cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Analytical Performance of an MDMI-ICP-AES System

A 40-MHz ICP was equipped with a novel sample introduction system capable of introducing monodisperse droplets into the plasma with 100% efficiency. The analytical performance of the system was investigated by using two different synchronous detection techniques. The detection limits determined for Ba with ensemble averaging and with boxcar averaging were 0.048 ng/mL and 0.063 ng/mL, respectively. Signal stability in time, effect of the matrix on barium ionic emission intensity, vertical emission profiles from a multicomponent solution, and washout time of the system were also studied.
The role of carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of acute neurologic deficits

I N THE more than 25 yr since the first report of successful carotid artery reconstruction for symptoms of cerebral vascular insufficiency,’ the role of extracranial arterial surgery in the management of these disorders has become established. Carotid artery bifurcation endarterectomj is now an accepted form of therapy for selected patients with monocular or cerebral hemispheric transient ischemic attacks.*” Conversely, it is generally agreed that arteriography and carotid artery surgery should be avoided in patients with progressing and acute severe stroke, because of the risk of exacerbating the neurologic deficit.6.m9 However, a small percentage of patients have thromboembolic cerebral ischemia manifested by unstable neurologic deficits of only mild to moderate degree. There is no consensus on the indications for and timing of surgery in these patients, but most neurologists and vascular surgeons have treated them as acute strokes and withheld angiography and surgery. Because several such patients in whom this approach was followed progressed to a severe, fixed neurologic deficit, we adopted a more aggressive plan of management. This approach and the results of its use are described in this report.
The neuroprotective potential of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70)

In response to many metabolic disturbances and injuries, including stroke, neurodegenerative disease, epilepsy and trauma, the cell mounts a stress response with induction of a variety of proteins, most notably the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70). Whether stress proteins are neuroprotective has been hotly debated, as these proteins might be merely an epiphenomenon unrelated to cell survival. Only recently, with the availability of transgenic animals and gene transfer, has it become possible to overexpress the gene encoding HSP70 to test directly the hypothesis that stress proteins protect cells from injury. A few groups have now shown that overproduction of HSP70 leads to protection in several different models of nervous system injury. This review will cover these studies, along with the potential mechanisms by which HSP70 might mediate cellular protection.
Changes in bone structure and mass with advancing age in the male C57BL/6J mouse.

To determine whether the mouse loses bone with aging and whether the changes mimic those observed in human aging, we examined the changes in the tibial metaphysis and diaphysis in the male C57BL/6J mouse over its life span using microcomputed tomography (microCT). Cancellous bone volume fraction (BV/TV) decreased 60% between 6 weeks and 24 months of age. Loss was characterized by decreased trabecular number (Tb.N), increased trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp), and decreased connectivity. Anisotropy decreased while the structure model index increased with age. Cortical bone thickness increased between 6 weeks and 6 months of age and then decreased continuously to 24 months (-12%). Cortical bone area (Ct.Ar) remained constant between 6 and 24 months. Fat-free weight reached a peak at 12 months and gradually declined to 24 months. Total mass lost between 12 and 24 months reached 10%. Overall, the age-related changes in skeletal mass and architecture in the mouse were remarkably similar to those seen in human aging. Furthermore, the rapid early loss of cancellous bone suggests that bone loss is not just associated with old age in the mouse but rather occurs as a continuum from early growth. We conclude that the C57BL/6J male mouse maybe a useful model to study at least some aspects of age-related bone loss in humans.
Standards of ethical conduct for management accountants

The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Management Accountants (Statement 1C) promulgated by the National Association of Accountants on June 1, 1983, are described and critiqued in this article. Four major issues related to the issuance of the standards are discussed: (1) What are the basic requirements of any ethical system? Does Statement IC meet these requirements? (2) Should a professional be ethical? (3) If ethical behavior is desirable for management accountants, should such standards be formally expressed in writing? (4) If the standards are expressed in writing, what format should be adopted for the content and how should the standards be expressed?
Special Needs Related to the Pain and Discomfort of Patients With Gynecologic Cancer

Patients with gynecologic malignancies can experience pain associated with a variety of causes. Chronic pain associated with the disease or treatment presents the most problems. Chronic cancer‐related pain is associated with negative mood states and a decrease in the patient's quality of life. Clinicians must conduct pain assessments on a routine basis to accurately diagnose the specific pain syndrome in patients with gynecologic cancer. An overview of how to conduct a pain assessment with such patients is provided. The etiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment strategies for the most common pain syndromes seen in patients with gynecologic cancer are reviewed. The use of nonpharmacologic interventions with this patient population is discussed.
Trophoblast estrogen synthetase stimulation by dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline: increase in cytochrome P-450 content.

