cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathophysiology and clinical significance of atherosclerotic plaque rupture

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture and resulting intracoronary thrombosis are thought to account for most acute coronary syndromes. These syndromes include unstable angina, non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) and Q-wave MI. In addition, many cases of sudden cardiac death may be attributable to atherosclerotic plaque disruption and its immediate complications. Our understanding of the atherosclerotic process and the pathophysiology of plaque disruption has advanced remarkably. Despite these advances, event rates after acute coronary syndromes remain unacceptably high. This review will focus on the pathophysiology underlying atherosclerotic plaque development, the sequellae of coronary plaque rupture, and current therapies designed to treat the acute coronary syndromes. It is hoped that as our understanding of the atherosclerotic plaque improves, treatment strategies for the acute coronary syndromes will advance.
Task decomposition, distribution, and localization for intelligent robot coordination

Robotic applications in unstructured environments in general and in space in particular require robot systems that possess a high degree of autonomy. To achieve such a degree of autonomy a robot system must possess (I) robots with a versatile physical structure (ii) perception and (iii) elaborate techniques for (a) task decomposition distribution and localization and (b) the dynamic specification of the distributed semantics involved in sensorimotor synchronization and the coordination of multiple robots. In this paper we present our developments for the dynamic specification of the distributed semantics of hierarchical multiagent systems and the synchronization of their component agents during task execution. More specifically we present a distributed model of concurrency based on Petri net theory. The model is then applied to the hierarchical decomposition distribution and localization of a bracket assembly task. Each level of the resulting hierarchy horizontally contains the synchronization-structure of task execution and vertically is a generalization ofthe level below and a specialization ofthe level above. The horizontal synchronization-structures developed bythe Petri net model maintain the desirable properties of safeness and liveness by construction.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evaluation of lisianthus cultivars for resistance to Botrytis cinerea

Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) is a high-value cut flower. However, major yield losses often result from gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Various techniques were used to evaluate 12 lisianthus cultivars for resistance B. cinerea. Disease evaluations from detached leaf, leaf disc, cut stem, and in vivo growth chamber stem (GC) assays were correlated with those from an in vivo greenhouse stem (GH) assay, in which commercial greenhouse production of lisianthus was simulated. In all assays, stems or leaves were wounded before inoculation with spores or mycelia of B. cinerea. There was a significant (P ≤ 0.03) positive correlation between stem lesion length in the GH assay and disease incidence in the same assay (R = 0.74), stem lesion length from spore spray inoculation in the GC assay (R = 0.62), and percent necrosis from spore spray inoculation of detached leaves (R = 0.71). Correlations between stem lesion length in the GH assay and disease evaluations from spore drop and mycelial inoculation of detached leaves, leaf discs, and cut stems were not significant at P = 0.05. Considering only screening methods with significant correlations, 'Magic Champagne' was the most resistant cultivar (mean rank [mr] = 2 of 12). 'Echo White' and 'Echo Lavender' were the least resistant cultivars (mr = 11). The other cultivars were 'Magic White' (mr = 4); 'Avila Ivory', 'Balboa Yellow', 'Echo Pink', and 'Magic Rose' (mr = 5); 'Balboa Blue' (mr = 6); 'Avila Blue Rim' (mr = 8); and 'Avila Purple' and 'Catalina Purple' (mr = 9). The results from this study indicate that in vivo disease incidence, in vivo stem assays, and detached leaf assays, all initiated with wounding followed by spore spray inoculation, may be more reliable in evaluating lisianthus cultivars for resistance to B. cinerea than spore drop and mycelial inoculation of detached leaves, leaf discs, and cut stems. The results also indicate that lisianthus cultivars with moderate resistance to B. cinerea are commercially available. These cultivars have potential for use as germplasm in breeding lisianthus for resistance to the pathogen.
Islam, science, and the challenge of history

Islam, science, and the challenge of history, by Ahmad Dallal, New Haven, CT, and London, Yale University Press, 2010, 239 pp., ISBN 978-0-300-15911-0 Ahmad Dallal's Islam, Science, and the Challen...
Effect of Grain Level and Protein Content of the Grain for Grazing Cows on Milk Composition and Yield, and Certain Blood and Rumen Constituents

Abstract Two concentrate mixtures, containing 8.3 and 22.6% crude protein, were fed at 1kg per 1.75, 3.5, and 7.0kg of milk produced during standardization to 48 lactating Holstein cows grazing medium-quality Blue-grass pasture. Milk was sampled for composition analyses at ten-day intervals. Jugular blood samples were taken for determination of serum protein and protein fractions, and rumen contents sampled for VFA analyses. Milk yields were significantly related to levels of dietary protein and grain. Per cent SNF, protein, and lactose-mineral in the milk increased as level of feeding increased, but were not affected by ration protein. No interaction between dietary protein and energy was noted for milk constituents. The high-grain ration resulted in depressed milk fat and increased rumen propionate. Neither rumen acetate, butyrate, nor any of the blood protein fractions were significantly affected by grain level. The high-protein ration resulted in higher concentrations of total VFA, acetate, propionate, and butyrate in rumen fluid; and in higher albumin and NPN and lower alpha globulin in blood serum.
On the analysis of the stability of distributed reaction systems by Lyapunov's direct method

