cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Product effort and promotion effort hypotheses: An empirical investigation

Product effort and promotion effort hypotheses described in marketing literature suggest that competitive marketing strategy, and consequently the relative importance of various marketing activities, will vary with the nature of the product and the market. The study reported, deals with empirical testing of the product and promotion effort hypotheses, and the assessment of the relative importance of marketing decision variable. Toward this end, the study employs dummy variable-multiple regression analysis in the context of two broad classes of business—consumer nondurables and capital goods businesses. The report differs from previously published studies in that real world data, descriptive of marketing activity and performance, is used in place of opinions of maragers. While the stated hypotheses are generally supported by this study, the observed results differ from previously reported findings in regard to the relative importance of marketing decision variables for the two classes of businesses examined.
Linear and nonlinear contributions on the dielectric response of zirconia and polyethylene films

Using the LOCALF method, we have examined electric field distributions for high and low dielectric susceptibility cases through systematic variations of defect concentration and orientation. The addition of nonlinear susceptibility terms to the conventional linear contributions in the dielectric formalism incrementally perturbs both the electric field intensities and predicted dielectric constants, having a greater influence on low dielectric materials. These effects are modulate by the relative ratios of the linear and nonlinear susceptibility terms for a material due to polarization-derived changes. Nonlinear effects can have a strong influence on the magnitude of these changes; potentially obscuring predicted changes in dielectric response due to microstructural detail.
CommentSpace: structured support for collaborative visual analysis

Collaborative visual analysis tools can enhance sensemaking by facilitating social interpretation and parallelization of effort. These systems enable distributed exploration and evidence gathering, allowing many users to pool their effort as they discuss and analyze the data. We explore how adding lightweight tag and link structure to comments can aid this analysis process. We present CommentSpace, a collaborative system in which analysts comment on visualizations and websites and then use tags and links to organize findings and identify others'" contributions. In a pair of studies comparing CommentSpace to a system without support for tags and links, we find that a small, fixed vocabulary of tags (question, hypothesis, to-do) and links (evidence-for, evidence-against) helps analysts more consistently and accurately classify evidence and establish common ground. We also find that managing and incentivizing participation is important for analysts to progress from exploratory analysis to deeper analytical tasks. Finally, we demonstrate that tags and links can help teams complete evidence gathering and synthesis tasks and that organizing comments using tags and links improves analytic results.
Intramolecular cross-link of chick skin collagen.

Abstract Purified chick skin collagen constituent chains were examined for the content of the aldol condensation product of two residues of α-aminoadipic δ-semialdehyde after reduction with NaBT 4 and alkali hydrolysis. The single chains, α1 and α2, contained none whereas their cross-linked dimer, β 12 , contained one equivalent. These findings were confirmed by the similar studies performed on the peptides derived from the cross-link region of collagen by CNBr cleavage. Data presented here strongly indicate that the aldol condensation product is the intramolecular cross-link.
On multilinear polynomials in four variables evaluated on matrices

Abstract Let K be an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0 and let M n ( K ) , n ⩾ 3 , be the matrix ring over K . We will show that the image of any multilinear polynomial in four variables evaluated on M n ( K ) contains all matrices of trace 0.
Detection and correction of data errors in the practice of actuarial pension consulting

Most organisational databases have a significant number of data errors. While these errors can have an effect on organisational outcomes, the effect can be lessened if users of these databases detect and correct data errors in the systems they use. While the literature suggests that user effectiveness in detecting data errors varies, results presented in this paper demonstrate that consulting actuaries are effective detectors of data errors and that their detection behaviour is affected by incentives to detect data errors, the materiality of data errors, and the ease with which data errors can be corrected once detected.
Plasmasphere formation in arbitrarily oriented magnetospheres

The formation of plasmaspheres in planetary magnetospheres with arbitrary orientations of the rotation and magnetic dipole axes is investigated. A traditional plasmasphere with closed orbits inside the plasmapause and open trajectories outside it only occurs for the limiting case of aligned rotation and dipole axes. A time-variable plasmapause exists if the rotation axis is perpendicular to the solar win flow direction. In any other case, no definite plasmapause exists. Solar wind-driven convection transports plasma throughout the magnetosphere with an effectiveness which increases as the orientation goes further from one of the two limiting cases of strict plasmapause formation. The present analysis is applied to earth and Uranus using the actual orientations of the rotation and dipole axes. Particle trajectories at earth deviate only slightly from those obtained with traditional models. Uranus has no plasmasphere, and plasma convects sunwards throughout the inner magnetosphere.
Arithmetic transfinite induction and recursive well-orderings

