cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogeny of GABAergic neurons in chick brain: studies in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract The ontogeny of presynaptic elements of GABAergic neurons has been studied in the cerebrum of the chick embryo both in vivo and in vitro. The specific activity of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) in tissue extracts followed a rising curve and approached a plateau value after 28 days in vivo. One-half of the adult levels of GAD were achieved by day 20. The specific activity of Na−-γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cotransport in membrane vesicles followed a similar pattern and reached maximal levels by 28 days in vivo. One-half of the adult levels of GABA uptake were observed at day 17. The development of these markers was also studied in cultured neurons prepared from the cerebrum of 8-day-old chick embryos. The GAD activity in neuronal extracts increased linearly with time in culture up to 14 days. At this point the specific activity had reached 20% of that observed for the adult cerebrum. The specific activity of GABA uptake by intact neurons followed a pattern similar to that for GAD from days 2 to 9 in culture. Both activities increased 4–5-fold during this period, but the level of GABA transport declined thereafter. In order to compare GABA uptake values for cultured cells with those for embryonic and adult brain, membrane vesicles were prepared from cultures. At the maximal level (9–10 days in culture) the vesicular GABA uptake represented 33% of that in the 18-day embryo and 20% of adult levels. Thus the presynaptic GABAergic components developed according to similar schedules both in vivo and in vitro. This pattern was also in correspondence with the ontogeny of postsynaptic elements of the GABAA receptor complex in the same preparations, as described in the companion paper.
Social Movement Insiders: The Impact of Institutional Activists on Affirmative Action and Comparable Worth Policies

We challenge the assumption within resource mobilization theory that polity members and social movement activists are distinct entities by offering the concept of “institutional activists .” Institutional activists are social movement participants who occupy formal statuses within the government and who pursue social movement goals through conventional bureaucratic channels. Using regression analyses we examine the impact of institutional activists and social movement organizations (SMOs) on the comprehensiveness of two U.S. state policies: affirmative action, pursued by the civil rights movement; and comparable worth, pursued by the women's movement. We find that SMOs were decisive in adoption of affirmative action, but not comparable worth policies. In contrast, institutional activists were important for the passage of comparable worth but not affirmative action policies. These findings suggest that resource mobilization theory would better capture the impact of social movements on policy outcomes by recognizing activists who work as insiders on outsider issues.
Metabolism of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate in the taste organ of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.

1. 1. The metabolism of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate was studied in the taste organ (barbel) of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. 2. 2. Homogenates of epithelial barbel scrapings were incubated with [3H]-1,4,5-IP3, whose dephosphorylation or phosphorylation was assayed under first-order conditions by measuring the production of either [3H]-1,4-IP2 (representing the activity of IP3-5-phosphatase) or [3H]-1,3,4,5-IP4 (representing the activity of IP3-3-kinase). 3. 3. Both enzymes were predominantly cytosolic, magnesium-dependent and maximally active at pH 6.4. For IP3-phosphatase, Km = 6 μM and Vmax = 10.5 nmol/min/mg. For IP3-kinase, Km = 0.23 μM and Vmax = 0.05 nmol/min/mg. 4. 4. Neither enzyme was significantly affected by the presence of taste stimuli (amino acids), GTPγS, cAMP or phorbol esters. 5. 5. In the presence of physiological levels of free calcium (0.05–12 μM) IP3-phosphatase was moderately activated whereas IP3-kinase was moderately inhibited. 6. 6. IP3-phosphatase was moderately activated by Mn2+, unaffected by LiCl, and strongly inhibited by 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, Na-pyrophosphate, CdCl2, HgCl2, CuCl2, FeCl3 and ZnSO4 7. 7. IP3-kinase was strongly activated by 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, Na-pyrophosphate, CdCl2, HgCl2, FeCl3, and LiCl and inhibited by ZnSO4 and Mn2+. 8. 8. IP3-kinase was significantly activated in a calcium-dependent manner by exogenously-added phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, and to a lesser extent by diacylglycerol. IP3-phosphatase was unaffected by exogenously-added lipids. 9. 9. IP3-phosphatase may participate in taste transduction since calculations based on the first-order rate constant (6.9 sec−1) indicate that it is capable of dephosphorylating basal levels of IP3 with a half-life of 0.1 sec.
Effect of polyamines, ions and epinephrine on triolein hydrolyzing activity of rat ventricular extracts

Abstract A triolein lipase from the particulate fraction of rat ventricle has been solubilized using Lubrol-PX, a nonionic detergent. The Lubrolsolubilization produced a greater than tenfold purification over the 2000 × g supernatant of the ventricular homogente.. The solubilized lipase has been shown to hydrolyze triolein in the absence of added serum or very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). The triolein hydrolyzing activity was increased by Mg2+ and Ca2+ (10−3 m – 10−2 m ), K+ and Na+ (10−2 m – 10−1 m ) and polyamines including protamine, spermine and spermidine (10−4 m – 10−2 m ). Serum also augmented triolein hydrolysis by the Lubrol solubilized enzyme and its effect was additive to the stimulation seen with the ions and polyamines. Boiled serum, while producing negligible stimulation of triolein hydrolysis by the Lubrol extract, was found to be capable of substituting for fresh serum when added to the assay system in the presence of the ions or polyamines. Triolein hydrolysis was significantly increased in Lubrol extracts of hearts perfused with epinephrine prior to beginning enzyme preparation. The Lubrol solubilized heart lipase was not affected by various concentrations of heparin (20 to 50 μg).
RELAX: a new circuit simulator for large scale MOS integrated circuits

