cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Role of NR2A and NR2B Subunits in N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonist-Induced Aberrant Cortical Gamma Oscillations

Background N- methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) hypofunction plays an important role in cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. NMDA-R antagonists elicit psychotic symptoms in humans and schizophrenia-relevant signs in rodents, including a strong increase in cortical gamma activity. NMDA-Rs are composed of different subunits, and accumulating evidence indicates that neuronal damage due to NMDA-R antagonists depends on their action on a specific type of the receptor containing the NR2A subunit. In human schizophrenics, NR2A is selectively reduced in fast-firing interneurons. These neurons are critical for gamma oscillations, indicating that pathological changes in gamma activity may depend on subunit-specific NMDA-R deficit. The present study tested this hypothesis. Methods Cortical electroencephalograms were recorded in freely moving rats and the changes in gamma power were measured after administration of NMDA-R antagonists with different subunit selectivity, including NR2A-preferring (PEAQX, n = 5; NVP-AAM077, n = 18), NR2B-selective (ifenprodil, n = 6; threo-ifenprodil, n = 4; Ro25-6985, n = 13), and NR2C/D-selective ( n = 8) antagonists, along with vehicle and nonselective NMDA-R antagonists (ketamine, n = 10; MK801, n = 12). Changes in prepulse inhibition of startle was tested after MK-801 ( n = 6), NVP-AAM077, and Ro-6891 ( n = 5) injection. Results Strong increase in gamma power was induced by nonselective NMDA-R antagonists and by blockade of NMDA-Rs containing the NR2A subunit, with co-occurring gating deficits and diminished low-frequency modulation of gamma oscillations. In contrast, selective blockade of NR2B, C, or D subunit-containing receptors had minor effects. Conclusions Major subtype-specific differences in the role of NMDA-Rs in cortical gamma oscillation may have implications for the pathomechanism and treatment of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
Drawing Disability in Japanese Manga: Visual Politics, Embodied Masculinity, and Wheelchair Basketball in Inoue Takehiko’s REAL

This work explores disability in the cultural context of contemporary Japanese comics. In contrast to Western comics, Japanese manga have permeated the social fabric of Japan to the extent that vast numbers of people read manga on a daily basis. It has, in fact, become such a popular medium for visual communication that the Japanese government and education systems utilize manga as a social acculturation and teaching tool. This multibillion dollar industry is incredibly diverse, and one particularly popular genre is sports manga. However, Inoue Takehiko’s award-winning manga series REAL departs from more conventional sports manga, which typically focus on able-bodied characters with sometimes exaggerated superhuman physical abilities, by adopting a more realistic approach to the world of wheelchair basketball and the people who play it. At the same time REAL explores cultural attitudes toward disability in Japanese culture—where disability is at times rendered “invisible” either through accessibility problems or lingering associations of disability and shame. It is therefore extremely significant that manga, a visual medium, is rendering disability visible—the ultimate movement from margin to center. REAL devotes considerable attention to realistically illustrating the lived experiences of its characters both on and off the court. Consequently, the series not only educates readers about wheelchair basketball but also provides compelling insight into Japanese cultural notions about masculinity, family, responsibility, and identity. The basketball players—at first marginalized by their disability—join together in the unity of a sport typically characterized by its “abledness.”
Strong broadband absorption in GaAs nanocone and nanowire arrays for solar cells

We studied the influence of geometric parameters on the optical absorption of gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanocone and nanowire arrays via finite difference time domain simulations. We optimized the structural parameters of the nanocone and nanowire arrays to maximize the ultimate efficiency across a range of lengths from 100 to 1000 nm. Nanocone arrays were found to have improved solar absorption, short-circuit current density, and ultimate efficiencies over nanowire arrays for a wide range of lengths. Detailed simulations reveal that nanocones have superior absorption due to reduced reflection from their smaller tip and reduced transmission from their larger base. Breaking the vertical mirror symmetry of nanowires results in a broader absorption spectrum such that overall efficiencies are enhanced for nanocones. We also evaluated the electric field intensity, carrier generation and angle-dependent optical properties of nanocones and nanowires. The carrier generation in nanocone arrays occurs away from the surface and is more uniform over the entire structure, which should result in less recombination losses than in nanowire arrays.
Project Set Strategies

The article reviews the book “Project Set Strategies,” by Franz G.J. Derkinderen and Roy L. Crum.
Torsional stiffness of several variable rectangular cross-section flexure hinges for macro-scale and MEMS applications

The paper develops approximate closed-form equations for the torsional stiffness of several variable rectangular cross-section flexure hinges for macro-scale and MEMS applications. Specifically, corner-filleted, elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic flexure configurations, either longitudinally symmetric or non-symmetric, are studied. The model gives the tools for a preliminary assessment of the static/modal response of flexure-based devices that deform torsionally. Several numerical simulations are conducted based on the model, which indicate that, for similar values of the geometric parameters, the hyperbolic flexure is the stiffest, followed by the parabolic, corner-filleted and elliptic configurations. The modal response is studied for a two-flexure torsional micro-mirror by sequentially considering four different pairs of longitudinally symmetric flexure designs. The results of the simulation confirm the stiffness predictions and are also in agreement with finite element analysis results.
Nanoporous organic/inorganic hybrid materials produced from poly(dimethyl siloxane)

