cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeting sleep oscillations to improve memory in schizophrenia

Although schizophrenia is defined by waking phenomena, a growing literature documents a deficit in sleep spindles, a defining oscillation of stage 2 non-rapid eye movement sleep. Compelling evidence supports an important role for spindles in cognition, and particularly memory. In schizophrenia, although the spindle deficit correlates with impaired sleep-dependent memory consolidation, recent clinical trials find that increasing spindles does not improve memory. This may reflect that sleep-dependent memory consolidation relies not on spindles alone, but also on their precise temporal coordination with cortical slow oscillations and hippocampal sharp-wave ripples. Consequently, interventions to improve memory in schizophrenia must not only increase spindles, but also preserve or enhance slow oscillations, hippocampal ripples and their temporal relations. Because hippocampal ripples and the activity of the thalamic spindle generator are difficult to measure noninvasively, screening potential interventions requires complementary animal and human studies. In this review we (i) propose that sleep oscillations are novel pathophysiological targets for therapy to improve cognition in schizophrenia; (ii) summarize our understanding of how these oscillations interact to consolidate memory; (iii) suggest that a systems neuroscience strategy is essential to selecting and evaluating effective treatments, and illustrate this with findings from clinical trials; and (iv) selectively review the interventional literature relevant to sleep and cognition, covering both pharmacological and noninvasive brain stimulation approaches. We conclude that coordinated sleep oscillations are promising targets for improving cognition in schizophrenia and that effective therapies will need to preserve or enhance sleep oscillatory dynamics and restore function at the network level.
Basic Breast Ultrasound Examination Technique

Many breast imagers do not use all the capabilities of grayscale and power Doppler ultrasound (US); instead, they limit their use of US to guiding percutaneous needle biopsies. Breast imagers should perform a detailed and comprehensive US examination of the lesion in question and the surrounding area prior to embarking on a US-guided biopsy or any other intervention. This chapter describes in detail the basic breast US examination technique from the correct positioning of the patient to the documentation of the procedure.
A comparison of food-based decision-making between restricting and binge-eating/purging subtypes of anorexia nervosa

Objective By definition, restricting (ANR) and binge-eating/purging (ANBP) subtypes of anorexia nervosa (AN) differ in some manifestations of maladaptive eating behavior. This study aimed to determine whether the groups differ in the choices they make about what to eat, and whether there are differences in valuation related to food choice, using an experimental paradigm. Method Inpatients with ANR (n = 40) and ANBP (n = 46) participated in a Food Choice Task. During the task, participants rated 76 food images for healthiness and tastiness, and choice preferences. Groups were compared in percent selection of high-fat and low-fat foods, value ratings of foods, and engagement of self-control in food choice. Results There were no differences between AN subtypes in healthiness or tastiness ratings, or in tendency to limit choice of high-fat foods. There was no difference between the groups in measures of self-control in food choice. Discussion Individuals with ANR and ANBP similarly manifest reduced choices of high-fat foods, with similar tendencies to undervalue the tastiness of high-fat foods. These results suggest that while individuals with ANR and ANBP differ across a range of clinical characteristics, the decision-making process associated with the maladaptive restriction of high-fat foods characteristic of AN is shared by both subtypes.
Heme oxygenase-2 is post-translationally regulated by heme occupancy in the catalytic site

Heme oxygenase-2 (HO2) and -1 (HO1) catalyze heme degradation to biliverdin, CO, and iron, forming an essential link in the heme metabolism network. Tight regulation of the cellular levels and catalytic activities of HO1 and HO2 is important for maintaining heme homeostasis. HO1 expression is transcriptionally regulated; however, HO2 expression is constitutive. How the cellular levels and activity of HO2 are regulated remains unclear. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of post-translational regulation of cellular HO2 levels by heme. We find that, under heme-deficient conditions, HO2 is destabilized and targeted for degradation, suggesting that heme plays a direct role in HO2 regulation. HO2 has three heme binding sites: one at its catalytic site and the others at its two heme regulatory motifs (HRMs). We report that, in contrast to other HRM-containing proteins, the cellular protein level and degradation rate of HO2 are independent of heme binding to the HRMs. Rather, under heme deficiency, loss of heme binding to the catalytic site destabilizes HO2. Consistently, an HO2 catalytic site variant that is unable to bind heme exhibits a constant low protein level and an enhanced protein degradation rate compared with the WT HO2. Finally, HO2 is degraded by the lysosome through chaperone-mediated autophagy, distinct from other HRM-containing proteins and HO1, which are degraded by the proteasome. These results reveal a novel aspect of HO2 regulation and deepen our understanding of HO2's role in maintaining heme homeostasis, paving the way for future investigation into HO2's pathophysiological role in heme deficiency response.
MFRED, 10 second interval real and reactive power for groups of 390 US apartments of varying size and vintage.

Building electricity is a major component of global energy use and its environmental impacts. Detailed data on residential electricity use have many interrelated research applications, from energy conservation to non-intrusive load monitoring, energy storage, integration of renewables, and electric vs. fossil-based heating. The dataset presented here, Multifamily Residential Electricity Dataset (MFRED), contains the electricity use of 390 apartments, ranging from studios to four-bedroom units. All apartments are located in the Northeastern United States (IECC-climate-zone 4 A), but differ in their heating/cooling system and construction year (early to late 20th century). To adhere to privacy guidelines, data were averaged across 15 apartments each, based on annual electricity use. MFRED includes real and reactive power, at 10-second resolution, for January to December 2019 (246 million data points). The annual average real power per apartment is 343 W (3.27 W/m2 of floor area), with strong variation between seasons and apartment size. Considering its large number of apartments, high time resolution, real and reactive power, and 12-month duration, MFRED is currently unique for the multifamily-sector. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13102490
Efficacy of Intravenous Tranexamic Acid in Reducing Perioperative Blood Loss and Blood Product Transfusion Requirements in Patients Undergoing Multilevel Thoracic and Lumbar Spinal Surgeries: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Acute perioperative blood loss is a common and potentially major complication of multilevel spinal surgery, usually worsened by the number of levels fused and of osteotomies performed. Pharmacological approaches to blood conservation during spinal surgery include the use of intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA), an anti-fibrinolytic that has been widely used to reduce blood loss in cardiac and orthopedic surgery. The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of intraoperative TXA in reducing estimated blood loss (EBL) and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements in patients undergoing multilevel spinal fusion. Material and Methods: This a single-center, retrospective study of subjects who underwent multilevel (≥ 7) spinal fusion surgery who received (TXA group) or did not receive (control group) IV TXA at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center between January 1st, 2016 and November 30th, 2018. Patient demographics, EBL, TXA doses, blood product requirements and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: A total of 76 adult subjects were included, of whom 34 received TXA during surgery (TXA group). The mean fusion length was 12 levels. The mean total loading, maintenance surgery and total dose of IV TXA were 1.5 mg, 2.1 milligram per kilo (mg/kg) per hour and 33.8 mg/kg, respectively. The mean EBL in the control was higher than the TXA group, 3,594.1 (2,689.7, 4,298.5) ml vs. 2,184.2 (1,290.2, 3,078.3) ml. Among all subjects, the mean number of intraoperative RBC and FFP units transfused was significantly higher in the control than in the TXA group. The total mean number of RBC and platelet units given to subjects in the control group was 8.1 (6.6, 9.7) and 7.7 (6.1, 9.4) compared with 5.1 (3.4, 6.8) and 4.6 (2.8, 6.4), respectively. Consequently, there was no statistical difference in postoperative blood product transfusion rates between both groups. There were no significant differences in postoperative incidences of complications within a 30-day period between both groups (Table 4). Conclusions: Our results suggested that the prophylactic use of TXA could reduce intraoperative EBL and RBC unit transfusion requirements in patients undergoing multilevel spinal fusion procedures ≥7 levels.
Predicting Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Severe Blunt Trauma: The Utility of Interleukin-18.

Background: In trauma, direct pulmonary injury and innate immune response activation primes the lungs for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The inflammasome-dependent release of interleuk...
Hypersonic Flow Control of Kinzhal Missile via Off-Axis, Pulsed Energy Deposition

The interaction of an off-axis, spherical energy discharge with the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile at Mach 6 sea-level conditions was simulated. A parametric study of the energy discharge parameter ϵ (pro...
Amplitude calibration of synthetic aperture radars - The effects of nonlinearities

Nonlinearities within a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) present significant obstacles to the calibration of the output imagery. The problem of calibrating a SAR is considerably more involved than that of calibrating a real aperture radar (RAR) or scatterometer, since the SAR relies heavily on the principle of superposition, which fails in nonlinear systems. It is shown in this paper that non-linearities can distort SAR imagery to such an extent that two areas of equal backscatter on the ground can be imaged to have significantly different intensities in the image.
Evolution and Collagen

Sometimes, data are acquired so rapidly that we are perplexed by equally plausible but contrary explanations. The following story from the Sufi tradition comes to mind. A father and his young son are walking in the warm air of a summer evening when the son remarks, “Father, are not those two moons beautiful?” The father, somewhat dismayed, replies, “Son, I’m sorry, there is only one moon. You must be seeing double.” The son, “But father, I could not be seeing double — if that were so there would be four moons.”
Antibody-directed fibrinolysis. An antibody specific for both fibrin and tissue plasminogen activator.

Abstract An investigation was made to determine whether it is possible to attract tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to the site of a thrombus by means of an antibody with affinites for both tPA and fibrin. A bispecific antibody conjugate was constructed by cross-linking two monoclonal antibodies: one specific for tPA, the other specific for fibrin. The bispecific antibody enhanced fibrinolysis by capturing tPA at the site of a fibrin deposit. In an in vitro quantitative fibrinolysis assay, the relative fibrinolytic potency of tPA bound to the bispecific antibody was 13 times greater than that of tPA and 200 times greater than that of urokinase. When fibrin was treated with the bispecific antibody before being mixed with tPA, the relative fibrinolytic potency of tPA was enhanced 14-fold. This capture also occurred when the concentration of tPA present in the assay was less than the concentration of tPA present in normal human plasma. In a human plasma clot assay, samples containing both the bispecific antibody and tPA exhibited significantly more lysis than did samples containing tPA alone. In spite of the increased clot lysis effected by the presence of bispecific antibody, there was no significant increase in fibrinogen or alpha 2-antiplasmin degradation at equal tPA concentrations. The ability of the bispecific antibody to concentrate exogenous tPA in vivo was then examined in the rabbit jugular vein model. Systemic infusion of a small amount of tPA (10,000 units) produced no significant increment in thrombolysis over the level of spontaneous lysis (14 +/- 8%). However, the simultaneous infusion of 10,000 units of tPA and 2 mg of bispecific antibody resulted in 42 +/- 14% (p less than 0.01) lysis. These results suggest that a molecule capable of binding both fibrin and tPA with high affinity could enhance thrombolysis in the circulation by capturing endogenous tPA.
Chapter 11 Determination of biexponential fluorescence lifetimes by using simulated annealing and simplex searching

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the way by which biexponential fluorescence lifetimes can be determined by using simulated annealing and simplex searching. A collection of fluorescing molecules in a particular homogeneous environment has a characteristic lifetime. In a different environment, the same molecules may have a different lifetime. A collection of two species, either different molecules or similar molecules in different microenvironments, may exhibit a fluorescent decay with a time course that contains contributions from both species. Fluoresced or scattered light is emitted in all directions, and a fraction passes through the monochromator. The monochromator allows the wavelength of emitted light to be selected before impinging on the photomultiplier tube (PMT). The undesirable behavior of simplex searching was its willingness to become trapped at a local minimum. A parameter estimation technique that offers resistance to this pathology is simulated annealing. The combination is put into effect by performing an appropriate number of simulated annealing analyses and by using these parameter estimates as the starting vertices for a subsequent simplex search. This approach takes advantage of the assurance provided by simulated annealing that the fitted parameters are near the global optimum of the goodness-of-fit indicator.
Prisons, Pipelines, and the President: Developing Critical Math Literacy through Participatory Action Research

Academic success, and the economic well-being it usually affords, is closely tied to math achievement. Key national indicators reveal decades of underperformance of African American males in mathematics. Scholars argue that the schooling experiences of Black males are highly-racialized, are often bereft of significance, and result in academic and social marginalization. The author reports findings from an eight-month participatory action research (PAR) project involving seven high-school aged Black males in South Los Angeles; students undertook research to empirically verify and qualitatively explore narratives concerning incarceration and university enrollment. Utilizing a critical ethnographic methodology to privilege student voice, the author shares how „low-performing‟ students in an urban setting utilize their mathematical knowledge to become critically literate about these narratives. Highlighting two student-constructed counternarratives he terms mathematical counterstories, the author shows how students used data analysis to contradict dominant understandings about young Black males. The author argues math counterstories are a unique synthesis of critical and mathematical literacies that are supported through PAR. Implications for the re-orientation of high school-aged Black males towards mathematics are discussed.
Hydrogen bonding: Part 24. Dichotomous hydration behavior of quaternary ammonium halides

Abstract On dehydration in vacuo quaternary ammonium halides show two entirely different types of behavior. Type A salts give first a liquid (4–6 H 2 O) of very low vapor pressure, then a series of crystalline framework clathrates (2–4 H 2 O), then very stable monohydrates with water—anion dimeric clusters. Type B salts give first a hypobarogenic clathrate (solid at reduced pressure, liquid at 760 torr), then crystalline monohydrates, which, when the pressure is returned to 760 torr, disproportionate into anhydrous salt and same hypobarogenic clathrate. Liquid—solid equilibria for type A at 760 torr is always between framework clathrate and saturated solution (or possibly liquid clathrate) and for type B is between anhydrous salt and hypobarogenic clathrate. Dissolution in water is exothermic for type A salts and endothermic for type B. Examples: type A, choline fluoride, tetramethylammonium fluoride, tetraethylammonium fluoride and chloride, tetrapropylammonium fluoride and chloride; type B, choline chloride, bromide, and iodide, tetramethylammonium chloride and bromide, tetraethylammonium bromide, tetrapropylammonium bromide. Type A behavior is favored by larger cation and smaller (more electronegative) anion, and type B by smaller cation and larger (less electronegative) anion.
Conservation of sodium, chloride, and water by the human colon.

The transport of electrolytes by the human colon has been studied by perfusing the entire colon with isotonic solutions containing different concentrations of sodium, chloride, potassium, and bicarbonate. Absorption of sodium and chloride against large concentration gradients contrasted with transport characteristics of the small intestine, emphasizing the normal conserving function of the colon for these electrolytes. Potassium and bicarbonate are secreted by the colon; chloride in the lumen facilitates the secretion of bicarbonate. However, both potassium and bicarbonate are absorbed when sufficiently large gradients of concentration between colon and blood are achieved. Although water is absorbed effectively by the colon, the process is probably passive, after osmotic gradients are produced by absorption of sodium. Relationships between ionic transport are such that net absorption of chloride balances the flux of sodium into the circulation; the reversed flux of sodium into the colon is accompanied by secretion of bicarbonate.
Unsupervised Lexicon Discovery from Acoustic Input

We present a model of unsupervised phonological lexicon discovery -- the problem of simultaneously learning phoneme-like and word-like units from acoustic input. Our model builds on earlier models of unsupervised phone-like unit discovery from acoustic data (Lee and Glass, 2012), and unsupervised symbolic lexicon discovery using the Adaptor Grammar framework (Johnson et al., 2006), integrating these earlier approaches using a probabilistic model of phonological variation. We show that the model is competitive with state-of-the-art spoken term discovery systems, and present analyses exploring the model's behavior and the kinds of linguistic structures it learns.
Workers and queens of the European hornet Vespa crabro L. have colony-specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Cuticular hydrocarbons were extracted from sixty individual workers from six colonies ofVespa crabro L. and analyzed by combined gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry. Discriminant analysis of the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers and queens showed that the wasps could be grouped by colony and by caste. Stepwise discriminant analysis selected the components which were weighted most heavily in these analyses. Different combinations of cuticular hydrocarbons were important in grouping workers by colony, queens and workers by colony, and workers and queens by caste.
Policy Learning and Failure

Multiple knowledges are available for utilisation in policy choice. The rank ordering of knowledges for use in decisionmaking is thus a fundamental predecision. This article shows how this predecision necessarily constrains the processes associated with a politics of ideas, using cases from American international commodity policy. Even when the supposed preconditions of this sort of politics are present, policy change did not occur when the proposed ideas arose from a knowledge accorded secondary status in policymaking circles. Several implications are discussed for the influence and the study of ideational politics. Ultimately, the politics of ideas, so often portrayed through cases of innovation, may be quite conservative, contained by knowledge hierarchies which reflect prior politicaxl circumstances.
Asymmetric sampling along kslice‐select in two‐dimensional multislice MRI

Reduction of the slice-select refocusing gradient in two-dimensional multislice imaging results in asymmetry of the k-space representation of collected data along the slice-select direction. Standard methods of partial Fourier reconstruction developed for other methods of asymmetric k-space sampling can be used to reconstruct these data with final through-plane resolution smaller than the collected slice thickness. This method can be used for reducing scan time in the same manner as asymmetric sampling in the phase-encoded direction. In addition, the reduced refocusing gradient reduces minimum TE and motion artifacts in the same manner as for asymmetric sampling in the frequency-encoded direction (fractional echoes). Results using a resolution phantom and a flow phantom illustrate these concepts.
A dual status-signalling system: a matter of redundancy or differing roles?

Abstract Abstract. Some populations of tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, are polymorphic for throat (gular) coloration. In these populations, males with blue or green throats tend to dominate males with less blue/green (more orange) throats during short-term encounters. In other populations, where males are monomorphic with respect to throat coloration, males may signal 'high' (dominant) status by turning very dark dorsally. Month-long experiments conducted in semi-natural outdoor pens determined that males from a polymorphic population, which are rarely seen to darken in the wild, are capable of dorsal darkening. Also, these males signalled dominant status by dorsal darkening when throat coloration of all males in the group was the same. Consequently, a second set of month-long experiments tested the hypothesis that dorsal darkening is rarely seen in the field because the throat signal takes precedence over the dorsal signal when throat coloration differs among males. The results do not support this hypothesis. Furthermore, there was no correlation between male throat coloration and dominance status in these experiments. Thus, dorsal darkening is not merely a back-up signal when the throat colour of the contestant males is the same. It may serve, instead, as a long-distance dominance signal when population density is high.
CW Achromatic Thermal Lens Spectroscopy Experiment

We describe a mode-mismatched cw achromatic thermal lens experiment with focused pump beam and collimated probe beam. We compare this scheme to the usual mode-matched experiment showing its superior performance when performing spectroscopy.
Anesthetized Retinopathy of Prematurity Examinations Elicit Significant Physiologic Instability in Premature Infants • 1006

Anesthetized Retinopathy of Prematurity Examinations Elicit Significant Physiologic Instability in Premature Infants • 1006
Finite Group Theory for Large Systems. 2. Generating Relations and Irreducible Representations for the Icosahedral Point Group, h

Generating relations and irreducible representations are given for the icosahedral point group, ℐh, that are suited to computerized projection of symmetry-adapted bases of arbitrary spaces invariant to the group. With 120 elements ℐh is a good prototype for symmetry-adaptation to a large finite nonabelian group. The four- and five-dimensional irreducible representations are obtained by coupling direct products of the three-dimensional irreducible representations using the symmetry-adaptation algorithm. The method is applied to the Huckel treatment of icosahedral C20 fullerene.
Sets of Basic Programs for Factor Matrix Comparisons: Ahmavaara Transformation, Congruence Coefficient, Salient Variable Similarity Index

BASIC programs for three different factor matrix comparison methods are described. Each method has several forms: Ahmavaara's procedure has one program for data entered as DATA, another for small matrices with data already stored on disk (or tape), another for large matrices with data already stored, and another for data already stored but with intermediate matrices not printed. The congruence coefficient programs include one for data entered as DATA, another for small matrices already stored, and another for large matrices already stored. Cattell's Salient Variable Similarity Index has one program with data entered as DATA, another for small matrices already stored, another for large matrices already stored, and another for large matrices already stored but with printing of the original matrices suppressed. Necessary microcomputer equipment is detailed. Input provisions and output expected are given.
Zinc increases ciliary beat frequency in a calcium-dependent manner.

BackgroundDynamic regulation of respiratory ciliary beat frequency (CBF) is regulated by fluxes in intracellular calcium (Ca2+). P2X receptors (P2XR) are extracellular ATP-gated, Ca2+-permeable, no...
Public relations for the bereaved: Online interactions in a community for stillbirth and neonatal death charity

This paper uses the case of the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) in the UK and assesses its use of social media. The results reveal that SANDS engages in one-way communication and fails to take full advantage of the potential of the Web 2.0 to increase awareness, raise funds, and break the taboo around stillbirth and neonatal death. The results can be used to improve SANDS’ online communication and can be applied by similar nonprofits in the UK.
Women's access to modern methods of fertility regulation

Preventing unintended pregnancies through access to modern family planning could avert 20–35% of maternal deaths, saving the lives of more than 100,000 women each year. Obstacles to wider access still exist, but they may be overcome by overt policy commitment to reproductive health services, partnership between stakeholders, community involvement and quality programs.
Glucose production in the newborn dog. II. Evaluation of autonomic and enzymatic control in the isolated perfused canine liver.

Extract: The effects of birth and norepinephrine on hepatic glucose production, glycogenolysis, and gluconeogenesis were examined in livers isolated from fetal dogs at term, littermates 3 hr after delivery, and newborn dogs 1–5 days old. Livers were perfused in pairs with medium containing [6-3H]glucose (6 mM) and [3-14C]lactate (10 mM) ± a pharmacologic amount of norepinephrine (10−6 M). Changes in glucose production rates were correlated with changes in the enzymatic activities controling gluconeogenesis. Net glucose production was <0.48 μmol/min · g liver in both fetal and 3 hr liver but stabilized above 1 μmol/min · g later during the first day. Initially, mobilization of the fetal hepatic glycogen accounted for glucose output. Subsequently, incorporation of lactate into glucose rose from negligible fetal rates to 0.19 μmol/min · g and accounted for 21% of net glucose production on day 3. Maximal pyruvate carboxylase activity and mitochondrial CO2 fixation increased postnatally and correlated directly with net glucose production, glucose production from glycogen, and glucose production from lactate. Fetal liver did not respond to norepinephrine. Therafter, norepinephrine increased hepatic glucose production by stimulating glycogen breakdown. Postnatal acceleration of glucose production and the response to norepinephrine occurred only after induction of mitochondrial CO2 fixation. During day 1 the decline of hepatic glycogen in response to norepinephrine correlated with both CO2 fixation and lactate incorporation into glucose. Thus, initiation of gluconeogenesis after birth may have been required for the postnatal acceration of hepatic glucose production and for the regulation of glycogenolysis by norepinephrine. Speculation: A multiple system for hormonal plus neural initiation of hepatic glucose production after birth may protect the newborn mammal from cessation of the maternal supply of glucose and other substrates. Events such as relative hypoglycemia postnatally or intermittent hypoxia prenatally initiate pancreatic glucagon or sympathetic neural norepinephrine release, both of which stimulate hepatic glucose release. Shortly after birth, the target organ, liver, responds appropriately to both the pancreatic and neural hormones.
Assessment of drugs' side effects: visual analogue scale versus check-list format

These results suggest that the 12 men were capable of perceiving and reliably reporting the ongoing flow of their bodily experiences. Moreover,for the measurement of side effects, an instrument which employs a visual analogue scale may be a more sensitive measuring device than a typical checklist format.
Synthesis and in vitro and in vivo activity of analogs of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) with C-terminal agmatine.

In the search for more active analogs of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), 37 new compounds were synthesized by solid phase methodology, purified, and tested biologically. Most of the analogs contained a sequence of 27 amino acids and N-terminal desaminotyrosine (Dat) and C-terminal agmatine (Agm), which are not amino acids. In addition to Dat in position 1 and Agm in position 29, the majority of the analogs had Ala15 and Nle27 substitutions and one or more additional L- or D-amino acid modifications. [Dat1, Ala15, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)Agm (MZ-2-51) was the most active analog. Its in vitro GH-releasing potency was 10.5 times higher than that of GH-RH(1-29)NH2 and in the i.v. in vivo assay, MZ-2-51 was 4-5 times more active than the standard. After s.c. administration to rats. MZ-2-51 showed an activity 34 times higher at 15 min and 179 times greater at 30 min than GH-RH(1-29)NH2 and also displayed a prolonged activity. D-Tyr10, D-Lys12, and D-Lys21 homologs of MZ-2-51 also showed enhanced activities. Thus, [Dat1, D-Tyr10, Ala15, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)Agm (MZ-2-159), [Dat1, D-Lys12, Ala15, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)AGM (MZ-2-57), and [Dat1, Ala15, D-Lys21, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)Agm (MZ-2-75) were 4-6 times more active in vitro than GH-RH(1-29)NH2. In vivo, after i.v. administration, analog MZ-2-75 was equipotent and analogs MZ-2-159 and MZ-2-57 about twice as potent as the standard.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Measurement of beam lifetime and applications for SPEAR3

Beam lifetime studies for the SPEAR3 storage ring are presented. The three lifetime components are separated with lifetime measurements under various combinations of beam currents and fill patterns and vertical scraper scans. Touschek lifetime is studied with rf voltage scans and with the horizontal or vertical scrapers inserted. The measurements are explained with calculations based on the calibrated lattice model. Quantum lifetime measurements are performed with reduced longitudinal and horizontal apertures, respectively, from which we deduce the radiation energy loss down to a few keV per revolution and the horizontal beam size.
Numerical computation of aeroelastically corrected transonic loads

A numerical scheme is presented for the computation of transonic aerodynamic loads on flexible wings. The method consists of iteratively applying the loads computed by a 3D transonic aerodynamics code to a structural model to obtain elastic twist, and then recomputing the loads. Because this iteration is performed concurrently with the iterations performed in computing the aerodynamics, flexible loads are obtained in roughly the same amount of computing time as required to obtain rigid loads. Applications of this method to a flexible supercritical transonic transport wing are presented and compared with model test data.
The Physiology of Astrephomene gubernaculifera1

SYNOPSIS. A comparative physiologic study of 4- and 7-chromosome strains of Astrephomene gubernaculifera was done. The vitamins p-aminobenzoic acid, nicotinamide, biotin, thiamin HCl and vitamin B12 were tested for their ability to support growth. Only vitamin B12 was required for active growth altho the presence of thiamin HCl was necessary to produce structurally typical colonies. Astrephomene will not grow in the absence of an exogenous source of carbon. Of the 36 carbon sources tested, only pyruvate, butyrate, succinate and acetate permitted active growth. Sodium acetate was the best. Strains grew within the initial pH range of 5.0–7.5. At pH values above 8.0 growth declined rapidly. When media were buffered with TES (N-tris [hydroxymethyl]methyl-2-aminoethane-sulfonic acid) at an initial pH of 6.8 growth was enhanced. The organism grew at 15–40 C. Growth in the dark was slightly less than that in the light.
Physical Activity Participation and Constraints Among Athletic Training Students

Context: Researchers have examined the physical activity (PA) habits of certified athletic trainers; however, none have looked specifically at athletic training students. Objective: To assess PA pa...
Scalar field theory and string compactification

Abstract The new N = 2 conformal field theories based on SU( n + 1)/SU( n ) × U(1) recently constructed as G/H theories are shown to be equivalent to certain supersymmetric scalar field theories. The chiral fields and their structure constants are described for any scalar field theories. This allows the calculation of the Yukawa couplings 27 3 in any supersymmetric heterotic string compactification based on some scalar field theory. The generation structure and Yukawa couplings are then shown to be given by a geometrical formula which follows from the manifold which is described by the potential.
Holistic wellness as a means to developing a lifestyle approach to health behavior among college students.

Objective: The authors examined the influence of a holistic model of wellness on activity level among obese and sedentary college students. Participants: They recruited 41 participants for an 11-week program. Methods: Participants were required to record daily walking totals and complete 5 bimonthly classes where principles of holistic wellness were discussed. Pre- and posttest values of activity level (walking activity, cardiovascular training, general activity, and resistance training) and pre- and posttest knowledge and self-efficacy related to principles of holistic wellness. Participants also completed a 1-month followup. Results: Participants who completed the program reported increases in general exercise activity, resistance training, and walking behavior, as well as self-efficacy and knowledge concerning principles of holistic wellness. The authors also observed decreases in participants' body fat and body mass. Conclusions: Relevance to adherence of exercise behavior and a lifestyle approach to ...
The effects of movement direction and hemispace on estimates of distance traveled.

Abstract Background/Hypothesis The degree of attention directed to a stimulus and the presence of anisometric representations can alter the perception of the magnitude of a stimulus. We wanted to learn if normal right-handed subjects’ estimates of distance traveled are influenced by the right–left direction or hemispace of movements. Methods We had blindfolded participants estimate the distance their arm was moved in a rightward or leftward direction, in right and left hemispace. Since we wanted subjects to estimate the distance traveled rather than compute the distance between the start and finish points, the subjects’ arms were passively moved in sinusoidal trajectories at a constant speed. Results Subjects estimated leftward movements as longer than rightward movements, but there was no effect of hemispace. Comments/Conclusions People often attend more to novel than routine conditions and therefore participants might have overestimated the distance associated with leftward versus rightward movement because right-handed people more frequently move their right hand in a rightward direction and learn to read and write using rightward movements. Thus, leftward movements might be more novel and more attended than rightward movements and this enhanced directional attention might have influenced estimates of magnitude (distance).
Membrane Fusion Mediated by Coiled Coils: A Hypothesis

A molecular model of the low-pH-induced membrane fusion by influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is proposed based upon the hypothesis that the conformational change to the extended coiled coil creates a high-energy hydrophobic membrane defect in the viral envelope or HA expressing cell. It is known that 1) an aggregate of at least eight HAs is required at the fusion site, yet only two or three of these HAs need to undergo the "essential" conformational change for the first fusion pore to form (Bentz, J. 2000. Biophys. J. 78:000-000); 2) the formation of the first fusion pore signifies a stage of restricted lipid flow into the nascent fusion site; and 3) some HAs can partially insert their fusion peptides into their own viral envelopes at low pH. This suggests that the committed step for HA-mediated fusion begins with a tightly packed aggregate of HAs whose fusion peptides are inserted into their own viral envelope, which causes restricted lateral lipid flow within the HA aggregate. The transition of two or three HAs in the center of the aggregate to the extended coiled coil extracts the fusion peptide and creates a hydrophobic defect in the outer monolayer of the virion, which is stabilized by the closely packed HAs. These HAs are inhibited from diffusing away from the site to admit lateral lipid flow, in part because that would initially increase the surface area of hydrophobic exposure. The other obvious pathway to heal this hydrophobic defect, or some descendent, is recruitment of lipids from the outer monolayer of the apposed target membrane, i.e., fusion. Other viral fusion proteins and the SNARE fusion protein complex appear to fit within this hypothesis.
Gemfibrozil-lovastatin therapy for primary hyperlipoproteinemias.

Abstract The specific aim of this retrospective, observational study was to assess safety and efficacy of long-term (21 months/patient), open-label, gemfibrozil-lovastatin treatment in 80 patients with primary mixed hyperlipidemia (68% of whom had atherosclerotic vascular disease). Because ideal lipid targets were not reached (low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 35 mg/dl, or total chotesterol/HDL cholesterol
Optimal control of molecular motion: Nonlinear field effects

Abstract This paper is concerned with some of the consequences of strong optical fields and corresponding nonlinear field effects upon the optimal control of molecular motion. It is shown that the presence of nonlinear interactions can give rise to the existence of multiple field solutions to the problem of optimally controlling molecular motion where each of the fields produces exactly the same physical effects on the molecule. Secondly, it is argued that nonlinear field interactions may either act as a constraint on the control of molecular motion or an enhancement of that process depending on the circumstances. These variation phenomena are illustrated through consideration of control over the motion of harmonic molecules.
Functional expression and characterization of a plant K+ channel gene in a plant cell model

To express and characterize the function of a plant ion channel gene in plant cells, it is necessary to establish a model system that lacks the endogenous channel activity and can be genetically transformed. Patch-clamp techniques were used to survey voltage-dependent K+ channel activities in different cell types of tobacco plants. Interestingly, mesophyll cells lacked the inward K+ current found in guard cells. A transgene containing the inward K+ channel gene KAT1 from Arabidopsis was constructed and expressed in the mesophyll cells of transgenic tobacco plants. Expression of the KAT1 gene produced a large voltage-dependent inward current across the plasma membrane of mesophyll protoplasts. The KAT1 current was carried by K+ and activated at voltage more negative than -100 mV. This K+ current had a single-channel conductance of 6-10 pS and was highly sensitive to TEA, Cs+ and Ba2+. This study represents the first example in which a plant ion channel gene is functionally expressed and studied in plant cells. Tobacco mesophyll cells will provide a useful model for functional characterization of inward K+ channel genes from higher plants.
Evaluation of data reconstruction using Walsh functions

The reconstruction of a finite-length record taken from a band-limited stochastic process is described. An integral mean-square-error criterion is used to compare the reconstruction using Walsh functions, a zero-order hold, and the sampling function (sin x)/x.
Identification of a Nuclear Protein from Rat Developing Brain as Heterodimerization Partner with Thyroid Hormone Receptor-β

Thyroid hormone receptors (TR) are ligand-activated transcription factors that modulate the expression of certain target genes in a developmental and tissue-specific manner. These specificities are determined by the tissue distribution of the TR isoforms alpha1 and beta1, the structure of the thyroid hormone response element (TRE) bound by the receptor, and heterodimerization partners. Among these, retinoid X receptors (RXR) have been recognized as the principal partners for TR. The present work reports the identification of a novel nuclear protein from 19-day-old embryonic rat brain that displays a distinct interaction pattern with TR isoforms at the level of the TRE of two genes known to be differentially expressed and regulated by thyroid hormone (T3): the ubiquitous malic enzyme and the brain-specific myelin basic protein. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that only TRbeta1 forms a specific complex with the rat brain nuclear factor on the myelin basic protein-TRE, but not on the malic enzyme-TRE. Thus, the interaction is selectively determined by both the receptor isoform and the structure of the TRE. The expression of this brain nuclear factor is restricted to the perinatal period, when myelination is sensitive to T3. Gel supershift assays with RXR-specific antibodies indicate that this factor is not one of the known RXR isoforms. However, it is most likely a new member of the RXR subfamily because it could be supershifted with an antibody raised against the highly conserved DNA-binding domain of RXRs.
The development of a bearing spectral analyzer and algorithms to detect turbopump bearing wear from deflectometer and strain gage data

Over the last several years, Rocketdyne has actively developed condition and health monitoring techniques and their elemenw for rocket engine components, specifically high pressure turbopumps. Of key interest is the development of bearing signature analysis systems for realtime monitoring of the cryogen-cooled turbopump shaft bearings, which spin at speeds up to 36,000 RF’M. These system elements include advanced bearing vibration sensors, signal processing techniques, wear mode algorithms, and integrated control software. Results of development efforts in the areas of signal pressing and wear mode identification and quantification algorithms based on strain gage and deflectometer data are presented. Wear modes investigated include: inner race wear, cage pocket wear, outer race wear, differential ball wear, cracked inner race, and nominal wear.
Words: A computer system for the analysis of content

WORDS is a computer-oriented system for content analysis designed to elicit major content themes without recourse to a priori categorization systems. The system consists of a number of modular and independent programs that the user can configure in any fashion to process the data to be analyzed. This paper presents current information on WORDS, WORDS programs, WORDS systems logic, and on the availability of the system.
Agile micromirrors with three degrees of freedom manufactured with liquid MEMS technology

Abstract The Mesoscopic MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) technology developed at UIC allows the fabrication of structures not possible with conventional planar thin film patterning methods. These techniques enable the fabrication of anagile micro-mirror that can rapidly tip and tilt by large angles in two independent directions with a small footprint on thesubstrate. The mirrors can be electrostatically deflected, and rotate around a spherical pivot that is a drop of a conductingliquid. The drop can be forced to spread by applying a small voltage to an electrode surrounding the drop and this providespiston motion for the third degree of freedom. The drop is confmed to a lithographically defined wetting area on the mirrorand the substrate surfaces. The drop provides a surface tension restoring force to balance the electrostatic torque, as well aselectrical and thermal conduction between the mirror and the substrate. The fabrication method uses aligned shadow masks todeposit electrodes on a non-planar substrate. The fabrication requires precision dispensing of-4O pL liquid drops using inkjetprinting technology.Keywords: MEMS, beam steering, agile mirrors
An organizational model for transitional negotiations: concepts, design and applications

Negotiations generally tend to focus efforts on attaining optimality in single-problem contexts that are ad hoc, disparate and temporary in nature. Once negotiators reach agreement, the process usually attains closure and the long-term impact of the outcome is rarely considered. In organizational settings, decisions involving quid pro quos are, however, made on a continuous basis. Since organizational environments are constantly in flux, negotiated solutions that appeared successful on a given problem at first might no longer work out to be effective in the long run. We postulate that organizations evolve from one state to another and negotiations play an important part in these transitions. From this perspective, decision-making in organizations or between them can be modeled using sequential Markov chains that converge on homeostasis. This leads to a prescriptive approach for transitional negotiations that allow for assessment of the long-term impact of decisions and suggest acceptance of possible short-term losses in favor of the better payoffs that are to come. We provide a hydraulic dam example to illustrate the transitional aspect of decision-making over time. Based on earlier successful GDSS, we also suggest a software architecture that would allow the proposed theoretical model to be implemented as an organization negotiation support system with practical benefits.