cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discrete and continuous approaches to modeling cell movement in the presence of a foreign stimulus

Cell movement is a complex process. Cells can move in response to a foreign stimulus in search of nutrients, to escape predation, and for other reasons. Mathematical modeling of cell movement is needed to aid in achieving a deeper understanding of vital processes such as embryogenesis, angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, and immune reactions to foreign bodies. In this work we consider cell movement that can be separated into two parts: one part is in direct response to a stimulus and the other is due to uncertainties and other reasons for the movement. In order to deal with the deterministic and random aspects of cell movement, an individual based model is created to simulate cells moving in the presence of heterogeneously distributed stimulus molecules. The model is then upscaled, starting with an analysis of the transition probabilities of individuals at each site, to obtain a continuous partial differential equation model. Finally, the two models are numerically compared to each other for a variety of different parameter values.
Temporal stability of the sleep disturbance ascribed to worry scale.

Summary This study examined the test-retest reliability of the Sleep Disturbance Ascribed to Worry Scale. College students (N=116) completed the scale twice over a 1 -mo. interval. The test-retest correlation was .83, indicating satisfactory temporal stability.
The Bragg crystal spectrometer for AXAF

The goal of MIT's high resolution X-ray spectrometry investigation on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility is to study the physical conditions in celestial sources by means of detailed measurements of their X-ray spectra. The investigation involves two complimentary dispersive instruments, a Bragg crystal spectrometer (BCS) and a high energy transmission grating spectrometer. Particular attention is given to the BCS which will be used to measure the strengths of individual lines from both point and extended objects in order to apply plasma diagnostic techniques to the study of cosmic X-ray sources.
Field Tests at Grand Coulee Dam on 10,000-Mva 230-Kv Low-Oil-Content Impulse Circuit Breaker

This paper describes field acceptance tests made on the 230-kv 10,000- mva (megavolt-ampere) impulse circuit breaker switching units furnished for the new Right Switchyard at the Grand Coulee Dam power plant. Details of the circuit breaker design are followed by a description of a successful series of line dropping and fault tests made on a single pole circuit breaker unit to observe its performance up to rating and to determine the capabilities of the circuit breaker for higher short circuit duties which will be available at this location in the near future. Line dropping tests were made up to a maximum of 300 lines-miles without restrikes and, therefore, without abnormal overvoltages. Seven fault tests were made at full station capacity with short circuit duties up to 12,000 mva, with interrupting times ranging from 1.75 to 3.0 cycles, and with reclosing times of 9 cycles. The condition of the contacts and oil at the end of the test indicated that a substantial number of additional tests could have been made without replacement. There was no distress on any test and no trouble developed with any mechanical operations or breaker parts. These tests together with factory laboratory tests indicate the suitability of the 10,000 mva interrupting rating for this design of low-oil-content impulse circuit breaker and the possibility of building similar circuit breakers for higher ratings when the requirement arises.
The development of electrostatic accelerators

Abstract A brief history of the development of electrostatic accelerators, from 1926 to the present, is given; a number of historic photographs of the early accelerators have been included. The development of charge-changing acceleration has been traced from the pioneering work of Dempster at Chicago and of Gerthsen at Geissen. An attempt has been made to follow the development of the major technical innovations which have made feasible the present generation of large electrostatic accelerators.
The presence of an inhibitor of tRNA sulfurtransferase in Morris hepatomas

Summary A tRNA sulfurtransferase has been isolated from the 160, 000 g supernatant of Buffalo rat liver and a number of Morris hepatomas. This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of labeled sulfur from [36S]β-mercaptopyruvate to tRNA in the presence of ATP and magnesium ion. All 6 Morris hepatomas examined (9618A2, 7777, 5123TC, 7800, 5123B, and 7787) have a lower specific activity of tRNA sulfurtransferase than their host liver or normal liver. The decrease in enzyme activity is roughly proportional to the growth rates of the tumors. The faster the growth rate, the greater the decrease in tRNA sulfurtransferase activity. The lower enzyme activity is due in part to the presence of an inhibitor in the tumor supernatants. Studies with the Morris hepatoma 5123TC indicates that the inhibitor is dialyzable and heat-stable, with a molecular weight below 5000.
Biosynthetic and regulatory role of lys9 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Derepression of lysine biosynthetic enzymes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated in lys9 auxotrophs which lack saccharopine reductase activity. Five enzymes (homocitrate synthase, homoisocitrate dehydrogenase, α-aminoadipate aminotransferase, α-aminoadipate reductase and saccharopine dehydrogenase) were constitutively derepressed in all lys9 mutants with up to eight-fold higher enzyme levels than in isogenic wild-type cells. Levels of these enzymes in lys2, lys14, and lys15 S mutants were the same or lower than those in wild-type cells. The regulatory property of lys9 mutants exhibited recessiveness to the wild-type gene in heterozygous diploids. Unlike the mating type effect, homozygous diploids resulting from crosses between lys9 auxotrophs exhibited even higher levels of derepressed enzymes than the haploid mutants. Addition of a higher concentration of lysine to the growth medium resulted in reduction of enzyme levels although they were still derepressed. These results suggest that lys9 mutants represent a lesion for the saccharopine reductase and may represent a repressor mutation which in the wild-type cells simultaneously represses unlinked structural genes that encode for five of the lysine biosynthetic enzymes.
Operant Behavior Under a Falsely Perceived Response-Reinforcement Contingency An Attributional Analysis

