cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serotonergic and dopaminergic neuroendocrine responses of male depressive patients before and after a therapeutic ECT course.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for major depressive illness, even for patients who do not respond to antidepressant drugs. According to the prevailing neurophysiological hypotheses for depression, it can be expected that an ECT therapeutic course modulates the responsivity of central neurotransmitter systems, but the results up to now have been inconclusive. To test such hypotheses, we studied possible changes in the serotonergic and in dopaminergic systems' responsivity in 11 male patients with major depression by performing neuroendocrine challenge tests before and after a therapeutic ECT course. Methods: Serotonergic responsivity was assessed by measuring the prolactin and cortisol responses to i. v. administration of the serotonin uptake inhibitor clomipramine (CMI test), and dopaminergic responsivity by measuring the prolactin responses to the dopamine receptor blocker haloperidol (HAL test), administered intramuscularly. The prolactin and cortisol responses during the first and the last ECT of the course (8 to 13 sessions) were also assessed. The CMI and HAL tests were also performed in 13 male healthy subjects. Results: The prolactin responses to CMI were significantly blunted in the patient group compared to the control group, and remained unaltered at the end of the ECT course, although the depressive symptomatology was substantially reduced from 27.8 ± 7.1 to 4.8 ± 2.3 points in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The cortisol responses to CMI were blunted before the ECT course compared to controls, but not after the course: there was a moderate increase of cortisol at + 30 min in the CMI test after the ECT course compared to that before ECT (p = 0.05). The prolactin and cortisol responses to the electrical stimulus during the first and the last ECT were identical. Conclusions: The strong therapeutic effect of ECT in depression, observed already at the end of the course, is not a result of considerable modifications in central serotonergic or dopaminergic responsivity, as revealed by the neuroendocrine challenge tests and the hormone responses to the electrical stimulus. The enhancement of the cortisol responses to CMI after the course may indicate a moderate increase in 5-HT1A receptor responsivity.
A comparison of outcomes between OKT3 and antithymocyte globulin for treatment of steroid-resistant rejection in hepatitis C liver transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND The treatment of steroid-resistant rejection (SRR) is associated with severe recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after liver transplantation (LTx). After OKT3 was recently withdrawn from the market, thymoglobulin (TG) became the principal treatment for SRR. METHODS A retrospective analysis of 32 HCV patients who were treated for SRR with OKT3 (n=15) or TG (n=17) using yearly protocol liver biopsies. Mean follow-up was 4.3 years (OKT3) and 3.2 years (TG). We compared both groups for patient survival, graft loss, and severity of HCV recurrence, manifested as the mean stage of fibrosis (MSF). RESULTS Patient survival at 1, 2, and 5 years after LTx was 80%, 73%, and 67% in the OKT3 group and 82%, 77%, and 64% in the TG group, respectively. At 2 years after LTx, the graft losses were 3 versus 4 in the OKT3 and TG groups, respectively. At years 1 and 2, the MSF in the OKT3 group was 1.9 and 2.3 versus 2.4 and 2.8 in the TG group, respectively. None of the differences between both groups was statistically significant. CONCLUSION There was no significant difference in patient survival, graft loss, or severity of recurrent HCV, measured as MSF, between both groups.
Probing Student Understanding of Scientific Thinking in the Context of Introductory Astrophysics.

Common forms of testing of student understanding of science content can be misleading about their understanding of the nature of scientific thinking. Observational astronomy integrated with related ideas of force and motion is a rich context to explore the correlation between student content knowledge and student understanding of the scientific thinking about that content. In this paper, we describe this correlation in detail with a focus on a question about the relative motion of the Sun and the Earth. We find that high achieving high school students throughout New York City struggle with what constitutes scientific justification and thought processes, but can improve these skills tremendously in an inquiry-oriented summer astronomy-physics program.
Simulated annealing inversion of teleseismic P‐wave slowness and azimuth for crustal velocity structure at Long Valley Caldera

Simulated annealing, a non-linear global search algorithm, is used to invert teleseismic P-wave slowness and azimuth data for crustal velocity structure. Synthetic tests show that simulated annealing is able to locate low P-wave velocity zones with reasonable accuracy in space, and recovers almost 70% of the target velocity perturbations. Testing suggests that significant results can be obtained with as few as two stations. Inversion of ray direction data from Long Valley caldera finds an asymmetrical low velocity zone beneath the resurgent dome at 8km depth, having a perturbation of −25% from the background. This zone extends to the east and south to depths of at least 24km, with a perturbation of about −10%. These features generally agree with previous results from teleseismic travel-time inversion and forward modeling of ray direction, and are probably associated with the residual Long Valley caldera magma chamber.
Coating studies of buried pipe in soil by novel approach of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at wide frequency domain

