cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of memantine, haloperidol, and cocaine on primary and conditioned reinforcement associated with cocaine in rhesus monkeys

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has been implicated in mediating the reinforcing effects of abused drugs. Some reports indicate the uncompetitive NMDA antagonist, memantine, modulates the conditioned and unconditioned effects of stimulants in rats. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of memantine on the primary and conditioned reinforcing effects of cocaine in the rhesus monkey. Rhesus monkeys were trained to press levers reinforced with either cocaine-associated stimuli (brief stimuli, BS) or 30-μg/kg cocaine infusion during daily, 75-min experimental sessions in which the reinforcers were independently available in separate components according to identical progressive ratio (PR) schedules. Memantine (0.3–10 mg/kg), and as comparators, haloperidol (0.001–0.1 mg/kg) and cocaine (0.01–1 mg/kg), were administered 5 min before experimental sessions. Memantine (0.3–3 mg/kg) produced decreases in responding maintained by BS presentations at some doses which failed to affect cocaine self-administration when measured during equivalent periods early in the experimental session. Memantine (3 mg/kg) increased cocaine self-administration, however, later in the session. A low dose of haloperidol (0.001 mg/kg) increased the number of BS presentations, whereas higher doses decreased their number. Cocaine self-administration was not significantly affected by haloperidol until a behaviorally suppressant dose (0.1 mg/kg) was administered. Pretreatment with high doses of cocaine (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) decreased responding maintained by both reinforcers. These results suggest that while memantine may attenuate the conditioned reinforcing effects of cocaine-associated stimuli, it may also occasion increase levels of cocaine self-administration. These findings support the hypothesis that the NMDA receptor can play a role in modulating the conditioned and primary reinforcing effects of cocaine.
1H MRS in acute traumatic brain injury.

The objective of this study was to demonstrate 1H MR spectroscopy (MRS) changes in cerebral metabolites after acute head trauma. Twenty-five patients (12 children, 13 adults) were examined with quantitative 1H MRS after closed head injury. Clinical grade (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS]) and outcome (Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center Outcome Score [ROS]) were correlated with quantitative neurochemical findings. N-acetylas-partate (NAA), a neuronal and axonal marker, was reduced (P < .03−.001). In children, a reduced NAA/creatine plus phosphocreatine (Cr) level and the presence of detectable lipid/lactate predicted bad outcome (sensitivity, 89%; specificity, 89%). The first MRS examination of all patients correlated with ROS versus NAA (r = .65, P < .0001). Although most patients showed MRS abnormalities, striking heterogeneity of 1H MRS characterized the individual patients. 1H MRS identifies multiple patterns of diffuse brain injury after blunt head trauma. There was a strong correlation between MRS and outcome. Future prospective studies will be needed to determine the clinical usefulness of MRS in predicting outcome from closed head injury.
Developmental imaging genetics: Linking dopamine function to adolescent behavior

Adolescence is a period of development characterized by numerous neurobiological changes that significantly influence behavior and brain function. Adolescence is of particular interest due to the alarming statistics indicating that mortality rates increase two to three-fold during this time compared to childhood, due largely to a peak in risk-taking behaviors resulting from increased impulsivity and sensation seeking. Furthermore, there exists large unexplained variability in these behaviors that are in part mediated by biological factors. Recent advances in molecular genetics and functional neuroimaging have provided a unique and exciting opportunity to non-invasively study the influence of genetic factors on brain function in humans. While genes do not code for specific behaviors, they do determine the structure and function of proteins that are essential to the neuronal processes that underlie behavior. Therefore, studying the interaction of genotype with measures of brain function over development could shed light on critical time points when biologically mediated individual differences in complex behaviors emerge. Here we review animal and human literature examining the neurobiological basis of adolescent development related to dopamine neurotransmission. Dopamine is of critical importance because of (1) its role in cognitive and affective behaviors, (2) its role in the pathogenesis of major psychopathology, and (3) the protracted development of dopamine signaling pathways over adolescence. We will then focus on current research examining the role of dopamine-related genes on brain function. We propose the use of imaging genetics to examine the influence of genetically mediated dopamine variability on brain function during adolescence, keeping in mind the limitations of this approach.
On solar wind helium and heavy ion temperatures

Because of theoretical difficulties in predicting the behavior of multi-ionic plasmas, observation must serve as a guide to expectations concerning the results of further measurements of other parameters. Here we examine the support for the common belief that observations of the helium to hydrogen temperature ratio indicate that the thermal velocities of ionic species in the solar wind tend to be equal.
Adopting Technology: Using Student Qualitative Data and Gartner's Hype Cycle.