Subjects were given the task of learning which of five buttons to press in order to communicate a "correct" response to a "student" in an adjoining room. Contingent subjects received contingent reinforcement for pressing the correct button and Yoked subjects received noncontingent reinforcement. Contingent subjects learned the correct response very quickly and Yoked subjects never learned the correct response. However, Yoked subjects attributed as much teaching success and teaching ability to themselves as did Contingent subjects. Yoked subjects also emitted as many button-press responses as Contingent subjects. It appeared that button-press responses of Yoked subjects were maintained with a falsely perceived response-reinforcement contingency.
An institutional experience with cervical vagus nerve trunk stimulation for medically refractory epilepsy: rationale, technique, and outcome.

Objective Intermittent stimulation of the left cervical vagus nerve trunk is emerging as a novel adjunct in the treatment of medically refractory seizures. We sought to evaluate theoretical and practical issues attendant to this concept. We review the anatomic and physiological background arguing for clinical application of vagus nerve stimulation, discuss salient aspects of patient selection and the nuances of surgical technique, and present our observations of and results from application of the method. Methods Each of 18 patients with medically refractory epilepsy and at least six complex partial or secondarily generalized seizures per month underwent placement of a NeuroCybernetic Prosthesis pulse generator (Cyberonics, Webster, TX) in the chest, connected to helical platinum leads applied to the left cervical vagus nerve trunk. The patients were then randomized in a double-blinded fashion to receive either high (presumably therapeutic) or low (presumably less therapeutic) levels of vagus nerve stimulation. Reduction in seizure frequency, global assessments of quality of life, physiological measurements, and adverse events were recorded during a 3-month period. Patients in the low group were then crossed over to high-stimulation paradigms during a 15-month extension trial. Results All operations were successful, uneventful, and without adverse postoperative sequelae. One patient was excluded from analysis because of inadequate seizure calendars. Of the seven patients initially assigned to high stimulation, the mean reduction in seizure frequency was 71% at 3 months and 81% at 18 months. Five (72%) of these patients had a greater than 75% reduction in seizure frequency, and one (14%) remained seizure-free after more than 1.5 years of follow-up. The mean reduction in seizure frequency among the low-stimulation group was only 6% at 3 months. No serious complications, device failures, or physiological perturbations occurred. Conclusion In our experience, vagus nerve stimulation has proven to be a safe, feasible, and potentially effective method of reducing seizures in select patient populations. However, the elements of strict definition for the application of the method require further study.
Axon trapping: constructing the visual system one layer at a time

The molecular mechanisms that instruct the formation of synaptic layers are only incompletely understood. In this issue of Neuron, Timofeev et al. (2012) describe an instructive role for the guidance molecule Netrin and its receptor Frazzled in mediating layer-specific targeting of one photoreceptor cell type in the Drosophila visual system.
Trypanosoma rhodesiense: variable effects of cyclophosphamide on antibody production, survival, and parasitemia in infected mice.

Abstract Mice of the CBA CaJ strain, infected with Trypanosoma rhodesiense, were injected with a single high dose (approximately 200 mg/kg) of the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide to determine if an induced, transient inability to make antibody affected survival or parasitemia. When given on the day of infection, the drug had no significant effect on survival. It delayed, but did not prevent, the appearance of specific antibodies and the clearance of the infecting trypanosome variants. When Cyclophosphamide was injected 1 week after infection, survival was significantly decreased. Antibody production to specific variant antigens and to common trypanosome antigens was terminated, but the mice were able to eliminate the infecting trypanosomes. These findings suggest that a temporary inability to make antibody to trypanosomes does not result in more rapid death when only the infecting trypanosome variant is present. However, immunosuppression may accelerate death if it occurs when there are many different types of trypanosomes present.
Stochastic programming for funding mortgage pools

We present how to use stochastic programming to best fund a pool of similar fixed-rate mortgages through issuing bonds, callable and non-callable, of various maturities. We discuss the estimation of expected net present value and (downside) risk for different funding instruments using Monte Carlo simulation techniques, and the optimization of the funding using single- and multi-stage stochastic programming. Using realistic data we computed efficient frontiers of expected net present value versus downside risk for the single- and the multi-stage model, and studied the underlying funding strategies. Constraining the duration and convexity of the mortgage pool and the funding portfolios to match at any decision point, we computed duration and convexity hedged funding strategies and compared them with those from the multi-stage stochastic programming model without duration and convexity constraints. The out-of-sample results for the different data assumptions demonstrate that multi-stage stochastic programmin...
New biochemical marker for bone metabolism. Measurement by radioimmunoassay of bone GLA protein in the plasma of normal subjects and patients with bone disease.

