cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural circuit competition in cocaine-seeking: roles of the infralimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens shell

Following cocaine self-administration and extinction training, activity in the infralimbic cortex (IL) suppresses cocaine-seeking behavior. IL inactivation induces cocaine-seeking whereas activation suppresses cocaine-reinstated drug-seeking. We asked how the suppression of cocaine-seeking induced by IL activation integrates with the circuitry promoting reinstated cocaine-seeking. Following cocaine self-administration and extinction training, rats underwent cue-induced reinstatement. In order to activate IL projections, microinjections of PEPA, a positive allosteric modulator of AMPA receptors, were made into the IL in combination with microinjections into a variety of nuclei known to regulate cocaine-seeking. Intra-IL PEPA administration suppressed cue-induced reinstatement without affecting locomotor activity. The suppression of cocaine-seeking was reversed by activating dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area with microinjections of the μ-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO, and was partially reversed by dopamine microinjections into the prelimbic cortex or basolateral amygdala. Previous evidence suggests that the nucleus accumbens shell both promotes and suppresses cocaine-seeking. The suppression of cue-induced cocaine seeking by PEPA in the IL was reversed by intra-shell microinjections of either dopamine or the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX, suggesting that the accumbens shell bidirectionally regulates cocaine-seeking depending on whether dopamine input is mimicked or glutamate input is inhibited. Together, these findings indicate that the IL acts 'upstream' from structures promoting cocaine-seeking, including from the mesolimbic dopamine projections to the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala, and that the accumbens shell may be a crucial point of integration between the circuits that promote (ventral tegmental area) and inhibit (IL) reinstated cocaine-seeking.
Multiple Determinants and Effect Size

Effect sizes such as correlation coefficients and standardized mean differences gain meaning in the context of how the relevant variables are measured and the causal model in which the variables are embedded. Whether a particular effect size is judged to be small or large hinges on how much measurement error is present, whether the relevant target variables share causal variables, and the redundancy of those shared influences. Effect sizes are attenuated by measurement error and are larger when target variables share many rather than few causal determinants, especially when the causal determinants are correlated. Keywords: data analysis in psychology; statistical methods in psychology; cause-and-effect-relationships; clinical significance; meta-analysis methodology; statistical powe; rstructural equation modeling
Persistent Patterns of Thunderstorm Activity in the Central United States

Abstract Observations of thunderstorm events by mouth for the period 1948–77 at 106 stations in the central United States are used to examine persistent spatial patterns in thunderstorm occurrence. A principal components analysis reveals that nearly 55% of the variance is explained by the first four components. An oblique rotation was performed using the first four components, with distinct synoptic-scale patterns revealed. The synoptic environments of four months representative of the four rotated components arc briefly described. A regionalization is presented that was developed by assigning each grid point to the rotated component on which it has the highest loading.
Sweating: Its Rapid Response to Muscular Work

Marked increases in sweating rate occurred within 1.5 seconds after the initiation of muscular activity in a warm room. This increase did not seem dependent upon thermal stimuli, but was related to the work rate, and the ambient temperature, or the sweating rate during the pre-exercise perhiod.
Repeated DNA sequences in Triticum (Poaceae): Chromosomal mapping and its bearing on the evolution of B and G genomes

The somatic chromosomes ofTriticum turgicum var.durum cv. Langdon andT. dicoccoides (AABB tetraploids),T. timopheevii, andT. araraticum (AAGG tetraploids) were assayed for distribution patterns of a highly repeated 120bp DNA sequence by in situ hybridization. The repeated sequence appears to be an ancient sequence shared withSecale andAegilops. The distribution patterns of the chromosomes were compared to the patterns of the A and B genome chromosomes ofT. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (AABBDD hexaploid).T. turgidum andT. dicoccoides were observed to have identical in situ hybridization patterns. In both species, nine chromosomes with a total of 21 sites of hybridization were observed. The pattern, with few exceptions, was identical to that of Chinese Spring.T. araraticum andT. timopheevii were observed to have different patterns. InT. araraticum, six chromosomes with 21 total hybridization sites are present while inT. timopheevii nine chromosomes with 19 total sites exist. Major differences in hybridization patterns were observed between the B and G genomes. The divergence of the tetraploid wheats in this study appears to have resulted in changes in location, not in amount, of the ancient repeated sequence.
Cost effectiveness of wearing head protection on all-terrain vehicles

ABSTRACT The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) has increased in the United States and elsewhere over the last three decades, along with an increased frequency of incidents resulting in serious injuries, among which have been head injuries. ATVs are designed for motorized off-highway work and recreation, can weigh up to 600 lbs (272 kg), and may reach speeds as high as 75 mph (120 km/h). ATV crashes, including collisions and overturns, were responsible for 8104 fatalities from 1982 to 2006. One third of those killed were youth under 16 years of age. Helmets may reduce risk of death by 42% and nonfatal injury by 64%. In this study, a decision analysis was applied to determine the potential reduction in the rate of fatal and nonfatal head injuries associated with crashes, based upon the universal wearing of head protection while riding on ATVs. In addition, based upon this reduction in injury rate, a cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted to determine the savings per injury averted among ATV riders with ...
Use of a modified Denver peritoneovenous shunt in a newborn with intractable ascites.

