cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diversity of polyadenylated messenger RNA sequences in normal and 12-hr regenerating liver.

Abstract Molecular hybridization techniques were used to examine the structural organization of the rat genome and gene expression during liver regeneration. The nonrepetitive fraction of rat DNA comprises approximately 69% of the total and has a complexity of 1.9 × 109 nucleotide pairs. Complementary DNAs (cDNA) were synthesized using polyadenylated polysomal mRNA templates from normal and 12-hr regenerating livers. Hybridization of cDNA with a large excess of total rat DNA indicates that the proportion of polyadenylated polysomal mRNA homologous to repetitive and nonrepetitive DNA is very similar in normal and regenerating livers. Hybridization of cDNAs with excess homologous or heterologous mRNA revealed that: (a) The sequence complexity of polyadenylated polysomal mRNA is essentially the same in normal and 12-hr regenerating liver. Using these data we estimate that the maximum proportion of single-copy DNA represented in polyadenylated polysomal mRNA in livers of sham-operated rats or in 12-hr regenerating liver is 0.85–0.90%; (b) 85–90% of polysomal polyadenylated mRNA is common to normal and regenerating livers, while 11–14% is unique either to normal or 12-hr regenerating liver polysomes. We cannot discern as yet whether the polysomal polyadenylated mRNA sequences unique to normal or regenerating livers are the result of differential gene transcription and/or selective transport from the nucleus to polysomes.
Aristotle and the Philosophy of Friendship

Aristotle and the Philosophy of Friendship. By Lorraine Smith Pangle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 255p. $65.00.Aristotle is not generally regarded as the friendliest of writers. No doubt the starkness and seriousness of his elliptical prose is felt to be less than companionable. Nonetheless, he does devote one-fifth of the Nicomachean Ethics to an analysis of friendship. Moreover, the two books on friendship (VIII and IX) hold the penultimate position, coming right before Book X's concluding assertion of the superiority of the philosophic life. Lorraine Smith Pangle seeks the reason for and the meaning of friendship's privileged position within Aristotle's ethical explorations.
Cholinergic facilitation of trace eyeblink conditioning in aging rabbits.

The hippocampus is importantly involved in learning and memory, and is severely impacted by aging. In in vitro hippocampal slices, both the post-burst afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and spike-frequency accommodation are reduced in hippocampal pyramidal neurons after hippocampally-dependent trace eyeblink conditioning, indications of increased cellular excitability. The AHP results from the activation of outward potassium currents, including sIAHP and muscarinesensitive IM. The AHP is significantly increased in aging hippocampal neurons, potentially contributing to age-associated learning deficits. Compounds which reduce the AHP and spike-frequency accommodation could facilitate learning in normal aging or in age-associated dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. The cholinesterase inhibitor metrifonate enhances trace eyeblink conditioning by aging rabbits and reduces the AHP and accommodation in hippocampal CA1 neurons in a dose-dependent manner. These reductions are mediated by muscarinic cholinergic transmission as they are blocked by atropine. Hippocampal neurons from metrifonate treated but behaviorally naive rabbits were more excitable and not desensitized to the effects of metrifonate since the AHP and accommodation were further reduced when metrifonate was bath applied to the neurons. These observations suggest that the facilitating effect of chronic metrifonate on acquisition of hippocampally dependent tasks is mediated at least partially by increasing the baseline excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons. The issue of whether learning can be facilitated with muscarinic cholinergic agonists, in addition to cholinesterase inhibitors, was addressed by training aging rabbits during intravenous treatment with the M1 agonist CI1017. A dose-dependent enhancement of acquisition was observed, with rabbits receiving 1.0 or 5.0 mg/ml CI1017 showing comparably improved learning rates as those receiving 0.5 mg/ml or vehicle. Sympathetic side effects, mainly excess salivation, were seen with the 5.0 mg/ml dose. Post-training evaluations suggested that the effective doses of CI1017 were enhancing responsivity to the tone conditioned stimulus. These studies suggest that muscarinic cholinergic neurotransmission is importantly involved in associative learning; that learning in aging animals may be facilitated by enhancing cholinergic transmission; and that the facilitation may be mediated through actions on hippocampal neurons.
Enhanced Mobility and Effective Control of Threshold Voltage in P3HT-Based Field-Effect Transistors via Inclusion of Oligothiophenes

Improved organic field-effect transistor (OFET) performance through a polymer-oligomer semiconductor blend approach is demonstrated. Incorporation of 2,5-bis(3-dodecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (BTTT) into poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin films leads to approximately a 5-fold increase in charge carrier mobility, a 10-fold increase in current on–off ratio, and concomitantly, a decreased threshold voltage to as low as 1.7 V in comparison to single component thin films. The blend approach required no pre- and/or post treatments, and processing was conducted under ambient conditions. The correlation of crystallinity, surface morphology and photophysical properties of the blend thin films was systematically investigated via X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and optical absorption measurements respectively, as a function of blend composition. The dependence of thin-film morphology on the blend composition is illustrated for the P3HT:BTTT system. The blend approach provides an alternative av...
The effect of compression and tension on shear-band structure and nanocrystallization in amorphous Al90Fe5Gd5: a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study

