cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of chronically exposing young guinea pigs to environmental tobacco smoke on cough and bronchoconstriction, role of NK-1 receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarius

Abstract Rationale Children raised with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke experience increased cough and wheeze. This study was designed to determine if extended environmental tobacco smoke exposure enhances citric-acid induced cough and bronchoconstriction in young guinea pigs via a neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor mechanism at the first central synapse of lung afferent neurons, the nucleus tractus solitarius. Methods Guinea pigs were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (1 mg/m 3 total suspended particulates) from 1 to 6 weeks of age. At 5 weeks of age, guide cannulae were implanted bilaterally in the medial nucleus tractus solitarius at a site that produced apnea in response to the glutamate agonist, D,L-homocysteic acid. At 6 weeks of age, either vehicle or a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, SR-140333 was injected into the nucleus tractus solitarius of the conscious guinea pigs who were then exposed to citric acid aerosol (n=7 to 10 each group). Statistical analysis was by ANOVA with post hoc analysis consisting of a series of Sheffe contrast tests among the treatment groups as appropriate. Results Environmental tobacco smoke exposure significantly enhanced citric acid-induced cough by 56% ( P =0.03) and maximal Penh (a measure of airway obstruction) by 43% ( P P =0.0003 for cough and P=0.03 for Penh). Conclusions We conclude that in young guinea pigs, extended exposure to environmental tobacco smoke increases citric acid-induced cough and bronchoconstriction in part by an neurokinin-1 receptor mechanism in the nucleus tractus solitarius.
Femtosecond temporal spectroscopy of ICI: inversion to the A 3Π1 state potential

The femtosecond evolution of the wave packet is probed for ICI on the A ^3Π_1 potential surface. Vibrational transients for v′ = 9−28 have been obtained by varying the wavelength of the pump pulse. The periods of the wave packet motion are used to invert to the potential ΔR (V). Both the RKR and a modified classical inversion method are applied and the advantages of both methods are discussed.
Abyssal hills, magnetic anomalies and the east pacific rise

Abstract Long ridges and troughs are characteristic of the East Pacific rise off North and Central America. The trends of the topography are parallel to the trends of magnetic anomalies but are not specifically related. Locally the topography, like the magnetic anomalies, shows a gross symmetry and the sea floor spreading hypothesis could account for that fact. Simultaneous rifting and accumulation of lava flows around opening rifts appear capable of generating this topography.
Solid-State NMR Studies of Lead-Containing Zeolites

When metal cations are charge exchanged into a zeolite, thezeolite framework acts as the ligand and affects the electronicand hence catalytic properties of the cation. The geometry andcomposition of the zeolite framework, as well as the presenceor absence of framework defects, can also affect the catalyticactivity of the cations. Since the size of the pores in zeolitescan be similar to those of reactants and products, geometricconstraints imposed by carrying out reactions within zeolitescan afford additional advantages. Exchange of transition metalcations (e.g., Cu
Intracardiac ultrasonographic assessment of atrial septal defect area: In vitro validation and technical considerations

Assessment of atrial septal defect (ASD) size and shape is important for planning and guiding its transcatheter occlusion and can potentially be achieved by intracardiac ultrasonography (ICUS). ICUS accuracy, however, must first be established against stable standards and technical imaging requirements defined. We therefore used 10, 20, and 30 MHz ICUS catheters to examine 17 ASDs that were 0.16 to 6.7 cm2 in area and were surgically created in excised ovine hearts with 10, 20, and 30 MHz ICUS catheters. ASD shape and area by ICUS were compared with direct video images of the actual ASD. In all instances minimal area by ICUS pullback agreed well with actual values (y = 1.04x + 0.2, SEE = 0.23 cm2, r = 0.99) and corresponded well with defect shapes. The maximum angle between ultrasonography beam and septal plane allowing for complete ASD visualization was 20 degrees. The angle depended on transducer frequency and septal thickness. This new technique has potential value for the accurate assessment of ASD shape and size and may be especially useful in the setting of transcatheter occlusion.
Predicting Coating Degradation Under Variable Peak Temperatures

The cyclic oxidation behavior of a CoCrAlY coating on a GTD-111 substrate was characterized by thermal cycling between ambient temperature and a variable peak temperature. The initial peak temperature of the thermal cycle was 954°C (1750°F) and tested for n1 cycles. The peak temperature was then increased to 1010°C (1850°F) for n2 cycles. Finally, the peak temperature was raised again to 1066°C (1950°F) for n3 cycles, where n1, n2, and n3 are in the range of a few hundred to a few thousand cycles. In all three cases, thermal cycles consisting of 55 minutes at the peak temperature and 5 minutes heating/cooling were used. Weight change of the test specimens was measured as a function of thermal cycle. The results were compared against a coating life model that treats coating degradation mechanisms including oxidation, spallation, and aluminum loss due to both inward and outward diffusion. Using this model, the influence of the variable peak temperature on coating life was predicted in accordance with experimental results.Copyright © 1999 by ASME
Seeing one's self: locating narrative memory in a framework of personality.