Abstract This is a report of the successful use of a modified Denver peritoneovenous shunt to treat intractable ascites in a newborn.
Large-scale, differential summer habitat use of three anadromous salmonids in a large river basin in Oregon, USA

The summer distribution of three juvenile anadromous salmonid species was compared in the mainstem sections and nine tributaries of the Upper South Umpqua River Basin, Oregon, USA. Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), was found at highest densities in the mainstem and mid-elevation tributaries. Coho salmon, O. kisutch (Walbaum), was essentially absent from the mainstem, but was found at high densities in the low-elevation tributaries. Steelhead trout, O. mykiss (Walbaum), was found in the mainstem and all nine tributaries; the highest densities of this species were in the upper mainstem reaches and high-elevation tributaries. No significant correlations were found between ranks of mainstem and tributary densities among the three species (Spearman's rs;P > 0.05). Observed spatial segregation of basin habitat by these species during summer indicated that protection provided at the level of the river basin will be necessary to assure the continued existence of all stocks.
Passive administration of monoclonal antibodies to anthrolysin O prolong survival in mice lethally infected with Bacillus anthracis.

Bacillus anthracis has two major virulence factors: a tripartite toxin that produces lethal and edema toxins and a polyglutamic acid capsule. A recent report suggested that a toxin belonging to the cholesterol dependant cytolysin (CDC) family, anthrolysin O (ALO) was a new virulence factor for B. anthracis but subsequent studies have questioned its relevance in pathogenesis. In this study, we examined the immunogenicity of recombinant anthrolysin O (rALO) in mice. BALB/c mice immunized with rALO and boosted after two weeks, produce sera with strong Ab responses with a predominance of IgG1 and IgG2a. Five hybridomas to rALO were recovered representing the IgM, IgG1, and IgG2b isotypes. Passive administration of 3 of the five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to rALO prior to infection with lethal intravenous (i.v.) B. anthracis Sterne strain infection in mice was associated with enhanced average survival and a greater likelihood of surviving infection. A combination of two mAbs to ALO was more effective than either mAb separately. One mAb (64F8) slowed the toxicity of rALO for J774.16 macrophage-like cells. Our results suggest that ALO contributes to the virulence of B. anthracis Sterne strain in this infection model and that Ab response to ALO may contribute to protection in certain circumstances.
The Effect of Cations on the Viscosity of Lambda‐Carrageenan

SUMMARY —Viscosity readings with three rates of shear for each of six time intervals were obtained for 0.5% dispersions of lambda carrageenan ion-exchanged with AICI3, NH3Cl, CaCl2, FeCl2 MgCl2, NaCl, and SnCl2 in deionized water and in solutions of increasing concentrations of the respective salts, Similar data was collected for unexchanged lambda-carrageenan in deionized water and in solutions of increasing concentrations of the forementioned salts and KCI. The addition of any salt to the water in which lambda-carrageenan was dispersed or to the carrageenan itself through ion-exchange caused a highly significant decrease in viscosity. Salts of Al, Fe+2, Fe+, and Sn caused severe reductions of viscosities to l/7–1/10 that of the original sample. Increasing concentrations of the monovalent cations caused further viscosity reductions. However, the dispersions containing the divalent cations were more viscous at 0.05N level of concentration than at the 0.0125N level, but they did not approach the viscosity of the sample in deionized water alone. Similar trends for the effect of cations were found in both the ion-exchanged and the unexchanged lambda-carrageenan series.
Islamic Mobilization: Social Movement Theory and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood

This article examines the emergence and growth of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt from the 1930s through the 1950s. It begins by outlining and empirically evaluating possible explanations for the o...
Efficient test response compression for multiple-output circuits

A major obstacle to achieving high fault coverage in built-in self testing (BIST) methods that employ response compression is aliasing, which occurs when a faulty circuit's signature maps to the fault-free signature. Another problem with many compression methods is that they are inefficient for multiple-output circuits. We present data showing that in most cases, faults are sensitized to an odd number of outputs, even when reduced test sets are used. This suggests that odd-parity detection alone provides very high fault coverage. We then introduce several systematic design techniques that guarantee zero-aliasing compression for single stuck-line faults in multiple-output circuits. We present the results of applying this approach to the ISCAS combinational benchmark circuits using both reduced and pseudorandom test sets. Our experiments show that very high fault coverage (up to 100%) can be achieved with small test sets and low hardware overhead.
The methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins of E. coli: A repellent-stimulated, covalent modification, distinct from methylation

