cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fate of the 4β-hydrogen of cholesterol during its conversion to steroid hormones

Abstract 1. 1. [4β- 3 H]Cholesterol was synthesized by a highly stereospecific route; 95% of the tritium was bonded to C-4 in the β position. A mixture of this cholesterol and [4- 14 C]cholesterol was fed to guinea-pigs for 3 weeks. 2. 2. The cortisol and 6β-hydroxycortisol isolated from the urine of these animals were labeled with 14 C but not with 3 H. 3. 3. When an acetone-washed, beef adrenal gland mitochondrial fraction was incubated with [4- 14 C, 4β- 3 H]cholesterol, pregnenolone in which 3 H was retained and progesterone practically devoid of 3 H were isolated from the incubation mixture. 4. 4. The loss of the 4β-hydrogen in experiments both in vivo and in vitro is attributed to adrenal gland Δ 5 -3-ketosteroid isomerase (3-ketosteroid Δ 4 - Δ 5 -isomerase, EC 5.3.3.1) action. 5. 5. Two tentative schemes for adrenal gland Δ 5 -3-ketosteroid isomerase action are advanced, either of which could account for loss of the 4β-hydrogen.
Gender Differences in Response to Sexual Expectancies and Changes in Sexual Frequency: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study of Sexual Satisfaction in Newly Married Couples

This longitudinal study of 72 newlywed couples examined the effects of spouses’ expectancies for their sexual satisfaction and changes in their sexual frequency on changes in their sexual satisfaction over 6 months. At Time 1 (baseline), both spouses reported their levels of sexual satisfaction and sexual frequency and completed a 7-day diary of their expectancies for sexual satisfaction. At Time 2 (6 months later), spouses again reported their sexual satisfaction and sexual frequency. Based on evidence that women’s sexual satisfaction is more contextually based, wives’ initial sexual satisfaction expectancies were expected to predict changes in their reports of sexual satisfaction. Based on evidence that men’s sexual satisfaction is more grounded in the physical aspects of sex, in contrast, changes in sexual frequency were expected to predict changes in husbands’ sexual satisfaction. Both hypotheses were supported. Specifically, controlling for marital satisfaction, length of marriage, and age, wives’, but not husbands’, sexual satisfaction expectancies were positively associated with changes in their sexual satisfaction, whereas changes in sexual frequency were positively associated with changes in husbands’, but not wives’, reports of sexual satisfaction. Gender differences in the strength of both effects were significant. Of note, none of the observed effects differed as a function of whether couples lived together before marriage. Implications for theories of gender differences in sexuality, theories of expectancy confirmation, and models of sex and marital therapy are discussed.
Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (OMVPE) Growth Of Al x Ga 1-x As

The OMVPE growth technique has only recently been established to yield device quality III-V compounds and alloys. The alloy receiving the most attention has been AlxGa1-xAs because of its application to lattice matched heterostructure devices such as solar cells and lasers, including multiquantum-well structures. This paper briefly reviews the development of OMVPE for the growth of AlxGa1-xAs, including a discussion of problems which were solved to reach the current state-of-the-art. The fundamental aspects of OMVPE growth are discussed, especially emphasizing fundamental advantages and disadvantages of OMVPE relative to other growth techniques such as LPE, MBE, and halide VPE. Other less fundamental aspects of OMVPE relating to purity, uniformity, surface morphology, and flexibility are also discussed. The current status of OMVPE AlxGa1-xAs material and devices is summarized.
C OMPARISON OF T IMES TO I NTUBATE A S IMULATED T RAUMA P ATIENT IN T WO P OSITIONS

Background. The nature of the trauma patient's injuries may compromise the airway and ultimately lead to death or neurological devastation. The same injuries complicate protecting the airway in these patients by preventing manipulation of the cervical spine for direct laryngoscopy. A recent study has shown that misplaced endotracheal tubes occur significantly more often in trauma patients than in medical patients. Objectives. The authors hypothesized that elevating the long spine board would reduce the amount of time required for paramedics to intubate a simulated trauma patient. Methods. Paramedics from an urban emergency medical services division were given up to two opportunities to intubate a manikin in a type I ambulance in each of two positions in random order: supine and with the head elevated. The manikin was secured to a long spine board with three straps, a semi-rigid cervical collar, and a cervical immobilization device. An investigator maintained cervical spine alignment and provided cricoid p...
Notch signaling in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Western world. The lungs can be affected by a number of histologically diverse malignancies. Nonetheless, the vast majority of lung cancers are classified as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite extensive research on different therapeutic regimens, the overall 5-year survival of patients diagnosed with NSCLC (all stages) is a dismal 15%. Although strongly correlated with tobacco smoke, there is an increasing NSCLC morbidity in individuals who have never smoked. The pattern of genetic lesions found in NSCLC derived from smokers and never-smokers appears to be different. This fact led to the hypothesis that different, still unidentified carcinogens are responsible for lung cancer onset in never-smokers. All the aforementioned considerations compel the scientific community to find novel therapeutic targets to fight such a deadly disease. In recent years critical pathways governing embryonic development have been increasingly linked to ca...
Hepatitis B virus transgenic mice: Insights into the virus and the disease

