cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of electric fields generated from microtubule vibrations.

Microtubules are tubular proteins that form part of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells. Because of their unique mechanical properties, many studies have theorized microtubules could show high-frequency mechanical vibrations. Others have further suggested these vibrations of the electrically polar microtubules could be a source of electric fields inside the cell that could serve some biological function, such as a role in organizing mitosis or also possibly in cell-to-cell communication. In this work, we use a transient method to simulate the electric fields that would be generated from a single microtubule supposing they could sustain vibrations. We evaluate the biological significance of the electric fields and the potential energy microtubules might exert on one another. Our simulation method allows us to evaluate vibrational modes that have not previously been studied. The simulations suggest the acoustic branch flexing mode would actually be the most electrically active. Our results suggest a single vibrating microtubule could potentially exert significant forces (those that exceed thermal energy) on biological dipoles or charges at distances larger then the Debye length, on the order of $10\phantom{\rule{3.33333pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ from the surface of the microtubule, but interaction is not likely at greater distances.
A computer model of classical rolling friction

A numerical model of a wheel consists of a series of particles evenly spaced around the rim of the wheel, each connected with both neighboring particles by a damped spring. In the simulation, the wheel rolls along the ground, allowing determination of position, velocity, deformation, and angular velocity of the wheel as the system evolves. The results of the simulation are consistent with what is observed experimentally with rolling friction: the rolling resistance goes up as pressure goes down, and it goes up as speed goes up. The simulation indicates that the majority of the kinetic energy lost from the wheel is dissipated in deformations of the wheel, i.e., in the dampers between the particles. Kinetic friction is negligible. Both static friction and the contact normal force vary over the region of contact between wheel and ground, with the effective position of the normal force acting forward of the center of the wheel. Static friction is the force responsible for the change in linear momentum of the wheel.A numerical model of a wheel consists of a series of particles evenly spaced around the rim of the wheel, each connected with both neighboring particles by a damped spring. In the simulation, the wheel rolls along the ground, allowing determination of position, velocity, deformation, and angular velocity of the wheel as the system evolves. The results of the simulation are consistent with what is observed experimentally with rolling friction: the rolling resistance goes up as pressure goes down, and it goes up as speed goes up. The simulation indicates that the majority of the kinetic energy lost from the wheel is dissipated in deformations of the wheel, i.e., in the dampers between the particles. Kinetic friction is negligible. Both static friction and the contact normal force vary over the region of contact between wheel and ground, with the effective position of the normal force acting forward of the center of the wheel. Static friction is the force responsible for the change in linear momentum of the ...
Post-coup recuperation in al-Manawahly’s songs:

Yasser al-Manawahly is an Egyptian musician and song writer whose debut was in the wake of the January 2011 uprising. Although many of these ‘voices of the new revolution’ have become silent since ...
Probabilistic consensus decision making algorithm for artificial swarm of primitive robots

This paper presents a consensus algorithm for artificial swarms of primitive agents, such as robots with limited sensing, processing, and communication capabilities. The presented consensus algorithm provides solutions of collective decision making for a connected network of robots. The decisions are considered abstract choices without difference, thus the algorithm can be “programmed” for a broad range of applications with specific decisions. Each robot in the swarm is considered a probabilistic finite state machine, whose preferences towards a set of discrete states are defined as a probabilistic mass function. Then, the individual preferences are updated via local negotiation with directly connected robots, followed by a convergence improvement process. The presented algorithm is evaluated for the effects of network topology and scalability (i.e., the number of decisions and the size of the swarm) on convergence performance.
Abstract WP460: Stroke Awareness is a 911: Stroke Team and EMS Collaboration for Stroke Education

Background: Accurate pre-hospital recognition of acute stroke is essential, but current training of EMS providers varies across agencies. We created targeted classes specifically for prehospital pr...
Systematic Review of Electronic Cigarette Use (Vaping) and Mental Health Comorbidity Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

Introduction The prevalence of electronic cigarette (EC) use has risen dramatically among adolescents and young adults (AYA, ages 12-26) over the past decade. Despite extensive established relationships between combustible cigarette use and mental health problems, the mental health comorbidities of EC use remain unclear. Aims and methods To provide a systematic review of existing literature on mental health comorbidities of EC use among AYA. Database searches using search terms related to EC, AYA, and mental health identified 1168 unique articles, 87 of which prompted full-text screening. Multiple authors extracted data, applied the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool to evaluate the evidence, and synthesized findings. Results Forty articles met eligibility criteria (n = 24 predominantly adolescent and 16 predominantly young adult). Analyses yielded three main categories of focus: internalizing disorders (including depression, anxiety, suicidality, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder), externalizing disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder), and transdiagnostic concepts (impulsivity and perceived stress). Significant methodological limitations were noted. Conclusions Youth EC use is associated with greater mental health problems (compared with nonuse) across several domains, particularly among adolescents. Because many existing studies are cross-sectional, directionality remains uncertain. Well-designed longitudinal studies to investigate long-term mental health sequelae of EC use remain needed. Implications Forty recent studies demonstrate a variety of mental health comorbidities with AYA EC use, particularly among adolescents. Mental health comorbidities of EC use generally parallel those of combustible cigarette use, with a few exceptions. Future EC prevention and treatment strategies may be enhanced by addressing mental health.
Introduction: the entanglement of technology and religion