Abstract It is shown that the restriction to adiabatic perturbations in concentrating-temperature space as frequently rhade in the stability analysis of distributed reaction systems is unnecessary. By means of a carefully chosen Lyapunov functional, it is shown that non-adiabatic perturbations can be handled as easily as adiabatic ones; in fact there is no need to differentiate between the two and Lyapunov's method provides an elegant way to unify them. States which were previously shown to be only conditionally stable are shown to be completely stable. In the case of catalyst particle with arbitrary Lewis number some new results are obtained.
Astigmatism in Light-Deflector Elements

Astigmatism introduced in a convergent light beam by isotropic parallel plates and prisms, birefringent parallel plates including fractional-wave plates and split-angle deflectors, and by Wollaston prisms is studied. Expressions for the astigmatic differences are obtained. The results are experimentally verified. This study is related to the influence on image quality of light deflectors.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for weight loss in adult patients without diabetes

Purpose The efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists for weight loss in adult patients without diabetes is reviewed. Summary GLP-1 receptor agonists have been associated with significant weight loss in patients with diabetes, raising the question of whether these agents could be used for weight loss in patients without diabetes. The mechanism by which GLP-1 receptor agonists induce weight loss is believed to be related to multiple actions involving the brain and gastrointestinal tract, with the primary action related to an increase in satiety. Trials examining the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss have compared exenatide, liraglutide, and orlistat. Of the studies completed to date, the majority of patients have been enrolled in trials involving liraglutide. Based on the reviewed literature, both exenatide 10 μg twice daily and liraglutide in dosages of up to 3 mg daily resulted in significant weight loss in patients without diabetes. A decrease in the proportion of patients with prediabetes was also found in studies of liraglutide. Nausea and vomiting were the most frequently reported adverse events in patients from these studies. Symptomatic hypoglycemia was reported in only one study with liraglutide in patients without diabetes and was not objectively confirmed by laboratory data. A higher frequency of psychiatric disorders, specifically insomnia, was reported by patients taking high doses of liraglutide. Conclusion GLP-1 receptor agonists offer a reasonable alternative for nondiabetic patients not able to achieve weight-loss goals with lifestyle modifications alone.
“All My Films Are Personal”: An Interview with Pat Jackson

Abstract This article presents an interview with the British filmmaker Pat Jackson, covering his entire career from the mid-1930s, working for the GPO Film Unit, through his work on the classic television series The Prisoner with Patrick McGoohan.
Ultrastructural Alterations in the Dog Brain After Profound Hypothermia Induced by Extracorporeal Circuit

This study has demonstrated that hypothermia with or without circulatory arrest produced ultrastructural alterations in the dog brain. Fluid accumulation in the perivascular area and in the neuropil persists for at least seven days. Neurons in all areas of the brain studied are quite resistant to fluid alterations. Minimal changes occurring in neurons appear to be reversible from these studies with no neuronal necrosis, even with cooling to 10°C. Endothelial cells and oligodendrocytes exhibit essentially normal morphology in all experimental groups. Astrocytes and their processes undergo the most severe alterations, with cellular changes greater in dogs subjected to 60 minutes than to 30 minutes of cardiac arrest, and progressive degrees of damage occurring with increases in postpumping time prior to sacrifice. Our studies indicate cytological damage increases for longer periods posthypothermia than earlier reports which noted a resolution at 72 hours of the edema observed at 24 hours. We have demonstrate...
Cytokine-induced activation of mixed lineage kinase 3 requires TRAF2 and TRAF6.

Abstract Mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that activates multiple mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in response to growth factors, stresses and the pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF). MLK3 is required for optimal activation of stress activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) signaling by TNF, however, the mechanism by which MLK3 is recruited and activated by the TNF receptor remains poorly understood. Here we report that both TNF and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) stimulation rapidly activate MLK3 kinase activity. We observed that TNF stimulates an interaction between MLK3 and TNF receptor associated factor (TRAF) 2 and IL-1β stimulates an interaction between MLK3 and TRAF6. RNA interference (RNAi) of traf2 or traf6 dramatically impairs MLK3 activation by TNF indicating that TRAF2 and TRAF6 are critically required for MLK3 activation. We show that TNF also stimulates ubiquitination of MLK3 and MLK3 can be conjugated with lysine 48 (K48)- and lysine 63 (K63)-linked polyubiquitin chains. Our results suggest that K48-linked ubiquitination directs MLK3 for proteosomal degradation while K63-linked ubiquitination is important for MLK3 kinase activity. These results reveal a novel mechanism for MLK3 activation by the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-1β.
A solvent extractor system for the rapid extraction of lipids and trace bioactive micronutrients in oilseeds