Abstract The inclusion of both dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline in the culture medium of human malignant trophoblast cells (JAr line) for 72 hours results in an enhanced estrogen secretion through the increased specific activity of estrogen synthetase (aromatase), a cytochrome P-450 mono-oxygenase enzyme system. The data described here suggest that this increased aromatase activity is due to an increase in the concentration of only one component of the mono-oxygenase system, cytochrome P-450.
Animal waste containment in anaerobic lagoons lined with compacted clays

The practice of animal waste containment has recently drawn much interest from public and regulatory agencies in agriculture-oriented states such as Kansas and North Carolina. In this paper, the debate surrounding the practice is outlined, and results from a research investigation pertinent to the state of Kansas are presented. The research investigation involved two phases. In the first phase, compacted specimens of Kansas soils were tested with animal waste as the influent. The key objective of this phase of research was to assess the range of seepage quantities and the transport characteristics of nitrogen in the ammonium form (NH\d4-N) through the compacted soils. Results from this phase indicated a steady increase of microbial counts in the liquid effluent. However, biological clogging did not appear to be prominent during the ND\d4-N breakthrough time period. The results indicate significant differences in microbial uptake of NH\d4-N among samples of the same soil type. In the second phase, analytical and numerical solutions were used to simulate ammonium transport in the field-scale liners and to estimate upper-bound travel times and final concentrations of NH\d4-N in the underlying soils. Results from this phase showed drastic differences in travel times and end concentrations of NH\d4-N among liners prepared from the same soil type. The potential for significant retardation, decay, and saturation levels of NH\d4-N in clay liners suggests that liner thickness is an important parameter. It is concluded that mass transfer characteristics of liner material, cation exchange capacity and microbial uptake in particular, should be important considerations in the design of animal waste lagoon liners.
Electrostatic Forces on Particles Floating Within the Interface Between Two Immiscible Fluids

The objective of this paper is to study the dependence of the electrostatic force that act on a particle within the interface between two immiscible fluids on the parameters such as the dielectric properties of the fluids and particles, the particle’s position within the interface, and the electric field strength. It is shown that the component of electrostatic force normal to the interface varies as a2 , where a is the particle radius, and since in equilibrium it is balanced by the vertical capillary force, the interfacial deformation caused by the particle changes when an external electric field is applied. In addition, there are lateral electrostatic forces among the particles due to the dipole-dipole interactions which, when the distance between two particles is O(a), vary as a2 , and remain significant for submicron sized particles.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Second-Site Compensatory Mutations of HIV-1 Capsid Mutations

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid (CA) protein assembles into a hexameric lattice that forms the mature virus core. Contacts between the CA N-terminal domain (NTD) of one monomer and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the adjacent monomer are important for the assembly of this core. In this study, we have examined the effects of mutations in the NTD region associated with this interaction. We have found that such mutations yielded modest reductions of virus release but major effects on viral infectivity. Cell culture and in vitro assays indicate that the infectivity defects relate to abnormalities in the viral cores. We have selected second-site compensatory mutations that partially restored HIV infectivity. These mutations map to the CA CTD and to spacer peptide 1 (SP1), the portion of the precursor Gag protein immediately C terminal to the CTD. The compensatory mutations do not locate to the molecularly modeled intermolecular NTD-CTD interface. Rather, the compensatory mutations appear to act indirectly, possibly by realignment of the C-terminal helix of the CA CTD, which participates in the NTD-CTD interface and has been shown to serve an important role in the assembly of infectious virus.
The Effect of Age at Lighting on Reproduction in the Turkey Hen

Abstract This study was undertaken to determine the best age at which to provide artificial light to stimulate a turkey hen into production to obtain maximum reproductive performance. The females were lighted in Trial 1 at 32, 36 and 40 weeks of age and in Trial 2 at 28, 32 and 36 weeks of age. Data was collected on body weight at housing and at onset of production, egg weight, egg production, fertility, hatchability, and number of poults produced in two trials of Large White turkey females. Females lighted at the older ages had significantly heavier body weights at housing and at onset of production and larger eggs. Fertility and hatchability tended to be better for the oldest birds. The older birds took fewer days from initiation of stimulatory light to production of first egg and to 50 percent production. Egg production and number of poults per hen were slightly better for those birds lighted at 32 and 36 weeks of age. The results of this study show that there is a relationship between age at lighting and reproductive performance in the Large White turkey hen, with those females being lighted at 32 and 36 weeks of age having the best overall reproductive performance.
Shear Lag Based Iwan Model for Interface Friction Contacts

