cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leptin Activates Hypothalamic CART Neurons Projecting to the Spinal Cord

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin decreases body weight in part by activating the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in increased thermogenesis and energy expenditure. We investigated hypothalamic pathways underlying leptin's effects on stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. We found that leptin activates neurons in the retrochiasmatic area (RCA) and lateral arcuate nucleus (Arc) that innervate the thoracic spinal cord and also contain cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART). We also found that most CART-containing neurons in the RCA and Arc of the hypothalamus also contain proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA. The finding that leptin activates CART/POMC neurons innervating sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the thoracic spinal cord suggests that this pathway may contribute to the increased thermogenesis and energy expenditure and decreased body weight observed following leptin administration.
β-Adrenergic Receptors and Catecholamine-Sensitive Adenylate Cyclase of the Human Placenta

β-Adrenergic receptor and β-adrenergic sensitive adenylate cyclase were demonstrated in membrane fractions of human placenta. Placental membranes from normal term pregnancies bound the β-adrenergic antagonist (−)[3H]dihydroalprenolol to a single saturable class of sites (Kd = 2.31 ± 0.23 nM; n = maximal capacity, 112±9 fmol/mg). Competition for binding was stereoselective for (−)isomers of propranolol, and β-adrenergic agonists displayed competition for the placental receptor in the order (−)isoproterenol > (−)epinephrine > (−)norepinephrine, typical of a β2 type receptor. β-Adrenergic receptor was present in placental tissue as early as 10 weeks gestational age, and binding capacity decreased slightly with advancing gestation. [3H]Dihydroalprenolol binding was coupled to epinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity throughout gestation. The subcellular distribution of both β-adrenergic receptors and epinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase suggest their localization primarily in nonbrush border memb...
Nanometer-scale fabrication by simultaneous nanoshaving and molecular self-assembly

Nanostructures down to a few nanometers in size and composed of close-packed and well-ordered molecules have been fabricated by simultaneous nanoshaving using an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip and alkanethiols' self-assembly on gold. Compared with other microfabrication methods, this procedure allows more precise control in terms of the size and geometry of the fabricated features. An edge resolution better than 2 nm can be routinely obtained. In addition, the fabricated nanostructures can be quickly changed, modified, and characterized in situ. These advantages should make this method very useful in the development of prototypical nanoelectronic devices and, perhaps more importantly, in the study of spatially confined chemical reactions.
Building a University Brand from Within: University Administrators' Perspectives of Internal Branding

The branding process has evolved into a role that suggests a promise to meet consumer expectations. This promise has typically been developed based on external promotional strategies such as advertising and sales promotion. More recently, the brand messages conveyed to employees of an organization have been recognized as an important aspect of an organization's positioning. The objective of this study is to investigate the internal promotion of the brand within an industry that only recently began to embrace integrated marketing efforts: higher education. Administrators in higher education who regularly have an opportunity to convey the university brand promise to outside constituencies are surveyed. Respondents from private institutions reported greater brand clarity than respondents at public institutions.
Metoclopramide versus hydromorphone for the emergency department treatment of migraine headaches

Study objectives: The recent unavailability of prochlorperazine and droperidol has prompted the use of alternative medications for the emergency department (ED) treatment of migraine headaches. We evaluate the effectiveness of metoclopramide versus hydromorphone for the initial ED treatment of migraine headaches. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with migraine headache treated at a large urban ED. Information about medications and potential confounders was abstracted from medical records. Pain scores were determined from patient-reported measures (0 to 10) before and after medication interventions. A reduction of 3 or more points after medication was considered effective. Crude and adjusted (using Cox proportional hazards regression) relative risks (RR) were estimated to compare the effects of the medications. Results: A total of 183 subjects were included. Ages ranged from 18 to 79 years (mean 40 years), and 85.8% were women. Patients initially received metoclopramide intravenously (n=89), and hydromorphone intravenously or intramuscularly (n=48: 45 intravenous, 3 intramuscular), or one of several other medications (n=46). There were no significant age, sex, race, or initial pain score differences among these 3 groups. Mean reductions in pain scores after initial medication were 3.9 points for metoclopramide, 2.2 points for hydromorphone, and 2.6 points for all others combined ( P =.0009). When metoclopramide versus hydromorphone was compared, the crude RR for effective pain reduction was 1.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15 to 2.53, P =.003), and the adjusted RR was 1.87 (95% CI 0.95 to 3.69, P =.072). There was no difference in pain reduction between 10-mg and 20-mg doses of metoclopramide ( P =.937) or between 0.5-mg, 1-mg, 2-mg, and 4-mg doses of hydromorphone ( P =.103). Conclusion: Metoclopramide appears to be more effective than hydromorphone as an initial ED treatment of migraine headaches. Increasing doses of metoclopramide and hydromorphone demonstrated no significant pain reduction.
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF STREPTOCOCCAL AND STAPHYLOCOCCAL SUPERANTIGENS IN SEPTIC SHOCK