It should be apparent from the foregoing that the transgenic mouse model system has contributed substantially to our understanding of many aspects of HBV biology, immunobiology, and pathogenesis in the past several years. We have learned that HBV can replicate within the mouse hepatocyte, as well as other mouse cell types, suggesting that there are probably no strong tissue or species-specific constraints to viral replication once the viral genome enters the cell. However, the failure thus far to detect viral cccDNA in the hepatocyte nucleus in several independently derived transgenic lineages suggests that other, currently undefined, constraints on host range and tissue specificity may also be operative. Thanks to the transgenic mouse model, we now understand the pathophysiological basis for HBsAg filament formation and "ground glass" cell production, and we have learned that at least this viral gene product can be toxic for the hepatocyte, first by compromising its ability to survive the hepatocytopathic effects of lipopolysaccharide and gamma interferon, and eventually by causing it to die in the absence of any obvious exogenous stimulus. In recent studies, it has been shown that preformed nucleocapsid particles do not cross the nuclear membrane, in either direction, at least in the mouse hepatocyte. If this is confirmed, it will have two important implications: first, that nucleocapsid disassembly must occur in the cytoplasm before the nascent viral genome can enter the nucleus; second, that the intranuclear nucleocapsid particles are empty, and therefore serve no currently defined purpose in the viral life cycle. This should stimulate new interest in the analysis of the function of these particles that are a prominent feature of mammalian hepadnavirus infection. The transgenic mouse model has also established definitively that HBV-induced liver disease has an immunologic basis, and that the class I restricted CTL response plays a central role in this process. Additionally, the mouse studies have taught us that when the CTL recognize their target antigen on the hepatocyte they cause them to undergo apoptosis, forming the acidophilic Councilman bodies that are characteristic of viral hepatitis. Further, we have learned that although the CTL initiate the liver disease, they actually contribute more to disease severity indirectly by recruiting antigen nonspecific effector cells into the liver than by directly killing the hepatocytes themselves; and that by releasing gamma interferon when they recognize antigen, the CTL can destroy enough of the liver to cause fulminant hepatitis in mice whose hepatocytes overproduce the large envelope protein and are hypersensitive to the cytopathic effects of this cytokine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
“Spontaneous” fighting and mouse-killing by rats

Within 22 groups of four rats, raised together from weaning, dominance orders were determined daily on the basis of each group member’s ratio of wins to losses in spontaneous dominance encounters. No relationship was found between social rank in such intraspecies aggressive encounters and adult propensity to show interspecies aggression (mouse killing).
Circulating free fatty acids are increased independently of PPARgamma activity after administration of poloxamer 407 to mice.

Poloxamer 407 (P-407) is a copolymer surfactant that induces a dose-controlled dyslipidemia in both mice and rats. Human macrophages cultured with P-407 exhibit a concentration-dependent reduction in cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) linked to downregulation of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). Activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARg), as well as PPARa, increase expression of liver X receptor al- pha (LXRa) in macrophages and promote the expression of ABCA1, which, in turn, mediates cholesterol efflux to apoA1. The present study investigated whether P-407 interferes with this signaling pathway. A transactivation assay was used to evaluate whether P-407 can either activate or inhibit the transcriptional activity of PPARg. Because thiazolidinedione drugs (PPARg agonists) improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes by reducing blood glucose concentrations, P-407 was also evaluated for its potential to alter plasma insulin and blood glucose concentrations in wild-type (C57BL/6) and PPARg-deficient mice. Additionally, because thiazolidinediones attenuate release of free fatty acids (FFAs) from adipo- cytes and, consequently, decrease circulating plasma levels of FFAs, plasma concentrations of circulating FFAs were also determined in P-407-treated mice. P-407 was unable to modulate PPARg activity in cell-based transactivation assays. Fur- thermore, P-407 did not perturb plasma insulin and blood glucose concentrations after administration to mice. However, by an as yet unidentified mechanism, P-407 caused a significant increase in the serum concentration of FFAs in mice be- ginning 3 h after administration and lasting more than 24 h postdosing. It is concluded that P-407 does not interfere with the functional activity of PPARg after administration to mice.
Decisions in Design

Most of us spend our lives both using and occupying the products of other people’s imaginations. The worlds we inhabit are built environments—designed entities that shelter and succor us, provide us with warmth, illumination, private space, and a host of supports and props that delineate our different work and social roles.
As três versões do neo-institucionalismo

O neo-institucionalismo nao constitui uma corrente de pensamento unificada. Ao contrario, pelo menos tres metodos de analise diferentes apareceram nessa area no ultimo quarto de seculo: o institucionalismo historico, o institucionalismo da escolha racional e o institucionalismo sociologico. Todas elas tratam, por ângulos diferentes, do papel desempenhado pelas instituicoes na determinacao de resultados sociais e politicos. Expoe-se e examina-se a genese de cada uma dessas variantes do "neo-institucionalismo", assim como o que distingue suas maneiras de tratar dos problemas sociais e politicos.
Rotational anomalies without anyons.

