cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generalized thermo-elastodynamics for semiconductor material subject to ultrafast laser heating. Part I: Model description and validation

Abstract A generalized thermo-elastodynamic formulation applicable to the investigation of coupled thermomechanical responses of a silicon thin structure excited by ultrafast laser pulses is presented. Hyperbolic energy transport equations with two relaxation times is incorporated along with the relaxation-time approximation of the Boltzmann equation and a set of balance equations that consider temperature-dependent multi-phonons, free-carrier absorptions, and the recombination and impact ionization processes. A staggered-grid finite difference scheme allows the coupled equations system that govern the transport dynamics in silicon wafer to be solved without having to be concerned with non-physical numerical oscillations. The time evolution of carrier density and the non-thermal melting fluence level at which damages are inflicted in response to a given pulse duration are examined and compared favorably with experimental data. The feasibility of using the model formulation in describing near-field, short time scale thermal–mechanical responses induced by ultrafast laser pulses is thus validated.
Listeriolysin O is an improved protein carrier for lymphoma immunoglobulin idiotype and provides systemic protection against 38C13 lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a disease that responds to current treatment regimens; however, patients in general relapse with increasingly refractory disease. Idiotype-based vaccines are currently under trial for the treatment of FL. These vaccines comprise the patient’s BCR idiotype (Id) as the tumor antigen conjugated to the protein carrier Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH); however, other protein carriers may enhance the immune response to the lymphoma Id. In this study we investigated whether an alternate carrier, Listeriolysin O (LLO), would amplify the immune response to Id protein and provide better protection against challenge by 38C13 murine lymphoma. The Id-LLO vaccine compared favorably against Id-KLH in tumor-protection studies and both vaccines provided systemic immunity against 38C13 lymphoma. However, the immune response to the two conjugates was different in that Id-LLO induced a more powerful Th1 response characterized by high titer IgG2a anti-Id antibodies after one immunization and the presence of CD4 cells secreting IFN-γ. In vivo studies demonstrated that immune serum contributed to the anti-lymphoma efficacy seen following Id-LLO immunization. Interestingly, Id-LLO immunized mice, when challenged twice with 38C13 lymphoma provided better protection against challenge by the BCR loss variant 38C13-V2, suggesting that Id-LLO immunized mice have more potential to develop epitope spreading than Id-KLH. In conclusion, Id-LLO compared favorably against Id-KLH in its anti-lymphoma efficacy. Furthermore, Id-LLO induced a more potent humoral and cell-mediated immune response and promoted epitope spreading after lymphoma challenge. Thus, anti-Id vaccines incorporating LLO may be a better therapeutic option for treatment of B-cell lymphoma.
A Study of the Effects of Prestrain on the Tensile Properties of Filamentary Composites

A study of the effect of mechanical prestraining on the tensile behavior of metal matrix composites was conducted. Using both a two-member cylindrical composite simulation model and actual filamentary composites, the stress and strain distribution was followed during cool-down from the compositing temperature, through the prestrain cycle, and during subsequent reloading. The prediction of the behavior of the model composites during unloading from the prestrained state was found to be complicated by compressive plastic flow of the matrix during the unloading. By using experimentally measured effective stress-effective strain curves, the Bauschinger effect exhibited by model composites was well described. The model composites used to validate the analysis consisted of maraging steel—OFHC copper concentric cylinders. Prestraining of copper-tungsten filamentary composites was investigated both experimentally and analytically to verify the applicability of the model to real fiber composites. It was established that prestrain into the elastic-plastic behavioral region was successful in increasing the load-carrying capacity of composites with a 20 percent volume fraction of tungsten. The analytical technique used to describe the behavior of the cylindrical composites was used to rationalize the behavior of the filamentary composites. It was shown that the ameliorating effect of prestraining was due to the alteration of the net residual stress state of the matrix from an “as fabricated” tensile state to one of compression after prestraining.
Outbreak of Clover yellow vein virus in a Bean Field in Colusa County, California

In 1999, a severe outbreak (i.e., 100% infection) of a virus disease was observed in a single field of common bean in Colusa County, CA. The symptoms included a yellow mosaic, leaf epinasty and, in some plants, a systemic necrosis. This field was adjacent to a clover field that had been harvested early in the development of the bean plants. A preliminary serological test (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA) suggested that the virus infecting these bean plants was Peanut mottle virus (PeMoV). This would represent the first report of this virus in California. A range of common bean cultivars (Black Turtle Soup, Topcrop, California Early Light Red Kidney, and Sutter Pink) were inoculated with sap prepared from symptomatic leaves collected from this field. Symptoms developing on these plants ranged from systemic necrosis (cvs. Sutter Pink and Black Turtle Soup) to strong yellow green mosaic and leaf distortion (cvs. Topcrop and California Early Light Red Kidney). Furthermore, inoculated primary leaves o...
Lack of Relationship of Febrile Response to Endotoxin and Brain Stem 5-Hydroxytryptamine