A low-cost laboratory extractor has been designed and constructed that selectively extracts polar and nonpolar components from oilseeds and other matrices. The extractor uses available high-performance liquid chromatography laboratory equipment for pumping the solvent into the extractor. Pressure, temperature, and valving arrangements are automatically controlled by commercially available components. Advantages of this system include low initial investment, reduced solvent consumption, shorter extraction times, quantitative lipid recovery, use of multiple extraction solvents, and reduction in cost per sample. The method has broader applications that include extraction of trace components from a variety of matrices, for example, the extraction of pesticides from foods and polychlorobiphenyls from soil. Class separation of components from different matrices can be achieved easily by selection of solvents with the appropriate polarity characteristics. Very small samples can be extracted simply by changing cell size or by adding an inert material to the cell to fill the void volume. Analyte collection can be accomplished by collecting in a test tube with an appropriate solvent, or on a solid-phase material. Optimization of extraction times, number of extractions, matrices, and solvent used is described. Neutral lipids were extracted from peanut meal in 70 min by the rapid extraction method compared to 1440 min required to extract the comparable amount of neutral lipids from a similar sample by the Soxhlet extraction method.
Evidence for large-scale strike-slip faulting on Venus

Radar images obtained from the Magellan mapping mission reveal that much of the surface of Venus has undergone tectonic deformation. Though normal and thrust faults are common, there has been little evidence of discrete, large-offset strike-slip faults on Venus. We present a clear example of large-scale strike-slip faulting in Lavinia Planitia, Venus. Our observations of the spatial and temporal relationships between the Molpadia Linea deformation belt and an associated fracture system indicate that the fractures were formed as the result of strike-slip faulting localized along the belt. Global tectonism on Venus is dominated by vertical deformation; we attribute this example of horizontal deformation to a reorientation of the regional stress field associated with mantle downwelling.
Carbohydrate metabolism in ground squirrels during the summer season

Abstract 1. 1. Analyses of inorganic phosphate, adenosine triphosphate, phosphocreatine, glycogen, lactate and pyruvate were determined on cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle and liver samples from thirteen-lined ground squirrels, Citellus tridecemlineatus. 2. 2. Comparison was made between animals maintained in the laboratory and three groups of field animals: Group M, captured in May and sacrificed 1 week later; Group N, captured in May and sacrificed 3 months later in August; and Group O, captured in September and sacrificed 1 week later. 3. 3. When these data are compared with data derived from control squirrels it is seen that, in general, total high-energy phosphates and glycogen decreased while inorganic phosphate, lactate and pyruvate increased in the field groups. 4. 4. It is concluded from the data obtained from Group M that the metabolic events associated with awakening from hibernation in the laboratory simulate those associated with awakening in the field. An additional factor of stress may be operable in Group N while the metabolic status of Group O approximates that of controls.
The missing link : chemokine receptors and tissue matrix breakdown in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a pulmonary inflammatory disease that is caused by cigarette smoke. The main characteristic of COPD is the continued inflammation caused by the sustained influx of macrophages and neutrophils into the lung. Recent studies have shed light on how these cells are attracted during acute and chronic inflammation of the lung. The factors involved might be both a biomarker and a therapeutic target in COPD.
Management of Dairy Waste in the Sonoran Desert Using Constructed Wetland Technology

An integrated wastewater treatment facility, consisting of upper (solids separators, anaerobic lagoons, and aerobic ponds) and lower (wetland cells) subsystems, has been built to replace the lagoon at a dairy in Arizona, USA. The collection sump of the new waste treatment facility collects all dairy wastewater outflow. Wastewater is then pumped to solids separators, and flows by gravity to anaerobic ponds and aerobic ponds. The upper subsystem is expected to treat the water sufficiently so that the wetland cells may achieve further pollutant reductions. The lower subsystem, comprised of 8 surface wetland cells with an approximate surface area of 5,000 m 2 , receives outflow from the ponds. The cells are planted with cattail ( Typha domingensis ), soft-stem bulrush ( Scirpus validus ), and reed ( Phragmites australis ). After treatment is completed via the lagoons and ponds followed by the wetland cells, the wastewater can be reused to flush barns or to irrigate crops. Performance of the overall system is evaluated by measuring physical, chemical and biological parameters in water samples taken from selected locations along the treatment system. Chemical parameters studied include biochemical oxygen demand, pH, total suspended solids, nitrogen species. Biological monitoring included coliforms (total and fecal) and Listeria monocytogenes .
Characterization of P1,P4-diadenosine 5'-tetraphosphate binding on bovine aortic endothelial cells.

