cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of intrastriatal injections of quinolinic acid and 3-nitropropionic acid for use in animal models of Huntington's disease

1. The present study compared the effects of acute intrastriatal administration of quinolinic acid (QA) and 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), two neurotoxins used in animal models of Huntington's disease (HD), on the following behavioral and histological measures: (1) open field activity levels; (2) performance on balance beam and grip strength tasks; (3) acquisition of a radial-arm-water-maze (RAWM) task; (4) size of striatum and lateral ventricles; (5) amount of cytochrome oxidase (CYO) labeling; and (6) counts of Nissl-stained neurons and NADPH-diaphorase-labeled neurons in the striatum. 2. Rats were given bilateral intrastriatal injections of either 200 nmol QA, 750 nmol 3-NP, or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) two weeks prior to behavioral testing and four weeks prior to histological processing. 3. The behavioral results indicated that both QA and 3-NP injections caused an increase in activity levels at two weeks postlesion, but only the QA rats showed hyperactivity at four weeks postlesion. Both QA and 3-NP rats showed significant impairment in the balance beam task, but only 3-NP rats differed significantly on the grip-strength task. Both toxins caused learning impairments in the RAWM task, with 3-NP rats being more severely impaired. 4. The neuroanatomical results indicated that both QA and 3-NP produced significant striatal atrophy and ventricular dilation, as well as a reduction in CYO staining and loss of Nissl-stained neurons, but only the 3-NP lesions created necrotic cavities in the striatum. However, the QA treatments resulted in significant loss of NADPH-diaphorase neurons in regions peripheral to the site of injection. 5. In general, these results suggest that QA treatments produce milder behavioral and neuroanatomical effects that mimic some of the earlier symptoms of HD, while 3-NP produced more severe effects which mimic both the later symptoms and the juvenile onset of HD.
Insights into willingness to pay for organic cotton apparel

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for organic versus conventionally produced cotton apparel, and to explore the role of purchase behaviors, apparel attributes and consumer beliefs about organics in purchase decisions.Design/methodology/approach – A 2nd priced auction was used to estimate WTP, along with a follow‐up survey to collect information on participants’ demographics, attitudes and behavior.Findings – On average, participants were willing to pay a 25 percent premium for an organic cotton t‐shirt over the visibly similar t‐shirt made from conventionally produced cotton. Participants who pay for their own clothing or make purchase decisions alone were not willing to pay a premium. Previous history of purchasing organic foods, perceived product quality, fit and the participant's race were also significant predictors of WTP.Research limitations/implications – A more representative sample and the inclusion of other product categories are necessary to...
Effects of microcarrier pore characteristics on methanogenic fluidized bed performance

Abstract The cell retention capacities of three porous microcarriers with diversified pore characteristics and Ottawa silica sand were studied in methanogenic fluidized bed reactors with acetic acid as the sole substrate. Batch kinetic experiments on substrate utilization at different initial bulk-liquid substrate concentrations were also performed. The experimental data reveal that, under similar startup conditions, porous microcarriers are capable of reducing the startup times by more than 50% as compared to sand. Furthermore, under pseudo-steady-state conditions at an organic loading of 6 g total organic carbon (TOC)/1-day, porous microcarriers are capable of retaining three times more immobilized cells as compared to sand. More than 90% of total reactor cell mass is immobilized on porous microcarriers as opposed to 80% on sand. As a result, porous microcarriers are conducive for better proliferation of slow-growing methanogenic bacterial consortia. The experimental data clearly indicate that surface area, total pore volume and mean pore diameter should be used concomitantly to obtain better insight into the cell retention capacity of a given porous microcarrier. Batch kinetic data on substrate utilization reveal that mass transfer limitations are absent in methanogenic fluidized bed reactors at bulk-liquid TOC concentrations > 10 mg/l. The observed maximum substrate utilization rates, which are independent of initial bulk-liquid TOC concentrations ranging from 200 to 1000 mg/l, are low for porous microcarriers as compared to sand (0.5 vs 2.25 day − ). These data confirm the results of the microscopic examinations performed which indicate that porous microcarriers attract Methanothrix type bacterial consortia whereas Ottawa silica sand attracts a mixture of Methanothrix and Methanosarcina .
Range and Ionization Measurements on High Speed Protons

The relative specific ionization along an initially mono-energetic 4-Mev proton beam has been measured. The stopping power of aluminum relative to air is found to be 1.48 mg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ per cm of air at 15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and 76 cm Hg, and is also found to be independent of the energy in the interval from 1.5 Mev to 4.0 Mev. That this should be so is adequately explained in the interpretation by J. A. Wheeler. The stopping power of a variety of metal foils was also measured and the results are given. From the above measurements it is possible to calculate $I$, the mean excitation energy of atoms with many electrons (a constant which enters in Bethe's formula for the rate of loss of energy of heavy particles due to ionization) to be 0.85 $Z(\frac{m{e}^{4}}{2\ensuremath{\hbar}})$ or $11.5 Z$ in electron volts.
Note on the approximation of interceptional collection efficiencies

