cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of instructed focus and task difficulty on concurrent walking and cognitive task performance in healthy young adults

Dual task paradigms can be used to examine the interactions between cognition and the control of posture and gait. Measuring and interpreting changes in dual task performance is challenging, however, because many factors can influence performance. This study examined the effects of instructed focus and walking task difficulty, and the interaction between these factors, on dual task performance in healthy young adults. Fifteen participants performed a cognitive task while walking with either a usual base or a narrow base of support. Participants were instructed to focus on either the cognitive task or walking. Trade-offs both within and between tasks were assessed using the modified attention allocation index and the performance operating characteristic. Instructed focus influenced both the cognitive task and walking. Performance on the cognitive task was faster with instructions to focus on the cognitive task, and walking was faster (and more accurate in the narrow-base condition) with instructions to focus on walking. Walking task difficulty did not affect cognitive performance but did affect walking, with faster walking in the usual-base versus narrow-base condition. There was evidence of an interaction, with greater effects of instructed focus on the cognitive task during usual versus narrow-base walking. These results support the idea that the ability to flexibly shift attention allocation and task performance in response to instructions depends on the difficulty of the postural control task. The modified attention allocation index and the performance operating characteristic were instrumental in fully characterizing trade-offs between and within tasks in order to understand dual task performance changes. A clearer understanding of the factors that affect dual task walking and the interactions between these factors has important implications for the assessment of dual task performance in both clinical and research settings.
Initiation and Development of Rear Inflow within the 28-29 June 1989 North Dakota Mesoconvective System

Abstract Five dual-Doppler analyses spanning a period of 1.5 h are used to document the initiation and development of rear inflow within a High Plains squall line. The squall line developed as part of the 28-29 June 1989 mesoconvective system that passed through the North Dakota Thunderstorm Project observational network. This storm was explosively initiated along a preexisting, isolated gust front in an environment of much instability and weak upper-air flow, and moved within dual-Doppler coverage soon after its initiation. The kinematic analyses were performed over a 90-min period as the squall line continued to develop and move to the east-northeast. The Doppler analyses reveal that the rear inflow was initiated near the high-reflectivity cores of the squall line, within 20 min of the formation of the system. With time, the, rear inflow expanded rearward, increased in intensity, and descended to near the surface behind the northern section of the squall line. In regions where the squall line dissipated...
Nephrotoxic Risks of Renal Angiography: Contrast MediaAssociated Nephrotoxicity and Atheroembolism—A Critical Review

Renal angiography remains the "gold standard" procedure for the detection of renal artery stenosis. However, clinicians often avoid renal angiography because of fears of contrast media-associated nephrotoxicity (CM-AN) and atheroembolism. This review focuses on these potential angiographic complications, with particular emphasis, in the case of CM-AN, on clinical features, incidence, risk factors with an emphasis on pre-existing renal insufficiency and diabetes mellitus, volume of contrast media, low osmolar versus high osmolar contrast media, and prophylaxis. For atheroembolism, areas emphasized are pathology, clinical features, precipitating features, and incidence in various settings. Although the literature contains an abundance of information about CM-AN and atheroembolism, this review identified multiple areas of uncertainty regarding features of both of these complications. For example, additional studies are needed to determine the incidence of CM-AN, both asymptomatic and clinically severe, in patients with a wide range of pre-existing renal insufficiency with and without diabetes mellitus, following low volume digital subtraction renal angiography with low osmolar contrast media. In a similar manner, studies are needed with adequate postcontrast observation periods to determine the true incidence of clinically significant atheroembolism following diagnostic renal angiography and angioplasty and techniques that may modify this complication. Until further knowledge in both of these areas is available, it is difficult to precisely determine the risks of renal angiography and/or angioplasty in the azotemic patient suspected of or having renal ischemic disease using modern radiologic techniques.
Inadequacy of pain–aggression hypothesis revealed in naturalistic settings

Hutchinson has recently [1983] suggested that the pain-aggression hypothesis can account for fighting behaviors of rats in natural or seminatural settings: Specifically, this viewpoint questions the validity of a distinction between offensive and defensive behaviors which holds that pain-produced attack is a component of the defense pattern. We argue that the distinction between offense and defense is based on many analytic points, including history and present circumstances of the behaving animal, differential domestication effects on the two behavior systems, and differential effects of manipulation of a number of independent variables, including brain lesions and stimulation, drugs and hormones, and alterations in the level of fear. Also, offensive and defensive behaviors are not merely different: They involve systematic patterns of back-attack (offense) and back-defense aimed at enabling or preventing, respectively, bites at a particular target (the opponent's back) which is specific to offensive attack. Both the target site for offensive attack and the behavior patterns of offense and defense are to a considerable degree preprogrammed in rats, and may be seen in socially naive animals under appropriate circumstances. Finally, the offense-defense distinction may be made in species other than the rat, and in a variety of natural and laboratory situations. The distinction may not, therefore, be rationally viewed as a misinterpretation of the fighting behaviors of rats in a colony situation. Hutchinson defends the pain-aggression hypothesis by means of an “alternative functional account” giving sequential and dyadic behaviors of fighting rats. However, crucial behavior descriptions of this scenario are strikingly at variance with our detailed records of social interactions in colonies and habitats, and appear to reflect a “best-case scenario” rather than actual data. The “alternative functional account” thus appears to be without substance as a basis for interpretation of aggression in rats.
Comments on center-of-mass motion and the 4He charge form factor