Abstract The methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) of Escherichia coli are integral membrane proteins that have been shown to undergo reversible methylation in response to the addition of attractants. We have shown that a second, rapid modification of MCPI and MCPII occurs, which is repellent-stimulated. This modification, which is not methylation, was detected because it causes a decrease in mobility of the MCPs on 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels with a high acrylamide to bisacrylamide ratio. We have designated this modification as the CheB-modification, as it is dependent on the cheB gene product. The CheB-modification causes a decrease in the isoelectric point of MCPII by one or two charge groups. The CheB-modification is not necessary for the methylation, nor does it preclude methylation of the MCPs. Both the CheB-modified form and the unmodified, unmethylated forms of the MCPs are stable to treatment with base, which results in the hydrolysis of the methylesters (demethylation) of the MCPs. The potential role of CheB-modification in chemotaxis is discussed.
New Neurons Don’t Talk Back

GABAergic interneurons enforce highly sparse activity patterns in principal neurons of the dentate gyrus. In this issue of Neuron, Temprana et al. (2015) show that immature adult-born neurons largely function independently of inhibitory feedback circuits, neither receiving nor generating feedback inhibition.
The protein-folding speed limit: Intrachain diffusion times set by electron-transfer rates in denatured Ru(NH3)5(His-33)-Zn-cytochrome c

The kinetics of electron transfer from the triplet-excited Zn-porphyrin to a Ru(NH3)(5)(His-33)(3+) complex have been measured in Zn-substituted ruthenium-modified cytochrome c under denaturing conditions. In the folded protein, the electron-tunneling rate constant is 7.5 x 10(5) s(-1). As the protein is denatured with guanidine hydrochloride, a faster adiabatic electron-transfer reaction appears (4.0 x 10(6) s(-1), [guanidine hydrochloride] = 5.4 M) that is limited by the rate of intrachain diffusion to bring the Zn-porphyrin and Ru complex into contact. The 250-ns contact time for formation of a 15-residue loop in denatured cytochrome c is in accord with a statistical model developed by Camacho and Thirumalai [Camacho, C. J. & Thirumalai, D. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 1277-1281] that predicts that the most probable transient loops formed in denatured proteins are comprised of 10 amino acids. Extrapolation of the cytochrome c contact time to a 10-residue loop sets the folding speed limit at approximate to10(7) s(-1).
Reducing the Burden of Difficult-to-Treat Major Depressive Disorder: Revisiting Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor Therapy.

Objective: Difficult-to-treat depression (eg, depression with atypical or anxious symptoms, treatment-resistant depression, or depression with frequent recurrence) is a challenging real-world health issue. This critical review of the literature focuses on monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) therapy and difficult-to-treat forms of depression. Data Sources: A PubMed literature search was performed in November 2012 and refreshed through January 2013 with no date restrictions using key search terms including MAO inhibitor therapy or MAOI and depression and anxiety, atypical, treatment-resistant, recurrent, relapse, or refractory. Study Selection: Articles were selected to summarize the current needs in difficult-to-treat depression as well as the use of MAOI therapies in this area. Results: Two strategies have fallen out of favor in the care of patients with major depressive disorder. The first is the use of MAOI therapy and the second is the proactive recognition of difficult-to-treat depression that may not respond as well to more frequently used antidepressants. The infrequent use of MAOIs stems from the perception that other oral therapies for depression are safer and easier to use than oral MAOIs; however, transdermal delivery is one potential strategy to improve the safety of this class of agents. Although food-related interactions with transdermal delivery of MAOI therapy can be lessened, clinicians still need to be vigilant for drug-drug interactions and serotonin syndrome. Conclusions: Clinicians should consider MAOIs for patients who have had several unsuccessful trials of antidepressants. Guidelines generally reserve MAOIs as third- and fourth-line treatments due to concerns over safety and tolerability; however, transdermal delivery of an MAOI may allay some of the safety and tolerability concerns. Patients should be provided education about MAOIs and their risks.
Impaired biosynthesis of highly unsaturated phosphatidylcholines: a hypothesis on the molecular etiology of some muscular dystrophies.

A brief review of the literature concerning the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in muscle suggests that the cytidine pathways are replaced by the recently proposed acyl-specific de novo and salvage glycerolphosphodiester pathways ( Infante, 1984 ) in fully differentiated muscle. An analysis of published data suggests an impaired synthesis of 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic phosphatidylcholine, at the level of de novo sn-3-glycerolphosphorylcholine synthesis, as the primary defect in Duchenne and ( dy ) murine muscular dystrophies. This phosphatidylcholine species is postulated to be required for optimum sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ transport activity. It is proposed that this impairment initiates the secondary series of events which lead to the observed pathology of these diseases. Based on some predictions of the hypothesis, potential diagnosis and treatments are suggested.
Betel quid: Its tremor-producing effects in residents of Araihazar, Bangladesh