Abstract The partial pyrolysis of poly(dimethyl siloxane) is reported. Pyrolysis is completed in a two step process, inert pyrolysis in a nitrogen atmosphere followed by oxidative pyrolysis in air. Treatment temperatures were from 300–400°C for the inert processing and 260–300°C for oxidative treatment. This thermal processing required no solvents or bulky catalysts, whose transport into the matrix is diffusion controlled and thus limit product uniformity. Therefore, high sample uniformity was achieved. Hybrid materials with reduced carbon and hydrogen content and an increased oxygen/silicon ratio resulted. These composites were shown to be stronger than composites reported in the literature with similar elemental compositions, but prepared in such a way as to achieve only limited interphase interaction. At high oxidation temperatures, microporosity developed in the materials.
A possible role of endogenous adenosine in the sedative action of meprobamate

The behavioral interaction of intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of meprobamate with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of adenosine or 5′-N-ethylcar☐amidoadenosine (NECA) was examined on spontaneous locomotor activity in mice. The locomotor depressant effect of meprobamate, an adenosine uptake inhibitor, was potentiated by adenosine, but not by NECA, an uptake-resistant adenosine analogue. These findings suggest that heightened endogenous adenosine levels could mediate some of the central actions of meprobamate.
Applying tacit knowledge management techniques for performance assessment

Performance assessment is an important task in all levels of education, both as input for identifying remedial needs of individual students and for improving general quality of education. Although explicit assessment measures can be obtained through objective standardized testing, it is much more difficult to capture fuzzier, or tacit, performance assessment measures. The problem of tacit knowledge capture is a central theme in the field of knowledge management, and assessment management can be thought of as a form of knowledge management. Therefore, tacit assessment management can be facilitated through technologies commonly used in knowledge management systems such as databases, Internet architectures, artificial intelligence, and decision support techniques. This paper describes tacit performance assessment in the context of knowledge management and presents a prototype decision support system for managing tacit assessment knowledge using knowledge management techniques.
‘Go China! Go!’: Running Fan and Debating Success During China's Olympic Summer

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing were carefully scripted to signal the emergence of a modern China on the global scene, with multiple levels reflecting the robustness of China's emerging economic, cultural and political power. At a time when the rapid transformations of Chinese society have resulted in dramatic disparity between social classes and across regions, the celebration of athletic success at the first Chinese Olympics offered valuable narratives of national unity. Global sports celebrities such as the Liu Xiang offer powerful images of the ‘spirit’ of a united China ascendant. Only months before the games' opening, however, the catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan opened up an unscripted moment where an unlikely ‘athlete’ appeared and became the centre of a wide-ranging social debate. In opposition to mainstream narratives that extolled the virtuous sacrifices of those who died to save others during the Sichuan earthquake, Mr Fan Meizhong, a bookish teacher at a high school in the...
Comparative Effects of Dextromethorphan and Dextrorphan on Nicotine Discrimination in Rats

While the role of dextrorphan and dextromethorphan as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists has received considerable research attention, their effects on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) has been less well characterized. Recent in vitro and in vivo research has suggested that these drugs noncompetitively block α3β4*, α4β2, and α7 nAChR subtypes and antagonize nicotine’s antinociceptive and reinforcing effects. Both drugs were most potent at blocking α3β4* AChR. This study investigated the effects of dextrorphan and dextromethorphan on nicotine’s discriminative stimulus effects. Three groups of rats were trained in a two-lever drug discrimination procedure to discriminate 0.4 mg/kg s.c. nicotine from saline. Nicotine dose-dependently substituted for itself in all three groups. In contrast, when dextrorphan (group 1) or dextromethorphan (group 2) were injected i.p., neither substitution for nor antagonism of nicotine was observed for either drug. Since i.p. administration allows substantial metabolism of dextromethorphan to its parent compound dextrorphan, the two drugs were also tested following s.c. administration (group 3). Discrimination results were similar across both routes of administration, in that neither substitution nor antagonism occurred, however, s.c. administration reduced response rates to a much greater extent than did i.p. administration. Previous work suggests that β2 subunits are crucial for mediation of nicotine’s discriminative stimulus effects and may play a role in its reinforcing effects, albeit other research suggests a role for α3β4* nicotinic receptors in the latter. Our results suggest that α3β4* nicotinic receptors do not play a major role in nicotine’s discriminative stimulus effects. Further, they suggest that the role of cholinergic mediation of the behavioral effects of dextrorphan and dextromethorphan related to the abuse properties of nicotine may be minimal.
Surface fractal dimensions of micropore walls of active carbons

