cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Holocene environments of the high plateau, Yemen. Recent geoarchaeological investigations

The late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary stratigraphy is described for part of the high plateau of Yemen (altitude 2000–3000 m A.S.L.), to the south of Sana'a. The presence of angular slope debris and dune sand in pre-Holocene contexts suggest cold and arid late Pleistocene conditions, followed, after a phase of indeterminate semiarid fluvial activity, by the development of humic palaeosol A horizons at a wide range of altitudes. Dated to between 7500 and 4350 B.P., this palaeosol includes a valley floor component related to marsh and lake development. Correlation with the humid Neolithic phase of southern Arabia is suggested for this palaeosol. Above the palaeosol thick sedimentary accumulations are associated with increased evidence of human activity and the construction of terraced fields after around 4300 B.P. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Variation of the spin density at EF with oxygen adsorption : Fe(110) vs O/Fe(110)

The spin densities at the Fermi energy for the clean and oxygen adsorbed Fe(110) surfaces calculated using the full potential linearized augmented plane‐wave method are found to differ substantially (in sign) from the energy‐integrated total spin density previously given in the literature. The energy‐sliced spin density becomes negative in the Fe(110) surface‐vacuum region despite the enhancement of the surface magnetic moment and is reversed in sign, to positive, by the addition of a p(1×1) oxygen overlayer. Both results have been observed in a recent experiment using spin‐polarized metastable atom deexcitation spectroscopy.The spin densities at the Fermi energy for the clean and oxygen adsorbed Fe(110) surfaces calculated using the full potential linearized augmented plane‐wave method are found to differ substantially (in sign) from the energy‐integrated total spin density previously given in the literature. The energy‐sliced spin density becomes negative in the Fe(110) surface‐vacuum region despite the enhancement of the surface magnetic moment and is reversed in sign, to positive, by the addition of a p(1×1) oxygen overlayer. Both results have been observed in a recent experiment using spin‐polarized metastable atom deexcitation spectroscopy.
A Case for Department-Based Professional Development Sites for Secondary Teacher Education:

Proposals for professional development schools rarely distinguish between elementary and secondary schools. The high school department, rather than the school as a unit, may be a more appropriate and productive focus for secondary level university-school collaboration aimed at achieving the goals of the professional development school for three reasons: Initiating and managing the complexity of whole school-university collaboration may be overwhelming; the goals pursued by faculty schoolwide are different from and potentially less productive than those of dynamic departments; and departmental goals are more consistent with the collegial and content-in-context needs of beginning teachers. We use the 9-year experience of a collaborative, master's level, internship-based secondary teacher education program and especially recent collaboration with the science department of a metropolitan high school to illustrate the potential of department-based professional development sites.
An integrated data base management system for engineering applications based on an extended relational model

Engineering analysis and design of complex systems require the use of large software components. Development, maintenance, and extension of such a software system needs modern design and implementation techniques. Usually a large amount of data is generated. Flow of data is also quite complex, adding further complications in maintenance and extension of the software. A sophisticated data base management system (DBMS) is needed to support data handling during the run-time environment as well as for the integration of various software components. Design and development of such a DBMS needs new concepts and ideas such that efficiency of calculations is not sarcrificed. Degradation in efficiency due to the use of a DBMS can hinder large-scale applications. The paper describes a generalized relational model to handle large matrices and tables that are encountered in numerous engineering applications. A DBMS based on the model is designed and implemented. The system supports run-time data management as well as data sharing among software components. A preliminary evaluation of the system against some existing ones reveals the new concept and design to be quite appropriate for engineering applications. The system is very efficient and compact. Some details of design and performance of the system are given and discussed.
Crystalloids or colloids for fluid resuscitation – is that the question?

Abstract Fluid resuscitation is the most commonly applied treatment to critically ill patients and both crystalloids and colloids have saved thousands of lives. The debate of all crystalloids versus all colloids is increasingly irrelevant and misguided. Colloids are enormously variable and meta-analyses putting all colloids together into one group versus crystalloids are misleading. Critically ill patients form a very heterogeneous group and evidence is mounting which supports early subdivision into clinical entities and a more individualized treatment approach. All patients with hypovolaemia need water and salt, but when, how much and in what concentration? We should match the fluids used to the patient's condition. In patients with evidence of systemic capillary leak syndrome, modern medium molecular weight hydroxyethyl starches have shown definite advantages over albumin and low-molecular-weight gelatines.
Functional Expression of β-Chemokine Receptors in Osteoblasts: Role of Regulated upon Activation, Normal T Cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES) in Osteoblasts and Regulation of Its Secretion by Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts

The expression and functions of receptors for the beta-chemokine, regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES)/CCL5, were investigated in osteoblasts. Both primary osteoblasts and the MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cell line express the RANTES receptors, CCR1, 3, 4, and 5 (by RT-PCR), which encode functional receptors in osteoblasts as shown by [125I]-RANTES binding followed by Scatchard analysis. Expression of all four RANTES receptor mRNAs in osteoblast is in contrast to the reports of expression of CCR1 being the only RANTES receptor expressed by osteoclasts. Exogenous RANTES elicits chemotaxis of osteoblasts and promotes cell survival via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase with attendant phosphorylation of Akt. Osteoclastic RANTES, obtained from the conditioned medium of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand-differentiated RAW264.7 cells also induces chemotaxis of MC3T3-E1 cells. Incubating the conditioned medium with an anti-RANTES neutralizing antibody attenuated this effect. RANTES secretion from osteoblast is inhibited by differentiation promoting hormones, e.g. 1,25 (OH)2D3 and dexamethasone, whereas macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (but not macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta) and elevated calcium induce it. Elevated calcium also stimulated RANTES secretion by osteoclasts. Therefore, RANTES is an osteoblast chemoattractant and a survival-promoting molecule whose regulation in osteoblast is varied. Furthermore, RANTES secreted from osteoclasts induces osteoblast chemotaxis. Therefore, expression of RANTES and its receptors in both osteoblasts and osteoclasts could enable this chemokine to act in autocrine/paracrine modes.
Buffeting of Fin: Distortion of Incident Vortex

The encounter of a broken-down vortex with the swept leading edge of a fin is investigated in a water channel using high-image-density particle image velocimetry, which leads to instantaneous fields of velocity and vorticity. The vortex-fin interaction generates a layer of time-averaged vorticity extending along the entire leading edge from the root to the tip of the fin. This averaged vorticity is actually due to a succession of instantaneous states of highly concentrated vorticity along the edge of the postbreakdown region of the vortex. Above the surface of the fin, however, the averaged vorticity has a relatively low level ; the corresponding instantaneous vorticity concentrations have alternating sign and are not repetitive in space or time. Nevertheless, two-dimensional correlations of instantaneous vorticity exhibit well-defined peaks corresponding to an identifiable wavelength between the vorticity concentrations. Spectra of surface pressure at crucial locations on the fin are related to these features of the instantaneous and averaged flow structure.
Biological and chemical interactions of pesticides with soil organic matter.

There is little doubt that organic matter plays a major role in the binding of pesticides in soil, and that this phenomenon is usually the most important cause for interaction of pesticides in the soil environment. Fulvic or humic acids are the chemicals most commonly involved in the binding interactions. Binding can occur with the original pesticide or a transformation product, the reaction being caused by abiotic agents or biotic agents (microbial or plant enzymes). The reactions or processes involved appear to be the same as those responsible for the formation of humic substances, i.e. for the humification process. Binding of pesticides to organic matter can occur by sorption (Van der Waal's forces, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic bonding), electrostatic interactions (charge transfer, ion exchange or ligand exchange), covalent bonding or combinations of these reactions. Our investigation focused primarily on the binding of substituted phenols and aromatic amines to humus monomers and humic substances. In model reactions, we demonstrated the formation of covalent linkages between pesticides and humus constituents and fulvic or humic acids in the presence of phenol oxidases or clay minerals. With chlorinated phenols and carboxylic acids, it was possible to isolate and identify cross-coupling products and to elucidate the site and type of binding. The binding of chlorinated phenols to humic substances was determined by using 14C-labelled chemicals and by measuring the uptake of radioactivity by the humic material. These experiments provide a base for explaining the formation of bound residues in certain cases and for assuming the toxic potential of the immobilized pollutants.
R-(-)−gossypol (AT-101) activates programmed cell death in multiple myeloma cells

Objective Bcl-2 family proteins play a critical role in malignancies by regulating the balance between cell survival and apoptosis. R-(-)−gossypol (AT-101) is a small molecule that mimics the BH3 domain of cellular Bcl-2 inhibitors and interferes with the function of prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins. We examined the cytotoxicity of AT-101 in the context of multiple myeloma, a fatal hematological malignancy. Materials and Methods Multiple myeloma cell lines and primary cells obtained from multiple myeloma patients were used to investigate the effects of AT-101. Cell viability, apoptosis, and apoptosis pathways were examined using conventional viability assays, flow cytometry, and immunoblots. Results AT-101 was not only cytotoxic to conventional multiple myeloma cell lines, but was also effective against drug-resistant cell lines and primary multiple myeloma patient cells. Furthermore, AT-101 decreased proliferation of multiple myeloma cell lines in the presence of marrow stromal cells, indicating that this drug may overcome the protective effect of the microenvironment that is important for multiple myeloma cell proliferation and survival. Apoptosis was activated via the mitochondrial pathway in multiple myeloma cell lines treated with AT-101 as demonstrated by an increased Bax to Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and caspase activation. Finally, our studies demonstrated that AT-101 exhibits potent synergy with dexamethasone, a valuable therapeutic for multiple myeloma. Conclusion These data suggest that the activity of AT-101 may be highly relevant to multiple myeloma disease biology and may represent an option for treatment of patients with this disease.
A MOISTURE-BALANCE PROFILE ON THE SIERRA NEVADA

