cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flaxseed Increases Animal Lifespan and Reduces Ovarian Cancer Severity by Toxically Augmenting One-Carbon Metabolism.

We used an LC-MS/MS metabolomics approach to investigate one-carbon metabolism in the plasma of flaxseed-fed White Leghorn laying hens (aged 3.5 years). In our study, dietary flaxseed (via the activity of a vitamin B6 antagonist known as “1-amino d-proline”) induced at least 15-fold elevated plasma cystathionine. Surprisingly, plasma homocysteine (Hcy) was stable in flaxseed-fed hens despite such highly elevated cystathionine. To explain stable Hcy, our data suggest accelerated Hcy remethylation via BHMT and MS-B12. Also supporting accelerated Hcy remethylation, we observed elevated S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), an elevated SAM:SAH ratio, and elevated methylthioadenosine (MTA), in flaxseed-fed hens. These results suggest that flaxseed increases SAM biosynthesis and possibly increases polyamine biosynthesis. The following endpoint phenotypes were observed in hens consuming flaxseed: decreased physiological aging, increased empirical lifespan, 9–14% reduced body mass, and improved liver function. Overall, we suggest that flaxseed can protect women from ovarian tumor metastasis by decreasing omental adiposity. We also propose that flaxseed protects cancer patients from cancer-associated cachexia by enhancing liver function.
Association of Public Health Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic With the Incidence of Infectious Conjunctivitis.

Importance: Infectious conjunctivitis is highly transmissible and a public health concern. While mitigation strategies have been successful on a local level, population-wide decreases in spread are rare. Objective: To evaluate whether internet search interest and emergency department visits for infectious conjunctivitis were associated with public health interventions adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants: Internet search data from the US and emergency department data from a single academic center in the US were used in this study. Publicly available smartphone mobility data were temporally aligned to quantify social distancing. Internet search term trends for nonallergic conjunctivitis, corneal abrasions, and posterior vitreous detachments were obtained. Additionally, all patients who presented to a single emergency department from February 2015 to February 2021 were included in a review. Physician notes for emergency department visits at a single academic center with the same diagnoses were extracted. Causal inference was performed using a bayesian structural time-series model. Data were compared from before and after April 2020, when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended members of the public wear masks, stay at least 6 feet from others who did not reside in the same home, avoid crowds, and quarantine if experiencing flulike symptoms or exposure to persons with COVID-19 symptoms. Exposures: Symptoms of or interest in conjunctivitis in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Main Outcome and Measures: The hypothesis was that there would be a decrease in internet search interest and emergency department visits for infectious conjunctivitis after the adaptation of public health measures targeted to curb COVID-19. Results: A total of 1156 emergency department encounters with a diagnosis of conjunctivitis were noted from January 2015 to February 2021. Emergency department encounters for nonallergic conjunctivitis decreased by 37.3% (95% CI, -12.9% to -60.6%; P < .001). In contrast, encounters for corneal abrasion (1.1% [95% CI, -29.3% to 29.1%]; P = .47) and posterior vitreous detachments (7.9% [95% CI, -46.9% to 66.6%]; P = .39) remained stable after adjusting for total emergency department encounters. Search interest in conjunctivitis decreased by 34.2% (95% CI, -30.6% to -37.6%; P < .001) after widespread implementation of public health interventions to mitigate COVID-19. Conclusions and Relevance: Public health interventions, such as social distancing, increased emphasis on hygiene, and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, were associated with decreased search interest in nonallergic conjunctivitis and conjunctivitis-associated emergency department encounters. Mobility data may provide novel metrics of social distancing. These data provide evidence of a sustained population-wide decrease in infectious conjunctivitis.
Presidential Signing Statements, Executive Orders and Congressional Oversight

Signing statements and executive orders are generally viewed as tools of unilateral presidential action. As unilateral actions allow presidents to redirect policy implementation, congressional committees can use presidential directives to guide their own oversight activities. We develop a spatial model and empirical test of congressional response to presidential unilateral actions. The multidimensionality of legislation provides opportunities for presidents to take unilateral actions in specific policy areas to make pareto improvements. These pareto improvements trade policy gains on some dimensions with losses on others. As a result, legislators resist some but not all unilateral actions through ex-post oversight activity. Our empirical analysis focuses on congressional reactions to unilateral presidential actions from 1997 to 2010. We use a multilevel, mixed-effects OLS regression with varying slopes and intercepts to investigate the conditions yielding greater oversight activity. The results show that issue-specific and concentrated losses generate heightened congressional oversight.
Cotransmission of acetylcholine and GABA.