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that alpha, omega-dinucleotides act as extracellular modulators of various biological processes. P1,P4-diadenosine 5'-tetraphosphate (Ap4A) is the best characterized alpha,omega-dinucleotides and acts as an extracellular signal molecule by inducing the release of nitric oxide (NO) from bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) (R. H. Hilderman, and E. F. Christensen (1998) FEBS Lett. 407, 320-324). However, the characteristics of Ap4A binding to endothelial cells have not been determined. In this report we demonstrate that Ap4A binds to a heterogeneous population of receptors on BAEC. Competition ligand-binding studies using various adenosine dinucleotides, guanosine dinucleotides, adenosine/guanosine dinucleotides, and synthetic P2 purinoceptor agonists and antagonists demonstrate that Ap4A binds to a receptor on BAEC that has a high affinity for some of the adenosine dinucleotides. The apparent IC50 values for Ap4A, Ap2A, and Ap3A are between 12 and 15 microM, while the apparent IC50 values for Ap5A and Ap6A are greater than 500 microM. Evidence is also presented which suggests that this receptor can be classified as a putative P4 purinoceptor. Competition studies also demonstrate that Ap4A binds at a lower affinity to a second class of binding sites.
Protein synthesis by human intestinal mucosa: variations with diseases of the gut.

Abstract Studies of protein synthesis by human intestinal mucosa were performed by determining the in vitro incorporation of l -leucine-U- 14 C into the total proteins of peroral mucosal biopsy specimens. The mean value for normal mucosa was 1483 dpm/mg/30 min ± 402. In mucosa from patients with sprue the mean value for mucosal protein synthesis was 3056, a significant elevation which might reflect abnormally high cell turnover in this disease. In mucosa from patients with abetalipoproteinemia the mean value for protein synthesis was 535. This value, which is significantly lower than normal, may be related to diminished or absent synthesis of betalipoproteins by the intestine in this disease. The mean value for mucosal protein synthesis among patients with treated Whipple's disease in remission was normal. Measurement of protein synthesis by intestinal mucosa, obtained by peroral biopsy, appears to be useful in assessing metabolic aberrations and adaptations of the gut.
Polymer thin film photodegradation and photochemical crosslinking: FT-IR imaging, evanescent waveguide spectroscopy, and QCM investigations

Abstract Photodegradation and photocrosslinking of benzophenone blended polystyrene (PS) thin films were investigated primarily using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) imaging, evanescent waveguide spectroscopy (WS), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) methods. The main objective is to observe the changes (spectral and chemical) indicative of these competitive processes in an ultrathin polymer film. This also serves as a model study in the application of combined spectroscopic, optical, and acoustic methods towards understanding crosslinking and degradation phenomena within the same time frame of observation. To induce photocrosslinking, 1,12-dodecanediylbis(oxy-4,1-phenylene)] [bis[phenylmethanone] (2BP12), a small molecule with two benzophenone groups, was blended with PS in solution, spincast onto glass and silicon substrates, and irradiated with ultraviolet light. Photodegradation and benzophenone-mediated crosslinking were observed both directly via functional group spectroscopies and indirectly via their effects on thin film surface properties and morphologies. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and QCM were used to elucidate local morphology change and mass-uptake kinetics in the presence of O 2 in air, respectively. All results correlated well with the two photoprocesses occurring simultaneously and competitively on these films with the refractive index, thickness, and mass change differing with the presence of 2BP12. Crosslinking was observed to cause an increase in thickness while photodegradation gave a decrease. Both processes resulted in an increase in the refractive index and mass. While various methods have separately identified these observations, this is the first instance that the in situ chemical, optical, and structural dimensionality of the photodegradation and photocrosslinking phenomena in a thin polymer film is correlated within the same time frame of observation.
Cortical control and callosal mechanisms in the visual system of cat.

Abstract 1. 1. In experiments carried out on cats (acute, cerveau isole preparations) unit activity within the dorso-lateral geniculate nucleus (LGD) was analyzed following three types of stimuli: flashes of light, ipsilateral optic tract and contralateral visual cortex (g. lateralis) electrical stimulation. 2. 2. A certain percentage of LGD units was found to be activated by any one of the three different stimuli and in many instances the same unit could respond to two or to all three of them. 3. 3. Convergence of impulses upon a given LGD unit from different sources, if properly timed, could modify the final effect and the unit firing would be inhibited or, alternatively, facilitated. 4. 4. These findings extend and confirm those of previous similar studies. In view of the present, different experimental design which utilizes the callosal response as the “physiological” trigger for efferent impulses from the visual cortex to the LGD, it is possible to state that most of the observed corticifugal effects are actually the result of orthodromic phenomena. Evidence is also offered to indicate the extra-reticular nature of such cortico-geniculate mechanisms.
Imaging Aortic Matrix Metabolism Mirabile Visu

