cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural activity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits of juvenile songbirds encodes performance during goal-directed learning

Cortico-basal ganglia circuits are thought to mediate goal-directed learning by a process of outcome evaluation to gradually select appropriate motor actions. We investigated spiking activity in core and shell subregions of the cortical nucleus LMAN during development as juvenile zebra finches are actively engaged in evaluating feedback of self-generated behavior in relation to their memorized tutor song (the goal). Spiking patterns of single neurons in both core and shell subregions during singing correlated with acoustic similarity to tutor syllables, suggesting a process of outcome evaluation. Both core and shell neurons encoded tutor similarity via either increases or decreases in firing rate, although only shell neurons showed a significant association at the population level. Tutor similarity predicted firing rates most strongly during early stages of learning, and shell but not core neurons showed decreases in response variability across development, suggesting that the activity of shell neurons reflects the progression of learning.
Liver transplantation for citrullinaemia improves intellectual function.

Background: Arginosuccinic acid synthetase (ASA) (EC 6.3.4.5) deficiency (citrullinaemia) (McKusick 215700) is a well-recognized cause of neonatal hyperammonaemic coma with poor long-term intellectual function, despite good medical management. Methods: Cadaveric hepatic transplantation was performed in a 12-year-old boy with citrullinaemia under poor biochemical control. Subsequent development of fulminant hepatic failure necessitated a second cadaveric transplant. Psychometric assessments before and after transplantation were performed using a variety of age-appropriate tests. Results: Normalization of plasma ammonium in our patient post transplantation has resulted in dramatic improvement in mental functioning and well-being and he now enjoys a normal diet. Psychometric assessment confirmed decline in his abilities prior to transplantation with particular post-transplantation improvement in perceptual organization and visuospatial abilities; these did not, however, return to normal. His family report considerable reduction in stress associated with the unpredictable nature of previous hyperammonaemic crises and recurrent hospitalization. Conclusions: Liver transplantation should be considered as an early therapeutic option in children with citrullinaemia to prevent ongoing cerebral insult associated with hyperammonaemia.
Tuning outer segment Ca2+ homeostasis to phototransduction in rods and cones.

Cone photoreceptors respond to light with less sensitivity, faster kinetics and adapt over a much wider range of intensities than do rods. These differences can be explained, in part, by the quantitative differences in the molecular processes that regulate the cytoplasmic free Ca2+concentration in the outer segment of both receptor types. Ca2+concentration is regulated through the kinetic balance between the ions’ influx and efflux and the action of intracellular buffers. Influx is passive and mediated by the cyclic-GMP gated ion channels. In cones, Ca2+ions carry about 35% of the ionic current flowing through the channels in darkness. In rods, in contrast, this fraction is about 20%. We present a kinetic rate model of the ion channels that helps explain the differences in their Ca2+fractional flux. In cones, but not in rods, the cGMP-sensitivity of the cyclic GMP-gated ion channels changes with Ca2+at the concentrations expected in dark-adapted photoreceptors. Ca2+efflux is active and mediated by a Na+and K+dependent exchanger. The rate of Ca2+clearance mediated by the exchanger in cones, regardless of the absolute size of their outer segment is of the order of tens of milliseconds. In rod outer segments, and again independently of their size, Ca2+clearance rate is of the order of hundreds of milliseconds to seconds. We investigate the functional consequences of these differences in Ca2+homeostasis using computational models of the phototransduction signal in rods and cones. Consistent with experimental observation, differences in Ca2+homeostasis can make the cone’s flash response faster and less sensitive to light than that of rods. In the simulations, however, changing Ca2+homeostasis is not sufficient to recreate authentic cone responses. Accelerating the rate of inactivation (but NOT activation) of the enzymes of the transduction cascade, in addition, to changes in Ca2+homeostasis are needed to explain the differences between rod and cone photosignals.
EVALUATION OF BYPRODUCT FEEDSTUFFS AS DIETARY INGREDIENTS FOR DOGS