A specific field theory is proposed in two spatial dimensions which has anomalous rotational properties. Although this might be expected to lead to a concrete realization of what Wilczek refers to as the anyon, it is shown by utilizing the transformation properties of the system and the statistics of the underlying charge fields that anyonic interpolations between bosons and fermions do not occur. This leads to the suggestion that anyons inferred from semiclassical considerations will not survive the transition to a fully relativistic field theory.
Human Interfaces For Robotic Satellite Servicing

On-orbit servicing (OOS) is growing in importance for the sustainment of certain satellite systems. Although it is more economical to replace satellites in many cases, OOS could be beneficial, or even critical, for more expensive satellites such as Space-Based Laser and constellations such as the Global Positioning System. Some future OOS missions including refueling and modular component replacement will be highly autonomous, but there will still be a need for humans to supervise and to recover when unexpected situations arise. Non-routine tasks such as damage repair or optics cleaning will likely require a more significant level of human control. The human interfaces for such activities can include body tracking systems, three-dimensional audio and video, tactile feedback devices, and others. This paper will provide some insights into when and at what level human interaction may be needed for OOS tasks. Example missions will be discussed and the argument will be made that human interfaces are important even for primarily autonomous missions. Finally some current research efforts within NASA, academia and the military will be discussed including research being conducted in the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Thermal and Thermoelastic Properties of Isotropic Composites

The results of theoretical estimates are given for several thermal and thermoelastic constants of macroscopically isotropic composite materials. The composites considered consist of random mixtures of N isotropic constituents, at least ( N — 1) of which are presumed to be distributed in a particulate fashion, with the particles roughly spherical in shape. The results are based on "self-consistent" calcula tions, details of which are given in appendices.Equations (some of which are old, but are repeated for con venience) are given for the following quantities: elastic constants, thermal expansion coefficients, heat capacities (at constant volume and constant pressure), thermal conductivity, and, finally, Gruneisen and related constants.
The establishment of microorganisms in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal and control treatments.

We examined methods for the introduction and establishment of microorganisms in soils treated with inocula commonly used in research with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. Our purpose was to test the assumption that similar microbial groups become established in VAM fungal and control treatments. Microbial activity (CO2 evolution) and/or the populations of protein-, chitin-, and cellulose-decomposing organisms, fluorescentPseudomonas spp., and total. fungi, bacteria, and protozoa were quantified. In closed, nonplanted systems, the establishment of microbial groups in soil, and their populations, was influenced by the type of inoculum used. In open, planted pots, the type of inoculum used affected microbial populations, shoot dry weight, and shoot and root P content, but did not affect root dry weight or shoot and root N content. We conclude that similar functional groups of microorganisms can establish in VAM and control treatments if a VAM-fungal inoculum wash is applied to both treatments. Inoculum prepared from a non VAM plant does not provide an adequate control treatment.
Bone marrow failure induced by hemorrhagic shock is partially mediated by the gut

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: unmanipulated controls (C), shock (SH), or shock with lymph ligation (SLL). Shocked animals (MAP 5 30mmHg for 90 min) underwent laparotomy 6 mesenteric lymph ligation. Rats were resuscitated with shed blood and fluid. Groups were sacrificed at 3 hours and BM mononuclear cells were cultured for myeloid (CFU-GM) and erythroid (CFU-E) progenitors, and immature progenitors (cobblestone area forming cells, CAFC). We also determined the effects of plasma from C, SH or SLL rats on CFU-GM and CFU-E by culturing BM cells from normal rats with plasma (2% v/v).
Characteristics of joint use agreements in school districts in the United States: findings from the School Health Policies and Practices Study, 2012.

INTRODUCTION Joint use or shared use of public school facilities provides community access to facilities for varied purposes. We examined a nationally representative sample of school districts in the United States to identify characteristics associated with having a formal joint use agreement (JUA) and with the kinds of uses to which JUAs apply. METHODS We analyzed data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The response rate for the module containing questions about formal JUAs was 60.1% (N = 630). We used multivariate logistic regression models to examine the adjusted odds of having a formal JUA and χ(2) analyses to examine differences in district characteristics associated with the uses of the JUA. RESULTS Among the 61.6% of school districts with a formal JUA, more than 80% had an agreement for the use of indoor and outdoor recreation facilities; other uses also were identified. JUAs were more common in urban than rural areas, in large than small school districts, and in the West compared with the Midwest, South, and Northeast. CONCLUSION In many districts, school facilities appear to be an untapped resource for community members. Formal JUAs provide an opportunity for shared use while addressing issues of liability, cost, and logistics.
Multilabel classification with meta-level features in a learning-to-rank framework

