cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Effects of Hypoxic and Hyperoxic Stress-Induced Hypertrophy in Cultured Chick Fetal Cardiac Myocytes

The adult heart responds to contraction demands by hypertrophy, or enlargement, of cardiac myocytes. Adaptive hypertrophy can occur in response to hyperoxic conditions such as exercise, while pathological factors that result in hypoxia ultimately result in heart failure. The difference in the outcomes produced by pathologically versus physiologically induced hypertrophy suggests that the cellular signaling pathways or conditions of myocytes may be different at the cellular level. The structural and functional changes in myocytes resulting from hyperoxia (simulated using hydrogen peroxide) and hypoxia (using oxygen deprivation) were tested on fetal chick cardiac myocytes grown in vitro. Structural changes were measured using immunostaining for α-sarcomeric actin or MyoD, while functional changes were assessed using immunostaining for calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMKII) and by measuring intracellular calcium fluxes using live cell fluorescence imaging. Both hypoxic and hyperoxic stress resulted in an upregulation of actin and MyoD expression. Similarly, voltage-gated channels governing myocyte depolarization and the regulation of CaMK were unchanged by hyperoxic or hypoxic conditions. However, the dynamic features of calcium fluxes elicited by caffeine or epinephrine were different in cells subjected to hypoxia versus hyperoxia, suggesting that these different conditions differentially affect components of ligand-activated signaling pathways that regulate calcium. Our results suggest that changes in signaling pathways, rather than structural organization, may mediate the different outcomes associated with hyperoxia-induced versus hypoxia-induced hypertrophy, and these changes are likely initiated at the cellular level.
Variables in adaptive decisions in individualized instruction 1

Abstract Adapting through prescriptive tests has been a most prized feature of curriculum materials developed in the modern research and development tradition. It is, therefore, surprising that there were no earlier attempts to measure the variables that affect adaptive decisions. Three measures of variables reflecting the rationale of adapting to individual differences are presented here. These measures are: (a) ratio of teaching time to total time; (b) predictive validity ratio; and (c) discriminability ratio. The use of these measures is demonstrated with five diverse examples of adaptive programs. Each of the three measures yielded a considerable range of values over the five programs, but none of the programs proved adequate on all three measures of the necessary conditions for adaptive decisions. Adapting instruction with prescriptive tests may continue to be widely used as a matter of faith, but as yet there is no empirical basis for the faith. The present measures may help in both preparing adequa...
DNA methylation during chronic administration of 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine in a carcinogenic regimen

The formation and persistence of O6-methylguanine and 7-methylguanine in colon, kidney, and liver DNA were measured over a period of 25 weeks during 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (SDMH) carcinogenesis. Rats were given 14 weekly s.c. injections of 21 mg SDMH/kg body wt., and methylated guanines in DNA were determined quantitatively one week after each injection to measure the long-term accumulation of these aberrant bases. No accumulation of either base was seen in colon DNA, and no O6-methylguanine was seen to accumulate in liver DNA. The concentrations of O6-methylguanine and 7-methylguanine in kidney DNA did increase with reported administration of the carcinogen, but these bases were removed within six weeks after the last (14th) injection of SDMH. Large amounts of 7-methylguanine accumulated in liver DNA over the 14-week treatment period. The concentration of 7-methylguanine in liver and kidney DNA increased at rates greater than could be accounted for by using kinetic relationships determined in single-exposure studies. The concentration of O6-methylguanine in kidney DNA also increase at a rate greater than would be expected from calculations based on the rate of removal following a single administration of SDMH.
Prototype formation in very short-term memory

Following high-speed presentation of stimuli, subjects falsely recognized prototype numbers and words as being among the set of original stimuli. The results suggest high-speed abstraction of information by subjects during or shortly after high-speed perception. This abstraction of a class of information may leave a memory trace that is a more memorable representation of events (as measured by recognition techniques) than are the perceived stimuli. These results suggest that very short-term processing of information is more complicated than simple sequential dualistic models of memory assume.
Active object systems

An active object system is a transition-based object-oriented system suitable for the design of various concurrent systems. An AOS consists of a collection of interacting objects, where the behavior of each object is determined by the transition statements provided in the class of that object. A transition statement is a condition-action pair, an equational assignment statement, or an event routine. The transition statements provided for each object can access, besides the state of that object, the states of the other objects known to it through its interface variables. Interface variables are bound to objects when objects are instantiated so that desired connections among objects are established. The major benefit of the AOS approach is that an active system can be hierarchically composed from its active software components as if it were a hardware system. An AOS provides better encapsulation and more flexible communication protocols than ordinary object oriented systems, since control within an AOS is localized.
Isolation and cell regeneration of protoplasts from sugar pine ( Pinus lambertiana )