Abstract gamma-Carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein of bone (BGP) is an abundant noncollagenous protein of mammalian bone. BGP has a molecular weight of 5,800 and contains three residues of the vitamin K-dependent amino acid, gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. We have applied a radioimmunoassay based on calf BGP for the measurement of the protein in the plasma of 109 normal humans and 112 patients with various bone diseases. BGP in human plasma was demonstrated to be indistinguishable from calf BGP by assay dilution studies and gel permeation chromatography. The mean (+/- SE) concentration of BGP in normal subjects was 6.78 (+/- 0.20) ng/ml, 7.89 (+/- 0.32) for males and 4.85 (+/- 0.35) for females. Plasma BGP was increased in patients with Paget's disease of bone, bone metastases, primary hyperparathyroidism, renal osteodystrophy, and osteopenia. Plasma BGP did correlate with plasma alkaline phosphatase (AP) in some instances, but there were dissociations between the two. It was additionally observed that patients with liver disease had normal plasma BGP despite increased plasma AP, a reflection of the lack of specificity of AP measurements for bone disease. Our studies indicate that the radioimmunoassay of plasma BGP can be a useful and specific procedure for evaluating the patient with bone disease.
Drift diffusion and Einstein relation for electrons in silicon subjected to a high electric field

We present a theory that makes an explicit connection between scattering-limited Ohmic mobility and quantum-emission-limited saturation velocity. The theory is applied to electrons in bulk silicon by taking a quantum equal to the energy of an optical phonon. A modification in the mean-free path because of this quantum emission is indicated, an effect that appears only in the high-field regime. This modification is shown to lead to electric-field-induced degradation of the diffusion coefficient. The theory presented agrees well with the drift-diffusion experimental data and empirical relations used in modeling devices. The theory makes connections with an alternate description in terms of electron temperature under ac and dc conditions. Because drift-diffusion processes are central in performance evaluation of submicron-scale devices in which high fields are necessarily present, these results contribute significantly to reshaping thinking processes in the high-field regime.
Are Libraries Doing Enough to Safeguard Their Patrons’ Digital Privacy?

Libraries have long been known as beacons of patron privacy, even going so far as to destroy patron records. Why then do privacy concerns seem to go out the window when it comes to the digital world? In their rush to keep up with technology, libraries have not been giving digital privacy issues their due attention. This blessay seeks to provide an overview of digital privacy concerns and ways that libraries can address them.
Functional response of Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hym., Aphidiidae) to Diuraphis noxia (Mordwilko) (Hom., Aphididae) hosts

Functional-response experiments involving the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hym., Aphidiidae) and Diuraphis noxia (Mordwilko) (Homo., Aphididae) hosts were conducted. The host densities used were 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 hosts per arena per day. Searching bouts lasted 24 h, and female parasitoids were allowed to search over two consecutive days. New hosts were offered to parasitoids after the first 24 h. Temperature was maintained at ca. 21°C, photoperiod was set at 14L:10D, and humidity ranged from 50 to 70 % RH. In general, the offspring sex ratio did not appear to vary significantly with a host density of up to 80 hosts per female per day. However, the proportion of female offspring increased when female parasites were offered 160 hosts per day. In addition, the overall proportion of female offspring produced across all host densities offered decreased on day 2 (0.582 ± 0.037) relative to day 1 (0.661 ± 0.023). Diaeretiella rapae displayed a Type 2 functional response to D. noxia hosts during the first 24 h. The functional response displayed during the second 24 h was unlike any response commonly reported in the literature, with an initial rise followed by a sharp decline in numbers of mummies produced when more than 40 hosts were offered. This was presumably due to the greater depletion of the female parasitoid's egg complement after 24-h exposures to high host densities (80 and 160 hosts), rather than to lower host densities (10, 20 and 40 hosts). The functional response parameters for day 1 were a =1.341 arenas per day and Th = 0.017 days per mummy. The maximum attack rate per 24-h period (i.e. 1/Th) was 59.5 mummies.
Genetic and immunological analyses of Vls (VMP-like sequences) of Borrelia burgdorferi.