Effective learning in multi-label classification (MLC) requires an appropriate level of abstraction for representing the relationship between each instance and multiple categories. Current MLC methods have focused on learning-to-map from instances to categories in a relatively low-level feature space, such as individual words. The fine-grained features in such a space may not be sufficiently expressive for learning to rank categories, which is essential in multi-label classification. This paper presents an alternative solution by transforming the conventional representation of instances and categories into meta-level features, and by leveraging successful learning-to-rank retrieval algorithms over this feature space. Controlled experiments on six benchmark datasets using eight evaluation metrics show strong evidence for the effectiveness of the proposed approach, which significantly outperformed other state-of-the-art methods such as Rank-SVM, ML-kNN (Multi-label kNN), IBLR-ML (Instance-based logistic regression for multi-label classification) on most of the datasets. Thorough analyses are also provided for separating the factors responsible for the improved performance.
Resource sharing of real-time applications with other applications

Most real-time applications run on dedicated system, to eliminate the uncertainty that may arise if other applications are running on the system. The resource requirement for the real-time application is determined on the basis of the system's ability to provide fault tolerance under the worst case execution time assumption. Costs of such systems will be better justified, if the real-time applications share the resources with other non real-time applications (such as, batch jobs), without compromising the real-time deadlines. Assuming a real-time application to consist of a set of optional and mandatory subtasks with time-critical precedence constraints among them, the problem of scheduling these subtasks on such a shared system so as to optimize the use of resources and execute time-critical applications with sufficient accuracy is addressed. >
Ecosystem Approach to Rapid Health Assessments among Indigenous Cultures in Degraded Tropical Rainforest Environments: Case Study of Unexplained Deaths among the Secoya of Ecuador

Large-scale economically-driven encroachments into tropical rainforest environments are major factors for disease emergence. A better understanding of the process of disease emergence can be best derived from a multilevel, transdisciplinary ecosystem approach that analyzes health data in its biological, ecological, social, and cultural context. Multiple methods, including ethnographic techniques, are recommended for such an approach. The value of this approach and methodology is presented in this article through a rapid health assessment case study of an unexplained fatal syndrome that occurred among the Secoya peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon in 1999. This type of study is significant given the lack of health data for indigenous populations at risk of disease emergence. Moreover, indigenous cultures share a long-term, close relationship to the land and each other, which makes information about changes in their environment and health patterns highly salient to them. This local knowledge is of strategic value to researchers working on issues of environmental change and disease emergence.
The Evolution of Transcription-Initiation Sites

Unlike the situation in prokaryotes, most eukaryotic messenger RNAs contain a moderately long 5' untranslated region (UTR). Such leader sequences impose a burden on eukaryotic genes by providing substrate for the mutational origin of premature translation-initiation codons, which generally result in defective proteins. To gain an insight into the expansion of 5' UTRs in eukaryotic genomes, we present a simple null model in which the evolution of transcription-initiation sites is entirely driven by the stochastic mutational flux of core-promoter sequences and premature translation-initiation codons. This model yields results consistent with a variety of heretofore disconnected observations, including the form of length distributions of 5' UTRs, the relatively low variance in UTR features among distantly related eukaryotes, the universal reliance on relatively simple core-promoter sequences, and the elevated density of introns in the 5' UTR. We suggest that the reduced effective population sizes of most eukaryotes impose a population-genetic environment conducive to the movement of core promoters to random positions, subject to the constraint imposed by the upstream accumulation of premature translation-initiation codons. If this hypothesis is correct, then selection for gene-specific regulatory features need not be invoked to explain either the origin of lengthy eukaryotic 5' UTRs or the 1,000-fold range of 5'-UTR lengths among genes within species. Nevertheless, once permanently established, expanded 5' UTRs may have provided a novel substrate for the evolution of mechanisms for posttranscriptional regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. These results provide a further example of how an increase in the power of random genetic drift can passively promote the evolution of forms of gene architecture that ultimately facilitate the evolution of organismal complexity.
Food resources, survivorship, and reproduction of the omnivorous calanoid copepod Epischura lacustris

Previous studies have shown that many if not most copepods are omnivores and that all zooplankton experience substantial fluctuation in the abundance of food re- sources. We attempt to integrate these two observations by determining the implications of fluctuations in both the abundance and type of available food resources for the survival and reproduction of the omnivorous calanoid copepod Epischura lacustris. Egg production and survivorship were measured in laboratory experiments as food type (zooplankton and phytoplankton) and concentration were experimentally manipulated. In addition, the re- productive activity of a field population was monitored as the abundance and composition of the food resources varied through the year. There are three main results. (1) The alga Cryptomonas erosa and the rotifer Euchlanis dilatata both, when offered alone, serve as adequate foods to support survival and repro- duction of Epischura. (2) However, survival and reproduction of individuals feeding on Cryptomonas vary temporally, even when resource availability is held constant. Extended survival and high egg production rates in the spring are followed by poor survival and minimal egg production rates later in the year. In contrast, survival and reproduction of individuals given the rotifer do not vary significantly across the seasons. (3) Field mea- surements suggest that Epischura lacustris reproduction in situ may depend upon relatively large or evasive animal prey, such as the cladoceran Holopedium gibberum and the rotifer Polyarthra remata.
Optical imaging of the ventral medullary surface across sleep-wake states