Abstract Algorithms and techniques used in RELAX are described. RELAX is a time domain MOS digital circuit simulator based on a new analysis method called Waveform Relaxation Method 1 which exploits decomposition techniques. Preliminary comparisons between RELAX and the standard circuit simulator SPICE2 have shown that RELAX is a fast and reliable circuit simulator.
Reactions of sweet corn hybrids with resistance to maize dwarf mosaic

Kerns, M. R., and Pataky, J. K. 1997. Reactions of sweet corn hybrids with resistance to maize dwarf mosaic. Plant Dis. 81:460-464. Maize dwarf mosaic (MDM), caused by the sugarcane mosaic subgroup of potyviruses, can substantially reduce yield and ear quality of sweet corn ( Zea mays). The effects of strain A of maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV-A) and strain MDMV-B of sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV-MB) on resistant sweet corn hybrids were evaluated. Incidence of symptomatic plants, types of symptomatic responses, yield, and ear quality were compared among 20 hybrids in 1993 and 14 hybrids in 1994. Incidence of symptomatic plants measured at the beginning of harvest ranged from 4 to 100% in 1993 and 1 to 100% in 1994 and differed among hybrids inoculated with MDMV-A and/or SCMV-MB. Hybrids BiGuard, Dallas, HMX 9352, and Topacio had low (<20%) incidences of symptomatic plants when inoculated with MDMV-A, SCMV-B, or MDMV-A/SCMV-MB. Some hybrids had moderate responses, with incidence varying around 25%. Some hybrids appeared to have greater resistance to MDMV-A than to SCMV-MB. The incidence of sectoring plants (i.e., distinct bands or sectors of asymptomatic and symptomatic tissue) was higher for hybrids with high levels of resistance and ranged from 0 to 14% in 1993 and 0 to 83% in 1994. Ear weight of inoculated hybrids, expressed as a percentage of the noninoculated control, ranged from 84 to 109% in 1993 and from 84 to 105% in 1994. Slope coefficients from regressions of percent ear weight on incidence ranged from ‐0.085 to ‐0.15. Butt blanking was associated with high incidence of MDM-symptomatic plants. None of the commercially available MDM-resistant sweet corn hybrids were 100% asymptomatic, but levels of resistance in most of these hybrids were adequate to minimize the effects of MDM on yield.
The elderly: the single greatest achievement of mankind.

The single greatest achievement of mankind is very likely the increase in life expectancy which has occurred in the twentieth century. Coupled with a decline in the birth rate worldwide, the mean age of most nations is rapidly increasing and the old (especially the old-old, those 80 years of age and over) represent an increasing percentage of the dependent population of the world. Although the ageing of the population will have ramifications for almost all aspects of society, those concerned with the provision of health care are especially affected. With chronic disease replacing acute illness, and costs of care mounting, health-care providers will require a comprehensive assessment of its older citizens so as to be able to provide cost-effective care across all sites, be that location a hospital or, more frequently, the home. The development of such capabilities is already under way by the InterRAI group, an international group of investigators.
SU-CC-ValA-10: Cone-Beam CT for Radiation Therapy with Reverse Helical Trajectory

Purpose: To propose and study a novel scanning trajectory, named reverse helical trajectory, for a cone‐beam CT(CBCT)imager mounted on a linear accelerator(LINAC)treatment system by applying an exact 3D backprojection filtration (BPF) algorithm. Method and Materials: A numerical study using 3D Shepp‐Logan phantom was performed. We applied the PI‐line‐based BPF algorithm to reconstruct exact 3D image from data acquired numerically for a reverse helical trajectory. It was revealed that there is a middle gap in the reconstructed image which is due to lack of PI‐lines passing through the gap. Application of a chord‐based BPF algorithm showed a reduction in the middle gap. Two kinds of line plus reverse helical trajectories were proposed and tested to reduce the middle gap further. One of them is a reverse helical trajectory with a short line segment between two helices separated apart. The other one is a reverse helical trajectory with a long line segment connecting the end points of the revere helices. Results: The middle gap in the reconstructed image was reduced by employing a chord‐based BPF algorithm. The gap was reduced further when we modified the scanning trajectory by inserting a line segment between two helices. The gap was removed completely when we used a reverse helical trajectory with a long line segment connecting the end points of the revere helices. Conclusion: A novel scanning geometry for a LINAC‐mounted CBCTimager was proposed, and a preliminary numerical study was performed. The middle gap in the reconstructed image obtained by PI‐line‐based BPF algorithm was effectively eliminated by using a chord‐based BPF algorithm with a line plus reverse helical trajectory.
FunZ: An Intermediate Specification Language