Betel quid consists of a betel nut (Areca catechu) and other additives. It is chewed throughout Asia and is the fourth most commonly used addictive substance in the world. Its stimulant properties are mediated by arecoline and other toxins. The neurological effects of betel quid use have not been studied extensively. To assess tremor, 100 residents of Araihazar, Bangladesh, were asked to draw spirals, which were rated by a blinded neurologist. The average tremor rating was 50% higher in exposed versus unexposed individuals. Betel quid use can produce clinically evident tremor. Population-based epidemiological studies of tremor in Asia should begin to take the effect of this stimulant into account.
Marketing Considerations in Services Production Tasks: Educational Implications

(1989). Marketing Considerations in Services Production Tasks: Educational Implications. Journal of Education for Business: Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 183-187.
The division of labor and economic development

Building on three widely accepted premises (productivity gains from the division of labor, efficiency gains derived from the proximity of suppliers and users of certain inputs, the division of labor is limited by the extent of the market) this paper shows that a small, open economy may be caught in an underdevelopment trap in which a shallow division of labor (i.e., a low variety of specialized inputs) is self-reinforcing. In turn, the shallow division of labor leads to a relatively low rate of return to capital, so foreign investment or domestic capital accumulation may not materialize.
Effects of Computer Assisted Visual Scanning Training in the Treatment of Visual Neglect

This article reports the effects of visual scanning training using a computer software program with three patients with right-brain damage following stroke. This preliminary case study focuses on the possibility of the near transfer effects of visual scanning training. Study results showed some treatment effect in three patients following visual scanning skills training after four weeks. The results of this study add to the data available on computer applications for visual perceptual remediation.
Spectral Measures, Orthogonal Polynomials, and Absolute Continuity

This paper studies the spectral measure of an unbounded tridiagonal matrix operator for which the matrix entries satisfy a certain growth condition, and presents a sufficient condition for the existence of an absolutely continuous part. The results are related to a class of orthogonal polynomials with exponential weights.
Expression and regulation of mRNA for putative fatty acid transport related proteins and fatty acyl CoA synthase in murine epidermis and cultured human keratinocytes.

The epidermis has a requirement for fatty acids in order to synthesize cellular membranes and the extracellular lipid lamellar membranes in the stratum corneum. Despite high endogenous production of fatty acids the transport of exogenous essential fatty acids into the epidermis is an absolute requirement. Fatty acid uptake by keratinocytes has been shown to be mediated by a transport system. In this study we determined in murine epidermis and human cultured keratinocytes the expression of three putative fatty acid transport related proteins and fatty acyl CoA synthase, an enzyme that facilitates the uptake of fatty acids by promoting their metabolism. In cultured human keratinocytes, mRNA for fatty acid transport protein (FATP), plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABP-pm), and fatty acyl CoA synthase (FACS) were detectable. Differentiation, induced by high calcium, did not affect FATP mRNA levels, but resulted in an ≈50% increase in FACS mRNA, while decreasing FABP-pm mRNA by 50%. Fatty acid translocase (FAT) mRNA was not detected in cultured human keratinocytes. In murine epidermis, FATP, FABP-pm, FACS, and FAT mRNA were all present. Barrier disruption by either tape stripping or acetone treatment increased FAT mRNA levels by ≈2-fold without affecting FATP, FABP-pm, or FACS. Occlusion with an impermeable membrane immediately after barrier disruption completely blocked the increase in FAT mRNA levels, indicating that this increase is related to barrier disruption rather than a nonspecific injury effect. In summary, this study demonstrates that several putative fatty acid transport related proteins as well as fatty acyl CoA synthase are expressed in keratinocytes and epidermis, and that the expression of these proteins may be regulated by differentiation and/or barrier disruption.
Control of reactivity at carbon electrode surfaces

Abstract Electron transfer kinetics and adsorption were examined at several carbon surfaces, including basal plane highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and glassy carbon (GC). The objective was an understanding of how surface structure affects reactivity. HOPG basal plane exhibited much slower electron transfer rates than GC for all systems studied, and the observed rate constants were several orders of magnitude lower than those predicted from Marcus theory. In addition, HOPG did not adsorb several quinones which showed strong adsorption to GC under similar conditions. Any disturbance to the ordered basal plane (such as near defects) greatly increased electron transfer rates and adsorption. GC exhibited both fast kinetics and strong adsorption, provided the surface was clean. For the case of aquated Eu 2+/3+ , Fe 2+/3+ and V 2+/3+ , mild oxidation of the GC surface greatly increases the observed rate, apparently via an inner-sphere catalytic route involving surface oxides. The results lead to the conclusion that both adsorption and electron transfer are suppressed at HOPG owing to the low density of electronic states near the Fermi level. Disorder at defects or in GC increases the density of states and causes the carbon to behave more like a metal. Activation of Eu 2+/3+ , Fe 2+/3+ and V 2+/3+ by oxidation is consistent with formation of a surface oxide complex via displacement of ligated water.
Doing less by doing more: British government 1979–1993

