cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plenty of Room at the Top: A Multi-Scale Understanding of nm-Resolution Polymer Patterning on 2D Materials

Lamellar phases of alkyldiacetylenes in which the alkyl chains lie parallel to the substrate represent a straightforward means for scalable 1-nm-resolution interfacial patterning. This capability has the potential for substantial impacts in nanoscale electronics, energy conversion, and biomaterials design. Polymerization is required to set the 1-nm functional patterns embedded in the monolayer, making it important to understand structure-function relationships for these on-surface reactions. Polymerization can be observed for certain monomers at the single-polymer scale using scanning probe microscopy. However, substantial restrictions on the systems that can be effectively characterized have limited utility. Here, using a new multi-scale approach, we identify a large, previously unreported difference in polymerization efficiency between the two most widely used commercial diynoic acids. We further identify a core design principle for maximizing polymerization efficiency in these on-surface reactions, generating a new monomer that also exhibits enhanced polymerization efficiency.
Measuring economic sustainability at the ranch level

On the Ground • The three most well-recognized sustainability pillars are environmental, social, and economic. • Ranch economic sustainability hinges on asset value dynamics and ranch profitability. • Ranch economic sustainability metrics include multiyear average positive accrual adjusted net income, rate of return on assets (valued at market value)
Evaluation of the 7 & 7 Synch and 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR treatment regimens for control of the estrous cycle among beef cows prior to fixed-time artificial insemination with conventional or sex-sorted semen.

ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted to compare the 7 & 7 Synch and 7-day CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release (CIDR®) treatment regimens before fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) of beef cows with conventional or sex-sorted semen. Cows (n = 1,538) were blocked based on age and days postpartum (DPP) and randomly assigned to treatment regimen and semen type. Cows assigned to the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR treatment regimen (n = 769) were administered gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and an intravaginal progesterone-releasing insert (CIDR) on Day -10, and administration of prostaglandin F2α (PG) coincident with CIDR removal on Day -3. Cows assigned to 7 & 7 Synch (n = 769) were administered PG and a CIDR device on Day -17, GnRH on Day -10, and PG coincident with CIDR removal on Day -3. Cows were administered GnRH coincident with FTAI, which was performed 66 h after CIDR removal with conventional (20 × 106 cells) or sex-sorted (4 × 106 cells) semen. Expression of estrus was affected by treatment regimen (P = 0.01) and by treatment regimen × DPP (P = 0.0004), as a result of imposing the 7 & 7 Synch regimen; therefore, a greater percentage of cows expressed estrus (82% compared with 64%), particularly among cows with greater DPP. Pregnancy percentages resulting from FTAI were less (P
Intergenerational stimulation, reaction, and polarization: a causal analysis of intellectual history

It is suggested that Ghuman (1977) ignored studies which found significant, although only moderate, relationships between field dependence and personality variables. Secondly, it is suggested that his measures may have been insensitive in detecting relationships between field dependence and personality variables.
Verbally Conditioning Client Behaviors in the Therapeutic Setting

In this article we address the question of how a client´s behavior can be changed by the verbal interactions in the therapeutic setting. We suggest that when such change occurs, regardless of the theoretical orientation of the therapist, the client´s behavior has been verbally conditioned. In particular, any verbal stimulus in the therapy setting that produces such change alters the function of settings in which the problem behaviors or feelings normally occur to evoke different, that is, healthier, verbal and nonverbal behaviors or feelings. We point out that such verbal conditioning is ongoing and ubiquitous both in and out of the therapy setting, and that not only are clinically relevant improvements conditioned by a client´s self-talk, but so are the very problems the client experiences in the first place. Finally, we present several examples of how the client´s behaviors outside the therapy situation may be altered by the verbal interactions with a therapist.
Replacing model categories with simplicial ones

In this paper we show that model categories of a very broad class can be replaced up to Quillen equivalence by simplicial model categories.
HIV/AIDS prevention practices among recent-immigrant Jamaican women.

Introduction The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to affect people in the United States and around the world at a profound rate, and African Americans are disproportionately affected.
Increased vitamin E content in the lung after ozone exposure : a possible mobilization in response to oxidative stress

