cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contributed Review: Absolute spectral radiance calibration of fiber-optic shock-temperature pyrometers using a coiled-coil irradiance standard lamp.

We describe an accurate and precise calibration procedure for multichannel optical pyrometers such as the 6-channel, 3-ns temporal resolution instrument used in the Caltech experimental geophysics laboratory. We begin with a review of calibration sources for shock temperatures in the 3000-30 000 K range. High-power, coiled tungsten halogen standards of spectral irradiance appear to be the only practical alternative to NIST-traceable tungsten ribbon lamps, which are no longer available with large enough calibrated area. However, non-uniform radiance complicates the use of such coiled lamps for reliable and reproducible calibration of pyrometers that employ imaging or relay optics. Careful analysis of documented methods of shock pyrometer calibration to coiled irradiance standard lamps shows that only one technique, not directly applicable in our case, is free of major radiometric errors. We provide a detailed description of the modified Caltech pyrometer instrument and a procedure for its absolute spectral radiance calibration, accurate to ±5%. We employ a designated central area of a 0.7× demagnified image of a coiled-coil tungsten halogen lamp filament, cross-calibrated against a NIST-traceable tungsten ribbon lamp. We give the results of the cross-calibration along with descriptions of the optical arrangement, data acquisition, and processing. We describe a procedure to characterize the difference between the static and dynamic response of amplified photodetectors, allowing time-dependent photodiode correction factors for spectral radiance histories from shock experiments. We validate correct operation of the modified Caltech pyrometer with actual shock temperature experiments on single-crystal NaCl and MgO and obtain very good agreement with the literature data for these substances. We conclude with a summary of the most essential requirements for error-free calibration of a fiber-optic shock-temperature pyrometer using a high-power coiled tungsten halogen irradiance standard lamp.
Vasopressin-Induced Cytoplasmic and Nuclear Calcium Signaling in Embryonic Cortical Astrocytes: Dynamics of Calcium and Calcium-Dependent Kinase Translocation

The present study sought to determine the downstream consequences of V1a vasopressin receptor (V1aR) activation of Ca2+ signaling in cortical astrocytes. Results of these analyses demonstrated that V1aR activation led to a marked increase in both cytoplasmic and nuclear Ca2+. We also investigated V1aR activation of Ca2+-activated signaling kinases, protein kinase C (PKC), Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases [MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2)], their localization within cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments, and activation of their downstream nuclear target, the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). Results of these analyses demonstrated that V1aR activation led to a significant rise in PKC, CaMKII, and ERK1/2 activation, with CaMKII and ERK1/2 demonstrating dynamic transport between cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. Although no evidence of PKC translocation was apparent, PKC and CaMKs were required for activation and nuclear translocation of ERK1/2. Subsequent to CaMKII and ERK1/2 translocation to the nucleus, CREB activation occurred and was found to be dependent on upstream activation of ERK1/2 and CaMKs. These data provide the first systematic analysis of the V1aR-induced Ca2+ signaling cascade in cortical astrocytes. In addition, results of this study introduce a heretofore unknown effect of vasopressin, dynamic Ca2+ signaling between the cytoplasm and nucleus that leads to comparable dynamics of kinase activation and shuttling between cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. Implications for development and regeneration induced by V1aR activation of CREB-regulated gene expression in cortical astrocytes are discussed.
Gadolinium toxicity: epidermis thickness measurement by magnetic resonance imaging at 500 MHz.

Purpose: Regional epidermal thickening and hair follicle width measurement by delayed gadolinium contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may assess the contrast agent gadolinium toxicity on mice skin. Materials and methods: Delayed contrast in vivo MRI was performed in mice. Six mice skin samples were removed and exposed to a gadolinium contrast agent at different times after 2, 4, 6 and 8 h. The relaxation constants of each skin structure were measured. The thickness of the epidermis and hair follicle on follow-up ex vivo delayed-contrast MRI served as an index of gadolinium toxicity on the skin. Results: In vivo MRI by fast low-angle shot imaging technique showed distinct skin layers. High-resolution gradient echo T1-weighted and multislice multiecho proton densityweighted MRI intensities in the epidermis and hair follicle showed a positive correlation with delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI hyperintensities (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r 2 5 0.81, Po0.0001) in the excised mice skin tissues. Delayed contrast-enhanced mice skin MRI after 2–4 h showed epidermis swelling and hair follicle regions with a size measurement accuracy of 65%, a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 25%, a positive predictive value of 65% and a negative predictive value of 65%. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves by MRI were 0.92–0.94 for hair and epidermis as good discriminators. MRI visualized distinct relaxation constants of the epidermis, sebaceous gland, skin papillary and reticular dermis layers and hair follicle. Conclusion: Gadolinium contrast-enhanced MRI may visualize the thickening of the epidermis wall and hair follicle as an index of viable mice skin. Gadolinium enhanced the MRI visibility of skin structures. Gadolinium treatment showed skin toxicity as epidermis thickening the first time due to the undesirable use of high concentrations of gadolinium in microimaging.
Enabling and Sustaining the Activities of Lay Health Influencers: Lessons From a Community-Based Tobacco Cessation Intervention Study:

The authors present findings from a community-based tobacco cessation project that trained lay health influencers to conduct brief interventions. They outline four major lessons regarding sustainability. First, participants were concerned about the impact that promoting cessation might have on social relationships. "Social risk" must be addressed during training to ensure long-term sustainability. Second, formal training provided participants with an increased sense of self-efficacy, allowed them to embrace a health influencer identity, and aided in further reducing social risk. Third, material resources functioned to mediate social tensions during health intervention conversations. A variety of resources should be made available to health influencers to accommodate type of relationship, timing, and location of the interaction. Finally, project design must be attentive to the creation of a "community of practice" among health influencers as an integral part of project sustainability. These lessons have broad implications for successful health promotion beyond tobacco cessation.
RELIGION IN NORTH AMERICA

There are two theological heroes in this new book by Conrad Cherry and, in the interim between the two, a collection of American religious thinkers who missed the mark. The heroes are Jonathan Edwards and Horace Bushnell, both of whom regarded nature as a symbol of divine realities which invited a participatory response through religious imagination. Beyond seeing nature as the source of lessons about God and the Christian life, Edwards and Bushnell viewed the natural world from a perspective in which the "expression of truth" was "inseparable from the truth expressed" (6). Edwards had reflected on nature as the heir to Puritan typological schemas, but after him a series of thinkers, including Samuel Hopkins, Timothy Dwight, Nathaniel Taylor, Lyman Beecher, and William Ellery Channing preferred to dwell on the lessons nature taught concerning the divine government of the world. Hence their thought fostered moralism, legalism, and rationalism until the romanticism of Horace Bushnell brought back religious reflection on nature's symbols. Cherry's sensitive exposition is, for him, not without contemporary significance. A conflict between symbolism and moralism, he tells us, has continued in American life. While he faults moralism for leading to sentimentality and self-righteousness, he is also uneasy with the "aestheticism" of religious symbolism, which has negative ramifications for social action in the world. But Cherry does not preach in this thoughtful essay, and the substance of his book is meticulous textual analysis. Although he does not allude to the fact, his study illuminates a mode of Protestant thought that echoes an older sacramental vision of the natural world. One wishes, however, that he had pondered the implications of the governmental vision of nature with more reference to his own earlier work. Is there a connection between these generally political metaphors of nature and the civil religion that he chronicled in God's New Israel? One wishes, finally, that he had overcome his stated objections and taken on that giant of religious imagination and natural symbol, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Do Drivers know they can Steer in the Dark?: An Empirical Test of the selective Degradation Hypothesis

Drivers routinely overdrive their headlights at night. The selective degradation hypothesis predicts that drivers' overconfidence is a consequence of their ability to steer being preserved even though their ability to see details is impaired. This study investigated the extent to which drivers (18 to 78 years) understand that their ability to steer is preserved in low luminances. Participants estimated their ability to steer before driving a curvy, simulated roadway. Steering performance (but not acuity) was largely intact even in extremely low luminances. Particularly at lower luminances, however, drivers steered better than they had predicted. In the dimmest condition, participants drove outside their lane only 25% as often as they had predicted. These findings support the selective degradation hypothesis, help explain drivers' overconfidence at night, and reflect the fact that drivers do not understand that the ability to see details and the ability to steer are supported by separate neural mechanisms. Language: en
The Salmonella type III secretion translocon protein SspC is inserted into the epithelial cell plasma membrane upon infection

Salmonella species translocate effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm using a type III secretion system (TTSS). The translocation machinery probably contacts the eukaryotic cell plasma membrane to effect protein transfer. Data presented here demonstrate that both SspB and SspC, components of the translocation apparatus, are inserted into the epithelial cell plasma membrane 15 min after Salmonella typhimurium infection. In addition, a yeast two-hybrid interaction between SspC and an eukaryotic intermediate filament protein was identified. Three individual carboxyl-terminal point mutations within SspC that disrupt the yeast two-hybrid interaction were isolated. Strains expressing the mutant SspC alleles were defective for invasion, translocation of effector molecules and membrane localization of SspC. These data indicate that insertion of SspC into the plasma membrane of target cells is required for invasion and effector molecule translocation and that the carboxyl terminus of SspC is essential for these functions.
Coupled structural/magnetocrystalline anisotropy transitions in the doped perovskite cobaltite Pr 1 − x Sr x CoO 3