Abstract Various methods of removing the c.m. coordinate from single-particle wave functions are discussed. A non-unitary generalization of the Gartenhaus-Schwartz transformation is shown to incorporate both of the common methods for constructing translation-invariant wave functions as limiting cases. Using a simple single-particle model density for 4 He a family of charge form factor curves is generated. It is shown that two-body correlations may be sensitive to the procedure used to remove the c.m. coordinate from the problem.
Nuclear envelope and genome interactions in cell fate.

The eukaryotic cell nucleus houses an organism’s genome and is the location within the cell, where all signaling-induced and development-driven gene expression programs are ultimately specified. The genome is enclosed and separated from the cytoplasm by the nuclear envelope (NE), a double-lipid membrane bilayer, which contains a large variety of trans-membrane and associated protein complexes. In recent years, research regarding multiple aspects of the cell nucleus points to a highly dynamic and coordinated concert of efforts between chromatin and the NE in regulation of gene expression. Details of how this concert is orchestrated and how it directs cell differentiation and disease are coming to light at a rapid pace. Here we review existing and emerging concepts of how interactions between the genome and the NE may contribute to tissue-specific gene expression programs to determine cell fate.
Design and Application of Self-Testing Comparators Implemented with MOS PLA's

A high probability of detecting errors caused by hardware faults is an essential property of any fault-tolerant system. VLSI technology makes the use of duplication and matching for error detection practical and attractive. A critical circuit in this context is a self-testing comparator. Faults in the comparator must be detected so that they do not mask discrepancies between the duplicated modules.
Cross-correlation Doppler global velocimetry (CC-DGV)

Abstract A flow velocimetry method, cross-correlation Doppler global velocimetry (CC-DGV), is presented as a robust, simplified, and high dynamic range implementation of the Doppler global/planar Doppler velocimetry technique. A sweep of several gigahertz of the vapor absorption spectrum is used for each velocity sample, with signals acquired from both Doppler-shifted scattered light within the flow and a non-Doppler shifted reference beam. Cross-correlation of these signals yields the Doppler shift between them, averaged over the duration of the scan. With presently available equipment, velocities from 0 ms −1 to over 3000 ms −1 can notionally be measured simultaneously, making the technique ideal for high speed flows. The processing routine is shown to be robust against large changes in the vapor pressure of the iodine cell, benefiting performance of the system in facilities where ambient conditions cannot be easily regulated. Validation of the system was performed with measurements of a model wind turbine blade boundary layer made in a 1.83 m by 1.83 m subsonic wind tunnel for which laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) measurements were acquired alongside the CC-DGV results. CC-DGV uncertainties of ±1.30 ms −1 , ±0.64 ms −1 , and ±1.11 ms −1 were determined for the orthogonal stream-wise, transverse-horizontal, and transverse-vertical velocity components, and root-mean-square deviations of 2.77 ms −1 and 1.34 ms −1 from the LDV validation results were observed for Reynolds numbers of 1.5 million and 2 million, respectively. Volumetric mean velocity measurements are also presented for a supersonic jet, with velocity uncertainties of ±4.48 ms −1 , ±16.93 ms −1 , and ±0.50 ms −1 for the orthogonal components, and self-validation done by collapsing the data with a physical scaling.
Metabolism of Diiodosalicylic Acid in Dairy Calves

