cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Size-conserved chromosomes and stability of molecular karyotype in cloned stocks of Leishmania major.

Abstract Molecular karyotypes for 5 stocks of Leishmania major were derived by pulsed-field gradient gel electrophoresis and transverse alternating field electrophoresis. Chromosome sizes obtained by the two methods agreed within ⩽ 50kb. A set of 10 size-concordant chromosome bands between approx. 350–1000 kb was found in all stocks, plus a variable number of polymorphic chromosomes. Cloned gene probes, and DNA purified from individual chromosomes, hybridized to individual size-concordant chromosomes in different stocks, indicating a high degree of sequence homology among bands of similar size. Since the stocks were isolated over a 25-year period in a wide geographic area, we interpret these size-conserved chromosomes to be characteristic of the L. major karyotype. We were unable to identify irreversible genomic rearrangements in Leishmania cloned from the midgut of sandflies or cultivated from the skins of infected mice, which might have explained the origin of the size-variable chromosomes. For stocks that are maintained in the laboratory, the molecular karyotype appears to be a stable characteristic of a cloned population of Leishmania .
Eu2+ Luminescence Color: a Structure-Property Relationship

Structural and spectroscopie characteristics of a series of Eu2+-doped Sr and Ba borates have been studied to establish simple correlations among emission color, excitation energies, Stokes shifts, and O atom environments.
The use of atomic force microscopy to measure the efficacies of various chemical sanitizers in removing organic matter from glass surfaces

Improper washing and sanitizing of tableware items is a significant public health risk. Residual food soils left on food-contact surfaces can harbor pathogenic microorganisms and may even allow them to form biofilms. This study investigated the effect of various sanitizers (sodium hypochlorite, quaternary ammonium compound, neutral electrolyzed water and an acidic formulation) for removal of various milk-based products (whole, 2% reduced fat, chocolate low-fat and skim milk) from underlining glass surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to determine the thicknesses of the milk films left after attempts to clean the glass surfaces. Results showed that PRO-SAN® (the acidic formulation) significantly reduced the amount of residual food soil when compared with the other sanitizers. This could be due to sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (a surfactant) being present in the acidic formulation. The data also showed that whole and chocolate milk would be more difficult to clean when compared with 2% and skim milk.
EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION OF NONTARGET SPECIES OF RODENTS AND BIRDS WITH BRUCELLA ABORTUS STRAIN RB51 VACCINE

The Brucella abortus vaccine strain RB51 (SRB51) is being considered for use in the management of brucellosis in wild bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus) populations in the Greater Yellowstone Area (USA). Evaluation of the vaccine's safety in non-target species was considered necessary prior to field use. Between June 1998 and December 1999, ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii, n = 21), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus, n = 14), prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster, n = 21), and ravens (Corvus corax, n = 13) were orally inoculated with SRB51 or physiologic saline. Oral and rectal swabs and blood samples were collected for bacteriologic evaluation. Rodents were necropsied at 8 to 10 wk and 12 to 21 wk post inoculation (PI), and ravens at 7 and 11 wk PI. Spleen, liver and reproductive tissues were collected for bacteriologic and histopathologic evaluation. No differences in clinical signs, appetite, weight loss or gain, or activity were observed between saline- and SRB51-inoculated animals ...
Role of Asn-382 and Thr-383 in Activation and Inactivation of Human Prostaglandin H Synthase Cyclooxygenase Catalysis

Cyclooxygenase catalysis by prostaglandin H synthase-1 and -2 (PGHS-1 and -2) requires activation of the normally latent enzyme by peroxide-dependent generation of a free radical at Tyr-385 (PGHS-1 numbering) in the cyclooxygenase active site; the Tyr-385 radical has also been linked to self-inactivation processes that impose an ultimate limit on cyclooxygenase catalysis. Cyclooxygenase activation is more resistant to suppression by cytosolic glutathione peroxidase in PGHS-2 than in PGHS-1. This differential response to peroxide scavenging enzymes provides a basis for the differential catalytic regulation of the two PGHS isoforms observed in vivo. We sought to identify structural differences between the isoforms, which could account for the differential cyclooxygenase activation, and used site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant human PGHS-2 to focus on one heme-vicinity residue that diverges between the two isoforms, Thr-383, and an adjacent residue that is conserved between the isoforms, Asn-382. Substitutions of Thr-383 (histidine in most PGHS-1) with histidine or aspartate decreased cyclooxygenase activation efficiency by about 40%, with little effect on cyclooxygenase specific activity or self-inactivation. Substitutions of Asn-382 with alanine, aspartate, or leucine had little effect on the cyclooxygenase specific activity or activation efficiency but almost doubled the cyclooxygenase catalytic output before self-inactivation. Asn-382 and Thr-383 mutations did not appreciably alter the Km value for arachidonate, the cyclooxygenase product profile, or the Tyr-385 radical spectroscopic characteristics, confirming the structural integrity of the cyclooxygenase site. The side chain structures of Asn-382 and Thr-383 in PGHS-2 thus selectively influence two important aspects of cyclooxygenase catalytic regulation: activation by peroxide and self-inactivation.
Evolution of a Pt (1 1 1) surface at high oxygen coverage in acid medium

