynamic efficiency at a single tip-speed ratio (TSR). To maintain that optimal TSR and maximize energy capture in the stochastic wind environment, it is necessary to employ variable-speed operation. Conventional constant-speed wind turbines have, in the past, been converted into variable-speed turbines by attaching power electronics to the conventional induction generator and gearbox drive train. Such turbines have shown marginal, if any, improvement in energy capture over their constant-speed counterparts. These discrepancies have been shown to be the result of drive train components that are not optimized for variable-speed operation. Traditional drive trains and power electronic converters are designed to achieve maximum efficiency at full load and speed. However, the main energy producing winds operate the turbine at light load for long periods of time. Because of this, significant losses to efficiency occur. This investigation employs a quasi-static model to demonstrate the dramatic effect that component efficiency curves can have on overall annual energy capture.
On the controllability of the parameterized state matrix in “A continuation approach to eigenvalue assignment”by Harris, DeCarlo and Richter

Abstract This paper will investigate the controllability properties for systems parameterized as in Harns et al. (1983, Automatica , 19, 551–555). It will be shown that for systems of low dimensions this parameterization must be done carefully to guarantee that the system is controllable over the parameterization. The controllability property is key to the algorithms developed in Lefebvre et al. (1985, Int. J. Control , 41 , 1273–1292), Richter and DeCarlo (1984, IEEE Trans. Aut. Control , AC-29 ), Harris et al. (1983, Automatica , 19 , 551–555), Richter et al. (1981, Proc. 1981 Joint Aut. Control Conf.), Harris and DeCarlo (1982, Purdue School of EE, TR-EE 82-11) and Sebok and DeCarlo (1984, Proc. Allerton Conf. Communication, Control and Computing).
A note on the prebiotic synthesis of organic acids in carbonaceous meteorities

Strong similarities between monocarboxylic and hydroxycarboxylic acids in the Murchison meteorite suggest corresponding similarities in their origins. However, various lines of evidence apparently implicate quite different precursor compounds in the synthesis of the different acids. These seeming inconsistencies can be resolved by postulating that the apparent precursors also share a related origin. Pervasive D enrichment indicates that this origin was in a presolar molecular cloud. The organic acids themselves were probably synthesised in an aqueous environment on an asteroidal parent body, the hydroxy (and amino) acids by means of the Strecker cyanohydrin reaction.
Accommodation of disturbances in optimal control problems

Abstract Modern theories of automatic control have virtually ignored one of the oldest and most fundamental problems of control—the problem of controlling systems subjected to persistently acting, unknown external disturbances. In this paper the problem of control in the face of unknown disturbances is studied from the optimization point of view. It is first shown that a straightforward approach to the problem leads to control laws that are hopelessly unrealizable. A novel alternative approach is then proposed which leads to physically realizable control laws which perform optimally in the face of a broad class of unknown external disturbances. The proposed method is illustrated by posing and solving a modified version of the classical linear-quadratic regulator problem, in which persistently acting disturbances have been added.
Patient understanding of the revised USPSTF screening mammogram guidelines: need for development of patient decision aids.

Background The purpose of the study was to examine patients’ understanding of the revised screening mammogram guidelines released by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2009 addressing age at initiation and frequency of screening mammography.
A mathematical modelling study of epiphyseal cartilage calcification.

Recent studies in this laboratory have suggested that proteoglycan may function as a Ca ion-exchanger in the calcification of epiphyseal growth plate cartilage. Specifically, it has been proposed that phosphate liberated from hypertrophic chondrocytes may displace calcium ions bound to the anionic groups of proteoglycans, thereby raising the Ca × PO 4 activity product above the threshold for precipitation of hydroxyapatite. In order to determine whether this mechanism is quantitatively feasible, a mathematical model of the interaction between Ca, Na, proteoglycan and phosphate has now been developed. This model is based on a general binding theory, and utilizes previously-determined values for the binding constants of the Ca-proteoglycan interaction, inhibition constants for the effect of Na and phosphate on this interaction, and literature values for the concentrations of proteoglycan, Na and Ca in epiphyseal cartilage. Using this approach, it was predicted that the free Ca concentration in epiphyseal cartilage in the absence of phosphate will be 1·55 m m . At 0·7m m phosphate, the approximate concentration in non-calcified cartilage matrix, the free Ca concentration will be 2·40 m m , corresponding to a Ca × PO 4 product of 1·68 (m m ) 2 . In order to achieve a Ca × PO 4 product sufficient for spontaneous precipitation of hydroxyapatite [approximately 4·3 (m m ) 2 ], a phosphate concentration of approximately 1·40 m m is required. Therefore, calcification of epiphyseal cartilage matrix by the mechanism described above will require an approximate doubling of the phosphate concentration in the pre-calcifying zones, indicating that the release of a fraction of the intracellular phosphate could trigger the calcification process.
The Poor on the Hilltops? The Vertical Fringe of a Late Nineteenth-Century American City