Britain has developed a long tradition of close co‐operation between government and interest groups, with the consequent erosion of the distinction between ‘public’ and ‘private’. However, the election of Mrs Thatcher's Conservative Government in 1979 saw a determined challenge, both to established groups and to the established ‘policy style’. A new, more active and impositional style of government was attempted, with few institutions and organisations escaping scrutiny. The new approach was characterised by a desire to introduce new rules of the game in many policy areas, a determination to change organisational cultures in both the public and the private sectors, and a wish to change resource allocation mechanisms. Far from introducing a retreat of the state, this new policy style has seen a more interventionist and centralised state in operation. The system may have gyroscopic tendencies, however, in that a gradual return to more familiar state/society relations may be taking place.
Importance of oligoelectrolyte end effects for the thermodynamics of conformational transitions of nucleic acid oligomers: A grand canonical Monte Carlo analysis

Effects of salt concentration on the stabilities of oligonucleotide helices are analyzed directly in terms of delta gamma N----yN identical to gamma denyN - gamma natN, the difference in the salt-nucleotide phosphate preferential interaction coefficients for the denatured state, having yN phosphate charges, and for the native state, having N phosphate charges (y = 1 for hairpin denaturation and y = 0.5 for dimer denaturation). Previous experimental studies of the denaturation of hairpin oligonucleotides (having 18 less than N less than 44) indicate significant differences between delta gamma N----N and delta gamma infinity, the value determined for the denaturation of the corresponding polynucleotide. These differences are thermodynamic manifestations of the oligoelectrolyte end effect. In contrast, the available data on the denaturation of oligonucleotide dimer helices (N less than or equal to 22) imply that differences between delta gamma infinity and delta gamma N----0.5N, and hence oligoelectrolyte end effects, are small or negligible. To determine the origin of these apparently conflicting implications concerning the importance of oligoelectrolyte end effects, we have calculated the N dependence of gamma N from grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations for an idealized model of the structure and charge distribution of each oligomer conformation. Our calculations are in quantitative agreement with the experimental finding for d(TA) hairpin oligomers that -delta gamma N----N decreases linearly as N-1 increases, and with the extant experimental determinations of delta gamma N----0.5N. These results provide an illustration of how the large electrostatic end effects exhibited by the hairpin denaturation data are masked when delta gamma infinity is compared with values of delta gamma N----0.5N for short dimer helices (N less than or equal to 22). For 0.5N greater than 24, -delta gamma N----0.5N is predicted to be a linear function of N-1 whose slope has the opposite sign from, and is more salt-concentration dependent than, the corresponding slope of -delta gamma N----N as a function of N-1. Our calculations also yield predictions about the N dependences of the individual values of gamma N that can be tested by determining Donnan coefficients from membrane dialysis equilibrium experiments. For long enough hairpin and dimer oligonucleotides (yN greater than or equal to 24), in either native or denatured forms, we predict that the (positive) difference gamma infinity - gamma N increases linearly with increasing N-1. For smaller values of N the difference gamma infinity - gamma N continues to increase with increasing N-1.
Side echoes from a sinuous fan channel obscure the structure of submarine fan channel/levee systems, Amazon Fan

A high-resolution bathymetric and seismic study of sinuous midfan channels on the Amazon Fan shows that some common elements of seismic profiles across the channel/levee system may be side echoes (sideswipe) from reflective, coarse channel-floor sediments Which lie to the side of the ship track. This includes portions of a dipping zone of high-amplitude reflectors beneath the channel. If these strong echoes are side echoes rather than buried coarse sediments, there may be less coarse material present within the midfan channel/levee systems than predicted, and channel evolution is still poorly resolved. Side echoes may be common in other areas of complex deep-sea morphology.
Measures of auditory processing in aphasia: Behavioural and electrophysiological analysis

Background: Lesions resulting in aphasia frequently involve areas associated with auditory processing. Investigations using psychoacoustics and/or electrophysiology to examine the auditory processi...
An approach to natural gesture in virtual environments

This article presents research—an experiment and the resulting prototype—on a method for treating gestural input so that it can be used for multimodal applications, such as interacting with virtual environments. This method involves the capture and use of natural , empty-hand gestures that are made during conventional descriptive utterances. Users are allowed to gesture in a normal continuous manner, rather than being restricted to a small set of discrete gestural commands as in most other systems. The gestures are captured and analyzed into a higher-level description. This description can be used by an application-specific interpreter to understand the gestural input in its proper context. Having a gesture analyzer of this sort enables natural gesture input to any appropriate application.
Primary multifocal tuberculous osteomyelitis with involvement of the ribs

Two cases of primary multifocal tuberculous osteomyelitis with involvement of the rib cage are presented. The lungs were normal and the appearance of the skeletal lesions did not suggest tuberculosis. These lesions were predominantly lytic, with minimal soft tissue involvement. Tuberculosis should be high in the differential diagnosis of multiple destructive bone lesions, especially in patients from regions where tuberculosis is endemic.
Gorilla behavior in response to systematic alternation between zoo enclosures