Abstract Profiles have been developed showing the variation with elevation of: runoff, evapotranspiration, interception, and precipitation. Data are from the American River Basin on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada. Elevations range from 200 to 10380 feet. Data are adjusted to annual means for a fifty-year period. Results show that precipitation can be estimated as the sum of the three other factors and the resulting precipitation profile shows the general response of precipitation to orography in this region.
Interaction technology: Speech act based information technology support for building collaborative relationships and trust

While relationships and trust are now commonly accepted as central to conducting business both within and across organizations, literature provides only minimal guidance as to how relationships and trust in inter and intra-organizations are created. Moreover, the role that information technology could play in building trust has largely been ignored. This paper describes an Internet-based process for building trust between collaborative commerce partners. Integrating concepts from Winograd and Flores' concept of speech act theory based ''conversations for action'' with research on ''closed loop cycles'' of trust and relationships in the disciplines of management and marketing, the paper first develops a framework for understanding trust and trust-building processes. The framework characterizes the process of building of trust as the management of commitments inherent in speech acts between requesters (customers) and performers. Furthermore, joint sense making during the conversation for action contributes to greater transparency thereby also increasing the levels of mutual trust. The process framework is used to develop requirements for information technology support for a process and tool for building trust. The paper then goes on to describe an implementation of the conversations for action and the closed loop cycles through a web-based software tool based upon Winograd and Flores' work. Experiences with managing commitments and closing the loop are presented through a case study in an organization that develops and maintains menu-driven voice applications for the call center industry. The case study shows the inadequacy of traditional communication technologies in managing complex, geographically distributed collaborative commitments, and shows how the use of the software tool contributes to a greater level of satisfaction and closing of the performance loop. The paper ends with a reflection on the nature of the tool, its possible uses and misuses, and the role of human wisdom in its use.
Epoprostenol-associated pneumonitis: Diagnostic use of a T-cell proliferation assay

We describe a case of severe drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis in a woman with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension receiving epoprostenol confirmed by a drug T-cell proliferation assay. Proliferation assays were completed in our patient and in a healthy control. Isolated T cells were incubated with CD3-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells and then stimulated to proliferate with (3)H-thymidine in the presence of epoprostenol, other prostanoid analogs, and controls. A significant (p < 0.001) T-cell proliferation response occurred in our patient in the presence of epoprostenol alone. There was a trend towards an increased T-cell response to treprostinil but this was statistically insignificant. There was no significant T-cell response to the diluent alone, normal saline, iloprost, or alprostadil. There was no significant proliferation to any drug in the healthy control. Hence, a drug T-cell proliferation assay confirmed that epoprostenol can rarely incite a profound inflammatory response in the pulmonary interstitium.
Increased Walleye Egg Hatch and Larval Survival after Protease Treatment of Eggs

Abstract Various techniques for eliminating the clumping of newly spawned walleye eggs (Stizostedion vitreum) were evaluated by measuring hatch, growth, and survival. Percent hatch was highest (83%) in egg groups water hardened in 0.01% protease solution. Other water-hardening techniques tested were: (1) continuous stirring; (2) 250 mg/L tannic acid solution; and (3) bentonite clay suspension. Low hatching percentages for eggs continuously stirred or treated with bentonite were attributed to fungus. Fungus was minimal on eggs treated with protease or tannic acid. Fish hatched from each egg treatment group were intensively cultured for 21 d in one of four rearing environments: (1) well water; (2) well water receiving 1% sea salt for the initial 3 d; (3) well water receiving a 6-mL daily addition of antifoam emulsion for the initial 9 d; or (4) well water receiving both the 1% sea salt and antifoam treatments. There was slightly higher survival in larval fish hatched from eggs treated with protease or tanni...
Localized orbital interactions: d‐electron exchange and correlation

Several approaches to treating electron correlation and exchange in localized d-orbital distributions are discussed. The approaches are designed to treat large systems such as transition metal clusters or solid surfaces by simpler approaches than configuration interaction calculations on the entire system. The analysis is based on the concept of an electronic subspace, defined by localized orbitals, embedded in a larger electronic system. An expression is developed for d-electron correlation contributions that is equivalent to an external potential. This potential can be used in conjunction with single-determinant or configuration interaction wave functions. The concept of using potentials instead of orbital basis functions to treat exchange in delocalized electronic systems is discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003
Reconstruction of the hypoplastic thumb

Thumb hypoplasia occurs in various forms and degrees. This article describes the cause, types, and specific treatment options for different levels of presentation. A review of results for treatment is presented.
Denitration of nitroaromatic compounds by arylnitrile radical cations.