Summary Six experiments were conducted to determine the ability of both adult and immature dogs to utilize various byproduct feedstuffs (distillers dried grains with solubles, beet pulp, grape pomace and tomato pomace). Supplementation of diets with low levels (4 to 8%) of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) had no effect on the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DMD) or starch by adult dogs. Moderate levels of DDGS (16.1%) depressed (P<.05) DMD and had no effect on starch or energy digestibility. High levels of DDGS (26.1%) decreased (P<.05) DMD and energy digestibility and had no effect on crude protein digestibility. Growing puppies fed a moderate level of DDGS (14.1%) digested less (P<.01) dry matter and energy but more (P<.05) ADF than puppies fed no DDGS. N intake and fecal N were reduced (P<.01) by DDGS supplementation. Urinary N, total N, absorbed N and retained N were not affected by treatment. Each of two levels of beet pulp (6 and 12%) reduced (P<.05)dry matter digestibility by adult dogs, but energy and crude protein digestibilities were not affected. Acid detergent fiber digestibility was increased (P<.05) when 6% beet pulp was incorporated into the diet. Adult dogs fed 8% tomato pomace digested significantly less dry matter, energy and crude protein than dogs given no tomato pomace. Grape pomace addition depressed (P<.01) digestibilities of all nutrients tested.
Chemokine receptors on mononuclear phagocytes in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Accumulation and activation of mononuclear phagocytes in the human central nervous system (CNS) is thought to be a crucial step in the pathological cascade of multiple sclerosis (MS), which frequently culminates in irreversible injury to myelin and axons (Sorensen and Ransohoff 1998). Although MS pathology is heterogeneous among patients (Lucchinetti et al. 2000), it still remains clear that destruction of myelin and axons as well as oligodendrocyte cell-death are directly related to numbers of activated inflammatory cells (Ferguson et al. 1997; Trapp et al. 1998; Bitsch et al. 1999, 2000). Therefore, the determinants of monocyte recruitment to the CNS in MS and similar pathologies have been examined. Chemokines and their receptors have been implicated in monocyte trafficking under pathological as well as physiological conditions and have emerged as salient targets for investigation (Luster 1998; Zlotnik and Yoshie 2000).
Persistence Mindset among Adolescents: Who Benefits from the Message that Academic Struggles are Normal and Temporary?

Research proposing that mindset interventions promote student achievement has been conducted at a frenetic pace nationwide in the United States, with many studies yielding mixed results. The present study explores the hypothesis that mindset interventions are beneficial for students only under specific circumstances. Using a randomized controlled trial with student-level random assignment within two public schools (School 1: n = 198 seventh-graders, 73% Black, 27% White, 53% male; School 2: n = 400 ninth-graders, 98% White, 2% Black, 52% male), this trial conceptually integrated elements from three evidence-based mindset interventions. It then examined two theoretically driven moderators of student performance following the transition to middle or high school: students’ racial backgrounds and students’ educational expectations. Results indicated that the intervention was effective for a particular subset of students—Black students with high educational expectations—resulting in higher grades over the course of the year. Among students with low educational expectations (regardless of race), the intervention did not impact grades. For White students with high educational expectations, the control activities actually benefitted grades more than the mindset intervention. Both theoretical and practical implications for mindset research are discussed.
Conjugate of Doxorubicin to Albumin-Binding Peptide Outperforms Aldoxorubicin

Short circulation time and off-target toxicity are the main challenges faced by small-molecule chemotherapeutics. To overcome these shortcomings, an albumin-binding peptide conjugate of chemotherapeutics is developed that binds specifically to endogenous albumin and harnesses its favorable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for drug delivery to tumors. A protein-G-derived albumin-binding domain (ABD) is conjugated with doxorubicin (Dox) via a pH-sensitive linker. One to two Dox molecules are conjugated to ABD without loss of aqueous solubility. The albumin-binding ABD-Dox conjugate exhibits nanomolar affinity for human and mouse albumin, and upon administration in mice, shows a plasma half-life of 29.4 h, which is close to that of mouse albumin. Additionally, 2 h after administration, ABD-Dox exhibits an approximately 4-fold higher concentration in the tumor than free Dox. Free Dox clears quickly from the tumor, while ABD-Dox maintains a steady concentration in the tumor for at least 72 h, so that its relative accumulation at 72 h is ≈120-fold greater than that of free Dox. The improved pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of ABD-Dox result in enhanced therapeutic efficacy in syngeneic C26 colon carcinoma and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic tumor xenografts, compared with free Dox and aldoxorubicin, an albumin-reactive Dox prodrug currently in clinical development.
Environmental Microbiome Analysis and Manipulation

Bioremediation is a sustainable environmental treatment technology that harnesses the natural metabolic activities of living organisms to remove contaminants within soil, sediment, and water environments. Bioremediation is generally accepted as being a more cost-effective and sustainable remediation strategy when compared to chemical-based or pump-and-treat systems. Bioremediation treatment strategies are traditionally categorized as either biostimulation or bioaugmentation. Biostimulation involves the stimulation of indigenous microorganisms that are capable of degrading contaminants of interest. This treatment approach relies on manipulating site conditions to promote the activity and/or proliferation of microorganisms that are known to metabolize target contaminants of concern in order to overcome rate-limiting metabolic processes. In general, biostimulation involves oxidation-reduction reactions wherein either an electron acceptor (e.g., O2, Fe3+, or SO42−) is added to promote oxidative reduction of a contaminant or an electron donor (e.g., organic substrate) is added to reduce oxidized pollutants.
New-Generation Silicon Photomultiplier-Based Clinical PET/CT and PET/MR Systems

