cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A balloon borne 19-GHz radiometer

The design and performance of a 19-GHz one-horn maser radiometer is discussed. The antenna is a lensed, conical horn with 3-deg angular resolution. The radiometer is stabilized by chopping against an internal cold load. A novel chopping scheme allows continual calibration of maser gain fluatuations with only a modest penalty in noise. The method of calibrating this instrument is described. The instrument has been used to map the sky with an equivalent blackbody temperature sensitivity of 1 mK per 3 x 3 deg resolution element.
Laser linac: nondiffractive beam and gas-loading effects

ABSTRACT It is shown that high energy gains are possible in a gas-loaded laser linac using a nondiffractingbeam. We derive expressions for optimum gas index as a function of particle injection energy andother parameters, including the case of longitudinal grading, for both Gaussian and nondiffractingbeams. The properties of pulsed laser beams are discussed. 1. INTRODUCTION A focused laser beam possesses a longitudinal electric field component that can be used in a laser particle accelerator."2 Energy gains of electrons of about 30 Mev are predicted feasible fora linearly polarized Gaussian beam linac in which the electrons are accelerated through a singlefocus, and well over 1 Gev in a gas-loaded "Bessel" (GLB), or "non-diffracting,"3 beam linac, inwhich laser pulses of peak power 1012 W are employed. Acceleration in tightly focused Hermite-Gaussian beams without a gas is possible but the presence of a dispersive gas helps to eliminatephase-slippage, permitting increased gain and lower injection velocity. Efficient energy transfer
A preliminary comparison of the MAGSAT data and aeromagnetic data in the continental U.S.

A preliminary regional scale magnetic anomaly map derived from the Magsat data over the continental U.S. shows reasonably good correlations when compared with the corresponding aeromagnetic map. This conclusion is based upon the analysis of the fine attitude scalar Magsat data of about a two-month duration starting November 2, 1979 and the analysis of the Project Magnet U.S. aeromagnetic data in the same region.
Cornea-Based Techniques and Technology for Surgical Correction of Presbyopia

To review current options for cornea based techniques and technologies for the surgical correction of presbyopia. Corneal inlays are an emerging and promising technology and multiple inlays are in development or in the regulatory process. Inalys may be best characterized by their mechanism of action. Thermal keratoplasty, presbyLASIK and intrastromal femtosecond ring incisions are other surgical options. Multiple options exist for the cornea based surgical correction of presbyopia.
Clofibrate-induced myotonia in the rat.

Clofibrate induced electromyographic and contractile responses in rats consistent with myotonia.
Population genetics and systematics of the Morchella esculenta complex.

Allelic frequencies for strains of an early occurring gray form of Morchella and the tan M. esculenta were determined for collections from west central Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. Horizontal starch gel electrophoresis was used to determine electromorph (allele) frequencies from fourteen enzyme systems encoded by twenty presumptive structural loci. A total of 122 monoascosporous isolates from 72 ascocarps were studied. Electrophoretic polymorphisms were found in strains of both forms demonstrating that they exist as Mendelian populations. In general, the gray form and M. esculenta had a high genetic similarity when they occurred at the same locality, indicating that they were likely derived from a common ancestral population. The Plymouth strains were genetically more similar to the Eagle Township strains than the strains from the Richland Center area, which had a larger separation than the other collections. Geographic distance between Illinois and Wisconsin strains resulted in substantial genetic differentiation attributable to genetic drift (Fst = 0.165). Strains ofthe two different forms, however, do not cluster separately in a phenetic analysis indicating that the two phenotypes are not different taxa.
Low-Temperature Methyl Bromide Fumigation of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Ash Logs

Ash (Fraxinus spp.) logs, infested with fully developed, cold-acclimated larval and prepupal emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), were fumigated with methyl bromide (MeBr) at 4.4 and 10.0 degrees C for 24 h. Concentrations X time dosages of MeBr obtained were 1579 and 1273 g-h/m3 (24-h exposure) at 4.4 and 10.0 degrees C after applied doses of 112 and 96 g/m3, respectively. MeBr concentrations were simultaneously measured with a ContainIR infrared monitor and Fumiscope thermal conductivity meter calibrated for MeBr to measure the effect of CO2 on Fumiscope concentration readings compared with the infrared (IR) instrument. The presence of CO2 caused false high MeBr readings. With the thermal conductivity meter, CO2 measured 11.36 g/m3 MeBr per 1% CO2 in clean air, whereas the gas-specific infrared ContainIR instrument measured 9.55% CO2 as 4.2 g/m3 MeBr (0.44 g/m3 per 1% CO2). The IR instrument was 0.4% as sensitive to CO2 as the thermal conductivity meter. After aeration, fumigated and control logs were held for 8 wk to capture emerging beetles. No A. planipennis adults emerged from any of the fumigated logs, whereas 262 emerged from control logs (139 and 123/m2 at 4.4 and 10.0 degrees C, respectively). An effective fumigation dose and minimum periodic MeBr concentrations are proposed. The use of a CO2 scrubber in conjunction with nonspecific thermal conductivity instruments is necessary to more accurately measure MeBr concentrations.
Analysing system of systems performance of a carrier strike group conducting anti-submarine warfare

