cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TLR4-dependent metabolic changes are associated with cognitive impairment in an animal model of type 1 diabetes

We investigated the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a major mediator of innate immune responses, on cognitive performance in a type 1 diabetes model (T1D). After administration of streptozotocin, both TLR4 knockout (TLR4 KO) and wild type (WT) diabetic mice displayed metabolic alterations similar to those observed in T1D patients, including increased levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and ketones. T1D mice exhibited cognitive impairment which was less severe in TLR4 KO mice compared to WT mice. WT mice with higher glucose and those with higher triglyceride levels exhibited significantly more anxiety and impaired memory compared to those with lower levels of glucose and triglycerides; these correlations were absent in TLR4 KO mice. Additional findings suggest roles for TLR4 signaling in modifying the expression of enzymes involved in energy metabolism in brain cells in the setting of T1D. Our data show that TLR4 contributes to the negative impact of T1D on anxiety and cognition.
TH‐E‐110‐11: The Effect of Region‐Of‐Interest Z‐Axis Collimation on the Image Quality of a Commercial Cone Beam CT Imaging System

Purpose: A study was performed to determine the degree to which region‐ of‐interest z‐axis collimation can improve the image quality of a cone‐beam CT system. Methods: The linearity and low and high‐contrast resolution modules of a 20‐cm diameter Catphan 600 phantom were imaged with a Siemens Zeego Angiography system using three “DynaCT” cone beam CT modes. These included (a) DR‐H Head (20‐sec), (b) DSA‐H ( 8‐sec), and (c) DR‐Body( 8‐sec). All modes employ automatic exposure control (AEC), which can vary the kVp, mA and pulse width throughout the scan. Image quality was compared in 5‐mm thick slices obtained with full‐field (19‐cm) collimation and minimal‐width (2.3‐cm) collimation. Body scans (c) were compared with and without saline bags added at the periphery of the Catphan to create a larger phantom. Results: The contrast‐to‐noise‐ratios (CNRs) of the 15‐mm diameter, nominal 1% (10HU) disk in the Catphan when imaged with full‐field collimation were 1.28, 1.93, and 1.23 for DynaCT modes a, b, and c, respectively. With 2.3‐cm collimation, the corresponding CNR's improved to 2.13, 2.46, and 1.45. The CNR's for images of the large phantom degraded to 0.51 for full‐field and 0.55 for 2.3‐ cm collimation. Plots of measured CT numbers of plastics in the linearity section as a function of mass density were linear (R‐squared >0.99) in all cases, with slopes that varied from 761 to 1006 HU/(g/cc) depending upon collimation, phantom size and the AEC selected kVp. Spatial resolution was 12 lp/cm for mode (a), and it was 8–;9 lp/cm for all other modes including scans with the large phantom. Conclusions: Collimation significantly improves CNR for a small patient/phantom, but is less effective for large patients/phantoms. Collimation and phantom size have minimal effect on spatial resolution. They affect the slope and intercept but not the degree of linearity of CT number with density.
Effects of systemic hypoxia on pH outside rod photoreceptors in the cat retina.

Abstract We studied the effect of systemic hypoxia on intraretinal pH in the intact cat eye using double-barreled H + -sensitive microelectrodes. Hypoxia in the dark further acidified the extracellular space surrounding rods in the distal retina and this effect was maximal in the outer nuclear layer (ONL). An acidification occurred in response to essentially any decrease in P aO 2 below the normoxic level. Light-evoked alkalinizations in the ONL were larger in amplitude during hypoxia than in normoxia and this difference increased with the severity of hypoxia. Background illumination suppressed the hypoxic acidification of the ONL, completely inhibiting it at rod saturating intensities, at levels of hypoxia down to P aO 2 s of 40 mmHg. Systemic hyperoxia produced a small alkalinization in the ONL, and a reduction in the amplitude of the light-evoked alkalinizations. This suggests that systemic hyperoxia can partially suppress the ongoing glycolysis of dark-adapted rods. Changes in blood flow during hypoxia also altered intraretinal pH. Hypoxia led to an alkalinization in the choroid in both dark and light adaptation that spread into the distal retina. This alkalinization is most likely caused by the increase in CO 2 removal that occurs as systemic blood pressure, and as a consequence, choriocapillaris blood flow increase during hypoxia. The alkalinization attenuated the acidification that was observed outside rods during hypoxia. There was also an alkalinization of the proximal portion of the retina, which spread into the vitreous. This alkalinization was attributed to the autoregulatory increase in blood flow that occurs in the retinal vessels during hypoxia. These findings provide further evidence for the hypothesis that the energy metabolism of dark-adapted rods is exquisitely sensitive to systemic hypoxia so that any small decrease in P aO 2 increases rod glycolysis. Rod-saturating illumination can completely suppress this increase in glycolysis for all but severe hypoxia. An increase in blood flow in the choriocapillaris during hypoxia appears to mitigate the effects of hypoxia on the distal retina.
Mass determinations of the neutron-deficient nucleides 88Zr and 140Nd by (p, 2n) threshold measurements