Individuals confront the continuing challenge of attending to the competing demands of internal and external stimuli. The emerging I-Self applies three principles of evaluation, categorization, and subsidiation to orga- nize these informational demands. These principles guide the development of the five systems of personality—c ognition, affect, motivation, behavior, and psychophysiology. These systems interact to create various Me-Selves that comprise the different roles and contexts of the personality. Each Me- Self contains evaluations (valenced responses to self and others), categories (self- and other representations), and sequences in tinie (the self and others in past, present, and future). Narrative is the perceptual expression of a par- ticular Me-Self in consciousness . Narrative memory allows for meaningful analysis by consciousness of specific Me-Selves and the cognitions, affects, and goals associated with those selves. Applications of this position to research and psychotherapy are discussed.
Modeling of the formation of under-riser macrosegregation during solidification of binary alloys

The formation of macrosegregation in a rectangular ingot with reduced cross section from the riser to the casting, chilled from the bottom, has been studied numerically. In addition to positive inverse segregation occurring near the chilled surface, very severe negative segregation around the under-riser region and moderate positive segregation near the top corners of the casting were found. Although large circulating vortexes are created by natural convection in the under-riser region during the early stage of solidification, the fluid flow in the mushy zone is dominated by solidification shrinkage. As a result, the final solute distribution in the casting is determined by the flow of solute-rich liquid in the mushy zone owing to the combined effects of solidification shrinkage and change of cross section from casting to riser. Detailed explanations regarding the effect of different flow phenomena on the formation of the segregations are provided. The effects of riser size and cooling condition at the bottom of the ingot on the formation of macrosegregation also were studied. The predicted negative and positive macrosegregations in the casting compared very well with the available experimental data.
A convenient synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted 3(2H)-furanones

Abstract 2,2-Disubstituted 3(2H)-furanones can be prepared readily by 1,2-addition of organometallic compounds to γ,γ-disubstituted β-bromo-α,β-butenolides followed by treatment of the adducts with acid.
Expression of the genes encoding the insulin-like growth factors and their receptors in the human ovary.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II have been proposed as potential regulators of ovarian function. To gain further insight as to the possible role(s) of the IGFs in human ovarian physiology, we have characterized the expression of the genes encoding the IGFs and their corresponding receptors in the human ovary using solution hybridization/RNase protection assays. IGF-I gene expression was evident in liver, placenta, and whole premenopausal ovary, but not in luteinized granulosa cells. Use of 3'- and 5'-specific antisense RNA probes revealed the presence of IGF-I mRNAs encoding both the Ea and Eb forms of the E-peptide as well as potential 5'-untranslated region splicing variants in liver, placenta, and whole menopausal ovary. Immunohistochemical studies localized the IGF-I peptide to the thecal-interstitial compartment. IGF-II mRNA transcribed from the fetal or fetal-neonatal IGF-II promoter was found in whole premenopausal ovary, luteinized granulosa cells, and placenta. Insulin and type I a...
Reflexive algebras with finite width lattices: Tensor products, cohomology, compact perturbations☆

Reflexive algebras play a central role in the study of general operator algebras. For a reflexive algebra the associated invariant subspace lattice has structural importance analogous to that of the algebraic commutant in the study of ∗-algebras. Tomita's tensor product commutation theorem can be restated in the form Alg(L1 ⊗ L2) = Alg L1 ⊗ Alg L2, where each Li is a reflexive ortho-lattice. This same formula is proved (for n-fold tensor products) in the setting when each Li is a nest. Thus, in particular, a tensor product of nest algebras is again a reflexive algebra. Lance has shown that the Hochschild cohomology of nest algebras vanishes; modifications of his arguments show that cohomology vanishes for arbitrary CSL algebras whose lattices are generated by finitely many independent nests. This appears to be the strongest possible result in this direction. The class of irreducible tridiagonal algebras with finite-width commutative lattices is investigated and it is shown that these algebras have nontrivial first cohomology. Finally, it is shown that if L is a finite-width commutative subspace lattice and K is the set of compact operators then the quasitriangular algebra Alg L + K is closed in the norm topology. This extends to arbitrary finite-width CSL algebras a result obtained for nest algebras by Fall, Arveson, and Muhly.
Quasi-measures and image transformations on completely regular spaces