Protoplasts were isolated at high yields from actively growing callus and cell suspensions of cotyledons and needles of mature trees. The best protoplast growth response was obtained from cell suspensions of cotyledon and needle callus. Lower protoplast yields were obtained directly from young needles of flushing buds on explants from mature shoots (30-year-old trees) growing in vitro. In all cases, the first divisions, promoted by dimethyl sulfoxide, were observed in 10–45% of the protoplasts by 7–10 days. After 25–30 days, colonies of 8–10 cells were established. Browning of protoplast-derived cell cultures was observed within 40–45 days (cotyledons) and 20–25 days (mature tree sources).
A combined experimental/computational investigation of stratified combustion in methane–air mixtures

Although the importance of stratified combustion was early realized, there are still not enough data to fully characterize it mainly due to experimental difficulties of setting up mixture stratification in a controllable manner. As a contribution toward this shortage, controllable stratification was achieved with a technique based on convective-diffusive balance in a novel chamber. The measured flame speeds in the chamber showed that there were significant deviations from quasi-homogeneous flame speeds especially for flames that experienced higher concentration gradients. The experimental results were rationalized theoretically, using appropriate flame asymptotics. The emphasis lies on the establishment of the lean flammability extension, which can lead to significant fuel economy in practical systems and to the increase in flame speeds because of the non-adiabatic flames established in stratified media.
The effect of fluoroethylene carbonate additive content on the formation of the solid-electrolyte interphase and capacity fade of Li-ion full-cell employing nano Si-graphene composite anodes

Abstract When fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) is added to the ethylene carbonate (EC)–diethyl carbonate (DEC) electrolyte, the capacity and cyclability of full-cells employing Si–graphene anode and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide cathode (NCA) cathode are improved due to formation of a thin (30–50 nm) SEI layer with low ionic resistance (∼2 ohm cm 2 ) on the surface of Si–graphene anode. These properties are confirmed with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and a cross-sectional image analysis using Focused Ion Beam (FIB)-SEM. Approximately 5 wt.% FEC in EC:DEC (1:1 wt.%) shows the highest capacity and most stability. This high capacity and low capacity fade is attributed to a more stable SEI layer containing less CH 2 OCO 2 Li, Li 2 CO 3 and LiF compounds, which consume cyclable Li. Additionally, a greater amount of polycarbonate (PC), which is known to form a more robust passivation layer, thus reducing further reduction of electrolyte, is confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Central auditory processing. III. The "cocktail party" effect and anterior temporal lobectomy.

Abstract The capacity to selectively attend to only one of multiple, spatially separated, simultaneous sound sources—the “cocktail party” effect—was evaluated in normal subjects and in those with anterior temporal lobectomy using common environmental sounds. A significant deficit in this capacity was observed for those stimuli located on the side of space contralateral to the lobectomy, a finding consistent with the hypothesis that within each anterior temporal lobe is a mechanism that is normally capable of enhancing the perceptual salience of one acoustic stimulus on the opposite side of space, when other sound sources are present on that side. Damage to this mechanism also appears to be associated with a deficit of spatial localization for sounds contralateral to the lesion.
Synthetic quinones influencing herbicide binding and Photosystem II electron transport. The effects of triazine-resistance on quinone binding properties in thylakoid membranes

We have analyzed the binding of synthetic quinones and herbicides which inhibit electron transport at the acceptor side of Photosystem II (PS II) of the photosynthetic electron-transport chain in thylakoid membranes. These data show that quinones and PS II-directed herbicides compete for binding to a common binding environment within a PS II region which functions as the Q−PQ oxidoreductase. We observed that (1) synthetic quinones cause a parallel inhibition of electron transport and [14C]herbicide displacement, and (2) herbicide binding is affected both by the fully oxidized and fully reduced form of a quinone. Quinone function and inhibitor binding were also investigated in thylakoids isolated from triazine-resistant weed biotypes. We conclude the following. (1) The affinity of the secondary accepting quinone, B, is decreased in resistant thylakoids. (2) The observation that the equilibrium concentration of reduced Q after transferring one electron to the acceptor side of PS II is increased in resistant as compared to susceptible chloroplasts may be explained both by a decrease in the affinity of PQ for the herbicide / quinone binding environment, and by a decrease of the midpont redox potential of the BB− couple. (3) The binding environment regulating quinone and herbicide affinity may be divided roughly into two domains; we suggest that the domain regulating quinone head-group binding is little changed in resistant membranes, whereas the domain-regulating quinone side-group binding (and atrazine) is altered. This results in increased inhibitory activity of tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone and phenolic herbicides, which are hypothesized to utilize the quinone head-group domain. The two domains appear to be spatially overlapping because efficient atrazine displacement by tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone is observed.
Method for isolating tight-binding inhibitors of rat lens aldose reductase.