The operation of US and Allied military forces freely and safely across the world's oceans remains a paramount goal of the US Navy, often to be carried out through the deployment of a carrier strike group (CSG). This paper examines the need for an improved anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system to protect a CSG, focusing on the design of an ASW system that is able to thwart an attack through effective, timely, and precise engagement based on the use of tactically significant detection, localisation, tracking and classification of threat submarines. This effort results in the development of system functions and objectives, appropriate metrics, an operational concept, several competing physical architectural alternatives, and conduct of trade-off analysis regarding system performance. Primarily, the focus is on the operational performance of the competing physical architectures, which is defined as the need to detect and defeat an enemy submarine during a typical CSG mission. Potential ASW and CSG components are described, as well as an assessment of several alternative ASW systems within the CSG system of systems, a brief operational concept, and the specifics of the performance modelling effort to include results.
Perceptual-motor coordination and prism adaptation during locomotion: a control for head posture contributions.

Adaptation to prismatic displacement was examined under conditions of locomotion in hall-ways. The relative magnitude of visual and proprioceptive shift depended upon the availability of visible sound sources in the hall environment. When the speaking experimenter was visible to the subject, visual shift was greater than proprioceptive shift, but when the experimenter was not visible, proprioceptive shift was greater than visual shift. The fact that this result was obtained for both leftward and rightward displacements, with which different head postures are expected, argues against an interpretation in terms of changing head posture and associated muscle potentiation of eye and neck. The results are consistent with a model that assumes that the locus of adaptive recalibration depends upon the direction of coordinative linkages between components of the total perceptual-motor system. Registration of the degree of discordance and adaptation are assumed to reside in the guided system(s) and the directionality of linkage is determined by task structure. Thus, visible sound sources provide for auditorially guided visual responses with consequent discordance registration and adaptation in the visual system. In the absence of visible sound sources, coordinative linkage of subsystems is assumed to consist in visual anticipation of proprioceptive encounters (e.g., first seeing a wall and then brushing it with the shoulder or arm) and consequent discordance registration and adaptation in the proprioceptive system.
Neuroticism prospectively predicts pain among adolescents: results from a nationally representative sample.

Objective The purpose of this study is to assess the prospective relationship of neuroticism to frequency of headaches and stomachaches in adolescents.
Molecular basis of sequence‐specific single‐stranded DNA recognition by KH domains: solution structure of a complex between hnRNP K KH3 and single‐stranded DNA

To elucidate the basis of sequence-specific single-stranded (ss) DNA recognition by K homology (KH) domains, we have solved the solution structure of a complex between the KH3 domain of the transcriptional regulator heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) and a 10mer ssDNA. We show that hnRNP K KH3 specifically recognizes a tetrad of sequence 5'd-TCCC. The complex is stabilized by a dense network of methyl-oxygen hydrogen bonds involving the methyl groups of three isoleucine residues and the O2 and N3 atoms of the two central cytosine bases. Comparison with the recently solved structure of a specific protein-ssDNA complex involving the KH3 and KH4 domains of the far upstream element (FUSE) binding protein FBP suggests that the amino acid located five residues N-terminal of the invariant GXXG motif, which is characteristic of all KH domains, plays a crucial role in discrimination of the first two bases of the tetrad.
Plasma reactor etch modeling using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy diagnostic techniques

An ICP spectrometer was modified to sample both gaseous and liquids in a controlled format. The gas proportioner was characterized and the ICP sample flow rate was adjusted to prevent negative effects on the plasma profile. Spectra comparisons were done using Ar to compare the effect of sampling techniques. The comparison of spectra from the ICP and the plasma etch tools from simple gas mixtures resulted in similar atomic spectra, although the spectral intensity distribution differed. Characterizations were done on moisture contamination, additive gas effects, loading effects, ionic dopant levels, and metallic silicide films. As the samples became more complex, the resulting spectra differences between plasma sources became less similar.
The use of a premium-payment scheme in a supply chain involving capacity acquisition

We study a practice whereby a downstream firm makes to his supplier a premium-payment for a certain quantity of products. We show that the adoption of this practice can induce the supplier to build bigger capacity. The higher capacity level enables the supplier to satisfy a larger portion of demands from the downstream firm, and this leads to higher payoffs for both parties in the supply chain. With the assistance of an under-capacity penalty imposed on the supplier, this premium-payment scheme can help lure the parties into taking the channel-optimal actions. Our numerical examples help reveal various features of the scheme.
Basis of Permeability/Selectivity Tradeoff Relations in Polymeric Gas Separation Membranes