Abstract Diiodosalicylic acid (DIS) as a source of iodine has been investigated with dairy calves in three, seven-day balance trials involving1 four animals per trial. Two animals in each trial were dosed orally with I 131 -labelled diiodosalicylic acid (DI 131 S) and two with I 131 as iodide (I 131- ). Absorption from the gut, excretion patterns, thyroidal uptake, and the relationship of DIS and plasma proteins were studied. Peak levels of radioactivity occurred in plasma approximately 24 hr post-dosing with DI 131 S, at which time over 90% of the activity was protein-bound. With I 131- , peak levels of activity occurred at approximately 8 to 10 hr, with less than 1% of the activity being protein-bound. Urinary excretion of activity averaged 83.2 and 46.1% (P 131 S and I 131- , respectively. Although fecal excretion of activity from DI 131 S was significantly lower, total excretion was greater (P 131 in four calves dosed with DI 131 S (two iv and two oral) averaged 5.5%, compared to 26.8% in two calves dosed orally with I 131- .
Measurement of Cyclopentenyl Cytosine 5′-Triphosphate in Vitro and in Vivo by Multidimensional High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract Cyclopentenyl cytosine 5′-triphosphate (CPEC-TP) is the active metabolite of the investigational drug cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC), a nucleoside analogue which exhibits noteworthy antineoplastic activity against several murine and human tumors in tissue culture, and which is now undergoing Phase I clinical trials. This study describes a method to measure the intracellular CPEC-TP levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM cells) from patients treated with CPEC, without using radiolabeled drug. The method utilizes on-line multidimensional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with two columns of different retention mechanisms connected via an automated programmable switching valve. The elution fraction containing CPEC-TP is initially separated from cellular components using a gel sizing column (TSK-G2000-SW) and then rechromatographed by means of a reversed-phase column operated in an ion-pairing mode (YMC-A-3 12-ODS). The limit of quantitation of CPEC-TP by this method is 2.5 pmol per injection. When CPEC-TP levels were measured in PBM cells from 12 cancer patients after 20 h continuous infusion of CPEC at doses ranging from 3.5 to 5.9 mg/m 2 /h, the levels attained ranged from 1.4 to 13.4 μM (3.6 to 33.5 pmol/10 7 cells). However, wide variability in the concentrations of CPEC-TP achieved were evident at each dose and did not appear to correlate either with the CPEC dose or with CPEC plasma levels. This method was validated by a comparison of the quantitation of CPEC-TP in cultured PBM cells and Molt-4 cells (a human T-cell line adapted for growth in tissue culture) after incubation with both unlabeled and radiolabeled CPEC.
Ultrasonography and clinical findings in children with epididymitis, with and without associated lower urinary tract abnormalities.

Background Epididymitis is most commonly idiopathic but can also be associated with urinary tract abnormalities (UTAs). The distinctive clinical and imaging findings of children with epididymitis and underlying UTAs are not known.
Microbeads for Sampling and Mixing in a Complex Sample

This paper presents work on the development of a microfluidic device using super-paramagnetic beads for sampling and mixing. The beads are manipulated via an external rotating permanent magnet in a microfluidic channel. Efficient mixing is achieved in a short distance with this method. Modeling shows the variables which influence the mixing are flow rate, bead rotation speed and the bead number density. Displacement of the bead relative the rotating magnetic field sets an upper limit on the bead rotation speed due to viscous drag. Future work will examine optimization of this system for capture of pathogens from a complex mixture.
A Comparison of Observed and Numerically Simulated Circulation in the Cayman Sea

Abstract An observational and numerical study of the circulation in the Cayman Sea is presented. Data taken in three different years suggest a common February to May circulation pattern. A well-developed current crosses 85W south of the Cayman Ridge. An anticyclonic eddy in the central basin appears to be a common feature of this season's circulation. Finally, the data from these cruises consistently portray significant accelerations occurring in the vicinity of Cozumel Island where the flow merges with the Yucatan Current. A different pattern is inferred from data collected in July and August. The north component of the flow over the western edge of the Cayman Ridge appears to determine the type of flow regime observed. The numerical model is based upon predictive equations for the vorticities in a two-layer ocean on a beta-plane, and includes topographic, advective and friction effects. The model is driven by lateral input boundary conditions derived from an April–May 1968 observational study. The baroc...
Assessment of plant-driven removal of emerging organic pollutants by duckweed

Constructed treatment wetlands have the potential to reclaim wastewaters through removal of trace concentrations of emerging organic pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. Flask-scale assessments incorporating active and inactivated duckweed were used to screen for plant-associated removal of emerging organic pollutants in aquatic plant systems. Removals of four of eight pollutants, specifically atrazine, meta-N,N-diethyl toluamide (DEET), picloram, and clofibric acid, were negligible in all experimental systems, while duckweed actively increased aqueous depletion of fluoxetine, ibuprofen, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and triclosan. Active plant processes affecting depletion of experimental pollutants included enhancement of microbial degradation of ibuprofen, uptake of fluoxetine, and uptake of degradation products of triclosan and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Passive plant processes, particularly sorption, also contributed to aqueous depletion of fluoxetine and triclosan. Overall, studies demonstrated that aquatic plants contribute directly and indirectly to the aqueous depletion of emerging organic pollutants in wetland systems through both active and passive processes.
In situ composites based on blends of a poly(ether imide) and thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers under injection moulding conditions

This paper addresses a number of questions regarding the use of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) to reinforce thermoplastics. In particular, we concentrate on the effect of partial miscibility between the matrix and the TLCP, the effect of the properties exhibited by the TLCP itself, and why the properties of the blends pass through a maximum at an intermediate composition. Blends of an immiscible and partially miscible TLCP with a poly(ether imide) (PEI) were injection-moulded into mini-tensile bars and rectangular plaques, and their mechanical properties were evaluated. Interfacial and rheological properties along with morphological and molecular orientation analyses were carried out in order to explain the mechanical properties of the blends. Mechanical tests showed that both the tensile and flexural moduli deviate positively from the law of mixtures and, in addition, both blends showed a maximum in the tensile modulus at 90 wt% TLCP. This is believed to be due to a higher degree of molecular orientation observed for the blends than for the neat TLCPs. It was found that partial miscibility affected more strongly the stiffness of the in situ composite, whereas the ultimate properties of the TLCP dominated the ultimate properties of the PEI/TLCP composite.
Three-dimensional imaging method for biological samples under liquid