Modern PET imaging systems are fused with structural imaging modalities such as CT or MRI in order to enable multi-parametric characterization of disease. This chapter covers important design concepts for the new-generation clinical time-of-flight (TOF) PET systems that employ silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology, which can be incorporated in both PET/CT and PET/MR systems. First, we discuss the effects of PET system design parameters such as sensitivity and noise-equivalent count rate on clinical considerations, as well as the impact of SiPM-based detectors in this realm. Second, we focus on describing the design and architecture of the SiPM-based detector module used in the Discovery MI PET/CT and SIGNA PET/MR systems. Finally, we present performance characterization data for the Discovery MI PET/CT system, compare its performance to other PET/CT as well as PET/MR systems, and demonstrate its clinical imaging capability side by side with that of a previous-generation clinical PET/CT system.
Current practices in the instruction of lifestyle medicine in medical curricula

Abstract Objective A review of current practices of educational interventions for lifestyle medicine was performed to inform the design of interventions with long-term goals of improving patient outcomes. Methods Systematic review of PubMed, MedEdPORTAL, and Cochrane using keywords “lifestyle medicine,” “education,” “medical students,” and “medical school” was done by 3 independent reviewers. Location, learner, curricular hours, focus, outcomes, and impact are reported. Results Of 452 identified citations, 32 met criteria. Most studies (81%) were conducted in the U.S. and designed for medical students (72%). Studies focused primarily on nutrition (78%) and exercise (59%). Curricula were delivered on average across 13.7 h. Lectures were used in 53% of papers. The outcomes most commonly studied were satisfaction (66%,), knowledge perception (66%), and reported clinical practices (34%). Intervention impact at level 2b (31%) and level 3 (34%) were most common. Conclusion Medical educators looking to integrate lifestyle education curriculum should consider current resources as a starting point, especially ones with higher outcome measurements. Practice Implications Novel interventions should target lifestyle medicine competencies with equitable distribution among learners using active learning approaches. The authors propose initial efforts focusing on instruction of clinical educators and practicing physicians, with advocacy for increased reimbursement.
On statistical inference when fixed points of belief propagation are unstable.

Many statistical inference problems correspond to recovering the values of a set of hidden variables from sparse observations on them. For instance, in a planted constraint satisfaction problem such as planted 3-SAT, the clauses are sparse observations from which the hidden assignment is to be recovered. In the problem of community detection in a stochastic block model, the community labels are hidden variables that are to be recovered from the edges of the graph. Inspired by ideas from statistical physics, the presence of a stable fixed point for belief propogation has been widely conjectured to characterize the computational tractability of these problems. For community detection in stochastic block models, many of these predictions have been rigorously confirmed. In this work, we consider a general model of statistical inference problems that includes both community detection in stochastic block models, and all planted constraint satisfaction problems as special cases. We carry out the cavity method calculations from statistical physics to compute the regime of parameters where detection and recovery should be algorithmically tractable. At precisely the predicted tractable regime, we give: (i) a general polynomial-time algorithm for the problem of detection: distinguishing an input with a planted signal from one without; (ii) a general polynomial-time algorithm for the problem of recovery: outputting a vector that correlates with the hidden assignment significantly better than a random guess would.
Unifying technology and people: revisiting service in a digitally transformed world

Trade is as ancient as civilization; it has been an essential part of every society as a means of acquiring and/or exchanging goods and services. Trade, therefore, has always depended heavily on hu...
Philosophy for Managers and Philosophy of Managers: Turf, Reputation, Coalition

This article distinguishes between philosophy for managers and philosophy of managers. Philosophy for managers is prescriptive advice concerning the content of wisdom in practical judgment and action. Managers in action rely on a self-constructed operational code – a concept borrowed here from earlier literature – that unavoidably emphasizes turf, reputation, and coalition in career advancement. The organization is a political arena for decisions, resources, and career opportunities. While elements of operational philosophy are addressed in formal management education, treatment is haphazard and fragmented in a way that leaves managers to develop a personal operational philosophy. How managers address these elements depends on whether they are idealists, realists, or social darwinists in personal philosophy. The author develops these three options as illustrative categories of operational codes for managers.
The Quilting Bee: A Research Metaphor

This paper uses the art of quilting as a metaphor for the research process. Two very different stories are revealed by Amish women at a quilting bee as they explore their purposes, thoughts, and experiences in producing their first quilts. The metaphor is used to contrast the goals, involvement of the researcher, and descriptions utilized by qualitative and quantitative researchers. The tales of these Amish women both contribute to an understanding of the art of quilting just as both qualitative and quantitative researchers have contributions to make to the field of education. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. This article is available in The Qualitative Report: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol3/iss4/2 The Quilting Bee: A Research Metaphor by Rhoda C. Sommers The Qualitative Report, Volume 3, Number 4, December, 1997
Monoamines, cytoskeletal elements and psychiatric disorders: a neurochemical fugue.