Abstract Features of the physical urban site merit more attention than they have traditionally received in models of city form, but in bestowing it the interrelation of social and natural features must be recognized and a neoenvironmental determinism avoided that would see the roles played by site features as always and everywhere the same. In American cities today, the affluence of residents, as a rule, increases with elevation. Yet in the “walking city” of the nineteenth century and earlier, high land's difficulty of access might have outweighed its attractions and made it the home of the poor and not the rich. The possibility is investigated through a study of upland residential patterns in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1891, just before the city's first electric trolley line was installed. Though a simple inversion of today's pattern did not appear, working-class residents indeed predominated on the highest land. They shared it with pockets of upper-class estates and with other land uses—such as parks,...
A role for a small stable RNA in modulating the activity of DNA-binding proteins

Abstract The 10Sa RNA, encoded by the E. coli ssrA gene, appears to modulate action of some DNA-binding proteins. When ssrA is inactivated, lacZ expression from the lac operon, as well as galK from a gal operon fused to a phage λ promoter, is reduced from that observed in bacteria wild-type for ssrA . These differences are not observed if the relevant repressor is inactive, suggesting that in the absence of 10Sa RNA binding of Lacl and λ cl repressors is enhanced. Gel mobility shifts show that 10Sa RNA binds these repressors and that an excess of 10Sa RNA competes for binding of λ cl with a DNA fragment containing the O R 2 repressor-binding sequence. Similar observations were made in studies of the E. coil LexA repressor and phage P22 C1 transcription activator proteins. These results suggest that direct interaction with 10Sa RNA may explain this modulation of protein-DNA interactions.
The effect of co-operativity on the equilibrium binding of symmetric bivalent ligands to antibodies: Theoretical results with application to histamine release from basophils

A theory for the co-operative binding of bivalent ligands to cell surface or solution antibody is presented. The theory treats both negative co-operativity, where the binding of a ligand to one site on an antibody makes it more difficult to bind to the second site, and positive co-operativity, where the binding of a ligand to one site on an antibody makes it easier to bind to the second site. Candidates for bivalent ligands exhibiting negative co-operativity (caused probably by steric hindrance) are certain anti-immunoglobulin antibodies. We show how to calculate the amount of ligand bound, the fraction of antibody in cross-links (i.e. in ligand-antibody aggregates) and the fraction of antibody in any size ligand-antibody aggregate. With sample calculations it is demonstrated that there can be major differences in the binding and cross-linking properties of co-operative and non-co-operative bivalent ligands. We discuss how the theory can be used to analyze experiments where human basophils or rat basophilic leukemia cells are exposed to bivalent ligands that bind co-operatively to immunoglobulin E.
Harmonic motion imaging: a new technique for the detection of the local mechanical properties of tissues

Several techniques have been developed in an effort to estimate mechanical properties of tissues. In this paper, we will discuss the advantages of utilizing a new technique that performs RF signal tracking in order to estimate the localized oscillatory motion resulting from a harmonic radiation force produced by two focused ultrasound transducer elements with overlapping beams oscillating at distinct frequencies. Finite-element and Monte-Carlo simulations were performed in order to characterize the range of oscillatory displacements produced by a harmonic radiation force. The frequencies investigated ranged from 200 Hz to 800 Hz and the stiffness between 20 and 80 kPa. In the experimental verification, three transducers were utilized: two focused transducers at 3.75 MHz and a diagnostic transducer 1.1 MHz operating at pulse/receive mode. Agar gels of 7 - 95 kPa stiffness were utilized. Displacement estimates were obtained during the application of the radiation force oscillating at frequencies of 200 - 800 Hz. In experiments, the estimated oscillatory displacement spanned from -800 to 600 microns depending on the magnitude of the applied radiation force. A frequency upshift and an exponential displacement decrease were obtained with stiffness increase in experiments and simulations. These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of imaging localized harmonic motion as induced by an oscillatory ultrasound radiation force.
Prenatal Maternal Stress and Physical Abuse among Homeless Women and Infant Health Outcomes in the United States

