cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ionic Basis of Inhibitory Presynaptic Modulation and Substance Ba

We have investigated the possibility that, regardless of the involvement of a second messenger system, the ultimate effect of presynaptic, receptor-activated inhibitory modulation is the opening of a K channel. This possibility was explored utilizing rat cortical synaptosomes that were prelabeled with either 86Rb or [3H]acetylcholine, depolarizing with either K+ or veratridine, and measuring either efflux of 86Rb or release of [3H]acetylcholine in the presence or absence of inhibitory presynaptic modulators. The modulating agents used were 2-chloroadenosine, carbamylcholine, clonidine, and morphine. In all instances, these agents promoted an increased efflux of 86Rb, indicating hyperpolarization, and decreased release of acetylcholine. These results support our contention that an increase in K conductance may be responsible for presynaptic inhibition of the release of neurotransmitters. We have also found that substance B, a compound that reverses presynaptic modulation, appears to act by closing K channels.
Torsional analysis of 2-butynol

Abstract The microwave spectrum of 2-butynol, CH 3 CCCH 2 OH, has been investigated in the frequency range of 6–26.5 GHz. The spectra of the A and E torsional states were observed using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Due to the presence of the cylindrically symmetric CC “spacer” between the methyl group and the rest of the molecule, the barrier to internal rotation, V 3 , is only 7 cm −1 . One conformer of 2-butynol was observed and assigned. The spectrum was analyzed with the ρ -axis method using a very flexible Hamiltonian which gives a fit an order of magnitude better than that obtained with more standard code for internal rotation. The spectroscopic constants are: 23744.(18), 2093.429(1), 1966.358(1), and −400.34(2) MHz for A , B , C , and D ab ; 0.48(1) kHz, −30.3(4) kHz, and 4.5(5) MHz for Δ J , Δ JK , and Δ K ; and 0.1406(6), 6.93(9) cm −1 , −33.4(7) kHz, and 192.0(9) GHz for ρ , V 3 , L V , and F , respectively. The root mean squared error of the fit is 14 kHz. The angles between the internal rotor axis and principal axes are θ a =12°, θ b =78°, with θ c held fixed at 90°.
Development of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program

Abstract Objective Chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) is a major health problem that disproportionately affects people with limited resources. Many people with HCV are ineligible or refuse antiviral treatment, but less curative treatment options exist. These options include adhering to follow-up health visits, lifestyle changes, and avoiding hepatotoxins like alcohol. Herein, we describe a recently developed self-management program designed to assist HCV-infected patients with adherence and improve their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods The development of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program (HCV-SMP) was informed by scientific literature, qualitative interviews with HCV-infected patients, self-management training, and feedback from HCV clinical experts. Results The Hepatitis C Self-Management Program (HCV-SMP) is a multi-faceted program that employs cognitive-behavioral principles and is designed to provide HCV-infected people with knowledge and skills for improving their HRQOL. The program consists of six 2-h workshop sessions which are held weekly. The sessions consist of a variety of group activities, including disease-specific information dissemination, action planning, and problem-solving. Conclusion The intervention teaches skills for adhering to challenging treatment recommendations using a validated theoretical model. A randomized trial will test the efficacy of this novel HCV self-management program for improving HRQOL in a difficult to reach population.
Sudden death in adult congenital heart disease: Risk stratification in 2014

Arrhythmias and sudden death continue to plague a subset of adult patients with congenital heart disease. Despite investigative efforts spanning many decades, accurate identification of the high-risk patient remains challenging owing to a limited population size, relatively low event rate, and constantly evolving surgical approaches to the various malformations. Furthermore, until recently, most studies of the subject involved single-center formats with limited statistical power. The number of adult survivors has now reached a critical size where larger collaborative projects are beginning to generate more objective criteria for assessing risk. This review will provide an update on risk stratification for several of the major congenital cardiac lesions and outline the current recommendations for surveillance and management.
Twin growth problems: Causes and sonographic analysis

Understanding the significant increased risks associated with twin pregnancies requires knowledge of the embryogenesis of twins and the unique placental characteristics seen only in twin gestations. Dizygotic "fraternal" twins, 70% of all twins, are at relatively low risk when compared with monozygotic twins, largely due to abnormalities seen in association with monochorionic placentation. The sonographic determination of chorionicity and amnionicity allows better estimation of pregnancy risk--up to 50% mortality in monochorionic-monoamniotic twins. Careful evaluation of intrauterine twin growth assists in the early identification of fetal abnormalities because normal twin growth should parallel that of singleton pregnancies until late in the third trimester. A number of the unique complications affecting growth in twin pregnancies are discussed, including twin transfusion syndrome, the "stuck twin" phenomenon, twin embolization syndrome, and development of acardiac twins.
Infrared and Raman spectra, conformational stability and vibrational assignment of 1-chloro-1-silacyclopentane

