cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Reply to the Letter From Dr Cutz

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the letter from Dr Cutz. His letter stated that no distinction was made between different infant death categories and that the study did not take into account possible health problems in the infants who died. Although we provided the proportion of deaths that were attributed to specific causes of death, we analyzed the associated factors for the group as a whole.1 Because the modifiable risk factors for the 3 most common causes of sleep-related infant death are remarkably similar, we felt that it was important to identify these risk factors across categories of sleep-related infant deaths, regardless of the specific “official” diagnosis. Second, we did adjust for known health problems, including genetic and metabolic disorders, in the cohort. Specifically, we adjusted for Complex Chronic Conditions, which are “any medical condition that can be reasonably expected to last at least 12 months (unless death intervenes) and involving either several different organ systems or one system severely enough to require specialty pediatric care and …
Constrained consensus via logarithmic barrier functions

In this paper, we consider distributed algorithms for consensus of multiple agents in presence of convex state constraints on individual agent state. Each agent's state is assumed to be constrained in a distinct compact convex set. We show that following the proposed distributed protocol, the agents are guaranteed to reach an agreement on a state that lies at the intersection of individual convex constraint sets. This is accomplished by introducing and sharing auxiliary variables in the network. The auxiliary variable utilizes a logarithmic barrier function to form a convex potential that is augmented to the consensus protocol. The consensus algorithm is then interpreted as a gradient-descent algorithm which operates with the desire to reach consensus while avoiding violation of the constraint sets. This modified consensus algorithm is applicable when each agent is required to satisfy its own constraints while synchronizing with others, e.g., attitude synchronization in presence of attitude constraints. An example is given for two different network topologies to evaluate the effectiveness and the convergence rate of the proposed algorithm.
Influence of mound construction by red and hybrid imported fire ants on soil chemical properties and turfgrass in a sod production agroecosystem

Mound construction by imported fire ants (Solenopsis spp.) actively modify the biogeochemical and physical properties of soil; however, their influence on nutrient levels in surrounding vegetation is poorly understood. Aside from the reported persistence of elevated available P and K levels in clay-rich soils one year after mound abandonment, the relative stability of nutrient concentrations from one season to the next is largely unknown. Nutrient concentrations were concurrently analysed from ant mounds and undisturbed soils as well as plant samples collected from warm-season turfgrass in a commercial sod production agroecosystem. Initial collection of soil and turfgrass samples coincided with peak annual biomass (September 2006); the second soil sample collection occurred over twelve weeks later during turfgrass dormancy and ant brood minimum (December 2006). Total C, C/N ratios, organic matter (OM), and Zn2+ concentrations as well as pH of ant mound soils were significantly higher than control plot soils; these trends persisted across seasons. Turfgrass harvested from ant mound perimeters in September exhibited elevated N, P, Ca2+, S, Cu2+, Fe2+, and Na+ concentrations. Evaluation of the relative stability of soil parameters across seasons revealed a significant drop in ant nest pH from September to December 2006. Total N of mound soils was distinctively greater than control soil counterparts during September only. Soil P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and S (all macronutrients), as well as Na+ concentrations from ant mound soils were substantially elevated during the late Autumn to Winter transition compared to control soil locations, whereas Fe2+ and Mn2+ levels (both micronutrients) were significantly lower in ant mound soils versus control soil environments. Continuous pedoturbation by imported fire ants as well as seasonal shifts in mound soil chemistry resulting from changes in assimilation/dissimilation among mound biota may influence the site-specific effectiveness of microfaunal pathogens (e.g., Thelohania solenopsae) or parasites (e.g., Orasema spp.) identified as classical biological control agents of non-native Solenopsis spp. Therefore, further study of the intrinsic complexities of soil ecosystem dynamics of imported fire ant mounds across several seasons is warranted.
THE CELLULAR REACTIONS TO LIPOID FRACTIONS FROM ACID-FAST BACILLI

1. A comparative study has been made of the cellular reactions induced by phosphatides from five strains of acid-fast bacilli. Each of these reactions is characterized principally by epithelioid cells and giant cells. 2. The phosphatides are first phagocytized by young connective tissue cells or monocytes. The lipoid is then dispersed into fine particles with the formation of classical epithelioid cells. 3. A comparison has been made of the reactions induced by heat-killed and defatted tubercle bacilli with those induced by tuberculophosphatide. 4. Further studies have been made to determine whether or not the phosphatide causes sensitization to tuberculin. It does not do so. 5. The life cycle of the epithelioid cell has been observed in all its stages.
Evidence that the Zebra Chip Disease and the Putative Causal Agent Can be Maintained in Potatoes by Grafting and In Vitro