Background. This study examines whether the relationship between maternal stress or abuse situations and infant birth weight differs between homeless and non-homeless women. Methods. Analyses are based on data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2002–2007. Results. Homeless women were significantly more likely to experience stressful life events, abusive situations, and poor maternal health than non-homeless women during pregnancy. Birth weight among infants of homeless women was, on average, 17.4 grams lighter than for infants of non-homeless women, after adjusting for maternal age, race, ethnicity, region, education, and marital status. The impact of maternal health, stress, and abuse variables on pregnancy and infant birth weight significantly interacted with homeless status. For example, vaginal bleeding, nausea, kidney/bladder infection, and failure to receive early prenatal care had significantly larger negative impacts on birth weight among homeless women than non-homeless women. Infant birth weight was consistently lower among homeless women, more so when maternal stress and abuse were involved, across all classifications of their prepregnancy weight. Conclusion. Stress and abusive situations among pregnant women have a negative influence on pregnancy-related conditions and infant birth weight. However, this negative influence is even more pronounced among homeless women.
Ethics, Psychology, and Public Policy

An introduction to the Journal of Forensic Psychology's new section on “Ethics, Psychology, and Public Policy,” this essay outlines the contours that characterize the interrelationship between ethics, psychology, and public policy. Offering a broad and inclusive framework for understanding this interrelationship, it lays out and comments upon several spheres of analysis - the practical/professional, law, lawmaking, and public policy, justice and social justice, and general ethical problems - within which morality meets with concerns of forensic psychology.
Ear, nose and throat emergencies

Abstract An airway emergency, including any lesion causing upper airway compromise, is potentially life-threatening in both adults and children. Stridor, acute epiglottitis, inhaled foreign body and bleeding tonsils, all require a prompt, methodical approach. Clear communication and cooperation between anaesthetic and surgical teams is vital.
A revised model for U4atac/U6atac snRNA base pairing.

The discovery of a second type of spliceosomal intron in the genomes of many multicellular eukaryotes raised the exciting possibility of comparing the structural and functional features of the two splicing systems with the hope of shedding light on important features of each (Tarn & Steitz, 1997)+ This hope was amply fulfilled with the discovery of the parallel roles played in the two systems by the respective sets of spliceosomal snRNAs+ The initial identification of functions for the previously known U11 and U12 snRNAs (Hall & Padgett, 1994; Tarn & Steitz, 1996b) was magnified by the discovery of the novel U4atac and U6atac snRNAs (Tarn & Steitz, 1996a)+ The similarities of these latter two snRNAs to the U4 and U6 snRNAs of the major splicing system were apparent and led to detailed comparisons of the features of these RNAs and their interactions (Tarn & Steitz, 1996a)+ For both the U4/U6 pair and the U4atac/
Effective Diffusivity of Galactose in Calcium Alginate Gels Containing Immobilized Zymomonas mobilis

The effective diffusivity of galactose was measured for calcium alginate gel membranes containing immobilized live Zymomonas mobilis cells at concentrations ranging from 0 to 150 g dry wt/L of gel. Since galactose is not taken up by living Z. mobilis organisms, the diffusion of this representative six-carbon sugar could be studied independently of sugar consumption. Various immobilized biomass loadings were achieved by two different techniques: addition of biomass at known concentrations to the sodium alginate solution before membrane formation and growth of cells in the gel to various biomass concentrations. The highest immobilized cell concentration, attained by in situ growth, corresponds to the maximum for this system, as growth beyond this maximum concentration led to disintegration of the gel membrane. The galactose effective diffusivity measurements for both methods of immobilized cell loading overlap within experimental error and follow the same general monotonic decline with entrapped biomass concentration. Most of the data fall below the upper bound predicted by Hashin and Shtrikman (1962) and show good agreement with the random pore model of Wakao and Smith (1962, 1964). Available effective diffusivity data from the literature provide evidence that the random pore model is an excellent predictor of sugar effective diffusivity in gel immobilized cell systems in general.
Parsing Anhedonia Translational Models of Reward-Processing Deficits in Psychopathology

The term anhedonia has long been used in the psychiatric literature to describe reward-processing dysfunction in psychopathology, especially depression and schizophrenia. Although anhedonia literally describes a lack of pleasurable experiences in everyday life, recent advances in both the basic science and clinical literatures indicate that reward deficits in these disorders are much broader than hedonic responses. In this article, we summarize some of the recent theoretical and empirical advances in understanding deficits in reward processing and their neurobehavioral mechanisms, with a particular focus on the neural underpinnings of motivation and effort-based decision making. We also highlight the potential of translational neuroscience to enhance diagnostic clarity by defining clinical symptoms in terms of underlying pathophysiology.
Luxation of the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints in horses