Reduced order models for characterizing friction interfaces have been investigated for the last 75 years. Recent work has been focused on microslip formulation of the interface behavior, where continuous contact is approximated with a multi-point contact model. A novel multi-point contact model is presented in this work, which is entirely derived from a shear lag approach to resolve the kinematic state of the friction interface under the presence of tangential loading. Both static and dynamic loading conditions are analyzed and comparisons are drawn between the continuous and discrete models. The series Iwan model presented in this work differentiates between the elastic and friction components of the interface displacement, both parameters being calibrated using material properties and model geometry. Convergence behavior of such models with increasing model order is demonstrated. The response characteristics of the series Iwan model under dynamic loading conditions is also investigated. The series Iwan model is in good agreement with the shear lag approach for results such as propagation of the slip zone with increasing pullout force. The transient response of the the structural mass and the kinematic states of the damping elements are convergent with increasing model order.© 2005 ASME
Identification of the calcium channel α1E (Cav2.3) isoform expressed in atrial myocytes

Abstract Antisense oligonucleotides targeting the calcium channel α1E (Cav2.3) subunit significantly inhibit the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-stimulated increase in low voltage-activated (LVA) (T-type) calcium current in cultured rat atrial myocytes [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 94(1997) 14936]. As part of a continuing effort to understand the regulation of LVA current expression in the heart, we have identified the specific α1E isoform that is expressed in atrial tissue. Through reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), nine overlapping partial clones spanning the entire coding region of the cardiac α1E mRNA were obtained. The predominate isoform in atrial tissue was identified and found to be highly homologous to the α1E isoform previously isolated from kidney and the islets of Langerhans [Eur. J. Biochem. 257(1998) 274]. The expression of α1E in the heart occurs specifically in cardiac myocytes and not in smooth muscle or fibroblasts as demonstrated by RT-PCR performed on isolated atrial myocytes and by in situ hybridization.
Topographic Evaluation of the Effect of Passivation in Improving the Performance of CdZnTe Detectors

Surface passivation reportedly is an effective technique for controlling surface leakage current and its related electronic noise. Several chemical agents have been effectively used for passivating cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) surfaces; however, the long-term stability and the adverse effect on the metal contacts remain questionable. In this study, we reviewed two popular passivating agents, viz. hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a mixture of ammonium fluoride and hydrogen peroxide (NH4F + H2O2). Our aim was to identify an ideal one that can effectively and permanently lower surface leakage currents without adversely affecting the metal contacts. We characterized their topographic features and their long-term effectiveness in terms of detector performance, and compared the results to understand their nature. We determined which chemical species were formed, and recorded the peaks of elemental Cd and Te via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micron-scale spatial resolution x-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF). We describe in detail the formation of new chemical species and the material nonuniformity of differently treated surfaces. Their effectiveness was assessed from experimental findings of their electrical properties and the spectral response. Our results imply that both passivating agents lowered the surface leakage current, and improved the detection efficiency of the CZT detectors, but their effectiveness was unstable over time.
Monitoring Mobile Device Vitals for Effective Reporting (ER)

This paper outlines how to proactively screen the health of a corporate network and perform first aid by systematically monitoring vital signs of mobile devices within the network. The first contribution is the set of vital signs consisting of event activities such as registry content changes, active processes, open ports, power usage thresholds, and power signatures (using the Battery-Based Intrusion Detection system [1]) to detect and prevent system intrusions. These vital signs are periodically reported back to a monitor using agents we designed for effective reporting (ER). These ER agents are installed in hosts and routers throughout the network. To minimize communications overhead, we achieve a size reduction of the raw, XML health reports by over 98% in a short-list, delta-set update. As a result, a 1.07MB update was reduced to only 3,756B. These updates are received by the ER monitor(s) and analyzed using existing intrusion detection and prevention systems providing a means to diagnose and isolate potential health hazards within the network that are not perceptible to individual devices.
ON THE UTILIZATION OF MARKED SPECIMENS IN ESTIMATING POPULATIONS OF FLYING INSECTS

Professor William Hovanitz called my attention to the following problem: An observer catches butterflies, marks them, and immediately releases them. It is assumed that a butterfly, no matter how many times it has been caught before, has the same susceptibility to capture as any other butterfly in the population which is supposed stable while the captures are being made. Records are kept of f, the frequency of cases in which the same butterfly is caught x times, x = 1, 2, ..., until a total of s captures of r different butterflies have been made. (Efx = r; Zxfx = s.) The number, fo, of butterflies which escape is not observed; the problem is to estimate from the values offx the total population n of butterflies on the area assumed well defined. The estimation of biological populations by means of capture-recapture data is by no means a new problem, though papers dealing with it from the mathematical-statistical point of view are largely quite recent. (In particular, see the papers by Leslie & Chitty (1951), Bailey (1951), Moran (1951, 1952), and the bibliographies quoted by them.) However, the experimental conditions and the mathematical models for the present study arpear to differ in essential ways from those previously considered. The important point of departure is that each butterfly on being netted is immediately marked (with a spot of nail polish) and released. The butterflies (Colias eurytheme) were caught in one of two isolated alfalfa fields, which they inhabit, in southern California. Each catch was made during the same day at times when the butterflies were freely flying. Thus, it seemed reasonable to assume that the population was stable during a catch. The experimenter, Prof. Hovanitz, endeavoured to give each butterfly an equal chance of capture, walking in straight lines across the field and deviating in direction before reaching a boundary only when he noticed that a butterfly just caught tended to fly down his path. One check of the suitability of a mathematical model is to test the agreement of the experimental results with respect to the number of butterflies caught once, twice, etc., with those predicted from the model. I will return to this point at the end of the paper. Two mathematical models seem appropriate to serve as a basis for discussion of this estimation problem. It is of some interest to see that both lead to approximately the same estimates with little difference in their precision for large samples. It may be of more interest that for both models in which the population size is regarded as a parameter, though maximum likelihood estimates exist and agree substantially with moment estimates in all sixteen of the actual field experiments for which I have data, nevertheless with increasing sample size meaningful solutions of the likelihood equation do not exist.
Venus: Vertical Structure of Stratospheric Hazes from Mariner 10 Pictures