Abstract Numerous animal studies indicate that aldose reductase inhibitors (ARIs) are beneficial for the prevention or amelioration of diabetic complications such as neuropathy, nephropathy and the ocular complications of cataract, retinopathy and keratopathy. To aid in the identification of novel potent ARIs, we have previously developed a screening method that is based on the formation of a non-covalent ternary tight-binding enzyme-inhibitor-nucleotide (AR–ARI–NADPH) complex that can be isolated using YM-10 filter units. Here, we report a modification of this method that permits us to rapidly identify tight binding ARIs that are isolated by denaturation from AR–ARI–NADPH complexes that are free of possible contamination resulting from the reaction of methanol with the YM-10 filter units. For the development of this procedure, nine structurally diverse ARIs were mixed with purified recombinant rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) bound with NADPH to form tight-binding RLAR–ARI–NADPH complexes. These complexes were purified by high pressure Sephadex 75 size exclusion chromatography using ammonium acetate buffer and the formation of each complex was confirmed by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Each of the complexes was then denatured with methanol, rechromatographed on the size exclusion column, and the identity of the bound ARIs was confirmed by ESI-MS. The apparent ARI binding with aldose reductase to form a tight binding ARI complex appeared proportional to their IC50 values. This procedure allows for the rapid identification of tight binding ARIs with apparent IC50s m .
Further insights into quinone cofactor biogenesis: probing the role of mauG in methylamine dehydrogenase tryptophan tryptophylquinone formation.

Paracoccus denitrificans methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) is an enzyme containing a quinone cofactor tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) derived from two tryptophan residues (βTrp57 and βTrp108) within the polypeptide chain. During cofactor formation, the two tryptophan residues become covalently linked, and two carbonyl oxygens are added to the indole ring of βTrp57. Expression of active MADH from P. denitrificans requires four other genes in addition to those that encode the polypeptides of the MADH α2β2 heterotetramer. One of these, mauG, has been shown to be involved in TTQ biogenesis. It contains two covalently attached c-type hemes but exhibits unusual properties compared to c-type cytochromes and diheme cytochrome c peroxidases, to which it has some sequence similarity. To test the role that MauG may play in TTQ maturation, the predicted proximal histidine to each heme (His35 and His205) has each been mutated to valine, and wild-type MADH was expressed in the background of these two mauG mutants. Th...
Thermospheric properties as deduced from incoherent scatter measurements

Abstract This paper reviews the results obtained over the past decade using the incoherent scatter technique that have contributed to present understanding of the structure of the thermosphere. Principal among these has been the measurement of the exospheric temperature with considerable accuracy (± 10–20 K) and time resolution (10–30 min) at four widely differing latitudes over periods of several years. These measurements contributed significantly to the development of the best empirical model for the thermosphere presently available, namely the MSIS model. Very recent results suggest that the thermospheric temperature dependence on Kp is not properly represented in the MSIS model for Millstone and that larger amounts of heat are deposited in the summer auroral zone than the winter one. In addition, it has been found from data gathered in France that the inverse scale height parameter s is not constant as assumed in the model, but decreases as F f10.7 or Kp increases. The technique also is being used to study the oscillation of the temperatures, density and winds near the lower boundary of the thermosphere introduced by upward propagating tides. Also, seasonal variations of the composition of the thermosphere have been detected and support the view that atomic oxygen is transported from the summer to winter hemisphere.
A novel pharmacological approach to treating cardiac ischemia. Binary conjugates of A1 and A3 adenosine receptor agonists

Abstract Adenosine released during cardiac ischemia exerts a potent, protective effect in the heart via activation of A1 or A3 receptors. However, the interaction between the two cardioprotective adenosine receptors and the question of which receptor is the more important anti-ischemic receptor remain largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that activation of both receptors exerted a cardioprotective effect that was significantly greater than activation of either receptor individually. This was accomplished by using a novel design in which new binary conjugates of adenosine A1 and A3 receptor agonists were synthesized and tested in a novel cardiac myocyte model of adenosine-elicited cardioprotection. Binary drugs having mixed selectivity for both A1 and A3 receptors were created through the covalent linking of functionalized congeners of adenosine agonists, each being selective for either the A1 or A3 receptor subtype. MRS 1740 and MRS 1741, thiourea-linked, regioisomers of a binary conjugate, were highly potent and selective in radioligand binding assays for A1 and A3 receptors (K i values of 0.7–3.5 nm)versus A2A receptors. The myocyte models utilized cultured chick embryo cells, either ventricular cells expressing native adenosine A1 and A3receptors, or engineered atrial cells, in which either human A3 receptors alone or both human A1 and A3 receptors were expressed. The binary agonist MRS 1741 coactivated A1 and A3 receptors simultaneously, with full cardioprotection (EC50 ∼0.1 nm) dependent on expression of both receptors. Thus, co-activation of both adenosine A1 and A3 receptors by the binary A1/A3 agonists represents a novel general cardioprotective approach for the treatment of myocardial ischemia.
The clinical use of a P63/cytokeratin7/18/cytokeratin5/14 antibody cocktail in diagnostic breast pathology