Density functional theory is used to study Pt (1 1 1) surface oxidation via analysis of buckling, reconstruction, and variation of atomic charges on the top Pt layer at 0.50 and 0.5625 monolayers of adsorbed oxygen. Hydronium ions enhance oxidation and Pt buckling through proton transfer to the adsorbed O, whereas the chloride species plays an additional oxidant role enhancing Pt detachment. At the fuel cell operation temperature of 80 °C, ab initio molecular dynamics results after 4 ps suggest a small influence of the temperature on surface oxidation and moderate reconstruction effects.
Visuomotor contribution to force variability in the plantarflexor and dorsiflexor muscles

The visual correction employed during isometric contractions of large proximal muscles contributes variability to the descending command and alters fluctuations in muscle force. This study explored the contribution of visuomotor correction to isometric force fluctuations for the more distal dorsiflexor (DF) and plantarflexor (PF) muscles of the ankle. Twenty-one healthy adults performed steady isometric contractions with the DF and PF muscles both with (VIS) and without (NOVIS) visual feedback of the force. The target forces exerted ranged from 2.5% to 80% MVC. The standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) of force was measured from the detrended (drift removed) VIS and NOVIS steadiness trials. Removal of VIS reduced the CV of force by 19% overall. The reduction in fluctuations without VIS was significant across a large range of target forces and was more consistent for the PF than the DF muscles. Thus, visuomotor correction contributes to the variability of force during isometric contractions of the ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors.
Quantifying carbon sequestration of various green roof and ornamental landscape systems

Abstract Interest in reducing carbon emissions and carbon trading programs has been increasing. In order to calculate the carbon benefits of landscapes, we must first understand how they sequester and store carbon. Carbon dynamics have been extensively studied in natural and agricultural landscapes, and urban and community forests. Relatively little is known about carbon sequestration in ornamental landscapes. This study compared the carbon content of nine in ground and three green roof landscape systems of varying complexity to determine their carbon sequestration potential. Soil or substrate samples were analyzed prior to planting in 2009 and soil/substrate, below- and above-ground biomass were analyzed at the end of the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons. Landscape systems containing more woody plants, such shrubs (65.67, 78.75, and 62.91 kg m −2 ) and herbaceous perennials and grasses (68.75 and 67.70 kg m −2 for the in-ground and green roofs, respectively) had higher carbon content than other landscape systems. The native prairie mix (28.57 kg m −2 ) also had high carbon content, because of the high volume of plant biomass. The vegetable and herb garden and vegetable green roof contained a moderate amount of carbon (54.18 and 11.03 kg m −2 , respectively). The Sedum and prairie green roofs contained less carbon than their counterpart in-ground landscape systems, suggesting that although green roofs do sequester a small amount of carbon, greater benefit can be achieved in ground level landscape systems. Ornamental landscapes have good potential for carbon sequestration but management practices can affect their net carbon sequestration and the permanence of the carbon sequestered.
Therapeutic molecules and endogenous ligands regulate the interaction between brain cellular prion protein (PrPC) and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5).

Soluble Amyloid-β oligomers (Aβo) can trigger Alzheimer disease (AD) pathophysiology by binding to cell surface cellular prion protein (PrPC). PrPC interacts physically with metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), and this interaction controls the transmission of neurotoxic signals to intracellular substrates. Because the interruption of the signal transduction from PrPC to mGluR5 has therapeutic potential for AD, we developed assays to explore the effect of endogenous ligands, agonists/antagonists, and antibodies on the interaction between PrPC and mGluR5 in cell lines and mouse brain. We show that the PrPC segment of amino acids 91–153 mediates the interaction with mGluR5. Agonists of mGluR5 increase the mGluR5-PrPC interaction, whereas mGluR5 antagonists suppress protein association. Synthetic Aβo promotes the protein interaction in mouse brain and transfected HEK-293 cell membrane preparations. The interaction of PrPC and mGluR5 is enhanced dramatically in the brains of familial AD transgenic model mice. In brain homogenates with Aβo, the interaction of PrPC and mGluR5 is reversed by mGluR5-directed antagonists or antibodies directed against the PrPC segment of amino acids 91–153. Silent allosteric modulators of mGluR5 do not alter Glu or basal mGluR5 activity, but they disrupt the Aβo-induced interaction of mGluR5 with PrPC. The assays described here have the potential to identify and develop new compounds that inhibit the interaction of PrPC and mGluR5, which plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease by transmitting the signal from extracellular Aβo into the cytosol.
Being right is its own reward: load and performance related ventral striatum activation to correct responses during a working memory task in youth.

