cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative stress responses of gulf killifish exposed to hydrocarbons from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Potential implications for aquatic food resources

Ecosystem effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remain under investigation following the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Fundulus grandis, an established indicator of aquatic ecosystem health, was investigated because this species shares genes and biochemical pathways with higher trophic–level fish and plays an important role in the gulf food chain. Oxidative stress responses including hepatic cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) and serum antioxidant capacity were evaluated in fish exposed to PAHs. Fish were exposed to water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of crude oil (7.0 ± 0.10 mg/L C6-C28) after which solutions were diluted below the level of detection over 8 h using 15 ppt aerated artificial seawater. Before euthanasia, fish remained in aquaria for 12 h, 24 h, or 48 h. Three replicate experiments were conducted at each time point using unexposed fish as experimental controls. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in CYP1A induction were observed in exposed versus control fish at 24 h. Expression of CYP1A increased by 25%, 66%, and 23% in exposed fish at 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h, respectively. Significant increases were observed in antioxidant capacity of nonenzymatic antioxidants in exposed versus control fish at each time point. Given the activity of CYP1A, radicals formed during PAH detoxification likely resulted in increased oxidant load requiring elevated antioxidant defenses. Research is needed to determine the duration of oxidative stress responses considering the potential for lipid oxidation in exposed fish or species feeding on exposed fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:370–374. © 2013 SETAC
Real-time distributed coordination of power electronic converters for optimization of DC shipboard distribution systems

The objective of this paper is to describe the implementation of a distributed and coordinated control system for converters in a shipboard distribution system that provides real-time system optimization. Multiple agents take part in the process to determine optimum power sharing for the converters. Optimal power sharing ensures minimum transmission and distribution loss while enforcing constraints such as sources' ramp rates and capacity limits. Other system attributes like Economic Dispatch, Unit Commitment can be added under the same control structure.
Association between acculturation and structural assimilation and Mini-Mental State Examination-assessed cognitive impairment in older Mexican Americans: Findings from the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging

Older Mexican Americans (MAs) have consistently scored lower on the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) than older European Americans (EAs). These lower scores may arise from factors other than those traditionally posited (age and education). Thus, this study examined the association between acculturation and structural assimilation and MMSE-assessed cognitive impairment, taking into account education, income, and other contextual factors. Subjects were participants in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, a community-based study of chronic disease and functional status in 457 older MAs and 376 older EAs. Scales were used to measure two dimensions of acculturation: (family attitude, cultural values) and structural assimilation (functional integration into the broader American society). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between age, sex, acculturation, and structural assimilation and MMSE scores suggestive of cognitive impairment (<24). After adjusting for contextual factors (age, sex, education and household income), diseases (diabetes mellitus, stroke, and hypertension), and sensory impairments (hearing and vision), structural assimilation, but neither dimension of acculturation, was significantly and negatively associated with MMSE-assessed cognitive impairment. Older MAs in the lowest structural assimilation stratum were 1.89 times as likely to have MMSE-assessed cognitive impairment as those in the highest. Age, education, and visual impairment were also independently associated with cognitive impairment. These findings highlight the need for geriatricians to take contextual factors (including age, education, and structural assimilation) into account when interpreting MMSE scores of MA patients.
Modeling intermodulation distortion in SiGe HBTs

The accuracy of large-signal equivalent circuit models of silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) is examined. Nominal transistor model parameters are found to be insufficiently accurate to reliably predict intermodulation distortion (IMD) in individual heterojunction bipolar transistors. A method for optimizing the model parameters to give a more accurate simulation of IMD performance is outlined. For best results, some form of parameter optimization for IMD should be considered as a part of the parameter extraction procedure. Differences between transistor models are observed and analyzed by comparing measured IMD power levels with computer simulation results. The Gummel-Poon model is found to be simpler and easier to optimize than the Kull-Nagel model.
Ramanujan Continued Fractions for Products of Gamma-Functions

We use continuous relations for the generalised hypergeometric series 3F2 to give new proofs of three of Ramanujan′s elegant continued fractions for products and quotients of gamma functions. Previous proofs were somewhat ad hoc and did not show any connections with hypergeometric functions.
Brazing of alumina with Ti4CU2O and Ti3CU3O interlayers

Abstract The joining of alumina with the compounds Ti 4 Cu 2 O and Ti 3 Cu 3 O, which are normally found as reaction products in conventional active metal brazing, has been demonstrated. The final phase assemblages correspond to those expected based on the TiCuO ternary phase diagram. No cavitation is observed at the interfaces in the final microstructure. While the samples are robust under normal handling, many joints failed during preparation of mechanical test specimens and those few that remained exhibited very low four-point bend strengths.
Ectopia cordis and cleft sternum: Evidence for mechanical teratogenesis following rupture of the chorion or yolk sac

