cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chloroquine accumulation and alterations of proteolysis and pinocytosis in the rat conceptus in vitro

Abstract The teratogenicity of chloroquine (CQ) has been hypothesized to result from its effects on lysosomal function, specifically the ability of the visceral yolk sac (VYS) to capture and degrade external macromolecules. Using the rat whole embroyo culture system, we evaluated the ability of CQ to accumulate in conceptal tissues and its effects on aspects of VYS function known to be important in the uptake and processing of nutrients. When CQ was added directly to the culture medium, it was found to accumulate rapidly in conceptal tissues, particuarly the VYS. Tissue concentrations of CQ in the embryo proper reached approximately 10-fold those in the medium, whereas concentrations in the VYS exceeded by 100-fold the medium concentration within a 4-hr exposure on gestational day (GD) 10. Embryotoxic concentrations of CQ (10–30 μM) enhanced the activity of lysosomal cysteine proteinases measured in vitro under optimum pH conditions in both embryonic and VYS homogenates after a 26-hr treatment from GD 10–11. A different pattern of response in enzyme activity was observed between embryos and VYSs that could be attributed to the preferential accumulation of CQ in the VYS. Nonembryotoxic concentrations of CQ (1–7.5 μM) induced a concentration-dependent increase in VYS enzyme activity that peaked in conceptuses exposed to 20 μM CQ (an intermediate embryotoxic concentration). The enhanced cysteine proteinase activity was time dependent and appeared to increase gradually in conceptuses exposed to 10–20 μM CQ during the 26-hr culture period. This was in contrast to the rapid accumulation of CQ in conceptal tissues seen on gestational day 10. Protein content in the VYS was increased significantly after a 9-hr exposure of whole conceptuses to CQ (20 μM), indicating an inhibition of VYS proteolytic activity in situ . After 24 hr of exposure to 20μM CQ, VYS protein content was not significantly different from control, but embryonic protein was reduced significantly by 20%. These observations are consistent with a model of reversible inhibition of VYS proteolysis by CQ followed by a compensatory increase in lysosomal proteinase activity. VYS fluid-phase pinocytosis was also assessed after CQ exposure and found to be inhibited only in the highest CQ concentration tested (30 μM). Lower concentrations of CQ that were still embryotoxic (10–20 μM) did not affect VYS fluid-phase pinocytosis, suggesting that inhibition of this activity is not primarily responsible for CQ embryotoxicity.
A note on canopy and air temperature equality

Abstract Well-watered crops having nearly identical ratio of intercept and slope of the “non-water-stressed baseline” would attain their equivalence point temperature at roughly identical air vapor pressure deficit. However, such a behavior of these crops might not prevail as the wet soil dries out progressively. The methods for calculating the equivalence point temperature due to Linacre (1964) and Paw U (1984) gave results which sometimes differed by more than 10 K.
Influence of cytotoxic agents on thermogenesis in streptococcus faecalis

Abstract Changes in the thermogenesis of S. faecalis cells resulting from the addition of cyanide, fluoride, penicillin, tetracycline, or human serum have been observed using isothermal calorimetry. The character and extent of the decrease in the thermogenesis rate is reproducible and different for each cytotoxic agent studied. The changes in thermogenesis on addition of tetracycline are quantitatively related to the concentration of antibiotic added to the bacterial culture.
Justin Martyr's Logocentric Hermeneutical Transformation of Isaiah's Vision of the Nations

Within the book of Isaiah itself, the author's vision of the future of the nations takes on three basic forms: (1) subjection to Israel, (2) pilgrimage to Zion, and (3) incorporation into Israel. Justin employs a logocentric reading of Isaiah within which the distinct voice of the prophet is entirely swallowed up by the divine logos. By this logocentric reading strategy Justin transforms each of the three Isaianic themes in the following way. (1) The subjugation of the nations to Israel becomes the eschatological subservience of Israel to Jesus the Messiah. (2) The pilgrimage of the nations to Zion is interpreted metaphorically as the spiritual journey of the Gentiles to the God of Israel through Jesus Christ. (3) The incorporation of the nations into Israel is transformed into the inclusion of obdurate ethnic Israel into the Christian church. Justin's polemical use of Isaiah as a rhetorical tool for crafting the self-definition of the Christian community over against the synagogue stands as an important testimony to the status of Christianity in its relationship to Judaism in the second century.
ATP-Driven Exchange of Histone H2AZ Variant Catalyzed by SWR1 Chromatin Remodeling Complex

The conserved histone variant H2AZ has an important role in the regulation of gene expression and the establishment of a buffer to the spread of silent heterochromatin. How histone variants such as H2AZ are incorporated into nucleosomes has been obscure. We have found that Swr1, a Swi2/Snf2-related adenosine triphosphatase, is the catalytic core of a multisubunit, histone-variant exchanger that efficiently replaces conventional histone H2A with histone H2AZ in nucleosome arrays. Swr1 is required for the deposition of histone H2AZ at specific chromosome locations in vivo, and Swr1 and H2AZ commonly regulate a subset of yeast genes. These findings define a previously unknown role for the adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling machinery.
Specific, High Affinity Relaxin-like Factor Receptors