Abstract A uniform, algebraic proof that every number-theoretic assertion provable in any of the intuitionistic theories T listed below has a well-founded recursive proof tree (demonstraby in T ) is given. Thus every such assertion is provable by transfinite induction over some primitive recursive well-ordering. T can be higher order number theory, set theory, or its extensions equiconsistent with large cardinals. It is shown that there is a number-theoretic assertion B ( n ) (independent of T ) with a parameter n such that any primitive recursive linear ordering R on ω for which transfinite induction on R for B ( n ) is provable in T is in fact a well-ordering.
Gender Divergence on the Impact of Multiple Cardiovascular Risk Factors on the Femoral Artery Intima-Media Thickness in Asymptomatic Young Adults: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Abstract Introduction Gender divergence on the impact of multiple cardiovascular risk factors on the femoral artery intima-media thickness (IMT) has not been studied in a biracial (black-white) community-based asymptomatic young adults. Methods Femoral IMT was measured by B-mode ultrasonography in 1080 individuals (age, 24–43 years; 71% white; 43% men) enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. Results Femoral IMT showed a gender difference (men > women; P = 0.001), but no racial difference. In a multivariate model, age, cigarette smoking, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio related independently, in that order, to IMT in women, and age and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in men. In women, mean IMT increased with increasing number of risk factors defined as values above the age-, race- and gender-specific 75th percentile of systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and insulin along with positive smoking status ( P for trend = 0.001), with respective mean IMT (mm) values of 0.61, 0.65, 0.72 and 0.77, for 0, 1 to 2, 3 and 4 to 5 risk factors. There was no such significant trend in men. Conclusions Although men versus women had thicker IMT, the observed increasing trend of femoral IMT with increasing number of risk factors in asymptomatic young women suggests that women may be relatively more susceptible to the burden of multiple risk factors.
Novel Method for the Determination of Piperazine in Pharmaceutical Drug Substances Using Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography and Evaporative Light Scattering Detection

Abstract A novel method for the determination of piperazine in pharmaceutical drug substances was developed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). This method uses the hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) mode on a cyanopropyl (CN) bonded stationary phase. Optimization of organic modifier and acid composition in the mobile phase resulted in robust chromatography conditions with excellent resolution, peak shape, and retention time for the piperazine peak. The method was further evaluated with respect to linearity, precision, selectivity, limit of detection (LOD), and reproducibility. Based on the data provided, this HPLC–ELSD method demonstrated acceptable levels of linearity, precision, LOD, and selectivity for determination of piperazine.
During Human Melanoma Progression AP‐1 Binding Pairs are Altered with Loss of c‐Jun In Vitro

We demonstrated previously that c-Jun, JunB and c-Fos RNA were dysregulated in metastatic melanoma cells compared with normal human melanocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution in composition of AP-1 dimers in human melanoma pathogenesis. We investigated AP-1 dimer pairing in radial growth phase-like (RGP) (w3211) and vertical growth phase-like (VGP) (w1205) human melanoma cells and metastatic cell lines (cloned from patients, c83-2c, c81-46A, A375, respectively) compared with melanocytes using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), Western blot and transfection analyses. There are progressive variations in AP-1 composition in different melanoma cell lines compared with normal melanocytes, in which c-Jun, JunD and FosB were involved in AP-1 complexes. In w3211, c-Jun, JunD and Fra-1 were involved in AP-1 binding, while in w1205, overall AP-1 binding activity was decreased significantly and supershift binding was detected only with JunD antibodies. In metastatic c81-46A and A375 cells, only JunD was involved in AP-1 binding activity, but in a third (c83-2c) c-Jun, JunD and Fra-1 were present. Western blot evaluation detected c-Jun in melanocytes and w3211, but this component was decreased significantly or was not detectable in w1205, c81-46A and A375 cells. In contrast, JunD protein was elevated in c81-46A and c83-2c cells compared with melanocytes and RGP and VGP cell lines. Normal melanocytes and c83-2c cells (which have c-Jun involved in AP-1 binding), transfected with c-Jun antisense and treated with cisplatin, showed higher viability compared with untransfected cells, while in c81-46A cells (in which only JunD is detectable) no change in cell viability was observed following treatment with cisplatin and c-jun antisense transfection. A dominant-negative c-Jun mutant (TAM67) significantly increased the soft agar colony formation of w3211 and c83-2c cells. These results suggest that components of AP-1, especially c-Jun, may offer a new target for the prevention or treatment of human melanoma progression.
Parameterization of the radiative properties of midlatitude high and middle level clouds

The clouds of the middle and upper troposphere are difficult to treat in models because of their variable optical properties. Based on extensive cirrus, altostratus, and altocumulus cloud remote sensing measurements and model simulations, we offer parameterizations of visible optical depth and infrared layer emittance as functions of both cloud temperature and vertical thickness to facilitate climate modeling research. We find significant differences in the emittance relations that depend on cloud phase, but quite similar optical depth versus emittance relations. In comparison to previous midlatitude cirrus results, our findings lead to lower atmospheric heating rates.
Evaluation of procedures to estimate biomass on surface coal mine lands reclaimed under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977