The pyrogenic exotoxins of Group A Streptococci and enterotoxins of Staphylococcus aureus constitute a family of related toxins that acts as "superantigens" because of their ability to stimulate large numbers of T-cell subsets. These toxins have been implicated in gastrointestinal food poisoning, toxic shock syndromes, Gram-positive sepsis, and, possibly, septic shock. There is increasing evidence that Gram-positive infections frequently coexist in septic shock and that bacterial superantigens play a major role.
Attenuation of Noise in Ultrasensitive Signaling Cascades

Ultrasensitive cascades often implement thresholding operations in cell signaling and gene regulatory networks, converting graded input signals into discrete all-or-none outputs. However, the biochemical and genetic reactions involved in such cascades are subject to random fluctuations, leading to noise in output signal levels. Here we prove that cascades operating near saturation have output signal fluctuations that are bounded in magnitude, even as the number of noisy cascade stages becomes large. We show that these fluctuation-bounded cascades can be used to attenuate the noise in an input signal, and we find the optimal cascade length required to achieve the best possible noise reduction. Cascades with ultrasensitive transfer functions naturally operate near saturation, and can be made to simultaneously implement thresholding and noise reduction. They are therefore ideally suited to mediate signal transfer in both natural and artificial biological networks.
Neuroprotective Effects of a Dual L/N-type Ca2+ Channel Blocker Cilnidipine in the Rat Focal Brain Ischemia Model

Although a blockade or lack of N-type Ca(2+) channels has been reported to suppress neuronal pathological processes in several animal models of pain and ischemic brain injury, information is still limited regarding the neuroprotective effects of a dual L/N-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, cilnidipine. In this study, we assessed the effects of cilnidipine in the rat focal brain ischemia model to analyze its potential utility for hypertensive patients with cerebral infarction. In an anesthetized rat model, cerebral vasodilator actions of cilnidipine were detected at hypotensive doses, which was less potent than those of an L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, nilvadipine. In the rat focal brain ischemia model, an anti-hypertensive and anti-sympathetic dose of cilnidipine could reduce the size of cerebral infarction, whereas an equipotent hypotensive dose of nilvadipine failed to affect it. These results suggest that N-type Ca(2+) channel-blocking profile of cilnidipine may contribute its neuroprotective action in the animal focal brain ischemia model. Thus, treatment of hypertension with cilnidipine may prevent severe consequences after brain attack.
Raman spectroscopy of carbon dust samples from NSTX

The Raman spectrum of dust particles exposed to the NSTX plasma is different from the spectrum of unexposed particles scraped from an unused graphite tile. For the unexposed particles, the high energy G-mode peak (Raman shift ~1580 cm-1) is much stronger than the defect-induced D-mode peak (Raman shift ~ 1350 cm-1), a pattern that is consistent with Raman spectrum for commercial graphite materials. For dust particles exposed to the plasma, the ratio of G-mode to D-mode peaks is lower and becomes even less than 1. The Raman measurements indicate that the production of carbon dust particles in NSTX involves modifications of the physical and chemical structure of the original graphite material. These modifications are shown to be similar to those measured for carbon deposits from atmospheric pressure helium arc discharge with an ablating anode electrode made from a graphite tile material. We also demonstrate experimentally that heating to 2000-2700 K alone can not explain the observed structural modifications indicating that they must be due to higher temperatures needed for graphite vaporization, which is followed either by condensation or some plasma-induced processes leading to the formation of more disordered forms of carbon material than the original graphite.
What do novices learn during program comprehension

Comprehension of computer programs involves identifying important program parts and inferring relationships between them. The ability to comprehend a computer program is a skill that begins its development in the novice programmer and reaches maturity in the expert programmer. This research examined the beginning of this process, that of comprehension of computer programs by novice programmers. The mental representations of the program text that novices form, which indicate the comprehension strategies being used, were examined. In the first study, 80 novice programmers were tested on their comprehension of short program segments. The results suggested that novices form detailed, concrete mental representations of the program text, supporting work that has previously been done with novice comprehension. Their mental representations were primarily procedural in nature, with little or no modeling using real‐world referents. In a second study, the upper and lower quartile comprehenders from Study 1 were test...
Anomalous resistivity profiles in long silicon crystals grown by the Czochralski method

Abstract Anomalous resistivities have been observed in the upper portions of Czochralski-grown silicon crystals 15–25 inches long. Several experiments have shown that the anomalies are due to the presence of thermal donors. These donors are formed in regions that are far enough from the growth interface in each crystal to spend appreciable periods at temperatures in the 300–500 °C range before crystal growth is completed and the system cooled to room temperature.
Debt, demographics, and dishonesty