Abstract Neurons that produce acetylcholine (ACh) are positioned to broadly influence the brain, with axonal arborizations that extend throughout the cerebral cortex, striatum, and hippocampus. While the action of these neurons has typically been attributed entirely to ACh, neurons often release more than one primary neurotransmitter. Here, we review evidence for the cotransmission of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA from cholinergic neurons throughout the mammalian central nervous system. Functional cotransmission of ACh and GABA has been reported in the retina and cortex, and anatomical studies suggest that GABA cotransmission is a common feature of nearly all forebrain ACh-producing neurons. Further experiments are necessary to confirm the extent of GABA cotransmission from cholinergic neurons, and the contribution of GABA needs to be considered when studying the functional impact of activity in ACh-producing neurons. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘Synaptopathy – from Biology to Therapy’.
Jobless Recovering and Equilibrium Involuntary Unemployment with a Simple Eciency Wage Model

The U.S. economy had experienced the \jobless recovering" after the 1990-1991 and 2001 recessions, which has been constantly puzzling the economists, market analysts, and policymakers. This paper uses a simple hiring game in an eciency wage model framework to resolve that puzzle. Our eciency wage model emphasizes the importance of the local unemployment rate, which is endogenously determined by rms’ hiring decision at a symmetric Nash equilibrium. Our model has a new feature such that nonzero steady involuntary unemployment at equilibrium may coexist with an eciency wage that stays below the market-clearing wage. Moreover, we show how it is possible to use our model to study income inequality as a result of skill-biased technical change, inter-industry wage dierentials, and skill wage premiums. We also demonstrate how it is possible to derive the wage curve (Blanchower
d-Ribulose 1,5-Diphosphate Carboxylase from Rhodospirillum rubrum: II. QUATERNARY STRUCTURE, COMPOSITION, CATALYTIC, AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Abstract Homogeneous ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase from Rhodospirillum rubrum has a molecular weight of 114,000 and is composed of two subunits of approximately 56,000 daltons. No evidence for the presence of smaller polypeptide chains was obtained. The amino acid composition of the R. rubrum enzyme resembles that of the large subunit from the spinach enzyme and of the enzyme from the hydrogen bacteria. Four of nine half-cystines of the R. rubrum enzyme are titratable with 5,5'-dithiobis(2'-nitrobenzoic acid) in the presence of 8 m urea. Hyperbolic velocity versus substrate concentration curves are obtained when ribulose 1,5-diphosphate is the varied substrate. However, in the presence of EDTA or in the presence of EDTA and dithiothreitol, sigmoidal curves are obtained when CO2 is the varied substrate. A sigmoidal response is not seen with enzyme activated by dithiothreitol alone. Interaction coefficients are approximately one for the enzyme activated by dithiothreitol, EDTA or EDTA plus dithiothreitol at higher (0.33 to 1.1 mm) CO2 concentrations. However, at low levels of CO2 (0.11 to 0.33 mm CO2) interaction coefficients are 3.8 and 2.6 for the enzyme activated by EDTA or EDTA plus dithiothreitol, respectively. Initial velocity studies with the dithiothreitol-activated enzyme are compatible with an ordered reaction catalyzed by ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase. The R. rubrum ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase is immunologically unusual in that antibodies do not form precipitates in immunodiffusion with the enzyme from any source outside of the Athiorhodaceae.
Methods for the isolation and characterization of constituents of natural products: XV. Application of a periodic acid column for locating double bond position

Abstract The ability of a microcolumn of periodic acid impregnated on magnesium sulfate to effect oxidation of ethylenic unsaturation was studied. The aldehyde, produced on the hydrocarbon side of the double bond in 30–40% yield, was converted to a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone on a microderivatizing column and identified by thin-layer chromatography. The method was applied to unsaturation in fatty acids, their methyl esters, alcohols, aldehydes, and colored derivatives of the latter two classes. Double bonds in a variety of positions in the chain were successfully located, but terminal unsaturation or unsaturation with a methyl group on either carbon of the double bond could not be characterized. The procedure was routinely run on 25 μg but can still be successfully executed on 5 μg of a pure compound.
Effects of ascorbic acid on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient erythrocytes: studies in an animal model

There is little information available concerning the possible effects of ascorbic acid on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) -deficient erythrocytes. We therefore studied the survival of G-6-PD-deficient cells, incubated with ascorbic acid, in rats with partial reticuloendothelial and complement blockade. Animals were pretreated with ethyl palmitate and cobra venom factor. They were then transfused with 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes which had been incubated in the presence or absence of ascorbic acid. G-6-PD-deficient cells, incubated with ascorbic acid, had impaired survival when compared to that of controls. G-6-PD-deficient cells, in the absence of ascorbic acid, had survival times equal to those of normal control erythrocytes. At the concentrations used, ascorbic acid did not appear to alter the survival of normal cells. Ascorbic acid causes premature loss of G-6-PD-deficient human erythrocytes in this rat model. On the basis of previous clinical and experimental observations, as well as this study, caution should be used when administering ascorbic acid in large doses to individuals who might be G-6-PD deficient.
An operating systems vade mecum