Publisher Summary The disruption of neuronal cytoarchitecture has long been implicated in the pathophysiology that produces a spectrum of neurobehavioral deficits. This chapter discusses the salient features of both earlier and recent work to support the view that the cytoskeleton and, in particular, tubulin and microtubules are involved in cellular communications subserving normal behavior and psychiatric disease. The chapter imparts a view of the cytoskeletal system as serving in the role of a third messenger in conjunction with first-messenger biogenic amines, receptors, and second messengers, affording the mechanism to account for the heterogeneous etiology of psychiatric disorders. This encompasses structural (anatomic), biochemical, and genetic abnormalities. This interaction and the resultant effects on effector systems is not a simplistic domino cascade network, but rather that of a neurochemical fugue. Analogous to a musical fugue, a neurochemical fugue combines several parts from the dynamic changes in receptors, second-messenger systems, and the cytoskeletal system, each responsive to one another, that result in the development of a global theme underlying neurobehavioral deficits.
Agricultural and environmental applications of nitrogen fixing organisms.

The wide-scale application of wild-type or genetically-modified nitrogen-fixing bacteria to agricultural production fields presents some challenging, and often insurmountable, problems. Faced with a new and potentially hostile environment, applied inoculants often fail to increase plant productivity. There are a large number of diverse environmental factors that have been thought to limit the effectiveness of inoculants. The abiotic factors include: nutrient limitations, soil moisture, pH, temperature, texture, and organic matter content, inoculant placement and mobility, and soil solute types and concentrations. On the other hand, biotic constraints have also been shown to influence the efficacy of nitrogen-fixing inoculants and include: habitat provision, bacteriocin, and antibiotic production, numbers and types of indigenous microorganisms, selective predation by protozoa, residence time in soils, and time in laboratory culture prior to reintroduction into soils. The majority of these studies have been done with inoculants containing the root nodule symbionts of legumes, Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Azorhizobium, collectively called “rhizobia”. Equal problems, however, are likely with inoculation of other N2-fixing organisms, including Frankia, Acetobacter, and Herbaspirillum. While some of the factors affecting the efficacy of legume inoculants have been studied for decades, there has been only limited advancement, at the fundamental level, of our understanding of how these variables directly influence strain survival and competence.
Growth and Maturation of the Rat Corticospinal Tract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses growth and maturation of the rat corticospinal tract. The development of the rat corticospinal tract has attracted attention in the past mainly because its late, largely postnatal development could be correlated with the maturation of certain forms of motor behavior. The chapter gives a comprehensive account of the temporal characteristics of the growing tract. The rat corticospinal tract is a useful system whose pre- and postnatal development can be used to highlight those features that appear common to the growth of all long tracts. Cells in inappropriate layers or their precursors and cells in inappropriate cortical areas never grow axons towards the pyramidal tract. Corticospinal axons grow at different rates through the spinal cord, experiencing some slower and some more rapid phase of growth. Among other effects that might trigger signals to axons to make their second growth spurt is the establishment of afferent synapses on the parent cell.
Primordial Soup Researchers Gather at Watering Hole

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK-- In a symposium held here earlier this summer, researchers met to discuss the events that could have transformed a lifeless Earth into a rich biochemical broth, able to give rise to the first living organisms. They described experiments suggesting that daily moisture cycles and mineral surfaces could have helped create stable information-carrying polymers, such as RNA, and that sunlight might have driven initial steps in the metabolic cycles that provide energy for life. They also discussed a new technique that could pin down when the meteorite bombardment of early Earth abated, opening the way for life.
Adaptation of the ToxRTool to Assess the Reliability of Toxicology Studies Conducted with Genetically Modified Crops and Implications for Future Safety Testing

To determine the reliability of food safety studies carried out in rodents with genetically modified (GM) crops, a Food Safety Study Reliability Tool (FSSRTool) was adapted from the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods' (ECVAM) ToxRTool. Reliability was defined as the inherent quality of the study with regard to use of standardized testing methodology, full documentation of experimental procedures and results, and the plausibility of the findings. Codex guidelines for GM crop safety evaluations indicate toxicology studies are not needed when comparability of the GM crop to its conventional counterpart has been demonstrated. This guidance notwithstanding, animal feeding studies have routinely been conducted with GM crops, but their conclusions on safety are not always consistent. To accurately evaluate potential risks from GM crops, risk assessors need clearly interpretable results from reliable studies. The development of the FSSRTool, which provides the user with a means of assessing the reliability of a toxicology study to inform risk assessment, is discussed. Its application to the body of literature on GM crop food safety studies demonstrates that reliable studies report no toxicologically relevant differences between rodents fed GM crops or their non-GM comparators.
EFFECTS OF MEDIAN-FIN AMPUTATION ON FAST-START PERFORMANCE OF RAINBOW TROUT (SALMO GAIRDNERI)

SUMMARY Fast-start performance of eight groups of rainbow trout with various finrays removed was measured to test the hydromechanical theory (Weihs, 1973) that large fins are required for acceleration. A trend towards decreasing performance was found for the following sequence of fin-ray amputations: control (pelvic rays amputated); dorsal fin; anal fin; dorsal lobe of caudal fin and ventral lobe of caudal fin; ventral lobe of caudal fin and anal fin; dorsal and ventral lobes of caudal fin; both caudal-fin lobes and anal fin. The series represents progressive reduction in fin and body area, as well as reduction in these areas where lateral movements are largest. Effects of fin amputation on performance were statistically significant (P > 0*05) in comparison with controls only for the last three groups lacking the caudal fin. The results confirm the hydromechanical theory, and lead to the conclusion that mechanically optimum lateral body profiles for faststart and for steady (cruising and sprint) performance are mutually exclusive. This mechanical restriction can be circumvented only in bony fish, with the evolution of flexible, collapsible fins that permit major variation in lateral body profile.
Rational nanoparticle synthesis to determine the effects of size, support, and K dopant on Ru activity for levulinic acid hydrogenation to γ-valerolactone