The costs of supporting an aging society, in an era that will experience increased longevity, escalating health care costs, and low birth rates, will become untenable. The adjustments that must ultimately be made will inflict significant economic pain across all sections of society. Many people who regard themselves as being middle class will live out their lives in near-poverty. There are major implications for investment strategies. Long-term returns for most asset classes will be far lower than recent bull markets have led people to expect. Consumers, companies, and local and national governments all acquire debt. The impact of this debt depends on many factors. These include: its real (inflation-adjusted) cost, the degree of leverage and the debt-servicing capability, the uses that are made of the debt, and the identity of the creditors. The aging of western societies is not happening in isolation from demographic trends that are occurring elsewhere in the world. They are reforming totalitarian or corrupt political, legal, and class systems that kept the majority of their populations in poverty. The net result is a dramatic increase in global production capacity.
Myosin filaments have non-phosphorylated light chains in relaxed smooth muscle

The provocative hypothesis that myosin in resting smooth muscle is in a soluble form and assembles into filaments only at the time of contraction1,2 has been disproved with the demonstration of regular arrays of myosin filaments in a variety of smooth muscles, including those shown to have been relaxed before and during fixation3–7. Nevertheless, following the observations of Suzuki et al8. on the effect of light-chain phos-phorylation on smooth muscle myosin assembly in vitro, this hypothesis has been revived with the speculation that relaxed smooth muscle contains non-phosphorylated, non-filamentous myosin that assembles into filaments only after the muscles are stimulated and myosin is phosphorylated9. Here we have used rapid freezing techniques to avoid concerns about the possible effects of fixation on the in vivo form of myosin10 and demonstrate the existence of a myosin filament lattice in relaxed vascular smooth muscles in which we also show myosin light chain phosphorylation to be minimal (<5%).
A Closed-Form Distributed-Parameters Modeling Framework for Piezoresistive-Based Microcantilever Sensors With Application to Nanoscale Force Measurement

This paper presents a closed-form distributed-parameters based modeling framework for a piezoresistive microcantilever. Due to the variety of applications in biological and material science technologies, microcantilevers have recently received widespread attention. Due to their extreme sensitivity and simplicity, piezoresistive microcantilevers are widely used in variety of sensing applications; however, most of the current studies focus on a simple lumped-parameters modeling rather than modeling of the piezoresistive microcantilevers itself. Due to the applications of the piezoresistive microcantilevers in nanoscale force sensing or non-contact Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), which are involved with the forces in the range of nano-Newton to pico-Newton, precise modeling of the piezoresistive microcantilevers is essential. Instead of the previously used lumped-parameters modeling, a distributed-parameters modeling is proposed and developed here to achieve the most precise model of the piezoresistive microcantilever with tip-mass, tip-force and base movement. In order to utilize online control and real-time sensor feedback, there is a need to have a closed-form relationship between microcantilever’s piezoresistive output voltage as a function of tip force and the base motion. To achieve this, utilizing a novel approach a closed-form modeling framework for the piezoresistive microcantilever is presented. Following the mathematical modeling, simulation results are presented to show the accuracy of the proposed distributed-parameters modeling when compared with the previously reported lumped-parameters modeling approach.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Advanced backcross QTL analysis: a method for the simultaneous discovery and transfer of valuable QTLs from unadapted germplasm into elite breeding lines.

Advanced backcross QTL analysis is proposed as a method of combining QTL analysis with variety development. It is tailored for the discovery and transfer of valuable QTL alleles from unadapted donor lines (e.g., land races, wild species) into established elite inbred lines. Following this strategy, QTL analysis is delayed until the BC2 or BC3 generation and, during the development of these populations, negative selection is exercised to reduce the frequency of deleterious donor alleles. Simulations suggest that advanced backcross QTL analysis will be effective in detecting additive, dominant, partially dominant, or overdominant QTLs. Epistatic QTLs or QTLs with gene actions ranging from recessive to additive will be detected with less power than in selfing generations. QTL-NILs can be derived from advanced backcross populations in one or two additional generations and utilized to verify QTL activity. These same QTL-NILs also represent commercial inbreds improved (over the original recurrent inbred line) for one or more quantitative traits. The time lapse from QTL discovery to construction and testing of improved QTL-NILs is minimal (1-2 years). If successfully employed, advanced backcross QTL analysis can open the door to exploiting unadapted and exotic germplasm for the quantitative trait improvement of a number of crop plants.
In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today. By Aleks Sierz. London: Faber & Faber, 2000; pp. 274. $17 paper.