An operating systems vade mecum , An operating systems vade mecum , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
Flexible problem-solving roles for autonomous agents

Agent-based technologies can be applied to many aspects of manufacturing. The need for responsive, flexible agents is pervasive in manufacturing environments due to the complex, dynamic nature of manufacturing problems. One critical aspect of agent flexibility is the ability to adapt decision-making interactions to various situations during system operation. This issue is addressed by research on Sensible Agents, capable of Dynamic Adaptive Autonomy. In Sensible Agent-based systems, agent problem-solving roles describe the decision-making interaction styles adopted by agents. An agent's level of autonomy arises from the problem-solving role it has adopted. These levels of autonomy are defined along a spectrum ranging from command-driven, to consensus, to locally autonomous/master. Dynamic Adaptive Autonomy allows Sensible Agents to change problem-solving roles during system operation to meet the needs of a particular problem-solving situation. The foundation of Dynamic Adaptive Autonomy is the specification of these problem-solving roles. This article focuses primarily on defining four representational constructs (planning-responsibility, authority-over, commitment, and independence) that specify agent problem-solving roles.
Beta-decay studies at the NSCL using a double-sided silicon strip detector

A β counting system has been developed at the NSCL to study the β‐decay properties of nuclei produced by fast fragmentation. This system employs a double‐sided silicon strip detector (DSSD) to observe both the implantation of these fragments and their subsequent β decay. By correlating implant and decay events within the DSSD, we identify on an event‐by‐event basis the nuclides observed to decay and obtain a direct measurement of the decay time. A β calorimeter is being developed to augment the counting system; this will allow for the measurement of total β‐decay energies for decays with low Q values and the determination of Gamow‐Teller strengths for the decays of exotic nuclei. This system will first be used to study the decay of 100Sn. Individual detector components are on site and being tested, and Geant4 simulations of the system are underway.
Conformation of myosin. Effects of substrate and modifiers.

Myosin was studied with a macromolecular probe, 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonate (ANS). The fluorescence of this probe bound to myosin when the protein-ligand complex was excited at 280 nm suffered a small reversible decrease in the presence of ATP (Ca2−, 0.6 M KCl, pH 8) which was correlated with the kinetics of hydrolysis. The time required for the fluorescence to return was proportional to the enzyme concentration at a fixed ATP concentration. Measurements of myosin ATPase under similar conditions showed that the restoration of the fluorescence to its original level began when the ATPase activity began to decrease from its steady-state level, and ended when ATP was depleted. This transition is attributed to a change in localized structure of myosin, as reflected by a change in the transfer of excitation energy from myosin to the bound probe. The effects of urea, alkaline pH, N-ethylmaleimide, and iodoacetamide on the fluorescence properties of bound ANS were also studied. The results are consistent with the view that the loss of myosin-ATPase activity caused by these agents is associated with an extensive change of the myosin conformation. The fluorescence enhancement of the probe bound to native myosin, and to myosin modified with p-chloromercuribenzoate was investigated in 3 M urea as a function of time. The enhancement increased as a first-order process. The rate constants increase in the order: native myosin ATP, native myosin, and modified myosin. These results suggest that in urea solution the native enzyme may be thermodynamically more stable than the modified enzyme, and that ATP stabilizes myosin with respect to denaturation by urea. The difference in stability can be attributed to a difference in conformation.
Nystagmus and related fixation instabilities following extraction of unilateral infantile cataract in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS).

METHODS. The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS) is a randomized, multicenter clinical trial comparing IOL to contact lens (CL) treatment with a unilateral infantile cataract in participants who underwent cataract surgery at 1 to 6 months of age. At age 4.5 years, eye movements were recorded in 103 participants, using a high-speed video camera while the child performed a fixation task. The recordings were inspected by masked readers for the presence of fixation instabilities (nystagmus and saccadic oscillations). RESULTS. Overall, fixation instabilities were observed in 50 (60%) of 83 children who had evaluable recordings, with no differences between treatment groups (27 [64%] of 42 in the IOL group, 23 [56%] of 41 in the CL group; P ¼ 0.51). Nystagmus was seen in 38% and saccadic oscillations in 31%, with no differences between treatment groups (P > 0.33). Children without a fixation instability had better visual acuity (P ¼ 0.04). CONCLUSIONS. Nystagmus and saccadic oscillations are well-known consequences of infantile cataracts, presumably the result of visual deprivation during the critical period of visual development. After early cataract extraction, successful optical correction may reduce further form deprivation and minimize the incidence of these fixation instabilities. In this study, no differences in the presence of fixation instabilities were found between the two treatment strategies (CL or IOL) for optical correction after cataract removal. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00212134.)
Reimbursement and costs of pediatric ambulatory diabetes care by using the resource‐based relative value scale: is multidisciplinary care financially viable?