Abstract With worldwide petroleum resources dwindling and greenhouse gas emissions rising, it is urgent to find renewable replacements for petroleum-derived products. A biomass-derived chemical with high potential as a platform intermediate, γ-valerolactone (GVL) can be readily synthesized by hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA), itself a common biomass intermediate, using supported Ru catalysts. To date the literature on many novel biomass conversion processes such as the hydrogenation of LA to GVL has focused more on the process and less on the catalyst. The goal of this work was to derive fundamental synthesis–structure–function relationships of Ru catalysts for LA hydrogenation using carbon- and alumina-supported Ru nanoparticles that have been synthesized in a rational, repeatable, scalable way. We have demonstrated that the method of strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) yields well-dispersed, homogeneously distributed Ru particles with tight particle size distributions over both types of supports. SEA synthesis of well-dispersed nanoparticles results in higher activity than commercial Ru catalysts with higher Ru loadings. The dramatic, beneficial effect of potassium doping is reported for the first time. The carbon support yields higher inherent activity than alumina. Activity as a function of particle size appears to go through a maximum at about 1.5 nm for both supports and suggests hydrogenation of LA is structure sensitive to Ru particle size. Catalyst deactivation after 24 h occurs to significant extents (8–58%) mainly by nanoparticle sintering, but also by minor amounts of K loss in K-doped samples.
Optical Kerr effect induced by ultrashort laser pulses

A generalization of the classical molecular-optics theory of the optical Kerr effect (OKE) is presented which permits a study of the effect when induced by ultrashort laser pulses. Explicit relationships between results from this general theory and often-used phenomenological equations governing the temporal behavior of the OKE are established. Numerical results are presented for the liquids carbon disulfide and nitrobenzene, illustrating in detail the temporal nature and intensity of the birefringence induced in these liquids by ultrashort laser pulses. The importance of these results is discussed in connection with a number of self-induced nonlinear phenomena arising from the OKE as well as in conjunction with the OKE shutter switched by an ultrashort laser pulse. In addition, a discussion is given of the nature of the birefringence induced by picosecond laser pulses as well as aspects of the extension of OKE photography to the subpicosecond domain.
Heterogeneous reactions of ozone and D-limonene on activated carbon.

UNLABELLED If released in significant amounts, products formed by reactions between ozone (O3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sorbed on activated carbon (AC) filters could degrade indoor air quality (IAQ). Heterogeneous reactions were investigated in laboratory experiments aimed at characterizing reaction products. Effluent air of AC loaded with limonene and exposed to O3 (5.8 ppm) yielded unreacted limonene (501+/-197 microg/m3), low levels of 4-acetyl-1-methylcyclohexene (AMCH) (20+/-2 microg/m3), and limonene oxides (25+/-7 microg/m3). Most of the O3-limonene products remained on the AC, and most (58%) of the limonene remained unreacted on the AC after exposure to a stoichiometric excess of O3 for 48 h. Thus, in addition to known homogenous reactions, O3-limonene reactions occur heterogeneously on AC but to a much lesser extent. However, the fate of 95% of the depleted limonene was not determined; much of the missing portion was attributed to desorption from the AC, but the formation of other secondary indoor air pollutants is possible. VOC-loaded AC air filters exposed to O3 seem unlikely, however, to constitute a significant emission source of reaction products. More studies are necessary to investigate other pollutants, effects of environmental conditions, and VOC releases from AC that may be enhanced by O3 exposure. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Reactions between ozone and certain volatile organic compounds such as limonene (a common ingredient of many consumer products) occurring on the surface of ventilation filters could impact indoor air quality if products are released in significant amounts. This study suggests that although very small amounts of limonene adsorbed on a filter will react with O3, ventilation filters are not likely to be significant sources of ozone oxidation products. More studies are needed to investigate whether ozone exposure enhances desorption of pollutants from ventilation filters and to measure the formation of formaldehyde and other products that are not easily retained by charcoal filters.
Regulation of pyrimidine biosynthesis in Pseudomonas cepacia.

Pyrimidine biosynthesis was investigated in Pseudomonas cepacia ATCC 17759. The presence of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway enzyme activities was confirmed in this strain. Following transposon mutagenesis of the wild-type cells, a mutant strain deficient for orotidine 5′-monophosphate decarboxylase activity (pyrF) was isolated. Uracil, cytosine or uridine supported the growth of this mutant. Uracil addition to minimal medium cultures of the wild-type strain diminished the levels of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic enzyme activities, while pyrimidine limitation of the mutant cells increased those de novo enzyme activities measured. It was concluded that regulation of pyrimidine biosynthesis at the lelel of enzyme synthesis in P. cepacia was present. Aspartate transcarbamoylase activity was found to be regulated in the wild-type cells. Its activity was shown to be controlled in vitro by inorganic pyrophosphate, adenosine 5′-triphosphate and uridine 5′-phosphate.
INFLUENCE OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE ON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION.