The coating performance of buried pipe in clayey soil has been studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results of EIS at 300 days have been analysed by electric equivalent circuit (EEC) models. The new parameters ensemble average phase (EAP) and ensemble average impedance (EAI) were introduced, obtained directly from Bode plots at a wide frequency domain in EIS data. These two parameters proved to be effective and convenient when evaluating the performance evolution of the coatings used in buried pipe in clayey soil, for both intact and defective coatings. The results indicated that the EAI parameter has a good agreement with the fitting results by EEC models and that the changes in EAP over time illustrated the three damage evolution stages of coated pipe in soil. It is concluded that EAP and EAI can be used for fast evaluation of coatings used in practical buried pipeline in soil.
Passing-over : The Death of the Author in Hegel's Philosophy

Criticism of Hegel has been a central preoccupation of "postmodern" philosophy, from critical theory and deconstruction to Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and Foucauldian "archaeology." One of the most frequent criticisms is that Hegel's invocation of "absolute knowledge" installs him in a position of authorial arrogance, of God-like authority, leaving the reader in a position of subservience to the Sage's perfect wisdom. The argument of this article is that this sort of criticism is profoundly ironic, since Hegel's construction of the role of the Sage possessing absolute knowledge is in fact an elaborate mask covering over a radical project of disappearance of the author by which it becomes the reader who is left to author the text. The article explores Hegel's commitment to his own death as an author in his invention of a new method of demonstration, his epistemology, his philosophy of language, his theory of desire, and even in the seemingly least likely place of all, his portrait of "absolute knowledge."
Advances in active microwave frequency multipliers

Microwave frequency multipliers provide a high performance means of generating microwave and millimeter-wave signals in a wide variety of communications and radar systems. The advances in active microwave frequency multipliers due to improvements in technology and design are significant in providing increased conversion gain, efficiency and frequency output. This work overviews the applications, topologies and performance of state-of-the-art active frequency multipliers. Some new circuit techniques are identified.
Therapy of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections

Mycobacterial infections are increasing in incidence worldwide, partly as a result of the increase in immunocompromised individuals. They cause a large number of cutaneous infections with a broad array of manifestations. Because of their diverse manifestations and sometimes fastidious nature, infections with mycobacteria are often misdiagnosed, leading to delay in and sometimes failure of therapy. In addition, many mycobacteria display both in vitro and in vivo drug resistance to antimicrobial agents. Early recognition of affected patients, initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on current guidelines, and tailoring of therapy after susceptibility testing is available are therefore essential to the successful treatment of mycobacterial infections.
In vivo inhibition of gonadotropins and thyrotropin in the chick by extracts of Lithospermum ruderale.

Abstract Three extracts of the roots of the plant Lithospermum ruderale (lithosperm) were tested for their ability to inhibit in vivo the action of endogenous and exogenous gonadotropins and of thyrotropin when measured by the 32 P uptake of testes and thyroid glands of white Leghorn cockerels. Preparation, BD 893-122, was a crude extract and inhibited both endogenous gonadotropins and thyrotropin in 10-day-old birds. This extract, in addition, produced a 81.5% in vivo inhibition of exogenous TSH in 1-day-old chicks. Fractionation of root extracts on a Sephadex G-50 column resulted in several distinctive polyphenolic fractions, one of which, fraction E, inhibited exogenous FSH and endogenous TSH in 11-day-old cockerels. The inhibition of 32 P uptake by the testes demonstrated that 70.8% inhibition of FSH occurred. The E fraction also markedly inhibited endogenous TSH. Fractions from the Sephadex G-50 column were further fractionated on a Sephadex G-25 column and fraction F-3, which was composed of 85% salts of lithospermic acid, was tested in 11-day-old chicks for its inhibitory effect in vivo against exogenous LH and FSH. F-3 inhibited 90.7% of the LH action and 63.5% of the FSH action but it was observed that it did not inhibit endogenous TSH in this experiment. Fractionation on the Sephadex G-25 column appeared to have separated the antigonadotropic and the antithyrotropic activities of lithosperm. The evidence also indicates that LH action was inhibited to a greater degree than was that of FSH. There was no indication that body weights or gland weights were depressed by the lithosperm fractions. It is improbable that the inhibitory action of the lithosperm fractions can be explained on the basis of either toxic effects or of inanition.
Size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon particulate emission factors from agricultural burning

Abstract Burning of agricultural waste residue is a common method of disposal when preparing land following crop harvest. This practice introduces volatile organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), into the atmosphere. This study examines the particle size distribution in the smoke emissions of two common agricultural waste residues (biofuels) in California, almond prunings and rice straw. The residues were burned in a combustion chamber designed specifically for this purpose, and the smoke emissions were collected on 10-stage MOUDI impactors for analysis of PAH and total particle mass. The results, in units of emission factors, show that combustion temperature is an important factor in determining the smoke particle PAH composition. Total PAH emissions from rice straw burns were 18.6 mg kg −1 of fuel, while the emissions from almond prunings were lower at 8.03 mg kg −1 . The less volatile five- and six-ring PAH was predominately on smaller particles where it condensed in the early stages of combustion while the more volatile three- and four-ring PAH formed on larger particles as the smoke cooled.
A note on the tunneling time problem