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra (3500–60 cm −1 ) of gas and/or liquid and solid 1-chloro-1-silacyclopentane (c-C 4 H 8 SiClH) have been recorded and the vibrational data indicate the presence of a single conformer with no symmetry which is consistent with the twisted form. Ab initio calculations with a variety of basis sets up to MP2(full)/aug-cc-pVTZ predict the envelope-axial and envelope-equatorial conformers are saddle points with nearly the same energies but much lower in energy than the planar conformer. Density functional theory calculations by the B3LYP method predicts slightly lower energies for the two envelope forms and considerably lower for the planar form. By utilizing the MP2(full)/6–31G(d) calculations the force constants, frequencies, infrared intensities, band contours, Raman activities, and depolarization values have been obtained to support the vibrational assignment. Estimated r 0 structural parameters have been obtained from adjusted MP2(full)/6–311 + G(d, p) calculations. These experimental and theoretical results are compared to the corresponding quantities of some other five-membered rings.
TECHNIQUES FOR DEVELOPING HEALTH QUALITY OF LIFE SCALES FOR POINT OF SERVICE USE

Clinical and health policy research frequently involves health status measurement using generic or disease specific instruments. These instruments are generally developed to arrive at several scales, each measuring a distinct domain of health quality of life (HQOL). Clinical settings are starting to explore how to integrate patient perspectives of HQOL outcomes into patient care. However, the length of many HQOL instruments poses a challenge in terms of patient burden, as well as clinic flow time. The most popular paradigm for scale construction utilizes classical test theory methodology and can lead to excessive and redundant items in an effort to bolster reliability measurements such as Cronbach’s alpha above levels of accepted reliability.
Cellular and humoral components of monocyte and neutrophil chemotaxis in cord blood.

Summary: Monocyte and polymorphonuelear ncutrophil (PMN) cheinotaxis was studied in cord blood from healthy term infants. Monocyte chemotaxis was normal to increased (115–126%) whereas PMN chemotaxis was decreased (79%) in comparison with that of healthy adult control subjects. Generation of chemotactic factors from cord sera was impaired, being 55% of that generated by pooled normal human serum (PNHS). Cord serum was less inhibitory than pooled adult human serum for adult monocytes when the cells were suspended in 10% scrum and tested for chemotaxis. No inhibition of chemotactic factors by cither cord or adult sera was observed. The dissociation of chemotactic response of the two different phagocytic cells may represent a protective mechanism whereby one cell can compensate for a defect in the response of the other. Speculation: Simultaneous analysis of monocyte and ncutrophil chemotaxis may reveal a defect restricted to one cell type.
Infectious complications after OKT3 induction in liver transplantation

The present study examines the incidence, risk factors, bacteriology, and mortality of infectious episodes and the role of antimicrobial prophylactic regimens after OKT3 induction in liver transplantation. Infections occurring in the first 6 months were evaluated according to the Centers for Disease Control criteria in 102 transplant recipients. Patients were administered OKT3 for 5 to 10 days, beginning intraoperatively, azathioprine, low-dose prednisone, and delayed introduction of cyclosporine. There were 140 major and 30 minor infections for an incidence of 1.7 infections per patient. Twenty-seven patients (26%) had no infectious episodes during the 6 months of follow-up. Bacterial and fungal infections peaked during the first month posttransplantation, whereas viral infections peaked during the second month. Infection-related mortality was 10%. One-year survival rate of patients who suffered a major infection was less than those who were infection free, but the difference was not statistically significant (79% vs. 89%; P = .61). There was a significantly higher incidence of enterococcal infections under cefotetan prophylaxis than under ampicillin-sulbactam (.375 vs. 11 infections per patient; P = .0017). There were 14 episodes of cytomegalovirus disease (14%) but no cytomegalovirus-related mortality or graft loss, and all cases responded to ganciclovir treatment. Bivariate and multivariate analyses identified only retransplantation as a risk factor for infection. In conclusion, OKT3 induction after liver transplantation is associated with a manageable incidence of bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. This is caused by, at least in part, improved anti-infective prophylaxis.
Frequency-Shift, Carrier-Current Equipment for Telemetering and Other Control Type Functions [includes discussion]

The frequency-shift crystal oscillator and the crystal discriminator, which are vital to the channel equipment utilized, are described here. The former is used to generate the carrier signal and the latter is used in the receiver to reform the transmitted intelligence.
Technology and sexuality – what's the connection? Addressing youth sexualities in efforts to increase girls' participation in computing

To date, girls and women are significantly underrepresented in computer science and technology. Concerns about this underrepresentation have sparked a wealth of educational efforts to promote girls’ participation in computing, but these programs have demonstrated limited impact on reversing current trends. This paper argues that this is, in part, because these programs tend to take a narrow view of their purpose, ignoring important factors that shape girls’ identities and education/career choices – not least broader narratives around gender, race, and sexuality. This paper focuses on the issue of sexuality – that is, how sexuality discourses are shaping a diverse range of girls’ experiences with technology, their perceptions of themselves, and their ultimate educational and career choices. The paper makes the case for considering these important connections, bringing together research in two disparate areas: (1) sociological research in gender, diversity, and technology and (2) critical cultural studies r...
Triggering of the endorphin analgesic reaction by a cue previously associated with shock: Reversal by naloxone