Abstract The surface fractal dimensions of micropore walls for the volume filling of active carbons have been determined from the adsorption data of nitrogen and eight kinds of organic adsorbates using the micropore volume V 0 as a function of the molar volume v . From the average value of the surface fractal dimension of ca. 1.9, the structure of micropores of active carbon is assumed to be composed of aromatic sheets and strips, which are often bent, and is very similar to that described by Stoeckli ( H. F. Stoeckli, 1990, Carbon 28, 1 ). It is also shown that the mechanism of pore width widening with weight loss upon activation is due to the diminution and/or extinction of the aromatic strips among the aromatic sheets.
Comparison of Texture Analysis Techniques for Highly Oriented α‐Al2O3

Texture measurements were performed on liquid-phase-sintered alumina textured by a templated grain growth process from 1250° to 1650°C. Texture distributions were measured using X-ray pole figures, rocking curves, Rietveld refinement, and stereology. The March–Dollase equation fitted the measured distributions very well and gave quantitative values of the degree of texture and the texture fraction. The fitting parameters of the X-ray diffraction measurements were comparable to those measured by stereology. Rocking curve analysis was found to be straightforward and to give accurate characterization of texture in the alumina system of this study in a relatively short time.
The Personhood of Trees: Living Artifacts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

AbstractArchaeologists trained in Western canons of knowledge are accustomed to using onto-epistemological categories that codify the world into animate/inanimate and human/nonhuman realms of experience. Consequently, the presence of artifacts possessing personhood, exemplified by and articulated in object agency and the New Animism, present unique challenges to the researcher. Based on the analysis of culturally and naturally modified trees from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we investigate how the interpretation of certain artifacts and archaeological contexts are shaped by the onto-epistemological frameworks (the study of being, and of what knowledge is and how it is possible) through which data are analyzed. Employing the approach of conceptual pathways based on principals of behavioral archaeology, we identify repeating performance characteristics among modified trees utilized for the commemoration of individual and social memories among Ojibway communities.
A Flexible Reservation Algorithm for Advance Network Provisioning

Many scientific applications need support from a communication infrastructure that provides predictable performance, which requires effective algorithms for bandwidth reservations. Network reservation systems such as ESnet's OSCARS, establish guaranteed bandwidth of secure virtual circuits for a certain bandwidth and length of time. However, users currently cannot inquire about bandwidth availability, nor have alternative suggestions when reservation requests fail. In general, the number of reservation options is exponential with the number of nodes n, and current reservation commitments. We present a novel approach for path finding in time-dependent networks taking advantage of user-provided parameters of total volume and time constraints, which produces options for earliest completion and shortest duration. The theoretical complexity is only O(n2r2) in the worst-case, where r is the number of reservations in the desired time interval. We have implemented our algorithm and developed efficient methodologies for incorporation into network reservation frameworks. Performance measurements confirm the theoretical predictions.
A pilot study of normative data for macular thickness and volume measurements using cirrus high-definition optical coherence tomography.

Purpose:To establish preliminary normative data for macular thickness (MT) and macular volume (MV) by Cirrus high-definition optical coherence tomography (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA).Methods:Retrospective case series of 192 eyes of 192 subjects (age, 20–90 years) without retinal disease or surge
Rac GTPase isoforms Rac1 and Rac2 play a redundant and crucial role in T-cell development

Rac GTPases have been implicated in the regulation of diverse functions in various blood cell lineages, but their role in T-cell development is not well understood. We have carried out conditional gene targeting to achieve hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)- or T-cell lineage-specific deletion of Rac1 or Rac1/Rac2 by crossbreeding the Mx-Cre or Lck-Cre transgenic mice with Rac1(loxp/loxp) or Rac1(loxp/loxp);Rac2(-/-) mice. We found that (1) HSC deletion of both Rac1 and Rac2 inhibited production of common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) in bone marrow and suppressed T-cell development in thymus and peripheral organs, whereas deletion of Rac1 moderately affected CLP production and T-cell development. (2) T cell-specific deletion of Rac1 did not affect T-cell development, whereas deletion of both Rac1 and Rac2 reduced immature CD4(+)CD8(+) and mature CD4(+) populations in thymus as well as CD4(+) and CD8(+) populations in spleen. (3) The developmental defects of Rac1/Rac2 knockout T cells were associated with proliferation, survival, adhesion, and migration defects. (4) Rac1/Rac2 deletion suppressed T-cell receptor-mediated proliferation, IL-2 production, and Akt activation in thymocytes. Thus, Rac1 and Rac2 have unique roles in CLP production and share a redundant but essential role in later stages of T-cell development by regulating survival and proliferation signals.
Performance advances in interferometric optical profilers for imaging and testing

Interferometric optical profilers deliver non-contact, fast, full-field measurements with vertical resolution down to a fraction of a nanometer. Over the last decade advancements to these instruments have allowed for the analysis of not only static but also dynamic objects, like cantilevers and other microelectromechanical system devices, moving or vibrating at up to 1 MHz frequencies. Special objectives and illumination allow for imaging and testing of objects enclosed in environmental or protective chambers or immersed in liquids—including biological samples. Advanced analysis of the interference signal allows for the measurement not just of the surface profile but also transparent coatings.
Electrical instability in cardiac muscle: phase singularities and rotors