SummaryPretreatment of rabbits with p- CPA in dosage sufficient to deplete over 90% of brain stem 5HT does not modify febrile responses to bacterial endotoxin.
Relationship between nicotine tolerance questionnaire scores and plasma cotinine

The Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (TQ) is often used in both research and treatment contexts to evaluate nicotine tolerance and physiological dependence in cigarette smokers. Recently, however, questions about its validity and its usefulness in comparison to other easily collected measures have been raised. In the present study, 100 male subjects reporting for experimental sessions (Sample I) and 50 male and female subjects entering a smoking cessation clinic program (Sample II) were administered the TQ and determinations of plasma cotinine during ad libitum smoking were made. TQ scores were found to be correlated with cotinine levels in both samples, and several of the individual items proved to have statistically significant discriminatory value. Other schemes for determining degree of dependence were considered and found not to be superior to the TQ. Suggestions for further refining the TQ are reviewed.
Cytotoxic Response Profiles of Cultured Renal Epithelial and Mesenchymal Cells toSelected Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract The cytotoxic responses of cultured rat renal cortico-tubular epithelial cells (TECs) and glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) to selected polycyclic and polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) were evaluated to further define class specific differences in toxicity potential among these chemicals. Primary cultures of renal cells were exposed to benzo[ a ]pyrene (BaP, 0.3–30 μ m ); naphthalene (NAPH, 1–1000 μ m ); 2-methylnaphthalene (2-MNAPH, 1–1000 μ m ), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD, 0.01–1n m ); 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF, 0.05–5n m ; and pentachlorophenol (PCP, 0.1–10 μ m for 4 or 24 hr. Measurements of mitochondrial membrane fragility in TECs revealed that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (BaP, NAPH and 2-MNAPH) preferentially injured these cells relative to halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs). Extended exposures to all AHs tested were associated with moderate mitochondrial injury in TECs. Challenge of TECs with AHs for 4 hr did not modulate GSH levels, although modest increases in this tripeptide occurred on extended exposures. Similar response profiles were observed in GMCs, where PAHs elicited mitochondrial damage by 4 hr, while extended challenge was associated with injury in response to all AHs. Only aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands (BaP, TCDD and TCDF) depleted intracellular glutathione (GSH) in GMCs, while extended exposures to BaP and TCDD, as well as NAPH and 2-MNAPH, were associated with rebound increases in cellular GSH content. These data indicate that AHs can compromise renal cell function by interference with mitochondrial function and GSH homeostasis and implicate both epithelial and mesenchymal populations in the nephrotoxic response to this heterogeneous class of chemicals.
Energy-dependent expression of platelet-von Willebrand factor on the surface of unstimulated and stimulated platelets.

Abstract We have studied the energy requirements (adenosine triphosphate) for the expression of platelet-von Willbrand factor on platelets under conditions in which glycolysis and/or oxidative phosphorylation were inhibited. We found that platelet-vWf expression on the surfaces of both unstimulated and stimulated platelets required energy and was maximally decreased when metabolic ATP was maximally depleted. Platelet-vWf expression correlated directly with estimates of adenylate energy charge in both unstimulated and stimulated platelets. In addition, platelet shape change and agonist-induced intracellular Ca 2+ flux were maintained at lower AECs than were either platelet aggregation or α-granule secretion. Our results indicate that the surface expression of platelet-vWf on unstimulated platelets is a dynamic process, and that energy is required to maintain basal amounts of platelet-vWf on the platelet surface. Our data also suggest that the metabolic ATP required to effect changes in platelet shape is less than that necessary to maintain basal platelet-vWf surface expression or to produce full α-granule secretion. We show that platelet-shape change in the absence of α-granule secretion can result in an increase in platelet-vWf surface expression.
A System Dynamics Approach to Changing Perceptions about Thermal Water Quality Trading Markets

Thermal water quality trading markets give point source thermal polluters the option to comply with effluent restrictions by paying nearby landowners to plant shade trees. The shade trees cool the water, offsetting thermal pollution emitted by the point source. Thermal trading has the potential to create greater environmental benefits at a lower cost than traditional regulation, however; only one such program has been implemented to date in the United States. In this regard, a shift in potential stakeholders' perceptions of these markets could be useful in allowing the markets to spread. This paper explains why system dynamics modeling is a useful tool for creating such a shift in perception, and describes a method of teaching participants about thermal trading. The method begins with a classroom simulation exercise, uses lessons from that exercise to create a model of a thermal trading market, and uses that model to conduct policy design and uncertainty analyses.
A review of antidepressant-induced hypomania in major depression: suggestions for DSM-V.