During the last few years, the field of software engineering has witnessed an increased interest in formal methods and software reuse. At the same time, functional programming languages, often espoused as rapid prototyping tools, have begun to enjoy more mainstream usage. Assuming that these trends continue, software developers will need improved methods to transform existing specifications into functional implementations. In this paper, we discuss the intermediate specification language FunZ, an integral part of a methodology to produce purely functional programs from Z specifications. To illustrate the concepts of FunZ, we specify the design of a simple software system using both the Z notation and that of FunZ. FunZ itself is best described as an extension of Haskell, yet the language also retains a Z-like flavour in that it contains notational conventions similar to those of standard Z and several object-oriented variants. In addition, software design with FunZ parallels the activity in Z except that each step has functional overtones to better accommodate a final implementation in a purely functional language.
Temperature and life history: experimental heating leads female tree swallows to modulate egg temperature and incubation behaviour

Summary 1. Life-history decisions are strongly affected by environmental conditions. In birds, incubation is energetically expensive and affected significantly by ambient temperature. We reduced energetic constraints for female tree swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor ) by experimentally heating nests during incubation by an average of 6·9 ° C to test for changes in incubation behaviour. 2. Females in heated boxes (hereafter ‘heated females’) increased time spent incubating and maintained higher on-bout and off-bout egg temperatures. This indicates that female energetic constraints, not maximizing developmental conditions of offspring, determine incubation investment. Furthermore, this result suggests that embryonic developmental conditions in unmanipulated nests are suboptimal. 3. We found individual variation in how females responded to experimental heating. Early-laying (i.e. higher phenotypic quality) females with heated nests increased egg temperatures and maintained incubation constancy, while later-laying (lower quality) heated females increased incubation constancy. Changes in egg temperature were due to changes in female behaviour and not due directly to increases in internal nest-box temperatures. 4. Behaviour during the incubation period affected hatching asynchrony. Decreased variation in egg temperature led to lower levels of hatching asynchrony, which was also generally lower in heated nests. 5. Our study finds strong support for the prediction that intermittent incubators set their incubation investment at levels dictated by energetic constraints. Furthermore, females incubating in heated boxes allocated conserved energy primarily to increased egg temperature and increased incubation attentiveness. These results indicate that studies investigating the role of energetics in driving reproductive investment in intermittent incubators should consider egg temperature and individual variation more explicitly.
Confinement induced stabilization in polymer blend thin films

Abstract Using atomic force microscopy, film stability is investigated for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(styrene-ran-acrylonitrile) (SAN) thin film blends ranging from 10 nm to a few microns thick and deposited on an oxide covered silicon substrate. In addition to characterizing the surface morphology, the PMMA rich phase which wets the surface and oxide, is selectively etched to reveal the underlying or interfacial phase morphology. For 50/50 blends at 158°C, films are found to be stable for thickness values between 20 and 100 nm. Dewetting and phase separation mechanisms are invoked to understand why films are unstable below and above this range, respectively. By annealing 25/75, 50/50 and 75/25 thin film blends between 158 and 200°C, a stability diagram is constructed and shows that blends with low PMMA volume fractions (i.e. wetting component) are more stable than blends rich in PMMA. In some cases, phase separation is observed at temperatures as low as 158°C, which is about 12°C below the bulk lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Film stability is analyzed by predicting the PMMA concentration necessary to produce a surface wetting layer at its equilibrium thickness.
Comments on “Parity and time inversion symmetries of electromagnetic systems” by R. M. Kiehn

Previous statements concerning the reduction of possible parity and time reversal choices for electromagnetic quantities are amplified for the sake of clearer understanding.
Vaccination with liposome--DNA complexes elicits enhanced antitumor immunity.

Cationic liposomes have been shown to potentiate markedly the ability of plasmid DNA to activate innate immune responses. We reasoned therefore that liposome–DNA complexes (LDC) could be used to produce more effective plasmid DNA vaccines for cancer. To test this hypothesis, tumor-bearing mice were vaccinated with conventional plasmid DNA vaccines or with LDC vaccines encoding model tumor antigens and CD8+ T-cell responses and antitumor activity were assessed. We found that although plasmid DNA vaccines generated large increases in antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, they failed to elicit significant antitumor immunity. In contrast, LDC vaccines elicited large numbers of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and also generated significant antitumor activity against established tumors. The antitumor activity elicited by immunization with LDC vaccines was mediated primarily by CD8+ T cells. Studies of the interaction of LDC with antigen-presenting cells found that LDC triggered dendritic cell production of interleukin-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ production by natural killer cells in vivo. Activation by LDC was also accompanied by upregulation of costimulatory molecule expression. These findings suggest that by concurrently activating strong systemic innate immune responses and generating cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses, LDC may be used to increase the effectiveness of therapeutic plasmid DNA vaccination for cancer.
National comorbidity survey replication adolescent supplement (NCS-A): III. Concordance of DSM-IV/CIDI diagnoses with clinical reassessments.