Abstract The relaxin-like factor (RLF) is a circulating hormone that binds to specific membrane-bound uterine receptors in the mouse. Mono-iodinated RLF tracers were produced and characterized specifically to study the properties of the RLF receptor. The tracers bound to the RLF receptor in uterine crude membrane preparations with high affinity (73 nm for 125I-Tyr(A9) RLF and 90 nm for 125I-Tyr(A26) RLF) as determined by Scatchard analysis. The specificity of binding was confirmed by chemical cross-linking experiments. Binding of 125I-Tyr(A9) RLF to the putative receptor was inhibited in the presence of a 640-fold excess of unlabeled human RLF but not by the same excess of human relaxin. SDS-gel electrophoresis of the RLF-receptor complex revealed a molecular mass of >200 kDa, which remained unchanged upon reduction. The size and the lack of subunit structure of the receptor is similar to the features reported for the relaxin receptor. In this regard both, the RLF and the relaxin receptor are different from the insulin- and the insulin-like growth factor-type 1 receptors. This observation supports the relaxin-likeness of this new factor not only toward potential target tissues but also as regards receptor features.
Motivating your international channel partners

~ ow do we get our distributors and dealers to pay more attention to our products and promote them more aggressively? At one time or another most manufacturers have asked that question, especially those who rely on independent channel partners for much of their distribution. In highly competitive markets, with so many manufacturers competing for the same customers, distributors and dealers can afford to be choosy about which manufacturers' products they will push. Getting them to push your products is what motivation in marketing channels is all about. This is hardly a new challenge for U.S. manufacturers. What is new, however, is the internationalization of motivation in marketing channels. With so ma~y U.S. manufacturers interested in marketing their products overseas, and needing foreign distributors and dealers to do so, the motivation of channel partners needs to be addressed from an international perspective as well as a domestic one. Foreign distributors and dealers, just like their U.S. counterparts, can pick and choose the products they will p romote to their customers. They need to be motivated to emphasize your products. But as tough as it is for U.S. manufacture:rs to motivate their domestic distributors or dealers, it is even tougher in the international arena. The environment, culture, and customs affecting channel relationships can be very tricky for the uninitiated. The experience of the Bose Corporation with its Japanese distributor provides a good illustration. 'The Bose Corp., founded by Amar Bose in the early 1960s, is well known in the United States as a manufacturer of audio speakers of outs¢anding quality and technical superiority. During the mid-1970s, in an effort to build international distribution, Bose at tempted to break into the Japanese market. The results were disastrou'~. After three years of intense effort, the company sold fewer than 100 pairs of speakers in Japan and had no choice but to pull out of the country. Reflecting some years later on what went wrong, Amar Bose identified the key problem as the failure of his marketing people to establish close personal ties with their Japanese distributor. As Bose would eventually realize, Japan is an intensely relationship-oriented society. Personal connections are the very essence of doing business nihonshiki (Japanesestyle). Such personal relationships, if they The glolSal market provides a difficult setting for U.S. businesses relying on foreign distributors; but with understanding the nut can be cracked.
Continuous spectra and numerical eigenvalues

Abstract Some spectral problems for differential operators are naturally posed on the whole real line, often leading to eigenvalues plus continuous spectrum. Then the numerical approximation typically involves three processes: (a) reduction to a finite interval; (b) discretization; (c) application of a numerical eigenvalue solver such as the QR-algorithm. Reduction to a finite interval and discretization typically eliminate the continuous spectrum. However, through round-off error, the continuous spectrum may show up again when the eigenvalue solver is applied. (In some sense, three wrongs make a right.) Interestingly, not all parts of the continuous spectrum show up in the same way, however. We illustrate this observation by numerical examples. A perturbation argument, though non-rigorous, explains the observation.
ϒ decay into two gluinos

Abstract Mass splitting between the superpartners of the b quark may induce a substantial branching ratio for ϒ→ g g if m g GeV .
Evaluation of glutamate as a neurotransmitter of cerebellar parallel fibers.