DNA fragments containing the VMP-like sequence (Vls) were cloned from Borrelia burgdorferi strain 297. Analyses by PCR, PFGE, and Southern hybridization revealed that the Vls sequences existed in multi-copies on the 20-kb borrelial plasmid, but not on chromosomes or other plasmids. One Vls unit of the strain 297 was about 669 bases, and predicted peptides length was 223 amino acids. Homologues of the Vls fragment were detected in three B. burgdorferi strains, a B. garinii strain 20047, and a B. afzelii strain P/Gau. A recombinant VlsII protein prepared in Escherichia coli strain JM109 reacted with antibodies that existed in three of five patients, by immunoblotting. These results suggested that the Vls of B. burgdorferi is expressed in Lyme disease patients.
Outcomes of patients undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer with prostatic involvement on final pathology.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of prostatic urothelial carcinoma (PUC) on survival of patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP). PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1998 to 2005, 463 consecutive RCPs were performed for UC of the bladder. Patients with PUC at final pathology were grouped by route of prostatic invasion (bladder origin or prostatic urethral origin) and by depth of invasion (carcinoma in situ, ductal invasion, and stromal invasion). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed. RESULTS In all, 35% (162/463) of patients had PUC. The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 58.2% for patients who did not have PUC, 59.2%, 51.7%, and 16.8% in order of increasing depth of prostatic invasion for patients with PUC of urethral origin, and 6.7% for patients with bladder-origin PUC. Survival differed significantly between stromal and non-stromal PUC (P < 0.001). Patients with PUC of bladder origin had a higher rate of positive lymph nodes (LNs) than patients with stromal PUC of prostate origin (74.3% vs 27.8%, P < 0.001), but survival was similar (P = 0.619). On multivariate analysis, age (P = 0.035), increasing bladder stage (P = 0.003), stromal invasion (P = 0.002) and positive LNs (P < 0.001) were predictors of poor OS. CONCLUSION Depth of prostatic invasion correlates with outcome. While prostatic involvement originating in the bladder is associated with higher rates of positive LNs, survival is similar to patients with stromal involvement of urethral origin. Age, bladder tumour stage, prostatic stromal involvement and positive LNs predict adverse outcome. Our data support separate staging of the prostate in RCP specimens.
Global Numerical Weather Prediction at the National Meteorological Center

In this paper we describe the global numerical weather prediction system of the National Meteorological Center, and review recent improvements, the evolution in skill, and current research projects and plans.
Presence of mature sperm in testicular parenchyma of men with nonobstructive azoospermia: prevalence and predictive factors.

Abstract Objectives Hitherto, patients with testicular dysfunction and azoospermia had to resort to adoption, donor sperm insemination, or child-free living. The realization that a proportion of such men harbor spermatozoa in their testicular parenchyma, combined with the ability of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to effect pregnancy with single sperm, has prompted male infertility clinicians to explore testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in this patient population. We sought to investigate the likelihood of finding spermatozoa during TESE from men presenting with nonobstructive azoospermia and to define if any factors existed that were predictive of eventual sperm presence or absence. Methods Thirty patients with nonobstructive azoospermia underwent TESE and simultaneous formal testis biopsy, cytologic analysis, and wet preparation analysis. Tissue obtained from TESE was analyzed according to a rigorous protocol, followed by exhaustive searching by trained embryologists. Results Twenty-one patients (70%) had spermatozoa found on testicular tissue analysis. Neither patient age nor follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level was predictive of the ability to find sperm. With regard to histologic pattern, 50% of men with Sertoli cell-only, 75% of patients with maturation arrest, and 100% of patients with spermatids seen on histologic analysis had sperm retrieved from their testicular tissue during TESE. Absence of sperm on cytologic smear and wet preparation analysis failed to predict the presence of sperm on formal testicular tissue analysis in 40% of patients. Conclusions Men with nonobstructive azoospermia may have mature spermatozoa present within their testicular parenchyma. Relying on these data, patients should not be excluded from TESE based on serum FSH level, age, prior histopathologic pattern, or cytology/wet preparation results. These figures will allow clinicians to counsel patients with nonobstructive azoospermia informatively regarding TESE and their chances of having testicular sperm retrieved.
Essential Amino Acid Levels for Starting Turkey Poults

Abstract Semi-purified diets were fed to Broad Breasted Bronze poults to estimate the minimum requirements for the essential amino acids. The protein portion of these diets was composed of herring meal, soybean meal, wheat gluten, gelatin, and crystalline amino acids. The diets contained 28% protein (N × 6.25) with 3050 kcalories M.E. per kilogram. The minimum requirements were determined using a regression analysis technique from the gain data. The estimated minimum requirements, as a percentage of the diet, are: arginine, 1.60; histidine, 0.58; lysine, 1.68; leucine, 1.86; isoleucine, 1.10; valine, 1.20; phenylalanine and tyrosine, 1.80; tryptophan, 0.26; methionine and cystine, 1.04; and threonine, 1.00. Two additional diets were formulated. One contained all essential amino acids at the minimum required levels (total 12.12% of the diet) and the other contained them at levels about 15.5% above the minimum (total 14%). These diets along with combinations of the two diets were fed to both B.B.B. and Large White poults. Growth rate, with the diet containing all essential amino acids at the minimum requirement levels, was only about 87% of that noted with the diet with a total of 14% essential amino acids. When any one of the essential amino acids was reduced from the higher to the minimum requirement level, poult performance was reduced only slightly.
Examination of the secondary structure of proteins by deconvolved FTIR spectra.

