cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TOPEX/Poseidon Precision Orbit Determination Using Combined GPS, SLR, and DORIS

TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) is a joint spaceborne oceanographic mission of U.S. NASA and France CNES design launched August 10, 1992. The satellite has a variety tracking systems for both operational and precision orbit determination. Three precise tracking systems: Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS) provide high quality measurements essential for reconstructing the T/P orbital height with centimeter precision. This paper presents results of simultaneously processing all three data types to exploit the inherent strength of each in a combined solution. SLR and DORIS are routinely combined to provide orbit solutions for the T/P science team. GPS orbit solutions are produced as part of the first demonstration flight of a high quality spaceborne GPS receiver. Coordinate frame and software system differences between the combined SLR/DORIS orbits and the GPS orbits induce orbital height differences of 2 to 3 centimeters. Combining the three data types within a single software system permits removal of software system differences while obtaining coordinate frame calibration information. These calibrations will aid future spaceborne GPS missions that are not complemented with SLR and/or DORIS.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms/haplotypes associated with multiple rubella-specific immune response outcomes post-MMR immunization in healthy children

The observed heterogeneity in rubella-specific immune response phenotypes post-MMR vaccination is thought to be explained, in part, by inter-individual genetic variation. In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and multiple haplotypes in several candidate genes were analyzed for associations with more than one rubella-specific immune response outcome, including secreted IFN-γ, secreted IL-6, and neutralizing antibody titers. Overall, we identified 23 SNPs in 10 different genes that were significantly associated with at least two rubella-specific immune responses. Of these SNPs, we detected eight in the PVRL3 gene, five in the PVRL1 gene, one in the TRIM22 gene, two in the IL10RB gene, two in the TLR4 gene, and five in other genes (PVR, ADAR, ZFP57, MX1, and BTN2A1/BTN3A3). The PVRL3 gene haplotype GACGGGGGCAGCAAAAAGAAGAGGAAAGAACAA was significantly associated with both higher IFN-γ secretion (t-statistic 4.43, p < 0.0001) and higher neutralizing antibody titers (t-statistic 3.14, p = 0.002). Our results suggest that there is evidence of multigenic associations among identified gene SNPs and that polymorphisms in these candidate genes contribute to the overall observed differences between individuals in response to live rubella virus vaccine. These results will aid our understanding of mechanisms behind rubella-specific immune response to MMR vaccine and influence the development of vaccines in the future.
Topdressing and aerification programs on creeping bentgrass fairways

The proper timing of topdressing and aerification for creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) fairways and the effect that these two cultural practices have on soil physical properties have not been fully assessed. The first objective of this study was to determine the optimum timing of topdressing and aerification for golf course fairways. The second objective was to determine if varying schedules of topdressing and aerification influence the extent to which soil physical properties change following freeze-thaw cycles. The two year field study was conducted at Ames, IA, and Fargo, ND on established creeping bentgrass maintained at fairway mowing height. The study included three topdressing treatments: a control, with no topdressing; 3.2 mm topdressing in the fall; and 3.2 mm topdressing in the spring plus 3.2 mm in the fall. Six aerification treatments including a control, spring one pass, fall one pass, spring two passes, fall two passes, and spring one pass plus fall one pass were also evaluated. Soil bulk density decreased during both over winter 1 M.T. Klingenberg, N.E. Christians, C.J. Blume, Dep. of Horticulture, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011; D. Li, Dep. of Plant Sci., North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND 58105 *Corresponding author (nchris@iastate.edu). 12 periods at both locations from 4 to 6%, however, topdressing and aerification treatments did not consistently influence over-winter soil bulk density change. Topdressing and aerification increased turf quality at North Dakota but not Iowa. Soil in plots aerified in the fall had 4% lower soil strength than those aerified in the spring at both sites. Soil in aerified plots had a 48% increase in water infiltration as compared to the control at North Dakota but no increase was observed at Iowa.
Understanding CVA, DVA, and FVA: Examples of Interest Rate Swap Valuation

Financial statements of major money-center commercial banks increasingly include reference to a credit valuation adjustment (CVA), debit (or debt) valuation adjustment (DVA), and funding valuation adjustment (FVA). This article explains the concepts behind CVA, DVA, and FVA using examples of interest rate swap valuation. A binomial forward rate tree model is used to get the value of the swap assuming no default. The CVA (the credit risk of the counterparty) and the DVA (the credit risk of the entity itself) depend on assumptions about the probability of default, the recovery rate and the expected exposure, which depends of projected values and settlement payments for the swap. The FVA arises when an uncollateralized swap is hedged with a collateralized or centrally cleared contract. In this version of the paper, two methods to calculate FVA are shown, both using the same assumptions about the credit risk parameters for the bank.
Public Education Under New Management: A Typology of Educational Privatization Applied to New York City's Restructuring