Gas separation properties of polymer membrane materials follow distinct tradeoff relations: more permeable polymers are generally less selective and vice versa. Robeson1 identified the best combinations of permeability and selectivity for important binary gas pairs (O2/N2, CO2/CH4, H2/N2, etc.) and represented these permeability/selectivity combinations empirically as αA/B = βA/B , where PA and PB are the permeability coefficients of the more permeable and less permeable gases, respectively, αA/B is selectivity (=PA/PB), and λA/B and βA/B are empirical parameters. This report provides a fundamental theory for this observation. In the theory, λA/B depends only on gas size. βA/B depends on λA/B, gas condensability, and one adjustable parameter.
Distribution of camptothecin after delivery as a liposome aerosol or following intramuscular injection in mice

Purpose: The plant alkaloid camptothecin (CPT) has shown significant antitumor activity against a wide variety of human tumors xenografted in nude mice. In previous studies we have found that administration of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) liposome aerosols containing 9-nitrocamptothecin (9-NC) inhibits the growth of human breast, colon and lung cancer xenografts. The purpose of this study was to analyze the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of inhaled CPT formulated in DLPC liposomes. Methods: C57BL/6 mice with subcutaneous Lewis lung carcinoma, Swiss nu/nu mice with human lung carcinoma xenografts and BALB/c mice without tumors were used for pharmacokinetic studies of CPT administered as a liposome aerosol and BALB/c mice were given CPT intramuscularly. Results: After 30 min inhalation of CPT liposome aerosol, drug was deposited in the lungs (310 ng/g) and was followed promptly by the appearance of high concentrations in the liver (192 ng/g) and with lesser amounts appearing in other organs. Drug concentration in the brain was 61 ng/g. After intramuscular injection of CPT dissolved in DMSO, drug was released from the site of injection very slowly and accumulated mainly in the liver (136 ng/g). Only trace amounts appeared in the lungs (2–4 ng/g). These results demonstrate a prompt pulmonary and later systemic distribution of CPT following liposome aerosol administration. Conclusions: The substantial concentrations of CPT in lungs and other organs following inhalation of liposome aerosol suggest the possible benefit of it and of its more active derivative, 9-NC, in the treatment of lung, liver, kidney and brain cancer in humans.
A re-assessment of long distance growth and connectivity of neural stem cells after severe spinal cord injury

Abstract As part of the NIH “Facilities of Research Excellence—Spinal Cord Injury” project to support independent replication, we repeated key parts of a study reporting robust engraftment of neural stem cells (NSCs) treated with growth factors after complete spinal cord transection in rats. Rats (n = 20) received complete transections at thoracic level 3 (T3) and 2 weeks later received NSC transplants in a fibrin matrix with a growth factor cocktail using 2 different transplantation methods (with and without removal of scar tissue). Control rats (n = 9) received transections only. Hindlimb locomotor function was assessed with the BBB scale. Nine weeks post injury, reticulospinal tract axons were traced in 6 rats by injecting BDA into the reticular formation. Transplants grew to fill the lesion cavity in most rats although grafts made with scar tissue removal had large central cavities. Grafts blended extensively with host tissue obliterating the astroglial boundary at the cut ends, but in most cases there was a well-defined partition within the graft that separated rostral and caudal parts of the graft. In some cases, the partition contained non-neuronal scar tissue. There was extensive outgrowth of GFP labeled axons from the graft, but there was minimal ingrowth of host axons into the graft revealed by tract tracing and immunocytochemistry for 5HT. There were no statistically significant differences between transplant and control groups in the degree of locomotor recovery. Our results confirm the previous report that NSC transplants can fill lesion cavities and robustly extend axons, but reveal that most grafts do not create a continuous bridge of neural tissue between rostral and caudal segments.
Presidents held hostage: The rhetoric of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan

Abstract Hostage crises have had negative effects on the last two presidents, crippling reelection bids and executive effectiveness. The public never forgave Jimmy Carter, but allowed Ronald Reagan to leave office the most popular president since Franklin Roosevelt. This analysis argues that presidential rhetoric is a key variable which explains the public's discrepant response. Recognizing the constraining effect of presidential rhetoric on future words and actions, this study posits that Carter's early rhetorical choices placed him in an untenable posture with the public, while Reagan's early choices allowed him sufficient flexibility to retain a successful image. The study concludes that Carter's rhetoric heightened the sense of crisis, associated him with repeated failures, intimated that he had no other solutions, and precluded traditional arguments for allaying public concern. Reagan's rhetoric discouraged public scrutiny, preserved argumentative options for diffusing public frustration, and maintai...
Viral MRI contrast agents: coordination of Gd by native virions and attachment of Gd complexes by azide–alkyne cycloaddition

Icosahedral virus particles decorated with a Gd(DOTA) analogue by Cu-mediated azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and/or with Gd3+ ions by coordination to the viral nucleoprotein show increased T1 relaxivity relative to free Gd(DOTA) complexes in solution.
The McLennan bands of I2: A highly structured continuum

Abstract Quantum mechanical calculations support Mulliken's conclusion that the short-wavelength portion of McLennan's diffuse band spectrum represents the highly structured continuum of the I2 D 1Σu+ → X 1Σg+ transition. Certain properties of this system make it interesting as a possible basis for a tunable UV laser and as a relative intensity standard for the 1800–4500 A region.
Species delimitation and phylogeography of Aphonopelma hentzi (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae): cryptic diversity in North American tarantulas.