Abstract A method is presented for approximating the interceptional collection efficiencies of aerosol particles on spheres and on cylinders. Both isolated collectors and the collectors in arrays have been considered. It has been shown that the errors involved in the derived approximations are smaller than those of existing approximations by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the interception parameter. The present forms can cover an extended range of particle size while still simplifying the original expressions.
The effects of age at arrival and enclave schools on the academic performance of immigrant children

Abstract This paper analyzes the relationship between age at arrival and immigrant-receiving high schools (i.e., enclave schools) on the academic performance of first- and second-generation immigrant children using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). The CILS survey was conducted in two major immigrant-receiving cities in the US—San Diego and Miami. Results show that the test score gap between first- and second-generation immigrant children decreases the longer first-generation immigrant children reside in the US. In addition, results indicate that students who attend enclave schools do not perform any differently on their reading and math tests and that the assimilation profiles of immigrant children in enclave schools do not differ from those who attend non-enclave schools.
Role of demonstration projects in combating desertification

Abstract The International Arid Lands Consortium was established in 1990 to promote research, education, and training for the development, management, restoration, and reclamation of arid and semi-arid lands throughout the world. One activity of the Consorium is supporting demonstration projects that lead to better management of these fragile ecosystems. Projects demonstrate the applicability of recently acquired research information and technology to management situations and stress the linking of available knowledge to decision-makers. This paper outlines requirements for demonstration projects and presents examples of Consortium-supported projects.
Geographic variation and sociodemographic disparity in the use of oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy in patients with stage III colon cancer.

Abstract Background According to the National Cancer Comprehensive Network (NCCN), oxaliplatin with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin (5-FU/LV) is the recommended adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resected stage III colon cancer. Age and race are considered strong predictors of chemotherapy receipt, whereas geographic disparity has received minimal attention. The purpose of this study was to examine geographic variation and sociodemographic disparity in the use of chemotherapy in patients with stage III colon cancer, focusing specifically on oxaliplatin. Methods A retrospective cohort of 4106 Medicare patients was identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)/Medicare linked database. Descriptive statistics show how oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy was used in various geographic regions among different age and racial groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between receipt of oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy and geographic region while adjusting for other sociodemographic and tumor characteristics. Results Only 49% of the patients with stage III disease received adjuvant chemotherapy within 3 to 6 months of colon cancer–specific surgery. Patients aged 66 to 70 years were 78% more likely to receive chemotherapy than were those aged 80 years and older ( P P = .008). Conclusion Chemotherapy use varies across geographic regions, especially for new chemotherapy drugs like oxaliplatin. Further research is needed to identify the causes of this geographic disparity and ways to provide high-quality cancer care to all patients according to their preferences and needs.
The (in)effectiveness of animation in instruction

Animated graphics have been increasingly adopted to teach complex systems, encouraged by the preconception that realism is effective. Nevertheless, the evidence has been discouraging as to their effectiveness. By the Conceptual Congruence Hypothesis, graphics should be effective in conveying concepts that are literally or metaphorically spatial. By extension, animated graphics should be effective in conveying change in time. This hypothesis was investigated by comparing three interfaces that presented text, text plus static graphics, or text plus animated graphics. Evidence was obtained for the static version of the Conceptual Congruence Hypothesis. Graphics were more effective than text in some cases, especially for participants with low spatial ability, but animation did not further increase effectiveness.
Natural Resource Extraction, Armed Violence, and Environmental Degradation.

The goal of this article is to demonstrate that environmental sociologists cannot fully explain the relationship between humans and the natural world without theorizing a link between natural resource extraction, armed violence, and environmental degradation. The authors begin by arguing that armed violence is one of several overlapping mechanisms that provide powerful actors with the means to (a) prevail over others in conflicts over natural resources and (b) ensure that natural resources critical to industrial production and state power continue to be extracted and sold in sufficient quantities to promote capital accumulation, state power, and ecological unequal exchange. The authors then identify 10 minerals that are critical to the functioning of the U.S. economy and/or military and demonstrate that the extraction of these minerals often involves the use of armed violence. They further demonstrate that armed violence is associated with the activities of the world’s three largest mining companies, with African mines that receive World Bank funding, and with petroleum and rainforest timber extraction. The authors conclude that the natural resource base on which industrial societies stand is constructed in large part through the use and threatened use of armed violence. As a result, armed violence plays a critical role in fostering environmental degradation and ecological unequal exchange.
DNA-mediated fluctuations in ionic current through silicon oxide nanopore channels