Current surface mine regulations as ascribed under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 require that mine lands be returned to the approximate original contours (AOC) with an area coverage of at least 70% and to biological productivity equal to or greater than that which existed prior to mining. Six different procedures were evaluated on nine mine sites in northwestern Pennsylvania as to their suitability to estimate aboveground biomass on mines reclaimed as hayland and pastures. Biomass estimates determined by different procedures were compared to those obtained by random clip plots and with landowner estimates of the annual yield from each site. Biomass estimates determined from a disk meter and landowner interviews varied approximately ±10% from those obtained from random clip plots compared to a variation of ±8%–37% for the other procedures. The number of samples required to obtain reliable estimates within ±10% of the mean at 95% confidence intervals varied among the different sampling procedures according to the variance in biomass on the site. Although all procedures may be used either singly or in combination to estimate above ground biomass on reclaimed mine lands, the combination of the disk meter, profile board, and vegetation height is recommended because of their ease of measurement compared to the other procedures.
Assessing Clinical Competence A Societal View

The central function of medical care sys stems throughout time has been to provide societal institutions to deal with the anxiety and disruption caused by disease. This perspective requires that an assumption of the degree to which a medical practitioner has fulfilled societal obligations must include assessment of dimensions other than technical effectiveness. Measuring effectiveness requires two types of evaluation: the usual quality measures (technical effectiveness), and measures of performance on psychoso cial dimensions including measures of the extent to which a practitioner can positively affect the outcome of the disease process, and the effect of the practitioner's own behavior on patients. In addition, a societal view of assessing clinical competence requires measurement of the practitioner's efficiency in using finite resources. Finally, a societal view of assessing clinical compe tence requires that the evaluators include persons with expertise far different from that presented by the clinici...
The hydrology and physiography of limestone terranes

The United States Geological Survey and other government departments and state surveys were responsible for the greater part of the investigations carried on in the field of limestone hydrology in 1945. Very few reports of individual researches have been received. Many of the data reported bear the indications of direct war activities; most of the information was war-connected in its origin. It is to be anticipated that in another year or two individual investigations will again become significant and that some of the data from organizational research will begin to become coordinated.
Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil preconditions adult cardiac myocytes against necrosis and apoptosis. Essential role of nitric oxide signaling.

Abstract We investigated the effect of sildenafil in protection against necrosis or apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Adult mouse ventricular myocytes were treated with sildenafil (1 or 10 μm) for 1 h before 40 min of simulated ischemia (SI). Necrosis was determined by trypan blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase release following SI alone or plus 1 or 18 h of reoxygenation (RO). Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling assay and mitochondrial membrane potential measured using a fluorescent probe 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl-carbocyanine iodide (JC-1). Sildenafil reduced necrosis as indicated by decrease in trypan blue-positive myocytes and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase compared with untreated cells after either SI or SI-RO. The number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling-positive myocytes or loss of JC-1 fluorescence following SI and 18 h of RO was attenuated in the sildenafil-treated group with concomitant inhibition of caspase 3 activity. An early increase in Bcl-2 to Bax ratio with sildenafil treatment was also observed in myocytes after SI-RO. The increase of Bcl-2 expression by sildenafil was inhibited by nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, l-nitro-amino-methyl-ester. The drug also enhanced mRNA and protein content of inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in the myocytes. Sildenafil-induced protection against necrosis and apoptosis was absent in the myocytes derived from iNOS knock-out mice and was attenuated in eNOS knock-out myocytes. The up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression by sildenafil was also absent in iNOS-deficient myocytes. Reverse transcription-PCR, Western blots, and immunohistochemical assay confirmed the expression of phosphodiesterase-5 in mouse cardiomyocytes. These data provide strong evidence for a direct protective effect of sildenafil against necrosis and apoptosis through NO signaling pathway. The results may have possible therapeutic potential in preventing myocyte cell death following ischemia/reperfusion.
Quality in education

The impression created by frequently quoted statistics is that the effectiveness of our education systems is falling and that industry is taking over the role of education. The truth is that the educational standards which were acceptable are not good enough for the increasingly competitive environment in which businesses now operate. Discriminating customers have forced businesses to focus on quality; industry now needs to share its experience with academia so as to increase the quality of education and encourage a discriminating ethos in the student body.
Electronic data interchange in construction

There is a need within the construction industry to electronically transmit standard documents between designers, owners, contractors, and material suppliers. These documents include purchase orders, requests for quotations, invoices, shipping notifications, materials lists, and payment transfers. Ideally, the transmission should be structured to eliminate or reduce the rekeying of transmitted data. This paper discusses the basic elements of electronic data interchage (EDI), a technology for document transfer that has produced documented cost‐saving benefits in other industries. Through inexpensive translation software that uses industry standards, direct computer‐to‐computer transmission of most any type of document is possible. The fundamentals of electronic data interchange are discussed and an example of document translation using ANSI X12 standards is presented. A case study implementation effort that was examined as part of a research project funded by the Construction Industry Institute is also des...
Review paper: Solid 3 He: A magnet in search of a Hamiltonian