In the last several years, a disorder of chipping potatoes that causes internal browning of raw tubers and very dark chip color when the tubers are fried has been described from the southwestern United States. The discoloration often shows as rays or stripes and the common name “zebra chip” (ZC) has been used to describe the disorder. Foliar symptoms include chlorosis, purpling of shoot tips, and leaf scorch. Aerial tubers are sometimes produced on diseased plants. The disease has been associated with the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, but a suspected pathogen that may be associated with the ZC disorder has only very recently been described. In our efforts to identify the causal agent we have been maintaining the disease in the greenhouse by tip grafting symptomatic potato shoots onto healthy plants of several commercially important cultivars of potatoes, including Atlantic, Russet Burbank, and Russet Norkotah. Most of the grafted plants subsequently developed ZC symptoms. Many of the grafted plants produced tubers with symptoms typical of the disease. In cultivar Atlantic, 104 of 138 grafted plants developed foliar symptoms of ZC and 72 of the grafted plants produced ZC-symptomatic daughter tubers. Grafted plants without foliar symptoms did not produce symptomatic tubers. Herein we report the results of these grafting experiments and describe the symptoms produced in grafted plants and daughter tubers. We have also maintained the disease by placing surface-sterilized symptomatic shoots onto growth medium in vitro. In addition, the putative ZC pathogen, a new Candidatus Liberibacter spp., has been detected in symptomatic grafted plants, symptomatic in vitro plants, and potato psyllids by PCR.
Molecular Regulation of Lumen Morphogenesis

The asymmetric polarization of cells allows specialized functions to be performed at discrete subcellular locales. Spatiotemporal coordination of polarization between groups of cells allowed the evolution of metazoa. For instance, coordinated apical-basal polarization of epithelial and endothelial cells allows transport of nutrients and metabolites across cell barriers and tissue microenvironments. The defining feature of such tissues is the presence of a central, interconnected luminal network. Although tubular networks are present in seemingly different organ systems, such as the kidney, lung, and blood vessels, common underlying principles govern their formation. Recent studies using in vivo and in vitro models of lumen formation have shed new light on the molecular networks regulating this fundamental process. We here discuss progress in understanding common design principles underpinning de novo lumen formation and expansion.
On the Correctness of Semantic-Syntax-Directed Translations

The correctness of semantic-syntax-directed translators (SSDTs) is examined. SSDTs are a generalization of syntax-directed translators in which semantic information is employed to partially direct the translator. Sufficient conditions for an SSDT to be “semantic-preserving,” or “correct,” are presented. A further result shows that unless certain conditions are met, it is undecidable, in general, whether an SSDT is semantic-preserving.
Effect of pH on the biosynthesis of levan and on the growth of Streptococcus salivarius.

Abstract Streptococcus salivarius was grown under constant pH at pH values 7.0, 6.3, 5.7 and 5.1, with sucrose present. The physical parameters of the levan suggest that the levan produced at pH 5.1 is of considerably lower molecular weight (≈10 6 daltons) and may be less branched than the other levans.
Petrologic Study of Bald Rock Batholith, near Bidwell Bar, California

Compton made a detailed study of the Bald Rock batholith, California, and suggested that the tonalites and granodiorites of the rim of the batholith originated through contamination. He believed that trondhjemite magma, represented by rocks in the core of the batholith, assimilated meta-basaltic country rocks. This paper reports a detailed study of 22 rocks from the batholith, including all the main rock types. Values for Qu, Or, Ab, and An calculated from the modes show that the rocks fall along a trend slightly below the cotectic boundary between quartz and feldspars and directed toward this surface. Compositions calculated from the modes indicate that formation of the tonalites by contamination is possible but requires improbably high proportions of metabasalt xenoliths in the rim of the pluton. Habits of zircons separated from the rocks show a distribution pattern which emphasizes contrasts between trondhjemitic core and granodiorite-tonalite rim of the batholith but does not support the idea of formation of the mantle rocks by contamination. Dimensional zircon data indicate that zircons of the core are unimodal, whereas those of the mantle of the batholith are bimodal. Comparisons with the Bald Mountain batholith, Oregon, demonstrate many similarities, as well as some striking contrasts. Compositional trends of tonalite to granodiorite are different for the two plutons. Zircons are the same throughout the Bald Mountain batholith. The writers conclude that both plutons were emplaced by forceful injection. At Bald Mountain, Oregon, a uniform magma was injected, but at Bald Rock, California, a migma-magma was emplaced. The trondhjemitie core of the Bald Rock batholith was mainly liquid at emplacement, but the tonalite-granodiorite rim consisted of mobile, viscous solid phases with interstitial melt. The liquid line of descent at Bald Mountain, Oregon, was from tonalite to granodiorite and at Bald Rock, California, only from trondhjemite to leucotrondhjemite.
From Alexander of Aphrodisias to Young and Airy

Abstract A didactic discussion of the physics of rainbows is presented, with some emphasis on the history, especially the contributions of Thomas Young nearly 200 years ago. We begin with the simple geometrical optics of Descartes and Newton, including the reasons for Alexander's dark band between the main and secondary bows. We then show how dispersion produces the familiar colorful spectacle. Interference between waves emerging at the same angle, but traveling different optical paths within the water drops, accounts for the existence of distinct supernumerary rainbows under the right conditions (small drops, uniform in size). Young's and Airy's contributions are given their due.
Chronic administration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N omega-nitro-L-arginine, and drug-induced increase in cerebellar cyclic GMP in vivo.