Technology is changing education. School leaders are charged with purchasing and leveraging technology to maximize an ever-changing landscape of teaching and learning. They have many factors to consider as they make decisions about what specific technologies to purchase for their schools. Gartner’s Hype Cycle is an annually published report that can help school leaders anticipate and plan for trends in education. A recent qualitative study analyzed data from fifteen participants in two different countries and five different high schools regarding their one-to-one (1:1) laptop experiences. The study used a phenomenological strategy to explain first-year college students’ perceptions of the effects of a 1:1 laptop experience on their readiness for college and the uses of technology for instructional purposes by high school teachers and college professors. Implications from the study for school leaders call for technology initiatives to be thoughtfully planned and sustainable. Preparation for implementation should include infrastructure planning, clear and measureable goals for the initiative that are effectively communicated to the stakeholders involved in the initiative, and effective training for teachers prior to and during the technology initiative. The results of the 1:1 qualitative study used in conjunction with Gartner’s Hype Cycle provide critical information for school leaders to consider when determining the selection and timing of technology initiatives and planning for implementation.
An improved in‐gel digestion method for efficient identification of protein and glycosylation analysis of glycoproteins using guanidine hydrochloride

In-gel digestion followed by LC/MS/MS is widely used for the identification of trace amounts of proteins and for the site-specific glycosylation analysis of glycoproteins in cells and tissues. A major limitation of this technique is the difficulty in acquiring reliable mass spectra for peptides present in minute quantities and glycopeptides with high heterogeneity and poor hydrophobicity. It is considered that the SDS used in electrophoresis can interact with proteins noncovalently and impede the ionization of peptides/glycopeptides. In this study, we report an improved in-gel digestion method to acquire reliable mass spectra of a trace amount of peptides/glycopeptides. A key innovation of our improved method is the use of guanidine hydrochloride, which forms complexes with the residual SDS molecules in the sample. The precipitation and removal of SDS by addition of the guanidine hydrochloride was successful in improving the S/N of peptides/glycopeptides in mass spectra and acquiring a more comprehensive MS/MS data set for the various glycoforms of each glycopeptide.
Thoughts on the Internet architecture from a modern enterprise network outage

Today's state-of-the-art enterprise networks follow a distributed architecture that provides a high degree of reliability in most instances. These networks, however, have limitations in their ability to function in certain catastrophic conditions. In this paper, we provide a detailed study of a recent systemic network outage that affected Clemson University's enterprise network to show the shortcomings of the distributed Internet architecture. Of particular note are the LAN spanning tree implementations, access control list implementations, and redundancy protocols. The observations shed light on opportunities where the emerging software-defined networking (SDN) paradigm may help avoid such difficult situations through a centralized control plane.
Phylogenetic Relationships of the Creek Chubs and the Spine-Fins: an Enigmatic Group of North American Cyprinid Fishes (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae)

Phylogenetic analyses based on the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene were performed for representatives of major North American cyprinid clades. These analyses resolved four monophyletic groups: (1) Western Clade, represented byAcrocheilusandGila, (2) Creek Chub Clade, represented byCouesius,Hemitremia,Semotilus, andMargariscus, (3) Open Posterior Myodome Clade, represented byCampostoma,Phenacobius,Cyprinella,Notropis,Platygobio, andRhinichthys, and (4) Plagopterin Clade, represented bySnyderichthys,Lepidomeda, andMeda. The overall results of these analyses refute previous hypotheses of relationships of North American Cyprinidae based on morphological data. Our analyses support recognition ofSnyderichthys, formerly considered a subgenus ofGila,and indicate that the Plagopterin Clade is sister to the Creek Chub Clade. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that hypotheses of relationship between plagopterins and other Western taxa are unsupported and the Open Posterior Myodome Clade is a monophyletic group.
Symphony: A Scheduler for Client-Server Applications on Coprocessor-Based Heterogeneous Clusters

Coprocessors such as GPUs are increasingly being deployed in clusters to process scientific and compute-intensive jobs. In this work, we study if GPU-based heterogeneous clusters can benefit client-server applications. Specifically, we consider the practical situation where multiple client-server applications share a heterogeneous cluster (multi-tenancy), and experience unpredictable variations in incoming client request rates, including steep load spikes. Even for "compute-intensive" client-server applications, it is unclear if a GPU-based cluster can seamlessly deliver acceptable response times in the presence of multi-tenancy and load spikes. We argue that a cluster-level scheduler that is aware of application load, request deadlines and the heterogeneity is necessary in this situation. We propose a novel scheduler called Symphony that enables efficient, dynamic sharing of a GPU-based heterogeneous cluster across multiple concurrently-executing client-server applications, each with arbitrary load spikes. Symphony performs three key tasks: it (i) monitors the load on each application, (ii) collects past performance data and dynamically builds simple performance models of available processing resources and (iii) computes a priority for pending requests based on the above parameters and the requests' slack. Based on this, it reorders client requests across different applications to achieve acceptable response times. We also define how client-server applications should interact with a scheduler such as Symphony, and develop an API to this end. We deploy Symphony as user-space middleware on a high-end heterogeneous cluster with dual quad-core Xeon CPUs and dual NVIDIA Fermi GPUs. An evaluation using representative applications shows that in the presence of load spikes (i) Symphony incurs 2-20x fewer requests that do not meet response time constraints compared with other schedulers, and (ii) in order to achieve the same performance as Symphony, other schedulers need 2x more cluster nodes.
Isomorphic Sclerotic-Type Cutaneous Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Report and Review of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease in a Cutaneous Immunocompromised District

Patients who have received a hematopoietic cell transplantation can develop graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The liver, the gastrointestinal tract, and/or the skin can be affected by GVHD. Chronic sclerotic-type cutaneous GVHD can occur at sites of repetitive skin friction. To describe isomorphic sclerotic-type GVHD and review chronic GVHD appearing in a cutaneous immunocompromised district. The clinical features of a 74-year-old man with mantle cell lymphoma who developed chronic sclerotic-type cutaneous GVHD localized to the waistband area—which had been exposed to repetitive skin injury—after a second hematopoietic cell transplantation are reported. Using the PubMed database, an extensive literature search was performed on chronic GVHD. The cutaneous immunocompromised district is an area of skin whose local effective immunity has been altered, thereby permitting the development of a dysimmune reaction, infection, or tumor at the site. A cutaneous isomorphic response refers to a disease-associated skin lesion occurring at the site of physical injury that is morphologically similar to the existing condition. Cutaneous chronic GVHD can occur at sites of repetitive skin trauma as an isomorphic response. The patient developed sclerotic-type GVHD in a cutaneous area that had previously experienced repeated irritation, friction, and pressure. Isomorphic sclerotic-type GVHD—in either the waistband area or brassiere area or both—has also been observed in other patients. In addition, cutaneous chronic GVHD has been described not only at the location of a previous, unrelated, and healed skin disease as an isotopic response, but also at the cutaneous site of earlier exposure to radiotherapy or ultraviolet radiation as an isoradiotopic response. Sclerotic and nonsclerotic skin lesions of chronic GVHD can occur not only as an isomorphic response, but also as either an isotopic response or an isoradiotopic response in a cutaneous immunocompromised district.
SANS provides unique information on the structure and function of biological macromolecules in solution

Abstract Since neutrons are sensitive to the positions of the light elements such as H, C, N and O, which are of central importance to all biological systems, SANS can provide unique information on the structure and function of biological macromolecules. Particularly powerful is the contrast variation technique, in which the isotopic substitution of D for H is routinely used to change the scattering from a macromolecule without affecting its biochemistry. Often, this substitution is as simple as using D2O instead of H2O in the solvent in order to increase the contrast between molecule and solvent and to decrease the background due to incoherent scattering from H. In complexes comprised of two components with different neutron-scattering length densities, the scattering from one component can be separated from that of the other by measuring the complex in solvents with different H2O/D2O ratios. This provides unique structural information about each component individually, as it is interacting with the other in the complex. The role of SANS in providing unique structural information is illustrated using several examples of recent experiments.
The accuracy of the pseudo-fermion method

Abstract The pseudo-fermion method for dynamical fermions is studied using Monte Carlo techniques. Various approximations are tested by calculating the mass gap of the Schwinger model and by comparing it with results obtained with an exact algorithm. The mass found is consistent with that obtained from the exact algorithm, implying that the systematic errors are small. In addition, the mass is almost independent of the number of pseudo-sweeps used, implying that the statistical error inherent in the Monte Carlo of the pseudo-fermion field does not have a strong effect on the observable. Numerical evidence is presented to show that the algorithm gives the correct answer for even a single pseudo-sweep in the limit that the Metropolis hit size goes to zero.
Gamochaeta serpyllifolia Wedd. (Compositae: Gnaphalieae), the correct name for Gamochaeta munnozii Cabrera

Gamochaeta munnozii Cabrera was proposed as a new name for South American Gnaphalium serpyllifolium Remy (1849), non Bergius (1767). Weddell (1855), however, had proposed Gamochaeta serpyllifolia and included Gnaphalium serpyllifolium Remy in synonymy. Thus, Gamochaeta serpyllifolia is the correct name for this taxon. A lectotype is chosen for Gnaphalium serpyllifolium Remy.
Histamine H1 receptor involvement in prepulse inhibition and memory function: Relevance for the antipsychotic actions of clozapine

Histamine H(1) blockade is one of the more prominent actions of the multi-receptor acting antipsychotic clozapine. It is currently not known how much this H(1) antagonism of clozapine contributes to the therapeutic or adverse side effects of clozapine. The current studies with Sprague-Dawley rats were conducted to determine the participation of histaminergic H(1) receptor subtype in sensorimotor plasticity and memory function affected by clozapine using tests of prepulse inhibition (PPI) and radial-arm maze choice accuracy. The PPI impairment caused by the glutamate antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801) was significantly attenuated by clozapine. In the current project, we found that the selective H(1) antagonist pyrilamine also reversed the dizocilpine-induced impairment in PPI of tactile startle with an auditory prepulse. In the radial-arm maze (RAM), pyrilamine, like clozapine, impaired working memory and caused a significant dose-related slowing of response. Pyrilamine, however, decreased the number of reference memory errors. We have previously shown that nicotine effectively attenuates the clozapine-induced working memory impairment, but in the current study, nicotine did not significantly alter the effects of pyrilamine on the RAM. In summary, the therapeutic effect of clozapine in reversing PPI impairment was mimicked by the H(1) antagonist pyrilamine, while pyrilamine had a mixed effect on cognition. Pyrilamine impaired working memory but improved reference memory in rats. Thus, H(1) antagonism seems to play a role in part of the beneficial actions of antipsychotics, such as clozapine.
Vector Saliva in Vaccines for Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Brief Encounter of High Consequence?

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies and remains the most serious form of the disease with no available human vaccine. Repeatedly, studies have demonstrated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a number of sand fly salivary proteins against cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. All Leishmania species including agents of VL are co-deposited into the skin together with vector saliva. Generally, the immune response to a protective salivary protein in vaccinated animals is rapid and possibly acts on the parasites soon after delivery into the skin by the bite of an infective sand fly. This is followed by the development of a stronger Leishmania-specific immunity in saliva-vaccinated animals compared to controls. Considering that several of the most efficacious protective molecules were identified from a proven vector of VL, we put forward the notion that a combination vaccine that includes a Leishmania antigen and a vector salivary protein has the potential to improve vaccine efficacy by targeting the parasite at it most vulnerable stage just after transmission.
FAMILY HEALTH VERSUS FAMILY PLANNING

Abstract The Ministries of Health for countries throughout the world are struggling for effective programmes to alleviate the mounting population crush with its staggering health needs. The family-planning efforts as well as nutrition supplementation programmes have seen little success in areas where total family health needs are not met in their simplest terms. A comprehensive approach is required.
Model comparison in Emergency Severity Index level prediction

Emergency Department (ED) triage is a process of determining illness severity and accordingly assigning patient priority. The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is a 5-level acuity categorization system that aides in triage. This paper compared the capabilities of predicting ESI level using ordinal logistic regression (OLR), artificial neural networks (NNs), and naive Bayesian networks (NBNs). Data were obtained from Susquehanna Williamsport Hospital for 947 patients over a one month period in 2008. It contained the assigned ESI level, chief complaint, systolic blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, temperature, oxygen saturation level (SaO"2), age, gender, and pain level. An OLR model was fit using a subset of these covariates. NBNs and NNs were modeled to relax the inherent assumptions of linearity and covariate independence in logistic regression. These three techniques were compared using incremental training dataset sizes between 50% and 100% of given data. All models were >60% accurate using the entire dataset for training. It was found that NBNs and NNs were robust to data size changes and all models had evaluation speeds of less than 0.5s. At this time the use of NBNs is recommended considering speed, accuracy, data utilization, model flexibility, and interpretability of the model.
Localization of dieldrin in house fly thoracic ganglion by electron microscopic autoradiography.

Localization of 3H-dieldrin in the thoracic ganglion of dieldrin-resistant house flies, Musca domestica L., occurred mainly in the collagen-like fibers of the neural lamella and the nerve fiber sheaths of the neuropile. No dieldrin deposition was observed in the nerve cell body area. Radioactivity was not found in mitochondria or tracheae enmeshed in the ganglionic tissue.
Hypothesis: The metastatic niche theory can elucidate infantile hemangioma development

Recent advances in the understanding of the metastatic phenomenon in cancer have led to the description of a metastatic niche. This concept describes a site prepared for the tumor cells in areas frequently associated with metastasis for the individual tumor studied. This niche is a "soil" that allows for the tumor cell or "seed" to lodge and grow. Certain aspects of the biology of infantile hemangioma cells suggest a relationship to the placenta as a possible site of origin for the hemangioma precursor cells. In this article, a relationship between the placenta, with or without a chorangioma and the hemangioma sites of localization, is hypothesized. The placenta is suggested as the site of humoral factors that prepare a niche similar to the function of malignant tumor cells. If the hypothesis proves to be valid, clues for possible treatment are outlined.
Effect of Local Ties On Electoral Success and Parliamentary Behaviour: The Case of Estonia

The growing literature on personal vote assumes that candidates with strong local ties should be more successful electorally and more likely to break party unity in parliament. Using unique data fr...
Safety study of primary coolants in fusion power reactor first wall design

Abstract This paper examines potential safety problems associated with the various primary coolant candidates currently considered for the EPR fusion blanket designs. The basic concern is the possibility of overheating and melting of the first wall and the blanket, induced by a malfunction in the primary coolant system. These accidents include the loss-of-coolant flow, the loss-of-heat removal, overpower transients, and the loss of coolant. Following a mechanistic safety for these four types of accident sequences and comparing helium and liquid metal cooling, it was found that helium has a more adverse effect on the first-wall heat up in the event of a loss-of-heat removal or a loss-of-coolant because its lack of thermal inertia.
A host defense role for a natural antiviral substance in the nervous system

The pathogenesis of virus infections of the nervous system (NS) is regulated by host defenses. The defensive role of a major constitutive antiviral substance was studied by determining its distribution in the human nervous system, its concentration and the ability of this viral inhibitor to protect mice against viral infection. The 4000 kDa inhibitor complex in the human nervous system was detected in brain gray and white matter, spinal cord, and sciatic nerve but not in human cerebrospinal fluid. The inhibitor was found in the extracellular medium incubated with minced murine brain. The inhibitory titer ranged from approximately 50 to 200 antiviral units per gram against polio 1, Semliki Forest, Banzi, mengo, Newcastle disease and herpes simplex 1 viruses. The inhibitor is composed of lipid and essential protein and carbohydrate moieties as determined by enzymatic inactivation. Protection of inhibitor-treated mice was demonstrated against both an alphavirus and a picornavirus. Thus a natural defensive role for the broadly antiviral inhibitor is suggested by its constitutively high concentration, wide distribution in nervous system tissues, presence in extracellular fluid and its ability to provide protection in infected mice.
Monopoles and confinement

Abstract We investigate the long-distance effects of dynamical monopoles which are isolated in the measure of SU (2) LGT when rewritten in terms of Z (2) and SO (3) variables. We show that the problem of confinement at large β can be reduced to estimates on monopole distributions, and discuss their evaluation.
A Pattern for Increasing the First Hyperpolarizability of a Push−Pull Polyene Dye as Indicated from DFT Calculations†

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on a polyene dye scaffold, keeping the end groups and bridge length the same but varying the pattern of electron-donating (D) and electron-withdrawing (W) substituents along the polyene bridge. The basic pattern that increased the first hyperpolarizability was to place W substituents on even-numbered (e) methine carbons, and D substituents on odd-numbered (o) methines (called the {eWoD} pattern). The numbering scheme used herein for the dye scaffold has the #1 methine at the W-terminus of the dye. The {eWoD} pattern polarizes the π bonds along the polyene in the opposite direction that the termini of the dye polarize the dye. By placing cyano and fluorine groups in the {eWoD} pattern along the polyene, a sixfold higher first hyperpolarizability was predicted compared to placing them in the opposite substitution pattern ({oWeD}). A superimposed but weaker gradient pattern was also observed.
On Chip Morphology, Tool Wear and Cutting Mechanics in Finish Hard Turning

Abstract Topography of surfaces produced in finish hard turning using cubic boron nitride (CBN) tools is affected by a large number of factors including tool wear and the mechanics of the chip formation process. This paper shows first that tool wear rates are affected by interactions between the work material and the binder phase of the CBN tool. For finish hard turning, low CBN content, ceramic binder tools give longer lives and better finish than high CBN content metallic binder tools. For low CBN tools, wear rate is directly related to the microstructure of the work material and to the CBN grain size. SEM studies suggest that chip morphology is independent of work material microstructure, but varies with tool wear. Orthogonal cutting tests show that, above a critical speed, segmented chips are formed by catastrophic localized shear and that chip segmentation spacing may be reflected in a modulation of the machined surface. Segment spacing is a function of depth of cut, rake angle, and surface speed, approaching a limiting value with speed. Specific cutting energies decrease with speed, also approaching an asymptote. A simple mechanical model gives reasonable predictions of segment spacing along the original surface, although a full thermo-plastic model will be required to account for other aspects of the chip formation process.
A New Calibration Method for Mass Spectrometric Determination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls

A rapid, fairly simple procedure to identify and measure PCBs as isomer groups was developed and applied to reference standards and smoke-stack samples. A gas chromatograph equipped with a fused-silica capillary column and interfaced to a quadrupole mass spectrometer/data system was used to determine PCBs by level of chlorination. The calibration congeners were major constituents of Aroclor mixtures and of residues commonly found in the environment. For concentration calibration, one or two common isomers in Aroclor mixtures from each level of chlorination were used to determine response factors, which were used for all the isomers in that group. The results based on this calibration procedure were compared to those based on a calibration standard developed by EPA and also by high-resolution GC/EC analysis.
Bergman type projections on L p spaces

The paper is a survey on the action of Bergman type projections on various Lp spaces. The focus is on three types of holomorphic function spaces: weighted Bergman spaces, the Bloch space, and diagonal Besov spaces.
Studies of a Humoral Sodium Transport Inhibitory Activity in Normal Dogs and Dogs with Ligation of the Inferior Vena Cava

Plasma ultrafiltrates of dogs acutely expanded with saline inhibit toad bladder sodium transport. The present studies were performed to delineate further the chemical and physiological characterist...
S-100 modulates Ca2+-independent phosphorylation of an endogenous protein (Mr=19K) in brain

: A new brain enzyme (tentatively named protein kinase X), which catalyzes protamine phosphorylation modulated by S-100, was reported recently. An endogenous substrate protein (Mr= 19K) for protein kinase × was isolated from brain by means of S-100-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. S-100, but not calmodulin, promoted phosphorylation of the 19K Mr protein in a Ca2+-independent manner, and this reaction was inhibited by gossypol. The substrate protein, localized in the particulate fraction, was present at a much higher level in brain from adult than neonatal rats (2-day-old), a developmental change similar to that seen for protein kinase X. It is suggested that a protein phosphorylation system modulated by S-100 exists in brain, and that this process may be involved in regulation of certain neural functions.
Cross-Layer Resource Allocation via Geometric Programming in Fading Broadcast Channels

In a fading broadcast channel (BC), Queue Proportional Scheduling (QPS) is presented via geometric programming (GP). Given the current queue state, QPS allocates a data rate vector such that the expected rate vector averaged over all fading states is proportional to the current queue state vector as well as on the boundary of the ergodic BC capacity region. One well known throughput optimal policy for a fading BC is Maximum Weight Matching Scheduling (MWMS), which maximizes the inner product of the queue state vector and achievable rate vector. Simulation results for Poisson packet arrivals and exponentially distributed packet lengths demonstrate that QPS provides a significant decrease in average queuing delay compared to MWMS. In addition, QPS is shown to guarantee fairness among users in terms of average queuing delay.
Decreased cAMP responsiveness to glucagon in livers from ethynyl estradiol treated rats.

Abstract The effects of glucagon on the concentration and output of cAMP were studied in liver slices and in perfused livers from female rats and from animals treated with ethynyl estradiol (15 μg/kg daily for 14 days). The basal content of cAMP in liver slices, or of cAMP released into the perfusion medium in the absence of glucagon, was unaffected by prior treatment of the animal with estrogen. When glucagon was added to the medium, the concentration of cAMP in liver slices was 2.29 ± 0.32 and 1.10 ± 0.11 pmol cAMP/mg wet weight from control and ethynyl estradiol treated rats, respectively. When glucagon was added, the output of cAMP by perfused livers was maximal at 20 minutes with livers from either control or ethynyl estradiol treated rats. Output of cAMP by the perfused liver, when glucagon was added to the medium, was 8.76 ± 0.69 and 1.84 ± 0.08 nmol/g by livers from control and ethynyl estradiol treated rats, respectively. This effect was the same whether animals had been fasted for 12 hours previously, or were allowed free access to food until sacrifice. Clearly, as measured by cAMP accumulation, prior treatment of the rat with ethynyl estradiol reduced the sensitivity of the hepatic cAMP response to glucagon.
A note on generalized flows

The problem of constructing flows associated with first order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with spatially non-Lipschitz right-hand side is considered. Due to the lack of uniqueness of the solutions, standard flows cannot be defined in this case. For these situations, it is natural to introduce generalized flows which are random fields constructed by assigning a probability measure on the set of maps associated with the solutions of the ODEs. Some properties of the generalized flows are discussed here, in particular in terms of transport, via simple one-dimensional examples. These simple examples display a wide variety of behaviors and indicate that a general theory of generalized flows is likely to be inaccessible because they typically lack desirable properties such as stability with respect to perturbations or Markovianity in time.
Evaluating theoretical predictions in the social sciences: Coalition theories and other models†

This paper addresses the issue of how a researcher might evaluate the accuracy of theoretical predictions in the social sciences. Using theories of coalition systems as an example of specific and apparently easily testable models, the paper argues that judgment of the absolute accuracy of a prediction remains a value judgment. In addition, a strict value judgment can potentially lead to the rejection of a theory and its underlying assumptions even when those assumptions may have, at the very least, considerable heuristic value. While most models in the social sciences would benefit from greater specificity in their predictions, the general thrust of specific coalition models would benefit from greater attention. Combining a general conceptual structure with a set of specific, falsifiable predictions makes for excellent theory and potentially greater research progress.
Thyrotrope Expression and Thyroid Hormone Inhibition Map to Different Regions of the Mouse Glycoprotein Hormone α-Subunit Gene Promoter*

The α-subunit gene of the glycoprotein hormones is normally expressed in pituitary thyrotropes and gonadotropes and in placental cells. Thus, this gene must contain elements that mediate expression and hormonal responses in different cell types. The localization of DNA regions important for expression and regulation of the α-subunit gene in thyrotrope cells has not previously been reported. In these studies luciferase expression constructs containing 1700 basepairs of 5′ flanking DNA derived from the mouse α-subunit gene were introduced by electroporation into freshly dispersed cells from TSH-producing mouse pituitary tumors (TtT 97). This promoter functioned with greater efficiency in thyrotropes than in nonthyrotrope pituitary GH4 cells and L-cell fibroblasts. Primer extension confirmed that transcription from the α-subunit constructs initiated at the same site as the endogenous gene. Studies using 5′ truncations showed a progressive loss of α-subunit promoter activity in thyrotropes between –480 and –1...
Cathode development for the hard-tube MILO

Summary form only given, as follows. The hard-tube MILO (magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator) is a multigigawatt cross-field microwave tube powered by a 500-kV, 60-kA electron beam. During the initial experiments with a 300-ns beam pulse, a simple velvet cathode configuration was used. However, after extending the beam pulse to 600 ns, problems mainly involving cathode flares compelled cathode design changes to be made. We report on modifications made to the velvet cathode as well as on recent results using a CsI-coated, graphite-fiber cathode. The performance characteristics and relative merits of each cathode are presented.
Stimulus-Specific Assembly of Enhancer Complexes on the Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Gene Promoter

The human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene is rapidly activated in response to multiple signals of stress and inflammation. We have identified transcription factors present in the TNF-alpha enhancer complex in vivo following ionophore stimulation (ATF-2/Jun and NFAT) and virus infection (ATF-2/Jun, NFAT, and Sp1), demonstrating a novel role for NFAT and Sp1 in virus induction of gene expression. We show that virus infection results in calcium flux and calcineurin-dependent NFAT dephosphorylation; however, relatively lower levels of NFAT are present in the nucleus following virus infection as compared to ionophore stimulation. Strikingly, Sp1 functionally synergizes with NFAT and ATF-2/c-jun in the activation of TNF-alpha gene transcription and selectively associates with the TNF-alpha promoter upon virus infection but not upon ionophore stimulation in vivo. We conclude that the specificity of TNF-alpha transcriptional activation is achieved through the assembly of stimulus-specific enhancer complexes and through synergistic interactions among the distinct activators within these enhancer complexes.
Note on the Characteristics of an Apomorphine Response in Pigeons

Quantitative relationships between the dose and incidence, latent period, duration of action, cumulative and minute responses of the apomorphine-induced pecking syndrome are described.
A cost-effective differential mobility analyzer (cDMA) for multiple DMA column applications

Abstract In aerosol research and applications, a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) is now considered the standard tool for sizing and classifying monodisperse particles in the sub-micrometer and nanometer size ranges. However, DMA application at the pilot or industrial production scale remains infeasible because of the low mass throughput. A simple way to scale up DMA operation is to use multiple DMA columns. The manufacture and maintenance costs of existing DMAs, however, limit such a scale-up. A cost-effective DMA column (named cDMA) has thus been developed in this work to address the above issue. To reduce its manufacturing cost, the prototype was constructed using parts requiring little machining. The cDMA column was also designed for easy maintenance and easy variation of the classification length for any application-specified size range. In this study, prototypes with two particle classification lengths, 1.75 and 4.50 cm, were constructed and their performance was experimentally evaluated at sheath-to-aerosol flowrate ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 15:1 via the tandem DMA (TDMA) technique. It was concluded that both prototype cDMAs, operated at a sheath/aerosol flowrate ratio less than 15:1 and with a polydisperse aerosol flowrate of 1.0 lpm, achieved sizing resolution comparable to that offered by Nano-DMA. The longer cDMA had comparable transmission efficiency to that of Nano-DMA, and the shorter cDMA exceeded the performance of Nano-DMA. Hence, the cDMA with the shorter (1.75 cm) classification length is better suited for the characterization of macromolecular samples.
Wheel-running exercise alters rat diaphragm action potentials and their regulation by K+ channels.

Endurance exercise modifies regulatory systems that control skeletal muscle Na+ and K+ fluxes, in particular Na+-K+-ATPase-mediated transport of these ions. Na+ and K+ ion channels also play import...
New Species of Toxicocalamus (Squamata: Elapidae) from Papua New Guinea

Abstract I describe two distinctive new species of elapid snakes of the genus Toxicocalamus from the southeastern end of Papua New Guinea. The first species, T. mintoni sp. nov., is unique within the genus in having the frontal fused with the supraoculars. It is a fairly gracile species of uniformly light-brown coloration and is known from only a single specimen from central Sudest Island. The second species, T. pachysomus sp. nov., is unique in its combination of having a distinct preocular unfused with the prefrontal, the internasal in contact with the preocular, the second supralabial in contact with the nasal, and paired subcaudals. Its stout habitus is unique within the genus, and its small eye is also distinctive. This species too is known from only a single specimen from the Cloudy Mountains, the southeasternmost portion of the island of New Guinea. Milne Bay Province, which is comprised of the southeastern extremity of New Guinea and its adjacent offshore islands, is a center of diversity for the ...
Automatic Field Map Generation and Off-Resonance Correction for Projection Reconstruction Imaging

A new projection reconstruction technique utilizes the oversampling of low spatial frequencies to estimate and correct for off-resonance effects. Interleaved spokes are acquired at one of two different echo times. From separated early-TE and late-TE raw data, two one-quarter resolution images are reconstructed and a one-quarter resolution field map is computed. Multifrequency reconstruction with all the data is then used to simultaneously correct for off-resonance and compensate for the difference in echo times. Resulting images obtained on phantoms and in vivo demonstrate significantly reduced off-resonance artifact without the acquisition of a separate field map.
Dual Lipid Modification Motifs in Gα and Gγ Subunits Are Required for Full Activity of the Pheromone Response Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To establish the biological function of thioacylation (palmitoylation), we have studied the heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) subunits of the pheromone response pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast G protein gamma subunit (Ste18p) is unusual among G(gamma) subunits because it is farnesylated at cysteine 107 and has the potential to be thioacylated at cysteine 106. Substitution of either cysteine results in a strong signaling defect. In this study, we found that Ste18p is thioacylated at cysteine 106, which depended on prenylation of cysteine 107. Ste18p was targeted to the plasma membrane even in the absence of prenylation or thioacylation. However, G protein activation released prenylation- or thioacylation-defective Ste18p into the cytoplasm. Hence, lipid modifications of the G(gamma) subunit are dispensable for G protein activation by receptor, but they are required to maintain the plasma membrane association of G(betagamma) after receptor-stimulated release from G(alpha). The G protein alpha subunit (Gpa1p) is tandemly modified at its N terminus with amide- and thioester-linked fatty acids. Here we show that Gpa1p was thioacylated in vivo with a mixture of radioactive myristate and palmitate. Mutation of the thioacylation site in Gpa1p resulted in yeast cells that displayed partial activation of the pathway in the absence of pheromone. Thus, dual lipidation motifs on Gpa1p and Ste18p are required for a fully functional pheromone response pathway.
Spatiotemporal Investigation of Adult Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations in an Eastern Iowa County, USA

Landscape and climatic factors regulate distributions of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) over time and space. The anthropogenic control of mosquito populations is often carried out at a local administrative scale, and it is applied based on the relevant agency's experiential knowledge rather than systematic analysis of spatial and temporal data. To address this shortcoming, a spatial and temporal analysis of landscape and climatic parameters in relation to mosquito populations in Black Hawk County, IA, USA, has been carried out. Adult mosquito sampling took place using CDC light traps from May to August 2003 in representative landscapes. Mosquitoes were identified to species level with Aedes trivittatus (Coquillet) and Aedes vexans (Meigen) dominating the collection totals. The best publicly available spatial data on landscape and demographic attributes were collated and included land cover, human census, soils, floodplain, elevation, wetlands, hydrography, roads, and vegetation indices derived from satellite imagery. Spatial processing was carried out to organize landscape attributes for statistical comparison with abundance data from the potentially important West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) vector species Ae. vexans and Ae. trivittatus. Landscape parameters shown to be significantly correlated with mosquito counts included soil hydrological properties, presence in floodplain, wetland areas, and deciduous and bottomland forest cover. Data on temperature and precipitation were used to investigate the climatic influence on the temporal occurrence of mosquito population abundances. Late spring rain provided ample moisture for mosquito development, but low temperatures delayed widespread emergence of Ae. trivittatus and Ae. vexans until June 2003. Landscape and climatic impacts on adult mosquito population distributions were demonstrated, and these results could form the basis for the development of a spatiotemporal modeling framework that would inform anthropogenic mosquito control anld vector-borne disease surveillance. A qualitative discussion concerning Culex pipiens (L.) and Culex restuans Theobald is included.
Drug-coated balloons for infrapopliteal disease: digging deep to understand the impact of a negative trial.

Over the past decade, drug-coated balloons (DCBs) have emerged as an effective treatment for atherosclerosis in multiple vascular beds. Initial attempts to deliver antirestenotic agents locally without a stent scaffold included use of infusion balloons, injection into the arterial wall, and admixing
Digital indocyanine green angiography of central serous chorioretinopathy

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a condition usually seen in younger patients in which a neurosensory retinal detachment is noted with or without an associated pigment epithelial detachment. There has been great controversy about the pathogenesis of this condition. Some investigators believe that the primary abnormality is an alteration of the permeability of the choroidal blood vessels, while others have postulated that the permeability alterations are of RPE origin1–4.
Tuning as Linear Regression

We propose a tuning method for statistical machine translation, based on the pairwise ranking approach. Hopkins and May (2011) presented a method that uses a binary classifier. In this work, we use linear regression and show that our approach is as effective as using a binary classifier and converges faster.
Double-Regge pole analysis of π+p → π+π−Δ++ at 13.1 GeV/c

Abstract A double-Regge model is applied to the reaction π+p → π+π−Δ++ at 13.1 GeV/c. A good description of the data is given in terms of two amplitudes involving Pomeranchuk/π and Pomeranchuk/Δ exchanges.