Vitamin E (vE) is a biological free radical scavenger capable of providing antioxidant protection depending upon its tissue content. In previous studies, we observed that vE increased significantly in rat lungs after oxidant exposure, and we postulated that vE may be mobilized to the lung from other body sites under oxidative stress. To test this hypothesis, we fed Long-Evans rats either a vE-supplemented or a vE-deficient diet, injected them intraperitoneally with 14C-labeled vE, and then exposed half of each group to 0.5 ppm ozone (O3) for 5 days. After exposure, we determined vE content and label retention in lungs, liver, kidney, heart, brain, plasma, and white adipose tissue. Tissue vE content of all tissues generally reflected the dietary level, but labeled vE retention in all tissues was inversely related to tissue content, possibly reflecting a saturation of existing vE receptor sites in supplemented rats. Following O3 exposure, lung vE content increased significantly in supplemented rats and decreased in deficient rats, but the decrease was not statistically significant, and vE content remained unchanged in all other tissues of both dietary groups. Retention of 14C-labeled vE increased in all tissues of O3-exposed rats of both dietary groups, except in vE-deficient adipose tissue and vE-supplemented brain, where it decreased, and plasma, where it did not change. The marked increases in lung vE content and labeled vE retention of O3-exposed vE-supplemented rats support our hypothesis that vE may be mobilized to the lung in response to oxidative stress, providing that the vitamin is sufficiently available in other body sites.
Developmental Up-Regulation of Vesicular Glutamate Transporter-1 Promotes Neocortical Presynaptic Terminal Development

Presynaptic terminal formation is a complex process that requires assembly of proteins responsible for synaptic transmission at sites of axo-dendritic contact. Accumulation of presynaptic proteins at developing terminals is facilitated by glutamate receptor activation. Glutamate is loaded into synaptic vesicles for release via the vesicular glutamate transporters VGLUT1 and VGLUT2. During postnatal development there is a switch from predominantly VGLUT2 expression to high VGLUT1 and low VGLUT2, raising the question of whether the developmental increase in VGLUT1 is important for presynaptic development. Here, we addressed this question using confocal microscopy and quantitative immunocytochemistry in primary cultures of rat neocortical neurons. First, in order to understand the extent to which the developmental switch from VGLUT2 to VGLUT1 occurs through an increase in VGLUT1 at individual presynaptic terminals or through addition of VGLUT1-positive presynaptic terminals, we examined the spatio-temporal dynamics of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 expression. Between 5 and 12 days in culture, the percentage of presynaptic terminals that expressed VGLUT1 increased during synapse formation, as did expression of VGLUT1 at individual terminals. A subset of VGLUT1-positive terminals also expressed VGLUT2, which decreased at these terminals. At individual terminals, the increase in VGLUT1 correlated with greater accumulation of other synaptic vesicle proteins, such as synapsin and synaptophysin. When the developmental increase in VGLUT1 was prevented using VGLUT1-shRNA, the density of presynaptic terminals and accumulation of synapsin and synaptophysin at terminals were decreased. Since VGLUT1 knock-down was limited to a small number of neurons, the observed effects were cell-autonomous and independent of changes in overall network activity. These results demonstrate that up-regulation of VGLUT1 is important for development of presynaptic terminals in the cortex.
LSL-M1 and LSL-M2: Two Extensions of the LSL Adjustment Procedure for Including Multiple Spectrum Locations

Most current adjustment procedures, including LSL (1), can adjust only one spectrum with dosimetry located at the point of the input spectrum. Many radiation experiments have dosimetry at more than one location, and fluence or damage exposure values are desired for locations other than those covered by dosimetry. Thus, the use of single-spectrum dosimetry to these experiments causes considerable loss of information and introduces large uncertainties. Two extensions of the LSL code to cover multiple-spectra adjustment are discussed. Each extension has different restrictions and covers a different range of applications.
Judicial Risk Assessment: The Impact of Risk, Stakes, and Jurisdiction

Judicial assessment of offender risk has a direct impact on the sentencing decision. Yet because judges rarely explicitly record their judgments of risk, little is known about the factors that affe...
Role of empirical evidence in US/Canadian dispute on US imports of wheat, wheat flour, and semolina

This article summarizes the 1994 US/Canadian wheat dispute, and critically compares the analyses of the USDA and Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), with the analysis done by the staff of the US International Trade Commission (USITC staff). The USDA and CWB studies are shown to have primarily relied on “expert opinion,” with the result that data and evidence were not given adequate analytical roles in the analyses. The USDA and CWB studies provided a range of estimates of US wheat program cost effects from Canadian imports that was excessively wide. The USITC staff's empirical model is shown to be a more balanced mix of theory and evidence than the other two analyses, and suggests that such program cost effect estimates fell well between the extreme USDA and CWB estimates. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A dynamic model of the frequency-dependent rupture process of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

We present a 2D dynamic rupture model that provides a physical interpretation of the key features of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture. This minimalistic model assumes linear slip-weakening friction, the presence of deep asperities and depth-dependent initial stresses. It reproduces the first-order observations of the along-dip rupture process during its initial 100 s, such as large static slip and low-frequency radiation up-dip from the hypocenter, and slow rupture punctuated by high-frequency radiation in deeper regions. We also derive quantitative constraints on the ratio of shallow versus deep radiation from teleseismic back-projection source imaging. This ratio is explained in our model by the rupture of deep asperities surrounded by low stress drop regions, and by the decrease of initial stresses towards the trench.
Effects of D2-dopaminergic receptor stimulation on male rat sexual behavior.