Nω-nitro-l-arginine (NG-nitro-l-arginine) is a potent nitric oxide synthase inhibitor which crosses the blood brain barrier and does not undergo extensive metabolism in vivo. In this study, effect of chronic pretreatment of Nω-nitro-l-arginine (75 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily for 7 days) on the harmaline- (100 mg/kg, s.c.), picrotoxin- (4 mg/kg, s.c.), pentylenetetrazole- (50 mg/kg, i.p.), andl-glutamic acid- (400 μg/10 μl/mouse, i.c.v.) induced increase in cerebellar cGMP was assessed. All the four drugs produced significant increase in cerebellar cGMP in vehicle pretreated control animals. Cerebellar cGMP increase induced by harmaline, picrotoxin, andl-glutamic acid was attentuated in Nω-nitro-l-arginine pretreated animals. These results indicate that in vivo cerebellar cGMP levels are increased by the prototype excitatory amino acid receptor agonist,l-glutamic acid and also by the drugs which augment the excitatory amino acid transmission. Furthermore, parenteral chronic administration of Nω-nitro-l-arginine blocks NO synthase in the brain and hence cerebellar cGMP response in chronic Nω-nitro-l-arginine treated animals could be used as a tool to assess the physiological functions of nitric oxide in vivo.
On distance-regularity in graphs

Abstract If A is the adjacency matrix of a graph G , then A i is the adjacency matrix of the graph on the same vertex set in which a pair of vertices is adjacent if and only if their distance apart is i in G . If G is distance-regular, then A i is a polynomial of degree i in A . It is shown that the converse is also true. If A i is a polynomial in A , not necessarily of degree i , G is said to be distance-polynomial. It is shown that this is a larger class of graphs and some of its properties are investigated.
Social considerations in research: consider them but don't use them.

Notwithstanding the benefits from the analysis of social contexts of any given research program, this inquiry ought not be employed to import general limitations on scientific research. Consequentl...
Primary cerebellar glioblastoma multiforme

Summary Glioblastoma multiforme in adults arising in the cerebellum is a rare tumor, well documented in only 13 cases in the literature. We report a fourteenth case, an 80-year-old female, and reassess the clinical and CT aspects of this tumor based on a review of the world's literature. The median age of patients is 53 years with a median survival of three months, which is less than adult cerebral hemisphere malignant gliomas.
Differential immune system changes with acute and persistent stress for optimists vs pessimists.

Abstract This study investigated whether acute and persistent stressors and life change events were followed by changes in immune status, and whether dispositional optimism moderated these relationships. Thirty-nine healthy women ages 18–45 were followed prospectively for 3 months, with weekly assessment of acute and persistent stressors and monthly assessment of life events and immune parameters (NK cell cytotoxicity, and CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets). The study used an autoregressive linear model to examine how weekly appraised acute and persistent stress levels were associated with immune parameters in the subsequent week. Analyses revealed that the immune outcomes were differentially affected by acute and persistent stressors. Further, the association between acute stress and subsequent immune parameters was buffered by an optimistic perspective. However, when stress persisted at high levels, optimists showed more subsequent immune decrements than pessimists.
NO reduction by hydrocarbons in an oxidizing atmosphere over transition metal-zirconium mixed oxides

Cu-Zr-O catalyst is active and selective in the NO reduction by propene in an oxidizing atmosphere. This is due to the inertness of ZrO2 in hydrocarbon oxidation and its ability to disperse Cu. Other transition metal-zirconium mixed oxides were also tested for NO reduction by hydrocarbons in an oxidizing atmosphere. When propene is used as a reductant, Cu, Ni and Co supported on zirconia are active and selective catalysts. When propane is used as a reductant NO conversion decreases for all of the catalysts. The decrease is mild for Ni and Co but is very severe for Cu.
Simultaneous Hybrid Revascularization Versus Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass for Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease

Background This study sought to compare early and midterm clinical outcomes of a simultaneous hybrid coronary revascularization procedure with those in a propensity-matched subset of patients undergoing conventional off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods From June 2007 through December 2009, 104 consecutive patients (mean age 61.8 ± 10.2 years) with multivessel coronary artery disease underwent elective simultaneous coronary revascularization at Fuwai Hospital. Using propensity score methodology, these patients were matched with 104 patients who had undergone off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting through median sternotomy during the same period. We compared these groups' in-hospital clinical outcomes and freedom from major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events at a mean follow-up of 18 ± 7.9 months. Results The hybrid procedure required longer operative time and incurred higher in-hospital costs, but had shorter median intubation time (11.6 ± 6.3 vs 13.8 ± 6.8 hours, p = 0.02), intensive care unit length of stay (34.5 ± 35.6 vs 55.3 ± 46.4 hours, p p = 0.01). The hybrid group had significantly less chest tube drainage (789 ± 389 vs 834 ± 285 mL, p = 0.005) and need for blood transfusion (28.8% vs 51.9%, p > 0.001). At a mean follow-up of 18 months, the freedom from major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events is in favor of the hybrid group (99.0% vs 90.4%; p = 0.03). Conclusions Compared with conventional off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, simultaneous hybrid coronary revascularization shortens recovery time and has superior outcomes at a mean follow-up of 18 months. Simultaneous hybrid coronary revascularization provides a safe and reproducible alternative for selected patients with multivessel coronary artery diseases.
An evolutionary inquiry into future human systems

(1973). An evolutionary inquiry into future human systems. The Philosophy Forum: Vol. 13, No. 1-2, pp. 95-109.
Summation and discrimination of gratings moving in opposite directions.

Abstract We have measured the amount of summation occurring at threshold between gratings which move in opposite directions. The small amount of summation observed at low spatial and high temporal frequencies is approximately consistent with the action of direction-selective mechanisms, as proposed by Levinson and Sekuler (1975) , provided that probability summation between such mechanisms is taken into account. However, at high spatial and low temporal frequencies much more summation is found, an amount approximately consistent with detection by directionally non-selective mechanisms. We have also measured thresholds for identifying the direction of a moving grating. For those gratings which show little summation, direction of motion is judged correctly at the detection threshold, while for those gratings which show the most summation, the identification threshold is considerably above the detection threshold.
Improving Java performance and energy dissipation through efficient code caching

Traditional Java code generation and instruction fetch path is not efficient, as Java binary code is typically written into the data cache first, and then is loaded into the instruction cache through the shared L2 cache or memory, which takes both time and energy. In this paper, we study three hardware-based code caching strategies, which attempt to write and read the dynamically generated Java code faster and more energy-efficiently. Our experimental results indicate that with proper architectural support, writing code directly into the instruction cache can improve the performance for a variety of Java applications by 9.6% on average, with up to 42.9%. Also, the average energy dissipation of these Java programs can be reduced by 6% with efficient code caching.
The HIV-1 matrix protein does not interact directly with the protein interactive domain of AP-3δ.

Abstract During the late phase of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1) replication cycle, viral Gag proteins and the intact RNA genome are trafficked to specific sub-cellular membranes where virus assembly and budding occurs. Targeting to the plasma membranes of T cells and macrophages is mediated by interactions between the N-terminal matrix (MA) domain of Gag and cellular phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P 2 ] molecules. However, in macrophages and dendritic cells, a subset of Gag proteins appears to be targeted to tetraspanin enriched viral compartments, a process that appears to be mediated by MA interactions with the Delta subunit of the cellular Adaptor Protein AP-3 (AP-3δ). We cloned, overexpressed and purified the protein interactive domain of AP-3δ and probed for MA binding by NMR. Unexpectedly, no evidence of binding was observed in these in vitro experiments, even at relatively high protein concentrations (200 μM), suggesting that AP-3δ plays an alternative role in HIV-1 assembly.
Infection rates following perioperative prophylactic antibiotics versus postoperative extended regimen prophylactic antibiotics in surgical management of mandibular fractures.

Purpose To determine whether or not an extended regimen of prophylactic antibiotics following either open or closed reduction of mandibular fractures is beneficial in lowering the rate of infection in postoperative patients. Patients and Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of 150 patients treated operatively for both complicated and uncomplicated mandibular fractures at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, NM, between January 1, 2000 and June 12, 2007. Treatment modalities used were closed reduction with maxillomandibular fixation or open reduction and internal fixation with either wire osteosynthesis or rigid internal fixation. Patients fell into 1 of 2 groups: the first group received antibiotics perioperatively, which consisted of no more than 24 hours of antibiotics in the postoperative period; the second group received extended regimen antibiotics, which consisted of anywhere from 24 hours to 10 days of antibiotics in the postoperative period. Seventy-five patients were included in each group. The type of antibiotic prescribed was at the discretion of the operating surgeon. This study was conducted using an intention-to-treat analysis. Postoperative infection was diagnosed either subjectively or objectively by the clinician evaluating the patient at follow-up appointments. Results In the extended antibiotic group, 8 out of 75 subjects (10.67%) developed infection. In the perioperative antibiotic group, 10 out of 75 subjects (13.33%) developed infection. Statistical analysis using χ 2 distribution showed that this difference in proportions was not significant (χ 2 = 0.06, P = 0.8). Conclusion This study found that the use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics does not have a statistically significant effect on postoperative infection rates in surgical management of complicated or uncomplicated mandibular fractures.
The effects of sucralfate ingestion on serum and specific tissue aluminum concentration in normal rats.

AbstractThe effects of sucralfate ingestion on serum and specific tissue aluminum (Al) accumulation were studied in normal rats fed either a control diet or the same diet supplemented with sucralfate. Although serum Al concentrations were not significantly different between the groups, animals fed sucralfate for 8 weeks had significantly higher bone but not brain or liver Al concentrations when compared with controls.This study indicates that 8 weeks exposure to Al in sucralfate leads to an increase in bone Al concentrations, without changes in serum Al concentrations, suggesting that serum Al concentration may be a poor predictor of gastrointestinal absorption and specific tissue retention of Al.
Comparative effects of pair-feeding and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on various biochemical parameters in female rats

Hypophagia is a common characteristic of the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and may be responsible for some of the toxic manifestations. Pair-feeding has been used in control animals to compensate for the hypophagia, but relatively few studies have assessed biochemical changes associated with pair-feeding versus weight loss induced by TCDD. Rats were treated with TCDD and killed 7 days post-treatment while pair-fed animals received an amount of diet equivalent to TCDD-treated partner animals. Ad libitum-fed rats were also used. No correlations were seen in altered calcium and iron homeostasis between pair-feeding and TCDD administration relative to ad libitum-fed animals. Pair-feeding resulted in greater alterations than TCDD administration in the subcellular distribution of iron in mitochondria, microsomes and cytosol. Pair-feeding also resulted in greater accumulation of calcium in mitochondria and microsomes in pair-fed as compared to TCDD-treated animals. Greater lipid peroxidation was observed in whole liver and nuclei of rats receiving TCDD relative to pair-fed animals. A significantly greater incidence of DNA single strand breaks occurred in hepatic nuclei of TCDD-treated animals as compared to pair-fed and ad libitum-fed animals. Significantly greater inhibition of hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity and thymic involution were observed in TCDD treated animals as compared to the pair-fed group. Although some similarities existed between TCDD-treated animals and pair-fed rats, the overall biochemical changes which were observed following TCDD administration cannot be attributed to weight loss associated with hypophagia.
Transport of mean zonal kinetic energy in the atmosphere

The transport integrals across the free boundaries of a polar cap region for mean zonal kinetic energy are formulated from physical considerations. These are then incorporated as boundary terms in a zonal kinetic energy balance equation recently presented by V. P. Starr and N. E. Gaut. Various properties of the final equation are then discussed. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1970.tb01518.x
A Lattice-Reduction-Aided Soft Demapper for High-Rate Coded MIMO-OFDM Systems

We extend the lattice-reduction (LR) method to MIMO detection for coded space division multiplexing OFDM systems with soft-input decoding. The scheme employs a novel combination of LR, K-best candidate generation, and simple candidate pruning. With a handful of candidates, the receiver is able to approach packet error rate performance of full maximum likelihood detector to within 1 dB, over varying data rates and channel correlations. It is appealing for high-rate coded-MIMO systems operating over quasi-static wireless channels, where the infrequent LR computation amortized over many symbols becomes negligible
The effects of endothelins on the secretion of prolactin, Luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone are mediated by different guanine nucleotide-binding proteins

Different bacterial toxins capable of modifying specific alpha-subunits of G-proteins were used to characterize the guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein) dependency of the effects of endothelins (ETs) on PRL, LH, and FSH secretion. Primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells obtained from female rats were preincubated for 24 h with 20 ng/ml pertussis toxin (PTX) or 2 micrograms/ml cholera toxin (CTX) before challenge with ETs. Both ET-1 and ET-3 elicited a concentration-dependent inhibition of PRL secretion and stimulated the release of LH and FSH secretion on pituitary cells not treated with toxins. Based on the calculated ration of the half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of ET-1 and ET-3, ET-1 showed 7800, 20, and 14 times greater potency than ET-3 on PRL, LH, and FSH secretion, respectively. PTX, a selective inhibitor of Gi and several other G proteins, increased the basal secretion of PRL and completely eliminated the responsiveness of lactotroph cells to ET-1 and ET-3. Pretreatment with PTX caused a markedly different effect on LH and FSH secretion: while basal LH release was slightly increased, FSH secretion was markedly depressed by PTX. Moreover, while ET-induced LH secretion was enhanced by PTX, the effectiveness of ETs on FSH release was completely abolished. CTX, known as an activator of Gs proteins, decreased the basal secretory activity of lactotrophs but did not influence the ET-induced decrease of PRL release. CTX pretreatment (like PTX before) elicited a strikingly different effect on LH and FSH: while basal LH secretion was enhanced, basal FSH secretion was markedly inhibited by CTX. Moreover, while the effectiveness of ETs on LH secretion was not changed significantly, the stimulatory effect of ETs on FSH secretion was diminished after CTX pretreatment. Thus, the inhibition of PRL secretion by ETs requires a PTX-sensitive G protein while the ET-induced stimulation of FSH secretion involves both PTX- and CTX-sensitive elements. The fact that pretreatments with PTX or CTX influenced basal secretion of PRL, LH, and FSH suggests that PTX- and/or CTX-sensitive G proteins are directly involved in the process of exocytosis. Additionally, these findings might indicate an active paracrine/autocrine regulation of pituitary cells in culture that are impaired or enhanced by the bacterial toxins employed. Though the broad substrate specificity of PTX and CTX and the multiplicity of G protein families did not allow us to identify the specific G protein(s) involved, these data reveal the diversity of ET-induced intracellular signaling mechanisms in lactotrophs and gonadotrophs.
High-Temperature Corrosion in Fossil Fuel Power Generation: Present and Future

Fossil fuels have historically represented two-thirds of all electricity generation in the United States and are projected to continue to play a similar role despite historically low projected growth rates in electricity demand and the recent dramatic shift from coal to more natural gas usage. Economic and environmental drivers will require more reliable and efficient fossil fuel generation systems in the future, likely with new system designs, higher operating temperatures, and more aggressive environments. Some of the current corrosion issues in power plants are reviewed along with research on materials solutions for systems envisioned for the near future, such as coal gasification and oxy-fired coal boilers.
Naltrexone Facilitates Learning and Delays Extinction by Increasing AMPA Receptor Phosphorylation and Membrane Insertion.

Abstract Background The opioid antagonists naloxone/naltrexone are involved in improving learning and memory, but their cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unknown. We investigated the effect of naloxone/naltrexone on hippocampal α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) trafficking, a molecular substrate of learning and memory, as a probable mechanism for the antagonists activity. Methods To measure naloxone/naltrexone-regulated AMPAR trafficking, pHluorin-GluA1 imaging and biochemical analyses were performed on primary hippocampal neurons. To establish the in vivo role of GluA1-Serine 845 (S845) phosphorylation on the behavioral effect induced by inhibition of the endogenous μ-opioid receptor (MOR) by naltrexone, MOR knockout, and GluA1-S845A mutant (in which Ser 845 was mutated to Ala) mice were tested in a water maze after chronic naltrexone administration. Behavioral responses and GluA1 levels in the hippocampal postsynaptic density in wild-type and GluA1-S845A mutant mice were compared using western blot analysis. Results In vitro prolonged naloxone/naltrexone exposure significantly increased synaptic and extrasynaptic GluA1 membrane expression as well as GluA1-S845 phosphorylation. In the MOR knockout and GluA1-S845A mutant mice, naltrexone did not improve learning, which suggests that naltrexone acts via inhibition of endogenous MOR action and alteration of GluA1 phosphorylation. Naltrexone-treated wild-type mice had significantly increased phosphorylated GluA1-S845 and GluA1 levels in their hippocampal postsynaptic density on the third day of acquisition, which is the time when naltrexone significantly improved learning. Conclusions The beneficial effect of naltrexone on spatial learning and memory under normal conditions appears to be the result of increasing GluA1-S845 phosphorylation-dependent AMPAR trafficking. These results can be further explored in a mouse model of memory loss.
Crystallographic characterization of mouse AIM2 HIN-200 domain bound to a 15 bp and an 18 bp double-stranded DNA.

AIM2 (absent in melanoma 2) is an innate immune receptor for cytosolic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). The engagement of dsDNA by AIM2 activates the AIM2 inflammasome, resulting in the cleavage of pro-interleukin-1β by caspase-1. The DNA-binding HIN-200 domain of mouse AIM2 bound to a 15 bp dsDNA and to an 18 bp dsDNA was purified and crystallized. The AIM2 HIN-200 domain in complex with the 15 bp DNA crystallized in the cubic space group I23 or I213, with unit-cell parameter a = 235.60 A. The complex of the AIM2 HIN-200 domain and the 18 bp DNA crystallized in a similar unit cell. Diffraction data for the two complexes were collected to about 4.0 A resolution. Mutagenesis and DNA-binding studies suggest that mouse AIM2 uses a similar surface to human AIM2 to recognize DNA.
Singlet-triplet and triplet-triplet interactions in conjugated polymer single molecules.

Single molecule fluorescence correlation spectroscopy has been used to investigate the photodynamics of isolated single multichromophoric polymer chains of the conjugated polymers MEH-PPV and F8BT on the microsecond to millisecond time scale. The experimental results (and associated kinetic modeling) demonstrate that (i) triplet exciton pairs undergo efficient triplet−triplet annihilation on the ≪30 μs time scale, (ii) triplet−triplet annihilation is the dominant mechanism for triplet decay at incident excitation powers ≥50 W/cm2, and (iii) singlet excitons are quenched by triplet excitons with an efficiency on the order of 1/2. The high efficiency of this latter process ensures that single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy can be effectively used to indirectly monitor triplet exciton population dynamics in conjugated polymers. Finally, correlation spectroscopy of MEH-PPV molecules in a multilayer device environment reveals that triplet excitons are efficiently quenched by hole polarons.
The expectation-violation effect: Paradoxical effects of semantic relatedness

Abstract This paper reports an experimental effect, the expectation-violation effect, in which items from weakly related pairs are better recalled than items from strongly related pairs. This effect occurs when strength of relation is defined from associative norms. The experiments presented below define important boundary conditions for the expectation-violation effect. Type of Memory Test, Type of Experimental Design, and Number of Weakly Related Pairs in the Study List all affect whether the expectation-violation effect will occur. The theoretical explanation of the expectation-violation effect presented herein claims that a failure to understand the relation between the items in a word pair can improve memory performance on that word pair. These failures, which are called blind-alley searches, occur when the items in word pairs represent unexpected or novel semantic combinations. The blind-alley search results in a memory representation, a blind-alley search cue, which can mediate the later retrieval of the word pairs on which the blind-alley search is committed. The expectation-violation effect occurs because weakly related pairs are more likely to represent unexpected or novel semantic combinations than are strongly related pairs. Subjects are thus more likely to commit blind-alley searches, with their attendant memory benefits, on weakly related pairs than on strongly related pairs.
Orgueil Meteorite: Organic Nitrogen Contents

Purines, amino derivatives of sym-triazine, and substituted guanidines isolated from the Orgueil meteorite were identified by chromatographic, spectroscopic, and other techniques. The presence of large amounts of sym-triazine derivatives is of particular interest, because these compounds have no known biochemical significance.
Detection of double target binders at the single cell level: An evaluation of the specificity of NK and MLC-induced NK-like cells

Abstract MLC-generated cells were tested on 7 consecutive days in the single cell cytotoxicity assay to determine the kinetics of natural and allospecific killing. Maximum cytotoxicity to the NK-sensitive target, K562, was found on Day 3 of MLC with an increase at that time in both the number of cells binding and the number of cells killing K562. The maximum allospecific response was found on Days 6 and 7 with an increase in cells able to bind and kill the alloantigen-bearing target. To determine whether the anti-K562 and allospecific killing were mediated by the same effector cells or different cell populations, both targets were tested simultaneously in the single cell assay. At no time during the 7 days were cells detected capable of simultaneously binding both K562 and allospecific targets. These data indicate that there are two different cell populations responsible for allospecific cytotoxicity and MLC-induced NK-like cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic specificity of unstimulated and MLC-generated NK-like cells was also investigated. When two different NK-sensitive targets (e.g., K562 and MOLT-4) were tested together in the single cell assay, there was no concurrent binding of targets by either fresh PBL prior to MLC stimulation or Day 3 MLC-generated cells. When unstimulated effector cells were enriched for NK activity by Percoll density gradient centrifugation, only a small number of effector cells simultaneously binding two different NK-sensitive targets was detected in the single cell assay. These results imply that the NK cell population is heterogeneous and composed of subpopulations recognizing diverse target specificities.
Contact angle distribution of particles at fluid interfaces.

Recent measurements have implied a distribution of interfacially adsorbed particles’ contact angles; however, it has been impossible to measure statistically significant numbers for these contact angles noninvasively in situ. Using a new microscopy method that allows nanometer-scale resolution of particle’s 3D positions on an interface, we have measured the contact angles for thousands of latex particles at an oil/water interface. Furthermore, these measurements are dynamic, allowing the observation of the particle contact angle with high temporal resolution, resulting in hundreds of thousands of individual contact angle measurements. The contact angle has been found to fit a normal distribution with a standard deviation of 19.3°, which is much larger than previously recorded. Furthermore, the technique used allows the effect of measurement error, constrained interfacial diffusion, and particle property variation on the contact angle distribution to be individually evaluated. Because of the ability to mea...
Planning to Forget: Informal Settlements as 'Forgotten Places' in Globalising Metro Manila

As Metro Manila's economy has become increasingly integrated into global flows of trade and investment, it has also experienced a shelter crisis, as the number of people who cannot afford legal housing and consequently illegally settle in informal settlements has increased in both absolute and percentage terms. This paper discusses such informal settlements as 'forgotten places' in the global era. It makes two arguments. First, it argues that this shelter crisis is inherent to globalising cities in developing countries, as a contradiction emerges between the extensive redevelopment and rising property values that accompany 'global city' development and the shelter needs of low-income people. The second is that informal settlements have increasingly been forgotten by urban planners despite this housing crisis, as planners have consciously abandoned place-based poverty alleviation efforts based on the rationale that they are no longer tenable in the global era.
Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus in pediatric patients