Abstract A remarkable feature of barrier penetration in quantum theory is that a particle tunneling through a barrier appears to do so in zero time. We analyze the conditions that would make possible an actual measurement of an anomalously short traversal time and conclude that such a measurement cannot be made.
A discrete choice contingent valuation estimate of the value of Kenai King salmon

Abstract A new method for estimating the demand curve for publicly supplied goods when quantities are restricted to a few discrete levels is introduced. The method involves fitting a conditional logit model to choices from a set of survey options in which price and quantity are both varied and consumer attitudes are explicitly controlled. The estimated parameters of the valuation function serve to trace the marginal value of the good at each level of hypothetical consumption in survey data. We apply the method to the valuation of salmon on Alaska's Kenai River. We find that there is a distinct kink in the marginal valuation function and that sport fishermen may place a negative marginal value on fish permits exceeding their desired catch levels.
The viscosity of dilute solutions of 3He in 4He at low temperatures

Measurements of the viscosity of dilute solutions of 3He in 4He made by different groups show little agreement. Viscosities measured by Black et al.1and later by Fisk and Hall2 are quite different from those of Webeler and Allen3 and Bertinat et al.4 Webeler and Allen and Bertinat et al. used the torsional crystal method to measure lower viscosities, those of Bertinat et al. being an order of magnitude lower at low temperatures. The reason for this discrepancy is not known.
Cell volume and ph regulation by the Amphiuma red blood cell: A model for hypoxia-induced cell injury

Abstract The Amphiuma red blood cell is one of the model systems employed early in the study of vertebrate cell volume regulation. Following both cell swelling and shrinkage the Amphiuma red blood cell demonstrates volume regulation to virtual completion in 90–120 min. When swollen the Amphiuma red blood cell loses K, Cl and osmotically obliged water, while following shrinkage volume regulation is the result of Na, Cl and therefore water uptake. The main contribution of the Amphiuma red cell as a model is that it was the first cell in which volume regulation was demonstrated to be electroneutral and more specifically that K/H and Na/H exchangers were responsible for regulation following cell swelling and shrinkage, respectively. Additionally, the Amphiuma red blood cell K/H and Na/H exchangers have been demonstrated to function in a pH regulatory capacity. The latter observation in turn led to the demonstration of the mutually exclusive and contradictory nature of volume and pH regulation predicacted upon Na/H exchanger activity. These observations prompted our recent investigations of the Na/H exchanger as a contributor to hypoxia-induced cell damage, using the rabbit heart as a model. These studies illustrated that Na, and Ca imbalances characteristic of hypoxia-induced cell damage are ultimately referable to the Na/H exchanger's function in a pH regulatory capacity, which contributes fundamentally to cell volume and Ca derangement and ultimately cell injury.
Increasing prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus: a public health perspective.

Recent data show that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevalence has increased by ∼10–100% in several race/ethnicity groups during the past 20 years. A true increase in the prevalence of GDM, aside from its adverse consequences for infants in the newborn period, might also reflect or contribute to the current patterns of increasing diabetes and obesity, especially in the offspring. Therefore, the public health aspects of increasing GDM need more attention. The frequency of GDM usually reflects the frequency of type 2 diabetes in the underlying population (1,2). Established risk factors for GDM are advanced maternal age, obesity, and family history of diabetes (3). Unquestionably, there are ethnic differences in the prevalence of GDM (4–15). In the U.S., Native Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and African-American women are at higher risk for GDM than non-Hispanic white women (4–6,8–11,13–15). In Australia, GDM prevalence was found to be higher in women whose country of birth was China or India than in women whose country of birth was in Europe or Northern Africa (7). GDM prevalence was also higher in Aboriginal women than in non-Aboriginal women (12). In Europe, GDM has been found to be more common among Asian women than among European women (16). The proportion of pregnancies complicated by GDM in Asian countries has been reported to be lower than the proportion observed in Asian women living in other continents (17). In India, GDM has been found to be more common in women living in urban areas than in women living in rural areas (18). The trend toward older maternal age (19), the epidemic of obesity (20) and diabetes (21), and the decrease in physical activity (22) and the adoption of modern lifestyles in developing countries (23) may all …
Effects of soil moisture dynamics on slope failure at Hyrum Reservior, Utah

Field observations of shoreline conditions at Hyrum Reservoir, Utah, were conducted during the summers of 1991 to 1993. A process of bluff retreat is described for a multiple-layered bluff environment of sand and clay layers. Failure is initiated by wetting and drying of clay sediments, which produces horizontal cracks within bluff material. These cracks appear to penetrate to a depth of approximately 100-150 mm before initiating vertical cracking in the sediments. The vertical cracks are propagated by continued drying of the surface sediment, ultimately leading to failure of the bluff material. The physical dimensions of sediment blocks succumbing to this mechanism range from a few hundred millimetres up to 3 m on a side, with a depth of approximately 100-150 mm. The mechanism described here appears to operate optimally when the supply of subsurface moisture is abundant and nearly continuous throughout the spring and early summer. Reservoir draw-down, large capillary fringe effects in the bluff and periodic wetting from upslope undrained hollows are the dominant moisture controls at this site. Moisture delivery to the face is strongly influenced by anisotropy of saturated hydraulic conductivity in the alternating clay and sand layers and related differences in sediment texture.
Transthyretin Amyloid Goiter in a Renal Allograft Recipient