This paper presents a new non-contact method for measuring 3-D features of biological materials. The method can provide 3-D images of samples under liquid such as water with a microscopic resolution. One of the advantages of measuring under liquid includes protecting air sensitive surfaces of biological materials. The method is based on optical microscopy with machine vision and precision actuation. The geometric information of 3-D samples can be obtained by analyzing the focus errors of the image pixels. Experimental results have been presented and discussed to demonstrate the technique.
Robust adaptive control—a modified scheme

Abstract A normalizing signal that does not require the knowledge of the stability margin of the unmodelled dynamics is used in robust model reference adaptive control (MRAC) for plants with an enlarged class of unmodelled dynamics. The modified robust MRAC scheme guarantees that all signals in the closed-loop plant are uniformly bounded and the tracking error is of the order of the modelling error in the mean.
DISTRIBUTION OF mRNA CODING FOR AMPA RECEPTOR SUBUNITS DURING OVINE CNS DEVELOPMENT. † 2271

Introduction:. Excitotoxicity, the overstimulation of glutamate receptors by L-glutamate, results in neuronal cell death. The AMPA receptor, one of three major ionotropic glutamate receptors, has been cloned and consists of four subunits (GluR-A, GluR-B, GluR-C, and GluR-D) that are expressed in alternatively spliced isoforms termed flip and flop. AMPA receptors containing predominantly flip isoforms are associated with enhanced responses to L-glutamate. Glutamate receptors are present in both fetal humans and fetal sheep, but not in fetal rodents, the most commonly used animal model for excitotoxicity. Because a large proportion of brain injury occurs before birth, we determined the distribution of AMPA receptor subunits and isoforms in an animal species known to express these receptors prenatally.
A tale of two sutures: COCORP's deep seismic surveys of the Grenville province in the eastern U.S. midcontinent

A pair of oppositely dipping, crustal-scale shear zones imaged within Grenville basement beneath the Paleozoic cover of Ohio can be correlated, via geopotential lineaments, with similarly oriented geologic and seismically imaged structures hundreds of kilometres to the northeast and southwest, suggesting a relatively simple structural framework for the eastern midcontinent region. An east-dipping zone extending from Lake Huron through western Ohio, and possibly farther southwest, marks the western edge of the Grenville province. Perhaps of greater consequence to an understanding of Grenville tectonics is the discovery of a west-dipping zone underlying the Appalachian basin from northern Alabama to New York within the Grenville province. Correlation of this feature with the seismogenic Clarendon-Linden fault in western New York and a boundary between terranes containing magmatic-arc rocks exposed in Canada suggests that it could mark the site of an intra-Grenville province suture zone. Implications of this interpretation are that the Precambrian foundation of the eastern U.S. midcontinent comprises a relatively simple assemblage of laterally extensive terranes or belts of coeval terranes accreted by familiar plate tectonic processes, and that deep seismic profiling is an effective tool for mapping the three-dimensional distribution of these terranes.
A Fiberoptic Differential Temperature Probe

A simple fiberoptic differential temperature probe that utilizes the change of absorption of light in undoped GaAs in the vicinity of its bandgap as a temperature sensing mechanism is described. The probe is similar to that described by Kyuma et al. 1 but uses a different scheme of modulation, measures differential temperature, and is an improvement in accuracy by a factor of two. Prior to reporting on details of the probe that was constructed, the paper briefly discusses temperature sensing based on semiconductor bandgap behavior. This is followed by a report on initial experiments, which demonstrated the desired temperature response but also revealed the disturbing problem of changes in probe output caused by temperature induced mechanical misalignments. To attempt to remedy this problem, frequency division multiplexing was used, in which the output of one LED, of wavelength 0.88 pm was used as the actual temperature sensing mechanism, while changes in the transmitted radiation from another LED, of wavelength 1.27 μm, were used to correct the measured output for the mechanical misalignment. The 0.88 PM LED was amplitude modulated at 100 Hz; the 1.27 μm LED at 3 kHz. Although predicted minimum temperature difference for this system is 1.8 x 10-3°C, our margin of error with the signal generators used to modulate the LEDs that were available to us was ± 0.5°C. Indications are that this figure would be reduced considerably with signal generators of greater frequency stability.
Western Policy and the Demise of the Soviet Union

The role of Western governments in the disintegration of the Soviet Union was complex. The two most important factors that undermined the Soviet state were the deepening economic chaos under Mikhail Gorbachev and the rapid growth of internal political dissent. Western policies tended to magnify both of these factors. This is not to say, however, that Gorbachev's original decision to embark on an economic reform program was simply the result of pressure created by Western defense spending and military deployments. The Soviet economy was plagued by severe weaknesses, of which the misallocation of resources and excessive military expenditures were only a small part. Gorbachev's initial economic reforms were spurred by his awareness of the country's general economic problems. After the first round of reforms failed, he sensed that arms control and reductions in military spending would be helpful for the next stage. Even so, the belated cuts he made in military spending (beginning in 1990) were of relatively l...
Path properties of processes with independent and interchangeable increments

