cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic analysis and damping of composite structures embedded with viscoelastic layers

Abstract In recent years, it has been found that composites co-cured with viscoelastic materials can enhance the damping capacity of a composite structural system with little reduction in stiffness and strength. Because of the anisotropy of the constraining layers, the damping mechanism of co-cured composites is quite different from that of conventional structures with metal constraining layers. This paper presents an analysis of the dynamic properties of multiple damping layer, laminated composite beams with anisotropic stiffness layers, by means of the finite element-based modal strain energy method. ANSYS 4.4A finite element software has been used for this study. The variation of resonance frequencies and modal loss factors of various beam samples with temperature is studied. Some of these results are compared with the closed-form theoretical results of an earlier published work. For obtaining optimium dynamic properties, the effects of different parameters, such as layer orientation angle and compliant layering, are studied. Also, the effect of using a combination of different damping materials in the system for obtaining stable damping properties over a wide temperature range is studied.
Reference tissue modeling with parameter coupling: application to a study of SERT binding in HIV

When applicable, it is generally preferred to evaluate positron emission tomography (PET) studies using a reference tissue-based approach as that avoids the need for invasive arterial blood sampling. However, most reference tissue methods have been shown to have a bias that is dependent on the level of tracer binding, and the variability of parameter estimates may be substantially affected by noise level. In a study of serotonin transporter (SERT) binding in HIV dementia, it was determined that applying parameter coupling to the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) reduced the variability of parameter estimates and yielded the strongest between-group significant differences in SERT binding. The use of parameter coupling makes the application of SRTM more consistent with conventional blood input models and reduces the total number of fitted parameters, thus should yield more robust parameter estimates. Here, we provide a detailed evaluation of the application of parameter constraint and parameter coupling to [11C]DASB PET studies. Five quantitative methods, including three methods that constrain the reference tissue clearance (kr2) to a common value across regions were applied to the clinical and simulated data to compare measurement of the tracer binding potential (BPND). Compared with standard SRTM, either coupling of kr2 across regions or constraining kr2 to a first-pass estimate improved the sensitivity of SRTM to measuring a significant difference in BPND between patients and controls. Parameter coupling was particularly effective in reducing the variance of parameter estimates, which was less than 50% of the variance obtained with standard SRTM. A linear approach was also improved when constraining kr2 to a first-pass estimate, although the SRTM-based methods yielded stronger significant differences when applied to the clinical study. This work shows that parameter coupling reduces the variance of parameter estimates and may better discriminate between-group differences in specific binding.
Chemical induction effects: O-incorporation in, and substitutional doping of a-Si:H

This paper identifies several important non-statistical bonding environments in alloyed and doped a-Si:H. These include O-Si-H linkages in a-Si,O:H alloys, and P + -Si-H and Si-B - -H linkages that play a significant role in the doping processes in a-Si:H. We present the experimental evidence for these bonding arrangements, and a model that accounts for their creation during film deposition.
The impact of the 1980 reapportionment in the United States

Abstract The 1980 reapportionment and redistricting continued several previous trends. The rural areas and big cities lost seats again, while the suburbs made substantial gains. In the 1982 election, the Republicans' hopes for gains from reapportionment and redistricting were not realized. The Democrats entered the reapportionment and redistricting processes with the disadvantage of holding most of the heavily underpopulated districts and less than half of the heavily overpopulated districts. They emerged with a net gain of six seats from reapportionment and won most of the redistricting-influenced, races. They maintained almost all of their districts which had lost population in the 1970s. No support was found for the hypothesis that the population decreases in the northern cities and the population increases in the sunbelt would shift seats from liberal Democrats to conservative Republicans. While redistricting had little adverse impact on most incumbents in the 1982 election, it was a factor in about one-half of the races in which incumbents lost.
Effects of a glyconutrient on macrophage functions

Abstract Previous studies have shown that mannosylated bovine serum albumin (mBSA) enhances the respiratory burst (RB), phagocytosis, and killing of Candida albicans and Escherichia coli by resident murine peritoneal macrophages (M φ ). Upregulation of the above M φ functions was associated with the binding of mBSA to the macrophage mannose receptor. The present study was done to determine if certain glyconutrients could stimulate M φ functions in a similar manner. Resident peritoneal murine M φ collected from C57BL/6 mice were exposed to the glyconutrients for 10 and 60 min. The RB was measured using chemiluminescence. Both phagocytosis and killing were measured after incubation with each of the following microorganisms: Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . The percent phagocytosis and killing were determined using fluorescence microscopy. Results indicated that certain glyconutrients, caused a dose and time dependent effect on M φ -induced killing of all three microorganisms.
A probabilistic proof of Ramanujan's 1 p 1 sum