Amyloid deposition in the follicular, perifollicular blood vessels, and thyroid stroma can occur in systemic forms of amyloidosis, although diffuse enlargement of the thyroid is generally not present. Marked, widespread enlargement of the thyroid gland with amyloid deposits or amyloid goiter is a rare condition reported in association with primary and secondary amyloidosis but has not been described in association with transthyretin amyloid deposition. Senile transthyretin amyloidosis is primarily associated with amyloid deposits in the heart, while the familial forms of amyloidosis due to transthyretin gene mutations are associated with deposits of amyloid in multiple tissues, classically giving rise to polyneuropathy. In this report, we describe the findings of parathyroid and lymph node amyloid deposits and amyloid goiter with transthyretin reactivity in a recipient of a kidney allograft, reportedly for renal amyloidosis, initially assumed clinically to be due to inflammatory bowel disease-related secondary amyloid deposition. This case underscores the importance of routine immunohistochemical classification of amyloid deposits for accurate diagnosis and to guide clinical management decisions.
Myeloma of the Central Nervous System: Strong Association with Unfavorable Chromosomal Abnormalities and Other High-risk Disease Features

Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) by multiple myeloma, defined by the detection of malignant plasma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid in the presence of suggestive symptoms, is considered extremely rare. We present the characteristics of 25 such patients (18 previously reported) intended to receive high-dose treatment at the University of Arkansas over the last 12 years; an extensive review of the published literature since 1968, including 71 patients, is also presented. In both patient groups, high tumor burden was overwhelmingly present while circulating plasma cells were detected in a significant proportion of cases. We also observed a strong association of CNS involvement with unfavorable cytogenetic abnormalities (especially translocations and deletion of the chromosome 13), plasmablastic morphology and additional extramedullary myeloma manifestations. The presence of these features should alert clinicians to the possibility of CNS involvement. The prognosis of such patients is poor despite aggressive systemic and local treatment and reflects the underlying disease biology. Application of allogeneic transplantation and administration of prophylactic CNS treatment are also discussed. Further elucidation of the factors predisposing patients with high-risk disease features to CNS myeloma involvement is needed.
Supplementation of cryomedium with ascorbic acid-2-glucoside (AA2G) improves human sperm post-thaw motility.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of ascorbic acid–2-glucoside (AA2G) supplementation in cryomedium to improve human sperm motility preservation through the freeze-thaw process. Design Prospective research study. Setting University-based andrology laboratory. Patient(s) One hundred thirty-four patients attending the andrology laboratory for a regular semen analysis between April 2009 and May 2010. Intervention(s) Supplementation of cryomedium with ascorbate or AA2G. Main Outcome Measure(s) Endogenous semen ascorbic acid concentrations, semen lipid peroxidation levels, progressive sperm motility. Result(s) AA2G-supplemented samples showed improved sperm motility preservation after freezing compared with control samples. No significant difference was found in motility preservation between control samples and those supplemented with ascorbate. Conclusion(s) Our data indicate that AA2G confers a protective effect on human sperm motility preservation through the freeze-thaw cycle. This same effect was not seen with ascorbate. Further investigation is required to elucidate a concrete mechanism of action.
S6K1: reducing the RiSKs of aging.

Caloric restriction (CR) can protect against aging and disease in a number of model systems, including primates ([Colman et al., 2009][1]). However, the underlying mechanisms by which CR affects mammalian life span remain unclear. In lower organisms, a number of potential mechanisms have been
Young Children's Approaches to Books: The Emergence of Comprehension

When does comprehension begin? This article addresses the question, and will help early childhood and elementary literacy educators understand how young children's comprehension, or meaning making, begins prior to conventional reading and emerges over time. Field note, video, and interview data were compiled during a three-year longitudinal study on emergent comprehension in children from age 2 to 5. Four phases—book as prop, book as whole, book as script, and book as text—detail how a group of 12 children used books during child-initiated events (e.g., play, pretend reading). Semiotic theory provides a lens to interpret these children's book-related interactions as evidence of emergent comprehension. In general, the children were gradually more attentive to function, topical content, image, and print, eventually showing the ability to merge multimodal signs to create textual meaning.
Inhibitors of MMP-1: an examination of P1′ Cα gem-disubstitution in the succinamide hydroxamate series

Abstract The effect of P 1 ′ C α gem-disubstitution in a series of succinamide hydroxamate inhibitors of MMP-1 has been investigated. While in all cases P 1 ′ gem-disubstitution led to loss of potency relative to the corresponding P 1 ′ isobutyl and phenyl compounds 1 and 3 , respectively, the loss of activity was less pronounced in certain instances, e.g., the P 1 ′ gem-cyclohexyl analogue 12 IC 50 = 0.15 μM).
The Effect of Vitamin E, Methionine and Selenium on Degenerative Myopathy in Turkeys