One of the more original developments in contemporary theatre at the end of the twentieth century was the reactionary mode of playwriting to emerge from Britain’s younger generation. London and Edinburgh audiences, particularly, saw some of the most groundbreaking and influential movements in British theatre to be produced since John Osborne’s provocative debut of Look Back in Anger in 1956. In In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today, Aleks Sierz contemplates the theatrical debuts of many young writers and the artistic contributions by directors, designers, and actors involved in each of their often scandalous new works. The brazen portrayals of violence including rape, murder, and incest as well as drug abuse, homosexuality, and the ruthless use of language made for a controversial new mode of writing. The young playwrights who brought these appallingly poetic stories to the stage were simultaneously reacting to the post-Thatcher, postconsumer, cultural climate of the 1980s and locating the theatre as an uncensored medium for which to write. The plays form an aggressive, provocative, sometimes obscene, and usually highly entertaining corpus that Sierz situates as one of the most influential theatre movements of the late twentieth century.
Industrial market segmentation on buying center purchase responsibilities

This exploratory study focuses on the use of buying center purchase responsibilities as a basis for industrial market segmentation. Analysis of buying centers revealed differences between organizations with “overlapping” versus “position-dominant” patterns of purchase responsibility. Hypotheses supporting overlapping versus position-dominant buying centers are discussed, and implications for industrial marketing management are proposed.
AFFECTIVE DISORDERS IN THE ELDERLY: DIAGNOSTIC AND RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS

Although depressive disorders in the elderly represent a major public health concern by virtue of their high cost in human suffering, disability, and potential suicide, they have not been studied extensively, and specific criteria for diagnostic classification and optimal treatment are lacking. It seems likely that many of the affective syndromes in the elderly like senile melancholia, manic depressive illness, pseudodementia, and masked depression belong to the group of endogenous depressions, and can be identified by a constellation of clinical symptoms (endogenous or endogenomorphic profile), abnormal dexamethasone suppression test (DST) (at least 50%), and positive response to treatment with antidepressant medication. The rest are depressions reactive to psychogenic or sociogenic factors frequently presenting agitation as a dominant symptom, and finally there is a group of organic depressions due to underlying organic brain change, (i.e. senile dementia). It is possible that careful psychometric and psychiatric evaluation based on the symptom pattern, DST, and response to treatment would reveal reliable differences between pseudodementia and mild dementia and distinguish endogenomorphic from non-endogenomorphic depressions, respectively. The validity of such an approach remains to be demonstrated. Biological research in this area has provided valuable findings and should be the aim for the 1980s.
Molecular dissection of a dormancy QTL region near the chromosome 7 (5H) L telomere in barley

Moderate seed dormancy is desirable in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). It is difficult for breeders to manipulate seed dormancy in practical breeding programs because of complex inheritance and large environmental effects. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping opens a way for breeders to manipulate quantitative trait genes. A seed dormancy QTL, SD2, was mapped previously in an 8-cM interval near the chromosome 7 (5H) L telomere from a cross of 'Steptoe' (dormant)/'Morex' (non-dormant) by the North American Barley Genome Project using an interval mapping method and a relatively low-resolution genetic map. SD2 has a moderate dormancy effect, which makes it a promising candidate gene for moderate seed dormancy in barley cultivar development. The fine mapping of SD2 is required for efficient manipulation of SD2 in breeding and would facilitate the study of dormancy in barley. Ten different Morex isolines were generated, including regenerated Morex, of which nine lines had duplicates. The isolines together with Steptoe and Morex were grown in growth room and field environments for 2 years (2000 and 2001). In the growth room, relatively low growing temperatures (25 °C day/15 °C night) were employed to promote seed dormancy development. Seed germination percentage, determined at different post-harvest after-ripening periods, was used to measure seed dormancy. Fine mapping using the substitution mapping method based on differences among isolines resolved the SD2 QTL into an 0.8-cM interval between molecular markers MWG851D and MWG851B near the chromosome 7 (5H) L telomere. Relatively low temperatures (≤25 °C) during seed development promoted the expression of the SD2 dormancy QTL. The chromosome region above the MWG851D-MWG851B interval might play a role in reducing barley seed dormancy during after-ripening.
Observation of possible Fe XVII 2p5 3p/1S0/ - 2p5 3s/1P1, 3P1/ transitions in spectra of a solar active region and flare

Expected wavelengths and relative intensities are obtained from previous calculations for the hitherto unobserved transitions 2p5 3p(1SO) - 2p5 3s(1P1, 3P1) in Fe XVII. A candidate pair of lines at 197.05 A and 242.09 A was found in laboratory spectra and appears to be present in the spectra of a solar active region observed by the OSO-7 Goddard spectroheliograph as well as in the spectrum of a Skylab-observed solar flare.
Physical properties of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) coalesced from its α-cyclodextrin inclusion compound