Am apρ : C(X) → C(Y) is called quasi-linear if it is linear on each singly generated subalgebra of C(X). We prove the representation theorem for positive quasi-linear functionals in terms of integration with respect to quasi-measures. We then consider positive quasi-linear maps in more generality and show that they can be described in terms of transformations of sets in the underlying spaces. We call these image transformations. It is shown how smoothness properties of the quasilinear map are reflected in the corresponding image transformation and the simplifications that occur when the underlying spaces are compact.  2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. MSC: 28A10; 46E10
Evolution: A is for adaptation.

Studies of a bacterial virus have revealed an unexpected weapon that helps it to overcome its host's rapidly changing defences. A look at other organisms hints that the mechanism might be widespread.
Histochemical studies on the hyaline capsule of Holopedium gibberum Zaddach (Crustacea, Cladocera).

The jelly capsule of the “water flea” Holopedium gibberum, was subjected to histochemical procedures for the visualization of acid mucopolysaccharides, amino acids, and proteins. The affinity of the capsule for azure A, alcian blue, colloidal iron, aldehyde fuchsin, and iron diamine reagents, at low pH, indicates the presence of a sulfated mucopolysaccharide. The presence of carboxyl groups, in addition, is indicated by alcian blue affinity in the combined aldehyde fuchsin-alcian blue and high-iron diamine-alcian blue procedures, as well as by the restoration of weak, but definite, basophilia after methylation-saponification pretreatment. The capsule remained alcianophilic in solutions of MgCl2 as high as 0.4 molar. Cetylpyridinium blockade was removed by KCl solutions of 0.5–1.0 molar. The periodic acid-Schiff reaction was nil to very weak, in spite of extended oxidizing periods. None of the methods used for the visualization of amino acids or proteins gave unequivocally positive results. A possible origin of the capsular material is proposed.
The University Library's Role in Planning a Successful Distance Learning Program

Summary This article examines the role a university library plays in planning the student support services that are so crucial to a successful distance learning program. The content of the paper is based on the experience the author acquired as a member of Texas Tech University's Distance Learning Council. The Council's efforts to plan, prioritize, and develop a distance learning program that will include strong support from the Library are emphasized. The work of the Distance Learning Council and its committees is discussed when it relates to the TTU Library's contribution to the program.
A National Survey of Marriage Preparation Provided by Clergy

Clergy provide the vast majority of marriage preparation, but little is known about the nature of premarital education they provide. To provide baseline data, a national survey (N = 793) from the 15 largest mainline Protestant, evangelical Protestant, and Catholic denominations investigated the requirements and content addressed in clergy-provided marriage preparation. A significant number of clergy include recommended components in premarital education, but several practices with demonstrated efficaciousness are generally left out, including follow-up meetings after the wedding, utilization of mentor couples, and dealing with family-of-origin issues. The article discusses implications for clergy providing premarital programs and policy recommendations for denominations, seminaries, and community agencies.
Pharmacodynamic characterization of hemoglobin-induced vasoactivity in isolated rat thoracic aorta

Abstract The origin and mechanism of vasocontraction observed after vascular exposure to acellular Hbs remain controversial. To help resolve the underlying mechanism, we characterized Hb-induced vasoactivities in terms of Hb purity, heme iron oxidation state, and ligand and pharmacodynamic properties. Isolated rat thoracic aortic rings with intact endothelium were suspended in oxygenated Krebs buffer, and isometric tension responses to various test Hb preparations were measured. In norepinephrine tone–enhanced aortic rings, both crude and purified Hbs exhibited similar dose-response characteristics; stroma-free Hb and HbA0, two Hb preparations with disparate purity, were equally potent in inducing vessel ring contraction. Purified Hb preparations significantly attenuated vasodilatory potency of both acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent NO generator, and glyceryl trinitrate, an endothelium-independent NO generator. With the exception of nitrosylated Hb, ferrous Hbs, oxy Hb, and carbon monoxy Hb elicited contraction, whereas ferric derivatives, met Hb, and cyanomet Hb did not. In addition, NEM-Hb, an Hb with blocked cysteine residues, did not notably attenuate Hb vasoactivity. These results indicate that Hb itself is directly responsible for inducing contraction in the rat thoracic aortic rings. A primary mechanism for the Hb-induced vasoactivity appears to be heme iron inactivation of endothelium-derived NO. Nonheme interaction with endothelial NO does not appear to play a prominent role in this vascular model. In conclusion, Hb elicits dose-dependent contraction in isolated rat thoracic aorta with intact endothelium. Vasoactivity of Hbs, however, could greatly vary with heme iron oxidation state, nature of heme ligand, and model vessels used in the evaluation. (J Lab Clin Med 2000;135:180-7)
A hollow-cathode THz spectrometer for the study of astrophysical ions and radicals: Benchmarking with N2H+ and extended measurements for N2D+

