cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Processing of chromaffin granule proteins : a profusion of proteases ?

Evidence suggests that proenkephalin and members of the chromogranin/secretogranin family of proteins are prohormone precursors, giving rise to a variety of peptides with biologic activity. However, the specific proteases responsible for cleaving these proteins in vivo have not been fully established. Several candidate proteases have been described, some of which have been shown to cleave these proteins in vitro. Proteolytic processing of the chromogranins may be particularly complex, occurring in specific tissue-dependent patterns. To account for this level of complexity several protease systems may be operative, either alone or in concert, both within the neurosecretory granule and in the extracellular space. Specific proteases which are available within neurosecretory cells or in the local extracellular environment, and which may cleave these prohormones include PC1 and PC2 (recently described members of the Kex2/furin family of endoproteases), as well as kallikrein, acetylcholinesterase, and, more recently, the plasminogen/plasmin protease system. The potential role of these specific proteases in the processing of proenkephalin and the chromogranins is discussed, in particular, in the context of possible processing clues available from recent analysis of cDNA and genomic intron/exon structure.
Dendritic Branching of Olfactory Bulb Mitral and Tufted Cells: Regulation by TrkB

Background Projection neurons of mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), mitral and tufted cells, have dendrites whose morphologies are specifically differentiated for efficient odor information processing. The apical dendrite extends radially and arborizes in single glomerulus where it receives primary input from olfactory sensory neurons that express the same odor receptor. The lateral dendrites extend horizontally in the external plexiform layer and make reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses with granule cells, which moderate mitral/tufted cell activity. The molecular mechanisms regulating dendritic development of mitral/tufted cells is one of the unsolved important problems in the olfactory system. Here, we focused on TrkB receptors to test the hypothesis that neurotrophin-mediate mechanisms contributed to dendritic differentiation of OB mitral/tufted cells. Principal Findings With immunohistochemical analysis, we found that the TrkB neurotrophin receptor is expressed by both apical and lateral dendrites of mitral/tufted cells and that expression is evident during the early postnatal days when these dendrites exhibit their most robust growth and differentiation. To examine the effect of TrkB activation on mitral/tufted cell dendritic development, we cultured OB neurons. When BDNF or NT4 were introduced into the cultures, there was a significant increase in the number of primary neurites and branching points among the mitral/tufted cells. Moreover, BDNF facilitated filopodial extension along the neurites of mitral/tufted cells. Significance In this report, we show for the first time that TrkB activation stimulates the dendritic branching of mitral/tufted cells in developing OB. This suggests that arborization of the apical dendrite in a glomerulus is under the tight regulation of TrkB activation.
Ocular Bioavailability and Systemic Loss of Topically Applied Ophthalmic Drugs

We used 20-day-old rabbits as a model to show that the ocular bioavailability of topically applied pilocarpine nitrate increased as the instilled volume of the drug was decreased. Decreasing the instilled volume from 25 to 5 microliter permitted a dosage reduction of greater than 2.5 times without sacrificing overall drug concentrations in the eye. Since only a small fraction of topically applied doses to the eye actually reached the interior of the eye, the remainder of the dose was lost and available for systemic absorption. The reduction in dosage permitted by this approach resulted in less drug appearing in the general circulation, as shown by comparative plasma level-time profiles. The advantages of reducing drop size are improved ocular bioavailability permitting the use of smaller doses; and less systemic drug loss, thus reducing the potential for systemic side effects. These advantages could be especially significant in the pediatric and geriatric age groups.
NON-LINEAR CONTROL OF BUCKLED BEAMS UNDER STEP LOADING

Abstract The present paper studies a strategy for the active non-linear control of the oscillations of simply supported buckled beams, in order to mitigate the effects of dynamic loading on the vibration amplitudes and prevent dangerous instability phenomena. First, an analysis of the symmetric non-linear behaviour of the structure without any control system is carried out. In order to control the non-linear vibrations of the beam, an active tendon control system is adopted. A control method based on non-linear optimal control using state feedback is developed and the solution of the non-linear optimal control problem is obtained by representing system non-linearities and performance indices by power series with the help of algebraic tensor theory. In this work, general polynomial representations of the non-linear control law are obtained up to the fifth order. This solution procedure is employed to analyse the influence of the resulting non-linear control laws on the dynamic behaviour of a buckled beam under a lateral step load. This arch-like structural system is highly non-linear and under compressive lateral loading may suffer snap-through buckling. This may cause undesirable stresses and/or displacements, leading as a rule to a failure of the structural system. So, special attention is given to the determination of the potential of the present control methodology for efficiently limiting extreme state responses and preventing the snap-through buckling. Numerical results indicate that the control algorithm can effectively increase the load-carrying capacity of the buckled beam without demanding large control forces. Also, this study can be used as a basis for the non-linear control of more complex structures and for the design of control systems.
Horizontal directivity of low- and high-frequency energy in speech and singing

