cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
5-HT2C and GABAB receptors influence handling-induced convulsion severity in chromosome 4 congenic and DBA/2J background strain mice.

Progress towards elucidating the underlying genetic variation for susceptibility to complex central nervous system (CNS) hyperexcitability states has just begun. Genetic mapping analyses suggest that a gene(s) on mid-chromosome 4 has pleiotropic effects on multiple CNS hyperexcitability states in mice, including alcohol and barbiturate withdrawal and convulsions elicited by chemical and audiogenic stimuli. We recently identified Mpdz within this chromosomal region as a gene that influences alcohol and barbiturate withdrawal convulsions. Mpdz encodes the multi-PDZ domain protein (MPDZ). Currently, there is limited information available about the mechanism by which MPDZ influences drug withdrawal and/or other CNS hyperexcitability states, but may involve its interaction with 5-HT2C and/or GABAB receptors. One of the most useful tools we have developed thus far is a congenic strain that possesses a segment of chromosome 4 from the C57BL/6J (donor) mouse strain superimposed on a genetic background that is >99% from the DBA/2J strain. The introduced segment spans the Mpdz gene. Here, we demonstrate that handling-induced convulsions are less severe in congenic vs. background strain mice in response to either a 5-HT2C receptor antagonist (SB242084) or a GABAB receptor agonist (baclofen), but not a GABAA receptor channel blocker (pentylenetetrazol). These data suggest that allelic variation in Mpdz, or a linked gene, influences SB242084- and baclofen-enhanced convulsions. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that Mpdz’s effects on CNS hyperexcitability, including alcohol and barbiturate withdrawal, involve MPDZ interaction with 5-HT2C and/or GABAB receptors. However, additional genes reside within the congenic interval and may also influence CNS hyperexcitability.
Understanding surface scatter effects in grazing incidence x-ray synchrotron applications

Non-intuitive surface scatter effects resulting from practical optical fabrication tolerances frequently dominate both diffraction effects and geometrical aberrations in high resolution grazing incidence x-ray synchrotron applications. The resulting reduction optical performance due to scattering is a strong function of x-ray energy, residual surface characteristics, incident angle, and the optical performance criterion appropriate to the application. A simple Fourier treatment of surface scatter phenomena, based upon a non-paraxial scalar diffraction theory, is referenced and utilized to produce parametric performance predictions that provide physical insight and understanding into the surface scatter phenomenon and its effect upon optical performance in x-ray synchrotron applications.
The Impact of Comparison Processes on Coactors' Frustration and Willingness to Expend Effort

Subjects worked on an identical simple motor task that was described as being either rhigh or low in value. They worked alone or with a coactor whose performance rate was slightly superior or very superior to their own. When they performed with a very superior coactor on a high-value task, subjects were more frustrated and produced an inferior level of performance relative to those working with the same coactor on a low-value task. When subjects performed alone, however, they were not more frustrated while working on a high-than low-value task. Nevertheless, their performance scores reflected differences in motivation-subjects working on a high-value task tended to perform better than those working on a low-value task. These data are discussed within a social comparison framework and a resource investment analysis of goal value. The implications of this analysis for self-evaluation maintenance and modeling are discussed.
Emerging concepts in pediatric emergency radiology.

Radiologic studies are a vital component in the workup and diagnosis of disease. Although an indispensable adjunct, they should not be used as a substitute for a thorough history and physical examination. Multiple imaging modalities are available for use. Each has its own advantages, disadvantages, and safety profile, and practitioners should be versed in these when selecting how to work up disease. An appropriate radiographic study will accurately rule in or rule out disease with the least possible harm. Harm is often thought of as pain or physical injury, but broader definitions can include time, cost, radiation, and psychological stress to the patient. When compared with outpatient diagnostics, imaging choices within the emergency setting favor sensitivity over specificity to rule out diseases that require emergent intervention. A stepwise radiological approach may be used to identify illness. Accordingly, the time, cost, and potential harm of imaging studies may increase over time as a specific diagnosis is pursued. Special considerations are necessary for the imaging of children. Sedation or anxiolysis may be required for either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The pediatric emergency provider should be trained in techniques for
Design and analysis of an FMCW radar system for vehicle tracking

Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar have become common place in many roadside trac and on board vehicle safety systems. The accuracy in these systems is based on the underlying calibration of these sensors, which can be a time consuming and costly process. In our approach, using an uncalibrated commercial- o-the-shelf (COTS) radar sensor, vehicles were monitored along a roadside. A moving target indication (MTI) technique is used to reduce background clutter with thresholding and CFAR techniques used for signal detection. These detections are fed into an extended Kalman lter, and using dierent association approaches, the results are compared to GPS ground truth.
When are two qualitative taxonomic characters compatible