In [14] random processes (r.pr.) with interchangeable increments (ich.incr.) were examined with respect to canonical representations and convergence in distribution. The main purpose of the present paper is to investigate the path properties of such pr. Apart from the extensive litterature on independent (ind.) incr. pr. and from the results in [14], quite few such properties seem to be known (and then only in particular cases), including Biihlmann's proof [4] of the pointwise a.s. continuity, Takacs' generalizations [22] of the "ballot" theorem and Hagberg's extensions [13] of Sparre Andersen's combinatorial results. As shown in [_4, 14], ich. incr. pr. on infinite intervals are merely mixtures of pr. with stationary ind. incr. On finite intervals, however, the class of ich.incr.pr, is much more extensive. In fact (Th. 2.1 in [14]), any pr. of this type on [0, 1] which is continuous in probability is equivalent to apr. in D [0, 1] of the form
Cervical intervertebral disc injury during simulated frontal impact

Cervical disc injury due to frontal impact has been observed in both clinical and biomechanical investigations; however, there is a lack of data that elucidate the mechanisms of disc injury during these collisions. The goals of the current study were to determine the peak dynamic disc annular tissue strain and disc shear strain during simulated frontal impact of the whole human cervical spine model with muscle force replication at 4 g, 6 g, 8 g and 10 g horizontal accelerations of the T1 vertebra. These data were compared with those obtained during physiological loading, and with previously reported rear impact data. Peak disc shear strain and peak annular tissue strain during frontal impact exceeded (p<0.05) corresponding physiological limits at the C2–C3 intervertebral level, beginning at 4 g and 6 g, respectively. These subsequently spread throughout the entire cervical spine at 10 g, with the exception of C4–C5. The C5–C6 intervertebral level was at high risk for injury during both frontal and rear impacts, while during frontal impact, in addition to C5–C6, subfailure injuries were likely at superior intervertebral levels, including C2–C3. The disc injuries occurred at lower impact accelerations during rear impact as compared with frontal impact. The subfailure injuries of the cervical intervertebral disc that occur during frontal impact may lead to the chronic symptoms reported by patients, such as head and neck pain.
Variability in the Quantities of Condensed Tannins and Other Major Phenols in Peach Fruit During Maturation

Quantities of condensed tannins and the major monomeric phenols were maximum between the first and second swell of fruit growth in six melting flesh peach cultivars. Quantities of tannins were higher and vanillin-proanthocyanidin ratios were lower in low quality, astringent fruit than in white or yellow flesh, commercial quality fruit. Major monomeric phenols in all cultivars were chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid, catechin, and epicatechin. Quantities of these compounds varied by cultivar and also were greater in the low quality, astringent fruit between the first and second swell of growth.
Activation of caspases and cleavage of Bid are required for tyrosine and phenylalanine deficiency-induced apoptosis of human A375 melanoma cells.

Deprivation of tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) inhibits growth and induces programmed cell death (apoptosis) of human A375 melanoma cells. Herein, we found that activation of caspases and release of mitochondrial cytochrome c are required for this process. Culturing A375 cells in Tyr/Phe-free medium, containing 10% dialyzed fetal bovine serum, results in activation of caspase-3-like activity. This is accompanied by decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis. Tyr/Phe deprivation also stimulates proteolytic cleavage of the DNA repair enzyme, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Western blot analysis showed that caspases 3, 7, 8, and 9 are activated by deprivation of Tyr/Phe. Tyr/Phe deprivation decreases mitochondrial membrane potential, induces cleavage of Bid, increases translocation of Bax from the cytosol to mitochondria, and results in release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol. Apoptosis due to Tyr/Phe deprivation is almost completely inhibited by the broad-spectrum cell-permeable caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (Z.VAD.fmk). This inhibitor suppresses the cleavage of Bid, the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol, and the cleavage of PARP. Decylubiquinone, a mitochondrial permeability transition pore inhibitor, does not suppress the activation of caspase 8 but suppresses release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase 9, and induction of apoptosis. These results indicate that activation of caspases, cleavage of Bid, and mitochondrial release of cytochrome c are required for apoptosis induced by Tyr/Phe deprivation.
The effect of strychnine sulphate on the home cage activity and oxygen consumption in three inbred strains of mice

The home-cage activity of three inbred strains of mice was observed as a function of dosage of strychnine sulphate. Five kinds of activity were measured, but generally the drug effect was clear only for the sum of the measures. The effect of increasing dosage was to linearily reduce the activity measured. Oxygen uptake of the mice was recorded during the period that activity was scored, and it was found that the oxygen consumption did not decrease with increasing dosage as did overt activity, but in fact increased for two of the strains.
Dietary nickel improves male broiler (Gallus domesticus) bone strength.