Glutamate release, in response to excess K+, from synaptosomal preparations from rat cerebellum was studied in relationship to the characteristics of stimulus-secretion coupling processes used by known transmitters and compared to those of γ-aminobutyrate (GABA), a known cerebellar neurotransmitter. The properties of glutamate release were indistinguishable from those of GABA: the release of both substances is dependent on Ca2+, antagonized by Mg2+ and stimulated by K+ depolarization and therefore mimics the essential characteristics for the release of a neurotransmitter. Evidence that parallel fiber boutons are a source of evoked glutamate release is supported by the fact that synaptosomal preparations from the cerebellar molecular layer released twice as much glutamate per tissue content as did similar preparations from whole cerebellum. Furthermore, neonatal X-irradiation of the cerebellum, which decreases the granule cell and the parallel fiber populations, results in a reduction of Ca2+-dependent glutamate release indicating that Ca2+-dependent release originates in part from parallel fiber boutons. Under these conditions neither glutamate levels nor high affinity glutamate uptake are significantly changed. These data indicate that glutamate is either a neurotransmitter of the parallel fibers or a molecule released by the stimulus-secretion coupling process along with the neurotransmitter. Depolarizing K+ concentrations in the absence of external Ca2+ also induced an increase in the efflux of glutamate and [3H]GABA. This effect was much more prominent for exogenously loaded amino acids than for endogenous glutamate. Accumulated glutamate appears to be stored in at least two separate compartments, which differed in their storage capacity and sensitivity to K+ and Ca2+. One pool, highly sensitive to K+ in the absence of Ca2+, showed a poor retention of glutamate. The second pool, sensitive to Ca2+ in the presence of a depolarizing agent, stored glutamate more stably. Since the K+-induced efflux of glutamate independent of external Ca2+ decreased after loss of the granule cells, it is likely that both glutamate compartments are present, at least in part, in neurons.
Analysis of Two-dimensional Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility

ABSTRACT Recent statistical work is applied to measuring imbalance in a single plane, often referred to as static imbalance, for a rigid rotor. The two-dimensional repeatability and reproducibility of imbalance measurement are estimated by circles constructed from MANOVA-based method-of-moments and the results are compared to those of one-dimensional repeatability and reproducibility using the same measurement data. The results of both the one-dimensional and the two-dimensional repeatability and reproducibility are interpreted in terms of capability or how the measurement variation relates to rotor imbalance specification or tolerance.
Theoretical study of the reaction of yttrium with formaldehyde

This work describes single-(DFT, CCSD(T)) and multireference (CASSCF, CASPT2) theoretical calculations on the reaction of yttrium atoms with formaldehyde studied recently in crossed molecular beam experiments. The reaction is shown to proceed through the exothermic formation of a side-bound π-complex followed by C-H insertions which branch out to competing pathways to products. Dihydridoyttrium(II) is formed through the decomposition of the double insertion product, whereas carbonylyttrium(0) and high-energy formylyttrium-(I) result from the single insertion intermediate. The product and transition state energetics are consistent with experimental results and allow one to rule out the direct reductive elimination pathway for the formation of carbonylyttrium(0).
Extended Depth of Field through Unbalanced OPD

The depth of field of a conventional camera is extended simply by inserting an annular glass ring in front of the lens. The operating principle is explained and experimental results are shown.
Heat capacities of polyethylene and linear fluoropolymers

Abstract Heat capacities at constant pressure, Cp, and at constant volume Cv, were calculated with the help of normal mode frequency spectra and compared to experimental data for crystalline or semicrystalline polyethylene, poly(vinyl fluoride), poly(vinylidene fluoride), polytrifluooroethylene and poly(tetrafluoroethylene). A calculation scheme using a Tarasov function for 2N skeletal vibrational modes and an approximation of the residual 7N normal modes from known data on polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene is developed for all homologous, linear fluoropolymers. N is the number of carbon backbone atoms of the repeating unit. Calculations can be carried out over the whole temperature range 0 K to melting. For the two theta temperatures and the constant A0 used for Cv to Cp conversion, fluorine-concentration dependent curves are given. The relations are expected to hold also for copolymers and blends of intermediate fluorine contents. Recommended experimental (data bank) heat capacities agree to ±2.5% with the calculations.
Tolerance to oral and IP caffeine: locomotor activity and pharmacokinetics.

Abstract Locomotor activity increase was a bitonic function of acute caffeine IP doses (2.5–40 mg/kg) in rats. When the schedule-induced polydipsic, orally self-administered dose of caffeine was increased over blocks of daily 3 h sessions from 9.3 to 36.5 mg/kg, postsession activity increased monotonically as a function of dose. The rate of tolerance development to the increase in locomotor activity produced by caffeine depended on the route of administration. Tolerance onset occured on the fourth day of chronic IP doses, but remained incomplete after 21 doses. With the highest dose level of oral caffeine self-administration, tolerance developed on day 13, but remained incomplete even after 17 doses. Acute tolerance occurred for each of the IP doses, whereas a linear relation between locomotor activity and serum caffeine concentration was obtained after oral self-administration. There were two- to threefold higher locomotor activity AUCs (4 h) with oral caffeine at three dose levels compared to the activity AUCs (4 h) for IP doses.
Packing pairs by quintuples with index 2: v odd, v n 13 (mod 20)