Background The primary objective of this study is to reconstruct the phylogeny of the hentzi species group and sister species in the North American tarantula genus, Aphonopelma, using a set of mitochondrial DNA markers that include the animal “barcoding gene”. An mtDNA genealogy is used to consider questions regarding species boundary delimitation and to evaluate timing of divergence to infer historical biogeographic events that played a role in shaping the present-day diversity and distribution. We aimed to identify potential refugial locations, directionality of range expansion, and test whether A. hentzi post-glacial expansion fit a predicted time frame.
The chemical composition of mixed wastes: Analysis of the photolysis products of organic ligands

A survey of the literature regarding the composition of mixed wastes originating from the clean ups of spills of radioactive solutions shows that (1) the mixtures obtained in studies of the X-ray and γ-ray radiolysis, and of the UV-photolysis of organics in aqueous solutions have very similar composition provided the photolysis is carried out with UV beams with wavelengths below 242 nm; (2) the composition of the organic fraction of mixed wastes containing initially EDTA, NTA, and/or citric acid is complex. The mass recoveries are between 20 and 60%; and (3) the UV-photolysis of complexing agents gives much more complex mixtures at high pH than at low pH, because carbonyl compounds are formed, and these compounds undergo complex series of reactions in strongly alkaline solutions. The mixed wastes considered have a high pH due to the necessity of complexing strongly the heavy metals involved in spills. These results are confirmed by an investigation of the properties of the products of the UV-irradiation of EDTA, citric acid and some of their binary mixtures. The products of the esterification by BF3/BuOH are only partly soluble in methylene chloride. Much better yields are obtained by using BF3/BuOH as the reagent.13C NMR illustrates the composition of the mixture, without requiring a separation and is useful to follow the fate of compounds during their methylene chloride extraction after esterification.
XAFS Study of Epitaxial CoxTi1xO2x Anatase

Co doped TiO2-anatase is a promising candidate for a room-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor. XAFS measurements have been used to investigate the local Co environment and Co valence for several Co-anatase films. The samples were grown on LaAlO3 (001) by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy and on SrTiO3 by atomic oxygen assisted MBE. Co concentrations were about 5%. The measurements were made at the PNC-CAT bending magnet and undulator beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source. For the films on LaAlO3, the near edge clearly shows the presence of only Co(2+), and no evidence for metallic Co, while the films on SrTiO3 showed significant metallic Co. Analysis of the extended fine structure for the LaAlO3 films finds that the Co substitutes for Ti with some distortion of the lattice. Both in-plane and out-of-plane Co–O bonds are expanded from the Ti–O bonds in anatase. The in-plane bonds are expanded approximately twice as much. A deficit in the oxygen coordination number suggests a correlation of oxygen vacancies with Co sites.
Ionic mobilities of the potassium ion in urea-water solutions at 25°C

Determination of potassium ion conductances directly from measurements of boundary velocities and solution potential gradients are reported for water, urea-water, methanol, and urea-methanol solutions. The results are interpreted in terms of the structure-breaking role generally assigned to urea in aqueous solutions.
Chemoreception and asphyxia-induced arousal ☆

Arousal protects against the adverse and potentially fatal effects of asphyxia during sleep. Asphyxia stimulates the carotid bodies and central chemoreceptors but the sequence of events leading to arousal is uncertain. In this review, the theoretical mechanisms leading to arousal from sleep are briefly summarized and the issue of whether central respiratory chemoreceptors (CRCs) or other types of CO2-responsive CNS neurons contribute to asphyxia-induced arousal is discussed. We focus on the role of the retrotrapezoid nucleus, the raphe and the locus coeruleus and emphasize the anatomical and neurophysiological evidence which suggests that these putative central chemoreceptors could contribute to arousal independently of their effects on breathing. Finally, we describe recent attempts to test the contribution of specific brainstem pathways to asphyxia-induced arousal using optogenetic and other tools and the possible contribution of a group of hypoxia-sensitive brainstem neurons (the C1 cells) to breathing and arousal.
Specific energy yield comparison between crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon based PV modules

As emerging thin-film PV technologies continue to penetrate the market and the number of utility scale installations substantially increase, detailed understanding of the performance of the various PV technologies becomes more important. An accurate database for each technology is essential for precise project planning, energy yield prediction and project financing. However recent publications showed that it is very difficult to get accurate and reliable performance data of theses technologies. This paper evaluates previously reported claims the amorphous silicon based PV modules have a higher annual energy yield compared to crystalline silicon modules relative to their rated performance. In order to acquire a detailed understanding of this effect, outdoor module tests were performed at GE Global Research Center in Munich. In this study we examine closely two of the five reported factors that contribute to enhanced energy yield of amorphous silicon modules. We find evidence to support each of these factors and evaluate their relative significance. We discuss aspects for improvement in how PV modules are sold and identify areas for further study further study.
Covering the plane with copies of a convex disk

We prove that for every convex disk C in the plane there exists a double-lattice covering of the plane with copies of C with density ź ≤ 1.2281772. This improves the best previously known upper bound ź ≤ 8/(3+2ź3) ź 1.2376043, due to Kuperberg, but it is still far from the conjectured value ź=2ź/3ź3 ź 1.2091993.
Optical Properties of Cerium-Activated Garnet Crystals*

The optical properties of cerium-activated garnet crystals have been investigated. In the garnet crystals showing luminescence, a bright-yellow fluorescence has been observed. The fluorescence exhibits structure at low temperatures, and the wavelength maxima of the fluorescence-spectrum profiles are found to be host-dependent. Energy transfer has been observed from the cerium ion to the neodymium ion.
Role of chaperones and FcγR in immunogenic death

Cell death under physiologic conditions does not lead to the induction of immunity. However recognition of stressed or opsonized cells can trigger immune responses. Recent studies have begun to illustrate the critical role of molecular chaperones such as inducible heat shock proteins in mediating immunogenicity of stressed cells. Immunity to opsonized cells depends in part on the engagement and the balance of activating and inhibitory FcγRs on antigen presenting dendritic cells. Understanding both these pathways of immunogenic cell death may yield novel approaches to regulate immunity.
Iron, copper, and cobalt complexes of hydrotris(3-phenylpyrazolyl)borate and dihydrobis(3-phenylpyrazolyl)borate. Synthesis and X-ray crystallographic characterization

Abstract The scorpionate ligands containing 3-phenylpyrazole have been identified as possessing intermediate steric bulk, due to the wide range of structural types that have been characterized in complexes of these ligands. In this paper, we report the syntheses and structures of a number of complexes containing hydrotris(3-phenylpyrazol-1-yl)borate and dihydrobis(3-phenylpyrazolyl)borate which further manifest the versatility of these ligands. The syntheses and solid-state structures of TpPhFe(SCN)(THF) (I), TpPhFe(NO3)2 (II), TpPhCuCl(pzPh) (III), TpPhCu(SCN)(pzPh) (IV), BpPh 2Co (V), and TpPhBpPhCo (VI) are reported (TpPh=hydrotris(3-phenylpyrazolylborate); BpPh=dihydrobis(3-phenylpyrazolylborate); pzPh=3-phenylpyrazole). Compound I displays a trigonal bipyramidal coordination sphere, while III and IV are square-pyramidal. Compound II contains one monodentate and one bidentate nitrate ligand in a distorted octahedral coordination sphere. Compound V is tetrahedral and VI is octahedral with an agostic CoH interaction in the sixth coordination site.
INFLUENCE OF THE STUDY OF MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ABILITIES IN ENGLISH

IN THE spring of 1925 the Modern Foreign Language Study, through its chairman, Professor Robert Herndon Fife, and its adviser in educational psychology, Professor V. A. C. Henmon, suggested an investigation to determine the influence of the study of modern foreign languages on the development of abilities in English. This article records the results of such an investigation carried on during the school year 1925-26. In planning the investigation it seemed wise to select abilities in English which were truly objective in nature and for whose measurement standard tests were available. It is now well known that general ability in any school subject is difficult to define and more difficult to measure. Every so-called general ability in any school subject is really a composite of a number of special abilities. Thus, when we say that an individual exhibits a mastery of English, we really mean that he demonstrates ability in arelatively large number of highly specialized abilities in English. These specialized abilities in English fall into four large groups: (1) The ability to read with a fair degree of speed and comprehension; (2) The ability to appreciate the fine qualities of good literature; (3) The ability to speak correctly and effectively; (4) The ability to convey accurately and effectively one's thoughts in written form. The ability to write accurately and effectively implies, among other things, the ability to choose words well, to punctuate and capitalize appropriately, to use proper and forceful sentence and paragraph structure, to spell correctly, to write legibly, and to let the composition as a whole exemplify good style. The ability to punctuate, in turn, implies among other things the ability to use correctly the comma, the colon, the semi-colon, et cetera.
Open-field behavior in dopamine-depleted rat pups and their mothers.

Possible changes in the behavior of rat mothers and their pups were investigated by administering intracisternal injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or its vehicle to 5-day-old rats. Administration of the neurotoxin resulted in a significant depletion of whole-brain dopamine levels to 23% of control levels, whereas norepinephrine levels were reduced to 83% of controls. Open-field behavior revealed that the 6-OHDA-treated rat pups were hypoactive, in terms of decreased square crossings, at 15 days of age, yet were hyperactive at 30 days of age. Toxin-treated pups also showed lower urination scores at 25 and 30 days of age. Mothers' open-field behavior was virtually unaffected by the treatment status of their offspring (i.e., 6-OHDA vs. vehicle-treated), although several of the mothers' behaviors decreased with repeated measures over days.
Development of methods for the genetic manipulation of Flavobacterium columnare