The q-binomial theorem and Ramanujan’s ${}_1 \psi _1 $ sum provide q-analogues of the beta and F distributions, respectively. We obtain these discrete distributions using order statistics, thus deriving the summation formulas probabilistically. We obtain a q-analogue of the $\chi ^2 $ distribution and interpret it probabilistically. We show that an appropriate ratio follows our q-analogue of the F distribution.
The Predicament of Russian Liberalism: Evidence from the December 1995 Parliamentary Elections

imagination. Liberal parties-defined here as those that stand for the advancement of civil rights and democratisation, political pluralism and tolerance, non-militaristic approaches to the solution of foreign and domestic conflict, and economic liberalisation and de-statisation-captured a combined total of just 16.2% of the vote in the party-list portion of balloting, through which half of the seats for the Duma, the lower house of parliament, were allotted.1 In the elections for single-member mandate seats, by which the other half of seats in the Duma were filled, liberals, including those who ran without formal party affiliation, fared somewhat better but still modestly, winning roughly one-quarter of all seats. Just four years after the events that swept the Communist Party regime out of power and ushered in a new era of open politics, the agents of the ideals that inspired and guided the revolution of 1991 found themselves unequal to the challenges of electoral competition. Unlike their counterparts in many Central and East European countries, Russia's liberals cannot take comfort from the knowledge that their opponents have appro
An educational option for those facing lay-off: a human capital perspective

This research assesses factors that affect the choice of an educational support severance package when an employee is offered an array of severance packages that also includes a lump-sum buyout and a retirement package. Hypotheses developed from human capital theory were tested using multinomial logistic regression. The sample comprised 446 current and former employees of a large unionized manufacturing firm. This sample is of interest because the jobs held by these individuals, manufacturing jobs with high wages and benefits, are rapidly disappearing. Results indicated that women were more likely to accept the educational option, as were younger and single respondents. Two groups who were not eligible for retirement were of particular interest in this study. Those who accepted the educational option and those who chose the lump-sum payment did not differ on educational attainment or tenure, but differed on age, partnered status, gender and salary.
Volumetric hedging in electricity procurement

Load serving entities (LSE) providing electricity service at regulated prices in restructured electricity markets, face price and quantity risk. We address the hedging problem of such a risk averse LSE. Exploiting the correlation between consumption quantities and spot prices, we developed an optimal, zero-cost hedging function characterized by payoff as function of spot price. We then show how such a hedging strategy can be implemented through a portfolio of call and put options.
Dorsal hippocampal lesion abolishes the response to FG-7142 in the rat.

The effects of the anxiogenic β-carboline FG-7142 (15 mg/kg IP) on exploratory locomotor activity were assessed in rats with sham or ibotenic acid (IA) lesions of the dorsal or ventral hippocampus. FG-7142 reduced exploratory activity similarly in control animals as well as in those with IA lesions of the ventral hippocampus. In contrast, FG-7142 had no effect on rats with dorsal hippocampal lesions. The results suggest that the dorsal hippocampus plays a unique role in FG-7142-mediated attenuation of locomotor exploration. Other studies suggest that serotonergic systems may mediate these properties of FG-7142.
Propanil affects transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of IL-2 expression in activated EL-4 cells.

The amide-class herbicide, propanil, causes numerous immunomodulary effects in animal models. In the present study, we investigated the effect of propanil on IL-2 expression and production in the murine lymphoma T cell line, EL-4. When supernatants of cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in the presence of propanil were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, IL-2 levels were dose-dependently decreased by 20 and 50 microM of propanil but not at 10 microM. Quantitative Northern blot analysis of peak IL-2 message levels also showed a dose-dependent decrease. The kinetic pattern of message production, however, was unaffected. To determine if the reduced message production was due to reduced signaling or message stability, nuclear run-on and mRNA stability assays were performed. Nuclear run-on assays determined that the transcription rate of the IL-2 gene was decreased approximately 50% in the presence of 20 microM propanil, indicating that it was able to interfere with signal transduction. IL-2 message stability assays also demonstrated a reduction in message stability. Thus, propanil appears to reduce IL-2 production by affecting the signal transduction pathway and IL-2 message stability.
KINETICS OF HYDROGEN ABSORPTION BY CHEMICALLY MODIFIED Pd( 110)

Abstract The kinetics of hydrogen absorption by Pd(110) have been measured as a function of impurity sulfur coverage on the metal surface. In contrast to results obtained on the clean surface in which the absorption process was found to be rate-limited by the diffusion of atomic hydrogen into the bulk, submonolayer coverages of sulfur cause the kinetics to become surface dominated with the dissociative chemisorption of molecular hydrogen now the rate-limiting step. This change was also evident in the measured energetics with the activation energy lowered from a clean surface value of ∼ 5.4 to ∼ 3.4 kcal mol on a sulfur covered surface. This latter result may reflect an activation barrier for adsorption induced by the presence of the impurity sulfur, chemisorption being nonactivated on a clean surface. The involvement of a subsurface binding site for hydrogen may also explain the observed kinetics.
Temperature Stabilization Requirements for Unchopped Thermal Detectors