Abstract Objective To report results of the clinical reappraisal study of lifetime DSM-IV diagnoses based on the fully structured lay-administered World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Version 3.0 in the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Method Blinded clinical reappraisal interviews with a probability subsample of 347 NCS-A respondents were administered using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS) as the gold standard. The DSM-IV /CIDI cases were oversampled, and the clinical reappraisal sample was weighted to adjust for this oversampling. Results Good aggregate consistency was found between CIDI and K-SADS prevalence estimates, although CIDI estimates were meaningfully higher than K-SADS estimates for specific phobia (51.2%) and oppositional defiant disorder (38.7%). Estimated prevalence of any disorder, in comparison, was only slightly higher in the CIDI than K-SADS (8.3%). Strong individual-level CIDI versus K-SADS concordance was found for most diagnoses. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, a measure of classification accuracy not influenced by prevalence, was 0.88 for any anxiety disorder, 0.89 for any mood disorder, 0.84 for any disruptive behavior disorder, 0.94 for any substance disorder, and 0.87 for any disorder. Although area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was unacceptably low for alcohol dependence and bipolar I and II disorders, these problems were resolved by aggregation with alcohol abuse and bipolar I disorder, respectively. Logistic regression analysis documented that consideration of CIDI symptom-level data significantly improved prediction of some K-SADS diagnoses. Conclusions These results document that the diagnoses made in the NCS-A based on the CIDI have generally good concordance with blinded clinical diagnoses.
Relaxation Increases Salivary Immunoglobulin a

While research indicates that high stress may be immunosuppressive, little is known about the effects of relaxation on the immune system. To determine whether relaxation is immunoenhancing, 50 volunteer college students were randomly assigned to one of four relaxation methods (Benson's relaxation response, guided visualization, massage, lying quietly with eyes closed, or a touching-control group). Salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) and salivary Cortisol levels were recorded before and after one 20-min. relaxation session. Subjects in the relaxation response, visualization, and massage groups showed a significant increase in S-IgA concentrations from the before to the after relaxation samples. Also, post-relaxation S-IgA concentrations were significantly higher in the relaxation response, visualization, and massage groups than in the touching-control group. Salivary Cortisol did not change significantly. These data suggest that one component of the immune system, S-IgA, may be enhanced by the practice of a ...
Decision problem structuring: generating options

An integrative framework of methods for generating options for subsequent evaluation in a formal decision analysis is proposed. The overall process of decision problem structuring is briefly discussed. An associative network model of the way knowledge is represented cognitively is presented. Five categories of option-generating procedures are identified, including attribute-based, state-based, composite, option-based, and creativity techniques. The different option-generating procedures are seen as different strategies for traversing the cognitive network to search for and/or create options. The approaches differ by the type of cognitive unit (decision problem attribute, state, or option) to be brought into short-term memory to stimulate further search. Criteria for evaluating the sufficiency of the set of generated options are also presented. A discussion of future research directions is included. >
Electrochemical study of the formation of a solid electrolyte interface on graphite in a LiBC2O4F2-based electrolyte

Abstract The formation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the surface of graphite in a LiBC2O4F2-based electrolyte was studied by galvanostatic cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that a short irreversible plateau at 1.5–1.7 V versus Li+/Li was inevitably present in the first cycle of graphite, which is attributed to the reduction of –OCOCOO− pieces as a result of the chemical equilibrium of oxalatoborate ring-opening. This is the inherent property of LiBC2O4F2 and it is independent of the type of electrode. EIS analyses suggest that the reduced products of LiBC2O4F2 at 1.5–1.7 V participate into the formation of a preliminary SEI. Based on the distribution of the initial irreversible capacity and the correlation of the SEI resistance and graphite potential, it was concluded that the SEI formed at potentials below 0.25 V during which the lithiation takes place is most responsible for the long-term operation of the graphite electrode in Li-ion batteries. In addition, the results show that the charge-transfer resistance reflects well the kinetics of the electrode reactions, and that its value is in inverse proportion to the differential capacity of the electrode.
Off-line solid-phase extraction procedure for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aqueous matrices

An off-line solid-phase extraction procedure followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection for the determination of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants in aqueous matrices was described. Diverse aspects determining extraction efficiency such as packing type (disk or cartridge), elution solvents and addition of organic modifiers to the sample were evaluated. Elution with acetonitrile yields the highest recoveries. Rinsing the sample bottle with acetonitrile and combining the rinse with the sample extract avoids the adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the walls of the water containers. The use of isopropanol or methanol 10 % (V/V) was the most appropriate amount for the enrichment of 2- to 6-ring aromatic compounds only on C18 cartridge. The recoveries for all studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are ranged from 71.4 to 95.2 % for a treated water samples of 500 mL. The proposed method gives very low detection limits (subnanograms per liter) and it has been applied to drinking water, surface water and industrial effluent (oil refinery) samples with good results.
Effects of Increased Metabolism on Ketosis

SummaryThe human subject in a ketogenic state excretes less ketone bodies during exercise than ordinarily. There seems to be an increased excretion in a subsequent rest period. The blood concentration of the ketone bodies is also decreased during a short period of exercise.
Procurement of Equipment that Contains Pressure Vessels or Pressure Relief Devices