Substituted nitrobenzenes react with substituted benzonitrile radical cations in an ion trap mass spectrometer by a novel ion/molecule reaction involving NO2 elimination. Formation of an arylated nitrile, Ar1+N≡CAr2 (where Ar1, Ar2 = aryl), is indicated by collision induced dissociation and comparison with the behavior of the authentic ion. Ab initio calculations (MP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G*) show the reaction of the unsubstituted compounds (Ar1, Ar2 = phenyl) to be exothermic by 48 kcal/mol, consistent with the experimental observation that the reaction rate decreases as the collision energy is increased. Electron withdrawing and donating substituents on either the ionic or the neutral reagent have little effect on the relative amount of product observed, pointing to a radical mechanism. Related denitration reactions were found to occur, between nitrobenzene and its radical cation and between phenylisonitrile and ionized nitrobenzene. These reactions are suggested to yield Ar1+N(=O)OAr2 and Ar2+ N≡CAr1, respectively. The denitration reaction was applied to trinitrotoluene (TNT) as a possible diagnostic reaction for the presence of nitroaromatic explosives.
Effect of blockade of dopaminergic receptors on prolactin and LH release: median eminence and pituitary sites of action.

Pimozide, a dopamine receptor blocker, was injected SC or implanted into the hypothalamus or adenohypophysis of ovariectomized rats to determine its effect on the release of LH and prolactin. Following SC injection of the drug, there was a gradual rise in plasma prolactin which became significant at 30 min after injection, and was maintained for 78 hr. This was accompanied by a gradual fall in LH which achieved significance at 2–4 hr after injection, and was maintained for54 hr. Implantation of Pimozide into the median eminence-arcuate region evoked a gradual consistent increase in prolactin which became significant at 1 hr, and was accompanied by a small decline in plasma LH at 4 hr. Much smaller increases in plasma prolactin followed implantation of the drug into the adenohypophysis and these implantations were not associated with any alterations in plasma LH. It is suggested that dopamine exerts an inhibitory control over prolactin release from the adenohypophysis by inhibiting the release of prolactin...
Re: Unusual penetrating cranio-cerebral injuries in children from main plugs.

Dear Editor: We read with great interest the article “Unusual Penetrating Cranio-Cerebral Injuries in Children from Main Plugs” by Kanagarajan and Sgouros [1] in the October 2007 edition of Child’s Nervous System. They describe two cases of penetrating brain injuries in children caused by a fall onto a mains plug. These cases were similar to the case published previously by Lopez et al. [2] in February 2006 in this journal. We published a case report of an 18-month-old child who fell off a chair onto a set of Christmas fairy lights, and one of the light bulbs penetrated the skull and entered the brain [3]. Incredibly the bulb remained in tact. The only clue to the extent of the injury was a tiny cut to the scalp that could easily have been dismissed as trivial. However, the parents’ history was vital in the fact that they told the attending doctor that one of the bulbs was missing. We, therefore, would like to echo the authors’ words of caution regarding the lack of external evidence, which is often the case in such injuries. These children are usually very well neurologically, again detracting from the potential seriousness of the injury. We would also like to stress the importance of obtaining a full and accurate history from parents, relatives, or witnesses of children who suffer such injuries, as even the seemingly minor details can be of extreme importance.
Models for Predicting Prices and Volatility Patterns in Major International Stock Markets

This study presents various GARCH models for predicting movements (returns) and volatility patterns in major national stock market indices. These models depict that future returns in the national stock markets of Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy and Switzerland are predictable from past realized returns; therefore, the stock indices for these markets violate the Martingale model. The stock market indices for Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, however, behave as Martingale processes. Volatility patterns in these indices are predictable using past realized volatility measures.
Hepatic metabolic alterations in rats treated with low-dose endotoxin and aspirin: an animal model of Reye's syndrome.

