cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evoked activity of single units and neural populations in the hippocampus of the cat

Abstract The evoked activity of single units and neural populations in the hippocampus of cats was studied in relation to a proposed feedback circuit. The forward branch of the feedback circuit consisted of pyramidal cells which send collaterals to interneurons in a feedback branch. The pyramidal cell excitation of an interneuron pool, followed by inhibition of the pyramidal cell population, is analogous to a circuit within the prepyriform cortex. On the basis of the neural network, oscillatory wave forms were predicted under the additional assumptions that a sustained level of background activity biased the neural network and that fornix stimulation perturbed only slightly the mean activity of the cell population. The prediction was tested by recording a series of evoked potentials. Oscillatory PST histograms were recorded from 40 pyramidal cells, and oscillatory potential fields were mapped on a coronal plane through the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. A delay of a quarter of a cycle of averaged evoked potentials from cell populations with respect to poststimulus time histograms was observed following fornix stimulation. These oscillatory wave forms were consistent with the proposed feedback circuit.
Study of fretting fatigue crack nucleation in 7075-T6 aluminum alloy

Abstract This paper addresses many issues related to fretting fatigue crack nucleation. It discusses the mechanism(s) as well as the life to fretting fatigue crack nucleation in aluminum alloy 7075-T6 in contact with the same material. Fretting causes different types of damage on the fretted surfaces of specimens. It will eventually lead to crack nucleation if loading conditions are appropriate. A hypothesis that explains this observation states that fretting damage grows under the influence of the stress field induced by fretting fatigue until the damage threshold is reached. At this point the stress concentration at the root of these damage areas causes cracks to nucleate. This hypothesis is supported by scanning electron micrographs of the fracture specimens and also by the results obtained from the interrupted fretting fatigue tests. Metallographic examination and the scanning electron microscopy analysis of some of the specimens also showed that subsurface crack nucleation is possible under certain conditions. This evidence and related discussions are included in this paper.
Expression and Functional Analysis of Uch-L3 during Mouse Development

Mice homozygous for the s(1Acrg) deletion at the Ednrb locus arrest at embryonic day 8.5. To determine the molecular basis of this defect, we initiated positional cloning of the s(1Acrg) minimal region. The mouse Uch-L3 (ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L3) gene was mapped within the s(1Acrg) minimal region. Because Uch-L3 transcripts were present in embryonic structures relevant to the s(1Acrg) phenotype, we created a targeted mutation in Uch-L3 to address its role during development and its possible contribution to the s(1Acrg) phenotype. Mice homozygous for the mutation Uch-L3(Delta3-7) were viable, with no obvious developmental or histological abnormalities. Although high levels of Uch-L3 RNA were detected in testes and thymus, Uch-L3(Delta3-7) homozygotes were fertile, and no defect in intrathymic T-cell differentiation was detected. We conclude that the s(1Acrg) phenotype is either complex and multigenic or due to the loss of another gene within the region. We propose that Uch-L3 may be functionally redundant with its homologue Uch-L1.
Caenorhabditis elegans contains genes encoding two new members of the Zn-containing alcohol dehydrogenase family

We have characterized two cDNA clones from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that display similarity to the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene family. The nucleotide sequences of these cDNAs predict that they encode Zn-containing long-chain ADH enzymes. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that one is most similar to dimeric class III ADHs found in diverse taxa; the other is most similar to the tetrameric forms of ADH previously described only in fungi.
The extended tanh method for new solitons solutions for many forms of the fifth-order KdV equations

Abstract The extended tanh method is used to derive new solitons solutions for several forms of the fifth-order nonlinear KdV equation. The forms include the Lax, Sawada–Kotera (SK), Sawada–Kotera–Parker–Dye (SKPD), Kaup–Kupershmidt (KK), Kaup–Kupershmidt–Parker–Dye (KKPD), and the Ito equations. The criteria established in [A.M. Wazwaz, Abundant solitons solutions for several forms of the fifth-order KdV equation by using the tanh method, Appl. Math. Comput., in press, doi:10.1016/j.amc.2006.02.047 ] to build up reliable relations between the parameters of the equation are confirmed by using this new approach. Entirely new bell shaped solitons are determined.
Determinants of tidal volume during high-frequency oscillation.