Single molecule sensors in which nanoscale pores within biological or artificial membranes act as mechanical gating elements are very promising devices for the rapid characterization and sequencing of nucleic acid molecules. The two terminal electrical measurements of translocation of polymers through single ion channels and that of ssDNA molecules through protein channels have been demonstrated, and have sparked tremendous interest in such single molecule sensors. The prevailing view regarding the nanopore sensors is that there exists no electrical interaction between the nanopore and the translocating molecule, and that all nanopore sensors reported to-date, whether biological or artificial, operate as a coulter-counter, i.e., the ionic current measured across the pore decreases (is mechanically blocked) when the DNA molecule transverses through the pore. We have fabricated nanopore “channel” sensors with a silicon oxide inner surface, and our results challenge the prevailing view of exclusive mechanical interaction during the translocation of dsDNA molecules through these channels. We demonstrate that the ionic current can actually increase due to electrical gating of surface current in the channel due to the charge on the DNA itself.
Noninvasive three-dimensional cardiac activation imaging on a rabbit model

Three-dimensional cardiac activation imaging (3-DCAI) aims at imaging the activation sequence throughout the 3-D myocardium. In the present study, the performance of 3-DCAI was validated through both in vivo animal experiments and computer simulations under a pacing protocol. The non-invasively imaged activation sequence from body surface potential maps (BSPMs) was quantitatively compared with the measured activation sequence obtained from the simultaneous intramural recording using a 3-D intra-cardiac mapping technique in a rabbit model. In addition, computer simulations were conducted to provide further assessment of the performance of the 3-DCAI algorithm in a realistic-geometry rabbit heart-torso model. The encouraging results suggest that 3-DCAI can non-invasively image the activation sequence and localize the origin of activation with good accuracy.
Oceanic loading of wildfire‐derived organic compounds from a small mountainous river

[1] Small mountainous rivers (SMRs) export substantial amounts of sediment into the world's oceans. The concomitant yield of organic carbon (OC) associated with this class of rivers has also been shown to be significant and compositionally unique. We report here excessively high loadings of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lignin, and levoglucosan, discharged from the Santa Clara River into the Santa Barbara Channel. The abundance of PAHs, levoglucosan, and lignin in Santa Barbara Channel sediments ranged from 201.7 to 1232.3 ng gdw−1, 1.3 to 6.9 μg gdw−1, and 0.3 to 2.2 mg per 100 mg of the sedimentary OC, respectively. Assuming a constant rate of sediment accumulation, the annual fluxes of PAHs, levoglucosan, and lignin, to the Santa Barbara Channel were respectively, 885.5 ± 170.2 ng cm−2 a−1, 3.5 ± 1.9 μg cm−2 a−1 and 1.4 ± 0.3 mg per 100 mg OC cm−2 a−1, over ∼30 years. The close agreement between PAHs, levoglucosan, and lignin abundance suggests that the depositional flux of these compounds is largely biomass combustion-derived. To that end, use of the Santa Clara River as a model for SMRs suggests this class of rivers may be one of the largest contributors of pyrolyzed carbon to coastal systems and the open ocean. Wildfire associated carbon discharged from other high yield fluvial systems, when considered collectively, may be a significant source of lignin, pyrolytic PAHs, and other pyrogenic compounds to the ocean. Extrapolating these methods over geologic time may offer useful historical information about carbon sequestration and burial in coastal sediments and affect coastal carbon budgets.
Pharmacokinetics of propetamphos following intravenous administration in the F344 rat.

Propetamphos [(E)-l-methylethyl 3[[(ethylamino)methoxyphosphinothioyl]oxy]-2-bu-tenoate], the active ingredient in Safrotin,® is an organophosphate developed by Sandoz, Ltd.® (Switzerland) as an insecticide (1). Although metabolism of propetamphos has been previously investigated (2,3), there is no pharmacokinetic data available in the literature. The current studies were undertaken to investigate the pharmacokinetics of propetamphos following intravenous administration in male and female Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Rats were dosed via an indwelling jugular cannula at a dose of 12 mg/kg (one-tenth the oral LD-50). Blood samples were withdrawn via the cannula at predetermined timepoints to quantitate plasma concentrations of propetamphos over time. Propetamphos is highly bound to plasma proteins (free fraction = 0.06). Free propetamphos concentration in plasma vs. time data were analyzed by noncompartmental methods. The terminal elimination rate constant, λ, was significantly different for males versus females (0.015 min−1 for males and 0.037 min−1 for females, p = 0.001). Plasma was cleared of unbound propetamphos at rates of 0.559 ± 0.069 and 0.828 ± 0.181 L/min/kg for males and females (mean ± standard error). Mean residence times (MRTs) for propetamphos in the body for males and females were 28.3 ± 5.7 and 14.4 ± 3.5 min, and the volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) was 14.7 ± 2.6 and 12.3 ± 4.5 L/kg. The differences in these parameters, clearance (CI), MRT, and Vss, were not statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level for males versus females, but MRT was nearly significantly different (p = 0.08). Because of the rapid elimination of propetamphos from plasma following intravenous administration, it is unlikely that propetamphos would bioaccumulate in environmentally exposed animals. Although the pharmacokinetic parameters were not statistically different for males and females in these studies, there was a clear clinical difference in their susceptibility to propetamphos toxicity. Female rats presented with overt signs of organophosphate intoxication, whereas males were only slightly effected. The observed gender-related clinical difference in susceptibility to toxicity suggests that there may be a difference in the extent of elimination due to activation versus detoxication of propetamphos in males and females. Another possible explanation for the clinical difference in propetamphos toxicity is that inhibition of acetyl-cholinesterase by the activated, oxygenated form of propetamphos (propetamphos oxon) may be greater in females than in males.
Integration of high- and low-resolution satellite data to estimate pine forest productivity in a Mediterranean coastal area