Abstract: Background: The ambulatory care for children with diabetes mellitus (DM) within an endocrinology specialty practice typically includes services provided by a multidisciplinary team. The resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) is increasingly used to determine payments for ambulatory services in pediatrics. It is not known to what extent resource-based practice expenses and physician work values as allocated through the RBRVS for physician and non-physician practice expenses cover the actual costs of multidisciplinary ambulatory care for children with DM. Study setting: A pediatric endocrinology and diabetes clinic staffed by faculty physicians and hospital support staff in a children's hospital. Methods: Data from a faculty practice plan billing records and income and expense reports during the period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 were used to determine endocrinologist physician ambulatory productivity, revenue collection, and direct expenses (salary, benefits, billing, and professional liability (PLI)). Using the RBRVS, ambulatory care revenue was allocated between physician, PLI, and practice expenses. Applying the activity-based costing (ABC) method, activity logs were used to determine non-physician and facility practice expenses associated with endocrine (ENDO) or diabetes visits. Results: Of the 4735 ambulatory endocrinology visits, 1420 (30%) were for DM care. Physicians generated $866 582 in gross charges. Cash collections of 52% of gross charges provided revenue of $96 per visit. Using the actual Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)-4 codes reported for these services and the RBRVS system, the revenue associated with the 13 007 total relative value units (TRVUs) produced was allocated, with 58% going to cover physician work expenses and 42% to cover non-physician practice salary, facility, and PLI costs. Allocated revenue of $40.60 per visit covered 16 and 31% of non-physician and facility practice expenses per DM and general ENDO visit, respectively. RBRVS payments ($35/RVU) covered 46% of all expenses ($76.74/RVU), including 132% of physician expenses for the time worked in the clinic ($27/RVU), and only 23% of actual incurred practice expenses ($152/TRVU). Conclusions: Clinical revenues in a pediatric endocrinology practice, allocated by using the RBRVS system, do cover physician expenses for the time spent working in a hospital ENDO and DM clinic, but do not closely approximate non-physician and facility practice expenses while delivering multidisciplinary care to children with DM. Using payment based on the RBRVS system, and without additional payments to compensate for increased practice expenses incurred in the delivery of multidisciplinary care, this care model may not be financially viable.
Lithium effects on the somatosensory cortical evoked response in the rat and cat.

Abstract The early positive cortical evoked potential to somatosensory stimuli is regularly increased in amplitude in patients receiving lithium carbonate treatment. This may reflect a unique neurochemical effect of lithium since similar changes have not been observed in humans following other drugs. To investigate this finding, cortical evoked potentials to peripheral somatosensory stimulation were obtained in rats and cats with implanted epidural electrodes. In rats, increasing doses of oral lithium chloride, up to 5 meq/kg/d which approached the LD 50, produced no reliable change in the early positive evoked response amplitude. In cats, an increased amplitude of the early positive-negative cortical potential was observed in every instance and the serum lithium levels were within the range used clinically in humans. The increased cortical evoked response amplitude in cats did not directly correlate with serum lithium levels but was delayed 1 to 5 days after serum lithium levels reached their peak. The findings in cats are similar to the human studies. The negative results observed in rats may reflect important species differences regarding lithium.
Mitogen response of peripheral blood and splenic lymphocytes and effect of 2-mercaptoethanol in tumor-bearing mice.

A murine osteosarcoma in which the number of tumor cells can be continually monitored by measuring the circulating plasma alkaline phosphatase levels was used to determine the effect of tumor burden on peripheral blood and splenic lymphocyte response to mitogens. In animals with tumors of different sizes, the pattern of response of the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to mitogens is different from that of splenic lymphocytes. PBL response to ConA, PHA, and LPS was initially depressed, but response to PHA and LPS recovered later, as the tumor burden exceeded 6%. However, the recovery of LPS response was not consistent, in that recovery was not seen when the tumor burden was 5%–6%. Response to ConA remained depressed. Splenic lymphocytes showed progressive decline of PHA response. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) restored the ConA response of PBL in 56% of mice. Treatment with 2-ME did not restore PBL response to PHA or LPS.
The effect of light and light deprivation upon the ultrastructure of the larval mosquito eye. III. Multivesicular bodies and protein uptake

The formation of multivesicular and lamellar bodies, organelles characteristic of arthropod photoreceptor cells, is shown in the mosquito eye to be dependent upon light. The organelles are nearly absent from light deprived eyes; they form in large numbers when such eyes are first illuminated. Multivesicular bodies form adjacent to the rhabdomere, then move proximally into the body of the cell, ultimately being transformed into lamellar and probably dense bodies. Experiments in which ferritin was injected into the hemolymph of the head confirmed the hypothesis that the coated vesicles of the rhabdomere are pinocytotic vesicles. Ferritin taken into the cell by rhabdomeric vesicles is sequestered in multivesicular bodies.
Induction of murine H-rev107 gene expression by growth arrest and histone acetylation: involvement of an Sp1/Sp3-binding GC-box.