SummaryThe effects of reduced glutathione (GSH) on oxygen consumption of obese hyperglycemic mice and their thin (non-obese) littermates were determined manometrically. In 39 obese mice given GSH subcutaneously, elevations in oxygen consumption averaged 28.0% compared to 5.7% in 17 saline-injected obese controls. No significant effects were noted in 19 thin siblings treated with GSH (+ 2.5%) as compared to 14 saline-injected controls (+ 8.2%). Differences between thin and obese groups treated with GSH were significant at the 0.001 level. Elevations in O2 consumption were not sustained and long-term treatment with GSH was without effect. GSH also elicited increments in the O2 consumption levels of salamanders, and these increases were sustained.
Methanol wetting enthalpy on few-layer graphene decorated hierarchical carbon foam for cooling applications

Abstract Vertical few-layer thick graphene petals are grown on macro-porous carbon foam surfaces having an intrinsic open porosity of 75%. This provides a hierarchical porous structure with a potential for surface adsorption/desorption or wetting/dewetting based thermal energy storage applications. Carbon foams have a combined advantage of large surface area and high thermal conductivity critical for thermal energy storage, but they are prone to oxidation and exhibit low adsorption enthalpies for lightweight hydrocarbons. Here we report graphene petal decoration of carbon foam surfaces and subsequent chemical modification through boron nitride incorporation in hexagonal carbon planes of both carbon foams and graphene petals. This chemically reactive hierarchical structure is characterized with FESEM, Raman, XRD, and XPS measurements. Methanol wetting enthalpy of this three-dimensional hierarchical material was measured with a solution calorimeter, and had shown a six fold increase (from 78 to 522 J/g of foam) as compared to the carbon foam prior to the surface modification. Influences of petal decoration on the surface morphology of carbon foam, BN chemical modification, structure and stoichiometry of the hierarchical material surface, and methanol wetting enthalpy improvement are discussed in detail. The applicability of this hierarchical porous material for thermal energy applications is established.
Hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel for regional delivery of paclitaxel to intraperitoneal tumors

Abstract Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is an effective way of treating local and regional malignancies confined in the peritoneal cavity such as ovarian cancer. However, a persistent major challenge in IP chemotherapy is the need to provide effective drug concentrations in the peritoneal cavity for an extended period of time. We hypothesized that hyaluronic acid (HA)-based in-situ crosslinkable hydrogel would serve as a carrier of paclitaxel (PTX) particles to improve their IP retention and therapeutic effects. In-vitro gel degradation and release kinetics studies demonstrated that HA gels could entrap microparticulate PTX (> 100 μm) and release the drug over 10 days, gradually degraded by hyaluronidase, but had limited effect on retention of Taxol, a 14-nm micelle form of PTX. When administered IP to tumor-bearing nude mice, PTX was best retained in the peritoneal cavity as PTX-gel (microparticulate PTX entrapped in the HA gel), whereas Taxol-gel and other Taxol-based formulations left negligible amount of PTX in the cavity after 14 days. Despite the increase in IP retention of PTX, PTX-gel did not further decrease the tumor burdens than Taxol-based formulations, presumably due to the limited dissolution of PTX. This result indicates that spatial availability of a drug does not necessarily translate to the enhanced anti-tumor effect unless it is accompanied by the temporal availability.
On the strategic use of debt and capacity in rapidly expanding markets

Abstract We exploit the 1996 telecommunications deregulation as a quasi-natural experiment to investigate whether incumbents alter debt and capacity tactics when facing new rivals. We find that incumbents increase leverage after deregulation, even when controlling for traditional determinants and market conditions. Consistent with a new post-deregulation benefit, a higher leverage is positively related to market shares. This behavior appears only in telecommunication segments most affected by the deregulation. We find weak evidence for increased use of capacity tactics. Our findings for incumbents facing an influx of rivals in a rapidly expanding market differ from those of earlier studies considering mature markets.
Molecular pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Abstract Molecular studies of the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections have proceded rapidly following the molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the HIV genome. Correlation of biochemical and functional studies of HIV-infected cells with the HIV nucleotide sequence has allowed the identification and preliminary functional characterization of many HIV proteins. These include structural proteins (gag), viral enzymes (pol), and viral regulatory proteins (tat, art). Cloned HIV DNA segments have been utilized as probes for in situ nucleic acid hybridization to study the distribution of HIV-infected cells in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) patients. These studies have demonstrated the infection of macrophages as an important component of HIV-induced neurologic disease. Only very low numbers of HIV-infected lymphocytes can be identified in the peripheral blood of infected individuals. Thus, the mechanism of CD4 cell depletion in the pathogenesis of AIDS remain obscure.
How companies define their mission