Flavobacterium columnare is the causative agent of columnaris disease, a disease affecting many freshwater fish species. Methods for the genetic manipulation for some of the species within the Bacteroidetes, including members of the genus Flavobacterium, have been described, but these methods were not adapted to work with F. columnare. As a first step toward developing a robust set of genetic tools for F. columnare, a protocol was developed to introduce the E. coli – Flavobacterium shuttle vector pCP29 into F. columnare strain C#2 by conjugal mating at an efficiency of 1.5 × 10-3 antibiotic-resistant transconjugants per recipient cell. Eight of eleven F. columnare strains tested were able to receive pCP29 using the protocol. pCP29 contains the cfxA and ermF genes, conferring both cefoxitin and erythromycin resistance to recipient cells. Selection for pCP29 introduction into F. columnare was dependent on cfxA, as ermF was found not to provide strong resistance to erythromycin. This is in contrast to other Flavobacterium species where ermF-based erythromycin resistance is strong. The green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) was introduced into F. columnare strains under the control of two different native Flavobacterium promoters, demonstrating the potential of this reporter system for the study of gene expression. The transposon Tn4351 was successfully introduced into F. columnare, but the method was dependent on selecting for erythromycin resistance. To work, low concentrations of antibiotic (1 μg ml-1) were used, and high levels of background growth occurred. These results demonstrate that Tn4351 functions in F. columnare but that it is not an effective mutagenesis tool due to its dependence on erythromycin selection. Attempts to generate mutants via homologous recombination met with limited success, suggesting that RecA dependent homologous recombination is rare in F. columnare. The conjugation protocol developed as part of this study represents a significant first step towards the development of a robust set of genetic tools for the manipulation of F. columnare. The availability of this protocol will facilitate studies aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the virulence mechanisms of this important pathogen.
Large-volume multianvil cells designed for chemical synthesis at high pressures

Two multianvil cell assemblies with octahedral edge lengths (OEL) of 18 and 25 mm have been developed, which allow sample volumes of up to 153 and 387 mm3, respectively. Pressure calibrations were performed at room temperature and 1200 °C using quenched samples, and at variable temperature using in situ synchrotron measurements. These calibrations employed 25.4 mm tungsten carbide anvils with a truncation edge length of 12 mm for the 18 mm OEL cell (18/12 configuration) and 15 mm for the 25 mm OEL cell (25/15 configuration) and yielded sample pressures of up to 10 and 7.5 GPa, respectively, at loads approaching 800 t. The measured thermal gradients at 1200 °C vary between 5–10 °C/mm (18/12) and 15–20 °C/mm (25/15). By combining large sample/reaction volumes with minimal thermal gradients, the new multianvil cell assemblies are especially useful for chemical synthesis at high-pressure, high-temperature conditions.
Perceptual analysis of speech disorders in progressive supranuclear palsy

We used oral motor examinations and quantitative perceptual speech analysis to study deviant speech dimensions in 44 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). All patients had dysarthria with variable degrees of spasticity, hypokinesia, and ataxia; 28 patients had all three of these components, and 16 patients had only two components. Twenty-two patients (50%) had predominantly spastic components, 15 (34%) had predominantly hypokinetic components, six (14%) had predominantly ataxic components, and in one (2%) the spastic, hypokinetic, and ataxic components were equal. Stuttering occurred in nine patients (20%) and palilalia in five (11%). The finding of a mixed dysarthria with a combination of spastic, hypokinetic, and ataxic components might assist in diagnosis and is consistent with the widespread neuropathologic changes found in PSP.
Enumerating and testing conjoint measurement models

Abstract A Monte Carlo procedure was used to generate three types of 3×3×2 conjoint measurement structures, each type having an additive (respectively, distributive, dual-distributive) simple polynomial representation. The Monte Carlo results illustrate the restrictiveness of the axioms of joint independence (respectively, distributive cancellation, dual-distributive cancellation), and show how close each comes to characterizing the relevant simple polynomial representation. An empirical example illustrates how the generated measurement structures aid in the selection and testing of axiomatic models using order-restricted statistical inference.
A genetic algorithm for pattern recognition analysis of pyrolysis gas chromatographic data

Abstract The development of a genetic algorithm (GA) for pattern recognition analysis of pyrolysis gas chromatographic data is reported. The GA selects features that optimize the separation of the classes in a plot of the two largest principal components (PCs) of the data. Because the largest PCs capture the bulk of the variance in the data, the peaks chosen by the GA convey information primarily about differences between the classes in the data set. Hence, the principal component analysis routine embedded in the fitness function of the GA acts as an information filter, significantly reducing the size of the search space, since it restricts the search to feature sets whose PC plots show clustering on the basis of class. In addition, the algorithm can focus on those classes and or samples that are difficult to classify as it trains using a form of boosting. Samples that consistently classify correctly are not as heavily weighted in the analysis as samples that are difficult to classify. Over time, the algorithm learns its optimal parameters in a manner similar to a neural network. The proposed algorithm integrates aspects of artificial intelligence and evolutionary computations to yield a ‘smart’ one-pass procedure for pattern recognition. The efficacy and efficiency of the pattern recognition GA is demonstrated using a data set consisting of 133 pyrochromatograms of cultured skin fibroblasts obtained from 24 obligate cystic fibrosis homozygotes and from 22 normal controls.
18F-5-Fluorouridine, a new probe for measuring the proliferation of tissue in vivo.

Abstract 1. (1)|Increased metabolic trapping of labeled fluorouridine reflects the interaction of three parameters in rapidly proliferating tissues: increased rates of intracellular phosphorylation, increased rates of transport, and increased rates of synthesis of RNA. 2. (2)|We have taken advantage of these metabolic phenomena, demonstrating in this paper that the uptake of 18F-5-fluorouridine, a positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical, can provide a very practical means for measuring changes in proliferative states of tissues in vivo. 3. (3)|Two major changes in proliferative states have been examined: one involves changes in growth of normal mouse tissues induced by pharmacological agents; the other involves tumor growth and neoplastic infiltration in mice and rabbits. 4. (4)|We describe tracer experiments with 18F-5-fluorouridylate, prepared by enzymatic means, and with 18F-5-fluorouridine, prepared by both enzymatic means and direct radiochemical procedures. 5. (5)|Uptakes of 18F after a pulse of 8F-5-fluorouridine were increased in mouse spleen following phenylhydrazine treatment to induce increased splenic erythropoiesis. 6. (6)|Uptakes of 18F in various mouse tissues were decreased following pretreatment with actinomycin D. This finding is consistent with the known inhibitory action of actinomycin on RNA synthesis. 7. (7)|Intracerebral Zimmerman ependymoblastoma tumors showed extra-ordinarily high uptakes of fluorine-18 in mice injected intravenously with 18F-5-fluorouridylate or with 18F-5-fluorouridine in contrast to very low uptakes by normal brain tissue. 8. (8)|After intracerebral injection of mice with suspensions of L1210 leukemia cells, distant organs such as lung, liver, and spleen became involved. These tissues showed significant increases of radioactivity after pulse labeling with 18F-5-fluorouridylate consistent with histological evidence for infiltration of these tissues by neoplastic cells. 9. (9)|Intramuscular VX2 carcinoma tumors in rabbits showed localized uptakes of 18F significantly higher than surrounding normal muscle tissue. 10. (10)|The most important clinical implication of the present work is the promise that 18F-5-fluorouridine uptakes can be followed in humans by positron emission tomography. This would provide a direct means of measuring different rates of in vivo proliferation in neoplasms, hematologic tissues and other organs undergoing rapid growth changes.
Mitigating Lung Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Miniature Swine

Purpose Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) is one of the leading causes of primary graft dysfunction, which limits graft survival in lung transplant recipients. To date, there is no specific therapeutic intervention for LIRI. In other models, autoimmunity to the N2 epitope of the heavy chain of non-muscle myosin has been shown to be an important mechanism underlying the inflammatory response to reperfusion injury. The objective of our study is to see whether a novel mimeotopic peptide that blocks activation of the N2 pathway can mitigate LIRI in miniature swine, a pre-clinical large-animal model. Methods and Materials Four miniature swine underwent 2 or 4 hours of left lung ischemia. Prior to reperfusion, animals were treated with either the N2 peptide or normal saline (NS). Serial open lung biopsies and blood sampling were performed throughout a 24-hour period of reperfusion. Serum was analyzed for biomarkers of acute lung injury (IFN-gamma, CXCL-10, MCP-1) and tissue biopsies analyzed by a pathologist blinded to the intervention. Results After 4 hours of ischemia, N2-treated swine demonstrated significantly decreased alveolar and interstitial edema compared to NS-treated swine at 6, 12, and 18 hours of reperfusion. N2 peptide also decreased levels of IFN-gamma and MCP-1 during the reperfusion period. Two hours of ischemia were not sufficient to demonstrate differences between the treatment and control animals. Conclusions This preliminary study demonstrates that blocking the N2 pathway in a pre-clinical model of LIRI decreases the inflammatory response and tissue injury. Further investigation is needed to characterize the role of N2 pathway blockade in this and other models of ischemia-reperfusion injury.
ARENA 2005 Conference Summary

This meeting, as the reader sees in the preceding written contributions, represented an exciting new step in a budding revolution in extremely high energy cosmic ray and neutrino physics. The focus upon acoustic and radio detection techniques, reveals a rapidly expanding interest and real progress. Most of the basic ideas have been known for many years, but it is only now that they are at last beginning to be exploited. The reasons for this are several, ranging from the advance of technology to scientific focus of the community. The former comes largely from electronics and communications technology progress. The latter comes about due to the "neutrino revolution" and the campaign to understand the highest energy (GZK) cosmic rays. At least 25 projects are in various stages of dreaming through construction. Positive detections would seem not far in the future.
The media battle between Celebrex and Vioxx: influencing media coverage but not content

Abstract This study examined newspaper coverage of the battle between two pharmaceutical companies in the arthritis painkiller market and the impact that the companies’ public relations activities had on the way the story was presented. A framing analysis was used to determine the relationship between the companies’ messages and press content. Frames consistent with the companies’ objectives occurred, but most stories were rated as neutral, with an almost equal number of favorable and unfavorable stories. This suggested that the companies may have influenced the press on what to cover but not necessarily what to say.
A liquid fueled, lean burn, gas turbine combustor injector