Abstract Eighty degenerative myopathy line turkeys were fed from day old through fifty-two weeks of age on rations with or without added vitamin E (44 I.U./kg.), dl -methionine (0.10 percent) and sodium selenate (1 p.p.m.). Growth, mortality and expression of the hereditary myopathy trait were not altered by the supplements as compared to turkeys fed unsupplemented rations. At the end of the experiment, 35.3 percent of the supplemented and 40.0 percent of the control turkeys were observed with the profundus myopathy. Viral and bacteriological cultures of the affected tissue were negative.
Spatially (nanometer) controlled hydrogenation and oxidation of carbonaceous clusters by the platinum tip of a scanning tunneling microscope operating inside a reactor cell

Hydrocarbon clusters formed by the thermal decomposition of propylene on Pt(111) were rehydrogenated or oxidized with nanometer spatial resolution using the platinum tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) at 300 K in atmospheric pressures of H2 or O2. The reaction rate shows a strong dependence on the oxygen or hydrogen pressures and on the tip-surface separation. The reaction stops when the Pt tip becomes contaminated with carbon, after the removal of ∼107–108 carbon atoms, but can be regenerated by removing material from the tip by application of a voltage pulse. Dissociative adsorption of H2 and O2 on the tip, followed by transfer of atoms to the surface is the proposed mechanism of these tip-catalyzed reactions.
Student perceptions of teacher affinity‐seeking and classroom climate

This study explored how teacher use of affinity‐seeking strategies is related to student perceptions of classroom climate. Participants were 147 undergraduate students enrolled at a large midwestern university. Results indicate that a significant relationship exists between teachers' use of affinity‐seeking strategies and student perceptions of classroom climate. Nineteen of the 25 strategies were correlated with classroom climate. Furthermore, communication teachers regularly used 19 of the 25 strategies. Student gender failed to account for any differences in perception of teacher use of affinity‐seeking strategies or classroom climate.
Forty Years of Introductory Psychology: An Analysis of the First 10 Editions of Hilgard et al.'s Textbook

In this study, we analyzed the first 10 editions of Hilgard et al.'s (see Appendix A) introductory psychology textbook, covering the period from 1953 through 1992. We extended the period of analysis of introductory psychology books from Webb's (1991) examination of the three editions of Boring, Langfeld, and Weld's text (1935, 1939, 1948) to the present. In addition to completing a content analysis similar to that used by Webb, we completed an analysis of several objective variables (taken from Weiten's, 1988, analysis of introductory psychology texts) and addressed some reference list and citation questions. In addition, we compared our results with those from an analysis by Weiten and Wight (1992) of samples of popular texts from each of the 4 relevant decades.
Exchange rate market efficiency and new information

Abstract This paper uses a multi-currency approach to analyze the relationship between forward exchange rates, future spot rates and new information. The empirical results tend to support the hypothesis that the exchange rate can be expressed as a function of factors known in advance and ‘news’.
Demand Characteristics and Quality Improvement: Who is Fooling Whom?

Since some of the data used for quality assurance purposes (i.e. rating scales) requires the active participation of clinicians, administrators use various mandates or incentives to insure its collection. However, although improving clinician compliance these measures may bias clinician responses. It is suggested that the concept of ‘demand characteristics’ originally developed by Orne to describe how non-specific aspects of the experimental setting shape what the human subject does may be applicable. For example a measure that might increase clinician compliance with completing GAF ratings on an inpatient unit might also influence the scores to make them coincide with the expectation that all patients are very ill when admitted and improved when discharged. Why such a phenomenon would be difficult to detect and what it might say about the relationship between managers and those they manage is also explored.
Aversive effects of vagotomy in the rat: a conditioned taste aversion analysis

Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy suppresses food intake and water intake in normal rats. Since human patients report some nausea and discomfort following vagotomy, the present study assessed the aversive consequences of vagotomy in rats using a conditioned taste aversion paradigm. Rats were given a total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy or sham vagotomy, and were then maintained on either plain water (Vag-Water and Sham-Water groups) or a novel cherry solution (Vag-Cherry and Sham-Cherry groups). When subsequently tested for their water vs. cherry preferences on postoperative days 6, 16, and 26, the Vag-Cherry group displayed a greater aversion to the cherry solution than did the remaining three groups. This result suggests that vagotomy produces visceral malaise in rats which may contribute to the feeding and drinking suppressive effects of the surgery.
C.E.O. performances lee iacocca and the case of chrysler

Organizational communication scholars have traditionally focused on internal communication among employees. A significant aspect of organizational communication, however, also occurs in the statements made by top management. Chrysler's Lee Iacocca epitomizes this management rhetoric. The author uses the management roles proposed by Mintzberg to analyze Iacocca's rhetoric during the crisis at Chrysler.
Pulsed optical tweezers for levitation and manipulation of stuck biological particles