Aortic calcification increasingly afflicts our aging and dysmetabolic population.1 In the past decade, multiple studies from preclinical and clinical investigators have identified that active osteogenic/chondrogenic mechanisms contribute to aortic calcium load.2 Cellular and matricrine signals control vascular calcium phosphate mineral deposition via processes resembling membranous and endochondral bone formation.2–4 Clinical consequences also have begun to emerge.2,4 Atherosclerotic calcification of the aortic arch portends ischemic cerebrovascular events in women, although mitral annulus calcification may be a better predictor.5 Medial artery calcification, a nonobstructive form of aortofemoral calcium accumulation, is a characteristic vascular pathology seen in patients with type II diabetes or chronic renal failure.3 Medial artery calcification not only is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality but also increases the risk for lower extremity amputation6; vascular stiffening perturbs normal aortofemoral Windkessel physiology, thus compromising distal tissue perfusion while increasing afterload, pulse pressure, and myocardial workload.3,4 Aortic valve calcium accumulation assessed by echocardiography is a strong predictor of disease progression in patients with initially asymptomatic aortic stenosis.7 In end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis, the presence of aortic valve calcification is a particularly ominous risk factor for cardiovascular mortality.8 All forms of aortic and aortic valve calcification are increased along the metabolic syndrome to type II diabetes continuum.1 The detailed analysis by Katz et al1 of the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis cohort revealed stepwise increases in aortic valve calcification risk with accrual of metabolic syndrome risk factors.1 As highlighted by Bostrom,9 vascular mineralization not only promotes further epitaxial mineral deposition but also is proinflammatory; thus, once vascular calcium phosphate is deposited, a “feed-forward” cycle ensues that promotes further mineralization.9 Article p 377 The unmet clinical needs in medical treatment of aortic calcification have been difficult to address …
Electron cyclotron/upper hybrid resonant pre-ionization in the isx-b tokamak

Pre-ionization experiments have been performed on a tokamak by injecting about 80 kW of microwave power at 35 GHz for up to 15 ms. Microwave absorption occurs at the electron cyclotron and upper hybrid resonance frequencies as predicted by theory. Pre-ionization causes substantial (40%) reductions in loop voltage during the initial phase of the tokamak shot. Flux (volt-second) savings with pre-ionization are about 30% in the first 2 ms or about 2% of the total flux expenditure in a tokamak shot. The plasma current begins 200 μs earlier and rises 1.4 times more rapidly in the pre-ionized case. Electron densities of 5 × 1012 cm−3 can be sustained throughout the microwave pulse with only a toroidal magnetic field during microwave injection. The bulk electron temperature in the pre-ionized plasma is about 10 eV although there are indications of higher electron temperatures (50 eV) in the upper hybrid resonance layer. Although questions exist concerning the quiescent behaviour of the pre-ionized plasma, the observed parameters are shown to be consistent with a theory which employs classical models of energy and particle balance. During the early stages of Ohmic heating, the pre-ionization is effective in decreasing the peak of the radiated power.
Ethyl isocyanide complexes of bacterial cytochrome P-450.

Abstract The spectral properties of the ethyl isocyanide complexes of the soluble, highly purified cytochrome P-450, isolated from Pseudomonas putida, are reported. In the presence of both camphor and potassium ions, the ethyl isocyanide complex of reduced bacterial cytochrome P-450 exhibits a single Soret absorption maximum at 453 nm, and the magnitude of this maximum is unaffected by changes in pH between 6.0 and 8.0. The Soret absorption maximum of the ethyl isocyanide complex of reduced bacterial cytochrome P-420 is at 432 nm; an absorption maximum in the 430 nm region is observed with bacterial cytochrome P-450 only under conditions which promote its conversion to a type of cytochrome P-420. As a ligand of the heme iron of bacterial cytochrome P-450, ethyl isocyanide binds more tightly to the ferrous state than the ferric state, and the “apparent” Ks of ferrous cytochrome P-450 for ethyl isocyanide is 9.0 × 10−6 m in the absence of camphor. The finding that camphor competes very effectively with the binding of ethyl isocyanide to reduced cytochrome P-450 suggests that the camphor binding site is near the heme iron.
Brain temperature regulation during sleep and arousal in the dog.

Abstract Studies were carried out to determine the origin of temperature oscillations in the brain of the dog during sleep and wakefulness. Temperature of the cerebral arterial blood is the major factor determining shifts in brain temperature in the behaving dog. Two types of brain temperature regulation exist in the dog. There is the “internal carotid” type, where the central and cerebral arterial blood are at uniform temperature, and the “carotid rete” type, where intracranial vascular heat exchange causes a thermal dissociation between cerebral arterial blood and aortic arterial blood. Feeding, drinking, and cold saline infusions in the waking dog produce similar cooling in the central arterial blood, cerebral arterial blood, and in the brain. Cerebral arterial blood and brain sites cool together during slow sleep, while deep body temperatures remain steady. This dissociation between brain and body temperature probably results from counter-current heat exchange between the warm arterial blood in the rudimentary carotid rete and the cool venous blood in the cavernous sinus of the dog. These specialized anastomoses between the internal and external carotid circulations appear to be responsible for the dual vascular pattern of brain temperature regulation in the dog.
Growth medium effect on the antifungal activity of LY 303366