Abstract To determine the effects of relative novelty on captive gorilla behavior, the regular alternation of two groups between complex naturalistic enclosures was studied at Zoo Atlanta. A continuous behavioral change sampling method was used to obtain information on behavior, and instantaneous scans at 10-min intervals provided information on the location of all gorillas in the focal group. An analysis of 226 h of behavioral data and 1386 map location scans showed enclosure rotation was associated with increased enclosure use and feeding and a decrease in self-directed behavior. Gorillas were more likely to increase exhibit use and visibility to zoo visitors during a 4-day novel phase compared to subsequent days in the exhibit. Because of constraints in exhibit design, however, increased use of exhibit did not always result in greater visibility of gorillas to zoo visitors. Gorillas increased locomotion, social distance, use of grass areas, and visibility to the public in their “Away” exhibit compared to their “Home” exhibit. Regularly alternating gorillas between zoo exhibits is a form of environmental enrichment that can increase gorillas’ use of exhibit space and increase activity level.
Investigation of maternal environmental exposures in association with self-reported preterm birth

Identification of maternal environmental factors influencing preterm birth risks is important to understand the reasons for the increase in prematurity since 1990. Here, we utilized a health survey, the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to search for personal environmental factors associated with preterm birth. 201 urine and blood markers of environmental factors, such as allergens, pollutants, and nutrients were assayed in mothers (range of N: 49-724) who answered questions about any children born preterm (delivery <37 weeks). We screened each of the 201 factors for association with any child born preterm adjusting by age, race/ethnicity, education, and household income. We attempted to verify the top finding, urinary bisphenol A, in an independent study of pregnant women attending Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. We conclude that the association between maternal urinary levels of bisphenol A and preterm birth should be evaluated in a larger epidemiological investigation.
Interleukin-6 treatment induces beta-cell apoptosis via STAT-3-mediated nitric oxide production

Background Type 2 diabetes is characterized by progressive beta-cell failure and apoptosis is probably the main form of beta-cell death in this disease. It was reported that circulating levels of interleukin-6 are elevated in type 2 diabetic patients, but whether this is involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is still debated. In this study, we examined whether interleukin-6 can induce beta-cell damage in vitro and elucidated its mechanisms. Methods To examine the effect of interleukin-6 on beta cells, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method and cell apoptosis by propidium iodide and annexin-V staining were measured in a rat beta-cell line (INS-1 or INS-832/13) after treatment with interleukin-6. The expression of apoptosis-related molecules was measured using western blotting and nitric oxide (NO) production was measured using Griess assay. AG490 and N-monomethyl-L-arginine were used to inhibit Janus kinase-mediated signal transducers and activators of transcription signalling and NO production, respectively. Results Exposure (48 h) of INS-1 cells to 20 ng/mL interleukin-6 significantly decreased GSIS as well as cell viability. We found that sub-G1/G0 population was increased as compared with untreated cells and expression of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB was increased in interleukin-6-treated INS-1 cells. Interleukin-6 increased the amount of early apoptotic cells; this increase was blocked by AG490 or N-monomethyl-L-arginine treatment. Moreover, NO production, which is known to induce apoptosis, was increased by interleukin-6 treatment but abrogated in AG490-treated cells. Conclusion Our results show that exposure to interleukin-6 for 48 h can induce beta-cell death, in part via signal transducers and activators of transcription-3-mediated NO production. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Essential fatty acids and human tissue composition. An overview

Essential fatty acids act as a structural fat and play an important role during the period of organ growth during fetal and postnatal life. Given the essential character of these fatty acids, their qualitative and quantitative intake and their interrelations contribute to the maintenance of different functions during the period of human development. The structural integrity of the cell membranes depends on the composition and total content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) of the membrane phospholipids. These LCPUFAs act as modular regulators of the permeability and fluidity of the membranes, are precursors of eicosanoids, may influence membrane enzymes and may affect signal transduction, neurotransmission and transport activities (1–4). The lipid composition of cellular membranes can change in relation to the LCPUFA supply, which is fundamentally that coming from the diet, thus influencing the growing tissues of different organs, although to varying degrees.
The Spleen as a Site of Colony-Forming Cell Production in Myelofibrosis

AbstractIncreased numbers of colony-forming cells (CFU-C) were found in peripheral blood of 11 patients with myelofibrosis. CFU-C determinations were performed on blood from the splenic vein and artery and peripheral blood of two of these patients at the time of splenectomy. There was a significantly greater concentration of CFU-C in the splenic venous blood as opposed to splenic arterial or peripheral blood. In a patient with pathologic stage IIA Hodgkin's disease, CFU-C concentrations in splenic venous and arterial blood were not statistically different and were similar to those in peripheral blood. These findings suggest that the spleen may be an important site of CFU-C production in some patients with myelofibrosis.
The pion electromagnetic form factor from measurements of π± − α elastic scattering☆