We present case material and a literature survey to document the association between ectopia cordis and band disruption anomalies. The occurrence of thoracic ectopia cordis with a cephalic-pointing cardiac apex suggests an arrest of cardiac descent at 3 weeks of development, consistent with our finding of ectopia cordis in a 28-day human embryo. Mechanical compression secondary to rupture of the chorion and/or yolk sac at 3 weeks of gestation would interfere with normal cardiac descent and compress the chest, yielding thoracic and pulmonary hypoplasia. Congenital heart defects associated with ectopia cordis may represent deformations secondary to mechanical distortion of the developing heart following early rupture of the chorion and/or yolk sac. As is illustrated by our clinical specimens, tethering of the heart to periumbilical structures by bands could yield thoracoabdominal ectopia cordis. The milder anomaly of cleft sternum, which is also associated with band disruptions, may occur later in development following rupture of the chorion, yolk sac, or amnion.
Neuroprotective effects of psychotropic drugs in Huntington's disease.

Psychotropics (antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anxiolytics, etc.) are commonly prescribed to treat Huntington’s disease (HD). In HD preclinical models, while no psychotropic has convincingly affected huntingtin gene, HD modifying gene, or huntingtin protein expression, psychotropic neuroprotective effects include upregulated huntingtin autophagy (lithium), histone acetylation (lithium, valproate, lamotrigine), miR-222 (lithium-plus-valproate), mitochondrial protection (haloperidol, trifluoperazine, imipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline, maprotiline, trazodone, sertraline, venlafaxine, melatonin), neurogenesis (lithium, valproate, fluoxetine, sertraline), and BDNF (lithium, valproate, sertraline) and downregulated AP-1 DNA binding (lithium), p53 (lithium), huntingtin aggregation (antipsychotics, lithium), and apoptosis (trifluoperazine, loxapine, lithium, desipramine, nortriptyline, maprotiline, cyproheptadine, melatonin). In HD live mouse models, delayed disease onset (nortriptyline, melatonin), striatal preservation (haloperidol, tetrabenazine, lithium, sertraline), memory preservation (imipramine, trazodone, fluoxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine), motor improvement (tetrabenazine, lithium, valproate, imipramine, nortriptyline, trazodone, sertraline, venlafaxine), and extended survival (lithium, valproate, sertraline, melatonin) have been documented. Upregulated CREB binding protein (CBP; valproate, dextromethorphan) and downregulated histone deacetylase (HDAC; valproate) await demonstration in HD models. Most preclinical findings await replication and their limitations are reviewed. The most promising findings involve replicated striatal neuroprotection and phenotypic disease modification in transgenic mice for tetrabenazine and for sertraline. Clinical data consist of an uncontrolled lithium case series (n = 3) suggesting non-progression and a primarily negative double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of lamotrigine.
Miniaturization technologies applied to energy systems

An overview of the miniaturization technologies and their application to energy systems is presented. Based on the technologies referred to as MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) or MST (micro systems technologies), silicon based micromachining, deep X-ray lithography and the micro mechanical machining processes (micro drilling, milling, cutting, electrical discharge machining, laser, focused ion beams, etc.) will be discussed in the context of application to fluid flow, heat transfer, fluidics and energy systems. An overview of fundamental research and applications will be made with emphasis on the work in the United States. The collaborative work in progress by the Institute for Micromanufacturing and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories is highlighted. In particular, the on-going development of a micro HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) system is given specific attention. Devices and/or systems such as micro heat pumps, heat pipes, evaporators, condensers, heat exchangers, compressors and the like will be presented. Advantages, disadvantages and the rationale for miniaturization will be discussed. Current needs and markets will be discussed along with a discussion for future needs.
PAB and PEB temperature gradient methodology for CAR optimization

Chemically amplified resist (CAR) performance can be greatly influenced by post apply bake (PAB) and post exposure bake (PEB) conditions. The difficulty with optimizing these conditions for photomask process is cost and time. In typical wafer CAR resist development, multiple wafer splits and skews can be rapidly processed with relatively low cost and fast turn around time, whereas in photomask processing each ebeam-written mask with a set of DOE conditions can be expensive and time consuming to produce. This paper discusses a novel mask design and testing methodology that allow for many combinations of PEB and PAB conditions to be evaluated with one mask. In brief, this methodology employs orthogonal PAB and PEB thermal gradients across a plate. Some thermal profile, darkloss, resist top down critical dimensions (CD), and SEM cross section image results will be shared and discussed.
Empirical likelihood ratio test for or against a set of inequality constraints

Abstract We use the empirical likelihood ratio approach introduced by Owen ( Biometrika 75 (1988), 237–249) to test for or against a set of inequality constraints when the parameters are defined by estimating functions. Our objective in this paper is to show that under fairly general conditions, the limiting distributions of the empirical likelihood ratio test statistics are of chi-bar square type (as in the parametric case) and give the expression of the weighting values. The results obtained here are similar to those in El Barmi and Dykstra (1995) where a full distributional model is assumed. This work presents also an extension of the results in Qin and Lawless (1995).
Computed tomography before transfer to a level I pediatric trauma center risks duplication with associated increased radiation exposure.