Abstract Here we present the first results from a DC-discharge hollow-cathode spectrometer developed for the detection of transient species of astrophysical interest in the THz spectral regime. The new instrument was benchmarked using rotational spectral lines of N2H+ and N2D+. The known rotational lines of N2H+ were used to optimize ion formation conditions in the discharge. We then used the known spectral lines at frequencies below 700 GHz to further optimize the production efficiency of N2D+, and extended spectral measurements for this ion up to ∼1 THz. This resulted in the detection of four additional N2D+ rotational lines that have not been previously measured experimentally. We have used the observed line positions for N2D+ to refine the molecular parameters and extend a more accurate spectral prediction above 1 THz. In addition to being excellent target molecules for benchmarking our spectrometer, N2D+ and N2H+ are commonly used as tracers of isotopic fractionation in dense interstellar clouds. Therefore, these new measurements are important for guiding astronomical observations using the high frequency bands of the new Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and other far-IR observatories.
Mechanism of the Seismonastic Reaction in Mimosa pudica

The efflux of K + from the pulvinar cells of Mimosa pudica was shown to increase substantially during the seismonastic reaction. This result is shown to indicate a decrease in σ (reflection coefficient) of pulvinar cell membrane for potassium salts which could account for the pulvinar cell turgor decrease during the seismonastic reaction. Membrane potentials and concentrations of Ca 2+ , K + , Cl - , S, and P were measured in the top and bottom halves of pulvini. Pulvinar cells showed a large negative membrane potential, cell vacuole relative to external solution, but no significant difference in membrane potential could be detected between upper and lower pulvinar cells. A large difference in K + and Cl - concentration between top and bottom pulvinar halves was evident in reactive pulvini but not in unreactive pulvini. The effect of K + concentration on plant growth and leaf reactivity was also investigated.
Anticipatory Planning Support System

A new approach to military planning and execution has been proposed. This approach seeks to merge planning and execution, and replaces reaction to events with anticipation of events. This paper presents a methodology for building an automated system to support Anticipatory Planning. A Plan Description is developed to manage the many tree-like branches that occur in planning and execution of an operation. A Planning Executive can use the differences between the plan and the actual operation to control the activities of Planners and Execution Monitors in anticipating future branches to the plan. At the heart of the system are inference mechanisms for determining branches in the plan and simulations for predicting future states. This methodology enables the development of a prototype Anticipatory Planning Support System for evaluation of this new approach to military planning and execution. This paper concentrates on the activities of the Execution Monitors and their use of simulation to support those activities.
Comparative larval energetics of an ophiuroid and an echinoid echinoderm

The morphologically convergent larvae of the echinoderm classes Ophiuroidea and Echinoidea have been suggested to be functionally dissimilar when it comes to their capacities to feed, but little is known about whether these larvae are similar in terms of energetics. Here, we compare the energetics of early development of a tropical ophiuroid, Ophiocoma alexandri, and a temperate to tropical echinoid, Arbacia punctulata, two species with similarly sized eggs. Measurements of respiration and constituent analyses were performed on eggs and unfed larvae of both species. Members of both species showed an increase in oxygen consumption during morphogenesis followed by a lower, static rate once morphogenesis was complete (3 d for O. alexandri and 1.3 d for A. punctulata). Compared to the echinoid larvae, the ophiuroid larvae developed more slowly and had peak respiration rates that were 3.1× lower. Eggs of O. alexandri contained significantly more protein and significantly less triacylglycerol than eggs of A. punctulata. Energy utilization, as calculated via respiration measurements, closely matched decreases in energy content from the eggs to larvae as measured with biochemical constituent assays. Larvae of A. punctulata used 1.4× more energy to reach the pluteus stage than larvae of O. alexandri, and used 4× more energy during the first 9 d of larval life. These data suggest that echinoid larvae require more energy to develop to the feeding stage than ophiuroid larvae, and likewise have higher requirements for maintenance metabolism. Ophiuroid larvae may be more tolerant of low food levels due to their very low metabolic rates, but this advantage may be offset by their slower rate of development.
Reciprocal scaffolding treatment: A person with aphasia as clinical teacher