A need exists to develop and demonstrate a low pollutant emission gas turbine combustor design that uses liquid fuel for propulsion applications. The present work addresses this need by developing and demonstrating design guidelines for a liquid fueled, lean burn, gas turbine combustor injector. This injector is designed to accommodate all the combustion air, and includes a fuel and air mixing section with an internal venturi contour that contains an aerodynamic swirler, and an atomizer. The atomizer is a plain jet, airblast type with eight ports that spray radially into a high-velocity cross-stream of combustion air. Reacting test results show that the fuel and air are sufficiently well mixed to create a uniform distributed reaction which is (1) of finite length, and (2) free from pulsation or other combustion-induced instabilities. Emissions data at elevated pressure and temperature establish that this injector has low pollution emissions, and high combustion efficiency.
Evaluation and treatment of dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is a common symptom. Dyspeptic symptoms may be caused by a variety of conditions such as peptic ulcer disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, and malignancy. Most often, however, no cause is identified and dyspepsia is deemed to be functional. While symptom severity does influence frequency of consultation, dyspeptic consulters also differ from non-consulters with respect to symptom perception and anxiety. This highlights the importance of understanding the patient's agenda early in the course of evaluation. Patients over the age of 55 years or with alarm symptoms should be referred for prompt endoscopy. In the absence of other clinically apparent aetiologies, uninvestigated dyspeptics can be either tested and treated for Helicobacter pylori or empirically treated with proton pump inhibitors. Uninvestigated dyspeptics failing empiric therapy should be referred for evaluation that includes endoscopy. Further therapy with prokinetics, tricyclic antidepressants, fundal relaxants, antidepressants, or psychotherapy is guided by predominant symptoms and assessment of possible psychiatric factors.
Severe Symptomatic Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation Due to Permanent Pacemaker or Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Leads

OBJECTIVES We report a series of patients with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation due to a permanent pacemaker (PPM) or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead. BACKGROUND Severe tricuspid regurgitation caused by a PPM or ICD lead is an under-recognized but treatable etiology of severe right heart failure. METHODS We reviewed the records of 41 patients who underwent tricuspid valve operation for severe tricuspid regurgitation caused by previously placed PPM or ICD leads. RESULTS During surgery, severe tricuspid regurgitation was found to be caused by the PPM or ICD leads in all 41 patients. There was a perforation of the tricuspid valve leaflet by the PPM or ICD lead in 7 patients, lead entanglement in the tricuspid valve occurred in 4 patients, lead impingement of the tricuspid valve leaflets occurred in 16 patients, and lead adherence to the tricuspid valve occurred in 14 patients. The septal leaflet was most often perforated (6 of 7). In the preoperative evaluation, valve malfunction due to the PPM or ICD lead was diagnosed preoperatively in only 5 of 41 (12%) patients by transthoracic echocardiography. All patients underwent successful tricuspid valve operation (22 tricuspid valve replacement), with one perioperative death occurring. During follow-up (range, 1 to 99 months), there was one patient who died from left-sided heart failure and three patients died of other causes. The remaining patients showed improvement in signs and symptoms of heart failure. CONCLUSIONS Damage to the tricuspid valve by PPM or ICD leads may result in severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation and may not be overtly visualized by echocardiography. This etiology should be considered when evaluating patients with severe right heart failure after PPM or ICD implantation.
Testosterone and Male Cognitive Performance in Tsimane Forager-Horticulturalists

Objective Testosterone plays a vital role in brain function and behavior. Among humans, age-related decline in testosterone is associated with declining cognitive functioning, and aging men with higher testosterone maintain better cognitive performance. However, most research focuses on industrialized populations with widespread access to formal schooling, high testosterone, and low parasite and pathogen load. We examine whether men's testosterone is associated with cognitive performance among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists of Bolivia despite relatively lower levels of testosterone and higher immune burden. Methods Ninety-four Tsimane men aged 36–86 (median = 49) participated in a cognitive battery (assessing short- and long-term recall, digit span, semantic memory, and visual scan) and provided urine and blood samples to measure testosterone and markers of immune activation. Linear mixed effects regressions were used to model associations between cognitive performance and testosterone, controlling for age, years of schooling, Spanish fluency, and village residence. For a subset (n = 66) we included immune activation markers to examine mediator effects. Results Testosterone is positively associated with short- and long-term verbal memory (β = 0.267, P = 0.018; β = 0.326, P = 0.005 respectively) and visual scanning (β = 0.306, P = 0.008) after controlling for potential confounders. Markers of immune activation were negatively associated with cognitive function, but did not change the associations between testosterone and cognitive performance. Conclusion Tsimane men show positive associations between testosterone and cognitive performance, particularly for recall and visual scanning, despite higher immune burden. Testosterone may help motivate both physical and cognitive capacities that were essential for extracting the difficult-to-acquire, high-quality resources upon which humans relied over evolutionary history. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:582–586, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.