The temperature stabilization requirements of unchopped thermistor bolometers and thermopile detectors are analyzed. The detector temperature, on which the bolometer output signal depends, is quite sensitive to changes in instrument temperature but relatively insensitive to changes in scene temperature. In contrast, the difference in temperature between detector and substrate (instrument), on which the thermopile signal depends, is equally sensitive to changes in instrument and scene temperature. Expressions for these dependencies are derived based on a simplified instrument model. It is shown that for a typical uncooled thermal imager, the temperature stabilization requirements for a bolometer are two orders of magnitude more stringent than those for a thermopile detector. Keywords: thermistor, bolometer, thermopile, detector, IR, thermal, temperature stabilization
Uncertainties relating to the health effects of particulate air pollution: The US EPA’s particle standard

Although the epidemiologic associations between urban particulate air pollution and human mortality and morbidity have been accumulating for several years, the causal agents (a specific chemical component, a specific particle size range, one or more pollutant combinations, etc.), and the physiological mechanisms behind the associations have yet to be identified. Significant questions regarding confounding effects due to weather, indoor air pollutant exposures and co-pollutants (that accompany particulate matter) stubbornly remain. The events in the United States began with recent epidemiological associations, followed by a lawsuit forcing the US EPA to accelerate the standard-setting process, and finally controversy over the scientific basis of the new standard. In contrast to the potential risks posed by particulate air pollution, many of the sources of such particles are positive contributors to human health; control measures to meet the proposed standard may therefore produce offsetting enhanced mortality and morbidity. In order to establish the information required for well-informed public health policies, a substantial research program is needed because of uncertainties relating to, the affected individuals, the potential causal agents, and the consequences of particle-control activities. Not only are the remaining scientific questions significant, but the particle exposure/health effects associations also call into question some of the current scientific assumptions relating to the nature of effects of population exposures to low concentrations of pollutants.
Phagocytic clearance of electric field induced ‘apoptosis-mimetic’ cells

Cells undergoing apoptosis lose lipid asymmetry that is often manifested by the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) to the outer surface of the cell membrane. Macrophages and other cell types recognize externalized PS to signal phagocytosis, thereby eliciting a non-inflammatory response. PS exposure is obligatory in the recognition and clearance of apoptotic cells. Here, we find that externally applied moderate electric field induces PS externalization in a mouse B-cell (FOX-NY) membrane without procaspase-3 activation, a major characteristic of apoptotic cells. The field-induced PS inversion is caused as a result of electroporation and/or a process involving membrane reorganizations and recovery that ensues following field exposure. Using a mouse macrophage cell line (J7444A.1) from the same strain, we show phagocytic clearance of PS expressing B-cells and demonstrate that this is in part due to the apoptosis mimicry of the field exposed cells.
Diagnostic value of urine microscopy for differential diagnosis of acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients.

Background and objectives: Urine microscopy is the oldest and one of the most commonly used tests for differential diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI), but its performance has not been adequately studied in the setting of AKI. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Fresh urine samples were obtained from 267 consecutive patients with AKI, and urinary sediment was examined. The cause of AKI was assessed at two time points: (1) Before urine microscopy diagnosis and (2) after patient discharge or death (final diagnosis). A urinary scoring system also was created on the basis of casts and renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC) to differentiate acute tubular necrosis (ATN) from prerenal AKI. Results: The urinary sediment scoring system was highly predictive of the final diagnosis of ATN. In patients with a high pretest probability of ATN (initial diagnosis of ATN), any casts or RTEC (score ≥2) resulted in very high positive predictive value and low negative predictive value for a final diagnosis of ATN. In patients with a low pretest probability of ATN (initial diagnosis of prerenal AKI), lack of casts or RTEC on urinary sediment examination had a sensitivity of 0.73 and specificity of 0.75 for a final diagnosis of prerenal AKI. The negative predictive value of lack of casts or RTEC in patients with low pretest probability of disease was 91%. Conclusions: Urine sediment examination is a valuable diagnostic tool for confirming the diagnosis of ATN. A score of ≥2 on an ATN urinary sediment scoring system is an extremely strong predictor of ATN.
Endophthalmitis After Vitrectomy

Summary A 29-year-old white man with growthonset diabetes developed fulminant endophthalmitis after vitreous lavage. The only significant symptom was severe pain 36 hours after surgery. The endophthalmitis rapidly became more severe. Despite systemic antibiotics, therapeutic vitrectomy and lensectomy, followed by the intraocular injection of antibiotics 48 hours postoperatively, the eye was lost.
Isolating human brain functional connectivity associated with a specific cognitive process