Abstract Masses of 140 Nd and 88 Zr have been determined from measured thresholds of 141 Pr(p, 2n) and 89 Y(p, 2n) reactions. Thresholds extracted from fits of the data with the Jackson neutron evaporation model produce mass excess values of −83.57± 0.04 MeV for 88Zr and −84.26 ± 0.06 MeV for 140 Nd. Measured masses are compared to existing data and to calculations based upon several semi-empirical mass formulas.
The role of institutional research in college management

Abstract Institutional research is well established in postsecondary institutions in the USA as an effective tool for provision of accurate, reliable data to support management decision making. Institutional research offices are much less prevalent in such institutions in the UK however, particularly in colleges. The purpose of this paper is to outline the principal roles and functions of an institutional research office, briefly discuss relevant staffing issues (including important qualifications), and suggest some practical considerations regarding the role of institutional research in college management.
Acute effects of adrenocorticotropin on the levels of various lipids in the adrenals of hypophysectomized rats.

Male rats that were hypophysec-tomized 24 hr previously were injected iv with 100 mU or 10 U of ACTH. At brief intervals following the injection of the hormone, adrenal venous blood was collected to determine the rate of corticosterone secretion. Then the adrenals were excised, frozen, and subsequently extracted to obtain total lipids. The extracts were then analyzed to determine the concentrations of free and esterified cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and phospholipids in the adrenals. At 5, 10, 60 and 180 min after the injection of 100 mU of ACTH, no change occurred in the levels of any of the adrenal lipids examined, although the hormone produced the expected early rise in secretion of corticosterone. Again, with the larger dose of ACTH (10 U), no change occurred in the levels of adrenal lipids 60 min after the injection of the hormone. In contrast, 180 min after the administration of 10 U of ACTH, the concentrations of both free and esterified cholesterol decreased significantly (10 and 4...
Beyond Distancing: Jewish Identity, Identification, and America's Young Jews

Although the arguments of both Cohen–Kelman and Sasson–Kadushin-Saxe are well presented and are based on careful analyses of the data each utilized, the Cohen–Kelman thesis is more convincing because there is a variety of evidence supporting it and because its argument with respect to connectedness with Israel fits within a larger framework of patterns of American Jewish identity and identification.
Wavelet techniques for band selection and material classification from hyperspectral data

We describe a band selection process based on wavelet analysis of hyperspectral data which naturally decomposes the data into sub-bands. Wavelet analysis allows the control of the position, resolution, and envelope of the specific spectral sub-bands which will be selected. The sub-band sets are selected to maximize the Kullback-Liebler distance between specific classes of materials for a specific dimensionality contraint or discrimination performance goal. A sequential construction of the sub-band sets is used as an approximation to the global maximization operation over all possible sub-band sets. A max/min strategy is also introduced to provide a robust framework for sub-band selection when faced with multiple materials. We show band selection and material classification results of this technique applied to Fourier transform spectrometer data.
Synaptic Distribution of the AMPA-GluR2 Subunit and Its Colocalization with Calcium-Binding Proteins in Rat Cerebral Cortex: An Immunohistochemical Study Using a GluR2-Specific Monoclonal Antibody

Due to its role as the dominant AMPA receptor subunit in respect to regulation of calcium permeability, information on the neuronal localization of GluR2 is of particular importance, yet has been hampered by the lack of a GluR2-specific antibody. Monoclonal antibodies were raised against the putative N-terminal portion (amino acids 175--430) of GluR2, using the fusion protein linked to trpE as an antigen. Western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry of transiently transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells unambiguously confirmed the specificity of monoclonal antibody 6C4 for GluR2, which did not recognize or cross-react with any other AMPA/Kainate GluR subunits expressed. 6C4 was used in immunohistochemical studies to characterize the regional, cellular, and subcellular distribution of the GluR2 subunit at the light and electron microscopic levels in rat hippocampus and somatosensory cortex and in colocalization studies with the three calcium-binding proteins: parvalbumin, calbindin, and calretinin. GluR2 was widely distributed in both pyramidal cells and interneurons. Asymmetric synapses were labeled on both spines and small dendritic shafts. In contrast to previous reports, our double labeling studies using monoclonal antibody 6C4 with polyclonal antisera against calcium-binding proteins demonstrated that 84--97% of parvalbumin and calbindin-immunoreactive and 45--66% of the calretinin-immunoreactive interneurons in CA1 and somatosensory cortex also contain GluR2. These data have important implications regarding heterogeneity in calcium permeability of AMPA receptors across cell types in neocortex and hippocampus, as well as for differential vulnerability to excitotoxic injury.
Simulation of the Quenching of the Cyclotron Gas Stopper Magnet at MSU