Abstract Seventy-five mission statements were obtained from chief executive officers of large companies. Content and statistical analyses of these documents reveal the inclusion of nine key components. Profiles of the mission statements of manufacturing and service firms are developed and guidelines are provided for writing and using mission statements.
The Social Stigma of Loneliness: Effect of Target Person's and Perceiver's Sex

The assumption that lonely people are socially stigmatized was tested in an experiment using a 2 (Loneliness State) x 2 (Sex of Target Person) x 2 (Sex of Perceiver) between-subjects design. Results shored that the lonely target person was rated much more negatively than the nonlonely target person on measures of psychological attributes and interpersonal attraction and evaluation. Specifically, the lonely target person was perceived as lower in psychological adjustment, achievement/competence, and sociability/congeniali4y. The lonely person was less liked, was less preferred as a friend, and was rated as weaker more passive, less attractive, and less sincere. The negative evaluations were also found to vary according to the sex of the target person and the perceiver; the male lonely target person was more stigmatized than the female lonely target person, and female perceivers were more critical than male perceivers toward the lonely target person. The findings were replicated in a second experiment, whic...
Improved Cross-Frame Connection Details for Steel Bridges with Skewed Supports:

Cross frames and diaphragms play an important role in stabilizing straight steel girders. Commonly used connections between these braces and the steel girders can introduce flexibility, which can have detrimental effects on the bracing behavior, particularly on bridges with skewed supports. This paper documents a research investigation sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation on connection details for stability bracing in steel bridges with skewed supports. One goal of the study is to propose an improved connection method. One detail being investigated is a round half-pipe stiffener connected to the top and bottom flanges. The round stiffener allows perpendicular connections to the cross-frame connection tab, regardless of the skew angle. Additionally, there are substantial structural improvements when the tubular stiffener is used. Fastening the tubular stiffener to the flanges provides a significant increase in the warping stiffness of the cross section at the support. Finite element modeling has predicted increases in buckling capacity as high as 80% because of this warping restraint. As a result, in the vicinity of the half-pipe stiffener, the brace spacing can likely be increased. The increased spacing in these regions will simplify fabrication and reduce the number of fatigue-sensitive details in the congested support region. This paper describes a method to calculate the increase in girder buckling capacity due to the warping restraint provided by the pipe stiffener as well as the size of pipe for a required buckling capacity or unbraced length with design tools already widely used by structural engineers.
Electrical conductivity of plasma in a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field

The electrical conductivity of plasma in a strong spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field has been calculated using the small-gyroradius approximation to the kinetic equation. The current which flows along the magnetic lines is the sum of two parts, one due to the time-independent applied electric field, and the other (secondary currents) associated with gradient-B drifts across the lines. The first part gives the electrical conductivity. It has a non-local dependence on the electric field, when the mean free path is not short compared with the scale length for magnetic variations along the field lines. The kinetic equation is solved by a perturbation technique in the long-mean-free-path limit, and an explicit expression for the conductivity is obtained. The main result is that the inhomogeneity reduces the conductivity approximately by the fraction of trapped particles.
Inorganic bromine in the lower stratosphere

Inorganic bromine content in the lower stratosphere was determined from a series of three balloon flights conducted in 1981 and 1982 from Holloman AFB, New Mexico (33°N). A Direct Flow Sampler (DFS) sampled large quantities of stratospheric air through a 35 cm diameter filter mounted upstream of a blower. Filters were prepared with an inert organic oil and a strong organic base in order to capture both acidic and particulate species. Following flight, the filters underwent an extraction process. Then, aliquots of the solution were subjected to neutron activation analysis. The methodology involved a radiochemical procedure which was developed and tested to measure, simultaneously, both chlorine and bromine content. High-resolution gamma spectrometry was used and bromine content was determined by counting 80Br activity. The resulting values for volume mixing ratios of bromine increased from a low of 2.6 pptv at 15 km to a high of 15.6 pptv for the 25–30 km band. The results are shown to be in agreement with earlier measurements by Sedlacek et al. (1984) and with one-dimensional photochemical model predictions by yung et al. (1980).
Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity including angina, heart failure and stroke. Medical therapy remains suboptimal with significant side effects and toxicities, as well as a high recurrence rate. Catheter ablation or modification of the atrio-ventricular node with pacemaker implantation provides rate control but subjects the patient to the risks of an implantable device and does nothing to reduce the risk of stroke. Pulmonary vein antrum isolation offers a nonpharmacologic means of restoring sinus rhythm, thereby eliminating the morbidity of atrial fibrillation and the need for anti-arrhythmic drugs.
Physical activity predicts weight loss following gastric bypass surgery: findings from a support group survey.

Background Patient adherence to recommended eating and physical activity behaviors is considered important to weight loss outcomes following gastric bypass surgery, but there has been little systematic research in this area to investigate behavioral predictors of weight loss.
Getting Inside the Instructional Process: A Collaborative Diagnostic Process for Improving College Teaching.