The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure functional connectivity among brain areas has the potential to identify neural networks associated with particular cognitive processes. However, fMRI signals are not a direct measure of neural activity but rather represent blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals. Correlated BOLD signals between two brain regions are therefore a combination of neural, neurovascular, and vascular coupling. Here, we describe a procedure for isolating brain functional connectivity associated with a specific cognitive process. Coherency magnitude (measuring the strength of coupling between two time series) and phase (measuring the temporal latency differences between two time series) are computed during performance of a particular cognitive task and also for a control condition. Subtraction of the coherency magnitude and phase differences for the two conditions removes sources of correlated BOLD signals that do not modulate as a function of cognitive task, resulting in a more direct measure of functional connectivity associated with changes in neuronal activity. We present two applications of this task subtraction procedure, one to measure changes in strength of coupling associated with sustained visual spatial attention, and one to measure changes in temporal latencies between brain areas associated with voluntary visual spatial attention.
Combined carboplatin and cisplatin : limited prospects for dose intensification

Background. The relative lack of overlapping toxic-ities and less-than-complete cross-resistance of tumors treated with both carboplatin and cisplatin may allow these two analogues to be given in combination to exploit platinum dose intensity therapeutics. Early experience with combined platinum regimens, however, found my-elosuppression, particularly severe thrombocytopenia, to be dose-limiting. It was postulated that a 2-day interval between carboplatin and cisplatin would allow for near complete clearance of the former before cisplatin administration and a potential gain in dose intensity. Methods. Other carboplatin-cisplatin regimens produced Grade 3–4 toxicity in 20% of patients. By defining 95% confidence limits around this observed rate of Grade 3–4 toxicity, the accrual needs of this study were determined in a two-stage process. Sixteen patients with advanced malignancies were entered onto a trial of 300 mg/m2 of carboplatin on day 1, followed by 125 mg/m2 of cisplatin on day 3 every 28 days. Hematologic and nonhe-matologic toxicity was closely monitored, including the use of serial audiograms, to allow appropriate dose modification. Results. A total of 40 courses of combination platinum therapy was administered to 15 patients who were evaluable for toxicity. Higher-than-anticipated ototoxicity and neurosensory toxicity was observed. WHO Grade 3 ototoxicity (hearing loss) was documented in 12 of 15 patients (80.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.0–97.0%) and emerged as the dose-limiting side effect of this regimen. High-frequency hearing loss, as demonstrated by conventional audiograms, was universal among all 12 patients who received at least 2 courses of combination platinum therapy (100%, 95% CI: 73.5–100%). Grade 2 or 3 neurosensory toxicity also was observed in 4 of 15 patients. Hematologic toxicity was manageable. WHO Grade 3–4 neutropenia or thrombocytopenia occurred in only 14% and 11%, respectively, of 40 courses. There was no evidence of cumulative marrow toxicity. Calculated dose intensities (mg/m2/week) were 94 6.0 for carboplatin, 39.3 12.4 for cisplatin, and 64.0 19.2 for the combination (expressed as cisplatin equivalents). Objective responses (complete response + partial response) occurred in 8 of 16 subjects (50.0%, 95% CI: 24.7–75.4%), with 1 patient achieving a complete response of 14+ months. Conclusions. The schedule of day 1 carboplatin plus day 3 cisplatin every 4 weeks appeared to allow a higher platinum dose intensity with less myelotoxicity than previously reported schedules combining these two analogues. Ototoxicity, however, was unexpectedly severe and limits future prospects for the use of combined platinum analogues to achieve dose intensification.
The neuroimaging signal is a linear sum of neurally distinct stimulus- and task-related components

Neuroimaging (for example, functional magnetic resonance imaging) signals are taken as a uniform proxy for local neural activity. By simultaneously recording electrode and neuroimaging (intrinsic optical imaging) signals in alert, task-engaged macaque visual cortex, we recently observed a large anticipatory trial-related neuroimaging signal that was poorly related to local spiking or field potentials. We used these same techniques to study the interactions of this trial-related signal with stimulus-evoked responses over the full range of stimulus intensities, including total darkness. We found that the two signals could be separated, and added linearly over this full range. The stimulus-evoked component was related linearly to local spiking and, consequently, could be used to obtain precise and reliable estimates of local neural activity. The trial-related signal likely has a distinct neural mechanism, however, and failure to account for it properly could lead to substantial errors when estimating local neural spiking from the neuroimaging signal.
Adolescent struggling readers in urban schools: Results of a Latent Class Analysis

Abstract In this study, our goal was to identify unique clusters of Adolescent Struggling Readers (ASRs) and examine the reading skill profiles each cluster presented. We assessed 319 students attending urban schools on three standardized measures of reading comprehension and eight standardized measures of component skills, including vocabulary, listening comprehension, word- and text-level reading accuracy and fluency. The mean age of the students was 14.9 years, and they were entering 9th grade students. Using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), we identified four empirically distinct levels of reading comprehension and classified a subsample of students as below-average comprehenders ( n = 195). Within this subsample, we performed a second LCA that identified five subgroups with distinct profiles of component skills. These results suggest a great deal of heterogeneity in strengths and weaknesses of component reading skills within the ASR group, implying the need for diagnostic assessment and differentiated intervention.
Soybean biomass accumulation and leaf area index in early-season production environments