The cyclotron gas stopper magnet at Michigan State University (MSU) consists of two superconducting coils, each in its own cryostat. The two cryostats are mounted in the two warm iron poles of a sector cyclotron magnet used to control the orbit of heavy ions as the particle energy is being removed by circulating the ions through helium gas. The two coils are connected in series to 200-A power supply. The magnet current leads are protected by cold silicon diodes in series with a resistor. The coils are attached to a stainless steel mandrel. As a result there is no magnet quench-back from the mandrel. There is quench-back from the resistor in series with the diodes that is wound on the outside of the solenoid coil. This causes the magnet coils to quench more rapidly reducing both the hot-spot temperature and the peak voltages in the circuit. This report presents a simulation of the quench process for this magnet.
Customized-queries approach to CBIR

This paper introduces a new approach called the 'customized- queries' approach to content-based image retrieval (CBIR). The customized-queries approach first classifies a query using the features that best differentiate the major classes and then customizes the query to that class by using the features that best distinguish the subclasses within the chosen major class. This research is motivated by the observation that the features which are most effective in discriminating among images from different classes may not be the most effective for retrieval of visually similar images within a class. This occurs for domains in which not all pairs of images within one class have equivalent visual similarity. We apply this approach to content-based retrieval of high-resolution tomographic images of patients with lung disease and show that this approach yields 82.8 percent retrieval precision. The traditional approach that performs retrieval using a single feature vector yields only 37.9 percent retrieval precision.
Optimal feedback control policies for stochastic, distributed-parameter systems

This paper considers optimal feedback control policies for a class of discrete stochastic distributed-parameter systems. The class under consideration has the property that the random variable in the dynamic systems depends only on the time and possesses the Markovian property with stationary transition probabilities. A necessary condition for optimality of a feedback control policy, which has form similar to the Hamiltonian form in the deterministic case, is derived via a dynamic programming approach.
Analysis and control of PMSG-based wind turbine with Vienna rectifier near current zero crossings

Permanent-magnet synchronous generators are used widely in wind turbine applications. Recently, the Vienna rectifier was proposed as the generator-side converter, due to its improved efficiency and reliability. However, since the voltage output in this topology is dependent on the polarity of the currents, erroneous voltage space vectors are generated when phase currents are in the vicinity of zero, which in turn creates an undesirable component of torque ripple on the machine. In this paper, the phenomenon is analyzed, and a control method that solves this issue is proposed. The obtained improvement in current and torque ripple decreases the fatigue of the turbine's mechanical drivetrain. Simulation results verify the efficacy of the control.
Simultaneous determination of O6-benzylguanine and 8-oxo-O6-benzylguanine in human plasma by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantification of O6-benzylguanine (O6BG) in human plasma was modified to include the metabolite, O6-benzyl-8-oxo-guanine (8-oxo-O6BG). O6-(p-Chlorobenzyl)guanine was used as the internal standard. Plasma samples were extracted with ethyl acetate and chromatographed on a C18 base-deactivated reversed-phase column. Separation was accomplished by gradient elution with mobile phases consisting of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer, pH 3.60. Eluted compounds were observed with diode array detection at 288 nm (O6BG) and 292 nm (8-oxo-O6BG). Standard curves were linear from 12.5 ng/ml to 1000 ng/ml, with an average regression coefficient of 0.999 (n=5) for both compounds. The lowest limit of quantitation was 25 ng/ml, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 8:1. The within-day relative standard deviations for O6BG quality control samples (n=18) with concentrations of 735 ng/ml, 305 ng/ml and 38 ng/ml were 2.4%, 4.2% and 5.3%, respectively. The within-day relative standard deviations for 8-oxo-O6BG quality control samples (n=18) at concentrations of 735 ng/ml, 420 ng/ml and 42 ng/ml were 2.2%, 4.0% and 7.1%, respectively. The day-to-day relative standard deviations for the same control specimens were 3.1%, 4.8% and 7.1% for O6BG, respectively, and 2.3%, 4.7% and 11.0% for 8-oxo-O6BG, respectively. This method was applied to plasma samples obtained from patients in a clinical trial of O6-benzylguanine. O6-Benzyl-8-oxo-guanine was identified in patient plasma specimens by liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry by comparison with spectral data acquired from reference material.
Stimulus-transcription coupling and immediate-early genes

Z immerman and Herdegen provide an interesting, if somewhat fast-paced, review of cellular immediate early genes (clEGs) and their potential roles in spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion neurons during nociception and nerve injury. It has now been unequivocal ly demonstrated that activation of a wide variety of neural pathways by either natural, pathological, or pharmacological stimuli modifies neuronal gene expression. In many cases, the process of gene regulation appears to commence with the activation of several classes of proteins whose names are based on historical association with drosophi la molecular genetics (transacting factors), or by analogy with virology (cellular immediate early genes). These proteins generally share the common property of recognizing and binding to specific sequences of DNA and, thereby regulating gene expression. Generally these proteins act to control gene transcript ion and, the clEGs are members of a broader class of proteins called transcription factors all of which govern gene transcription within the cell nuc leus . 2'14'17'18'21'25'28'30 One of the questions that is apparently still under debate is whether induct ion of clEGs reflects increased neural activity. In my opinion, the answer is a definite, but qualified, yes. The qual i f icat ion depends on how neural activity is defined. If one thinks only in terms of action potentials, then a correspondence between activity and gene expression, especially clEGs, does not necessarily apply. A microelec-
Recent Advances in Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of the Long QT Syndrome