Four vignettes, a preview of coming attractions. Note holy things, visions of God and community, and scaffolding, counterweights, and shoe leather: Wardiman Djojonegoro, trained engineer and Minist...
Hybrid Coronary Revascularization Versus Conventional Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Utilization and Comparative Outcomes

Background: Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) treats multivessel coronary artery disease by combining a minimally invasive surgical approach to the left anterior descending artery with percut...
Advances in Verification Technology

The alleged limits of verification techniques have been used to justify lack of action at the negotiating table, but advances in computer science and optics should help dispel doubts about the verifiability of treaties.
Cognitive Outcomes for Essential Tremor Patients Selected for Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Through Interdisciplinary Evaluations.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeted to the ventral intermediate (VIM) nucleus of the thalamus is effective for motor symptoms in essential tremor (ET), but there is limited data on cognitive outcomes. We examined cognitive outcomes in a large cohort of ET DBS patients (pre-DBS and 1+ year after DBS). Methods: In a retrospective analysis, we used repeated-measures ANOVA testing to examine whether the age of tremor onset, age at DBS surgery, hemisphere side implanted with lead, unilateral vs. bilateral implantations, and presence of surgical complications influenced the cognitive outcomes. Neuropsychological outcomes of interest were verbal memory, executive functioning, working memory, language functioning, visuospatial functioning, and general cognitive function. Results: We identified 50 ET DBS patients; 29 (58%) males; the mean age of tremor onset was 35.84 (±21.50) years with a median age of 38 years. The mean age at DBS was 68.18 (±10.07) years. There were 37 unilateral 30 left, seven right, and 13 bilateral brain implantations. In the subgroup analysis, there was a significant interaction between assessment (pre vs. post) and age of tremor onset ( 38 years); F (1,30) = 4.47; p = 0.043 for working memory. The post hoc testing found improvements for younger onset ET. Similarly, there was a significant interaction between assessment (pre vs. post) and complications vs. no complications subgroups; F (1,45) = 4.34; p = 0.043 for verbal memory with worsening scores seen for ET patients with complications. The remaining tests were not significant. Conclusion: In this large cohort of ET patients with (>30% improvements), DBS was not accompanied by a significant decline in many cognitive domains. These outcomes were possibly related to the selection of patients with normal cognitive functioning before surgery, unilateral DBS implantations for the majority, and selection of patients with optimal response to DBS.
The Qur’an and Pluralism: A Skeptical View

The idea that religions should be pluralist is often supported by commentators. It opposes the more rigid suggestion that a particular religion is the only valid route to the truth and salvation. A problem with the latter idea of course is that it makes dialogue meaningless, since the only point to talking to those in other faiths would be to try to convince them of the truth of your own religion. It is not difficult to find indications in many religions that a variety of views on basic issues are acceptable and indeed should be welcomed as progressive. It is argued here, though, that such an approach really does not do justice to the Qur’an. Like many religions, Islam requires obedience to divine authority and is often critical of alternative ways of thinking and behaving. We may regret that this is the case, but religions are often illiberal institutions and should be accurately described as such.
A cancer-associated RNA polymerase III identity drives robust transcription and expression of SNAR-A noncoding RNA

ABSTRACT Dysregulation of the RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription program, which synthesizes tRNA and other classes of small noncoding RNA critical for cell growth and proliferation, is associated with cancer and human disease. Previous studies have identified two distinct Pol III isoforms defined by the incorporation of either subunit POLR3G (RPC7α) during early development, or POLR3GL (RPC7β) in specialized tissues. Though POLR3G is re-established in cancer and immortalized cell lines, the contributions of these isoforms to transcription potential and transcription dysregulation in cancer remain poorly defined. Using an integrated Pol III genomic profiling approach in combination with in vitro differentiation and subunit disruption experiments, we discover that loss of subunit POLR3G is accompanied by a restricted repertoire of genes transcribed by Pol III. In particular, we observe that a specific class of small noncoding RNA, SNAR-A, is exquisitely sensitive to the availability of subunit POLR3G in proliferating cells. Taken further, large-scale analysis of Pol III subunit expression and downstream chromatin features identifies concomitant loss of POLR3G and SNAR-A activity across a multitude of differentiated primary immune cell lineages, and conversely, coordinate re-establishment of POLR3G expression and SNAR-A features in a variety of human cancers. These results altogether argue against strict redundancy models for subunits POLR3G and POLR3GL, and instead support a model in which Pol III identity itself functions as an important transcriptional regulatory mechanism. Upregulation of POLR3G, which is driven by MYC, identifies a subgroup of patients with unfavorable survival outcomes in specific cancers, further implicating the POLR3G-enhanced transcription repertoire as a potential disease factor.
State Medicaid Authorities' Policy Communications With Providers on Individualized Pediatric Dental Care.

ObjectivesMedicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) pediatric benefit is designed to meet children’s medically necessary needs for care. A 2018 Centers for Medicare ...
Nondelegation for the Delegators

Although five Supreme Court justices have expressed interest in revitalizing the nondelegation doctrine, there are reasons to suspect the Court is unlikely to do much to curb delegation in the coming years. Consequently, Congress will continue to face myriad incentives to delegate broad statutory authority to federal agencies and few incentives to revisit those broad delegations. And the president and federal agencies will continue to leverage such delegated authority. It will be difficult to change the legislative process (or constitutional doctrine) to decrease the breadth of statutory delegation to federal agencies. Insofar as delegation is a problem, perhaps it is time to focus more on its causes. Accordingly, Congress needs to return to a regular practice of legislating and, in so doing, revisit prior delegations of authority to federal agencies. To encourage such legislative action, Congress should engage in regular reauthorization of federal agencies and programs and should take seriously its foundational rule against appropriation without authorization. Such action would not cure all that ails the modern administrative state, but it would ensure administrative action has greater democratic legitimacy and could induce the legislature to engage more fully in the question of what authority federal agencies should have.
Learning and Money Adoption

Hirshleifer (1971) famously argued that the public disclosure of socially useless information hurts welfare because it creates unwanted economic fluctuations. We show that this logic can fail if the disclosed information concerns the medium of exchange. We consider an economy where agents gradually learn about the quality of a new asset and coordinate to adopt it as a medium of exchange or abandon it. The demand of this money-like asset can be partially convex, and the convexity translates more economic fluctuations into higher asset prices, making the asset a more useful payment device. Therefore more information disclosure sometimes raises welfare, even when information is not socially useful, i.e. when new information does not affect agents’ adoption decisions. When there are competing monies, the aggregate liquidity and welfare can be non-monotone in beliefs and hence a good news about a new money can be a bad news for the aggregate economy. In an extension with heterogenous agents we illustrate that the presence of some hodlers can change the allocation substantially.
Conjugate priors for count and rounded data regression

Discrete data are abundant and often arise as counts or rounded data. Yet even for linear regression models, conjugate priors and closed-form posteriors are typically unavailable, which necessitates approximations such as MCMC for posterior inference. For a broad class of count and rounded data regression models, we introduce conjugate priors that enable closed-form posterior inference. Key posterior and predictive functionals are computable analytically or via direct Monte Carlo simulation. Crucially, the predictive distributions are discrete to match the support of the data and can be evaluated or simulated jointly across multiple covariate values. These tools are broadly useful for linear regression, nonlinear models via basis expansions, and model and variable selection. Multiple simulation studies demonstrate significant advantages in computing, predictive modeling, and selection relative to existing alternatives.
Topics in modal nonmonotonic logic

In this chapter we study a variety of loosely connected topics in nonmonotonic modal logic. We start with the discussion of algorithmic issues related to the problem of computing S-expansions. Next, we study the relations between modal nonmonotonic logics. It turns out that often, despite being based on different modal monotonic logics, the corresponding modal nonmonotonic logics coincide. In the following section we investigate the effects of adding new definitions to a theory I ⊑ £ L on the collection of S-expansions. In the last three sections, we consider the issues of bounding negative introspection. In particular, we study bounding negative introspection to formulas from £, and to formulas of L-depths at most 1.
A Christian Ontology of Genetic Disease and Disorder

This article will present an ontology of the human person that is predicated upon a Christian understanding of God the Creator. It argues that defining ontological personhood in relation to God is essential for determining how Christians should understand personhood and human nature and their relation to genetic disease and disorder within human life. To show how a theological account of ontology can influence genetic debates, the article first explores why it is necessary to define personhood as an ontological reality granted by God in creation. Next, the article discusses how we ought to understand human nature in relation to fallenness and sin. Finally, the article explores how our vision of resurrected bodies within the Kingdom of God can inform our treatment of those living with genetic diseases and disorders in our present communities. Within the classic Creation–Fall–Redemption narrative, the article focuses on the status of individuals whose bodies are often deemed subhuman by our contemporary def...
Ultrasonic modeling for complex geometries and materials