Abstract The ventral striatum (VS) is a critical brain region for reinforcement learning and motivation. Intrinsically motivated subjects performing challenging cognitive tasks engage reinforcement circuitry including VS even in the absence of external feedback or incentives. However, little is known about how such VS responses develop with age, relate to task performance, and are influenced by task difficulty. Here we used fMRI to examine VS activation to correct and incorrect responses during a standard n-back working memory task in a large sample (n = 304) of healthy children, adolescents and young adults aged 8–22. We found that bilateral VS activates more strongly to correct than incorrect responses, and that the VS response scales with the difficulty of the working memory task. Furthermore, VS response was correlated with discrimination performance during the task, and the magnitude of VS response peaked in mid-adolescence. These findings provide evidence for scalable intrinsic reinforcement signals during standard cognitive tasks, and suggest a novel link between motivation and cognition during adolescent development.
The Stimulus Effects of 8-OH-DPAT: Evidence for a 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Component

A previous investigation in our laboratory found that the stimulus effects of the 5-HT2A agonist, LSD, are potentiated by 5-HT1A receptor agonists including the prototypic agonist, 8-OH-DPAT. Also suggestive of behaviorally relevant interactions between 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors are behavioral analyses of locomotor activity, head-twitch response, forepaw treading and production of the serotonin syndrome; in some instances effects are augmented, in other, diminished. These observations led us in the present investigation to test the hypothesis that stimulus control by 8-OH-DPAT [0.2 mg/kg; 15 min pretreatment time] is modulated by 5-HT2A ligands. Stimulus control was established with 8-OH-DPAT in a group of 10 rats. A two-lever, fixed ratio 10, positively reinforced task with saline controls was employed. As shown previously, stimulus control by 8-OH-DPAT and the generalization of 8-OH-DPAT to the 5-HT1A partial agonist, buspirone, was completely blocked by the selective 5-HT1A antagonist, WAY-100635. In contrast, antagonism by the selective 5-HT2A antagonist, M100907 [0.1 mg/kg; 30 min pretreatment time], of 8-OH-DPAT and of the generalization of 8-OH-DPAT to buspirone was statistically significant but less than complete. In light of our previous conclusions regarding the interactions of 5-HT1A agonists with LSD-induced stimulus control, the present data suggest that the interaction between 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors is bidirectional in drug discrimination studies.
Aspheric surface calibrator

A new type of aspheric surface calibrator has been developed at the National Research Council of Canada. It employs a nonmechanical contact technique for measuring rotationally symmetrical uncoated concave optical surfaces which depart from a sphere by as much as 0.5 mm with a precision of 0.3 μm. Using two precise air bearings for providing rotations about two mutually perpendicular axes, a focused laser beam is scanned across the surface under test. A fringe counting process measures the difference in sag between the surface shape and some reference sphere. Two surfaces, one spherical and the other ellipsoidal, were measured to illustrate the practicality of such an instrument.
Growth Response of Chicks to Antibiotics from 1950 to 1961

Abstract IT HAS BEEN REPORTED that continuous feeding of antibiotics to chicks for several years in the same environment resulted in a decrease in the growth response obtained from the antibiotics (Waibel et al., 1954; Libby and Schaible, 1955). Some laboratories, however, indicated that the feeding of a new antibiotic gave an improved response where one had no longer been attainable with an “old” antibiotic (McGinnis et al., 1959; Wiese and Peterson, 1959). The work reported here summarizes the results of antibiotic feeding at this station for the past ten years. Procaine penicillin was fed throughout the 10 year period, therefore the results obtained with it are summarized separately. The responses from chlortetracycline were summarized with those from oxytetracycline as there were insufficient trials for either to warrant recording the results separately. Henceforth, these will be referred to only as tetracyclines. Fewer data are presented for zinc bacitracin because it was …
Energy-demand consequences of the recent geographical shift in the metropolitan population of the US

Abstract This study examined how the population shift in the United States between 1960 and 2006 affected the energy demand for heating and cooling. Three analyses were performed. The first analysis was based on climatological considerations only. The second analysis added the energy efficiencies of heating and cooling appliances. The final analysis included the efficiencies of power generating plants as well. All three analyses were based on the 1960 and 2006 population data for the 50 largest metropolitan areas, which currently account for 54% of the total US population. The results indicate that the population shift resulted in about an 11% reduction in the combined energy demand per person for heating and cooling, compared with what the energy demand would have been if the relative population distribution among the metropolitan areas had not changed between 1960 and 2006.
DEVELOPMENT OF DIFFERENCES IN LEAF SHAPE IN BEGONIA DREGEI (BEGONIACEAE)

The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the organogenesis of adult leaves of different shapes in order to determine in what point during development differences in shape become apparent. The correlation between shape during development and that of mature leaves provides the basis for interpretation of the determination of shape differences
Membrane Separation Processes at Low Temperatures