Abstract Using both conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the effect of bending at room temperature on the microstructure of amorphous Al 90 Fe 5 Gd 5 was investigated. In the compressive region, nanocrystallites formed at shear bands, along small cracks and at the fracture surface; in the tensile region, nanocrystallites were observed only at the fracture surface. Combining HRTEM with frequency filtering, low-density, nanoscale defects at shear bands were imaged. In the compressive region, both the shear bands and the undeformed matrix contain few defects. In the tensile region, there is a uniform distribution of defects within the shear bands. The preferential precipitation of nanocrystallites in the compressive region is attributed to a kinetic effect due to the uniformly distributed free volume in the shear bands. In contrast, the formation of the nanocrystallites at the fracture surfaces is likely due to adiabatic heating induced by fracture.
Is Water an Input to a Fish? Problems with the Production-Function Model in Education

The concept of a production-function as a metaphor of the educational process is critiqued. In particular, Monk's (1992) discussion of the production-function is seen as typical of the final stages of a dying paradigm.
Microstructural Alterations in the Human Sclera: Do Age and Race Matter?

Glaucoma, an ocular disease resulting from a loss of retinal ganglion cell function, is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 120,000 are blind from glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the U.S. Earlier studies have suggested that mechanical forces play a critical role in the progression of glaucoma [1–3]. Sigal, Flanagan, et al. studied the influence of varied factors including geometric features and material properties using both generic and individual-specified optic nerve head (ONH) models developed in their work, and they demonstrated that scleral mechanical properties had by far the largest influence in the ONH biomechanical environment (ONH strain) [4–8]. Downs, Burgoyne, et al. defined the effects of the scleral shell and collagen fiber orientation through the examination of displacement [9]. The above studies show that the ONH mechanical properties depend strongly on the microstructure in the scleral shell.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Complex problems require complex solutions.

The contributions of behavior therapy and the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy to the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and education briefly are outlined. The growth of behavior therapy is documented in terms of the publication trends and increased acceptance of its existence by practicing professionals, the media, the general public, and funding agencies. Current problems facing behavior therapists are discussed in light of their historical context. Concern is expressed over the insularity of many practicing behavior therapists in regard to their somewhat limited reading habits and their unwillingness to incorporate in their treatments other empirical currents that do not emanate from the behavioral camp. Simplicity of some of the behavioral assessments that do not take into consideration the different etiologic patterns of the disorder under evaluation is criticized. This is illustrated for depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia. The importance of matching the specific behavioral treatment to the specific historical characteristics of the disorder repeatedly is underscored. Many of these issues are presented in relation to the somewhat restricted education that our graduate students are at times afforded. Recommendations for improved pedagogic efforts are offered.
Prediction of the relationship between the rate of deformation and the rate of stress relaxation in glassy polymers

Abstract Kim, et al. (Polymer, 54(15), 3949, 2013) recently reported on the unexpected relaxation behavior of an amorphous polymer in the Tg-region, where the rate of stress relaxation increased with deformation at a strain rate of 1.5 × 10−4 s−1 but decreased at a strain rate of 1.2 × 10−5 s−1. This inversion in the ordering with strain rate challenges the underlying structure of the existing nonlinear viscoelastic and viscoplastic constitutive models, where the key nonlinearity is a deformation dependent material clock. The nonlinear stress relaxation predictions of a recently developed stochastic constitutive model, SCM, (Medvedev, et al., J. Rheology, 57(3), 949, 2013) that acknowledge dynamic heterogeneity of the glass have been investigated. The SCM predicts the inversion in the ordering of the mobility with the loading strain rate as reported by the stress relaxation response. The change in perspective on the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of glassy polymers engendered by the SCM is discussed.
Double optical resonance at high pressure: Collisional broadening and doppler effects on ac stark splitting

Abstract The article presents the density matrix theory describing a three-level system in single- or multi-photon resonant interaction with two finite-bandwidth lasers and subject to high pressure. Under the steady-state and the weak-probe approximations, analytic solutions for the excitation spectra and the conditions for resolving the ac Stark splitting (also known as the Autler-Townes effect) are given. Calculations show that the resolution of the ac Stark doublet, observed in the two-color, three-photon 1s→3p excitation spectra of atomic hydrogen produced in H 2 /air atmospheric-pressure flames, is greatly improved by eliminating the Doppler contribution of the 1s→2s two-photon transition. It is found that as pressure is increased, the asymmetry parameter of the doublet decreases; and at high enough pressure (e.g. several atm), the doublet becomes one broad resonance.
CXCR1 and CXCR2 Activation and Regulation ROLE OF ASPARTATE 199 OF THE SECOND EXTRACELLULAR LOOP OF CXCR2 IN CXCL8-MEDIATED RAPID RECEPTOR INTERNALIZATION