A proof is given of a procedure that has previously appeared claiming to determine when two amino acid positions on a protein could both possibly be divergent taxonomic characters. An algorithm for executing this procedure is described.
THE STATISTICAL THERMODYNAMICS OF EQUILIBRIUM

Abstract A statistical thermodynamics is developed in terms of extensive variables (additive invariants) distributed over a cellular division in space. In general, this distribution is governed by randomness and by correlations. The present theory, however, deals explicitly only with randomness, although correlations are implicit in the so-called fixed variables of the system. Because of this restriction, the theory is valid only for the fluctuations of coupled systems that have reached their equilibrium; hence we call it the statistical thermodynamics of equilibrium, briefly STE. A set of postulates is advanced, the essence of which is the requirement that distribution functions (d.f.) exist for two basic coupling situations. It is implicit that the system has a memory-loss mechanism; and the d.f. does not depend on past history (ergodic property). Such qualitative assumptions are sufficient to derive the Gibbsian d.f.'s in their quantitative form. These d.f.'s describe the coupling of finite systems with infinite environments and can be used to analyze typical situations of measurement by the methods of mathematical statistics. The present point of view sheds some new light on the ergodic problem and on the role of Nernst's law in completing the definition of thermodynamic equilibrium. An attempt is made to clarify the relations between entropy, information, and uncertainty by advancing a generic notion, the dispersal of a d.f., that subsumes these concepts as special cases.
Flexible Piezoelectric PMN–PT Nanowire-Based Nanocomposite and Device

Piezoelectric nanocomposites represent a unique class of materials that synergize the advantageous features of polymers and piezoelectric nanostructures and have attracted extensive attention for the applications of energy harvesting and self-powered sensing recently. Currently, most of the piezoelectric nanocomposites were synthesized using piezoelectric nanostructures with relatively low piezoelectric constants, resulting in lower output currents and lower output voltages. Here, we report a synthesis of piezoelectric (1 - x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanowire-based nanocomposite with significantly improved performances for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. With the high piezoelectric constant (d33) and the unique hierarchical structure of the PMN-PT nanowires, the PMN-PT nanowire-based nanocomposite demonstrated an output voltage up to 7.8 V and an output current up to 2.29 μA (current density of 4.58 μA/cm(2)); this output voltage is more than double that of other reported piezoelectric nanocomposites, and the output current is at least 6 times greater. The PMN-PT nanowire-based nanocomposite also showed a linear relationship of output voltage versus strain with a high sensitivity. The enhanced performance and the flexibility of the PMN-PT nanowire-based nanocomposite make it a promising building block for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing applications.
Electrophysiological and behavioral phenotype of insulin receptor defective mice.

The olfactory bulb expresses one of the highest levels of insulin found in the brain. A high level of expression of the concomitant insulin receptor (IR) kinase is also retained in this brain region, even in the adult. We have previously demonstrated in a heterologous system that insulin modulates the voltage-dependent potassium channel, Kv1.3, through tyrosine phosphorylation of three key residues in the amino and carboxyl terminus of the channel protein. Phosphorylation also induces current suppression of the Kv1.3-contributed current in cultured olfactory bulb neurons (OBNs) of rodents. In order to explore the behavioral importance of this kinase-induced modulation of the channel for the olfactory ability of the animal, mice with a targeted-gene deletion of the insulin receptor were electrophysiologically and behaviorally characterized. Mice heterozygous for the insulin receptor kinase (IR+/−) gene performed the same as wild-type (+/+) mice when challenged with a traditional, non-learning-based task to test gross anosmia. There was also no significant difference across the two genotypes in tests designed to measure exploratory behavior or in a battery of systems physiology experiments designed to assess metabolic energy usage (locomotion, ingestive behaviors, weight, oxygen consumption, and respiratory quotient). Object memory recognition tests suggest that IR+/− mice have an impairment in recognition of familiarized objects; IR+/− mice demonstrate poor performance for both short-term (1 h) and long-term (24 h) memory tests in comparison to that of wild-type mice. Electrophysiological experiments indicate that mitral cell neurons cultured from both heterozygous and homozygous-null mice (IR+/− and IR−/−) have an decreased peak current amplitude compared with that recorded for wild-type (+/+) animals matched for days in vitro (DIV). These data indicate that the loss of one allele of the IR kinase gene modifies the electrical phenotype of the mitral cell neurons in the olfactory bulb without a change in gross olfactory ability. Given our findings that there are no significant changes in metabolic balance of the IR (+/−) mice but some impairment in memory retention, future experiments testing for specific olfactory behaviors or functional deficits in IR−/+ mice models of diabetes will need to either be tasks that do not require learning or will require a different model (such as diet-induced diabetes) that may evoke a stronger phenotype.
Participation and fisheries management in Costa Rica: From theory to practice