Background: Reciprocal Scaffolding Treatment (RST) is one of several potentially beneficial life participation approaches for aphasia. In RST, treatment occurs during genuine, relevant, and context dependent interactions that represent goals at the activity and participation levels of the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF; World Health Organization, 2001) and is based on an apprenticeship model of learning where novices are taught skills by a more skilled partner. RST was used to construct a communicatively challenging environment in which an expert with aphasia (AE) taught novices (graduate student clinicians) how to communicate with persons with aphasia in the context of conversation group treatment sessions. This is in contrast to many treatment techniques when the person with aphasia is the novice who is trying to relearn communication skills during treatment sessions with a speech‐language pathologist as the expert. We would like to than...
CHANGES OVER TIME IN THE ALLELOCHEMICAL CONTENT OF TEN CULTIVARS OF RYE (Secale cereale L.)

Published studies focused on characterizing the allelopathy-based weed suppression by rye cover crop mulch have provided varying and inconsistent estimates of weed suppression. Studies were initiated to examine several factors that could influence the weed suppressiveness of rye: kill date, cultivar, and soil fertility. Ten cultivars of rye were planted with four rates of nitrogen fertilization, and tissue from each of these treatment combinations was harvested three times during the growing season. Concentrations of a known rye allelochemical DIBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-1,4-(2H)benzoxazine-3-one) were quantified from the harvested rye tissue using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Phytotoxicity observed from aqueous extracts of the harvested rye tissue correlated with the levels of DIBOA recovered in harvested tissue. The amount of DIBOA in rye tissue varied depending on harvest date and rye cultivar, but was generally lower with all cultivars when rye was harvested later in the season. However, the late maturing variety 'Wheeler' retained greater concentrations of DIBOA in comparison to other rye cultivars when harvested later in the season. The decline in DIBOA concentrations as rye matures, and the fact that many rye cultivars mature at different rates may help explain why estimates of weed suppression from allelopathic agents in rye have varied so widely in the literature.
Role of the long-term water balance in management of stormwater infiltration

Abstract Artificial infiltration of urban stormwater can potentially recharge ground water and sustain stream base flows while improving stormwater quality and contributing to flood control. It involves capturing stormwater in basins where it is stored while infiltrating the surrounding soil. This paper suggests that management of these basins with design-storm approaches needs to be supplemented by the long-term water balance. The long-term water balance incorporates continuous low-level background flows, in contrast to the design storm, which is an isolated, rare and brief event. Background flows can accumulate in basins with no regular surface outlets, potentially reducing basin capacity and causing nuisances associated with standing water. A model is described for routing monthly average flows through infiltration basins. Using this model, 12 infiltration basins representing different construction methods and management objectives were designed for a hypothetical catchment in the Atlanta area. The effects of these basins in terms of cost, presence of standing water, capture of flood flows and average annual disposition of water were evaluated. The results show that background flows cannot be disregarded in infiltration management, since the performance of basins designed without considering background flows can be considerably hampered by their presence. The results also invite discussion of alternative basin geometries, materials and hydroperiods as ways of meeting site-specific objectives for water resources and urban amenities.
Contact potential measurements on thin SiO2 films

Abstract Contact potential measurements by the Kelvin method were performed in vacuum on silicon wafers whose thermal oxide film was etched into the shape of a wedge. A given position along the oxide corresponded directly to a given depth and by scanning a reference electrode stripe across the wafer, information about the distribution of the oxide charge through the thickness was obtained. It was found that the oxide charge was positive and concentrated within a few hundred angstroms of the SiSiO2 interface.
A Glutaredoxin, Encoded by the G4L Gene of Vaccinia Virus, Is Essential for Virion Morphogenesis

Vaccinia virus encodes two glutaredoxins, O2L and G4L, both of which exhibit thioltransferase and dehydroascorbate reductase activities in vitro. Although O2L was previously found to be dispensable for virus replication, we now show that G4L is necessary for virion morphogenesis. RNase protection and Western blotting assays indicated that G4L was expressed at late times after infection and was incorporated into mature virus particles. Attempts to isolate a mutant virus with a deleted G4L gene were unsuccessful, suggesting that the protein was required for virus replication. This interpretation was confirmed by the construction and characterization of a conditional lethal recombinant virus with an inducible copy of the G4L gene replacing the original one. Expression of G4L was proportional to the concentration of inducer, and the amount of glutaredoxin could be varied from barely detectable to greater than normal amounts of protein. Immunogold labeling revealed that the induced G4L protein was associated with immature and mature virions and adjacent cytoplasmic depots. In the absence of inducer, the production of infectious virus was severely inhibited, though viral late protein synthesis appeared unaffected except for decreased maturation-dependent proteolytic processing of certain core components. Electron microscopy of cells infected under nonpermissive conditions revealed an accumulation of crescent membranes on the periphery of electron-dense globular masses but few mature particles. We concluded that the two glutaredoxin homologs encoded by vaccinia virus have different functions and that G4L has a role in virion morphogenesis, perhaps by acting as a redox protein.
On the origin of south polar folds on Enceladus