An antibody cocktail directed against p63, cytokeratin (CK)5/14, and CK7/18 is reported to be useful in distinguishing noninvasive from invasive breast lesions and for the characterization of intraductal epithelial proliferations. However, limited studies evaluate its use in clinical practice. A retrospective review of breast material at a university medical center identified cases that were immunostained with the above antibody cocktail. Additional p63 immunostaining alone was performed to further determine the utility of the antibody cocktail in the evaluation of invasion. Of 50 breast cases identified, the antibody cocktail was used to confirm or exclude invasion in 44 (88%). Twenty-two (50%) of these had easily identifiable p63/CK5/14-positive myoepithelial cells, whereas the remainder lacked such staining, confirming the diagnosis of invasive carcinoma. In 27 cases with available diagnostic material for additional p63 immunostaining, the cocktail better highlighted myoepithelial cells by staining nuclei and cytoplasm. Easier identification of invasion was also facilitated by CK7/18 expression in invasive foci, especially those composed of single cells. Ten cases were immunostained to help determine the nature of an intraductal proliferation. The cocktail demonstrated a mosaic staining pattern of both CK7/18- and CK5/14-positive epithelial cells in 3 (30%) cases consistent with usual hyperplasia; homogenous CK7/18 expression in the remaining cases supported the diagnosis of atypical ductal hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ. In summary, the p63/CK7/18/CK5/14 cocktail stain appears to be a useful tool in diagnostic breast pathology, in the evaluation of possible invasion, particularly in the setting of minute foci of invasion as well as in epithelial proliferations.
Low-temperature resistivity behaviour of molybdenum–iron, niobium–iron and palladium–iron alloys

The low-temperature resistivity of transition metals containing small amounts of iron was examined. Nb- Fe alloys show no abnormal variations of resistance with temperature above the superconducting transition temperature. The Mo- Fe alloys showed negative magnetoresistivities at and below the temperature of the maximum. Very dilute Pd-Fe ( st run. Concent 0.1 at.% Fe) showed a decrease in resistivity below about 2 un. Concent 85% K but no sign of a minimum above it. This behavior suggests that the Fe atoms interact strongly enough with the neighboring palladium atoms to remove the special significance of the nearest-neighbor ion pairs that give rise in other systems to the minimum, so that the only resistivity anomaly is a decrease below the temperature of the ferromagnetic ordering.
The local environment at the cytoplasmic end of TM6 of the mu opioid receptor differs from those of rhodopsin and monoamine receptors: introduction of an ionic lock between the cytoplasmic ends of helices 3 and 6 by a L6.30(275)E mutation inactivates the mu opioid receptor and reduces the constitutive activity of its T6.34(279)K mutant.

Activation of rhodopsin and monoamine G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been proposed to involve in part the disruption of a conserved E6.30−R3.50 ionic interaction between transmembrane segments (TMs) 3 and 6. However, this interaction does not occur in the opioid receptors, which have L275 at 6.30. On the basis of our findings that mutations of T6.34(279) to K and D produced, respectively, a constitutively active and an inactive form of the μ opioid receptor, we previously suggested that the functional role of the 6.30(275) residue could be assumed by T6.34(279), but the interplay between residues at positions 6.30 and 6.34 remained unresolved. In this study, we examined the effects of introducing an E in position 6.30(275) of the wild type (WT) and of the T6.34(279) mutants of the μ opioid receptor to compare the participation of the 6.30 locus in molecular events during activation in this receptor with its role in other GPCRs. The L6.30(275)E and the L6.30(275)E/T6.34(279)D mutants displayed no ...
On-chip thermal optimisation by whitespace reallocation using a constrained particleswarm optimisation algorithm

The density of chip power dissipation has been increasing steadily over the past several years. High operating temperatures and the existence of hotspots are degrading chip performance and undermining chip reliability. Reducing maximum on-chip temperatures is becoming increasingly important as technology scales below 65 nm. Existing thermal floorplanner compact blocks at the lowest leftmost position allowed by the floor plan encoding. Such compaction minimises chip area but is sub-optimal for wire length and thermal objectives. It is possible to move the blocks in the whitespace (unoccupied chip area) to minimise maximum on-chip temperature without affecting the overall chip area and with a minimal wire length increment of � 2 - 3%. However, reallocation of whitespace for thermal optimisation has not been addressed by researchers to date. Here, the development of a constrained particle swarm optimisation algorithm to find an optimal solution to the problem has been described. Simulation results on MCNC benchmark circuits indicate that this method can reduce the maximum on-chip temperature of thermal-aware floor plans by 0.58 - 7.108C.
Comparing the model-simulated global warming signal to observations using empirical estimates of unforced noise

