cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamically consistent model calibration in chemical kinetics

The dynamics of biochemical reaction systems are constrained by the fundamental laws of thermodynamics, which impose well-defined relationships among the reaction rate constants characterizing these systems. Constructing biochemical reaction systems from experimental observations often leads to parameter values that do not satisfy the necessary thermodynamic constraints. This can result in models that are not physically realizable and may lead to inaccurate, or even erroneous, descriptions of cellular function. We introduce a thermodynamically consistent model calibration (TCMC) method that can be effectively used to provide thermodynamically feasible values for the parameters of an open biochemical reaction system. The proposed method formulates the model calibration problem as a constrained optimization problem that takes thermodynamic constraints (and, if desired, additional non-thermodynamic constraints) into account. By calculating thermodynamically feasible values for the kinetic parameters of a well-known model of the EGF/ERK signaling cascade, we demonstrate the qualitative and quantitative significance of imposing thermodynamic constraints on these parameters and the effectiveness of our method for accomplishing this important task. MATLAB software, using the Systems Biology Toolbox 2.1, can be accessed from http://www.cis.jhu.edu/~goutsias/CSS lab/software.html . An SBML file containing the thermodynamically feasible EGF/ERK signaling cascade model can be found in the BioModels database. TCMC is a simple and flexible method for obtaining physically plausible values for the kinetic parameters of open biochemical reaction systems. It can be effectively used to recalculate a thermodynamically consistent set of parameter values for existing thermodynamically infeasible biochemical reaction models of cellular function as well as to estimate thermodynamically feasible values for the parameters of new models. Furthermore, TCMC can provide dimensionality reduction, better estimation performance, and lower computational complexity, and can help to alleviate the problem of data overfitting.
A successful recruitment process of African American men for early detection of prostate cancer

Background. The Detroit Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data reports prostate cancer mortality rates that are two to three times higher for African American compared with white American men between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Several investigators believe this is a result of advanced presentation of the disease secondary to a lack of early detection participation. Attempts to recruit African American men into early-detection programs have been unsuccessful. A successful process by which to achieve this objective is presented. Methods. The Detroit Education and Early Detection (DEED) program is a community-based program involving the African American institutional church to attract African American men between the ages of 40 and 70 years. The program consists of culturally specific education to remove attitudinal and behavioral barriers to the health care system, to explain the anatomy and function of the prostate gland, and to discuss issues and early detection diagnostic methods for prostate cancer. Beginning in February 1993, the DEED program was instituted in the African American community. An outreach coordinator solicits church participation by contacting church leaders personally. Specifically, the program includes a self-administered behavioral questionnaire, education program given by African American physicians and prostate cancer survivors, and a prostate-specific antigen-driven screening diagnostic study. More than 90% of program staff participants in the program are African American. This is important to ensure trust in the program. Results. Early clinical results : More than 1000 men participated in DEED by the end of June 1994. The median age was 54.9 years, 8% of the men had prostate-specific antigen levels greater than 4 ng/ml, and the cancer detection rate was 2.5% for this young population. Conclusion. Education and early detection through local community institutions such as the church can attract African American men to prostate cancer screenings and help remove the barriers that have resulted in under-representation of this high-risk population in other early-detection efforts. Cancer 1995 ; 75 :1880-4.
Dietary zinc requirements of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, swim-up fry in soft and hard water☆

Abstract The minimum dietary zinc requirement of channel catfish swim-up fry was determined in soft ( 3 ) and hard (> 100 mg/l as CaCO 3 ) water. Purified egg-white diets supplemented with 0, 20, 40 or 80 mg Zn/kg were fed to swim-up fry for 6–8 weeks. Weight gain, whole-body ash, wholebody zinc and calcium, survival, mortality due to handling stress, and spinal deformities were determined. Channel catfish fry fed the basal diet in soft and hard water had decreased whole-body zinc levels and increased whole-body calcium levels. Fry in soft water generally had lower whole-body ash and calcium as well as a higher incidence of mortality and spinal deformities than fry in hard water. The minimum dietary zinc requirement of channel catfish fry grown in hard water was determined to be approximately 20 mg Zn/kg diet; whereas fry grown in soft water had a requirement between 20 and 40 mg Zn/kg diet. The greater zinc requirement of fry in soft water did not increase survival or decrease mortality from handling to the levels of fry reared in hard water. Results from this study indicate that environmental calcium interacts with dietary zinc and may influence growth, survival and tissue mineralization of channel catfish fry.
Quasilocalized sound excitations in disordered systems.