A multi-Gaussian beam model uses a superposition of Gaussian beams to simulate the waves radiated from an ultrasonic transducer. It is shown here that propagation and reflection/transmission laws for Gaussian beams in fluids and elastic solids can be written in the form of A, B, C, D matrices that are analogous to the A, B, C, D scalars used in Gaussian optics. This representation leads to simple expressions for a Gaussian beam even after that beam has been transmitted or reflected at multiple curved interfaces and produces a highly modular multi-Gaussian beam model that is also computationally very efficient. Some examples of the use of this model for both planar and curved interfaces will be given.
Selenium in Biocatalysis

Selenium has long been considered a toxic element. Its toxicity has been attributed to its incorporation into the amino acids cysteine and methionine in place of sulfur. This incorporation results in an alteration in the structure of proteins which directly affects its function. Today it is well documented that at low concentrations, selenium is an essential element. The discovery of several prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins that contain selenium as the amino acid selenocysteine or as an unstable perselenide adduct demonstrated that selenium is directly involved in biocatalysis. Keywords: selenium; selenocysteine; selenoprotein
Workload-Aware Resource Reservation for Multi-tenant NoSQL

Cloud hosted NoSQL data stores are for economic reasons often shared amongst multiple tenants simultaneously. The NoSQL provider consolidates multiple tenants access into a shared NoSQL instance and provides a dedicated view for each tenant. This multi-tenancy has tenants' data and workloads coexisting in the same node, which under certain conditions can lead to performance degradation of one tenant caused by another. In this paper, we investigate the multi-tenant interference in a common NoSQL store, HBase, and propose a resource reservation framework that reserves resources for prevention and dynamically adjusts the reservations according to tenant resource demands. The framework enforces cache reservation by splitting the cache space and disk reservation by scheduling requests to a distributed file system (DFS). A stochastic hill climbing algorithm is used to find a near-optimum plan for different resources reservations. Empirical results show that the framework can prevent interference and adapt to dynamic workloads under multi-tenancy.
Application of historical mobility testing to sensor-based robotic performance

The USA Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has conducted on-/off-road experimental field testing with full-sized and scale-model military vehicles for more than fifty years. Some 4000 acres of local terrain are available for tailored field evaluations or verification/validation of future robotic designs in a variety of climatic regimes. Field testing and data collection procedures, as well as techniques for quantifying terrain in engineering terms, have been developed and refined into algorithms and models for predicting vehicle-terrain interactions and resulting forces or speeds of military-sized vehicles. Based on recent experiments with Matilda, Talon, and Pacbot, these predictive capabilities appear to be relevant to most robotic systems currently in development. Utilization of current testing capabilities with sensor-based vehicle drivers, or use of the procedures for terrain quantification from sensor data, would immediately apply some fifty years of historical knowledge to the development, refinement, and implementation of future robotic systems. Additionally, translation of sensor-collected terrain data into engineering terms would allow assessment of robotic performance a priori deployment of the actual system and ensure maximum system performance in the theater of operation.
Locally invasive oral candidiasis mimicking zygomycosis in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis

Candida species are increasingly assuming a pathogenic role in patients throughout the spectrum of immunecompetence. This case history documents a unique presentation of candidiasis with marked similarity to the zygomycoses in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and explores the pathogenetic basis for both.
A murine monoclonal antibody specific for a novel broad antigen associated with HLA‐Bw4

Serological analysis of the reactivity of a murine monoclonal antibody, HA113, towards lymphocytes from a random panel of 85 cell donors, and members of four families, indicated that HA113 recognizes a public specificity, which is different from the classical Bw4 antigen as defined by human alloantisera.
Optimizing multiple conjugate gradient solvers for large-scale systems

Conjugate gradient (CG) solvers are the most time consuming part of many scientific applications. These solvers exhibit communication operations that can prevent high performance from being achieved on large-scale systems. In this paper we present a novel technique to boost the performance of these solvers. In this, multiple independent solvers, which occur in some applications, are combined allowing for the overlapping of communication with other communication and computation, resulting with increased performance. This is the first work where a combination of CG solvers has been exploited and offers performance improvements, which may be particularly important in very large-scale systems. Results are presented for the MIMD lattice computation (MILC) application that show the cost of collective communications can be reduced by a factor of up to 2.5×. Moreover the performance of MILC is significantly improved, by over 10p for typical lattice sizes on a 1024-processor system, and by 15p on a 4096-processor system. Larger improvements are expected on larger systems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Locomotor behavior of dopamine D1 receptor transgenic/D2 receptor deficient hybrid mice