Abstract A (v, k, λ) packing design of order v, block size k, and index λ is a collection of k-element subsets, called blocks, of a v-set, V, such that every 2-subset of V occurs in at most λ blocks. The packing problem is to determine the maximum number of blocks in a packing design. In this paper we provide a powerful technique for constructing designs and solve the packing problem with k = 5, λ = 2, and all odd numbers v, v ≢ 13 (mod 20), with the possible exception of v = 19, 27, 137, 139, 147.
Absolute instability of the Gaussian wake profile

Linear parallel‐flow stability theory has been used to investigate the effect of viscosity on the local absolute instability of a family of wake profiles with a Gaussian velocity distribution. The type of local instability, i.e., convective or absolute, is determined by the location of a branch‐point singularity with zero group velocity of the complex dispersion relation for the instability waves. The effects of viscosity were found to be weak for values of the wake Reynolds number, based on the center‐line velocity defect and the wake half‐width, larger than about 400. Absolute instability occurs only for sufficiently large values of the center‐line wake defect. The critical value of this parameter increases with decreasing wake Reynolds number, thereby indicating a shrinking region of absolute instability with decreasing wake Reynolds number. If backflow is not allowed, absolute instability does not occur for wake Reynolds numbers smaller than about 38.
Combining information for prediction in linear regression

This article deals with the prediction problem in linear regression where the measurements are obtained using k different devices or collected from k different independent sources. For the case of k=2, a Graybill-Deal type combined estimtor for the regression parameters is shown to dominate the individual least squares estimators under the covariance criterion. Two predictors ŷ c and ŷ p are proposed. ŷ c is based on a combined estimator of the regression coefficient vector, and ŷ p is obtained by combining the individual predictors from different models. Prediction mean square errors of both predictors are derived. It is shown that the predictor ŷ p is better than the individual predictors for k≥2 and the predictor ŷ c is better than the individual predictors for k=2. Numerical comparison between ŷ c and ŷ p shows that the former is superior to the latter for the case k=2.
Qualitative evidence for adsorbate-induced edge metal atom localization : The characterization of lifted backbond degeneracy in adsorbed CO through the model adsorption of methyl isocyanide on Pd/Al2O3

Abstract Qualitative synthetic chemistry strategies are used to show that electron-deficient (i.e., unstable) edge Pd atoms can find stability through separation from the surface band structure and strong bonding to a CO adsorbate state that displays lifted backbond degeneracy. This conclusion is drawn from the transmission infrared observation of a thermally activated bonding mode of CO on Pd/Al 2 O 3 that has characteristics inconsistent with conventional atop- or bridge-bonded CO but similarities with an “atop bent” methylisocyanide adsorbate mode, characterized on the same surface, which is known to have lifted backbond degeneracy. Analysis of qualitative observations in both the data and the literature indicates the thermally stable CO state to be atop bound to an edge atom. Since this state is populated over a wide temperature range, the Δ H for its formation must arise from the attached surface metal atom gaining stability in the process even at the expense of CO stability. Published work [ J. Phys. Chem. 93 , 4890 (1989); Phys. Rev. B 24 , 754 (1981)] indicates that unstable edge atoms are the likely candidates for that behavior. A TLEED study [ Chem. Phys. Lett. 201 , 393 (1993)] that reports the identical CO adsorbate state on Pd(110) and a study reporting the ability of adsorbed CO to reconstruct the Pd(110) surface [ Chem. Phys. Lett. 167 , 391 (1990)semi; Surf. Sci. 249 , 1 (1991)] are published observations that are consistent with this conclusion.
Sodium channels and their genes: Dynamic expression in the normal nervous system, dysregulation in disease states

Although classical neurophysiological doctrine rested on the concept of the sodium channel, it is now clear that there are nearly a dozen sodium channel genes, each encoding a molecularly distinct channel. Different repertoires of channels endow different types of neurons with distinct transduction and encoding properties. Sodium channel expression is highly dynamic, exhibiting plasticity at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In some types of neurons within the normal nervous system, e.g. hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory neurons, changes in sodium channel gene expression occur in association with the transition from a quiescent to a bursting state; these changes are accompanied by the insertion of a different set of sodium channel subtypes in the cell membrane, a form of molecular plasticity which results in altered electrogenic properties. Dysregulation of sodium channel genes has been observed in a number of disease states. For example, transection of the peripheral axons of spinal sensory neurons triggers down-regulation of some sodium channel genes, and up-regulation of other sodium channel genes; the resultant changes in sodium channel expression contribute to hyperexcitability that can lead to chronic pain. There is also evidence, in experimental models of demyelination and in post-mortem tissue from patients with multiple sclerosis, for dysregulation of sodium channel gene expression in the cell bodies of some neurons whose axons have been demyelinated, suggesting that an acquired channelopathy may contribute to the pathophysiology of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The dynamic nature of sodium channel gene expression makes it a complex topic for investigation, but it also introduces therapeutic opportunities, since subtype-specific sodium channel modulating drugs may soon be available.
HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON-BEAM INJECTION IN SEMICONDUCTORS USING A SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