The effects of selective D2-dopaminergic receptor stimulation with LY163502 on male rat copulatory behavior were evaluated. LY163502 (25 ng/kg to 25Μg/kg s. c.) produced increases in the percentage of sexually inactive rats displaying mounting behavior and ejaculating during the test period. Within this same dose range, LY163502 administration induced an increase in the percentage of non-ejaculator rats that were capable of ejaculation. These findings are viewed as evidence that LY163502 can initiate sexual behavior and lower the threshold for ejaculation. The effects of LY163502 were further evaluated in rats that were capable of ejaculation during the test period. LY163502 (25 ng/kg to 25Μg/kg s. c. or p. o.) induced significant reductions in ejaculatory latency. These effects were blocked by prior treatment with centrally active dopaminergic antagonists, RO 22-1319 and sulpiride, but not with a peripherally active antagonist, domperidone. LY163502 administration was also found to inhibit sexual behavior in low doses of 25 pg/kg −10 ng/kg s. c. and in a much larger dose of 25 mg/kg s. c. These inhibitory effects are viewed as behavioral manifestations of selective dopaminergic autoreceptor activation with low doses and as the disruption of sexual behavior by induction of intense stereotypic behavior with high doses.
Interstitial space of mouse skeletal muscle

1. A new preparation of mouse skeletal muscle, prepared from pectoral muscles, is described. 2. The sorbitol space of this muscle, both in vivo and in vitro, has been measured with dynamic loading of the muscle in vitro as an experimental variable. 3. The Na+ and K+ contents of the muscle have been determined and the apparent intracellular concentration for these ions calculated both in vivo and after incubation in vitro. 4. Histological studies on the incubated muscle have been made so as to permit comparison of the changes in the chemical measurements with changes in the ultrastructure of the muscle. 5. The results of these experiments show that there is an increase in the apparent extracellular space of the muscle following incubation. This increase is constant, and independent of the load, with the important exception that unloaded muscles do not reach an equilibrium during the period of incubation and have a much greater apparent extracellular space. 6. Intracellular Na+ and K+ concentrations are consistent with the sorbitol being restricted to an extracellular phase in the loaded muscle; but the evidence implies that sorbitol in the unloaded muscle penetrates into a space from which Na+ is excluded. 7. The total water content of the muscle per unit weight is unchanged by incubation, indicating that the apparent change in sorbitol space is in the ratio of intracellular space to extracellular space rather than by addition of water to the extracellular space. The significance of these results is discussed with reference to the use of such preparations for in vitro studies.
A comparative assessment of spectral closures as applied to passive scalar diffusion

We compare - both analytically and numerically – two related spectral (≡ two-point) closures for the problem of the decay of temperature fluctuations convected by isotropic turbulence. The methods are the test-field model (TFM) (Kraichnan 1971; Newman & Herring 1979) and the eddy-damped quasinormal Markovian (ENQNM) approximation (Orszag 1974; Lesieur & Schertzer 1978). We show that EDQNM may be regarded as a rational approximation to, and simplification of, the TFM, except at small wavenumbers, where an additional eddy-dissipative term is needed to produce satisfactory results for the former. We consider three available methods for determining the relaxation timescales: (i) comparison with experiments, (ii) comparison with the direct-interaction approximation (DIA) in thermal equilibrium, and (iii) comparison with DIA at very small wavenumber, where it is believed to represent the dynamics properly. Comparison with both large Reynolds number and wind-tunnel Reynolds numbers is presented. For the latter, we discuss the relationship of the present theoretical results to the experiments of Warhaft & Lumley (1978) and Sreenivasan et al. (1980), and to the theoretical analysis of Corrsin (1964), Kerr & Nelkin (1980) and Antonopolos-Domis (1981).
The Hyperpolarization-Activated HCN1 Channel Is Important for Motor Learning and Neuronal Integration by Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

In contrast to our increasingly detailed understanding of how synaptic plasticity provides a cellular substrate for learning and memory, it is less clear how a neuron's voltage-gated ion channels interact with plastic changes in synaptic strength to influence behavior. We find, using generalized and regional knockout mice, that deletion of the HCN1 channel causes profound motor learning and memory deficits in swimming and rotarod tasks. In cerebellar Purkinje cells, which are a key component of the cerebellar circuit for learning of correctly timed movements, HCN1 mediates an inward current that stabilizes the integrative properties of Purkinje cells and ensures that their input-output function is independent of the previous history of their activity. We suggest that this nonsynaptic integrative function of HCN1 is required for accurate decoding of input patterns and thereby enables synaptic plasticity to appropriately influence the performance of motor activity.
Low-dimensional characteristics of a transonic jet. Part 1. Proper orthogonal decomposition

An experimental investigation concerning the most energetic turbulent features of the flow exiting from an axisymmetric converging nozzle at Mach 0.85 and ambient temperature is discussed using planar optical measurement techniques. The arrangement of the particle image velocimetry (PIV) system allows for all three components of the velocity field to be captured along the (r, ! )-plane of the jet at discrete streamwise locations between x/D =3 .0 and 8.0 in 0.25 diameter increments. The ensemble-averaged (time-suppressed) two-point full Reynolds stress matrix is constructed from which the integral eigenvalue problem of the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is applied using both scalar and vector forms of the technique. A grid sensitivity study indicates that the POD eigenvalues converge safely to within 1% of their expected value when the discretization of the spatial grid is less than 30% of the integral length scale or 10% of the shear-layer width. The first POD eigenvalue from the scalar decomposition of the streamwise component is shown to agree with previous investigations for a range of Reynolds numbers and Mach numbers with a peak in azimuthal mode 5 at x/D =3 .0, and a gradual shift to azimuthal mode 2 by x/D =8 .0. The eigenvalues from the scalar POD of the radial and azimuthal components are shown to be much lower-dimensional with most of their energy residing in the first few azimuthal modes, that is modes 0, 1 and 2, with little change in the relative energies along the streamwise direction. From the vector decomposition, the azimuthal eigenspectra of the first two POD modes shift from a peak in azimuthal mode 5 at x/D =3 .0, followed by a gradual decay to azimuthal mode 2 at x/D =8 .0, the di!erences in the peak energies being very subtle. The conclusion from these findings is that when the Mach number is subsonic and the Reynolds number su"ciently large, the structure of the turbulent jet behaves independently of these factors.
A New Sensitive Root Auxanometer: Preliminary Studies of the Interaction of Auxin and Acid pH in the Regulation of Intact Root Elongation

A new sensitive root auxanometer is described. The auxanometer represents an adaption of the position-sensor transducer method to measurement of intact root elongation and has the advantages of simplicity and high sensitivity. Experiments with the auxanometer show that auxin begins to inhibit intact pea root elongation within 10 minutes and continues to inhibit elongation for at least 1 hour following a 1-hour treatment with the hormone. Exposure of pea roots to pH 4 results in a 2- to 3-fold increase in elongation rate beginning about 1 minute after acid treatment. Acid-induced elongation continues at a steady rate for at least 160 minutes and can be reinitiated repeatedly by shifting between pH 4 and 6.5. Auxin inhibits acid-induced elongation whether given before or after acidification, and a transient exposure to auxin renders intact roots relatively insensitive to acid for at least 1 hour after withdrawal of the hormone.
A total variation wavelet inpainting model with multilevel fitting parameters

In [14], we have proposed two total variation (TV) minimization wavelet models for the problem of filling in missing or damaged wavelet coefficients due to lossy image transmission or communication. The proposed models can have effective and automatic control over geometric features of the inpainted images including sharp edges, even in the presence of substantial loss of wavelet coefficients, including in the low frequencies. In this paper, we investigate a modification of the model for noisy images to further improve the recovery properties by using multi-level parameters in the fitting term. Some new numerical examples are also shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the recovery.
Estimating CMRO2 with multi-modality imaging using a multi-compartment vascular model

We propose a novel multi-compartment Windkessel model, which utilizes multi-modality measured NIRS and fMRI data, and estimate the hemodynamic vascular and metabolic changes separated into three compartments (arteriolar, capillary and venous).
RNA-Seq and RNA Immunoprecipitation Analyses of the Transcriptome of Streptomyces coelicolor Identify Substrates for RNase III

RNase III is a key enzyme in the pathways of RNA degradation and processing in bacteria and has been suggested as a global regulator of antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor. Using RNA-Seq, we have examined the transcriptomes of S. coelicolor M145 and an RNase III (rnc)-null mutant of that strain. RNA preparations with reduced levels of structural RNAs were prepared by subtractive hybridization prior to RNA-Seq analysis. We initially identified 7,800 transcripts of known and putative protein-coding genes in M145 and the null mutant, JSE1880, along with transcripts of 21 rRNA genes and 65 tRNA genes. Approximately 3,100 of the protein-coding transcripts were categorized as low-abundance transcripts. For further analysis, we selected those transcripts of known and putative protein-coding genes whose levels changed by ≥2-fold between the two S. coelicolor strains and organized those transcripts into 16 functional categories. We refined our analysis by performing RNA immunoprecipitation of the mRNA preparation from JSE1880 using a mutant RNase III protein that binds to transcripts but does not cleave them. This analysis identified ca. 800 transcripts that were enriched in the RNA immunoprecipitates, including 28 transcripts whose levels also changed by ≥2-fold in the RNA-Seq analysis. We compare our results with those obtained by microarray analysis of the S. coelicolor transcriptome and with studies describing the characterization of small noncoding RNAs. We have also used the RNA immunoprecipitation results to identify new substrates for RNase III cleavage.
The Choice of a Vertical Grid for a 2.5D Numerical Model of the Middle Atmosphere

Abstract The consequences of choosing an unstaggered grid (UG), Charney-Phillips-type grid (CPG), or Lorenz-type grid (LG) in the vertical for a 2.5D model are examined. Analytical solutions for the linearized and scaled eddy equations in spherical coordinates are compared to solutions obtained by finite-difference methods. Waves with vertical structure greater than six gridpoint intervals are reliably reproduced by the model using any of these three grids. Waves with vertical structure between four and six gridpoint intervals appear in the model with shorter vertical wavelengths using the UG and CPG, and with longer vertical wavelengths using the LG. Waves with vertical structure less than four gridpoint intervals will be evanescent using the UG and CPG. Waves with vertical structure less than four gridpoint intervals will be propagated vertically using the LG; however, waves unresolved by the LG will spuriously appear and will be vertically propagated with an apparent vertical wavelength of three gridpo...
Reconstructing a Nonlinear Dynamical Framework for Testing Quantum Mechanics

Abstract The nonlinear generalization of quantum dynamics constructed by Weinberg as a basis for experimental tests is reconstructed in terms of density-matrix elements, as suggested by Polchinski, to allow independent dynamics for subsystems. Dynamics is generated with a Lie bracket and a nonlinear Hamiltonian function. It takes density matrices to density matrices and pure states to pure states. Each density matrix has a Hamiltonian operator that makes its evolution for an infinitesimal time the same as in ordinary quantum mechanics, but the Hamiltonian operator may be different for different density matrices and may change in time as the density matrix changes. A Hamiltonian function for a subsystem serves also for the entire system. Independence of separate subsystems is confirmed both by seeing that brackets are zero for functions from different subsystems and by looking at the 1-Hamiltonian operator for each density matrix. Scaling properties of Hamiltonian functions are found to be of little consequence by themselves but important in connection with locality. An example of all this, including subsystem independence, is obtained from every one of the local nonlinear Schrodinger equations described by Bialynicki-Birula and Mycielski; the logarithmic nonlinearity they favor is distinguished by a scaling property. Examples are worked out for spins coupled together or to fields, demonstrating Hamiltonian functions and equations of motion written directly in terms of physical mean values. Observables and states are taken to he the same as in ordinary quantum mechanics. An attempt to find nonlinear representations of observables by characterizing propositions as functions equal to their squares yields a negative result: for two-by-two matrices, no nontrivial propositions are found to be significantly different from those of ordinary quantum mechanics. Sharper interpretation of mixed states is proposed. In a mixture of parts that are prepared separately, time dependence has to be calculated separately for each part. Then different mixtures that yield the same density matrix can be distinguished. It is argued that no criticism has shown that a consistent interpretation can not be made this way. Nonlinearity remains a viable hypothesis for experimental tests.
Insights into the Molecular Determinants of Proton Inhibition in an Acid-Inactivated Degenerins and Mammalian Epithelial Na+ Channel

Mammalian ASIC channels of the DEG/ENaC superfamily are gated by extracellular protons and function to mediate touch and pain sensitivity, learning and memory, and fear conditioning. The recently solved crystal structure of chicken ASIC1a and preliminary functional studies suggested that a highly negatively charged pocket in the extracellular domain of the channel might be the primary proton binding domain. However, more recent extensive mutagenesis analysis paints a more complex mechanism of channel gating, involving binding of protons at sites immediately after the first transmembrane domain (TM1) and displacement of inhibitory Ca(2+) ions from the acidic pocket in the extracellular domain and from another Ca(2+) binding site at the mouth of the pore. We recently identified and functionally characterized Caenorhabditis elegans ACD-1, the first acid-inactivated DEG/ENaC channel. ACD-1 is expressed in C. elegans amphid glia and functions with neuronal DEG/ENaC channel DEG-1 to mediate acid avoidance and chemotaxis to the amino acid lysine. The post-TM1 residues that were proposed to bind protons in ASIC1a are not conserved in ACD-1, but some of the amino acids constituting the acidic pocket are. However, ACD-1 proton sensitivity is completely independent from extracellular Ca(2+), and protons appear to bind the channel in a less cooperative manner. We thus wondered if residues in the acidic pocket might contribute to ACD-1 acid sensitivity. We show here that while ACD-1 sensitivity to extracellular protons is influenced by mutations in the acidic pocket, other sites are likely to participate. We also report that one histidine at the base of the thumb and residues in the channel pore influence proton inhibition in a voltage-independent manner, suggesting that they affect the coupling of proton binding with the gating rather than proton binding itself. We conclude that ACD-1 inhibition by protons is likely mediated by binding of proton ions to multiple sites throughout the extracellular domain of the channel. Our data also support a model in which residues in the acidic pocket contribute to determining the channel state perhaps by changing the strength of the interaction between adjacent thumb and finger domains.
Depressive Symptoms and Health Among Cardiovascular Disease Patients in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs1

This study examined relations between depressive symptoms and health outcomes among 79 patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Results showed cross-sectional negative associations between depressive symptoms and cardiac symptom appraisals at the beginning (Time 1) and end (Time 2) of rehabilitation. No longitudinal effects of depressive symptoms on cardiovascular functioning were found. Results also showed that improvements in depressive symptoms from Time 1 to Time 2 were related to improvements in cardiac symptom appraisals from Time 1 to Time 2. These results support the deleterious effects of depression on cardiovascular functioning. Findings such as these may help to understand the processes by which proximal health outcomes are affected by cardiac rehabilitation, thereby elucidating mechanisms linking depression to long-term cardiovascular health.
Inhibitory projections from the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body in the mouse.

Neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) receive prominent excitatory input through the calyx of Held, a giant synapse that produces large and fast excitatory currents. MNTB neurons also receive inhibitory glycinergic inputs that are also large and fast, and match the calyceal excitation in terms of synaptic strength. GABAergic inputs provide additional inhibition to MNTB neurons. Inhibitory inputs to MNTB modify spiking of MNTB neurons both in-vitro and in-vivo, underscoring their importance. Surprisingly, the origin of the inhibitory inputs to MNTB has not been shown conclusively. We performed retrograde tracing, anterograde tracing, immunohistochemical experiments, and electrophysiological recordings to address this question. The results support the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (VNTB) as at least one major source of glycinergic input to MNTB. VNTB fibers enter the ipsilateral MNTB, travel along MNTB principal neurons and produce several bouton-like presynaptic terminals. Further, the GABAergic component of the inhibitory input undergoes a developmental decrease in amplitude that is matched in time by a reduction in expression of a GABA synthetic enzyme in VNTB principal neurons.
The Generalized Composite Commodity Theorem: Stronger Support in the Presence of Data Limitations

Because of common data limitations, the existing testing framework for the generalized composite commodity theorem (Lewbel, 1996) is incomplete. This note clarifies and strengthens the testing procedure by implementing modified Bonferroni procedures. The conditions are established for consistency between the existing and modified Bonferroni tests. In an empirical application, the Bonferroni tests provide more powerful support for the generalized composite commodity theorem than is obtained from the existing test.
The effect of changes in posture and clothing on the development of unfamiliar person recognition

In contrast to face recognition little is known about the development of unfamiliar whole-person recognition. Various cues in a person's appearance may contribute to recognition performance. An age-related influence of different features on person recognition performance is possible. Here, we investigated two variable features of person recognition, namely posture and clothing, in 4-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds and adults. The experimental methodology of a short-term recognition-test with an immediate four alternative forced choice (4AFC)-array was used. Targets were shown for 5 seconds. Experiment 1 clearly indicates that a variation of both posture and clothing decreases performance in all age groups compared to a standard, i.e. a no-change condition. An interaction age×variation of posture and clothing was not observed. In order to untangle the two aspects of posture and clothing, Experiment 2 varied only posture between encoding and recognition. An age-effect was shown, but no other significant result occurred. Experiment 3 investigated variation of clothing only, and found main effects of clothing and age. Because there was no interaction between the two factors we infer that a change of clothing impairs all subjects' recognition performance. Children's person recognition performance suffers in a way similar to adults' person recognition performance when clothing is varied. In contrast, changing posture does not necessarily decrease recognition accuracy, neither in children nor in adults. No developmental gains were found for dealing with the transformation of posture and clothing between the encoding and recognition phase. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A class of complete integrals of plane eikonal equations

Abstract A class of complete integrals of the plane eikonal equation | grad u| 2 = f(x,y) for harmonic u(x,y) is determined by using complex variables. The case in which z = 0 is a singular point of the analytic function whose real part is log f is also treated. Illustrative examples are given.
Insights on food safety evaluation: a synopsis.

Abstract The Life Sciences Research Office's Select Committee on GRAS Substances has completed a report entitled, “Insights on Food Safety Evaluation.” The report, in conjunction with an earlier report of the Select Committee, reflects the opinions and experiences garnered from a decade of evaluating the health aspects of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substances. This second report identifies and discusses the principal components of the evaluation process and offers a perception of the issues that are critical for effectively evaluating the safety of foods and other ingested substances. Specific suggestions stemming directly from the Select Committee's experience in the GRAS review are made for improvements in the safety evaluation of food ingredients. Suggestions include phaseout of the GRAS list, modification of the Delaney Clause, utilization of appropriate human testing in protocols for evaluating candidate food additives, development of improved animal tests for behavioral effects of food ingredients, and improvement in procedures for detection of hypersensitivity to food ingredients. General priorities for study of the contribution of food and food ingredients to major causes of mortality and morbidity are also discussed.
Celebrating the Power of Science

Have you ever stopped to think about what AGU's more than 62,000 members represent? With a crowd that large, there's bound to be some variety, right?
In vitro adsorption-desorption of famotidine on microcrystalline cellulose

Abstract The adsorption of famotidine onto microcrystalline cellulose PH-101 (MCC) was studied in buffered systems and in water/alcohol mixtures. Aqueous and alcohol systems were fitted using the Freundlich and Langmuir equations, respectively. In buffered systems where ion-pairing appeared to be the predominant mechanism of interaction, adsorption can be minimized by either increasing the ionic strength or decreasing the pH. In the hydroalcoholic mixtures, the non-electrostatic interactions (such as hydrogen bonding) are dominant and famotidine adsorption is markedly decreased. Adsorption also decreases with increasing alcohol content. The free energies of adsorption were calculated in the case of alcohol/water mixtures in the range of temperature investigated (15–45°C). They showed that the adsorption process is exothermic. Finally, it was shown that the adsorbed famotidine molecules were completely desorbed at pH 2.
Bytecode fault injection for Java software

Developers using third party software components need to test them to satisfy quality requirements. In the past, researchers have proposed fault injection testing approaches in which the component state is perturbed and the resulting effects on the rest of the system are observed. Non-availability of source code in third-party components makes it harder to perform source code level fault injection. Even if Java decompilers are used, they do not work well with obfuscated bytecode. We propose a technique that injects faults in Java software by manipulating the bytecode. Existing test suites are assessed according to their ability to detect the injected faults and improved accordingly. We present a case study using an open source Java component that demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of our approach. We also evaluate the usability of our approach on obfuscated bytecode.
The National Coordinated Cataloging Program from the Participant's Perspective

This paper describes the experiences of one of the initial participants in the National Coordinated Cataloging Program. It includes some brief background about the program, its objectives, a description of the responsibilities of the participants and the Library of Congress, its implementation, a review of the progress of the program as well as of its successes and areas of difficulty. The paper concludes with recommendations for future cooperative cataloging programs.
An empirical characterization of the accuracy of software process elicitation

Process models are often the basis for demonstrating compliance and recommending improvement in software engineering organizations. A descriptive model is a type of process model describing the human activities in software development that actually occur. The purpose of a descriptive model is to provide a baseline for further process improvement and analysis. Ideally, a descriptive model provides an explicit representation. However, if the descriptive model does not represent how a process is actually performed, subsequent recommendations for improvement may be based upon information that is depicted in the model but that does not actually take place. Similarly, a descriptive model may omit important information that is centrally relevant for an organization's process improvement goals. The accuracy of software process elicitation is an important measure and is the degree a descriptive model reflects an actual process in the real world. This study, informed by a synthesis of arguments from related literature, characterizes the accuracy of software process elicitation as the perception of error for a descriptive model. We collected data from 48 users in professional training settings using a between subjects design. The results suggest that users in the treatment group perceived significantly higher error.
Free Energy Calculations of Sparsomycin Analogs Binding to the Ribosome with Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The accurate calculation of absolute binding free energy is one of the holy grails of computer-aided drug design. The emerging successes reported in computing the binding free energy of small ligands to proteins using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicated that such physics-based approaches hold the promise of expediting the rational drug discovery process. Among numerous receptor-ligand systems, ribosome-antibiotic binding provides an important paradigm for studying the molecular recognition of RNAs by small molecules. The interactions of the 50S bacteria ribosomal subunit with antibiotic sparsomycin and its derivatives have been studied through the calculation of the binding free energy and the characterization of conformational dynamics. The standard binding free energies of the complexes were calculated using free energy perturbation (FEP) method. Restraining potentials affecting the orientational, translational and conformational freedom of the ligand and receptor were applied and then removed during the simulations to enhance the sampling and the convergence. The loss of ligand conformational entropy upon binding was estimated with Umbrella Sampling method by calculating the Potential of Mean Force as a function of the RMSD relative to the reference conformation of the ligand. Due to the large size of the ribosome, the Generalized Solvent Boundary Potential method was used to reduce the computational cost of MD/FEP calculations. For a deeply buried binding pocket in the ribosome, the fluctuation of solvent occupancy during the alchemical free energy calculation was also characterized by combining the MD with Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulation. This computational study further revealed the mechanism of ribosome-antibiotics interactions and shed light on the design of ribosomal drugs. With the above stated developments, the evaluation of the binding free energies has become computationally more appealing for large systems.
DIDS Prevents Ischemic Membrane Degradation in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons by Inhibiting Matrix Metalloproteinase Release

During stroke, cells in the infarct core exhibit rapid failure of their permeability barriers, which releases ions and inflammatory molecules that are deleterious to nearby tissue (the penumbra). Plasma membrane degradation is key to penumbral spread and is mediated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are released via vesicular exocytosis into the extracellular fluid in response to stress. DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid) preserves membrane integrity in neurons challenged with an in vitro ischemic penumbral mimic (ischemic solution: IS) and we asked whether this action was mediated via inhibition of MMP activity. In cultured murine hippocampal neurons challenged with IS, intracellular proMMP-2 and -9 expression increased 4-10 fold and extracellular latent and active MMP isoform expression increased 2-22 fold. MMP-mediated extracellular gelatinolytic activity increased ∼20-50 fold, causing detachment of 32.1±4.5% of cells from the matrix and extensive plasma membrane degradation (>60% of cells took up vital dyes and >60% of plasma membranes were fragmented or blebbed). DIDS abolished cellular detachment and membrane degradation in neurons and the pathology-induced extracellular expression of latent and active MMPs. DIDS similarly inhibited extracellular MMP expression and cellular detachment induced by the pro-apoptotic agent staurosporine or the general proteinase agonist 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA). Conversely, DIDS-treatment did not impair stress-induced intracellular proMMP production, nor the intracellular cleavage of proMMP-2 to the active form, suggesting DIDS interferes with the vesicular extrusion of MMPs rather than directly inhibiting proteinase expression or activation. In support of this hypothesis, an antagonist of the V-type vesicular ATPase also inhibited extracellular MMP expression to a similar degree as DIDS. In addition, in a proteinase-independent model of vesicular exocytosis, DIDS prevented stimulus-evoked release of von Willebrand Factor from human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We conclude that DIDS inhibits MMP exocytosis and through this mechanism preserves neuronal membrane integrity during pathological stress.
Anticoagulation strategies for the management of postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Patients undergoing thoracic and cardiac procedures are at the highest risk for postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). POAF is associated with poor short-term and long-term outcomes, including high rates of early and late stroke, and late mortality. Patients with POAF that persists for longer than 48 hours should be anticoagulated on warfarin. Three new oral anticoagulants are available for the treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and have been found to be as efficacious or superior to warfarin in the prevention of stroke in high-risk patients, with similar to lower rates of major bleeding, and lower rates of intracranial hemorrhage.
Identifying, recruiting, and retaining seriously-ill patients and their caregivers in longitudinal research:

Background: In order to improve the state of science in palliative care, we must increase our ability to document the real-time experience of patients and families as they traverse the end of life. Yet, frequently, prospective measurement is impeded by difficulty with patient identification, recruitment, enrollment, and retention. The palliative care literature is replete with descriptions of studies unable to meet enrollment goals, and that as a result, do not have adequate power to test hypotheses or draw conclusions.Objectives: To review the literature describing difficulties associated with ascertainment, enrollment, and attrition. To outline the successful recruitment methods of a new longitudinal study of patients and their caregivers.Design: A two-year longitudinal study of 240 patients with Stage IV cancer (breast, prostate, colorectal, lung), advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) LVEFB 46, and their caregivers, interviewed mon...
Trypsin Inhibition by Tapeworms: Antienzyme Secretion or pH Adjustment?

The tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta releases proteins that inhibit trypsin activity. These proteins may be either antienzymes or nonspecific macromolecules that interfere with trypsin. Saline solutions with initial pH values ranging from 5.5 to 10.0 were all acidified to pH 5.0 by tapeworms. If the initial pH was lower than 5.0, it was raised. Because trypsin activity is inhibited at pH 5.0, this intestinal parasite can protect itself from digestion by regulating its environmental pH or releasing trypsin inhibitors, or both.
Providing automated external defibrillators to urban police officers in addition to a fire department rapid defibrillation program is not effective.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if providing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to urban police officers would increase the proportion of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOH-CA) who were discharged alive from the hospital. Methods: This prospective, controlled study was conducted in a city with about 332,000 persons. The EMS system included paramedic ambulances and fire department based first responders equipped with defibrillators, but police officers did not respond routinely to medical emergencies. Between March 1997 and February 1999, all OOH-CAs in four police districts were identified and followed until death or hospital discharge. All 35 police cars in one police district were provided with AEDs, and all police officers in that district were trained in CPR and the use of AEDs. Police and fire first response units were dispatched simultaneously in district 3 (intervention group). Fire first response was dispatched without police in districts 2, 4, and 5 (control group). Results: A total of 645 OOH-CAs occurred over the 2 years. Sixty-two were outside of the study area. Two did not have accurate address information to determine the police district. Of the remaining cases, 154 (27%) occurred in the intervention district and 427 (73%) were in the control area. Survival to hospital discharge was similar; it was 11/154 (7.1%) in the intervention and 16/427 (3.8%) in the control districts (odds ratio = 1.98; 95% CI 0.90–4.36). Survival to hospital discharge for witnessed OOH-CA events occurring prior to EMS arrival and found to be in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia was 4/27 (15%) in the intervention area and 9/73 (12%) in the control area (odds ratio = 1.2; 95% CI 0.4–4.4). Conclusion: Equipping police cars with AEDs in an urban area where the fire department-based first response system also carries defibrillators did not improve the hospital discharge survival rate for victims of OOH-CA.