Abstract Poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) is a biodegradable/bioabsorbable polyester used in such biomedical applications as drug delivery and suture manufacturing. PCL has relatively poor physical properties, however, limiting its load-bearing applications. In this work, PCL was processed with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) to form an inclusion complex (IC). The host α-CD was then stripped away to yield bulk PCL with largely extended, un-entangled polymer chains, a process referred to as coalescence. The changes in thermal, physical, and solid-state rheological properties resulting from this coalescence process were examined. It was found that elongating and un-entangling the PCL chains in this manner resulted in substantial increases in melt-crystallization temperatures, T c s, up to 25 °C, depending on the cooling rate from the melt. Coalescence also increased the elastic storage modulus, decreased tan δ , increased the average hardness and Young’s modulus by 33 and 53%, respectively, and produced a closer packing of chains in the non-crystalline sample regions, without affecting the overall PCL crystallinity. Interestingly, the reorganized PCL chains in the non-crystalline regions of coalesced samples did not revert to the normal randomly-coiled entangled melt even after heating well above T m (90 °C) for a month. The addition of small amounts (a few wt%) of coalesced PCL was also found to effectively nucleate the melt-crystallization of as-received PCL. Thus, the semi-crystalline morphology of PCL may be controlled by melt-processing with coalesced PCL added as a nucleant, that is not only necessarily non-toxic and biodegradable/bioabsorbable, but is also chemically compatible.
Simulation of the effect of phase uncertainties on the estimation of linear Doppler velocities using coherent random noise radar

The University of Nebraska has developed an ultrawideband coherent random noise radar that accomplishes phase-coherent processing of the received data. The system operates over the 1 - 2 GHz frequency range, and achieves phase coherence using heterodyne correlation of the received signal with the time delayed replica of the transmitted signal. Knowledge of the phase of the received signal and its time dependence due to the motion of the target permits the system to be configured as a Doppler radar for detecting both linear and rotational motion. Preliminary simulation and experimental results presented last year indicate confidence in the system's ability to extract linear and rotation Doppler velocities of targets. The accuracy with which Doppler spectra of moving objects can be estimated is dependent not only upon the phase performance of various components within the radar system, but also upon the uncertainties arising from random and systematic internal and external factors. This-paper describes the simulation studies to characterize the uncertainties in Doppler measurement due internal and external mechanism.
A model of the intrinsic efficiency of a time-of-flight spectrometer for keV ions

Abstract We have constructed a first-order model of the intrinsic efficiency of a time-of-flight spectrometer for medium energy ions. The spectrometer uses secondary electrons from a thin carbon foil to generate a start signal and ion impact on a microchannel plate to generate the stop signal. The model includes the effects of the secondary electron yield, multiple scattering in the foil, and the response of the individual microchannel plates which comprise the instrument. We describe the model and the variation of the predicted efficiency with model parameters. Comparisons with measured efficiencies for several ions and energies ranging from 40 keV H to 500 keV O indicate that the model's predictive power is satisfactory for interpreting the results of routine surface analyses.
Homonegativity among Professional School Counselors: An Exploratory Study.

Homonegativity among female professional school counselors (n = 215) representing a single Southern state was measured using adapted versions of the Homonegativity Scale (HS) and the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS). With the use of factorial analysis of variance, significant differences (p < .05) were found when HS and MHS scores were compared by (a) having a gay or lesbian friend or personal acquaintance, (b) frequency of church attendance, (c) participation in training about gay or lesbian sexual orientations in the 12 months prior to the study, and (d) having worked as a counselor with gay or lesbian people. Significant differences (p < .05) were found only for MHS scores when responses were compared by (a) race and (b) political affiliation.
The Non-Literal Enactment Effect: Filling in the Blanks

A large body of research has shown that verbal phrases such as “move the pen” are better remembered when they are physically enacted than when the same phrases are studied under standard verbal learning instructions (e.g., Engelkamp & Krumnacker, 1980). More recently, a non-literal enactment effect was discovered in which verbal material that was not literally congruent with the accompanying movement was nevertheless better remembered if the speaker had been moving during the utterance. The early demonstrations of this phenomenon involved actors' performances on stage, but the effects were later replicated with non-actors in a lab. A possible explanation for the non-literal effect is that the words and the performed actions are connected at a goal level. In the preliminary study, self-reports of professional actors revealed that all on-stage movements are carefully designed to explain or constrain how the accompanying verbal material constitutes an attempt to reach a goal. In the main study, it was found ...
Use of the A2A adenosine receptor as a physiological immunosuppressor and to engineer inflammation in vivo