The estimation of vegetation primary productivity is particularly important in fragile Mediterranean environments that are vulnerable to both natural and human-induced perturbations. The current work was aimed at using remotely sensed data taken by various sensors to infer information about a protected coastal pine forest in Tuscany (Central Italy), which could serve for driving a simplified model of carbon fluxes, C-Fix. Being based on the direct relationship between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), C-Fix uses satellite and standard meteorological data to simulate gross (GPP) and net (NPP) primary productivity of forest ecosystems. Due to the limited size of the study area, a major difficulty was in creating an NDVI dataset with suitable spatial and temporal resolutions, which was essential for the model functioning. To reach this objective, eight Thematic Mapper (TM)/Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images of two years (2000 and 2001) were merged to low-resolution NDVI estimates taken by both the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and VEGETATION (VGT) sensors. The C-Fix outputs for representative pine forest sites were evaluated by comparison to accurate estimates derived from a model of forest ecosystem processes previously calibrated in a similar environment (Forest-BGC). This analysis showed the potential of C-Fix for rapidly estimating GPP over wide forest areas when suitable NDVI inputs are provided. In particular, a slight superiority of VGT over AVHRR data was demonstrated, which could be reasonably attributed to the relevant higher radiometric and geometric properties. The estimation of NPP was instead quite inaccurate, due to the problematic simulation of forest respiration, which should necessarily rely on more complete modeling operations.
Prolactin involvement in breast cancer.

Normal development and differentiation of the mammary gland are profoundly influenced by prolactin (PRL). In rodent mammary cancer PRL plays a well defined role, but its role in human breast cancer has not been appreciated until recently. It is now clear that breast tissue, both normal and malignant, is a significant source of extrapituitary PRL. Thus an autocrine/paracrine role of PRL in human breast cancer may be invoked. Both PRL and PRL receptor mRNA are expressed in the vast majority of breast cancer biopsies independent of estrogen and progesterone receptor status. An autocrine/ paracrine PRL acting in human breast cancer requires that this hormone’s action be blocked at the cellular level, as opposed to suppressing the synthesis and secretion of pituitary PRL. Mutants of PRL or human growth hormone are being explored which act as selective PRL antagonists. In addition, tamoxifen has been shown to act locally at the target tissue by binding directly to the PRL receptor and thus inhibiting PRL’s action. These strategies may have clinical relevance in treating PRL
Error Tolerance in DNA Self-Assembly by (2k-1) x (2k-1) Snake Tile Sets

As a possible technology for bottom-up manufacturing, DNA self-assembly requires tolerance to different errors. Among the methods for reducing the error rate, snake tile sets utilize a square block of even dimension of tiles (i.e., 2ktimes2k). In this paper, an odd-sized square block (i.e., (2k-1)times(2k-1)) is proposed as basis for snake tile sets. In comparison with all other tile sets, the proposed snake tile sets achieve a considerable reduction in error rate for growth and facet roughening errors. Simulation results are provided.
MEMS conformal electrode array for retinal implant

Retinal prosthesis projects around the world have been pursuing a functional replacement system for patients with retinal degeneration. In this paper, the concept for a micromachined conformal electrode array is outlined. Individual electrodes are designed to float on micromachined springs on a substrate that will enable the adjustment of spring constants-and therefore contact force-by adjusting the dimensions of the springs at each electrode. This also allows the accommodation of the varying curvature/topography of the retina. We believe that this approach provides several advantages by improving the electrode/tissue interface as well as generating some new options for in-situ measurements and overall system design.
Gregory D. Johnsen. The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia.