Lateral or medial luxation of the metacarpophalangeal or metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joint in 10 horses is presented. Closed and open fetlock luxation each occurred in five horses. Horses were treated by cast immobilisation after debridement of soft tissue and joint lavage in cases of open luxations. Suture apposition of a ruptured collateral ligament was attempted in three cases. Antibiotic therapy was used in all cases of open fetlock luxation but non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication was used inconsistently. Whether closed or open, fetlock luxations had a good prognosis for return to breeding status. After treatment, seven horses were used for breeding, one horse was ridden for nine years, one horse remained lame and was destroyed and one horse was lost to follow up.
Differential Amplifier Sensor Architecture for Increased Sensor Selectivity

The use of a differential amplifier sensor architecture has been investigated as a route to improved sensor selectivity. Carbon nanotube FETs (CNTFETs) are used as both the transistors in a differential amplifier as well as chemical-sensing elements. Chemical functionalization of the CNTFETs can result in selective sensing. However, functionalized sensors are still likely susceptible to many undesired nonselective sensing events. By functionalizing two FETs differently, one FET can be tailored to selectively sense the analyte, and the other can be used as a reference to compensate for a wide range of interfering signals when the two FET outputs are subtracted. In this way, many interfering events can be discriminated against to yield robust and selective sensing in complex and dynamic environments. Proof of concept experiments showing the utility of background subtraction in software (calculated differential amplifier output) and hardware (using a breadboarded differential amplifier) are shown.
Synergistic action of amphotericin B and rifampin against Rhizopus species.

Abstract A 16-year-old diabetic patient developed Rhizopus pneumonia and was initially treated with amphotericin B for 7 days. Because of clinical deterioration of the patient, rifampin was added empirically. The patient improved clinically, and lung tissue removed surgically 8 weeks later showed no fungal elements by histopathological studies or by culture. An in vitro study of amphotericin B alone and in combination with rifampin against the isolate from the patient and 11 additional isolates of Rhizopus spp. was designed. The activity of amphotericin B in the presence of rifampin (10 or 5 micrograms/ml) increased fourfold against 9 of 10 clinical and 1 of 2 environmental isolates. Amphotericin B activity in the presence of 2 micrograms of rifampin per ml increased fourfold against 6 of 10 clinical isolates and increased twofold against an additional 3 clinical isolates. Amphotericin B in the presence of 1 microgram of rifampin per ml inhibited 9 of 10 isolates at a concentration of one-half the MIC of amphotericin B alone. These findings were confirmed by dose-response curves calculated from fungal dry weight determinations of Rhizopus spp. incubated in serial dilutions of amphotericin B combined with rifampin. These observations demonstrate in vitro, and possibly in vivo, synergy between amphotericin B and rifampin against Rhizopus spp.
The peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ agonist 1,1‐bis(3′‐indolyl)‐1‐(p‐trifluoromethylphenyl)methane suppresses manganese‐induced production of nitric oxide in astrocytes and inhibits apoptosis in cocultured PC12 cells

Reactive astrogliosis is a prominent neuropathologic feature of manganism, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by excessive accumulation of manganese (Mn) in the basal ganglia. Activation of astrocytes has been linked to neuronal injury in manganism resulting from overproduction of inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), interferon-gamma (IFNgamma), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and nitric oxide (NO), but the signaling mechanisms by which Mn regulates these factors remain poorly understood. We previously reported that Mn enhances production of NO in activated astrocytes that promotes apoptosis in cocultured neuronal cells by a mechanism involving the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) (Liu et al., 2005). Because NF-kappaB-dependent expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) can be antagonized by the nuclear orphan receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma), we postulated that a novel agonist of this receptor, 1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)methane (cDIM1), would suppress expression of NOS2 in astrocytes and protect cocultured neuronal cells from apoptosis. Submicromolar concentrations of cDIM1 potently suppressed production of NO and expression of NOS2 in cultured astrocytes exposed to Mn and IFNgamma/TNFalpha and prevented apoptosis in cocultures of differentiated PC12 cells, but this neuroprotective effect was lost in the absence of astrocytes. By using fluorescence reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays, we found that cDIM1 prevented activation of NF-kappaB in astrocytes by a mechanism involving stabilization of the nuclear corepressor 2 (NCoR2) on the proximal NF-kappaB binding site of the NOS2 promoter. These data suggest that PPARgamma may be an effective target for limiting inflammatory activation of astrocytes during neurologic injury.
The Effects of Exposing Broiler Breeder Eggs to High Temperature Before Storage on Hatchability and Subsequent Performance of Chicks