Objectives: To determine if the classification of ‘antidepressant-induced hypomania’ in DSM-IV is supported by available data. Methods: We reviewed the available scientific literature to examine the incidence of mania and hypomania in non-bipolar patients who were treated with antidepressants. Results: Eighty-nine per cent of studies of antidepressants in major depressive disorder patients reported no cases of treatment-induced hypomania. No instances of treatment-induced hypomania were reported in three large studies of patients with chronic forms of depression. Conclusions: The rate of antidepressant-induced hypomania in major depressive disorder is within the rate of misdiagnosis of bipolar depression as unipolar. Depressed patients who experience antidepressant-associated hypomania are truly bipolar.
The mammals of the Gryde Local Fauna, Frenchman Formation (Maastrichtian: Lancian), Saskatchewan

ABSTRACT The Gryde Local Fauna, Frenchman Formation (Maastrichtian: Lancian) of southwestern Saskatchewan, contains 19 mammalian species, including new species Parectypodus foxi, Alphadon jasoni, and Turgidodon petiminis. The assemblage occurs in fine-grained siltstones deriving from floodplain depositional environments. The Gryde Local Fauna preserves a relatively unaltered record of a floodplain mammalian community that lived in homogeneous habitats. Turgidodon petiminis and Mesodma hensleighi may have been restricted to the floodplain, or nearly so. Species diversity, and standard indicators of diversity, were low but probably typical of late Cretaceous mammalian communities.
Massive Bronchogenic Cyst

A 22-year-old woman presented to the emergency room after fainting on the subway. At presentation, she was awake and alert with normal vital signs. Her medical history was significant for epilepsy treated with Topamax and a small mediastinal cyst seen on computed tomography scan 2 years earlier. She was a current smoker and complained of intermittent palpitations but denied fevers, chills, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Physical examination was unremarkable. A chest radiograph demonstrated a large lobulated density above the diaphragm and posterior to the heart (Figure 1). The left ventricle appeared compressed, possibly impairing ventricular function and explaining the patient’s syncopal episode. Computed tomography scan demonstrated a large fluid filled mass in the inferior aspect of the middle mediastinum, measuring 21.5 cm 14.2 cm 11.4 cm, and extending into bilateral pleural spaces. Mild mass effect with compressive atelectasis on the adjacent lower lobes was identified (Figure 2). The remaining mediastinal, hilar, and cardiac structures were normal, and the remaining lung fields were clear without significant pleural effusions. The patient underwent elective excision via small right thoracotomy. At resection, a simple cyst without septation was found. It was posterior and inferior to the left atrium, surrounding the inferior vena cava on all sides for a distance 3 to 4 cm. The mass extended into the left chest beyond the descending aorta and contained approximately 1500 ml of clear straw-colored fluid. The cyst was carefully dissected free of its mediastinal and pleural attachments, taking care not to leave any residual cyst wall in place. The pathologic diagnosis confirmed the mass to be a simple bronchial cyst with ciliated epithelial lining. Postoperatively, the patient had prolonged chest tube drainage, but the course was otherwise unremarkable. She was discharged on postoperative day 7. At follow-up, she was without complaint and returned to normal activity. Departments of *Cardiothoracic Surgery and †Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York. Disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Address for correspondence: Joseph Levin, BA, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, 530 1st Avenue, Suite 9V, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: joseph.levin@nyumc.org Copyright © 2010 by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer ISSN: 1556-0864/10/0511-1862
Directed Compact Lattice Animals: Exact Results

The partially directed compact lattice animal model on the square lattice is solved exactly for the cluster number and average cluster radius along the directed axis in terms of the appropriate generating functions. For the critical exponents we findθ=0 andυ ‖=1. Caliper size distribution along the directed axis is also calculated analytically. It is used to confirmυ ‖=1 and to study some finite-size scaling properties for this model. For the perpendicular cluster radius distribution, a combination of analytic arguments and computer results leads to a conjecture on the exact form of the appropriate generating function and to the resultυ ⊥=1/2. Some calculations are reported for the triangular lattice and for hypercubic lattices ind>2.
Nonstructural Carbohydrate and Undegradable Protein Sources in the Diet: Growth Responses of Dairy Heifers

Abstract Thirty-five 3-mo-old 150-kg Holstein heifers were fed diets containing two nonstructural carbohydrate sources (corn or barley) with two quantities of undegradable protein (soybean meal or extruded soybean meal) for 9 wk in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to evaluate NRC guidelines that the diet contain increased quantities of undegraded intake protein. Total mixed diets fed for ad libitum intake contained approximately 17.4% CP, consisting of 16.7% corn silage (DM basis), 33.3% chopped alfalfa hay, and 50% concentrate mix. Average daily gains were greater for heifers fed extruded soybean meal, but response was greater when heifers were fed barley-extruded soybean meal (1.12, 1.13, 1.05, and 1.23 kg/d for corn-soybean meal, corn-extruded soybean meal, barley-soybean meal, and barley-extruded soybean meal, respectively) than diets of barley-soybean meal. Extruded soybean meal increased DMI (5.9, 6.1, 5.2, and 6.7 kg/d), but DMI were similar when diets based on corn or barley were fed. Diets with greater concentrations of undegraded intake protein fed to dairy heifers resulted in greater DMI and average daily gains, but responses were greater when heifers were fed diets based on barley rather than corn. These results suggest that current NRC recommendations for undegraded intake protein fed to 3- to 6-mo-old dairy heifers are too high; diets containing 35 to 40% undegraded intake protein should be sufficient.
T0901317 is a potent PXR ligand: implications for the biology ascribed to LXR.