Abstract H-rev107 is downregulated in many carcinomas and tumor cell lines. Using postconfluent NIH3T3 cells, we demonstrated that growth arrest caused by contact inhibition, but not serum deprivation, increased H-rev107 expression. Furthermore, histone deacetylase inhibitors induced H-rev107 expression in NIH3T3 cells and allowed its reexpression in H-rev107-deficient WEHI 7.1 lymphoma cells. In contrast, no effect of the postconfluent stage or histone deacetylase inhibitors on H-rev107 levels was observed in tumorigenic H-rev107-expressing cell lines, HepG2, HeLa, and SKBR3. Transfections showed that TSA treatment increased luciferase activity 20-fold in NIH3T3 cells. We found that the GC-box at −83/−75 is a key element for H-rev107 induction by TSA and growth arrest, although there were no changes in the pattern and intensity of Sp1/Sp3-binding after induction. These data suggest that contact inhibition of growth and growth arrest caused by histone deacetylase inhibitors probably use the same mechanism to stimulate H-rev107 expression via histone acetylation in NIH3T3 cells and this might contribute to the development of drugs that can induce H-rev107 expression in certain tumors.
Determination of hydrogen content of phlogopite in garnet peridotites using elastic recoil detection

Abstract Elastic recoil detection (ERD) has been used to measure the hydrogen content of phlogopite in mantle peridotites from kimberlites. The analysis was made with a 30 μm diameter 2.5 MeV alpha beam from the Brookhaven 3.5 MV Research Electrostatic Accelerator. Recoil hydrogen atoms scattered at 30 ° to the incident beam passed through a 5 μm nickel absorber which was used to stop scattered alpha particles which were then detected with a silicon surface barrier detector. A value of 4 parts per thousand (mass fraction) was measured for the hydrogen concentration in phlogopite.
Evolution and longevity-assurance processes

The role of the development of information fidelity systems in evolution is explored, with evidence that the loss in the ability to maintain the integrity of homeostasis in organisms over time, aging, is correlated with the loss in the ability to maintain integrity at the molecular biological level. Evolutionary-comparative analysis places an upper limit on the number of these systems important to the evolution of longevity in the primates, and suggests the importance of insuring the stability of information bearing macromolecules in evolution and the role of modulators of damage to these moieties in the expression of the senescent state
Fast data-derived fundamental spheroidal excitation models with application to UXO identification

Current idealized forward models for electromagnetic induction (EMI) response can be defeated by the characteristic material and geometrical heterogeneity of realistic unexploded ordnance (UXO). A new, physically complete modeling system includes all effects of these heterogeneities and their interactions within the object, in both near and far fields. The model is fast enough for implementation in inversion processing algorithms. A method is demonstrated for deriving the model parameters from straight forward processing of training data from a defined measurement protocol. Depending on the EMI sensor used for measurements, the process of inferring model parameters is more or less ill-posed. More complete data can alleviate the problem. For a given set of training data, special numerical treatment is introduced to take the best advantage of the data and obtain reliable model parameters. This fast model is implemented in a "fingerprint" testing approach in which two different UXOs are identified from the measurement data. Preliminary results showed that this fast model is promising for UXO identification.
Denitrification in soils of hydrologically restored wetlands relative to natural and converted wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain of the USA

a b s t r a c t In the last several decades, there has been considerable effort to protect and restore wetlands throughout the USA. These efforts have required significant investment of both private and public funds. Accordingly, it has become important to document the effectiveness of this protection and restoration. This study for the Mid-Atlantic Region (MIAR) Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was part of the US Department of Agriculture CEAP. This study compared natural, converted, and hydrologically restored wetlands in the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. There were forty-eight total sites, and each site was sampled at 4 landscape elevations (wettest to driest) during a three year period. Here we report an assessment of soil denitrification conducted as one component of the MIAR Wetland-CEAP using deni- trification enzyme activity (DEA). DEA values varied significantly with relative elevation and management DEA response to nitrate addition varied significantly with relative elevation and management. In stepwise regression, total C and moisture were the most influential physiochemical conditions for the converted and natural wetlands, respectively. Total C and Ca were the most important for the restored wetlands. Moreover, the percentage of denitrification as nitrous oxide and nosZ gene abundances, differed by rel- ative elevation and management. In all aspects of DEA, the restored wetlands were more similar to the natural wetlands than to the converted wetland. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Resistance of LED and incandescent front turn signals to masking from adjacent headlamps