Years of intensive work on perovskite manganites has led to a detailed understanding of the phenomena that emerge from competition between the electronic and lattice degrees of freedom in these correlated electron systems. It is well understood that the related cobaltites provide an additional spin-state degree of freedom. Here, we use the magnetic properties of a particular cobaltite, ${\text{Pr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Sr}}_{x}{\text{CoO}}_{3}$, to demonstrate the vital role played by a further ingredient often negligible in manganites; magnetocrystalline anisotropy. ${\text{Pr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Sr}}_{x}{\text{CoO}}_{3}$ exhibits an anomalous ``double magnetic transition'' that cannot be ascribed to a spin-state transition or the usual charge/orbital/antiferromagnetic ordering and has thus far evaded explanation. We show that this is actually due to a coupled structural/magnetocrystalline anisotropy transition driven, in this case, by Pr-O hybridization. The results point to the existence of a distinct class of phenomena in the cobaltites due to the unique interplay between structure and magnetic anisotropy.
New developments in mast cell biology

Mast cells can function as effector and immunoregulatory cells in immunoglobulin E-associated allergic disorders, as well as in certain innate and adaptive immune responses. This review focuses on exciting new developments in the field of mast cell biology published in the past year. We highlight advances in the understanding of FcvarepsilonRI-mediated signaling and mast cell-activation events, as well as in the use of genetic models to study mast cell function in vivo. Finally, we discuss newly identified functions for mast cells or individual mast cell products, such as proteases and interleukin 10, in host defense, cardiovascular disease and tumor biology and in settings in which mast cells have anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive functions.
Interventions for Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: A Review and Analysis of Content, Process, and Outcomes

Current reviews of the caregiver intervention literature have focused primarily on the outcomes of interventions for caregivers and general methodological limitations of individual studies (i.e., sampling and recruitment issues, adequacy of outcome measures, and generalization issues). Little attention has been paid to the specific factors affecting the therapeutic process, including the intensity and integrity of the interventions used. The purpose of this review is to examine closely the content and process of Alzheimer's disease (AD) caregiver interventions. We describe the types of interventions currently in use, factors affecting intervention outcomes, and we conclude with specific recommendations for the application of intervention technology and for the documentation of intervention research.
Crosslinking of collagen in a heritable disorder of connective tissue: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Summary The aldehydic crosslink precursors and their crosslinks from sodium borotritiide reduced dermal collagens of normal human skin and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome skin were compared. The two reduced compounds dominating the elution profile in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome are hydroxynorleucine and a new basic compound eluting after lysine. This latter predominant peak has rarely been witnessed in a reduced collagen. Relatively small amounts of hydroxylysinonorleucine and “post histidine” peak are present. The elution profile is much less complex in nature than dermal collagen from normal human skin. The results suggest that Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome may be a collagen crosslink disorder.
The Effects of Social Dialect on Auditory Sound Blending and Word Recognition.

Abstract Second-grade black children who speak Black English (B.E.) were compared with black and white age peers who speak Standard English (S.E.) on auditory sound blending and word recognition tasks presented in both B.E. and S.E. form. All groups performed significantly better on an S.E. form of the blending task than a B.E. form. Black English speakers performed better on word recognition of B.E. words than S.E. speakers, but all groups did better overall on S.E. words. The results indicate that B.E. speakers are bidialectal and perform best on S.E. materials in these tasks in a school situation.
Specificity of salt appetite elicited by hypovolemia

It has previously been shown that hypovolemia in rats induces an increased intake of sodium chloride solutions. The present experiment demonstrates that hypovolemic rats ingest increased amounts of solutions containing other sodium salts, but show no preferential consumption of sodium-free solutions. This suggests that a specific appetite for sodium is elicited by hypovolemia.
Pumping Fish in California

(1969). Pumping Fish in California. The Progressive Fish-Culturist: Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 233-235.
Signaling Responses to Pulsatile Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone in LβT2 Gonadotrope Cells

The hypothalamic neuropeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is secreted in a pulsatile fashion by hypothalamic neurons, and alterations in pulse frequency and amplitude differentially regulate gonadotropin synthesis and release. In this study, we investigated the kinetics of Gs and Gq signaling in response to continuous or pulsatile GnRH using fluorescence resonance energy transfer reporters in live mouse LβT2 gonadotrope cells. cAMP and protein kinase A-dependent reporters showed a rapid but transient increase in fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal with increasing doses of constant GnRH, and in contrast diacylglycerol (DAG) and calcium reporters showed a rapid and sustained signal. Multiple pulses of GnRH caused multiple pulses of cAMP and protein kinase A activation without desensitization, but the DAG and calcium reporters were rapidly desensitized resulting in inhibition of calcium and DAG responses. At the transcriptional level, both a cAMP-dependent cAMP-response element reporter and a DAG/calcium-dependent AP-1 reporter showed a pulse frequency-dependent increase in luciferase activity. However, constant GnRH stimulation gave very little cAMP-response element activation but very strong AP-1 activation. Based on these data, we propose that both the GnRH-R-Gs and Gq pathways are responsive to pulses of GnRH, but only the Gq pathway is responsive to constant GnRH. Furthermore, the Gq pathway is subject to desensitization with multiple GnRH pulses, but the Gs pathway is not.
Fracture Toughness Characterization of Midland Beltline Weld After High Dose of Irradiation

The Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory includes a task to investigate the shape of the fracture toughness master curve for reactor pressure vessel steel highly embrittled as a consequence of irradiation exposure, and to examine the ability of the Charpy 41-J shift to predict the fracture toughness shift. As part of this task, a low upper-shelf WF-70 weld obtained from the beltline region of the Midland Unit 1 reactor pressure vessel was characterized in terms of static initiation and Charpy impact toughness in the unirradiated and irradiated conditions. Irradiation of this weld was performed at the University of Michigan Ford Reactor at 288°C to neutron fluence of 3.4×1019 neutron/cm2 in the HSSI irradiation-anneal-reirradiation facility. This reusable facility allowed the irradiation of either virgin or previously irradiated material in a well-controlled temperature regime, including the ability to perform in-situ annealing. This was the last capsule irradiated in this facility before reactor shut down. Thus, the Midland beltline weld was irradiated within the HSSI Program to three fluences — 0.5×1019 ; 1.0×1019 ; and 3.4×1019 neutron/cm2 . It was anticipated that it would provide an opportunity to address fracture toughness curve shape and Charpy 41-J shift compatibility issues at different levels of embrittlement, including the highest dose considered to be in the range of the current end of life fluence. It was found that the Charpy 41-J shift practically saturated after neutron fluence of 1.0×1019 neutron/cm2 . The transition fracture toughness shift after 3.4×1019 neutron/cm2 was only slightly higher than that after 1.0×1019 neutron/cm2 . In all cases, transition fracture toughness shifts were lower than predicted by the Regulatory Guide 1.99, Rev. 2 equation.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Characterization of the biosynthesis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Env from infected T-cells and the effects of glucose trimming of Env on virion infectivity.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-1 Env is displayed on the surface of infected cells and subsequently incorporated into virions, which is necessary for the initiation of a viral infection by recognition of the CD4 and the chemokine receptors (such as CCR5 or CXCR4) on the surface of new target cells. As a type 1 integral membrane glycoprotein, Env is cotranslationally translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum. In this report, we characterized the synthesis of Env, which did not occur at a constant rate but by translational/translocational pausing that has not previously been shown with a viral encoded glycoprotein. Overall translation was not impeded by the presence of the reducing agent dithiothreitol in vivo, although this did influence the cleavage of the precursor gp160 into its mature form, gp120. Env interacts transiently with resident components of the endoplasmic reticulum such as calnexin, which had maximal association at a 10-min post-translation. Addition of the glucosidase inhibitor, castanospermine, failed to significantly influence the association of Env with calnexin, consistent with the notion that calnexin recognizes components other than α-terminal glucose. Moreover, castanospermine treatment failed to affect the infectivity of virions. Taken together, this report demonstrates the existence of translational/translocational pausing for a viral glycoprotein and suggests that trimming of glucose from HIV-1 Env is not essential for the initiation of virus infection.
Measurement Invariance of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory

The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a commonly used self-report measure of social phobia that has demonstrated adequate reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity. However, research has yet to address whether this measure functions equivalently in (a) individuals with and without a diagnosis of social phobia and (b) males and females. Evaluating measurement equivalence/invariance is necessary in order to determine that the construct of social anxiety is interpreted similarly across these populations. The results of the current investigation, using a series of nested factorial models proposed by Vandenberg and Lance (2000), provide evidence for strong equivalence across 420 individuals with and without diagnoses of social phobia and across male and female samples. Accordingly, these results provide psychometric justification for comparison of SPAI scores across the symptom continuum and sexes.
Strategic Leadership: Values, Styles, and Organizational Performance

Strategic leaders are being challenged by stakeholder demands that organizations meet triple bottom line performance measures. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of empirical research on how strategic...
zFP538, a yellow-fluorescent protein from Zoanthus, contains a novel three-ring chromophore.