CXCL8 (interleukin-8) interacts with two receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2, to activate leukocytes. Upon activation, CXCR2 internalizes very rapidly relative to CXCR1 (∼90% versus ∼10% after 5 min). The C termini of the receptors have been shown to be necessary for internalization but are not sufficient to explain the distinct kinetics of down-regulation. To determine the structural determinant(s) that modulate receptor internalization, various chimeric and point mutant receptors were generated by progressively exchanging specific domains or amino acids between CXCR1 and CXCR2. The receptors were stably expressed in rat basophilic leukemia 2H3 cells and characterized for receptor binding, intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, phosphoinositide hydrolysis, phosphorylation, internalization, and MAPK activation. The data herein indicate that the second extracellular loop (2ECL) of the receptors is critical for the distinct rate of internalization. Replacing the 2ECL of CXCR2 with that of CXCR1 (B2ECLA) or Asp199 with its CXCR1 valine counterpart (BD199VA) delayed CXCR2 internalization similarly to CXCR1. Replacing Asp199 with Asn (BD199N) restored CXCR2 rapid internalization. Structure modeling of the 2ECL of the receptors also suggested that Asp199 plays a critical role in stabilizing and modulating CXCR2 rapid internalization relative to CXCR1. BD199N internalized rapidly but migrated as a single phosphorylated form like CXCR1 (∼75 kDa), whereas B2ECLA and BD199VA showed slow and fast migrating forms like CXCR2 (∼45 and ∼65 kDa, respectively) but internalized like CXCR1. These data further undermine the role of receptor oligomerization in CXCL8 receptor internalization. Like CXCR1, BD199VA also induced sustained ERK activation and cross-desensitized Ca2+ mobilization to CCR5 relative to BD199N and CXCR2. Altogether, the data suggest that the 2ECL of the CXCL8 receptors is important in modulating their distinct rate of down-regulation and thereby signal length and post-internalization activities.
Differential antagonism of tetramethylenedisulfotetramine-induced seizures by agents acting at NMDA and GABAA receptors

Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TMDT) is a highly lethal neuroactive rodenticide responsible for many accidental and intentional poisonings in mainland China. Ease of synthesis, water solubility, potency, and difficulty to treat make TMDT a potential weapon for terrorist activity. We characterized TMDT-induced convulsions and mortality in male C57BL/6 mice. TMDT (ip) produced a continuum of twitches, clonic, and tonic-clonic seizures decreasing in onset latency and increasing in severity with increasing dose; 0.4mg/kg was 100% lethal. The NMDA antagonist, ketamine (35mg/kg) injected ip immediately after the first TMDT-induced seizure, did not change number of tonic-clonic seizures or lethality, but increased the number of clonic seizures. Doubling the ketamine dose decreased tonic-clonic seizures and eliminated lethality through a 60min observation period. Treating mice with another NMDA antagonist, MK-801, 0.5 or 1mg/kg ip, showed similar effects as low and high doses of ketamine, respectively, and prevented lethality, converting status epilepticus EEG activity to isolated interictal discharges. Treatment with these agents 15min prior to TMDT administration did not increase their effectiveness. Post-treatment with the GABA(A) receptor allosteric enhancer diazepam (5mg/kg) greatly reduced seizure manifestations and prevented lethality 60min post-TMDT, but ictal events were evident in EEG recordings and, hours post-treatment, mice experienced status epilepticus and died. Thus, TMDT is a highly potent and lethal convulsant for which single-dose benzodiazepine treatment is inadequate in managing electrographic seizures or lethality. Repeated benzodiazepine dosing or combined application of benzodiazepines and NMDA receptor antagonists is more likely to be effective in treating TMDT poisoning.
The Architecture of Enterprise Architecture

The Architecture of Enterprise Architecture paper answers questions such as; what makes up enterprise architecture? where is enterprise architecture relative to other enterprise processes? and what is necessary to make enterprise architecture work in the complex environments where it is deployed? This paper presents a categorization of architecture offerings that can be used to position and describe the architecture space and provides summarized and supportive information to the main thesis including architecture in the value chain, the social framework in which architecture exists, the skills required for success, and a view of the roles and responsibilities of architects.
Differential acute and chronic response of protein kinase C in cultured neonatal rat heart myocytes to α1-adrenergic and phorbol ester stimulation ☆