Abstract We have performed a complex phase shift fit to the differential cross section of π ± −α-particle elastic scattering at 24 MeV. Introducing the radius of the pion as a parameter we obtain r π = 1.8 ± 0.8 fm.
Increased expression of HLA-DR antigens in hydrocortisone-treated monocytes

Abstract Human peripheral blood monocytes incubated overnight with hydrocortisone had an increased expression of HLA-DR antigens. This change was noted as an increased proportion of DR-positive staining monocytes at greater fluorescence intensities as determined on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Hydrocortisone treatment of monocytes did not alter the expression of another Ia antigen on monocytes, HLA-DS. Neither did hydrocortisone treatment alter the expression of either Mac 120 antigen or monocyte .2 antigen on monocytes. Thus, the effect of hydrocortisone on monocyte DR antigens may be somewhat selective. Hydrocortisone also caused an increase in monocyte cell size aftr 3 to 4 days as compared to untreated controls.
Cytokines and psychopathology: Lessons from interferon-α

Abstract Interferon-α is a potent inducer of the cytokine network and is notorious for causing behavioral alterations. Studies on interferon-α-treated patients reveal at least two distinct syndromes: 1) a mood/cognitive syndrome that appears late during interferon-α therapy is responsive to antidepressants and is associated with activation of neuroendocrine pathways and altered serotonin metabolism; and 2) a neurovegetative syndrome characterized by psychomotor slowing, and fatigue that appears early during interferon-α treatment is antidepressant nonresponsive and may be mediated by alterations in basal ganglia dopamine metabolism. Findings from interferon-α may provide important clues regarding the pathophysiology and treatment of cytokine-induced behavioral changes in medically ill patients, while also potentially modeling the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients without medical disorders.
Association of low serum magnesium concentration with severity of gastrointestinal symptomatology in the irradiated patient.

Abstract The blood serum concentrations of magnesium and calcium were determined in 24 patients receiving radiation therapy for ovarian carcinoma using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In all cases, low concentrations of magnesium in the patients' sera were associated with the onset of gastrointestinal symptomatology comparable to that observed in animals. There was no direct correlation between the calcium and the magnesium present in their sera.
Variability in Adaptive Behavior in Autism: Evidence for the Importance of Family History

Adaptive behavior in autism is highly variable and strongly related to prognosis. This study explored family history as a potential source of variability in adaptive behavior in autism. Participants included 77 individuals (mean age = 18) with average or better intellectual ability and autism. Parents completed the Family History Interview about the presence of broader autism phenotype symptoms and major psychiatric disorders in first degree relatives. Adaptive behavior was assessed via the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). Based on family history variables, age, and intelligence quotient (IQ), 87% of participants were correctly classified as having impaired or average VABS scores. Family history of depression and shyness accounted for the most variance in VABS scores, and they had the greatest influence on VABS Socialization scores in particular. Possible underlying mechanisms include genetics, psychosocial factors, and social resources. This study provides initial evidence of the importance of family history to adaptive behavior in autism and has implications for genetics and treatment.
Open top chambers for exposing plant canopies to elevated CO2 concentration and for measuring net gas exchange

Open top chamber design and function are reviewed. All of the chambers described maintain CO2 concentrations measured at a central location within ± 30 ppm of a desired target when averaged over the growing season, but the spatial and temporal range within any chamber may be closer to 100 ppm. Compared with unchambered companion plots, open top chambers modify the microenvironment in the following ways: temperatures are increased up to 3 °C depending on the chamber design and location of the measurement; light intensity is typically diminished by as much as 20%; wind velocity is lower and constant; and relative humidity is higher. The chamber environment may significantly alter plant growth when compared with unchambered controls, but the chamber effect on growth has not been clearly attributed to a single or even a few environmental factors.
Role of Incorporated Hydrogen and Sputtered Grain Size on Tin Whiskering

(Part A) The structure zone (SZ) scheme allows for modification of the grain size of sputter deposited thin films by adjustment of the substrate temperature during deposition. Previous work by this group on whiskering has been done exclusively on room temperature sputter-deposited tin (Sn) films with a homologous temperature Ts/Tm = 0.6, where Ts is the substrate deposition temperature and Tm is the melting point of Sn (232°C). Such Zone T depositions result in a fine-grained Sn microstructure with an average grain size ~ 1 μm. In current experiments, we explore the impact on whisker growth of Sn films produced from other portions of SZ space by depositing films at a variety of (higher) substrate temperatures having Zone 2 and Zone 3 Sn microstructures, which have more columnar growth and average measured grain sizes of ~ 3 and 4.5 μm, respectively. (Part B) The role of incorporated hydrogen on the growth of tin (Sn) whiskers is currently unknown, despite suspicions for years that it plays a role in whisker incubation and growth processes. The presence of hydrogen is of particular concern for electrodeposited films, where the plating bath contains considerable amounts of hydrogen-containing molecules which are incorporated into the deposited thin film. In this work we have investigated the role of hydrogen in whiskering by implanting a roughly uniform distribution (~ 2 × 1019/cm3) of 550 keV protons into ~1.5 micron sputtered Sn films (on Si) by a particle accelerator. Prior to the implant, the Sn films were deposited under both tensile and compressive intrinsic stress conditions and each specimen had an implanted and (masked, control) non-implanted side. It is early in the incubation period, but results to date indicate no significant differences in whisker number densities between implanted and non-implanted film regions.
Peer Ratings of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Inpatient and Elementary School Children: Correspondence with Parallel Child Self-Report and Teacher Ratings