Some indeterminate soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars are adaptable to early plantings in the southern USA (<35°N lat). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects on inter-row spacing and soil moisture level on dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, and plant height of an early-planted indeterminate soybean in southcentral Texas. Soybean (Williams 82', Maturity Group III) was planted in mid-April in 1988 and 1989 near College Station, TX (30° 32'N lat). Harvest maturity occurred in late August. Soil moisture levels were irrigation and no irrigation; inter-row spacings were 0.36 and 1.02 m. Soil moisture level treatments did not affect any of the measured dry matter of leaf area traits. Reproductive (pod and seed) dry matter production as greater in 0.36-m rows near physiological maturity in both years []
Visualization of Individual Defect Mobility and Annihilation within Cylinder-Forming Diblock Copolymer Thin Films on Nanopatterned Substrates

We have tracked the mobility, approach, and annihilation of defects in cylinder-forming diblock copolymer thin films on nanopatterned substrates using high-temperature and in situ time-lapse atomic force microscopy. This has been accomplished by visualizing two isolated defects and studying their approach and hence interactions. Here we used lithographed channels to template and orientationally align cylindrical diblock domains macroscopically and with low defect density. Dislocation pairs annihilate through climb and glide motion, where climb is defined as a dislocation displacement along the diblock domain stripes, and glide is defined as dislocation motion across the stripes. Defect mobility via climbing motion is observed to be faster than glide excursions. The diffusion coefficients parallel (Dpar) and perpendicular (Dperp) to the striped nanodomains have been determined; mobility along the cylinder direction is approximately 1 order of magnitude larger than that across the cylinders. Diffusion activ...
Conditioned responses of hippocampal and other neurons

Abstract Changes in the firing rates of neurons in various subcortical structures induced by application of a 1 sec auditory stimulus were recorded in unrestrained animals during movement-free intervals. Pseudo-conditioning trials (500) were followed by conditioning trials (300). During the latter, a food pellet was presented to the animal by a dispenser after every stimulus, provided there was no detectable movement during the stimulus period. The difference between the response rates before conditioning and after conditioning was considered to be a measure of the effect induced by the conditioning procedure. 1. 1. Except for the early response in the dorsal reticular formation, responses consisting of incremental firing rate were increased in size and number and decremental response were attenuated or reversed. Even in the dorsal reticular formation the neuronal activity rate during the last half of the stimulus was augmented. 2. 2. Before conditioning an increment in the firing rate of neurons appeared in most areas during the first 300 msec of stimulation after which the firing rate returned almost to control levels or even systematically below control levels in some areas. In most cases, conditioning procedures caused the early increment to be augmented and the neuronal rate to stay elevated above control levels during the remainder of the 1 sec stimulus (thus reversing the decremental tendency where it had appeared). 3. 3. Incremental changes were largest in hippocampus. These changes were, on the basis of deductive arguments, considered to be independent of skeletal and attentional components of the conditioned response on the one hand, and unrelated to sleep and waking or inhibitory processes on the other. It seemed possible therefore that the changes might be related to a short term or temporary trace of a motivationally significant event.
238U230Th226Ra disequilibria in young Mount St. Helens rocks: time constraint for magma formation and crystallization

Abstract We use238U-series nuclides and230Th/232Th ratios measured by mass spectrometry to constrain processes and time scales of calc-alkaline magma genesis at Mount St. Helens, Washington. Olivine basalt, pyroxene andesites and dacites that erupted 10–2 ka ago show 3–14% (230Th) (238U) and 6–54%226Ra 230Th disequilibria. Mineral phases exhibit robust (226Ra) (230Th) fractionation. Plagioclase has large 65–280% (226Ra) excesses, and magnetite has large 65% (226Ra) deficits relative to (230Th). Calculated partition coefficients for Ba, Th, and U in mineral-groundmass pairs, except Ba in plagioclase, are low (⩽ 0.04). Correlation between (226Ra/230Th) activity ratios andrm/BaTh element ratios in the minerals suggests that226Ra partitions similar to Ba during crystallization. Internal (230Th) (238U) isochrons for 1982 summit and East Dome dacites and Goat Rocks and Kalama andesites show that closed Th U system fractionation occurred 2–6 ka ago. Apparent internal isochrons for Castle Creek basalt (34 ka) and andesite (27 ka) suggest longer magma chamber residence times and mixing of old crystals and young melt. Mineral (226Ra) (230Th) disequilibrium on Ba-normalized internal isochron diagrams suggests average magma chamber residence times of 500–3000 years. In addition, radioactive (226Ra/230Th) heterogeneity between minerals and groundmass or whole rock is evidence for open-system Ra Th behavior. This heterogeneity suggests there has been recent, post-crystallization, changes in melt chemical composition that affected226Ra more than230Th. Clearly, magma fractionation, residence and transport of crystal-melt before eruption of chemically diverse lavas at Mount St. Helens occurs over geologically short periods.
The behavioral effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP in mice

Abstract Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (DBcAMP), 25 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally 25 minutes prior to testing produced a significant decrease in spontaneous locomotor activity (SLMA) to 58 percent of control and in exploratory behavior to 64 percent of control but failed to alter rotarod performance of mice. DBcAMP did not decrease activity when mice were pretreated with the nucleotide 24 hours prior to its subsequent administration. The results of time-response studies of DBcAMP and SLMA showed that the effects were present as early as 2 minutes after administration and persisted for approximately 90 minutes. Dose-response experiments showed a significant decrease in SLMA with 10 mg/kg and an 86 percent decrease with 75 mg/kg. The results suggest that DBcAMP acts centrally to alter several behavioral patterns in mice and that tolerance rapidly develops to its effects.
Energetic particles during the first and third Ulysses southern high‐latitude excursions: Probing global corotating interaction region structure beyond 5 AU

[1] We analyze energetic particle observations during the first and third ascents of Ulysses to the southern regions of the heliosphere. The first high-latitude excursion occurred in the declining phase of solar cycle 22, while the third occurred in a later phase of solar cycle 23. In contrast to the long-lived and well-defined ∼26-day recurrent intensity enhancements observed throughout the first southern excursion, observations during the third southern excursion showed a more variable structure. Transient events of solar origin were more abundant and intense. Corotating interaction regions (CIRs) were clearly present in intermittent sequences lasting only a few solar rotations. Within these sequences the relationships between solar wind structures and energetic particle events were remarkably similar to those observed in the steady recurrences of the first southern excursion. Energetic particles associated with well-formed CIRs bounded by strong forward and reverse shock pairs were not observed until heliographic latitudes Λ ≳ 30°S (versus Λ ≳ 13°S in the first orbit). When Ulysses finally emerged into the fast (≳700 km s−1) solar wind at Λ ≥ 39°S, particle events were variable and either associated with weak reverse shocks or without solar wind signatures indicative of local CIRs (just as in solar cycle 22). The time-intensity profiles in individual CIRs matched up well between the two southern excursions implying that essentially the same CIR structure existed in both solar cycles, albeit at a higher latitude in solar cycle 23 and only in the midst of the intermittent recurrent sequences.
Ectopic endometrium-derived leptin produces estrogen-dependent chronic pain in a rat model of endometriosis

Endometriosis pain is a very common and extremely disabling condition whose mechanism is still poorly understood. While increased levels of leptin have been reported in patients with endometriosis, their contribution to endometriosis pain has not been explored. Using a rodent model of endometriosis we provide evidence for an estrogen-dependent contribution of leptin in endometriosis-induced pain. Rats implanted with autologous uterine tissue onto the gastrocnemius muscle developed endometriosis-like lesions and local chronic pain. Compared to eutopic uterine tissue, leptin mRNA and protein were up-regulated in the endometriosis-like lesions. Intramuscular injection of recombinant leptin in naive rats produced dose-dependent local mechanical hyperalgesia and nociceptor sensitization to mechanical stimulation. Ovariectomy attenuated the mechanical hyperalgesia induced by recombinant leptin, in rats treated with vehicle compared to those treated with 17β-estradiol replacement, at 1 and 24 h after leptin injection. Finally, intralesional injections of a pegylated leptin receptor (Ob-R) antagonist or of an inhibitor of Janus kinase2, which transduces the Ob-R signal, markedly attenuated pain in the endometriosis model. Taken together these data support the hypothesis that leptin, generated in ectopic endometrial lesions produces mechanical hyperalgesia by acting on nociceptors innervating the lesion. This sensitivity to leptin is dependent on estrogen levels. Thus, interventions targeting leptin signaling, especially in combination with interventions that lower estrogen levels, might be useful for the treatment of endometriosis pain.
The Hows and Ys of Genome Integrity

Much of the Y chromosome consists of large palindromic arrays harboring genes that are critical for spermatogenesis. In this issue, Lange et al. (2009) show that although gene conversion within these arrays maintains their integrity, it also permits rare unequal sister chromatid-exchange events within palindromes that create unstable dicentric chromosomes, resulting in infertility, sex reversal, and Turner syndrome.
Age Role Expectations and Sex Role Expectations for Selected Sport Activities