Fourier transform ir (FTIR) spectra of 21 globular proteins have been obtained at 2 cm−1 resolution from 1600 to 1700 cm−1 in deuterium oxide solution. Fourier self-deconvolution was applied to all spectra, revealing that the amide I band of each protein except casein consists of six to nine components. The components are observed at 11 well-defined frequencies, although all proteins do not exhibit components at every characteristic frequency. The root mean square (RMS) deviation of 124 individual values from the 11 average characteristic frequencies is 1.9 cm−1. The observed components are assigned to helical segments, extended beta-segments, unordered segments, and turns. Segments with similar structures do not necessarily exhibit band components with identical frequencies. For instance, the lower frequency beta-structure band can vary within a range of approximately 15 cm−1. The relative areas of the individual components of the deconvolved spectra were determined by a Gauss–Newton, iterative curve-fitting procedure that assumed Gaussian band envelopes for the deconvolved components. The measured areas were used to estimate the percentage of helix and beta-structure for each of 21 globular proteins. The results are in good general agreement with values derived from x-ray data by Levitt and Greer. The RMS deviation between 22 values (alpha- and beta-content of 11 beta-rich proteins measured by both techniques) is 2.5 percentage points; the maximum absolute deviation is 4 percentage points.
The direct polymerization of 2-methacryloxyethyl glucoside via aqueous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization

Abstract A preliminary study on the direct controlled radical polymerization of a glycomonomer, namely 2-methacryloxyethyl glucoside (MAGlu), under reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization conditions in aqueous media has been conducted. This represents the first example detailing the direct polymerization of a sugar monomer via RAFT and, significantly, has been conducted without protecting group chemistry. 4-Cyano-4-methyl-4-thiobenzoylsulfanyl butyric acid (CTP) was employed as the RAFT chain transfer agent (CTA) due to its inherent water-solubility and its applicability for methacrylic monomers. The homopolymerization displays all the characteristics of a controlled/‘living’ polymerization—linear increase in Mn with conversion, pseudo-first order kinetics, the final polymers have narrow molecular distributions and novel block copolymers can be prepared.
The causes of sinking and floating in turions of Myriophyllum verticillatum

Abstract The sinking and floating (density) of the special winter buds (turions) produced by many aquatic plants play important roles in their life cycles, yet there has been little experimental study of these phenomena. However, it has been postulated that starch determines the density of turions. In order to test this hypothesis, turions of Myriophyllum verticillatum L. were collected from October through April and analyzed for density, dry-to-fresh-weight ratio and starch content. Density did not correlate closely (R2 = 0.37) with the dry-to-fresh-weight ratios. Density strongly correlated (R2 = 0.99) with starch only in the January collections, but not at several other times, so starch content alone is not always the major determinant of turion density. Intracellular lacunae (potentially gas spaces) also occur within the axes of these turions, and the lacunal volumes increased ca. 20-fold as they resumed growth, at which time the turions started to float. Significantly, turions, which were near the density of water, could be sunk or floated by changing the ambient pressure (which would alter their internal gas volume). Thus, starch has a role in determining the density of M. verticillatum turions, but the amount of intercellular gas space may be more important, especially when they resume growth in the spring.
Properties, regulation, and in vivo functions of a novel protein kinase D: Caenorhabditis elegans DKF-2 links diacylglycerol second messenger to the regulation of stress responses and life span.

Abstract Protein kinase D (PKD) isoforms are protein kinase C effectors in signaling cascades controlled by diacylglycerol (DAG). All PKDs are regulated by DAG/phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-binding C1 domains and an activation loop (A-loop). To understand how PKD isoforms diversify DAG signaling networks, it is essential to determine redundant and novel properties of their regulatory domains, characterize factors controlling PKD gene expression, and discover their in vivo physiological roles. Studies on a novel PKD, Caenorhabditis elegans DKF-2 (Dkinase family-2), addressed these topics. The C1b domain mediates phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced translocation and activation of DKF-2. However, when DAG is elevated, C1a and C1b contribute equally to targeting/activation of DKF-2. DKF-2 C1 domains do not inhibit catalytic activity; they mediate delivery of DKF-2 to a membrane where protein kinase C phosphorylates Ser925 and Ser929 in the A-loop. This potently stimulates DKF-2 catalytic activity. Phosphorylation of Ser925 alone switches on 70% of maximal kinase activity. Persistent phosphorylation of Ser929 tags DKF-2 for proteasomal degradation; Ser(P)925 plays a minor role in DKF-2 degradation. GATA enhancer sequences govern DKF-2 expression in intestine in vivo. Adult life span increases 40% in animals lacking DKF-2. In thermally stressed wild type animals, the DAF-16 transcription factor is segregated from the nuclei of adult intestinal cells. In contrast, DAF-16 enters adult intestinal nuclei of DKF-2-deficient, thermally stressed animals, where it can trigger gene transcription that protects against various insults. The results suggest a mechanism for increased longevity and show that a PKD links DAG signals to regulation of stress responses and life span.
The Response of Denervated Skeletal Muscle to Succinylcholine