Crystal structures of the tetrameric yellow-fluorescent protein zFP538 from the button polyp Zoanthus sp. and a green-emitting mutant (K66M) are presented. The atomic models have been refined at 2.7 and 2.5 A resolution, with final crystallographic R factors of 0.206 (Rfree = 0.255) and 0.190 (Rfree = 0.295), respectively, and have excellent stereochemistry. The fold of the protomer is very similar to that of green (GFP) and red (DsRed) fluorescent proteins; however, evidence from crystallography and mass spectrometry suggests that zFP538 contains a three-ring chromophore derived from that of GFP. The yellow-emitting species (λemmax = 538 nm) is proposed to result from a transimination reaction in which a transiently appearing DsRed-like acylimine is attacked by the terminal amino group of lysine 66 to form a new six-membered ring, cleaving the polypeptide backbone at the 65−66 position. This extends the chromophore conjugation by an additional double bond compared to GFP, lowering the absorption and emis...
Challenges of a Digital Micromirror Device: modeling and design

ABSTRACTThe Digital Micromirror DeviceTM (DMDTM) represents a breakthrough in large-scale integrated spatial light modulators. Atthe heart of each DMD display lies an array of five hundred thousand micromirrors fabricated on a single piece of silicon.Successful operation of the DMD array depends on the robustness, similarity, and reliability of each individual pixel and theability to control all the pixels over time. This paper describes the challenges facing a pixel design and many of the recentimprovements found in the current DMD architecture. Finally, we present the concept of a solution space, which is a measureof the architecture's ability to meet the design objectives.1. INTRODUCTIONThe Digital Micromirror DeviceTM (DMDTM) j unique in the world of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologybecause of the large number of mechanical elements and electrical transistors it contains (Figure 1) [1J. Fabrication of theDMD is performed with CMOS-like processing where a basic microelectromechanical switch or pixel is built over an SRAMcell. This style of semiconductor processing is well suited for large-scale high-resolution spatial light modulators, which areuseful in display and printing applications [2,3].Robust operation of a DMD starts with a basic design that is intrinsically capable of meeting the goals while overcoming thechallenges that face each and every pixel. This paper provides an overview of the many issues facing design of a DMD pixeland the successful strategies used to overcome these challenges. An outline of the modeling used to accelerate the designevolution is given along with some of the waveforms used in pixel control. Finally, we present the concept of a solution space,which is a measure of the robustness of an array of pixels.
Possible Fulde–Ferrel–Larkin–Ovchinnikov Inhomogeneous Superconducting State in CeCoIn5: Cd- and Hg-doping Studies

CeCoIn5 undergoes a phase transition within the superconducting (SC) state. A new superconducting state occupies a high field–low temperature (HFLT) corner of the SC state in the H–T plane, and is a strong candidate for realization of the spatially inhomogeneous Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) superconducting state predicted theoretically in 1960s. We present specific heat data on Cd- and Hg-doped CeCoIn5 that shows that the HFLT phase is suppressed by minute amount of impurities, few hundred parts per million. At this concentration, the average distance between impurities is close to twice the superconducting coherence length ξ, suggesting that ξ is the characteristic length of the HFLT state. We conclude that our investigations support the superconducting, posibly FFLO, origin of the HFLT state.
Comparison of nasopharyngeal flocked swabs and nasopharyngeal wash collection methods for respiratory virus detection in hospitalized children using real-time polymerase chain reaction

Summary This paper describes the molecular detection of respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal flocked swabs (flocked swabs) and nasopharyngeal washes (washes) in a clinical setting. Washes and flocked swabs collected from children
An asymptotic property of nonlinear estimators arising as solutions to a certain class of convex programming problems

Abstract In this paper we examine estimators that generalize classical conditional expectation. Via a convergence principle we analyze their role in statistical inference of stochastic processes and the degradation they undergo when our observations of the process in question are distorted and occur at only finitely many times.
“I Have Faith in My Milk” The Meaning of Milk for Mothers of Very Low Birth Weight Infants Hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background:Mothers who deliver a premature infant often choose to provide milk because it is the “one thing that only the mother can do” to optimize her infant’s outcome, helps mothers feel a connection with their infants, and helps relieve the guilt associated with the preterm birth.Objective:The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of milk for mothers who are providing milk for their very low birth weight (VLBW; < 1500 g) infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Methods:Using a qualitative descriptive design, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 mothers of VLBW infants hospitalized in a level III NICU. Mothers were asked to share their perceptions about what providing milk meant to them.Results:Mothers had faith in the healing properties of their milk and equated providing milk with “giving life” to their infants, mitigating the effects of complications, keeping their infants healthy and stable, and helping themselves address the feelings of failu...
The Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone-Receptor Complex and G11α Are Both Internalised into Clathrin-Coated Vesicles