Previous research has shown that, as expected, fast-rise signals [such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and neon lamps] lead to shorter reaction time than slower-rise signals (such as incandescent lamps). The present study, in two converging experiments, investigated whether rapid rise time makes turn signals more resistant to masking from an adjacent headlamp. The first experiment used a method of limits to obtain luminous intensity thresholds for LED and incandescent turn signals in the presence of headlamp glare. In the second experiment, subjects judged the relative conspicuity of simultaneously presented LED and incandescent turn signals when they flanked an illuminated headlamp. The results of the two experiments were consistent: There was no difference between the two light sources in either detection threshold or judged conspicuity. These results suggest that faster rise time does not affect the resistance of turn signals to headlamp masking.
A metachromatic stain for neural tissue.

The need for rapid histological feedback on neural tissue is ever present. Although there are several stains which can be readily used for staining either cell bodies or fiber tracts, adequate contrasting stains which are both rapid and easy to apply are not generally available. In 1936 Chang presented a technique for whole brains utilizing the metachromatic properties of thionin. Unfortunately this procedure was very time consuming. For the last several years we have worked with several variations of this stain and have found that thionin can be reliably used as a polychrome stain for sections of neural tissue obtained from a freezing microtome.
Is PTSD caused by traumatic stress

Abstract Sequential subjects ( N = 103) presenting for pharmacologic treatment of major depression were examined prior to treatment for history of traumatic experiences. Subjects were also examined for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two blinded raters subsequently judged whether subjects’ experiences met DSM-IV criteria for trauma (criterion A of PTSD). Among 54 subjects scored by both raters as having experienced trauma, 42 (78%) met all other DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Among 36 subjects scored by both raters as not having experienced trauma, 28 displayed all other DSM-IV criteria for PTSD—also a rate of 78%. This equivalence suggests that in a treatment-seeking population, caution should be exercised in attributing the PTSD syndrome to trauma.
No detectable association between frequency of marijuana use and health or healthcare utilization among primary care patients who screen positive for drug use.

BACKGROUND Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, yet its impact on health and healthcare utilization has not been studied extensively.
Crack path in an amorphous material in the quasi static limit

Crack path stability is discussed, and it is shown that the standard continuum mechanics -force on a crack is the correct driving force for a crack. In a glass, where all cleavage planes are possible, this criterion also implies a path where the local Mode II on the crack is nullified.
Recognition of partially occluded objects using macro features

Objects that are partially visible in an image may be recognized by detecting a number of salient local object features that conform to a set of relative location constraints. Such vision systems contain two main computational components; a feature extraction mechanism and a matching strategy that relates sets of features and their locations to object classes. The macro feature approach represents an object by a small number of complex features; the objectives are to provide very robust feature extraction and to simplify the feature matching stage by minimizing the number of detected features. Described here is a macro feature vision system that uses the Generalized Hough Transform on significant regions of the object surface for local feature detection. The results of using this system to detect objects in multi-object images with partial occlusion are presented.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Atomic scale structure and chemistry of interfaces by Z-contrast imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy in the STEM

The macroscopic properties of many materials are controlled by the structure and chemistry at grain boundaries. A basic understanding of the structure-property relationship requires a technique which probes both composition and chemical bonding on an atomic scale. High-resolution Z-contrast imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) forms an incoherent image in which changes in atomic structure and composition across an interface can be interpreted directly without the need for preconceived atomic structure models. Since the Z-contrast image is formed by electrons scattered through high angles, parallel detection electron energy loss spectroscopy (PEELS) can be used simultaneously to provide complementary chemical information on an atomic scale. The fine structure in the PEEL spectra can be used to investigate the local electronic structure and the nature of the bonding across the interface. In this paper we use the complimentary techniques of high resolution Z-contrast imaging and PEELS to investigate the atomic structure and chemistry of a 25{degree} symmetric tilt boundary in a bicrystal of the electroceramic SrTiO{sub 3}.
Efficacy of an Experimental Azithromycin Cream for Prophylaxis of Tick-Transmitted Lyme Disease Spirochete Infection in a Murine Model