New York and London: W.w. Norton & Company, INC., 2012. 352 Pp., $ 27.95 Xxcover. ISBN: 978-0-393-08242-5 In addition to Iraq and Afghanistan, Yemen suddenly assumed a prominent role in the world m...
Regulation of intracellular pH gradients by identified Na/H exchanger isoforms and a short-chain fatty acid

Colonic luminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) stimulate electroneutral sodium absorption via activation of apical Na/H exchange. HT29-C1 cells were used previously to demonstrate that transepithel...
The Crisis of Communism and the Future of Freedom

The author presents how Russia's struggle to find its new identity in the aftermath of Communism's collapse is analogous to America's historical experience of drawing on religious and cultural roots in moving toward democracy. By rediscovering religion and forming voluntary cultural organizations, the Russians are patterning the evolution of the American democracy. Billington highlights Mikhail Gorbachev's crucial role in the early stages of the process. Noting the American experience in dealing with diversity, he notes the central role this experience can play in dealing with “a global process that… is moving forward to democratization and back to religion,” which is where the previously irreconcilable “Slavophile-Westernizer polarity” tends to converge.
Time series data analysis using fractional calculus concepts and fractal analysis

A study is conducted on time series data analysis relating the concept of the fractional calculus to fractals and to the fractal dimension. A new definition of the fractal dimension is provided based on a property of the fractional derivative. Using fractional Gaussian noise and fractional Brownian motion, simulations show the information content of a time series can be easily manipulated by the fractional derivative method and generated in real time.
Using Contextual Knowledge for Trust Strategy Selection

In open multiagent systems in which some of the agents may be self-interested, it is vital that an agent be able to make trust decisions about its peers to determine which of them may be untrustworthy and how to behave in response. The agent’s context, including the environment, observed and inferred actions and motives of other agents, and properties of the MAS as a whole, is critical to making an informed trust decision and especially to choosing a strategy for taking actions. However, most prior work in the area has ignored context or only treated it implicitly. In this paper, we present an implemented approach that explicitly represents the agent’s context, informed by known contexts, and that uses that contextual knowledge to select the best strategy, even in the presence of untrustworthy agents.
Perspectives from the Avian Phylogenomics Project: Questions that Can Be Answered with Sequencing All Genomes of a Vertebrate Class

The rapid pace of advances in genome technology, with concomitant reductions in cost, makes it feasible that one day in our lifetime we will have available extant genomes of entire classes of species, including vertebrates. I recently helped cocoordinate the large-scale Avian Phylogenomics Project, which collected and sequenced genomes of 48 bird species representing most currently classified orders to address a range of questions in phylogenomics and comparative genomics. The consortium was able to answer questions not previously possible with just a few genomes. This success spurred on the creation of a project to sequence the genomes of at least one individual of all extant ∼10,500 bird species. The initiation of this project has led us to consider what questions now impossible to answer could be answered with all genomes, and could drive new questions now unimaginable. These include the generation of a highly resolved family tree of extant species, genome-wide association studies across species to identify genetic substrates of many complex traits, redefinition of species and the species concept, reconstruction of the genomes of common ancestors, and generation of new computational tools to address these questions. Here I present visions for the future by posing and answering questions regarding what scientists could potentially do with available genomes of an entire vertebrate class.
Individual and intersexual variation in alarm calls of the white-tailed hawk

Although variation in bird vocalizations is well-studied (Marler 1960, Beer 1970, Jellis 1977, Falls 1982, Brown and Farabaugh 1991), few falconiforms have been intensively examined. The White-tailed Hawk (Buteo albicaudatus), however, exhibits remarkable patterns of intersexual as well as individual variation (Farquhar 1986) not previously identified in this species (Brandt in Bent 1937, Stevenson and Meitzen 1946, Slud 1964, Snyder and Snyder 1991). Hereafter referred to as alarm calls in White-tailed Hawks, these loud vocalizations are given in the context of potential danger such as when their territory has been intruded by mate or food competitors, nest predators, or humans. In Falconiformes, alarm calls (also known as territorial calls) gen-
Large-scale Rearing of a Sterile Backcross of the Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

From 1978 to 1982, 10,265,083 pupae were reared in support of the USDA-ARS pilot test “Management of tobacco budworm with hybrid sterility.” Most pupae were shipped to the test site (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands), where the sterile backcross (BC), tobacco budworm (TBW) ( Heliothis virescens [F.]) male × BC female from the intercross TBW male × H. subflexa (Guenee) female was released for suppression of the TBW population. During a span of 117 consecutive days in late 1980, 5,713,245 BC pupae were shipped to St. Croix at the rate of 48,831 pupae per day. Moth emergence from pupae after shipment was 88 ± 5%; 7 ± 7% of the adults were deformed. Interaction of laboratory-reared moths with the feral population was verified by increase of sterility in feral TBW females, increase in percentage of feral males transferring only apyrene sperm, and consequent population suppression. Facilities at Stoneville were modified for maintaining BC and TBW brood colonies as well as large-scale rearing of the BC. Consistent production of high-quality insects required implementation of rigid protocols for larval rearing, moth holding, and egg collection and infesting of diet, pupal harvesting and shipment, and sanitation. Mass production of Heliothis spp., and the TBW sterile BC, specifically, requires automated rearing procedures as well as expanded facilities if areawide population suppression of TBW on the United States mainland is attempted.
Potentiation of luteinizing hormone-releasing factor activities following pentobarbital anesthesia in the steroid-blocked castrated rat.