The tip of a scanning tunneling microscope is used as a source of ultralow-energy electrons to excite luminescence in model AlGaAs/GaAs(001) heterostructures. This beam injection technique has the advantage of providing a nanometer-sized charge generation volume. We demonstrate the application of this technique to determine minority charge carrier transport parameters such as the thermalization length of hot electrons and the diffusion length of minority electrons.
Arrays of mems-based actuators for control of supersonic jet screech

The ability of a particular type of MEMS-based mechanical actuators to excite the shear-layer of a highspeed axisymmetric jet has been examined. This study focused on the utilization of a single actuator which is intended for use, as part of an array of actuators distributed around the jet lip, for the purpose of screech noise cancellation. Measurements of the streamwise velocity spectra on the shear layer centerline demonstrated the ability of the micron-size actuators to introduce disturbances into the shear layer up to a Mach number of 0.6. When the actuator oscillation frequency was close to the most unstable frequency of the shear layer, the disturbance magnitude exceeded that produced by acoustic and glow discharge forcing in other investigations. The ability of the MEMS actuator with its small amplitude and force to produce a strong disturbance was attributed to the direct mechanical action of the actuator on the shear layer at the highreceptivity point at the jet lip. It was demonstrated that an optimal radial actuator position exists where the actuator is within tens of microns from the jet lip. Finally, video records of the MEMS operation showed that the actuator operates properly and without being damaged under screech conditions.
Activity of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase from potato cultivars with differential response to ozone stress.

summary The effect of ozone (O3) on the carboxylation activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) from the fifth youngest leaf of four cultivars of Solarium tuberosum L. (potato) was investigated. Ozone-tolerant cultivars ‘Superior’ (SP) and ‘Norgold Russet’ (NR), and O3-sensitive cultivars ‘Cherokee’ (CK) and ‘Norland’ (NL) were exposed to O3 for five consecutive days in controlled-environment chambers. Leaf samples were obtained during the O3-exposure period and at 1, 5, and 10 d post-exposure. For both charcoal-filtered air (control) and O3-treated foliage, total activity of Rubisco declined with increasing leaf age. Ozone induced an accelerated decline in the carboxylation activity of Rubisco in leaves obtained from CK and NL by the third day of O3 exposure. In contrast, O3 had no impact on the Rubisco activity from leaves of SP and NR as compared to non-treated foliage. Differential foliar conductance could not account for the response of the sensitive and tolerant cultivars. Rubisco was purified from cultivars SP and CK to determine whether protein sulphydryl content correlated with foliar O3 sensitivity. The number of SH groups did not differ between the two cultivars, either in chemically denatured or non-denatured Rubisco. Consequently, neither number nor availability of SH groups appear to be factors controlling sensitivity of Rubisco to oxidative damage by O3.
Syncollisional extension along the India-Asia suture zone, south-central Tibet: Implications for crustal deformation of Tibet

Abstract Crustal deformation models of the Tibetan plateau are assessed by investigating the nature of Neogene deformation along the India–Asia suture zone through geologic mapping in south-central Tibet (84°30′E). Our mapping shows that the suture zone is dominated by a system of 3 to 4 ENE-striking, south-dipping thrust faults, rather than strike-slip faults as predicted by models calling upon eastward extrusion of the Tibetan plateau. Faults along the suture zone are not active, as they are cut by a system of NNW-striking oblique slip normal faults, referred to herein as the Lopukangri fault system. Fault-slip data from the Lopukangri fault system shows that the mean slip direction of its hanging wall is N36W. We estimate the net slip on the Lopukangri fault by restoring components of the thrust system. We estimate that the fault has accommodated ∼ 7 km of right-slip and ∼ 8 km of normal dip-slip, yielding a net slip of ∼ 10.5 km, and 6 km of horizontal east–west extension. The Lopukangri fault system is active and geomorphic offsets indicate right separations and westside-down dip-separation. The mapview curviplanar geometry and geomorphic expression of the Lopukangri fault system is similar to faults and rift basins to its east and west. These extensional faults are en echelon in map view and encompass a region that is 200 km long (east–west) and 95 km wide (north–south). Assuming our results for the Lopukangri fault are applicable to the entire system, we estimate a maximum of 18% extension across the zone. All active faults in the system terminate southward adjacent to the India–Asia suture zone. Because the individual rift geometries are similar and suggest a common kinematic relationship, we propose that the extensional system formed as a trailing extensional imbricate fan at the southern termination of the central Tibet conjugate fault zone. Alternatively, the extensional system may terminate to the north and represent a group of isolated crustal tears. Both kinematic interpretations imply a semi-smooth north–south variation in the magnitude of east–west extension in southern Tibet, with higher magnitudes in the north along the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone than in the south along the India–Asia suture zone. Our results from southern Tibet show that deformation between southern Tibet and the Himalayas is broad (95 km wide) and best described as a continuum possibly since the Late Miocene. Conversely, the structural boundary between western Tibet and the Himalayas, which is defined by the Karakoram fault, is presently a discrete boundary, and probably has been since the Middle Miocene. We think this variation in the displacement gradient and age of these structural boundaries within the interior of Tibet is best explained by the fault patterns and strain history describing wholesale E–W stretching and N–S shortening of the Tibetan crust.
Grouped discharges of the crayfish stretch receptor neuron under intracellular injections of drugs and ions