Objective High-frequency oscillation has been proposed for use in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, limited data are available on the effect of pressure amplitude and rate (Hz) on tidal volumes delivered during high-frequency oscillation in adults. Design Prospective, animal model, lung injury study. Setting Large-animal laboratory of a university-affiliated medical center. Subjects Nine sheep (29.2 ± 2.4 kg). Interventions Severe lung injury was induced by repeated saline lung lavage. After stabilization, high-frequency oscillation was initiated at a mean airway pressure equal to the point of maximum curvature on the deflation limb of the pressure-volume curve (26 ± 1.9 cm H2O). Tidal volume at all combinations of rates of 4, 6, 8, and 10 Hz, pressure amplitudes of 30, 40, 50, and 60 cm H2O, and inspiratory/expiratory ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 (using the Sensormedics 3100B oscillator) were measured. Flow was measured by a pneumotachometer, amplified and digitized at 1000 Hz. Three breaths were analyzed at each setting. Measurements and Main Results At both inspiratory/expiratory ratios, tidal volume was directly proportional to pressure amplitude and inversely proportional to frequency. During an inspiratory/expiratory ratio of 1:1, at 60 cm H2O pressure amplitude and 4 Hz, a tidal volume of 129.1 ± 34.8 mL (4.4 ± 1.2 mL/kg) was delivered. Conclusions At low rates and high-pressure amplitudes in this model, tidal volumes approaching conventional mechanical ventilation can be delivered during high-frequency oscillation.
The adult α-globin locus of old world monkeys: An abrupt breakdown of sequence similarity to human is defined by an Alu family repeat insertion site

The haploid genomes of all known primates have two or more adult alpha-globin genes contained within tandemly arranged duplication units. Although the tandem duplication event generating these alpha-globin loci is believed to occur prior to the divergence of primates, a number of length polymorphisms exist within the loci among different primate species. In order to understand the molecular basis of these length polymorphisms, we have cloned and determined the nucleotide sequence of a major portion of the rhesus monkey adult alpha-globin locus. Sequence comparison to human suggests that the length difference between the adult alpha-globin loci of human and Old World monkey is the result of one or more DNA recombination processes, all of which appeared to be related to the transposition of Alu family repeats. First, the finding of a monomeric Alu family repeat at the junction between nonhomology block I and homology block Y of the alpha 2 gene-containing unit in rhesus macaque suggests that the dimeric Alu family repeat, Alu 3, at the orthologous position in human was generated by insertion of a monomeric Alu family repeat into the 3' end of another preexisting Alu family repeat. Second, two Alu family repeats, Alu 1 and Alu 2, exist in human at the 3' end of each of the two X homology blocks, respectively. However, this pair of paralogous Alu family repeats is absent at the corresponding positions in rhesus macaques. This raises interesting questions regarding the evolutionary origin of Alu 1 and Alu 2. Finally, DNA sequences immediately downstream from the insertion site of Alu 2 are completely different between human and rhesus macaque.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Predicting RNA-Protein Interactions Using Only Sequence Information

RNA-protein interactions (RPIs) play important roles in a wide variety of cellular processes, ranging from transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression to host defense against pathogens. High throughput experiments to identify RNA-protein interactions are beginning to provide valuable information about the complexity of RNA-protein interaction networks, but are expensive and time consuming. Hence, there is a need for reliable computational methods for predicting RNA-protein interactions. We propose RPISeq, a family of classifiers for predicting R NA-p rotein i nteractions using only seq uence information. Given the sequences of an RNA and a protein as input, RPIseq predicts whether or not the RNA-protein pair interact. The RNA sequence is encoded as a normalized vector of its ribonucleotide 4-mer composition, and the protein sequence is encoded as a normalized vector of its 3-mer composition, based on a 7-letter reduced alphabet representation. Two variants of RPISeq are presented: RPISeq-SVM, which uses a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier and RPISeq-RF, which uses a Random Forest classifier. On two non-redundant benchmark datasets extracted from the Protein-RNA Interface Database (PRIDB), RPISeq achieved an AUC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve) of 0.96 and 0.92. On a third dataset containing only mRNA-protein interactions, the performance of RPISeq was competitive with that of a published method that requires information regarding many different features (e.g., mRNA half-life, GO annotations) of the putative RNA and protein partners. In addition, RPISeq classifiers trained using the PRIDB data correctly predicted the majority (57-99%) of non-coding RNA-protein interactions in NPInter-derived networks from E. coli, S. cerevisiae, D. melanogaster, M. musculus, and H. sapiens. Our experiments with RPISeq demonstrate that RNA-protein interactions can be reliably predicted using only sequence-derived information. RPISeq offers an inexpensive method for computational construction of RNA-protein interaction networks, and should provide useful insights into the function of non-coding RNAs. RPISeq is freely available as a web-based server at http://pridb.gdcb.iastate.edu/RPISeq/ .
Effect of amitraz on heart rate and aortic blood pressure in conscious dogs: influence of atropine, prazosin, tolazoline, and yohimbine.

Abstract The effect of amitraz on heart rate (HR) and mean aortic blood pressure (MAP) were studied in five conscious male dogs. An iv injection of amitraz (1 mg/kg) caused a decrease in HR, which was accompanied by sinus arrhythmia for at least 60 min. Administration of amitraz also caused an increase in MAP for 20 min. Atropine sulfate (0.045 mg/kg, iv) increased HR and prevented amitraz-induced bradycardia. In addition, atropine potentiated amitraz-induced hypertension for 45 min. Yohimbine, and α 2 -adrenoreceptor antagonist, given iv at 0.1 mg/kg, prevented hypertension, bradycardia, and sinus arrhythmia induced by amitraz. Tolazoline, a nonselective α-adrenoreceptor antagonist, given iv at 5 mg/kg, reduced the bradycardia and sinus arrhythmia caused by amitraz administration but did not change amitraz-induced hypertension. Tolazoline alone also increased both HR and MAP. Prazosin, an α 1 -adrenoreceptor antagonist, given iv at 1 mg/kg, did not affect the cardiovascular actions of amitraz. The results suggest that (1) α 2 -adrenoreceptors mediate amitraz-induced bradycardia and hypertension, and (2) yohimbine, but not atropine, can be used to control the untoward reactions of amitraz.
Activation of TRPC6 channels promotes endocannabinoid biosynthesis in neuronal CAD cells