A theory of the low-frequency vibrational spectra in disordered systems is proposed and is based on accounting for small statistical fluctuations of the sound velocity. Long-range quasilocalized sound excitations of a circular nature are predicted. A circular excitation is localized during its lifetime inside an appropriate fluctuation that has the form of a thin tube bent into a ring. The density of states of such excitations estimated by the optimum fluctuation method depends exponentially on the frequency. The existence of a characteristic frequency is found at which the density of the quasilocalized states competes with that of phonons, providing a kind of anomaly in the total density of vibrational states. This frequency depends both on the correlation radius of the disorder and its amplitude. The theory predicts qualitatively a universal behavior of the density of vibrational states in various disordered systems possessing medium-range order.
Force or Friendship? Explaining Great Power Nonproliferation Policy

Why do great powers take such different approaches to the issue of nuclear proliferation? Why do states oppose nuclear proliferation more vigorously in some cases than in others? In short, what explains great power nonproliferation policy? To answer these questions, this article tests two competing theories of nonproliferation policy. The first, political relationship theory, suggests that states oppose nuclear proliferation to their enemies but are less concerned when friends acquire nuclear weapons. The second, power-projection theory, argues that states oppose the spread of nuclear weapons to states over which they have the ability to project military power because nuclear proliferation in those situations would constrain their military freedom of action. In contrast, states will be less likely to resist, and more likely to promote, nuclear proliferation to states against which they cannot use force. To test these hypotheses, this article uses evidence from great power nonproliferation policy from 1945...
Physical and genetic linkage of the genes encoding Ly-9 and CD48 on mouse and human chromosomes 1.

By virtue of sequence similarity, the genes encoding CD2, CD48, CD58, and Ly-9 have been assigned to a distinct subset within the immunoglobulin superfamily. Previous gene mapping studies in human and mouse have suggested that CD2, CD48, and CD58 arose by gene duplication. Here we show the gene encoding Ly-9 to be located adjacent to CD48 and the Na,K-ATPase α2 subunit gene on human and mouse chromosome 1. The proximity in human and mouse genomes of the genes encoding CD2, CD58, and the Na,K-ATPase α1 subunit, and of the Ly-9, CD48, and the Na,K-ATPase α2 subunit genes may be explained by the occurence of two, successive duplication events during vertebrate evolution, and suggest that Ly-9 may also participate in adhesion reactions between T lymphocytes and accessory cells by homophilic interaction.
The Adolescent Violence Survey A Psychometric Analysis

The research on youth violence and its prevention has been hampered by the lack of adequate scales to measure violence. The Adolescent Violence Survey was designed to fill that need. The Survey provides a 41-item violence scale with six subscales. The psychometric properties of the Survey were investigated in a sample of 1374 8th and 9th graders in a central US city of moderate size. The broader violence scale had an internal consistency of .95 (Cronbach's alpha) and a testretest reliability of .91 (Pearson r) over a 1-week period. Subscales include severe menacing, menacing language, inventive violence, common violence, impulsive violence, and passive aggression. All subscales were found to have stable factor structures, high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and approximately normal distributions. Demographic variables, violence-related attitudes, and broader patterns of delinquency explained 69 percent of the variance in the violence composite in a stepwise multiple reg...
Comparison of equations describing mass transfer in packed beds

Abstract The first sixt moments are given for four equations commonly used to describe mass transfer in packed beds. In each case the first ordinary moments is found to be independent of the mechanism of mass transfer. The skewness and kurtosis vary as N 1 2 , respectively, where N is the number of theoretical plates. For a sufficiently large number of theoretical plates all models converge to a Gaussian curve
Practical applications of beam's eye view-based treatment planning to head and neck sites

Abstract Because of the complex anatomy of the structures involved by tumor as well as of the critical normal structures, treatment planning for advanced or spatially irregular cancers of head and neck sites is often extremely challenging. Computerized axial tomographic scanning is frequently invaluable in delineating tumor extension into areas inaccessible to physical examination. Our Beam's Eye View Planning (BEVP) capability allows us to incorporate this radiographic information accurately into actual plans used in the clinic. Over the past 22 years, we have applied this technique to 31 selected head and neck cancer patients at Michael Reese/University of Chicago Center for Radiation Therapy. Tumors were chosen on the basis of anatomical complexity: most involved multiple head and neck sites including orbit, skull base, paranasal sinuses and cavernous sinus. In all cases, radiation tolerance of critical normal structures including spinal cord, brain stem, optic chiasm, and eye had to be considered. With careful use of rigid immobilization devices and the outlining of several normal structures for purposes of alignment, we had no difficulty applying our BEVP technique to clinical simulations. Oblique field blocking was especially facilitated by BEVP. We found the BEVP technique very useful to assure that tumor coverage was adequate and tolerance of normal tissues not exceeded.
The Scaled Shield Low-Pass Filter

The circuit model recently developed for a shield shows that a typical shield passing signals up to the order of 100 Hz could be scaled to pass frequencies up to 100 MHz. The theory whereby this could be done for transformers from loosely to tightly coupled is developed herein. The theory has been verified for the loosely coupled transformer at frequencies from 100 Hz to 1 MHz, and for a moderately coupled transformer at 24 MHz. Design information is provided.
Plasma carboxypeptidase N, subunits and characteristics.