Both α1-adrenergic agonists (e.g. norepinephrine, NE∗) and tumor-promoting phorbol esters (e.g. phorbol myristate acetate, PMA) are known to activate protein kinase C (PKC) (Abdel-Latif, 1986, Niedel and Blackshear, 1986). However, α1 agonists and PMA produce very different effects on cardiac function (see Simpson, 1985; Benfey, 1987; Meidell et al., 1986; Leatherman et al., 1987; Yuan et al., 1987; for examples). PKC activation in heart cells has been studied only for PMA treated perfused heart (Yuan et al., 1987). Therefore, acute activation and chronic regulation of PKC by NE and PMA were compared in cultured neonatal rat heart myocytes. NE acutely and transiently activated PKC, as measured by translocation of PKC activity to the cell particulate fraction (Niedel and Blackshear, 1986). Particulate PKC activity peaked at 23% of total after NE for 30 s, as compared with 8% for control (P < 0.001). By contrast, acute PKC activation by PMA was more pronounced and persistent, with particulate PKC activity 62% of total at 5 min (P < 0.001). Calcium/lipid-independent kinase activity increased acutely with PMA, but not with NE. Chronic treatment with NE (24 to 48 h) increased total per cell PKC activity and 3H-phorbol dibutyrate (PDB) binding sites, an index of the number of PKC molecules (Niedel and Blackshear, 1986), by 30 to 60% over control (all P < 0.05 to 0.01). In contrast with NE, chronic treatment with PMA down-regulated PKC, reducing total per cell PKC activity and 3H-PDB binding sites to 3% and 12% of control, respectively (P < 0.01). Both stimuli increased total protein per cell by 18 to 28% over control (P < 0.01). This is the first direct demonstration of α1-adrenergic acute activation and chronic up-regulation of PKC in heart myocytes. Acute and chronic regulation of PKC by α1-adrenergic stimulation is very different from that by PMA.
Glucocorticoid regulation of G-protein subunits in neonatal liver

The effect of dexamethasone administration in vivo on the steady-state levels of G-protein subunits in liver of neonatal rabbits was investigated using specific antibodies to each subunit as well as bacterial toxin-mediated ADP-ribosylation assays. Parallel measurements were also made of the activity of adenylyl cyclase, as influenced by a variety of activators. Dexamethasone administration modulated the levels of G-protein subunits in liver in an age-dependent and subunit-specific manner but not in 24-h-old newborns. The inductive effect of dexamethasone was observed in animals older than 24 h, the greatest effect being on 2- to 3-day-old neonates. In 48-h-old animals the alpha-subunits Gs alpha-1, Gs alpha-2, Gi alpha and the beta-subunit G beta increased 2.0-, 2.1-, 4.3- and 2.8-fold, respectively, compared to the control. The increases were much less for older animals. Dexamethasone treatment also modulated effector-mediated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity in vitro and mimicked its effects on G-protein levels; the greatest increase (approximately 2-fold) in the activation of adenylyl cyclase occurred in membranes isolated from 2- to 3-day-old animals. In older animals there was either no effect of dexamethasone or a decrease in activity. The degree of change in enzyme activity paralleled the change in the amount of Gs alpha rather than of Gi alpha or G beta. These results suggest development-dependent regulation of hepatic G-proteins by glucocorticoids.
Property Taxation and Density of Land Development: A Simple Model with Numerical Simulations

This paper presents a microeconomic model of the choice of density for a newly developed parcel of land within a metropolitan region. Analysis reveals that this decision depends upon the anticipated rents, interest rate, construction and operating costs, and tax rate levied on building value. The tax rate levied on the land value of the parcel does not influence density if that tax is fully capitalized into the land price paid by the developer. Because a closed form solution of the model is elusive, we report the results of several numerical simulations. We find that the property tax rate levied on newly constructed buildings could affect the density of real estate development projects.
Theory of the Magnetic Properties of the Ilmenites M Ti O 3

Crystal-field, superexchange, and molecular-field theories have been used to analyze available experimental data for the ilmenites MnTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, FeTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, CoTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, and NiTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. The magnetic order and spin directions are shown to be compatible with negative trigonal fields in all compounds. Crystallographic considerations indicate that FeTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ has its negative trigonal field enhanced by spin-orbit coupling and by a large magnetic anisotropy orienting spins along the ${c}_{h}$ axis, even in the paramagnetic region. This invalidates the interpretation of the paramagnetic susceptibility of FeTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ by an isotropic model. MnTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ exhibits three anomalies: a reduced atomic moment ($4.55 {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$) in the magnetically ordered state, a broad maximum in ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{m}$ versus $T$ above ${T}_{N}$, and a discrepancy in the molecular-field exchange parameters obtained from high-temperature susceptibilities and low-temperature resonance with only dipole-dipole magnetic anisotropy. A similar but smaller discrepancy in exchange parameters was also found for NiTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. These difficulties disappear if exciton transfer between superexchange-coupled cations is introduced. This is a correlated superexchange involving the simultaneous transfer of electrons on neighboring cations to one another. For ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ ions coupled antiferromagnetically via 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} cation-anion-cation superexchange, this exciton superexchange induces not only $^{4}T$ excited ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ states, but also $^{2}T$ excited states via a double-exciton transfer. This introduces a large reduction in moment below ${T}_{N}$, an increase in moment with temperature through the range of short-range order above ${T}_{N}$, and an additional anisotropy. The latter has the sign required to reconcile susceptibility and resonance data provided that the $^{2}T$ excited state is more populated than the $^{4}T$ states. The same mechanism for CoTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and NiTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ does not change the atomic moments and gives the correct sign for the additional anisotropy. The data are consistent with a magnetostriction below ${T}_{N}$ in CoTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ that reduces the trigonal component of the crystalline field to nearly zero.
The effects of fins on the intermediate wake of a submarine model