Calcium influx activates biosynthesis of the endogenous cannabinoids 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA). The calcium channel involved with endocannabinoid synthesis and release in neurons is still unknown. The canonical TRP (TRPC) channels are calcium-permeable channels that are a homology-based subdivision of the broader class of TRP channels. TRPC3, 6, and 7 are G-protein-gated non-selective cation channels that have been localized to lipid rafts and shown to colocalize with caveolin 1. Because endocannabinoid synthesis has been found to occur "on demand" in a calcium-dependent manner and has been linked to lipid rafts, we explored the potential role of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in this process. Previously, we observed that after metabolism AEA and arachidonic acid (ArA) can be recycled into new endocannabinoid molecules. Consistent with these previous findings, we found that Cath.a differentiated (CAD) cells pretreated with radiolabeled ArA exhibited a robust increase in 2-AG release in response to TRPC stimulation with the diacylglycerol (DAG) analogue, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG). Furthermore, cells pretreated with [(3)H]AEA produced a significant amount of AEA and 2-AG upon stimulation of TRPC channels. This process was not mediated through protein kinase C activation. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that only TRPC6 was present in the CAD cells. siRNA-induced knockdown of TRPC6 in the CAD cells abolished OAG-stimulated production of the endocannabionids. This evidence suggests that TRPC6 may be capable of promoting endocannabinoid synthesis in neuronal cells.
Multivariate risk aversion with applications

Risk aversion has played a fundamental part in applied decision models under uncertainty. The measure which has found wide applications is the Arrow-Pratt (r A) measure of absolute risk aversion [1,10]: $$ \mathop r\nolimits_A = - \mathop \partial \nolimits^2 u(z)/\partial u(z)$$ (1) defined on the space of real-valued utility functionsu(z). Herez may be a scalar i.e. wealth or income, or it may be a vector of goods over which the scalar utility function is defined. If\(z = z(\tilde c,x)\) represents the consequences of a lottery generated by the random variables\({\tilde c}\) with a probability distribution\(\begin{gathered}F(\tilde c\left| {\theta )} \right. \hfill \\{\tilde z} \hfill \\\end{gathered}\) indexed by its parametersθ (e.g. mean, variance), then the decision-maker (DM) has a problem of optimal decision-making under the uncertain environment. Two types of uses are then usually made. One is the notion of certainty equivalence of a lottery which has random outcomes denoted by\({\tilde z}\). For all monotonic utility functions\(u(\tilde z)\) defined on the space of\({\tilde z}\), a DM is said to be risk averse, if he prefers\(u(E(\tilde z))\) over\(E(u(\tilde z))\) whereE is the expectation operator over the nondegenerate distribution of the random variable\({\tilde z}\) or, of\({\tilde c}\) givenθ. If these expectations are finite, then the certainty equivalent (CE) of the lottery is defined by an amount\({\hat z}\) such that $$u(\hat z) = E[u(\tilde z)]$$ (2) i.e. the DM is in different between thelottery and the amount\({\hat z}\) for certain.
Mapping cis-acting defects in promoters of transcriptionally silent DQA2, DQB2, and DOB genes.

Abstract Defects in promoters of the nonexpressed DQA2, DQB2, and DOB genes from the class II major histo-compatibility complex were mapped by placing Z and X boxes of these silent genes into a synthetic DRA promoter. These conserved upstream sequences confer B-cell-specific and gamma-interferon-inducible expression to the DRA gene. Since DRA promoters containing the X box from the DQA2 gene and Z boxes from DQA2, DQB2, and DOB genes were neither expressed constitutively in B cells nor inducible by gamma interferon in fibroblastic cells, these conserved upstream sequences are implicated in the transcriptional defects of these silent genes.
Are Adolescent Smokers Addicted to Nicotine? The Suitability of the Nicotine Dependence Construct as Applied to Adolescents

SUMMARY Adolescent cigarette smoking has long been regarded as a major public health problem. Particularly disconcerting is the observation that over the last several years, greater numbers of adolescents are taking up this destructive behavior. While some have assumed that the majority of these smokers are, or will become, nicotine dependent, the fact is that we know very little about the phenomenon of nicotine dependence in adolescence. In this paper, the author reviews the theoretical and empirical bases from which inferences regarding addictive smoking in adolescence can be drawn. It appears that although a significant proportion of teenage smokers do progress to dependence, this is not an inevitable outcome for all adolescent smokers. Moreover, the scientific study of nicotine dependence among adolescents is still in its infancy and, as such, more work in the area of measurement and assessment needs to be done. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are also discussed.
Water interactions in metal organic frameworks