The physics of the solid 3He magnetic problem is reviewed. The data base includes C(T, 0), P(T, 0), P(T, H), X, S(T, 0), S(T, H), and the location of the magnetic phase transition on the melting curve. This data base permits determination of only two moments of the magnetic Hamiltonian, J xzzand J xx 2. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the moment J xxx 3cannot be reliably determined from the data. As there is no model-independent theory for the analysis of magnetic data near T c, the data base is limited to giving three numbers (two moments and T c) and many qualitative properties. Three theories of the solid 3He magnet are reviewed: (a) theories based on quadratic Hamiltonians, (b) theories that employ some form of four-spin Hamiltonian, and (c) the theory of vacancy-induced ferromagnetism. In agreement with Johnson and Cohen, we find quadratic Hamiltonians to be hard-pressed to provide an adequate description of the data. A number of four-spin Hamiltonians have been treated in a variety of approximations and are found to yield reasonable agreement with certain features of experiment. These theories are reviewed. The number of adjustable parameters in these models, three, is comparable to the number of independent pieces of data. For at least one of the four-spin theories the parameters that are required to describe the data are implausible. This implausibility is deduced from a comparison of the numbers with the microscopic theory of the exchange Hamiltonian. Although the microscopic theory is not able to give a quantitatively useful Hamiltonian, it is capable of giving the correct sign and relative magnitude of the exchange rates. Thus the microscopic Hamiltonian constitutes a constraint on phenomenological theories that must be taken seriously. Sokoloff and Widom have suggested that the solid 3He magnet undergoes a ferromagnetic transition due to the presence of ground-state vacancies. A calculation of the location of the effective band edge and a mean field treatment of vacancy-induced ferromagnetism is given. We conclude that the present data base is much too sparse to provide a guide to theory or to provide a serious test for the variety of existing theories.
THE FAO PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS: HAVE WE PROGRESSED TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING SIMULATION-TESTED FEEDBACK-CONTROL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR FISHERIES MANAGEMENT?

. It is almost ten years since the FAO Technical Consultation on the Precautionary Approach to Capture Fisheries took place in Lysekil, Sweden. One outcome from this Technical Consultation was a set of guidelines on the precautionary approach to capture fisheries and species introductions. These guidelines include the need to incorporate harvest control rules in management plans. Harvest control rules should specify what action is to be taken when specified deviations from the operational targets and constraints are observed. The specification should include minimum data requirements for the types of assessment methods to be used for decision-making. Combinations of harvest control rules, assessment methods and data collection schemes are referred to as management procedures. It is now well-recognized that using management procedures is likely to lead to improved conservation of fishery resources, and that they should be evaluated to assess whether they are likely to achieve the goals for fishery management given the types of uncertainties that are likely to frustrate this venture. In general, evaluation of management procedures has been based on simulation modeling. This paper reviews the progress that has been made in various fisheries jurisdictions in terms of implementing management procedures, and why and where it has proved difficult or even impossible to implement management procedures.
HECKE FIELDS OF ANALYTIC FAMILIES OF MODULAR FORMS

We make finitenessconjectureson the composite of Hecke fields of classicalmembers of a p-adic analyticfamily of slope 0 elliptic modular forms in the verticalcase (with fixed level varying weight). In the horizontal case (fixed weight varying p-power level), we prove the corresponding statements.
Phenyl-α-tert-Butyl Nitrone Reverses Mitochondrial Decay in Acute Chagas' Disease

In this study, we investigated the mechanism(s) of mitochondrial functional decline in acute Chagas' disease. Our data show a substantial decline in respiratory complex activities (39 to 58%) and ATP (38%) content in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected murine hearts compared with normal controls. These metabolic alterations were associated with an approximately fivefold increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production rate, substantial oxidative insult of mitochondrial membranes and respiratory complex subunits, and >60% inhibition of mtDNA-encoded transcripts for respiratory complex subunits in infected myocardium. The antioxidant phenyl-α-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) arrested the oxidative damage-mediated loss in mitochondrial membrane integrity, preserved redox potential-coupled mitochondrial gene expression, and improved respiratory complex activities (47 to 95% increase) and cardiac ATP level (≥40% increase) in infected myocardium. Importantly, PBN resulted twofold decline in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production rate in infected myocardium. Taken together, our data demonstrate the pathological significance of oxidative stress in metabolic decay and energy homeostasis in acute chagasic myocarditis and further suggest that oxidative injuries affecting mitochondrial integrity-dependent expression and activity of the respiratory complexes initiate a feedback cycle of electron transport chain inefficiency, increased reactive oxygen species production, and energy homeostasis in acute chagasic hearts. PBN and other mitochondria-targeted antioxidants may be useful in altering mitochondrial decay and oxidative pathology in Chagas' disease.
D-Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate: A naturally occurring activator for inorganic pyrophosphate:D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase in plants