Results are presented on the behavior of the turbulent wake behind a submarine model for a range of Reynolds numbers based on the model length between 0.49 × 10 6 and 1.8 × 10 6 , for test locations between 3 and 9 diameters downstream of the stern. The shape of the model emulates an idealized submarine, and tests were performed with and without stern fins. In the absence of fins, the velocity profile in planes away from the influence of the sail rapidly becomes self-similar and is well described by a function of exponentials. The fins create defects in the velocity profiles in the outer region of the wake, while yielding higher values of turbulence at locations corresponding to the tips of the fins. Measurements conducted in planes away from the midline plane show that the velocity profiles remain self-similar while the shear stress profiles clearly show the effects of the necklace vortices trailing from the base of the fins.
A new approach to transients in countercurrent flow systems

Abstract Frequently the concentrations in the opposing flows in a countercurrent exchange device satisfy linear partial differential equations with prescribed boundary and initial conditions, and interest centers on the transients in the exiting concentrations. A method is proposed for numerically determining these transients. It does not require determining the behavior at internal points. The method involves the transformation of two point boundary value problems into Cauchy systems, and the numerical inversion of Laplace transforms. It depends strongly on the ability of modern computers to integrate large systems of ordinary differential equations with known initial conditions.
Equilibrium and nonequilibrium electron tunneling via discrete quantum states

We analyze quantitatively the resonance energies, widths, and amplitudes for electron tunneling via the quantum levels of a metal nanoparticle. We consider both the regime where only one quantum state is accessible for tunneling and the nonequilibrium regime where additional states are made accessible one by one. For tunneling through one state, our results agree with expectations for sequential tunneling, but in the nonequilibrium regime the resonances are broadened and shift with temperature in ways that require taking into account electron interactions and relaxation.
Inhibition of sunfish feeding by defensive steroids from aquatic beetles: Structure activity relationships.

The vertebrate hormone deoxycorticosterone is the most commonly occurring component of defensive secretions from aquatic beetles in the family Dytiscidae. Deoxycorticosterone and the structurally related steroids pregn-4-en-20α:-ol-3-one and pregn-4-en-20β-ol-3-one were tested for their ability to inhibit feeding by bluegill sunfish,Lepomis macrochirus, in laboratory assays. Deoxycorticosterone at oral doses of 660μg (2 x 10−6 mol) per pellet caused 94% inhibition in the acceptance of artificial food pellets. At the same molar dosage, pregn-4-en-20α-ol-3-one inhibited food consumption by 58%, while its epimer, pregn-4-en-20β-ol-3-one, did not significantly inhibit feeding. These results indicate that specific stereochemical conditions must be satisfied for the pregnenes to be noxious toL. macrochirus and suggest the existence of a receptor-ligand interaction. The potency of the three steroids in assays of feeding inhibition contradicts earlier results based on toxicity and anesthetic assays in which fish were immersed in solutions of steroids.
The chemistry in circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars: Following the origin of the elements to the origin of life

Mass loss from evolved stars results in the formation of unusual chemical laboratories: circumstellar envelopes. Such envelopes are found around carbon- and oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars and red supergiants. As the gaseous material of the envelope flows from the star, the resulting temperature and density gradients create a complex chemical environment involving hot, thermodynamically controlled synthesis, molecule “freeze-out,” shock-initiated reactions, and photochemistry governed by radical mechanisms. In the circumstellar envelope of the carbon-rich star IRC+10216, >50 different chemical compounds have been identified, including such exotic species as C8H, C3S, SiC3, and AlNC. The chemistry here is dominated by molecules containing long carbon chains, silicon, and metals such as magnesium, sodium, and aluminum, which makes it quite distinct from that found in molecular clouds. The molecular composition of the oxygen-rich counterparts is not nearly as well explored, although recent studies of VY Canis Majoris have resulted in the identification of HCO+, SO2, and even NaCl in this object, suggesting chemical complexity here as well. As these envelopes evolve into planetary nebulae with a hot, exposed central star, synthesis of molecular ions becomes important, as indicated by studies of NGC 7027. Numerous species such as HCO+, HCN, and CCH are found in old planetary nebulae such as the Helix. This “survivor” molecular material may be linked to the variety of compounds found recently in diffuse clouds. Organic molecules in dense interstellar clouds may ultimately be traced back to carbon-rich fragments originally formed in circumstellar shells.
Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex and fumonisin contamination of pearl millet and corn in Georgia, USA.