A "double disk" occlusion device (Rashkind PDA occluder system) has been designed to allow transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). During a 3-year period, we examined 37 infants and children (not premature neonates) with PDA as their only significant cardiovascular defect. Seventy-eight percent of these patients were considered potential candidates for the use of the PDA occlusion device, and it was successfully placed in all but 2 of 27 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization (PDA too small in one and too large in one). Only one of the remaining 25 patients had a significant residual shunt after placement of the device, which therefore was removed in the catheterization laboratory before surgical ligation of the PDA. There was no clinical evidence of a residual PDA in any patient. The duration of hospitalization was less than 24 hours for each of the last 20 procedures. Echocardiography demonstrated return to normal chamber dimensions in all patients, but a tiny, clinically undetectable residual leak around the device was found in three patients by Doppler evaluation. The transcatheter procedure was preferred over surgery by more than 90% of families and can be completed with a much shorter hospitalization than surgical ligation. We conclude that transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus is feasible in the majority of children with PDA.
Influence of rapid thermal annealing on the electrical characteristics of GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor structures with a double oxide layer

Abstract The electrical characteristics of double-oxide metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures on n-GaAs have been studied. The oxide layers were anodic and sputtered SiO 2 . The parameters analyzed were current conduction mechanism, resistivity, breakdown electric field, capacitance-voltage relationships and oxide fixed charges. Overall, the quality of this structure was inferior compared with the all-anodic oxide MOS structures. However, the parameters of the double-oxide MOS structure were considerably improved after rapid high temperature annealing. The sputter created damage; its removal and changes in the composite oxide structure after high temperature annealing were used to explain the observations.
On the termination of the DNA replication cycle in Escherichia coli

Abstract The initiation of the DNA replication cycle in Escherichia coli requires protein synthesis. Marunouchi & Messer (1973) have hypothesized that an additional protein synthesis step is required for the replication of the terminal segment of the chromosome, and that replication of this segment is a prerequisite for subsequent cell division. We have not confirmed the existence of a unique terminal segment using a protocol designed to label the hypothesized segment with [ 3 H]dThd † . Our protocol avoids the increased incorporation of [ 3 H]dThd into DNA caused by abrupt increases in temperature, a complication implicit in the technique of Marunouchi & Messer (1973). Treatment with nalidixic acid (an inhibitor of semiconservative DNA synthesis) in sufficient concentration to prevent replication of the postulated terminal segment prevents cell division but also causes loss of viability. This makes it difficult to correlate the effect of nalidixic acid on cell division with DNA synthesis inhibition alone.
Role of thyrocalcitonin in the regulation of the blood calcium level

Abstract The role of thyrocalcitonin in calcium homeostasis of rats has been studied in three types of experiments. 1. (a) Measurement of the effect on the blood calcium level, [Cas], of varying net calcium absorption in normal (N), thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) and thyroidectomized animals with autogenous parathyroid transplants (TX). These studies showed that the values of [Cas] were similar in N and TX animals at all levels of net absorption over a nearly 100-fold range. Moreover, the error, i.e., the difference between [Cas] when net absorption was zero and when it was very high, was close to zero. In TPTX animals, on the other hand, the values for [Cas] were markedly lower than in the other two groups at all levels of net absorption and the error of [Cas] increased linearly and proportionately with increased absorption. 2. (b) Determination of the intensity of the steady-state parameters of calcium metabolism (pool size, rates of Ca absorption, deposition in and removal from bone, urinary output) in N, in controls with parathyroid autografts (C), and in TX failed to reveal any important differences between either N and TX or C and TX. 3. (c) Measurement of the return of [Cas] to its base value following an acute calcium surcharge by intraperitoneal injection in N, C, and in TX animals indicated a greater delay in the return in the TX than in the C or N animals. It is concluded that thyrocalcitonin is not involved in the regulation of the steady state value of the blood calcium or of the steady-state parameters of calcium metabolism, including turnover and amount of bone calcium. Rather, thyrocalcitonin appears to refine the action of parathyroid hormone in terms of its effects on bone, the primary regulator of blood calcium.
High-density broadband true-time-delay unit on a single substrate

High packing density true-time-delay lines based on substrate guided wave propagation combined with slanted volume phase grating fanout couplers are reported. Three-bit delay lines with delay step of approximately 100 ps are fabricated on BK-7 substrates with a substrate bouncing angle of 45 degrees. The fanout power fluctuation problem is experimentally investigated. An ultrashort laser pulse is sent through the device and a bandwidth measurement of 2.5 THz is obtained. The 100 ps delay step is also measured by employing an ultrafast MSM-photodetector together with a sampling scope. Optically heterodyned signals up to 25 GHz also are detected through the delay unit with a signal-to- noise ratio of 20 dB.
Effects of feeding rates on growth, body composition and nutrient metabolism in striped bass (Morone saxatilis) fingerlings

Abstract A 12-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding rates on growth, morphology, body composition, and nutrient partitioning and metabolism in striped bass fingerlings with an average initial body weight of 38 g. The striped bass fingerlings were fed a commercial salmonid feed at different feeding rates from 0.5 to 4.0% (with 0.5% increments) of body weight per day (BW/day) at 19°C. The feed was dispensed continuously using automatic feeders and each feeding rate was administered in triplicate to groups of 15 striped bass fingerlings. Growth rate as measured by the percent body weight increase was significantly (P