cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consequence of lack of invariance under active Lorentz transformations

It is shown that lack of invariance under active Lorentz transformations implies that the spectrum of states violates Lorentz invariance in the passive sense. The rest mass of particles will not be invariant to ordinary (passive) Lorentz transformations.
Ion channel forming colicins.

Several features of ion-channel-forming colicins have been illuminated by recent revelations: its four-domain structure, the mechanism and thermodynamics of binding to the gating loop of outer membrane porins, the mechanism of translocation, competition for the transperiplasmic excursion facilitated by the Tol or Ton transperiplasmic proteins, and the formation of a waisted, funnel-shaped transmembrane channel of well-characterized shape.
Regulation of lysine biosynthesis by leucine in Brevibacterium lactofermentum.

The effect of L-leucine on L-lysine production was investigated in Brevibacterium lactofermentum.L-Lysine production was inhibited by L-leucine specifically, and this inhibition was recovered completely by L-valine. The present study indicated that the inhibition of L-lysine production by the addition of excess L-leucine was accompanied with the repression of dihydrodipicolinate (DDP) synthetase. DDP synthetase was the first specific enzyme in lysine biosynthesis.On the other hand, α-isopropylmalate (IPM) synthetase, which was the key enzyme and the first specific enzyme in leucine biosynthesis was inhibited by L-leucine, while L-lysine caused the complete reversion from its inhibition.From the above results, the possible physiological meanings of this coregulation mechanism of lysine and branched-chain amino acids biosynthesis in B. lactofermentum was discussed.
Desonide foam 0.05%: safety in children as young as 3 months.

Background Desonide 0.05% was recently developed in an emulsion foam formulation. Objective The safety of desonide foam 0.05% in children aged 3 months to 17 years was evaluated in two phase II studies and one phase III study. Methods A phase II open-label study of the effect of desonide foam 0.05% on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis was evaluated in pediatric and adolescent participants with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. The phase II and III clinical efficacy studies evaluated adverse events. Results At the end of the 4-week treatment in the phase II study, 4% (3 of 75) of participants experienced mild, reversible hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal–axis suppression. The combined safety data from the phase II and III studies revealed 6% of participants in the desonide foam group and 14% in the vehicle foam group reported adverse events ( P = .0002), with application site burning as the most commonly reported adverse event (3% in the desonide foam group vs 7% in the vehicle foam group; P = .004). Limitations The studies evaluated short-term use only. Conclusion Desonide foam was safe and well tolerated in participants as young as 3 months.
Evaluation of integrated psychological services in a university-based primary care clinic.

Primary care is increasingly moving toward integration of psychological services; however few studies have been conducted to test the efficacy of such an integrated approach. This paper presents a program evaluation of psychological services provided by doctoral trainees in clinical and counseling psychology within a primary care clinic at an urban academic medical center. It includes: (1) a description of the program, including types of patients served, their presenting problems, and treatments administered and; (2) evidence of the impact of behavioral health services on primary care patients’ emotional adjustment and progress on behavioral goals. Intake and follow-up measures of depression, anxiety, smoking, insomnia, chronic pain, and weight loss were collected on 452 adult patients (mean age = 52; 59 % African-American; 35 % uninsured) who were provided brief interventions (mean visits = 2.2) over a 16-month period. Although conclusions are limited by the lack of a control or comparison group, preliminary findings indicate that the integrated behavioral health services provided were effective. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Effects of isolation rearing upon behavioral state organization and growth in the rabbit.

Newborn rabbits were raised in isolation from Day 1 through Day 20 except for a daily 15-min feeding with the mother. They were returned to their littermates on Day 20 and remained with them until Day 30. On Days 2, 8, 16, 20, and 30, each isolate and a littermate control (group reared) were observed for 1 hr under standarized conditions. Every 10 sec a judgment was made of the animal's behavioral state. Food intake and body weight data was also obtained. In comparison to controls, isolation-reared rabbits spent significantly less time in Wake on Days 16 and 20, they spent more time in Active Sleep than in Quiet Sleep, and they had more visits to Active Sleep. Isolates also ingested less milk, had a slower rate of weight gain, and were less efficient in utilizing the food they ingested. The state findings are discussed with respect to Roffwarg, Muzio, and Dement's (1966, Science 152, 604–619) hypothesis concerning the function of Active Sleep. In general, the isolate animal differs from its group-reared control both quantitatively and qualitatively.
A causal model of the size distribution of family income: Some overlooked determinants and policy implications