An arc/induction melter was procured as an ‘‘off the shelf’’ item. A number of pressure protection compliance problems were discovered after receipt. These problems included a pressure relief valve with a set pressure that exceeded the stamped maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) of the protected vessel, insufficient number of pressure relief devices (PRDs), and no vendor calculations to support the sizing and selection of vendor supplied PRDs. Attached is a checklist of useful items to consider when preparing a procurement requisition for equipment involving pressurized components.
Eagle-eyed elephant: split-oriented indexing in Hadoop

An increasingly important analytics scenario for Hadoop involves multiple (often ad hoc) grouping and aggregation queries with selection predicates over a slowly changing dataset. These queries are typically expressed via high-level query languages such as Jaql, Pig, and Hive, and are used either directly for business-intelligence applications or to prepare the data for statistical model building and machine learning. In such scenarios it has been increasingly recognized that, as in classical databases, techniques for avoiding access to irrelevant data can dramatically improve query performance. Prior work on Hadoop, however, has simply ported classical techniques to the MapReduce setting, focusing on record-level indexing and key-based partition elimination. Unfortunately, record-level indexing only slightly improves overall query performance, because it does not minimize the number of mapper "waves", which is determined by the number of processed splits. Moreover, key-based partitioning requires data reorganization, which is usually impractical in Hadoop settings. We therefore need to re-envision how data access mechanisms are defined and implemented. To this end, we introduce the Eagle-Eyed Elephant (E3) framework for boosting the efficiency of query processing in Hadoop by avoiding accesses of data splits that are irrelevant to the query at hand. Using novel techniques involving inverted indexes over splits, domain segmentation, materialized views, and adaptive caching, E3 avoids accessing irrelevant splits even in the face of evolving workloads and data. Our experiments show that E3 can achieve up to 20x cost savings with small to moderate storage overheads.
Trehalase from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Cell-free extracts of mycelia and sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) D By. grown on synthetic liquid medium with various carbon sources contained trehalase (α,α′-glucoside 1-glucohydrolase; EC3.2.1.28) activity. The enzyme was not usually detected in the culture filtrate. Treatment with ammonium sulfate or MnSO4 and alumina resulted in a 2- to 3-fold purification. The optimum pH (5.0), K m with trehalose (1.7×10-3 M) and other properties are within the range reported for trehalase from other fungi.
Upscaling Non-Darcy Flow

We consider upscaling of non-Darcy flow in heterogeneous porous media. Our approach extends the pressure-based numerical homogenization procedure for linear Darcy flow, due to Durlofsky, to the nonlinear case. The effective coefficients are not constants but rather mildly varying functions of prevailing gradients of pressure. The upscaled model approximates the fine grid model accurately and, in some cases, more accurately than what is expected for Darcy flow; this is due to the non-Darcy effects which suppress heterogeneity. We provide comparisons of alternative approaches as well as consider several variants of numerical realizations of the non-Darcy flow model. Numerical results show effectiveness of the upscaling procedure.
Contribution of land-atmosphere coupling to summer climate variability over the contiguous United States

[1] The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been used to study the role of land-atmosphere coupling in influencing interannual summer climate variability over the contiguous United States. Two long-term climate simulations are performed: a control experiment (CTL) allows soil moisture to interact freely with the atmosphere, and an additional experiment uncouples the land surface from the atmosphere by replacing summer soil moisture at each time step with the climatology of CTL. The CTL simulation reproduces well the observed summer temperature and precipitation variability, despite some discrepancies in daily mean and maximum temperature variability in the midwest/Ohio Valley region and the adjacent areas, and precipitation variability in the Great Plains and some other areas. Strong coupling of soil moisture with daily mean temperature appears mainly over the zone from the southwest to the northern Great Plains to the southeast, contributing up to about 30–60% of the total interannual variance of temperature. There is a significantly different influence on daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Soil moisture plays a leading role in explaining the variability of maximum temperature over this zone whereas minimum temperature variability is highly constrained by external factors including atmospheric circulation and sea surface temperature almost everywhere over land. Soil moisture, mainly through its effects on convection, makes a dominant contribution to precipitation variability over about half of the northern United States. This result does not support the Global Land-Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (GLACE) hot spot hypothesis over the central United States, at least on the interannual timescale. The model's behavior agrees to a large extent with land-atmosphere relationships diagnosed using the observations.
Measurement of intracranial self-stimulation thresholds using the post-reinforcement pause.

Abstract A method for measuring the current threshold for intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) using the post-reinforcement pause (PRP) is described. Rats trained to lever press on a fixed ratio schedule for ICSS in prefrontal cortex, medial forebrain bundle, ventral tegmental area or periaqueductal gray received stimuli of opposite polarity in an alternating fashion. Stimuli of one polarity were sufficient to maintain ICSS responding by themselves (maintaining stimuli). Stimuli of the other polarity were systematically varied in 5–10 μA steps (experimental stimuli). PRPs following both maintaining (Pm) and experimental (Pe) stimuli were measured, and the ratio Pm/Pe was calculated. The PRP threshold was defined as the lowest experimental stimulus current producing PRP ratios significantly less than the ratios produced by all lower current steps. After the PRP threshold for one polarity was determined in 5 daily sessions, the experimental and maintaining stimuli were reversed, and the PRP threshold was measured for the alternate polarity. Rates of ICSS on a continuous reinforcement schedule were subsequently measured at currents around the PRP threshold. Rates increased sharply at PRP threshold, suggesting a correlation between PRP threshold and reinforcement threshold. Similar results were obtained from all four ICSS sites indicating the broad applicability of the PRP threshold method.
Purine salvage pathways for the biosynthesis in vitro of adenine nucleotides in the guinea pig vas deferens.

Abstract The guinea pig vas deferens has been found to possess at least two active anabolic pathways for adenine nucleotide biosynthesis. Our studies in vitro show that [ 3 H]adenosine and [ 3 H]adenine may be important precursors in purine salvage. Both precursors are eventually converted to [ 3 H]AMP prior to final incorporation into [ 3 H]ATP. [ 3 H]adenosine is transported across the cell membrane and then phosphorylated intracellularly to [ 3 H]AMP with the subsequent formation of [ 3 H]ADP and [ 3 H]ATP. [ 3 H]adenine, on the other hand, is probably converted to [ 3 H]AMP by a mechanism that does not involve [ 3 H]adenosine transport, since 6-nitrobenzylthioguanosine (6-NBTG), a nucleoside transport inhibitor, does not inhibit [ 3 H]adenine utilization. Conversion of [ 3 H]adenosine to [ 3 H]inosine or [ 3 H]hypoxanthine prior to incorporation into [ 3 H]ATP is probably only of minor importance since: (1) 6-NBTG reduces [ 3 H]adenosine conversion to phosphorylated adenine compounds by 90 per cent; and (2) the adenosine deaminase inhibitor, 6-thioguanosine, even at high concentrations could only slightly reduce the amount of [ 3 H]ATP formed from [ 3 H]adenosine. Incubation of vas deferens with either [ 3 H]inosine or [ 3 H]hypoxanthine also failed to result in appreciable labeling of adenine nucleotide pools. The relative contributions of tritium labeled nucleosides and bases to [ 3 H]ATP synthesis in vitro in the guinea pig vas deferens are; [ 3 H]adenosine > [ 3 H]adenine ⪢ [ 3 H]inosine > [ 3 H]hypoxanthme.
Normal coordinate analyses of dimethyl peroxides

Abstract The general quadratic force field has been determined for the vibrations of CH 3 OOCH 3 and CD 3 OOCD 3 . Twenty-one non-zero force constants were used to fit the forty-two assigned fundamental frequencies, a number of which were revised in this work. Several of the vibrational modes, especially those for the deuteride, were found to be strongly coupled. The oxygen-oxygen stretching motion, in particular, was found to be highly coupled for both molecules. Because of this, the O—O stretching frequency cannot be considered to be a reliable measure of the oxygen-oxygen bond strength.
1406 FOLLOWUP OF NEONATAL BRAINSTEM EVOKED RESPONSE AUDIOMETRY (BERA) FAILURES

A prospective study was designed to determine the reliability of BERA in predicting permanent audiologic impairment in high risk neonates in the NICU. 70 infants with mean gestational age (GA) of 33wks (range=28-42wks) were originally tested at 1-45days of age using a Nicolet CA 1800 unit. Auditory tests were classified as pass or fail depending upon the presence or absence of wave V in the brainstem response in the latency range expected for postconceptual age (PCA: GA plus postnatal age) and intensity of stimulus, i.e., 40dbHL wideband clicks (4000clicks, 33/sec). 28 infants passed the initial test and 42 failed (table). Both PCA and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) correlated with failure (*p≤.01). 15 failures were retested before discharge (table). 8 of the 35 failures discharged were retested at 4-10mos of age (table). Of the 27 untested discharged failures 6 have died and 21 are yet to be tested. There was no significant relationship to either PCA or IVH in either of these followup studies (p>.05). This suggests that initial BERA failure was related to PCA and/or IVH and that infants who initially fail may subsequently pass as they become more mature or as the IVH resolves. (NIH #NS03856).
Do the major axes of rich clusters of galaxies point toward their neighbors

The major axis orientation of rich clusters of galaxies, determined from an analysis of X-ray images, is used to investigate whether these clusters point toward their nearest neighbors. No statistical significance is found for a pointing effect between clusters and their nearest neighbors in either X-ray, optical, or combined X-ray and optical samples. Using updated redshifts and permitting nonstatistical sample Abell clusters as nearest neighbors does not affect this conclusion. The lack of statistical significance for a pointing effect favors hierarchical models in which galaxies form first, followed by clusters and then superclusters. For clusters with well-defined X-ray orientations, it is found that cluster position angles determined from X-ray and optical data are in general agreement.
Reovirus binding to cell surface sialic acid potentiates virus-induced apoptosis.