Speech and singing directivity in the horizontal plane was examined using simultaneous multi-channel full-bandwidth recordings to investigate directivity of high-frequency energy, in particular. This method allowed not only for accurate analysis of running speech using the long-term average spectrum, but also for examination of directivity of separate transient phonemes. Several vocal production factors that could affect directivity were examined. Directivity differences were not found between modes of production (speech vs singing) and only slight differences were found between genders and production levels (soft vs normal vs loud), more pronounced in the higher frequencies. Large directivity differences were found between specific voiceless fricatives, with /s,∫/ more directional than /f,θ/ in the 4, 8, 16 kHz octave bands.
A Neighborhood Analysis of Public Library Use in New York City.

The use of 200 public libraries in New York City was analyzed according to their neighborhood characteristics. In addition to demographic, economic, and cultural factors traditionally considered, the social and spatial interactions within a neighborhood were related to public library use. Correlation and regression analyses were implemented for all the libraries. The research found that traditional factors are not enough to explain public library use, especially in a cosmopolitan area such as New York City. Social connections and racial diversity and integration stimulate public library use. Based on these findings, suggestions were made for improving the underutilized library branches in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Architecture of the cerebral cortical association connectome underlying cognition.

Cognition presumably emerges from neural activity in the network of association connections between cortical regions that is modulated by inputs from sensory and state systems and directs voluntary behavior by outputs to the motor system. To reveal global architectural features of the cortical association connectome, network analysis was performed on >16,000 reports of histologically defined axonal connections between cortical regions in rat. The network analysis reveals an organization into four asymmetrically interconnected modules involving the entire cortex in a topographic and topologic core–shell arrangement. There is also a topographically continuous U-shaped band of cortical areas that are highly connected with each other as well as with the rest of the cortex extending through all four modules, with the temporal pole of this band (entorhinal area) having the most cortical association connections of all. These results provide a starting point for compiling a mammalian nervous system connectome that could ultimately reveal novel correlations between genome-wide association studies and connectome-wide association studies, leading to new insights into the cellular architecture supporting cognition.
A comparative study of the solid-matrix phosphorescence of heterocyclic aromatic amines in glucose glasses as a function of temperature

Abstract Solid-matrix phosphorescence intensities and lifetimes were obtained for 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (AαC) as a function of temperature from room temperature to 93 K. The two solid matrices employed were glucose glasses prepared with crystalline glucose and a glucose melt, both with and without a heavy-atom salt, NaI. In general, the phosphorescence intensities and lifetimes of PhIP increased as the temperature was lowered. The intensity-to-lifetime ratios showed that the triplet state formation efficiency of PhIP changed as a function of temperature for glasses prepared without NaI. This illustrated that the phosphorescence intensity was a function of both triplet state formation efficiency and phosphorescence lifetime. For the glasses prepared with NaI, the triplet state formation efficiency of PhIP remained essentially constant with temperature. Thus, the phosphorescence intensity was only a function of phosphorescence lifetime. The phosphorescence intensity for AαC was essentially the same at room temperature and at 93 K in glasses prepared with 10% NaI. Thus, this heavy-atom salt/glucose system was able to achieve the maximum phosphorescence signal at room temperature. Using the phosphorescence lifetimes as a function of temperature, activation energies for the phosphors in the glasses were calculated. The phosphorescence lifetime data fit a biexponential equation and two activation energies were obtained. The lower activation energy was related to low-frequency vibrations in the glucose matrix, and the higher activation energy was related to β-relaxation processes that occur in glucose glasses.
Productivity and growth efficiency in sugar maple forests

Abstract Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.)-dominated northern hardwood forests were examined at four locations along an acid deposition and climatic gradient in the Great Lakes region of the USA. The study sites were matched in terms of physiography, soils, stand history, and vegetative characteristics. Measurements of basal area and biomass growth were made for the 1988–1991 growing seasons. There were no significant differences in either basal area of biomass increment among the four sites over the 4 year period. There was a great deal of year-to-year variability with relative basal area growth rates ranging from as low as 0.2% to as high as 2.4% on a single site in successive years. Growth efficiency measures reflected this variability with as much as an 800% difference between successive years on a single site. When coupled with year-to-year variability of up to 34% in leaf area related to heavy seed years and defoliation, this indicates that growth efficiency and leaf area measures are not consistent indicators of aboveground productivity for tolerant deciduous species, especially if derived from short-term measurements or temporary plots.
Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery for treatment of painful osseous metastases

Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is an emerging technology that can non-invasively heat and ablate targeted tissue utilizing ultrasound energy. Use of MR imaging for treatment guidance provides several key advantages over more widely used ultrasound guidance for focused ultrasound ablation. MR allows for precise targeting, detailed beam path visualization, real time non-invasive temperature measurement, and treatment feedback to ensure therapeutic goals are achieved. In the realm of oncology, management of painful bone metastases is a common and daunting clinical problem. The Insightec ExAblate System has been shown in phase I/II trials for treatment of bone metastases to have an excellent safety profile and high rates of pain response. An international multi-center phase III trial for patients with painful bone metastases or multiple myeloma who are not candidates for radiation therapy is currently open. Patients are randomized 3:1 to MRgFUS or sham treatment with crossover to study treatment allowed for sham failures. The primary study endpoint is assessment of pain control over 3 months following treatment. In addition safety, quality of life, cost effectiveness analysis, and patient perceived clinical benefit are also being assessed. Details of the MRgFUS system, technical and clinical therapeutic parameters, use of real time non-invasive MR thermometry, and examples of patient treatments with use of MRgFUS to treat bone metastases will be discussed. New directions in use of MRgFUS including an update on development of a new mobile applicator and integration of MRgFUS in multimodality oncologic care will also be presented.
Dual Trust Secure protocol for cluster-based wireless sensor networks

In addressing the unique security challenges faced by wireless sensor networks, this paper proposes a novel, two-level trust-based scheme. The solution is described on top of a well-known, cluster-based protocol, LEACH (Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy), and is named DTSLEACH (Dual-Trust Secure LEACH). It includes authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and trust mechanisms. Performance evaluation shows that, compared with two other existing protocols, DTSLEACH provides strong performance in security, energy and memory efficiencies, as well as network throughput.
A new apolipoprotein B truncation (apo B-43.7) in familial hypobetalipoproteinemia: Genetic and metabolic studies

Abstract We describe a new truncation of apolipoprotein (apo) B in a white kindred with familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL). Apo B-43.7, found in a daughter and her father, was due to a C → T change in base position 6162 of the apo B gene converting the arginine (residue 1986) codon CGA to a stop codon TGA. Both subjects were heterozygotes, and both apo B-43.7- and apo B-100-containing particles were present in plasma. On density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGUC), approximately 30% to 40% of apo B-43.7 floated with very—low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)/intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL)-density particles and 60% to 70% floated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-density particles. To assess the metabolism of apo B, 13 C-leucine was infused and its rates of appearance in and disappearance from apo B-43.7- and apo B-100-containing particles were quantified by multicompartmental kinetic analysis. Apo B-100 entered plasma via VLDL with a production rate of 30 mg · kg −1 · d −1 . Fractional catabolic rates (FCRs) for apo B-100 VLDL, IDL, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were 20.0, 16.0, and 0.46 pools · d −1 , respectively. The production rate of apo B-43.7 was 9.6 mg · kg −1 · d −1 , and FCRs for apo B-43.7 VLDL- and HDL-like particles were 12.0 and 1.8 pools · d −1 , respectively. Approximately 30% of apo B-43.7 in HDL-density particles was derived from VLDL apo B-43.7, and about 70% appeared to enter the plasma as HDLs. The relatively low production rate of apo B-43.7 is compatible with previous reports that apo B truncations are produced at lower rates than their apo B-100 counterparts.
Gender Differences in Dependence Symptoms and Psychiatric Severity in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders

ABSTRACT One hundred adolescent inpatients (42% female) seeking treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD) were compared by gender on several substance use and psychiatric variables. Adolescents were assessed with the Comprehensive Addiction Severity Index (C-ASI) and other standardized assessment instruments. Results showed that females were more likely than males to endorse dependence symptoms and report experiencing dependence symptoms at a younger age. Females also progressed faster to regular use of drugs than males. Females were more likely than males to begin substance use with cigarettes, whereas males typically began substance use with alcohol. Suicidality was more common in females, but groups did not differ on the prevalence of depression diagnoses or on previous psychiatric treatment history. Future studies are needed to investigate possible physiologic/psychologic bases of the greater susceptibility for females to report substance dependence symptoms.
The discrimination of polarized light by the tarantula

The present experiment compared the establishment of a position habit and three subsequent response shifts with and without discriminative stimuli. The discriminative stimuli employed were (a) 90° and 180° polarization patterns and (b) high and low intensity levels. A significant difference (0.05) was found between the running time performance of the polarization discrimination group and the uniform illumination and bright-dark discrimination groups. No similar difference was found with errors as the dependent measure, and no significant between group differences were found during the response shifts. The conclusion was drawn that the extra-ocular hypothesis could not account for the significant difference.
Stability of phenolic and protein measures in excised oak foliage.

The stability of protein and phenolic measures in excised foliage from two oak species was measured under conditions that simulated the handling and treatment of foliage during insect rearing trials. Excised foliage kept hydrated under refrigeration or insect-rearing conditions maintained stable levels of protein content, proanthocyanidins, gallotannins, total phenolics, and protein-binding capacity for up to 48 hr following field sampling. Measures of protein content, total phenolics, protein-binding capacity, and proanthocyanidins were significantly greater 48–72 hr after field sampling, followed by declines to near field levels within 120 hr.
The “enduring mission” of Zing‐Yang Kuo to eliminate the nature–nurture dichotomy in psychology

This paper reviews the arguments against the instinct concept and the nature–nurture dichotomy put forward by Zing-Yang Kuo (1898–1970) during the 1920s. Kuo insisted that nativism represented a kind of finished psychology, and that the labels of nature and nurture reflected and promoted one's ignorance of the development of a trait. Also discussed are his lesser known lines of research on the origins of the so-called rat-killing instinct in cats and his analysis on the determinants of animal fighting. His research illustrated the shortcomings of a nature–nurture framework and highlighted the necessity of his developmentally grounded alternative to studying behavior. Reasons for why Kuo's work has been marginalized in modern histories of psychology are also discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 53:331–342, 2011.
Global Network Organizations: Emergence and Future Prospects

L'A. examine comment le reseau s'est impose comme nouveau paradigme en sociologie des organisations
An FPGA architecture with built-in error correction capability

The use of very deep submicron technology makes VLSI-based digital systems more susceptible to transient or soft errors, and thus compromises their reliability. This paper proposes an FPGA architecture inspired by the human immune system that allows tolerance of transient errors. The architecture is composed of a two-dimensional array of identical functional cells with different genetic codes. These codes are chosen based on the required functions to be performed by the functional cells. An error in a FPGA based digital system designed using the proposed architecture is treated as an antigen by the system. Using its distributed defense mechanism the system heals itself from the effect of the error. A major advantage of this architecture is that, the outputs of functional cells are connected to the inputs of other physically adjacent functional cells without having to go through complicated routing. Thus, lengthy communication paths between cells are avoided.
Incidence and Risk Factors of Venous Thromboembolic Events in Lymphoma

Abstract Background Cancer patients are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism; however, the incidence and risk factors for venous thromboembolism in lymphoma patients are not well defined. Methods Medical records of 422 newly referred lymphoma patients at our institution were reviewed over 2-year follow-up for all venous thromboembolism events and potential risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors predictive of venous thromboembolism. Results Among 422 patients, 72 (17.1 %) had 80 new episodes of venous thromboembolism: 59 had deep vein thrombosis, 17 had pulmonary embolism, and 4 had combined deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Only 18 of 422 patients (4.3%) were on thromboprophylaxis at baseline. Interestingly, 64% (51/80) of the episodes occurred by the third cycle of chemotherapy. By multivariate logistic regression, female sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.51, P =.001), high hemoglobin (OR 1.26, P =.020), high serum creatinine (OR 3.23, P =.009), and doxorubicin- or methotrexate-based chemotherapy (OR 3.47, P =0.003) were important risk factors for new venous thromboembolism. Conclusions Lymphoma patients are at high risk for venous thromboembolism in the initial cycles of chemotherapy; the risk was higher for women, patients with elevated hemoglobin or creatinine, or those receiving doxorubicin or methotrexate. Future studies might focus on validation of these risk factors to identify the high-risk cohort and the potential role of thromboprophylaxis, particularly during initial cycles of chemotherapy.
Exploring the Higgs portal with 10 fb −1 at the LHC

We consider the impact of new exotic colored and/or charged matter interacting through the Higgs portal on Standard Model Higgs boson searches at the LHC. Such Higgs portal couplings can induce shifts in the effective Higgs-gluon-gluon and Higgs-photon-photon couplings, thus modifying the Higgs production and decay patterns. We consider two possible interpretations of the current LHC Higgs searches based on ~ 5 fb−1 of data at each detector: 1) a Higgs boson in the mass range (124–126) GeV and 2) a hidden heavy Higgs boson which is underproduced due to the suppression of its gluon fusion production cross section. We first perform a model independent analysis of the allowed sizes of such shifts in light of current LHC data. As a class of possible candidates for new physics which gives rise to such shifts, we investigate the effects of new scalar multiplets charged under the Standard Model gauge symmetries. We determine the scalar parameter space that is allowed by current LHC Higgs searches, and compare with complementary LHC searches that are sensitive to the direct production of colored scalar states.
The conversion of variance and the evolutionary potential of restricted recombination

Genetic recombination is usually considered to facilitate adaptive evolution. However, recombination prevents the reliable cotransmission of interacting gene combinations and can disrupt complexes of coadapted genes. If interactions between genes have important fitness effects, restricted recombination may lead to evolutionary responses that are different from those predicted from a purely additive model and could even aid adaptation. Theory and data have demonstrated that phenomena that limit the effectiveness of recombination via increasing homozygosity, such as inbreeding and population subdivision and bottlenecks, can temporarily increase the additive genetic variance available to these populations. This effect has been attributed to the conversion of nonadditive to additive genetic variance. Analogously, phenomena such as chromosomal inversions and apomictic parthenogenesis that physically restrict recombination in part or all of the genome may also result in a release of additive variance. Here, we review and synthesize literature concerning the evolutionary potential of populations with effectively or physically restricted recombination. Our goal is to emphasize the common theme of increased short-term access to additive genetic variance in all of these situations and to motivate research directed towards a more complete characterization of the relevance of the conversion of variance to the evolutionary process.
Assessing the relative contributions of transport efficiency and scavenging to seasonal variability in Arctic aerosol.

Regional aerosol concentrations are governed by an evolving balance between aerosol sources and sinks. Here, a simple technique is described for making estimates of the extent to which seasonal aerosol variability is controlled by wet scavenging rather than the efficiency of transport from pollution source regions. Carbon monoxide (CO) is employed as an assumed passive tracer of pollution transport efficiency, to which the magnitude of aerosol light scattering is compared. Because aerosols, unlike CO, are affected by wet scavenging as well as transport efficiency, the ratio of short-term perturbations in these two quantities provides a measure of the relative roles of these two processes. This technique is applied to surface measurements in the Arctic at Barrow, Alaska (71°N) for the decade between 2000 and 2009. What is found is that a well-known seasonal cycle in ‘Arctic Haze’ is dominated by variability in wet scavenging. Crossing the freezing threshold for warm rain production appears particularly critical for efficiently cleaning the air. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2010.00453.x
Parallel architecture for OPS5

An architecture that captures some of the inherent parallelism of the OPS5 expert system language has been designed and implemented at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A central feature of this architecture is a network bus over which a single host processor broadcasts messages to a set of parallel rule processors. This transmit-only bus is implemented by a memory-mapped scheme which permits the rule processors to be decoded in parallel. All OPS5 rule matching processes and most of the processes associated with conflict resolution are executed by the parallel rule processors. The host performs the tasks associated with the firing of a rule selected by the conflict resolution process. Performance data are presented for the prototype system which comprises a host processor and 64 parallel rule processors, each embodying a Motorola MC68000 microprocessor and 512 Kbytes of unshared memory.
Azithromycin associated with a reduction in 90-day mortality among older pneumonia patients, although a true clinical benefit is uncertain.

Commentary on : Mortensen EM, Halm EA, Pugh MJ, et al. Association of azithromycin with mortality and cardiovascular events among older patients hospitalized with pneumonia. JAMA 2014;311:2199–208.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Current US guidelines for regular hospital unit treatment of community-acquired pneumonia recommend a 5–7 day course of therapy with either a macrolide plus a second or third generation cephalosporin, or a respiratory fluoroquinolone.1 The primary guidance offered for choosing between these alternatives is to avoid antibiotics with patient exposure in the past 3 months. In this context, azithromycin has come under increased scrutiny. Studies have reported that active users of azithromycin have a greater risk of death (particularly cardiovascular death) than comparable users of amoxicillin. However, these studies primarily included patients receiving short courses of therapy for minor infections, such as sinusitus or bronchitis. In contrast, observational studies of patients with community-acquired pneumonia report that macrolide-based therapy is associated with lower 90-day mortality than fluoroquinolone therapy, hypothetically … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D311%26rft.spage%253D2199%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2014.4304%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24893087%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2014.4304&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24893087&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F6%2F226.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000336668400021&link_type=ISI
Comparison of the Uptake of Dioxin-Like Compounds by Caged Channel Catfish and Semipermeable Membrane Devices in the Saginaw River, Michigan

Elevated concentrations of planar, halogenated hydrocarbons have been linked to reproductive problems in a variety of fish-eating birds and mammals in the Great Lakes and in particular Saginaw Bay. Currently, there are no accurate procedures to assess bioavailability of these contaminants. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and mono- and non-ortho-chloro-substituted biphenyls in water at the femtogram to picogram per liter range were passively concentrated in semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and these data were compared to the bioconcentration in co-exposed (caged) channel catfish. Sediment-derived water concentration estimates, calculated from a steady-state partitioning model, did not correlate well to those derived from either fish or SPMDs. The use of SPMDs demonstrated the utility of in-situ passive sampling over inference of water concentrations from accumulation in biota or partitioning with sediment. Residues accumulated by SPMDs have been shown to be proportional to analyte water concentration, whereas this does not appear to be the case for fish tissues. The greater amounts of 3,3', 4,4'-tetrachlorbiphenyl and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran accumulated in SPMDs than in exposed channel catfish indicated those non-passive aspects of bioconcentration in organisms, such as biotransformation and elimination, introduced 50-500% error in the assumed degree of exposure.
ASANTE QUEEN MOTHERS

The Asante (also Ashanti) people of Ghana belong to the ethnic group known as the Akan who constituted 50% of the Ghanaian population in 1988, which then totaled approximately 14.4 million. The Akan inhabit the forest and coastal belts bounded by the Bandama River (Ivory Coast) and the Volta River (Ghana). The Asante continue to occupy the forest area as they have for many centuries. In the modern nation state this area has been designated the Ashanti Region. Twi is the language of the Asante; Twi and Fante are now considered to constitute the Akan language group which is a member of the Tano subdivision of the Volta-Comoe language family. (The boundaries of the Akan language group are not exactly coterminous with the boundaries of the ethnic group.) Matrilineal descent remains the basis for Asante social organization. Every individual belongs to the mother's clan, one of seven or eight clans, and marriage is exogamous. All successions are matrilineal, including those who are qualified to occupy the stool of the queen mother or chief in every town and division. Those individuals, who are the members of the royal family in every town and division, are descended through the lineage of their mother like all other Asante (and Akan), and trace their identity to an early ancestress. Farming has been and remains the basic subsistence activity. Farmers, who are primarily women, raise yams, cocoyam, oil palm, and plantain for local consumption. In modern times cocoa has become a large export product./Equally importantly, however, Asante have long been traders, and Kumasi, the precolonial capital of the Asante, is one of the oldest markets in West Africa. Towards the end of the 17th century the first Asantehene, Osei Tutu, in cooperation with his priest, Okomfo Anokye, created a confederacy of Asante states which established the independence of those states from the older Akan states of Denkyira and Akwamu. Although British colonialism and later, national independence, superseded the confederacy, Asante social and political organization remains a vital and active force in everyday life at both local and national levels. Certainly relevant to its strength is the fact that kinship forms the basis of the political organization. Each lineage is a political unit, represented by a head who acts as a representative on larger councils. This form of representation and hierarchy is expanded into larger political units through the village leader, the division chief, the paramount chief and finally to the Asantehene, the chief of all Asante. Parallel to teach chief is a female leader known as the queen mother. This system is known as chieftaincy, or traditional rule. Ghana achieved its independence from the British in 1957, the first African nation to attain that goal. The internationally known Kwame Nkrumah served as the first President of the Republic of Ghana from 1957–1966. In the present decade, on November 3, 1992, Ghanaian voters elected Fit. Lt. J. J. Rawlings, the military leader who had governed the country for the past eleven years, as the President of the Republic of Ghana. Rawlings was elected President again in 1996.
Looking beneath the surface: the nature of incarcerated women's experiences of interpersonal violence, treatment needs, and mental health

Female offenders report higher rates of interpersonal violence (IPV) and mental health problems than incarcerated men. The purpose of this study was to describe the nature of incarcerated women’s (...
Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome

Ten female and five male patients, from 16 to 70 years of age, with the median arcuate ligament syndrome were encountered over a 31/2-year period. Surgical intervention was elected in 12 patients. Transection of the median arcuate ligament was performed in each instance, and arterial reconstruction undertaken twice. A distinctly fibrous median arcuate ligament crossing the aorta at an unusually low level was a constant finding among these patients. This anatomic situation, not an abnormally high origin of the celiac artery, was associated with compression of the celiac artery at the aortic hiatus. Demonstration of arterial entrapment is not proof of the syndrome's existence. Provocative xylose absorption tests appear to offer more objective information concerning the significance of celiac artery stenoses. These preliminary studies lend credence to speculation that the primary derangement in the median arcuate ligament syndrome is functional intestinal ischemia.
THE PROTECTIVE ACTION OF TYPE I ANTIPNEUMOCOCCUS SERUM IN MICE : I. THE QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS OF THE MOUSE PROTECTION TEST

The mouse protection test for the evaluation of type specific antipneumococcus serum has been studied with reference to the quantitative relationships between the amount of antibody and the number of injected bacteria. By varying both these factors through wide limits certain definite characteristics of the protection test have been defined. These are the Schwellenwert, the prozone, and the limiting titer zone. The modifications produced in the manifestations of these characteristics by changes in the technic of performing the test and also by certain non-specific reagents are described. The dependence of the outcome of the test upon variable factors intrinsic to the host is discussed.
Catalytically active Au on Titania: yet another example of a strong metal support interaction (SMSI)?

In light of the many similarities between previous studies of the so-called strong metal support interaction (SMSI) involving Gr. VIII metals, and catalytically active Au, it is apparent that these two phenomena must be closely related. That active Au on titania spreads to form a bilayer structure, is electron-rich as determined by theory and experiment, nucleates on reduced Ti defects created by annealing to temperatures > 750 K, and is deactivated via sintering in oxygen, is convincing evidence that the same basic principles responsible for activation of Au on titania are operative for SMSI involving Gr. VIII metals.
Validated MicroRNA Target Databases: An Evaluation

Preclinical Research Positive findings from preclinical and clinical studies involving depletion or supplementation of microRNA (miRNA) engender optimism about miRNA-based therapeutics. However, off-target effects must be considered. Predicting these effects is complicated. Each miRNA may target many gene transcripts, and the rules governing imperfectly complementary miRNA: target interactions are incompletely understood. Several databases provide lists of the relatively small number of experimentally confirmed miRNA: target pairs. Although incomplete, this information might allow assessment of at least some of the off-target effects. We evaluated the performance of four databases of experimentally validated miRNA: target interactions (miRWalk 2.0, miRTarBase, miRecords, and TarBase 7.0) using a list of 50 alphabetically consecutive genes. We examined the provided citations to determine the degree to which each interaction was experimentally supported. To assess stability, we tested at the beginning and end of a five-month period. Results varied widely by database. Two of the databases changed significantly over the course of 5 months. Most reported evidence for miRNA: target interactions were indirect or otherwise weak, and relatively few interactions were supported by more than one publication. Some returned results appear to arise from simplistic text searches that offer no insight into the relationship of the search terms, may not even include the reported gene or miRNA, and may thus, be invalid. We conclude that validation databases provide important information, but not all information in all extant databases is up-to-date or accurate. Nevertheless, the more comprehensive validation databases may provide useful starting points for investigation of off-target effects of proposed small RNA therapies.
The layer theory approach applied to induction heating systems with rotational symmetry

A method is given for the analysis of a multilayer cylindrical induction heating system. The excitation is circumferential and can be three phase or single-phase. The iterative form of solution allows for linear and nonlinear charges. Accuracy of the method is verified with measurements of practical induction heating system together with comparison to numerical and analytical methods.
Analysis of shock motion in shockwave and turbulent boundary layer interaction using direct numerical simulation data

Direct numerical simulation data of a Mach 2.9, 24○ compression ramp configuration are used to analyse the shock motion. The motion can be observed from the animated DNS data available with the online version of the paper and from wall-pressure and mass-flux signals measured in the free stream. The characteristic low frequency is in the range of (0.007–0.013) U∞/δ, as found previously. The shock motion also exhibits high-frequency, of O(U∞/δ), small-amplitude spanwise wrinkling, which is mainly caused by the spanwise non-uniformity of turbulent structures in the incoming boundary layer. In studying the low-frequency streamwise oscillation, conditional statistics show that there is no significant difference in the properties of the incoming boundary layer when the shock location is upstream or downstream. The spanwise-mean separation point also undergoes a low-frequency motion and is found to be highly correlated with the shock motion. A small correlation is found between the low-momentum structures in the incoming boundary layer and the separation point. Correlations among the spanwise-mean separation point, reattachment point and the shock location indicate that the low-frequency shock unsteadiness is influenced by the downstream flow. Movies are available with the online version of the paper.
An enzyme-linked immunoassay of surfactant apoproteins. Its application to the study of fetal lung development in the rat.

Summary: Rat lung surfactant contains glycoproteins with molecular weights of about 38,000, 32,000 and 26,000, which are not of serum origin and appear to form an integral part of surfactant as its apoproteins. An enzyme-linked immunoassay for these apoproteins has been developed, in which the antigen is sandwiched between specific antibodies raised in two different species. The assay is capable of measuring 10–160 ng of the apoproteins per ml of lung homogenate or amniotic fluid with a coefficient of variation of less than 5%. The immunoassay has been used to quantitate apoproteins in rat lungs during pre- and postnatal development, as well as in amniotic fluids at different stages of pregnancy. The apoproteins become detectable in the lungs of 18-day-old fetuses. The lung content of apoproteins increases 4-fold in 19-day-old fetuses, 18-fold in 20-day-old fetuses and 38-fold in 21-day-old fetuses. The lungs of newborn rats contained twice as much apoproteins as the lungs of 21-day-old fetuses. During the postnatal period, the apoprotein content of the lung showed a 3-fold increase in adults as compared to newborn rats. Apoproteins could be detected for the first time in the amniotic fluids of 19-day-old pregnant rats, and their concentration rose 2–3-fold at 20 and 21 days of pregnancy. Our results in this study show that surfactant apoproteins, like pulmonary surfactant lipids, appear in fetal lungs during the late stages of gestation and their amounts increase rapidly as gestation progresses. Furthermore, presence of surfactant aproproteins in fetal lungs can be monitored by quantitation of apoproteins in amniotic fluids during late stages of pregnancy.
A High-Performance PLL With a Low-Power Active Switched-Capacitor Loop Filter

A 2.5-GHz phase-locked loop (PLL) employing a low-power active switched-capacitor loop filter is presented. A subthreshold inverter-based active loop filter is presented and analyzed. Advantages such as type-II loop dynamics, low reference spurs, and small on-chip capacitors are achieved. In addition, 1/f noise of the inverter amplifier can be suppressed by the filter's auto-zeroing operation. The prototype is designed and fabricated in a 0.18- μm CMOS technology. Measurement results show phase noise of -86 dBc/Hz at a 100-kHz offset, -124.0 dBc/Hz at a 3-MHz offset, and a reference spur level of -64 dBc. The PLL consumes about 16 mW with 0.46 mW dedicated to the loop filter active components.
The Role of Leucine in the Regulation of Protein Metabolism

Studies both in vivo and in vitro have shown that leucine at a very high dose can stimulate muscle protein synthesis, an effect that is enhanced in vivo by insulin secreted in response to the leucine dose. High leucine can also inhibit protein degradation in skeletal muscle, as well as in liver. In contrast, at normal physiological levels, increasing leucine concentration by infusion stimulates muscle protein synthesis by enhancing its sensitivity to insulin. It is concluded that the role of leucine in vivo is to provide a signal that amino acids are available, which in combination with the signal of energy availability from insulin, stimulates muscle protein synthesis.
Size-selected Pt Nanoparticles Synthesized via Micelle Encapsulation: Effect of Pretreatment and Oxidation State on the Activity for Methanol Decomposition and Oxidation

The effect of pretreatment conditions on the oxidation state and activity of micelle-synthesized Pt nanoparticles supported on ZrO2 was studied for methanol decomposition and oxidation reactions. An O2-pretreatment is observed to be effective for producing clean, stable, and active nanoparticles. Pt-oxide species formed during such pretreatments were found to have little influence in methanol decomposition reactions due to their tendency to reduce. However, these same species are stable during methanol oxidation and appear to take part in a Mars-van Krevelen-type of process, in which bound-oxygen (nanoparticle shell) may be replenished with oxygen from the gas phase.
Identification and Characterization of the Alternatively Spliced Nuclear Receptor Coactivator-6 Isoforms

The nuclear receptor coactivator-6 (NCOA6, AIB3, PRIP, ASC-2, TRBP, RAP250 or NRC) is a co-activator for nuclear hormone receptors and certain other transcription factors. NCOA6 plays an important role in embryonic development, adipocyte differentiation, metabolism and breast carcinogenesis. The human and mouse NCOA6 genes had 15 and 14 previously identified exons, respectively. This study further identified an alternatively spliced exon 11b (E11b) in human or E10b in mouse, which codes a short polypeptide and a Stop codon, resulting in splicing variants lacking the last four exon-coded polypeptide. Analyses of mouse testis NCOA6 mRNAs identified four alternatively spliced variants, NCOA6-α (without E10b), -β (without E10a and E10b), -γ (with E10a and E10b) and -δ (without E10a but with E10b). These isoforms were detected in multiple mouse tissues and in MDA-MB-435 human cells. NCOA6-α and -β are mainly located in the nucleus; NCOA6-γ is located in both cytoplasm and nucleus; and NCOA6-δ is mainly located in mitochondria. The C-terminus coded by the last four exons was responsible for locating NCOA6-α and -β into the nucleus. The human E11a or mouse E10a-coded region is responsible for distributing NCOA6-γ in both cytoplasm and nucleus, while the region coded by E8-E9 in human or E7-E8 in mouse is responsible for directing NCOA6-δ to mitochondria. Our assays also demonstrated that NCOA6-α and -β could significantly enhance estrogen receptor α-mediated transcription, but NCOA6-γ and -δ were unable to do so. These results suggest that the diverse physiological function of NCOA6 may be mediated by multiple isoforms expressed in different tissues and localized in different subcellular compartments.
Nutritional Characteristics of Distiller's Spent Grain

Five distiller's spent grain (DSG) samples were analyzed for their compositional and nutritional (protein efficiency ratio, PER) values. The protein content (N × 6.25) of these samples ranged from 26.9–34.9% (air-dry basis). True protein content, however, was substantially lower. Dietary fiber content of samples ranged from 29.1–35.8%. Samples contained about 3% nucleic acid. All samples contained appreciable amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, chromium, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. The lysine content of DSG samples ranged from 2.50–3.74 g/100g protein. Except for one sample (PER, 1.7), the quality of protein in the samples was low (PER, 0.6 ± 0.1).
The lifetime of the neutron from a composite model

A composite model of the neutron, proposed earlier, is applied to the problem of the mean decay rate of the neutron. It is shown that, with the assumption that the composite neutron decays into its constituent components as caused by a generalized eletromagnetic coupling with proton pairs in its environment and the assumption that the break-up occurs initially in a state of statistical equilibrium in an interaction volumeV (whose magnitude was determined in earlier investigations), the predicted decay rate is within a factor of two of the empirical result. A crucial element in the calculation is the experimental value of the neutrino mass, recently found to be the order of 17 keV.