Abstract Participatory fisheries management has been increasingly proposed as a useful management approach to address fisheries problems. However, the criteria regarding its applicability and measures of success still seem unclear. This study reviews the main concepts and theory behind two participatory resource-management approaches and compares them to the reality of fisheries management in Costa Rica. The analysis shows that while the implementation of a participatory approach in fisheries management should be encouraged, it is essential to keep in mind the possible limitations these approaches have. Furthermore, it seems important to improve institutional coordination and develop social, legal and economic policies that will allow the state, together with coastal communities, to contribute in an effective way to fisheries management.
Gambling and Federal civil service employment law

Federal sector employment law concerning employee misconduct in which gambling is a factor has evolved significantly since the enactment of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, and is breaking new ground in this aspect of civil rights and employment law. Among other things, a debate is taking place in this sector as to whether compulsive gambling is a handicapping condition similar to alcoholism and drug addiction. Traditionally, disciplinary cases in the Federal Sector may be classified in two categories. The first involves misconduct related to compulsive gambling. The second concerns gambling on-the-job, either through promotion of gambling by, for example, running a numbers game, or by placing bets. While employees who promote gambling by running numbers games can be fired for just one instance of such misconduct, employees whose misconduct on or off the job is the result of compulsive or pathological gambling have a strong affirmative defense restricting the employer's attempts to fire for just cause. As defined by administrative agencies which have primary jurisdiction over Federal civil service law matters, compulsive gambling, generally, is not recognized as a handicapping condition. Developments in Federal sector, however, have required the federal manager to consider the existence of a condition of pathological gambling as a mitigating factor in deciding upon appropriate discipline. Other related developments indicate that compulsive gambling may, in fact, be reclassified as a handicapping condition.
Estimating constants for metabolism of atrazine in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes by kinetic modeling.

Abstract This study estimated the kinetic constants for oxidative metabolism of atrazine (ATRA) and its chlorotriazine (Cl-TRI) metabolites, 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine (ETHYL), 2-chloro-4-amino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine (ISO), and diaminochlorotriazine (DACT), using freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were incubated with 1.74, 44, 98, and 266 μM ATRA. Disappearance of ATRA and formation of the Cl-TRI metabolites were quantified over 90 min. At all incubation concentrations, ATRA was preferentially metabolized to ETHYL, producing ETHYL concentrations approximately 6 times higher than those of ISO. DACT concentrations peaked at 44 μM ATRA and decreased with increasing incubation concentrations, indicating non-linear metabolic behavior of ATRA with respect to DACT formation. A series of kinetic models were developed from these data to describe the dose and time-dependent oxidative metabolism of ATRA and the Cl-TRI metabolites. An integrated model for all the chloro-triazines included multi-substrate competitive inhibition of metabolism to describe the non-linear behavior of DACT production in relation to ATRA while simultaneously simulating the time-course behavior of the Cl-TRIs at all four ATRA concentrations. The maximal metabolic rate (Vmax) of ATRA metabolism and the Michaelis–Menten constant (KM) for the reaction were 1.6 μM/min and 30 μM, respectively. Vmax and KM values for ETHYL and ISO metabolism to DACT were also estimated using this modeling approach.
Training attentional control in older adults.

Recent research has demonstrated benefits for older adults from training attentional control using a variable priority strategy, but the construct validity of the training task and the degree to which benefits of training transfer to other contexts are unclear. The goal of this study was to characterize baseline performance on the training task in a sample of 105 healthy older adults and to test for transfer of training in a subset (n = 21). Training gains after 5 days and extent of transfer was compared to another subset (n = 20) that served as a control group. Baseline performance on the training task was characterized by a two-factor model of working memory and processing speed. Processing speed correlated with the training task. Training gains in speed and accuracy were reliable and robust (ps <.001, η(2) = .57 to .90). Transfer to an analogous task was observed (ps <.05, η(2) = .10 to .17). The beneficial effect of training did not translate to improved performance on related measures of processing speed. This study highlights the robust effect of training and transfer to a similar context using a variable priority training task. Although processing speed is an important aspect of the training task, training benefit is either related to an untested aspect of the training task or transfer of training is limited to the training context.
Differing Effects of Age on Heart Rate Variability in Men and Women