Recent high-resolution Cassini images of the south polar terrain of Enceladus reveal regions of short-wavelength deformation, inferred to be compressional folds between the Baghdad and Damascus tiger stripes (Spencer, J.R., Barr, A.C., Esposito, L.W., Helfenstein, P., Ingersoll, A.P., Jaumann, R., McKay, C.P., Nimmo, F., Waite, J.H. [2009a]. Enceladus: An active cryovolcanic satellite. In: Saturn after Cassini–Huygens. Springer, New York, pp. 683–722). Here, we use Fourier analysis of the bright/dark variations to show that the folds have a dominant wavelength of 1.1 ± 0.4 km. We use the simple model of lava flow folding from Fink (Fink, J. [1980]. Geology 8, 250–254) to show that the folds could form in an ice shell with an upper high-viscosity boundary layer of thickness <400 m, with a driving stress of 40–80 kPa, and strain rate between 10 � 14 s� 1 and 10� 12 s� 1. Such deformation rates imply resurfacing of the SPT in 0.05–5 Myr, consistent with its estimated surface age. Measurements of fold topography and more sophisticated numerical modeling can narrow down the conditions of fold formation and provide valuable constraints on the thermal structure of the ice shell on Enceladus.
Fungal transformations of antihistamines: metabolism of cyproheptadine hydrochloride by Cunninghamella elegans

1. Metabolites formed during incubation of the antihistamine cyproheptadine hydrochloride with the zygomycete fungus Cunninghamella elegans in liquid culture were determined. The metabolites were isolated by hplc and identified by mass spectrometric and proton nmr spectroscopic analysis. Two C. elegans strains, ATCC 9245 and ATCC 36112, were screened and both produced essentially identical metabolites. 2. Within 72 h cyproheptadine was extensively biotransformed to at least eight oxidative phase-1 metabolites primarily via aromatic hydroxylation metabolic pathways. Cyproheptadine was biotransformed predominantly to 2-hydroxycyprohep tadine. Other metabolites identified were 1- and 3-hydroxycyprohep tadine, cyproheptadine 10,11epoxide, N-desmethylcyproh eptadine, N-desmethyl- 2-hydroxycyprohep tadine, cyproheptadine N-oxide, and 2-hydroxycyprohep tadine N-oxide. Although a minor fungal metabolite, cyproheptadine 10,11- epoxide represents the first stable epoxide isolated from the microbial biotransformatio...
Antisocial and Prosocial Teasing among Children: Perceptions and Individual Differences.

Two studies examined fifth- and sixth-grade students’ perceptions of antisocial and prosocial teasing among peers and potential correlates of individual differences in their tendencies to engage in both forms of teasing. The children were rated as showing a greater tendency to be prosocial teasers than antisocial teasers by both teachers and peers. In addition, the children indicated that they generally experienced and observed prosocial teasing more frequently than antisocial teasing at home and in school. Although boys were perceived to tease in a hostile, antisocial manner to a greater extent than were girls, the evidence for a gender difference in affiliative, prosocial teasing among these children was relatively weak. Additionally, systematic relations were found among ratings of the children's tendencies to engage in antisocial and prosocial teasing with peers, teachers’ ratings of their general level of antisocial and prosocial behavior with peers, ratings of the frequency with which they experienced antisocial and prosocial teasing at home and at school, and their attitudes toward antisocial and prosocial teasing.
Nucleoside trapping during reperfusion prevents ventricular dysfunction, "stunning," in absence of adenosine. Possible separation between ischemic and reperfusion injury.