CAP, a Collaborative Analysis and Action Planning Process, is a consultation strategy developed to facilitate the improvement of teaching in higher education. The design is based on research from school ethnographies and instructional systems. CAP permits the complexities of the teaching process to be addressed and uses naturalistic inquiry methods in a consultation setting. Through the development of a collaborative relation with the instructor and students, their conscious and tacit knowledge can be combined with the consultant’s expertise to reach accurate data-based statements about the strengths, limitations, and achievable goals of the instructional process.
Neonatal intensive care unit handoffs: a pilot study on core elements and epidemiology of errors.

Neonatal intensive care unit handoffs: a pilot study on core elements and epidemiology of errors
Isomerizationi of small ring lithium dialkylamides

Abstract Lithiu N-butylcycloprpylamide ( 1 ) and lithium N-propylcyclobutylamide ( 2 ) rearrrange in ethereal solvents by nucleophilic eliminative rings fission processes; amide 1 is highly reactive whereas amide 2 is somewhat stable.
IDEOSY: An Ideographic and Interactive Program Description System

IDEOSY is an experiment in the use of a formal semantics as the basis for a programming system and in use of an ideographic language as the primary means of user-computer communication. The important characteristics of our system are that it uses an ideographic syntax, has a syntax-directed editor, supports the definition of various equivalence properties and the proofs of such equivalence, and has an interpreter. It currently runs on Apollo workstations and on VAXes running Berkeley UNIX@ using any of a variety of high-resolution color displays.Our formalism is based on Milner's Calculus of Communicating Systems (CCS) [1]. We have found CCS to be a convenient formalism for describing programs and have even used it for describing the UNIX operating system [2]. Its algebraic properties are very useful for building descriptions out of components and for proving the equivalence of descriptions. Since CCS is an operational semantics, we may directly interpret descriptions written in CCS.
Refining the Measurement of Curativeness: An Empirical Approach.

This article presents a rationale for and the implementation of a factor analytic study of a revised curative factor instrument. Valuing of the three factors of catharsis, cohesion, and insight by ...
Photochemical synthesis of a cyclopropanone precursor

PHOTOCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF A CYCLOPROPANONE PRECURSOR' T.H. Koch and R.J. Sluski Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado 80302 (Received in USA 3 April 1970; received in UK for publication 15 Hay 1970) Photodimerization 2,3 and photocycloaddition to olefins 4 are the predominant photochemical reactions of 2-cyclopentenone. An alternate mode of photoreactivity, a-cleavage and subsequent rearrangement to a cyclopropane derivative, has recently been reported for 5,5-diphenyl and 5,5-dimethy1-2-cyclopentenone.5 We have observed a preferential a-cleavage reaction in the photochemistry of a molecule which formally resembles a 2-cyclopentenone, 2-ethoxypyrrolin-5-one (I).6 Irradiation of the pyrrolinone (I) in t-butyl alcohol at 2537AO results in a rearrangement to a cyclopropanone precursor, kbutyl N-(l-ethoxycyclopropyl)carbamate (II) (70% yield, m.p. 44-45O).
Mandibular ameloblastoma in a 3-year-old child.

Abstract A simple ameloblastoma was removed from the left mandible of a 3-year-old boy. This child is believed to be the youngest patient in whom such a lesion has been reported.
Effects of the putative dopamine autoreceptor antagonists (+)-AJ 76 and (+)-UH 232 on the discriminative stimulus properties of cocaine.

Recent evidence suggests that the putative dopamine (DA) autoreceptor antagonists, (+)-AJ 76 and (+)-UH 232, share some neurochemical and behavioral effects with both psychostimulants and neuroleptics. The ability of (+)-AJ 76 and (+)-UH 232 to mimic or antagonize the stimulus effects of cocaine was investigated in rats trained to discriminate 5 mg/kg (N=8) or 10 mg/kg (N=8) of cocaine from saline in a two-lever, water-reinforced, drug discrimination task. In the cocaine (10 mg/kg) group, administration of (+)-AJ 76 (2.5–20 mg/kg) engendered only a partial substitution for cocaine (maximum 60% cocaine-lever responses). Given in combination with cocaine (10 mg/kg), (+)-AJ 76 (2.5–40 mg/kg) did not significantly attenuate the cocaine cue. A fixed dose of (+)-AJ 76 (2.5 or 10 mg/kg) plus various doses of cocaine (1.25–5 mg/kg) did not alter the cocaine dose-response curve. (+)-UH 232 (2–16 mg/kg) produced primarily saline-appropriate responding in rats trained to discriminate 5 mg/kg of cocaine and was unable to block the interoceptive cocaine state when given in combination with cocaine (5 mg/kg). (+)-UH 232 (2 or 8 mg/kg) also did not alter the cocaine dose-response curve. These results suggest that (+)-AJ 76 and (+)-UH 232 elicit only weak or no cocaine-like stimulus effects and, unlike neuroleptics, do not attenuate the cocaine cue.