Mice that incorporate the dopamine D1 receptor transgene controlled by the D1 receptor promoter exhibit a marked increase of D1 binding in several extra-striatal brain regions and show a paradoxical hypokinetic response to D1 agonist [Exp. Neurol. 157 (1999) 169]. The agonist-induced locomotor behavior of D1 receptor transgenic mice is similar to baseline locomotor activity manifested by D2 receptor deficient mice [J. Neurosci. 18 (1998) 3470]. The similarity between these two behavioral phenotypes raised the possibility that stimulation of the over-expressed D1 receptors in the transgenic mice could cause a suppression of D2 receptor responses that manifest in hypokinesia. Alternatively, the similar phenotypes could result from altered D1/D2 receptor balance in both animal models. Two different approaches were undertaken to test these alternative hypotheses. (1) The effects of pharmacological blockade of D2 receptors on D1 agonist-stimulated hypokinesia of the D1 over-expressing animals were investigated. (2) The behavioral phenotype of hybrid D1 receptor over-expressing/D2 receptor deficient mice generated by crossbreeding the D2 knockout mice and the D1 transgenic animals was studied. The results of these studies suggested that the hypomotor response of the D1 transgenic mice was not a result of an interaction of the over-expressed D1 receptors with the native D2 receptors and that over-expressed D1 receptors likely mediate hypokinesia in the D1 transgenic animals. Considering the significance of the D1 dopamine receptor as a therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease, this D1 receptor over-expressing model provides an important experimental system to probe the basis for altered behavioral responses following stimulation of transgenetically up-regulated receptors.
Huisvrouwenduim: artrose van het CMC I-gewricht

‘Huisvrouwenduim’ is een verzamelnaam voor klachten van de duimbasis als gevolg van degeneratieve veranderingen aan het carpometacarpale (CMC-)gewricht. Artrose van het CMC-I-gewricht of van het trapeziometacarpale (TM-)gewricht is een veelvoorkomende artrose in vergelijking met artrose van andere handgewrichten.1 De duim is aan de basis gezwollen en pijnlijk.
RIGHT HEART FAILURE FROM PERSISTENT IATROGENIC ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT FOLLOWING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION

Persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) has been reported in patients with a transseptal puncture performed for access to the left atrium. Majority of these resolve spontaneously and their clinical significance remains unknown. Here, we report a rare case of a symptomatic, persistent iASD
The protease inhibitors.

Abstract With the advent of newer antiretroviral agents for the treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), health care providers are faced with many options to optimize their patients’ therapy. Currently, there are three groups of drugs available for the treatment of patients with HIV infection: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (also known as nucleoside analogues), nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors (PIs). The preferred initial treatment regimen now consists of two nucleoside analogues and a PI. Protease inhibitors cause profound and sustained suppression of viral replication, increase time to first AIDS-defining illness, and reduce mortality. Each of the available PIs have distinct pharmacokinetic and metabolic properties that result in different dosing regimens and potential for interactions with food and other drugs. Patients with HIV infection typically receive several drugs; therefore, convenience of administration, optimal side-effect profile, and cost of the agents must also be considered along with the potential for drug interactions. A growing proportion of HIV patients worldwide are women. HIV-infected pregnant women should be offered antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent perinatal HIV transmission as well as to optimize their own health. Zidovudine (ZDV) treatment has been the standard antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy; however, recent data has shown that combination regimens produce a more pronounced antiviral effect and may be more effective than ZDV monotherapy in preventing perinatal HIV transmission.
Transfer effects of simple and detailed instructions in the presence and absence of pretraining in reversal and nonreversal shifts

Two studies investigating the effects of pretraining and task instructions on transfer performance in reversal, nonreversal, and control shift paradigms were performed. In Experiment 1, all Ss received two unidimensional training problems, while task instructions and transfer paradigm were varied. In Experiment 2, task instructions, pretraining, and transfer paradigm were varied. Simple task instructions and the absence of pretraining both tend to facilitate reversal shifts and retard nonreversal shifts. Detailed task instructions and pretraining tend to facilitate nonreversal shifts and retard reversal shifts. It is suggested that a mechanism involving the presence or absence of a dimensional lose-shift strategy will account for the results.
Modeling of a Hydraulic Energy Regeneration System: Part II—Experimental Program

This study reports experimental data taken with a hydraulic energy regeneration system and compares the measured data with analytical results. The system tested consisted of two foam-filled hydraulic accumulators, a variable-displacement piston-type pump/motor, a reservoir and a flywheel. During a series of experiments, energy was repeatedly transferred between the hydraulic accumulators and the flywheel through the pump/motor. Computed system variables compared favorably with the experimental results. At high and moderate pump/motor swivel angles, the round-trip efficiency varied from 61 to 89 percent. It was significantly lower at small angles.
Amphetamine derivatives induce locomotor hyperactivity by acting as indirect serotonin agonists.

Derivatives of amphetamine are potent releasers of both dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT), but the relative contributions of DA and 5-HT release to the behavioral effects of these drugs have not been established. Previously, S-(+)3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (S-(+)MDMA) was found to produce locomotor hyperactivity in rats which was dependent on 5-HT release. The present study found that MBDB (1.25, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/kg), the alpha-ethyl derivative of MDMA that produces little or no direct DA release, also induced locomotor hyperactivity that lasted for greater than 60 min after the 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg doses. MBDB produced spatial patterns of locomotor hyperactivity and suppression of exploratory activity (holepokes and rearings) very similar to the behavioral syndrome produced by MDMA. MBDB-induced hyperactivity was blocked by pretreatment with the selective 5-HT uptake inhibitor fluoxetine (2.5 or 10 mg/kg), suggesting that MBDB produced behavioral effects via uptake-carrier mediated release of 5-HT. Similarly, fluoxetine pretreatment blocked the locomotor hyperactivity produced byS-(+)3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (3.0 mg/kg) orp-chloroamphetamine (2.5 mg/kg), supporting a serotonergic basis for the action of these drugs. Tissue levels of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-HIAA were decreased 40 min after administration ofS-(+)MDMA (3.0 mg/kg) or MBDB (5.0 mg/kg), and these decreases were prevented by fluoxetine pretreatment.S-(+)MDMA also produced a fluoxetine-sensitive increase of tissue DA levels, suggesting that 5-HT release may indirectly result in increased DA release, although MBDB did not significantly increase DA levels. These results point to a central role for 5-HT release in the stimulant-like behavioral effects of substituted derivatives of amphetamine.
Wellskins and slug tests: where's the bias?

Pumping tests in an outwash sand at the Camp Dodge Site give hydraulic conductivities (K) approximately seven times greater than conventional slug tests in the same wells. To determine if this difference is caused by skin bias, we slug tested three sets of wells, each in a progressively greater stage of development. Results were analyzed with both the conventional Bouwer–Rice method and the deconvolution method, which quantifies the skin and eliminates its effects. In 12 undeveloped wells the average skin is +4.0, causing underestimation of conventional slug-test K (Bouwer–Rice method) by approximately a factor of 2 relative to the deconvolution method. In seven nominally developed wells the skin averages just +0.34, and the Bouwer–Rice method gives K within 10% of that calculated with the deconvolution method. The Bouwer–Rice K in this group is also within 5% of that measured by natural-gradient tracer tests at the same site. In 12 intensely developed wells the average skin is <−0.82, consistent with an average skin of −1.7 measured during single-well pumping tests. At this site the maximum possible skin bias is much smaller than the difference between slug and pumping-test Ks. Moreover, the difference in K persists even in intensely developed wells with negative skins. Therefore, positive wellskins do not cause the difference in K between pumping and slug tests at this site.
Detecting Arctic climate change using Köppen climate classification

Ecological impacts of the recent warming trend in the Arctic are already noted as changes in tree line and a decrease in tundra area with the replacement of ground cover by shrubs in northern Alaska and several locations in northern Eurasia. The potential impact of vegetation changes to feedbacks on the atmospheric climate system is substantial because of the large land area impacted and the multi-year persistence of the vegetation cover. Satellite NDVI estimates beginning in 1981 and the Koppen climate classification, which relates surface types to monthly mean air temperatures from 1901 onward, track these changes on an Arctic-wide basis. Temperature fields from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and CRU analysis serve as proxy for vegetation cover over the century. A downward trend in the coverage of tundra group for the first 40 yr of the twentieth century was followed by two increases during 1940s and early 1960s, and then a rapid decrease in the last 20 yr. The decrease of tundra group in the 1920–40 period was localized, mostly over Scandinavia; whereas the decrease since 1990 is primarily pan-Arctic, but largest in NW Canada, and eastern and coastal Siberia. The decrease in inferred tundra coverage from 1980 to 2000 was 1.4 × 106 km2, or about a 20% reduction in tundra area based on the CRU analyses. This rate of decrease is confirmed by the NDVI data. These tundra group changes in the last 20 yr are accompanied by increase in the area of both the boreal and temperate groups. During the tundra group decrease in the first half of the century boreal group area also decreased while temperate group area increased. The calculated minimum coverage of tundra group from both the Koppen classification and NDVI indicates that the impact of warming on the spatial coverage of the tundra group in the 1990s is the strongest in the century, and will have multi-decadal consequences for the Arctic.
Evidence for the involvement of unsaturated fatty acids in initiating chromosome replication in Escherichia coli.

The analogue 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine inhibits the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in Escherichia coli, resulting in the accumulation of saturated fatty acids in the membrane (Kass, 1968). In the presence of this analogue, DNA, RNA and protein synthesis continue at a linear rate for approximately two doubling times, and then cease. On the other hand, the analogue will inhibit the formation of new replication forks (premature initiation), which normally arise as a result of thymine starvation. Unlike other temperature-sensitive DNA mutants, mutants that are defective in initiating DNA replication (dnaA or dnaC) are unable to replicate DNA at a permissive temperature if they terminate replication at 42 °C in the presence of 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine. When replication is terminated at 42 °C, cultures of dnaA or dnaC mutants normally will reinitiate replication upon lowering the temperature to 30 °C. For each mutant this reinitiation is characterized by a particular temperature sensitivity. Such mutants become more temperature sensitive if the temperature is lowered in the presence of 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine. All the effects of this analogue can be reversed by the addition of unsaturated fatty acids. These results are interpreted using a model in which replication is initiated at a particular lipid site on the membrane. In the absence of unsaturated fatty acids functional lipid sites are not made. Functional sites, however, can be used again provided they are not inactivated by interaction with an inactive dnaA or dnaC product.
Effects of lipoid A component of Escherichia coli endotoxin on dermal reactivity of rabbits to epinephrine.

SummaryThe purified and polysaccharide-free lipoid A component of E. coli 0111: B4 endotoxin, upon intravenous injection into rabbits, strikingly alters dermal reactivity to epinephrine. Grossly, the lesions thus produced are red or brownish in appearance or show marked hemorrhages. Lipoid A is active in amounts as small as 2 μg kg. The original lipopolysaccharide is approximately 10 times more potent than the lipoid A fraction obtained therefrom. Phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride inhibits the epinephrine reaction in rabbits injected with lipoid A.
Instrument concepts and technologies for future spaceborne atmospheric radars

In conjunction with the implementation of spaceborne atmospheric radar flight missions, NASA is developing advanced instrument concepts and technologies for future spaceborne atmospheric radars, with the over-arching objectives of making such instruments more capable in supporting future science needs, and more cost effective. Two such examples are the Second-Generation Precipitation Radar (PR-2) and the Nexrad-In-Space (NIS). PR-2 is a 14/35-GHz dual-frequency rain radar with a deployable 5-meter, wide-swath scanned membrane antenna, a dual-polarized/dual-frequency receiver, and a real-time digital signal processor. It is intended for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operations to provide greatly enhanced rainfall profile retrieval accuracy while using only a fraction of the mass of the current TRMM PR. NIS is designed to be a 35-GHz Geostationary Earth Orbiting (GEO) radar with the intent of providing hourly monitoring of the life cycle of hurricanes and tropical storms. It uses a 35-m, spherical, lightweight membrane antenna and Doppler processing to acquire 3-dimensional information on the intensity and vertical motion of hurricane rainfall. Technologies for NIS are synergistic with those for PR-2. During the last two years, several of the technology items associated with these notional instruments have also been prototyped. This paper will give an overview of these instrument design concepts and their associated technologies.
Adaptive Finite Element Analysis of Air Flow Inside Grain Dryers

ABSTRACT This paper presents a simulation study of air flow inside dryers. An adaptive finite element methodology for two-dimensional problems was developed. This study is the first application of nadaptive techniques to such tupe of problems. The formultion is generic and can be easily extended to three-dimensional analysis. Several dryer configurations were studied in order to verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methodology. Results agreed well with experimental data and show significant imporvements when compared to the conventional finite elements analysis.
Simulation: Linking Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Competencies to the Observer Role

Abstract Baccalaureate nursing faculty members have long been faced with the daunting task of developing innovative teaching strategies that offer students the opportunity to recognize the vital role nurses play in assuring safe, high-quality patient care. High-fidelity simulation is an excellent methodology in which to demonstrate the ways in which the competencies of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses initiative are integral to bedside nursing care. This article describes how undergraduate baccalaureate nursing faculty transformed a previously used high-fidelity simulation observer record into one that is grounded in the prelicensure Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies.
Hormonal Effects on Fatty Acid Binding and Physical Properties of Rat Liver Plasma Membranes

The fluorescent fatty acids,trans-parimaric andcis-parinaric acid, were used as analogs of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in order to evaluate binding of fatty acids to liver plasma membranes isolated from normal fed rats. Insulin (10−8 to 10−6 m) decreasedtrans-parinaric acid binding 7 to 26% whilecis-parinaric acid binding was unaffected. Glucagon (10−6 m) increasedtrans-parinaric acid binding 44%. The fluorescence polarization oftrans-parinarate,cis-parinarate and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene was used to investigate effects of triiodothyronine, insulin and glucagon on the structure of liver plasma membranes from normal fed rats or from rats treated with triiodothyronine or propylthiouracil. The fluorescence polarization oftrans-parinarate,cis-parinarate, and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene was 0.300±0.004, 0.251±0.003, and 0.302±0.003, respectively, in liver plasma membranes from control rats and 0.316±0.003, 0.276±0.003 and 0.316±0.003, respectively, in liver plasma membranes from hyperthyroid rats (p<0.025,n=5). Propylthiouracil treatment did not significantly alter the fluorescence polarization of these probe molecules in the liver plasma membranes. Thus, liver plasma membranes from hyperthyroid animals appear to be more rigid than those of control animals. The effects of triiodothyronine, insulin and glucagon addedin vitro to isolated liver plasma membrane preparations were also evaluated as follows: insulin (10−10 m) and triiodothyronine (10−10 m) increased fluorescence polarization oftrans-parinaric acid,cis-parinaric acid and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene in liver plasma membranes while glucagon (10−10 m) had no effects. These hormonal effects on probe fluorescence polarization in liver plasma membranes were abolished by pretreatment of the rats for 7 days with triiodothyronine. Administration of triiodothyronine (10−10 m)in vitro increased the fluorescence polarization of trans-parinaric acid in liver plasma membranes from propylthiouracil-treated rats. Thus, hyperthyroidism appeared to abolish thein vitro increase in polarization of probe molecules in the liver plasma membranes. Temperature dependencies in Arrhenius plots of absorption-corrected fluorescence and fluorescence polarization oftrans-parinaric acid,cis-parinaric acid and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene were noted near 25°C in liver plasma membranes from triiodothyronine-treated rats and near 18°C in liver plasma membranes from propylthiouracil-treated rats. In summary, hormones such as triiodothyronine, insulin and glucagon may at least in part exert their biological effects on metabolism by altering the structure of the liver plasma membranes.
Impact on equity prices of pronouncements related to nonpension postretirement benefits