The effects of dietary nickel (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 mg/kg) on the bone strength characteristics and performance parameters of male broilers were investigated. Broilers were housed in either cages or floor pens. At 6 wk of age, the shear fracture energy of the tibia from the caged birds increased when the basal diet was supplemented with 25 mg of dietary nickel per kilogram of feed. The shear force, stress, and fracture energy of the radius from the caged birds also increased at 25 mg/kg nickel. Dietary nickel had no effect on bird body weight, but the caged broilers (2161 g) were heavier than the floor birds (2005 g). Nickel had no effect on the strength characteristics of the tibia from the floor birds. Percent tibia bone ash, a measure of bone density, was not influenced by dietary nickel, but the tibia ash of the floor birds was greater than that of the caged birds. Overall, the data indicates that adding 25 mg/kg of dietary nickel to a poultry diet will have a positive influence on bone strength characteristics and performance.
The proteasome inhibitor, PS-341, causes cytokeratin aggresome formation

Abstract Mallory body (MB) experimental induction takes 10 weeks of drug ingestion. Therefore, it is difficult to study the dynamics and mechanisms involved in vivo. Consequently, an in vitro study was done using primary tissue culture of hepatocytes from drug-primed mice livers in which MBs had already formed. The hypothesis to be tested was that MBs are cytokeratin aggresomes, which form when hepatocytes have a defective ubiquitin–proteasome pathway by which turnover of cytokeratin proteins is prevented. To test this hypothesis, primary tissue cultures of the hepatocytes from normal and MB-forming livers were incubated with the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 and then the cytokeratin filaments and the filament connecting proteins, that is, β-actin, and ZO1, were visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy. PS-341 caused detachment of the cytokeratins from the cell surface plasma membrane. The cytokeratin filaments retracted toward the nucleus and cytokeratin aggresomes formed. In human livers, MBs showed colocalization of cytokeratin-8 (CK-8) with ubiquitin but not with β-actin or ZO1. Mouse hepatoma cell lines were studied using PS-341 to induce cytokeratin aggresome formation. In these cell lines, the cytokeratin filaments first retracted toward the nucleus then formed cytokeratin–ubiquitin aggresomes polarized at one side of the nucleus. At the same time, the cells became dissociated from each other, however. The results simulated MB formation. MBs differ from cytokeratin aggresomes both morphologically and in ultrastructure.
Surface diffusion of oxides (A review)

Abstract The existing data for surface diffusion on oxides have been gathered by two types of measurements: mass transport (grain boundary grooving and scratch smoothing) and tracers. Mass transport methods yield an effective surface diffusion coefficient, without being able to determine directly whether metal ions or oxide ions control the rate of mass transport, while tracer studies measure the diffusion of a single ion. The analysis of the experimental data for both methods must take into account volume diffusion and evaporation-condensation in addition to surface diffusion. Mass transfer measurements on aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and uranium dioxide indicate that surface diffusion is dominant over volume diffusion at high temperatures for these oxides. The only tracer measurements of surface diffusion on an oxide to date are measurements on uranium dioxide. Reanalysis of the tracer results indicates the volume diffusion contribution to the tracer motion may be considerable. Small amounts of impurities can greatly affect the apparent surface diffusion coefficient. Departures from stoichiometry can affect the mechanism of material transport by altering the absolute value of the surface diffusion coefficient and its value relative to the volume diffusion coefficient. The validity of models of surface diffusion on oxides is examined in relation to the existing experimental data.
The influence of cholesterol on synaptic fluidity and dopamine uptake.

Abstract The present study examined how the synaptic cholesterol/phospholipid ratio influences membrane fluidity and a transmembrane process of the dopaminergic system, dopamine uptake. Fluorescence polarization of DPH was used as a measure of membrane fluidity. The cholesterol content of synaptosomal and synaptic plasma membranes was altered using a lipid transfer protein. The results of the present study demonstrate that the transmembrane process of dopamine uptake may be inhibited by an elevated synaptic cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, which correlates with increased fluorescence polarization. Specifically, a 10–30% increase in the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio resulted in an ~20% increase in fluorescence polarization, a 3- to 6-fold increase in K m , a 4-fold increase in V max , and a marked decrease in the V max /K m (the first order rate constant for dopamine uptake at low substrate concentrations).
Bioproduct recovery from unclarified broths and homogenates using immobilized adsorbents

The use of reversibly “immobilized” (gel-matrix entrapped or gel-membrane encapsulated) adsorbents for the recovery of protein products from unclarified broths or cell homogenates containing difficult to remove solids was investigated. The hydrogel membrane or matrix acts as a protective non-fouling barrier that allows the diffusion of the desired bioproduct, but it excludes colloidal solids such as whole cells, cell debris, and macromolecular precipitates. This feature not only prevents the fouling of the adsorbent, it also enhances product separation. The concept of kinetic selectivity, which depends on the differences in the diffusion rates of various adsorbing species is also introduced. The utility of hydrogel matrix or membrane in enhancing the kinetic selectivity of smaller proteins from a crude mixture was also investigated using model systems.
MOLECULAR-EXCITON APPROACH TO SPIN-CHARGE CROSSOVERS IN DIMERIZED HUBBARD AND EXCITONIC CHAINS