The responses of denervated and normal canine gastroenemius muscle to succinylcholine (SCh) were compared and contrasted in regard to potassium (K+) flux O2, muscle tension, and electrical activity. K+ efflux and O2 of denervated muscle increased 20-fold and fourfold after SCh, respectively, while K
Electroluminescence at GaN and Ga xIn 1-xN electrodes in aqueous electrolytes

Electroluminescence (EL) of single crystal and thin films of GaN and Ga xIn1-xN (x = 0.8) was observed in aqueous solution containing peroxydisulfate on passage of cathodic currents. The resulting emission was compared with the photoluminescence of the same materials on ultraviolet light excitation. Only the subbandgap emission was observed in EL for GaN electrodes. The positio n and intensity of this emission peak depended on the applied potential, with a significant blue shift observed with increasing ap plied potential. The EL spectra of Ga xIn1-xN only showed a yellow luminescence band at lower applied potentials. When a more nega
Lipid profiles of Yanomamo Indians of Brazil.

To determine serum lipid levels and their correlates in one of the world's most isolated populations, 62 adult Yanomamo Indians from the Amazonian rain forest were examined. After measurement of body weight and height, and estimation of age, casual blood samples were obtained. Estimated age ranged from 20 to 68 years, with men averaging 37 and women 35 years. Mean serum total cholesterol was very low among both men (123 mg/dl) and women (142 mg/dl) compared with western samples, whereas triglycerides--112 and 110 mg/dl, respectively--were lower among men and slightly higher among women than for U.S. men and women. Yanomamo women had significantly higher total cholesterol (P = 0.02) and body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.05) than men. HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.08) and LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.21) were also somewhat higher among women. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that estimated age was independently related to cholesterol in both sexes, while BMI was of borderline significance. The very low serum lipid levels in this isolated population are apparently attributable mainly to their largely vegetarian diet, low in fats and cholesterol and high in fiber, with concomitant high physical activity associated with low BMI.
Salmonella typhimurium translocates flagellin across intestinal epithelia, inducing a proinflammatory response

This study investigated whether soluble paracrine factors mediated Salmonella-induced IL-8 expression in polarized model intestinal epithelia. We found that the basolateral media of model epithelia that had been apically infected with Salmonella typhimurium for a short period (10 minutes) could activate IL-8 secretion in virgin model epithelia, demonstrating that a proinflammatory factor (PIF) was indeed present. Initial characterization found that PIF was a heat-stable protein with a molecular mass of about 50 kDa that acts on the basolateral, but not apical, surface of model intestinal epithelia to elicit IL-8 secretion. PIF was not present in the media of model epithelia stimulated with other inducers of IL-8 secretion (TNF-alpha or carbachol) but was present in S. typhimurium supernatants, indicating PIF is of bacterial origin. PIF was purified from bacterial culture supernatants by anion/cation exchange chromatography and SDS-PAGE and found by using microsequencing to be the protein flagellin. In support of this finding, flagellin-deficient S. typhimurium mutants did not secrete detectable levels of PIF (i.e., a bioactivity that induced IL-8 secretion when placed basolaterally on model epithelia). Furthermore, viable flagellin-deficient mutant organisms (fliC/fljB and flhD) failed to elicit IL-8 secretion when added apically to model intestinal epithelia. These findings indicate that translocation of flagellin across epithelia, subsequent to apical epithelial-S. typhimurium interaction, is likely a major means of activating a mucosal inflammatory response.
Evaluating competence of women and men: effects of marital and parental status and occupational sex-typing

A sample of 160 female and male college students read a completed job application and a letter written by the applicant. The job was in either a feminine or a masculine field. The applicant was described as either female or male, single or married, and having one or no children. Subjects answered seven evaluative questions about the competence of the applicant and the merits of the letter. Women, especially single ones, who applied for a sex-typical job generally were evaluated most favorably. Men, especially single ones, and women who applied for sex-atypical jobs were evaluated least favorably.
Detecting image orientation based on low-level visual content

Accurately and automatically detecting image orientation is of great importance in intelligent image processing. In this paper, we present automatic image orientation detection algorithms based on both the luminance (structural) and chrominance (color) low-level content features. The statistical learning support vector machines (SVMs) are used in our approach as the classifiers. The different sources of the extracted image features, as well as the binary classification nature of SVM, require our system to be able to integrate the outputs from multiple classifiers. Both static combiner (averaging) and trainable combiner (also based on SVMs) are proposed and evaluated in this work. Furthermore, two rejection options (regular and re-enforced ambiguity rejections) are employed to improve orientation detection accuracy by sieving out images with low confidence values during the classification. Large amounts of experiments have been conducted on a database of more than 14,000 images to validate our approaches. Discussions and future directions for this work are also addressed at the end of the paper.
Responses to Sexual Harassment on the Job: Legal, Organizational, and Individual Actions