Educational privatization is rapidly expanding in many urban school districts, altering the social, political, and economic dynamics of educational policy and leadership. Yet many adherents cast privatization primarily as a fiscal or economic alternative to traditional public school management, ignoring these broader alterations. Drawing from a review of the educational privatization literature, as well as an analysis of current privatization reforms, this article offers an original typology of educational privatization and applies the typology to the reforms underway in New York City. It concludes with a discussion of the implications of this typology and privatization reforms for educational leadership practice and policy.
Simultaneous interaction of monoclonal antibody-targeted liposomes with two receptors on K562 cells

We have investigated the interaction of targeted liposomes with human erythrocytes, and K562 cells, a human leukemic line which expresses both glycophorin A and Fc receptors. Liposomes conjugated to monoclonal anti-human glycophorin A bind to human erythrocytes in 80-fold greater amounts than liposomes conjugated to a non-specific monoclonal antibody. Binding is inhibited by soluble anti-glycophorin but not by its Fab fragment. In contrast, binding of antibody-conjugated liposomes to K562 cells is very high irrespective of the specificity of the antibody. Liposomes conjugated to a nonspecific monoclonal antibody interact with K562 cells via an Fc receptor, and binding is inhibited by soluble human IgG. Liposomes conjugated to anti-human glycophorin A interact with K562 cells via an Fc receptor and glycophorin A. Binding is not inhibited by either human IgG or anti-glycophorin Fab alone. Binding is only partially inhibited by anti-glycophorin, or by human IgG in the presence of anti-glycophorin Fab, and completely inhibited only by human IgG in the presence of anti-glycophorin. Simultaneous binding of targeted liposomes to two cell membrane antigens is therefore partially resistant to inhibition by single soluble ligands even when they are present in large excess. We conclude that simultaneous binding to more than one receptor may be of considerable advantage for in vivo applications of targeted liposomes.
Stability of rat lung and liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 enzyme activities to storage: purified microsomal fraction, postmitochondrial fraction, and whole tissue.

The ability to maintain cytochrome P‐450 enzyme levels in stored tissue samples is necessary in order to properly utilize this enzyme system in toxicological and environmental health studies. The stability of enzyme activities associated with microsomal cytochrome P‐450 was investigated to determine the best way to handle large numbers of samples and postmortem or biopsy lung and liver tissue. Long‐term storage in cold buffer resulted in diminished activities in purified microsomes and whole tissue. Benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase and 7‐ethoxycoumarin deethylase, however, were stable when the purified microsomal fraction, postmitochondrial fraction, or whole tissue was stored at —80°C, but care should be exercised in the freezing and thawing procedures.
A new site of bicarbonate effect in photosystem II of photosynthesis: evidence from chlorophyll fluorescence transients in spinach chloroplasts.

Abstract Recent studies on oxygen evolution of corn chloroplast fragments in flashing light [Stemler, A., Babcock, G.T. and Govindjee (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 71, 4679–4683] have shown that the absence of bicarbonate ions increases the turnover time of the Photosystem II reaction center. The rate limiting steps in Photosystem II turnover can be interpreted in terms of reactions either on the oxidizing (electron donor) or reducing (electron acceptor) side of the reaction center. Experiments are reported here that suggest at least one site of bicarbonate action on the reducing side. In Triswashed spinach chloroplasts (incapable of O2 evolution), the chlorophyll a fluorescence transient in the presence of various artificial electron donors (hydroquinone, diphenylcarbazide, MnCl2 and NH2OH) and in the absence of bicarbonate ions shows a rapid initial rise; the addition of 10 mM NaHCO3 restores the transient to one characteristic of normal chloroplasts. Furthermore, the transients measured as a function of decreasing bicarbonate concentrations are qualitatively similar to those observed with increasing concentrations of 3-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethyl urea which imposes a block on the reducing side, rather than to transients observed with increasing concentrations of NH2OH or prolonged heat treatments, which impose a block on the oxidizing side.
Life Change and the Postoperative Course of Duodenal Ulcer Patients

Abstract This study of the natural history of peptic ulcer disease reports on the association of medical and surgical data with life change data generated by the Schedule of Recent Experience (SRE). Surgery tended to follow increasing life change and symptomatic complaints, and intractable pain as the primary indication for operation portended a less favorable surgical result. Distribution of postoperative illness within the population was not random, but rather tended to be confined to a susceptible segment of the population in which the more symptomatic patients were inclined to have both gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal symptoms. There was no association between type of operation (hemigastrectomy vs. drainage procedure) and post-operative clinical course with respect to gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal symptoms. Postoperative magnitude of life change was associated with a preponderance of postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms. An unstable and/or decreasing trend in the patient's estim...
A refined model for beams on elastic foundations

Abstract The concept of a beam or slab on an elastic foundation has been one of the convenient tools for obtaining solutions to several geotechnical engineering problems. While it is easy to establish quite accurately the stiffness characteristics of the beam or the slab, the parameters which govern the behavior of the subsoil or the elastic foundation are indeed hard to model. This difficulty remains true even if one assumes that the soil has linear, isotropic, and homogeneous properties. Using the Vlasov model. Vallabhan and Das (1988, J. Engng Mech. Div., ASCE 114 (2). 2072–2082) have developed an effective iterative technique to solve the beam-on-elastic-foundation problem where the soil is assumed to have a uniform depth with a rigid base at the bottom. Geotechnical engineers usually encounter subsoil of finite depth, and normally the elastic properties are considered to remain constant or vary linearly with depth. In this paper, the authors have extended their model to incorporate numerically this physical characteristic of the soil. Even though the derivations may look laborious, the numerical model is quite simple and can be programmed on a desktop computer.
Classification of skin alkaloids from neotropical poison-dart frogs (Dendrobatidae).

Abstract Dendrobatid frogs have evolved an imposing number of unique alkaloids, apparently as a chemical defense against predation. Toxic skin extracts from a majority (18) of the approximately two dozen species of Dendrobates (sensu lato) were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Ninety alkaloids were detected and characterized, with structures being presented for many. The species of Dendrobates elaborate at least 5 classes of biosynthetically related alkaloids, namely the pumiliotoxin-C class (decahydroquinolines), the hydroxypumiliotoxin-C class, the histrionicotoxin class (1-azaspiro [5.5]undecanes), the gephyrotoxin class (perhydropyrrolopiperidines and perhydropyrroloquinolines) and the pumiliotoxin-A class (of as yet unknown structure). A sixth class, the batrachotoxins, is a series of highly toxic, steroidal alkaloids that are produced only by species of Phyllobates (sensu stricto). A wide range of biological activity of the dendrobatid alkaloids is indicated by injection of unresolved alkaloid fractions into white mice: extracts from different species of Dendrobates produce reactions as diverse as Straub tail, penile erection, prostration, convulsions and salivation.
STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF IMMUNITY IN TUBERCULOSIS : THE MOBILIZATION OF MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTES IN NORMAL AND IMMUNIZED ANIMALS AND THEIR RELATIVE CAPACITIES FOR DIVISION AND PHAGOCYTOSIS.

1. Tuberculous and vaccinated rabbits and guinea pigs mobilize mononuclear phagocytes at the site of a non-specific inflammation with greater rapidity than do normal animals, just as they respond to tubercle bacilli. 2. The succession of cells that characterizes inflammation in general is accelerated in allergic rabbits and guinea pigs in response to non specific irritants. 3. The pH at the site of reinfection with tubercie bacffli in immun ized rabbits and guinea pigs and at the site of a non-specific inflammation in the latter is slightly lower than in a similar site in a normal animal. 4. No constant relation was found between the mobifization of mononuclears and the hydrogen ion concentration at the site of inflammation. 5. The rate of mitotic and amitotic division of mononuclears in allergic rabbits and guinea pigs in response to non-specific irritants is greater than in normal animals. 6. Mononuclears derived from actively tuberculous or vaccinated guinea pigs exhibit greater in vitro phagocytic capacity for carbon particles than mononuclears obtained from normal animals. 7. Mononuclears of tuberculous rabbits ingest more staphylococci than the phagocytes of the same type originating from normal animals. 8. Mononuclears originating from actively tuberculous rabbits and guinea pigs exhibit greater in vitro phagocytic capacity for tuberde bacilli than mononuclears obtained from normal animals. 9. The enhancement of the phagocytic capacity for tubercie bacilli afforded mononuclears by vaccination with a bacillus of low virulence is lower, and of questionable significance. 10. The increased phagocytic activity of mononuclears derived from tuberculous or vaccinated rabbits and guinea pigs for tubercie bacilli and for non-specific particulate matter occurs in media containing sera derived from normal and from tuberculous individuals. 11. The more rapid mobilization of mononuclears by immunized animals in response to specific as well as non-specific irritants is associated with their increased physiological activity. The significance of this enhanced activity conferred by the tuberculous process on the mesenchyme cells is discussed in relation to the mechanism of immunity to tuberculosis and other phenomena.
Real-Time Doppler-Based Arterial Vascular Impedance and Peripheral Pressure-Flow Loops: A Pilot Study