Abstract High-resolution pictures of the limb of Venus taken by the Mariner 10 television camera indicate the presence of tenuous haze layers high in the stratosphere. At least two distinct layers separated by a few kilometers in altitude appear in pictures taken in both orange and ultraviolet light and extend laterally for several thousand kilometers from the equator to high latitudes. Photometric profiles of these hazes have been analyzed to determine their vertical distribution. An “optical barometer” technique for determining the altitudes of the hazes is presented wherein the Rayleigh-scattering component is derived by comparing orange and UV brightness profiles for nearby picture pairs. This technique appears to work very well for the orange/UV pairs which were studied. The derived scale height for CO2gas is 4.2 km, corresponding to a temperature of 200 K, in good agreement with radio occultation data. The optical barometer yields a pressure of 4 mb for the level at which the stint path optical dept...
Computer-produced tables, maps, and diagrams as tools in the interpretation of brine data from southeastern Kansas (U.S.A.)

Abstract The applicability of computer-oriented techniques to assist in the interpretation of brine data is demonstrated by the use of six programs on data from two example areas. These programs include a data tabling routine; routines for producing Stiff, Piper, and Ropes diagrams; programs for calculating ionic ratios; and programs for plotting maps of chemical data. The examples illustrate: (1) the range in water quality and contamination of potable water by brines in Stafford, Pratt, and Barber Counties, and (2) the change in water quality in the Arbuckle Group from southeast to south-central Kansas.
Preoperative psychologic testing as a predictor of success in knee surgery. A preliminary report.

Preoperative psychologic test scores derived from the Minne sota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were evalu ated as predictors of success after elective knee surgery. The patients were examined 1 to 3 years after surgery and were evaluated in terms of subjective improvement, pain, level of activity, work restrictions, swelling, and strength. Patients that had scored high on the hysteria and hypochondriasis scales of the MMPI showed less improvement after surgery than those patients scoring lower on these scales. The results indicate that personality factors may play an important part in the sympto matic success after elective knee surgery.
Phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid stimulate receptor-regulated membrane currents in the Xenopus laevis oocyte

Abstract External application of dioleoyl-phosphatidic acid and oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid stimulated Ca 2+ -dependent chloride currents in voltage-clamped Xenopus laevis oocytes. The responses were observed in oocytes from which follicular cells had been removed, indicating they were intrinsic to the oocyte itself. The lipid-induced Ca 2+ -dependent chloride currents were observed in the absence of extracellular calcium, were blocked by intracellular injection of the calcium chelator, bis( O -aminophenoxy)-ethane N,N,N′N′ -tetraacetic acid, and could not be elicited by direct intracellular injection of the active lipids. The thresholds for dose-dependent current responses to dioleoyl-phosphatidic acid (100 n m ) and for oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid (10 n m ) indicated that the lipid activities on oocytes were potent. With repeated or prolonged administration of either active lipid, responses exhibited desensitization. These results demonstrate that the Xenopus oocyte expresses endogenous functional responses for the mitogenic lipids phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid and thus provides a powerful model for characterization of the pharmacology and transduction pathways of these responses.
Ethnic Differences in Resting and Stress-Induced Cardiovascular and Humoral Activity

America’s major ethnic groups—blacks, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans— now constitute approximately 20% of the U.S. population. According to the most recent census information (Bureau of the Census, 1983), blacks represented 11.5%, Hispanics 6.4%, Asians 1.5%, and Native Americans 0.6% of the population in 1980. The recently released Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health (1985) contains the most comprehensive summary to date on the chief contributors to mortality and morbidity among these ethnic groups. As for whites in the United States, cardiovascular diseases are among the primary causes of death in diseases between the majority population and many minority groups. In many cases, ethnic groups suffer disproportionately higher rates of cardiovascular disease.
Theodore Roosevelt's Diplomacy and the Quest for Great Power Equilibrium in Asia