Rats first received either forward tone-shock or backward shock-tone pairings. Then all animals were tested for the amount of freezing elicited by a single shock, which was preceded by the tone. Less freezing was observed in those animals for which the tone had been established as a predictive cue for shock. This reduction in apparent painfulness of shock, caused by preceding it with a predictive cue, was not found in animals pretreated with naloxone. The results are interpreted in terms of an endogenous analgesic system that can be triggered either by painful stimuli or by cues predicting painful stimulation.
Flexibility of cue use in the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Recent work on captive flying squirrels has demonstrated a novel degree of flexibility in the use of different orientation cues. In the present study, we examine to what extent this flexibility is present in a free-ranging population of another tree squirrel species, the fox squirrel. We trained squirrels to a rewarded location within a square array of four feeders and then tested them on transformations of the array that either pitted two cue types against one cue type, the majority tests, or all cue types against each other, the forced-hierarchy test. In Experiment 1, squirrels reoriented to the two-cue-type location in all majority tests and to the location indicated by the visual features of the feeders in the forced-hierarchy test. This preference for visual features runs contrary to previous studies that report the use of spatial cues over visual features in food-storing species. In Experiments 2–5 we tested squirrels with different trial orders (Experiments 2 and 3), a different apparatus (Experiment 4) and at different times of the year (Experiment 5) to determine why these squirrels had chosen to orient using visual features in the first experiment. Like captive flying squirrels, free-ranging fox squirrels showed a large degree of flexibility in their use of cues. Furthermore, their cue use appeared to be sensitive both to changes in the test apparatus and the season in which we tested. Altogether our results suggest that the study of free-ranging animals over a variety of conditions is necessary for understanding spatial cognition.
Error model estimation for airborne beacon-based surveillance

A next-generation aircraft collision avoidance system under development is designed to reduce unnecessary alerts while reducing the risk of mid-air collision. Current and future collision avoidance systems rely upon range, bearing and altitude information from airborne, beacon-based surveillance. Realistic models of surveillance error characteristics are needed in order to develop and certify the safety and performance of these systems. Prior models of bearing measurements assumed uncorrelated Gaussian noise. This study explains how hidden Markov models can be used to capture the time-correlated error characteristics exhibited by recorded surveillance data. Simulations show the impact of this higher-fidelity model on predicted collision avoidance performance.
In-depth knowledge-based machine translation

The development of an integrated knowledge-based machine-aided translation system called PANGLOSS in collaboration with the Center for Machine Translation (CMT) at CMU and the Computing Research Laboratory (CRL) at New Mexico State University. The ISI part of the collaboration is focused initially on providing the system's output capabilities, primarily in English and then in other languages, including (some of) German, Chinese, and Japanese. Additional tasks are the maintenance and continued distribution of the Penman sentence generator and text planner and the development of ancillary knowledge sources and software.
Dietary restriction-induced life extension : a broadly based biological phenomenon

It is concluded that dietary restriction will extend the life of all species in the Animalia Kingdom, including the human species. This conclusion is based on the fact that hormesis is a component of the life-extending action and the other anti-aging effects of dietary restriction. It is also concluded that given the currently available database, it is not possible to predict the quantitative effect of dietary restriction on the human life span.
A new scale for the assessment of functional status in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders

Assessment of the functional competencies of patients with dementia is typically conducted in an indirect manner. Psychological tests of cognition or descriptions by relatives or other caregivers are often used to make judgments as to the patient's ability to adapt to the demands of the environment. However, these methods have built-in biases. The need for direct assessment of functional status was addressed by developing a standardized operational procedure to examine areas of functional competence which may become impaired in Alzheimer's disease and other related memory disorders. The resulting instrument has high interrater and test-retest reliabilities. Convergent validity is evidenced by significant correlations between the scale and established measures of functional status. Patients with Alzheimer's disease exhibited deficits in functional capacities relative to age-equivalent normal controls and to elderly patients with a primary major depression.
Single-molecule nanophotonics in solids

Abstract Single-molecule nanophotonics refers to optical studies of the statics and dynamics of single, individual molecules in condensed matter. Optical spectroscopy of single guest impurity molecules in solids provides an exquisitely sensitive probe of the structure and dynamics of the specific local environment around the single molecule (the condensed matter ‘nanoenvironment’). Measurement of the second-order correlation function of the emitted light g(2) shows strong photon antibunching, proving that exactly one molecule is in resonance. Other interesting effects such as two-level-system-induced spectral shifting and AC Stark effects can also be observed at the single molecule level.
Linguistic stress judgments of language learning disabled students.