Abstract A study was undertaken to determine the effect of high ambient temperature (35 C) before storage on broiler breeder hatching eggs. Parameters studied were hatchability, hatch time, and subsequent performance of chicks hatched from these eggs. Results show no significant differences in hatchability due to treatment. Chicks that hatched from eggs exposed to 35 C for 6 and 12 hr had the lowest placement weights since they hatched earlier and were without food and water the longest before placement. Although significant differences in weight loss occurred prior to the placement of chicks, there were no significant differences in either body weights at 4 and 7 weeks of age or in percent mortality during the growing period due to treatment.
Multiple testing corrections for imputed SNPs

Multiple testing corrections are an active research topic in genetic association studies, especially for genome-wide association studies (GWAS), where tests of association with traits are conducted at millions of imputed SNPs with estimated allelic dosages now. Failure to address multiple comparisons appropriately can introduce excess false-positive results and make subsequent studies following up those results inefficient. Permutation tests are considered the gold standard in multiple testing adjustment; however, this procedure is computationally demanding, especially for GWAS. Notably, the permutation thresholds for the huge number of estimated allelic dosages in real data sets have not been reported. Although many researchers have recently developed algorithms to rapidly approximate the permutation thresholds with accuracy similar to the permutation test, these methods have not been verified with estimated allelic dosages. In this study, we compare recently published multiple testing correction methods using 2.5M estimated allelic dosages. We also derive permutation significance levels based on 10,000 GWAS results under the null hypothesis of no association. Our results show that the simpleM method works well with estimated allelic dosages and gives the closest approximation to the permutation threshold while requiring the least computation time.
Possible hydration anomaly in the upper mantle prior to Red Sea rifting: Evidence from petrologic modeling of the Wadi Natash alkali basalt sequence of eastern Egypt

Basalt flows of ∼90-m.y. age occur in the Wadi Natash area of the Eastern Desert of Egypt and consist of an assemblage of alkali-olivine basalt (AOB), hawaiite-mugearite (HM), and benmoreite. The Wadi Natash occurrence is one of several upper Mesozoic to lower Cenozoic volcanic suites that surround the Red Sea and may be related to early mantle activity in the area prior to later rifting. The most mafic rock type at Wadi Natash is AOB, which could not have equilibrated with the mantle because of low Ni contents (50 ppm). The AOB9s presumably formed by extensive olivine fractionation from a primary picrite. The HM9s could have fractionated from the AOB9s by separation of a low-Ti amphibole. Alternatively, both suites may have formed by melting of an eclogitic mantle, with greater melting of jadeitic pyroxene contributing to the formation of the HM9s than to that of the AOB9s. The benmoreites apparently formed by equilibration of high-Ti (kaersutitic) amphibole with AOB. The Wadi Natash alkali basalt suite was probably generated from a mantle that contained high, and possibly varying, amounts of water. Mantle hydration is consistent with observations of the development of small extensional basins in the Red Sea area during the Cretaceous and may be an expected precursor to rifting of the type that now characterizes the Red Sea.
(+)-Abscisic Acid 8′-Hydroxylase Is a Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase

Abscisic acid (ABA) 8′-hydroxylase catalyzes the first step in the oxidative degradation of (+)-ABA. The development of a robust in vitro assay has now permitted detailed examination and characterization of this enzyme. Although several factors (buffer, cofactor, and source tissue) were critical in developing the assay, the most important of these was the identification of a tissue displaying high amounts of in vivo enzyme activity (A.J. Cutler, T.M. Squires, M.K. Loewen, J.J. Balsevich [1997] J Exp Bot 48: 1787–1795). (+)-ABA 8′-hydroxylase is an integral membrane protein that is localized to the microsomal fraction in suspension-cultured maize ( Zea mays ) cells. (+)-ABA metabolism requires both NADPH and molecular oxygen. NADH was not an effective cofactor, although there was substantial stimulation of activity (synergism) when it was included at rate-limiting NADPH concentrations. The metabolism of (+)-ABA was progressively inhibited at O 2 concentrations less than 10% (v/v) and was very low (less than 5% of control) under N 2 . (+)-ABA 8′-hydroxylase activity was inhibited by tetcyclacis (50% inhibition at 10 −6 m), cytochrome c (oxidized form), and CO. The CO inhibition was reversible by light from several regions of the visible spectrum, but most efficiently by blue and amber light. These data strongly support the contention that (+)-ABA 8′-hydroxylase is a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase.
In vitro culture of proerythroblasts: characterization of proliferative response to erythropoietin and steroids.