The comparison of observed global mean surface air temperature (GMT) change to the mean change simulated by climate models has received much public and scientific attention. For a given global warming signal produced by a climate model ensemble, there exists an envelope of GMT values representing the range of possible unforced states of the climate system (the Envelope of Unforced Noise; EUN). Typically, the EUN is derived from climate models themselves, but climate models might not accurately simulate the correct characteristics of unforced GMT variability. Here, we simulate a new, empirical, EUN that is based on instrumental and reconstructed surface temperature records. We compare the forced GMT signal produced by climate models to observations while noting the range of GMT values provided by the empirical EUN. We find that the empirical EUN is wide enough so that the interdecadal variability in the rate of global warming over the 20th century does not necessarily require corresponding variability in the rate-of-increase of the forced signal. The empirical EUN also indicates that the reduced GMT warming over the past decade or so is still consistent with a middle emission scenario's forced signal, but is likely inconsistent with the steepest emission scenario's forced signal.
Physician assessments of practice patterns in emergency department radiograph interpretation

Emergency and radiology department directors at 517 acute-care US teaching hospitals were sent identical questionnaires surveying practice patterns of ED plain film radiograph interpretation. Fifty-seven percent of ED directors and 51% of radiology department (RD) directors responded. Both groups reported that the most common practice pattern (60%) was alternating responsibility for immediate interpretation between emergency physicians and radiologists during a 168-hour week. Remaining hospitals were nearly equally divided between systems in which radiologists always provided immediate interpretation and those in which the emergency physicians always provided the initial interpretation. In all systems in which emergency physicians provided some immediate radiograph interpretation, radiologists provided subsequent review. Institutions varied as to the level of training of the physician in both the ED and RD who provided immediate radiograph interpretation; at least 30% of the institutions responding were reported to have either emergency physicians or radiologists of resident level providing immediate interpretation at least part of the 24-hour day. Interpretation discrepancy rates between emergency physicians and radiologists were estimated to be 4% to 6%. The large amount of variation among hospitals in ED radiograph interpretation systems suggests that these systems were not designed with quality of care concerns as their primary criterion. As a consequence, objective patient outcome and process measures need to be developed and measured to ensure that a particular internal system for ED radiograph interpretation is providing an acceptably high standard of patient care.
Inotropic agents in the treatment of cardiogenic shock.

The pharmacological therapy of cardiogenic shock is determined by the underlying pathophysiology. In pump failure, secondary to severe obstructive coronary artery disease with a large compartment of ischemic myocardium at risk, coronary reserve is severely impaired. Any attempt to improve cardiac performance must consider the delicate balance between oxygen supply and requirement. Coronary blood flow is dependent on coronary perfusion pressure. Agents increasing arterial blood pressure improve coronary perfusion, but do not increase cardiac output and, thus, interfere with perfusion of vital organs. Inotropic agents, improving cardiac performance, may increase myocardial oxygen requirements in excess of availability; improvement of peripheral perfusion occurs at cost of a deteriorating pump. Contrarily, in pump failure due to primary myocardial impairment, as myocardiopathy or depression of ventricular function by extracorporal circulation, impairment of energy utilization by the myocardium, of contractility, and of neuro-humoral responses are primary factors. Measures to improve cardiac performance are less limited by considerations of increasing myocardial oxygen requirements. Dobutamine, a relatively selective beta1, agonist, and dopamine, a nonselective beta, alpha, and dopaminergic agonist, are the most frequently applied vasoactive agents in the treatment of cardiogenic shock. Their effects are highly dose dependent. Both catecholamines improve cardiac performance and peripheral perfusion. The major differences between the two drugs are related to the effect on heart rate, cardiac filling pressure, and systemic vascular resistance. At clinically tolerated doses, dobutamine is a more potent inotropic agent than dopamine. The decrease in vascular resistance, unloading the left ventricle, is beneficial for the failing heart. Heart rate remains essentially unchanged. In contrast, dopamine increases arterial pressure, left ventricular filling pressure and, at higher doses, heart rate. If blood pressure cannot be maintained by dobutamine, dopamine is preferable. Moreover, the combination of both vasoactive agents has been proven beneficial, supplemented by I-norepinephrine, if necessary. An aggressive approach to unstable angina and complicated myocardial infarction, identification of the patient at high risk for sudden cardiac events, introduction of myocardial preservations during surgery, and improved techniques have contributed to the decreased frequency of cardiogenic shock.
Applying Mixed-Effects Location Scale Modeling to Examine Within-Person Variability in Physical Activity Self-Efficacy