This study compared the ability of language learning disabled children and sex/age matched normals to judge the correctness of linguistic stress. Subjects were presented with prerecorded pairs of question-answer trials. In one series they were asked to judge the appropriateness of linguistic stress for each pair. In a second series, they judged semantic appropriateness of the pairs in order to provide a linguistic point of reference for their understanding of the questions. An analysis of variance indicated that the linguistic stress task was more difficult than the semantic interpretation task (p < .001) and that normal children performed significantly better than LD children on both tasks (p < .05). Discussion of the data includes interpretation from both perceptual deficit and symbolic deficit perspectives.
Iterative solution of large‐scale acoustic scattering problems with multiple right hand‐sides by a domain decomposition method with Lagrange multipliers

An extension of the FETI-H method is designed for the solution of acoustic scattering problems with multiple right-hand sides. A new local pre-conditioning of this domain decomposition method is also presented. The potential of the resulting iterative solver is demonstrated by numerical experiments for two-dimensional problems with high wavenumbers, as many as 2.5 million complex degrees of freedom, and a sweep on the angle of the incident wave. Preliminary results for a three-dimensional submarine problem are also included. The FETI-H method, whose numerical scalability with respect to the mesh and subdomain sizes was previously established, is shown here to be also numerically scalable with respect to the wavenumber. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Semen Characteristics of Chickens Maintained in All-Male Flocks and in Individual Cages

Abstract Semen characteristics were measured in chickens from several lines maintained under different housing conditions. Lines were selected for high and low weight (Siegel, 1962a), broad and narrow breast angle (Siegel, 1962b), high and low mating ability (Siegel and Siegel, 1962) and Athens-Canadian randombreds (Hess, 1962). Males from all lines in each year, were hatched within a two week period and reared in sex-intermingled flocks until 8 to 12 weeks of age. A sample was then selected from each line and randomized into two groups. Males in one group were assigned to all-male flocks whereas those in the other were maintained in individual cages. Data were obtained for four years from a total of 835 males. Ejaculates were obtained at 29–31 weeks of age by the method of Burrows and Quinn (1937) and measurements made of semen volume, spermatozoa concentration and motility of spermatozoa. Volume was measured to the…
Composite Propellant Based on a New Nitrate Ester

Composite propellants based on the solid nitrate ester 2,3-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dinitro-1,4-butanediol tetranitrate (SMX) were theoretically and experimentally examined and compared to formulations based on ammonium perchlorate (AP). Thermochemical equilibrium calculations show that aluminized SMX-based formulations can achieve theoretical sea level specific impulse values upwards of 260 s. Both ignition sensitivity (tested via drop weight impact, electrostatic discharge, and BAM friction) and physical properties (hardness and thermal properties) are comparable to those of the AP-based formulations. However, the SMX-based formulation could be detonated using a high explosive donor charge in contact with the propellant. Differential scanning calorimetry of the SMX-based propellant indicated an exotherm onset of 140 °C, which corresponds to the known decomposition temperature of SMX. The propellant has a high burning rate of 1.57 cm s−1 at 6.89 MPa, with a pressure exponent of 0.85. This high pressure sensitivity might be addressed using various energetic and/or stabilizing additives. With good performance and high density, SMX-based composite propellants may offer a promising perchlorate-free alternative to existing AP-based formulations.
Structure of the Cmr2-Cmr3 subcomplex of the Cmr RNA silencing complex.

The Cmr complex is an RNA-guided effector complex that cleaves invader RNA in the prokaryotic immune response mediated by the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat)-Cas system. Here, we report the crystal structure of a Cmr subcomplex containing Cmr2 (Cas10) and Cmr3 subunits at 2.8 A resolution. The structure revealed a dual ferredoxin fold and glycine-rich loops characteristic of previously known repeat-associated mysterious proteins and two unique insertion elements in Cmr3 that mediate its interaction with Cmr2. Surprisingly, while mutation of both insertion elements significantly weakened Cmr3-Cmr2 interaction, they exhibit differential effects on Cmr-mediated RNA cleavage by the Cmr complex, suggesting stabilization of Cmr2-Cmr3 interactions by other subunits. Further mutational analysis of the two conserved (but non-Cmr2-binding) glycine-rich loops of Cmr3 identified a region that is likely involved in assembly or the RNA cleavage function of the Cmr complex.
Divergence of Neighboring Magnetic-Field Lines and Fast-Particle Diffusion in Strong Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence, with Application to Thermal Conduction in Galaxy Clusters

Using direct numerical simulations, we calculate the rate of divergence of neighboring magnetic-field lines in different types of strong magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. In the static-magnetic-field approximation, our results imply that tangled magnetic fields in galaxy clusters reduce the electron diffusion coefficient and thermal conductivity by a factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}5--10$, relative to their values in a nonmagnetized plasma.
Ab Initio and Empirical Potential Studies of Defect Properties in 3C-SiC