The primary focus of Kennedy Space Center's gas separation activities has been for carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon used in oxygen production technologies for Martian in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) projects. Recently, these studies were expanded to include oxygen for regenerative life support systems. Since commercial membrane systems have been developed for separation of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen, initially the studies focused on these membrane systems, but at lower operating temperatures and pressures. Current investigations art examining immobilized liquids and solid sorbents that have the potential for higher selectivity and lower operating temperatures. The gas separation studies reported here use hollow fiber membranes to separate carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon in the temperature range from 230 to 300 K. Four commercial membrane materials were used to obtain data at low feed and permeate pressures. These data were used with a commercial solution-diffusion modeling tool to design a system to prepare a buffer gas from the byproduct of a process to capture Martian carbon dioxide. The system was designed to operate, at 230 K with a production rate 0.1 sLpm; Feed composition 30% CO2, 44% N2, and 26% Ar; Feed pressure 104 kPa (780); and Permeate pressure 1 kPa (6 torr); Product concentration 600 ppm CO2. This new system was compared with a similar system designed to operate at ambient temperatures (298 K). The systems described above, along with data, test apparatus, and models are presented.
Nanospray FAIMS Fractionation Provides Significant Increases in Proteome Coverage of Unfractionated Complex Protein Digests

High-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) is an atmospheric pressure ion mobility technique that can be used to reduce sample complexity and increase dynamic range in tandem mass spectrometry experiments. FAIMS fractionates ions in the gas-phase according to characteristic differences in mobilities in electric fields of different strengths. Undesired ion species such as solvated clusters and singly charged chemical background ions can be prevented from reaching the mass analyzer, thus decreasing chemical noise. To date, there has been limited success using the commercially available Thermo Fisher FAIMS device with both standard ESI and nanoLC-MS. We have modified a Thermo Fisher electrospray source to accommodate a fused silica pulled tip capillary column for nanospray ionization, which will enable standard laboratories access to FAIMS technology. Our modified source allows easily obtainable stable spray at flow rates of 300 nL/min when coupled with FAIMS. The modified electrospray source allows the use of sheath gas, which provides a fivefold increase in signal obtained when nanoLC is coupled to FAIMS. In this work, nanoLC-FAIMS-MS and nanoLC-MS were compared by analyzing a tryptic digest of a 1:1 mixture of SILAC-labeled haploid and diploid yeast to demonstrate the performance of nanoLC-FAIMS-MS, at different compensation voltages, for post-column fractionation of complex protein digests. The effective dynamic range more than doubled when FAIMS was used. In total, 10,377 unique stripped peptides and 1649 unique proteins with SILAC ratios were identified from the combined nanoLC-FAIMS-MS experiments, compared with 6908 unique stripped peptides and 1003 unique proteins with SILAC ratios identified from the combined nanoLC-MS experiments. This work demonstrates how a commercially available FAIMS device can be combined with nanoLC to improve proteome coverage in shotgun and targeted type proteomics experiments.
A new method for reactivity ratios calculation

A new method is proposed to calculate the reactivity ratios based on the polynomial approximation of unreacted monomers during the reaction period. From the published data of Meyer the reactivity ratios were recalculated in reasonable agreement with the original author.
Annotate! a tool for collaborative information retrieval

Difficulties with Web based full text information retrieval (IR) systems include spurious matches, manually intensive document sifting, and the absence of communication or coordination between users. To address these difficulties, we introduce the Annotate! system which enables document annotations, and captures global usage history. Annotate! provides improved data and metadata clues to guide the user in a search session. Two data sets, declared in XML, are at the core of Annotate!: discussion data, a composite of documents and user annotations and session data which captures user timings at the various interface layers. We discuss a prototype implementation, and show that the collaborative infrastructure enabled by Annotate! can be predicted to improve the diffusion of ideas in the search community.
A general regression framework for a secondary outcome in case-control studies.

SUMMARY Modern case–control studies typically involve the collection of data on a large number of outcomes, often at considerable logistical and monetary expense. These data are of potentially great value to subsequent researchers, who, although not necessarily concerned with the disease that defined the case series in the original study, may want to use the available information for a regression analysis involving a secondary outcome. Because cases and controls are selected with unequal probability, regression analysis involving a secondary outcome generally must acknowledge the sampling design. In this paper, the author presents a new framework for the analysis of secondary outcomes in case–control studies. The approach is based on a careful re-parameterization of the conditional model for the secondary outcome given the case–control outcome and regression covariates, in terms of (a) the population regression of interest of the secondary outcome given covariates and (b) the population regression of the case–control outcome on covariates. The error distribution for the secondary outcome given covariates and case–control status is otherwise unrestricted. For a continuous outcome, the approach sometimes reduces to extending model (a) by including a residual of (b) as a covariate. However, the framework is general in the sense that models (a) and (b) can take any functional form, and the methodology allows for an identity, log or logit link function for model (a).
Über die Kristallisation von NaCl aus bleichloridhaltigen Lösungen und über den Einbaumechanismus der Fremdkomponente