Objective Arterial pressure-flow loops and vascular impedance provide additional data that could be used to assess the hemodynamic effects of therapeutic interventions in anesthetized patients. To evaluate the utility of such an approach, the authors sought to design a device that combines flow waveforms from an esophageal Doppler probe and pressure waveforms from a peripheral artery to produce real-time pressure-flow loops and estimates of arterial vascular impedance. Design Prospective, cohort study. Setting Single center, university-based teaching hospital. Participants Patients undergoing surgery in whom the attending anesthesiologist had opted to place an esophageal Doppler probe and a peripheral arterial catheter for hemodynamic monitoring. Interventions This was a non-interventional study designed to record pressure-flow loops and arterial vascular impedance intraoperatively using a novel, noninvasive device. Measurements and Main Results Pressure-flow loops and arterial vascular impedance were measured noninvasively using radial artery pressure and descending thoracic aorta flow waveforms in real time. Conclusions Real-time arterial vascular impedance and peripheral pressure-volume loops can be determined using available monitoring devices. Technical feasibility of this technology in patients is a crucial first step to permit meaningful evaluation of the clinical value of this approach for accurate determination of complex hemodynamic indices and, eventually, improvement of outcomes.
Mourning the loss of Prof. Franco Cerrina

This PDF file contains the editorial “Editorial: Mourning the loss of Prof. Franco Cerrina” for JM3 Vol. 9 Issue 03
Quantification of microarchitectural anisotropy in bone with diffraction enhanced imaging

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) can quantify anisotropy in bone microarchitecture. Background: Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone. A noninvasive tool for measuring the degree of anisotropy (DA) in bone microarchitecture will help clinicians better assess fracture risk in osteoporotic patients. DEI detects small angular deflections in an x-ray beam, and is only sensitive to angular changes in one plane. If the beam is refracted by multiple anisotropic microstructures (e.g. osteocyte lacunae and pores) in bone, the angular spreading can be measured with DEI and differences in the amount of spreading for different bone orientations is indicative of the DA in bone microarchitecture. Method: An x-ray-tube based DEI system was used to collect an array of DEI reflectivity profiles measured through bovine cortical bone samples with the bones oriented with the bone axis in the plane perpendicular to the propagation of the x-ray beam. Micro-CT images of the bones were obtained using a Scanco uCT40 ex vivo scanner, and the DA of the pore structure was quantified using BoneJ. Results: The maximum and minimum measured reflectivity profile widths through bone varied by a factor of two; this suggests that the microarchitecture is preferentially aligned with the bone axis in a 2-to-1 ratio. The DA for the cortical pores was 0.6, which agrees with DEI’s anisotropy measure. Conclusions: The preliminary findings of this study suggest that DEI is sensitive to anisotropy in bone microarchitecture.
Emerging clinical principles on the use of bevacizumab for the treatment of malignant gliomas

Despite advances in adjuvant therapy, the prognosis for most patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) is poor, and almost all HGGs have a likelihood of disease recurrence. HGGs are highly vascularized tumors with elevated expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an important mediator of angiogenesis. A compelling biologic rationale, a pressing need for improved therapeutics and positive results from studies of bevacizumab in other tumor types, led to the evaluation of bevacizumab in the treatment of HGG. It was demonstrated previously that bevacizumab, which is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets VEGF, improved outcomes when combined with chemotherapy (most commonly irinotecan) in patients with recurrent HGG; and, on the basis of an improved objective response rate in 2 prospective phase 2 studies, bevacizumab was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration as a single agent in patients with previously treated glioblastoma (GB). Bevacizumab-containing therapy has been associated with manageable, class-specific toxicity; however, severe treatment-related adverse events are observed in a minority of patients. Preliminary data on bevacizumab-based therapy in recurrent anaplastic gliomas, in the frontline treatment of GB, and in additional patient populations are also encouraging. With the goal of addressing unanswered questions regarding the optimal use of bevacizumab, the objective of the current review was to provide a summary of the clinical efficacy and safety data on bevacizumab in patients with HGG, the practical issues surrounding the administration of bevacizumab, and ongoing investigations of bevacizumab in additional brain tumor treatment settings.
Drop coalescence in liquid‐liquid fluidized beds

A drop size segregation technique leads to a direct measurement of the interdrop coalescence frequencies of equisized droplet swarms in liquid-liquid fluidized beds. Mass transfer between the phases and the use of a tracer dye are avoided. The study includes the effects of highly viscous continuous as well as dispersed phases. Binary liquid solutions of ethylene glycol and distilled water provided aqueous phases of increasing viscosity, and toluene was the second liquid phase. Twenty two liquid-liquid systems including other dispersed liquids, namely, benzene, ethyl acetate, cyclohexane, and carbon tetrachloride, were studied by this technique. In the case of toluene continuous, the drops of water dispersed in toluene were large in size, and they coalesced at unusually high rates up to about 100 times faster than those of toluene dispersed in water. Similarly, anhydrous ethylene glycol dispersed in toluene showed somewhat high coalescence frequencies. All the data excluding these two anomalous systems were analyzed by a stepwise regression technique to yield the best fitting correlation in terms of the most significant dimensionless ratios. For the present, the proposed empirical correlation for the dimensionless parameter [ω D × 105/Vs] containing the coalescence frequency (ω, time−1) as a function of the coalescence number (σ/μcVs) and the viscosity ratio (μd/μc) is as follows: .
An examination of acid sites in H-LTA zeolites