As an alternative to oral prophylaxis for the prevention of tick transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, we tested antibiotic cream prophylactic formulations in a murine model of spirochete infection. A 4% preparation of doxycycline cream afforded no protection, but a single application of 4% azithromycin cream was 100% protective when applied directly to the tick bite site at the time of tick removal. Indeed, the azithromycin cream was 100% effective when applied at up to 3 days after tick removal and protected 74% of mice exposed to tick bite when applied at up to 2 weeks after tick removal. Azithromycin cream was also protective when applied at a site distal to the tick bite site, suggesting that it was having a systemic effect in addition to a local transdermal effect. Mice that were protected from tick-transmitted infection did not seroconvert and did not infect larval ticks on xenodiagnosis. Azithromycin cream formulations appear to hold promise for Lyme disease prophylaxis.
Incorporating motivational interviewing into behavioral obesity treatment

Motivational interviewing may be an appealing addition to a comprehensive behavioral weight loss program. Behavioral strategies have been shown effective in achieving modest weight reduction; however, not all individuals are successful at initial weight loss and many struggle with continued weight maintenance. Theory-based strategies that may enhance overall treatment efficacy or facilitate behavior change for specific clients are needed. Motivational interviewing has been demonstrated effective in facilitating behavior change in addictive disorders, and preliminary applications as an adjunct to obesity treatments are promising. The article presents fundamentals of motivational interviewing and specific examples of applications within a behavioral weight control program.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate induces development of functionally mature chymase-expressing human mast cells from hematopoietic progenitors

Mast cells (MCs) play a critical role in both acute and chronic inflammation and mature in peripheral tissues from bone marrow-derived progenitors that circulate in the blood as immature precursors. MCs developed from cord blood-derived progenitors cultured with stem cell factor (SCF) alone express intragranular tryptase (MCTs), the phenotype predominant in the lung. MC progenitors are likely to encounter the serum-borne bioactive sphingolipid metabolite, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), during migration to target tissues. S1P accelerated the development of cord blood-derived MCs (CB-MCs) and strikingly increased the numbers of MC-expressing chymase. These MCs have functional FceRIs, and similar to skin MCTCs that express both tryptase and chymase, also express CD88 and are activated by anaphylatoxin C5a and the secretagogue compound 48/80. S1P induced release of IL-6, a cytokine known to promote development of functionally mature MCTCs, from cord blood cultures containing adherent macrophages, and from highly purified macrophages, but not from macrophage-depleted CB-MCs. In contrast, S1P stimulated secretion of the chemokine, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL2), from these macrophage-depleted and purified CB-MCs. These results suggest crucial roles for S1P in regulating development of human MCs and their functions and reveal a complex interplay between macrophages and MC progenitors in the development of mature human MCs.—Price, M. M., Kapitonov, D., Allegood, J., Milstien, S., Oskeritzian, C. A., Spiegel, S. Sphingosine-1-phosphate induces development of functionally mature chymase-expressing human mast cells from hematopoietic progenitors.
Diet and the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

For centuries, the role of diet in the causation and prevention of disease has engaged scientific and lay interest. The hope, presumably, is that by identifying (and consuming) significant amounts of a single nutrient or set of nutrients, we can prevent disease and promote longevity. Clinical studies of vitamins and other micro-nutrients are published regularly in support of this notion, and the results are highlighted routinely in newspapers, magazines, and popular media. In this issue of Annals of Neurology, Scarmeas and colleagues1 report an observational study of the Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in a multiethnic population sample in northern Manhattan. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by high intake of foods and nutrients that have been reported to be beneficial in AD, including fruits, vegetables, fish, unsaturated fatty acids, and modest amounts of wine. After adjustment for numerous potential confounders, individual food groups were not significantly associated with risk for AD, but the composite Mediterranean dietary pattern (highest tertile) was associated with a 40% reduction in AD risk when compared with the lowest tertile (hazard ratio, 0.60; confidence interval, 0.42–0.87). The results of Scarmeas and colleagues’ study1 are consistent with other studies that show benefit of the composite Mediterranean diet on cognitive performance,2 as well as mortality cardiovascular disease, and cancer outcomes.3–5 The work of Scarmeas and colleagues1 extends the approach in the study of diet and AD risk from individual foods and nutrients to a composite dietary pattern. As they emphasize, “defining diet by dietary patterns has the ability to capture its multi-dimensionality…because patterns can integrate complex or subtle interactive effects….” It makes scientific sense to consider dietary patterns because this conception more closely approximates the way people consume our nutrients. Defining diet by dietary patterns, of course, also has limitations. In particular, we can only speculate on the key mechanisms and interactive effects underlying any observed benefits of a dietary pattern. Some components of the diet may actually be antagonistic or even harmful, and these effects would be difficult to detect.
Large dynamic range nanopositioning using iterative learning control