Reovirus induces apoptosis in cultured cells and in vivo. Genetic studies indicate that the efficiency with which reovirus strains induce apoptosis is determined by the viral S1 gene, which encodes attachment protein ς1. However, the biochemical properties of ς1 that influence apoptosis induction are unknown. To determine whether the capacity of ς1 to bind cell surface sialic acid determines the magnitude of the apoptotic response, we used isogenic reovirus mutants that differ in the capacity to engage sialic acid. We found that T3SA+, a virus capable of binding sialic acid, induces high levels of apoptosis in both HeLa cells and L cells. In contrast, non-sialic-acid-binding strain T3SA− induces little or no apoptosis in these cell types. Differences in the capacity of T3SA− and T3SA+ to induce apoptosis are not due to differences in viral protein synthesis or production of viral progeny. Removal of cell surface sialic acid with neuraminidase abolishes the capacity of T3SA+ to induce apoptosis. Similarly, incubation of T3SA+ with sialyllactose, a trisaccharide comprised of lactose and sialic acid, blocks apoptosis. These findings demonstrate that reovirus binding to cell surface sialic acid is a critical requirement for the efficient induction of apoptosis and suggest that virus receptor utilization plays an important role in regulating cell death.
College Students’ Life Priorities: The Influence of Gender and Gender-linked Personality Traits

This study examined relations between gender-linked personality traits (i.e., agency and communion) and life goals in a sample of 237 undergraduates. In addition, gender similarities and differences in the relative importance of life goals were explored. As predicted, agency was positively associated with the importance of most achievement goals such as having a career, whereas communion and unmitigated communion were positively associated with the importance of relational goals such as romantic partnership. Contrary to predictions, results suggested that men were more willing than women to sacrifice some achievement goals for a romantic relationship. Findings point to the potential influence of gender and gender-linked personality traits on the establishment of life priorities.
Phenylketonuria: Old disease, new approach to treatment

If one were to construct a fantasy about a human genetic disease for which all is known and a cure available, phenylketonuria (PKU) is likely to come to mind. In what other genetic disorder have the following been accomplished: characterization and mapping of the relevant gene (1, 2); identification of the mutations (3); determination of enzyme structure and functional sites (4); identification of the clinical (5) and biochemical characteristics (6); correlations of genotype with phenotype (7); prenatal diagnosis (8); recognition of the teratogenic risks in the maternal condition (9); development of treatment that prevents mental retardation (10); production of an animal model that mimics the biochemical phenotype and expresses much of the clinical phenotype (11); and, as if these were not enough, establishment of newborn screening for the disease so that virtually all affected individuals in the developed world receive preventive treatment (12)?
Enhanced performance in dye-sensitized solar cells via carbon nanofibers–platinum composite counter electrodes

A composite counter electrode (CE) made of electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNs) and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles has been demonstrated for the first time to improve the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The new ECN–Pt composite CE exhibited a more efficient electro-catalytic performance with lower charge transfer resistance (Rct), larger surface area, and faster reaction rate than those of conventional Pt. It reduced the overall series resistance (Rse), decreased dark saturation current density (J0) and increased shunt resistance (Rsh) of the DSCs, thereby leading to a higher fill factor (FF) and larger open circuit voltage (Voc). The reduced electron transport resistance (Rs) and faster charge transfer rate in the CE led to a smaller overall cell series resistance (Rse) in the ECN–Pt composite based DSCs. The DSCs based on an ECN–Pt CE achieved a η of ∼8%, which was improved over those of pure Pt or ECN based cells.
New generation polymers: the role of metal alkoxides as catalysts in the production of polyoxygenates

Polyoxygenates such as polyesters and polycarbonates derived from readily renewable resources, e.g. lactide from corn and carbon dioxide, are attractive as environmentally friendly (green) alternatives to polymers derived from fossil fuels, and will play an increasing role in the market place as we move from petrochemical feedstocks. Metal–oxygen bonds to alkoxide ligands will play an increasingly important role as catalysts for ring-opening polymerizations, ring-opening copolymerizations and transesterification. This article briefly reviews current efforts in the development of single-site catalysts of the form LnMOR for the production of polyesters and polycarbonates.
Ecology of the Cutthroat Trout in Henrys Lake, Idaho

Abstract Henrys Lake, a 6,500-acre reservoir at the elevation of 6,472 feet in eastern Idaho, has a maximum depth of 21 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. Seasonal variation of weather and shallow, fertile waters are the major environmental factors that influence the Henrys Lake biotic community. Phytoplankton is abundant and composed primarily of blue-green algae and cladocerans and copepods are the dominant zooplankters. Higher aquatic vegetation has developed over the entire bottom of the lake. The standing crop of bottom and plant-in-habiting fauna in Henrys Lake for 1951 is estimated to have been 606 pounds per acre. Fish species found in Henrys Lake are: Cutthroat trout, Salmo clarki; Rocky Mountain sculpin, Cottus bairdi semiscaber; and mountain whitefish, Prosopium williamsoni as native species. Introduced fish are: rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri; eastern brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalts; and redside shiner, Richardsonius balteatus hydrophlox. Rainbow trout and rainbow X cutthroat hybrids wer...
Lepirudin anticoagulation for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Abstract Lepirudin is indicated for anticoagulation in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). We describe 2 cases of HIT and thrombosis in children with heart disease, including one that required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Lepirudin, dosed in the recommended adult weight–based fashion, was an effective antithrombotic agent in pediatric patients with HIT. (J Pediatr 2002;140:264-6)
Elastic properties of single amylose chains in water: A quantum mechanical and AFM study