We report on optical levitation and manipulation of microscopic particles that are stuck on a glass surface with a pulsed optical tweezers. Both the stuck dielectric beads and biological cells are demonstrated to be levitated.
Loss of Function of Arabidopsis C-Terminal Domain Phosphatase-Like1 Activates Iron Deficiency Responses at the Transcriptional Level

The expression of genes that control iron (Fe) uptake and distribution (i.e. Fe utilization-related genes) is tightly regulated. Fe deficiency strongly induces Fe utilization-related gene expression; however, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate this response in plants. Transcriptome analysis of an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant defective in RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain-phosphatase-like1 (CPL1) revealed significant up-regulation of Fe utilization-related genes (e.g. IRON-REGULATED TRANSPORTER1), suggesting the importance of RNA metabolism in Fe signaling. An analysis using multiple cpl1 alleles established that cpl1 mutations enhanced specific transcriptional responses to low Fe availability. Changes in protein level were less prominent than those in transcript level, indicating that cpl1-2 mainly affects the Fe deficiency response at the transcriptional level. However, Fe content was significantly increased in the roots and decreased in the shoots of cpl1-2 plants, indicating that the cpl1 mutations do indeed affect Fe homeostasis. Furthermore, root growth of cpl1-2 showed improved tolerance to Fe deficiency and cadmium (Cd) toxicity. cpl1-2 plants accumulated more Cd in the shoots, suggesting that Cd toxicity in the roots of this mutant is averted by the transport of excess Cd to the shoots. Genetic data indicate that cpl1-2 likely activates Fe deficiency responses upstream of both FE-DEFICIENCY-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR-dependent and -independent signaling pathways. Interestingly, various osmotic stress/abscisic acid (ABA)-inducible genes were up-regulated in cpl1-2, and the expression of some ABA-inducible genes was controlled by Fe availability. We propose that the cpl1 mutations enhance Fe deficiency signaling and promote cross talk with a branch of the osmotic stress/ABA signaling pathway.
Alterations of the composition and size of the free fatty acid pool of Tetrahymena responding to low-temperature stress.

Abstract Cells of Tetrahymena mimbres (formerly T. pyriformis NT-1) in midlogarithmic growth under isothermal conditions (at 39 °C) contained a very small, compositionally discrete pool of free fatty acids, principally (60.6% of the total free fatty acid mass) palmitic and stearic acids. The composition, degree of unsaturation, and size of this free fatty acid pool were rapidly (15 min or less) altered in response to chilling. During the acclimation period following chilling to 15 °C, the size of the free fatty acid pool increased from a mean value of 15.5 nmol free fatty acid/ °mol lipid phosphorus in 39 °C cells to 24.2 nmol free fatty acid /μmol lipid phosphorus. The degree of free fatty acid saturation rapidly increased over the initial hour following the onset of hypothermal conditions, but by 24 h the unsaturated free fatty acid/saturated free fatty acid ratio was 0.35 (equivalent to a 2.7-fold increase in unsaturation relative to 39 °C controls (unsaturated / saturated ratio = 0.13) and 4.4-fold greater than cells acclimated for 1 h (unsaturated / saturated ratio = 0.08)). By 24 h the percentage of palmitic and stearic acids had decreased to 45.6%. Similar, and in some instances more pronounced, changes were observed to occur in triacylglycerol-bound fatty acids. Modulation of steady-state free fatty acid composition could also be achieved by the addition of exogenous fatty acids to the growth medium. The ability to manipulate the level of intracellular free fatty acids should prove to be a valuable experimental tool in determining how specific fatty acids regulate various lipid-modifying enzymes.
A tri-Hamiltonian formulation of a new soliton hierarchy associated with so(3,R)

Abstract A third Hamiltonian operator is presented for a new hierarchy of bi-Hamiltonian soliton equations, thereby showing that this hierarchy is tri-Hamiltonian. Additionally, an inverse hierarchy of common commuting symmetries is also presented.
A Guide to Evaluate Solvents and Processes for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture☆

The CO2-capture literature is difficult to follow because the number of papers and patents has exploded, and the claims of the authors are difficult to substantiate. From a beginning in the early 90s with just a handful of papers each year, the number of yearly papers has grown exponentially, reaching almost 1,000 publications in 2011. If this exponential rate of increase continues – and there is reason to believe that it will do so – the number of yearly publications will exceed 10,000 before 2020! The number of patents shows a similarly explosive growth. We believe that scientists and engineers who follow this important technology will be aided if they had some structure to guide them, and this paper represents our attempt to initiate the development of such guidelines.
Coordinated checkpointing-rollback error recovery for distributed shared memory multicomputers