Remedial actions to curtail and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace have focused on providing victims with legal redress, establishing employers' responsibilities, and encouraging employees to resist harassment. This paper discusses these various forms of response to sexual harassment. First, the development of judicial and legal criteria defining harassment as illegal behavior and establishing parameters of employer responsibilities are reviewed. Then, the discussion examines actions employers have taken to meet their responsibilities (e.g., issuing policy statements). Secondary analyses of data collected from 3139 women who reported experiences of sexual harassment are used to explore individual responses to harassment, and potential determinants of those responses. Finally, support services provided by women's organizations are discussed, and some conclusions are drawn about the impact of remedial actions on the prevention of sexual harassment on the job.
An Axial-Flow Porous Plug Apparatus

ABSTRACT The design and calibration of an axial-flow porous plug was described in a paper recently presented before the ASME. Joule-Thomson coefficients for gaseous nitrogen were measured. The present paper describes an experimental investigation of the effects of heat heat transfer in the axial porous plug. The effectiveness of the guard ring is demonstrated in terms of the surface temperature profiles along the radii of the plug.
The Penetration of Tritium into the Tropical Pacific

Abstract The persistence of subsurface tritium maxima coincident with the Equatorial Currents is used to show that advection along isopycnals by the mean wind-driven circulation is the dominant process in the at most 14-year time scale for the penetration of high northern latitude water to the equator (above 26.2 sigma-theta). Ventilation of the equatorial Pacific thermocline from the north contrasts sharply with the equatorial Atlantic thermocline which is ventilated from the south. The most striking manifestation of the North Pacific circulation is evidenced by a tritium maximum and salinity minimum at the equator between 145° and 125°W located above 25.6 sigma-theta. It shows that regardless of time of sampling the eastern&sol/central equator has received the moat high latitude water, probably as a consequence of recirculation by the Equatorial Currents. Between the same meridians there is a tritium maximum on and north of the equator at the surface, which is interpreted as an expression of upwelling. ...
Enhanced thermal photon and dilepton production in strongly coupled $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 SYM plasma in strong magnetic field

We calculate the DC conductivity tensor of strongly coupled $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM) plasma in a presence of a strong external magnetic field B ≫ T 2 by using its gravity dual and employing both the RG flow approach and membrane paradigm which give the same results. We find that, since the magnetic field B induces anisotropy in the plasma, different components of the DC conductivity tensor have different magnitudes depending on whether its components are in the direction of the magnetic field B. In particular, we find that a component of the DC conductivity tensor in the direction of the magnetic field B increases linearly with B while the other components (which are not in the direction of the magnetic field B) are independent of it. These results are consistent with the lattice computations of the DC conductivity tensor of the QCD plasma in an external magnetic field B. Using the DC conductivity tensor, we calculate the soft or low-frequency thermal photon and dilepton production rates of the strongly coupled $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 SYM plasma in the presence of the strong external magnetic field B ≫ T 2. We find that the strong magnetic field B enhances both the thermal photon and dilepton production rates of the strongly coupled $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 SYM plasma in a qualitative agreement with the experimentally observed enhancements at the heavy-ion collision experiments.
Development of action monitoring through adolescence into adulthood: ERP and source localization

In this study we examined the development of three action monitoring event-related potentials (ERPs) - the error-related negativity (ERN/Ne), error positivity (P(E)) and the N2 - and estimated their neural sources. These ERPs were recorded during a flanker task in the following groups: early adolescents (mean age = 12 years), late adolescents (mean age = 16 years), and adults (mean age = 29 years). The amplitudes of the ERN/Ne and N2 were greater in the adult and late adolescent groups than in the early adolescent group. Both of these components had neural sources in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Although P(E) was present across groups, P(E) amplitude was greater in the late adolescent group compared to the adult group and also had neural sources in the ACC. ERN/Ne amplitude was related to post-error slowing across age groups; it was related to task performance only in the adult group. These findings are discussed in light of the role of the maturation of the ACC in the development of action monitoring processes.
New Media and the Permanent Crisis of Aura

Walter Benjamin is best known for his essay ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’, (Benjamin, 1968b) in which he argues that film and other mechanical technologies are destroying the aura that had belonged to traditional art. In this article we apply Benjamin’s concept of aura to new (digital) media, and in particular to ‘mixed reality’, a group of technologies that blend computer-generated visual, aural, and textual information into the user’s physical environment. We argue that mixed reality increases the options for designer-artists and apparently allows the invocation of aura in new ways. Our culture’s pursuit of auratic experience remains problematic in mixed reality as it was for Benjamin in the case of film. New media maintain aura in a permanent state of oscillation or crisis, and this crisis is a key to understanding new media.
Effects of visual and verbal presentation on cognitive load in vigilance, memory, and arithmetic tasks