Gender and age are both known to affect heart rate variability (HRV). Their interaction is not known. HRV, determined from 24-hour Holter recordings, was compared between gender-matched older (15 men and 15 women, aged 67 +/- 3 years, range 64 to 76) and younger (15 men and 15 women, aged 33 +/- 4 years, range 26 to 42) subjects selected for an age difference of approximately 35 years. HRV for older and younger subjects was compared separately by gender. HRV was also compared by gender within groups. Heart rates were significantly higher, and all time and frequency domain indexes of HRV were significantly lower among the older than among the younger men. Among the women only the shorter term indexes of HRV were significantly lower in the older group. When HRV was compared by gender within age groups, there were no significant differences between men and women in the older group. In the younger group, men had lower heart rates, and all 24-hour time domain indexes of HRV, except those that reflect vagal modulation of heart rate, were significantly higher than those in women. We conclude that HRV is comparable in older men and women. However, HRV is differently affected by age. In men, for whom initial levels of HRV are significantly higher, older age is associated with a global reduction in HRV, reflecting reductions in both sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation and a loss of circadian variability. In women, older age is associated mainly with a decline in shorter term indexes of HRV without significant changes in circadian variability.
Comparing Function and Affordance as Bases for Design

A major objective of engineering design research has been the establishment of design science. Toward this end, there is a need to establish the fundamental concepts that should underlie the basic theories comprising a science of design. The purpose of this paper is to compare two concepts that have been proposed as bases for design—the concept of function and the concept of affordance. After exploring the history-to-date and current application of these concepts of design, they are then compared. In many respects, affordance and function complement each other, such as in describing artifacts and combining existing design methods. However, in other respects, these two concepts differ greatly, as in their theoretical underpinnings, degree of complexity, and acceptance. The issue of the degree of complexity entailed in the two concepts of affordance and function is given particular attention as it of special importance in understanding the differences between affordance and function. It is concluded that the concept of function, because it describes a simple input / output relationship, is appropriate to use in the context of the transformative type aspects of the design of artifacts. However, when the larger complex context of design is considered, including not only the artifact, but the designer and user, and all the interactions in between, the concept of affordance is appropriate because it describe complex relationships. Hence function is an appropriate basis for the design of the transformative technical character of an artifact. However affordance is an appropriate basis for the design activity in general.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Differential life-styles between migrants and nonmigrants: A case study of the city of Shiraz, Iran.

The migration pattern to Shiraz, a southern city of Iran, is not consistent with the general pattern observed in cities of the other developing nations. Migrants to Shiraz are largely from other cities, and they are more advanced educationally and socioeconomically and less traditional than native Shirazi. This study is based on 1,061 interview cases collected at random. The sample consists of 612 nonmigrants, 125 rural migrants and 324 urban migrants. These groups were compared on thirtyfour indices measuring various facets of the respondents’ life-styles. The three groups differed statistically on most of the indices. Fatalism and possession of modern appliances were the most important factors differentiating the three groups.
Concurrent and Long-Term Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Employment Stability:

Previous research suggests that experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) may negatively affect employment outcomes. This study explores the relationship between IPV and employment stability both concurrently and longitudinally among a sample of 512 predominantly Asian American and Pacific Islander young women living in Hawaii. Women in this study were identified as being at risk of child maltreatment. About half of women indicated that their current relationship status was married or living together. More than two-thirds of women had graduated from high school and half had worked in the past year. The study explored the concurrent association of IPV and employment by assessing them simultaneously over a 12 month time period. The study examined the longitudinal impact of IPV by analyzing violence at two time points as predictors of unstable employment 6 to 8 years later. The study also explored the mediating effects of depression. Study results demonstrated both concurrent and longitudinal negative associations of IPV with employment stability. Women who experienced violence were more likely to be experiencing unstable employment concurrently. Women who experienced IPV at one point in time had lower levels of employment stability six years later. This decrease was partially mediated by experiencing depressive symptoms. Women who identified their primary ethnicity as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander were much more likely to experience unstable employment than Asian American women. More research is needed to explore the roles of mental health, race and ethnicity, and types of violence in the relationship between IPV and employment.
Sodium consumption following lesions surrounding the anteroventral third ventricle

Consumption of sodium solution was measured in rats with lesions of the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) and maintained on sodium deficient chow. Rats with AV3V lesions consumed less sodium than control animals, and increased their sodium consumption following a subcutaneous injection of Formalin. These data indicate that the AV3V ablation alters the nature of the regulatory control of sodium but does not render animals insensitive to plasma sodium levels.
Prescription for successful extended inflation

Abstract Extended inflation is a new approach to inflationary cosmology based on models closely related to Brans-Dicke theory; e.g., certain induced gravity, supergravity, and superstring models. In each of these theories, the effective gravitational constant is a function of some scalar field, o, which varies with time during the inflationary phase transition. We show that a model consistent with astrophysical and cosmological bounds must include a non-trivial potential for o and the Brans-Dicke parameter, b , must lie in the range 1.5 b
Reduction of Vibrio vulnificus in pure culture, half shell and whole shell oysters (Crassostrea virginica) by X-ray.