Most recovery schemes that have been proposed for Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) systems require unnecessarily high checkpointing frequency and checkpoint traffic, which are sensitive to the frequency of interprocess communication in the applications. For message-passing systems, low overhead error recovery based on coordinated checkpointing allows the frequency of checkpointing to be determined only by the reliability requirements of the application. Efficient adaptation of this approach to DSM multicomputers is complicated by the absence of explicit messages in DSM systems, the presence of a shared and partially replicated address space, and the presence of a distributed coherency directory. We present solutions to these issues, and propose an error recovery scheme based on coordinated checkpointing and rollback for DSM multicomputers. Our performance evaluation based on trace-driven simulations indicates that this scheme incurs less checkpoint traffic than recovery schemes previously proposed for DSM systems. >
The intangibility of e-services: effects on perceived risk and acceptance

This study examines the construct of intangibility within the e-services context and clarifies why business-to-consumer services are made more intangible when they are virtualized and offered as Internet e-services. Clarifying the intangibility of e-services and examining its consequents is important as service providers seek to encourage consumers to use lower-cost e-services. This research specifically develops theory to explain how and why an e-service's intangibility can increase consumer beliefs that it is risky to use, and furthermore removes the risk-reducing effect of the e-service's perceived ease of use. These consequents of an e-service's intangibility are important to clarify because e-service's usage is based in part on beliefs that they are safe and easy to use. Results from a structural equation model-based analysis of consumer survey data supported these two hypothesized effects. More specifically, the performance, financial, and privacy risk dimensions were most affected by consumers' experience of mental intangibility regarding the e-service. In addition, a qualification of a previously reported risk-reducing strategy for e-service providers was identified. Only when consumers' mental intangibility was low (i.e., they had a clear mental picture of the e-service) did the e-service's perceived ease of use function as a risk-reducing factor. An e-service's intangibility may indirectly impede consumer usage of a range of e-services. Theoretical and practical implications are offered.
Effects of the Size of the Doped SiC Nanoparticles on the Critical Current Density of the Ti-Sheathed MgB $_{2}$ Superconducting Wires

The effects of the grain size of the doped SiC nanoparticles on the critical current density (Jc) of the Ti-sheathed MgB2 superconducting wires were studied. The concentration of the SiC dopant was 10% and the sizes of the SiC particles were 20 nm, 45 nm, and 123 nm. Contrary to the Jc results reported on the SiC-doped Fe-sheathed MgB2 wires, we found that the Jc for the Ti-sheathed MgB2 wires decreased with the size of the SiC particles. We also found that the Jc is greater than that of the undoped MgB2 wires only for the wires with 123 nm SiC size. This unusual dependence of Jc on the size of the SiC dopant is discussed in association with the results from the magnetization, electrical resistivity, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy measurements.
Longitudinal Examination of Personal Self-Efficacy and Engagement-Related Attributes: How Do they Relate

A synthesis of the contemporary literature indicates that longitudinal examination of self-efficacy beliefs in educational contexts has been limited to a few notable studies. The present study, utilizing a longitudinal research design, makes attempts to explore the distal impact of students’ enactive learning experiences on their academic self-efficacy beliefs. More importantly, apart from this research focus, we also examine the interrelations between self-efficacy and three major motivation-related attributes of engagement (e.g., absorption) on students’ achievement outcomes in the subject mathematics. This avenue of inquiry, for example, stipulates motivation-related attributes of engagement as potential consequences and antecedents of self-efficacy beliefs. 326 Year 10 students (185 girls, 141 boys) participated in this investigation. We administered a number of Likert-scale questionnaires on multiple occasions over a two-year period, using SEM to analyze the repeated data. MPlus 7.11 yielded some key findings for discussion and educational consideration, for example: the positive influence of Time 1 enactive learning experience on Time 2 self-efficacy and Time 3 motivation-related attributes of engagement; and the positive influence of Time 2 and Time 4 self-efficacy beliefs on Time 5 achievement outcomes. Finally, evidence obtained indicated the mediating mechanisms of both self-efficacy and motivation-related attributes.
High energy density capacitors for EML applications

Power systems in mobile EML applications require high energy density capacitors as power conversion, energy storage, and power compression devices. Applications include the electromagnetic launch of aircraft, ETC guns and naval launchers for shore bombardment. There is a wide envelope of operating conditions requiring several technology approaches. The ongoing, multifaceted development effort on high energy density pulsed power capacitors at General Atomics Energy Products has yielded capacitors with significantly higher energy densities (>5 J/cc) than were available a few years ago. This paper will describe the performance of this latest generation of capacitors and includes near term projections for products presently under development.
The taxonomy of south American sakis, genus Pithecia (Cebidae, Platyrrhini): A preliminary report and critical review with the description of a new species and a new subspecies