It has been proposed that, after agonist binding, the thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (TRHR) becomes internalised associated with Gq, as part of a TRH-TRHR-Gq ternary complex [13]. We tested this hypothesis directly by examining the intracellular distribution of the TRHR and Gq/11 after agonist binding. The localisation of the TRH-TRHR complex and Gq/11alpha was studied by the biochemical isolation of clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs). The internalised TRH-TRHR complex was localised in CCVs. The CCVs, which had internalised [3H]MeTRH, contained 4-fold higher levels of radiolabelled ligand than did CCVs from cells incubated with [3H]MeTRH at 4 degrees C. Like the receptor-ligand (RL) complex, G11alpha also translocated to these endocytic vesicles. For example, CCVs from cells with internalised TRH-TRHR complexes contained G11alpha, whereas CCVs from cells without internalised RL complexes lacked G11alpha. We conclude that, after agonist-induced TRHR-G11alpha coupling, both the TRH-TRHR complex and G11alpha are internalised in CCVs.
Fast method for calculating the self-consistent electronic structure of random alloys. II. Optimal use of the complex plane.

In a previous paper, it was shown that calculations of electronic properties involving energy integrations over the occupied energy bands are greatly facilitated by moving the integration contour into the complex-energy plane. In this paper, by separating the single-particle Green's function into a single-scatterer contribution and a multiple-scattering contribution, we show that an optimal contour can be found that yields a further substantial increase in computational efficiency. This method applies to all multiple-scattering-based electronic-structure calculations.
Thermal stability of electroconductive TiN-reinforced silicon oxynitride composites

Abstract The thermal stability and oxidation behavior of TiN-reinforced silicon oxynitride (Si2N2O) composites with different sintering additives fabricated by in-situ reaction forming process was investigated at temperatures ranging from 950 to 1400°C in air. The oxide scale was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. The influence of sintering additives on the oxidation kinetics and rate-controlling mechanisms was also investigated. The thermal stability of these TiN-reinforced Si2N2O composites was found to be dominated by the oxidation of TiN phase.
Online Data and Execution Profiling for Dynamic Energy-Fidelity Optimization in Body Sensor Networks

Power consumption in many BSN devices is dominated by the wireless transmission of raw sensed data. On-node data reduction techniques can be employed to enhance energy efficiency but often come at the expense of application fidelity. This energy-fidelity relationship, however, is subject to both inter- and intra-individual variations, calling for dynamically adaptable on-node signal processing techniques that adjust key parameters based on real-time phenomena. This work presents the tools, methods, and framework for dynamic energy-fidelity optimization, including online data profiling for information content, on-node data rate reduction techniques, energy and resource profiling for executing those techniques, and application fidelity assessment. This approach is demonstrated on an inertial BSN platform using data collected in a clinical study of tremor. Compared to static data reduction settings that are based on patient-specific data profiling, dynamic energy-fidelity optimization through online profiling is shown to reduce energy by 76% for a given data distortion or reduce distortion by 90% for a given energy.
Antagonism of stress-induced analgesia by D-phenylalanine, an anti-enkephalinase.

Abstract Methionine- and leucine-enkephalin produce mild and transient analgesic effects, presumably because of enzymatic degradation. Administration of high (250 mg/kg) doses of D-phenylalanine retards the degradation process and elicits analgesia which is reversed by naloxone and which summates with electroacupuncture analgesia. The present study evaluated D-phenylalanine's dose-dependent effects upon a non-opioid analgesic treatment, cold-water swims (CWS), and compared this with morphine. Following determination of flinch-jump baselines, three groups of rats recieved respectively either 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg of D-phenylalanine intraperitoneally in three conditions: alone, with CWS (2°C for 3.5 min), and with morphine (5 mg/kg, SC). Parallel controls with saline were also tested. Simultaneous exposure with each minimally analgesic dose of D-phenylalanine reduced significantly the analgesic, but not hypothermic effects of CWS. By contrast, morphine analgesia was unaffected by D-phenylalanine. These data provide further support that different pain-inhibitory systems mediate CWS and morphine analgesia and suggest that activation of one system is capable of exerting collateral inhibition upon the other.
Anatomical mechanisms and functional implications of multisensory convergence in early cortical processing

Recent findings in both monkeys and humans indicate that multisensory convergence occurs in low-level cortical structures generally believed to be unisensory in function. In an in-depth treatment of this theme, this paper reviews anatomical and physiological findings relating to the convergence of visual, somatosensory and auditory signals at early stages of auditory cortical processing. We discuss the potential anatomical sources of the input, and the types of known projections, and attempt to integrate this information with the current hierarchical model of auditory processing. Finally, we consider the functional implications of multisensory integration in early sensory processing.
Autosomal recessive woolly hair with hypotrichosis caused by a novel homozygous mutation in the P2RY5 gene