A previous study has shown that endogenous adenosine trapping during ischemia (by blocking adenine nucleoside transport and inhibiting adenosine breakdown) prevents myocardial stunning. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that delay of administration of inhibitors until reperfusion would similarly prevent myocardial stunning in the absence of entrapped adenosine. In both studies, a selective nucleoside transport blocker, p-nitrobenzyl-thioinosine, was used in combination with a potent adenosine deaminase inhibitor, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine, to entrap adenosine (preischemic treatment) or inosine (postischemic treatment) in an in vivo canine model of reversible global ischemia. Twenty-five anesthetized adult dogs were instrumented (by sonomicrometry) to monitor left ventricular performance from the relationship between stroke work and end-diastolic length as a sensitive and load-independent index of contractility. Hearts of animals supported by cardiopulmonary bypass were subjected to 30 minutes of normothermic global ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion. Saline solution containing the pharmacologic agents were infused into the bypass circuit before ischemia (group 1) or during reperfusion (group 2). Control group (group 3) received saline before and after ischemia. Myocardial biopsy specimens were obtained before, during, and after ischemia, and levels of adenine nucleotides, nucleosides, oxypurines, and the oxidized form of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide were determined. Left ventricular contractility fully recovered within 30 minutes of reperfusion in the groups treated with erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine and p-nitrobenzyl-thioinosine (p 90% of total nucleosides) was present in group 1. We infer that selective pharmacologic blockade of nucleoside transport, only after ischemic injury, accelerated functional recovery during reperfusion, even without trapping of endogenous adenosine during ischemia and without adenosine triphosphate recovery during reperfusion. Recovery of myocardial adenosine triphosphate required preischemic treatment and adenosine entrapment during ischemia and reperfusion. Therefore, nucleoside trapping may be used to prevent reperfusion-mediated injury after reversible ischemic injury.
Unmanned Research Vessel Lost on Deep Sea Dive

Nereus, a one-of-a-kind unmanned hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV) that had allowed scientists to explore the deepest parts of the ocean, was confirmed lost at 2:00 p.m. local New Zealand time on 10 May, according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), which designed and operated the vehicle.
Computer viruses as artificial life

There has been considerable interest in computer viruses since they first appeared in 1981, and especially in the past few years as they have reached epidemic numbers in many personal computer environments. Viruses have been written about as a security problem, as a social problem, and as a possible means of performing useful tasks in a distributed computing environment. However, only recently have some scientists begun to ask if computer viruses are not a form of artificial life-a self-replicating organism. Simply because computer viruses do not exist as organic molecules may not be sufficient reason to dismiss the classification of this form of "vandalware" as a form of life. This paper begins with a description of how computer viruses operate and their history, and of the various ways computer viruses are structured. It then examines how viruses meet properties associated with life as defined by some researchers in the area of artificial life and self-organizing systems. The paper concludes with some comments directed toward the definition of artificially "alive" systems and experimentation.
Preservation of Centrality Measures in Anonymized Social Networks

Social media sites became a pervasive presence in the nowadays society. We can learn a lot of useful information about human behavior and interaction by paying attention to the information and relations of social media users. This information can be public or private. Protecting the private information of the users in social networks is a real concern. Among other perturbation methods, anonymization models have been used to ensure the privacy of social network users. Each anonymization model has its own assumptions about the information that needs protection and various possible attacks attempting information disclosure. A conflicting goal with maintaining the privacy of a network's information is the preservation of the structural properties of the social network. A good anonymization model would preserve the privacy of social networks' users and preserve enough information to allow a good analysis of the properties of the social networks. In this paper we investigate how well two anonymization methods preserve the importance of nodes in the network, where node importance is expressed by centrality measures. In the same time, we examine the privacy concerns remnant in these anonymized social networks. Our experiments show that there is an inverse correlation between preserving structural properties of social networks and protecting the privacy of their users. The more information is preserved, the weakest the privacy protection. Also, we learned that different anonymity approaches can preserve information better in certain network types.
Deconstructing gamification: evaluating the effectiveness of continuous measurement, virtual rewards, and social comparison for promoting physical activity

Game design elements are often implemented in persuasive systems aimed to promote physical activity, a process called "gamification." Gamification is believed to motivate users to become more active, and is commonly implemented in commercial products. However, relatively few studies rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of gamification, and they yielded contradicting findings. We set out to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual rewards and social comparison--two game elements prevalent in persuasive systems. We developed a research prototype, called "StepByStep," aimed to promote routine walking. We created different versions of StepByStep, implemented as an application on Android-based mobile devices, and compared their effectiveness in two field studies. Study 1 showed that a quantified version of the application--offering continuous measurement of walking time, a daily goal, and real-time feedback on progress toward this goal--facilitated reflection on activity and significantly increased walking time over baseline level. Study 2 showed that gamified versions offering virtual rewards and social comparison were only as effective as the quantified version. Thus, we advise designers to facilitate reflection on meaningful aspects of physical activity by developing novel ubiquitous measures. Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance of systematic comparisons between quantified and gamified elements for better understanding their motivational affordances.
Impact of chemotherapy in women with metastatic breast cancer diagnosed 1990-2003.