Aus gesattigten wasserigen NaCl-Losungen mit PbCl2-Zusatzen wurden NaCl-Mischkristalle mit Pb-Einbau in Abhangigkeit von Sattigungstemperatur, Ubersattigung und Fremdstoffgehalt der Losung gezuchtet. Die Kristalle bilden unter dem Einflus des Pb-Zusatzes neben (100)- auch (111)-Flachen aus. Bei geringen Bleigehalten in der Losung nehmen die linearen Verschiebungsgeschwindigkeiten der Kristallflachen stark ab, steigen dann aber mit wachsender Temperatur, Ubersattigung und Fremdstoff-Konzentration an. Die Adsorption des Losungsgenossen erfolgt auf den (111)-Flachen wesentlich intensiver als auf den Wurfelflachen. Ein Maximum des Pb-Einbaus in die Kristalle wurde bei niedrigen Zuchtungstemperaturen, bei geringer Ubersattigung und geringen Pb-Gehalten in der Losung erreicht. Die beobachtete Trachtanderung ist auf die unterschiedliche „Blockierung” der verschiedenen Flachenarten zuruckzufuhren. Bei kleinen Fremdstoff-Konzentrationen wird das Wachstum der (111)-Flachen starker gehemmt als das der Wurfelflachen. Mit steigendem Pb-Gehalt ist ein steilerer Anstieg der Verschiebungsgeschwindigkeit fur (100) zu registrieren, so das schlieslich Kristalle mit oktaedrischem Habitus entstehen. Die gleiche Tendenz zeigt sich bei Erhohung der Ubersattigung. Die sprunghafte Verringerung der Verschiebungsgeschwindigkeiten bei Pb-Zusatz ist auf Adsorption von Blei bzw. eines Pb-haltigen Komplexes zuruckzufuhren. Jedoch ist die Fremdstoff-Adsorption nicht unmittelbar fur die Trachtanderung verantwortlich. Es wird angenommen, das es sich bei den gezuchteten Kristallen um Adsorptionsmischkristalle handelt. NaCl crystals have been grown from aqueous solutions containing PbCl2 admixtures. Temperature, supersaturation and PbCl2 concentration have been modified. In presence of Pb (100)-faces as well as (111)-faces develop on NaCl crystals. At small Pb contents of the solution the linear rate of growth decreases rapidly but it increases with rising temperature, supersaturation and impurity concentration. Adsorption of the dissolved admixture takes place at (111) more intensively than at (100) faces. Maximum Pb content of the crystals was observed to occur at low growing temperatures, minimum supersaturations and small Pb contents of the solution. The change of habit is due to a different “blockade” of the various faces. At low impurity concentrations the growth of (111)-faces is more reduced than that of the (100)-faces. With increasing Pb content a more rapid increase of the linear rate of displacement for (100) is observed. At last the crystals have an octahedral habit. The same tendency is to be observed with increasing supersaturation. The abrupt decrease of the linear rate of displacement when adding Pb depends on adsorption of Pb or Pb complexes, respectively. However, the impurity adsorption is not immediately responsible for change of morphology. The grown crystals are believed to be solid solutions formed by adsorption.
Progress on Development of IEEE-ASAE Rural Motor Starting Application Guide

Integral horsepower motors from 1 to 30 hp are becoming more common on fanns for large feeding, crop drying, and irrigation systems [1]. Multiple-motor loads of 20 to 65 hp or more are being operated on single-phase power [2], [3]. As large motor loads on rural systems become more numerous, the problems associated with their use need more attention.
Horizontally slotted electro-optic silicon waveguides featuring an organic crystalline slot material

Silicon photonics has attracted a lot of interest in recent years. The mature silicon technology has made silicon-on-insulator (SOI) an attractive material system for high density photonic integration. Specifically, the high refractive index and low absorption of silicon at telecommunication wavelengths allows for excellent optical mode confinement and guiding. However, second-order nonlinear optical functionalities cannot be realized easily when relying on the intrinsic properties of silicon, due to its centrosymmetric crystal structure. By combining the excellent high-index guiding properties of SOI waveguides with the intrinsically ultrafast electro-optic (EO) effect of organic materials, ultrafast tuning in very compact devices seems feasible. Recently, highly responsive modulators with slotted silicon waveguide configurations have been demonstrated [1,2].
AN EARLEY-TYPE PARSING ALGORITHM FOR TREE ADJOINING GRAMMARS

We will describe an Earley-type parser for Tree Adjoining Grammars (TAGs). Although a CKY-type parser for TAGs has been developed earlier (Vijay-Shanker and Joshi, 1985), this is the first practical parser for TAGs because as is well known for CFGs, the average behavior of Earley-type parsers is superior to that of CKY-type parsers. The core of the algorithm is described. Then we discuss modifications of the parsing algorithm that can parse extensions of TAGs such as constraints on adjunction, substitution, and feature structures for TAGs. We show how with the use of substitution in TAGs the system is able to parse directly CFGs and TAGs. The system parses unification formalisms that have a CFG skeleton and also those with a TAG skeleton. Thus it also allows us to embed the essential aspects of PATR-II.
DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE ACETATE : THE POTENTIATION OF ITS ACTIVITY BY SODIUM CHLORIDE.