Abstract Introduction Community hospitals commonly obtain computed tomographic (CT) imaging of pediatric trauma patients before triaging to a level I pediatric trauma center (PTC). This practice potentially increases radiation exposure when imaging must be duplicated after transfer. Methods A retrospective review of our level 1 PTC registry from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2006, was conducted. Level I and II trauma patients were grouped based on whether they had undergone outside CT examination (head and/or abdomen) at a referring hospital (group 1) or received initial CT examination at our institution (group 2). Subgroups were analyzed based on whether duplicate CT examination was required at our PTC (Fischer's Exact test). Results A duplicate CT scan (within 4 hours of transfer) was required in 91% (30/33) of group 1 transfer patients, whereas no group 2 patient required a duplicate scan (0/55; P Conclusion A significant number of pediatric trauma patients who receive CT scans at referring hospitals before transfer to our level I PTC require duplicate scans of the same anatomical field(s) after transfer, exposing them to increase potential clinical risk and cost.
Choosing shrinkage estimators for regression problems

A Bayesian formulation of the canonical form of the standard regression model is used to compare various Stein-type estimators and the ridge estimator of regression coefficients, A particular (“constant prior”) Stein-type estimator having the same pattern of shrinkage as the ridge estimator is recommended for use.
Partial transsection of the neonatal trachea

This report describes an unusual case of partial transsection of the neonatal trachea after intubation. Mucosal injury led to the formation of a balloon-shaped, air-filled cyst that did not allow ventilation of the airways either via a tracheal tube or with a face mask. Several minutes after death, the cyst had collapsed and bag and mask ventilation produced adequate chest movements.
The conversion of coroner systems to medical examiner systems in the United States: a lull in the action

Coroner and medical examiner systems in the United States conduct death investigations for most deaths that are sudden and unexplained, or which involve external causes such as injury and poisoning. They play a very important role in the criminal justice, public health, public safety, and medical communities, and they also contribute a substantial portion of autopsy-based mortality data to the state and federal mortality statistics systems. Death investigations often involve complex medical issues and necessarily require the involvement of appropriately trained physicians. Over the years, there has been a trend to replace the elected lay coroner systems with systems run by appointed, physician medical examiners. Presently, about 31% of counties in the United States are served by a medical examiners at the county, district, or state level. Between 1960 and 1989, there was considerable conversion to medical examiner systems, but this trend slowed in the 1990s. Since 2000, only 6 counties in the United States have converted to a medical examiner system, no states have converted since 1996, and 1 county has reverted to a sheriff-coroner system. Possible reasons for this decline are discussed, including legislative, political, geographical, financial, population-based, and physician manpower distribution factors. It is important to ensure that all death investigation systems have appropriate access to medically educated and trained physicians such as forensic pathologists.
Embryonic retinal gene expression in sonic-you mutant zebrafish.

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is required for proper eye development in vertebrates; known roles for Hh in the zebrafish include regulation of eye morphogenesis, ganglion cell neurogenesis, and photoreceptor differentiation. To gain insight into the mechanisms by which Hh signaling influences these developmental events, we have examined proliferation, cell death, and expression patterns of several retinal genes in the eyes of embryonic zebrafish lacking the sonic hedgehog gene. We find that features of the eye phenotype of the sonic-you (syu) mutant are consistent with multiple roles for the Hh signal during retinal development. Most interestingly, half of the mutant retinas failed to initiate cell differentiation and, instead, retained a neuroepithelial appearance. In the other half of the mutants, retinal cell differentiation was initiated, but not fully propagated. We also find that Hh signaling is important for retinal cell proliferation and retinal cell survival; together, these functions provide an explanation for progressive microphthalmia in the syu-/- mutant. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Computed tomography enterography findings correlate with tissue inflammation, not fibrosis in resected small bowel Crohn's disease.

Background: It has become commonplace to categorize small intestinal Crohn's disease (CD) as “active” vs. “inactive” or “inflammatory” vs. “fibrotic” based on computed tomography enterography (CTE) findings. Data on histologic correlates of CTE findings are lacking. We aimed to compare CTE findings with histology from surgically resected specimens. We tested the hypothesis that CTE findings can distinguish tissue inflammation from fibrosis. Methods: Patients who underwent CTE within 3 months before intestinal resection for CD were retrospectively studied. Radiologists blinded to history and histology scored findings on CTE. Pathologists blinded to history and imaging scored resected histology. We compared histology with CTE findings and radiologists assessment of whether the stricture was likely “active” or “inactive.” Results: In all, 22 patients met inclusion criteria. Inflammatory CTE findings correlated with histologic inflammation (rho = 0.52). Strictures believed to be “active” on CTE were more inflamed at histology (P = 0.0002). Strictures lacking inflammatory findings on CTE or considered “inactive” were not associated with greater histologic fibrosis or significant histologic inflammation. Upstream dilation was associated with greater tissue fibrosis in univariate (P = 0.014) but not in multivariate analysis (P = 0.53). Overall, histologic fibrosis correlated best with histologic inflammation (rho = 0.52). Strictures on CTE with the most active disease activity also had the most fibrosis on histology. Conclusions: CTE findings of mesenteric hypervascularity, mucosal hyperenhancement, and mesenteric fat stranding predict tissue inflammation. However, small bowel stricture without CTE findings of inflammation does not predict the presence of tissue fibrosis. Therefore, caution should be used when using CTE criteria to predict the presence of scar tissue. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
Religion and Sexism: The Moderating Role of Participant Gender