The administration of a sublethal dose of endotoxin (LPS) followed one hour later by a low dose of aspirin (LPS + ASA) to fasted rats leads to biochemical perturbations similar to Reye's syndrome. In this study hepatic energy metabolism was assessed in freeze-clamped liver samples (12 hours posttreatment) obtained from (250 to 300 g Sprague-Dawley) rats. The administration of aspirin alone to fasted rats did not significantly alter the hepatic levels of adenine nucleotides, total ketones, or acyl-CoA thioesters as compared to controls. In contrast, in both LPS and LPS + ASA samples, there were declines in ATP/ADP ratio (P less than .005), total ketones (P less than .001) and acetyl CoA (P less than .005) compared to their respective controls. A striking alteration in acyl-CoA thioesters was observed in LPS + ASA-treated animals. Unlike control, aspirin, or LPS-treated animals, LPS + ASA-treated animals accumulated relatively large amounts of unusual CoA esters, including propionyl-CoA, (iso)butyryl-CoA, beta-methylcrotonyl-CoA, and isovaleryl-CoA, metabolites of the branch chain amino acid and odd-chain fatty acid oxidation pathways. The acyl-CoA profile is similar to that obtained in patients with Reye's syndrome. Like human patients with Reye's syndrome, these rats showed hyperammonemia, compromised fatty acid oxidation, and accumulation of branched chain amino acid oxidation metabolites. Accumulation of these intermediates with LPS + ASA is a possible mechanism for the potentiation of Reye's syndrome by aspirin. These findings provide biochemical evidence that sublethal doses of LPS + ASA administered to fasted rats produces an animal model of Reye's syndrome.
The changing face of El Moudjahid during the Algerian War of Independence

The 1956 Soummam conference is considered a turning point for Algeria's National Liberation Front (FLN), due to a platform that asserted the supremacy of political over military objectives and the corollary importance of diplomacy and public relations. For domestic outreach, the FLN turned to a small publication that had debuted months previously – El Moudjahid – giving it a heightened profile and a new importance. From its founding in June 1956 to the Evian Accords in March 1962, El Moudjahid's layout evolved dramatically – an evolution most evident on its cover page. The simple style and pamphlet-like shape of the early issues initially shifted to a text-dense ‘broadsheet’ layout, and ultimately by a single photograph. Yet even after the layout stabilised, the page's various elements continued to evolve. This article argues that these changes illustrate Hayden White's argument about the ‘content of the form’: that the physical organisation of a page is not inert, but rather influences how readers unders...
Forming on-Line Impressions: A Class Exercise

In an exercise designed to assess the accuracy of the impressions we form of people in online settings, students in a Psychology of the Internet course were asked to interact with two people in two...
Synthesis of TiAl alloys with magnesium addition through ma-pulse discharge sintering process

Titanium aluminides (TiAl) with different magnesium contents of 0, 0.37, 1.84, 3.61 and 15.8 mol% were manufactured through the mechanical alloying and pulse discharge sintering process. The mechanically alloyed TiAl powders with different magnesium contents possessed similar X-ray diffraction profiles, corresponding to alpha titanium. The TiAI powders were sintered for a short sintering time of 900 s, and a complete transformation from the supersaturated alpha titanium structure to TiAl with small amount of Ti 3 Al phase as well as nitride were confirmed. It was found that the content of Ti 3 Al phase in the sintered material decreased with an increase in the magnesium content. While the TiAl alloy without magnesium addition showed a submicron structure with equiaxed gamma grains, the microstructure was coarsened by the addition of magnesium. With an increase in the magnesium content the density of the material decreased monotonically, which is attributed to the solution of light magnesium atoms to the TiAl structure and the decrease in the Ti 3 Al phase content. Small amount of magnesium addition (0.37 mol%) increased the Young's modulus of TiAl alloy, but further increases in the magnesium content decreased the Young's modulus.
THE SYNTHESIS OF OLIGONUCLEOTIDES CONTAINING FLUORO-2'-DEOXYCYTIDINE FOR SECONDARY STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF TANDEM TETRALOOP DNA ANALOGS

Abstract A method to convert 5-FdU phosphoramidite to 4-triazol-5- FdU phosphoramidite was used to make deoxyoligonucleotides containing 5- FdC to follow a rare transition between a tandem hairpin and a single hairpin form, which results in moving a distant 5-FdC, 5-FdU bases into juxtaposition.
Structural instabilities in A15 materials driven by anharmonic phonons: a first-principles study

Abstract We have demonstrated that the observed elastic anomalies and lattice instabilities in A15 materials are well described using a standard LAPW/LDA electronic structure approach. We have shown that A15 structure V3Si and Nb3Sn are unstable (the total energy exhibiting a double-well structure) with regard to shear instabilities with elastic moduli C11–C12 and C44 at T=0 (and that V3Ge is weakly unstable). It is crucial to allow sublattice distortions in these calculations. Several optic phonon modes corresponding to sublattice distortions that are consistent with the known low-temperature tetragonal phase are unstable as well. At high temperature the well structure is washed out and the atoms assume the A15 structure, and we obtain excellent agreement with experiment for the high-temperature elastic constants.
Differential expression of α-amylase genes in germinating rice and barley seeds