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to study the inactivation effect of X-ray treatments on inoculated Vibrio vulnificus in pure culture, half shell and whole shell oysters to achieve a 5.0 log reduction, which is recommended by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference and the Food and Drug Administration. A mixed culture of three V. vulnificus strains was used to prepare the pure culture and inoculated oysters. The pure culture and inoculated oysters were treated with 0.0, 0.1, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 kGy X-ray at 22 °C and 50–60% relative humidity. Surviving bacterial populations in the pure culture and inoculated oysters were enumerated using overlay-plating method [with a non-selective media (trypticase soy agar) followed by a selective medium (Modified Cellobiose-Polymyxin B-Colistin) and most probable number (MPN) method. Greater than a 6-log reduction of V. vulnificus was achieved with 0.75, 1.0 3.0 kGy X-ray in pure culture, half shell and whole shell oysters, respectively. Treatment with 0.75 kGy X-ray significantly (p
A Heterosexual Therapist's Journey Toward Working with Same-Sex Couples

SUMMARY This paper presents the thoughts and ethical problems faced by a heterosexual therapist who works with same sex couples. It discusses the mistakes made throughout his career as a clinician, and provides advice for others based on these experiences.
In utero diagnosis and treatment of severe rhesus iso-immunisation by use of intravascular techniques

SummaryForty-one pregnancies complicated by rhesus (D) iso-immunisation were managed by serial fetal blood sampling and in utero intravascular transfusion.Eighteen patients were only monitored with fetal blood sampling during pregnancy. Fetal blood group and rhesus factor, haematocrit, bilirubin levels, albumin concentrations and acid-base balance were determined. In this group all patients delivered at term without complications.Twenty-three patients had 42 intravascular transfusions. The ‘procedure related’ fetal loss rate was 2.3 per cent. Obstetric management was individualised according to serial fetal haematocrit estimations, acid base balance and cardiotocographic monitoring of each patient. The overall perinatal survival rate was 87 per cent.
Why Should I Use University Library Website Resources? Discipline Differences

Abstract Users across academic disciplines utilize different information sources based on the resource's usefulness and relevance. This study's findings show that users from arts and sciences disciplines are much more likely to utilize university library website resources and printed materials than business users who heavily rely on commercial websites.
Progestin inhibition of cell death in human breast cancer cell lines.

Abstract Previously, we have shown that progestins both stimulate proliferation of the progesterone receptor (PR)-rich human breast cancer cell line T47D and protect from cell death, in charcoal-stripped serum-containing medium. To lessen the variability inherent in different preparations of serum, we decided to further characterize progestin inhibition of cell death using serum starvation to kill the cells, and find that progestins protect from serum-starvation-induced apoptosis in T47D cells. This effect exhibits specificity for progestins and is inhibited by the antiprogestin RU486. While progestin inhibits cell death in a dose–responsive manner at physiological concentrations, estradiol-17β surprisingly does not inhibit cell death at any concentration from 0.001 nM to 1 μM. Progestin inhibition of cell death also occurs in at least two other human breast cancer cell lines, one with an intermediate level of PR, MCF-7 cells, and, surprisingly, one with no detectable level of PR, MDA-MB-231 cells. Further, we have found progestin inhibition of cell death caused by the breast cancer chemotherapeutic agents doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil. These data are consistent with the building body of evidence that progestins are not the benign hormones for breast cancer they have been so long thought to be, but may be harmful both for undiagnosed cases and those undergoing treatment.
Frequent multiunit plateletpheresis from single donors: effects on donors' blood and the platelet yield.

Two thousand plateletpheresis procedures performed on 335 donors by either semicontinuous flow centrifu-gation (Haemonetics Model 30) or a multiple bag technique were analyzed for effects on donors and the yield of platelets. The platelet yield was independent of collection method, number of prior donations and donor's hematocrit. It varied directly with the donors' platelet count and was significantly higher for women donating by semi-continuous flow centrifugation. Even at the lowest platelet harvest, the number of platelets obtained was sufficient to meet federal standards for platelet collection procedures. Donor platelet counts decreased following the first multiunit plateletpheresis procedure. After the equivalent of continued alternate day platelet collections the count reached a mean low of 70 per cent as compared to the precollection count, occurring after six to eight donations. The yield was comparably reduced to a mean of 64 per cent. By the tenth donation platelet counts had returned to baseline values, apparently as a result of increased production by the marrow. Similarly, platelet yields returned to higher (i.e. normal) levels. Further donations did not cause platelet counts or yields to vary from normal values. Repeated daily plateletpheresis resulted in more variability in donor platelet counts. Since none of the donors was subjected to this procedure for more than nine consecutive days, marrow response could not be assessed. Comparing number of donations, donor platelet counts and subsequent yields, there was no difference between daily pheresis and an alternate day schedule. Donor hematocrits were not changed by these frequent collections and other side effects were not observed. This study indicates that repeated multiunit plateletpheresis can continuously provide adequate platelet yields without adversely affecting donors.
Nitrate assimilation by decapitated corn root systems: effects of ammonium during induction