1. Desoxycorticosterone acetate (DCA) and NaCl, in the dosage employed in normal rats, caused renal and cardiac hypertrophy, characteristic changes in the renal tubular epithelium, atrophic changes in the subcapsular zone of the adrenal cortex, and serum electrolyte changes characterized by a rise in sodium and fall in potassium. 2. In rats rendered nephritic with a rabbit anti-rat-kidney serum, the same regimen caused similar changes. In addition, DCA given concurrently with NaCl greatly intensified the nephritic process and gave rise to striking arterial hypertension. 3. A diet, virtually sodium-free, administered to normal and nephritic rats receiving daily injections of DCA abolished or reduced to a minimum the effects of this steroid; i.e., a liberal ingestion of NaCl was essential for the potentiation of the action of DCA. 4. The addition of KCl to the drinking water of rats receiving DCA and NaCl tended to correct the depression of the level of potassium in the serum, but had no effect upon the hypertension in nephritic animals nor upon the anatomical lesions. 5. The mechanism by which the sodium ion potentiates the activity of DCA has not been established.
Monolithic ultrahigh-speed GaAs HBT optical integrated receivers

Monolithic optoelectronic receiver circuits have been produced with bandwidths as high as 13 GHz for optical signals in the 0.8 mu m band. This implies suitability for digital transmission at rates up to 17 Gb/s. To the authors' knowledge these are the fastest OEICs (optoelectronic integrated circuits) realized to date. The input noise measured at 10 pA/Hz/sup 1/2/ implies a 10/sup -9/ bit error rate sensitivity of -12 dBm into this bandwidth. The transimpedance of these receivers is 250 Omega . >
Teachers' and Students' Evaluations of Foreign Language Errors: A Meeting of Minds?.

error evaluations has typically focused on three groups of evaluators: 1) teachers who are native speakers of the target language; 2) nonnative teachers of the target language; and 3) native speakers not involved in language teaching. The objectives of such studies have been quite diverse. Ervin and Galloway, for example, investigate the issue of uniformity of error judgments among the three groups of evaluators, while Chastain, Ensz, Gynan (17, 18), and Piazza inter alia are concerned with these raters'
Maritime Enterprise in the New Republic: Investment in Baltimore Shipping, 1789–1793

By systematically analyzing ship registry documents it is possible to illuminate shipholding practices at major American ports in the early national era. In this article, Professor Gilbert focuses on shipholding in Baltimore in the period just prior to the late eighteenth century European war-induced shipping boom. He finds the port's foreign trade to be largely controlled by Baltimore residents. Merchants owned by far the largest percentage of the shipping, while mariners constituted an important, albeit secondary, investor group. Sole ownership of vessels was more extensive in Federalist Baltimore than in colonial Boston or Philadelphia. More detailed comparisons of shipowning practices among the major United States ports, Gilbert concludes, await further research.
Thermal behavior of new polymer electrolytes

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) have been identified as a class of materials which could enable the fabrication of high energy density solid state lithium rechargeable batteries which could meet the performance requirements for advanced portable electronic and automotive applications. In order to achieve this goal, novel SPE systems having high ionic conductivity and good mechanical properties at or near ambient temperature must be developed. Novel lithium salts believed to be useful in realizing this objective have recently been proposed. The thermal behavior of SPE systems based on high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and on two novel salts, the lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and the lithium tris(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-methanide (LiTSFM) is reported and compared with the thermal behavior of the high molecular weight PEO–lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate (LiTFLT) SPE system. Phase diagrams for the PEO–LiTFSI and PEO–LiTFSM SPE systems have been established and are discussed in terms of their impact on SPE-based rechargeable lithium battery technologies. The use of a novel plasticizer in conjunction with the PEO–LiTFSI-based SPE system is reported and it is shown how this modifies the thermal behavior of the PEO–LiTFSI SPE system.
“It seemed like a punishment”: Teacher transfers, hollow nationalism, and the intimate state in Eritrea

Discourses of the punishing state that circulated in Eritrea at a time when the government had become increasingly coercive were articulated especially clearly in debates over teacher transfers. Teachers imagined the state on the basis of their intimate encounters with its bureaucrats, who were thought of as capable of punishing, manipulating, or being manipulated. In a country once noted for the effervescent, revolutionary celebration of the state's capacity to defend and develop the nation, thinking of the state as pernicious challenged the core tenets of Eritrean nationalism but left intact lingering fantasies of state fairness. By examining the complexity of debates about teacher transfers, I uncover a multifaceted commentary on government power, a dialogue over the nature and meaning of the notion of duty to the nation, and a reworked popular imaginary of the state.
Comparative molecular dynamics simulation studies of protegrin-1 monomer and dimer in two different lipid bilayers.