The causes and interaction of variables affecting income inequality are complex and very little empirical research has been attempted to explain or measure these interactions. This paper employs an eclectic approach to construct a causal multiequation model that specifies a system of interrelationships to examine both the direct and indirect effects which selected socioeconomic and demographic variables have upon the size distribution of family income. This procedure has advantages over single equation models in explaining the processes through which variables affect income inequality, allowing greater accuracy in estimating the impact that variables have upon inequality by measuring both their direct and indirect effects, and facilitating the identification of policy variables and how they may be expected to work through the system of interrelationships to narrow the differentials in family earnings. In particular, our model reveals that the birth rate is the single most important factor exacerbating family income inequality, and selective policies were identified which may interact with many variables within the system to reduce family income inequality. The model further demonstrates a high predictive power with a coefficient of determination of 0.82. Our results demonstrate that causal multiequation models using an eclectic methodology to examine the interactions of variables and processes through which they affect the size distribution of income can be useful in quantifying the relative effects of a wide variety of socioeconomic and demographic determinants and constructing policies in future research efforts in this important area.
Periodic solutions of some nonlinear differential equations

where the components of f behave like homogeneous polynomials in the components of x at points far enough from the origin and the components of B(x, t) have period T in t and are of lower order in x than the components of f(x). Our main results (Theorem 1 and Corollary 2) are for the case in which the components off behave like homogeneous polynomials of the same degree. If the polynomials are of different degree, we obtain a result (Theorem 2) only if n = 2 and the expression which depends explicitly on t has the form EC(X, t) where E is a small parameter. The technique used is an extension of that used in a previous paper [I]. The underlying idea is to study the solutions of (E) near the Bendixson point at infinity by studying the stability of the origin as a critical point of the inverted system. We thus reduce the problem of periodic solutions to that of asymptotic stability of critical points. In particular, the results here are obtained by applying converses, due to Zubov and Massera, of the Lyapunov Asymptotic Stability Theorem. The literature on the subject of periodic solutions is enormous, and we will restrict ourselves to describing only some of the work most closely related to our results. Systems of the form (E) are systems with “large” nonlinearities and they fall between the quasi-linear systems, i.e., systems in which the nonlinear term has coefficient E where E is an arbitrarily small parameter, and degenerate systems, i.e., systems of the form
Detailed mapping of ascorbate distribution in rat brain

Abstract Since only limited data were available on the distribution of ascorbic acid in rat brain, a detailed mapping was undertaken using a slice and semi-micro punching technique. The study provides new data on a number of rat brain regions; the most significant finding is that there are very marked gradients of ascorbate concentrations throughout the various nuclei. The possible correlation of the ascorbate levels with the various neurotransmitter systems is discussed.
Argon Retention in a Granitic Xenolith from a Pleistocene Basalt, Sierra Nevada, California

THIS note reports measurements made in an attempt to determine: (1) the possible effect of xenoliths on whole-rock basalt age determinations; (2) whether or not potassium-argon age determinations on xenoliths in basalt might approximate the age of the basalt flow. The field location is in the canyon of Sawmill Creek, Inyo County, sec. 7 md 18, T. 12 S., R. 34 E., and sec. 12 and 13, T. 12 S., R. 33 E.
Controlled Electrophoretic Deposition of Smooth and Robust Films of CdSe Nanocrystals

Controlled purification of the CdSe nanocrystal primitive solution critically affects the electrophoretic deposition of these nanocrystals. Film morphology is optimized after two precipitation steps with no TOPO/TOP added in either step. This suggests the need to minimize impurities in the solution or to remove a controlled, small fraction of the ligands on the nanocrystal surface. The smoothness of electrophoretically deposited nanocrystal films is excellent (<3 nm rms roughness) and the appearance of particulates of nanocrystals due to homogeneous nucleation is minimized, even during patterned deposition. Treating the films with cross-linker molecules makes the electrophoretically deposited films very resistant to dissolution and flaking in many solvents.
Amphibian Commerce as a Likely Source of Pathogen Pollution

The commercial trade of wildlife occurs on a global scale. In addition to removing animals from their native populations, this trade may lead to the release and subsequent introduction of nonindigenous species and the pathogens they carry. Emerging infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and ranaviral disease have spread with global trade in amphibians and are linked to amphibian declines and die-offs worldwide, which suggests that the commercial trade in amphibians may be a source of pathogen pollution. We screened tiger salamanders involved in the bait trade in the western United States for both ranaviruses and Bd with polymerase chain reaction and used oral reports from bait shops and ranavirus DNA sequences from infected bait salamanders to determine how these animals and their pathogens are moved geographically by commerce. In addition, we conducted 2 surveys of anglers to determine how often tiger salamanders are used as bait and how often they are released into fishing waters by anglers, and organized bait-shop surveys to determine whether tiger salamanders are released back into the wild after being housed in bait shops. Ranaviruses were detected in the tiger salamander bait trade in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, and Bd was detected in Arizona bait shops. Ranaviruses were spread geographically through the bait trade. All tiger salamanders in the bait trade were collected from the wild, and in general they moved east to west and north to south, bringing with them their multiple ranavirus strains. Finally, 26-73% of anglers used tiger salamanders as fishing bait, 26-67% of anglers released tiger salamanders bought as bait into fishing waters, and 4% of bait shops released tiger salamanders back into the wild after they were housed in shops with infected animals. The tiger salamander bait trade in the western United States is a useful model for understanding the consequences of the unregulated anthropogenic movement of amphibians and their pathogens through trade.
Deep oxidation of hydrocarbons

Abstract The activity of two commercial oxidation catalysts was investigated for the oxidation of a humidified air stream containing 500 ppm of a mixture of C5 to C9 hydrocarbons over an extended period of time (ten months). The composition of the feed stream was similar to that obtained from air-strippers used for groundwater clean-up. The reaction was conducted continuously in fixed bed reactors at constant total conversion (> 99%). The temperature was increased, when needed, to compensate for the catalyst deactivation and maintain a constant conversion. A 0.1% Pt/3% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst (G-43A, United Catalysts, Inc., Louisville, KY) did not lose any activity at 430 ° C when used continuously for 253 days-on-stream. On the other hand, a ceria-promoted hopcalite catalyst suffered considerable deactivation and required a temperature increase of 85° C over 297 days-on-stream to maintain the total conversion above 99%. However, the final temperature (400 ° C) required to maintain > 99% conversion over the hopcalite catalyst was still lower than the initial temperature required for the operation of the Pt/Ni catalyst (430° C). No partial oxidation products were formed over either of the catalysts. Also, the only total carbon oxidation product was carbon dioxide. A simple first order deactivation model fits the time-temperature relationship over the hopcalite catalyst and predicts a hopcalite catalyst lifetime of 362 days for a maximum operating temperature of 500° C.
ALLOPROLIFERATION OF PURIFIED CD4+ T CELLS TO ADULT HUMAN HEART ENDOTHELIAL CELLS, AND STUDY OF SECOND-SIGNAL REQUIREMENTS

Human endothelial cells have been shown to be capable of causing direct allostimulation of T cells. However, the majority of immunological studies of human endothelial cells have been performed on cells of fetal origin. Here we use endothelial cells isolated from the adult human heart, both large vessel (coronary artery, pulmonary artery and aorta) and also microvascular. We have examined the ability of all these endothelial cells to cause direct allostimulation of T cells, and show that purified CD4+ T cells can proliferate in response to adult human heart endothelial cells, the response being dependent on pretreatment of the endothelial cells with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and inhibited by anti-HLA-DR monoclonal antibody. The proliferative responses of CD8+ T cells to adult but not fetal endothelial cells was inconsistent and weak. Proliferative responses were not blocked by CTLA4-Ig, which inhibits T-cell responses to "classical' antigen-presenting cells (APC), but > 50% inhibition was achieved with monoclonal antibody to lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 (LFA-3). These results show that adult human cardiovascular endothelial cells are capable of causing allostimulation of resting CD4+ T cells, using a different second signal to classical APC. In view of these findings endothelial cells should be considered as APC following solid organ transplantation.
Morphological Behavior of Thin Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Films

The crystalline morphology in thin and ultrathin films of linear low-density polyethylene is reported here. Films with thickness ranging from 20 to 800 nm were isothermally crystallized at temperatures ranging from 90 to 119 °C, and the supermolecular and lamellar morphologies were observed by contact and tapping mode atomic force microscopies. Four distinct supermolecular morphologies were observed: banded spherulite, sheaflike, and two intermediate morphologies. The morphological transitions were significant in the films thinner than 200 nm. The sheaflike morphology occurred in the thinner films (<200 nm) while the banded spherulite morphology occurred in the thicker films. The change of morphology was primarily attributed to the change in the extent of lamellar branching. With increased branching, more edge-on lamellae were observed and resulted in changes in the morphology of the thin films. The morphological transitions are discussed on the basis of the chain structure and the unique physical propert...
Use of Amphotericin B During Pregnancy: Case Report and Review

Unlike the situation with many antimicrobial agents, there is limited experience with the use of amphotericin B during pregnancy. Although reports of fungal infections during pregnancy have been published, few describe fungemia with either Candida or Torulopsis species. We present a case of fungemia due to Torulopsis glabrata that occurred during pregnancy and that was treated with amphotericin B. Drug concentrations were measured in placental tissue, cord serum, and infant serum at delivery. Although the last dose of amphotericin B was administered 4 weeks before delivery, the concentrations in all three specimens were still within the MIC ranges for most strains of Candida albicans and T. glabrata as measured by broth dilution. We speculate that persistent tissue concentrations of amphotericin B most likely contributed to the sustained hypokalemia in the mother and the increased creatinine level in the infant. In the latter case, placental tissue may have served as the reservoir from which amphotericin B was slowly released into fetal circulation.
Augmentation of Ion Uptake in Maize Roots is Associated with the Biosynthesis of Plasma Membrane Proteins

Summary Aeration of excised submerged maize (Zea mays L.) roots augmented the rate of amino acid uptake, and incorporation into TCA-insoluble material. The plasma membrane fraction of augmented roots included 5.8 times higher specific 3H-leucine radioactivity than that of basal (non-aerated) roots. Proteins and radiolabel of the plasma membrane fraction were optimally (90 %) solubilized by zwitterionic sulfobetaine detergents with a carbon chain length of ten. Activity of the plasma membrane-associated, K-stimulated, pH 6.5, Mg-ATPase was not altered during augmentation. This enzyme activity appeared to be inhibited by the sulfobetaine detergent; less than 50 % of the activity could be recovered after solubilization. The solubilized plasma membrane proteins of both basal and augmented root extracts separated on Sephadex G-200 into six discrete peaks, ranging between about 15 and 700 kdaltons. Incorporated 3H-leucine coincided with a 500 kdalton class of proteins, and was incorporated in detectable quantities only into the plasma membrane fraction of augmented roots.
From Greek to globalist: Seven valuational attitudes toward transnationalism

The « philosophical foundations » of nationalism and transnationalism, rather than the latter's history or praxis, will be addressed in this paper
Electron transfer versus nucleophilic pathways in the ion-pair annihilation of organoborate anions by carbonylmanganese(I) cations

Abstract Substituted carbonylmanganese cations [Mn(CO) 5 L] + , where L=py, PPh 3 and PPh 2 Me, readily react with various organoborate anions (tetramethylborate, methyltriphenylborate and tetraphenylborate) in THF solution to afford a mixture of dimanganese carbonyls, hydridomanganese carbonyls and alkylmanganese carbonyls. The formation of the dimanganese carbonyl dimers as well as the hydridomanganese carbonyls suggests the involvement of 19-electron carbonylmanganese radicals that stem from an initial electron transfer. On the other hand, the acetonitrile-substituted analogue [Mn(CO) 5 (CH 3 CN)] + reacts with the same borate anions to afford the alkylated RMn(CO) 5 , where R=CH 3 and C 6 H 5 , as the sole carbonylmanganese product. As such, this alkylative annihilation is best formulated as a direct attack on the carbonyl carbon by the borate nucleophile. The two different pathways can be understood in terms of the balance between the electrophilicity of the carbonyl ligand and the electron affinity of the carbonylmanganese cation.
Ca-linked phosphorylation of a light chain of vertebrate smooth-muscle myosin.

In vertebrate smooth muscle actomyosin and myofibrils a myosin light chain of molecular weight about 20000 becomes phosphorylated at the same Ca2+ concentration as required to stimulate the actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin. Further, the degree of phosphorylation in the preparations as well as in various reconstituted actomyosins is proportional to their measured Ca2+ sensitivity. The phosphorylation process is very rapid and is essentially completed before the rise in ATPase activity. The enzyme responsible for the observed myosin phosphorylation is a specific myosin light chain kinase which is routinely co-purified with myosin. This kinase is normally present in actomyosin and its removal together with tropomyosin leads to a complete loss of the actin-activated ATPase activity. It is suggested that the Ca-dependent phosphorylation of the light chain via the light chain kinase represents the initial step in the activation of myosin that leads to contraction. Relaxation is probably effected by an as yet uncharacterised light chain phosphatase.
Tests for Monte Carlo renormalization studies on ising models

In this expanded version of an earlier letter, we consider many computational details that were omitted for want of space. Ford = 2 Ising spins with up to 13 different short-range interactions, we construct the critical surface in the vicinity of (Onsager's) nearest-neighbor (nn) critical point by using the body of the available information on the solvable nn case. We then see if the Monte Carlo renormalization group flows generated from this point do indeed lie on this surface and quantify the errors if they do not.
An NF-κB-sensitive Micro RNA-146a-mediated Inflammatory Circuit in Alzheimer Disease and in Stressed Human Brain Cells

Human brains retain discrete populations of micro RNA (miRNA) species that support homeostatic brain gene expression functions; however, specific miRNA abundance is significantly altered in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD) when compared with age-matched controls. Here we provide evidence in AD brains of a specific up-regulation of an NF-κB-sensitive miRNA-146a highly complementary to the 3′-untranslated region of complement factor H (CFH), an important repressor of the inflammatory response of the brain. Up-regulation of miRNA-146a coupled to down-regulation of CFH was observed in AD brain and in interleukin-1β, Aβ42, and/or oxidatively stressed human neural (HN) cells in primary culture. Transfection of HN cells using an NF-κB-containing pre-miRNA-146a promoter-luciferase reporter construct in stressed HN cells showed significant up-regulation of luciferase activity that paralleled decreases in CFH gene expression. Treatment of stressed HN cells with the NF-κB inhibitor pyrollidine dithiocarbamate or the resveratrol analog CAY10512 abrogated this response. Incubation of an antisense oligonucleotide to miRNA-146a (anti-miRNA-146a; AM-146a) was found to restore CFH expression levels. These data indicate that NF-κB-sensitive miRNA-146a-mediated modulation of CFH gene expression may in part regulate an inflammatory response in AD brain and in stressed HN cell models of AD and illustrate the potential for anti-miRNAs as an effective therapeutic strategy against pathogenic inflammatory signaling.
Understanding usability issues addressed by three user-system interface evaluation techniques

Abstract Three structured judgment evaluation techniques were applied to a system with a graphical direct manipulation style interface, to understand the types of usability problems they address. These evaluation techniques were cognitive walkthrough, heuristic evaluation, and the Smith and Mosier (1986) guidelines. The authors wanted to learn whether the techniques identify problems: across all stages of user activity, which noticeably affect users' performance with the system, and which are important to the usability of direct manipulation-style systems. Results showed that the cognitive walkthrough method identifies issues almost exclusively within the action specification stage, while guidelines covered more stages. The walkthrough was best, however, and the guidelines worst at predicting problems that cause users noticeable difficulty (as observed during a usability study). All the techniques could be improved in assessing semantic distance and addressing all stages on the evaluation side of the HCI activity cycle. To evaluate the directness of engagements, improved or new techniques are needed.
Ultrafast Dynamics of the Vibrations of Aqueous Azide Ion and the O-H modes of Bound Water Molecules

Dual frequency two dimensional infrared spectroscopy has been used to investigate the dynamics of the azide-water solvation shell. A positive correlation of the two frequency distributions is found and decays on the ultrafast timescale.
RNIC-PI: The last step in standardizing RDMA

The hardware-software interaction for the industry-standard remote direct memory access (RDMA) devices have only been defined as an abstract set of operations. While the abstract definition has allowed vendors to build RDMA adapters, the industry still lacks a generic software interface definition that hardware and system vendors can code to. This paper presents the industry-standard RDMA NIC Programming Interface (RNIC-PI) and its flexible architecture, the role it plays in the industry and the challenges encountered in reaching agreement on a common set of semantics that is acceptable to a variety of operating systems and RDMA NIC vendors. A vehicle to translate the interface into reality on Linux is described in the end along with some suggestions on future course of action
Effect of Oxygen on Cyclohexane Oxidation: A Stirred Tank Study

Cyclohexane oxidation is the first step in the currently used technology for production of Nylon-6 and Nylon-6,6 which employs a two-stage process. In the first stage, cyclohexane is oxidized with air to 4−8% conversion at about 80% selectivity to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone as desired products. In this study, we examined the effect of oxygen availability on the volumetric productivity, yield, and selectivity of this reaction by using a stirred autoclave operated free from mass transfer effects in a batch and “dead-end” semibatch mode. Both uncatalyzed and catalyzed systems were used. The experimental and the modeling results lead to the conclusion that increased oxygen availability improves the productivity and selectivity at the fixed cyclohexane conversion (4%) as the residence time required declines with the increase in oxygen concentration. The positive effect on the reaction rate of increased oxygen concentration is the same when such an increase is achieved at constant pressure by raising the mo...
Intracellular measurement of oxygen by quenching of fluorescence of pyrenebutyric acid

Abstract We have examined pyrenebutyric acid as a possible fluorescent probe to determine intracellular concentrations of oxygen. Isolated rat liver cells rapidly take up pyrenebutyric acid, and the fluorescence of the cells is quenched by oxygen to the same extent as is free pyrenebutyric acid. Therefore, this technique appears to be applicable to the physiological range of oxygen concentrations.
A single plan approach for differentially dosing sequential target volumes

An in-house protocol for treatment of malignant astrocytomas requires development of a single treatment plan constructed to deliver different doses to three sequential target volumes. This single plan approach fundamentally differs from a previous protocol in which these sequential volumes were approached with three consecutive treatment plans, each tailored to a separate target, with the final target receiving a cumulative dose of 80 Gy. The intent of the revised protocol is to deliver doses to the two larger targets that are biologically equivalent (using the linear quadratic model) to the cumulative doses received by these targets in the earlier protocol, while escalating the final target dose to 90 Gy. This requires the treatment planner to manipulate the conformation of three different isodose levels simultaneously to produce a treatment plan fulfilling all protocol specifications. This paper will focus on the evolution of design for the current technique used to clinically implement this protocol.
Calculation of pK(a) in proteins with the microenvironment modulated-screened coulomb potential.

The MM-SCP has been applied to predict pKa values of titratable residues in wild type and mutants of staphylococcal nuclease (SNase). The calculations were based on crystal structures made available by the Garcia-Moreno Laboratory. In the mutants, mostly deeply buried hydrophobic residues were replaced with ionizable residues, and thus their pKa values could be measured and calculated using various methods. The data set used here consisted of a set of WT SNase for which His pKa at several ionic strengths had been measured, a set of mutants for which measured pKa were available and a set of 11 mutants for which the measured pKa were not known at the time of calculation. For this latter set, blind predictions were submitted to the protein pKa cooperative, 2009 workshop at Telluride, where the results of the blind predictions were discussed (the RMSD of the submitted set was 1.10 pH units). The calculations on the structures with known pKa indicated that in addition to weaknesses of the method, structural issues were observed that led to larger errors (>1) in pKa predictions. For example, different crystallography conditions or steric clashes can lead to differences in the local environment around the titratable residue, which can produce large differences in the calculated pKa. To gain further insight into the reliability of the MM-SCP, pKa of an extended set of 54 proteins belonging to several structural classes were carried out. Here some initial results from this study are reported to help place the SNase results in the appropriate context.
A multi-station culture force monitor system to study cellular contractility.

Abstract Cellular contraction contributes to the formation of scar tissue, which is characterized by an over-produced, disorganized collagen matrix. To study the contractility of cells in vitro and its potential contribution to scar tissue formation, we have developed a multi-station culture force monitor (CFM) system. This system consists of four vertical cantilever beams with semiconductor strain gages and a computerized data acquisition unit to monitor contractile forces of the cells in a collagen gel. Calibration showed that this system has a highly linear voltage–force relationship ( R 2 >0.99). Further, to demonstrate the applicability of this system, contractile forces of human skin fibroblasts in a collagen gel were measured. These fibroblasts were found to produce an average force of 0.2 nN/cell, which is consistent with the data in literature. The significant advantage of this CFM system is its ability to test multiple samples simultaneously. Therefore, the system can facilitate statistical design and analysis of experiments to study the effects of growth factors (e.g., TGF- β s) on cellular contraction and their potential role in scar tissue formation.
Data partition analyses for video decoders on PAC Duo platform

Two of the most popular video coding standards, MEPG-2 and H.264, are realized on PAC Duo platform, a heterogeneous multi-core SoC containing one ARM core and two PACDSP's (Parallel Architecture Core DSP). In addition to the optimization of the video software codes, in order to fit to the architecture of PACDSP, the inter-core synchronization required by the dual core implementation must be added to the decoder software. The analysis is also conduced to figure out the roots causing the degradation in performance for the dual core scenarios. The experimental result indicates that the dual PACDSP's with data partition can gain about 64% and 92.4% of improvement in performance over the single PACDSP for the H.264 constrained baseline decoder and MPEG-2 main profile decoder, respectively.
Generating Parameter Comments and Integrating with Method Summaries

An important part of the leading comments for a method are the comments for the formal parameters of the method. According to the Java documentation writing guidelines, developers should write a summary of the method'sactions followed by comments for each parameter. In this paper, we describe a novel technique to automatically generate descriptive comments for parameters of Java methods. Such generated comments can help alleviate the lack of developer written parameter comments. In addition, they can help a programmer in ensuring that a parameter comment is current with the code. We present heuristics to generate comments that provide a high-level overview of the role of a parameter in a method. We ensure that sufficient context is provided such that a developer can understand the role of the parameter in achieving the computational intent of the method. In the opinion of nine experienced developers, the automatically generated parameter comments for methods are accurate and provide a quick synopsis of the role of the parameter in achieving the desired functionality of the method.
Metallocyclic Receptors with ReI/OsII‐Based Moieties: Molecular Photophysics and Selective Molecular Sensing

New metallocyclic Re(I) and Os(II) complexes with polyphosphane/polyyne spacers, including dimers [(Re(CO)3Cl(C2nP2))2] (n = 1, 1; 2, 2) and tetramers [(Re(CO)3Cl(C2nP2))4] (n = 1, 3; 2, 4, C2P2 = Ph2P-C...C-PPh2, C4P2 = Ph2P-C...C-C...C-PPh2), as well as the mixed-metal [(Re(CO)3Cl)2(Os(bpy)2)2(C2P2)4](PF6)4 (6, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and its precursor [Os(bpy)2(C2P2)2](PF6)2 (5) have been synthesized. Characterization has been carried out using 31P(1H) NMR, FAB/MS, ESI/MS, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis (EA), and X-ray single crystal structure determination. These new metallocyclic complexes are found to be emissive, with a characteristic ReI-based emission at 505-525 nm (lifetimes of 3.4-6.8 ns) and an Os(II)-based emission at 600-605 nm (lifetimes of 650-675 ns). High quantum yields of 0.25 and 0.17 were observed for 5 and 6, which were representative of the few most emissive species reported with Os(II) centers. Efficient energy transfer from the Re(I) donor to the Os(II) acceptor was also found. In addition, a host-guest study was performed using emissive metallocycle 6, and host-guest binding constants of 775M(-1), 1580M(-1), and 1680M(-1) were obtained for the guests anisole, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene, and 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene, respectively. The correlation between the guest molecule size, cavity dimension, and the host-guest binding constant is discussed. Furthermore, the relationship between the pi-acceptor ability of the nonchromophoric phosphanes, the energy gap between the ground and excited state, and the nonradiative decay rate constant (knr) is also explored.
Enhanced water intake after asymmetric hindbrain lesions

Previous reports indicate rats with lesions of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (IPBN) or lesions of the area postrema (AP) and adjacent nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) consume abnormally large amounts of water after treatment with SC isoproterenol (ISOP) or angiotensin II. In the present study, we found that IPBN bilateral lesions resulted in increased water intake after ISOP treatment as noted previously. We also found that rats with ibotenic acid lesions of the left IPBN and a knife cut on the right side of the AP drank an abnormally large amount of water after treatment with ISOP. Interestingly, rats with lesions of the right IPBN and a knife cut on the left side of the AP did not show the enhanced drinking behavior. Rats with AP and adjacent NTS lesions had an increased sodium appetite, but water intake after ISOP treatment was not enhanced. Bilateral IPBN lesions and asymmetric lesions of the AP and IPBN did not result in enhanced sodium appetite. These data suggest that a pathway from the AP/mNTS to the 1PBN is important in the regulation of fluid balance.
Agents of newly recognized or infrequently encountered mycobacterial diseases.

This paper reviews recent information on the systematics and clinical significance of potentially pathogenic environmental mycobacteria. A short history of these mycobacteria is given. Information on species for which clinical and systematic aspects have already been well documented, i.e., Mycobacterium kansasii, M. marinum, M. scrofulaceum, M. simiae, M. szulgai, M. ulcerans, M. xenopi, and members of the M. fortuitum complex, is updated. Although the M. avium complex was extensively reviewed in earlier literature, major new systematic and clinical information is presented in some detail. Species that have received very limited prior coverage, i.e., M. asiaticum, M. haemophilum, M. malmoense, and M. shimoidei, are the main subjects of this review and are discussed in detail. The rare infections attributed to species that are normally considered nonpathogenic, i.e., M. gastri, M. gordonae, the M. terrae complex, and most of the rapidly growing mycobacteria outside of the M. fortuitum complex, are critically reviewed. Finally, suggestions are offered for practical measures that can minimize the risk of failing to isolate or misidentifying some of the more obscure potentially pathogenic environmental mycobacteria that are only infrequently recognized.
Comparison of the Sensitivity of Growth Hormone Secretion to Somatostatin in Vivo and in Vitro in Acromegaly

Somatostatin (SRIH) sensitivity in acromegaly was evaluated in vivo by comparing the inhibition of GHRH (1 μg/kg, iv)-stimulated GH secretion in eight acromegalic and six normal subjects. A SRIH infusion (50 μg/h) that inhibited the mean plasma GH response to GHRH by 74 ± 5% (±se) in normal subjects had no significant effect in the acromegalic patients. However, when two acromegalic patients in whom SRIH had no suppressive effect were excluded from the analysis, the effect of SRIH in the other six (82 ± 7%) was comparable to that in the normal subjects. Within the acromegalic group, the percent suppression of basal and GHRH-stimulated GH secretion was inversely correlated with both basal plasma GH (r = −0.751; P = 0.03 and r = −0.727; P = 0.04, respectively) and insulin-like growth factor I (r = −0.800; P = 0.02 and r = −0.727; P = 0.04, respectively) concentrations. The in vitro sensitivity to SRIH was studied in pituitary adenomas from five of the acromegalic patients in 3- to 4-day monolayer cultures o...
Polar-cap electric field distributions related to the interplanetary magnetic field direction

The correlations between the azimuthal direction of the interplanetary magnetic field and the most simple polar cap signatures are discussed. Only the spatial distribution of the dawn-dusk polar cap field is considered. For each OGO 6 traverse across the northern or southern polar cap, the simultaneous values of the interplanetary magnetic field in solar-equatorial coordinates were recorded by the Explorer 33 magnetometer. Histograms of these values are presented and are discussed. The high degree of correlation with the longitudinal angle indicates that the relative geometry of the interplanetary magnetic field and magnetospheric magnetic fields must be fundamental to explaining the distribution of polar cap electric fields. The sign of the solar-equatorial component perpendicular to the sun-earth line appears to be a more critical parameter than the sign of the component toward the sun. The Svalgaard-Mansurov correlation and the correspondence between fast convection and parallel magnetospheric and interplanetary magnetic fields are described.
Developing Relationships, Being Cool, and Not Looking Like a Loser: Social Goal Orientation Predicts Children's Responses to Peer Aggression

Little is known about individual differences in how children respond to peer aggression. This research explored the contribution of social goal orientation, specifically development goals (improving social skills and relationships), demonstration-approach goals (gaining positive judgments), and demonstration-avoidance goals (minimizing negative judgments). Children (M age = 7.97, SD = .34) were followed from 2(nd) to 3(rd) grade. Validity of the social goal orientation construct was established through correlations with situation-specific goals and social adjustment. Development goals predicted adaptive responses (more effortful engagement, problem solving, advice seeking; fewer involuntary responses); demonstration goals predicted maladaptive responses (less effortful engagement, problem solving; more disengagement, retaliation). This study contributes to theoretical understanding of the process of peer aggression and interventions to promote optimal social health.
Feedback-directed pipeline parallelism

Extracting high performance from Chip Multiprocessors requires that the application be parallelized. A common software technique to parallelize loops is pipeline parallelism in which the programmer/compiler splits each loop iteration into stages and each stage runs on a certain number of cores. It is important to choose the number of cores for each stage carefully because the core-to-stage allocation determines performance and power consumption. Finding the best core-to-stage allocation for an application is challenging because the number of possible allocations is large, and the best allocation depends on the input set and machine configuration. This paper proposes Feedback-Directed Pipelining (FDP), a software framework that chooses the core-to-stage allocation at run-time. FDP first maximizes the performance of the workload and then saves power by reducing the number of active cores, without impacting performance. Our evaluation on a real SMP system with two Core2Quad processors (8 cores) shows that FDP provides an average speedup of 4.2x which is significantly higher than the 2.3x speedup obtained with a practical profile-based allocation. We also show that FDP is robust to changes in machine configuration and input set.
Model-based automatic test generation for Simulink/Stateflow using extended finite automaton

Simulink/Stateflow is a popular commercial model-based development tool for many industrial domains. For safety and security concerns, verification and testing must be performed on the Simulink/Stateflow designs and the generated code. In this paper, we present an automatic test generation approach for Simulink/Stateflow based on its translation to Input/Output Extended Finite Automata (I/O-EFA) that we have developed in our prior works. The test generation problem requires identifying the executable paths of the I/O-EFA model and also generating a test input for those paths. Note in order to execute a path, a certain sequence of other paths must be executed first, which we automatically identify. The approach is implemented by applying two different techniques, model checking and constraint solving. Both test generation implementations are validated by a case study. The results show that both implementations can generate test cases as expected and the implementation based on constraint solving is in general faster.
Sodolinguistics: A Sociological Critique

Sodolinguistics:. Sociological Critique. Glyn Williams. London and New York: Routledge, 1992. 278 pp.
Modeling O2 transport within engineered hepatic devices.

Predicting and improving oxygen transport within bioartificial liver (BAL) devices continues to be an important engineering challenge since oxygen is one of the critical nutrients necessary for maintaining hepatocyte viability and function. Such a computational model would not only help predict outcomes but it would also allow system modifications to be analyzed prior to developing experimental protocols. This would help to facilitate future design improvements while reducing both experimental time and capital resource costs, and is the focus of the current study. Specifically, a computational model of O 2 transport through collagen and microporous collagen ECMs is analyzed for hollow fiber (HF), flat plate (FP), and spheroid BAL designs. By modifying the O 2 boundary conditions, hepatocyte O 2 consumption levels, O 2 permeability of the ECM, and ECM void fractions, O 2 transport predictions are determined for each system as a function of time and distance. Accuracy of the predictive model is confirmed by comparing computational vs. experimental results for the HF BAL system. The model's results indicate that O 2 transport within all three BAL designs can be improved significantly by incorporating the enhancement technique. This technique modifies a diffusion-dominant gel ECM into a porous matrix with diffusive and convective flows that mutually transport O 2 through the ECMs. Although tortuous pathways increase the porous ECM's overall effective length of O 2 travel, the decreased transport resistances of these pathways allow O 2 to permeate more effectively into the ECMs. Furthermore, because the HF design employs convective flow on both its inner and outer ECM surfaces, greater control of O 2 transport through its ECM is predicted, as compared with the single O 2 source inputs of the flat plate and spheroid systems. The importance of this control is evaluated by showing how modifying the O 2 concentration and/or transfer coefficients of the convective flows can affect O 2 transport.
Importing Environmentalism: Explaining Petroleos Mexicanos’ Cooperative Climate Policy

Theories of environment and development tend to preemptively strip developing-country firms of environmental agency, depicting them as passive targets of market, regulatory, and ideational influences originating elsewhere. This research examines the processes by and conditions under which developing-country firms actively “import” environmental norms, programs, and practices, drawing on a case study of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex)—one of the world’s largest oil companies and the only nationally-owned, developing-country oil company that has adopted a cooperative corporate climate policy. The article demonstrates that the company’s decision to support action on climate change resulted from efforts by climate policy entrepreneurs within Pemex’s environment division. They showed agency in choosing to prioritize the climate issue, in scanning their institutional environment for a climate policy template, in adjusting the template to suit Pemex’s particular circumstances, and in promoting the climate policy to internal and external constituencies. The research also highlights the prominent role of private sector channels in processes of environmental norm diffusion.
Detection of Residual Estrogenic Activity in the Edible Tissues of Chickens Fed Dienestrol Diacetate

Abstract THIS laboratory has recently completed a series of assays designed to show whether or not estrogenic residues are present in the edible tissues of steers fed stilbestrol (Umberger, Curtis and Gass, 1959) or in the edible tissues of chickens injected with various preparations of stilbestrol (Umberger, Gass, Davis, Curtis and Durbin, 1959) to promote growth and fattening. For this purpose an assay method was developed based on the oral feeding of the tissue to the immature mouse and the use of the uterine weight as the criterion of response (Umberger, Gass and Curtis, 1958). An alternative method for estrogenizing poultry is the addition of dienestrol diacetate to the feed. Tiger, Mitchell and Goff (1956) have described the use of such a commercial preparation for the hormonizing of poultry. The estrogen is added to the feed of the poultry at the rate of 32 mg./lb. It seemed desirable to examine the …