We hypothesized that spontaneous activity declines over widespread areas of the cat ventral medullary surface (VMS) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We assessed neural and hemodynamic activity, measured as changes in reflected 660- and 560-nm wavelength light, from the VMS during sleep and waking states in five adult, unrestrained cats and in two control cats. Relative to quiet sleep, overall activity declined, and variability, assessed by standard deviation, increased by 25% during REM sleep. Variability in activity during waking also increased by 45% over quiet sleep, but mean activity was unchanged. REM sleep onset was preceded by a reduction in the hemodynamic signal from 5 to 60 s before neural activity decline. The activity decline during REM sleep, previously noted in the goat rostral VMS, extends to intermediate VMS areas of the cat and differs from most neural sites, such as the cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus, which increase activity during REM sleep. The activity decline during REM sleep has the potential to modify VMS responsiveness to baroreceptor and chemoreceptor challenges during the REM state.
Criteria of Periodization in Economic History

We economic historians can sympathize fully with Professor Gerhard in his search for criteria that will help to cut political history into meaningful periods. Like him, we are fully aware that periodizing seems an artificial intellectual trick in face of the fact that life continues even in the midst of destruction. We would add, â€œSo do human wants and the efforts that have to be made for their satisfaction.â€
Cognitive inflexibility among ruminators and nonruminators.

Dysphoric people who ruminate about their negative mood experience longer and more intense depressive episodes, yet often persist in ruminating. This study investigated whether a ruminative coping style would be related to a cognitive style marked by perseveration and inflexibility. We examined the performance of ruminators and nonruminators on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), a measure of cognitive flexibility, and tasks measuring related cognitive processes. Ruminators committed significantly more perseverative errors and failed to maintain set significantly more often than nonruminators on the WCST. On an advanced section of the WCST designed for this study, male ruminators exhibited significantly greater inflexibility than male nonruminators. These effects could not be attributed to differences in general intelligence or the presence of depressed mood. Results suggest that rumination may be characterized by, and perhaps prolonged by, an inflexible cognitive style.
The Core Melt Stabilization Concept of the EPR and Its Experimental Validation

The strategy of the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) to avoid severe accident conditions is based on the improved defense-in-depth approaches of the French “N4” and the German “Konvoi” plants. In addition, the EPR takes measures, at the design stage, to drastically limit the consequences of a postulated core-melt accident. The latter requires a strengthening of the confinement function and a significant reduction of the risk of short- and long-term containment failure. Scenarios with potentially high mechanical loads and large early releases like: high-pressure RPV failure, global hydrogen detonation, and energetic steam explosion must be prevented. The remaining low-pressure sequences are mitigated by dedicated measures that include hydrogen recombination, sustained heat removal out of the containment, and the stabilization of the molten core in an ex-vessel core catcher located in a compartment lateral to the pit. The spatial separation protects the core catcher from loads during RPV failure and, vice versa, eliminates concerns related with its unintended flooding during power operation. To make the relocation of the melt into the core catcher scenario-independent and robust against the uncertainties associated with in-vessel molten pool formation and RPV failure, the corium is temporarily retained, accumulated and conditioned in the pit during interaction with a sacrificial concrete layer. Spreading of the accumulated molten pool is initiated by penetrating a concrete plug in the bottom. The increase in surface-to-volume ratio achieved by the spreading process strongly enhances quenching and cool-down of the melt after flooding. The required water is passively drained from the IRWST. After availability of the containment heat removal system the steam from the boiling pool is re-condensed by sprays. The CHRS can also optionally cool the core catcher directly, which, in consequence, establishes a sub-cooled pool near-atmospheric pressure levels in the containment. The described concept rests on a large experimental knowledge base which covers all main phenomena involved, including melt interaction with structural material, melt spreading, melt and quenching, as well as the efficacy of the core catcher cooling. Besides giving an overview of the EPR core melt mitigation concept, the paper summarizes its R&D bases and describes which conclusions have been drawn from the various experimental projects and how these conclusions are used in the validation of the EPR concept.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A Mutation in Transmembrane Domain 7 (TM7) of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters Disrupts the Substrate-dependent Gating of the Intrinsic Anion Conductance and Drives the Channel into a Constitutively Open State.