This study was designed to identify and compare the Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) and corn (Zea mays L.) crops grown in southern Georgia, and to determine their influence on potential fumonisin production. Pearl millet and corn samples were collected in Georgia in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Three percent of the pearl millet seeds had fungi similar to the Fusarium species of the G. fujikuroi species complex. One hundred and nineteen representative isolates visually similar to the G. fujikuroi species complex from pearl millet were paired with mating population A (Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg), mating population D (F. proliferatum (Matsushima) Nirenberg) and mating population F (F. thapsinum (Klittich, Leslie, Nelson and Marasas) tester strains. Successful crosses were obtained with 50.4%, 10.1% and 0.0% of these isolates with the A, D and F tester strains, while 39.5 of the isolates did not form perithecia with any tester strains. Two of the typical infertile isolates were characterized by DNA sequence comparisons and were identified as Fusarium pseudonygamai (Nirenberg and O’Donnell), which is the first known isolation of this species in the United States. Based on the pattern of cross-compatibility, conidiogenesis, colony characteristics and media pigmentation, a majority of the infertile isolates belong to this species. Fumonisins FB 1 and FB 2 were not detected in any of the 81 pearl millet samples analyzed. The species of the G. fujikuroi species complex were dominant in corn and were isolated from 84%, 74% and 65% of the seed in 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. Representative species of the G. fujikuroi species complex were isolated from 1996 to 1998 Georgia corn survey (162, 104 and 111 isolates, respectively) and tested for mating compatibility. The incidence of isolates belonging to mating population A (F. verticillioides) ranged from 70.2% to 89.5%. Corn survey samples were assayed for fumonisins, and 63% to 91% of the 1996, 1997 and 1998 samples were contaminated. The total amount of fumonisins in the corn samples ranged from 0.6 to 33.3 μg/g.
The unbearable lightness of Hong Sang-soo's HaHaHa: awkward humor, nervous laughter, and self-critique in contemporary Korean comedy

Drawing from existing literature in the field of comedy studies (including work related to three long-established theories of laughter: superiority theory, incongruity theory, and relief theory), this paper examines the humorous elements in Hong Sang-soo's films. Focusing on the Korean director's tellingly titled film HaHaHa (2010), the author puts forth the idea that both internal and external bursts of hilarity (coming from the characters and from the audience, respectively) form a line of bivalent critique that links textual and extratextual aspects of screen comedy. That linkage is gestured toward by the artificial ‘movement’ (or, rather, magnification) of the image specific to the zoom shot, which can be seen in nearly every one of this film's simultaneously painful and pleasurable, uncomfortable and entertaining, sequences. In addition to expanding Paul Willemen's theory of cinematic zooming, the author seizes upon some of the most persuasive writings about the comic mode in order to critically fram...
“Reverse” engineering: Toward 0-D cadmium halide clusters

Crystal structures having distinct structural motifs (0-D, 1-D, 2-D), are reported—the results of reactions of ortho-substituted phenylamines with cadmium halide salts. The aim of the study was to control the size and dimensionality of Cd(II) halide assemblies by changing the steric demands of the ortho substituents. The ultimate goal of the research is to synthesize cadmium halide clusters using rational and predictable methods. To this end, the synthesis and crystal structure of a new Cd3Cl126−cluster are also reported.
Ladder-form filters for nonstationary processes

Ladder-form whitening filters for discrete-time non-stationary processes are presented. Two fundamental versions, both cascade connections of identical stages are described. One version has a simple filter stage, but time varying gains which require a separate, parallel computation; the other has a more complex filter stage, but time invariant parameters. The overall complexity of both schemes is proportional to the index of nonstationarity of the underlying stochastic process. The resulting recursive relations are applicable to problems of covariance factorization, spectral estimation and parameter identification.
The Impact of Perceptions on Interpersonal Interactions in an African American/Asian American Housing Project:

An increasing number of communities in the United States are ethnically diverse. In recent decades, large numbers of immigrants, for example, Mexicans, Central Americans, Latin Americans, and Asian Americans, have been incorporated into predominantly African American urban neighborhoods and communities. An understanding of the nature of interactions in these ethnically, culturally, and sometimes linguistically diverse environments is necessary to enable community members and leaders to deal with changing interactional patterns in their neighborhoods. By recognizing that interpersonal interactions are influenced by ethnicity and by comprehending the impact of ethnicity on social interaction, it may be possible for these dynamic neighborhoods to maintain a sense of community life that includes all ethnic groups. However, information on the effect of immigration on African American lifeway is lacking. A body of literature exists on Chinese American communities in America. These studies include examination of the types of indi-
Allusions to Ancestral Impropriety: Understandings of Arthritis and Rheumatism in the Contemporary Navajo World

Navajo people frequently attribute occurrences of arthritis and rheumatism to inappropriate contact with menstruating women or menstrual blood. During ethnographic interviews about rules governing contact with various types of blood, Navajo consultants often explained these norms with allusions to key portions of the Navajo oral histories. The connections made by Navajo consultants in these contexts suggest that, like many other diseases, afflictions such as arthritis and rheumatism are metaphorically linked to ancestral impropriety or immorality. That is, particular actions on the part of ancestors of the Nihookaa Dine'e (Earth Surface People) are referenced as the precedent for considering certain types of menstrual and game animal blood dangerous to the health and well-being of contemporary Navajo people. in exploring the means by which these types of blood have come to carry such significance in the Navajo world, I contribute to disciplinary concerns about more effective ways to study so-called menstrual taboos and demonstrate how language, bodily substances, bodily ills, human agency, and ancestral actions intertwine. [Native Americans, Navajo, body, illness, menstruation, sexuality, arthritis/ rheumatism]
Multi-photon microscopy in the evaluation of human saphenous vein.