Abstract 1. 1. Electrophoretic injections of various cations, including acetylcholine, carbamylcholine, strychnine, quaternary ammonium and inorganic ions (Li+, Na+, Rb+, Cs+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Ba2+ and Ni2+) were made in the slowly adapting strech receptor neuron of the crayfish. This resulted in grouped discharges and prolonged intracellular action potentials, irrespective of effects by external applications. Similar changes were demonstrated also after injecting some anions like Br−, acetate and phosphate ions. It is suggested that the presence of the above ions inside the neuron modifies the membrane permeability in a nonspecific way by delayed effect of the ions. 2. 2. In many records taken during grouped discharges, axon spikes were less in number than soma spikes or vice versa, indicating that they are not always from the same origin.
The evolving role of laparoscopic surgery in paediatric urology

Objectives We review the various applications of laparoscopic and robotic-assisted laparoscopy in paediatric urology, as the laparoscopic and robotic approach in this population is gradually being recognised.
La globalización agro-alimentaria: sus características y perspectivas futuras

El objetivo de este articulo es de examinar las caracteristicas principales del proceso de globalizacion del sistema agro-alimentario en relacion al desarrollo socio-economico de America Latina. La vasta literatura sobre la globalizacion esta resumida en tres grupos distintos. Los neo-liberales radicales argumentan que la globalizacion representa la receta necesaria para adelantar el desarrollo socio-economico a nivel mundial. Los centristas intervencionistas destacan que, aunque las dinamicas de mercado tienen una importancia central, no es posible mantener los equilibrios sociales y economicos sin la intervencion del Estado. El tercer grupo critica la globalizacion y la define como un sistema contradictorio que aumenta la brecha entre los paises ricos y los pobres y, dentro de cada uno de ellos, las desigualdades entre las clases sociales. Empleando tres estudios de caso, el trabajo analiza tres hipotesis generadas por este debate. La primera se refiere a la cuestion del funcionamiento del libre mercado, la segunda a la cuestion de la fuerza y papel del Estado y la tercera a la cuestion de la democracia. Se concluye que el mercado esta fuertemente condicionado por las CTNs y que sus acciones afectan negativamente a varios grupos sociales. Tambien, se destaca que el Estado mantiene importantes poderes que, sin embargo, estan siendo usados para adelantar los intereses de la CTNs creando condiciones favorables para la hiper-movilidad del capital. En relacion al tercer tema se concluye que la globalizacion limita la participacion popular en procesos de toma de decisiones, pero, simultaneamente, genera resistencia y movilizacion social. Las conclusiones subrayan que la globalizacion crea una crisis de programas de desarrollo nacional dado que el crecimiento economico se basa mas en el eje regional-global. Tambien, se indica que la inclusion en los circuitos globales tiende a generar crecimiento de los beneficios para las companias pero que no se traduce necesariamente en desarrollo social. Esta situacion indica la exclusion de los circuitos globales como una estrategia democratica de desarrollo socio-economico
The Marginal Revenue Product of a Women's College Basketball Player

This paper estimates the marginal revenue product of a premium women's college basketball player. Ordinary least squares estimates indicate that acquiring another one of these players generates nearly $250,000 annually for her team. Quantile regression estimates, however, show that these quantitative effects vary substantially across teams: Players at less successful programs generate little revenue for their team, while those at the elite programs generate considerable revenues. The results provide empirical evidence that schools may have the ability to capture economic rents from the best players at the top women's basketball programs.
Nanometer-Scale Layering in Rock Varnish: Implications for Genesis and Paleoenvironmental Interpretation

Manganiferous rock varnish collected from Death Valley and Antarctica contains the smallest known terrestrial sedimentary deposits, with some layers only a few nanometers thick. Irregularities in these nanometer-scale layers are consistent with shrinking, cracking, and weathering of clay minerals. In the Death Valley rock varnish, very different High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) textures coexist that may be related to climatic change. HRTEM observations contradict previous microbial models of Mn-Fe enhancement, requiring a new three-step model of biomineralization and diagenesis for varnish formation.
Pharmacokinetics of butorphanol in horses after intramuscular injection