During the last decade, several causative genes for hereditary hair diseases have been identified, which have disclosed the molecular mechanisms involved in hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling. We and others recently reported that mutations in the P2RY5 gene, encoding an orphan G protein-coupled receptor, underlie autosomal recessive woolly hair (WH)/hypotrichosis. Although these findings clearly reveal the involvement of P2RY5 mutations in hereditary hair diseases, the clinical manifestations of P2RY5 mutations have not completely been elucidated because of limited information to date. In this study, we ascertained a consanguineous family of Iranian origin with an affected girl showing sparse and hypopigmented scalp hair. She exhibited the WH phenotype with normal hair density at birth, but progressed with age to develop hypotrichosis. Direct sequencing analysis resulted in the identification of a novel homozygous mutation in the P2RY5 gene of the patient, which results in a non-conservative amino acid change, G146R, at the protein level. Our findings extend the mutation spectrum of P2RY5 mutations, and further support a crucial role of P2Y5 in hair growth in humans.
Design of a GeNaI(Tl) Compton suppression spectrometer and its use in neutron activation analysis

A Compton suppression spectrometer consisting of a germanium detector surrounded by a NaI(Tl) shield and its performance are described. The system reduces the Compton continuum, thus making possible the identification of low-intensity peaks. This allows the determination of small amounts of various elements in biological and environmental materials following neutron activation. Representative results for arsenic in biological materials are presented.
Discharge and kinetics modeling in electron-beam controlled CO 2 laser amplifiers

The specific computational methods used to model the spatial and temporal behavior of large pulsed electron-beam controlled CO 2 laser amplifiers are presented. The interactions between the various physical processes which occur in these devices are related to the logical structure of the model, so that the key approximations can be identified. We show that, in most cases, the uniformity of the gain can be adequately described with a two-dimensional (2-D) analysis, which uses the discharge conditions present at a single "snapshot" time corresponding to the peak of the discharge power. We apply these techniques to model an experiment in which the nonuniformities play an important role; and, as a second example, we demonstrate that the modeling capabilities can show the consequences of design modifications in large-aperture amplifiers.
The Kilopixel Array Pathfinder Project (KAPPa), a 16 pixel integrated heterodyne focal plane array

KAPPa (the Kilopixel Array Pathfinder Project) is developing key technologies to enable the construction of heterodyne focal plane arrays in the terahertz frequency regime with ~1000 pixels. The leap to ~1000 pixels requires solutions to several key technological problems before the construction of such a focal plane is possible. The KAPPa project will develop a small (16-pixel) 2D integrated heterodyne focal plane array for the 660 GHz atmospheric window as a technological pathfinder towards future kilopixel heterodyne focal plane arrays.
A REDESCRIPTION OF CHRYSSO NIGRICEPS (ARANEAE, THERIDIIDAE) WITH EVIDENCE FOR MATERNAL CARE

Abstract Chrysso nigriceps is redescribed and the male is described for the first time based on material from Colombia. Evidence for maternal care of juveniles in Chrysso is presented. This evidence is consistent with predictions based on phylogenetic analysis that maternal care is primitively present in the lost colulus clade, the lineage containing all social theridiids.
Dynamic optical tomographic imaging of the human forearm for quantification of the vascular bed response in diabetics and non-diabetics

We demonstrate the differences in the vascular response between diabetics and nondiabetics based on dynamic optical tomographic imaging of the human forearm using simple provocations.
Primary Productivity and Fish Yields in Tropical Lakes

Abstract Measurements of primary productivity can improve assessment of the fish yields from tropical lakes. In tropical African and Indian lakes commercial fish yields increase logarithmically as primary productivity increases arithmetically. The regression equation describing the relation between fish yields (FY) and gross photosynthesis (PG) for eight African lakes is log FY = 0.113 PG + 0.91. The coefficient of determination is 0.57. The regression equation based on fifteen tropical Indian lakes, log FY = 0.122 PG + 0.95, corroborates the relation for Africa.
A PROFILE OF WOMEN ENGINEERS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

The purpose of the study described in this article was to develop a demographic profile of women engineers in Southern California. Other factors investigated were the opportunities, pay comparison with males, priorities, sexual preference for superior and subordinates, problems women face, satisfaction with the job and personal values.
Dependence of surface strain on island geometry in embedded quantum-dot systems

Strain fields induced by embedded islands of pyramidal shape are examined using the continuum theory of elasticity with Ge/Si systems as a specific example. We show that, upon increasing spacer thickness, the decay of the strain field on the spacer surface undergoes a crossover from a non-cubic inverse power law to a cubic inverse power law. The exponent for the non-cubic inverse power law depends on island slope with a smaller exponent corresponding to a smaller slope. Additionally, the strain is nearly proportional to the island volume when the slope is large but to the island area when the slope is small. These findings reconcile several diverse predictions derived from large-scale atomistic simulations for islands of different geometries.
Empathy, schizotypy, and visuospatial transformations