Abstract The Bronsted-acid sites in several high-silica LTA samples were examined using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of alkylamines, as well as n-hexane cracking rates. Three samples were prepared with SiO2/Al2O3 ratios of approximately 6, but with crystallite sizes ranging from 0.5 to 8 to 12 μm. For n-propylamine, it was necessary to adsorb at slightly elevated temperatures, ∼423 K, in order to saturate the samples. TPD–TGA results for both the H and Na forms of LTA suggested that the reaction of n-propylamine to form propene and ammonia above 650 K provides a meaningful measure of the Bronsted-site densities, although this site density is significantly less than the framework Al concentration for H-LTA. Adsorption measurements with iso-propylamine demonstrate that this molecule can enter the cavities and, therefore, cannot be used to determine external site densities. TPD–TGA results suggest that tri-iso-butylamine is a useful probe of external Bronsted-acid sites. Reaction rates for n-hexane cracking, using the α-test, decreased with increasing crystallite size. The implications of these results for the use of LTA as acid catalysts are discussed.
Industrialization and Household and Family Life Course Characteristics: Appalachian Kentucky Young Adults in 1880 and 1910:

Using a life course approach, this analysis examines the effects of industrializa tion on household and family characteristics for the predominately rural population of Appala chian Kentucky in 1880 and 1910. The household and family characteristics of males and females aged 15-19, 20-24 and 25-29 are described, and variation in these characteristics is examined in terms of six contextual variables. While samples from the 1880 and 1910 general populations do not differ, the samples from the 1910 general population and the 1910 coal mine population do differ. Individuals from the industrial 1910 coal mine sample achieve adult household and family statuses at significantly earlier ages. This analysis demonstrates the effects industrialization—separate from urbanization—can have on households and families.
Gα13 Stimulates Rho-dependent Activation of the Cyclooxygenase-2 Promoter

Abstract Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression is rapidly increased by cytokines, tumor promoters, and growth factors and is markedly enhanced in various cancer cells. Here, we examine the regulation of COX-2 promoter activity by α subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins in NIH 3T3 cells. Using a transient transfection assay with a reporter vector in which the murine COX-2 promoter drives the production of luciferase and expression vectors encoding for α subunits of G-proteins, we show that overexpression of wild type and constitutively active Gα13 and Gαqinduced transcription from the COX-2 promoter. The highest level of induced luciferase activity (5.8-fold) occurred in cells expressing the constitutively active Gα13(Q226L). We also show that expression of a constitutively active mutant of Rho (RhoQ63L) also induced transcription from the COX-2 promoter. Co-expression ofClostridium botulinum C3 toxin specifically blocked induction of the COX-2 promoter by either Gα13Q226L or RhoQ63L but did not prevent the activation of this promoter by Ras, Rac, v-src, or forskolin. We conclude that Gα13 signals through a Rho-dependent pathway leading to activation of the COX-2 promoter. This pathway is not inhibited by either cytochalasin D, which disrupts actin filament organization, or genistein, a broad spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, indicating a bifurcation of the signaling pathway used by Gα13/Rho to induce COX-2 expression from that used to induce stress fiber formation and tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion proteins.
Competition Between Anisopteromalus calandrae and Choetospila elegans (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) at Different Parasitoid Densities on Immature Maize Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Corn

Immature maize weevils, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, in corn were exposed to Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) alone, Choetospila elegans Westwood alone, or a combination of both species. Anisopteromalus calandrae was much more efficient at parasitizing immature maize weevils in corn than was C. elegans. The combination of A. calandrae plus C. elegans had similar effects as A. calandrae alone on total maize weevil mortality for equal numbers of parasitoids. Under interspecific competition, the emergence of C. elegans progeny and their sex ratio (percentage female) were significantly reduced in the presence of A. calandrae , but A. calandrae was not affected substantially by C. elegans.
Central amylin signaling and the regulation of energy homeostasis.

Amylin is a 37-amino acid peptide hormone that is co-secreted with insulin by pancreatic B cells in response to food intake. Exogenous amylin potently and dose-dependently reduces feeding in rats and mice, with both central and peripheral sites being effective. Although amylin has been characterized as a satiety signal that regulates short-term food intake (i.e., meal size), recent data indicate that amylin may have long term effects on food intake and body weight. In fact, amylin shares many properties with the established adiposity signals, leptin and insulin. Like leptin and insulin, amylin is not synthesized within the brain, but is rapidly and efficiently transported across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to a variety of discrete brain regions, including the hypothalamus, where populations of amylin binding sites are found. Further, amylin secretion and plasma levels are correlated with the degree of body adiposity, as is the case for leptin and insulin. In the following brief review, a summary of the findings from recent reports is presented supporting the hypothesis that amylin's role in the control of food intake is not limited to that of purely a satiety signal that brings individual bouts of ingestion to an end, but also serves as an adiposity signal acting within the brain to regulate long-term energy homeostasis.
Astrocytes, as well as neurons, express a diversity of ion channels

The electrophysiologist's view of brain astrocytes has changed markedly in recent years. In the past astrocytes were viewed as passive, K+ selective cells, but it is now evident that they are capable of expressing voltage- and ligand-activated channels previously thought to be restricted to neurons. The functional importance of most of these ion channels is not understood at present. However, from studies of astrocytes cultured from different species and brain regions, we learned that like their neuronal counterparts astrocytes are a heterogeneous group of brain cells showing similar heterogeneity in their ion-channel expression. Not only are subpopulations of astrocytes within areas of the brain equipped with specific sets of ion channels but, furthermore, regional heterogeneity is apparent. In addition, astrocyte ion channel expression is dynamic and changes during development. Some ion channels are only expressed postnatally, yet others appear to be expressed only during certain stages of development. ...
Recent Progress on Grayscale Optical Correlator For Automatic Target Recognition

Recent progress on developing a Grayscale Optical Correlator (GOC) is described. The development efforts have been simultaneously focused on the adoption of a composite correlation filter algorithm and the development and integration of high-resolution, high-speed, miniature GOC hardware system. We have selected the Optimum Trade-off Maximum Average Correlation Height (OT-MACH) filter synthesis algorithm due to its great target recognition performance and its suitability for optical implementation in a real-valued Spatial Light Modulator (SLM). We have, to date, participated in the development of the high speed (1000 frames/sec) and high resolution (1024 pixel x 1024 pixel), small form factor (5 micron pixel pitch) Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal SLM. We have also developed a portable 512 x 512 GOC system and used it to various ATR applications such as target detection from surveillance data, sonar mine detection, etc. The status of our GOC hardware system and correlation filter synthesis status will be reported. Potential applications and system issues will also be discussed.
Vibrational spectra and structure of 4-silaspiro(3,3)heptane

Abstract The i.r. and Raman spectra of 4-silaspiro(3,3)heptane have been recorded and analyzed. The data show the molecule to have puckered rings consistent with C2 symmetry. Nonetheless, the data can be analyzed for the most part assuming D2d symmetry for the molecule.
Europeanisation and internationalisation: the case of the Czech Republic

This article explores changes in party competition and coalition-building patterns in the Czech Republic that underpinned its twin transition to democracy and a market economy in the 1990s and early 2000s. It charts the domestic political landscape that underlined the Czech Republic's evolution from a communist state to a modernising political economy under relatively benign global and regional conditions. A key objective is to map the new internal political space that led to the deepening of the Czech Republic's integration into the global economy as well as to explain the ways in which internationalisation has transformed that political space over time. Internationalisation relates to the expansion of global markets, institutions and norms, a process that gradually reduces the purely domestic aspects of politics. Although progressively more aspects of domestic life become responsive to external processes, internationalisation does not necessarily imply global convergence (a term closer to 'globalisation'), at least in the short to medium terms, when domestic responses tend to vary across political sectors, institutions and time. We refer to Europeanisation as a process of domestication of European Union (EU) policy directives, recommendations and standards by states acceding to the EU. Our interest is to evaluate the particular response of the Czech Republic, and the sources of that response. In particular, we seek to: (1) identify changes in patterns of party competition; (2) outline the implications of coalitional patterns for policies and outcomes regarding internationalisation more generally, and Europeanisation in particular; and (3) assess the challenges that Czech leaders face in the changed global political and economic environment of the early twenty-first century.
Starprobe - The mission and system options

The current science, mission and system concepts of a Starprobe mission to the sun are summarized for a launch in the late 1980s, arriving at the sun in the early 1990s. Gravitational, optical, and plasma scientific experiments have been studied for this mission to 4 solar radii. The necessarily high energy trajectories rely on Jupiter gravity assist as a means to send sufficient payloads to the sun. New spacecraft subsystem technologies are required to support the scientific data acquisition and return from 4 solar radii and are summarized here. A set of mission and system options to reduce mission cost were investigated and are discussed.
Lifetime ovipositional patterns of mated and virgin onion flies, Delia antiqua (Diptera: Anthomyiidae)

Abstract Over their 47.2±1.9 (mean±SEM) day lifespan, mated onion flies, Delia antiqua, oviposited more uniformly than did virgins. Mated females began ovipositing at 6.4±0.2 days old and regularly deposited 14.2±0.6 eggs/day for 3–4 weeks. Thereafter, oviposition slowed and stopped at about 1 week before death. Virgin flies began ovipositing 24.7±1.5 days into their 59.0±3.8 day lifespan, and deposited eggs at an increasing rate for 3–4 weeks, generating a mean overall ovipositional rate of 5.8±0.5 eggs/day. The later onset of virgin oviposition (ovipositional activation) and not a shorter ovipositional period largely accounted for the disparity between virgin and mated female lifespans. Mean lifetime egg production of mated females was 475±27 eggs versus 179±30 eggs for virgins. Ovipositional and post-ovipositional periods (34.4±1.8 and 7.2±1.0 days) for mated females were not significantly different from those of virgin females (30.9±3.6 and 6.7±1.2 days). Over 90% of virgin females laid eggs. The distinction between mated and virgin ovipositional patterns may be specifically attributed to differences in: (1) egg maturation, (2) age at ovipositional activation, and (3) egg-laying rate.
Evolution of Sex: Mating Rituals of a Pre-Metazoan

Sex is pervasive throughout eukaryotes, yet many species have not been caught in the act. Now, a sexual cycle has been discovered in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta, a pre-metazoan evolutionary model, opening a window on metazoan sexual evolution.
Concurrent radical retropubic prostatectomy and Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair through a single modified Pfannenstiel incision: a 3-year experience.

OBJECTIVE To present the results of a 3-year experience of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) through a modified Pfannenstiel incision and concomitant repair of an inguinal hernia at the time of RRP, using a tension-free technique with a mesh, as described by Lichtenstein, with no additional incision(s), as 5–10% of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer have a detectable inguinal hernia. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients who had RRP between October 2002 and July 2005 were included; we used a standard open RRP, in all cases using a modified Pfannenstiel incision. If the patient had an inguinal hernia, we approached the inguinal canal through the same incision and performed a Lichtenstein mesh repair, through the inguinal canal and avoiding placing mesh within the pelvis. Patients were followed at 1 and 6 weeks, 3-monthly for 1 year and 6-monthly thereafter. All clinical variables were entered into a database and analysed. RESULTS In all, 450 men underwent RRP; 44 (10%) had inguinal hernia and in all, 56 hernias were repaired (32 unilateral and 12 bilateral; 16 indirect, 22 direct, six both) The mean (sd) age of the patients was 60 (7) years. Most patients were discharged within 36 h. The mean (sd) follow-up was 9 (8) months. Two patients had a superficial inguinal haematoma and one had a scrotal haematoma. They were treated conservatively with no sequelae. There were no wound infections. One patient developed a recurrent inguinal hernia. None had any clinical evidence of testicular atrophy or chronic pain. CONCLUSION Concurrent formal mesh repair of the inguinal hernia and RRP through a single modified Pfannenstiel incision is safe and effective. The complications were minimal and recurrence rates were low. This procedure eliminates the risks involved with the preperitoneal mesh repair and avoids multiple incisions.
The effects of sex, gonadectomy and status on investigation patterns of unfamiliar conspecific urine in domestic dogs, Canis familiaris

Little is known about social roles of urine marking and mark investigation in interpack communication in canids beyond mate acquisition, or of the influence of gonadal hormones on interpack urinary communication. We studied the responses of male and female, intact (nonoestrous) and gonadectomized Labrador retrievers to urine from unfamiliar dogs of the same four reproductive categories. We compared two measures of subject social status within subjects' home groups and measured the effect of subject status on urine investigation duration. We also compared the responses of subjects to urine from familiar and unfamiliar dogs. All subjects showed high interest in unfamiliar urine samples, but differed in their preference for particular unfamiliar urine types. Intact males, intact females and spayed females investigated urine from intact males and females equally, whereas neutered males investigated urine from intact males longer than urine from intact females. Urine from intact males and females elicited longer investigation than did urine from gonadectomized sources. Males showed no difference in investigation of familiar and unfamiliar urine, whereas females showed a nonsignificant tendency to investigate urine from unfamiliar dogs longer than urine from groupmates. Low-status subjects investigated urine longer than high-status subjects. Sex, status and familiarity patterns suggest that males and females, both intact and gonadectomized, have strong interest in unfamiliar urine and investigate urine to assess unfamiliar conspecifics in multiple social contexts, including mate and threat assessment. These results also suggest that gonadal hormones may affect urine investigation patterns both by increasing sexually motivated urine investigation in males and by creating signals in urine that allow assessment of potentially risky conspecifics.
A coping theory framework toward preventing sexual revictimization

A substantial body of research demonstrates the problem of repeated sexual victimization. However, what is less clear is what can be done to prevent revictimization. The most pressing needs in the development of revictimization knowledge are for prevention theories and interventions to address this problem. Building on theoretical and empirical research, this paper helps to address this critical knowledge gap by presenting a coping theoretical framework toward revictimization prevention. This framework, which is composed of three related coping theories, adaptive, proactive, and resistive-defensive, can be used to form the basis of interventions to prevent revictimization. In combination, the three coping theories provide a framework to organize and sequence women's coping efforts in the aftermath of sexual victimization in order to mitigate the negative aspects of the assault and reduce the likelihood of revictimization. The framework described here provides an organizing heuristic that will help guide coping-based revictimization prevention efforts.
Supplementing the fairness framework: system-level and implementation concerns.

The organizational self-assessment tool presented in this issue (Wynia et al. 2004) is a valuable contribution not merely to the ethics literature, but also, one hopes, to health insurer practice. ...
Heritage Language Fluency, Ethnic Identity, and School Effort of Immigrant Chinese and Mexican Adolescents

The assumption that heritage language fluency is an essential component of ethnic identity, and that both factors are important predictors of school effort, was tested across two ethnic groups spanning multiple generations of immigrants. The sample consisted of 207 immigrant Chinese (first- and second-generation) and 354 Mexican (first-, second-, and third-generation) adolescents. The findings demonstrate that heritage language fluency is an important component of ethnic identity for second-generation Mexican adolescents, but not for second-generation Chinese adolescents. Thus, for this latter group, it may not be appropriate to use identity measures which assess heritage language fluency as a part of the general dimension of ethnic identity. The findings also show that higher reading and writing skills in Spanish are significant predictors of school effort for all three generations of Mexican adolescents; in addition, higher ethnic identity exploration is related to the school effort of second generation Mexican adolescents.
Measurement of microlithography aerial image quality

The aerial image formed by a microlithography lens places fundamental limits on the size and density of patterns that are manufactured by that lens. In the past, the lithographer was unable to directly measure the dose distribution in this aerial image. Highly absorbing photoresists have continuous tone relief response to dose variations and this relief is a record of the dose distribution in an image. It is shown how high resolution measurement of that relief by an atomic force microprobe gives the lithographer a sampling of the spatial distribution of dose within the image.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
General Synthetic Route to Cell-Permeable Block Copolymers via ROMP

The applications of block copolymers are myriad, ranging from electronics to functionalized resins to therapeutics. The ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is an especially valuable reaction for block copolymer assembly because each block can be generated with length control. We sought to use this polymerization to expand the repertoire of block copolymers by implementing a strategy that involves postpolymerization modification of a backbone bearing selectively reactive groups. To this end, we demonstrate that ROMP can be used to synthesize a block copolymer scaffold that possesses three types of functional groups—a succinimidyl ester, an α-chloroacetamide group, and a ketone—each of which can be modified independently. Thus, a single scaffold can be elaborated to afford a wide range of block copolymers. Exploiting this synthetic approach and the length control offered by ROMP, we assemble block copolymers capable of traversing the membrane and entering mammalian cells.
Numerical Simulation of an Intense Squall Line during 10–11 June 1985 PRE-STORM. Part II: Rear Inflow, Surface Pressure Perturbations and Stratiform Precipitation

Abstract An intense rear-inflow jet, surface pressure perturbations, and stratiform precipitation associated with a squall line during 10–11 June 1985 are examined using a three-dimensional mesoscale nested-grid model. It is found that the large-scale baroclinity provides favorable and deep rear-to-front flow within the upper half of the troposphere and the mesoscale response to convective forcing helps enhance the trailing extensive rear inflow. However, latent cooling and water loading are directly responsible for the generation of the descending portion of the rear inflow. The role of the rear inflow is generally to produce convergence ahead and divergence behind the system, and thus assist the rapid acceleration of the leading convection when the prestorm environment is convectively favorable and the rapid dissipation of the convection when encountering unfavorable conditions. In this case study, the rear-inflow jet appears to have caused the splitting of the surface wake low as well as the organized ...
Chronic behavioral stress induces apical dendritic reorganization in pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex

Both the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) play an important role in the negative feedback regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity during physiologic and behavioral stress. Moreover, chronic behavioral stress is known to affect the morphology of CA3c pyramidal neurons in the rat, by reducing total branch number and length of apical dendrites. In the present study, we investigated the effects of behavioral stress on the mPFC, using the repeated restraint stress paradigm. Animals were perfused after 21 days of daily restraint, and intracellular iontophoretic injections of Lucifer Yellow were carried out in pyramidal neurons of layer II/III of the anterior cingulate cortex and prelimbic area. Cellular reconstructions were performed on apical and basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons in layer II/III of the anterior cingulate and prelimbic cortices. We observed a significant reduction on the total length (20%) and branch numbers (17%) of apical dendrites, and no significant reduction in basal dendrites. These cellular changes may impair the capacity of the mPFC to suppress the response of the HPA axis to stress, and offer an experimental model of stress-induced neocortical reorganization that may provide a structural basis for the cognitive impairments observed in post-traumatic stress disorder.