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have a strong potential for gas adsorption and separation such as H2 and CH4 storage, and CO2 capture. However, their instability in the presence of water vapor (many MOFs are hygroscopic) is one of the key issues that limit their large-scale application. Previous studies of water adsorption in MOFs have mainly relied on isotherm measurements that provide useful parameters such as adsorption uptake and isosteric heat of adsorption. The structural stability of MOFs in water vapor was also evaluated by powder X-ray diffraction measurements (PXRD). However, more studies are required to unravel the water interaction or reaction mechanisms within MOFs, which would be beneficial for the development of more robust frameworks. This review highlight focuses on water adsorption in two representative MOFs: M(bdc)(ted)0.5 [M = Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+; bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate; ted = triethylenediamine] with saturated metal centers and MOF-74 [M2(dobdc), M = Mg2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+ and dobdc = 2,5-dihydroxybenzenedicarboxylic acid] with unsaturated metal centers. It shows how vibrational spectroscopy combined with van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) calculations makes it possible to elucidate the details of water reaction in MOFs. The results presented in this highlight suggest that the reactivity and initial decomposition pathway of MOFs in water vapor critically depend on their structure and the specific metal cation in the building units. Water interaction with a hydrophobic MOF, in this case FMOF-1, is also reviewed. This information provides a framework for understanding water interactions or reactions within different types of MOFs.
The current status of equine colic research

Colic (acute abdominal pain) is associated with serious complications more often in the horse than in other domestic species. Furthermore, mortality arising from colic is greater than from any other equine health problem. The diseases which produce colic range-from intestinal displacement (volvulus , torsion or incarceration) to infarction without strangulation and to mild forms of abdominal discomfort where a definitive diagnosis is often not made. Fortunately, the mild forms of colic are by far the more common. Mild forms of colic are often treated symptomatically and successfully without fully addressing the underlying pathophysiology. Consequently, many treatment methods are used without a complete understanding as to how or why they work. Improvements in medical treatment of shock and surgical techniques have increased the survival rate of horses requiring emergency abdominal surgery. However, our knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of colic and the identification of the steps leading to irreversible shock have failed to keep pace with the improved success in treatment. This paper will briefly review both the sources of and gaps in information concerning colic and may 'serve to suggest some areas which need further investigation.
Resonances of nonlinear oscillators.

We show that nonlinear oscillators have a large response to special aperiodic driving forces. If these forces are selected to minimize the driving effort for a given terminal energy, these forces are given by the time-reflected transient of the unperturbed dynamics (the ``principle of the dynamical key''). We provide a proof of this principle. We find that these optimal forcing functions have very similar dynamics for several different norms. We present a quantitative comparison of the energy transfer for sinusoidal and optimal driving forces. We find that aperiodic driving forces are most effective for large nonlinearity and small friction. We show that this optimal control is stable for several important systems.
Viscoelasticity of granular materials

Abstract In a former work (V.T. Granik and M. Ferrari (1993), Microstructural mechanics of granular media, Mech. Mater. 15, 301–322) a micromechanical theory for elastic granular media was deduced on the basis of the identification of the constituent grains with the nodes of a Bravais lattice. The transition from the discrete structure to the continuum level was achieved through assumptions on the kinematical fields and through a variational formulation establishing the relationship between microstresses and macrostresses. In the present paper we extend this theory to the linear viscoelasticity domain. We formulate the general linear viscoelastic relations in terms of microstresses and microdeformations, deducing the boundary value problems for the microstresses and for macrostresses. Then we focus our attention on the links between constitutive equations governing the microscopic level (formulated following the general methods of linear viscoelasticity) and their macroscopic counterparts. Thus we directly relate microstructural information to the macroscopic constitutive laws. deducing classical macroscopic properties in terms of structural parameters. Finally the dynamical problem of plane waves propagation in a semi-infinite granular medium is analyzed and the influence that the arrangement of the particles exerts on the pulse propagation is discussed.
Rapid Estimation of Gonad-to-Body Ratio in Eastern Oysters by Image Analysis

Abstract The goal of this study was to develop a rapid and reliable method of quantifying the gonadal condition of eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica based on a gonad-to-body ratio (GBR). The objectives were to compare a previously established transect method with three alternative computer-based image analysis (IA) methods based on acquisition time, composite GBR values, and GBR values at different stages of gonadal development. The first IA method calculated the area of the gonad and body while eliminating the dorsal and ventral curvature of the gonad, the second calculated the area of the gonad and body while eliminating the gill area, and the third calculated the total area of the gonad and body. The GBR values from the first and third IA methods were not different from those from the transect method. The second IA method resulted in higher GBR values in 80% of the measurements compared with the other three methods. However, measuring the gonadal area and total body area was five times faster than ...
A comparative study between organic and inorganic resists in electron beam lithography using Monte Carlo simulations