Background. The use of conventional fluorescence microscopy to image biological systems at the cellular level is limited by its inability to spatially resolve thick tissues. We have applied the technique of multi-photon fluorescence microscopy to study the structure and function of endothelial cells in living human saphenous vein taken from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Materials and Methods. Vein segments were preserved for 1–4 h to determine the temporal effects of storage. The effect of pH on endothelial and smooth muscle cell viability was examined by storing segments at pH 6.0, 7.4, and 8.0. Calcein-mediated green fluorescence and ethidium homodimer-mediated red fluorescence were used to differentiate cell viability. Increases in diaminofluorescein fluorescence were used to measure bradykinin activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) with or without N-nitro-l-arginine (L-NNA). Multi-photon imaging was performed with the BioRad MRC1024ES system. Results. Successful imaging of endothelial and smooth muscle cells of vein segments was achieved. Cell viability was well preserved up to 3 h of storage but dramatically decreased after 4 h. Cell viability was maintained at pH 7.4, diminished at pH 8.0, and was completely lost at pH 6.0. A two- to threefold increase in eNOS activity was observed upon activation by bradykinin which was completely inhibited in L-NNA-treated samples. Conclusions. We have demonstrated the successful application of multi-photon microscopy in imaging and quantifying nitric oxide production and cell viability under various storage conditions in human saphenous veins. This imaging technique allows for the functional imaging of cellular processes and may have diagnostic potential in cardiovascular surgery for patients undergoing bypass operations.
An N-methyl glutamate dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas M.A

Abstract Methylamine-induced cells of Pseudomonas MA (ATCC No. 23819) contain a particulate enzyme system which catalyzes the reaction: 2 N -methyl l -glutamate + O 2 → 2 l -glutamate + 2 formaldehyde + (H 2 O). The stoichiometry of this reaction (2 moles N -methyl l -glutamate utilized per mole of oxygen) suggests that the enzyme is a dehydrogenase. During the oxidation of N -methyl l -glutamate, cytochromes b and c are enzymatically reduced, supporting the conclusion that the enzyme is a respiratory chain-linked dehydrogenase. It is proposed that the function of this enzyme is to activate the methyl group of N -methyl l -glutamate so that it may be further metabolized by this microorganism.
Truth-telling, dominant strategies, and iterative Groves mechanisms

This essay demonstrates that if an organization uses a price-decomposition algorithm to solve a decentralized resource allocation problem, in which rewards are those of a Groves mechanism, then truth-telling remains a dominant-strategy equilibrium. Earlier work shows that for a general class of non-linear programming algorithms, truth-telling is a Nash equilibrium that weakly dominates all other Nash equilibria, but it is not necessarily a dominant-strategy equilibrium.
Role of vegetation in generation of mesoscale circulation

Abstract A soil-vegetation module is incorporated into a two-dimensional mesoscale model for simulating mesoscale circulations that develop due to changes in surface characteristics. The model was verified by evaluating the diurnal changes of heat fluxes, surface temperature, soil moisture and soil water content with different vegetation covers using a one-dimensional version. Thermally induced mesoscale circulations between vegetated and bare soil areas are simulated with the two-dimensional model using three different types of bare soil adjacent to the vegetated area. The properties of the vegetation breeze, which are similar to that of a sea breeze, are investigated. The intensity of the vegetation breeze circulation is directly related to the characteristics of the bare soil. There is a strong relationship between surface fluxes and the intensity of the vegetation breeze circulation. More soil moisture is transferred to the atmosphere over the vegetated area than over the bare soil area. The effect of vegetation on planetary boundary layer (PBL) structure is presented by comparing the differences of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), eddy diffusivity and boundary layer height between vegetated area and bare soil area. The effect of bare soil properties on PBL structure is also described.
Coatings for corrosion protection of porous substrates in gasifier components

Deposition of several coatings by Chemical Vapor Deposition in a Fluidized Bed was studied inside porous coupons made of 409 steel. Four different coating systems were studied: TiAlSiN/TiAl/SS409, TiAlSiN/TiAlSi/SS409, TiAlN/Nb/TiAl/SS409 and TiSiN/Nb/TiSi/SS409. Though coating thickness decreased with depth inside the porous filter, the formation of Ti-based ceramic films with thicknesses around 1 micrometer was observed 0.5 mm inside the bulk of the samples. Coated substrates were exposed to a simulated coal gas at 643 K for 300 hours, in order to study their corrosion resistance under conditions that mimic a porous metal particulate filter of a coal gasification system. Some of the coatings did not provide enough protection against corrosion at the bulk of the porous coupons, and iron sulfide crystals were formed that plugged the pores. On the other hand, the TiSiN/Nb/TiSi/SS409 system showed no sign of corrosion.
Alternative approach to solving the Hamiltonian constraint