This article examines how balance of power considerations shaped Theodore Roosevelt's role as a mediator in the 1904-5 war between Russia and Japan. Attention is devoted to his use of personal diplomacy as well as to the political and foreign policy rationales behind his overtures to Japanese and Russian leaders. To what extent did Roosevelt justify his actions as consistent with American interests and American values? If American national interests were not immediately threatened in East Asia, then what kind of concerns prompted him to intervene in the affairs of other states? Was the quest for equilibrium simply an expedient tactic by which to further the offensive power, both military and political, of the United States? Moral principles in politics and diplomacy, Roosevelt claimed, help make clear the inescapable tension between ideals and reality. The moral problem persists, he thought, because diplomacy involves choices often obscured by faulty perception, controlled by national interests, and complicated by multiple purposes and goals. I provide a brief overview of Roosevelt as strategic thinker and then moves on to take up his personal style of diplomacy.
Seawater Strontium Isotopes, Acid Rain, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary

A large bolide impact at the end of the Cretaceous would have produced significant amounts of nitrogen oxides by shock heating of the atmosphere. The resulting acid precipitation would have increased continental weathering greatly and could be an explanation for the observed high ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 in seawater at about this time, due to the dissolution of large amounts of strontium from the continental crust. Spikes to high values in the seawater strontium isotope record at other times may reflect similar episodes.
Heat and mass transfer from rotating cones

Heat transfer by convection from isothermal rotating cones is investigated experimentally by measuring the sublimation rate from naphthalene-coated cones and using the analogy between heat and mass transfer. Measurements are made for a range of conditions from entirely laminar flow to conditions when the outer 70% of the surface area is covered by turbulent flow. Mass-transfer measurements for laminar flow over cones of vertex angles 180°, 150°, 120° and 90° are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. For turbulent flow, experimental results for cones of the above vertex angles also agree very well with the semi-empirical analogy calculations for the disk case. A different heat- and mass-transfer relationship with the rotational Reynolds number is observed in the measurements on the 60° cone, and is believed to be due to a change of flow characteristics. The instability and the transition of flows over different cone models are also discussed.
Courtship and Aggressive Behavior of the Least Grebe in the Breeding Season

Abstract The study investigated behaviors of Least Grebes Tachybaptus dominicus during the breeding season. Agonistic postures and interactions and courtship rituals already mentioned by other authors are described in more detail and new pair bonding displays detected, especially Parading in Z posture and the Diving ceremony, are added to our knowledge of the species. The results are discussed in relation to the prevalent phylogenetic hypothesis for the grebe family.
Representation of multi-resolution symbolic and binary pictures using 2D H-strings

A type of quadtree data structure, called a 2D H-string, is proposed for representing symbolic and binary pictures. The approach has an embedding property that allows for spatial-relational operators to be easily inserted into the structure. Algorithms are presented for traversing 2D H-strings to carry out the processing needed and for intersecting two pictures directly on their 2D H-string representations. The space complexity of 2D H-strings is analyzed and compared with other quadtree data structures. It is shown to be efficient in terms of space complexity and effective in terms of cooperativeness with other spatial-relational operators. >
Integrated BiCMOS 10 GHz S-Parameter Module

The paper presents integrated BiCMOS 10 GHz s-parameter measurement circuits for performing RF/Microwave signal gain and phase detection. Potential applications include embedded IC test and production IC test.
Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns

AbstractCocopeat, a by-product of coconut processing plants widely available in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, was studied for its ability to support biological nutrient removal in lab-scale vertical flow columns treating simulated wastewater. Treatment performance for cocopeat was compared to sphagnum peat, a traditional packing medium, and Celite, an inert clay pellet. Removal efficiencies of nitrogen, phosphorus, and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were measured over a period of 325 days. During the treatment period, varying configurations were tested to determine the effect of varying aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic zones on nutrient removal. Overall, similar BOD removal profiles were obtained for cocopeat and sphagnum peat. Slightly more efficient anoxic conditions and a less acidic environment developed with the cocopeat. Up to 75% nitrogen removal was obtained; however, phosphorus removal was not accomplished using the experimental setup, likely due to the absence of a c...
Distributed Coordination of Sensors for End-to-End Reliable Event and Query Delivery