The crossover from band to correlated states in half-filled quantum cell models is studied in a molecular-exciton framework based on a chain of dimers. Crystal states with one or several excited dimers yield analytical excitation energies to first order in interdimer Coulomb interactions V(p,p') for excitonic chains or interdimer electron transfer ${\mathit{t}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$=t(1-\ensuremath{\delta}) for Hubbard chains. Molecular-exciton analysis of excitations and transition moments rationalizes exact numerical solutions of oligomers with arbitrary intradimer correlations U, ${\mathit{V}}_{1}$, and electron transfer ${\mathit{t}}_{+}$=t(1+\ensuremath{\delta}), including the number, positions, and transition moments of low-lying excitations. Short correlation lengths of infinite chains with large alternation \ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\ge}0.6 lead to converged crystal states for oligomers containing N=4--7 dimers. The present approach provides a detailed picture of excited-state crossovers with increasing U, ${\mathit{V}}_{1}$, and V(p,p'). Quite generally, the lowest singlet excitation ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$ is one-photon allowed (1B) on the band side of the spin-charge crossover and two-photon allowed (2A) on the correlated side. Intermediate correlations and large \ensuremath{\delta} reveal different crossovers in Hubbard chains, where 1B involves charge transfer between dimers, and excitonic chains, where 1B has an excited dimer.We also obtain two-photon transition moments M and extend vanishing M(2A) in the band limit up to U=2${\mathit{t}}_{+}$, the \ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\sim}1 crossover of Hubbard chains. We find finite M(2A) on the correlated side, however, where 2A contains two triplet dimers in either alternating Hubbard or excitonic chains. Their different spin-charge crossovers appear as an abrupt and continuous increase, respectively, of two-photon intensity on going from the correlated to the band side. The greater delocalization (\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.07--0.33) realized in conjugate polymers is consistent with excitonic chains. The potential V(p,p') in the Pariser-Parr-Pople model for conjugated hydrocarbons distinguishes strongly fluorescent polymers with ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$=1B from others with ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$=2A. We also relate our results at large \ensuremath{\delta} to other approximations for nonlinear optical spectra of conjugated polymers.
Are phytoestrogens a "natural alternative" to estrogen replacement therapy?

Phytoestrogens, compounds derived from plants and converted into weak estrogenic substances in the gastrointestinal tract, are heavily promoted as the “natural alternative” to estrogen replacement therapy for postmenopausal women or women who have undergone a hysterectomy. The use of soy products rich in these phytoestrogens is now widespread in the United States. Isoflavones are the best-known phytoestrogens, but only a few studies have been done of their effects. The results of these studies have not been promising. Their supposed benefits are based on the observation that the incidence of certain disorders or diseases affected by estrogen status—perimenopausal syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis—is lower in populations with diets high in phytoestrogens. There is no laboratory or clinical evidence to support claims of benefit or even to demonstrate hormonal effects of phytoestrogens. A recent commentary on phytoestrogens concluded: “Until such time as there are data from controlled studies on the dangers as well as the benefits of plant extracts, the drawing of firm conclusions about the long-term benefits of increased phyto-oestrogen consumption is unwise.”1(p164) For most of the world's population, the principal source of phytoestrogen is soy in the diet. Since October 1999, the Food and Drug Administration has allowed food companies to claim that soy protein reduces cholesterol concentrations and the risk of heart disease. Although consuming soy products seems to reduce cholesterol levels, there may be an increased cancer risk associated with their isoflavone components; this risk may be heightened when isoflavones alone are offered in the form of dietary supplements. The highest levels of naturally occurring isoflavones are found in soy beverages, cooked soybeans, and tempeh (textured fermented soy). One gram of soybeans contains about 1 mg of isoflavones. Some nutritional experts are willing to assume that a daily intake of 50 mg of isoflavones is safe. The typical daily consumption in Japan is 25 to 50 mg of isoflavones. Dietary supplements, however, can contain more than 85 mg of isoflavones in a single unit, and some manufacturers advise taking 2 a day. Soy protein concentrate powders have as much as 160 mg of isoflavones per serving. According to some evidence, large quantities of isoflavones may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Application of Computer Simulation Free-Energy Methods to Compute the Free Energy of Micellization as a Function of Micelle Composition. 1. Theory