Degree of pupil dilation has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of cognitive load, but the effect of aural versus visual task presentation on pupil dilation is unknown. To evaluate effects of presentation mode, pupil dilation was measured in three tasks spanning a range of cognitive activities: mental multiplication, digit sequence recall, and vigilance. Stimuli were presented both aurally and visually, controlling for all known visual influences on pupil diameter. The patterns of dilation were similar for both aural and visual presentation for all three tasks, but the magnitudes of pupil response were greater for aural presentation. Accuracy was higher for visual presentation for mental arithmetic and digit recall. The findings can be accounted for in terms of dual codes in working memory and suggest that cognitive load is lower for visual than for aural presentation.
Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical deposition of thallium(III) oxide thin films

Thallium (III) oxide is a degenerate n-type semiconductor with high optical transparency and electrical conductivity. Films of thallium(III) oxide can be electrochemically deposited onto conducting and p-type semiconducting substrates, and photoelectrochemically deposited onto n-type semiconducting substrates. Films deposited at currents below the mass transport limit onto platinum or stainless steel were columnar, and the current efficiency on stainless steel was 103 ±2%. Dendritic films were deposited at mass-transport-limited currents. Films were deposited with thicknesses ranging from 0.1 μm on n-silicon, to 170 μm on stainless steel. The photoelectrochemically deposited films were “direct-written” onto n-silicon, since the material was deposited only at irradiated portions of the electrode. Thin films were grown by irradiating the n-silicon with 450 nm monochromatic light, since the light was strongly absorbed by the thallium(III) oxide. The most uniform thin films were deposited when the n-silicon was initially irradiated with a short pulse of high intensity light. The pulse apparently promoted instantaneous nucleation of a high density of thallium(III) oxide nuclei.
Rural–Urban Differences in the Public Health Workforce: Local Health Departments in 3 Rural Western States

Most local health departments or districts are small and rural; two thirds of the nation's 2832 local health departments serve populations smaller than 50 000 people.1 Rural local health departments have small staffs and slender budgets, yet they are expected to provide a wide array of services2 during a period when the health care system of which they are a part is undergoing change.3
Modeling growth and telomere dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A general branching process is proposed to model a population of cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae following loss of telomerase. Previously published experimental data indicate that a population of telomerase-deficient cells regain exponential growth after a period of slowing due to critical telomere shortening. The explanation for this phenomenon is that some cells engage telomerase-independent pathways to maintain telomeres that allow them to become “survivors.” Our model takes into account random variation in individual cell cycle times, telomere length, finite lifespan of mother cells, and survivorship. We identify and estimate crucial parameters such as the probability of an individual cell becoming a survivor, and compare our model predictions to experimental data.
Professional development of nursing in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: To describe the development of nursing in Saudi Arabia and to recommend further directions for development of professional nursing in that country. Organizing Construct: A comprehensive needs assessment was performed in 1996 by an onsite consultant to: (a) evaluate the existing nursing system at the ministry, regional, and hospital levels, (b) describe the functional interrelationships of a nursing division within the Ministry of Health, and (c) prepare a work plan outlining the program elements that a nursing division could address to foster high-quality health care in the public sector. Methods: The needs assessment was conducted through direct observation, interviews, and review of existing documents in the Ministry of Health and representative hospitals, health centers, and health institutes. Data were collected about six factors as they pertained to the Ministry of Health Nursing Services: (a) key organizational and managerial activities, (b) the external environment, (c) the social system, (d) employees, (e) nursing services and research, and (f) formal organizational arrangements. Findings and Conclusions: The data showed a young country and an equally young nursing profession struggling to meet the needs of a growing population. The highest priority for the advancement of nursing in Saudi Arabia is the creation of a kingdom-wide system of nurse regulation. Pressing needs include regulation of professional standards, licensure of all nurses practicing in the Kingdom, accreditation of educational programs, and formation of a national nurses association.
Continuum Electrostatics in Cell Biology

Recent experiments revealing possible nanoscale electrostatic interactions in force generation at kinetochores for chromosome motions have prompted speculation regarding possible models for interactions between positively charged molecules in kinetochores and negative charge on C-termini near the plus ends of microtubules. A clear picture of how kinetochores establish and maintain a dynamic coupling to microtubules for force generation during the complex motions of mitosis remains elusive. The current paradigm of molecular cell biology requires that specific molecules, or molecular geometries, for force generation be identified. However it is possible to account for mitotic motions within a classical electrostatics approach in terms of experimentally known cellular electric charge acting over nanometer distances. These charges are modeled as bound surface and volume continuum charge distributions. Electrostatic consequences of intracellular pH changes during mitosis may provide a master clock for the events of mitosis.