Abstract This paper presents the control system design and tracking performance for a large range single-axis nanopositioning system that is based on a moving magnet actuator and a flexure bearing. While the physical system is designed to be free of friction and backlash, the nonlinearities in the electromagnetic actuator as well as the harmonic distortion in the drive amplifier degrade the tracking performance for dynamic commands. It is shown that linear feedback and feedforward proves to be inadequate to overcome these nonlinearities. This is due to the low open-loop bandwidth of the physical system, which limits the achievable closed-loop bandwidth given actuator saturation concerns. For periodic commands, like those used in scanning applications, the component of the tracking error due to the system nonlinearities exhibits a deterministic pattern and repeats every period. Therefore, a phase lead type iterative learning controller (ILC) is designed and implemented in conjunction with linear feedback and feedforward to reduce this periodic tracking error by more than two orders of magnitude. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of ILC in achieving 10 nm RMS tracking error over 8 mm motion range in response to a 2 Hz band-limited triangular command. This corresponds to a dynamic range of more than 10 5 for speeds up to 32 mm/s, one of the highest reported in the literature so far, for a cost-effective desktop-sized single-axis motion system.
On the robustness of event-based synchronization under switching interactions

In this paper we study the robustness of an event-triggered synchronization dynamics for a network of identical nodes under various switching scenarios. We first consider an arbitrary switching scenario where, for a general class of isolated node dynamics we characterize sufficient conditions in terms of network topologies to maintain synchronization. In particular, we shall also demonstrate that for a specific class of skew-symmetric isolated node dynamics—which play important role in this class of synchronization problems—the asymptotic synchronization is not achievable under arbitrary switching. We then consider two classes of constrained switching signals, namely uniform and average classes, i.e., S dwell [τ D ], and S average [τ a ,N 0 ], respectively, where we characterize sufficient conditions in terms of the associated parameters, τ D , τ a and N 0 in order to ensure asymptotic synchronization. We shall wrap up our discussion by presenting relevant simulation studies.
Absolute Continuity of Bernoulli Convolutions, A Simple Proof

The distribution νλ">νλνλ of the random series ∑±λn">∑±λn∑±λn has been studied by many authors since the two seminal papers by Erd\H{o}s in 1939 and 1940. Works of Alexander and Yorke, Przytycki and Urba\'{n}ski, and Ledrappier showed the importance of these distributions in several problems in dynamical systems and Hausdorff dimension estimation. Recently the second author proved a conjecture made by Garsia in 1962, that νλ">νλνλ is absolutely continuous for a.e.\ λ∈(1/2,1)">λ∈(1/2,1)λ∈(1/2,1). Here we give a considerably simplified proof of this theorem, using differentiation of measures instead of Fourier transform methods. This technique is better suited to analyze more general random power series.
Iterated birth and death process as a model of radiation cell survival.

Abstract The iterated birth and death process is defined as an n -fold iteration of a stochastic process consisting of the combination of instantaneous random killing of individuals in a certain population with a given survival probability s with a Markov birth and death process describing subsequent population dynamics. A long standing problem of computing the distribution of the number of clonogenic tumor cells surviving a fractionated radiation schedule consisting of n equal doses separated by equal time intervals τ is solved within the framework of iterated birth and death processes. For any initial tumor size i , an explicit formula for the distribution of the number M of surviving clonogens at moment τ after the end of treatment is found. It is shown that if i → ∞ and s → 0 so that is n tends to a finite positive limit, the distribution of random variable M converges to a probability distribution, and a formula for the latter is obtained. This result generalizes the classical theorem about the Poisson limit of a sequence of binomial distributions. The exact and limiting distributions are also found for the number of surviving clonogens immediately after the n th exposure. In this case, the limiting distribution turns out to be a Poisson distribution.
Review: Lessons on renal function from transgenic mice lacking different angiotensin II receptors.

Keywords: AT1-receptor, AT2-receptor, renal circulation, glomerulus afferent arteriole, vascular smooth muscle, tubuloglomerular feedback, arterial blood pressure
Spin-lattice relaxation and self-diffusion near the critical point of carbon dioxide

Abstract The spin-lattice relaxation time, T1, and the self-diffusion coefficient, D, have been measured in carbon dioxide near the critical point. T1 values are the first for CO2 and this is the third D determination in the critical region. The two previous D determinations, a tracer study conducted by Harris and Duffield (1976) [14] and an NMR study conducted by Krynicki et al. (1981) [20] are in serious disagreement. Harris reported the presence of a strong critical anomaly whereas Krynicki observed that D behaves normally in the critical region. Two isotherms were investigated, 31.06°C and 31.5°C in the density range 0.05ϱc–1.5ϱc. No critical anomaly was found for either T1 or D. This confirms earlier findings on various gases and is in agreement with Krynicki's conclusions but stands in contradiction to the findings of Harris. We also had visual confirmation of the approach to the critical point via a sapphire cell connected to the NMR high-pressure probe. The ensemble, NMR probe and sapphire cell, were enclosed in a temperature-controlled air bath.