cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of choline acetyltransferase inhibitors on mouse and guinea-pig brain choline and acetylcholine.

Abstract These experiments measure the effect of two choline acetyltransferase (CAT) inhibitors, viz. 4-(1-naphthylvinyl) pyridine (NVP) and 4-(3-chlorophenylvinyl) pyridine (3'-chloro-4-stilbazole; CS), on mouse and guinea-pig brain acetylcholine (ACh) and choline. The intraperitoneal administration of NVP or CS appeared to inhibit CAT partially in both species, but both compounds were without effect on steadystate levels of ACh. In the mouse CS, but not NVP, increased brain choline. Both CS and NVP were shown to reduce, but not totally inhibit, the synthesis of mouse brain ACh. The inability of these compounds to decrease steady state levels, while apparently decreasing synthesis rates, suggests that CAT may not be the rate-limiting step in ACh synthesis.
Chromosome replication during development in Caulobacter crescentus.

Abstract Patterns of DNA replication and development have been determined in the dimorphic bacterium Caulobacter crescentus using a new method of cell synchrony. Characteristic DNA cycles were identified for the two cell types. The swarmer cell cycle is composed of G1, S and G2 periods of 65, 85 and 30 minutes, respectively, and the stalked cell cycle is composed of S and G2 periods of 90 and 30 minutes. Thus, the two cell types produced at division initiate DNA synthesis at different times: in the stalked cell chromosome replication begins immediately, while in the swarmer cell the onset of replication is delayed for approximately 65 minutes. Since the pre-synthetic gap in DNA replication corresponds to the time required for stalk formation by the swarmer cell, DNA synthesis is characteristic only of the stalked form of C. crescentus. The results suggest that there may be a structural requirement for initiation of DNA replication in these bacteria, and that in the stalked cell this requirement for initiation has been satisfied at division, while in the swarmer cell further development is required.
Microstructure of crazes in solvent-crazed polycarbonate thin films

Crazes have been produced in polycarbonate by atomizing acetone over uniaxial stressed solvent cast thin films. Transmission electron microscopy shows that two types of craze orientation exist. Crazes are formed perpendicular to the applied stress direction and at approximately 55° to the applied stress direction. The craze structures observed at 55° to the applied stress direction are suggested to result from cavitation of pre-existing deformation bands. The internal morphology of each type of craze is similar, and the fibre diameter, void size and craze width of each type depends on the amount of craze development. The structure of the craze-matrix interface is, however, different for each type of craze. Necking and work-hardening of the fibres occurs at the normal craze-matrix interface, whereas a rough undrawn interface exists for the angular crazes.
X-ray fluorescence microscopy reveals large-scale relocalization and extracellular translocation of cellular copper during angiogenesis.

Although copper has been reported to influence numerous proteins known to be important for angiogenesis, the enhanced sensitivity of this developmental process to copper bioavailability has remained an enigma, because copper metalloproteins are prevalent and essential throughout all cells. Recent developments in x-ray optics at third-generation synchrotron sources have provided a resource for highly sensitive visualization and quantitation of metalloproteins in biological samples. Here, we report the application of x-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) toin vitro models of angiogenesis and neurogenesis, revealing a surprisingly dramatic spatial relocalization specific to capillary formation of 80–90% of endogenous cellular copper stores from intracellular compartments to the tips of nascent endothelial cell filopodia and across the cell membrane. Although copper chelation had no effect on process formation, an almost complete ablation of network formation was observed. XFM of highly vascularized ductal carcinomas showed copper clustering in putative neoangiogenic areas. This use of XFM for the study of a dynamic developmental process not only sheds light on the copper requirement for endothelial tube formation but highlights the value of synchrotron-based facilities in biological research.
Empirical Correlation of Equilibrium Separation Factors in the Pd−H2/D2 System with Temperature and Composition

The range of available data on separation factors ({alpha}) in the palladium-hydrogen/deuterium system has been extended in this study using a thermal conductivity detector. The thermal conductivity detector employed a matched pair of glass-coated bead thermistors to measure the gas-phase composition of hydrogen isotope mixtures. Separation factors ({alpha}) were measured in the {beta}-phase, over the temperature (T) and hydrogen mole fraction (x{sub H}) ranges T = 175 K to 389 K and x{sub H} = 0.195 to 0.785, respectively. These data were correlated with temperature (T) and hydrogen mole fraction in the palladium (x{sub H}) by {alpha} = exp[{minus}0.27 + B(x{sub H})(1,000/T){sup 0.75}] and B(x{sub H}) = 0.5155 {minus} 0.0569x{sub H} {minus} 0.12 x{sub H{sup 2}}, where B(x{sub H}) is an empirical function relating the dependence of the separation factor on composition.
Follicular histology and physiological correlates in the preovulatory hamster.

The surge in plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) in the proestrous hamster begins at 1430 (Turgeon and Greenwald, '72) and this is followed by a sharp increase in follicular and interstitially derived progesterone at 1500 (Norman and Greenwald, '71). The purpose of the present study was to relate various histologic events in the ovary of the preovulatory hamster to these physiological changes, dating from the LH increase between 1430 and 1500. The earliest maturational changes in the oocyte occurred at 1600 as the nuclear membrane began to disappear, correlating with an increase in the number of pycnotic nuclei in the surrounding cumulus cells and an abrupt reduction in mitotic activity in the membrana granulosa. It is possible that the latter event is related to increased progesterone secretion by the follicle at 1500. The most rapid increase in follicular diameter occurred between 2000 and 2200 - five to seven hours after the LH surge and was accompanied by a pronounced stromal edema especially of the medullary portion of the ovary. During this same time period, meiosis proceeded to the metaphase stage and the cumulus cells began to disperse to form the corona radiata. Of the eight hours required for the first meiotic division, four to six hours are spent in metaphase. The majority of animals (75%) ovulated by 0100 and all animals ovulated by 0200. Therefore, ovulation occurred 10 to 11 hours after the LH surge at 1500.
Quantitative MRI assessments of white matter in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The purpose of this study was to use objective quantitative MR imaging methods to prospectively assess changes in the physiological structure of white matter during the temporal evolution of leukoencephalopathy (LE) in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The longitudinal incidence, extent (proportion of white matter affect), and intensity (elevation of T1 and T2 relaxation rates) of LE was evaluated for 44 children. A combined imaging set consisting of T1, T2, PD, and FLAIR MR images and white matter, gray matter and CSF a priori maps from a spatially normalized atlas were analyzed with a neural network segmentation based on a Kohonen Self-Organizing Map (SOM). Quantitative T1 and T2 relaxation maps were generated using a nonlinear parametric optimization procedure to fit the corresponding multi-exponential models. A Cox proportional regression was performed to estimate the effect of intravenous methotrexate (IV-MTX) exposure on the development of LE followed by a generalized linear model to predict the probability of LE in new patients. Additional T-tests of independent samples were performed to assess differences in quantitative measures of extent and intensity at four different points in therapy. Higher doses and more courses of IV-MTX placed patients at a higher risk of developing LE and were associated with more intense changes affecting more of the white matter volume; many of the changes resolved after completion of therapy. The impact of these changes on neurocognitive functioning and quality of life in survivors remains to be determined.
Body Temperature and Flight Muscle Ratio in the Burrowing Mayfly, Hexagenia bilineata

ABSTRACT Hexagenia bilineata, a large-bodied mayfly, provided a convenient model for the study of the physiological ecology of the Ephemeroptera. The thorax temperature (Tth) of free-flying H. bilineata was significantly different from ambient temperature (Ta), but the gradient between them was only about 1° C, which is probably not biologically significant. H. bilineata is clearly ectothermic, and low wing loading may explain the low Tth. H. bilineata emerges during warm and stable weather, when endothermy would provide little advantage. H. bilineata had a very high ratio of flight muscle mass to body mass, which is expected to result from selection pressure on flight performance, yet H. bilineata is a poor flyer. This effect may be a result of freedom from weight constraints.
In Situ Laser Raman Spectroscopy Studies of VPO Catalyst Transformations

VPO catalyst transformations were investigated using in situ laser Raman spectroscopy. During reduction-oxidation step changes, (VO){sub 2}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} was readily converted to {alpha}{sub II}, {delta}-VOPO{sub 4}, and ultimately to {beta}-VOPO{sub 4} in O{sub 2}/N{sub 2}; these V{sup 5+} phases were eliminated in n-butane/N{sub 2}. A wet N{sub 2} feed (5--10% H{sub 2}O in N{sub 2}) transformed (VO){sub 2}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} and {alpha}{sub 1}-, {alpha}{sub II}-, {beta}-, {delta}-, {gamma}-VOPO{sub 4} to V{sub 2}O{sub 5} at temperatures above 400 C. The presence of water vapor facilitated the loss of oxygen atoms involved in V-O-P bonding, and separated vanadium oxide and phosphorus oxide species were formed. The isolated vanadium oxide species could be transformed to V{sub 2}O{sub 5}; phosphorus species likely diffused from the catalyst lattice in the form of acid phosphates.
Online feedback and the regulation of degrees of freedom in motor control.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that the degree to which online feedback is used to control movement influences the regulation of degrees of freedom in a task. Ten participants performed an isometric force production task with their two index fingers with the goal of matching the total force to a target waveform. The role of online feedback was manipulated by changing three factors – the tracking mode, the profile of the target waveform, and the visual gain. The results showed that the coupling between the finger forces was lower in conditions where participants used online feedback to correct their movements compared to conditions where more feedforward strategies were used. The availability of online feedback is dependent on the nature of the task and this contributes to task-dependent changes in the regulation of the degrees of freedom.
Dietary protein restriction benefits patients with chronic kidney disease

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing so every strategy should be used to avoid the complications of CKD. Most CKD symptoms or uraemia are caused by protein intolerance; symptoms arise because the patient is unable to excrete metabolic products of dietary protein and the ions contained in protein-rich foods. Consequently, CKD patients accumulate salt, phosphates, uric acid and many nitrogen-containing metabolic products, and secondary problems of metabolic acidosis, bone disease and insulin resistance become prominent. These problems can be avoided with dietary planning. Protein-restricted diets do not produce malnutrition and with these diets even patients with advanced CKD maintain body weight, serum albumin and normal electrolyte values. Non-compliance is a problem, but this can be detected using standard techniques to provide the patient with appropriate responses. The role of dietary protein restriction in the progression of CKD has not been proven, but it can reduce albuminuria and will prevent uraemic symptoms. Until a means of preventing kidney disease or progression is found, safe methods of management such as dietary manipulation should be available for CKD patients.
9. POSTNATAL MATURATION OF AMINO ACID TRANSPORT IN THE BRUSH BORDER MEMBRANE OF THE RAT

Intestinal amino acid transport in rodents decreases after birth. Simultaneously, changes of other function and structure occur and influence observed uptake rates. Thus, it is equivocally wether the decline is caused by a change of the transport system itself. Rates of uptake of L-phenylalanine into isolated brush border membrane vesicles(bbm) and into an intact mucosal layer(iml) were examined in newborn(n) and adult(a) rats. Uptake decreases significantly (p>.01) in bbm and iml after birth. Concentration dependent uptake suggests a non-saturable and a saturable component of transport of which constants were determined.
π Protein‐ and ATP‐dependent transitions from ‘closed’ to ‘open’ complexes at the γ ori of plasmid R6K

R6K-encoded pi protein can bind to the seven, 22 bp tandem iterons of the gamma origin. In this work, we use a variant of pi, His-pi.F107S, that is hyperactive in replication. In vitro, His-pi.F107S-dependent local DNA melting (open complex formation) occurs in the absence of host proteins (IHF/HU or DnaA) and it is positioned in the A + T-rich region adjacent to iterons. Experiments described here examine the effects of ATP, Mg2+ and temperature on the opening reaction. We show that the opening of the gamma origin can occur in the presence of ATP as well as AMP-PCP (a non-hydrolyzable ATP analog). This suggests that, for gamma origin, ATP hydrolysis may be unnecessary for open complex formation facilitated by His-pi.F107S. In the absence of ATP or Mg2+, His-pi.F107S yielded data suggestive of distortions in the iteron attributable to DNA bending rather than DNA melting. Our findings also demonstrate that ATP and pi stimulate open complex formation over a wide range of temperatures, but not at 0 degrees C. These and other results indicate that ATP and/or Mg2+ are not needed for His-pi.F107S binding to iterons and that ATP effects an allosteric change in the protein bound to gamma origin.
Determination of metalaxyl in wine by ELISA

An ELISA method to screen the fungicide metalaxyl in wine was developed. To help prevent matrix effects, wine samples were diluted 1: 10 in a solution of sodium bisulfite, dibasic sodium phosphate and polyvinylpyrrolidone. To determine the accuracy and reproducibility of the method, spiked wine samples were employed. Percentage recoveries ranged from 85.3 to 112, while intra‐assay percentage coefficients of variation (%CVs) varied from 6.5 to 16 and inter‐assay %CVs ranged from 10 to 22. A comparison between highperformance liquid chromatography and ELISA was examined utilizing 32 samples. A correlation coefficient of 0.9919 was obtained.
Approximate molecular orbital calculations on carbene ligands and complexes: the ability of the carbene ligands to act as σ donors and π acceptors

Abstract Non-parameterized molecular orbital calculations have been performed on a series of carbene ligands, C(X)Y, and carbene complexes, (CO)5CrC(X)Y. In accord with previously obtained experimental data, methoxycarbenes were found to be better π acceptors than aminocarbenes. All of the carbene ligands were found to accept less charge from the chromium than the carbonyl ligand. While the eigenvalues of the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals were found to be important factors in determining the σ donating and π accepting abilities of the ligands, other factors (such as the spatial localizations and degeneracies of the orbitals) were also found to affect these abilities. An explanation is given for the absence of a significant trans influence in most carbene complexes.
A closer look at the concept of support: Some applications to the care of patients with cancer

Abstract The connotations of the term “support” have contributed to a widespread, diverse, and imprecise psychological usage. Oversimplification of complex clinical issues is most likely to occur when the concept of support is applied by staff with varied training and experience to patients with a serious illness such as cancer. This report distinguishes four principal meanings of support—comfort, strengthening, maintenance, and advocacy—offering a basis for individualized care of patients in a variety of clinical contexts.
Cytokine inhibition of DNA synthesis: effect on cyclic adenosine monophosphate in lymphocytes

A greater than twofold increase in intracellular adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) inhibited DNA synthesis, in stimulated rat lymphocytes. A two- to fourfold rise of intracellular cyclic AMP, starting at 16 hours, was produced by purified inhibitor od DNA synthesis added to such cells either at 0 or 16 hours, in close association with the initiation of DNA synthesis.
Theoretical Underpinning of the Constraint Effect Between Deeply Cracked C(T)- and SEN(B) Specimens

In the standard test method for the determination of the reference temperature T0 in the transition range, ASTM E 1921-03 [1], the remark is given that different specimen types could lead to discrepancies in the calculated T0 values. Especially C(T) and SEN(B) specimens indicate by experimental evidence that a 10 °C to 15 °C difference in T0 has been observed. In the course of the European research project VOCALIST [2] a ferritic RPV steel has been investigated by conducting numerous fracture toughness experiments as well as intensive numerical studies. A local approach model based on the Weibull stress has been developed and calibrated for this material [3]. For the calculation of the constraint effect between SEN(B) and C(T) specimens with a crack to ligament ratio of approx. 0.5 the model has been applied to predict the constraint effects on fracture toughness and the resulting theoretical difference in the reference temperature T0 . For this purpose the according specimens have been calculated by several finite element models and a reference solution in the small scale yielding space allowed for the calculation of the “constraint free” reference transition temperature T0 . By means of theoretical constraint functions derived from the Weibull stress model, the difference for each specimen compared to the reference solution could be calculated. From the results a theoretical difference of ΔT0 = 10°C between SEN(B) (lower value) and C(T) specimens (higher value) caused by the different crack tip constraint has been obtained. This value confirms the experimental observations.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Hydrogen embrittlement in pre-deformed Ni3Al alloy

Abstract Hydrogen embrittlement has been investigated in continuous cast sheet of a Ni 3 Al alloy (Ni 77.82 Al 21.73 Zr 0.34 B 0.1 ) after imparting various amounts of pre-deformation. The specimens (25.4 mm long, 4.4 mm wide and 1 mm thick) were deformed in tension and then taken out of the testing rig for charging hydrogen cathodically for 120 min with a current density of 50 mA cm −2 . Upon testing again in tension, the specimens charged with hydrogen always failed after yielding, which occurred at the final pre-deformation stress. For instance, a specimen pre-deformed to 26% elongation and subsequently charged for 120 min failed (during tensile-testing at the strain rate of 5.8 × 10 −5 s −1 ) at a true stress of 1611 MPa, which is comparable to the true fracture stress (1753 MPa) of the uncharged specimen. However, the elongation at which the charged specimens failed decreased drastically from 5.4% to 1.3%, as the pre-deformation increased from zero to 2.0%. The fracture surface of the charged specimen consisted of regions of intergranular, quasi-cleavage and dimple fracture. The proportion of intergranular fracture decreased with the increasing pre-deformation, while that of dimple fracture increased. Our results suggest that grain boundaries in B-doped Ni 3 Al were not weakened by hydrogen, rather ductility-related voids and cracks were involved in hydrogen embrittlement of B-doped Ni 3 Al alloy.
Fabrication and Surface Characterization of DNA Microarrays Using Amine- and Thiol-Terminated Oligonucleotide Probes†

A versatile chemistry utilizing the homobifunctional cross-linker 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate (PDC) to attach both amine- and thiol-terminated oligonucleotides to aminosilane-coated slides was examined in a microarray format. Three common aminosilanes, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS), N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, and m,p-(aminoethyl-aminomethyl) phenethyltrimethoxysilane, were coated onto glass slides and silicon wafers and characterized using contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Evaluation of the aminosilane-modified surfaces using contact angle measurements, UV−vis spectroscopy, and covalent attachment of a Cy5-conjugated N-hydroxysuccinimide ester reporter molecule suggested that derivatization of the surface with APS + PDC resulted in the best overall coverage. Microarrays printed using APS + PDC chemistry to immobilize both amine- and thiol-terminated oligonucleotides resulted in rapid attachment, uniform spot morphology, and minimal b...
A high-level language for use with multi-computer networks

Two basic trends can be observed in the modern evolution of computer systems. They are the development of computer systems dedicated to a single task or user (minicomputers) where the sophistication of large computer systems is being applied to smaller units, and the trend of very large systems that locate the user remotely from the computer and share resources between more and more locations. It is to the latter case that this paper is directed. This trend reaches its culmination in the design of distributed computer systems, where many individual computer components are located remotely from each other, and they are used to jointly perform computer operations in the solution of a single problem. Systems such as these are being developed in increasing numbers, although they are yet only a small fraction of the total number of computer systems. Examples of such systems range from those that are National and International in scope (the United States' APRANET, Canada's CANUNET, the Soviet Union's ASUS system and the European Computer Network Project), the statewide systems (the North Carolina Educational Computer System and the MERIT Computer Network), to single site systems (The Lawrence Radiation Laboratory Network and Data Ring Oriented Computer Networks). These systems and others have been designed to solve problems in the areas of research, education, governmental planning, airline reservations and commercial time-sharing. Taken together they demonstrate a capability for computer utilization that places more usable computer power in the user's control than he has ever had before. The challenge is to make effective use of this new tool.
Automated identification of parameter mismatches in web applications

Quality assurance techniques for web applications have become increasingly important as web applications have gained in popularity and become an essential part of our daily lives. To integrate content and data from multiple sources, the components of a web application communicate extensively among themselves. Unlike traditional program modules, the components communicate through interfaces and invocations that are not explicitly declared. Because of this, the communication between two components can fail due to a parameter mismatch between the interface invoked by a calling component and the interface provided by the called component. Parameter mismatches can cause serious errors in the web application and are difficult to identify using traditional testing and verification techniques. To address this problem, we propose a static-analysis based approach for identifying parameter mismatches. We also present an empirical evaluation of the approach, which we performed on a set of real web applications. The results of the evaluation are promising; our approach discovered 133 parameter mismatches in the subject applications.
Optical properties of pyrolytic boron nitride in the energy range 0.05—10 eV

Optical reflectance studies of the $c$ face of pyrolytic boron nitride were carried out at room temperature in the photon energy range 0.45---10 eV. A Kramers-Kronig analysis was performed to determine the in-plane real (${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$) and imaginary (${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}$) dielectric functions. Infrared-active transverseoptic phonons were observed at 770 and 1383 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Strong impurity- and defect-associated absorption was observed throughout the visible and near-ultraviolet region (1---5 eV) which masks, to some extent, the threshold for absorption across the electronic energy band gap. From ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ and the absorption coefficient we estimate the direct band gap between $\ensuremath{\pi}$ bands to be 5.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 eV. Interband transitions associated with high joint density of states were observed at 6.10 and 6.85 eV. The structure in ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ at energies $\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}g5$ eV is identified with specific transitions predicted by previous energy-band calculations.
Direction of arrival estimation using nested vector-sensor arrays via tensor modeling

We propose a new class of nested vector-sensor arrays, via tensor modeling, which is capable of increasing the number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation, compared with the uniform linear array (ULA). By using one component's information of the interspectral tensor, the proposed nested vector-sensor array can provide O(N 2 ) DOFs with only N physical sensors. To utilize the increased DOFs, a novel spatial smoothing approach is proposed, which preserves the data structure and avoids reorganization via tensor modeling. Further, we propose corresponding direction of arrival (DOA) estimation strategies. Based on the analytical results, we consider two main applications: electromagnetic (EM) vector sensors and acoustic vector sensors. We show that the DOA estimation performance is greatly improved due to the combination of the nested-array strategy and tensor modeling. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified through numerical examples.
Impaired Recognition and Regulation of Disgust Is Associated with Distinct but Partially Overlapping Patterns of Decreased Gray Matter Volume in the Ventroanterior Insula.

Background The ventroanterior insula is implicated in the experience, expression, and recognition of disgust; however, whether this brain region is required for recognizing disgust or regulating disgusting behaviors remains unknown.
Lead exposure, environmental temperature, nesting and consummatory behavior of adult male mice of two ages.

Abstract Both younger (60-day-old) and older (365-day-old) male, heterogeneous stock mice were exposed to either a 0.5% lead acetate solution or water as their sole source of fluid for four weeks prior to testing their nest building and consummatory behavior in a temperature chamber. During the three weeks in the temperature chambers lead and water maintenance were continued, and fluid and food consumption, body weight and nest building were monitored. Temperature in the chambers was 21°C during the first week, then reduced to 5°C during the second week, and returned to 21°C in the last week of testing. In general, younger animals responded more rapidly and more intensely than older mice to changes in temperature as reflected in consummatory behavior, but lead ingestion decreased the magnitude of the change in fluid intake. Lead ingestion also altered the pattern of change in food ingestion of older mice as a function of the reduced temperature challenge. The complexity of nests built increased when temperatures were lowered from 21°C to 5°C, but this measure was unaffected by lead ingestion or age.
Hypothalamic peptides controlling alcohol intake: Differential effects on microstructure of drinking bouts

Different alcohol drinking patterns, involving either small and frequent drinking bouts or large and long-lasting bouts, are found to differentially affect the risk for developing alcohol-related diseases, suggesting that they have different underlying mechanisms. Such mechanisms may involve orexigenic peptides known to stimulate alcohol intake through their actions in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). These include orexin (OX), which is expressed in the perifornical lateral hypothalamus, and galanin (GAL) and enkephalin (ENK), which are expressed within as well as outside the PVN. To investigate the possibility that these peptides affect different aspects of consumption, a microstructural analysis of ethanol drinking behavior was performed in male, Sprague-Dawley rats trained to drink 7% ethanol and implanted with guide shafts aimed at the PVN. While housed in specialized cages containing computerized intake monitors (BioDAQ Laboratory Intake Monitoring System, Research Diets Inc., New Brunswick, NJ) that measure bouts of ethanol drinking, these rats were given PVN injections of OX (0.9 nmol), GAL (1.0 nmol), or the ENK analog D-Ala2-met-enkephalinamide (DALA) (14.2 nmol), as compared to saline vehicle. Results revealed clear differences between the effects of these peptides. While all 3 stimulated ethanol intake, they had distinct effects on patterns of drinking, with OX increasing the number of drinking bouts, GAL increasing the size of the drinking bouts, and DALA increasing both the size and duration of the bouts. In contrast, these peptides had little impact on water or food intake. These results support the idea that different peptides can increase ethanol consumption by promoting distinct aspects of the ethanol drinking response. The stimulatory effect of OX on drinking frequency may be related to its neuronally stimulatory properties, while the stimulatory effect of GAL and ENK on bout size and duration may reflect a suppressive effect of these neuronally inhibitory peptides on the satiety-controlling PVN.
Screening for bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy: a meta-analysis

Abstract Objective: To assess the value of screening for bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnancy. Methods: As part of a systematic evidence review of screening for BV, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials of BV treatment for women at average risk and high risk for preterm delivery. Treatment trials were included in the meta-analysis if they reported at least one pregnancy outcome. We applied a new graphical meta-analytic method to derive pooled estimates of the effect of treatment and to characterize and interpret conflicting results among randomized trials. Using this method, we examined the relationship between risk status and the efficacy of treatment, and estimated potential benefits and harms of screening in the general population and high-risk groups. Results: Eight randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. We found no benefit of BV treatment in average-risk women for any pregnancy outcome. Results of studies of high-risk populations were inconsistent and statistically heterogeneous. They were clustered into two groups, one showed potential benefit of BV treatment (effect size 0.23, CI 0.13–0.31), the other potential harm (−0.17, CI –0.2 ± 0.02) for preterm delivery before 37 weeks. Subgroup analysis suggests a subset of very high-risk women benefit from screening and treatment of BV. Conclusions: Randomized trials show no benefit to screening and treating all pregnant women for BV. There appears to be a subgroup of high-risk women that benefit from BV screening.
Fault Parameter Identification for Model Based Prognostics of a Ball Bearing With an Outer Race Defect

This paper deals with identifying the fault parameters of a rotor-bearing system with an outer race defect. The fault parameters can then be used for prognostics. The faults in the bearing are modeled as pits in the outer race of a bearing in a rotorbearing system with four degrees of freedom. Discrete wavelet transforms are used to obtain the energy and entropy features of the rotor-bearing system. The relationship between the features and the fault parameter is studied. Particle swarm optimization is used to generate an optimal set of features. This optimal feature set is used to train an artificial neural network to determine the amount of fault in the system.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
On equivalence of moduli of smoothness

Abstract It is known that if f ∈ W k p , then ω m ( f , t ) p ⩽ tω m −1 ( f ′, t ) p ⩽…. Its inverse with any constants independent of f is not true in general. Hu and Yu proved that the inverse holds true for splines S with equally spaced knots, thus ω m ( S , t ) p ∼ tω m −1 ( S ′, t ) p ∼ t 2 ω m −2 ( S ″, t ) p …. In this paper, we extend their results to splines with any given knot sequence, and further to principal shift-invariant spaces and wavelets under certain conditions. Applications are given at the end of the paper.
Simultaneous detection of communities and roles from large networks

Community detection and structural role detection are two distinct but closely-related perspectives in network analytics. In this paper, we propose RC-Joint, a novel algorithm to simultaneously identify community and structural role assignments in a network. Rather than being agnostic to one assignment while inferring the other, RC-Joint employs a principled approach to guide the detection process in a nonparametric fashion and ensures that the two sets of assignments are sufficiently different from each other. Roles and communities generated by RC-Joint are both soft assignments, reflecting the fact that many real-world networks have overlapping community structures and role memberships. By comparing with state-of-the-art methods in community detection and structural role detection, we demonstrate that RC-Joint harvests the best of two worlds and outperforms existing approaches, while still being competitive in efficiency. We also investigate the effect of different initialization schemes, and find that using the results of RC-Joint on a sparse network as the seed often leads to faster convergence and higher quality.
Land market liberalization, transfer of agricultural technology, and the process of industrialization

Common wisdom suggests that foreign land ownership should facilitate the transfer of agricultural technology from developed to developing countries, attract foreign capital flow to developing countries, and enhance the process of capital accumulation. The goal of this paper is to dispute this claim and describe a particular feedback mechanism through which the foreign land ownership can become a barrier for growth and development. The main result of this paper suggests that a policy proposal to enhance the process of growth and development through foreign land ownership accompanied by the transfer of agricultural technology may not always succeed. It is important to recognize that apart from benefits, foreign land ownership can sometimes become an impediment for growth. As a result, a policy maker with a clear goal to speed up the process of development may end up pushing the country even deeper into an underdevelopment trap due to the policy intervention.
Improved techniques for sampling complex pedigrees with the Gibbs sampler

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have been widely used to overcome computational problems in linkage and segregation analyses. Many variants of this approach exist and are practiced; among the most popular is the Gibbs sampler. The Gibbs sampler is simple to implement but has (in its simplest form) mixing and reducibility problems; furthermore in order to initiate a Gibbs sampling chain we need a starting genotypic or allelic configuration which is consistent with the marker data in the pedigree and which has suitable weight in the joint distribution. We outline a procedure for finding such a configuration in pedigrees which have too many loci to allow for exact peeling. We also explain how this technique could be used to implement a blocking Gibbs sampler.
Convective cooling of a heated obstacle in a channel

Abstract A detailed investigation of the forced convective cooling of a heated obstacle mounted upon a channel wall is presented. The Navier-Stokes equations are used to characterize the flow field surrounding the conductive obstacle. Special emphasis is given in the systematic analysis to detail the local Nusselt number distributions and mean Nusselt numbers for the individual exposed obstacle faces. The study employs parametric variations in the obstacle height and width, as well as the thermal conductivity ratio k solid / k fluid , flow rate ( Re D 1 ), and heating method, to detail important fundamental and practical results. Comparison with an analytical solution for thermally developing flow in a channel shows reasonable estimates to Nusselt numbers can be made by choosing an appropriate length scale. It is shown that specific choices in obstacle size, shape and thermal conductivity can produce significant effects on the flow and heat transfer characteristics.
An analysis of the action of thyroid hormone on development based on in vivo and in vitro studies.

Abstract The objective of the present study was to identify some of the developmental processes that are affected by thyroid hormone. In vivo studies were carried out on newborn and young postnatal rats made hypothyroid through prolonged administration of propylthiouracil starting during intrauterine life and continued until weaning or beyond. For in vitro studies, cerebella of newborn rats and mice were cultured according to standard procedures. These studies yielded the following observations. (1) The maturation of the nervous system and the skeletal system is not appreciably interfered with if thyroid hormone is withheld during the intrauterine stage of development. (2) Deprivation of thyroid hormone during postnatal maturation leads to transitory delay in ossification of skeletal elements and differentiation of the cerebellar architecture, and cerebral respiration, but permanently suppresses the completion of maturation of the thermoregulatory mechanism. (3) The most consistent result obtained from in vitro studies concerned the acceleration of myelinogenesis in cultures of cerebella from newborn rats and mice grown in medium supplemented with thyroxin. This is preceded by considerable resorption of the excess cell population of the explant, in the presence of nontoxic concentrations of hormone. (4) The action of thyroid hormone in vivo upon cerebral and skeletal maturation may be replaced in part by exposure to elevated environmental temperature, and also by supply of exogenous somatotrophin. Based on these observations and on supporting evidence from the literature, a tentative hypothesis of thyroid-hormone action on development is proposed. It is suggested that availability of thyroid hormone prior to birth and again after weaning age is reached, is not critical for development, possibly because other physiological factors operate to influence the rate of developmental processes. The observations made in vitro suggest that the signal transmitted by thyroid hormone to growing and differentiating cells may involve stimulation of mitotic and proliferative activities, as well as resorptive and degenerative processes.
In-flight evaluation of stereoscopic imagery in helicopter cockpits

The National Research Council's (NRC) Cockpit Technologies Program flight tested a stereoscopic 3D display format to determine the feasibility of using pictorial and stereoscopic cues during helicopter instrument approach procedures (IAP). Three qualified test pilots flew a series of approach procedures using a modified conventional electronic flight instrumentation format, a pictorial display formate, and a pictorial stereoscopic display format. The preliminary evaluation focused on the effect of display format on pilot performance during the approach task, from an approach intercept to the decision height. Performance criteria such as aircraft speed error, localizer error, and glide slope error were measured. Additionally, pilots answered a questionnaire on each display format, and rated the workload required to fly the approaches using the Cooper-Harper scale. Pilots were able to complete approaches to safe landings using any of the display formats. Pilots reported that the pictorial format improved their situation awareness during the approach. Pilots also reported that the stereo cues incorporated in the display design did not significantly enhance their ability to perform IAP. The pictorial display contained several strong monocular depth cues such as occlusion, linear perspective, and motion flow; therefore the stereo cues were of limited value. Pilots most preferred the conventional display, which provided the most accurate tracking capabilities and lowest workload. Pilots encountered a few acceptance problems with the stereo display, most notably, losing the stereo effect when viewing the prototype stereo display off the central viewing axis.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Recessions and seniors' health, health behaviors, and healthcare use: Analysis of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey

A number of studies report that U.S. state mortality rates, particularly for the elderly, decline during economic downturns. Further, several prior studies use microdata to show that as state unemployment rates rise, physical health improves, unhealthy behaviors decrease, and medical care use declines. We use data on elderly mortality rates and data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey from a time period that encompasses the start of the Great Recession. We find that elderly mortality is countercyclical during most of the 1994-2008 period. Further, as unemployment rates rise, seniors report worse mental health and are no more likely to engage in healthier behaviors. We find suggestive evidence that inpatient utilization increases perhaps because of an increased physician willingness to accept Medicare patients. Our findings suggest that either elderly individuals respond differently to recessions than do working age adults, or that the relationship between unemployment and health has changed.
In situ measurement of biaxial modulus of Si anode for Li-ion batteries

Abstract We report in situ measurement of biaxial moduli of a Si thin-film electrode as a function of its lithium concentration. During lithiation, biaxial compressive stress is induced in the Si film and it undergoes plastic flow. At any state-of-charge (SOC), a relatively small delithiation–relithiation sequence unloads and reloads the film elastically. From the stress and strain changes during a delithiation–relithiation cycle, the biaxial modulus of the film is calculated. Stress change is obtained by measuring the change in substrate curvature using a Multi-beam Optical Sensor; the elastic strain change is obtained from the change in SOC. By repeating these measurements at several different values of SOC, the biaxial modulus was seen to decrease from ca. 70 GPa for Li 0.32 Si to ca. 35 GPa for Li 3.0 Si. Such a significant reduction in elastic modulus has important implications for modeling stress evolution and mechanical degradation in Si-based anodes.
Post-Separation Abuse of Women and their Children: Boundary-setting and Family Court Utilization among Victimized Mothers

Continued abuse of themselves and their children is a concern for many mothers leaving intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrating husbands. This research examines women’s responses to abuse committed by ex-husbands with whom they had undergone custody disputes. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 mothers who had divorced IPV-perpetrating husbands between 1 and 3 years prior. Participants were located through publicly available family court divorce records and interviews were examined using analytic induction. Women’s strategies to protect themselves and their children from abuse involved setting boundaries to govern their interactions with ex-husbands. Mothers often turned to family court for assistance in setting boundaries to keep children safe, but found that family court did not respond in ways they believed protected their children. Conversely, when women turned to the justice system for restraining orders or called the police for help against IPV, they generally found the justice system responsive.
A comparison of three covert assertion training procedures.

Assessed the effectiveness of covert modification procedures in an assertion training program (N = 52). At pretest, Ss chosen on the basis of high scores on an assertion questionnaire were compared to low scoring Ss in a behavioral role play test. Significant differences between these groups were obtained on behavioral ratings. After the pretest, the nonassertive Ss were assigned randomly to a no-treatment control group or to one of three treatment groups that received covert assertion training procedures. One treatment group received a program that emphasized the generation of alternative responses, while a second group received training directed at restructuring hypothesized negative self-statements. The third treatment group received a social skills treatment program that employed covert rehearsal procedures. All the treatment groups were superior to the control in behavioral ratings of assertiveness during the posttest in those situations that had been employed previously in treatment; two were superior in those that had not been used and thereby provided evidence of transfer of training. Results are discussed with regard to assessment issues in assertion training programs and the use of cognitively oriented procedures in producing behavioral changes.
Double prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis in patients with gynecologic oncology who are undergoing laparotomy: does preoperative anticoagulation matter?

Objective: Double prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) with thromboprophylaxis plus sequential compression devices (SCDs) is recommended for high-risk surgical patients with gynecologic oncology. Despite the use of preoperative thromboprophylaxis in clinical trials, the schedule of perioperative low molecular-weight heparin varies widely. We sought to determine the effectiveness and adverse effects of a preoperative dose of anticoagulation in patients with gynecologic oncology. Methods: A multi-institutional chart review from January 2006 to July 2008 was performed. Patients with gynecologic oncology who received double prophylaxis for laparotomy were eligible. The patients were grouped according to whether they received preoperative anticoagulation (YES PREOP vs NO PREOP). All patients received postoperative low molecular-weight heparin for thromboprophylaxis and SCDs until discharge. Demographic, surgicopathologic, and complication data were collected. Results: A total of 239 patients were identified: YES PREOP (n = 101) and NO PREOP (n = 138). Groups were similar with respect to demographics, diagnosis, and length of hospital stay. There were 2 DVTs in the YES PREOP group compared with 11 in the NO PREOP group (P = 0.04; relative risk, 0.77). There were also fewer DVT-attributable deaths in the YES PREOP group (0 vs 2; P Conclusion: The use of preoperative anticoagulation seems to significantly decrease the risk of DVT in this patient population, and complication rates are not increased. Patients receiving double prophylaxis should receive a preoperative dose of anticoagulation for maximum benefit.