Abstract The liver X receptors (LXRα and β) are nuclear receptors that coordinate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Insight into the physiologic roles of the LXRs has been greatly facilitated by the discovery of potent synthetic agonists. Here we show that one of these compounds, T0901317, is also a high-affinity ligand for the xenobiotic receptor pregnane X receptor (PXR). T0901317 binds and activates PXR with the same nanomolar potency with which it stimulates LXR activity. T0901317 induces expression not only of LXR target genes, but also of PXR target genes in cells and animals, including the scavenger receptor CD36, a property not shared by more specific LXR ligands, such as GW3965. Activation of PXR targets may explain why T0901317 induces dramatic liver steatosis, while GW3965 has a milder effect. These results suggest that many of the biological activities heretofore associated with LXR activation may be mediated by PXR, not LXR. Since T0901317 has been widely used in animals to study LXR function, the in vivo effects of this compound ascribed to LXR activation should be re-examined.
Return to Coalsack Bluff and the Permian–Triassic boundary in Antarctica

Coalsack Bluff was the first discovery site in Antarctica for the latest Permian to earliest Triassic reptile Lystrosaurus. This together with discovery of Permian Glossopteris leaves during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, indicated not only that Antarctica was part of Gondwanaland, but also that Antarctic rocks recorded faunas from the greatest of all mass extinctions at the Permian–Triassic boundary. Pinpointing the exact stratigraphic level of this life crisis has recently become possible using δ 13 C values in terrestrial organic matter. Multiple, short-lived events of 13 C depletion may reflect carbon cycle crises, with the isotopic change a measure of terrestrial and atmospheric disequilibrium. Additional evidence for ecosystem reorganization came from changes in paleosol types and their root traces. Such studies previously completed at the Antarctic localities of Graphite Peak, Mount Crean, Portal Mountain, Shapeless Mountain and Allan Hills, are here extended to Coalsack Bluff. Carbon isotopic values in Permian rocks at Coalsack Bluff average −23.08±0.25‰, but begin to decline within the last coal with leaves (Glossopteris), roots (Vertebraria) and permineralized stumps (Araucarioxylon) of glossopterids. The low point in a 13 C values is −27.19‰ at 5.6 m above the last coal, which is capped by unusually abundant pyrite, and a claystone breccia with common clasts of redeposited clayey soils. Above this are massive quartz-rich sandstones of braided streams, considered a geomorphic response to deforestation and soil erosion following the mass extinction. Distinctive berthierine-bearing paleosols (Dolores pedotype) within these sandstones have unoxidized iron taken as evidence of severe groundwater hypoxia. Other paleosols at this stratigraphic level are like those in other Early Triassic rocks of Antarctica, which indicate unusually warm and humid conditions for such high paleolatitude lowlands. Waterlogging is also indicated by newly discovered kinds of paleosol (Ernest pedotype) with groundwater calcretes. The lack of peat accumulation in such waterlogged lowlands, berthierine in paleosols and large negative carbon isotopic shift at Coalsack Bluff support the idea of atmospheric pollution with methane from submarine and permafrost clathrates as a cause for the Permian–Triassic mass extinction. Hypoxic soils would have killed lowland plants by preventing root respiration and hypoxic air would have challenged vertebrates with pulmonary edema. Causes for catastrophic methane release remain unclear. Flood basalt eruptions, dolerite intrusions into coal measures, submarine landslides, tectonic faulting, and bolide impact suggested for episodes of methane release at other times are also plausible for the Permian–Triassic boundary.
Measurement of mechanical tractions exerted by cells in three-dimensional matrices

Tracking the displacement of fluorescent beads surrounding a cell embedded in a hydrogel matrix allows quantitative measurement of the three-dimensional traction forces exerted by the cell.
Endocrine Therapy of Functional Menometrorrhagia and Ovarian Sterility III. The Cyclic Administration of Equine Gonadotropin1

GONADOTROPIC THERAPY in anovulatory ovarian failure, in general, has been disappointing in its results. Of all the gonadotropins, the chorionic one of pregnancy urine has proven of least value. The consensus of most critical therapeutists is that it is incapable of inducing ovulation in this type of ovarian failure (1). An open minded attitude continues to prevail regarding the possible value of pituitary gonadrotropin although, as yet, extracts of pituitary gland containing this principle have not been available in such concentration and purity to warrant any serious therapeutic expectations. Equine gonadotropin, prepared from the serum of pregnant mares, despite the therapeutic expectations aroused by the clinical studies of Davis and Koff (2) which showed that augmentational phenomena were produced in normally responsive ovaries, has failed, in the opinion of many workers, to give good account of itself when used to treat the pathologic ovary. There has been considerable reliable clinical evidence that...
Four cholesterol-sensing proteins