SummaryIn steroid–blocked ovariecto–mized rats, increases in serum LH concentrations were induced, both before and after pentobarbital anesthesia, by systemic injections of crude extracts of rat hypothalamic tissue (0.1–2.0 hypothalamic equivalents/rat) or by similar injections of purified porcine luteinizing hormone–releasing hormone (LH–RH) at doses of 0.032–0.080 μg/rat. Increases in serum LH concentrations were greater during pentobarbital anesthesia than they had been in the same animals prior to anesthesia. Under comparable conditions, acid extracts of rat cerebral tissue (2.5 mg equivalents/rat) did not cause an increase in serum LH concentrations. These data reveal an increased responsiveness to LH–releasing activities during pentobarbital anesthesia and suggest that barbiturates probably do not block LH release in the proestrous rat by limiting the pituitary response to such stimuli.
Origins of Early Adolescents’ Hope: Personality, Parental Attachment, and Stressful Life Events

Psychology has recently increased attention to identifying psychological qualities in individuals that indicate positive mental health, such as hope. In an effort to understand further the origins of hope, we examined the relations among parental attachment, stressful life events, personality variables, and hope in a sample of 647 middle school students from one middle school in a southeastern U.S. state. The results showed statistically significant correlations between hope and all four predictor variables as well as students' grade levels and socioeconomic status (SES) levels. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis further revealed that after controlling for grade level and SES, the personality variable of neuroticism contributed significance variance to early adolescents' hope scores. Furthermore, the quality of parental attachment accounted for significant variance in hope scores over and above the demographic variables of grade and SES as well as extraversion scores. Contrary to expectations, students' levels of neuroticism did not moderate the relation between stressful life events and hope. The frequency of occurrence of stressful life events was inversely associated with early adolescents' individual differences in hope regardless of neuroticism levels. Implications for hope interventions are discussed. Language: en
Portable Field Calibration Device for Triphase Voltage Transformer Based on Load Error Extrapolation

Triphase high-voltage power is required in calibrating triphase voltage(triphase TV for short) transformer.Traditional method with more equipments and great labor intensity has requirements to test triphase TV as follows: triphase power,balance of triphase voltage,accordance between triphase power phase sequence and that of tested transformer.Because of these restrictions,it is difficult to conduct field calibration of triphase TV.Therefore,the portable field calibration device for triphase voltage transformer based on load error extrapolation is proposed and tested theoretically.
Evaluation of a Surgery-Based Adjunct Course for Senior Medical Students Entering Surgical Residencies

Background Preparatory courses for senior medical students aim to ease the transition from medical school to residency. We designed a novel adjunct curriculum to enhance students' readiness for surgical internship. This study addresses the feasibility and outcomes of this course. Materials and Methods A curriculum was designed based on ACGME surgical milestones. Students participated in 8 (3h) sessions held over 4 weeks as an adjunct to a well-established intern preparatory course. Course activities involved interactive simulation cases to emphasize care of surgical patients, and skills sessions focused on knot tying and suturing, which were reinforced with home video assignments. Students rated confidence on 14 management skills using a 5-point Likert scale (5 = high confidence). Faculty graded students' technical performance using a global scale (0-10) for 5 suturing exercises. Comparisons between precourse and postcourse data collected for all measures were made using t -tests ( α = 0.05). Results A total of 11 students entering 4 different surgical fields participated. Overall confidence in patient management improved from 2.41 to 3.89 (standard deviation=0.49, 0.35; p Conclusions We developed a surgery-specific component to the existing preparatory course at our institution. Students demonstrated increased confidence in ward management skills and increased technical scores in all exercises. Although only 3 sessions were dedicated to technical skills, improvements may highlight the benefit of home video assignments. This course serves as a specialty-specific model for schools with existing preparatory courses. Our curriculum highlights skills specific for surgical residency, while maximizing resources.
How to carry out structure elucidation of chemical drug substances

Structural elucidation is an important aspect in drug development.It is also a premise for successfully conducting other pharmaceutical studies,such as pharmacology,toxicology and clinical studies.This paper is an interpretation to the guidance for manufacturing and structural elucidation,which will focus on the research methods and strategy of structure elucidation.
Travelling Wave Solutions for a Reaction-Diffusion Models of Cell Growth