Antimicrobial peptides interact specifically with the membrane of a pathogen and kill the pathogen by releasing its cellular contents. Protegrin-1 (PG-1), a b-hairpin antimicrobial peptide, is known to exist as a transmembrane monomer in a 1,2-dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) bilayer and shows concentration-dependent oligomerization in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayer. To examine its structure, dynamics, orientation, and interaction in membranes, we per- formed comparative molecular dynamics simulations of PG-1 monomer and dimer in DLPC and POPC bilayers for a total of 840 ns. The PG-1 monomer exhibits larger tilting in DLPC than in POPC due to a hydrophobic mismatch. PG-1 tilting is depen- dent on its rotation angle. The specific orientation of PG-1 in membranes is governed by the interactions of its aromatic residues with lipid headgroups. The calculated 15 N and 13 CO chemical shifts of Val 16 in DLPC reveal that there are different sets of tilt and rotation angles that satisfy the experimental values reasonably, suggesting that more experiments are needed to determine its orientation. The dimer simulations show that the dimer interface is better preserved in POPC than in DLPC because POPC's greater hydrophobic thickness causes reduced flexibility of the C-terminal strands. Both monomer and dimer simulations show membrane thinning around PG-1, largely due to arginine-lipid interactions.
Breast Muscle Development of Commercial Broilers from Hatching to Twelve Weeks of Age

Abstract The development of breast muscle (Pectoralis major) using male and female broilers from two commercial strain crosses (RR = Ross × Ross and PAA = Peterson × Arbor Acres) was evaluated from hatching to 12 wk of age by quantifying DNA, RNA, and total protein contents. All birds received diets satisfying the 1984 National Research Council requirements. Birds were selected from each pen at 2-wk intervals, and their breast muscles were excised. Body weight and cumulative feed conversion did not differ between strains. Breast muscle weight increased with age, and RR had greater (P
Effects of Hormone Therapy on Cognition and Mood

Objective Results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) suggested that hormone therapy (HT) may be detrimental to cognitive health. This article reviews clinical studies that address issues relevant to those results. Design Literature review. Intervention(s) A search of Pubmed and Web of Science was conducted using the search terms HT and cognition, HT and mood. Clinical and observational studies were selected if they were published after the year 2000. Theories of HT mechanisms of action, pharmacology, biology, and observational and clinical trials are discussed. Result(s) Although observational and clinical trials show conflicting findings, methodologic considerations must be acknowledged. HT formulation and dose, route of administration, timing of initiation, length of treatment, and health of participants all contribute to inconsistencies in results. Transdermal estradiol and micronized progesterone administered at time of menopause are generally associated with cognitive and affective benefit. Conclusion(s) At the present time, results from existing studies are equivocal regarding the benefits of HT on cognition and affect. Future studies, such as the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), should address methodologic inconsistencies to provide clearer answers to this important question.
Structural basis for CD1d presentation of a sulfatide derived from myelin and its implications for autoimmunity

Sulfatide derived from the myelin stimulates a distinct population of CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells. Cis-tetracosenoyl sulfatide is one of the immunodominant species in myelin as identified by proliferation, cytokine secretion, and CD1d tetramer staining. The crystal structure of mouse CD1d in complex with cis-tetracosenoyl sulfatide at 1.9 A resolution reveals that the longer cis-tetracosenoyl fatty acid chain fully occupies the A ′ pocket of the CD1d binding groove, whereas the sphingosine chain fills up the F ′ pocket. A precise hydrogen bond network in the center of the binding groove orients and positions the ceramide backbone for insertion of the lipid tails in their respective pockets. The 3 ′ -sulfated galactose headgroup is highly exposed for presentation to the T cell receptor and projects up and away from the binding pocket due to its β linkage, compared with the more intimate binding of the α -glactosyl ceramide headgroup to CD1d. These structure and binding data on sulfatide presentation by CD1d have important implications for the design of therapeutics that target T cells reactive for myelin glycolipids in autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system.
Acute Phase Protein Levels in Rabbits with Suspected Encephalitozoon cuniculi Infection

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of acute phase protein assays for C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (HP), and serum amyloid A (SAA) in the diagnosis of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (ECUN) infection in pet rabbits. Serum samples from 48 pet rabbits were submitted from veterinary clinics within the United States. Participating veterinarians completed a questionnaire that was used to classify rabbits as either non-ECUN suspect ( n = 19) or suspected of having ECUN infection ( n = 29). A previously described enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay diagnostic test was used to detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers against ECUN. Samples were additionally tested for levels of CRP, HP, and SAA. A nearly 10-fold mean increase in CRP levels was observed in the ECUN-suspect group. This increase was significant ( P
Nitric Oxide Reversibly Inhibits the Migration of Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Augmentation of nitric oxide (NO) production in vivo decreases lesions in a variety of models of arterial injury, and inhibition of NO synthase exacerbates experimental intimal lesions. Both vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration contribute to lesion formation. Although NO inhibits VSMC proliferation, its effects on VSMC migration are unknown. To test the hypothesis that NO inhibits VSMC migration independent of inhibition of proliferation, we examined migration of rat aortic VSMCs after wounding of a confluent culture in the presence of chemical donors of NO. Hydroxyurea was used to eliminate any confounding effect of NO on proliferation. Three NO donors, diethylamine NONOate, spermine NONOate, and S-nitrosoglutathione, exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of both number of migrating VSMCs and maximal distance migrated. Inhibition of migration was also seen with 8-Br-cGMP, suggesting that activation of guanylate cyclase may play a role in mediating the antimigratory effects of NO. Migration resumed after removal of NO donors, as evidenced by an increase in distance migrated. Measurement of VSMC protein synthesis and mitochondrial respiration indicated that inhibition of migration by NO donors was not due to metabolic cytostasis. These findings indicate that NO reversibly inhibits VSMC migration independent of proliferation or cytotoxicity, a novel mechanism by which both endogenous and pharmacological NO may alter vascular pathology.
Including patients in resuscitation decisions in Switzerland: from doing more to doing better