Inflammation must be inhibited in order to treat, e.g., sepsis or autoimmune diseases or must be selectively enhanced to improve, for example, immunotherapies of tumors or the development of vaccines. Predictable enhancement of inflammation depends upon the knowledge of the "natural" pathways by which it is down-regulated in vivo. Extracellular adenosine and A(2A) adenosine (purinergic) receptors were identified recently as anti-inflammatory signals and as sensors of excessive inflammatory tissue damage, respectively (Ohta A and Sitkovsky M, Nature 2001;414:916-20). These molecules may function as an important part of a physiological "metabolic switch" mechanism, whereby the inflammatory stimuli-produced local tissue damage and hypoxia cause adenosine accumulation and signaling through cyclic AMP-elevating A(2A) adenosine receptors in a delayed negative feedback manner. Patterns of A(2A) receptor expression are activation- and differentiation-dependent, thereby allowing for the "acquisition" of an immunosuppressive "OFF button" and creation of a time-window for immunomodulation. Identification of A(2A) adenosine receptors as "natural" brakes of inflammation provided a useful framework for understanding how tissues regulate inflammation and how to enhance or decrease (engineer) inflammation by targeting this endogenous anti-inflammatory pathway. These findings point to the need of more detailed testing of anti-inflammatory agonists of A(2A) receptors and create a previously unrecognized strategy to enhance inflammation and targeted tissue damage by using antagonists of A(2A) receptors. It is important to further identify the contributions of different types of immune cells at different stages of the inflammatory processes in different tissues to enable the "tailored" treatments with drugs that modulate the signaling through A(2A) purinergic receptors.
Part‐set cueing effects in a diagnostic setting with professional auditors

The aim of this research is to examine the generality of the part-set cueing effect, a well-known memory-inhibition phenomenon in basic research, to professional problem diagnosis. Three experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 examines whether part-set cueing affects the ability of auditors to recall diagnoses, and if so, whether memory inhibition is affected by the plausibility of the hypotheses. Experiment 2 examines whether the part-set cueing effect is sensitive to changes in the symptoms that drive the diagnosis and whether differences in inhibition occur because of prompt plausibility or because of target plausibility. Experiment 3 extends the findings of the first two experiments to hypothesis generation and discriminates between competing accounts for the part-set cueing effect. The results show that part-set cueing effects occur during hypothesis generation and that they are robust to changes in the symptoms. However, the results from the experiments reveal an asymmetric inhibition effect. Inhibition is significant when prompts contain low plausibility hypotheses that are also high in severity. When prompts consist of high plausibility or low severity hypotheses, no inhibition is observed. These findings are considered to be consistent with an editing account of the part-set cueing phenomenon. The implications of these findings to problem diagnosis and decision aids are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation of S and NOx-N deposition budgets for the United States and Canada

Extensive wet deposition monitoring data, along with much sparser dry deposition monitoring data and isolated field characterizations of droplet deposition, are used to produce an annual deposition budget for S and NOx-N for each contiguous U.S. state and Canadian province. The contribution to wet deposition from natural sources is estimated, and wet deposition is adjusted accordingly, to focus the analysis on deposition associated with anthropogenic emissions. The budgets, which are appropriate for 1985–1987, include adjustments for increased local wet and dry deposition near point sources and urban areas, which are generally avoided in selecting monitoring sites. When aggregated over the United States and Canada, estimated wet, dry, and droplet deposition account for about 30, 29, and 4% of anthropogenic S emissions, respectively, implying that 37% is exported. For NOx-N, estimated wet, dry, and droplet deposition account for 30, 43, and 4% of anthropogenic emissions, with 23% exported. Results are in general agreement with a variety of other observational analyses and regional modeling simulations, particularly for eastern North America, and are consistent with estimates of net horizontal mass fluxes of S and NOx-N across the Atlantic coast of North America.
Reactions at the corroding nickel electrode in molten sodium carbonate under CO/CO2 atmosphere

Abstract Anodic reactions at the CO, CO 2 |Ni electrode in molten sodium carbonate at 1000°C are examined in detail. Experimental polarization curves are fitted via a computer graphics procedure to a model employing five anodic reactions with activation, concentration and resistance polarization, and passivation. The resultant empirical parameters are interpreted in terms of absolute rate expressions describing possible anodic reactions. Three of the anodic reactions are found to be in accord with the findings at inert electrodes by previous investigators, i.e. oxidation of CO by two mechanisms and oxidation of carbonate, while the cathodic reaction is consistent with reduction of CO 2 . The remaining two anodic reactions were associated with the oxidation of nickel to Ni 2+ with formation of a NiO film above a passivation potential, and, at higher anodic overpotentials, oxidation of NiO to a higher oxide, e.g. Ni 2 O 3 . There is an indication of the formation of a third oxide at still higher anodic overpotentials.
Influence of sorption on removal of tryptophan and phenylalanine during nanofiltration

Abstract Under conditions when amino acids were effectively neutral and the membrane was near its point of zero charge, crossflow nanofiltration experiments revealed an extended duration before steady-state permeate concentrations were attained for tryptophan and phenylalanine compared with glycine and alanine. Valine showed an intermediate behavior compared with Trp and Phe on one hand and Gly and Ala on the other. Additionally, steady-state rejections of Trp and Phe were lower than that expected from predominantly steric and electrostatic considerations (Gly, Ala, and Val), consistent with enhanced diffusion across the active layer of the membrane due to partitioning onto the polymeric matrix (polymer phase diffusion plus pore diffusion). Batch tests substantiated the unsteady-state removals during crossflow nanofiltration by revealing significant uptake of Phe and Trp, limited uptake of Val, and no measurable uptake of Gly and Ala on the polymeric membrane. Hence, sorption can lead to the overestimation of Trp and Phe, (and possibly Val) rejection capabilities of nanofiltration membranes in the short-term. In other words, even sorption of solutes with low octanol–water partition coefficients (log K ow
Determination of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene surface contamination on M107 artillery projectiles and sampling method evaluation