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to determine if role expectations for participation in 12 selected sport activities existed based on the age (20, 40, 60, or 80 years old) and/or gender of the referent person. A secondary purpose was to determine if the sex role orientation of the respondent influenced the assignment of these age related and/or gender related stereotypes to participation in sport. Female undergraduate nursing students (N = 93) were administered an Activity Appropriateness Scale developed by the investigators and Bem's Sex-Role Inventory (1974). The results indicated that age related expectancies accounted for almost 40% of the variance in subject's responses to the appropriateness of participating in these selected sports and was a more potent stereotype than responses based on sex role appropriateness. Furthermore, sex role orientation × age of the referent person interactions indicated that masculine subjects viewed sports participation as most appropriate, particularly as...
Numerical Simulation for Rough Contact Incorporating Plastic Deformation

An 3D elastic-plastic rough contact solution and code is developed using a modified semi-analytical method. It is supposed that the total surface deflection is induced by the contact pressure and plastic strain. The purely elastic contact and the influence of the plastic deformation are calculated iteratively until convergence is satisfied. The distributions of contact pressure, residual stress and plastic strain are obtained through simulation. The effects of roughness and plastic hardening upon the pressure distribution are discussed.© 2005 ASME
Normal-incidence generalized ellipsometry using the two-modulator generalized ellipsometry microscope.

A new microscope is described that is capable of measuring the polarization characteristics of materials in normal-incidence reflection with a demonstrated lateral resolution of 4 μm. The instrument measures eight parameters of the sample Mueller matrix, which can be related to the diattenuation, retardation, circular diattenuation, direction of the principal axis, and the polarization factor. With proper calibration, the eight elements of the sample Mueller matrix can be determined to better than 0.001-0.002 for small values. Examples are given for aluminum, rutile (TiO2), and calcite (CaCO3).
Natural Rights and Distributive Justice: Nozick and the Classical Contractarians*

Robert Nozick seeks to extract a substantive theory of distributive justice (“the entitlement theory”) from what he takes to be the formal properties of natural rights (or rights-based) theory. The unsoundness of his arguments supports the longstanding suspicion that all such theories are conceptually confused and ideological biased. Yet upon examination, the classical (chiefly Lockean) views that Nozick regards as a prototype of natural rights theory withstand that suspicion precisely in so far as they lack the formal properties of his own theory. I conclude that theories of the classical form are better equipped to resolve political arguments.
Adjuvant subcutaneous interleukin-2 in patients with resected renal cell carcinoma: a pilot study.

Abstract Background A pilot study was conducted to investigate the toxicity and tolerance to low-dose subcutaneous interleukin-2 (IL-2) for patients with resected renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at high risk for recurrent disease (TNM stages III and IV resected distant metastases). Patients and Methods Patients with surgically resected locally advanced (T3-4 or N1-2) or metastatic RCC were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups that received different dose levels and schedules of subcutaneous IL-2 as follows: dose level 1, 4 MIU/m 2 per day, every other week for 24 weeks (n = 10); dose level 2, 8 MIU/m 2 per day, every other week for 24 weeks (n = 9); dose level 3, 4 MIU/m 2 per day, weeks 1-4, 9-12, and 17-20 (n = 11); and dose level 4, 8 MIU/m 2 per day, weeks 1-4, 9-12, and 17-20 (n = 10). Interleukin-2 was administered in 2 daily doses on days 1-5 of each week indicated. A dose level was considered tolerable if no more than 2 patients experienced grade 3/4 toxicity. Results Forty-one patients were entered in the study and 40 were evaluable for toxicity. Therapy was well tolerated at all dose levels and schedules, with most patients (98%) experiencing mild-to-moderate constitutional symptoms. Grade 3/4 toxicity was seen in 8 patients (20%). Interleukin-2 dose reductions were required in 7 patients, and no patient discontinued therapy secondary to toxicity. Of 39 patients evaluable for efficacy, 31 have experienced relapse (79%), and 15 have died (38%). Median survival was 1.4 years, and the 3-year disease-free survival rate was 33%. Median overall survival has not been reached; however, the 3-year survival rate was 70%. There was no statistically significant difference between any of the treatment arms with respect to disease-free survival or 3-year survival ( P > 0.54 and P ≥ 0.09 for all pairwise comparisons), schedules (dose level 1/2 vs. 3/4; P = 0.46 and P = 0.5), or dose of IL-2 administered (dose level 1/3 vs. 2/4; P = 0.99 and P = 0.1). Conclusion Subcutaneous IL-2 was well tolerated for 6 months in patients with surgically resected RCC at high risk of recurrence. Future adjuvant trials in this setting are not likely to include IL-2 in view of the clinical efficacy and favorable toxicity profiles of selected multitargeted kinase inhibitors.
Evolution of Player Skill in the America's Army Game