A Monte Carlo study has been performed in order to understand the differences in exposure behavior between organic and inorganic electron beam resists. Typically inorganic resists constitute high atomic number species (Z>10) and are of higher density as compared to traditional organic resists such as acrylates. In this work, the consequences of tethering a high atomic number species such as a silicon or titanium atom onto a PMMA molecule on the electron beam energy deposition in the material have been investigated. The addition of these atoms increases the density of the hypothetical film and therefore the number of elastic and inelastic collisions suffered by an incident electron. The larger electron shell density associated with these high atomic number species more effectively shields the nucleus resulting in a larger average elastic scattering angle but the average inelastic scattering angle remains unaffected. The average radial and depth distance traveled by an incident electron decreases with increasing atomic number of the species tethered to the PMMA molecule. The radial and energy distribution of incident electrons in PMMA, HSQ, and a Titanium based metal-organic precursor film have also been compared. At low accelerating potentials, the broadening of the point source electron beam becomes larger with the increasing atomic number of the atoms in the resist material. However, at high accelerating potentials where the average depth distance traveled into the film increases, the point source electron beam broadening is essentially the same for both organic and inorganic films for thin films. Eventually, at large film thicknesses, the radial spread of incident electrons becomes broader in the inorganic films as a consequence of higher density and larger scattering atoms. Also, as a consequence of a larger number of collisions, the absorbed energy density in inorganic films increases, indicating that these materials will more efficiently capture electron beam energy as compared to traditional organic materials.
Strategy in retreat; pricing drops out

Examines the shift in priorities of US industrial firms from those of securing market share by means of product innovation and aggressive pricing strategy to that of the achievement of short‐term objectives such as the satisfaction of financial markets and shareholders. Describes an eight‐year study tracking the use of pricing strategy by industrial firms in the 1980s, situating them in the wider context of Japanese‐led changes to the US market during that period. Concludes that instead of reacting defensively, abandoning pricing as a market strategy or using it for short‐term profitability, US business should concentrate on product innovation/development and the pursuit of long‐term profit goals via marketing and pricing strategies appropriate to the external marketplace.
Properties and stability of thin films for magneto optic recording

CoGdTb films have been prepared by rf sputtering over a range of bias voltages containing either Ar or Kr and protected with either SiO 2 or Si 3 N 4 . Annealing has been carried out in air as well as in pure Ar. The stability of various parameters on annealing has been studied as a function of preparation conditions. The parameters studied were the perpendicular anisotropy, the coercivity, the compensation temperature, the gas content and the elemental depth profiles. These results are compared to the stability of the perpendicular anisotropy of samples of FeGd and FeTb obtained from outside our laboratory. Three of the samples had equivalent and excellent stability; the FeGd-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 , CoGdTbAr-SiO 2 and FeTb-SiO 2 all annealed in air. The three samples with the poorest stability were the CoGdTbKr-SiO 2 , CoGdTbAr-SiN both annealed in air and the CoGdTbAr-SiO 2 annealed in pure argon. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms responsible for the changes. Much of the instability is clearly due to structural rearrangement of the film independent of oxidation.
“Temperature-programmed” gas chromatography with electron capture detection

Abstract A flow-controlled, temperature-programmed precolumn, a vent valve, and a pressure-controlled, isothermal analytical column were combined to achieve high-sensitivity electron capture gas chromatography. The separations of chlorinated hydrocarbons conducted with this system demonstrate its potential for introducing temperature programming, solvent venting and peak cutting abilities to the common gas-liquid chromatographic analysis by electron capture.
A radiographic cephalometric consideration of facial growth during orthodontic treatment

Thus, in a general summary of what was said, it may be pointed out that the effect of orthodontic appliances influences favorably certain changes in position and occlusion of teeth, and in form and relationship of alveolar and dental arches. The effect of orthodontic appliances influences unfavorably the roots of the teeth and the tissues surrounding them. The result aimed at and frequently attained is normal occlusion. Whatever else happens in the course of orthodontic treatment, such as increase in size, change in form and alteration in position of the jaw bones and the rest of the face, is due to conditions over which our mechanical devices have no influence and no control. We are thus inadvertently brought to the conclusion that,, after all, the dualism bisecting the nature of our problem does not suggest two separate halves. It rather suggests that both halves must be combined for the purpose of making up a complete whole. But to uphold the integrity of the whole, we must be mindful of two facts: namely, that while mechanics furnishes the means by which the possibilities of orthodontic practices are realized, biology reveals a boundary of limitations within which our practices must be confined.
BRANCH CUTS IN THE BALAZS METHOD. II. APPLICATION TO PION--PION SCATTERING.