Long QT Syndrome. Competing theories to explain the congenital long QT syndrome have included an imbalance in sympathetic innervation of the heart or a defect in repolarizing ion currents. Recent studies have identified at least four chromosomal loci at which mutations cause the congenital long QT syndrome in different families. The specific genes mutated in affected individuals have been identified at two of these loci, and both encode cardiac ion channels. The affected genes are SCN5A, the cardiac sodium channel gene, and HERG, whose protein product likely underlies IKr, the rapidly activating delayed rectifier. Thus, currently available evidence indicates that the congenital long QT syndrome is a primary disease of cardiac ion channels. Abnormalities in either inward or outward currents can cause the disease. Ongoing studies are evaluating the function of the mutant ion channels and the relationship between individual mutations and the clinical manifestations of the syndrome.
Behavioral and Spatial Change in Response to an Altered Behavioral Setting.

A behavioral setting termed “free time” was identified in the dayroom of an institution for the retarded. The behavioral mapping technique was used to record behavior and spatial use within this setting. A 3-week period was identified in which the second week served as treatment period, and the first and third served as nontreatment periods. The second period consisted of placing novel materials into the dayroom in four conceptually distinct groupings: arts and crafts, games, empty, and lounge. During treatment patients engaged in more active and socially involved behaviors, avoided isolated behaviors and empty dayroom areas, and evidenced adaptive behavior to novel environmental objects. Discussion centers on the treatment implications of these changes, the use of the technique for future studies, and the methodological issues inherent in the procedure.
Scleral Flap Necrosis and Infectious Endophthalmitis after Cataract Surgery with a Scleral Tunnel Incision

Background: Long scleral tunnel dissection techniques have been developed for cataract surgery incisions. These incisions reduce postoperative astigmatism and keratorefractive instability. If fashioned correctly, the internal lip of the incision produces a tight seal to the anterior chamber, permissible of sutureless surgery. The behavior of such a wound during intraocular infection is unknown. Methods: The authors describe two elderly patients in whom postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis was accompanied by infectious scleritis, infectious sclerokeratitis or keratitis, and rapid scleral flap necrosis. One of the patients had a painless disease process. Results: Intraocular isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus equinus were recovered from the two patients, respectively. Management was complicated by loss of tectonic integrity that followed scleral flap necrosis, by impaired vitreoretinal visualization associated with rapidly progressive sclerokeratitis or keratitis, and by bacterial scleritis in the base of the scleral flap. No light perception was retained in either eye. Conclusion: Scleral tunnel incisions create a potential abscess cavity. Although a rare occurrence, postoperative endophthalmitis in such an eye may present major surgical and therapeutic problems intrinsic to the wound design.
SpoIIE Regulates Sporulation but Does Not Directly Affect Solventogenesis in Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

Using gene expression reporter vectors, we examined the activity of the spoIIE promoter in wild-type and spo0A-deleted strains of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824. In wild-type cells, the spoIIE promoter is active in a transient manner during late solventogenesis, but in strain SKO1, where the sporulation initiator spo0A is disrupted, no spoIIE promoter activity is detectable at any stage of growth. Strains 824(pMSpo) and 824(pASspo) were created to overexpress spoIIE and to decrease spoIIE expression via antisense RNA targeted against spoIIE, respectively. Some cultures of strains 824(pMSpo) degenerated during fermentations by losing the pSOL1 megaplasmid and hence did not produce the solvents ethanol, acetone, and butanol. The frequent degeneration event was shown to require an intact copy of spoIIE. Nondegenerate cultures of 824(pMSpo) exhibited normal growth and solvent production. Strain 824(pASspo) exhibited prolonged solventogenesis characterized by increased production of ethanol (225%), acetone (43%), and butanol (110%). Sporulation in strains harboring pASspo was significantly delayed, with sporulating cells exhibiting altered morphology. These results suggest that SpoIIE has no direct effect on the control of solventogenesis and that the changes in solvent production in spoIIE-downregulated cells are mediated by effects on the cell during sporulation.
Multiple mechanisms collectively regulate clathrin-mediated endocytosis of the epidermal growth factor receptor

Endocytosis of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is important for the regulation of EGFR signaling. However, EGFR endocytosis mechanisms are poorly understood, which precludes development of approaches to specifically inhibit EGFR endocytosis and analyze its impact on signaling. Using a combination of receptor mutagenesis and RNA interference, we demonstrate that clathrin-dependent internalization of activated EGFR is regulated by four mechanisms, which function in a redundant and cooperative fashion. These mechanisms involve ubiquitination of the receptor kinase domain, the clathrin adaptor complex AP-2, the Grb2 adaptor protein, and three C-terminal lysine residues (K1155, K1158, and K1164), which are acetylated, a novel posttranslational modification for the EGFR. Based on these findings, the first internalization-defective EGFR mutant with functional kinase and normal tyrosine phosphorylation was generated. Analysis of the signaling kinetics of this mutant revealed that EGFR internalization is required for the sustained activation of protein kinase B/AKT but not for the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase.
Determining meteoroid bulk densities using a plasma scattering model with high-power large-aperture radar data

Abstract We present an improved technique for calculating bulk densities of low-mass ( 3 with observations spanning almost three orders of magnitude from 0.01 g/cm 3 to 8 g/cm 3 . Our results show a clear dependence between meteoroid bulk density and altitude of head echo formation, as well as dependence between meteoroid bulk density and 3D speed. The highest bulk densities are detected at the lowest altitudes and lowest speeds. Additionally, we stipulate that the approximations used to derive the ballistic parameter, in addition to neglecting fragmentation, suggest that the traditional ballistic parameter must be used with caution when determining meteoroid parameters.
Diagnosis of Renal Lymphoma by Percutaneous Image Guided Biopsy: Experience With 11 Cases

Purpose: We reviewed an institutional experience with image guided percutaneous biopsy of focal renal masses that yielded a diagnosis of lymphoma.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of patients undergoing percutaneous renal biopsy between September 1997 and February 2005.Results: A total of 407 image guided focal renal lesion biopsies were identified. A diagnosis of lymphoma was made in 11 patients (3%). Biopsies were performed under computerized tomography guidance in 9 cases (82%) and under ultrasound guidance in 2 (18%). Core biopsies were performed in 11 cases, while fine needle aspiration was done in 10 (91%). Fine needle aspirations underwent cytological analysis in 10 cases and flow cytometry analysis in 9. The final combined pathological diagnoses were B-cell lymphoma in 10 cases and lymphomatoid granulomatosis in 1. Analysis of core biopsies yielded a diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma in 10 cases (91%) and lymphomatoid granulomatosis in 1. Analysis of fine needle as...
Initial experience with megavoltage (MV) CT guidance for daily prostate alignments

Purpose: The on-board megavoltage (MV) computed tomography (CT) capabilities of a TomoTherapy Hi*ART unit were used to obtain daily MVCT images of prostate cancer patients. For patient alignment the daily MVCT image needs to be registered with the planning CT image to calculate couch shifts. Three manual techniques of registering the MVCT images with the planning kilovoltage (kV) CT images were evaluated. The techniques are based on visual alignment of ( 1 ) fiducial prostate markers, ( 2 ) CT anatomy, and ( 3 ) kVCT contours. Methods and Materials: One hundred and twelve alignments from 3 patients were available for analysis. The radiation therapists visually registered the MVCT images with the planning kVCT images based on fiducial markers for actual patient alignment. Retrospectively, the therapists registered each image set using anatomy and contour-based techniques. In addition to the therapists, a physician retrospectively registered each image set based on each of the three techniques. For each MVCT to kVCT image pair a reference alignment was computed from the center-of-mass (COM) of the three fiducial markers. All registration results were compared with these reference alignments. The physician's image registrations were compared with the radiation therapists' registrations to assess the user variability of the different techniques. Results: The marker-based registration results agree best with the reference alignments, while the contour-based registrations show the least degree of agreement. Using anatomy and contour-based registrations, the radiation therapist's alignments differed by ≥ 3 mm from the reference alignments in 24%, 33%, and 3% and 55%, 48%, and 21% of all registrations in the anterior-posterior, superior-inferior, and lateral directions, respectively. The respective values for the marker-based alignments were 3%, 6%, and 3%. The physician's registrations showed the same general trend. The marker-based registrations showed the least amount of inter-user variability while the contour-based ones showed the most. Conclusion: The use of fiducial markers for MVCT image guidance is advantageous to reduce the inter-user variability of the image registration. If fiducial markers are not used, anatomy-based registrations outperform contour-based registrations in terms of ( 1 ) agreement with a reference alignment and ( 2 ) inter-user variability.
Electron and Ion Source ECR Plasma for Electric Propulsion Applications

Summary form only given. A permanent magnet ECR source previously investigated for plasma processing applications is being studied for potential electric propulsion applications such as main discharge ion production or plasma cathode electron production. The ECR surface is established using a permanent magnet grill. Intense ionization observed at the grill is probed using Langmuir probes, The energy distribution of ions emitted from the plasma production sites is measured using a retarding potential analyzer. Downstream electron saturation current is measured using a large collector electrode. The variation in the ion energy distribution, the electron saturation current, and ion saturation current as a function of operating condition and magnet geometry are documented and compared with a plasma diffusion model.
Soil Water Regime in Space and Time in a Small Georgia Piedmont Catchment under Pasture

Soil water influences hydrological, biological, and biogeochemical processes that determine on- and off-site response of landscapes under different agricultural uses. There are relatively little detailed spatial and temporal soil water measurements to validate current representations of spatial and temporal soil water variability. Soil water was measured over 3 yr at 12 sites to a 1.2-m depth in a 7.8-ha pasture catchment in the Georgia Piedmont in southeastern USA. The Mahalanobis statistical difference was estimated between all pairs of measurement sites for soil water. Multidimensional scaling of the Mahalanobis differences showed that only a single statistical dimension was separating the observed soil water variations at measurement sites (r 5 0.99). This statistical dimension was then found to be most closely correlated with the depth to the Bt and the depth of the Ap horizons for explaining the observed variation in soil water between sampling sites (r 5 0.69 and r 5 0.8, respectively). Those sites where the Bt, an argillic horizon, was close to the surface, even when higher up the landscape, were generally wetter than those in which the Bt was deeper, even in the lower part of the landscape. The depth to the Bt horizon may serve as an indicator of the portions of the watershed most likely to be primary sources of runoff in association with the depth of overlying coarse-texturedsoil.Volumetricsoilwatercontentwasgenerallygreatest
Detection of thyrotropin binding inhibitory activity in neonatal blood spots

Recent studies have suggested that maternal TSH receptor-blocking antibodies might be of primary etiological importance in some cases of transient congenital hypothyroidism (CH). Because these antibodies are extremely potent, we evaluated the feasibility of identifying babies at risk by using readily available newborn blood spots. Blood spots obtained from 84 normal babies (group 1) and from 354 infants whose initial T4 was less than the tenth percentile for the assay and whose TSH was 40 mU/L or more (group 2) were studied without knowledge of the diagnosis. Blood was eluted from spots overnight and evaluated for [125I]TSH binding inhibition (TBI) to solubilized porcine thyroid membranes. Four spots obtained from 3 group 2 babies, but none of those from the group 1 infants, exhibited TBI activity greater than 3 SD above the normal mean (33.9%). Four additional hypothyroxinemic infants whose mothers had Graves' disease were also negative. Subsequent follow-up revealed that all 3 positive babies had transient CH, and all 3 mothers had primary myxedema. Potent TBI activity was confirmed in the serum of all 3 mothers and in the 2 babies in whom it was evaluated at birth. We conclude that newborn blood spots can be used to detect potent maternal TBI activity, and that this identifies a baby likely to have transient, rather than permanent, CH. Because of their stability and ease of collection and handling, newborn blood spots should offer a convenient tool for future studies aimed at defining in more detail the incidence and clinical characteristics of this unique syndrome.
Hereditary pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma.

: Few risk factors for pancreatic cancer have emerged except for chronic pancreatitis. Recently, hereditary pancreatitis was estimated to carry a standardized incidence ratio of 53, a risk about 25 times higher than smoking. A review of the ongoing hereditary pancreatitis study of the Midwest Multi-center Pancreatic Study Group suggests that the risk of pancreatic cancer is related to long-standing pancreatitis rather than to the cationic trypsinogen mutations. No recommendations can be made on screening patients with hereditary pancreatitis for pancreatic cancer at this time. However, prospective data, serum, and pancreatic juice should be collected and banked on consenting patients at risk as part of prospective, multicenter trials so that evidence-based recommendations for hereditary pancreatitis and other types of chronic pancreatitis can be made in the future.
Broad-Coverage Parsing with Neural Networks

Subsymbolic systems have been successfully used to model several aspects of human language processing. Such parsers are appealing because they allow revising the interpretation as words are incrementally processed. Yet, it has been very hard to scale them up to realistic language due to training time, limited memory, and the difficulty of representing linguistic structure. In this study, we show that it is possible to keep track of long-distance dependencies and to parse into deeper structures than before based on two techniques: a localist encoding of the input sequence and a dynamic unrolling of the network according to the parse tree. With these techniques, the system can nonmonotonically parse a corpus of realistic sentences into parse trees labelled with grammatical tags from a broad-coverage Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar of English.
Fungal flora of the haircoat of cats with and without dermatophytosis

In catteries with a long-standing problem of dermatophytosis, Microsporum canis was the sole fungal isolate from all cats, regardless of clinical signs. Fungal isolates from cats in catteries with ...
Adaptation as a Mediator of Intimate Abuse and Traumatic Stress in Battered Women

The purpose of this research was to test one aspect of a proposed middle-range theory synthesized from the Roy adaptation model and linked with the framework of post-traumatic stress. A predictive-correlational design was used to examine adaptation as a mediator of traumatic stress in battered women. Analysis included regression and path analytic procedures. Results indicated (a) direct relationships between the focal stimuli of abuse and the response of post-traumatic stress disorder and (b) adaptation in the physiologic, self-concept, and interdependence modes partially mediated the relationship between the focal stimuli of abuse and the response of post-traumatic stress disorder in battered women.
The Self-Locating Property Theory of Color

The paper reviews the empirical evidence for highly significant variation across perceivers in hue perception and argues that color physicalism cannot accommodate this variability. Two views that can accommodate the individual differences in hue perception are considered: the self-locating property theory, according to which colors are self-locating properties, and color relationalism, according to which colors are relations to perceivers and viewing conditions. It is subsequently argued that on a plausible rendition of the two views, the self-locating theory has a slight advantage over color relationalism in being truer to the phenomenology of our color experiences.
Estimating average within-group relatedness from DNA fingerprints