What is the connection among the following three medical conditions: Niemann-Pick type C disease (a cause of mental retardation and early death), systemic lipidosis (in which an obscure side effect of numerous drugs transforms lysosomes into lamellar bodies), and holoprosencephaly (a catastrophe in embryonic development)? Recent evidence suggests that the pathogenesis in each use involves impaired sensing of cellular cholesterol.
Crystal Structures of Four A-DNA Decamers that Contain C5-Propyne-Cytosines

Abstract Nucleic acids incorporating C5-propynepyrimidines have significantly-increased stability which is valuable for antisense applications. Crystal structures of four variants of the d(ACCGGCCGGT) decamer, with each cytosine individually replaced by a C5-propynecytosine (abbreviated Y), have been analyzed at high resolution in an attempt to understand the structural basis of the stabilization effect by this novel chemical modification. The five independent NpY dinucleotide steps in these four structures show that the hydrophobic propyne group is extensively stacked with the 5′-side base. A model of the poly(purine):poly(C5-propynepyrimidine) A-DNA duplex shows that the deep major groove is substantially filled up by the C5-propyne groups from the poly(C5-propynepyrimidine) strand, displacing many water molecules. These observations may explain the enhanced stability of the duplex incorporating C5-propynepyrimidines.
Ideology and sociology: Reflections on Karl Mannheim's Ideology and Utopia

Ideology was a favourite and much-discussed concept for many sociologists in the decades of the 1960s and 1970s. Undoubtedly this was mainly connected to Marxism, but Karl Mannheim—as a critic of Marx—had his part to play in this too. Ideology, and with it Mannheim's work, fell into disfavour with the retreat from Marxism in the 1980s and 1990s. But one could argue that much of what Mannheim discussed under the heading ‘ideology’ can now be found under other labels in sociology, such as ‘social constructionism’ and ‘discourse analysis’. Mannheim's treatment of utopias suffered an analogous fate to his treatment of ideology, being caught up in a general suspicion of utopian thinking among professional sociologists. Utopian scholars, for their part, were unhappy with Mannheim's rendition of utopia as revolutionary or messianic social movements rather than the realized picture of the perfect society that they found in the literary utopia. There are many calls for the revival of utopian thought at the present...
Increasing the Acetyl‐CoA Pool in the Presence of Overexpressed Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase or Pyruvate Carboxylase Enhances Succinate Production in Escherichia coli

An in vivo strategy to apply the activation effect of acetyl-CoA on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and pyruvate carboxylase (PYC) to increase succinate production in Escherichia coli was studied. This approach relies on the increased intracellular acetyl-CoA and CoA levels by overexpressing E. coli pantothenate kinase (PANK). The results showed that coexpression of PANK and PEPC, and PANK and PYC, did improve succinate production compared to the individual expression of PEPC and PYC, respectively. The intracellular acetyl-CoA and CoA levels were also measured, and each showed a significant increase when the PANK was overexpressed. Another effect observed was a decrease in lactate production. The least amount of lactate was produced when PANK and PEPC, and PANK and PYC, were coexpressed. This result showed increased competitiveness of the succinate pathway at the phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate nodes for the carbon flux, as a result reducing the carbon flux toward the lactate pathway. The study also demonstrates a feasible method for metabolic engineering to modulate enzyme activity in vivo through specific activators and inhibitors.
Uses and Gratifications of MP3 Players by College Students: Are iPods More Popular than Radio?

Ownership of MP3 players, such as Apple's iPod, continues to grow at a steady pace in the US. College students are one age group that is active in the adoption of these devices. Based on a uses and gratifications framework, this study examined how college students are using this technology as compared to radio listening. Results showed that more than half of the respondents in a national random sample own some type of MP3 player. Motivations for using the players included boredom, stimulation, entertainment, relaxation/escape, and loneliness. An important finding was that the use of MP3 players appears to be serving as a substitute for listening to traditional radio for this age group. This manuscript was submitted to editor-elect Michael Brown, who supervised the blind review and made all editorial decisions.
Phosphatidylserine inhibits and calcium promotes model membrane fusion.

PEG-mediated fusion of SUVs composed of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, cholesterol, and dioleoylphosphatidylserine was examined to investigate the effects of PS on the fusion mechanism. Lipid mixing, content mixing, and content leakage measurements were carried out with vesicles containing from 0 to 8 mol % PS and similar amounts of phosphatidylglycerol. Fitting these time courses globally to a 3-state (aggregate, intermediate, pore) sequential model established rate constants for each step and probabilities of lipid mixing, content mixing, and leakage in each state. Charged lipids inhibited both the rates of intermediate and pore formation as well as the extents of lipid and contents mixing, although electrostatics were not solely responsible for inhibition. Ca2+ counteracted this inhibition and increased the extent of fusion in the presence of PS to well beyond that seen in the absence of charged lipids. The effects of both PS and Ca2+ could be interpreted in terms of a previous proposal for the nature of lipid fluctuations that account for transition states for the two steps of the fusion process examined. The results suggest a more significant role for Ca2+-lipid interactions than is acknowledged in current thinking about cell membrane fusion.
Inhibition in synchronously firing human hippocampal neurons