The modified Bal\'azs method, which retains the near part of the left-hand cut, is studied with regard to its ability to reproduce known, resonant functions and is applied to the pion-pion scattering problem. The known functions are reproduced reliably, with little dependence on the matching points and the number of poles, provided that sufficiently good estimates of the gap and the cut are used, and that the pole positions are chosen to optimize the agreement in the gap. The pion-pion results show a systematic improvement as crossed-channel partial waves are added to the input, and four partial waves are sufficient to produce the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and ${f}^{0}$ in rough agreement with experiment. These calculations do not use cutoffs, other arbitrary adjustable parameters, Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson poles, coupling to other channels, or inelasticity.
A Contribution to Our Knowledge of Ginseng

The Chinese people discovered ginseng and used it as a revitalizing agent since time immemorial. They are still the world's major consumers of this plant drug. The commercial product of ginseng comes from two species of the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae. These species are P. ginseng C. A. Meyer which is the source plant of the Chinese, Korean and Japanese brands of ginseng, and P. quinquefolius L., which is the source of American ginseng. Phytogeographically, ginseng demonstrates the classical bicentric pattern of plant distribution, with closely related species in eastern Asia and in eastern North America. Ecologically, ginseng is an undergrowth of hardwood mixed deciduous forest. It prefers the northern or the northeastern slope of a hill. Species of the genus Tilia are good indicators of the proper environmental condition for the growth of ginseng. Morphologically, ginseng is a perennial herb with fleshy root, a single annual stem bearing a whorl of palmately compound leaves, and a terminal simple umbel of small 5-merous flowers. The flowers are soon followed by pea-sized fruits developed from inferior ovaries. The fruits are red when ripe. Ginseng is propagated by seed. The commercial products of ginseng consist primarily of roots 2-20 years old. Within this age range, the older the root the higher the market value, provided they are grown in proper conditions. The methods of curing the roots change the color and shape of the products. Chinese ginseng is prepared from roots bleached, boiled, steamed, or sugared in curing. The cultural background for the uses of ginseng by the Chinese people is explained. Ginseng may be used alone in the form of tea, powder, or as a masticatory. It is also used in combination with other drugs of animal, mineral, or plant origin. Forty-two recipes are selected from Pen-ts'oa kang-mu and translated into English for the first time to show the various ways by which ginseng is used in traditional Chinese medicine. A systematic summary of the companion plant drugs of ginseng is presented in the form of a table, showing the distribution of the species in the plant kingdom. The scientific names of the species are given in full.
Raman Lines and Infra-Red Bands in Nitrous Oxide

THE question whether or not the N2O molecule is linear, and if so, whether the oxygen atom occupies a position between the two nitrogen atoms or at one end, was discussed by Snow 1 some time ago. The incomplete evidence then available seemed to favour the symmetrical configuration. We have, however, been able to show conclusively that the molecule is unsymmetrical, though linear.2 The form of the bands and the spacing of the rotation lines is inconsistent with any but the linear model. The selection rules for vibrational transitions and for the appearance of zero branches, and the fact that all three fundamental frequencies are optically active, indicate the asymmetry.
Helium diffusion and solubility in obsidians and basaltic glass in the range 200–300°C

Helium diffusion and solubility have been measured by the permeation technique in two natural obsidians and one basaltic glass in the range 200–300°C. Diffusivities for obsidians are of the order of 1 to 5 × 10 −7 cm 2 /s and obey the Arrhenius laws D I = 7.7 × 10 −4 exp[−8.010/ RT ] and D VC = 1.6 × 10 −3 exp[−8.590/ RT ] for Iceland and New Mexico obsidian, respectively. Mean solubilities are S I = 2.2 × 10 −3 and S VC = 2.6 × 10 −3 cm 3 STP/g atm. Diffusivity and solubility in basalt glass are considerably lower and permeation alone could be determined accurately. An estimation of D b ⋍ 10 −3 cm 2 /s and S b ⋍ 4 × 10 −4 cm 3 STP/g atm at 250°C is proposed, with an activation energy for diffusion of ⋍14 ± 2kcal/mole. These results permit a quantitative discussion of the exchange of He between water, gas and glass during the analyses as well as in geological settings. Vesiculation and diffusion loss appear to be the most likely processes in degassing basaltic melts and glasses.
The effective one-loop action in the strongly interacting standard electroweak theory

Abstract One-loop corrections to the effective gauged σ-model of the large Higgs mass limit of the standard electroweak model are presented. The one-loop corrected strong scattering amplitude is obtained by a resummation of the derivative expansion. A significant enhancement is found for longitudinal W and Z scattering sections in the TeV center of mass energy region.
Investigation of ZnMnTe weakly diluted FCC magnetic semiconductor

Abstract We report neutron diffraction studies of Zn 1- x Mn x Te epitaxial layers for x =0.71, 0.84, 0.94 and 1 (pure MnTe). Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was used to grow the crystals on a GaAs (100) surface, resulting in zinc blende (ZB) crystallographic structure of the epilayers for all compositions. The film thickness were in the micrometer range, and could be characterized as bulk-like in terms of the strain and magnetic properties. The quality of the crystal was remarkably good, giving an indication that the NiAs form of MnTe grown by conventional techniques may be metastable at room temperature.
Analysis of very fast transient luminescence behavior