Abstract Subunits of human plasma carboxypeptidase N, the enzyme that cleaves kinins and anaphylatoxins, were separated in gel filtration and in disc gel electrophoresis. During storage, the activity of the separated heavy (Mr 98,000) and light (Mr 42,000) subunits increased, while the native enzyme disappeared. Carboxypeptidase N is more stable at 37 °C in native than in dissociated form. A carboxypeptidase having about the same molecular weight as the light subunit of human plasma enzyme was purified from homogenized hog liver by using affinity chromatography. Affinity chromatography was also applied to concentrate a carboxypeptidase from hog plasma. The substrate specificity of human carboxypeptidase N was studied with 12 peptide and 1 ester substrates. Although carboxypeptidase N cleaved C-terminal lysine faster than arginine, alanine in the penultimate position increased the rate of hydrolysis of C-terminal arginine.
Colon cancer screening update and management of the malignant polyp

Colorectal carcinoma is common, but screening for this cancer has found less acceptance with the public than screening for breast, prostate, and cervical cancer. Available methods include fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs), flexible sigmoidoscopy (FOS), double-contrast barium enema, colonoscopy, computed tomographic colography, and fecal DNA. Evaluation of these options demonstrates that colonoscopy at ages 55 and 65 offers the best combination of reduction in colorectal cancer at the lowest cost. However, when compliance with screening recommendations is very high, costs are high, and the proportion of cancers arising from adenomas is low, the combination of FOS and FOBT is most cost effective. Malignant polyps look friable and irregular and feel hard. Sessile malignant polyps need to be treated by formal resection. Patients with pedunculated polyps with favorable histology (clear margin, well or moderately differentiated, no lymphovascular invasion) can be observed, and those whose polyps show unfavorable histology should have the polyp-bearing segment of colon resected along with its draining lymph nodes.
STUDIES ON BACTERIAL LOCALIZATION EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC IMMUNIZATION AND OF A GUM ACACIA MEDIUM ON LOCALIZATION OF TYPE I PNEUMOCOCCI IN MICE

The results of gross and microscopic observations and survival tests after subcutaneous infection of mice with Type I pneumococci can be summarized as follows: Normal mice possessed no adequate means of protection against this organism. The bacteria disseminated freely through the tissue spaces in the presence of widespread inflammation, and were not ingested by significant numbers of host cells. Macrophages mobilized in the subcutis by intraperitoneal vaccinations with homologous killed organisms promptly ingested the living bacteria subsequently introduced. The cocci were sharply localized and destroyed in the presence of minimal amounts of exudation, edema and necrosis. Bacterial localization accompanied a similar hypoergic reaction after passive immunization. When a hyperergic response was induced by repeated local, in addition to intraperitoneal, vaccinations, prompt phagocytosis by macrophages, as after intraperitoneal vaccination alone, was again the outstanding means of disposal of the organisms. The heightened exudation, edema and local necrosis resembled a harmful rather than an important localizing reaction. Immunity was not dependent upon a hyperergic reaction. Prompt in vivo agglutination of living bacteria after passive immunization was an important early localizing phenomenon. After either active or passive immunization, phagocytosis was the only means observed by which the organisms were destroyed. Thus localization and destruction of the bacteria in immunized mice were dependent both on bacterial changes caused by specific antibody and on phagocytic activities of host cells. A viscous gum acacia medium caused a transient delay in bacterial dissemination, but the organisms ultimately became widely scattered in the tissues of the abdominal wall. The animals died earlier, with more extensive and destructive lesions than when the bacteria were introduced in a saline medium. In distinct contrast, the pneumococci were as a rule sharply localized and destroyed when injected in an acacia medium containing a small amount of immune serum. After local active immunization, sufficient to protect about half the animals subsequently infected by pneumococci in a saline medium, extensive and destructive lesions and death of the mice followed introduction of the organisms in acacia. It was suggested that the more viscous medium may have hindered diffusion of immune bodies from the tissues into the inoculum.
Spliceostatin hemiketal biosynthesis in Burkholderia spp. is catalyzed by an iron/α-ketoglutarate–dependent dioxygenase

Spliceostatins are potent spliceosome inhibitors biosynthesized by a hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase−polyketide synthase (NRPS−PKS) system of the trans -acyl transferase (AT) type. Burkholderia sp. FERM BP-3421 produces hemiketal spliceostatins, such as FR901464, as well as analogs containing a terminal carboxylic acid. We provide genetic and biochemical evidence for hemiketal biosynthesis by oxidative decarboxylation rather than the previously hypothesized Baeyer–Villiger oxidative release postulated to be catalyzed by a flavin-dependent monooxygenase (FMO) activity internal to the last module of the PKS. Inactivation of Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate–dependent dioxygenase gene fr9P led to loss of hemiketal congeners, whereas the mutant was still able to produce all major carboxylic acid-type compounds. FMO mutants, on the other hand, produced both hemiketal and carboxylic acid analogs containing an exocyclic methylene instead of an epoxide, indicating that the FMO is involved in epoxidation rather than Baeyer–Villiger oxidation. Moreover, recombinant Fr9P enzyme was shown to catalyze hydroxylation to form β-hydroxy acids, which upon decarboxylation led to hemiketal FR901464. Finally, a third oxygenase activity encoded in the biosynthetic gene cluster, the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase Fr9R, was assigned as a 4-hydroxylase based on gene inactivation results. Identification and deletion of the gene involved in hemiketal formation allowed us to generate a strain—the dioxygenase fr9P − mutant—that accumulates only the carboxylic acid-type spliceostatins, which are as potent as the hemiketal analogs, when derivatized to increase cell permeability, but are chemically more stable.
Effect of normalization and phase angle calculations on continuous relative phase