In order to study the extent of inhibition in human epileptic hippocampus, we recorded extracellular unit activities of human hippocampal neurons and their responses to single pulse stimulation in temporal lobe epilepsy patients during interictal periods. The criteria for diagnosing the hippocampus as epileptic were: 1. (1) all seizures originated in that one hippocampus, 2. (2) surgical removal of that hippocampus resulted in seizure relief, and 3. (3) the surgically excised hippocampus was sclerotic. Analysis of firing pattern by cross-correlation showed that synchronized firing between neurons occurred only in the epileptic hippocampus. However, synchronized firing was not limited to only bursting neurons, as previously reported in some animal models of epilepsy, but was also observed among nonbursting neurons in the epileptic hippocampus. Furthermore, no significant difference in distribution of burst-discharge neurons was found between epileptic and non-epileptic hippocampi. In response to single pulse stimulation, neurons in both ‘normal’ (contralateral hippocampus) and epileptic hippocampus showed a rapid increase of firing (excitation), cessation of firing (inhibition), or a sequence of both (initial excitation followed by inhibition). However, a significant difference was found in the duration of the inhibition between synchronously firing neurons and non-synchronously firing neurons: the inhibition evoked by a single stimulation in synchronously firing epileptic neurons was significantly longer (373.8 msec ± 35.9 S.E.M., P < 0.005) than that of non-synchronously firing neurons (83.9 msec ± 8.9 S.E.M.). Moreover, prolonged inhibition in synchronously firing epileptic neurons could occur with little or no prior excitation, suggesting that this inhibition does not necessarily depend on an intrinsic Ca2+-dependent K+-mediated after-burst hyperpolarization but is rather likely to be synaptic. As this inhibition was longer when epileptic neurons fired in synchrony, it could be interpreted that principal neurons recruited more recurrent inhibitory circuits by firing synchronously. By taking into account the previously reported neurophysiological evidence in human in vitro epileptic tissue showing GABA-mediated inhibition38 and the neuroanatomical evidence in excised human epileptic hippocampus showing GAD-positive neurons and synapses9, our data suggest that, in human chronic epileptic hippocampus, recurrent inhibition remains functional, and alterations in GABA-mediated inhibition may not represent the critical change responsible for seizure generation.
The Westervelt equation with viscous attenuation versus a causal propagation operator: A numerical comparison

Abstract The numerical solution of acoustic pulse propagation through dispersive media requires the inclusion of attenuation and its causal companion, phase velocity. For the case of propagation in a linear medium, Szabo [Time domain wave equations for lossy media obeying a frequency power law, Journal of the Acoustic Society of America 96 (1994) 491–500] introduced the concept of a causal convolutional propagation operator that plays the role of a causal propagation factor in the time domain. The convolutional operator has been successfully employed in the linear wave equation for both isotropic and non-isotropic dispersive media. This operator was originally proposed by Szabo to replace the loss term responsible for attenuation due to thermal conduction and viscosity of the fluid in the Westervelt equation. The Westervelt equation with a traditional loss term fails to incorporate the full dispersive characteristics of the medium, a deficiency which can be removed, at least in principle by replacing the traditional loss term with the causal convolutional propagation factor. Previously no comparison has been made between the Westervelt equation with the traditional loss term and with Szabo's causal convolutional propagation operator. In this paper we show numerically that by employing the convolutional propagation operator the full dispersive characteristics of the media are properly incorporated into the solution, and that the results can differ significantly from the Westervelt equation with the traditional loss term. The equations will be solved via the method of finite differences.
Seasonal succession of phytoplankton in Onondaga Lake, New York (U.S.A.)

Abstract The seasonal successions of phytoplankton in Onondaga Lake during 1975–77 were generally similar to the 1973–74 period immediately after the reduction in phosphorus entering the lake. Diatoms and flagellates were dominant in spring and replaced in importance by chlorococcalean green algae and the diatom Cyelotellaglomerata during summer. A die-off of summer algae was observed in 1977. During the summer, silica was depleted in the epilimnion by diatom growths and phosphorus by chlorococcalean green algae. Enrichment studies indicated that availability of phosphorus to green algae and silica to diatoms may have contributed to determining their periods of dominance. Blue-green algae continued to be relatively unimportant in the plankton, in contrast to the conditions before 1972 when they caused late summer blooms.
Pain/Depression Dyad: A Key to a Better Understanding and Treatment of Functional Somatic Syndromes

Functional somatic syndromes include some of the most common and frustrating illnesses seen by primary care physicians and medical specialists. An extensive literature search of the 2 best characterized functional somatic syndromes, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome, reveals the overlap of these 2 disorders and their close relationship to depression. New pathophysiologic studies have shown that there are similar central nervous system changes in fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression. These clinical and biologic similarities are consistent with the observations that the effective management of fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome is comparable to that of depression.
Molecular beam studies of gas-surface collision dynamics