Recent single-molecule atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments have revealed that some polysaccharides display large deviations from force-extension relationships of other polymers which typically behave as simple entropic springs. However, the mechanism of these deviations has not been fully elucidated. Here we report the use of novel quantum mechanical methodologies, the divide-and-conquer linear scaling approach and the self-consistent charge density functional-based tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method, to unravel the mechanism of the extensibility of the polysaccharide amylose, which in water displays particularly large deviations from the simple entropic elasticity. We studied the deformations of maltose, a building block of amylose, both in a vacuum and in solution. To simulate the deformations in solution, the TIP3P molecular mechanical model is used to model the solvent water, and the SCC-DFTB method is used to model the solute. The interactions between the solute and water are treated by the combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical approach. We find that water significantly affects the mechanical properties of maltose. Furthermore, we performed two nanosecond-scale steered molecular dynamics simulations for single amylose chains composed of 10 glucopyranose rings in solution. Our SCC-DFTB/MM simulations reproduce the experimentally measured force-extension curve, and we find that the force-induced chair-to-boat transitions of glucopyranose rings are responsible for the characteristic plateau in the force-extension curve of amylose. In addition, we performed single-molecule AFM measurements on carboxymethyl amylose, and we found that, in contrast to the results of an earlier work by others, these side groups do not significantly affect amylose elasticity. By combining our experimental and modeling results, we conclude that the nonentropic elastic behavior of amylose is governed by the mechanics of pyranose rings themselves and their force-induced conformational transitions.
Libraries from libraries: generation and comparison of screening profiles.

A positional scanning tetrapeptide library was chemically modified through alkylation and/or reduction of the amide bonds, thus generating three new combinatorial libraries with physico-chemical properties very different from the parent peptide library (‘libraries from libraries’). Specific results were obtained with each of these libraries upon screening in κ-opioid receptor binding and microdilution antimicrobial assays, illustrating the potential of the ‘libraries from libraries’ concept for the efficient generation of a variety of chemically diverse combinatorial libraries.
PDMS embedded opto-fluidic microring resonator lasers.

Opto-fluidic ring resonator (OFRR) dye lasers are embedded in low index polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to achieve enhanced portability, mechanical stability, and potential integration with conventional soft lithography based microfluidics for development of micro total analysis systems. The OFRR retains high Q-factors (>106) and exhibits low lasing threshold (<1 µJ/mm2). Fiber prisms and tapered optical fibers are used to directionally couple out the laser emission. At 2.2 µJ/mm2 pump intensity, the laser output from the fiber prism is 80 nW, corresponding to 50% power extraction efficiency. A microarray structure of parallel OFRRs is also demonstrated, allowing simultaneous multi-color emissions.
Dazoxiben, a prototype inhibitor of thromboxane synthesis, has little toxicity in laboratory animals.

1 Dazoxiben, an orally active specific inhibitor of thromboxane synthetase, was administered by mouth daily to dogs and rats for 6 months.2 Dogs showed no evidence of toxicity up to 300 mg day-1 kg-1, the highest dose level used.3 Rats showed no evidence of toxicity after 100 mg day-1 kg-1, but at 300 mg day-1 kg-1 there were slight increases in plasma calcium and urea concentrations and a moderate incidence of focal nephrosis; males showed a slightly increased platelet count.4 Studies in rats and rabbits at dose levels up to 400 mg day-1 kg-1, by mouth, revealed no adverse effects on male or female fertility, embryogenesis, parturition or postnatal development.5 As dazoxiben is well absorbed after oral administration, the generally negative outcome to these toxicity studies suggests that selective inhibitors of thromboxane synthesis may be largely free of adverse effects which might impede their therapeutic or prophylactic use in clinical medicine.
Origins of Fermi-level pinning on GaN and InN polar and nonpolar surfaces

Using band structure and total energy methods, we study the atomic and electronic structures of the polar (+c and − c plane) and nonpolar (a and m plane) surfaces of GaN and InN. We identify two distinct microscopic origins for Fermi-level pinning on GaN and InN, depending on surface stoichiometry and surface polarity. At moderate Ga/N ratios unoccupied gallium dangling bonds pin the Fermi level on n-type GaN at 0.5–0.7 eV below the conduction-band minimum. Under highly Ga-rich conditions metallic Ga adlayers lead to Fermi-level pinning at 1.8 eV above the valence-band maximum. We also explain the source of the intrinsic electron accumulation that has been universally observed on polar InN surfaces. It is caused by In-In bonds leading to occupied surface states above the conduction-band minimum. We predict that such a charge accumulation will be absent on the nonpolar surfaces of InN, when prepared under specific conditions.