The present study examined the relationship between gender, religious belief and ambivalent sexism. Specifically, this study tested the hypothesis that participant gender moderates the relationship between religious belief and ambivalent sexism. Three-hundred thirty seven Evangelical Christian undergraduate students from the Southwestern United States were administered the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory and the Christian Orthodoxy Scale. Results showed that gender moderated the relationship between Christian orthodoxy and Protective Paternalism. This finding suggests the importance of intervening variables, such as gender, in understanding the relationship between religion and sexism.
Specialization and Happiness in Marriage: A U.S.-Japan Comparison

This paper examines the relationship between specialization and happiness in marriage in the U.S. and Japan. Our findings, based on the General Social Surveys in the U.S. and Japan, indicate both similarities and differences in the determinants of marital happiness in the two countries. In the U.S., the findings are mixed. Women’s reported marital happiness in the U.S. is more likely to follow the predictions of the bargaining model where their happiness is determined by their own income. Men’s marital happiness in the U.S. follows the predictions of the specialization model; they are happier if their wives are not working or, alternatively, if they are financially dependent on their wives. In Japan, we find support for the specialization model, particularly in the case of women; they are happier if they are specialized in the household and they have a higher household income. Our research highlights how marital quality is affected by the institutional context and the normative environment.
Stock Lamp: An Engagement-Versatile Visualization Design

Design methodologies for information visualizations are typically based on the assumption that the users will be fully engaged in the visual exploration of the displayed information. However, recent research suggests that there is an increasing diversity in how users engage with modern visualizations, and that the traditional design theories do not always satisfy the varied users needs. In this paper, we present a new design concept, engagement-versatile design, for visualizations that target users with a variety of engagement styles. Without losing generality, we demonstrate the feasibility of this concept through the designing of a system called Stock Lamp, an engagement-versatile visualization that helps users keep track of the stock market in real-time. This design process includes identifying different modes of engagement, deriving design implications from each engagement-mode, and applying them to the visualization's design. Our user study shows that Stock Lamp is able to consistently relay market information even when the users are multi-tasking. We believe this study establishes a new concept that promotes a systematic design approach that leverages both theoretical and empirical design methodologies for future visualization development.
Low doses of ethanol disrupt sensory responses of brain noradrenergic neurones.

Ethanol is a widely abused drug which has many behavioural and psychological effects1. In spite of considerable research1–4, the brain mechanisms responsible for these effects are unknown. Previously, it has been proposed that noradrenaline (NA)-containing locus coeruleus (LC) neurones, which project throughout the brain5,6, mediate the effects of many abused as well as clinically effective psychoactive agents7,8. Recent studies9–11 have shown that in freely behaving, undrugged animals, NA-containing LC (NA-LC) neurones exhibit marked, short-latency responses to sensory stimuli of many modalities, perhaps serving to bias brain and behavioural activities towards adaptive responses to phasic, unexpected environmental events. We have now examined the effects of ethanol on these sensory responses of NA-LC neurones. In the present study, anaesthetized animals were used to minimize fluctuations in arousal, providing a more stable baseline for assessing pharmacological effects. A class of NA-LC sensory responses which mimic those observed in unanaesthetized animals was studied. In addition, using antidromic stimulation, we investigated the effects of ethanol on the soma excitability, axonal conduction velocity, and strength of recurrent collateral inhibition of these neurones. We now report that low intoxicating doses of ethanol substantially reduce the magnitude and temporal reliability of sensory-evoked responses in NA-LC neurones, perhaps due in part to enhanced feedback inhibition of these cells.
Obsidian Hydration Profiles Measured by Sputter-Induced Optical Emission

The variation of concentrations of hydrogen, sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, and aluminum as a function of depth in the hydration layer of obsidian artifacts has been determined by sputter-induced optical emission. The surface hydration is accompanied by dealkalization, and there is a buildup of alkaline earths, calcium and magnesium in the outermost layers. These results have clarified the phenomena underlying the obsidian hydration dating technique.
VEGF targets the tumour cell

The function of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cancer is not limited to angiogenesis and vascular permeability. VEGF-mediated signalling occurs in tumour cells, and this signalling contributes to key aspects of tumorigenesis, including the function of cancer stem cells and tumour initiation. In addition to VEGF receptor tyrosine kinases, the neuropilins are crucial for mediating the effects of VEGF on tumour cells, primarily because of their ability to regulate the function and the trafficking of growth factor receptors and integrins. This has important implications for our understanding of tumour biology and for the development of more effective therapeutic approaches.
Fundamental Parameters and Mechanisms in the Ce Problem: Photoemission Results on Ce Al 2 and Ce Al 2 Alloys

Photoelectron-spectroscopy studies of Ce${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$, La${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$, and the "chemically compressed" alloys ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{0.6}$${\mathrm{Y}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{0.6}$${\mathrm{Sc}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$ were performed with use of synchrotron radiation. For all compounds the $4f$ binding energy is 2.55 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.1 eV. These results, combined with previous bulk-property results, motivate a reevaluation of Anderson-model parameters and mechanisms as applied to Ce${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$.
Analysis of surface structural defects using LEED and RHEED

Abstract Surface structural defects can have an important influence on a wide variety of phenomena at surfaces, including electronic, chemical, transport, and mechanical properties. Diffraction techniques that are sensitive to the surface can, in principle, be used to study surface structural defects, in the same manner that X-ray diffraction has been used for the analysis of bulk defects and finite-size phenomena. Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) are two techniques that can be used in this way. By measuring the angular distribution of intensity in diffracted beams, different types of surface defects can be distingueshed and quantified. Recent progress in the use of LEED to analyze steps, finite-size overlayer domains, surface strain, and mosaic effects is reviewed. In particular, overlayer studies present challenging and interesting problems, because they can involve the combination of finite-size effects in the overlayer with the scattering from a coherent substrate. Examples of defect analysis on several surfaces are given. Recently renewed interest has been shown in the use of RHEED for surface defect studies. The capabilities for defect studies of conventional RHEED, as found in crystal surface studies or epitaxial growth experiments, are described and compared to those of LEED.
Neuroleptic effects on electrodermal responsivity to soft tones and loud noise in schizophrenia.

Abstract Electrodermal procedures have consistently yielded two groups of schizophrenic patients—responders and nonresponders—on the basis of their electrodermal responsivity to auditory stimuli. The reliability of this finding has proved to be a cornerstone of autonomic research in schizophrenia. Previous investigators have reported that neuroleptic medications have little or no effect on electrodermal responsivity to mild tones. The current research found that patients receiving neuroleptics with high anticholinergic properties showed significantly less electrodermal responsivity compared with those receiving low anticholinergic neuroleptics. This was true for both loud and mild auditory stimuli.
Prognostic significance of the highest peripancreatic lymph node in biliary tract adenocarcinoma.

Background Patients with biliary tract adenocarcinoma with nodal involvement have a poor prognosis. There is currently no standardized method for intraoperative lymph node assessment. The current study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of the highest peripancreatic lymph node (HPLN) in biliary tract malignancy.
Convenient photolysis source of Cl2(1 1Σ+u) and Cl2(D′ 3Π2g) states for kinetic and spectroscopic studies

Abstract Cl 2 (1 1 Σ + u ) and Cl 2 (D′ 3 Π 2g ) states in high vibrational levels were generated by photolysis of Cl 2 and COCl 2 respectively, with the xenon resonance radiation at 147.0 nm. The quenching, vibrational relaxation and interstate transfer of these two ion-pair states were observed by monitoring the intensity of the Cl 2 (1 1 Σ + u − X 1 Σ + g ) and Cl 2 (D′ 3 Π 2g − A′ 3 Π 2u ) transitions in the presence of various molecules. The total quenching rate constants were then estimated from the Stern—Volmer formula.
Expression of mRNA for α1-adrenoceptor subtypes at the beginning of neurulation in rat embryos

Abstract We recently reported that α1-adrenoceptor agonists, administered at the beginning of neurulation (Stage 11a) in rat embryos grown in culture, interfere with normal development of the left/right body axis leading to situs inversus. Despite these pharmacological findings, expression of α1-adrenoceptor genes at such an early stage of development has not been demonstrated. In the present study, we examined the expression of mRNAs for cloned α1-adrenoceptor subtypes in rat embryos at Stage 11a. Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were killed in the morning of gestational day 9 (vaginal plug day = day 0), and the implantation sites were removed. The implantation sites were separated into embryo, ectoplacental cone and decidua, only those at Stage 11a were selected, and these were immediately frozen on dry ice, and subsequently their total RNA was isolated. RNase protection assays were then performed for cloned α1 a -, α 1 b - and α1 d -adrenocepter subtypes using 20–30 μg of total RNA for each hybridization. In all tissues, strong and weak signals were detected for α1 b - and α1 a -adrenoceptor subtype mRNAs, respectively. In contrast, a signal for α1 d mRNA was not detected in any tissues. These results, together with previous pharmacological findings, suggest the existence of α1 a - and α1 b -adrenoceptor subtypes in rat embryos at Stage 11a.
Theology and Religious Studies: Their Difference and the Difference It Makes

On the conventional account, theology differs from other forms of reflection, including religious studies, for one or both of two reasons: (1) because it has to appeal to special criteria of truth for some if not all of its assertions; and (2) because the theologian has to be a believer who already holds these assertions to be true. But, since by contemporary standards, either of these is also a reason for dismissing theology as illegitimate, the perennial task of achieving an adequate theological self-understanding today is widely supposed to confront a dilemma: one must choose, finally, between a theology that is really different from religious studies only because it also fails to comply with current standards of reflection and a theology that is in full compliance with such standards only because its difference from religious studies is merely verbal and so does not really make a difference, anyhow. The question, consequently, is whether it is possible to provide an account of the difference between theology and religious studies other than the conventional account. One way of arguing for an affirmative answer is to establish the following three claims: (1) that religious studies differ from the study of religion generally in being constituted as such by the question as to the meaning and truth of religion as itself a claim to truth; (2) that this difference remains even in the case of full compliance with contemporary standards of reflection, since it entails neither special criteria of truth for religious assertions nor special qualifications for students of religion; and (3) that, analogously, theology would be different from religious studies, as well as from other forms of reflection, even it it were in full compliance with the same standards of reflection, since the sufficient ground of its difference is the question that constitutes it a distinct field of reflection-namely, the Schubert M. Ogden is Professor of Theology and Director of the Graduate Program in Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University. This Presidential Address was given at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Francisco, California, on December 30, 1977.
PERINATAL EVENTS EXPLAIN VARIATIONS IN NICU ADMISSION ILLNESS SEVERITY† 1643

Methods: The Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology (SNAP) measures illness severity and is highly predictive of mortality. Perinatal events might explain inter-NICU differences in admission SNAP. We prospectively abstracted 583 inborn babies <1500g in six NICUs and compared admission risk profiles by NICU using χ2 and ANOVA. Linear regression identified perinatal factors affecting SNAP and if these explained differences between NICUs.
Diagnosing Faults In Autonomous Robot Plan Execution

A major requirement for an autonomous robot is the capability to diagnose faults during plan execution in an uncertain environment. Many diagnostic researches concentrate only on hardware failures within an autonomous robot. Taking a different approach, the implementation of a Telerobot Diagnostic System that addresses, in addition to the hardware failures, failures caused by unexpected event changes in the environment or failures due to plan errors, is described. One feature of the system is the utilization of task-plan knowledge and context information to deduce fault symptoms. This forward deduction provides valuable information on past activities and the current expectations of a robotic event, both of which can guide the plan-execution inference process. The inference process adopts a model-based technique to recreate the plan-execution process and to confirm fault-source hypotheses. This technique allows the system to diagnose multiple faults due to either unexpected plan failures or hardware errors. This research initiates a major effort to investigate relationships between hardware faults and plan errors, relationships which were not addressed in the past. The results of this research will provide a clear understanding of how to generate a better task planner for an autonomous robot and how to recover the robot from faults in a critical environment.
Building on the AIDS Response to Tackle Noncommunicable Disease

In September 2011, world leaders at the first-ever UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases unanimously approved a Political Declaration to stem a rising tide of noncommunicable diseases (NCD), now the world’s leading killer [1]. This declaration called for governments, industry, and civil society to develop multipronged plans to curb the risk factors behind the four main NCD: cardiovascular diseases; cancers; chronic respiratory diseases; and diabetes [2]. The document highlighted the need for universal national health coverage and called for strengthened international cooperation to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to developing countries to effectively tackle NCD. The rising global burden of NCD requires an urgent response to prevent new disease, manage existing morbidities, and control the devastating health, social, and economic impacts. Particularly troubling is that lowand middle-income countries (LMIC) are disproportionally affected by NCD. Approximately 80% of NCD deaths occur in LMIC, and in many cases, these countries are facing a continuing burden of infectious disease [3]. There is an urgent need for programs to specifically provide evidence-based primary and secondary prevention of NCD risk factors, deliver accessible and affordable clinical care for NCD, and mitigate the impact of the NCD burden. The complex and multidisciplinary aspects of NCD will require a comprehensive coordinated multisectoral response.
Hedgehog Signaling Regulation of Homeodomain Protein Islet Duodenum Homeobox-1 Expression in Pancreatic β-Cells1

Insulin gene expression in pancreatic β-cells is regulated by signals from developmental morphogen proteins known as hedgehogs (Hhs). By analyzing 5′-deletion insulin promoter-reporter constructs in transient transfections of clonal INS-1 β-cells, we located activating Hh-responsive regions within the rat insulin I promoter that include the glucose-response elements Far (E2) and Flat (A2/A3). Activation of Hh signaling in INS-1 cells by ectopic Hh expression increased (and inhibition of Hh signaling with the Hh-specific inhibitor cyclopamine decreased) transcriptional activation of a multimerized FarFlat enhancer-reporter construct. In DNA-binding studies, nuclear extracts from INS-1 cells activated by ectopic Hh expression increased (and extracts from INS-1 cells treated with cyclopamine decreased) protein binding to a radiolabeled FarFlat oligonucleotide probe. An antiserum directed against the transcription factor islet duodenum homeobox-1 (IDX-1), a regulator of pancreas development and activator of t...
SECULAR DYNAMICS OF THE TRIPLE SYSTEM HARBORING PSR J0337+1715 AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORIGIN OF ITS ORBITAL CONFIGURATION

We explore secular dynamics of a recently discovered hierarchical triple system consisting of the radio pulsar PSR J0337+1715 and two white dwarfs (WDs). We show that three-body interactions endow the inner binary with a large forced eccentricity and suppress its apsidal precession, to about 24% of the rate due to the general relativity. However, precession rate is still quite sensitive to the non-Newtonian effects and may be used to constrain gravity theories if measured accurately. A small value of the free eccentricity of the inner binary and vanishing forced eccentricity of the outer, relatively eccentric binary naturally result in their apsidal near-alignment. In addition, this triple system provides a unique opportunity to explore excitation of both eccentricity and inclination in neutron star-WD binaries, e.g., due to random torques caused by convective eddies in the WD progenitor. We show this process to be highly anisotropic and more effective at driving eccentricity rather than inclination. The outer binary eccentricity and exceed by more than an order of magnitude the predictions of the eccentricity-period relation of Phinney, which is not uncommon. We also argue that the non-zero mutual inclination of the two binaries emerges at the end of the Roche lobe overflow of the outer (rather than the inner) binary.
Dynamic fluorescence study of the interaction of lumazine protein with bacterial luciferases.

Abstract The equilibrium association of lumazine protein from Photobacterium phosphoreum with luciferases from either P. phosphoreum or an aldehyde-requiring dark mutant of Vibrio harveyi is measured from changes of the rotational correlation time which is derived from the decay of the lumazine ligand's fluorescence anisotropy. The rotational correlation time of lumazine protein is 23 ns (2°C, 0.25 M P i ) and is increased on addition of luciferase due to the formation of a higher molecular weight complex. The V. harveyi luciferase exhibits full competence for the association and a 1 : 1 stoichiometry, with a K d in the range 40–90 μM At lower ionic strength (0.05 M P i ), the K d increases but is reduced again by the addition of dodecanol or dimyristoyllecithin. In contrast, tetradecanal, a substrate for the bioluminescence reaction, exerts no influence on the association. The equilibration rate is found to be too slow and for both luciferases the K d values are too high for the interaction of the native proteins to account quantitatively for the spectral shifting of the biolumineseence by lumazine protein.
« L’âme est l’architecte de son propre corps » : Animisme et tectonique entre la forêt ancienne et la ville moderne

A une epoque ou l’on s’est efforce de redefinir la nature de la vie et de faire de l’âme (anima ou psyche) une autorite centrale dans l’organisation de tout processus materiel et immateriel, l’architecture sert non seulement de metaphore structurelle, mais aussi de schema epistemologique capable de recadrer la formation tectonique de tout etre vivant. Cet article retrace les manifestations externes et les processus methodologiques internes de cette « âme architectonique » a travers les theories epistemologiques du philosophe Albert Lemoine et sa lecture des principes vitalistes et animistes de Georg Ernst Stahl; egalement dans les recits ethnographiques des forets animees ecrits par des anthropologues comparatistes tels Edward Burnett Tylor et James George Frazer; ou encore dans les rudiments du culte animiste des arbres que l’on trouve dans les ecrits d’historiens et theoriciens de l’architecture tels James Fergusson, Karl Botticher et Gottfried Semper; ou enfin dans les memoires ethnographiques sur les rituels animistes contemporains de l’historien culturel Aby Warburg.
Identification of a Novel Polypeptide Involved in the Formation of DNA-Containing Vesicles during Macronuclear Development in Tetrahymena

An abundant phosphoprotein with an apparent molecular mass of 65 kDa (p65) has been identified that is enriched in developing new macronuclei (or anlagen) isolated from the holotrichous ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila. During early stages of macronuclear development, p65 is actively synthesized and deposited into young (4C) anlagen and is not found in micronuclei or parental macronuclei. p65 is not detected in older (8C) anlagen or in vegetatively growing or starved cells, and thus p65 is under stringent developmental control. In situ analyses, using polyclonal antibodies generated against p65, demonstrate that p65 undergoes a pronounced change in distribution during anlagen differentiation. Initially, anlagen are uniformly stained with these antibodies. However, following separation of conjugants, this staining pattern converts to one that is punctate and fragmented. As development proceeds, most, if not all, of these p65-based particles become peripherally located in anlagen and appear as well-defined vesicles surrounding a discrete central core of DNA of yet undetermined origin. This remarkable cytological distribution suggests an involvement of p65 in the elimination or processing of DNA during anlagen differentiation. If the above is correct, p65 provides the first inroad into the protein machinery involved in the well-known DNA rearrangements that characterize ciliate macronuclear development.
Statistical Methodology: VII. Q-Methodology, a Structural Analytic Approach to Medical Subjectivity

. Q-methodology is a relatively unknown tool to medical researchers, that uses a mixed quantitative/qualitative statistical technique known as by-person factor analysis to study subjectivity. Q-methodology allows the grouping of individuals according to their subjective feelings about a topic, without requiring preconceived ideas regarding the structure of those subjective feelings. Q-methodology is demonstrated using a study in which attitudes of emergency medicine residents toward computer education are explored systematically and classified in terms of statistically distinct factor viewpoints. In this example, Q-methodology identifies 4 attitude groups, as related to computers and computer education: 1) interested, eager to learn; 2) frustrated and interested, but with reservations; 3) interested mainly in benefits, willing to expend minimal effort; and 4) knowledgeable, independent learner. Q-methodology can be used to determine the structure of attitudes on a subjective topic, often yielding new insights.
Inflammatory hyperalgesia: a role for the C-fiber sensory neuron cell body?

Abstract Peripheral nerve injury increases the chemosensitivity and excitability of injured afferents, resulting in ectopic activity arising from within dorsal root ganglia. Studies of dissociated sensory ganglion neurons in vitro suggest afferent somata might be sensitized by persistent inflammation. However, it is unknown whether this inflammation-induced sensitization is manifest in somata within the intact ganglia. To explore this possibility, intracellular electrophysiologic recording was used with a sciatic nerve–L4–dorsal root ganglia preparation to compare excitability and chemosensitivity of cutaneous C-fiber somata from control and inflamed rats. Cutaneous afferents were identified with the retrograde dye DiI. Excitability was assessed before and after the application of inflammatory soup (IS) containing bradykinin, serotonin, and prostaglandin E 2 all at a pH of 7.0. Persistent inflammation decreased the excitability of cutaneous afferents in intact ganglia and had no significant influence on the magnitude of IS-induced increase in excitability. Opposite to the effects observed in intact ganglia, excitability was greater in dissociated cutaneous nociceptors obtained from inflamed rats, although the magnitude of the IS-induced increase in excitability was not significantly affected by inflammation. These results suggest that the cell bodies of putative cutaneous nociceptors in the intact ganglia contribute minimally to pain and hyperalgesia associated with persistent inflammation. Perspective Results of the present study suggest that inflammation-induced changes in afferent somata are minimal. However, they also suggest that inflammatory mediator–induced increase in the excitability of sensory neuron somata might contribute to global changes in nociception observed under high systemic inflammatory mediator loads.
Outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression in the herbaceous autotetraploid, Campanula americana

Polyploidy in angiosperms is frequently associated with an increase in self-compatibility. Self-fertilization can enhance polyploid establishment, and theory predicts reduced inbreeding depression in polyploids relative to diploids. Therefore, we may expect mating systems that promote self-fertilization or mixed-mating in polyploid species. However, few studies have measured polyploid mating systems and inbreeding depression. We report the outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression for Campanula americana, a self-compatible protandrous herb. Allozyme genotypes suggest that C. americana is an autotetraploid with tetrasomic inheritance. We found that the multilocus outcrossing rate, tm=0.938, did not differ from unity. This result was unexpected since previous work demonstrated that pollinators frequently move from male- to female-phase flowers on the same plant, that is, geitonogamy. Self and outcross pollinations were conducted for three populations. Offspring were germinated in controlled conditions and grown to maturity in pots in nature. Inbreeding depression was not significant for most seed and germination characters. However, all later life traits except flowering date differed between inbred and outcrossed individuals resulting in a 26% reduction in cumulative fitness for inbred plants. Limited early- and moderate later-life inbreeding depression suggest that it is buffered by the higher levels of heterozygosity found in an autotetraploid. C. americana appears to have a flexible mating system where within flower protandry and/or cryptic self-incompatibility result in a high outcrossing rate when pollinators are abundant, but self-compatibility and limited inbreeding depression maintain reproductive success when mates are limited.
Motor asymmetry, a neurobiologic abnormality in the major psychoses.

A century after Kraepelin, clinical scientists still debate whether the major functional psychoses, schizophrenia and bipolar illness, are separate disease entities or fall on opposite ends of a spectrum of severe psychopathology. In a study of control of hand-muscle force, patients with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder exhibited opposite asymmetries, with greater right-hand dyscontrol in schizophrenia, and greater left-hand dyscontrol in bipolar disorder. This suggests that there is greater pathological involvement of the dominant hemisphere in schizophrenia and of the nondominant hemisphere in bipolar disorder.