Recently, Harko and Mak considered two mathematical reaction-diffusion models of gioblastoma growth (Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering 12 41-69 (2015)). They obtained exact travelling wave solutions for particular functional choices of the diffusion term D(c) and the reaction/growth term Q(c), where c represents the cell concentration. Here, alternative choices of the diffusion function and the reaction/growth function are considered which lead to exact travelling wave solutions based upon the Lambert W function. These novel solutions offer alternative but exactly solvable models for cell growth complementing those previously presented.
Visual markers for detecting gene conversion directly in the gametes of Arabidopsis thaliana

Measuring meiotic gene conversion is important both because of its role in the fundamental mechanisms of meiotic recombination and because of its influence on linkage relationships and allelic diversity in the genome. Historically, gene conversion has been most thoroughly examined in fungal organisms through the use of tetrad analysis. Here we describe a method for using tetrad analysis in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to detect and quantify gene conversion events - a resource unavailable in most other higher eukaryotic model systems.
Oxyma-based phosphates for racemization-free peptide segment couplings

Glyceroacetonide-Oxyma [(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl 2-cyano-2-(hydroxyimino)acetate (1)] displayed remarkable physico-chemical properties as an additive for peptide-forming reactions. Although racemization-free amide-forming reactions have been established for N-urethane-protected α-amino acids with EDCI, 1, and NaHCO3 in water or DMF-water media, amide-forming reactions of N-acyl-protected α-amino acids and segment couplings of oligopeptides still require further development. Diethylphosphoryl-glyceroacetonide-oxyma (DPGOx 3) exhibits relative stability in aprotic solvents and is an effective coupling reagent for N-acyl-protected α-amino acids and oligo peptide segments. The conditions reported here is also effective in lactam-forming reactions. Unlike most of the reported coupling reagents, simple aqueous work-up procedures can remove the reagents and by-products generated in the reactions.
Absence of morphological and molecular correlates of sarcopenia in the macaque tongue muscle styloglossus.

Abstract Introduction Equivocal decline of tongue muscle performance with age is compatible with resistance of the tongue to sarcopenia, the loss of muscle volume and function that typically occurs with aging. To test this possibility we characterized anatomical and molecular indices of sarcopenia in the macaque tongue muscle styloglossus (SG). Methods We quantified myosin heavy chain (MHC), muscle fiber MHC phenotype and size and total and phosphorylated growth- and atrophy-related proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), immunoblot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the SG in twenty-four macaque monkeys (Macaca rhesus, age range 9 months to 31 years) categorized into Young ( 22 years of age) groups. Results In Young, Middle and Old age groups, by SDS-PAGE MHCI comprised ~ 1/3 and MHCII ~ 2/3 of total MHC. MHCI relative frequency was lower and MHCII higher in Middle versus Young (p = 0.0099) and Middle versus Old (p = 0.052). Relative frequencies of MHC fiber phenotype were not different by age but were different by phenotype (rates 233, 641 and 111 per 1000 fibers for MHCI, MHCII and MHCI-II respectively, p = 0.03). Few or no fibers were positive for developmental MHC. Mean cross-sectional area (CSA) was not different among the three age groups for MHCII and MHCI-II; however MHCI fibers tended to be larger in Middle versus Old and Young (mean = 2257 μm2,1917 μm2 (p = 0.05) and 1704 μm2 (p = 0.06), respectively). For each age group, mean CSA increased across MHC phenotype (lowest mean CSA for MHCI and highest mean CSA for MHCII). Spearman analysis demonstrated age-related increases in total p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (P70), phosphorylated P70421/424, phosphorylated P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and muscle atrophy F-Box, a trend to age-related decrease in total extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and no age-related change in total protein kinase B (Akt/PKB), phosphorylated Akt, phosphorylated ERK, phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK46) and phosphorylated P70389. Conclusion Common anatomical and molecular indices of sarcopenia are absent in our sample of macaque SG. Relative frequencies of MHCII protein and phenotype are preserved with age. Although MAFbx expression increases with age, this is not associated with fiber atrophy, perhaps reflecting compensatory growth signaling by p70. The resistant nature of the styloglossus muscle to sarcopenia may be related to routine activation of tongue muscles in respiration and swallowing and the preservation of hypoglossal motoneuron number with age.
Deep Problems in Shallow Lakes: Why Controlling Phosphorus Inputs May Not Restore Water Quality 1

Florida’s thousands of lakes are shallower than most people realize, and some unique properties of shallow lakes make them challenging to restore if they have been degraded by nutrients or other pollutants. For many Florida lakes, improvement of water quality now is mandated by the federal Clean Water Act, because human activities have over-enriched their waters with nutrients. Two nutrients that most often pollute lakes are nitrogen and phosphorus. These occur naturally in the environment, including in lakes, and they are essential to the growth of aquatic life. However, when higher than natural levels occur due to human inputs, this can have undesired effects, such as blooms of toxic algae and reduced water clarity (Conley et al. 2009; Lewis et al. 2011).
Comparing the Effect of Chinese and Japanese Migration Experiences on Peruvian National Identity (中日秘鲁移民秘鲁国家认同的比较研究)