Abstract Recent progress in the application of supersonic molecular beam techniques to the study of gas-surface interfacial phenomena is reviewed. The experimental and theoretical studies discussed examine fundamental issues regarding both non-reactive and reactive scattering. Topics discussed include elastic scattering (thermal energy atom scattering and diffractive selective adsorption), inelastic scattering, trapping-desorption, molecular chemisorption and desorption, dissociative chemisorption (direct collisional activation, precursor-mediated dissociation, and collision-induced dissociation of adsorbed species) and chemical reactions at surfaces. The review is organized around dynamical variables rather than particular gas-surface systems to emphasize the underlying physical principles governing gas-surface interactions. An index is provided at the beginning for the reader interested in specific gas-surface systems.
Ultimate strength of carbon nanotubes: A theoretical study

The ultimate strength of carbon nanotubes is investigated by large-scale quantum calculations. While the formation energy of strain-induced topological defects determines the thermodynamic limits of the elastic response and of mechanical resistance to applied tension, it is found that the activation barriers for the formation of such defects are much larger than estimated previously. The theoretical results indicate a substantially greater resilience and strength, and show that the ultimate strength limit of carbon nanotubes has yet to be reached experimentally. Nanotubes are indeed the strongest material known.
Gli2 Is Targeted for Ubiquitination and Degradation by β-TrCP Ubiquitin Ligase

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in embryogenesis and has been linked to the development of several human malignancies. The transcription factor Gli2 plays a key role in the transduction of Hh signals by modulating transcription of some Hh target genes, yet the mechanisms that control Gli2 protein expression are largely unknown. Here we report that β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP) E3 ubiquitin ligase is required for Gli2 degradation. β-TrCP2 directly binds wild type Gli2 and promotes its ubiquitination. Single amino acid substitution in Gli2 putative binding site inhibits its interaction with β-TrCP2, its ubiquitination, and stabilizes the Gli2 protein. Stable Gli2 mutant is expressed in higher levels and is more potent in the activation of Gli-dependent transcription as compared with wild type Gli2. We also found that GLI2 protein is expressed highly in prostate cancer cell lines and primary tumors, whereas the level of GLI2 mRNA is not appreciably different in normal and neoplastic prostate. These data identify β-TrCP2 as a pivotal regulator of Gli2 expression and point to an important role for posttranslational modulation of GLI2 protein levels in Hh pathway-associated human prostate cancer.
A Review of Multiple Health Behavior Change Interventions for Primary Prevention

Most individuals engage in multiple unhealthy lifestyle behaviors with the potential for negative health consequences. Yet most health promotion research has addressed risk factors as categorically separate entities, and little is known about how to effectively promote multiple health behavior change (MHBC). This review summarizes the recent literature (January 2004 to December 2009) on randomized clinical trials evaluating MHBC interventions for primary prevention. Combining all the studies across all the reviews, fewer than 150 studies were identified. This is a fraction of the number of trials conducted on changing individual behavioral risks. Three primary behavioral clusters dominated: (1) the energy balance behaviors of physical activity and diet; (2) addictive behaviors like smoking and other drugs; and (3) disease-related behaviors, specifically cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer related. Findings were largely disappointing for studies of diet and physical activity, particularly with youth. T...
Daptomycin-nonsusceptible vancomycin-intermediate staphylococcus aureus vertebral osteomyelitis cases complicated by bacteremia treated with high-dose daptomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole

We report two cases of daptomycin (DAP)-nonsusceptible (DNS) vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) vertebral osteomyelitis cases complicated by bacteremia treated with high-dose daptomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Both patients responded rapidly and favorably to this combination. The clinical isolates from the two patients were tested post hoc in an in vitro pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model to confirm the bactericidal activity and enhancement of daptomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The combination of high-dose daptomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole should be explored further for the treatment of DNS VISA strains.
Role of antifungal drug resistance in the pathogenesis of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis

The aetiology of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) caused by Candida albicans remains unclear. To adequately address the role of antifungal resistance as a potential mechanism for RVVC, a longitudinal susceptibility analysis of 177 C. albicans isolates collected from 50 C. albicans RVVC patients over a period of 3 months to 7 years was performed. Antifungals tested included clotrimazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole. Results showed that all vaginal isolates were uniformly susceptible to all drugs tested and that successive isolates from individual patients did not show increased resistance to any drug despite long-term exposure to azoles. These results suggest that episodes of RVVC caused by C. albicans are rarely of ever attributable to azole antifungal resistance.
NIST-DARPA interagency agreement: SLS program

1. To provide a central role in the design, development and distribution of speech and natural language corpora for the DARPA SLS research community.
Elevated glucose impairs cAMP-mediated dilation by reducing Kv channel activity in rat small coronary smooth muscle cells