Background Decisions regarding Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders remain demanding, as does including patients in the process. Objectives To explore physicians’ justification for CPR/DNAR orders and decisions regarding patient inclusion, as well as their reports of how they initiated discussions with patients. Methods We administered a face-to-face survey to residents in charge of 206 patients including DNAR and CPR orders, with or without patient inclusion. Results Justifications were provided for 59% of DNAR orders and included severe comorbidity, patients and families’ resuscitation preferences, patients’ age, or poor prognosis or quality of life. Reasons to include patients in CPR/DNAR decisions were provided in 96% and 84% of cases, and were based on respect for autonomy, clinical assessment of the situation as not too severe, and the view that such inclusion was required. Reasons for not including patients were offered in 84% of cases for CPR and in 70% for DNAR. They included absent decision-making capacity, a clinical situation viewed as good (CPR) or offering little hope of recovery (DNAR), barriers to communication, or concern that discussions could be emotionally difficult or superfluous. Decisions made earlier in the patient9s management were infrequently viewed as requiring revision. Residents reported a variety of introductions to discussions with patients. Conclusions These results provide better understanding of reasons for CPR/DNAR decisions, reasons for patient inclusion or lack thereof, and ways in which such inclusion is initiated. They also point to potential side-effects of implementing CPR/DNAR recommendations without in-depth and practical training. This should be part of a regular audit and follow-up process for such recommendations.
A damping ring design for the SLAC next linear collider

In this paper, we describe the design of the main damping rings and the positron pre-damping ring for the SLAC Next Linear Collider, a future linear collider with a center-of-mass energy of 0.5 to 1.5 TeV. The rings will operate at an energy of 2 GeV with a maximum repetition rate of 180 Hz. The normalized extracted beam emittances are /spl gamma//spl epsiv//sub x/=3 mm-mrad and /spl gamma//spl epsiv//sub y/=0.03 mm-mrad. To provide the necessary damping, the rings must damp multiple trains of bunches. Thus, the beam current is large, roughly 1 A. We will present the optical layout, magnet designs, and RF systems, along with the dynamic aperture and required alignment tolerances; collective effects will be discussed in another paper.
Wave-plate retarders based on overhead transparencies.

We describe procedures for constructing inexpensive wave plates of desired retardation out of ordinary commercially available transparencies. Various relevant properties of the transparencies are investigated: the dependence of retardation on rotation of the film, tilt, wavelength, position, and temperature. A transparency is typically a multiple-order wave plate with the difference of in-plane refractive indices of ∼0.07 and a temperature dependence of retardation ∼0.02 rad/K. Constructing wave plates out of combinations of transparency sheets is also explored.
Using conduction modes basis functions for efficient electromagnetic analysis of on-chip and off-chip interconnect

In this paper, we present an efficient method to model the interior of the conductors in a quasi-static or full-wave integral equation solver. We show how interconnect cross-sectional current distributions can be modeled using a small number of conduction modes as basis functions for the discretization of the mixed potential integral equation (MPIE). Two examples are presented to demonstrate the computational attractiveness of our method. In particular, we show how our new approach can successfully and efficiently capture skin effects, proximity effects and transmission line resonances.
Modeling graphs using a mixture of Kronecker models

Generative models for graphs are increasingly becoming a popular tool for researchers to generate realistic approximations of graphs. While in the past, focus was on generating graphs which follow general laws, such as the power law for degree distribution, current models have the ability to learn from observed graphs and generate synthetic approximations. The primary emphasis of existing models has been to closely match different properties of a single observed graph. Such models, though stochastic, tend to generate samples which do not have significant variance in terms of the various graph properties. We argue that in many cases real graphs are sampled drawn from a graph population (e.g., networks sampled at various time points, social networks for individual schools, healthcare networks for different geographic regions, etc.). Such populations typically exhibit significant variance. However, existing models are not designed to model this variance, which could lead to issues such as overfitting. We propose a graph generative model that focuses on matching the properties of real graphs and the natural variance expected for the corresponding population. The proposed model adopts a mixture-model strategy to expand the expressiveness of Kronecker product based graph models (KPGM), while building upon the two strengths of KPGM, viz., ability to model several key properties of graphs and to scale to massive graph sizes using its elegant fractal growth based formulation. The proposed model, called x-Kronecker Product Graph Model, or xKPGM, allows scalable learning from observed graphs and generates samples that match the mean and variance of several salient graph properties. We experimentally demonstrate the capability of the proposed model to capture the inherent variability in real world graphs on a variety of publicly available graph data sets.