Given current conditions, the Army has an interest in developing advanced explosive detection technologies and in characterizing explosive signatures emanating from munitions ranging from landmines to artillery projectiles. While significant efforts have been devoted to determining the explosive signatures of landmines, relatively little has focused on signatures generated by artillery projectiles. Realizing this, the work presented here details efforts to measure the levels of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) existing on the exterior surface of M107 artillery projectiles. These efforts were based on the hypothesis that there may be detectable levels of TNT on projectile surfaces as a result of manufacturing processes and storage conditions. It is believed that such surface contamination might provide one source of TNT that could be detected by sensitive vapor sensing devices. It is the goal of this research to determine whether or not projectiles that are manufactured and stored in a similar fashion will exhibit a predictable range of TNT concentrations. This data could then be used to predict the level of environmental contamination that would occur if the projectile were present. The preliminary work reported here addresses the problem of sample collection. Specifically, quantifying the collection efficiency of a particular sampling technique is investigated, as this information is crucial in determining the total quantity of TNT found of the surfaces of the projectiles. Considerations such as total amount of TNT removed compared to total amount of TNT present (on control samples) as well as the method's ease of use in the field are addressed. Data collected from M107 projectiles being stored at an Army test facility is then analyzed and discussed.
Reduced calcium currents in subendocardial Purkinje myocytes that survive in the 24- and 48-hour infarcted heart.

BACKGROUND The abnormal transmembrane action potentials of subendocardial Purkinje fibers that survive 24 to 48 hours after coronary artery occlusion can be a source of the multiform ventricular tachycardias that occur during this time. A change in the density or function of either or both the T-type and L-type cardiac Ca2+ channels may contribute to the altered electrical activity of these Purkinje myocytes. METHODS AND RESULTS The purpose of this study was to determine the function of the T- and L-type Ca2+ currents (iCat and iCaL, respectively) in Purkinje myocytes dispersed from the subendocardium of the left ventricle 24 and 48 hours after coronary artery occlusion (IZPC24 and IZPC48, respectively). To do this we compared whole-cell Ca2+ currents from Purkinje myocytes enzymatically dispersed from free-running fiber bundles (SPCs), from the subendocardium of the noninfarcted canine heart (NZPCs), and from IZPC24 and IZPC48. ICaL and iCat were recorded with Cs(+)- and EGTA-rich pipettes and in Na(+)-K(+)-free external solutions to eliminate overlapping currents. ICaL density was significantly reduced in IZPC48 compared with NZPC or IZPC24. This was not accompanied by a shift in the current-voltage relation or by a change in the time course of decay of iCaL. Replacement of Ca2+ with equimolar Ba2+ increased iCaL density in all cell types, but peak iBaL of IZPC48 remained reduced compared with control iBaL values. T-type Ca2+ currents were recorded in all SPCs and NZPCs. In IZPC24 and IZPC48 there was a reduction in peak iCat amplitudes and densities. This was not accompanied by a shift in the current-voltage relation or by a change in the time course of decay of peak iCat. However, there was a hyperpolarizing shift in the steady-state availability relations in both IZPC24 and IZPC48. In addition, the maximally available iCat in IZPC24 was not different from control, whereas it was significantly reduced in IZPC48. CONCLUSIONS The L-type ICa density in subendocardial Purkinje myocytes that survive in the infarcted heart is significantly decreased by 48 hours after the time of coronary artery occlusion. The peak T-type ICa density is decreased in subendocardial Purkinje myocytes that survive in the infarcted heart at 24 hours, but further reduction occurs in these myocytes by 48 hours. This loss in Ca2+ channel function could contribute to the abnormal transmembrane potentials of these myocytes surviving in the infarcted heart.
PET Imaging of Angiogenesis

This article reviews the application of PET in angiogenesis imaging at both the functional and molecular level. Angiogenesis is a highly-controlled process that is dependent on the intricate balance of both promoting and inhibiting factors, involved in various physiologic and pathologic processes. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate angiogenesis has resulted in the design of new and more effective therapeutic strategies. Because of insufficient sensitivity to detect therapeutic effects by using standard clinical end points or by looking for physiologic improvement, a multitude of imaging techniques have been developed to assess tissue vasculature on the structural, functional, and molecular level. All the methods discussed have been successfully used pre-clinically and will hopefully aid in anti-angiogenic drug development in animal studies.
U.S. and Chinese Teachers' Conceptions and Constructions of Representations: A Case of Teaching Ratio Concept