In the mammalian central nervous system, excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are responsible for the clearance of glutamate after synaptic release. This energetically demanding activity is crucial for precise neuronal communication and for maintaining extracellular glutamate concentrations below neurotoxic levels. In addition to their ability to recapture glutamate from the extracellular space, EAATs exhibit a sodium- and glutamate-gated anion conductance. Here we show that substitution of a conserved positively charged residue (Arg-388, hEAAT1) in transmembrane domain 7 with a negatively charged amino acid eliminates the ability of glutamate to further activate the anion conductance. When expressed in oocytes, R388D or R388E mutants show large anion currents that display no further increase in amplitude after application of saturating concentrations of Na+ and glutamate. They also show a substantially reduced transport activity. The mutant transporters appear to exist preferentially in a sodium- and glutamate-independent constitutive open channel state that rarely transitions to complete the transport cycle. In addition, the accessibility of cytoplasmic residues to membrane-permeant modifying reagents supports the idea that this substrate-independent open state correlates with an intermediate outward facing conformation of the transporter. Our data provide additional insights into the mechanism by which substrates gate the anion conductance in EAATs and suggest that in EAAT1, Arg-388 is a critical element for the structural coupling between the substrate translocation and the gating mechanisms of the EAAT-associated anion channel.
Radiations from Ge 77 and Ge 71

The 12-hour ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{77}$ was found to emit beta-rays of energy 1.74 Mev and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-rays of 0.5 Mev. Beta-gamma-coincidences were measured in the 12-hour period. The 40-hour positron emitter is not formed by slow neutrons on germanium. The 11-day ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{71}$ decays with the emission of the x-rays of gallium following orbital electron capture. Previously obtained absorption curves have given evidence of emission of charged particles by the 11-day period. This misinterpretation is discussed.
Modeling C 3 — A Description of the Command, Control, Communications, Combat Effectiveness (Fource) Model

This paper describes the command, control, communications, and combat effectiveness (FOURCE — pronounced 4 C) model. FOURCE is a two-sided, deterministic, mathematical, force-on-force, time-driven combat model which executes without manual interaction. The model plays a BLUE division defending against part (about three divisions) of a combined arms army, and battalions are the smallest maneuver units explicitly represented. Particular emphasis is placed on the simulation of staff performance and combat information/intelligence flow in order to measure the relative combat effectiveness of alternative command and control (C2) systems.
A Complicated Case of Sepsis Involving a Rare Organism in a 46-Year-Old White Woman with Asplenia and a History of Drug Abuse

Patient: 46-year-old white woman. Chief Complaint: Bloody emesis. Presenting Symptoms: Blood in vomit, 8 to 10 occurrences of diarrhea within the past 24 hours, rash with purpura on extremities, and myalgia. Physical Examination Findings: Hypotension, temperature increased to 38.5°C. Medical History: Traumatic splenectomy in pedestrian-versus-motor vehicle accident (patient was the pedestrian) in 2012, history of cocaine and alcohol abuse. Main Laboratory Findings: Table 1, Table 2, Image 1, Image 2, Image 3. Additional Diagnostic Test Results: A fusiform Gram-negative rod was seen on the preliminary Gram stain from the blood culture bottles. Isolated colonies were oxidase positive. Contaminates were identified as Acinetobacter baumanii and Acinetobacter lwoffi . A specimen was sent to the Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Laboratories–Jacksonville, which definitively identified the oxidase-positive, fusiform Gram-negative rod as Capnocytophaga canimorsus via 16s ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. 1. What could have caused the patient’s presenting symptoms? 2. Given the laboratory data, what is the patient’s diagnosis? 3. What are the treatment options, given the patient’s complications? 4. What is the pathogenesis of the infecting organism? Why did the patient’s health deteriorate so quickly? 5. The patient died—would she have survived with the treatment she was given, in the absence of the salient elements of her medical history? 1. Given the blood in her stool and emesis, the patient was …
Auditory Signals for Instrument Flying

I 1936, DE FLOREZ DEMONSTRATED that a pilot could fly an airplane with his eyes blindfolded when two of his instrument indications were given by means of an auditory signal in his earphones. The pilot flew with rudder and elevators only, allowing the inherent stability of the Fairchild 24 to take care of lateral control. The signals employed were (1) a turn indication consisting of increase of the signal intensity to one ear and decrease of intensity to the other and (2) an air-speed indication consisting of a change of pitch of the signal. Although the plane described a wide climbing spiral rather than a straight path, the pilot was able to maintain satisfactory control and to recover from spins, thus demonstrating the feasibility of flying by auditory indications. I t is well known that the large number of operations required of the pilot of a modern airplane, and the multitudinous instruments which he must follow, tax the abilities of the pilot to the limit. His eyes are especially subject to overload, since he must keep track of the large number of instruments on the panel and at the same time look out for obstacles and observe his position relative to the ground. In fact, in the larger airplanes both pilot and copilot are sometimes kept busy, especially when flying under " instrument'' conditions. The continuously increasing speed of modern planes and the advent of new devices such as air-borne radar will, if anything, increase this critical load on the eyes. Thus it would be an advantage if some of the flight indications cbuld be furnished to the pilot through the ears. Accordingly, a further studyf of auditory flight indications has been carried out during the last 2 years, the results of which will be reported in this article. The purposes of the study were to determine (1) what types of auditory signals could be followed with
Teacher–Child Interactions in Early Head Start Classrooms: Associations With Teacher Characteristics