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if phase plot normalization and phase angle definitions would have an affect on continuous relative phase calculations. A subject ran on a treadmill while sagittal plane kinematic data were collected with a high-speed (180 Hz) camera. Segmental angular displacements and velocities were used to create phase plots, and examine the coordination between the leg and thigh. Continuous relative phase was calculated with a combination of two different amplitude normalization techniques, and two different phase angle definitions. Differences between the techniques were noted with a root mean square (RMS) calculation. RMS values indicated that there were differences in the configuration of the non-normalized and normalized continuous relative phase curves. Graphically and numerically, it was noted that normalization tended to modify the continuous relative phase curve configuration. Differences in continuous relative phase curves were due to a loss in the aspect ratio of the phase plot during normalization. Normalization tended to neglect the nonlinear forces acting on the system since it did not maintain the aspect ratio of the phase plot. Normalization is not necessary because the arc tangent function accounts for differences in amplitudes between the segments. RMS values indicated that there were profound differences in the continuous relative phase curve when the phase angle was normalized and a phase angle was calculated relative to the right horizontal axis.
Comparison of left ventricular function and contractile reserve after successful recanalization by thrombolysis versus rescue percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract To determine how coronary reperfusion affects rest and exercise ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 63 patients with a patent infarct artery after intravenous thrombolytic therapy (lysis) were compared with 27 patients who failed thrombolysis but had successful acute recanalization by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) as a “rescue” procedure. Contrast ventriculography was performed acutely and on day 7. Resting radionuclide ventriculography was performed at 24 hours and repeated with exercise on day 30. There were no differences in global ejection fraction (EF) between the 2 groups during acute contrast ventriculography. However, by 24 hours, the EF had deteriorated in the rescue group (40 ± 17 vs 49 ± 11% in the lysis group, p ≤ 0.05). No improvement occurred in either group on day 7. By day 30, an improvement in resting radionuclide EF 5.9 ± 1.9% occurred in rescue patients and the difference between rescue and lysis groups was no longer significant (46 ± 14 vs 50 ± 11%, p = 0.12). A normal (≥ 5%) increase in EF with exercise occurred in 64%, with either normal or exercise-enhanced regional wall motion present in 67% of patients. A significant increase in EF occurred within the rescue group, from 46 ± 14% at rest to 50 ± 15% at peak exercise (p ≤ 0.0005). The EF increased with exercise from 50 ± 11 to 58 ± 15% in the lysis group (p ≤ 0.0001). With equivalent workloads, the lysis group had a significantly greater EF response to exercise compared with rescue patients (7.5 ± 7.5 vs 3.8 ± 4.7%, p
Oviposition and Development of Megastigmus spermotrophus (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) in Unfertilized Douglas-Fir Seed

An exclusion study was done in Oregon to determine the incidence of Megastigmus spermotrophus Wachtl in unfertilized Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco, seed. Larvae were detected in seeds of cones, from which pollen was excluded, from all 14 test trees. Damage ranged from 6-79% in unfertilized seeds, compared with 14-72% in control cones. Females were unable to distinguish between fertilized and unfertilized seeds for most or all of their oviposition period. Unfertilized seeds contained sufficient nutrition for larval development and adult emergence. Future evaluations of chalcid effects on seed yields should recognize that some proportion of the seeds infested would have been empty at maturation.
Vaccines and changes in coagulation parameters in adults on chronic warfarin therapy: a cohort study.

Purpose Warfarin is commonly used among patients who receive influenza, pneumococcal, and tetanus and diphtheria toxoid vaccines, and persons on warfarin therapy may also receive Hepatitis A vaccine. There has been concern that vaccinations could potentially alter coagulation parameters in patients on warfarin therapy. We sought to determine whether vaccinations are associated with changes in International Normalized Ratio (INR) in persons on long-term warfarin therapy. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 5167 members of Group Health, a health maintenance organization (HMO) in western Washington State, who were aged 18 years and older and who were on stable long-term warfarin therapy between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 2003. We made within-person comparisons between mean INR values in the 28 days after receipt of influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus, or hepatitis A vaccine versus mean INR values during other times. Results Receipt of influenza vaccine was not associated with a change in INR value (mean change, 0.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.01 to 0.03); similar results were observed for pneumococcal (mean change 0.01; 95%CI −0.07 to 0.09), tetanus (mean change 0.03; 95%CI −0.03 to 0.10), and hepatitis A vaccines (mean change 0.03; 95%CI −0.10 to 0.14). Conclusions Our results do not suggest that vaccinations lead to clinically significant alterations in coagulation measures among adults on chronic warfarin therapy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reactivity, Stored Energy, and Dislocations in Solid-Solid Reacting Systems