Abstract Development of the accelerated phase of nitrate uptake by darkgrown decapitated corn seedlings upon first exposure to nitrate (1.0 mM, pH 6, 30°C) was restricted by the presence of ambient ammonium (0.5 mM (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ). Upon transfer to ammonium-free solutions, the increase in the nitrate uptake rate paralleled the increase in seedlings not exposed to ammonium, but did not, within 6 h, completely recover to yield the rate occuring in the absence of ammonium throughout. In contrast, the restriction in potassium uptake was completely eliminated within 2 h following transfer. Presence of ammonium decreased reduction of [ 15 N]nitrate and in vitro nitrate reductase activity (NRA) of the root tissue, but the decrease in [ 15 N]nitrate reduction was not sufficient to account for the decrease in uptake. The data are interpreted as indicating that ammonium exerted a detrimental effect on the formation of the nitrate uptake system.
Separation of hydrophilic thiols using reversed-phase chromatography with trihaloacetate buffers

Abstract The reversed-phase retention behavior of several neutral and cationic hydrophilic thiols using trihaloacetic acid pairing agents is studied. Retention of cationic compounds increases with the size of the halogen substituent in the order: trifluoro-
Co-release of endogenous ATP and noradrenaline from guinea-pig mesenteric veins exceeds co-release from mesenteric arteries.

SUMMARY 1. The present study was designed to compare the overflow of sympathetic neurotransmitters of guinea-pig inferior mesenteric artery and mesenteric vein evoked by electrical field stimulation (EFS) with special emphasis on the simultaneous release of ATP and noradrenaline (NA). The stimulation-evoked overflow of ADP, AMP and adenosine was also evaluated. 2. Endothelium-denuded segments of inferior mesenteric arteries or veins were superfused in a small volume (200 μL)-chamber for EFS and subsequent detection of NA (HPLC– electrochemical detection) and adenine nucleotides and adenosine (HPLC–fluorescence detection) in samples of the superfusate. 3. Both arteries and veins responded to EFS (15 V, 4–16 Hz, 0.3 msec for 60 s) with overflow of ATP and NA in a tetrodotoxin (1 μmol/L)- and guanethidine (10 μmol/L)-sensitive manner. The EFS-evoked overflow of NA in veins exceeded the overflow of NA in arteries at all frequencies of stimulation, whereas the EFS-evoked overflow of ATP, ADP and AMP in veins exceeded the overflow of adenine nucleotides in arteries at 4 and 8 Hz but not at 16 Hz stimulation. The EFS–evoked overflow of adenosine was similar in arteries and veins. 4. Activation of α1-adrenoceptors with methoxamine (10 μmol/L) did not produce overflow of ATP. 5. Blockade of α1/α2-adrenoceptors with phentolamine (1 μmol/L) did not affect EFS-evoked overflow of ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine. 6. It is concluded that overflow of ATP and NA from sympathetic nerves may constitute an effective mechanism in the complex balance between capacitance and resistance in splanchnic circulation.
A Field-Based Method for Determination of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in Water Based on CO2 and Carbonate Equilibria

The processing, storage, and flux of inorganic carbon in rivers and streams play an influential role in the lateral transfer of atmospheric and terrestrial carbon to the marine environment. Quantifying and understanding this transfer requires a rapid and accurate means of measuring representative concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and CO2 in field settings. This paper describes a field method for the determination of DIC based on the direct measurement of dissolved CO2 using a commercial carbonation meter. A 100-mL water sample is combined with 10 mL of a high ionic strength, low-pH, citrate buffer, mixed well, and the dissolved CO2 concentration is measured directly. The DIC is then calculated based on the dissolved CO2 concentration, buffer-controlled ionic strength, pH, and temperature of the mixture. The method was accurate, precise, and comparable to standard laboratory analytical methods when tested using prepared sodium bicarbonate solutions up to 40 mM DIC, North Atlantic seawater, commercial bottled waters, and carbonate spring waters. Coal mine drainage waters were also tested and often contained higher DIC concentrations in the field than in subsequent laboratory measurements; the greatest discrepancy was for the high-CO2 samples, suggesting that degassing occurred after sample collection. For chemically unstable waters and low-pH waters, such as those from high-CO2 mine waters, the proposed field DIC method may enable the collection of DIC data that are more representative of natural settings.
Flow estimate for the perpetual salt fountain