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: The current study examined characteristics of 71 Early Head Start lead teachers in relation to classroom interactions with infants and toddlers. Measured teacher characteristics included education, years of experience, beliefs about child rearing, depressive symptoms, and the temperamental characteristics of positivity and frustration. Teacher–child interactions were measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, Toddler Version (La Paro, Hamre, & Pianta, 2012). Results indicated that field of degree was directly associated with the majority of dimensions of teacher–child interactions. Examination of teachers’ years of experience and intrapersonal characteristics revealed a number of significant interactions, indicating that teacher experience and appropriate beliefs may serve as protective factors in the presence of psychosocial risk factors. Practice or Policy: Overall, our findings suggest that both early childhood education degrees and years of experience are direct...
Manipulation of Interfacial Amine Density in Epoxy-Amine Systems as Studied by Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS)

In this work, we investigate the ability to tune the quantity of surface amine functional groups in the interfacial region of epoxy-diamine composites using NEXAFS, a technique that is extremely sensitive to surface composition. Thereby, we employ a model surface (silicon wafer with the native oxide present) and, after deposition of an epoxy functionalized silane, we immersed the wafers in various diamines, followed by reaction with a diepoxy acting as a molecular probe. These results show that the number of available surface amines depends on the diamine chosen, wherein smaller molecular weight diamines provide more reaction sites. Subsequent experiments with mixtures of diamines undergoing competitive adsorption show that the amine quantity can be tailored by choice of the diamine mixture. Further experiments of diamine treated 3-(glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane layers in a reacting epoxy/diamine showed that the surface reaction site density differences observed for adsorption experiments persisted in...
Evidence for the existence of human growth hormone-ribonucleic acid complex in the pituitary.

SummaryEvidence was presented which indicates that HGH activity obtained by an alkaline extract of pituitaries is distributed in at least 3 different molecules or aggregates which varied widely in respect to size. Ribonucleic acid was also shown to be present in these fractions. The nucleic acid could not be removed from the GH by chromatog-raphy, electropartition or isoelectric precipitation. It could be removed by digestion with ribonuclease. Upon digestion by ribonuclease the activity was located in molecules or aggregates more homogeneous with respect to size, but with different isoelectric points. A further digestion by phosphodiesterase resulted in the activity being located in a fraction more homogeneous with respect to isoelectric point. It was suggested that the majority of the HGH in the pituitary is bound to ribonucleic acid as a macromolecule.
Risk stratification for 25-year cardiovascular disease incidence in type 1 diabetes: Tree-structured survival analysis of the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study

Background:The formal identification of subgroups with varying levels of risk is uncommon in observational studies of cardiovascular disease, although such insight might be useful for clinical management.Methods:Tree-structured survival analysis was utilized to determine whether there are meaningful subgroups at varying levels of cardiovascular disease risk in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study, a prospective cohort study of childhood-onset (<17 years old) type 1 diabetes.Results:Of the 561 participants free of cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, stroke or lower extremity arterial disease) at baseline, 263 (46.9%) had an incident cardiovascular disease event over the 25-year follow-up. Tree-structured survival analysis revealed a range of risk groups, from 24% to 85%, which demonstrate that those with short diabetes duration and elevated non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol have similar cardiovascular disease risk to those with long diabetes duration and that rena...
Realization of CIC Filter Based on FPGA

In software defined radio system,in order to resolve the pressure problem of huge data quantity to DSP computation in the baseband after intermediate frequency sampling,uses the technique of multi-rate processing.Multi-rate processing need to use integrator comb filter,half-band filters and high-FIR filter.This paper analyses the CIC filter structure and characteristics,introduces an effective method basic on FPGA to realize the filter.In the end,the exactness and feasibility of this method are verified by timing simulation with Quartus II,this method can be used in practice.
Alternative hypotheses for mammalian herbivore preference of burned areas in a savannah ecosystem