Abstract This study examines the impact on equity prices of nine pronouncements related to the proposed accounting for nonpension postretirement benefits. Compared to a control group, the experiment firms exhibit significant negative abnormal returns around the issuance of the Exposure Draft on nonpension postretirement benefits. The negative abnormal returns are most pronounced for firms with few retirees relative to current employees, firms with high debt ratios, small firms, and firms currently reporting these benefits on the pay-as-you-go basis. These results are consistent with the contracting cost hypotheses.
Commentary: When a dream becomes reality

The first results from the Pierre Auger Observatory are a reminder of the bold spirit of science at its best, says Lawrence Krauss
Posttraumatic Growth and Resilience to Trauma: Different Sides of the Same Coin or Different Coins?

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is an appealing but poorly understood construct. Hobfoll, Hall, Canetti-Nisim, Galea, Johnson, and Palmieri's (2007) insightful paper highlights important weaknesses in existing theory and data. Although we commend Hobfoll et al. for offering a provocative new way to conceptualise PTG in terms of action-focused growth, we also find a number of limitations in their approach. In this article, we attempt to place PTG within a broader framework of individual differences in response to potential trauma. As in most of the literature on PTG, Hobfoll et al. implicitly equate growth with resilience or view it as superior to resilient outcomes. We argue, however, that many if not most people are resilient in the face of trauma and that resilient outcomes typically provide little need or opportunity for PTG. We close by exploring the literature on resilience for possible mechanisms underlying a link between PTG and adaptation. For example, Hobfoll et al. dismiss some forms of reported growth as illusory. In contrast, we review evidence for the adaptive value of self-enhancing illusions in coping with adversity. Le developpement post-traumatique (PTG) est un concept attrayant mais insuffisamment approfondi. L’article stimulant de Hobfoll & al. met en relief des carences significatives dans les donnees et theories existantes. Bien que nous approuvions Hobfoll & al. quand ils presentent une conception aussi nouvelle que provocante du PTG en terme de developpement centre sur l’action, nous estimons aussi que cette approche a ses limites. On essaie, dans cet article, de replacer le PTG dans le cadre plus vaste des differences individuelles en reponse au traumatisme potentiel. Comme souvent dans la litterature sur le PTG, Hobfoll & al. assimilent le developpement a la resilience ou le considerent comme superieur aux consequences de la resilience. Nous defendons au contraire l’idee que beaucoup de gens, voire la plupart, sont resilients face au traumatisme et que les apports de la resilience peuvent se passer ou n’offrent habituellement que peu d’opportunites au PTG. On termine en examinant la litterature sur la resilience a la recherche d’eventuels processus sous-tendant un lien entre PTG et adaptation. Par exemple, Hobfoll & al. rejettent certains temoignages de developpement comme relevant de l’illusion; nous avons par contre releve des preuves que des illusions valorisant le moi contribuent a l’adaptation dans la lutte contre l’adversite.
Broad-Spectral-Response Nanocarbon Bulk-Heterojunction Excitonic Photodetectors

High-performance broad-spectrum nanocarbon bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic photodetectors are reported. These reported photodetectors consist of a semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (s-SWCNT) and a PC71 BM blended active layer. Magnetic-field effects and the chirality of the s-SWCNTs play an important role in controlling the photoresponse time and photocurrent improvement.
A Note on Matsushima's Regularity Condition

This note first uses a simple example to show that H. Matsushima's (1991, J. Econ. Theory54, 198–203) regularity condition, to the contrary of his claim, actually does not imply C. d'Aspremont and L.-A. Gerard-Varet's (1979, J. Public Econ.11, 25–45) compatibility condition. It then proves a stronger version of Matsushima's proposition, namely that efficient public decision rules can be truthfully implemented with budget-balancing mechanisms under the weak regularity condition. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C72, D82.