The impact of growth medium selection on antifungal susceptibility testing has been well documented. Previously we described the antifungal characteristics of LY 303366 via time-kill curve methods using RPMI 1640 buffered with 0.165 M morpholinepropane-sulfonic acid as growth medium. The purpose of the current study was to compare the previously reported kill curve results with results obtained using antibiotic medium number three (AM #3) as growth medium. Antifungal activity was assessed via susceptibility testing and time-kill studies in both media. Two isolates each of Candida albicans, C. glabrata, and C. tropicalis were studied. MICs for the six isolates were found to be 10 to 100 times lower in AM #3. Time-kill studies were conducted with multiples of the MIC ranging from 0.125 x MIC to 16 x MIC. LY 303366 exhibited fungicidal (> or = 3 log10 reduction in CFU) activity against all isolates in AM #3; however, fungicidal activity was noted only for three of the six isolates when tested in RPMI. Furthermore, the rate of fungicidal activity was more rapid when AM #3 was utilized. Not only were the rate and extent of activity influenced by choice of media, but the relationships between LY 303366 concentrations and activity were also found to be media dependent. The findings from this study serve to highlight further the importance of media selection for in vitro evaluation of antifungal activity. In vivo studies need to be conducted with LY 303366 to determine which media provides the best correlation between in vitro and in vivo findings.
Teaching for independence

If “learning how to learn” is the most important subject matter of 20th Century schools, then the time has come to encourage the widespread development of undergraduate reading degree programs for future teachers. Ten years ago, Eastern Washington University began offering Reading Education as an undergraduate major for elementary teaching candidates, and as an undergraduate minor for secondary teaching candidates. The availability of a reading major has created a positive cycle of benefits for EWU students, the districts that hire our students, the department of education and the university. This paper explains the rationale behind the establishment of the reading major and this university's findings following 10 years of successful teacher education in the discipline of reading.
Absence of equilibrium among close-packed twisted flux tubest

The lack of equilibrium in twisted, close-packed flux tubes is demonstrated in terms of a topology of the transverse field and the necessity of defining restricted solutions for an arbitrary function in the equilibrium equation. It is shown that nearly all combinations of flux connections and functional forms have no mutual equilibrium and that the flux connections in nature are formed by footprint convection at an origin. The most close-packed twisted flux tubes are subject to dynamical nonequilibrium, with the transverse flux connections being reduced through neutral point rapid reconnection. The precise solutions which can be obtained through functional forms in the equilibrium equation do not have an analog in the real world.
Evaluating the Pilot of Strong Girls: A Life Skills/Physical Activity Program for Third and Fourth Grade Girls

The purpose of this investigation was to report on a pilot study of a physical activity/positive life skills program called Strong Girls. The program was framed within the theoretical tenets of achievement goal perspective theory. Evaluation consisted of the participants’ perceptions of the climate (i.e., caring, task- and ego-involving), and pre-post scores for their self-perceptions and goal orientations. Results revealed participants perceived the environment to be high caring and task-involving and low ego-involving. Participants also reported a positive increase in task-orientation. Results suggest that Strong Girls is a feasible, effective youth development program, ready for larger-scale evaluation or dissemination.
Mesoionic purinone analogs. VIII. Synthesis and properties of mesoionic 5‐substituted‐6‐methylimidazo[1,2‐c]pyrimidine‐2,7‐diones

Mesoionic imidazo[1,2-c]-pyrimidine-2,7-diones 1a-c, analogs of purine-2,8-dione, were prepared from 4-amino-l-methylpyrimidin-6-ones 6a-c. These mesoionic purinone analogs were found to exist predominantly in the C3-H tautomeric form 1 and to undergo hydrolytic ring-opening reactions to produce 2-(4-imidazol-idon-2-ylidenyl)acetamides. Reaction of 1c with dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate produced triazacyclopent-[cd]indene 25 via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.
Influence of estradiol benzoate on fat Storage.

In a recent study Loeb and Burr1 showed that female rats store more body fat than males when maintained on a diet rich in saturated fat (hydrogenated coconut oil) but devoid of essential fatty acids. It then became a matter of interest to ascertain whether this finding could be attributed to the effect of estrogen on fat metabolism. Zondek and Marx2 reported that estrogen not only induced a marked lipemia in fowl but also caused the accumulation of fat in the internal organs, particularly the liver. However, their findings with mammals were negative. Loeb3 observed a definite, though moderate, lipemia in male rats fed a high fat diet lacking in essential fatty acids when estradiol benzoate was injected over a 4-week period. The present report is concerned with the storage of body fat under similar conditions.Methods. Albino rats of the Wistar strain were taken at weaning time and placed on a low fat diet for 4 weeks to deplete the fat reserve. During the next 8 weeks, which comprised the experimental peri...
Mechanism for the aqueous acid decomposition of the formaldehyde derivative of cellulose xanthate

Kinetic equations for the decomposition of S-hydroxymethyl cellulose xanthate in the presence of acid and formaldehyde are derived. The assumed mechanism involves an equilibrium between the S-hydroxymethyl cellulose xanthate and cellulose xanthic acid and xanthate ion. Decomposition appears to proceed via interaction between the cellulose xanthate ion and hydrogen ion which form an activated complex that subsequently decomposes to cellulose and carbon disulfide. The equations derived show the proper dependence on acid and formaldehyde concentrations. An estimate of the equilibrium constant between cellulose xanthate and S-hydroxymethyl cellulose xanthate is calculated from the rate constants.
A tale of two intermediaries: A discussion of Johnston, Markov and Ramnath (2009), and Cheng and Neamtiu (2009)