The report begins with a key based on external characters and a tabulation of diagnostic cranial characters for separating Pithecia from Chiropotes and Cacajao of the subfamily Pitheciinae. The description of Pithecia is based on external, cranial, dental, and certain postcranial characters with particular attention to limb proportions and the femoral third trochanter. The species of Pithecia are arranged in the Pithecia pithecia group with P. p. pithecia and P. p. chrysocephala, and the Pithecia monachus group with P. m. monachus, P. m. milleri, P. irrorata irrorata, P. i. vanzolinii (new subspecies), P. aequatorialis (new species), and P. albicans. The discussion on nomenclature compares the usage of names by various authors for the different taxa. The species previously identified by Hershkovitz [Hershkovitz, 1979] as Pithecia monachus proves to be the new species P. aevuatorialis, whereas the sympatric species he called P. hirsut Spix (1823)s the same as true P. monachus E. Geoffroy (1812). Speciation among sakis is expressed, for the most part, by marked differentiation in coloration and head pelage patterns in males. Females of corresponding males diverged along the same lines but to such lesser degree that specific discrimination between them is complicated. Details of sexual dimorphism in coloration and pelage patterns are described, and those of size are documented by summaries of weights and by measurements of external, cranial, dental, and skeletal characters for each sex of each taxon. A key to the species and subspecies of Pithecia is followed by an account of each taxon that includes statements of taxonomic history or synonymy, type specimen, type locality, and geographic distribution. A full description with the addition of accounts of diagnostic characters, variation, comparisons, measurements, list of specimens examined, and other matters, is provided only or the new forms Pithecia aequatorialis and P. irrorata vanzolinii. Comparable descriptions of all taxa are contained in Volume 2 of Living New World Monkeys, currently in preparation. The gazetteer, however, includes complete data for all saki collecting and recorded localities plotted on the range maps.
The Fear of Death, Sex and Androgyny: A Brief Note.

The fear of death (and other attitudes toward death) were explored in male and female students, together with masculinity/femininity scores as a covariate. Both sex and masculinity/femininity scores had little relationship with attitudes toward death. Furthermore, masculinity/femininity scores did not account for the sex differences observed, and sex did not account for the relationship between masculinity/femininity scores and attitudes toward death.
Adenine Nucleotide Metabolism and a Role for AMP in Modulating Flagellar Waveforms in Mouse Sperm

While most ATP, the main energy source driving sperm motility, is derived from glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, the metabolic demands of the cell require the efficient use of power stored in high-energy phosphate bonds. In times of high energy consumption, adenylate kinase (AK) scavenges one ATP molecule by transphosphorylation of two molecules of ADP, simultaneously yielding one molecule of AMP as a by-product. Either ATP or ADP supported motility of detergent-modeled cauda epididymal mouse sperm, indicating that flagellar AKs are functional. However, the ensuing flagellar waveforms fueled by ATP or ADP were qualitatively different. Motility driven by ATP was rapid but restricted to the distal region of the sperm tail, whereas ADP produced slower and more fluid waves that propagated down the full flagellum. Characterization of wave patterns by tracing and superimposing the images of the flagella, quantifying the differences using digital image analysis, and computer-assisted sperm analysis revealed differences in the amplitude, periodicity, and propagation of the waves between detergent-modeled sperm treated with either ATP or ADP. Surprisingly, addition of AMP to the incubation medium containing ATP recapitulated the pattern of sperm motility seen with ADP alone. In addition to AK1 and AK2, which we previously demonstrated are present in outer dense fibers and mitochondrial sheath of the mouse sperm tail, we show that another AK, AK8, is present in a third flagellar compartment, the axoneme. These results extend the known regulators of sperm motility to include AMP, which may be operating through an AMP-activated protein kinase.
Scattered and internal intensity of a sphere illuminated with a Gaussian beam

A method of calculating the internal and scattered electric fields of a spherical dielectric object illuminated with a Gaussian beam is presented. The vector nature of the beam is considered. The fields satisfy Maxwell's equations, and the beam can be located arbitrarily with respect to the object. A polarized Gaussian beam is first represented as an angular spectrum of plane waves. These waves are then expanded in vector spherical harmonics. Although the details of the expansion are presented for a lowest-order Gaussian beam, the method can be applied to any wave which can be expressed as a sum of homogeneous plane waves. The interaction of an arbitrarily located Gaussian beam with a spherical object is analyzed using the T-matrix method. Calculated results for beams having waists much smaller than the radius of the sphere help in visualizing how a narrow beam reflects and refracts at the spherical dielectric interfaces. The combination of the plane-wave spectrum technique and the T-matrix method can be applied to the problem of an arbitrary beam interacting with an axisymmetric, nonspherical, homogeneous or layered object. >
Checking and spot-checking the correctness of priority queues

We revisit the problem of memory checking considered by Blum et al. [3]. In this model, a checker monitors the behavior of a data structure residing in unreliable memory given an arbitrary sequence of user defined operations. The checker is permitted a small amount of separate reliable memory and must fail a data structure if it is not behaving as specified and pass it otherwise. How much additional reliable memory is required by the checker? First, we present a checker for an implementation of a priority queue. The checker uses O(√n log n) space where n is the number of operations performed. We then present a spotchecker using only O(e-1 log δ-1 log n) space, that, with probability at least 1-δ, will fail the priority queue if it is e-far (defined appropriately) from operating like a priority queue and pass the priority queue if it operates correctly. Finally, we then prove a range of lower bounds that complement our checkers.