Abstract At present the response speed of many fast pulse decay time measurements is not limited by the electronic instruments but rather by the time duration of the exciting pulse for both U.V. fluorescence and pulse radiolysis. Several techniques are usable in reducing or removing this convolution limit on the measurements and increasing the response speed to at least 0·1 ns in the case of monophoton measurements, with measurements of decay times to less than 0·5 ns. Two methods are especially useful, Laplace transforms which provide a true deconvolution of the data, and Fourier transforms which allow arbitrary changes in the shape of the excitation function which in effect is a reconvolution so as to produce the new pulse shape.
DPP4 in Cardiometabolic Disease Recent Insights From the Laboratory and Clinical Trials of DPP4 Inhibition

The discovery of incretin-based medications represents a major therapeutic advance in the pharmacological management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as these agents avoid hypoglycemia, weight gain, and simplify the management of T2DM. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (CD26, DPP4) inhibitors are the most widely used incretin-based therapy for the treatment of T2DM globally. DPP4 inhibitors are modestly effective in reducing HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) (≈0.5%) and while these agents were synthesized with the understanding of the role that DPP4 plays in prolonging the half-life of incretins such as glucagon-like peptide-1 and gastric inhibitory peptide, it is now recognized that incretins are only one of many targets of DPP4. The widespread expression of DPP4 on blood vessels, myocardium, and myeloid cells and the nonenzymatic function of CD26 as a signaling and binding protein, across a wide range of species, suggest a teleological role in cardiovascular regulation and inflammation. Indeed, DPP4 is upregulated in proinflammatory states including obesity, T2DM, and atherosclerosis. Consistent with this maladaptive role, the effects of DPP4 inhibition seem to exert a protective role in cardiovascular disease at least in preclinical animal models. Although 2 large clinical trials suggest a neutral effect on cardiovascular end points, current limitations of performing trials in T2DM over a limited time horizon on top of maximal medical therapy must be acknowledged before rendering judgment on the cardiovascular efficacy of these agents. This review will critically review the science of DPP4 and the effects of DPP4 inhibitors on the cardiovascular system.
Assessment as a process in pediatric psychology.

In this editorial, we have highlighted several key aspects of the assessment process. First, we consider it critical that pediatric psychologists view "assessment as a process," and not as a test or measure. Assessment begins with the formulation of a precise, answerable question--and this maxim is equally important for researchers and clinicians. It is especially critical that research questions be conceptually based, as well as of applied interest. The development of an appropriate assessment strategy should always follow directly from the question that is posed. Second, in developing an assessment strategy, we advocate selecting the "best" informants and the "best" measurement methods available, also taking into consideration the developmental level of the participants and the types of constructs being assessed. In most cases, it will be desirable to use multiple informants, rather than relying on a single source. Given the measurement constraints discussed earlier, we also advocate using multiple measures to assess a construct, and avoiding single-item measures. We also feel strongly that pediatric psychologists should consider designing focused studies of developmentally appropriate age groups, rather than evaluating children from a very broad age range (e.g., infants to teens). Third, as pediatric psychological research moves into new areas of inquiry, assessment should represent a "growth area." We need psychometrically sound measures that are appropriate for use with pediatric health populations. We also need to develop assessment strategies that capture the rich and complex process of dealing with health and disease and, therefore, we should consider gathering qualitative data, to supplement standardized questionnaires. Finally, we recognize that pediatric psychologists face many practical constraints and challenges in the assessment process, especially in today's volatile health care climate. We have seen and will continue to see radical changes in the way health care is provided; pediatric psychologists and other care providers are continually making adjustments in their activities to respond to these frequent shifts and changes. In part because of these changes, pediatric psychologists need to develop and use methods to assess the financial costs and benefits of their interventions. With the increasing emphasis on providing quality medical care at the lowest possible price, efforts to document the valuable contributions of pediatric psychologists become paramount. By sharing our ideas and strategies, as many of the contributors to this issue have done, we stand a better chance of making a better future.
Mediation roles for large small countries

In 2011 the United Nations (UN) General Assembly endorsed the notion of mediation, already noted in the Charter (UN Charter n.d., art VI.33), as a primary means of settling disputes; in 2005 the Mi...
Domains of Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein important for membrane-derived-oligosaccharide biosynthesis.