Abstract Cheng and Neamtiu examine whether credit rating agencies exploit market power to sell a substandard product. Their evidence is suggestive, but plausible alternative hypotheses could explain their results. Johnston, Markov and Ramnath provide first evidence on the bond and firm characteristics that determine the quantity of sell-side debt analyst coverage that a corporate bond receives. They also find that debt analysts anticipate credit rating changes and add information to markets incremental to credit ratings, suggesting debt analysts will be important to future research on bond markets. These results also suggest a method for refining tests of rating agency market power.
DNA sequencing via electron tunneling

Fast and low-cost DNA sequencing methods would revolutionize medicine: a person could have his/her full genome sequenced so that drugs could be tailored to his/her specific illnesses; doctors could know in advance patients' likelihood to develop a given ailment; cures to major diseases could be found faster [1]. However, this goal of “personalized medicine” is hampered today by the high cost and slow speed of DNA sequencing methods. We will discuss the sequencing protocol we suggest which requires the measurement of the distributions of transverse currents during the translocation of single-stranded DNA into nanopores [2–6]. We will support our conclusions with a combination of molecular dynamics simulations coupled to quantum mechanical calculations of electrical current in experimentally realizable systems [2–6]. We will also discuss recent experiments that support these theoretical predictions. In addition, we will show how this relatively unexplored area of research at the interface between solids, liquids, and biomolecules at the nanometer length scale is a fertile ground to study quantum phenomena that have a classical counterpart, such as ionic quasi-particles and ionic “quantized” conductance [7,8].
Improved Perception of Music With a Harmonic Based Algorithm for Cochlear Implants

The lack of fine structure information in conventional cochlear implant (CI) encoding strategies presumably contributes to the generally poor music perception with CIs. To improve CI users' music perception, a harmonic-single-sideband-encoder (HSSE) strategy was developed [1]-[3], which explicitly tracks the harmonics of a single musical source and transforms them into modulators conveying both amplitude and temporal fine structure cues to electrodes. To investigate its effectiveness, vocoder simulations of HSSE and the conventional continuous-interleaved-sampling (CIS) strategy were implemented. Using these vocoders, live normal-hearing subjects' melody and timbre recognition performance were evaluated: a significant benefit of HSSE to both melody (p 0.090). To quantify the temporal cues delivered to the auditory nerve, the neural spike patterns evoked by HSSE and CIS for one melody stimulus were simulated using an auditory nerve model. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that HSSE can convey temporal pitch cues better than CIS. The results suggest that HSSE is a promising strategy to enhance music perception with CIs.
North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Detection & Localization in the Bay of Fundy using Widely Spaced, Bottom Mounted Sensors

A data set consisting of North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) vocalizations were provided as part of the 2003 International Workshop on Detection and Localization of Marine Mammals using Passive Acoustics in Halifax, Nova Scotia. These vocalizations were processed using a set of detection and localization algorithms developed as part of the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) program. Localization is performed using hyperbolic multilateration on Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) data from a two stage FFT based energy detector. Binary FFTs are computed from the raw time series by thresholding the FFT using a time average in each bin as the threshold criteria. Clicks are detected by comparing the total number of bins above threshold to a secondary threshold. Detected clicks are split out of the data stream and the rest of the data is aligned using a spectrogram cross-correlation. Details of the marine mammal monitoring algorithms will be presented as well as results from the data set.
The ecology of channel catfish culture ponds in Northwest Mississippi

Abstract Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) farming is the most economically valuable aquaculture industry in the U.S., with over 200,000 t of fish processed in 1994. Over 70% of the fish were grown in earthen ponds in the Yazoo‐Mississippi River floodplain of northwest Mississippi ("the Delta"). Elements of the physical geography of northwest Mississippi that contribute to the success of channel catfish farming are described in this review. Culture methods and water‐use practices are summarized to provide a framework for a review of the biological and chemical environment of catfish ponds in the Delta. Emphasis is placed on factors of practical importance, including the dynamics of the pond phytoplankton community and the central role of phytoplankton metabolism in pond ecology. The characteristics of pond bottom soils and the nature of catfish pond effluents are also described.
Culturally Competent Collaboration: School Counselor Collaboration with African American Families and Communities

Emerging literature on school-family-community partnerships suggests positive educational and social outcomes for students (Koonce & Harper, 2005; Mitchell & Bryan, 2007). This article discusses the historical and contemporary factors and barriers that affect African American students and their families as they partner with schools and communities. The article explores cultural competence as it relates to effective collaboration and interactions as well as an understanding of the political structures and sociocultural realities of African American students, families, and their communities. Specific models, strategies, and recommendations for school counselors' and counselor educators' effective work with African American students and families within school-family-community collaborations are discussed.
Response of A-genome cotton germplasm to the seedling disease pathogens, Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum

Approximately two hundred A-genome cotton (Gossypium arboreum L. and G. herbaceum L.) accessions were evaluated for resistance to the seedling disease pathogens Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn [Thanatephorus cucumeris (A. B. Frank) Donk], and Pythium ultimum Trow. Susceptibility rating was based on a scale of 1 to 6 where 1 = no symptoms and 6 = dead. Variation was found among A-genome accessions in response to R. solani and P. ultimum, but none were highly resistant to these pathogens. As a group, the A-genome cottons were more susceptible to the pathogens than the G. hirsutum control.
Carrying capacity, cycles, and culture

Two major objections have been made to the application of the "carrying capacity" (K) concept to nonindustrial human populations: 1) If K is set by periodic famines or other phenomena ("minima"), the concept is useless without an independant criterion for the length of the relevant period. 2) Humans frequently appear to be adjusting their population densities according to what seem to be biologically arbitrary cultural criteria, not to a biological K. I propose that the length of the relevant interval between minima is a function of the species' pattern of investment in kin. Minima occuring at intervals greater in length than the period of investment will have little effect on reproductive tactics, and intervals shorter in length than the period of obligate offspring dependancy are roughly equivalent biologically. This conclusion should apply to all "K-selected" species. For humans, minima at intervals of up to about 50 years may determine K for a population. I suggest that "arbitrary" preferences that limit population growth are in fact culturally selected traits that stabilize populations at Ks set by these minima. Cultural, rather than genetical, selection allows human populations to track relevant minima through environmental shifts such as ice ages.
Laparoscopic Enterocolostomy for Palliation of Malignant Bowel Obstruction

ABSTRACT A technique for laparoscopic palliative bypass of malignant small-bowel obstruction and its use in a patient are described.
Hybrid adaptive control of continuous time systems

In this note a method is presented for doing discrete adaptive control of continuous time systems. Rather than make the entire compensator discrete, the compensator is separated into a continuous time adjustable control structure and a discrete time adaptation mechanism for updating the controller parameters. The discrete adaptation algorithm which randomly samples filtered versions of the plant input and output signals, and periodically updates the controller parameters, is shown to produce a stable closed loop system for any average sampling rate.
Benchmarking renderscript: potential for energy efficient multi-core mobile devices

Multi-core System On Chips (SoCs) are playing a predominating role in smart phones and tablets. Unlike traditional multi-core desktops, mobile devices are restricted by the limited energy the batteries can buffer. It remains unclear whether it is energy efficient to adopt heterogeneous computing in multi-core mobile devices. In this paper, we evaluate mobile heterogeneous computing by benchmarking RenderScript, a high performance computing framework in Android system, using 6 selected benchmarks in the area of linear algebra, machine learning and image processing. For each benchmark, both the original version and the RenderScript heterogeneous version are implemented for the performance comparison. We make a thorough study of the performance in terms of computation speedup and power consumption on two smart phone platforms. Our results demonstrate that, compared with original implementation, the increase of computation speed ranges from 2 to 18 by using RenderScript while the power consumption overhead is capped by 75%. By adopting heterogeneous computing, the total energy required for executing the applications can be significantly reduced. Based on the benchmarking results, the potential for improving energy efficiency of multi-core mobile devices is discussed.
Elucidation of reactive wavepackets by two-dimensional resonance Raman spectroscopy

Traditional second-order kinetic theories fail to describe sub-picosecond photochemical reactions when solvation and vibrational dephasing undermine the assumption of equilibrium initial conditions. Four-wave mixing spectroscopies may reveal insights into such non-equilibrium processes but are limited by the single “population time” available in these types of experiments. Here, we use two-dimensional resonance Raman (2DRR) spectroscopy to expose correlations between coherent nuclear motions of the reactant and product in the photodissociation reaction of triiodide. It is shown that the transition of a nuclear wavepacket from the reactant (triiodide) to product (diiodide) states gives rise to a unique pattern of 2DRR resonances. Peaks associated with this coherent reaction mechanism are readily assigned, because they are isolated in particular quadrants of the 2DRR spectrum. A theoretical model in which the chemical reaction is treated as a vibronic coherence transfer transition from triiodide to diiodide reproduces the patterns of 2DRR resonances detected in experiments. These signal components reveal correlation between the nonequilibrium geometry of triiodide and the vibrational coherence frequency of diiodide. The 2DRR signatures of coherent reaction mechanisms established in this work may generalize to studies of ultrafast energy and charge transfer processes.
Real-time scheduling for software prototyping

This paper presents real-time scheduling methods supporting a prototyping language for embedded systems. Rapid prototyping of embedded systems can be accomplished using a Computer Aided Prototyping System (CAPS) and its associated Prototyping Language (PSDL) to aid the designer in handling hard real-time constraints. The prototyping language PSDL is designed based on the real-time model of CAPS. The language models time critical operations with maximum execution times, maximum response times, minimum or fixed periods, and deadlines. Timing constraints in PSDL are described along with scheduling algorithms relative to a series of hardware models used in the CAPS which includes multiprocessor configurations. >