Many disciplines utilize computer games as interactive training simulations.However, their use is often limited to training mechanical skills, and they are not viewed as a sophisticated training tool with which to teach human interactions within organizations and social/organizational skills. Therefore, in this paper we examine how the players of the game America's Army changed their performance, play styles and social positions after one year of game play experience. For the initial investigation, we compare performance measures and play style at the beginning and the end of our survey period.Also, we calculate social network measures, such as centrality measures and clustering measures, to see how the social positions of the players change.After the comparison, we observe that players with one year of experience are more sensitive to communication and have tighter and denser communication networks around them.
Using Fine-Grain Threads and Run-Time Decision Making in Parallel Computing

Programming distributed-memory multiprocessors and networks of workstations requires deciding what can execute concurrently, how processes communicate, and where data is placed. These decisions can be made statically by a programmer or compiler, or they can be made dynamically at run time. Using run-time decisions leads to a simpler interface?because decisions are implicit?and it can lead to better decisions?because more information is available. This paper examines the costs, benefits, and details of making decisions at run time. The starting point is explicit fine-grain parallelism with any number (even thousands) of threads. Five specific techniques are considered: (1) implicitly coarsening the granularity of parallelism, (2) using implicit communication implemented by a distributed shared memory, (3) overlapping computation and communication, (4) adaptively moving threads and data between nodes to minimize communication and balance load, and (5) dynamically remapping data to pages to avoid false sharing. Details are given on the performance of each of these techniques as well as on their overall performance for several scientific applications.
Antisense oligonucleotides: Is the glass half full or half empty?

Antisense oligonucleotides are widely used as tools to explore the pharmacological effects of inhibiting expression of a selected gene product. In addition, they are being investigated as therapeutic agents for the treatment of viral infections, cancers, and inflammatory disorders. Proof that the pharmacological effects produced by the oligonucleotides are attributable to an antisense mechanism of action requires careful experimentation. Central to this problem is the finding that oligonucleotides are capable of interacting with and modulating function of specific proteins in both a sequence-independent and -dependent manner. Despite these undesired interactions, it has been possible to demonstrate that oligonucleotides are capable of binding to a specific RNA in cultured cells, or within tissues, resulting in selective reduction of the targeted gene product and pharmacological activity. In general, these oligonucleotides were identified after a selection process in which multiple oligonucleotides targeting different regions on the RNA were evaluated for direct inhibition of targeted gene product, resulting in the identification of a potent and selective oligonucleotide. Similar to other drug-receptor interactions, selection of the most potent inhibitor results in an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio, yielding increased confidence that activity observed is the result of a desired effect of the inhibitor. With careful selection, proper controls, and careful dose-response curves it is possible to utilize antisense oligonucleotides as effective research tools and potentially as therapeutic agents.
Increased tropoelastin and procollagen expression in the lung of nitrofen-induced diaphragmatic hernia in rats.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Collagen and elastin, the predominant components of the lung connective tissue network, have been suggested to have an important influence on lung compliance and maximal expansion. Decrease in lung complicance and distensibility often is seen in human congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) lung as well as in experimentally produced CDH lung. The aim of this study was to investigate mRNA levels of tropoelastin and α1 (I) procollagen, the precursors of elastin, and type I collagen, respectively, in CDH lung and to determine whether antenatal dexamethasone treatment has any effect on the production of these extracellular matrix proteins. Methods: CDH model was induced in pregnant rats after administration of 100 mg nitrofen on day 9.5 of gestation (term, 22 days). Dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg) was given on day 18.5 and 19.5. Cesarean section was performed on day 21. The fetuses were divided into three groups: group I, normal controls; group II, nitrofen-induced CDH; and group III, nitrofen-induced CDH with antenatal dexamethasone treatment. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to evaluate relative amounts of tropoelastin and α1 (I) procollagen mRNA. Results: Levels of both tropoelastin and α1 (I) procollagen mRNA were significantly increased in group II compared with group I ( P Conclusions: The increased local synthesis of tropoelastin and type I procollagen in CDH lung may be responsible for the increased rigidity and decreased compliance observed in the CDH hypoplastic lung. Glucocorticoids have no effect on pulmonary tropoelastin and α1 (I) procollagen gene expression in CDH lungs.
Graduates' perspectives on a national specialized program in social work and aging

Recognizing the growing need for social workers with specialized training in aging, the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) has developed as a nationwide initiative to enhance aging education for master's-level social work students. This study presents a content analysis of answers to 2 open-ended questions in a national survey of HPPAE graduates regarding what they found most useful about the program and what they recommend for the program's improvement. Many graduates perceived value in the program's emphasis on field education, as well as its helping them to develop specialized competence in social work and aging. Graduates desired additional educational content in aging and resolution of issues in field education. Implications for specialized programs in graduate social work education are discussed.
The Effect of Magnesium Administration Prior To Hypoxia on the Endonuclease Activity in the Cerebral Cortical Nuclei of Newborn Piglets

The Effect of Magnesium Administration Prior To Hypoxia on the Endonuclease Activity in the Cerebral Cortical Nuclei of Newborn Piglets