A two-way cross-over study of the pharmacokinetics of butorphanol after intravenous and intramuscular administration at 0.08 mg/kg in six adult horses was performed. Heparinized venous blood samples were obtained prior to drug administration and at 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 360 min after IV injection. Samples were obtained at the same time points and at 6 h and 12 h after IM injection. Physical examination parameters were recorded at each time point. Plasma butorphanol concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. No significant differences in any physical parameters were observed after butorphanol administration except for an increase in respiratory rate at 60 and 180 min after IV administration. Absorption of butorphanol after IM administration was very rapid (half life of absorption of 6 min) but systemic availability after IM injection was low (37%). Terminal half-life after IV administration was much longer than half-life after IM administration (0.57 h and 7.7 h, respectively). This difference was attributed to detection of a deep compartment after IV administration that was not detectable after IM administration. To maintain targeted plasma butorphanol concentrations above 10 ng/mL, administration of 0.08 mg/kg IM every 3 h may be necessary.
Concurrent ADHD and bipolar disorder: A 2009 perspective

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently is present concurrently with bipolar disorder (BPD) in youth. This concurrence appears to be more common in younger children. It appears to become less common with increasing age, at least until adulthood. Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms associated with ADHD and BPD have significant overlap. However, the core symptoms of BPD are relatively independent from those of ADHD and can be used to distinguish between the two conditions. The core symptoms of each disorder also respond to different pharmacologic and behavioral strategies. This implies different underlying pathophysiology even when the conditions coexist. Although much symptomatic overlap exists between ADHD and BPD, these conditions can be reliably differentiated from each other and require independent treatments that frequently need to be sequenced.
Peripheral hyperacuity: isoeccentric bisection is better than radial bisection

Performance of three-dot bisection was determined as a function of orientation for a variety of feature separations and field meridians at eccentricities of 0-10 deg for two observers. The dot stimuli and separations were scaled in size to compensate for eccentricity. The precision of three-dot bisection was found to depend on the direction of test-feature offset. In the fovea, horizontal and vertical bisections were better than oblique bisections, while at eccentricities of 5-20 deg, isoeccentric (on a tangent to a circle of a given eccentricity) bisection was better than radial bisection. The direction of offset was more important than the orientation of the stimulus. Large separations showed a stronger effect than small separations. The anisotropy of bisection appears different from the meridional effect for resolution and is unlikely to be simply related to a local anisotropy of the cortical magnification factor.
The Role of Participation in In-School and Outside-of-School Activities in the Talent Development of Gifted Students:

Based on survey responses from 230 students enrolled in a summer gifted program at a university, this study gives a description of gifted students’ participation in extracurricular activities in an...
Numerical and experimental analysis of the first-and second-mode instability in a rotor-bearing system

Aiming at the oil film instability of the sliding bearing at high speeds, a rotor test rig is built to study the non-linear dynamic behaviours caused by the first- and second-mode instability. A lumped mass model (LMM) of the rotor system considering the gyroscopic effect is established, in which the graphite self-lubricating bearing and the sliding bearing are simulated by a spring–damping model and a nonlinear oil film force model based on the assumption of short bearings, respectively. Moreover, a finite element model is also established to verify the validity of the LMM. The researches focus on the effects of two loading conditions (the first- and second-mode imbalance excitation) on the onset of instability and nonlinear responses of the rotor-bearing system by using the amplitude–frequency response, spectrum cascade, vibration waveform, orbit, and Poincare map. Finally, experiments are carried out on the test rig. Simulation and experiment all show that oil film instability can excite complicated combination frequency components about the rotating frequency and the first-/second-mode whirl/whip frequency.
Maximizing Net Present Value of a Series PHEV by Optimizing Battery Size and Vehicle Control Parameters

For a series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), it is critical that batteries be sized to maximize vehicle performance variables, such as fuel efficiency, gasoline savings, and zero emission capability. The wide range of design choices and the cost of prototype vehicles calls for a development process to quickly and systematically determine the design characteristics of the battery pack, including its size, and vehicle-level control parameters that maximize the net present value (NPV) of a vehicle during the planning stage. Argonne National Laboratory has developed Autonomie, a modeling and simulation framework. With support from The MathWorks, Argonne has integrated an optimization algorithm and parallel computing tools to enable the aforementioned development process. This paper presents a study that utilized the development process, where the NPV is the present value of all the future expenses and savings associated with the vehicle. The initial investment on the battery and the future savings that result from reduced gasoline consumption are compared. The investment and savings results depend on the battery size and the vehicle usage. For each battery size, the control parameters were optimized to ensure the best performance possible with the battery design under consideration. Real-world driving patterns and survey results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were used to simulate the usage of vehicles over their lifetime.
Do you see what I see?: Similarities and differences in victims' and observers' perceptions of discrimination

Abstract The present study examines whether victims and observers use similar decision rules when deciding whether an action reflects discrimination. Forty-six victim-observer pairs were asked to indicate whether discrimination occurred in situations in which victims received negative feedback and in which discrimination was certain or ambiguous. Predictors of victims' and observers' individual judgments and predictors of victim-observer agreement were identified. The results suggest that victims and observers use similar, yet not identical, processes when making their individual judgments. Both victims and observers were more likely to say the negative feedback was due to discrimination when discrimination was more certain and when the perpetrator violated the norm of social responsibility. Differential predictors also emerged: Victims perceived discrimination when they were surprised by the negative evaluation. Observers perceived discrimination when they were not concerned with their social image. Vict...
Ontogeny of Dextromethorphan O‐ and N‐demethylation in the First Year of Life