Steady-state levels of mRNA from individual α-amylase genes were measured in the embryo and aleurone tissues of rice (Oryza sativa) and two varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya and cv. Klages) during germination. Each member of the α-amylase multigene families of rice and barley was differentially expressed in each tissue. In rice, α-amylase genes displayed tissue-specific expression in which genes RAmy3B, RAmy3C, and RAmy3E were preferentially expressed in the aleurone layer, genes RAmy1A, RAmy1B and RAmy3D were expressed in both the embryo and aleurone, and genes RAmy3A and RAmy2A were not expressed in either tissue. Whenver two or more genes were expressed in any tissue, the rate of mRNA accumulation from each gene was unique. In contrast to rice, barley α-amylase gene expression was not tissue-specific. Messenger RNAs encoding low- and high-pI α-amylase isozymes were detectable in both the embryo and aleurone and accumulated at different rates in each tissue. In particular, peak levels of mRNA encoding high-pI α-amylases always preceded those encoding low-pI α-amylases. Two distinct differences in α-amylase gene expression were observed between the two barley varieties. levels of high-pI α-amylase mRNA peaked two days earlier in Klages embryos than in Himalaya embryos. Throughout six days of germination, Klages produced three times as much high-pI α-amylase mRNA and nearly four times as much low-pI α-amylase mRNA than the slower-germinating Himalaya variety.
Body mass predicts orbitofrontal activity during visual presentations of high-calorie foods

Little is known about the relationship between weight status and reward-related brain activity in normal weight humans. We correlated orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging with body mass index in 13 healthy, normal-weight adult women as they viewed images of high-calorie and low-calorie foods, and dining-related utensils. Body mass index correlated negatively with both cingulate and orbitofrontal activity during high-calorie viewing, negatively with orbitofrontal activity during low-calorie viewing, and positively with orbitofrontal activity during presentations of nonedible utensils. With greater body mass, activity was reduced in brain regions important for evaluating and modifying learned stimulus-reward associations, suggesting a relationship between weight status and responsiveness of the orbitofrontal cortex to rewarding food images.
[11C]-methyl 4-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)acetyl]-3-[(1-pyrrolidinyl)-methyl]-1- piperazinecarboxylate ([11C]GR89696): synthesis and in vivo binding to kappa opiate receptors.

Abstract GR89696, racemic methyl 4-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)acetyl]-3-[(1-pyrrolidinyl) methyl]-1-piperazinecarboxylate, a kappa opioid receptor ligand, was labeled with [ 11 C]methyl chloroformate. The radiochemical yield was 20% with an observed specific radioactivity of 75.5 GBq/μmol at end of synthesis (2,040 mCi/μmol). Five minutes after intravenous administration, 5.4% of the injected dose accumulated in mouse whole brain. Brain region to cerebellar ratios increased over time with ratios at 90 min of 7.8, 5.6, and 4.5 for the hypothalamus, olfactory tubercle, and striatum, respectively. The uptake of [ 11 C]GR89696 correlated with known kappa opioid receptor densities and was inhibited by kappa opioid selective drugs.
Transglutaminase activity in mouse liver is unaffected by dietary menhaden oil

Abstract In order to determine the effect of dietary fats on hepatic transglutaminase activity, male CD-1 mice were fed diets containing 10 wt% menhaden oil (MO) or 10 wt% corn oil (CO) for 4 weeks. Dietary fatty acids significantly altered the fatty acid composition of liver phospholipids. Arachidonic and linoleic acids were replaced by eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in mice consuming the MO diet. PGE 2 synthesis decreased by 32% in the livers from mice consuming MO compared to that observed in CO fed mice. Liver transglutaminase activity was unchanged by MO indicating that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids do not affect its synthesis or activity.
The robust decentralised stabilisation of complex feedback systems

In the paper, we study the stability and performance robustness of composite feedback systems under decentralised control. It is shown that, if the perturbed system transfer matrix is a composite H-matrix for every s on the Nyquist contour, then stabilisation of the diagonal blocks of the composite system implies stabilisation of the overall system, provided the number of unstable poles of the composite system coincide with those of the diagonal blocks. This is then used to define decentralised controllers for robust stability. When restricted to regular multivariable systems, the new criterion leads to an interesting and simple condition on the peak magnification factor Mp of the closed-loop system.
Holocene Climate Inferred from Oxygen Isotope Ratios in Lake Sediments, Central Brooks Range, Alaska

Analyses of sediment cores from two lakes in the central Brooks Range provide temperature and moisture balance information for the past ∼8500 cal yr at century-scale resolution. Two methods of oxygen isotope analysis are used to reconstruct past changes in the effective moisture (precipitation minus evaporation) and temperature. Effective moisture is inferred from oxygen isotope ratios in sediment cellulose from Meli Lake (area ∼0.13 km2, depth 19.4 m). The lake has a low watershed-to-lake-area ratio (7) and significant evaporation relative to input. Summer temperature shifts are based on oxygen isotope analyses of endogenic calcite from Tangled Up Lake (area ∼0.25 km2, depth 3.5 m). This basin has a larger watershed-to-lake-area ratio (91) and less evaporation relative to input. Sediment oxygen isotope analyses from the two sites indicate generally more arid conditions than present prior to ∼6000 cal yr B.P. Subsequently, the region became increasingly wet. Temperature variability is recorded minimally at centennial scale resolution with values that are generally cool for the past ∼6700 cal yr. The timing and direction of climate variability indicated by the oxygen isotope time series from Meli and Tangled Up lakes are consistent with previously established late Holocene glacier advances at ∼5000 cal yr B.P. in the central Brooks Range, and high lake-levels at Birch Lake since ∼5500 cal yr B.P. This unique use of oxygen isotopes reveals both moisture balance and temperature histories at previously undetected high-resolution temporal scales for northern Alaska during the middle to late Holocene.
Tests of inferential reasoning by exclusion in Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana)