STOMMEL et al. (1955) pointed out the "perpetual salt founta in" as an interesting oceanographical curiosity that might possibly be used for pumping up nutrient-rich deep water to the surface for ocean farming applications. The fountain would work in a region where there is a salinity minimum below the warm surface layer of the ocean. STOMMEL et aL state, " If a long tube were lowered from the surface to depth of low salinity water, and the deep water were slowly pumped to the surface through the tube, and the pump then disconnected, the water would continue to flow, by itself, forever. This remarkable phenomenon occurs because slow motion through the tube allows the water inside to attain the same temperature as the surrounding water. Its salinity, and hence density, is therefore less than that of its surroundings outside the tube, and hence the entire column of water inside the tube is buoyant with respect to the fluid outside at the same level. If the direction of pumping is reversed, so that the fluid initially goes downward, it will of course continue to flow downward forever on account of its excess in density over that of the water outside the tube." In order to estimate the rate of flow in the salt fountain, let us assume that a straight tube of length L extends slanting from the surface to a depth h in a horizontally stratified ocean. The vertical co-ordinate y is taken positive downward and zero at the surface, and 0 (y) and S (y) represent the temperature and salinity, respectively, of the ocean. Inside the tube the salinity is uniformly equal to S (h) for upward flow and the temperature is designated by 4' (Y), steady state being assumed. Taking the temperature inside the tube as a function only of y presupposes complete mixing in any horizontal layer and leads to a slight over-estimate of heat conduction and hence flow rate especially in the case of laminar flow, but this will not seriously affect the results. The water density inside and outside the tube is taken as a linear
Cycloadditions of tetracyanoethylene with dienes and electron rich alkenes: A search for ET mechanisms employing sensitive cation radical probes

Abstract Cycloadditions of tetracyanoethylene with electron rich alkenes are investigated using sensitive cation radical probes. The results support a direct cycloaddition mechanism as opposed to one involving initial electron transfer.
Molecular Characterization of Mouse Gastric Zymogenic Cells

Zymogenic cells (ZCs), acid-producing parietal cells (PCs), and mucus-secreting pit cells are the principal epithelial lineages in the stomachs of adult mice and humans. Each lineage is derived from the multipotent gastric stem cell and undergoes perpetual renewal within discrete mucosal invaginations (gastric units). In this report, we analyze the molecular features of ZCs and their contributions to gastric epithelial homeostasis. GeneChip analysis yielded a dataset of 57 mRNAs encoding known proteins and 14 ESTs enriched in adult mouse ZCs. This dataset, obtained from comparisons of cellular populations purified by counterflow elutriation and lectin panning, was validated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR studies of the in vivo expression of selected genes using cells harvested from different regions of gastric units by laser capture microdissection. ZC-enriched mRNAs include regulators of angiogenesis (e.g. platelet-derived growth factors A and B). Because PCs are enriched in transcripts encoding other angiogenic factors (e.g. Vegfb), the contributions of these two lineages to vascular development was examined by performing quantitative three-dimensional imaging of the capillary networks that surround gastric units in two types of mice. In normal adult gnotobiotic FVB/N animals, network density is on average 2-fold higher in ZC- and PC-containing units located in the proximal (corpus) region of the stomach compared with units positioned in the distal (antral) region that lack these lineages (p
Pedagogical Ethics for Teaching Social Justice in Teacher Education

The intellectual exercise of social justice invokes the passion, the courage, and the spirit of human potential for a just, open world. A discussion on social justice is best captured in stories of individuals who can bear witness to their own lived realities of dichotomies such as liberty and oppression; inclusiveness and exclusion; or collaboration and isolation. Their stories mirror the meaning that individuals attach to social justice but not necessarily how social justice is interpreted in their societies. Nevertheless, when the ills of society affect not only one or more sectors of society but threatens the mere structure of the dominant society or its survival, then there is a shared “lived reality” of broader social dichotomies such as dictatorship and democracy, egalitarian and repressive governments; prosperity and famine; peace and war; and others.
Modeling of soft magnetic composites

The electromagnetic properties of soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are studied based on a finite element model. In this approach, SMCs are modeled as an infinite array of hexagonal cylinders in two dimensions. Each cylinder is assumed to be saturable pure iron coated with a thin layer of binder or insulation. The array is excited by a current sheet or imposed fluxes to generate static average saturation characteristics (B-H or /spl mu/-B curves). The effects of insulation thickness, particle size, composite; contact; porosity; fill base metal, contacts and porosity are evaluated by varying the parameters and geometric details of the model. In addition, preliminary studies of eddy current behavior were undertaken. They show that conductivity in SMC is not of typical nature.
Plasmonic nearfield scanning probe with high transmission

Nearfield scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) offers a practical means of optical imaging, optical sensing, and nanolithography at a resolution below the diffraction limit of the light. However, its applications are limited due to the strong attenuation of the light transmitted through the subwavelength aperture. To solve this problem, we report the development of plasmonic nearfield scanning optical microscope with an efficient nearfield focusing. By exciting surface plasmons, plasmonic NSOM probes are capable of confining light into a 100 nm spot. We show by nearfield lithography experiments that the intensity at the near field is at least one order stronger than the intensity obtained from the conventional NSOM probes under the same illumination condition. Such a high efficiency can enable plasmonic NSOM as a practical tool for nearfield lithography, data storage, cellular visualization, and many other applications requiring efficient transmission with high resolution.
Choosing a Civil Engineering Career: Some Market Research Findings