This paper presents a new transport solution for WSNs addressing bidirectional end-to-end event and query reliability. The authors aim to reduce the reliable transport overhead while guaranteeing the reliability to deliver all events and queries in WSN applications. The proposed lightweight solution can achieve desired event reliability in conjunction with query reliability by operating with the least possible number of messages, and using a small subset of coordinators which are responsible of loss detection and recovery. Coordinators are selected using a distributed, low-cost algorithm with adaptive path discovery and maintenance features to utilize the cost of retransmissions and energy consumption. Simulation results show that, using such a coordination of sensors, significant savings on communication costs for event and query reliability are attainable while minimizing packet loss, energy consumption, and end-to-end delay.
Vasodilator responses to adenosine and hyperemia are mediated by A1 and A2 receptors in the cat vascular bed

Hemodynamic responses to adenosine, the A1 receptor agonistsN 6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) and adenosine amine congener (ADAC), and the A2 receptor agonist 5′-(N-cyclopropyl)-carboxamido-adenosine ...
The physics of lamellipodial protrusion

Many cell movements appear to be driven by the polymerization of actin. Here we show how the force of polymerization can be generated by the thermal motions of the actin filaments near the sites of polymerization. We apply the model to explain the observations that the lamel- lipodial cytoskeleton is organized into an orthogonal net- work interspersed with filopodial protrusions, and that the protrusion of lamellipodia generally proceeds in the pres- ence of a rearward cytoskeletal flow.
Are hormone levels and cognitive ability related during early adolescence

The present study assessed the longstanding question of whether there is a relationship between sex hormones and cognitive ability in young adolescent girls and boys. Three “theories” of the relationship between hormone levels and cognition were identi” ed from a broad literature base and were used to formulate hypotheses regarding the relationship between sex hormones and cognitive ability in early adolescents. Fifty-six boys, aged 10-14, and 52 girls, aged 9-14, completed two standardised spatial ability tests and one standardised test of verbal ability. Three blood samples, at 20-minute intervals, were obtained to determine levels of estradiol and testosterone. Data were collected on three occasions for all measures at 6-month intervals. A positive linear relationship between testosterone and spatial ability was identi” ed for boys at each time of measurement for both measures of spatial ability (i.e., mental rotation and block design). For girls, a positive linear relationship was identi” ed between t...
The Vote of Confidence in Parliamentary Democracies

I present a formal model of the confidence vote procedure, an institutional arrangement that permits a prime minister to attach the fate of a particular policy to a vote on government survival. The analysis indicates that confidence vote procedures make it possible for prime ministers to exercise significant control over the nature of policy outcomes, even when these procedures are not actually invoked. Neither cabinet ministers, through their authority over specific portfolios, nor members of parliament, through the use of no-confidence motions, can counteract the prime minister's policy control on the floor of parliament. The analysis also illuminates the circumstances under which prime ministers should invoke confidence vote procedures, focusing attention on the position-taking incentives of the parties that support the government, rather than on the level of policy conflict between the government and parliament.
The genetic landscape of type 2 diabetes in mice.

Inbred mouse strains provide genetic diversity comparable to that of the human population. Like humans, mice have a wide range of diabetes-related phenotypes. The inbred mouse strains differ in the response of their critical physiological functions, such as insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, β-cell proliferation and survival, and fuel partitioning, to diet and obesity. Most of the critical genes underlying these differences have not been identified, although many loci have been mapped. The dramatic improvements in genomic and bioinformatics resources are accelerating the pace of gene discovery. This review describes how mouse genetics can be used to discover diabetes-related genes, summarizes how the mouse strains differ in their diabetes-related phenotypes, and describes several examples of how loci identified in the mouse may directly relate to human diabetes.
Circulating levels of IL-2R, ICAM-1, and IL-6 in spinal cord injuries

Abstract Objective: To measure circulating levels of well-studied, easily quantifiable surrogate markers or mediators of inflammation and tissue remodeling in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffering from pressure ulcers. Cytokines or their receptors, eg, interleukins IL-6 and IL-2, IL-2 R (the soluble interleukin-2 receptor), and the intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM1, are mediators of immune response, inflammatory processes, and tissue remodeling involving the skin and other organs. Activation of these immune effectors and their accumulation in tissue can be associated with pathological changes or healing, and elevated plasma concentrations can indirectly reflect the magnitude of immune activation. Design: Participants were consecutively enrolled in a controlled, gender-specific study of the relationship between circulating IL-1β, IL-2, IL-2R, and ICAM-1 and pressure ulcers in patients with chronic SCI. Setting: The department of medicine of a university-affiliated medical center and the spinal cord injury service at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Patients or Other Participants: Seventy men with longstanding SCI (19 with pressure ulcers). The mean age was 49 ± 14 (range 25 to 74 years). Duration of SCI ranged between 1 and 46 years, and the level of injury varied from C2 to L5. The control group consisted of 20 healthy, able-bodied volunteers (10 men and 10 women aged 25 to 50 years). Main Outcome Measures: Circulating plasma levels of IL6, IL-2, IL-2R, and ICAM-1 and their relation to the rate of wound healing in subjects with SCI. Results: Plasma concentrations of bioactive molecules IL-6, IL-2R, and ICAM-1 were numerically or significantly elevated in all patients with SCI as compared to able-bodied individuals. The greatest increase in concentration was seen in those patients with pressure ulcers who demonstrated slow healing of their wounds. Conclusions: SCI and trauma to insensitive tissue result in immunoactivation. In patients with SCI and pressure ulcers, elevated levels of circulating ICAM-1 and IL-2R may have diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value in predicting or differentiating subgroups of patients who will vary in the severity or the rate of healing of their wounds.
The Impact of an Alternative Evaluation for Group Work in Teacher Education on Students' Professional Development