Abstract: Background : Physical activity self-efficacy is conceptualized as a construct that is changeable and responsive to contextual factors. The current study applied mixed-effects location scale modeling to examine within-person variability in physical activity self-efficacy among middle-aged and older adults (N = 14 adults, mean age = 59.4 years) who were attempting behavior change. Methods : An electronic diary was used to record self-reported self-efficacy and physical activity via Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) twice a day (2:00 pm and 9:00 pm). Data from weeks 1-6 were analyzed using a Mixed-Effects Location Scale Model in SAS PROC NLMIXED. Results : Participants differed from each other in the degree to which physical activity self-efficacy varied from day to day ( p = .03). Within-person variation in self-efficacy was negatively related to levels of brisk walking each week ( p = .002), and decreased over time ( p = .03). Conclusions : Preliminary results suggest that fluctuations in self-efficacy may be as important for predicting short-term behavior as the overall or mean level of self-efficacy.
The challenges in long-term altimetry calibration for addressing the problem of global sea level change

Abstract Long-term change of the global sea level resulting from climate change has become an issue of great societal interest. The advent of the technology of satellite altimetry has modernized the study of sea level on both global and regional scales. In combination with in situ observations of the ocean density and space observations of Earth’s gravity variations, satellite altimetry has become an essential component of a global observing system for monitoring and understanding sea level change. The challenge of making sea level measurements with sufficient accuracy to discern long-term trends and allow the patterns of natural variability to be distinguished from those linked to anthropogenic forcing rests largely on the long-term efforts of altimeter calibration and validation. The issues of long-term calibration for the various components of the altimeter measurement system are reviewed in the paper. The topics include radar altimetry, the effects of tropospheric water vapor, orbit determination, gravity field, tide gauges, and the terrestrial reference frame. The necessity for maintaining a complete calibration effort and the challenges of sustaining it into the future are discussed.
sperm binding activity of the zona pellucida of immature mouse oocytes

Immature oocytes taken from ovarian follicles are sometimes used in studies of sperm-zona interaction in species for which it is difficult to obtain ovulated eggs. As yet, however, there has been no quantitative comparison of the sperm binding capacities of immature and ovulated oocytes. We report here that in mice there is no significant difference in the numbers of sperm which bind to the zonae pellucidae of immature and ovulated oocytes in vitro. These results support the use of immature oocytes in studies of sperm-zona interaction. We have also analyzed the sources of variability in sperm binding assays, and we make suggestions for the most efficient design of experiments.
Ownership and sustainability: Lessons on group-based financial services from South Asia†

This study of rural group-based financial service projects of five NGOs in South Asia illustrates a great degree of variation between the different systems in structure, function and success rates. In the area of accessibility, all five systems have been quite successful in reaching the rural poor—especially non-literate women. However, results concerning financial sustainability of the groups are not so clear cut. The two systems in which the NGO helped groups to form their own parallel financial institution (e.g. a co-operative or village bank) achieved financial sustainability than those systems where the NGO linked groups with existing local financial institutions. But the main factor behind the success of parallel systems the central concept of client ownership. This has resulted in high degrees of loan recovery due to the fact that all or most of the loan funds are internally generated and therefore owned by the group members rather than externally obtained from donors. In addition, social intermediation in the sense of investment in capacity building at the group level (management, accounting, etc.) is a crucial step towards sustainability. Despite the importance of achieving sustainability, the authors conclude that subsidies do have a role to play—especially in harsh socio-economic environments where costs are necessarily high. However, subsidies should be utilized to develop group members' abilities to assume the responsibilities of ownership—rather supporting a welfare approach.
Thrust faulting in the Laramie Mountains, Wyoming, from reanalysis of COCORP data

Detailed analysis of COCORP seismic reflection data from the Laramie Mountains, Wyoming, shows that processing artifacts produce confusing patterns in a profile that crosses the mountain front. Elimination of artifacts in reprocessing allows for interpretations of residual reflections that are consistent with mapped geology. Reprocessing and model analysis image a near-surface fault-zone reflection and constrain its apparent west dip to be 30°–35°W. Bands of east- and west-dipping seismic events from basement rocks do not appear to offset the basement surface and therefore probably are not from faults directly related to uplift of the range. Multiple Laramide structures east of the exposed fault contact between Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks contribute to uplift of the range, and an exposed basement arch, which extends in the subsurface below Line 3, provides evidence for macroscopic folding of crystalline basement rocks. Lack of continuous fault-zone reflections extendable to depth on the seismic data suggests the absence of major mylonite zones analogous to those associated with the Wind River thrust. Such mylonites are probably better reflectors than brittle deformation zones associated with faults beneath the Laramie Mountains. Although fault-zone reflectivity depends on the physical properties of individual fault zones, the Wind River thrust and Laramie Mountains frontal fault zone may approach end members of fault-zone reflectivity.
Academic Skills Groups for Middle School Children With ADHD in the Outpatient Mental Health Setting: An Open Trial.

Objective: To conduct an open trial assessing the initial efficacy of an intervention focusing on increasing skills related to academic performance (planning, organization, studying, and homework b...
Prioritizing Patients for Evacuation from a Health-Care Facility

The success of a health-care facility evacuation depends on communication and decision making at all levels of the organization, from the coordinators at incident command to the clinical staff that carry out the evacuation. One key decision is the order in which each patient is chosen for transport. While a health-care facility evacuation is largely dependent on the availability of transportation resources (both personnel and vehicles) as well as receiving facilities, the typical planning assumption is that all patients will be transferred. However, the availability of these resources, as well as time, may not allow for the successful evacuation of all patients. The proposed two-phase modeling approach develops a decision framework for prioritizing patient evacuations, with unique classifications of patient health, rates of evacuation, and survivability affecting the choice. The question of who is transported next is explored in several scenarios (in terms of physical processing estimates as well as competing, ethically motivated objectives). Insights and observations into the creation of a prioritization policy follow. The observations from dynamic programming are extended; simulation analysis is used to observe system performance under many of the same scenarios. The prioritization guidelines developed in this paper will help determine the need and allocation of transportation resources.
Breakup-fusion description of massive transfer reactions with emission of fast light particles

It is shown that massive transfer reactions emitting energetic light particles can be described in terms of two-step processes, in which breakup of the projectile takes place first, followed by an absorption of the massive partner of the broken-up pair by the target.
Transaction costs and slaughter cattle procurement: Processors' selection of supply channels

This article investigates the hypothesis that different supply channels impose different types (and levels of) transaction costs on beef processors in the United Kingdom. The choice of supply channel is therefore influenced by these transaction costs. Recent food safety legislation and increasing consumer concerns over farm animal welfare may have altered the transaction costs arising from different supply channels. Conjoint analysis is used to measure the relative importance of selected transaction costs in a processor's procurement decision. A survey of UK beef processing firms is used to collect data for the conjoint analysis. The results suggest that the monitoring costs arising from the traceability of cattle to the farm of origin are particularly important. The implications for vertical coordination in the beef marketing chain are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fertility of Bovine Spermatozoa in Buffered Whole Egg Extenders Containing Penicillin, Streptomycin, Sulfonamides and Added Glucose

Summary Three experiments were conducted, using the split sample technique, for comparing the fertility of bovine semen extended in 2.9 per cent citrate-sulfanila-mide-yolk, 2.9 per cent citrate-succinylsulfathiazole-whole egg, and 2.3 per cent citrate-succinylsulfanilamide-whole egg-glucose. Each extender contained 500 units each of penicillin and streptomycin. The average 60- to 90-day per cent non-returns to a total of approximately 5,000 first services per treatment was 71.5 for the yolk extenders containing antibiotics and 69.4 for the whole egg extenders containing antibiotics. From these results and those previously reported, it appears that the standard 2.9 per cent citrate-sulfanilamide-yolk extender is about 2.0 percentage units superior to the whole egg extenders when measured by the 60- to 90-day per cent non-returns to first services. Furthermore, it is concluded that together, penicillin and streptomycin have similar effects on fertility when they are added to either the yolk or the whole egg formula.
Design and analysis of robust and wide operating low-power level-shifter for embedded dynamic random access memory

Level shifters (LS) are crucial components in low power design where the die is segregated in multiple voltage domains. LS are used at the voltage domain interfaces to mitigate sneak path current. Another important application of LS is in high voltage drivers for designs where voltage boosting is needed for performance and functionality. We explore one such application in embedded Dynamic Random Access Memories (eDRAM) where LS is employed in the wordline path. Our investigation reveals that leakage power of LS can pose a serious threat by lowering the wordline voltage and subsequently affecting the speed and retention time of eDRAM. Furthermore the delay of LS under worse case process corners can cause functional discrepancies. We propose low-power pulsed-LS with supply gating to circumvent these issues. Our analysis indicate that pulsed-LS can improve the worst case speed from 2.7%-43%. We also propose power-gating for LSs to improve the retention time and bandwidth with minimal power and area overhead.
Oscillatory haematopoiesis in adults with sickle cell disease treated with hydroxycarbamide.

Hydroxycarbamide therapy has been associated with significant oscillations in peripheral blood counts from myeloid, lymphoid and erythroid lineages in patients with polycythaemia vera and chronic myeloid leukaemia. We retrospectively evaluated serial blood counts over an 8-year period from 44 adult patients with sickle cell disease receiving hydroxycarbamide. Platelet counts, leucocyte counts, haemoglobin values and reticulocyte counts, apportioned by hydroxycarbamide status, were analysed using a Lomb-Scargle periodogram algorithm. Significant periodicities were present in one or more counts in 38 patients receiving hydroxycarbamide for a mean duration of 4.81 years. Platelet and leucocyte counts oscillated in 56.8% and 52.3% of patients, respectively. These oscillations generally became detectable within days of initiating therapy. During hydroxycarbamide therapy, the predominant periods of oscillation were 27±1 days for platelet counts and 15±1 days for leucocyte counts. Despite an absolute decrease in leucocyte and platelet counts during hydroxycarbamide treatment, the amplitudes between nadirs and zeniths remained similar regardless of exposure. Our observations appear consistent with previously proposed models of cyclic haematopoiesis, and document that hydroxycarbamide-induced oscillations in blood counts are innocuous phenomena not limited to myeloproliferative disorders as described previously. We speculate the known cell cycle inhibitory properties of hydroxycarbamide may accentuate otherwise latent constitutive oscillatory haematopoiesis.
Eating for Life: Designing Foods for Appetite Control

We are all well aware that rising levels of obesity in developed countries is having a significant impact on the health of the population. This is despite the availability of a wide range of low-calorie foods and an awareness of how important it is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. A new and emerging approach is to design foods that enhance the physiological regulatory mechanisms controlling appetite and energy intake. This is achieved through either promoting gastric distension or slowing intestinal transit in order to promote satiety-enhancing neuroendocrine feedback responses. This commentary explores the background and mechanisms involved in developing these strategies.
An Introduction to the Solid State Polymerization of Transition-Metal Complexes: A Comparative Study.

Abstract Preliminary studies in this laboratory' of topochemical and topotactic polyreactions of NiBr2[P(CH2CH2CN)3]2 have shown that the reactions are in many cases characterized by a) product specificity, b) stereospecificity, c) “crystallographic specificity” and d) highly anisotropic “front motion” through individual single crystals. The polymerization reaction under investigation here is
PROLIFERATIVE CAPACITY OF THE CORNEAL ENDOTHELIUM

Corneal endothelium is the single layer of cells forming a boundary between the corneal stroma and anterior chamber. The barrier and "pump" functions of the endothelium are responsible for maintaining corneal transparency by regulating stromal hydration. Morphological studies have demonstrated an age-related decrease in endothelial cell density and indicate that the endothelium in vivo either does not proliferate at all or proliferates at a rate that does not keep pace with the rate of cell loss. Lack of a robust proliferative response to cell loss makes the endothelium, at best, a fragile tissue. As a result of excessive cell loss due to accidental or surgical trauma, dystrophy, or disease, the endothelium may no longer effectively act as a barrier to fluid flow from the aqueous humor to the stroma. This loss of function can cause corneal edema, decreased corneal clarity, and loss of visual acuity, thus requiring corneal transplantation to restore normal vision. Studies from this and other laboratories indicate that corneal endothelium in vivo DOES possess proliferative capacity, but is arrested in G1-phase of the cell cycle. It appears that several intrinsic and extrinsic factors together contribute to maintain the endothelium in a non-replicative state. Ex vivo studies comparing cell cycle kinetics in wounded endothelium of young ( 50 years old) provide evidence that cells from older donors can enter and complete the cell cycle; however, the length of G1-phase appears to be longer and the cells require stronger mitogenic stimulation than cells from younger donors. In vivo conditions per se also contribute to maintenance of a non-replicative monolayer. Endothelial cells are apparently unable to respond to autocrine or paracrine stimulation even though they express mRNA and protein for a number of growth factors and their receptors. Exogenous transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and TGF-beta in aqueous humor suppress S-phase entry in cultured endothelial cells, suggesting that this cytokine could inhibit proliferation in vivo. In addition, cell-cell contact appears to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation during corneal development and to help maintain the mature endothelial monolayer in a non-proliferative state, in part, via the activity of p27kip1, a known G1-phase inhibitor. The fact that human corneal endothelium retains proliferative capacity has led to recent efforts to induce division and increase the density of these important cells. For example, recent studies have demonstrated that adult human corneal endothelial cells can be induced to grow in culture and then transplanted to recipient corneas ex vivo. The laboratory work that has been conducted up to now opens an exciting new door to the future. The time is right to apply the knowledge that has been gained regarding corneal endothelial cell proliferative capacity and regulation of its cell cycle to develop new therapies to treat patients at risk for vision loss due to low endothelial cells counts.
Variations in the Freezing Points of Cow's Milk

Summary Variations in the freezing points of cow's milk were observed under a variety of conditions. Statistically significant differences were observed between Holstein and Brown Swiss cows and between rations. The freezing points of morning and evening samples show significant differences. Under certain conditions the morning samples had higher freezing points than evening samples, whereas under other conditions the evening samples had higher freezing points. The average freezing point of 594 samples of authentic individual cow samples was found to be−0.539° C. with a range from −0.513 to −0.565° C. The range of freezing points varied with the ration. The implications of the results of this study are discussed in detail.