ABSTRACT Strong neutron bombardment of graphite can displace many atoms from their lattice positions; many of the dislocated atoms do not anneal during the irradiation process and the net result is an increase of internal energy of the graphite. This increase is usually referred to as stored energy, or in the older literature this phenomenon is sometimes called the total Wigner energy. In addition to irradiation, mechanical milling, decomposition, precipitation, reduction of chemical compounds, and condensation of metal vapors can also produce stored energy in powders. The stored energy associated with defects in solids is an important aspect of the nature of the defects and the processes that produce them. It has been shown experimentally that stored energy results in a large increase of reactivity of the solid materials, and the spontaneous release of the energy in an inert atmosphere can lead to a large temperature rise. This short communication reports on several typical features of stored energy and ...
An analysis of the cell walls of Penicillium chrysogenum.

Abstract Purified preparations of cell walls have been made from Penicillium chrysogenum . The sugar constituents of the preparations were identified by chromatography as mannose, galactose, glucosamine, glucose, xylose, and rhamnose and were found in the approximate molar ratios of 1:3:4.5:9:0.5:0.5. Fractionation with alkali and acid indicated that the walls have at least two chemically distinct layers. An explanation for some of the contradictions of earlier work is advanced.
Aerobic and anaerobic bacteriology of acute otitis media in children.

Tympanocentesis and aerobic and anaerobic cultivation of the middle-ear fluid obtained was performed through one or both tympanic membranes of 62 children with acute otitis media. Aerobic bacteria alone, predominantly pneumococcus and Hemophilus influenzae , were isolated from 57% of patients; anaerobic organisms alone, most commonly Propionibacterium acnes and Peptococcus , from 15%. Thirteen percent yielded mixtures of aerobes and anaerobes, and several had multiple aerobic or anaerobic agents. The isolation of only anaerobic bacteria, supported in some patients by gram-stain observations of middle-ear fluid, suggest that these bacteria, especially Peptococcus , may occasionally play a direct role in acute otitis media.
The art of letting go: creating dispossession paths toward an unextended self

This paper describes a collaborative art/research project that afforded individuals who have difficulty letting go of objects the opportunity to give up meaningful possessions so that objects could take on new meanings, immortalized in the art form, such as photographic exhibitions, sculptures, and collages. Written stories accompanying the donation of these objects revealed these objects' strong attachments to self. Findings reveal that the psychological and emotional dispossession of objects was aided by two interrelated sub-processes: (1) reconciling alienable/inalienable properties of possessions through disposition practices and (2) negotiating self-identity incongruities in relation to material possession attachments. Art became a catalyst for a positive dispossession experience, which in turn promoted consumer's goals toward an unextended self. Instead of becoming de-constituted, alienable rubbish, or re-commoditized objects in material markets, these possessions were reconstituted by undergoing a ...
Anomalous threshold, confinement, and an essential singularity in the heavy-light form factor

The analytic behavior of the heavy-light meson form factor is investigated using several relativistic examples including unconfined, weakly confined, and strongly confined mesons. It is observed that confinement erases the anomalous threshold singularity and also induces an essential singularity at the normal annihilation threshold. In the weak confinement limit, the would-be anomalous threshold contribution is identical to that of the real singularity on its spacelike side.
Rho GTPase signaling in inflammation and transformation.

Intracellular Rho GTPases provide an important regulatory mechanism to connect cell-surface-generated signals with the nucleus. By cycling between the active (guanosine 5′-triphosphate [GTP]) and inactive (guanosine 5′-diphosphate) state, these GTP-binding proteins control cellular functions ranging from dynamic actin remodeling and activation of transcription factors to cell-cycle progression and cellular transformation. Their contribution to these very diverse processes makes them an essential part of cell movement, growth, and apoptosis. Upstream regulatory mechanisms, as well as a variety of downstream effector molecules, enable Rho GTPases to act in a specific, orchestrated manner, dictating cellular responses. In this article, I review my laboratory's work centering on the goal of determining how specificity in intracellular signaling is achieved and identifying molecular mechanisms of Rho GTPase-mediated processes in innate immune and transformed cells.
Locally correlated activity in the goldfish tectum in the absence of optic innervation.

Abstract Despite a substantial literature on the role of correlated presynaptic activity in the patterning of nerve connections during synaptogenesis in the central nervous system, few studies have focused on postsynaptic activity during this process. To address the possibility that the target exhibits correlated activity independently of presynaptic activity, extracellular activity was recorded from the main optic innervation layer stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale (SFGS) in goldfish in which the optic nerve was crushed or the eye removed. At about 2 weeks after denervation, multiunit recordings revealed phasic temporally correlated discharge between different tectal units. Auto-correlation analysis of these trains showed a broad peak 75–100 ms wide confirming temporal correlation. Using cross-correlation analysis of two simultaneous recordings at different distances across tectum, this correlation was shown to be local. Strong positive correlations were detected over about 200 μm and decrease with greater distances disappearing beyond about 400 μm. These correlograms showed a broad symmetrical peak about 75–100 ms wide. This pattern of activity persisted from the day following nerve crush into the period of activity dependent reinnervation at 1 month. When the eye was removed, the pattern could be demonstrated for up to 3 months of denervation indicating the circuitry responsible for the correlated activity was quite stable in the absence of optic innervation. We conclude that tectal elements are capable of locally correlated discharge independently of optic innervation. We propose that locally correlated discharge represents cooperative groups of tectal cells and that these groups, rather than single cells, are the target of the activity dependent synaptic rearrangement such as ocular dominance columns which occurs during synaptogenesis.
Same-sign dileptons from colored scalars in the flavorful top-coloron model

In this paper we study the phenomenology of color-octet and color-singlet scalars in the flavorful top-coloron model. We discuss the relevant production mechanisms at hadron colliders and the dominant decay modes, highlighting the most promising signatures for discovery, and derive bounds on the masses of the new scalars from LHC and Tevatron data. Of particular interest is the case in which color-octet scalars are pair produced and each decay to $t\overline{c}$ or $\overline{t}c$, leading to a same-sign dilepton final state. LHC data places a lower limit of 440 GeV on the octet mass in this scenario. The case of an octet lighter than the top, where the octet only decays into jets, has been tested by the Tevatron, which excludes the mass region from 50 to 125 GeV. The 8 TeV LHC is not yet sensitive to the observation of the color-singlet states, which are produced at rates much smaller than the octets. Nevertheless, the color-singlet pseudoscalar can be discovered at the 14 TeV LHC by analyzing the channel where it is produced from the decay of a color-octet vector boson.
Metabolism of symmetrical hexachlorobiphenyl isomers in the rat.

The excretion and metabolism of four symmetrical hexachlorobiphenyl [14C] isomers 2,3,5,2′,3′,5′-hexa-; 2,3,6,2′,3′,6′-hexa-; 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-hexa-; and 2,4,6,2′,4′,6′-hexachlorobiphenyl, have been studied in the rat. Excretion of these hexachlorobiphenyl prior to metabolism to more polar compounds was negligible. Of the four isomers studied, the three which do not have vicinal unsubstituted carbon atoms were metabolized and excreted quite slowly. One isomer, 2,3,6,2′,3′,6′-hexachlorobiphenyl, which does have vicinal unsubstituted carbon atoms, was rapidly metabolized and excreted. The results indicate that the rate of metabolism and excretion of these hexachlorobiphenyl isomers depends on the position rather than the degree of chlorine substitution on the biphenyl ring. Metabolites of these hexachlorobiphenyl isomers were isolated from rat feces and identified by comparison of their mass and NMR spectral and chromatographic properties with synthetic metabolites. The hexachlorobiphenyl metabolites showed evidence of dechlorination, chlorine shifts, and possible metabolism via the direct insertion of a hydroxyl group. The nature of the metabolites of these hexachlorobiphenyl isomers strongly supports the intermediacy of an arene oxide as the predominant mechanism of PCB metabolism. Metabolism by direct insertion of a hydroxyl group is of importance only in the absence of vicinal unsubstituted carbon atoms and is facilitated by the presence of unchlorinated meta positions.
Perinatal complications among different Asian-American subgroups

Objective This study was undertaken to investigate the differences in perinatal outcomes among Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women. Study design A retrospective cohort study of all Japanese, Chinese, and Filipina women who delivered at University of California, San Francisco from 1985 to 2001 examined the incidence of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery. Results Among the 6511 women delivered during the study period, the incidence of preeclampsia was highest among Filipina women (6.8%) compared with the Chinese and Japanese women (4.0% and 3.7%, respectively, P P = .013). Preterm delivery was also highest among Filipina women both before 37 weeks (12.2%, P P = .004). These differences remained statistically significant after controlling for potential confounding variables. Conclusion We found significant differences in rates of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery in the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino subgroups. In studies of race and ethnicity, it is important to examine Asian subgroups separately.
Re-placing faith: reconsidering the secular-religious use divide in the United States and Kenya

In this paper, we report on design-oriented fieldwork and design research conducted over a six-month period in urban centers in the United States and Kenya. The contributions of this work for the CHI/CSCW community are empirical and methodological. First, we describe how recent design discourse around "designing technology for religion" creates an artificial distinction between instrumental and religious ICT use, particularly in developing regions. As illustrative examples, we relate three themes developed in the course of our fieldwork, which we term mindfulness, watchfulness, and embeddedness, to both "secular" and "religious" aspects of life in the communities studied. Second, we make a methodological contribution by describing how we used design sketches of speculative design concepts to extend and complement our fieldwork. By producing these sketches and soliciting feedback, we elicited additional data about how participants viewed the relationship between religion and ICT and prompted self-reflection on our own ideas.
Present-day risk assessment would have predicted the extinction of the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)