Introduction. Adopting another person's visuospatial perspective has been associated with empathy, which involves adopting the psychological perspective of another individual. Both reduced empathy and abnormal visuospatial processing have been observed in those with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related personality traits. In the current study, we sought to explore the relationship between empathy, schizotypy, and visuospatial transformation ability. Methods. 32 subjects (16 women) performed a visuospatial perspective-taking task and a mental letter rotation task. Response times and accuracy were analysed in relation to dimensions of self-reported empathy, indexed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and schizotypy, as measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Results. We found that: (1) greater cognitive and affective empathy were associated with reduced negative schizotypy, and, in men, greater cognitive empathy was associated with reduced positive schizotypy; (2) improved accuracy f...
Structural Dynamics Challenge Problem: Summary

The six papers in this special issue that develop solutions to the Structural Dynamics Challenge Problem are summarized herein. The goal is to emphasize different tools and approaches applied to various parts of the structural dynamics problem. Specifically the following issues are considered: (1) Development of a mathematical framework for uncertainty quantification of a substructure. (2) Calibration of a mathematical model for the substructure. (3) Validation of the substructure mathematical model. (4) Use of the mathematical model of the substructure, in conjunction with another structure, to make a prediction of the probability that a regulatory limit is surpassed, and discussion of the uncertainty of the prediction. Different methodologies are presented and specific results vary, however, conclusions regarding satisfaction of the regulatory requirement match.
Increased risk of suicide among patients with breast implants: do the epidemiologic data support psychiatric consultation?

Four epidemiologic studies have examined mortality among women with cosmetic silicone gelfilled breast implants and have found that risk of death from suicide is two- to threefold higher in this group than among women of comparable age in the general population. The authors review the literature on the psychological and psychiatric hypotheses concerning women undergoing plastic surgery, although these hypotheses do not specifically address the association with suicide. Epidemiologic research is urgently needed to evaluate whether this association is an artifact of a higher prevalence of underlying and unreported psychopathology and other risk factors for suicide among women receiving breast implants or whether implants have an actual causal role in the risk of suicide. Until such studies are completed, psychiatric consultation should be considered before breast augmentation, especially for patients perceived to be at high risk by the plastic surgeon.
A dispersive effective medium for wave propagation in periodic composites

The problem of wave propagation through a periodic medium is considered. It is assumed that the ratio between the cell size and the shortest wavelength of the initial disturbance is small. Within this regime, an effective medium model of the propagation phenomena is obtained using the Bloch expansion. The effective medium obtained is shown to be dispersive. It is known that a dominant feature of the transient wave train in a periodic medium is that of dispersion. It is shown that our model recovers homogenization formally when the cell size approaches zero. Explicit formula for the constants appearing in the effective medium equation is derived for the case of one dimension. The accuracy of the resulting approximation is assessed in numerical simulations.
Hydrogen bonding of thymine and uracil with surface of dickite: An ab initio study☆

The density functional theory (DFT) by means of the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G(d) basis set has been applied to analyze the hydrogen boding of selected nucleic acid bases (thymine and uracil) with the representative cluster models of the clay mineral, dickite. The results obtained from this investigation reveal that the formation of hydrogen bonds accounts for the stabilization of thymine and uracil on the mineral surface. The intermolecular distances and strength of the hydrogen bonds depend on the type of the surface (tetrahedral or octahedral) and on the hydration of the surface. Generally, thymine and uracil are less stable on the tetrahedral surface than on the octahedral surface. The most energetically favorable adsorption is predicted in the case of the system containing hydrated octahedral mineral fragment. The adsorption of thymine on the surface of dickite results in changes in geometry and polarization of thymine. These effects are more significant in the case of the octahedral adsorption than for the tetrahedral adsorption.
Histologic development of the sheath that forms around long-term implanted central venous catheters

Background: Chronically implanted catheters often become covered with a thin, white adherent covering of tissue that has been referred to as a fibrin sheath. This tissue often interferes with catheter function. Methods: To chronicle the development of this sheath, rats were implanted with silicone rubber central venous catheters. Five rats were euthanized at 3, 7, and 60 days postimplantation so that gross necropsy and histology could be performed on the catheterized vessels. Results: The coating that developed around the external portion of the catheter started as a dark red thrombus containing fibrin and progressed into vascularized, fibrous connective tissue. Conclusions: The translucent to white sheath that forms around chronically implanted catheters is not composed of fibrin and is therefore not likely to be dissolved by fibrinolytic agents such as urokinase, streptokinase, or tissue plasminogen activator. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition20:156-158, 1996)