We examined inferential reasoning by exclusion in the Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) using two-way object-choice procedures. While other social scatter-hoarding corvids appear capable of engaging in inferential reasoning, it remains unclear if the relatively less social nutcracker is able to do so. In an initial experiment, food was hidden in one of two opaque containers. All of the birds immediately selected the baited container when shown only the empty container during testing. We subsequently examined the nutcrackers in two follow-up experiments using a task that may have been less likely to be solved by associative processes. The birds were trained that two distinctive objects were always found hidden in opaque containers that were always positioned at the same two locations. During testing, one of the two objects was found in a transparent “trash bin” and was unavailable. The birds were required to infer that if one of the objects was in the “trash,” then the other object should still be available in its hidden location. Five out of six birds were unable to make this inference, suggesting that associative mechanisms likely accounted for our earlier results. However, one bird consistently chose the object that was not seen in the “trash,” demonstrating that nutcrackers may have the ability to use inferential reasoning by exclusion to solve inference tasks. The role of scatter hoarding and social organization is discussed as factors in the ability of corvid birds to reason.
Thermal cleavage of chemical bonds in selected coal-related structures

Abstract Solvent-refined coal is produced in processes in which coal is heated with hydrogen-donor solvents. From it, oil, asphaltene, and preasphaltene fractions can be separated. The sizes of the molecules in these fractions are smaller than the sizes of those in the starting coal; the smaller sizes result from bond-breaking reactions. We have investigated the bond-breaking processes by determining what kinds of bonds rupture when each of a large number of carefully selected model compounds was subjected to the conditions of asphaltene formation. Both tetralin and vitrinite from Illinois No. 6 coal were used as hydrogen donors. The products of chemical breakdown of the model compounds are presented in several Tables. Relative rates of cleavage of some selected compounds were also determined. The information obtained is discussed in relation to structural features of coal.
Counting unstable periodic orbits in noisy chaotic systems: A scaling relation connecting experiment with theory.

The experimental detection of unstable periodic orbits in dynamical systems, especially those which yield short, noisy or nonstationary data sets, is a current topic of interest in many research areas. Unfortunately, for such data sets, only a few of the lowest order periods can be detected with quantifiable statistical accuracy. The primary observable is the number of encounters the general trajectory has with a particular orbit. Here we show that, in the limit of large period, this quantity scales exponentially with the period, and that this scaling is robust to dynamical noise.
Sleep stage dynamics in fibromyalgia patients and controls.

Abstract Objective To determine whether previously described sleep stage dynamics, reflecting the mean duration of specific sleep stages, may have clinical utility in a sample of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and controls. Methods Women with FMS ( n = 15, screened to exclude other sleep disorders) and age-matched women in good health ( n = 15) were studied with nocturnal polysomnography, multiple sleep latency tests, 2-week pain diaries, and a measure of current pain intensity. Results The FMS subjects, in comparison to controls, did not show differences in several common polysomnographic measures, except for increased numbers of stage shifts (126 ± 27 vs. 107 ± 22, p = .042). Mean durations for episodes of total sleep, stage 1 sleep, stage 3/4 sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep failed to distinguish FMS and control subjects (Wilcoxon rank sum tests, p > .10 for each), but those for stage 2 sleep were shorter in the FMS subjects ( p = .006), possibly because transitions to stage 3/4 sleep occurred more quickly ( p = .036). Shorter stage 2 sleep durations predicted higher pain diary scores (Spearman rho = −.56, p = .0014) and current pain intensity ( rho = −.71, p Conclusions Sleep stage dynamic, and, more specifically, shorter durations of sleep stage 2 periods, distinguish FMS and control female subjects and may predict pain levels experienced in FMS. Analysis of the lengths of individual sleep stages, in addition to the usual sleep stage amounts and percentages listed in standard polysomnogram reports, may have clinical utility.
Compensating victims for harms caused by pollution and other hazardous substances: a comparison of American and Japanese policies.