We present a detailed analysis of a regression and an equivalent band-sharing technique for estimating mean within-group relatedness from DNA fingerprint data. First, we show that the relatedness estimate obtained from this technique tends to underestimate the pedigree relatedness in random-mating populations, but that the degree of underestimation will be small unless DNA fingerprint similarity among unrelated individuals is unusually high. We derive the exact asymptotic downward bias as a function of allele frequency and probabilities of identity by descent. We suggest some methods for removing the small downward bias in the regression estimate. Secondly, we show that the technique yields accurate estimates of parent-offspring, full, and half-sibling relatedness in natural populations of the red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus and indigo bunting Passerina cyanea.
Deposit Insurance and Bank Regulation in a Monetary Economy: A General Equilibrium Exposition

It is commonly argued that poorly designed banking system safety nets are largely to blame for the frequency and severity of modern banking crises. For example, “underpriced” deposit insurance and/or low reserve requirements are often viewed as factors that encourage risk-taking by banks. In this paper, we study the effects of three policy variables: deposit insurance premia, reserve requirements and the way in which the costs of bank bailouts are financed. We show that when deposit insurance premia are low, the monetization of bank bailout costs may not be more inflationary than financing these costs out of general revenue. This is because, while monetizing the costs increases the inflation tax rate, higher levels of general taxation reduce savings, deposits, bank reserves, and the inflation tax base. Increasing the inflation tax rate obviously raises inflation, but so does an erosion of the inflation tax base. We also find that low deposit insurance premia or low reserve requirements may not be associated with a high rate of bank failure.
Citrate, Malate and Alkali Content in Commonly Consumed Diet Sodas: Implications for Nephrolithiasis Treatment

Purpose: Citrate is a known inhibitor of calcium stone formation. Dietary citrate and alkali intake may have an effect on citraturia. Increasing alkali intake also increases urine pH, which can help prevent uric acid stones. We determined citrate, malate and total alkali concentrations in commonly consumed diet sodas to help direct dietary recommendations in patients with hypocitraturic calcium or uric acid nephrolithiasis.Materials and Methods: Citrate and malate were measured in a lemonade beverage commonly used to treat hypocitraturic calcium nephrolithiasis and in 15 diet sodas. Anions were measured by ion chromatography. The pH of each beverage was measured to allow calculation of the unprotonated anion concentration using the known pK of citric and malic acid. Total alkali equivalents were calculated for each beverage. Statistical analysis was done using Pearson's correlation coefficient.Results: Several sodas contained an amount of citrate equal to or greater than that of alkali and total alkali as...
Mirror neurons, language, and embodied cognition

Basic mechanisms of the mind, cognition, language, its semantic and emotional mechanisms are modeled using dynamic logic (DL). This cognitively and mathematically motivated model leads to a dual-model hypothesis of language and cognition. This models joint emergence of language and cognition from mirror neuron system.
DYNAMICS OF TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR BY COMMON NIGHTHAWKS

Abstract We describe the aggressive defense of a territory by a male Common Nighthawk against a migrating flock of conspecifics in Boston, Massachusetts. This observation is compared with those of Rust (1947) to illustrate the dynamics of territorial behavior in the Common Nighthawk.
Association of Opioids with Falls, Fractures, and Physical Performance among Older Men with Persistent Musculoskeletal Pain

Background Although older adults are disproportionately affected by painful musculoskeletal conditions and receive more opioid analgesics than persons in other age groups, insufficient evidence is available regarding opioid harms in this age group.
The Importance of Clinical Phenotype in Understanding and Preventing Spontaneous Preterm Birth

Spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) is a well-known cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity. The search for the underlying pathways, documentation of the genetic causes, and identification of markers of spontaneous PTB have been marginally successful due to the fact that it is highly complex, with numerous processes that lead to a final common pathway. There is a great need for a comprehensive, consistent, and uniform classification system, which will be useful in identifying mechanisms, assigning prognosis, aiding in clinical management, and can identify areas of interest for intervention and future study. Effective classification systems must overcome obstacles including the lack of widely accepted definitions and uncertainty about inclusion of classifying features (e.g., presentation at delivery and multiple gestations) and levels of detail of these features. The optimal classification system should be based on the clinical phenotype, including characteristics of the mother, fetus, placenta, and the presentation for delivery. We present a proposed phenotyping system for spontaneous PTB. Future classification systems must establish a universally accepted set of definitions and a standardized clinical workup for all PTBs including the minimum clinical data to be collected and the laboratory and pathologic evaluation that should be completed.
Identification of candidate genes for a factor regulating body weight in primates

A weight gain of 20-30% above baseline, induced by gastrostomy overfeeding of subhuman primates or gavage overfeeding of rats, was found to completely suppress voluntary food consumption. When overfeeding was discontinued, body weight and oral intake returned in a coordinated fashion to baseline or “set point” values. This regulatory response could have been due to a circulating peptide that was secreted by adipocytes in proportion to the total body energy store and that mediated satiety at the level of the central nervous system. To search for this factor, a subtractive cDNA cloning strategy was developed, permitting the isolation of primate adipocyte genes with augmented expression in the overfed state. A 1.8-kb cDNA clone prepared by subtraction was found to hybridize to a 5-kb message expressed preferentially in the adipose tissue of overfed macaques and rats. This message, which was restricted in distribution among nonadipose tissues, was also detected in human subcutaneous fat. Candidate genes for satiety factors identified by this approach could be used in further studies of body weight regulation and obesity.
Role Theory and International Relations: A Commentary and Extension

Professor Holsti has provided an example of the application of role theory to the relations between nations. In this paper an attempt will be made to extend his analysis and further examine the question of whether role theory may be of use in the field of international relations. The sources of theoretical insights in science are various but one frequent source is the theory of another field. History provides some instances in which borrowing has been highly successful, such as when Darwin borrowed from Malthus. There have been instances, however, where borrowing has been less successful. The concept of group mind failed to illuminate our understanding of the group and the idea of physical fields of force, while emphasizing the notion of multiple causation, has not been notably successful when applied to the group. There are many who are particularly dubious whether theory developed at one level can be fruitfully applied to problems at another. Thus many have questioned whether theories at the
Intestinal calcium absorption and calcium-binding protein: influence of dietary calcium.

SummaryChicks regulated to a lowcalcium diet exhibited the expected facultative process regarding the intestinal absorption of calcium. Augmentation of the facultative process was noted when such low-calcium adapted chicks were given a high-calcium diet. This response was transitory, becoming evident 72 hr after initiation of the high-calcium feeding and declining rapidly thereafter. The potentiative response was actinomycin sensitive and could not be produced by the molar substitution of strontium for calcium. Vitamin D was essential for development of the facultative process in lowcalcium fed chicks and the potentiative effect noted in such animals given a high-calcium diet. It is suggested that the additional calcium could have acted on the intestinal cellular processes to accentuate the facultative response by increasing mitotic activity or by inhibiting ribonuclease. It is also theorized that calcium could have effected the facultative response indirectly by controlling synthesis of an active vitamin...
Functional Responses of the Black Hunter Thrips, Leptothrips mali (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), to Densities of Panonychus ulmi (Acari: Tetranychidae)

The functional responses of all feeding stages of Leptothrips mali (Fitch) to various densities of selected Panonychus ulmi (Koch) stages were determined in the laboratory at 23.9 ± 1°C. Functional response data were obtained for the following L. mali-P. ulmi combinations: first-stage larvae of L. mali with P. ulmi eggs and adults, second-stage larvae or adult female L. mali with adult P. ulmi. To estimate the relationship between the number of prey killed and prey density for the selected predator-prey combinations, various mathematical models were fit to the data. No functional response was found when first-stage larvae were provided adult female P. ulmi. A sigmoid curve best explained the relationship in all other situations. Search rate increased between the two lowest prey densities when adult thrips were provided adult mites. No such increase was observed with other L. mali-P ulmi combinations; search rate remained constant. Therefore, for these other stages, the type III response obtained cannot be explained on the basis that the search rate increases over an initial range of low prey densities. A possible explanation may be interference-stimulation of the predator by the prey above some threshold prey density.
Measurement of electron-impact excitation cross sections out of the neon 3 P 2 metastable level

We have measured cross sections for the electron-impact excitation out of the metastable levels of neon into the ten levels of the ${2p}^{5}3p$ configuration. Two sources of metastable neon atoms were used, a hollow-cathode discharge and a fast beam formed via near-resonant charge exchange. Both sources produce a mixed target of Ne in both ${(}^{3}{P}_{0}$ and ${}^{3}{P}_{2})$ metastable levels. For the ${2p}^{5}3p$ excited levels with $J=2$ or $J=3,$ the excitation is dominated by excitation from the ${}^{3}{P}_{2}$ level, and we present cross sections over the energy range of 0 to 450 eV. The results are compared with the cross sections for excitation out of the metastable levels of argon and the applications to diagnostics of ionized gas systems are discussed.
Feline Oncovlrus-Assoclated Cell Leukemia Virus Group-Specific Antigen Marrow and Serum

Feline retrovirus-induced possible preneoplastic lesions were identified by detection of feline oncovirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA) in bone marrow (BM) and mesenteric lymph nodes of noninbred, domestic short- or long-hair kittens. Cell-bound FOCMA was detected 1-3 weeks after feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection and at least 6 months before a tumor was evident. BM FOCMA was detected earlier and reached higher levels at early periods in cats that became persistently viremic. Serum FeLV group-specific antigen (gsa) increased more rapidly and reached a higher level in cats that became persistently viremic, but nonviremic cats still had detectable gsa as late as 7-9 months after FeLV infection, even in the presence of high levels of viral antibody. The presence in nonviremic cats of FeLV gsa in sera and FOCMA in BM and sera suggests that these cats may have a persistent, low-level FeLV infection.