A dynamical system is "excitable" at some stage in its behavior (e.g. at a rest state or while it is nearly at rest prior to a spontaneous event) if a small, but not too small, stimulus of the right kind elicits an immediate big reaction that eventually leads back to the original state. During this return to excitability a typical system is not excitable. An excitable system need not have an attracting rest state; a spontaneous oscillator can be excitable, too, as is common in biological and in chemical excitable kinetics. In a medium characterized by such excitable dynamics at every point, the excitation can propagate as a travelling pulse. Undamaged cardiac muscle shares with other excitable media certain features of such pulse propagation in two and three dimensions. Among the new electrophysiological phenomena thus anticipated are paired mirror-image vortices ("rotors") organized around phase singularities. These should arise in the myocardium near the intersection of a moving critical contour of phase in the normal cycle of excitation and recovery with a momentary critical contour of local stimulus strength. Such intersections, and the corresponding aftermath of paired rotors, should only occur following certain combinations of stimulus size and stimulus timing. Plotting those combinations on a "vulnerability diagram", one delineates a domain for creation of rotors (corresponding to tachycardia) surrounded on all sides by a halo of combinations at which just a few repetitive responses follow stimulation. The experiments called for to check these implications have now been carried out in the special case of electrically-induced tachycardia in healthy canine ventricle. They support the two-dimensional theory, so a new experiment is suggested to demonstrate wholly intramural three-dimensional vortex filaments.
Studies on oxygen consumption in digenetic trematodes. IV. Oxidative pathways in the trematode Gynaecotyla adunca (Linton, 1905).

Abstract 1. 1. Succinate, malate, and oxaloacetate stimulated respiration in adult G. adunca. The amount of stimulation increased as the worms aged. Citrate, isocitrate and pyruvate were without effect. 2. 2. Malonate greatly inhibited respiration in immediately excysted worms; it had only slight effect on the endogenous rate in older worms. 3. 3. Three copper inhibitors, diethyldithiocarbamate, salicylaldoxime, and phenylthiourea inhibited respiration in older worms as well as in those immediately excysted.
Pyramidal and chiral groupings of gold nanocrystals assembled using DNA scaffolds.

Nanostructures constructed from metal and semiconductor nanocrystals conjugated to and organized by DNA are an emerging class of materials with collective optical properties. We created discrete pyramids of DNA with gold nanocrystals at the tips. By taking small-angle X-ray scattering measurments from solutions of these pyramids, we confirmed that this pyramidal geometry creates structures which are more rigid in solution than linear DNA. We then took advantage of the tetrahedral symmetry to demonstrate construction of chiral nanostructures.
Studies of oxidative phosphorylation and energy-linked cytochrome b reduction with tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine as substrate

Abstract The coupled oxidation of ascorbate-50 μ m TMPD yields P O ratios significantly greater than 1.0 with rat liver mitochondria, and P O ratios of no greater than 1.0 with heart mitochondria. The addition of either antimycin, NOQNO, rotenone or an increase in TMPD concentration to 300 μ m reduces the P O ratio with liver mitochondria to a value close to 1.0, but has no significant effect on the P O ratio obtained with heart mitochondria. It is concluded that the true value of the P O ratio supported by the ascorbate-TMPD substrate system is close to and no greater than 1.0, and that P O ratios in excess of 1.0 observed during ascorbate-50 μ m TMPD oxidation in liver mitochondria are due to the simultaneous coupled oxidation of DPN-linked endogenous substrates. The oxidation of ascorbate-TMPD by either the ETP preparation, the saline washed submitochondrial preparation (SWP) or a purified cytochrome oxidase preparation is dependent upon cytochrome c . It is concluded that the site of entry of electrons from TMPD into the respiratory chain of the ETP and SWP preparations lies between the antimycin-sensitive site and cytochrome c 1 . In suspensions of heart mitochondria and phosphorylating submitochondrial beef heart particles made anaerobic by the oxidation of ascorbate-TMPD, cytochromes c , c 1 , a and a 3 are reduced in an uncoupler-insensitive reaction. The reduction of cytochrome b in these systems is mediated by an energy-linked reversed electron transfer reaction through an antimycin-sensitive site. The energy requirement for the latter reaction may be satisfied either through an oligomycin-insensitive energy transfer pathway from high energy intermediates generated in the cytochrome c to oxygen couple of the respiratory chain, or through an oligomycin-sensitive energy transfer pathway from exogenous ATP. In heart mitochondria, cytochrome b is present almost entirely in an energy-linked form. Submitochondrial heart muscle particles contain variable proportions of two postulated forms of cytochrome b , an energy-linked form reducible by either succinate or ascorbate-TMPD, and a nonenergy-linked form reducible only by succinate.
The Rhetoric and Politics of Science in the Case of the Missouri River System

Two versions of a biological opinion written by different teams in the U.S. Fish and Wild-life Service illuminate how different rhetorical strategies reflect different values. The historical narrative in the earlier biological opinion, which is used to argue for vigorous action to protect endangered species along the Missouri River, is largely erased in the later opinion that privileges human uses of the river system. This analysis emphasizes the problematic nature of authorship when the concept is applied to a document produced in an organization or agency. Moreover, examining how authors control information reveals the power technical writers have to influence meaning making.
Infrared spectrum of benzene isolated in argon and krypton matrices

Abstract The i.r. spectrum of benzene in matrices of Kr and Ar has been determined and shown to be strongly affected by aggregation of the benzene. Sufficient isolation of benzene (Bz) in Ar matrices was not found until the Ar/Bz was 3000 and higher, and isolation in Kr did not occur at the highest dilution possible for us to study (Kr/Bz = 1480). The vibrational frequencies for benzene isolated in the Ar matrix were in good agreement with those measured in the gas phase, but the measured absolute intensities disagreed drastically with gas phase measurements (by at least 100%). However, the relative intensities for the matrix-isolated benzene sample were in good agreement with gas phase measurements, suggesting that the explanation for the intensity problem lies in the difference in the sticking coefficients for matrix and benzene, so that the concentration of benzene in the sample at the window is unknown. For benzene in Kr matrices accurate absolute intensities were obtained that were in good agreement with gas phase studies when corrected for the effective field factor.
Waking a Sleeping Giant…on Purpose?

After treatment, some cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma can remain at bay for many years in a hibernation-like state called tumor dormancy. What causes tumors to remain dormant for long periods, and what factors trigger their awakening and regrowth? Can recurrences be predicted and treated before they fully emerge? The mechanisms behind the phenomenon of tumor dormancy and reemergence are still poorly understood. In preclinical mouse models of cancer, a variety of therapies promote apparent cures, only for relapse to occur after long periods without detectable disease. Now, Kottke et al . uncover early biomarkers of tumor recurrence and demonstrate a critical role for the innate immune system in sculpting the transition from minimal disease to overt tumors. Taking advantage of multiple mouse models of tumor dormancy, Kottke and colleagues show that levels of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transiently spiked at sites of residual tumor and early tumor recurrences, mimicking the body’s natural response to infection. Spikes of IL-6 and VEGF were also detected in the blood of mice that ultimately developed recurrences. On the basis of these findings, the authors designed a clever reporter system fusing luciferase to a VEGF promoter in order to prospectively identify mice that would develop frank tumors. Early interventions of second-line treatments, including interferons and natural killer cells, were effective in animals that were predicted to relapse. Coaxing the tumors to awaken prematurely with VEGF treatment caused the rapid emergence of tumors that were sensitive to their original therapy, whereas tumors allowed to recur naturally were resistant to frontline therapy. This suggests that dormant tumors when denied the time to evolve and evade the innate immune system remain sensitive to initial therapy. The authors suggest that purposefully waking dormant tumors before they have opportunity to evade the innate immune system may result in therapeutically sensitive tumors and, with treatment, prolong patient survival. These studies were performed in mice, and the role of the innate immune system in human tumor dormancy is still controversial. However, these findings argue that biomarkers for recurrence may exist and provide impetus to survey patients at high risk for relapse. Such surveys may determine whether IL-6 and VEGF spikes portend relapse and thereby provide an early treatment opportunity. Maybe dormant tumors, much like sleepy humans, are especially vulnerable to attack. T. Kottke et al. , Detecting and targeting tumor relapse by its resistance to innate effectors at early recurrence. Nat. Med. , published online 17 November 2013 (10.1038/nm.3397). [[ Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nm.3397.html
Electron acceptor function of O2 in radical N-demethylation reactions catalyzed by hemeproteins.

Abstract In aerobic solutions, O2 consumption correlated well with N-demethylation of N,N-dimethyl- p -toluidine catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase, in the presence or absence of H2O2. In the absence of added H2O2, superoxide dismutase stimulated, and catalase inhibited, both reactions; in the presence of H2O2, argon inhibition of formaldehyde production increased with increasing concentration of horseradish peroxidase. These results provide evidence for competing reactions of the enzymatically-generated substrate radical: oxidation by O2 increases formaldehyde production, while radical dimerization decreases the yield of this product. Implications of these findings for similar reactions catalyzed by microsomal cytochrome P-450 are suggested.
HORMONE STIMULATION OF LIPOLYSIS IN ADIPOSE TISSUES OF NORMAL CHILDREN AND OF NORMAL AND OBESE MONKEYS

Human adipose tissue (HAT) obtained at surgery from 5 normal children and monkey adipose tissue (MAT) from 9 adult monkeys (Macaca mulatta) - 4 obese nondiabetic and 5 lean normal - were incubated with and without 5×10−4M isoproterenol (Iso) plus 5×10−3M theophylline (Theo) at 37°C for 2 hr. in 5% CO2 atmosphere. Aliquots of incubating medium, collected at 0, 1 and 2 hr., were assayed for glycerol. Basal glycerol release ( n mole/min/mg prot.) was lower in lean normal - MAT (1.01±0.43) than in obese nondiabetic - MAT (3.26±1.78 p < .05). HAT released the same basal level of glycerol (2.9l±0.42) as obese nondiabetic MAT. With Iso. plus Theo. the increase in glycerol production was 3 fold in obese nondiabetic MAT, 6 fold in HAT and 20 fold in the lean normal-MAT. Thus, basal lipolysis is lower in normal monkey adipose tissue than in obese monkey adipose tissue or the normal human adipose tissue, but lipolysis is more markedly stimulated by isoproterenol in the adipose tissue of the normal monkey than in the normal hunan adipose tissue or the adipose tissue of obese nondiabetic monkey.
Impact of fiber lifetime on network reliability

The modelling of optical fiber reliability has been extensively discussed, but there is little understanding of how the fatigue of deployed fiber due to stress corrosion and environmental corrosion contributes to the reliability of a telecommunications network. There are a number of models that can be used to calculate or predict the lifetime of optical fibers for both pristine conditions and conditions where zero stress ageing occurs (water immersion, high temperature, high humidity and the presence of chemicals). The failure rates for fiber can be combined with the failure rates for the other network components to give a figure for the network reliability which will indicate whether the network will be able to meet its Quality of Service (QoS) targets. A method for calculating fiber failure rates will be presented and the results for various environments will be compared with previous assumptions and with the failure rate due to cable dig-up. The increasing demand for tight bending of fiber in customer premises will be mentioned and its effect on network reliability discussed.
Collection Efficiency of Nanosize Particles in a Two-Stage Electrostatic Precipitator

The collection efficiency of particles in the nanosize range (5−100 nm) in a two stage parallel plate electrostatic precipitator is studied by numerical simulation based on a fundamental model of the process. Specifically, the particle charging process is based on Fuchs' theory. For the collecting stage, the model employs an Eulerian approach for the solid−gas flow and explicitly accounts for Brownian and eddy diffusion, turbulent flow, and electrostatic migration. Calculation results indicate that particles in the nanosize range are not uniformly charged. Ultrafine particles with diameter less than 20 nm seldom acquire more than one unit of elementary charge. Larger particles (20−100 nm) may carry several units of charge, depending on the product of ion concentration and charging time. The simulation results also indicate that there is a local maximum in the collection efficiency in the nanosize range, a finding which is consistent with experimental observations reported in the literature. The simulation...
Plague Effects in Medieval Europe

Professor Russell was the first historian to try to apply statistical methods to analysis of the effects of epidemic plague on the composition, not just on the total size, of medieval population. He argues now that general plagues differed from the type of the disease that became epidemic after the crop failures of 1315–1317, in sharply lowering the sex ratio and in greatly increasing the burden of child-rearing.
Nucleotide-Induced Conformational Changes in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SR Protein Kinase, Sky1p, Revealed by X-ray Crystallography†

Conformational changes are thought to play a key role in the function of active protein kinases, although little is known about how these changes relate to the mechanism of phosphorylation. Here we...
A refutation of moderate nominalism

(1988). A refutation of moderate nominalism. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 66, No. 2, pp. 188-207.
Overexpression of Dlx5 in chicken calvarial cells accelerates osteoblastic differentiation.

Our laboratory and others have shown that a homeodomain protein binding site plays an important role in transcription of the Col1a1 gene in osteoblasts. This suggests that homeodomain proteins have an important role in osteoblast differentiation. We have investigated the role of Dlx5 in osteoblastic differentiation. In situ hybridization studies indicated that Dlx5 is expressed in chick calvarial osteoblasts (cCOB) in vivo. Northern blot analysis indicated that Dlx5 expression in cultured cCOBs is induced concurrently with osteoblastic markers. To study the effect of overexpression of Dlx5 on osteoblast differentiation, we infected primary osteoblast cultures from 15-day-old embryonal chicken calvaria with replication competent retroviral vectors [RCASBP(A)] expressing Dlx5 or control replication competent avian splice acceptor brianhightiter polymerase subtype A [RCASBP(A)]. Expression of Col1a1, osteopontin, alkaline phosphatase, and osteocalcin messenger RNA (mRNA) occurred sooner and at higher levels in cultures infected with RCASBP(A)DLX5 than in RCASBP(A)-infected cultures. Mineralization of Dlx5-expressing cultures was evident by days 12-14, and RCAS-infected control osteoblasts did not begin to mineralize until day 17. Dlx5 also stimulated osteoblastic differentiation of calvarial cells that do not normally undergo osteoblastic differentiation in vitro. Our results suggest that Dlx5 plays an important role in inducing calvarial osteoblast differentiation.
Child Abuse, Early Maladaptive Schemas, and Risky Sexual Behavior in College Women

Previous research suggests that individuals abused as children are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior during adulthood. The present study examined early maladaptive schemas as mediators of the child abuse-risky sexual behavior relationship among 653 college women. Self-report surveys assessed three forms of child abuse: Sexual, physical, and emotional, and assessed early maladaptive schemas within two domains: Disconnection/rejection and Other-Directedness. Disconnection/rejection schemas fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and number of sexual partners and partially mediated the relationship for sexual and physical abuse. However, when frequency of specific risky sexual acts (e.g., sex without contraception) was examined in the previous six months, only abandonment was a partial mediator. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.
Generalized linear correlation filters

We present two generalized linear correlation filters (CFs) that encompass most of the state-of-the-art linear CFs. The common criteria that arc used in linear CF design are the mean squared error (MSE), output noise variance (ONV), and average similarity measure (ASM). We present a simple formulation that uses an optimal tradeoff among these criteria both constraining and not constraining the correlation peak value, and refer to them as generalized Constrained Correlation Filter (CCF) and Unconstrained Couelation Filter (UCF). We show that most state-of-the-art linear CFs arc subsets of these filters. We present a technique for efficient UCF computation. We also introduce the modified CCF (mCCF) that chooses a unique correlation peak value for each training image, and show that mCCF usually outperforms both UCF and CCF.
Understanding the Underprivileged Child: Report on an Experimental Workshop

This is a report on the first of two workshops designed to inform dentists about the culture of the poor as it affects their attitudes toward health care.
Correlation of tool wear mechanisms with new slipline fields for cutting

Abstract A strong relationship between tool wear processes and the manner of chip flow at the cutting edge is demonstrated in this paper. The nature of such flow patterns was investigated using detailed metallography. The results were summarized in tracings of the flow and corresponding slip-line fields. Hodographs for these fields are given. Such work provided information on the strain distribution in the secondary shear zone and hence on the tool temperature profiles. Different tool wear mechanisms were then interpreted in terms of the chip deformation characteristics. For example, nickel-base alloys are shown to adhere strongly to the region immediately behind the cutting edge, promoting high temperatures. In this situation, cutting tools are readily prone to wear by plastic collapse of the edge. By contrast, softer materials such as low carbon iron and copper do not adhere as strongly in the edge region and the temperature concentration is further back along the rake face. In this situation, tools are more prone to crater wear processes.
Liberalism and Its Discontents: Lessons From the Brazilian Past

Brazilian elites during the early nineteenth century pushed for the creation of a free-market economy, but this made the bulk of the population feel unprotected by the state on which they had come to rely for a minimum of succor. The ensuing violent reaction put a halt to the implementation of such policies. There are lessons here for the present.
Exact results for quantum chaotic systems and one-dimensional fermions from matrix models

Abstract We demonstrate a striking connection between the universal parametric correlations of the spectra of quantum chaotic systems and a class of integrable quantum hamiltonians. We begin by deriving a non-perturbative expression for the universal m-point correlation function of the spectra of random matrix ensembles in terms of a non-linear supermatrix σ-model. These results are shown to coincide with those from previous studies of weakly disordered metallic systems. We then introduce a continuous matrix model which describes the quantum mechanics of the Sutherland hamiltonian describing particles interacting through an inverse-square pairwise potential. We demonstrate that a field theoretic approach can be employed to determine exact analytical expressions for correlations of the quantum hamiltonian. The results, which are expressed in terms of a non-linear σ-model, are shown to coincide with those for analogous correlation functions of random matrix ensembles after an appropriate change of variables. We also discuss possible generalizations of the matrix model to higher dimensions. These results reveal a common mathematical structure which underlies branches of theoretical physics ranging from continuous matrix models to strongly interacting quantum hamiltonians, and universalities in the spectra of quantum chaotic systems.
Genetic differences influencing behavioral temperature regulation in small mammals. II. Genotype-environment interactions

The importance of genotype by temperature interactions contributing to individual differences in nesting behavior has been demonstrated using two inbred strains ofMus musculus. Exposure to low ambient temperature increased amounts of cotton used by both the high-nesting (BALB/cJ) and low-nesting (C57BL/6J) strains. The larger total nesting scores of BALB/cJ mice compared to those of C57BL/6J mice resulted from differential increases, depending on temperature, in the amount of cotton used across days, so that the strain differences were greater in both rate of increase and total cotton used for animals tested at 5°C than for those tested at 26°C. The correlation between per gram food consumption and weight of nests was large and negative for animals tested at 5°C, and low for animals tested at 26°C, indicating a metabolic advantage in the cold for animals which built large nests. It is suggested that demonstration of a genotype-environment interaction contributing to differences among natural populations for a specific phenotype provides evidence that the character has been modified by selection acting through the environmental variable being studied.
Secondary intraocular lens implantation of traumatic cataract in open-globe injury.

Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the visual outcome and accuracy of biometry in traumatic cataract in open-globe injury. Methods: A clinical retrospective study of 30 consecutive patients treated for ocular penetrating trauma was conducted. Patient demographics, causes of injury, wound categories, timing and procedures of the primary repair, interval of subsequent intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, follow-up, and postoperative complications were recorded. Additionally, binocular biometry was documented. Twenty-six eyes (86.7%) were open-globe injuries occurring in the workplace. All patients received cataract extraction with primary repair of the penetrating wound, 18 eyes (60%) underwent trans pars plana vitrectomy with lensectomy and 12 eyes (40%) underwent lens aspiration or extracapsular cataract extraction. Simultaneously, 16 eyes (53.3%) underwent intraocular foreign body removal. Results: The mean visual improvement after secondary IOL implantation was statistically significant ( p = 0.002). Seventeen eyes (56.7%) achieved final best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better. The mean deviation of final refraction and target refraction was −0.69 ± 0.56 diopter, and 23 eyes (76.7%) were within 1 diopter based on biometry of the traumatic eye. In 18 eyes (60%), the difference was within 1 diopter according to biometry of the fellow eye. In 5 cases (16.7%), there was no improvement of vision because of central corneal scar, secondary glaucoma, macular pucker, or recurrent retinal detachment. Interpretation: The vision of patients with traumatic cataract in open-globe injury was improved after prompt surgical intervention and subsequent IOL implantation. A minority of patients experienced no change in vision or a deterioration of vision due to irregular astigmatism caused by a corneal wound or variable damage to the posterior segment. Using biometry of the injured eye after primary repair was more accurate than using biometry of the fellow eye to determine the power of the lens for IOL implantation in variable open-globe injury.
920-47 The Monetary Cost of Complications After Bypass Surgery: The Achilles’ Heel of Contract Pricing

Contract pricing among providers is being used as a method to control the costs of health care. To estimate a contract price. providers must take into account not only the direct costs of uncomplicated procedures. but the incremental costs of complications. Accordingly, we determined the incremental costs of postoperative complications in a series of 722 consecutive patients (3/12/90 to 3/22/94) undergoing routine CABG (DRG 107–CABG without catheterization). We identified 31 prospectively collected candidate variables from the perioperative period and 15 routinely collected complications. Total direct costs were obtained from the hospital central financial system. Only patients who survived to discharge were included in the analysis. Forward, stepwise, multiple linear regression was used to determine the incremental costs of complications above the cost of an uncomplicated procedure. Of the candidate variables. 6 perioperative variables (age, angina CHA class, non-use of internal thoracic artery, widow(er), peripheral vascular disease, hypercholesterolemia), and 6 complications contributed to the direct costs of CABG. The following table shows the incremental cost of each postoperative complication and its percent of the average direct cost of CABG ($27,400). New dialysis $36,436 133% Any neuro compl $13,333 49% Intubated g48 hrs $24,535 90% Leg infection $ 5.055 18% Pneumonia $20,847 76% SVT $ 2,670 10% Conclusion Postoperative complications add large, incremental costs to CABG surgery, and can be more expensive than the basic direct costs of the procedure itself. By knowing the incidence and costs of complications, contract prices can be adjusted to more accurately reflect true direct costs.
Development of Romiplostim: A Novel Engineered Peptibody ☆

Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a growth factor that stimulates megakaryocytes to increases platelet counts. Due to concerns around the development of autoantibodies in clinical studies of TPO, a novel peptide that bound the TPO receptor was used to develop a TPO mimetic. This peptide has no shared homology with TPO, and therefore avoids the risk of development of antibodies that cross-react with endogenous TPO. The ability of the artificial peptide to bind and stimulate the TPO receptor was improved by dimerization of the peptide, and the stability of the peptide was improved by linking the peptides to the Fc portion of an antibody. Romiplostim (Nplate, Amgen, Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA) is the first fully engineered fusion of a novel peptide and antibody or "peptibody" that can stimulate platelet production.
Distribution of [3H]QNB and [125I]α‐bungarotoxin binding and acetylcholinesterase activity in visual system and hippocampal structures of eleven mammalian species

This study assessed interspecies differences in regional brain distribution of [3H]QNB binding, [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin binding and acetylcholinesterase activity, by autoradiographic and histochemical methods. Eleven mammalian species were examined, including carnivores (cat, dog), a lagomorph (rabbit), and rodents (squirrel, guinea pig, gerbil, hamster, vole, lemming, rat, mouse). Comparisons were based on primary visual system structures (superior colliculus, lateral geniculate nucleus, primary visual cortex) and the hippocampal formation. The two radioligands differed greatly in the degree of interspecies variation: while the pattern of [3H]QNB binding was quite similar across species, [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin showed striking interspecies diversity. This contrast was most obvious in laminar patterns of the visual cortex and hippocampal formation. Regional distributions of acetylcholinesterase staining were fairly diverse, and were unlike the patterns of either [3H]QNB or [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin. The two ligands showed more consistency in overall levels across species than did acetylcholinesterase. Possible correlates of the differences in interspecies diversity are discussed.