The facts and trends affecting entry into the civil engineering profession merit the serious attention of all those concerned with providing high-quality civil engineering services to society. An extensive market research study, involving 17 focus groups comprising students, parents, teachers, counselors, engineering faculty, and practicing civil engineers confirmed that the civil engineering profession faces serious image and recruiting problems. The image of civil engineering among students and their adult influencers is unflattering, inaccurate, and almost nonexistent. Precollege mathematics and science curriculums generally do a poor job of communicating the relevance of these subjects, and informing students of the career possibilities in engi­ neering and other technical fields. An intervention program that incorporates heightening the awareness of engineering, technology, and civil engineering; increasing the retention of the pool of students with interest and ability in these fields; and modifying curriculum from kindergarten through college is proposed. A successful program would produce a better informed, more highly motivated, and more diverse pool of civil engineering students and graduates.
Product publicity: Low cost and high credibility

Abstract Product publicity—media coverage of a product or service which assists in reaching marketing goals—has long been recognized by industrial marketing practitioners as a useful promotional tool. This article specifies the situations which favor the use of product publicity, with special reference to industrial promotion, and discusses practical applications of product publicity in industrial marketing.
Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) flow sensor

The use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to measure the rate of gas flow is described. A SAW oscillator heated to a suitable temperature above ambient is placed in the path of a flowing gas. Convective cooling caused by the gas flow results in a change in the oscillator frequency. A 73-MHz oscillator fabricated on 128 degrees rotated Y-cut lithium niobate substrate and heated to 55 degrees C above ambient shows a frequency variation greater than 142 kHz for flow-rate variation from 0 to 1000 cm/sup 3//min. The output of the sensor can be calibrated to provide a measurement of volume flow rate, pressure differential across channel ports, or mass flow rate. High sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and direct digital output are among the attractive features of this sensor. Theoretical expressions for the sensitivity and response time of the sensor are derived. It is shown that by using ultrasonic Lamb waves, propagating in thin membranes, a flow sensor with faster response than a SAW sensor can be realized. >
Dielectric loss control of high-k polymer composites by Coulomb blockade effects of metal nanoparticles for embedded capacitor applications

Novel materials for embedded passive applications are in great and urgent demands. High dielectric constant and low dielectric loss are the most important dielectric materials prerequisites for embedded capacitors. It was demonstrated by the authors' that the carbon black (CB)/epoxy composites achieved ultra high K (>13,000). High dielectric loss, however, is the key issue of this material system. In this presentation, a novel method was introduced to control the dielectric loss of dielectric composites by taking advantage of the Coulomb blockade effect, the well-known quantum effect of metal nanoparticles. The increased K value and decreased dissipation factor were observed by the incorporation of in-situ formed Ag nanoparticles. The remarkably increased dielectric constant of the interfacial polarization-based composites is due to the piling of charges at the extended interface. The reduced dielectric loss was observed in the high dielectric constant composite materials containing silver (Ag) nanoparticles in virtue of Coulomb blockade effect. Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the microstructure of the Ag/epoxy composites and the Ag/CB/epoxy composites in order to correlate the structure and morphology of the composites with the dielectric properties.
Unique Sets Oriented Parallelization of Loops with Non-uniform Dependences

Although many methods exist for nested loop partitioning, most of them perform poorly when parallelizing loops with non-uniform dependences. This paper addresses the issue of automatic parallelization of loops with non-uniform dependences. Such loops are normally not parallelized by existing parallelizing compilers and transformations. Even when parallelized in rare instances, the performance is very poor. Our approach is based on the 'convex hull' theory which has adequate information to handle non-uniform dependences. We introduce the concept of'complete dependence convex hull', 'unique head and tail sets' and abstract the dependence information into these sets. These sets form the basis of the iteration space partitions. The properties of the unique head and tail sets are derived. Depending on the relative placement of these unique sets, partitioning schemes are suggested for implementation of our technique. Implementation results of our scheme on the Cray J916 and comparison with other schemes show the superiority of our technique.
Algebraic Guide Generation

Suitable reference marks are an important part of creating an understandable visualization. The reference marks create the frame in which the data is understood, thereby preserving the context of the data and allowing the transition from data to information to be made. However, reference marks (including legends, axial and point labels) are given insufficient attention in many visualization frameworks. When explicitly present, they often require completely separate specification from the visualization for which they are a reference. This paper presents a framework independent method for deriving reference marks from the data analysis pathway. We also describe how this approach has been implemented in the Stencil library, and how it may be implemented in other libraries.