cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indium-111 Capromab Pendetide (ProstaScint) Imaging to Detect Recurrent and Metastatic Prostate Cancer

This study evaluated the utility of In-111 capromab pendetide imaging to detect prostate cancer metastases or local recurrence. The specific goal was to identify clinical factors such as prostate-specific antigen, pathologic stage, and Gleason score that were most predictive of a positive scan outcome. In addition, a new concept of a weighted Gleason score was defined and correlated with the scan outcome. Fifty-one patients with an elevated prostate-specific antigen level and otherwise negative workup were studied. Forty-eight patients had been treated by radical prostatectomy, two by radiation therapy, and one patient was studied before prostatectomy. Each patient received an intravenous injection of approximately 5 mCi of In-111 containing 0.5 mg of CYT 356, a conjugated site-specific monoclonal antibody against prostate specific membrane antigen. Tomographic blood pool images were obtained the day of injection. Four days later planar images and tomographic images of the abdomen and pelvis were obtained. Scans were interpreted by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Differences in the scan interpretation were settled by consensus. Scan outcomes were correlated with prostate-specific antigen levels, pathologic stage, Gleason score, weighted Gleason score, and clinical data. Of 51 scans, 70.6% (36 of 51) were positive. Eight patients had abnormal activity in the prostatic fossa, 12 patients had abnormal activity in the abdominal or pelvic lymph nodes, and 16 patients demonstrated abnormal activity in both areas. One patient with a positive scan underwent lymphadenectomy and was confirmed to be a true positive. Patients with a prostate-specific antigen level greater than 10 ng/ml, a weighted Gleason score higher than 4.5, or prostate-specific antigen levels greater than 2 ng/ml plus a weighted score higher than 4.5 showed positive rates of 100% (6 of 6), 88.2% (14 of 16), and 100% (6 of 6), respectively. In-111 capromab pendetide imaging was useful to detect metastases or local recurrence. Serum prostate-specific antigen levels and weighted Gleason scores are good predictive factors of the likelihood of a positive scan outcome.
Estimation of Estradiol in Mouse Serum Samples: Evaluation of Commercial Estradiol Immunoassays

The University of Virginia Center for Research in Reproduction Ligand Core performed an evaluation of nine commercial estradiol (E2) immunoassays for use with mouse serum. The evaluation had two components. 1) Recovery Studies: a mouse pool was spiked with E2 concentrations across the assay range, and percent recovery and parallelism to the assay standard curve were determined. 2) Correlation Studies: serum pools were collected from intact females, ovariectomized (OVX) and OVX-E2 treated mice and E2 assayed, then measured by gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MSMS) for comparison to a gold standard method. Recovery results showed that E2 recovery from spiked mouse pools varied greatly (from 640%) among kits tested. However, three kits (DiaSorin Radioimmunoassay, Siemens Double Antibody RIA, and CalBiotech Enzyme Immunoassay) showed reasonable recoveries and parallelism. Data collected from the Correlation Study showed that values from intact, OVX and OVX-E2-treated mouse pools varied...
Velocity of sound in solid hexagonal close-packed H 2 and D 2

Sound velocity measurements are reported on samples of hexagonal close-packed H2 and D2, believed to be single crystals. In the first part of the experiments, both the longitudinal and transverse velocities (v 1 and v t ) of crystals grown at a given melting pressureP M were measured at 4.2 K. For each mode, the velocities plotted vs.P M were found to lie between approximately parallel lines that represented the maximum and minimum observable velocities under the given experimental conditions set by the acoustic cell dimensions. From these extreme velocities v 1max, v 1min, v tmax, and v tmin an estimation of the elastic constants was made. Knowledge of these constants in turn permitted the calculation of the velocity surface, the bulk modulus, and the Debye temperature. In spite of the uncertainties in the analysis of the present data, a meaningful comparison could be made with results from other experiments. For both and D 2 , the elastic constants are on the average ∼20% below those derived from neutron scattering data. The transverse velocities, both for H 2 and D 2 , are consistent with those of Bezuglyi and Minyafaev for polycrystalline samples, but the longitudinal velocities are about 10% smaller than those of these authors. The bulk modulus and the Debye temperature from our experiments are compared with those from equation-of-state and calorimetric experiments. In the second part of this research, we have investigated the temperature dependence of the sound velocities at constant volume for both H 2 and D 2 with low concentrationsX of molecules with rotational angular momentumJ=1. From the measurements in H 2 , we are able to calculate the temperature change in the bulk modulus, which is then compared with that calculated from calorimetric data assuming the validity of the Gruneisen equation of state. Good agreement is obtained. In solid D 2 , were were able to deduce the temperature dependence of the adiabatic and isothermal modulusc 33 and make a rough estimation for that ofc 13 . In the third part we present measurements of v 1 and v t at 42 K and at constant volume as a function ofX in solid H 2 . It is found that as the orthopara conversion proceeds,v 1 increases andv t decreases. From these measurements the bulk modulus change withX is calculated. Comparison with the bulk modulus change calculated from static pressure measurements, assuming electric quadrupole-quadrupole interaction between the (J=1) molecules, shows very good agreement. The calculated dependence of the Debye temperature onX, as obtained from a combination of sound velocity and static measurements, is smaller than that reported from recent neutron scattering results. A short section is then devoted to absorption measurements in solid H 2 , which gave only qualitative results. Finally, in Section 4, we present measurements of the sound velocity in liquid D 2 at saturated vapor pressure as a function of temperature and for both liquid H 2 and D 2 along the melting curve.
Nucleation, Growth, and Activation Energies for Seeded and Unseeded Aggregation of α-Chymotrypsinogen A†

The intrinsic time scales for nonnative aggregate nucleation () and chain growth () were determined for α-chymotrypsinogen A as a function of temperature under acidic conditions where the resulting aggregates do not appreciably condense. Previous results (Andrews and Roberts (2007) Biochemistry 46, 7558) indicated that the productincreases with increasing temperature but could not distinguishand. Separate experimental values ofandare reported here from two approaches based on either (i) combining unseeded monomer loss kinetics with static light scattering of the resulting aggregates or (ii) seeded monomer loss kinetics as a function of number concentration of seed. Values ofandfrom (i) and (ii) agree quantitatively, and indicate that nucleation has a large, negative effective activation energy (ca. −76 kcal/mol) while growth has at most a weak dependence on temperature. The results are consistent with a model in which nucleation requires significant conformational changes within a nonnative oligomer, beyo...
University students' problem posing abilities and attitudes towards mathematics

This study explored the problem posing abilities and attitudes towards mathematics of students in a university pre-calculus class and a university mathematical proof class. A measure of attitude towards mathematics and corresponding two sample t-test revealed a significant (p = .001) difference in the attitude levels of students in the two classes. A measure of problem posing ability explored students problem posing abilities in both numeric and non- numeric contexts. Two sample t-tests showed no significant difference in the problem posing ability (numeric or non-numeric) of students in the two classes. A matched pairs t-test showed a significant difference in numeric posing versus non-numeric posing ability in both classes. Lastly there was no correlation between students attitudes towards mathematics and problem posing abilities.
High-pressure, compact, modular radiosynthesizer for production of positron emitting biomarkers.

Abstract A robust, modular, semi-automated synthesis unit useful for conducting radiochemical reactions under pressurized conditions (up to ∼200 psi [1.4 MPa]) for the production of PET biomarkers has been developed. This compact unit (7.6 cm×33.0 cm×58.4 cm) is capable of performing any single step reaction that is generally encountered in radiochemical syntheses, and multiple units can be combined for more complex syntheses. The versatility of a 3-unit system is exemplified by reliably conducting the multi-step syntheses of 2'-deoxy-2'-[18F]fluoro-1-β-arabinofuranosyl-uracil and -cytosine derivatives, which involve corrosive and moisture sensitive reagents under pressurized conditions.
The Abundances of Methane and Ortho/Para Hydrogen on Uranus and Neptune: Implications of New Laboratory 4-0 H2 Quadrupole Line Parameters

The tropospheric methane molar fraction (f(sub CH4, t) and the ortho/para hydrogen ratio are derived for Uranus and Neptune based on new determinations of spectroscopic parameters for key hydrogen features as reported by D. W./ Ferguson et al. (1993). For each planet, the relatively weak laboratory linestrengths (approximately 30 and 15% less than the theoretical 4-0 S(0) and S(1) linestrengths, respectively) results, when compared to analyses adopting theroetical values, in a approximately 30% decrease in the tropospheric methane ratio and a comparable increase in the pressure level of the optically thick cloudtop marking the bottom of the visible atmosphere (P(sub c/d)). The increase in the ratio of S(1)/S(0) linestrengths from 4.4 (theoretical) to approximately 5.9 (measured) results in a decrease in the range of viable ortho/para ratios; an equilibrium hydrogen distribution is now the best fit for both planets. The methane mixing ratios reported here are in agreement with the value of 0.023 derived by the Voyager Radio Occultation Experiment (G. F. Lindal, 1992) for Neptune, but slightly lower than the Voyager Uranus measurement of 0.023 reported by G. F. LIndel et al. (1987). The relative carbon-to-hydrogen abundances for Uranus and Neptune support planetary formation mechanisms involving the dissolution of carbon-bearing planetesimals in the atmospheres of both planets during their early stages of formation (e.g., J. B. Pollack et al., 1986).
Identification of novel bicyclic alkanes from steroid precursors in crude oils from Kelamayi Oilfield of China

Abstract A novel series of bicyclic alkanes in the C 19 -C 22 range has been discovered in a number of crude oils from a variety of sources. Evidence is provided from laboratory studies to demonstrate that there is a correlation between these bicyclic alkanes and steranes, suggesting in turn that both series of compounds are actually derived from sterol precursors. These bicyclic alkanes appear to be resistant to the effects of biodegradation which in turn enhances their concentration in biodegraded oils following removal of other less resistant compounds. The value of this stability is demonstrated in the correlation of an oil and seep from the Anadarko Basin. The seep is biodegraded such that all regular steranes are removed leaving only rearranged steranes compared with an oil where all steranes are intact. The bicyclic alkane distributions are similar for both samples demonstrating their potential for correlation purposes. The effect of maturation on these components was not evaluated in detail in this particular study.
Theoretical prediction for the onset of widespread instability in conservative nonlinear oscillator systems

Abstract The motion of a nonlinear oscillator system governed by hamiltonians of the form H = H 0 + λV , where H 0 represents an integrable part of the system and λ V is treated as a small pertubation, is known to change abruptly from a conditionally periodic to a stochastic motion as λ V becomes sufficiently large relative to H 0 . This paper presents a theory based on Zwanzig's projection-operator method to predict the onset of this transition; that is a method of determining the critical value of the energy E 0 with fixed λ where the transition occurs.
Emerging Trends in Persistent Surveillance Information Fusion

Recent data collections in video and signals collection such as Electro-optical/Infrared video, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and Hyperspectral (HSI) data afford persistent surveillance. As the rate of the imagery (or other products such as 3D terrain modeling) becomes available, there is a greater need for data exploitation to support and augment user needs for situational awareness. The presentation will focus on (a) emerging technologies, (b) tools and processing needs for the user, and (c) developments for persistent surveillance performance analysis. Standard methods of image processing and imagery collection have been accelerated based on the availability of emerging products such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology, traffic monitoring systems, and security products. Each of these systems require coordination over varying resolutions, distributed networks, and graphical interfaces. The sensor coordination in the system network enables surveillance over persistent coverage. Persistent surveillance implies that the information processed is to report the results to a user. Surveillance systems can report situational awareness results of target tracks and identifications, anomalies, and target behaviors. Focus should be placed not only on the processing, but include an interactive user to control the collections, determine priorities for the video processing, and support exploration analysis. Image processing, especially video, requires novel techniques to direct collections, process varying targets in complicated terrains, and efforts to evaluate the success. Evaluation includes assessing the performance over varying operation conditions (i.e. sensors, targets, and environments) to include obscurations, compression, and non-continuous data streams. Persistent surveillance coverage requires new techniques in image exploitation to include: (1) fusion with signals and database intelligence, (2) contextual modeling, and (3) tools for user interactive analysis. BIOGRAPHY
Joint workspace of parallel kinematic machines

Robot workspace is the set of positions a robot can reach. Workspace is one of the most useful measures for the evaluation of a robot. Workspace is usually defined as the reachable space of the end-effector in Cartesian coordinate system. However, it can be defined in joint coordinate system in terms of joint motions. In this paper, workspace of the end-effector is called task workspace, and workspace of the joint motions is called joint workspace. Joint workspace of a parallel kinematic machine (PKM) is focused, and a tripod machine tool with three degrees of freedom (DOF) is taken as an example. To study the joint workspace of this tripod machine tool, the forward kinematic model is established, and an interpolating approach is proposed to solve this model. The forward kinematic model is used to determine the joint workspace, which occupies a portion of the domain of joint motions. The following contributions have been made in this paper include: (i) a new concept so-called joint workspace has been proposed for design optimization and control of a PKM; (ii) an approach is developed to determine joint workspace based on the structural constraints of a PKM; (iii) it is observed that the trajectory planning in the joint coordinate system is not reliable without taking into considerations of cavities or holes in the joint workspace.
DISCRETE SYSTEM ORDER-REDUCTION VIA BALANCING TRANSFORMATION USING SINGULAR PERTURBATIONS

Abstract Order-reduction techniques based on system balancing are developed for linear discrete systems using the method of singular perturbations. The generalized residualization technique is introduced with three variants as improved tools for order-reduction at low and medium frequencies. The newly introduced techniques have the same theoretical upper error bound with respect to the H ∞ norm of the reduced-order system as the existing techniques, but simulation results show the superiority of the new techniques at low and medium frequencies. Next, new techniques are proposed to perform order-reduction of lightly damped linear discrete-time systems by employing the method of singular perturbations and balancing transformation.
A Compact Multigrid Solver for Convection-Diffusion Equations

We introduce a multigrid algorithm to solve the convection- diffusion equations using a nine-point compact difference scheme. We test the efficiency of the algorithm with various smoothers and intergrid transfer operators. The algorithm displays a grid-independent convergence rate and produces solutions with high accuracy. Numerical results are presented to validate the conclusions.
Guidelines for optimizing design and analysis of clinical studies of nutrient effects

Presented here is a system to standardize clinical studies of nutrient effects, using nutrient-specific physiological criteria. These guidelines are based mainly on analysis of the typical sigmoid curve of biological response to nutrients and are intended for design, interpretation, and pooling of studies of nutrient effects. Five rules have been articulated for individual studies of nutrients, and six for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses.
Action of selected serotonin antagonists on hyperthermia evoked by intracerebrally injected β-endorphin

Methergoline, an antagonist of cerebral serotonin receptors, has been shown to significantly reduce the rise in rectal temperature (T re ) produced by the intracerebral microinjection of β-endorphin. In this study the role of serotonin in the increase in T re elicited by β-endorphin was further examined using three additional serotonin antagonists. β-Endorphin was administered twice to rats using a crossover design in which half of the animals were first pretreated with the vehicle solution and half with the antagonist. Serotonin antagonists used were: methergoline, methysergide, cinanserin and cyproheptadine. Although methergoline did cause a marked reduction in the β-endorphin-induced rise in T re , neither methysergide, nor cinanserin, nor cyproheptadine produced a marked reduction in the hyperthermia. Since methergoline also interacts with the dopamine receptor, the effect of a dopamine antagonist, haloperidol, on the endorphin-evoked response was also examined. Haloperidol failed to attenuate the rise in T re . The reason for the apparent discrepancy in the action of these serotonin antogonists is unclear. Further research may reveal distinct subpopulations of serotonin receptors at which these antagonists exert differential effects.
Comparison of cold-gas simulations and rocket-launch data for constrictive launchers

Static-wall pressure distributions have been obtained during two flight test programs in which rockets were launched from constrictive tube launchers and a test program in which unheated air was exhausted through a stationary nozzle into constrictive tube launchers. The pressure measurements and the photographs of the tests clearly showed that, for some constrictive geometries, a significant fraction of the exhaust flow was turned upstream (i.e., became blow-by flow) as the exhaust either impinged directly on the constriction or was choked by the constriction. Even though the launchers in the flight-test programs were well instrumented, it was not possible to construct an exact flow model based solely on flight-test data. Using the data from the cold-gas tests, a realistic flow model was developed which explained the generation of blow-by flow. In addition, it was possible to correlate the nondimensionalized pressures (which were obtained by dividing static wall pressure by the "theoretical" value of the pressure downstream of the impingement shock wave) from the cold-gas tests with those of the rocket launchings.
Effect of line-width roughness on optical scatterometry measurements

Line width roughness (LWR) has been identified as a potential source of uncertainty in scatterometry measurements, and characterizing its effect is required to improve the method's accuracy and to make measurements traceable. In this work, we extend previous work by using rigorous coupled wave (RCW) analysis on two-dimensionally periodic structures to examine the effects of LWR. We compare the results with simpler models relying upon a number of effective medium approximations. We find that the effective medium approximations yield an approximate order of magnitude indicator of the effect, but that the quantitative agreement may not be good enough to include in scatterometry models.
Water loss from eggs of domestic fowl and calcium status of hatchlings

Water balance in eggs of domestic fowl was manipulated by drilling holes (each 3 mm in diameter) through the calcareous layer into the air cell on day 10 of incubation. Water loss between days 0 and 18 averaged 6 g for eggs in the control group (no hole) but increased to 8, 12, and 15 g for eggs with 1, 2, or 3 holes, respectively. Hatching success was 79-87% for eggs with 0-2 holes through the eggshell but only 43% for eggs with three holes. Live mass of hatchlings declined as the number of holes drilled in the eggshell increased, but dry mass of carcasses was unaffected by the treatments. The quantity of Ca2+, Mg2+, and phosphorus in residual yolks and yolk-free carcasses of hatchlings was not influenced by the amount of water lost from eggs. Plasma Ca2+ and Mg2+ were elevated in hatchlings from eggs with high rates of water loss. The inability to regulate plasma Ca2+ may be a negative consequence of excessive water loss and could contribute to increased mortality of embryos.
Inheritance of behavioural differences between two interfertile, sympatric species, Drosophila silvestris and D. heteroneura

The Hawaiian fly species, Drosophila silvestris and D. heteroneura, are sympatric and interfertile but show strong behavioural isolation and major differences in male aggressive behaviour and the associated morphology. As a first step in elucidating the genetic control of the differences between these species, we examined the mating and aggressive behaviour of their reciprocal F1 hybrids. The latency to the first wing vibration and the latency to copulate did not differ significantly between the parental species. However, D. heteroneura females had a very low tendency to copulate with D. silvestris males, rarely mating during the observation period. The duration of copulation also differed significantly: same-species pairs of D. silvestris had copulations that lasted about 50% longer than those of same-species pairs of D. heteroneura. The hybrids were intermediate between the parental species for both the tendency to copulate with D. silvestris males and the duration of copulation, suggesting codominance or polygenic inheritance for those traits. The aggression traits that we scored were the leg posture and wing extension during early aggression, and the leg posture and head position during escalated aggression. The parental species showed clear differences for each of these traits. The F1 hybrids resembled one parent or the other, without showing intermediate values, suggesting single-gene dominance or threshold expression of many genes for those traits. None of the courtship or aggressive traits showed X-chromosomal effects, although the head shape of hybrids is influenced by genes on the X chromosome. It is difficult to reconcile the patterns of inheritance of aggressive behaviour and the lack of an X-chromosomal effect with the hypothesis that these traits are influenced by a coadapted gene complex.
Seasonal cycle of the ciliated protozoan and micrometazoan biomass in a Gulf of Maine estuary

The annual cycle of microzooplankton and their potential prey were followed in an estuary typical of the drowned river valleys of the Gulf of Maine. Changes in dominant components and size-class structure indicated an annual cycle forming a predator-prey link to the spring phytoplankton bloom, increasing in size-class structure to a maximum in early summer, implying a prey-predator link to larval fish populations. During most of the year the non-tintinnid ciliates dominated in both abundance and biomass, with tintinnids and micrometazoans only being important during a three-month period in late summer. The non-tintinnid ciliate seasonal cycle was more closely coupled with the nanoplankton prey crop compared with other components, indicating similar biological characteristics. Increases in the biomass of the phytoplankton prey crop occurred towards the head of the estuary, evenly across the size spectrum. In contrast, concurrent increases in the microzooplankton were biased towards the larger size classes into the estuary. The distribution of the phototrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum suggests it may be a potentially important primary producer in the estuary.
Cache – a signaling domain common to animal Ca2+-channel subunits and a class of prokaryotic chemotaxis receptors

We would like to thank Eugene Koonin for reading the manuscript and making useful suggestions.
Investigation of solid/liquid interface temperatures via isenthalpic solidification

Abstract Isenthalpic solidification of a pure supercooled liquid is shown to result in either a two-phase solid/liquid mixture in invariant equilibrium or a single-phase, totally solid material in univariant equilibrium, depending on the level of supercooling prior to solidification. The critical supercooling above which univariant equilibrium obtains is large for metals (hundreds of degrees centigrade) but much smaller for certain molecular substances. Experiments on white phosphorus (alpha P 4 ) show that the critical supercooling (25.6 °C) can be reached, and exceeded, easily. Solidification rate measurements taken above and below the critical supercooling for P 4 show that the solid/liquid interface temperature varies smoothly with melt supercooling, although light-scattering experiments indicate that rapid changes occur in the extent of the dendritic zone as the critical supercooling is approached and exceeded. A method for extracting interface attachment kinetics from solidification rate data is explained in detail and applied to our rate measurements on P 4 . We find that above about 9 °C supercooling P 4 solidifies with linear attachment kinetics having a rate constant of 17.7 ± 0.4 cm/sec °C. Below about 1 °C supercooling, P 4 solidifies with a faceted morphology indicative of layer-passage limited kinetics. Between 1–9 °C supercooling, transitional growth kinetics occur. These results are in qualitative agreement with the crystal growth theory of Cahn et al., which predicts that attachment kinetics should change as the driving force for crystal growth is varied by substantial amounts.
Association of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts with fresh, estuarine, and marine macroaggregates

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects a large proportion of threatened California sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), and is an important waterborne pathogen in humans. Contamination of coastal waters with T. gondii is thought to occur through delivery of environmentally resistant oocysts to nearshore regions via overland runoff. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether T. gondii oocysts and surrogate microspheres attach to aggregates ($ 0.5 mm), and whether the magnitude of aggregation depends on water type, specifically salinity. Laboratory aggregation studies were conducted by adding T. gondii oocysts and surrogate microspheres to riverine, estuarine, and marine waters, and quantifying the proportion of oocysts and surrogates in aggregate-rich and aggregate-free water fractions. Attachment of oocysts and surrogates to aggregates occurred in all water types, but was greater in estuarine and marine waters, with concentrations of T. gondii in aggregates enriched 3–4 orders of magnitude. Aquatic aggregates may, thus, significantly influence waterborne transport of terrestrially derived pathogens, both through enhanced settling and subsequent concentration in the benthos, as well as by facilitating ingestion by invertebrate vectors that can transmit pathogens to susceptible hosts, including sea otters and humans.
The morphology of the gills of the freshwater African crab Potamon niloticus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Potamonidae): A scanning and transmission electron microscopic study

The gills of the African freshwater crab Potamon niloticus-Ortmann have been investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Potamon has seven pairs of phyllobranchiate gills contained in the branchial chambers. From the central axis of the gills arise bilaterally situated thin flaps, the lamellae. The afferent branchial vessel (the epibranchial vessel) is located on the dorsal aspect of the gill arch and the efferent vessel (the hypobrancial vessel) on the ventral side. Between these two blood vessels, the blood percolates through the lamellar vascular channels where it is oxygenated. The lamellae consist of an epithelial cell layer covered by a thin cuticle which consists of tightly fused but distinct layers. The epithelial cells approach each other at regular intervals and fuse in the middle of the lamellar sinus delineating the vascular channels. Apical profuse membranous infoldings and numerous mitochondria characterize the epithelial cells, features typical of cells involved in active transport of macro- and micromolecules. In Potamon, however, there were no distinct gas exchange and osmoregulatory regions of the gills. On average, the cuticle was 0.78 μm thick while the epithelial cell was 6 μm. Cells that were morphologically similar to the renal glomerular podocytes of the vertebrates were observed in the efferent gill vessel of Potamon. These cells have been said to be phagocytic and may play an important defensive role in the crustaceans. Although basically the morphology of the gills of Potamon is similar to that of the other decapods, fine structural differences were evident as would be intuitively expected in a group of animals that has undergone such remarkable adaptive radiation.
d-Fenfluramine and self-stimulation: loss of inhibitory effect in underweight rats.

Abstract The question addressed is whether or not physiological factors associated with body weight are necessary for serotonergic inhibition of feeding reward. Six rats received the serotonergic drug d-fenfluramine (d-FEN 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg IP) while they electrically self-stimulated a perifornical lateral hypothalamic (PfLH) site that would induce feeding. As a control, self-stimulation was alternated with stimulation-escape. Both were measured at normal body weight, then at 80% body weight, then normal weight again. Three results were significant. 1) d-FEN markedly suppressed self-stimulation at normal body weight. 2) Self-stimulation rate increased when the animals were put on a diet that reduced body weight to 80% of normal. 3) At this low body weight, d-FEN no longer had any effect on self-stimulation. The results suggest that some correlate of normal food intake or body weight is necessary for serotonergic inhibition of the PfLH feeding-reward system. Possible explanations for fenfluramine's loss of effect at low weight are discussed.
Order Properties of Attractive Spin Systems

Methods of constructing semigroups of operators describing interacting particle systems are reviewed. A simple proof is given showing the existence of semigroups of operators on the space of bounded Borel measurable functions for nonnegative continuous attractive spin rates along with a proof of the existence of invariant measures for the semigroups so constructed.
Applications of “edge-on” illuminated porous plate detectors for diagnostic X-ray imaging

Abstract Scanning X-ray imaging systems for non-invasive diagnostics have several advantages over conventional imaging systems using area detectors. They significantly reduce the detected scatter radiation, cover large areas and potentially provide high spatial resolution. Applications of one-dimensional gaseous detectors and “edge-on” illuminated silicon strip detectors for scanning imaging systems are currently under intensive investigation. The purpose of this work is to investigate “edge-on” illuminated Porous Plate (PP) detectors for applications in diagnostic X-ray imaging. MicroChannel Plate (MCP), which is a common type of PP, has previously been investigated as a detector in surface-on illumination mode for medical X-ray imaging. However, its detection efficiency was too low for medical imaging applications. In the present study, the PP are used in the “edge-on” illumination mode. Furthermore, the structural parameters of different PP types are optimized to improve the detection efficiency in the diagnostic X-ray energy range. The MCP, porous dielectrics, microspheric plates, a-Si-based MCPs, microcolumnar and microgranular dielectrics are considered as detector materials in the “edge-on” illumination mode. The following are some potential advantages of the “edge-on” PP detectors from the standpoint of medical imaging applications: direct quantum-to-charge conversion; high internal charge amplification; very low noise; total absorption of the X-ray photons; minimal strip size and variable shape of the strips. The results of the application of “edge-on” MCP detectors for 122 and 662 keV gamma-ray detection and the initial results of imaging a radioactive source are discussed.
We Got the Beat

From cutting a rug to tapping your toe to a song on the radio, it’s clear that movement is intricately associated with the experience of music; yet, the precise relationship between music and movement is unknown. Research with infants and neonates has established a shared structure between music and movement. For example, infants move with rhythm and prefer sounds with pattern to those without. Because these perceptions of a beat and preferences for certain metric patterns are observed early in life, they are presumed to be universal. However, these studies in infants did not examine whether such predispositions survive into adulthood after many years of being exposed to culture-specific influences. Now, Sievers et al. aimed to examine the universality of beat in adults and across cultures. The authors leveraged the observation that both music and movement can be used to express emotion and developed an empirical method of comparing the structure of emotional expressions during music and movement. They then tested this structure in two different settings—the United States and a tribal village in northeastern Cambodia—to determine whether we maintain our predisposition to relate music and movement in particular ways, or whether these relationships are culturally defined. Using a computer program to generate matching examples of music and movement from a single set of features including rate, jitter (regularity of rate), direction, step size, and dissonance/visual spikiness, these authors found that each of five emotions tested was represented by a specific combination of features, that each combination expressed the same emotion in both music and movement, and that the common structure between music and movement was evident within and across cultures. The universality and interaction between music and movement may help us understand our evolutionary origins. For example, the results of this study suggest that musical expression may be derived from an evolutionary association between emotion and human dynamics. Although there may be other ways to understand musical expression across cultures, using other modalities that demonstrate a host of other emotions not represented here, this research raises the intriguing possibility that music forms and strengthens social bonds and make us more evolutionarily fit. Shall we dance? B. Sievers et al ., Music and movement share a dynamic structure that supports universal expression of emotion. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110 , 70–75 (2013). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1209023110
Lactic dehydrogenase isozymes in lens and cornea.

Lactic dehydrogenase isozymes of bovine and rabbit lens and cornea were analyzed by starch gel electrophoresis. Although there was a progressive loss of enzyme activity in the lenses of both species with increasing age, the loss of isozymes was more clearly evident in the bovine lens. In the adult bovine lens, lactic dehydrogenase isozyme I was predominant, while in the adult rabbit lens, isozymes 3–5 were mainly present. The mobility of lens isozymes was identical to that of isozymes in other tissues. Furthermore, the isozymes were not localized to any major specific lens crystallin. The cornea isozyme pattern in each species contrasted markedly with that of the corresponding lens. Thus, in the adult bovine cornea, isozymes 3–5 were predominant, and in the rabbit cornea, isozymes 1–4. This difference between lens and cornea appears to be a function of the enzyme composition of the lens fiber cell rather than of the lens epithelial cell.
Why Early Confucianism Cannot Generate Democracy

A central issue in Chinese philosophy today is the relationship between Confucianism and democracy. While some political figures have argued that Confucian values justify non-democratic forms of government, many scholars have argued that Confucianism can provide justification for democracy, though this Confucian democracy will differ substantially from liberal democracy. These scholars believe it is important for Chinese culture to develop its own conception of democracy using Confucian values, drawn mainly from Kongzi (Confucius) and Mengzi (Mencius), as the basis. This essay describes some obstacles to this form of Confucian democracy. It argues that considering the political philosophies of Kongzi and Mengzi in the context of their views on personal cultivation reveals that they oppose some of the central assumptions of democracy. They do not trust the public to make good decisions, and advocate government for the people, but not by the people. These philosophies alone cannot generate democracy.
Temperature and contamination dependent freeze-etch images of frozen water and glycerol solutions.

Patterns of crystallization and the appearance of rapidly frozen water and glycerol solutions have been examined in freeze-etch specimens prepared at temperatures from −100 to −190°C. The surface of freshly cleaved, rapidly frozen pure water specimens is characterized by conchoidal and other types of fracture marks. Sublimation of water vapor from such surfaces at −100°C produces etch pits and asperites. The size of asperites seems to depend on the amount of water vapor recondensation. This observation supports the idea that they may be related to whiskers seen by others at higher temperatures. Ice crystal boundaries are apparent in etched and unetched specimens. Rapidly frozen 20% glycerol solutions contain highly branched dendritic ice crystals (many micrometers in diameter) surrounded by what appears to be a glycerol hypoeutectic phase. In freshly cleaved, unetched 20% glycerol specimens nearly all the fracture marks are limited to the surface of the ice phase. Very few of these marks seem to propagate into the surrounding glycerol hypoeutectic phase although the same sequence of cleavage steps can frequently be followed on neighboring ice crystal dendrite branches. Lowering of the processing temperature from −100 to −190°C produces cleavage marks that become increasingly finer and more numerous. Some of these bear a relationship to the underlying crystal lattice. Etching of rapidly frozen 20% glycerol solutions at −100°C leads to a lowering of the surface of the ice phase with respect to the glycerol phase and to the exposure of etch-resistant material within the ice crystal dendrite branches. The disposition of this etch-resistant material of unknown origin is in the form of irregular honeycomb-like structures. The appearance of frozen glycerol solutions freeze-etched at temperatures between −110 and −190°C can be considerably altered by the condensation of water vapor onto the specimen surface. The condensation patterns are highly substrate specific and temperature dependent. Small specimen chips located on the edge of the liquid nitrogen cooled microtome knife seem to be the major source of water vapor contamination in the Balzers freeze-etch apparatus operated under normal conditions.
“ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS AN S.S. OFFICER”: THE HOLOCAUST BETWEEN HISTORY AND FICTION IN ELSA MORANTE'S LA STORIA

The twentieth-century Italian Jewish novelist Elsa Morante's La Storia, published in 1974, is rarely included in the canon of Holocaust literature today, yet contains considerable content regarding the Italian experience of the Holocaust. In this essay I examine how Morante's proclaimed artistic principles, in particular her notion of “verita poetica”, “poetic truth”, and “storia”, “history” or “story”, affect her depiction of the Holocaust. I also trace what I term an “anxiety of absence” in La Storia, which I believe explains not only Morante's use of characters who are unreliable witnesses to the Holocaust as it unfolds in Rome, but also explains her ultimate swerve away from her artistic ideals and her problematic use of historical sources.
Differential geometry and protein conformation. V. Medium-range conformational influence of the individual amino acids.

A previous differential geometric analysis of the conformational properties of the various amino acids has been extended to study their influence on folding over a larger backbone interval. In addition, statistical effects associated with variation in the number of the individual amino acids in the database have been treated in greater detail, using a simulation method. It is found that the amino acids can be divided into three groups on the basis of their conformational influence over four-Cα units in the interval i − 6 ⩽ j ⩽ i + 6. Group Ia is composed of seven amino acids (His, Leu, Ala, Met, Lys, Gln, Ile) that encourage the formation of AR-helical structure. Group Ib (Glu, Phe, Trp, Val, Asp) is composed of amino acids with some helix-forming tendency but that also show positive extended-strand formation tendency. They therefore act as a bridge between group Ia and group II (Cys, Gly, Asn, Pro, Arg, Ser, Thr, Tyr) that contains amino acids that encourage the formation of extended structure and bends. The detailed four-Cα conformational properties of each of the amino acids are shown, and the ability of amino acids to exert conformational influence in both directions along the backbone is examined. It is shown that, in general, such influence extends farther in the N-terminal direction than in the C-terminal direction. A framework is briefly sketched for using the present data to investigate actual folding mechanisms.
The applicability of rhinomanometry in nonatopic children: comparison of three techniques.

Abstract Three techniques for rhinomanometry were evaluated in 10 nonatopic children. Each child performed anterior, posterior, and forced oscillation rhinomanometry during 2 to 5 hr. Nasal airflow and transnasal driving pressure were measured continuously over several breaths. From the nasal airflow-pressure tracings, nasal airway resistance (Rn) was determined at a linear and a turbulent airflow. Individual average Rn values at linear airflow ranged from 1.0 to 5.4 cm H 2 O sec/L and at turbulent airflow from 1.5 to 7.6 cm H 2 O sec/L. There was no significant difference between the means on the log e scale of the individual average Rn measurements obtained by the conventional rhinomanometric techniques. Posterior and forced oscillation rhinomanometry exhibited a higher intrasubject variation in Rn than anterior rhinomanometry. In assessing performance, anterior rhinomanometry was the easiest method for the children to do Two children despite multiple training sessions were unable to perform posterior or forced oscillation rhinomanometry. These findings indicate that anterior rhinomanometry is the easiest method for use in children.
A thioreduction pathway tethered to the membrane for periplasmic cytochromes c biogenesis; in vitro and in vivo studies.

Abstract The c -type cytochromes are distinguished from other heme proteins by the covalent ligation of two heme vinyl groups to two cysteine residues on the apoprotein (at a CXXCH domain). The present study was undertaken to elucidate the roles and topological locations of two of the proteins necessary for cytochrome c biogenesis, the HelX and Ccl2 proteins in the Gram-negative bacteria Rhodobacter capsulatus . From their primary sequence, each of these proteins has a CXXC motif that could be involved in the reduction of the cysteine residues of the apocytochromes c , a prerequisite for covalent ligation to the heme. Results of site-directed mutagenesis of HelX and Ccl2 demonstrate that each cysteine residue is required for the in vivo function of the protein. We demonstrate that the native HelX in R. capsulatus is tethered to the cytoplasmic membrane via its uncleaved signal sequence. Ccl2 is tethered by a single transmembrane domain present in the C terminus with the N-terminal two-thirds of the protein in the periplasm. Thus, both CXXC motifs are exposed to the periplasm. The complete HelX protein and the soluble N-terminal portion of Ccl2 (called Ccl2∗) were overproduced and purified from periplasmic fractions. The Ccl2∗ signal sequence is efficiently processed. In vitro studies with these purified proteins indicate that although neither can reduce insulin, HelX can reduce the Ccl2 cysteine residues and the Ccl2 cysteine residues are oxidized by an apocytochrome c peptide containing the CXXCH domain. Revertants of an helX deletion mutant were isolated that regain the ability to make c -type cytochromes (and thus grow photosynthetically); some of these suppressor strains are enhanced for photosynthetic growth by the addition of thio-reducing agents. In contrast, revertants of a ccl2 deletion strain could not be isolated under any condition. These results suggest that the HelX and Ccl2 proteins form a thioreduction pathway (HelX → Ccl2 → apocytochrome c ) whereby Ccl2 function may be highly specific for apocytochromes c while HelX may act as a more general reductant of proteins with vicinal cysteines.
Phase diagram of 4He below 1.2°K

Abstract The entropies of solid 4He, liquid 4He and their two-phase mixtures, obtained from constant-volume heat capacity measurements, have been used to construct the low-temperature phase diagrams.
Mixed Methods in a Study of Implementation of Technology-Based Materials in the Elementary Classroom.

Abstract Ethnographic techniques and philosophy guided data collection and analysis to determine the extent and nature of implementation of technology-based materials in elementary school mathematics classrooms. However, unlike most ethnographic studies, quantitative data collection and analyses played an important role in the overall findings. Each method provided its own strength. In some cases a blend of both methods afforded a deeper insight than either could provide separately.