Summary This study characterized variables affecting the in vitro liquid culture of proerythroblasts. When bone marrow from mice depleted of haemoglobin containing cells, was cultured in vitro in the presence of human urinary erythropoietin (Ep) a significant degree of erythroid cell proliferation and maturation occurred as measured directly by 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation into DNA (autoradiographical measurement). Proliferation increased indirect proportion to the dose of Ep added to the culture. We also demonstrated a highly significant positive correlation between proliferation measured directly by 3H-TdR incorporation into DNA or indirectly by 59Fe incorporation into haem. Ep was a potent stimulator of proerythroblast proliferation. We also examined the role of the androgenic and non-androgenic steroids on in vitro proliferation. All the hormones tested were stimulatory but only in the presence of Ep. The androgenic steroids primarily affected the more mature erythroid precursors whereas the glucocorticoids were more general growth promoters. Their addition in physiologic concentration to liquid culture reduced Ep requirements. Thus when both testosterone and hydrocortisone were added to culture the Ep concentration that produced the same degree of proliferation as a culture containing Ep alone was decreased by 90%. This finding is important as it indicates that in vitro culture conditions can be created that more closely mimic in vivo erythropoiesis where Ep requirements are far less.
Spontaneous lipid peroxidation in rabbit and mouse epididymal spermatozoa: dependence of rate on temperature and oxygen concentration.

The rate of spontaneous lipid peroxidation, as measured by formation of malonaldehyde (MA), was determined as a function of 03 concentration and temperature in mouse and rabbit spermatozoa released from the cauda epididymidis. The peroxidation rate was linear in 03 concentration in the suspending medium up to 210 �iM (the concentration at P02 of ambient air at 34#{176}C) for sperm from both species over the temperature range 34-40#{176}C. This is the range over which the reaction is measurable for both species: below 34#{176}C, the rates become too slow to be measured accurately for rabbit sperm by our methods, while above 40#{176}C the rates for mouse sperm become too rapid. This narrow range is characteristic of a high activation energy (BA) for the peroxidation process. Values of EA were calculated from plots of kox versus (TY1, where k0x is a second order rate constant with the units (10’ cells/mlI’ min’. It is defined by the equation: vma = k0� (Sp) (03), where Vma is the rate of malonaldehyde production, (Sp) is concentration of sperm cells and (03) is the 03 concentration in the suspending medium. For mouse sperm, BA was calculated to 78.7 kcal/mol (329 KJ/mol); for rabbit sperm, the value was 77.6 kcal/ml (324 KJ/mol). These high EA5 and consequent steep dependence of the spontaneous lipid peroxidation rates on temperature favor long sperm life in the epididymis at around 32#{176}C and low P02 in these scrotal animals, while allowing for a relatively short life at 37#{176}C at higher P02 in the oviduct. BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 32, 342-35 1 (1985)
Therapeutic Strategies to Inhibit MYC

MYC is a master regulator of stem cell state, embryogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and aging. As in health, in disease MYC figures prominently. Decades of biological research have identified a central role for MYC in the pathophysiology of cancer, inflammation, and heart disease. The centrality of MYC to such a vast breadth of disease biology has attracted significant attention to the historic challenge of developing inhibitors of MYC. This review will discuss therapeutic strategies toward the development of inhibitors of MYC-dependent transcriptional signaling, efforts to modulate MYC stability, and the elusive goal of developing potent, direct-acting inhibitors of MYC.
Dimensions and Light Reflectance of Broiler Breast Fillets: Influence of Strain, Sex, and Feeding Regimen

SUMMARY Two strain-crosses (A and B) differing in breast meat yield were given four feeding regimens from 0 to 42 d of age, which were formulated to progressively reduce protein and limiting essential amino acids (EAA) and cost. Strain A exhibited an advantage in live performance over strain B, respective of sex. Live performance generally suffered with the reduction of protein and EAA, as did carcass fatness and chilled yield. Fillets from Strain A weighed more, represented a greater percentage of the carcass, and were wider and thicker than fillets from Strain B. Although a similar difference in fillet weights existed between the sexes, accommodation was similar for all dimensions. Progressive reduction in protein-EAA nutrition led to decreases in fillet weight and its proportion of the carcass to an equivalent extent with both strains and sexes, but its length was reduced to a greater extent with males than females. Appearance of fillet lightness, based upon light reflectance, was similar among strains and sexes and with all levels of protein-EAA nutrition. Fillet L* values exceeding 49 and potential pale, soft, and exudative (PSE)-like problems were unrelated to their absolute weights and dimensions but were more likely to occur with broilers of lighter weight.
Wideband waveform design for relay cognitive network