Density functional theory (DFT) is used to study the formation and properties of native defects in $3C\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{SiC}.$ Extensive calculations have been carried out to determine the formation of point defects and the stability of self-interstitials. Although there is good agreement in the formation of vacancies and antisite defects between the present study and previous calculations, a large disparity appears in the formation of self-interstitials. The most favorable configurations for C interstitials are 〈100〉 and 〈110〉 dumbbells, with formation energies from 3.16 to 3.59 eV, and the most favorable Si interstitial is Si tetrahedral surrounded by four C atoms, with a formation energy of 6.17 eV. The present DFT results are also compared with those calculated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the Tersoff potentials, with parameters obtained from the literature. The formation energies of vacancies and antisite defects obtained by MD calculations are in good agreement with those obtained by DFT calculations. However, the MD calculations yield different results for interstitials energies and structures that depend on the cutoff distances used in the Tersoff potentials. The results provide guidelines for evaluating the quality and fit of empirical potentials for large-scale simulations of irradiation damage and defect migration processes in SiC.
Osmotic stress and water isotope effects in kinesin-1 gliding motility assays

The osmotic pressure and kinetic properties of water play important roles in biomolecular interactions. As pointed out by Parsegian, Rand, and Rau, these crucial roles are often overlooked[1]. In some fields, osmotic stress and isotope effects have been exploited for probing the role water plays in binding interactions of biomolecules. To our knowledge, there have been no studies of osmotic stress and water isotope effects for kinesin, and only a handful for myosin. We're currently using the gliding motility assay to see whether we can extract new information about kinesin-1 / microtubule interactions by changing osmotic stress and water isotopes. We will describe our open-source, automated analysis platform for extracting microtubule gliding speeds from image series. We will also show our preliminary analyses of the changes seen in gliding assays when done in heavy water (either heavy-hydrogen or heavy-oxygen) or osmolytes (betaine). We will discuss whether osmotic stress and isotopes, particularly heavy-oxygen water, might be an important tool for probing effects of water on binding interactions between kinesin and microtubules. We will also discuss potential applications of deuterium water for stabilizing microtubules and kinesin for lab or device applications.[1] Parsegian, V. A., Rand, R. P., & Rau, D. C. (1995). Macromolecules and water: probing with osmotic stress. Methods in Enzymology, 259.This work was supported by the DTRA CB Basic Research Program under Grant No. HDTRA1-09-1-008 in collaboration with Dr. Susan Atlas lab (UNM).
Malignant degeneration of multilevel monostotic Paget's disease involving the thoracic spine: an unusual presentation.

Abstract Paget’s disease is the second most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis and is characterized by abnormal bone turnover and remodeling that can lead to pain, pathological fracture, bony deformity and nerve compression syndromes. The lumbar region is the most commonly affected site within the spine followed by the thoracic and cervical spine. Even though the spine is affected very commonly in Paget’s disease, malignant degeneration is exceptionally rare. Multilevel monostotic spine involvement due to Paget’s disease is very uncommon. An unusual clinico-radiological manifestation of multilevel thoracic Paget’s disease with sarcomatous degeneration presenting as a neurosurgical emergency is reported with a pertinent review of the literature.
Thymidine transport by Novikoff rat hepatoma cells synchronized by double hydroxyurea treatment.

Abstract Suspension cultures of Novikoff rat hepatoma cells were synchronized by a double hydroxyurea block. About 80% of the cells of the population doubled 5 to 8 h after the reversal of the second hydroxyurea block. At all stages of the cell cycle, thymidine was rapidly incorporated into the acid-soluble pool of the cells (mainly dTTP) and the rate of incorporation was limited by the rate of thymidine transport. The rate of thymidine transport per cell roughly doubled during the S or late S phase and decreased again to the base level during cell division. This was reflected by corresponding changes in V max for thymidine transport, whereas the apparent K m remained constant throughout the cell cycle.
Sensor information monotonicity in disambiguation protocols

Previous work has considered the problem of swiftly traversing a marked traversal-medium where the marks represent probabilities that associated local regions are traversable, further supposing that the traverser is equipped with a dynamic capability to disambiguate these regions en route. In practice, however, the marks are given by a noisy sensor, and are only estimates of the respective probabilities of traversability. In this paper, we investigate the performance of disambiguation protocols that utilize such sensor readings. In particular, we investigate the difference in performance when a disambiguation protocol employs various sensors ranked by their estimation quality. We demonstrate that a superior sensor can yield superior traversal performance—so called Sensor Information Monotonicity. In so doing, we provide to the decision-maker the wherewithal to quantitatively assess the advantage of a superior (and presumably more expensive) sensor in light of the associated improvement in performance.
Receptivity of A Hypersonic Flat-Plate Boundary Layer to Surface Roughness

The receptivity of a hypersonic flat-plate boundary layer to small surface roughness is investigated by series of numerical simulations. The main objectives of the current paper are to study the receptivity process of a Mach 5.92 flow over a flat plate to surface roughness and the effect of spanwise wave number on the receptivity. The free-stream flow conditions are the same as those of Maslov et al.’s leading-edge receptivity experiment [1] . Two-dimensional steady base flow is firstly achieved by solving compressible Navier-Stokes equations with a combination of a fifthorder shock-fitting method and a second-order TVD scheme. The accuracy of the numerical steady base flow is validated by comparisons with the theoretical self-similar boundary-layer solution and Maslov et al.’s experimental measurements. The three-dimensional base flow is directly extended from two-dimensional base flow due to the fact that the base flow over the flat plate is independent of spanwise coordinate. In receptivity simulations, small surface roughness, periodic in spanwise direction, is introduced on the flat plate. The subsequent responses of the hypersonic boundary layer are simulated by solving three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with a fifth-order shock-fitting method and a Fourier collocation method. Due to small height of roughness element, boundary conditions of temperature and velocities on the rough surface are transferred to original smooth surface by linear extrapolation. The effect of spanwise wave number on the receptivity is studied by considering six cases of receptivity simulations. The numerical results show that counter rotating streamwise vortices and transient growth are induced by surface roughness. The spanwise wave number has a strong effect on the excitation of transient growth. For the six cases considered in current study, surface roughness with the spanwise wave number being 0.0101 has the strongest excitation of transient growth.
β-adrenergic agonists and hypertrophy of skeletal muscles

Chronic administration of some beta-adrenergic agonists markedly stimulates hypertrophy of skeletal muscles. It appears that type II fibers are more responsive to beta-adrenergic agonists than type I fibers. The hypertrophic effect of beta-adrenergic agonists is transient, with the effect diminishing during prolonged treatment. Similarly, some cellular responses including the increase in RNA concentration and the decrease in calpain I activity are also short-lived. Recent evidence suggests that the temporal response is associated with decreased beta-adrenoceptor density. Both increased rate of protein synthesis and/or decreased protein degradation have been suggested as the mechanism of action of these compounds on hypertrophy of skeletal muscles. It is important to consider the temporal nature of cellular responses to chronic treatment of beta-adrenergic agonists as well as the differential effects of these compounds on protein metabolism among skeletal muscle fiber types when investigating the mechanism(s) of action of these compounds.
Precision of Channel width and pool area measurements

: The precision of width and pool area measurements has rarely been considered in relation to downstream or at section hydraulic geometry, fisheries studies, long-term or along a continuum research studies, or agency monitoring techniques. We assessed this precision and related it to other stream morphologic characteristics. Confidence limits (95 percent) around mean estimates with four transects (cross-sections perpendicular to the channel center-line) ranged from ± 0.4 to 1.8 m on streams with a width of only 2.2 m. To avoid autocorrelation, transects should be spaced about three channel widths apart. To avoid stochastic inhomogeneity, reach length should be about 30 channel widths or ten transects to optimize sampling efficiency. Precision of width measurements decreased with decreased depth and increased with stream size. Both observations reflect variability caused by features such as boulders or coarse woody debris. Pool area precision increased with pool area reflecting increased precision for flat, wide streams with regular pool-rime sequences. The least precision occurred on small, steep streams with random, boulder or coarse woody debris formed pools.
Police uniform color and citizen impression formation

Clothing color and style are significant factors in impression formation in first-time dealings with strangers. Four common police uniform color schemes are evaluated for their influence on seven scales of impression formation with a sample of 737 citizens in a Midwestern city. Consistent with the previous literature, the all black color scheme was viewed most negatively on six of the seven scales. The light blue shirt and navy blue pants color scheme created the most positive impression on all seven scales. The implications of these findings for police-community relations and department uniform selection are discussed.
Effects of systemic phenylpropanolamine and fenfluramine on serotonin activity within rat paraventricular hypothalamus.

Abstract Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) anorexia has been linked to activation of α1-adrenergic receptors within rat paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN) by studies documenting that intra-PVN injection of PPA and other α1-adrenergic agonists suppress food intake. The present experiments examine the hypothesis that PPA may suppress appetite indirectly via release of serotonin (5-HT) within the PVN. In Experiment 1, we compare the effects of PPA (20 mg/kg, IP) and of d,l -fenfluramine (FEN: 7.5 mg/kg, IP), relative to a vehicle treatment, on extracellular levels of 5-HT and the 5-HT metabolite 5-HIAA in adult male rats prepared with concentric microdialysis probes aimed at either the PVN or the perifornical hypothalamus (PFH). Injection of either vehicle or 20 mg/kg PPA had no significant effect on extracellular 5-HT within the PFH or the PVN. In contrast, a subsequent injection of 7.5 mg/kg FEN produced significant increases in 5-HT and significant decreases in 5-HIAA within the PVN and the PFH. In Experiment 2, the 5-HT 1a autoreceptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.25 mg/kg, SC) was used to suppress presynaptic release of 5-HT prior to systemic injection of either fenfluramine (5 mg/kg, IP) or PPA (5, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg, IP). The anorexic action of FEN, but not PPA, was reduced by pretreatment with 8-OH-DPAT. These results suggest that the anorexic action of PPA is not mediated by an indirect effect of PPA on presynaptic release of 5-HT.
Esophageal Doppler monitor determinations of cardiac output and preload during cardiac operations.

Abstract Background . Perioperative management of cardiac surgical patients frequently mandates measurements of cardiac output and left ventricular filling. This study compared cardiac output and left ventricular filling measured by pulmonary artery (PA) catheter and esophageal Doppler monitor (EDM). Methods . Thirty-four patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were prepared by implanting a PA catheter, an EDM, and a transit-time ultrasonic flow probe around the ascending aorta. In 20 patients, left ventricular end-diastolic short-axis area (EDA) was measured by transesophageal echocardiography. At five time points, cardiac output was measured from the flow probe, the EDM, and the PA catheter (by thermodilution), and left ventricular filling was assessed from the PA catheter (as PA diastolic pressure), the EDM (corrected flow time), and the EDA. For cardiac output, concordance correlations relating EDM to flow probe and PA catheter to flow probe were calculated, transformed (Fisher's z transformation), and compared by Student's t test. For left ventricular filling, regression coefficients were created between corrected flow time and EDA and between PA diastolic pressure and EDA. Spearman correlations were compared by Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results . The EDM and the PA catheter exhibited similar relationships to the flow probe (concordance correlations, 0.55 ± 0.35 [mean ± standard deviation] and 0.49 ± 0.34, respectively; p = 0.088). The correlation between corrected flow time and EDA was better than the correlation between PA diastolic pressure and EDA (concordance correlations, 0.49 ± 0.55 versus 0.10 ± 0.43, respectively; p Conclusions . These data suggest that the EDM may offer a less invasive technique for evaluating cardiac output and a more accurate estimate for preload compared with the PA catheter.
Endotoxin uptake in mouse liver is blocked by endotoxin pretreatment through a suppressor of cytokine signaling-1–dependent mechanism

The liver is the main organ that clears lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and hepatocytes are a major cell-type involved in LPS uptake. LPS tolerance, or desensitization, is important in negative regulation of responses to LPS, but little is known about its mechanisms in hepatocytes. Primary isolated C57BL/6 hepatocytes, and liver in vivo, internalized fluorescent LPS, and this was dependent on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) at the cell surface but not on TLR4-TIR signaling through MyD88. LPS clearance from plasma was also TLR4-dependent. Pretreatment of C57BL/6 hepatocytes with LPS prevented uptake of LPS 24 hours later and this LPS-mediated suppression was dependent on TLR4 signaling through MyD88. Many regulators of TLR4 signaling have been identified and implicated in LPS desensitization, including suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1). SOCS1 mRNA and protein expression increased after LPS stimulation in hepatocytes and in whole liver. LPS uptake in hepatocytes and liver was significantly reduced following infection with adenoviral vectors overexpressing SOCS1. Similarly, inhibition of SOCS1 using small interfering (si)RNA-mediated knockdown prevented LPS desensitization in hepatocytes. SOCS1 is known to interact with Toll/IL-1 receptor associated protein (TIRAP) and cause TIRAP ubiquitination and degradation, which regulates TLR signaling. We have also shown previously that TIRAP regulates LPS uptake in hepatocytes. SOCS1 coimmunoprecipitated with TIRAP in wild type hepatocyte cell lysates up to 8 hours after LPS stimulation, but not at later times. In the same samples, ubiquitinated TIRAP was detected after 4 hours and up to 8 hours after LPS stimulation, but not at later times. Conclusion: These data indicate hepatocytes are desensitized by LPS in a TLR4 signaling-dependent manner. LPS-induced SOCS1 upregulation increases degradation of TIRAP and prevents subsequent LPS uptake. The exploitation of these mechanisms of LPS desensitization in the liver may be important in future sepsis therapies. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
The dominant bacteria shifted from the order ''Lactobacillales'' to Bacillales and Actinomycetales during a start-up period of large-scale, completely-mixed composting reactor using plastic bottle flakes as bulking agent

Bacterial community succession in the start-up of a large-scale, completely-mixed composting reactor was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) clone analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) combined with measurements of temperature, pH, moisture contents, and decomposing rate. DGGE analysis and physicochemical parameters showed that bacterial community succession occurred in four phases; (1) at the start of operation and pH decreasing period (day 0–3), (2) pH decreased and increased period (day 4–11), (3) middle term, moisture content decreasing and maximum temperature increased period (day 12–16) and (4) latter term, temperature decreasing period (day 17–24). Lactobacillus spp. and Bacillus coagulans were detected from the initial phase and middle term, respectively. 16S rDNA clone analysis showed that the dominant bacteria shifted from the order “Lactobacillales” to Bacillales and Actinomycetales. The order “Lactobacillales” was unique which may be caused by using the plastic bottle flakes (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) as bulking agent.
Crystal Structure of a Cbf5-Nop10-Gar1 Complex and Implications in RNA-Guided Pseudouridylation and Dyskeratosis Congenita