Abstract This research studies the effectiveness and impact of the use of an alternative evaluation tool for group work in teacher education courses. It shows that as a newly developed alternative evaluation for group work, the tool has displayed positive results and effectiveness in promoting students' learning in the social foundation courses and in their professional and personal development. The merits of this alternative evaluation reside in facilitating higher motivation, participation, critical thinking, and application. More importantly, it fosters a democratic and constructive environment and allows students to develop their professional thinking, knowledge, and skills through direct experience. The results of this study also point out the issues and concerns for further study.
Photochemistry in the arctic free troposphere: NOx budget and the role of odd nitrogen reservoir recycling

Abstract The budget of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) in the arctic free troposphere is calculated with a constrained photochemical box model using aircraft observations from the Tropospheric O 3 Production about the Spring Equinox (TOPSE) campaign between February and May. Peroxyacetic nitric anhydride (PAN) was observed to be the dominant odd nitrogen species (NO y ) in the arctic free troposphere and showed a pronounced seasonal increase in mixing ratio. When constrained to observed acetaldehyde (CH 3 CHO) mixing ratios, the box model calculates unrealistically large net NO x losses due to PAN formation (62 pptv/day for May, 1–3 km). Thus, given our current understanding of atmospheric chemistry, these results cast doubt on the robustness of the CH 3 CHO observations during TOPSE. When CH 3 CHO was calculated to steady state in the box model, the net NO x loss to PAN was of comparable magnitude to the net NO x loss to HNO 3 (NO 2 reaction with OH) for spring conditions. During the winter, net NO x loss due to N 2 O 5 hydrolysis dominates other NO x loss processes and is near saturation with respect to further increases in aerosol surface area concentration. NO x loss due to N 2 O 5 hydrolysis is sensitive to latitude and month due to changes in diurnal photolysis (sharp day–night transitions in winter to continuous sun in spring for the arctic). Near NO x sources, HNO 4 is a net sink for NO x ; however, for more aged air masses HNO 4 is a net source for NO x , largely countering the NO x loss to PAN, N 2 O 5 and HNO 3. Overall, HNO 4 chemistry impacts the timing of NO x decay and O 3 production; however, the cumulative impact on O 3 and NO x mixing ratios after a 20-day trajectory is minimal.
Fluxes of fluid and heat from the oceanic crustal reservoir

Abstract Recent discoveries define a global scale fluid reservoir residing within the uppermost igneous oceanic crust, a region of seafloor that is both warm and may harbor a substantial biosphere. This hydrothermal fluid reservoir formed initially within volcanic rocks newly erupted at mid-ocean ridges, but extends to the vastly larger and older ridge flanks. Upper oceanic crust is porous and permeable due to the presence of lava drainbacks, fissuring, and inter-unit voids, and this porosity and permeability allows active fluid circulation to advect measurable quantities of lithospheric heat from the crust to an average age of 65 Myr. A compilation of crustal porosities shows that this fluid reservoir contains nearly 2% of the total volume of global seawater. Heat flow and sediment thickness data allow calculation of reservoir temperatures, predicting 40°C mean temperatures in Cretaceous crust. Utilizing these temperature estimates, heat flow measurements and models for the thermal structure and evolution of the oceanic lithosphere, we have computed mean hydrothermal fluxes into the deep ocean as a function of plate age. The total hydrothermal volume flux into the oceans approaches 20% of the total riverine input and may contribute to the global seawater mass balance.
Pattern formation in the three-dimensional reaction-diffusion systems

Existing group theoretic analysis of pattern formation in three dimensions [T.K. Callahan, E. Knobloch, Symmetry-breaking bifurcations on cubic lattices, Nonlinearity 10 (1997) 1179‐1216] is used to make specific predictions about the formation of three-dimensional patterns in two models of the Turing instability, the Brusselator model and the Lengyel‐Epstein model. Spatially periodic patterns having the periodicity of the simple cubic (SC), face-centered cubic (FCC) or body-centered cubic (BCC) lattices are considered. An efficient center manifold reduction is described and used to identify parameter regimes permitting stable lamellae, SC, FCC, double-diamond, hexagonal prism, BCC and BCCI states. Both models possess a special wavenumber k at which the normal form coefficients take on fixed model-independent ratios and both are described by identical bifurcation diagrams. This property is generic for two-species chemical reaction‐diffusion models with a single activator and inhibitor. ©1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Origin of Cardiomyocytes in the Adult Heart