This paper reviews recent American proposals to reform the system for compensating victims of pollution and compares them with the Japanese approach. American proposals fall into three categories: balanced approaches that combine administrative relief with tort reform; proposals that would provide administrative relief but eliminate tort remedies; and proposals to reform tort law which have nothing to say about administrative relief. While American policy-makers are still groping for a solution, in Japan tort law changes provided the rationale for a system of administrative relief that preserves the victims' right to sue. While the Japanese approach is not perfect, the early development of a policy reduced legal and political uncertainties and provided a stable environment for economic growth.
Theoretical and experimental study of the achievable separation power in resistive-glass atmospheric pressure ion mobility spectrometry

We present a detailed investigation of the performance of our previously reported nanoelectrospray high-resolution resistive-glass atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility spectrometer constructed with monolithic resistive-glass desolvation and drift regions. Using experimental spectral data and theoretical pulse width and diffusion variables, we compare theoretical and experimental resolving powers achievable under a variety of field strengths and ion gate pulse widths. The effects of instrumental and operational parameters on the resolution achievable in chromatographic terms are also discussed. Following characterization of the separation power of the instrument, experimental spectral peak width data is fitted by a least-squares procedure to a pre-existing semi-empirical model developed to study contributions to peak width other than initial pulse width and diffusional broadening. The model suggests possible contributions to the final measured peak width from electric field inhomogeneity and minor contributions from instrumental parameters such as anode size, anode-to-anode grid distance and drift gas flow rate. The model also reveals an unexpected ion gate width dependence on the final measured peak width that we attribute to non-ideal performance of the Bradbury-Nielsen ion gate and limitations in the design of our pulsing-electronics.
Information systems development project performance in the 21st century

This paper presents the results of a 2009 survey of professional IT auditors that explored their perceptions about root psychological and sociological causes of Information Systems (IS) project failure based on the punctuated equilibrium theoretical framework. As predicted by punctuated equilibrium theory, the results of the survey indicate that radical as opposed to incremental organizational changes are more effective in turning around "runaway" projects. The results indicate that IS development project performance is worse in government than in the private sector, and provide support for the continued use of punctuated equilibrium models for research in information systems development project performance
Fast ultrasound beam prediction for linear and regular two-dimensional arrays

Real-time beam predictions are highly desirable for the patient-specific computations required in ultrasound therapy guidance and treatment planning. To address the longstanding issue of the computational burden associated with calculating the acoustic field in large volumes, we use graphics processing unit (GPU) computing to accelerate the computation of monochromatic pressure fields for therapeutic ultrasound arrays. In our strategy, we start with acceleration of field computations for single rectangular pistons, and then we explore fast calculations for arrays of rectangular pistons. For single-piston calculations, we employ the fast near-field method (FNM) to accurately and efficiently estimate the complex near-field wave patterns for rectangular pistons in homogeneous media. The FNM is compared with the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld method (RSM) for the number of abscissas required in the respective numerical integrations to achieve 1%, 0.1%, and 0.01% accuracy in the field calculations. Next, algorithms are described for accelerated computation of beam patterns for two different ultrasound transducer arrays: regular 1-D linear arrays and regular 2-D linear arrays. For the array types considered, the algorithm is split into two parts: 1) the computation of the field from one piston, and 2) the computation of a piston-array beam pattern based on a pre-computed field from one piston. It is shown that the process of calculating an array beam pattern is equivalent to the convolution of the single-piston field with the complex weights associated with an array of pistons. Our results show that the algorithms for computing monochromatic fields from linear and regularly spaced arrays can benefit greatly from GPU computing hardware, exceeding the performance of an expensive CPU by more than 100 times using an inexpensive GPU board. For a single rectangular piston, the FNM method facilitates volumetric computations with 0.01% accuracy at rates better than 30 ns per field point. Furthermore, we demonstrate array calculation speeds of up to 11.5 × 109 field-points per piston per second (0.087 ns per field point per piston) for a 512-piston linear array. Beam volumes containing 2563 field points are calculated within 1 s for 1-D and 2-D arrays containing 512 and 202 pistons, respectively, thus facilitating future real-time thermal dose predictions.
Link between confusional migraine, hemiplegic migraine and episodic ataxia type 2: hypothesis, family genealogy, gene typing and classification

An association between hemiplegic migraine (HM) and episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) has been described; both disorders are linked to mutations in the CACNA1A gene. Although confusion occurs in 21% of patients with HM, we found only one case in the literature of confusional episodes associated with ataxia without hemiplegia. These findings raise the possibility of confusional episodes being part of both the HM and EA2 phenotype. However, a patient with episodic ataxia, confusional spells and CACNA1A gene mutations has not been identified. We describe four individuals, spanning three generations of a family, with episodic ataxia without hemiplegia and confusion, in association with a CACNA1A mutation. We follow with a description of the relationship between the CACNA1A mutations and the three syndromes, suggesting a potential need for a new classification in which the conditions can be subsumed.