The precipitous decline and extinction of the passenger pigeon one century ago helped galvanize implementation of national policies and international cooperation on wildlife management. Having a clear understanding of past conservation failures will aid in preventing future unanticipated extinctions. Simulations from a population model developed for this species indicate that while habitat loss contributed to decline, the main cause of the extinction was an unregulated commercial harvest. Hindcast application of the IUCN’s Red Listing criteria to modeled population trajectories show that the species would have been listed as threatened for decades prior to extinction had the data and risk-assessment methods been available. Abundant populations can belie indicators of extinction-risk such as a high rate of population decline. Listing species as threatened based solely on rates of decline remains controversial; however this study demonstrates that this risk-indicator may have been the sole means by which the risk to the passenger pigeon could have been detected early enough for effective conservation measures.
RELATION BETWEEN SPORTS CONTEXT, COMPETITIVE TRAIT ANXIETY, PERCEIVED ABILITY, AND SELF-PRESENTATION CONFIDENCE

This study examined the relations among athletic context, i.e., team-sport versus individual-sport, competitive trait anxiety, perceived ability, and self-presentation confidence for 62 men and 34 women athletes. The analyses showed that the athletic context is associated with variations in competitive trait anxiety and self-presentation confidence; however, no main effect or interaction was noted for perceived ability. Results support the notion that aspects of the sports context are significantly related to various precompetitive cognitions.
Studies of restricted diffusion in heterogeneous media containing variations in susceptibility.

Measurements of water self-diffusion in heterogeneous media by pulsed gradient spin-echo methods depend on the precise choice of experimental parameters. This variation may reflect the presence of restricted or anisotropic diffusion, or the presence of intrinsic magnetic field gradients. In experiments at 2.0 T, restricted diffusion effects have been demonstrated in freshly excised tissues with an effective barrier radius of order 10 μm. In samples with intrinsic susceptibility variations such as tissues or gels containing dispersions of iron oxide particles, the reduction of apparent diffusion coefficient with diffusion interval can be used to estimate the degree of heterogeneity of the magnetic field in the sample. The implications of these effects for diffusion-weighted MRI as well as their use to derive novel tissue parameters are discussed. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Structural aspects of cesium ion selectivity by tetrabenzo-24-crown-8

Abstract The structural origins of the selectivity of the cesium ion over other alkali metal ions by tetrabenzo-24-crown-8 are investigated using molecular mechanics and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The structures containing Cs+ and Rb+ are the first reported for these ions with any 24-crown-8 ether. The same crown conformation is observed for Cs+, Rb+ and acetonitrile as guests, suggesting that this binding conformation is relatively low energy and inflexible. A different, higher energy, crown conformation is observed in the Na+ structure.
Alpha-like rhythmical activity of the temporal lobe

In addition to the classical posterior alpha rhythm and Rolandic mu rhythm, a third type of rhythmical activity in alpha- (or sub-alpha-) frequency can be recorded over the temporal lobe and especially over the midtemporal region. This rhythm usually escapes detection in the scalp EEG but is commonly seen over bone defects ("breach rhythm"). With the use of epidural electrodes, however, this rhythm becomes quite prominent and dominates the activity of the temporal lobe unless there is excessive local EEG abnormality and/or pathology. This temporal rhythm lies in the range of 6-11/sec and thus often extends into the theta frequency range. There is no proven blocking effect; this mere fact sets it apart from posterior alpha and Rolandic mu rhythm. It is essentially a rhythm of the waking state but may linger into drowsiness and even into light NREM sleep. It is also separable from the highly controversial frontotemporal "kappa rhythm" of bygone times. EEG recordings from the depth of the temporal lobe (limbic structures) do not demonstrate such a rhythm that is likely to originate from the neocortical portion. Its neurophysiological and psychophysiological significance is enigmatic.
Antes del Diseño

La practica profesional del diseno esta sometida a una dispersion que dificulta la reflexion sobre ella misma. Y la ensenanza universitaria se ha convertido en gran parte en una practica mas. De este modo la ausencia de una reflexion radical, anterior en el tiempo (revision de la historia) y anterior en el metodo (pensar antes de hacer), puede convertirse en un colaboracionismo amoral con todo tipo de catastrofe intelectual y sociopolitica. La perspectiva aqui adoptada proviene de una toma de posicion, tambien previa, a lo que a veces se toma como cientifico. Frente a un estado de cosas dificil de cambiar, cabe asumirlo tal cual y reducirse a un papel instrumental (antipolitico), o reflexionar. Y ese seria el papel politico de la Universidad.
Preparation of Zirconia‐Alumina Powders by Zirconium Alkoxide Hydrolysis

Zirconia-alumina powders were prepared by controlled hydrolysis of zirconium propoxide in a dispersion of a-alumina powder in anhydrous 100% ethanol. Transmission electron micrographs show a “fluffy” zirconia coating on the alumina particles. Chemical analyses by four methods demonstrated that the procedure is reproducible and introduces only low impurity levels.
Making Progress in the General Curriculum: Rethinking Effective Instructional Practices.