In this paper, wideband waveform design for relay cognitive network will be presented. There is one transmitter, several relay nodes and one or several receivers in cognitive network. Assume there is no direct communication link between the transmitter and the receiver. We would like to jointly design the transmitted waveform and the FIR filters at the relay nodes such that the received signal to noise ratio (SNR) can beat the threshold derived from quality of service (QoS). However the general formulation of this problem is not convex. It is hard to find the global optimal solutions for the transmitted waveform plus the relay FIR filters. Thus a semidefinite programming (SDP)-based iterative method is proposed in this paper to obtain the feasible solution and the received SNR can still be guaranteed. Numerical results will be provided to evaluate the performance of wideband waveform design in the context of relay cognitive network.
Gender Differences in Deception and Its Detection Under Varying Electronic Media Conditions

Studies have shown that deception in the hiring process is common. Since more people are using computer mediated communication for job interviewing, it is important to understand how those modes of communication affect deception and its detection. Differences in gender may affect the communication process. Very little research has been conducted on gender and deception via electronic media. This paper presents hypotheses concerning gender differences in deception and detection in job interviewing situations using various electronic communication media. Theories of deception, media richness, social presence and research on gender differences form the basis for hypotheses concerning the influence of gender and social presence on deception and its detection. The hypotheses were tested in a laboratory experiment. Results show that there was a statistically significant difference in deception detection for gender. Females were better at detection than males. These results suggest that future research in gender and deception is warranted.
Gestures as input: neuroelectric joysticks and keyboards

EMG (electromyogram) technology helps capture gestures as input for virtual joysticks and keyboards and thus could lead to new applications in flight control, space, and the video game industry.
Moldboard plow tillage depth and short-term carbon dioxide release

Agricultural ecosystems can play a significant role in the production and consumption of greenhouse gases, specifically, carbon dioxide (CO2). Intensification of agricultural production is an important factor influencing greenhouse gas emission, particularly the relationshipbetweenintensive tillage andsoil carbon (C) loss.Information isneeded onthemechanismand magnitude ofgreenhouse gasgenerationandemissionfromagriculturalsoilswithspecificemphasisontillageoperations.Thespecificobjectiveofthisworkwas toevaluatetheshort-termeffectsofmoldboardplowingdepthonCO2lossfromaBarnesloam(UdicHaploboroll,fineloamy,mixed)in westcentralMinnesota,U.S.A.Experimentaltreatmentswereweed-freereplicatedplots,moldboardplowedtodepthsof0.102,0.152, 0.203,and0.280 musingtwopassesofafour-bottomconventionalmoldboardplow(MP)followingharvestofaspringwheat(Triticum aestivum L.) crop that was compared with an undisturbed area (no-tillage). The CO2 flux was measured immediately after the tillage with a large, portable chamber commonly used to measure crop canopy gas exchange and continued intermittently for several hours aftertheinitialtillageandat24and48 handperiodicallyto500 haftertillage.Tocopewiththeweather-inducedtemporal variability, the flux data at each tillage depth was fitted to the same two-part exponential function for smoothing temporal trends and statistical analysis.TheCO2releaseimmediatelyfollowingtillageincreasedwithplowdepth,andineverycasewassubstantiallyhigherthanthat fromtheno-tillagetreatment.Expressingtheresultsrelativetonotill(NT)showedtherelativecumulativeCO2lossforploweddepths were 3.8, 6.7, 8.2, and 10.3 times larger than NT for the MP 0.102 m, MP 0.152 m, MP 0.203 m and MP 0.280 m, respectively. The smallerCO2losswithshallowtillagewassignificantandsuggestsprogressisbeingmadeinunderstandingtheeffectoftillageintensity on soil C management. Any effort to decreasetillage depth and maximize crop residue return to the soil surface should result lower in fuel consumption and increase soil C sequestration for enhanced environmental quality. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sensitivity and survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates after X-ray and electron beam irradiation in raw ground meat