Solving Einstein's constraint equations for the construction of black hole initial data requires handling the black hole singularity. Typically, this is done either with the excision method, in which the black hole interior is excised from the numerical grid, or with the puncture method, in which the singular part of the conformal factor is expressed in terms of an analytical background solution, and the Hamiltonian constraint is then solved for a correction to the background solution that, usually, is assumed to be regular everywhere. We discuss an alternative approach in which the Hamiltonian constraint is solved for an inverse power of the conformal factor. This new function remains finite everywhere, so that this approach requires neither excision nor a split into background and correction. In particular, this method can be used without modification even when the correction to the conformal factor is singular itself. We demonstrate this feature for rotating black holes in the trumpet topology.
High biochemical selectivity of tadalafil, sildenafil and vardenafil for human phosphodiesterase 5A1 (PDE5) over PDE11A4 suggests the absence of PDE11A4 cross-reaction in patients

The physiological role of phosphodiesterase (PDE)11 is unknown and its biochemical characteristics are poorly understood. We have expressed human His-tagged PDE11A4 and purified the enzyme to apparent homogeneity. PDE11A4 displays Km values of 0.97 μM for cGMP and 2.4 μM for cAMP, and maximal velocities were 4- to 10-fold higher for cAMP than for cGMP. Given the homology between PDE11 and PDE5, we have compared the biochemical potencies of tadalafil (Cialis™, Lilly-ICOS), vardenafil (Levitra™, Bayer-GSK), and sildenafil (Viagra™, Pfizer Inc.) for PDE11A4 and PDE5A1. PDE5A1/PDE11A4 selectivities are 40-, 9300-, and 1000-fold for tadalafil, vardenafil, and sildenafil, respectively. This suggests that none of these three compounds is likely to crossreact with PDE11A4 in patients.
LEARNERS' USES OF TWO TYPES OF WRITTEN FEEDBACK ON A L2 WRITING REVISION TASK

This study examines the effectiveness of written error corrections versus reformulations of second language learners' writing as two means of improving learners' grammatical accuracy on a three-stage composition-comparison-revision task. Concurrent verbal protocols were employed during the comparison stage in order to study the learners' reported awareness of the more targetlike reformulations. The reactivity of think-alouds as a research tool was also assessed. First, 15 adult learners of English participated in a repeated-measures study with three experimental conditions: error correction, reformulation, and reformulation + think-aloud. Participant reports of awareness in the reformulation + think-aloud condition suggested that noticing of feedback was related to the accuracy of subsequent revisions. A second nonrepeated-measures study was then carried out with 54 participants; a control group was added and the design was modified in an attempt to eliminate the reported tendency of learners to develop and use memorization strategies while processing the written feedback. In both experiments, participants performed significantly better in the error correction condition than in the reformulation condition. The think-alouds, used to examine learners' attentional processes, were found to be reactive in the first study; learners in the reformulation condition produced significantly more accurate revisions than those who were asked to think aloud while processing the reformulations they received. The results suggest that whereas verbal protocols might be able to shed some light on learner-internal processes in relation to written feedback, they should be employed and interpreted with care.We would like to thank Alison Mackey and the anonymous SSLA reviewers for their helpful suggestions on this article.
Litigation in Interior Design: Examining United States Appellate Court Cases in Professional Practice

OBJECTIVE: To increase knowledge of litigation in interior design professional practice, this study examined the relationship among four time periods occurring between 1969-96 and five variables: (a) occurrence of appellate-level lawsuits; (b) number of designer-defendants and designer-plaintiffs; (c) legal bases of lawsuits; (d) dollar value of amounts sought by litigants; and (e) dollar value of amounts awarded to litigants. A profile of allegations in the appellate-level lawsuits also was completed. RESEARCH DESIGN: A content analysis of litigation abstracts was completed for 137 appellate-level lawsuits using Westlawr, a proprietary on-line database for legal research of court abstracts in the United States. An interdisciplinary team composed of interior designers and an attorney undertook the research. ANALYSIS: Analysis of variance, including the Kruskal-Wallis test of medians, and chi-square were calculated to determine levels of probability for five hypotheses. Statistical analyses of the data included rankings of allegations in the lawsuits. KEY FINDINGS: Appellate-level lawsuits were significantly different among the four time periods for (a) number of lawsuits and (b) legal bases. The time periods were nearing significant difference for dollar amounts awarded to litigants. No significant differences were shown for frequencies of designer-plaintiffs and designer-defendants or for dollar amounts sought by the appellate courts. The majority of allegations focused on disputes regarding payments for merchandise and design services. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that over the length of a professional career, a designer is more likely to be a plaintiff in a lawsuit than a defendant and that the great majority of litigated disputes will focus on contractual issues rather than allegations of tortuous acts, such as professional negligence. The dollar amounts involved in litigation are near minimums for appellate court cases.