The exponential increase in the number of drugs used to treat infant and childhood illnesses necessitates an understanding of the ontogeny of drug biotransformation for the development of safe and effective therapies. Healthy infants received an oral dose (0.3 mg/kg) of dextromethorphan (DM) at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age. DM and its major metabolites were measured in urine. CYP2D6 genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genotyping data indicated a strong correlation between CYP2D6 genotype and DM O-demethylation (beta=-0.638; 95% CI: -0.745, -0.532; P<0.001). CYP2D6 activity was detectable and concordant with genotype by 2 weeks of age, showed no relationship with gestational age, and did not change with post natal age up to 1 year. In contrast, DM N-demethylation developed significantly more slowly over the first year of life. Genotype and the temporal acquisition of drug biotransformation are critical determinants of a drug response in infants.
4-Hydroxytamoxifen Induces Autophagic Death through K-Ras Degradation

Tamoxifen is widely used to treat estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Recent findings that tamoxifen and its derivative 4-dehydroxy-tamoxifen (OHT) can exert ER-independent cytotoxic effects have prompted the initiation of clinical trials to evaluate its use in ER-negative malignancies. For example, tamoxifen and OHT exert cytotoxic effects in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) where estrogen is not involved. In this study, we gained insights into the ER-independent cytotoxic effects of OHT by studying how it kills MPNST cells. Although caspases were activated following OHT treatment, caspase inhibition provided no protection from OHT-induced death. Rather, OHT-induced death in MPNST cells was associated with autophagic induction and attenuated by genetic inhibition of autophagic vacuole formation. Mechanistic investigations revealed that OHT stimulated K-Ras degradation through autophagy induction, which is critical for survival of MPNST cells. Similarly, we found that OHT induced K-Ras degradation in breast, colon, glioma and pancreatic cancer cells. Our findings describe a novel mechanism of autophagic death triggered by tamoxifen and OHT in tumor cells that may be more broadly useful clinically in cancer treatment.
Thermal and ultrafast optical tuning of ultrathin high-temperature superconducting terahertz metamaterials

We demonstrate thermal and ultrafast optical tuning in planar terahertz (THz) superconducting metamaterials. The fundamental resonance of an array of split-ring resonators (SRRs) fabricated from a 50-nm-thick high-temperature superconducting (HTS) YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) film is characterized as a function of temperature and near-infrared photoexcitation fluence. The HTS metamaterial exhibits a very strong resonant response at temperatures much lower than the transition temperature T c . Increasing the temperature reduces the density of Cooper pairs, which results in a dramatically decreasing imaginary part of the complex conductivity, and thereby tunes the metamaterial resonance. We observe switched resonance strength and large red shift of resonance frequency when the temperature increases from 20 K to T c . Similar resonance switching and frequency tuning is also demonstrated in an ultrafast time scale through near-infrared femtosecond laser excitation. We further compare the thermal tuning behaviour of the 50-nm-thick HTS metamaterial with a metamaterial sample comprised of gold SRRs with identical geometry and dimensions, which has negligible tunability.
Infections and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Although interest in the nexus of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has mushroomed, especially in the in past 5 years, activity in the arena of CKD-related infection has been much more modest. This development is surprising when one considers the increasing evidence that links inflammation, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Also, major infections, such as pneumonia and septicemia, are paradigmatic inflammatory states, and accumulating evidence indicates that they are a common antecedent of new cardiovascular events in dialysis patients. Major infections are associated with higher rates of cardiovascular events and death in dialysis patients, and similar associations have been observed in community settings. Although recent studies suggest that hospitalization for major infections is much more common in nondialysis CKD than in the general population, the prognostic implications remain unexplored.
Digital RF Processor (DRP™) for wireless transmitters

RF transceivers have recently migrated to low-cost digital deep-submicron CMOS processes, where their integration with baseband processors and memory serve to form low cost SoC solutions for various radio standards. Such process environment, optimized for digital logic and SRAM memory, is extremely restrictive for conventional analog and RF designs. This tutorial presents recently developed techniques that transform the RF transceiver circuit design complexities into digital domain, where the strengths of the digital processes are leveraged, allowing the SoC to benefit from simple migration with process node scaling, advanced design automation, re-configurability and testability. Digital signal processing, both hardware and software based, is used extensively to alleviate analog design complexity, allowing the reduction in cost and power consumption in a reconfigurable design environment. This DRPtrade transmitter tutorial focuses on the fundamentals of the digital polar transmitter of the Bluetooth single-chip solution offered by Texas Instruments.