This review article discusses the mechanisms of cardiomyogenesis in the adult heart. They include the re-entry of cardiomyocytes into the cell cycle; dedifferentiation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes, which assume an immature replicating cell phenotype; transdifferentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into cardiomyocytes; and cardiomyocytes derived from activation and lineage specification of resident cardiac stem cells. The recognition of the origin of cardiomyocytes is of critical importance for the development of strategies capable of enhancing the growth response of the myocardium; in fact, cell therapy for the decompensated heart has to be based on the acquisition of this fundamental biological knowledge.
Tarski on truth and logical consequence

Tarski's writings on the concepts of truth and logical consequence rank among the most influential works in both logic and philosophy of the twentieth century. Because of this, it would be impossible to give a careful and accurate account of how far that influence reaches and of the complex route by which it spread. In logic, Tarski's methods of defining satisfaction and truth, as well as his work pioneering general model-theoretic techniques, have been entirely absorbed into the way the subject is presently done; they have become part of the fabric of contemporary logic, material presented in the initial pages of every modern textbook on the subject. In philosophy, the influence has been equally pervasive, extending not only to work in semantics and the philosophies of logic and language, but to less obviously allied areas such as epistemology and the philosophy of science as well. Rather than try to chart the wide-ranging influence of these writings or catalog the important research they have inspired, I will concentrate on various confusions and misunderstandings that continue to surround this work. For in spite of the extensive attention the work has received in the past fifty years, especially in the philosophical literature, misunderstandings of both conceptual and historical sorts are still remarkably widespread. Indeed in the philosophical community, recent reactions to Tarski's work on truth range from Karl Popper's “intense joy and relief” at Tarski's “legitimation” of the notion [1974, p. 399], to Hilary Putnam's assessment that “as a philosophical account of truth, Tarski's theory fails as badly as it is possible for an account to fail” [1985, p. 64]. Opinions have not exactly converged.
Relationship Between Cigarette Smoking and Human Papilloma Virus Types 16 and 18 DNA Load

Background: Although cigarette smoking has been associated with increased human papilloma virus (HPV) detection, its impact on HPV DNA load is unknown. Methods: The study subjects were women who were positive for HPV16 and/or HPV18 at enrollment into the Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance–Low-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion Triage Study. Assessments of exposure to smoke and sexual behavior were based on self-report. Viral genome copies per nanogram of cellular DNA were measured by multiplex real-time PCR. Linear or logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between cigarette smoking and baseline viral load. Results: Of the 1,050 women (752 with HPV16, 258 with HPV18, and 40 with both HPV16 and HPV18), 452 (43.0%) were current smokers and 101 (9.6%) were former smokers at enrollment. The baseline viral load was statistically significantly greater for current compared with never smokers ( P = 0.03 for HPV16; P = 0.02 for HPV18) but not for former smokers. Among current smokers, neither HPV16 nor HPV18 DNA load seemed to vary appreciably by age at smoking initiation, smoking intensity, or smoking duration. The results remained similar when the analysis of smoking-related HPV16 DNA load was restricted to women without detectable cervical abnormality. Conclusion: Higher baseline HPV16 and HPV18 DNA load was associated with status as a current but not former smoker. A lack of dose-response relationship between cigarette smoking and viral load may indicate a low threshold for the effect of smoking on HPV DNA load. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(12):3490–6)
Zebrafish Ribonucleases Are Bactericidal: Implications for the Origin of the Vertebrate RNase A Superfamily

Understanding the evolutionary origin of the ribonuclease (RNase) A superfamily is of great interest because the superfamily is the sole vertebrate-specific enzyme family known to date. Although mammalian RNases have a diverse array of biochemical and physiological functions, the original function of the superfamily at its birth is enigmatic. Such information may be obtained by studying basal lineages of the vertebrate phylogeny and is necessary for discerning how and why this superfamily originated. Here, we clone and characterize 3 RNase genes from the zebrafish, the most basal vertebrate examined for RNases. We report 1) that all the 3 zebrafish RNases are ribonucleolytically active, with one of them having an RNase activity comparable to that of bovine RNase A, the prototype of the superfamily; 2) that 2 zebrafish RNases have prominent expressions in adult liver and gut, whereas the 3rd is expressed in adult eye and heart; and 3) that all 3 RNases have antibacterial activities in vitro. These results, together with the presence of antibacterial and/or antiviral activities in multiple distantly related mammalian RNases, strongly suggest that the superfamily started as a host-defense mechanism in vertebrate evolution.