Acyl carrier protein participates in a number of biosynthetic pathways in Escherichia coli: fatty acid biosynthesis, phospholipid biosynthesis, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, activation of prohemolysin, and membrane-derived oligosaccharide biosynthesis. The first four pathways require the protein9s prosthetic group, phosphopantetheine, to assemble an acyl chain or to transfer an acyl group from the thioester linkage to a specific substrate. By contrast, the phosphopantetheine prosthetic group is not required for membrane-derived oligosaccharide biosynthesis, and the function of acyl carrier protein in this biosynthetic scheme is currently unknown. We have combined biochemical and molecular biological approaches to investigate domains of acyl carrier protein that are important for membrane-derived oligosaccharide biosynthesis. Proteolytic removal of the first 6 amino acids from acyl carrier protein or chemical synthesis of a partial peptide encompassing residues 26 to 50 resulted in losses of secondary and tertiary structure and consequent loss of activity in the membrane glucosyltransferase reaction of membrane-derived oligosaccharide biosynthesis. These peptide fragments, however, inhibited the action of intact acyl carrier protein in the enzymatic reaction. This suggests a role for the loop regions of the E. coli acyl carrier protein and the need for at least two regions of the protein for participation in the glucosyltransferase reaction. We have purified acyl carrier protein from eight species of Proteobacteria (including representatives from all four subgroups) and characterized the proteins as active or inhibitory in the membrane glucosyltransferase reaction. The complete or partial amino acid sequences of these acyl carrier proteins were determined. The results of site-directed mutagenesis to change amino acids conserved in active, and altered in inactive, acyl carrier proteins suggest the importance of residues Glu-4, Gln-14, Glu-21, and Asp-51. The first 3 of these residues define a face of acyl carrier protein that includes the beginning of the loop region, residues 16 to 36. Additionally, screening for membrane glucosyltransferase activity in membranes from bacterial species that had acyl carrier proteins that were active with E. coli membranes revealed the presence of glucosyltransferase activity only in the species most closely related to E. coli. Thus, it seems likely that only bacteria from the Proteobacteria subgroup gamma-3 have periplasmic glucans synthesized by the mechanism found in E. coli.
Isotopic discrimination of resource partitioning among ungulates in C3-dominated communities from the Miocene of Florida and California

Stable isotope analysis of mammalian tooth enamel is a valuable method for examining resource partitioning in modern and ancient environments where there is a mixture of C3 and C4 plants. However, before 7 Ma North American ecosystems were composed predominantly of C3 plants, complicating isotopic assessment of resource partitioning. Study of modern African and North American ecosystems has shown that niche partitioning among mammals may be discerned in communities dominated by C3 plants, suggesting that a similar approach may work for ancient C3 ecosystems. Here, such analyses are applied to explore resource use and niche partitioning in two ancient C3-dominated communities, one from California and one from Florida. Each locality, Black Hawk Ranch (California) and the Love Bone Bed (Florida), occurs in Miocene deposits that accumulated prior to the rapid increase in C4 ecosystems 7 Myr ago. δ13C and δ18O values were obtained from the tooth enamel of eight species from Black Hawk Ranch, and 15 species from the Love Bone Bed. Results from the 197 bulk isotope samples showed significant differences in δ13C among taxa at the Love Bone Bed, but no significant differences were observed among taxa at Black Hawk Ranch. At both localities, equids generally have more positive δ13C values than co-occurring taxa, suggesting that equids occupied more open habitats, whereas antilocaprids, camelids, and proboscideans have more negative values, implying utilization of more closed communities. One result of note is the positive δ13C values of Pediomeryx (Yumaceras) hamiltoni from the Love Bone Bed, which suggests that P. (Y.) hamiltoni incorporated abundant fiber, possibly grass, in the diet similar to the horses from this locality. The lack of significant differences among taxa at Black Hawk Ranch may indicate a relatively homogeneous flora, or presence of abundant resources permitting niche overlap, whereas the opposite is implied by the presence of significantly different isotope values among taxa at the Love Bone Bed. The results from this study highlight the utility of isotopic techniques allowing discernment of resource partitioning in C3-dominated landscapes such as those that persisted for the millions of years before the rapid increase in C4 ecosystems that occurred during the late Miocene.
Metabolic effects of nandrolone decanoate and resistance training in men with HIV.

Thirty human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men were randomized to a high dose of nandrolone decanoate weekly (group 1) or nandrolone plus resistance training (group 2) for 12 wk. For the tw...
Molecular Systematics of Old World Stripe-Necked Turtles (Testudines: Mauremys)

Nine extant species of Mauremys (including Ocadia and Chinemys) represent a geographically widespread yet morphologically and ecologically conservative group of batagurid turtles. Here we examine the evolutionary rela- tionships of Mauremys using 1539 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA encoding portions of COI, ND4, and three adja- cent tRNA genes. These data contain 246 parsimony informative characters that we use to erect hypotheses of rela- tionships for Mauremys. Both maximum parsimony and Bayesian methods suggest that Mauremys japonica, M. sinensis, M. nigricans, and M. reevesii form a well-supported monophyletic clade, as do M. mutica and M. annamen- sis. Furthermore, our analyses show that M. mutica is paraphyletic with respect to M. annamensis. The western taxa M. leprosa, M. caspica, and M. rivulata remain problematic and do not form a monophyletic group sister to the Asian taxa. Nevertheless, an east-west biogeographic hypothesis cannot be discounted with our molecular genetic data.
On the use of Levin's T-transform in accelerating the summation of series representing the free-space periodic Green's functions

The Levin's T-transform is shown to accelerate the summation of slowly converging series. This is illustrated by application of the transform to the series representing the free-space periodic Green's functions involving a single and double infinite summation. Numerical results indicate that the transform converges more rapidly than a direct summation of the series. Thus, it provides considerable savings in computation time. >