Some reliability and validity indices of peer ratings of internalizing (depression, anxiety) and externalizing (aggression) behaviors were explored for elementary school (n = 142) and inpatient (n = 86) 8- to 12-year-old children. Interrater reliabilities for the peer ratings were very good (all above .94) for both samples on all types of behaviors. Peer ratings corresponded significantly with child self-reports on all three traits in both the elementary school and inpatient samples in both the younger (ages 8 and 9) and older (ages 10, 11, and 12) children and in both girls and boys. Peer ratings of depression and aggression corresponded significantly with teacher ratings of those same traits in both samples; however, on anxiety, peer–teacher correspondence was not significant in both samples. For both older and younger children, as well as boys and girls, same-trait peer–teacher correspondence was significant on both depression and aggression, with correspondence on anxiety significant for boys and olde...
Late Pleistocene Eolian Sediments Related to Pyroclastic Eruptions of Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii

Loess and dune sands that mantle volcanic rocks on the northwest flank of Mauna Kea volcano consist predominantly of fine-grained pyroclasts of the alkalic Laupahoehoe Volcanics produced by explosive eruptions. The loess is divided into lower and upper units, separated by a well-developed paleosol, while older and younger dune sands are separated by loess. Four interstratified tephra marker horizons aid in regional stratigraphic correlation. Radiocarbon ages of charcoal fragments within the loess, U-series ages of rhizoliths in the dune sand, and K/Ar ages and relative stratigraphic positions of lava flows provide a stratigraphic and temporal framework. The lower loess overlies lava flows less than 103,000 ± 10,000 K/Ar yr old, and14C dates from the paleosol developed at its top average ca. 48,000 yr. Loess separating the dune sand units ranges from ca. 38,000 to 25,00014C yr old; the youngest ages from the upper loess are 17,000–18,00014C yr B.P. Dips of sand-dune foreset strata, isopachs on the upper loess, and reconstructed isopachs representing cumulative thickness of tephra associated with late-Pleistocene pyroclastic eruptions suggest that vents upslope (upwind) from the sand dunes were the primary source of the eolian sediments. Average paleowind directions during the eruptive interval (ca. 50,000–15,000 yr B.P.), inferred from cinder-cone asymmetry, distribution of tephra units, orientation of dune foreset strata, and the regional pattern of loess isopachs, suggest that Mauna Kea has remained within the trade-wind belt since before the last glaciation.
Parasympathetic neuroendocrine regulation of GIP response to glucose

In man, a vagotomy and pyloroplasty results in an augmented gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) response to glucose. To further delineate the role of the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system on GIP homeostasis, this study evaluated the effect of parasympathomimetic and parasympatholytic drugs on fasting and glucose-stimulated GIP. Six awake dogs with Mann-Bollman fistulas underwent three studies where 50 ml of 20% d-glucose was infused intraduodenally (ID) over 10 min. In two of these studies either atropine (20 μg/kg/hr) or bethanechol (150 μg/kg/hr) was infused intravenously (IV) for 30 min before and 120 min after ID glucose. In a fourth study, 50 ml of 0.1% acetylcholine (Ach) was infused ID for 10 min. Venous samples (every 15 min) were assayed for IR-GIP. ID Ach caused (P < 0.05) reductions in fasting IR-GIP at 45, 60, 90, and 120 min. IV atropine and IV bethanechol had no effect on fasting IR-GIP. Following ID glucose, IR-GIP increased at 15 and 30 min in all three studies. Compared to ID glucose, the IR-GIP response to IV bethanechol + ID glucose was significantly less at 15, 30, and 45 min. In addition, the integrated, incremental IR-GIP area was significantly less. The IR-GIP response to IV atropine + ID glucose was no different than the IR-GIP response to ID glucose alone. This study demonstrates that parasympathomimetic drugs decrease fasting GIP and blunt the GIP response to ID glucose, suggesting a physiologic role for the parasympathetic neuroendocrine system in modulating the GIP response to glucose.
Numerical solutions for a one-dimensional silicon n-p-n transistor

This paper describes a technique of obtaining numerical solutions of the basic carrier transport equations for a semiconductor and the results of some calculations pertaining to a silicon n-p-n transistor. The calculations include dc characteristics in direct and inverse operation, saturation parameters, and small-signal ac common emitter h -parameters. Both Boltzmann and Fermi statistics have been used, and the dependence of carrier mobilities on electric field has been taken into account.