Mammalian herbivores prefer burned areas and this attraction has largely been attributed to the increased nutrient content of the postfire green flush and more recently to the avoidance of predators. However, alternative reasons for this attraction could be: (i) to avoid disease carrying and behaviour changing invertebrates; (ii) because burned areas are warmer microclimates; or (iii) to obtain minerals from the ash. This study tests for differences in tick and fly (Diptera) numbers between burned and unburned areas in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. It also tests for differences in ground and air column temperatures between burned and unburned areas and for differences in the mineral content of ash in burned areas compared to the mineral content of green leaves in unburned areas. We found no difference in the abundance of either type of invertebrate between burned and unburned areas. Only ground temperature was higher in burned areas and this was only during the middle of the day, when increases in temperature would be less important than at night. Ash was higher in Al, Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn and P than nearby green leaves from unburned vegetation. Thus, obtaining minerals from ash is the only alternative reason for attraction to burned areas that maybe supported by this study. Resume Les mammiferes herbivores preferent les zones brulees, et cet attrait a ete en grande partie attribue a l'augmentation du contenu en nutriments de la repousse verte qui suit les feux et, plus recemment, a la possibilite d'y detecter les predateurs. Pourtant, il pourrait exister d'autres raisons a cet attrait: (i) pour eviter les invertebres qui transportent des maladies et dont le comportement change; (ii) parce que les zones brulees ont des microclimats plus chauds; ou (iii) pour absorber les mineraux des cendres. Cette etude verifie les differences du nombre de tiques et de mouches (dipteres) entre des zones brulees et non brulees du Parc National de Serengeti, en Tanzanie. Elle etudie aussi les differences de temperature au sol et dans les colonnes d'air entre ces zones et celles du contenu en mineraux dans les cendres des zones brulees et dans les feuilles vertes des zones non brulees. Nous n'avons pas trouve de difference dans l'abondance de ces deux types d'invertebres entre zones brulees ou pas. Seule la temperature du sol etait plus elevee dans les zones brulees, et cela seulement en milieu de journee, quand cette augmentation de temperature a moins d'importance que pendant la nuit. Les cendres contenaient plus d'Al, Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn et P que les feuilles vertes de la vegetation proche non brulee. Donc, la seule raison alternative de frequenter les zones non brulees que peut soutenir cette etude est l'attraction pour les mineraux des cendres.
Island nucleation and growth with anomalous diffusion.

While most studies of submonolayer island nucleation and growth have been based on the assumption of ordinary monomer diffusion corresponding to diffusion exponent $\ensuremath{\mu}=1$, in some cases either subdiffusive $(\ensuremath{\mu}l1)$ or superdiffusive $(\ensuremath{\mu}g1)$ behavior may occur. Here we present general expressions for the exponents describing the flux dependence of the island and monomer densities as a function of the critical island size $i$, substrate dimension $d$, island fractal dimension ${d}_{f}$, and diffusion exponent $\ensuremath{\mu}$, where $0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\le}2$. Our results are compared with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations for the case of irreversible island growth $(i=1)$ with $0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\le}2$ and $d=2$ as well as simulation results for $d=1$, 3, and 4, and excellent agreement is found.
Abstract 279: The Impact of Heart Failure on Depression and Quality of Life is Greater in Men than Women

Background. Patients (pts) diagnosed with congestive heart failure (HF) have been reported to have more frequent depression and worsened health related quality of life (HRQOL). Although depression is more common in women than men in this condition, the impact of HF on depression and HRQOL in men versus women is unclear. We sought to examine the relationship between pt sex, HF diagnosis, and pt-perceived depression and HRQOL. Methods. Depression (PHQ-9) and HRQOL (EQ5D) data were collected using tablet computers from pts presenting for routine outpatient cardiovascular assessment at our institution between November, 2010 and December, 2011. Demographic, clinical, and historical data was collected as per routine. We examined the association of pt sex and clinical diagnosis of HF with instrument results after adjusting for potential confounding information using mutliple linear regression. Results. Of 3046 pts (age 61±15), 39% were female and 8.7% were diagnosed with HF. Overall, PHQ-9 was greater, and minor or major depression (PHQ-9≥10) was more frequent, in women than men (4.6±4.6 vs. 3.3±4.4; 14.0% vs. 8.9%, both p<0.05) and in HF pts than pts without HF (5.9±5.6 vs. 3.6±4.3, 22.0% versus 9.6%; both p<0.05). Similarly, HRQOL was worse in women than men (EQ-5D 0.80±0.18 vs. 0.87±0.16; p<0.01) and in HF pts than no HF (EQ-5D 0.76±0.18 vs. 0.85±0.17; p<0.01). However, the difference in PHQ-9 between pts with versus without HF was greater in men (6.23±6.06 vs. 3.02±4.06, p<0.01) than women (5.43±4.85 vs. 4.55±4.58, p=0.09). After adjusting for cardiovascular diagnoses, comorbidities, clinical and demographic data, multivariable modeling of PHQ-9 revealed a significant interaction between pt sex and HF diagnosis (p=0.001; see Figure) such that women had greater PHQ-9 scores compared to men without HF, but in the setting of HF, mens' PHQ-9 scores were greater. Modeling of EQ-5D also revealed that after risk-adjustment an interaction between HF diagnosis and sex was present with a similar pattern of findings. Conclusion. Although depression is more frequent and severe in women compared to men, and in pts with versus without HF, HF appears to impact depression severity more in men compared to women. ![Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif