cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostaglandin E2 as a modulator of lymphocyte mediated inflammatory and humoral responses.

Prostaglandins are a family of structurally related small lipid molecules that can regulate cellular growth, differentiation, and homeostasis. Prostaglandins are primarily derived from arachidonic acid, which is released from the membrane by phospholipases in response to a variety of extrinsic stimuli. Constitutive and inducible forms of cyclooxygenase in conceit with isomerses convert arachidonic acid into different prostaglandins including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). PGE2 was previously known as an immunosuppressive prostaglandin as it inhibits T cell production of IL-2 and B lymphocyte production of IgM. Recently a new concept emerged that PGE2 is a critical modulator of B and T cell function and is not necessarily immunosuppressive. The focus of this paper is to present new developments that indicate PGE2 functions by promoting antibody driven responses at the expense of inflammatory responses.
Implicit-solvent coarse-grained modeling for polymer solutions via Mori-Zwanzig formalism

We present a bottom-up coarse-graining (CG) method to establish implicit-solvent CG modeling for polymers in solution, which conserves the dynamic properties of the reference microscopic system. In particular, tens to hundreds of bonded polymer atoms (or Lennard-Jones beads) are coarse-grained as one CG particle, and the solvent degrees of freedom are eliminated. The dynamics of the CG system is governed by the generalized Langevin equation (GLE) derived via the Mori-Zwanzig formalism, by which the CG variables can be directly and rigorously linked to the microscopic dynamics generated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The solvent-mediated dynamics of polymers is modeled by the non-Markovian stochastic dynamics in GLE, where the memory kernel can be computed from the MD trajectories. To circumvent the difficulty in direct evaluation of the memory term and generation of colored noise, we exploit the equivalence between the non-Markovian dynamics and Markovian dynamics in an extended space. To this end, the CG system is supplemented with auxiliary variables that are coupled linearly to the momentum and among themselves, subject to uncorrelated Gaussian white noise. A high-order time-integration scheme is used to solve the extended dynamics to further accelerate the CG simulations. To assess, validate, and demonstrate the established implicit-solvent CG modeling, we have applied it to study four different types of polymers in solution. The dynamic properties of polymers characterized by the velocity autocorrelation function, diffusion coefficient, and mean square displacement as functions of time are evaluated in both CG and MD simulations. Results show that the extended dynamics with auxiliary variables can construct arbitrarily high-order CG models to reproduce dynamic properties of the reference microscopic system and to characterize long-time dynamics of polymers in solution.
Solubility and diffusivity of CO2 in ionic polyimides with [C(CN)3]x[oAc]1−x anion composition

Abstract Recently, mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) containing acetate [oAc−] and tricyanomethanide [C(CN)3−] anions have demonstrated promising characteristics as solvents and as CO2 adsorbents. The anion composition can be optimized to obtain a significant improvement in the diffusivity while only slightly decreasing the solubility. Here, we explore a similar investigation applied to an ionic polyimide (i-PI) material in order to understand the molecular-level kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics that emerge when a polymeric material is used instead. The i-PI systems studied are part of an emerging class of “high-performance” ionene polymers that hold significant potential for applications in gas separation membranes. Here, neat i-PI systems with the two counter anions, [oAc−] and [C(CN)3−], at varying concentrations are modeled by a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations. Higher concentrations of [C(CN)3−] are predicted to improve CO2 diffusion, similar to the pure IL performance, while solubility remains relatively unchanged. The structural characteristics of the i-PI systems provide detailed insight into the effect that the anions have on the adsorption properties. The solubility is weakly related to the theoretical surface area, and the diffusivity is moderately correlated to the fractional free volume (FFV). Overall, the combination of different anions is predicted to be a viable strategy for improving the diffusivity throughout i-PI materials, but the behavior of pure ILs cannot be simply extrapolated to ion behavior in membranes.
“Tune in to the Affirmative”: The Family Channel and the Politics of Positive Programming:

The Family Channel, which evolved out of Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, created a new brand of family television and redefined the “family audience” in the 1990s. The channel capit...
Supporting and engaging students through academic library programming

Abstract This article explores how the academic library can help foster conditions for both academic and social engagement on the college campus, with the ultimate goal of increasing student satisfaction, success, and retention. The background and varied definitions of student engagement are reviewed and the importance of engagement for student success is discussed. Finn's participation-identification model (1989) is adapted to show how the academic library can provide opportunities through library programming for meaningful engagement to take place. The model holds promise for documenting positive outcomes for library programming in light of already defined ways engagement is known to help with overall success and retention. Examples of successful programs are provided showing how this model can be put into practice.
An Optimization Algorithm for the Sale of Overage Data in Hong Kong’s Mobile Data Exchange Market

Internet service providers are offering shared data plans where multiple users may purchase and share a single pool of data. In the Chinese economy, users have the ability to sell unused data on the Hong Kong Exchange Market, called “2cm”, currently maintained by ATT a fully connected, pure “point of sale” market. A game-theoretical analysis identifies and defines rules for a progressive second price (PSP) auction, which adheres to the underlying market structure. We allow for a single degree of statistical freedom—the reserve price—and show that data exchange markets allow for greater flexibility in acquisition decision-making and mechanism design with an emphasis on optimization of software-defined networks.
Acute effects of cigarette smoking on global cerebral blood flow (GCBF) in overnight abstinent tobacco smokers

Background/Aims The acute effects of tobacco smoking on gCBF were studied. Methods Positron emission tomography (PET) with H215O was used to measure quantitatively CBF in 10 right handed male volunteer tobacco smokers. After 12 hr abstinence, gCBF measurements (baseline, 5% CO2/95% O2, and cigarette smoking) were made. gCBF was adjusted based on the vascular reactivity to CO2 and PaCO2 during smoking. Results Mean gCBF during smoking compared with baseline did not change. However, an increase in nicotine arterial plasma correlated inversely with gCBF; gCBF increased in seven, decreased in seven, and was unchanged in five sessions. gCBF increased during smoking when baseline gCBF was low, whereas gCBF decreased when baseline gCBF was high. Conclusions Individual differences suggest important bimodal effects of smoking on the brains of different tobacco smokers. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P67–P67; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.147
Neuroinflammatory contribution of microglia and astrocytes in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Ethanol exposure to the fetus during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These disorders vary in severity, can affect multiple organ systems, and can lead to lifelong disabilities. Damage to the central nervous system (CNS) is common in FASD, and can result in altered behavior and cognition. The incidence of FASD is alarmingly high, resulting in significant personal and societal costs. There are no cures for FASD. Alcohol can directly alter the function of neurons in the developing CNS. In addition, ethanol can alter the function of CNS glial cells including microglia and astrocytes which normally maintain homeostasis in the CNS. These glial cells can function as resident immune cells in the CNS to protect against pathogens and other insults. However, activation of glia can also damage CNS cells and lead to aberrant CNS function. Ethanol exposure to the developing brain can result in the activation of glia and neuroinflammation, which may contribute to the pathology associated with FASD. This suggests that anti-inflammatory agents may be effective in the treatment of FASD.
Persistence to hypomethylating agents and clinical and economic outcomes among patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

To evaluate hypomethylating agent (HMA) persistence in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and examine its association with healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and progression to acute...
Predictive Value of Combining Biomarkers for Clinical Outcomes in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Abstract Introduction A high tumor mutational burden (TMB) (≥10 mut/Mb) has been associated with improved clinical benefit in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and is a tumor agnostic indication for pembrolizumab across tumor types. We explored whether combining TMB with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and pretreatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was associated with improved outcomes in ICI-treated NSCLC. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients treated with ICI with Foundation One genomic testing, including TMB. Optimal cutoff for prediction of response by TMB was determined by receiver operating characteristic analysis, and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for all 3 biomarkers and combinations. Cox model was used to assess prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP). Survival cutoffs calculated with Kaplan-Meier survival curves were TMB ≥10 mut/Mb, PD-L1 ≥50%, NLR Results Data from 88 patients treated were analyzed. The optimal TMB cutoff was 9.24 mut/Mb (AUC, 0.62), improving to 0.74 combining all 3 biomarkers. Adjusted Cox model showed that TMB ≥10 mut/Mb was an independent factor of OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.31; 95% confidence interval; 0.14-0.69; P = .004) and TTP (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.27-0.77; P = .003). The combination of high TMB with positive PD-L1 and low NLR was significantly associated with OS (P = .038) but not TTP. Conclusions TMB has modest predictive and prognostic power for clinical outcomes after ICI treatment. The combination of TMB, PD-L1, and NLR status improves this power.
Global Media Ethics and Justice

This chapter discusses the importance of justice in global media ethics. While Christians and Nordenstreng have given a blueprint in the form of protonorms for global media ethics with their emphasis on sacredness of life, human dignity, truth-telling, and nonviolence, implicit to all such discussions has been a call for justice. This chapter discusses how global media ethics should recognize justice as a fundamental principle to fully understand – and offer solutions to – practices for the global media. Using nyaya, a school of Hindu philosophy, this chapter proposes a normative application of justice. The chapter argues that nyaya can have a place in the way global media organizes ethically and can provide foundational principles to adhere by. The chapter also discusses the use of nyaya as an ethical principle by discussing the spread of WhatsApp as a micro-messaging app, disinformation, and lynchings in India.
Mortality risk among a sample of sexual minority women: A focus on the role of sexual identity disclosure

Almost no research has examined factors that contribute to mortality risk among sexual minority women (SMW). This study capitalizes on a 21-year community-based longitudinal study of SMW to examine the association between sexual identity disclosure and mortality risk. Forty-nine SMW who were recruited in 2000-01 or 2010-12 (6.3% of the sample), were confirmed dead by 2019. The mean age at death was 56.5 years. We used Cox proportional hazard models to show that SMW who had disclosed their sexual identity to 100% of their immediate family members had a 70% reduction in the risk of mortality compared to SMW who disclosed to less than 33% of their immediate family, after adjusting for several sociodemographic and health variables. Our results suggest that facilitating acceptance of SMW and their ability to disclose their identity may be an important way to improve health and life expectancy among SMW.
An investigation of a spread energy method for medical ultrasound systems: Part two: proposed system and possible problems

Abstract A medical ultrasound device using a Golay code is proposed and investigated theoretically. The code enables the spread energy method to be used to help overcome the restraints of the parameters of resolution, peak power and penetration. Part one of this article appeared in the preceding issue.
Piezo-optic constants of CR: LiSAF

A widespread use of Cr: LiSAF as a solid-state laser material has generated a great amount of interest in the thermo-optic and piezo-optic characteristics of the material.
Observation of flow characteristics in a model I. C. engine cylinder

A study of fluid mechanical effects on unburned hydrocarbon generation was made in a single compression expansion model automobile engine. Full optical access allowed the color Schlieren observations of various gas motion alongside the engine cylinder. Motion pictures of the gas motion and flame propagation were taken at a rate of seven thousand frames per second for the following cases: (1) intake stroke; (2) exhaust stroke; and (3) compression power stroke with combustion and blow-down with appropriate exhaust valve opening. Unburned fuel concentrations were measured by means of a gas chromatograph. The results show that turbulent motion of the mixture increases the amount of unburned fuel. It is implied that the rolled-up vortices play an important role on wall flame quenching processes in an engine.
A process model for recognizing communicative acts and modeling negotiation subdialogues

Negotiation is an important part of task-oriented expert-consultation dialogues. This paper presents a plan-based model for understanding cooperative negotiation subdialogues. Our system infers both the communicative actions that people pursue when speaking and the beliefs underlying these actions. Beliefs, and the strength of these beliefs, are recognized from the surface from of utterances, from discourse acts, and from the explicit and implicit acceptance of previous utterances. Our algorithm for recognizing discourse actions combines linguistic, world, and contextual knowledge in a unified framework. By combining these different knowledge sources, we are able to recognize complex discourse acts such as expressing doubt, to identify the relationship of utterances to one another, and to model negotiation subdialogues. Since negotiation is an integral part of multiagent activity, our process model addresses an important aspect of cooperative interaction and thus is a step toward an intelligent and robust natural language consultation system.
The Interaction of Metal Ions with Polynucleotides and Related Compounds XIII. THE EFFECT OF METAL IONS ON THE ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID BY BOVINE PANCREATIC RIBONUCLEASE AND OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID BY BOVINE PANCREATIC DEOXYRIBONUCLEASE I

Abstract The activity of ribonuclease increases with increasing concentration of added divalent metal ions until the attainment of an optimal metal concentration, beyond which the addition of further metal ions inhibits the reaction. When either the optimal metal concentration or the enzymatic activity at that concentration is plotted versus the atomic number of the transition metals, the resulting curves can be correlated with the stability constants of complexes of the metals. These results are in line with metal ions reacting at two types of sites, one activating and the other inhibiting. Crystalline bovine pancreatic ribonuclease is affected in the same way as ribonuclease A. The activation of deoxyribonuclease I has been reinvestigated. Metal ions generally activate this enzyme, but the relative activating ability of the various metal ions is not readily correlated with complexing ability, as in the case of ribonuclease. Co(II) activates deoxyribonuclease I better than the metals that have generally been used for this purpose.
Self-reported time-to-relapse following smoking cessation: Comparison by operationalization of initial abstinence classification

AbstractAims: Relapse rates among cigarette smokers are high. Few studies have examined time-to-relapse using survival analysis in racially/ethnically diverse smokers and initial abstinence criteria have been inconsistent or unspecified. This study compared survival curves using two common definitions of initial abstinence. We hypothesized greater relapse rates among participants abstinent for only 24 hours (h) at the end-of-therapy (EOT) compared with 7 days. Methods: Adult smokers (59% Black, 22% Hispanic and 17% White) received 8-sessions of group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) plus transdermal nicotine patches and were assessed monthly up to 12 months post-EOT. Participants reporting abstinence (7-day point prevalence abstinence [ppa] or 24-h ppa) at the EOT were included in Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: Of 301 participants, 120 (40%) reported 7-day ppa at the EOT and an additional 29 (10%) reported 24-h ppa only. Over the 12-month follow-up period, nearly 50% remained abstinent. Of those who res...
Surgical options for localized and advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors

The development of imitinab has led to a revolution in the management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), but surgical resection remains the cornerstone of treatment for patients with localized disease. The principles to surgical treatment of GIST include careful handling of tissues to prevent tumor rupture and resection to negative margins without the need for wide excision. Minimally invasive techniques have proven equally efficacious provided appropriate oncologic resections are performed. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 104:882–887. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of connexin 43 by v-Src is mediated by SH2 and SH3 domain interactions

Reduction of gap junctional communication in v-src transformed cells is accompanied by tyrosine phosphorylation of the gap junction protein, connexin 43 (Cx43). Cx43 is phosphorylated on tyrosine by v-Src. The Src homology 3 (SH3) and Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of v-Src mediate interactions with substrate proteins. SH3 domains interact with proline-rich peptide motifs. SH2 domains associate with short amino acid sequences containing phosphotyrosine. We present evidence that the SH3 and SH2 domains of v-Src bind to proline-rich motifs and a phosphorylated tyrosine residue in the C-terminal tail of Cx43. Cx43 bound to the SH3 domain of v-Src, but not c-Src, in vitro. Tyrosine-phosphorylated Cx43 bound to the SH2 domain of v-Src in vitro. v-Src coprecipitated with Cx43 from v-src-transformed Rat-1 fibroblasts. Mutations in the SH3 and SH2 domains of v-Src, and in the proline-rich region or tyrosine 265 of Cx43, reduced interactions between v-Src and Cx43 in vivo. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Cx43 was dependent on the association of v-Src and Cx43. These results provide further evidence for the direct involvement of v-Src in tyrosine phosphorylation of Cx43 and inhibition of gap junctional communication in v-src-transformed cells.
The effects of chronic treadmill and wheel running on behavior in rats.

Abstract In order to better understand the behavioral adaptations induced by physical activity, this set of experiments assessed the effects of two modes of running exercise on a battery of behavioral tests. The effects of 8 weeks of forced treadmill running and voluntary wheel running on behavior measures in the elevated plus maze, open field, social interaction and conditioned freezing paradigms were investigated. Eight weeks of treadmill running did not alter behavior in any test paradigm. Rats given unrestricted access to running wheels (WR) had a lower percent open arm time (6.0±2.3%) compared to locked wheel controls (LC) (20.7±5.7%) in the elevated plus maze. WR also showed decreased entries into center (0.2±0.2) and crossed fewer lines (61.0±14.9) in the open field compared to control groups. Both WR and LC groups showed increased social interaction; however, these differences are attributed to housing conditions. The effects of 4 weeks of wheel running on elevated plus maze and open field behavior were also investigated to address the possibility of a temporal effect of exercise on behavior. Four weeks of wheel running produced behavioral changes in the open field similar to those found at 8 weeks, but not in the elevated plus maze suggesting a temporal effect of wheel running on plus maze behavior. The behavioral adaptations found after 4 and 8 weeks of wheel running were not due solely to enriched environment and appear to be indicative of enhanced defensive behavior.
Role of macrophages in the immune response to hepatocytes

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of host macrophages in the development of allospecific cytolytic T cells (allo-CTLs) in response to purified allogeneic MHC Class I+, Class II- hepatocytes in vivo in hepatocyte sponge matrix allografts (HC-SMA). Depletion of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) from responder splenocytes in mixed lymphocyte hepatocyte culture (MLHC) inhibits the development of allo-CTLs in response to purified hepatocytes. First the ability of sponge macrophages to function as accessory cells in indirect presentation of hepatocyte Class I antigen was tested in MLHC. We found that addition of irradiated sponge cells (a source of sponge macrophages) restored the development of allo-CTLs in MLHC depleted of responder APCs. Therefore, radioresistant sponge macrophages can function as accessory cells in MLHC. We next employed silica as an immunotherapy targeted against host macrophages and assessed the effect on development of allo-CTLs in HC-SMA. We found that local (intrasponge) silica treatment completely inhibited the development of allo-CTLs in HC-SMA. Combined local and systemic silica treatment resulted in inhibition of allocytotoxicity comparable to local silica treatment alone in the doses tested. We conclude that host macrophages which infiltrate HC-SMA can function as accessory cells in vitro in MLHC and that both infiltrating host macrophages and lymphocytes participate in the development of an alloimmune response to purified hepatocytes in vivo. This interaction may involve indirect antigen presentation of hepatocyte Class I antigen by macrophages to host lymphocytes which accumulate in HC-SMA.
Microfabricated electric impedance chamber for the electrical characterization of single cells

Micromachining technologies were applied to fabricate metal- electrode-instrumented microchannels with cross-sectional dimensions similar in size to blood cells. The instruments enable electric impedance measurement of femptoliter quantities of materials and solutions. The completed micro- electric impedance devices were characterized with varying concentrations of phosphate buffered saline solutions, DI water, and air in the recording zone. With the microdevices on the stage of an inverted light microscope, individual living cells were positioned tightly between metal electrodes using mechanical suction. Impedance spectra form 100 Hz to 2 MHz measured in isolated toadfish red blood cells (RBCs) and human neutrophils were distinct and demonstrated the ability to permeate the cell membrane at high frequency. The cell/shunt path cut-off frequency were approximately 400 kHz at -3dB indicating that non- invasive electric impedance characterization of the cytoplasm may be feasible for his configuration. In addition, the area specific membrane capacitance was estimated for both cell types by fitting the data to a simple RC circuit model.
Implementation of surface soil moisture data assimilation with watershed scale distributed hydrological model

Summary This paper aims to investigate how surface soil moisture data assimilation affects each hydrologic process and how spatially varying inputs affect the potential capability of surface soil moisture assimilation at the watershed scale. The Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) is coupled with a watershed scale, semi-distributed hydrologic model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), to assimilate surface (5 cm) soil moisture. By intentionally setting inaccurate precipitation with open loop and EnKF scenarios in a synthetic experiment, the capability of surface soil moisture assimilation to compensate for the precipitation errors were examined. Results show that daily assimilation of surface soil moisture for each HRU improves model predictions especially reducing errors in surface and profile soil moisture estimation. Almost all hydrological processes associated with soil moisture are also improved with decreased root mean square error (RMSE) values through the EnKF scenario. The EnKF does not produce as much a significant improvement in streamflow predictions as compared to soil moisture estimates in the presence of large precipitation errors and the limitations of the infiltration–runoff model mechanism. Distributed errors of the soil water content also show the benefit of surface soil moisture assimilation and the influences of spatially varying inputs such as soil and landuse types. Thus, soil moisture update through data assimilation can be a supplementary way to overcome the errors created by inaccurate rainfall. Even though this synthetic study shows the potential of remotely sensed surface soil moisture measurements for applications of watershed scale water resources management, future studies are necessary that focus on the use of real-time observational data.
Effects of drying methods on nitrogen and energy concentrations in pig feces and urine, and poultry excreta

Accurate estimations of nutrient digestion and retention are critical in nutrient balance and feed evaluation studies because errors that occur are often additive. However, there is no standard universal method for drying feces, urine, or excreta before laboratory analysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of 4 different drying methods on nutrient concentrations in feces, urine, and excreta. Twelve individually penned growing pigs were fed 1 of 3 diets and 16 pens of 10 growing broilers were fed 1 of 4 diets that differed in NDF and CP. Feces, urine, and excreta that varied in nutrient composition were collected after 7 d of diet adaptation. Samples were dried using 1 of 4 methods: undried (UD), freeze-dried (FD), oven-dried at 55 °C for 48 h (OD55), or oven-dried at 100 °C for 48 h (OD100), after which DM, GE, N, C, and S were determined. In swine feces, drying resulted in a loss of GE (P < 0.10) and S (P < 0.01) by 5 and 58%, respectively, compared with UD feces. There was no difference (P ≥ 0.36) among drying method on DM, GE, N, C, or S concentrations. There were no differences (P ≥ 0.12) in urinary GE due to drying or between drying methods; however, urinary DM was greatest by FD compared with OD (P < 0.05) and greater for OD55 compared with OD100 (P < 0.01). In poultry excreta, GE (P < 0.05), N (P < 0.10), and S (P < 0.01) were reduced by drying by an average of 6, 10, and 66%, respectively. There were no differences (P ≥ 0.50) among drying methods except FD excreta had a greater S concentration than OD (P < 0.10). Regardless of drying method, some GE and N loss appears to be inevitable, but there is no apparent advantage between FD and OD. The apparent greater S losses warrant further investigation.
Clonal growth: Invasion or stability? A comparative study of clonal architecture and diversity in native and introduced lineages of Phragmites australis (Poaceae)

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY The characteristics of clonal growth that are advantageous in invasive plants can also result in native plants' ability to resist invasion. In Maine, we compared the clonal architecture and diversity of an invasive lineage (introduced Phragmites) and a noninvasive lineage (native Phragmites) present in much of North America. This study is the first on stand-scale diversity using a sample size and systematic spatial-sampling scheme adequate for characterizing clonal structure in Phragmites. Our questions included: (1) Does the structure and extent of clonal growth suggest that the potential for clonal growth contributes to the invasiveness of the introduced lineage? (2) Is clonal growth common in the native lineage, acting as a possible source of ecological resistance and resilience?• METHODS Microsatellite markers were used to measure clonal sizes, architecture, and diversity within each lineage in stands within four marshes in Maine.• KEY RESULTS Clonal diversity measures indicated that clonal growth was significantly greater in stands of the native lineage than in the introduced. While lineage was a consistent predictor of clonal diversity relative ranking, the marsh location was a much stronger predictor of the absolute range of these values.• CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate an important role for clonal growth in the space consolidation of native Phragmites and could explain why the introduced lineage, with stronger competitive traits, has not replaced the native where they co-occur. These results with regard to clone size, size distributions, singleton occurrence, and clonal architecture provide some evidence for stand development that follows a genotypic initial floristics model.
The mechanism of carbon dioxide catalysis in the hydrogen peroxide N-oxidation of amines.

The reactivity of the peroxymonocarbonate ion, HCO4- (an active oxidant derived from the equilibrium reaction of hydrogen peroxide and bicarbonate), has been investigated in the oxidation of aliphatic amines. Tertiary aliphatic amines are oxidized to the corresponding N-oxides in high yields, while secondary amines give corresponding nitrones. A closely related mechanism for the H2O2 oxidation of tertiary amines catalyzed by CO2 (under 1 atm) and H2O2 at 25 °C is proposed. The rate laws for the oxidation of N-methylmorpholine (1) to N-methylmorpholine N-oxide and N,N-dimethylbenzylamine (2) to N,N-dimethylbenzylamine N-oxide have been obtained. The second-order rate constants for the oxidation by HCO4- are k1= 0.016 M-1 s-1 for 1 in water and k1 = 0.042 M-1 s-1 for 2 in water/acetone (5:1). The second-order rate constants for tertiary amine oxidations by HCO4- are over 400-fold greater than those for H2O2 alone. Activation parameters for oxidation of 1 by HCO4- in water are reported (ΔH‡ = 36 ± 2 kJ mol-1...
Copper nuclear quadrupole resonance in GdBa2Cu3O7: Determination of site assignment.

VOLUME 38, NUMBER 4 PHYSICAL REVIEW B Copper nuclear quadrupole AUGUST 1988 of site assignment resonance in GdBa2Cu307. Determination P. C. Hammel, M. Takigawa, R. H. Heffner, and Z. Fisk Los A/amos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Ne~ Mexico 87545 (Received 18 April 1988) We have measured the copper nuclear relaxation rate in GdBa2Cuq07 in zero applied field us- ing nuclear quadrupole resonance. Fluctuations in the 4f moment associated with the gadolinium contribute strongly to the copper relaxation rate, and this contribution will depend strongly on the This separation differs considerably for the two copper sites. copper-gadolinium separation. Comparison of the relaxation rates shows that the copper signal at the higher frequency (32 MHz) originates from the Cu(2) site, which is located closer to the gadolinium than is the Cu(1) site. The discovery of superconductivity at temperatures above 90 K in the yttrium-based copper oxides' has stimulated much study of the properties of YBa2Cu307 — s (Y-Ba-Cu-0). Copper nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) has been a very eff'ective tool in exploring the electronic properties of Y-Ba-Cu-0 both above and below the superconducting transition temperature T, . Copper occupies two distinct sites in the Y-Ba-Cu-0 crystal, the so-called chain or Cu(1) site and the plane or Cu(2) site (see Fig. 1). 63Cu nuclear quadrupole resonances have been observed at two distinct frequencies, 22. 0 and 31. 5 MHz, corresponding to these two Cu sites. A major prob- is the identification of which NQR resonances correspond to the chain and plane copper sites, respectively. This will allow the study of the behavior at the two sites separately. The spin-lattice relaxation rates 1/Ti for the two resonances 21') 3 4 show completely different temperature dependences both above and below the superconducting transition temperature T, (see Fig. lem to be addressed GdBa2Cug0 7 f=32. 3 MHz ii+ ~i~ li GdBa2Cug07 f=22. 5 MHz I V) Ba Cu(2) YBapCug07 f=22. 1 MHz Y, Gd sooo— k k 0(S YBa2Cug07 g k k f=31.5 MHz TEMPERATURE ( K ) FIG. 2. Spin-lattice relaxation rates (1/Ti) for GdBa2Cup07 O(1) FIG. 1. The crystal structure of RBa2Cu&O& — b (R Y, Gd). Note the large difference in the Cu(1)-Gd and the Cu(2)-Gd separation. The YBa2Cu&07 — & crystal structure shown is due to Ref. 17. (this work) and YBa2Cuq07 — s (Ref. 2) as a function of temper- ature. Note the break in the vertical axis. The temperature- independent contribution to the relaxation rate due to the gado- linium 4f electronic moment is evident. In GdBa2Cuq07 — q, this contribution is 18 times larger for the 32 MHz signal than for the 22 MHz signal, demonstrating that the 32 MHz signal origi- inates from the Cu(2) site which is much closer to the gadolini- um. In Gd-Ba-Cu-O, 1/Ti at 32. 3 MHz is shown by open cir- cles and at 22. 5 MHz by closed circles, in Y-Ba-Cu-0 at 31. 5 MHz by open triangles and at 21. 5 MHz by closed triangles. The American Physical Society
Validity and reliability of self-reported stature and weight of US adolescents.

Validity and reliability of self-reported stature and weight were investigated for U.S. adolescents (12.0-17.0 years) who were participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Data were collected on 1,635 youth and were statistically weighted to represent the national population. Self-reported weights are missing from 40% of 12 year olds and 25% of 13 year olds. Those who refused or were unable to provide self-reported weights were younger, shorter, and lighter than those who did. Among those who provided self-reports, the average bias and random error in reporting were largest for the youngest youth. Biases in reporting stature and weight were consistently negative following the NHANES III protocol. The intraclass coefficients between measured and self-reported dimensions within age and gender groups ranged from 0.57 to 0.91 and from 0.85 to 0.98, for stature and weight, respectively. Self-reported stature and weight are not recommended as proxies for measured dimensions for youth less than 14 years of age.
The Development and Implementation of a Competency-Based Curriculum for Training in Global Health Research

Abstract. The Fogarty International Center (FIC) Global Health Fellows Program provides trainees with the opportunity to develop research skills through a mentored research experience, increase their content expertise, and better understand trends in global health research, funding organizations, and pathways to generate support. The Northern Pacific Global Health Fellows Research and Training Consortium, which hosts one of the FIC Global Health Programs, sought to enhance research training by developing, implementing, and evaluating a competency-based curriculum that uses a modular, asynchronous, web-based format. The curriculum has 8 core competencies, 36 learning objectives, and 58 assignments. Nineteen trainees completed their 11-month fellowship, engaged in the curriculum, and provided pre- and post-fellowship self-assessments. Self-assessed scores significantly improved for all competencies. Trainees identified the curriculum as one of the strengths of the program. This competency-based curriculum represents a first step toward creating a framework of global health research competencies on which further efforts could be based.
Les boissons rafraîchissantes sans alcool : définition, composition et place dans les apports nutritionnels

Resume Les boissons rafraichissantes, boissons-plaisir par excellence, existent depuis des siecles, meme si elles ont connu un developpement important au cours du XXe siecle. Leur composition est assez heterogene, avec une composante commune qui est la presence majoritaire d’eau (au minimum 85 %). Ces boissons contiennent egalement d’autres ingredients – par exemple sucre, edulcorant intense, arome, jus de fruits – qui permettent de les distinguer sur le plan organoleptique. En termes d’apports nutritionnels, ces boissons, de par leur composition, contribuent aux apports hydriques quotidiens, en complement de l’eau et des autres boissons. Elles contribuent egalement, lorsqu’elles contiennent du sucre, aux apports en glucides simples : entre 1 et 10 % des apports totaux en glucides simples selon les âges en France. Enfin, les boissons rafraichissantes sont parmi les seules categories d’aliments qui peuvent etre proposees en version « sans sucres » et « sans calorie », puisqu’il est technologiquement possible de remplacer 100 % du sucre par des edulcorants intenses. Cet article fait le point sur la composition des boissons rafraichissantes, leurs ingredients, et leur contribution aux apports nutritionnels.
Moving in, managing up: executive job formation and political behaviour

Public agency executive jobs are temporary matches of individual bureaucrats with government employers. Together, the buyers and sellers of executive labour form jobs in ways that define critical links in the policy process: the relationships between agency administrators and their elected officials. This article argues that when the executive is hired from outside, the job typically carries a mandate for significantly greater engagement with elected officials than when the executive is promoted from within an agency. Analysis of three very different types of agencies demonstrates that individuals who were hired from outside interact with their elected officials more frequently than do those who were promoted from within. These results shed new light on bureaucratic executives’ roles in the policy process, their relationships with the governments that they serve, and the theoretical significance of bureaucratic jobs as units of analysis in public policy studies.
Determining functional relationships from trained neural networks

Research has shown that artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be trained to perform function mapping tasks. In this work, ANN mappings are approximated around an operating point by third-order polynomials (3OPs). A previously unknown function can be modeled by an ANN, and a 3OP can be derived from the ANN model. In addition, the sensitivity of an output to changes in the inputs can be easily determined from these polynomials in large neighborhoods around the operating points. Examples are shown that illustrate the use of the ANN-3OP mapping approach.
Entropy reduction and decorrelation in visual coding by oriented neural receptive fields

In biological visual systems, it is not obvious whether coding efficiency as measured by mutual information among the neurons is a factor that explains any of their properties. The center/surround receptive field profiles of neurons in the retina and geniculate are far from an orthogonal set, but a given neuron can still be regarded as a decorrelator of the incoming signal in the sense that it responds primarily to changes in the image. At the level of the brain's visual cortex, the introduction of the new variable of orientation selectivity can be regarded not only as a means for providing orientation labels for image structure, but also more basically as an effective decorrelator of the neural representation. The present image coding simulations, based on quantitative neurobiological data about the code primitives, provide measures of the bit-rate efficiency of such oriented, quadrature, neural codes. Demonstrations of data compression to below 1 bit/pixel in cortically-based, quadrature self-similar wavelet image codes are also provided. >
Exploring Staff Facilitation that Supports Family Learning

AbstractFront-line educators are arguably critical to the visitor experience at museums and science centers across the country. However, little research exists to inform staff facilitation strategies or professional development efforts. In this article, we describe the results of a qualitative study of 63 staff-family interactions in a science center, focusing particularly on the role of adult family members. We observed three distinct phases of interaction, during which adult family members acted as gatekeepers to deeper staff engagement. The results suggest that in order to successfully facilitate family learning, museum educators must carefully consider the role of adults and the unique social context of museums learning.
Conformational analysis of 1,2-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-α-d-glucopyranose and -β-d-mannopyranose

Abstract The 1 H- and 13 C-n.m.r. spectra of 1,2-anhydro-3,4,6-tri- O -benzyl-α- d -glucopyranose and -β- d -mannopyranose were completely assigned by using single-frequency decoupling, off-resonance decoupling, and a spin-simulation program. The conformations of the two anhydro sugars were determined from their proton coupling-constants. The gluco isomer was found to be 4 H 5 (half-chair). The conformation of the manno derivative was found to be predominantly 4 H 5 , with some ring flattening.
Data-Driven Design of Sliding Mode Controllers for Ferroelectric Actuators

Abstract Sliding mode controllers are frequently employed to track reference signals in the presence of model errors provided a worst-case bound on such errors is known. The uncertainty bound is often chosen through intuition or heuristic observations which can degrade control authority if the bound is too conservative. We describe a method for applying quantified parameter uncertainties obtained via Bayesian techniques to the design of sliding mode controllers. We illustrate the performance of this approach through numerical simulation in the context of ferroelectric actuator systems.
Magnitude estimation of inspiratory resistive loads by double-lung transplant recipients

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of afferent input from the lung and lower airways in magnitude estimation of inspiratory resistive loads (R). To assess the role of lung vagal afferents in respiratory sensation, sensations related to inspiratory R, reflected by subjects' percentage of handgrip responses (HG%), were compared between double-lung transplant (DLT) recipients with normal lung function and healthy control (Nor) subjects. Perceptual sensitivity to the external load was measured as the slope of HG% as a function of peak mouth pressure (Pm), and the slope of HG% as a function of R, after a log-log transformation. The results showed that the DLT group had a similar HG% response, as well as the slopes of log HG%-log Pm and log HG%-log R, compared with the Nor group. Furthermore, the ventilatory responses to external loads were also similar between the two groups. These results suggest that lung vagal afferents do not play a significant role in magnitude estimation of inspiratory resistive loads in humans.
Developing a Model of Quality of Life in Epilepsy: The Contribution of Neuropsychology

Three specific issues must be considered in the development of a quality-of-life in epilepsy model and psychometric instrument. These issues are: (a) whether to adopt a narrow versus broad model of quality of life, (b) whether to rely on patient self-reports of quality of life or reports garnered from proxies, and (c) whether to develop a generic versus disease-specific measure of quality of life. In reviewing these issues the contributions of the health services research field, research pertaining to the psychological and social effects of epilepsy, and especially neuropsychology, are pertinent.
The future of the euro: Let's get real

ABSTRACT After three years of recurrent crisis, what is the future of the euro? For some skeptical observers, mounting tensions in the euro zone are fast approaching a breaking point. Europe's daring monetary experiment, we are told, is doomed to end in spectacular failure. For others, by contrast, the outcome ultimately will be not less union but “more Europe” – an even tighter merger of national economic sovereignty. Tested by adversity, the euro will emerge more successful than ever. Who is right? The correct answer is: Neither. Skeptics are wrong because they underestimate Europe's deep political commitment to the euro's survival, in some form or other. Euro-enthusiasts are wrong because they overestimate the amount of “give” in Europe's domestic politics. The euro will neither fail nor succeed. Defective but defended, it will simply endure.
Determination of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Hg in soils of Ekpan, Nigeria

Abstract The concentrations of zinc, lead, copper, and mercury in soils in Ekpan were determined in order to assess the impact of petroleum-refining activities. Twenty soil samples were collected 100 m apart (10 topsoils 0 to 15 cm and 10 bottom soils 15 to 30 cm). Sample solutions prepared were analyzed using the atomic absorption spectrophotometry technique. Results show that top- soil samples contain as much as 7.13 to 13.10 μg/g zn, 55.13 to 65.50 μg/g Pb, 3.47 to 5.27 μg/g Cu, and 4.00 to 6.50 μg.g Hg. Bottom soil samples contain as much as 7.17 to 13.77 μg/g Zn, 54.97 to 63.23 μg/g Pb, 3.57 to 6.50 μg/g Cu, and 4.57 to 6.63 μg/g Hg. The levels reported had an abundance ratio in the order Pb>Zn>Hg>Cu in the soil samples. It is recommended that appropriate measures be put in place by the companies to treat waste effluent before discharging them to the immediate environment.
Nitric oxide and N-acetylcysteine inhibit the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases by angiotensin II in rat cardiac fibroblasts.

Angiotensin II acts on the cardiac fibroblast to produce a mitogenic response. Nitric oxide and N-acetylcysteine have been used to determine if oxidative stress influenced the effects of angiotensin II on the cardiac fibroblast. Angiotensin II activated the mitogen-activated protein kinases designated extracellular signal-regulated kinases within 5 min by interacting with the AT1 receptor. This activation was completely independent of protein kinase C and was inhibited when farnesylation was blocked, implicating Ras involvement. Pretreatment of cardiac fibroblasts with eitherN-acetylcysteine for 8 h or nitric oxide for 10 min suppressed this activation by angiotensin II in a dose-dependent manner. However, when both agents were added, inhibition was essentially complete. This combined effect of N-acetylcysteine and nitric oxide to block ERKs activation also was found if the activity was stimulated by either another growth factor (platelet-derived growth factor) or by the addition of phorbol ester, suggesting the effect was not limited to the receptor site alone. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that hormonal activation of mitogenic steps such as ERKs is influenced by increased oxidative stress, which is reduced by the combined effects of N-acetylcysteine and nitric oxide.
Casting accuracy of high-palladium alloys

Recherche d'alliages dentaires possedant une bonne precision de moulage et une surface lisse. Examen de 4 alliages ne contenant pas d'Ag a base 80% Pd, avec des additions mineures de Cu, Ga, Co