Research on migration has often characterized migration and the state as being in conflict. International migration does present some challenges to the state in accommodating migrants that bring with them various cultural and social identities. Nonetheless, not all migration experiences can be generalized in dichotomous terms. In this sense, the case of the first South American country to elect a president of Japanese origin and to regard a Chinese migrant-owned supermarket chain as representative of the state’s business model merits closer examination. The experience of Chinese and Japanese migrants in Peru contributes to the literature on transnational migration that regards migrants as both recipients of change and agents that influence a state’s national identity. Through measures such as common language acquisition and the adoption of new cultural traditions, Chinese and Japanese migrants were integrated into Peru and thus influenced some changes in the state’s national identity in a less conflictive way.外来移民给移入国带来不同的文化和社会认同，从而带来一系列挑战。故在现有移民研究中，移民和移入国常被认为处于冲突状态。然而并非所有移民都与移入国文化对立。本文将日裔移民首次当选拉丁美洲国家总统及中国连锁超市成为移入国商业模范作为案例，对此观点进行阐述。本文指出，秘鲁的中国和日本移民在被移入国改变的同时，也影响了移入国的国家认同。中国及日本移民通过语言习得和文化适应融入秘鲁社会，进而通过较为平和的方式给秘鲁的国家认同带来了影响。This article is in English.
Acoustic-inertial underwater navigation

In this paper, we introduce a novel acoustic-inertial navigation system (AINS) for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). We are aiming to reduce the cost and latency of current underwater navigation systems that typically employ high-accuracy and thus high-cost inertial sensors. In particular, the proposed approach efficiently fuses the acoustic observations from a 2D imaging sonar and the inertial measurements from a MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) within a tightly-coupled EKF framework, while having no need to keep the acoustic features in the state vector. As a result, the computational complexity of the proposed AINS is independent from the scale of the operating environment. Moreover, we develop an acoustic feature linear triangulation to provide accurate initial estimates for iterative solvers, and perform an in-depth observability analysis to investigate the effects of sensor motion on the triangulation. Additionally, since it is challenging to perform a priori sensor extrinsic calibration underwater, we advocate to calibrate IMU-sonar online. The proposed AINS has been validated extensively in Monte-Carlo simulations.
PWR core design with Metal Matrix Micro-encapsulated (M3) fuel

Metal Matrix Micro-encapsulated (M3) fuel consists of TRISO coated fuel particles directly dispersed in a matrix of zirconium metal to form a solid rod. In this integral fuel concept the cladding tube and the failure mechanisms associated with it have been eliminated; therefore, M3 fuel, compared to existing fuel designs, is expected to provide greatly improved operational performance. The main challenge to the deployment of M3 fuels is the low heavy metal load. This needs to be compensated with high density fuel (uranium nitride), larger rods and mainly higher enrichment. This study found that M3 fuel requires about 15.5% enriched UN TRISO particles to match the cycle length of standard fuel when loaded in a PWR. In order to achieve comparable reactivity feedbacks, in particular moderator temperature, the pitch to rod diameter ratio should be reduced to 1.20 compared to the typical 1.326. As M3 fuel provides a better path for heat transfer from the fuel, such smaller pitch is expected to be feasible, but further evaluations especially to examine thermal-hydraulic aspects are required. Analyses of possible load patterns for burnable poisons showed that M3 fuel maintains similar cycle length to that of standard fuel and pin power peaks are also comparable. Nevertheless, further optimization will be required to limit assembly power peaks.
The time to decline: tracing a cohort’s descendants in below replacement populations

A number of contemporary populations are exhibiting sustained fertility at levels substantially below long-term replacement. Nonetheless, relatively few populations are actually diminishing in size. Here, we approach that apparent paradox by analyzing the time before the number in a birth cohort, and its descendants, falls below the initial number in the cohort. First, models are examined with constant below replacement fertility, cohort extinction at age 75 or 85, and no mortality below the highest age attained. For a net reproduction rate (NRR) of 0.75, it takes 150 years for the cohort’s descendants to be fewer than the cohort’s original size if persons live to age 85, and over 130 years if persons live to age 75. If the NRR is at least 0.60, it takes a century before the descendants are fewer in number than the original cohort. Second, projections are done for the USA 2012, Italy 2012, and Hong Kong 2011 assuming that fertility and mortality remain constant. The results resemble the projections. For example, in Italy, with actual mortality and an NRR of 0.70, it takes over 125 years before the descendants of a cohort are fewer in number than the initial cohort. A relatively simple equation for the long term “time to decline” is presented, showing that it depends primarily on the level of fertility, secondarily on longevity, and only modestly on the mean age of fertility.