This study examines U.S. and Chinese teachers' constructing, knowing, and evaluating representations to teach the concept of ratio. All Chinese lesson plans are very similar with details in teaching contents and procedure. The U.S lesson plans are extremely varied although they all adopted the ‘outline and worksheet’ format. Both the Chinese and the U.S. teachers relied on concrete representations in introducing the concept of ratio, but they have very different thinking in selecting and presenting the concrete representations, as well as in the functions of the representations. The U.S. teachers are much more likely than Chinese teachers to predict drawing and guess-and-check strategies. Chinese teachers are much more likely than U.S. teachers to predict algebraic approaches. For the responses using conventional strategies, both the U.S. and Chinese teachers gave them high and almost identical scores. If a response involved a drawing or an estimate of an answer, the Chinese teachers usually gave a relatively lower score than U.S. teachers. This study contributes to our understanding about U.S. and Chinese teachers' beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning.
Ribosomes as sensors of heat and cold shock in Escherichia coli .

Nearly all cells respond to an increase in temperature by inducing a set of proteins, called heat shock proteins (HSPs). Because a large number of other stress conditions induce the HSPs (or at least the most abundant ones), this response is often termed the universal stress response. However, a careful study of conditions that truly mimic a temperature shift suggested that these proteins are induced in response to a change in the translational capacity of the cell. To test this directly, Escherichia coli cells were treated with antibiotics that target the prokaryotic ribosome. Two-dimensional gels were used to evaluate the ability of these drugs to alter the rate of synthesis of the HSPs. One group of antibiotics induced the HSPs, whereas a second group repressed the HSPs and induced another set of proteins normally induced in response to a cold shock. Depending on the concentration used, the induction of the heat or cold shock proteins mimicked a mild or severe temperature shift. In addition, antibiotics of the cold shock-inducing group were found to block high temperature induction of the HSPs. The results implicate the ribosome as a prokaryotic sensor for the heat and cold shock response networks, a role it may serve in eukaryotes as well.
Interplay between PEO tether length and ligand spacing governs cell spreading on RGD-modified PMMA-g-PEO comb copolymers

The effects of tether length on cell adhesion to poly(methyl methacrylate)-graft-poly(ethylene oxide), PMMA-g-PEO, comb copolymer films functionalized with the adhesion peptide RGD were investigated. Copolymers having PEO tether lengths of 10 and 22 EO segments were synthesized and coupled with a synthetic peptide that contained both RGD and the synergy sequence PHSRN. Cell spreading assays revealed that the longer polymer tethers increased the rate of spreading and reduced the time required for fibroblasts to form focal adhesions. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements indicated a mean separation between integrin-bound peptides of 15.6 ± 1.4 nm for combs with long (22-mer) tethers, compared with 17.5 ± 1.3 nm for short (10-mer) tethers, on films of comparable peptide density (∼2500 peptides/μm2). The results suggest that the added mobility afforded by the more extensible tethers encouraged the formation of focal adhesions by allowing cells to reorganize tethered peptides on the nanome...
Partner instruction has potential to facilitate communication interaction between participants with chronic aphasia and their partners, however conclusive evidence is lacking

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Simmons-Mackie, N., Raymer, A., Armstrong, E., Holland, A., & Cherney, L. R. (2010). Communication partner training in aphasia: A systematic review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91, 1814–1837.Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This study was supported by the Clinical Practice Committee of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education [grant number H133G060055]; the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.
Solubilization of a Tripeptide HIV Protease Inhibitor Using a Combination of Ionization and Complexation with Chemically Modified Cyclodextrins

Kynostatin (KNI-272), an experimental HIV protease inhibitor, is currently undergoing preclinical testing for the treatment of AIDS. This transition state mimetic tripeptide exhibits extremely low aqueous solubility (4 μg/mL) making target concentrations (5-50 mg/mL) for parenteral solution formulations difficult to achieve. The presence of an ionizable (5-isoquinolinyloxy)acetyl moiety makes solubilization via pH adjustment possible, but a solubility > 5 mg/mL requires an adjustment in pH below 2.0, which would be physiologically unacceptable. This study examines and compares two approaches for solubilizing kynostatin: (1) inclusion complex formation at chemically distincthydrophobic binding sites using (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and a sulfobutyl ether derivative of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-SBE) and (2) a combined strategy utilizing ionization of the isoquinoline moiety coupled with inclusion complex formation at the remaining binding site(s). Macroscopic binding constants determined from solubility profiles as a function of pH and HPCD concentration have been compared with the microscopic binding constant for formation of the isoquinoline-HPCD inclusion complex determined by UV difference spectroscopy to examine the independence of binding domains within KNI-272. As demonstrated in this report, combination strategies tailored to the properties of different domains within the molecule may be highly effective in solubilizing compounds such as poorly soluble peptides.