Hyperglycemia impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation. In this study, we examined the effect of high glucose (HG) on vascular smooth muscle function. Rat small coronary arteries were freshly iso...
Analysis of Round-Robin Implementations of Processor Sharing, Including Overhead

It has been observed in recent years that in many applications service time demands are highly variable. Without foreknowledge of exact service times of individual jobs, processor sharing is an effective theoretical strategy for handling such demands. In practice, however, processor sharing must be implemented by time-slicing with a round-robin discipline. In this paper, we investigate how round-robin performs with the consideration of job switching overhead. Because of recent results, we assume that the best strategy is for new jobs to preempt the one in service. By analyzing time-slicing with overhead, we derive the effective utilization parameter, and give a good approximation regarding the lower bound of time-slice under a given system load and overhead. The simulation results show that for both exponential and non-exponential distributions, the system blowup points agree with what the effective utilization parameter tells us. Furthermore, with the consideration of overhead, an optimum time-slice value exists for a particular environment.
Leakage minimization using self sensing and thermal management

We have developed a system architecture, measuring and modeling techniques, and algorithms for on-line power and energy optimization and thermal management. The starting point for our approach is a simple and small gate-level network that can be used for real-time and low overhead measurement of temperature on chip positions where our network gates are placed. We use linear programming and interpolation to calculate the temperature at any arbitrary point of the integrated circuit. The periodic calculations of the temperature are used to estimate locally dissipated energies, which are consequently used to derive the most efficient use of operational times to minimize the overall leakage energy. All concepts and algorithms are experimentally validated using a simulation platform that consists of the Alpha 21364 processor and the SPEC benchmarks.
A Controlled Longitudinal Study of the Social Functioning of Children With Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective To complete an assessment of social functioning of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and nonchronically ill controls who had been evaluated 2 years earlier (Noll et al., 2000) and to examine the impact of disease severity or disease activity over time on the social functioning of children with JRA. Methods Peer-, teacher-, and self-reports of social functioning were obtained from 57 children with JRA and 63 controls. Social reputation and social acceptance were examined cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results Cross-sectional analyses indicated no significant differences between children with JRA and controls on measures of social functioning. For children with more severe disease, like ratings declined over the 2-year period relative to children with mild disease. Children with active disease were chosen fewer times over the 2-year period as a best friend than children in remission. Conclusions Because children with severe or active JRA may be at risk for difficulties with social acceptance over time, they are appropriate targets for interventions that ameliorate or prevent these difficulties.
Multicomponent analyses of chiral samples by use of regression analysis of UV–visible spectra of cyclodextrin guest–host complexes

We report the first combined use of analytical spectroscopy, guest-host chemistry, and multivariate regression analysis for determination of enantiometric composition of multicomponent samples of chiral analytes. Sample solutions containing multicomponent analytes of ephedrine, tryptophan, propranolol, and proline of varying enantiomeric composition with beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) or methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (Me-BCD) as chiral host molecules were investigated using ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy. The interactions of enantiomers of chiral analytes with chiral hosts resulted in the formation of transient diastereomeric inclusion complexes with varying spectral properties. Multivariate analysis using partial-least-square (PLS) regression was used to correlate subtle changes in the UV-visible spectra of the guest-host complexes with the enantiomeric composition of the calibration samples. These PLS regressions were carefully optimized and then used to predict the enantiomeric composition of multicomponent chiral analytes of validation samples. The results of these validation studies demonstrate the predictive ability of the regression models for determination of future enantiomeric composition of samples. The accuracy of the models to correctly predict the enantiomeric composition of samples, evaluated by use of the root mean square percent relative error (RMS%RE) was analyte and chiral host dependent. In general, better prediction of enantiomeric composition of samples and low RMS%RE values were obtained when Me-BCD was used as the chiral host. The analyses procedure reported here is simple, rapid, and inexpensive. In addition, this approach does not require prior separation of chiral analytes, thus reducing analysis time and eliminating the need for expensive chiral columns.
Increased Sensitivity to Staphylococcal Beta Hemolysins of Erythrocytes from Chickens During Aflatoxicosis

Abstract The size of the zones of β-hemolysis surrounding staphylococcal colonies on blood agar was found to be related to the level of dietary aflatoxin consumed by the chickens donating the blood. Zone sizes on blood from chickens fed the highest level of aflatoxin (10 μg/g of diet) were about six-fold larger than those on blood from control birds. The percentage of staphylococcal isolates displaying β-hemolysis was increased from about 15% in normal blood to about 90% in blood from chickens fed aflatoxin (10 μg/g) whereas the time required for detection of β-hemolysis was decreased by about one-half. The hemolytic activity of purified staphylococcal β-hemolysin against suspensions of washed erythrocytes increased as the level of aflatoxin consumed by the donor chickens increased. These data imply a new mechanism for enhanced susceptibility of animals to infectious agents during mycotoxicoses whereby the animal is made more sensitive to the virulence factors of pathogens.