Introduction Materials and Methods Cultures Ground beef Sample preparation Irradiation and dosimetry Determination of survivors Calculation ofD lO values v Assessment of 1.5 kGy surface dose for non-comminuted meat (10 cells/g) Ground beef Sample preparation Irradiation and dosimetry Determination of irradiation survivors Identification of non-typical colonies Assessment of 1.5 kGy surface dose for non-comminuted meat ( 1 0 cells/g) Results and Discussion Acknowledgments References CHAPTER 5. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 59 60 61 61 62 62 62 63 63
Ensemble-based instrumental music instruction: dead-end tradition or opportunity for socially enlightened teaching

Public school music education in the USA remains wedded to large ensemble performance. Instruction tends to be teacher directed, relies on styles from the Western canon and exhibits little concern for musical interests of students. The idea that a fundamental purpose of education is the creation of a just society is difficult for many music teachers who dream of conducting student musicians in polished performances. This paper describes a middle school band programme in which students teach instrument lessons to similarly aged children in a homeless shelter. This qualitative study is grounded in the writings of Maxine Greene and shows how teachers might ‘break through the frames of custom and touch the consciousness of those we teach’.
THE IMPACT OF WEIGHT-BASED PENALTIES ON DRUG PURITY AND CONSUMPTION: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

the reduction of drug consumption and the reduction of related harm. Often, federal drug enforcement does not simultaneously produce the desired goals. Lee [1993], for example, shows that increased harassment of drug users decreases dealer costs as drug users make fewer drug transactions. Under these conditions, drug prices may fall resulting in a potential increase in illicit drug consumption. As well, many other studies show that crime, clearly a related harm, often rises during episodes of increased drug enforcement spending. Benson et al. [1992] show that Florida experienced an increase in property crime during the mid-1980's as enforcement agencies diverted scarce law enforcement resources to drug enforcement and away from activities such as theft enforcement. Another study by Rasmussen et al. [1993] shows that intensifi ed drug reduction efforts in one jurisdiction entice dealers to move to a jurisdiction with low drug enforcement. Migration results in a higher violent crime rate as migrant drug dealers struggle for turf with incumbent dealers. Miron [1999] surmises that arresting dealers generates violence as other dealers fi ght over freed up turf. Harm associated with increased drug enforcement is not, however, limited to increased non-drug crime; enforcement may also lead to the consumption of higher purity (more dangerous) drugs. Similar to penalties for bootlegging during the Prohibition years, the severity of punishment for drug distribution, under federal sentencing guidelines, is based on the weight and generally ignores the purity of confi scated drugs. Thus, an increase in the certainty of punishment for drug traffi cking motivates the distribution of lower weight, higher purity drugs [Rasmussen and Benson, 1994]. In support of this proposition, Warburton [1932] shows that the Prohibition years were characterized by an increase in the consumption of high potency alcohol products relative to low potency products. Similarly, Demleitner [1994] proposes that the War on Drugs resulted in a shift from marijuana consumption to cocaine consumption. Evidence also suggests that street level quantities of a particular drug may become more pure during increased enforcement. Thornton [1991] shows that a $1 million increase in real federal drug enforcement spending results in a 0.01 percent increase in marijuana purity. The U.S. drug experience confi rms (generally) this phenomenon for cocaine and heroin. While federal expenditures on drug control increased almost
Electrophysiological Effects of Burimamide and 16,16-Dimethyl Prostaglandin E2 on The Canine Gastric Mucosa

The electrophysiological effects of two potent inhibitors of gastric acid secretion, burimamide and 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (dm-PGE2), were determined in an in vivo histamine-stimulated canine stomach preparation and an in vitro canine gastric mucosal preparation. In the in vivo stomach preparation, intravenous burimamide caused a decrease in acid secretion, an increase in transmucosal potential difference (PD) and the relative resistance (R) was essentially unchanged. Intravenous dm-PGE2 also inhibited acid secretion and increased PD but, in contrast to burimamide, increased R. In the in vitro preparation, the unidirectional flux of sodium from mucosa to serosa increased after dm-PGE2 but not after burimamide. Passive sodium fluxes and unidirectional chloride fluxes were not altered after either agent. These findings suggest that increased active transport of sodium from mucosa to serosa is at least partially responsible for the observed increase in transmural PD with dm-PGE2, an agent which also decreases hydrogen ion transport. With burimamide the increased PD was due primarily to inhibition of hydrogen ion secretion.
Structure of “Sensory” Nerves and Serotonin-Like Immunofluorescent Activity in Schistosoma Mansoni Miracidia and Cercariae

Schistosomiasis has been described as “one of the most devastating diseases of mankind, second only to malaria in its deleterious effects on the social and economic development of populations in many warm areas of the world.” The disease is world-wide and is conservatively estimated to affect 300 million people (McCulley et al., 1976).