H/ACA RNA-protein complexes, comprised of four proteins and an H/ACA guide RNA, modify ribosomal and small nuclear RNAs. The H/ACA proteins are also essential components of telomerase in mammals. Cbf5 is the H/ACA protein that catalyzes isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine in target RNAs. Mutations in human Cbf5 (dyskerin) lead to dyskeratosis congenita. Here, we describe the 2.1 A crystal structure of a specific complex of three archaeal H/ACA proteins, Cbf5, Nop10, and Gar1. Cbf5 displays structural properties that are unique among known pseudouridine synthases and are consistent with its distinct function in RNA-guided pseudouridylation. We also describe the previously unknown structures of both Nop10 and Gar1 and the structural basis for their essential roles in pseudouridylation. By using information from related structures, we have modeled the entire ribonucleoprotein complex including both guide and substrate RNAs. We have also identified a dyskeratosis congenita mutation cluster site within a modeled dyskerin structure.
Acceptability of medical abortion with methotrexate and misoprostol

Abstract A clinical trial of efficacy of methotrexate and misoprostol for abortion was performed involving 86 women requesting and abortion at
The role of spinal cord stimulation in contemporary pain management

Improvements in spinal cord stimulation devices, techniques, and patient selection over the past 20 years have enhanced the safety and efficacy of the procedure, leading to an expanding role for spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of chronic, intractable pain. Percutaneous electrode placement has reduced morbidity, facilitated patient screening, and furthered the technical goal of matching stimulation paresthesias to the distribution of a patient's pain. Programmable implants have been developed to take full advantage of implanted electrode arrays. The morbidity of spinal cord stimulation is very low, and its benefit/risk ratio compares very favorably with alternative procedures.
Plagiarism awareness among students: assessing integration of ethics theory into library instruction

The library literature on plagiarism instruction focuses on students’ understanding of what plagiarism is and is not. This study evaluates the effect of library instruction from a broader perspective by examining the pre- and posttest (instruction) levels of students’ perceptions toward plagiarism ethics. Eighty-six students completed a pre- and posttest survey that measured their ethical perceptions of plagiarism scenarios. The survey used the multidimensional ethics scale (MES) developed by Reidenbach and Robin that is used commonly in business ethics research. The study found that the MES is a reliable tool to measure changes in ethical perceptions of plagiarism. Further, results indicate that students had higher posttest perceptions of plagiarism ethics than they did prior to library instruction. These results suggest that library instruction was effective and had a meaningful impact on students’ perceptions toward plagiarism ethics.
Endogenous hydrogen peroxide production in the epithelium of the developing embryonic lens.

Author(s): Basu, Subhasree; Rajakaruna, Suren; Dickinson, Bryan C; Chang, Christopher J; Menko, A Sue | Abstract: PurposeHydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an endogenously produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in a variety of mammalian systems. This particular ROS can play dichotomous roles, being beneficial in some cases and deleterious in others, which reflects the level and location of H2O2 production. While much is known about the redox regulation of ROS by antioxidant and repair systems in the lens, little is known about the endogenous production of H2O2 in embryonic lens tissue or the physiologic relevance of endogenous H2O2 to lens development. This gap in knowledge exists primarily from a lack of reagents that can specifically detect endogenous H2O2 in the intact lens. Here, using a recently developed chemoselective fluorescent boronate probe, peroxyfluor-6 acetoxymethyl ester (PF6-AM), which selectively detects H2O2 over related ROS, we examined the endogenous H2O2 signals in the embryonic lens.MethodsEmbryonic day 10 chick whole lenses in ex vivo organ culture and lens epithelial cells in primary culture were loaded with the H2O2 probe PF6-AM. To determine the relationship between localization of mitochondria with active membrane potential and the region of H2O2 production in the lens, cells were exposed to the mitochondrial probe MitoTracker Red CMXRos together with PF6-AM. Diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), a flavin inhibitor that blocks generation of intracellular ROS production, was used to confirm that the signal from PF6-AM was due to endogenous ROS production. All imaging was performed by live confocal microscopy.ResultsPF6-AM detected endogenous H2O2 in lens epithelial cells in whole lenses in ex vivo culture and in lens epithelial cells grown in primary culture. No endogenous H2O2 signal could be detected in differentiating lens fiber cells with this probe. Treatment with DPI markedly attenuated the fluorescence signal from the peroxide-specific probe PF6-AM in the lens epithelium, suggesting that basal generation of ROS occurs in this region. The lens epithelial cells producing an endogenous H2O2 signal were also rich in actively respiring mitochondria.ConclusionsPF6-AM can be used as an effective reagent to detect the presence and localization of endogenous H2O2 in live lens cells.
A neural detector for seismic reflectivity sequences

A commonly used routine in seismic signal processing is deconvolution, which comprises two operations: reflectivity detection and magnitude estimation. Existing statistical detectors are computationally expensive. In the paper, a Hopfield neural network is constructed to perform the reflectivity detection operation. The basic idea is to represent the reflectivity detection problem by an equivalent optimization problem and then construct a Hopfield neural network to solve this optimization problem. The neural detector is applied to a synthetic seismic trace and 30 real seismic traces. The processing results show that the accuracy of the neural detector is about the same as that of the existing detectors, but the speed of the neural detector is much faster. >