Research strongly supports including students with extensive support needs in general education settings and providing them access to the general curriculum. Yet, there is limited research indicati...
Effects of maternal tobacco-smoke exposure on fetal growth and neonatal size

Exposure to tobacco smoke, through both active and passive measures, has a significant impact on women's health, including effects on the cardiovascular, pulmonary and reproductive systems. Of particular interest is the effect of smoking on pregnancy outcomes. One crucial outcome that has been linked to the subsequent development of both neonatal and adult disease is intrauterine or fetal growth restriction. In this article, we will summarize the effects of smoking on newborn size and fetal growth. We will review evidence showing that tobacco consumption during pregnancy leads to a reduction in birthweight, largely through affecting specific anthropometric measures and newborn body composition. We will highlight the role of genetic susceptibility to these effects and discuss how smoking cessation prior to the third trimester results in a reduction in the risk of fetal growth restriction.
Effect of a new phosphodiesterase type III inhibitor as a coronary vasodilator and positive inotropic agent

Isolated rabbit coronary arteries, aortic strips, and a working rabbit heart preparation were used to assess the positive inotropic and vasodilator effects of a newly developed positive inotropic compound, CI 914. The substance had a relaxing effect on histamine preconstricted coronary arteries and aortic strips. At concentrations of 10−4 mol·litre−1 the relaxing effect on the coronary arteries was significant only at a histamine concentration of 3 × 10−4 mol·litre−1 (p<0.01) whereas at a concentration of 10−3 mol·litre−1 the relaxing effect was significant at histamine concentrations of from 3 × 10−5 mol·litre−1 to 3 × 10−4 mol·litre−1. Aortic strips were more sensitive to the relaxing effect of CI 914, which was significant with 10−4 mol·litre−1 at histamine concentrations of 3 × 10−6 to 3 × 10−4 (p<0.05 top <0.01). In the isolated working heart preparation topically sprayed histamine significantly increased total and large coronary artery resistances (p<0.001 and p<.01). This effect was significantly reduced (p<0.01 and p<0.02) when CI 914 10−4 mol·litre−1 was present in the perfusion fluid. These findings show that the phosphodiesterase inhibitor CI 914, a positive inotropic agent, induces vasodilatation in isolated coronary arteries and aortic strips of the rabbit and reduces the constriction of coronary arteries induced by histamine in the isolated working rabbit heart preparation.
Phase stability of thermal barrier coatings made from 8 wt.% yttria stabilized zirconia: A technical note

In summary, the phase stability in plasma sprayed 8 wt.% PSZ coatings with a porous and cracked microstructure were studied for times of up to 10 000 h at temperatures of 982 °C, 1204 °C, and 1315 °C. The two coatings behaved similarly and exhibited minimal change in the monoclinic content at exposures of 982 °C, while exposures at 1204 °C and 1315 °C resulted in increasing amounts of monoclinic phase versus time; the monoclinic phase reached a maximum of 40% at longer time exposures at the highest temperature as predicted by the phase diagram.
Infrared spectral studies of the reaction of KMnO4 in a KI disk

Abstract The reaction of KMnO 4 in KI disks was found to involve the immediate formation of IO 4 − , which is converted to IO 3 − and other products on heating at 110°. Formation of the IO 3 − occurred by reaction of IO 4 − ions in the matrix.
Virulence Phenotypes of Legionella pneumophila Associated with Noncoding RNA lpr0035

The Philadelphia-1 strain of Legionella pneumophila, the causative organism of Legionnaires' disease, contains a recently discovered noncoding RNA, lpr0035. lpr0035 straddles the 5′ chromosomal junction of a 45-kbp mobile genetic element, pLP45, which can exist as an episome or integrated in the bacterial chromosome. A 121-bp deletion was introduced in strain JR32, a Philadelphia-1 derivative. The deletion inactivated lpr0035, removed the 49-bp direct repeat at the 5′ junction of pLP45, and locked pLP45 in the chromosome. Intracellular multiplication of the deletion mutant was decreased by nearly 3 orders of magnitude in Acanthamoeba castellanii amoebae and nearly 2 orders of magnitude in J774 mouse macrophages. Entry of the deletion mutant into amoebae and macrophages was decreased by >70%. The level of entry in both hosts was restored to that in strain JR32 by plasmid copies of two open reading frames immediately downstream of the 5′ junction and plasmid lpr0035 driven by its endogenous promoter. When induced from a tac promoter, plasmid lpr0035 completely reversed the intracellular multiplication defect in macrophages but was without effect in amoebae. These data are the first evidence of a role for noncoding RNA lpr0035, which has homologs in six other Legionella genomes, in entry of L. pneumophila into amoebae and macrophages and in host-specific intracellular multiplication. The data also demonstrate that deletion of a direct-repeat sequence restricts the mobility of pLP45 and is a means of studying the role of pLP45 mobility in Legionella virulence phenotypes.
Atrial fibrillation in mainland China: epidemiology and current management

With the economic development of China, research in atrial fibrillation has improved progressively, but due to a lack of international communication, many significant achievements have not been widely recognised. A brief overview of epidemiology, current therapy and research on atrial fibrillation in mainland China is provided. Chinese electrophysiologists would like to contribute more to international research in cardiac electrophysiology.