Abstract Inorganic pyrophosphate:D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase from mung beans ( Phaseolus aureus Roxb. ) was activated markedly by D-fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, with a KA of about 50 nM. The enzyme exhibited hyperbolic kinetics both in the absence and presence of the activator. D-Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (1 μM) decreased the Km for D-fructose 6-phosphate 67-fold (from 20 mM to 0.3 mM) and increased the Vmax 15-fold; these two effects combined to give a 500-fold activation at 0.3 mM D-fructose 6-phosphate. In contrast, ATP:D-fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase from the same source was found not to be affected by D-fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. A natural activator for inorganic pyrophosphate:D-fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase was isolated from mung-bean extracts and identified as D-fructose 2,6-bisphosphate.
Parity non-conservation in low energy scattering of nucleons by light nuclei: (II). Results

Abstract The analysis developed in the preceding paper is applied to the low energy scattering of longitudinally polarized nucleons by 2 H, 3 He and 4 He and of deuterons by 1 H. The sensitivity of the parity non-conserving asymmetry of the total cross section to the weak interaction is probed. The asymmetry is computed for various parity non-conserving nucleon-nucleon potentials in a distorted wave approximation. The asymmetries generally are found to depend sensitively on the parameters of the potential, but are smaller than those predicted for nucleon-nucleon scattering at the same energy.
Mood, Memory, and Vigilance: The Influence of Distraction on Recall and Impression Formation

This research investigated the influence of distraction on subjects' impressions and memory while in positive and negative moods. Subjects' incidental memory for affective traits used as a basis for forming an impression of a target person was assessed. Results indicated that subjects in negative moods were not as vulnerable to the influence of distraction on stimulus encoding as subjects in positive moods. In addition, mood effects on memory were observed but not on subjects' impressions. Results are interpreted using Schwarz and Clore's feelings as information model.
Characterizing lakebed seepage and geologic heterogeneity using resistivity imaging and temperature measurements

The contribution of groundwater-surface water exchange to lake budgets is poorly understood and depends in part on lakebed heterogeneities. These heterogeneities are difficult to characterize using traditional point sampling methods. The goal of this project was to use electrical resistivity to identify potential zones of groundwater discharge and recharge, providing focus for point measurements. Multiple resistivity surveys were conducted at Lake Lacawac, a small, glacially-formed lake in northeastern Pennsylvania. Two types of resistivity surveys were conducted. In a continuous resistivity profile, a multi-electrode cable was towed parallel to shore to look for spatial variability in resistivity around the lake. Two parallel to shore surveys were conducted, an inner and outer loop, to help characterize the lateral extent of sediment types. The results of these surveys suggested lithology changes both along the shoreline and with distance from shore. Follow-up resistivity data were collected using cables laid along the lake bottom perpendicular to the shoreline to look for finer scale zonation that affects seepage as a function of distance from shore. Follow-up seepage measurements showed that seepage rates are very low, which is consistent with the resistivity data from which we concluded that most of Lake Lacawac is lined with glacial clay and that the lake is essentially perched above the groundwater flow system, with just minor amounts of seepage in a few locations where fingers of sandy sediments extend a short distance from the shore. Discontinuities in these patches of transmissive sediments can result in reversals in the direction of seepage at nearby locations. We conclude that towed resistivity is useful as a rapid reconnaissance tool for mapping geologic heterogeneity. The results can be used to guide the more time-consuming but higher-resolution, lake bottom resistivity measurements, which in turn can guide the placement of seepage meters.
Inelastic proton scattering with skyrme forces

Finite-range Gaussian potentials are derived whose Fourier transforms agree to order k/sup 2/ with Skyrme-type interactions used recently in nuclear structure studies. Particular attention is given to the three-body contact term and the two-body densitydependent potential which is equivalent to it for certain purposes. The excitation of the lowest 3/sup -/ and 5/sup -/ states of /sup 40/ Ca by inela stic proton scattering is calculated. Surprisingly good agreement is obtained with the measured cross sections. There is strong cancellation between the contributions from the two-body and threebody interactions. (3 figures, 3 tables) (auth)
Receptor-Mediated Pharmacodynamics of Prednisolone in the Rat

A phartnacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model describing receptor-mediated effects of prednisolone is presented. The basis of the model is the generally accepted mechanism of action of steroid hormones in which corticosteroids bind to cytosolic receptors forming steroid-receptor complexes, which are activated and translocated into the nucleus. There the complexes associate with specific DNA sequences and modulate the rate of transcription of DNA into specific RNAs that code for the synthesis of proteins that elicit biological responses. Prednisolone, 5 or 50 mg/kg, was administered intravenously to adrenalectomized rats. Total plasma, free plasma, CBG-free plasma, and liver prednisolone concentrations were measured simultaneously with free hepatic cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor concentrations and tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) activity of the liver as a function of time. The association/dissociation kinetics of prednisolone binding to the glucocorticoid receptor were measured separately in vitroat 37°C. Total plasma, free plasma, and CBG-free plasma prednisolone concentrations could be used equally well in the model to account for the time course of receptor concentrations and TAT activity. However, use of liver steroid concentrations resulted in an overestimation of receptor depletion. Steroid concentrations in plasma increased 20 to 30-fold with a tenfold increase in dose, but receptor occupancy and TAT activity over time increased about threefold. While prednisolone pharmacokinetics were dose-dependent, parameters describing receptor kinetics and TAT activity were constant at each prednisolone dose. The major determinants of receptor-mediated glucocorticoid activity are confirmed to be the availability of the receptor, drug-receptor dissociation rate, and corticosteroid persistence in the biophase.
Identification of nonprotein amino acids from cycad seeds as N-ethoxycarbonyl ethyl ester derivatives by positive chemical-ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Abstract Nonprotein amino acids from nine species of cycad seeds were analyzed as N-ethoxycarbonyl ethyl ester (ECEE) derivatives by positive chemical-ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Based on the retention times and mass spectrometry analyses, 12 nonprotein amino acids were identified in these seeds. In addition to the excitatory and putative neurotoxin s-N-methylamino- l -alanine (BMAA), the known neurotoxin s-N-oxalylamino- l -alanine (BOAA) was detected from the seeds of Macrozamia moorei and M. communis , and δ-N-oxalyl-ornithine was obtained from the Cycas revoluta seeds. A novel nonprotein amino acid named cycasindene, previously reported from C. revoluta , was also found in the seeds of members of the C. angulata and C. rumphii complex. Eight additional known nonprotein amino acids were also identified. This is the first report of the neurotoxin BOAA from cycad seeds.
Exploring water-soluble Pt(II) complexes of diethylenetriamine derivatives functionalized at the central nitrogen. Synthesis, characterization, and reaction with 5′-GMP

Abstract The aims of our program are to develop coordination complexes that can be used as selective probes, fluorescent agents and inorganic medicinal agents. In order to accomplish this, the design, synthesis, characterization and X-ray structure of new water-soluble monofunctional Pt(II) complexes with useful spectroscopic properties for assessing metal binding to biomolecules were investigated. Two diethylenetriamine (dien) derivatives, 2-(bis(2-aminoethyl)amino)acetic acid (acdien) and N′-[7-(acetamido)-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin]diethylenetriamine (atfcdien), were used. The latter was designed to allow the fluorophore group, 7-amino-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin (atfc), to be attached to metal centers through the dien moiety. 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography were employed to characterize the [Pt(atfcdien)Br][Pt(Me2SO)Br3] (8a) and [Pt(acdien)Br]Br (9a) complexes. 1H NMR and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were used to characterize the [Pt(atfcdien)Br]Br (8b) and [Pt(acdien)Br]Br (9a) complexes. 1H NMR studies of the monofunctional [Pt(acdien)Br]Br (9a) complex conducted to examine its interaction with guanosine 5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP) in D2O solutions revealed one downfield-shifted H8 and one downfield-shifted H1′ signal, consistent with 5′-GMP binding via N7 and fast rotation about the Pt–N7 bond.
Whole animal imaging

Translational research plays a vital role in understanding the underlying pathophysiology of human diseases, and hence development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options for their management. After creating an animal disease model, pathophysiologic changes and effects of a therapeutic intervention on them are often evaluated on the animals using immunohistologic or imaging techniques. In contrast to the immunohistologic techniques, the imaging techniques are noninvasive and hence can be used to investigate the whole animal, oftentimes in a single exam which provides opportunities to perform longitudinal studies and dynamic imaging of the same subject, and hence minimizes the experimental variability, requirement for the number of animals, and the time to perform a given experiment. Whole animal imaging can be performed by a number of techniques including x-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, fluorescence imaging, and bioluminescence imaging, among others. Individual imaging techniques provide different kinds of information regarding the structure, metabolism, and physiology of the animal. Each technique has its own strengths and weaknesses, and none serves every purpose of image acquisition from all regions of an animal. In this review, a broad overview of basic principles, available contrast mechanisms, applications, challenges, and future prospects of many imaging techniques employed for whole animal imaging is provided. Our main goal is to briefly describe the current state of art to researchers and advanced students with a strong background in the field of animal research.
Thermal Profiling for IC Chip High-Voltage Stress Prediction

Integrated Circuit (IC) chips constantly undergo different types of stress in the field, such as thermal, humidity, and electrical stress. Existing work has concentrated on humidity and thermal stress; there has been relatively little emphasis on high-voltage stress level prediction. The objectives of this investigation were to 1) explore the impact of high-voltage stress on IC functionality, (2) observe heating rate changes in chips under high-voltage stress over time, and (3) predict stress levels using artificial neural network models. Three different kinds of IC chips-namely, LM348N Operational Amplifier, LM386N-1 Power Amplifier, and LM555CN Timer Oscillator-were studied. Each chip was taken from a different printed circuit board. An artificial neural network model with a 3-2-1 topology was constructed to predict stress level given heating rate over time. Results indicate (1) high-voltage stress shortens the lifecycle of IC chips, (2) heating rate increases are relatively great in the first few minutes, then reach a steady state, and (3) neural network models can predict stress level with good accuracy. The detection rates for the Amplifier chips (LM348N and LM386N) were 97% and 91%, respectively. The detection rate for the LM555CN chip was around 75%; however those results may be improved with more samples for training and evaluation. In addition, the trainRP learning function resulted in a lower error rate (for the LM348N chip) with the original experimental data than other learning functions such as trainGD and trainCGP. Future directions include the expansion of the study to other types of IC chips, such as memory and microprocessor chips.
Hydrogen plasma interactions with tin oxide surfaces

Abstract We have exposed films of various conductive transparent oxides (CTOs) such as SnO 2 and indium tin oxide to hydrogen plasmas in d.c. and r.f. discharges and have measured the white light optical transmission, the room air work function and the sheet resistances before and after the exposure as a function of the discharge parameters, the sample temperature and the exposure time. In addition, we have determined the surface composition of unexposed and exposed samples by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the depth of plasma interactions by AES profiling. Interactions with positive hydrogen ions in the plasma lead to a chemical reduction at the CTO surface. As the main consequence, the optical transmission is decreased by the formation of an absorbing oxygen-depleted surface layer.
Radiocarbon Analysis of Atmospheric Formaldehyde Using Cystamine Derivatization

A compound specific radiocarbon analysis method was developed to evaluate the 14C composition of atmospheric formaldehyde. In this method, gaseous formaldehyde was collected with a high-volume air sampler using glass-fiber filters pretreated with sodium bisulfite. Collected formaldehyde was then released into water and derivatized with cysteamine to thiazolidine. The thiazolidine was extracted into dichloromethane and concentrated by evaporation. Concentrated thiazolidine was separated from other compounds using preparative capillary gas chromatography and uniquely collected as a phosphate salt with a fraction collector. The 14C composition of the salt was analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry after combustion to CO2 and subsequent reduction to graphite. In a pilot study, ambient formaldehyde samples collected on the roof of the CACS building at Narragansett Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI, showed a significantly larger fraction of fossil carbon than modern carbon.
Nature-inspired techniques for the synthesis of aperiodic ultra-wideband phased arrays

Over the past few decades, much research has been invested in the exploration of wideband and ultrawideband (UWB) antenna arrays. The goals of such array designs are to determine the best element arrangements that yield radiation patterns possessing the highest degrees of sidelobe suppression and no grating lobes over the largest possible operating bandwidths. It has been recently shown that nature-inspired array design methodologies can provide solutions that exhibit these ultra-wideband characteristics. An overview of several new array design techniques is given here; linear polyfractal arrays, linear raised-power series (RPS) arrays, compact linear UWB design, and planar arrays of aperiodic tilings. Robust nature-inspired genetic algorithm optimization techniques and other evolutionary strategies were utilized in the design of these types of arrays in order to obtain the best possible UWB performance.
Probabilistic analysis of an approximation algorithm for maximum subset sum using recurrence relations

Given a positive integer M, and a set S = {x1, x2, ..., xn} of positive integers, the maximum subset sum problem is to find a subset S' of S such that Σxes'x is maximized under the constraint that the summation is no larger than M. In addition, the cardinality of S' is also a maximum among all subsets of S which achieve the maximum subset sum. This problem is known to be NP-hard. We analyze the average-case performance of a simple on-line approximation algorithm assuming that all integers in S are independent and have the same probabilty distribution. We develop a general methodology, i.e., using recurrence relations, to evaluate the expected values of the content and the cardinality of S' for any distribution. The maximum subset sum problem has important applications, especially in static job scheduling in multiprogrammed parallel systems. The algorithm studied can also be easily adapted for dynamic job scheduling in such systems.
Effectiveness of Ceftriaxone Treatment in Preventing Relapse-like Drinking Behavior Following Long-term Ethanol Dependence in P Rats.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of ceftriaxone treatment in curbing relapse-like ethanol drinking behavior in male P rats following 14-weeks of continuous ethanol consumption. Methods: After 14-weeks of continuous access to free choice of 15% and 30% ethanol, male P rats were deprived of ethanol for two weeks. On the last five days of abstinence period, P rats were treated, once a day, with either saline or ceftriaxone (50 or 200 mg/kg; i.p.). This was followed by re-exposure to ethanol for the next 10 days to simulate the relapse-like ethanol drinking behavior. Results: Ceftriaxone treatment (during abstinence) reduced ethanol intake upon re-exposure to ethanol, compared to the saline treated P rats. This statistically significant reduction in ethanol consumption in P rats following treatment with ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg/day) was observed from Day 2 to Day 9. Similarly, water consumption in P rats treated with ceftriaxone was significantly higher than the saline treated group between Day 2 and Day 7. Importantly, ceftriaxone treatment at both doses did not cause any significant changes in body weight compared to saline treated group. Conclusions: We report here that ceftriaxone at higher dose has been found to be effective in the attenuation of relapse-like ethanol-drinking behavior in chronic ethanol intake model. This is in accordance with previous data from our lab in cocaine animal model demonstrating that only higher dose of ceftriaxone has been effective in attenuating cocaine relapse.
Involvement of a type 1 protein phosphatase encoded by bws1+ in fission yeast mitotic control

Fission yeast cdc25+ and wee1+ interact genetically with cdc2+ in the regulation of cell division, respectively as a mitotic activator and inhibitor. cdc25+ is normally essential for mitosis, but this requirement is alleviated in a loss-of-function wee1 mutant background. A plasmid-borne sequence, other than wee1+, that causes a cdc25ts wee1- double mutant to revert to a temperature-sensitive cdc phenotype has been isolated. The gene carried by this plasmid is called bws1+ (for bypass of wee suppression). bws1+ also bypasses the ability of alleles of cdc2 that confer a wee phenotype (cdc2w) to suppress loss-of-function cdc25 mutants. The nucleotide sequence of bws1+ shows that the predicted protein shares 81% amino acid identity with the catalytic subunit of mammalian type 1 protein phosphatase. Thus a genetic screen that might have yielded a protein kinase (wee1+) uncovered a phosphatase that also appears to be involved in the pathway of mitotic control.
Biological fluidized bed treatment of ethylene and propylene glycols

The bioremediation of ethylene and propylene glycols using the aerobic biological fluidized bed (BFB) technology is evaluated. Under the steady-state conditions tested, the BFB reactors are capable of achieving good TOC removal (i.e., >96%) at empty bed HRTs as short as 1.7 hrs and at TOC loadings as high as 0.88 g/L-day. In addition, the BFB reactors are also capable of sustaining good TOC removal (i.e., >87%) during single-pulse loadings with a 10-fold increase in pulse magnitude and pulse durations as long as 7 hrs. The observed BFB process efficiency and stability are attributable to the high immobilized biomass inventories attained in reactors by using porous media particles for cell immobilization and retention.
A latent profile analysis of the Five Factor Model of personality: Modeling trait interactions

Interactions among the dimensions of the Five Factor Model (FFM) have not typically been evaluated in mental health research, with the extant literature focusing on bivariate relationships with psychological constructs of interest. This study used latent profile analysis to mimic higher-order interactions to identify homogenous personality profiles using the FFM, and also examined relationships between resultant profiles and affect, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and coping efficacy. Participants (N = 371) completed self-report and daily diary questionnaires. A 3-profile solution provided the best fit to the data; the profiles were characterized as well-adjusted, reserved, and excitable. The well-adjusted group reported better psychological functioning in validation analyses. The reserved and excitable groups differed on anxiety, with the excitable group reporting generally higher anxiety than the reserved group. Latent profile analysis may be a parsimonious way to model personality heterogeneity.
Representation of Stress Concentration Factors for a Composite in Plane Strain

When a composite body consisting of two isotropic and elastic phases is in a state of plane strain, the stresses induced by applied tractions show a reduced dependence on the elastic constants. Con sequently, the stress concentration factors can conveniently be rep resented and studied in the plane of the appropriate composite parameters.
Potent Inhibition of Terminal Complement Assembly by Clusterin: Characterization of Its Impact on C9 Polymerization†

The interactions of the heterodimeric apolipoprotein and complement inhibitor, clusterin (CL, 80 kDa), with actively assembling terminal complement proteins were characterized. Clusterin inhibited at three sites and by two modes of action. Clusterin inhibited C9 assembly on C5b-8 and C5b-9 and also bound to C5b-7 to prevent membrane attachment. The impact on C5b-9 assembly was the most potent. C9 assembly was monitored by assembly-induced fluorescence changes of C9 labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-C9). Assembly of monomeric FITC-C9 with C5b-8 or C5b-91 produced a substantial decrease in fluorescence intensity due to changes in the environment of the probe. Addition of the next subunit of unlabeled C9 produced a further small change. One equivalent of FITC-C9 bound to C5b-8 at low temperatures, but the fluorescence change and addition of more C9 did not occur until the temperaure was increased. Kinetic analysis of the fluorescence change suggested an irreversible, first-order process with an a...