The widespread use of surfactant mixtures and surfactant/solubilizate mixtures in practical applications motivates the development of predictive theoretical approaches to improve fundamental understanding of the behavior of these complex self-assembling systems and to facilitate the design and optimization of new surfactant and surfactant/solubilizate mixtures. This paper is the first of two articles introducing a new computer simulation−free-energy/molecular thermodynamic (CS−FE/MT) model. The two articles explore the application of computer simulation free-energy methods to quantify the thermodynamics associated with mixed surfactant/cosurfactant and surfactant/solubilizate micelle formation in aqueous solution. In this paper (article 1 of the series), a theoretical approach is introduced to use computer simulation free-energy methods to compute the free-energy change associated with changing micelle composition (referred to as ΔΔGi). In this approach, experimental critical micelle concentration (CMC) d...
Conformational analysis. 48. A molecular mechanics (MMP2) approach to the conformational analysis of methyl-, dimethyl- and trimethylisochromanes†

Conformational equilibria of mono-, di-, and trimethylisochromanes substituted in the heterocyclic ring are calculated by the MMP2(85) force field program. The results are in generally good agreement with the experimental findings of Pihlaja et al. The accuracy of experimental studies based on vicinal coupling constants is examined.
Financial time series

The evolution of financial markets is a complicated real-world phenomenon that ranks at the top in terms of difficulty of modeling and/or prediction. One reason for this difficulty is the well-documented nonlinearity that is inherent at work. The state-of-the-art on the nonlinear modeling of financial returns is given by the popular auto-regressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) models and their generalizations but they all have their short-comings. Foregoing the goal of finding the ‘best’ model, it is possible to simply transform the problem into a more manageable setting such as the setting of linearity. The form and properties of such a transformation are given, and the issue of one-step-ahead prediction using the new approach is explicitly addressed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Keratitis, ichthyosis, and deafness (KID) syndrome: A review of infectious and neoplastic complications

Keratitis, ichthyosis, and deafness (KID) syndrome is a rare genodermatosis associated with mutations in the connexin 26 gene. Although characterized by this clinical triad, KID syndrome predisposes to a heterogeneous spectrum of cutaneous manifestations and complications, both infectious and neoplastic in nature. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and/or superinfection of skin lesions commonly occur and warrant aggressive therapeutic intervention. Benign neoplasms, namely trichilemmal tumors, have also been reported and can herald malignant growth and invasive disease. Squamous cell carcinoma of both mucosa and skin, especially acral sites, occurs in approximately 15% of patients. The pathogenesis of KID syndrome can be at least partially explained by the role of connexin 26 in intercellular communication and carcinogenesis, but the precise mechanism of disease remains unclear. Treatment strategies, which have ranged from antifungals and antibiotics to systemic retinoids, pose an ongoing challenge given the spectrum of disease. A review of the literature, with a particular focus on infection and malignancy associated with KID syndrome, and updates on the pathogenesis of disease, is discussed.
CULTURE CONDITIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC MECHANISM : III. INFLUENCE OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON CELLULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF CHLORELLA.

1. Chlorella pyrenoidosa has been grown in a continuous-culture apparatus under various light intensities provided by incandescent lamps, other conditions of culture being maintained constant. The harvested cells were analyzed for cell number, dry weight, nitrogen, and chlorophyll per unit cell volume. 2. Cell nitrogen and cell volume are parallel measures of cellular material over the range of light intensity studied. 3. The dry weight per cell volume increases slowly with light intensity, showing about a 20 per cent variation. 4. Chlorophyll concentration and cell number show a concomitant decrease with increasing light intensity, varying in such a way that there are always about the same number of chlorophyll molecules per cell. It is considered that this phenomenon has bearing on the interpretation of data which has led to the theory of the photosynthetic unit.
Boundaries Blurred? Folklore, Mythology, History and the Quest for an Alternative Genealogy in North-east India

This paper analyses the use of religious folklore among the Meitei people of Manipur in northeastern India in the creation of a racial identity. After the Meiteis, who are ethnically Southeast Asian, were forced to convert to Hinduism in the early eighteenth century by the Manipuri king Garibniwaz, they were provided with a number of folklores regarding their origin that combined Hindu and indigenous Meitei deities and myths. Recently, the rise of anti-Hindu sentiment in Manipur—spurred by a movement to revive the indigenous Meitei religion and a strained political relationship with India—has led to the questioning of the validity of these stories by Meitei academics. As a result a new cannon of literature is being developed by scholars that link the origin of the community to its Southeast Asian roots. Discovering the racial identity of the Meitei people has motived this movement. This paper analyzes the multiple meanings that mythologies concerning origin hold in contemporary Meitei society and challenges the modern notion that historical consciousness is absolute truth.
Twilight Ca+ emission from meteor trails up to 280 km☆

Abstract New observations of Ca + emission in the twilight spectrum are reported and resonance scattering of sunlight is confirmed. Ca + emission has been detected through the altitude range from 100 to 280 km. The observations are well correlated with the increase in meteor activity during the spring and summer months and are explained as resonance scattered emission from Ca + ions deposited in the field of view by the arrival of meteorite material. Order of magnitude calculations are made using the theory which was developed to describe the evaporation of meteorites in the 100 km region. This theory does not explain the Ca + observations. Diffusion of the Ca + ions would be slow enough to sustain a cloud of ions in the field of view of the instrument throughout the twilight observing period.