Purpose: In order to determine whether new treatments for advanced breast cancer resulted in improved survival, we analyzed treatment and survival trends in 232 women with metastatic breast cancer treated in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area between 1990 and 2003. Patients and Methods: Subjects were identified from area hospital tumor registries and the Minnesota Department of Health. Data on demographics, estrogen receptor status, location of metastases, and treatment were obtained from hospital tumor registries and medical records. Results: A total of 95 patients were diagnosed between 1990 and 1995, and 137 were diagnosed between 1996 and 2003. Overall, there was no difference in survival for women treated between 1990 and 1995 and those treated from 1996 to 2003 (13 months vs. 19 months; P = .38). Chemotherapy recipients in the latter cohort had significantly longer survival than chemotherapy recipients in the earlier cohort (13 months vs. 29 months; P = .03). There were no differences found in survival between cohorts for women receiving hormonal therapy only (18 months vs. 16 months; P = .81). Conclusion: We conclude that newer chemotherapeutic agents have had an impact on survival in women with metastatic breast cancer. Newer hormonal agents did not have the same impact on survival in our study.
Chronic atrioventricular nodal vagal stimulation: first evidence for long-term ventricular rate control in canine atrial fibrillation model.

Background—We have previously demonstrated that selective atrioventricular nodal (AVN) vagal stimulation (AVN-VS) can be used to control ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation (AF) in acute experiments. However, it is not known whether this approach could provide a long-term treatment in conscious animals. Thus, this study reports the first observations on the long-term efficacy and safety of this novel approach to control ventricular rate during AF in chronically instrumented dogs. Methods and Results—In 18 dogs, custom-made bipolar patch electrodes were sutured to the epicardial AVN fat pad for delivery of selective AVN-VS by a subcutaneously implanted nerve stimulator (pulse width 100 s or 1 ms, frequency 20 or 160 Hz, amplitude 6 to 10 V). Fast-rate right atrial pacing (600 bpm) was used to induce and maintain AF. ECG, blood pressure, and body temperature were monitored telemetrically. One week after the induction of AF, AVN-VS was delivered and maintained for at least 5 weeks. It was found that AVN-VS had a consistent effect on ventricular rate slowing (on average 4513 bpm) over the entire period of observation. Echocardiography showed improvement of cardiac indices with ventricular rate slowing. AVN-VS was well tolerated by the animals, causing no signs of distress or discomfort. Conclusions—Beneficial long-term ventricular rate slowing during AF can be achieved by implantation of a nerve stimulator attached to the epicardial AVN fat pad. This novel concept is an attractive alternative to other methods of rate control and may be applicable in a selected group of patients. (Circulation. 2005;112:2904-2911.)
Scale-independent approach to deformation and fracture of solid-state materials

As a scale-independent theory of deformation and fracture applicable to practical engineering problems, the field theoretical approach employed by physical mesomechanics is discussed in this paper. Being based on a fundamental physical principle known as gauge invariance, this approach does not rely on empirical concepts or phenomenology, and thereby is fundamentally scale independent. The derivation of physical-mesomechanical field equations is examined on a step-by-step basis, and the physical meaning of each step is clarified. Along the same line of argument, plastic deformation and transition to fracture is interpreted as an energy-dissipative process. Previously derived plastic deformation and fracture criteria are validated via detailed theoretical consideration and comparison with supporting experimental data.
Density-of-States Effective Mass and Scattering Parameter Measurements on Transparent Conducting Oxides Using Second-Order Transport Phenomena

Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) have relatively low mobilities, which limit their performance optically and electrically, and which limit the techniques that may be used to explore their band structure via the effective mass. We have used transport theory to directly measure the density-of-states effective mass and other fundamental electronic properties of TCO films. The Boltzmann transport equation may be solved to give analytic solutions to the resistivity, Hall, Seebeck, and Nernst coefficients. In turn, these may be solved simultaneously to give the density-of-states effective mass, the Fermi energy relative to either the conduction or valence band, and a scattering parameter, s, which characterizes the relaxation time dependence on the carrier energy and can serve as a signature of the dominate scattering mechanism. The little-known Nernst effect is essential for determining the scattering parameter and, thereby, the effective scattering mechanism(s). We constructed equipment to measure these four transport coefficients on the same sample over a temperature range of 30 – 350 K for thin films deposited on insulating substrates. We measured the resistivity, Hall, Seebeck, and Nernst coefficients for rf magnetron-sputtered aluminum-doped zinc oxide. We found that the effective mass for zinc oxide increases from a minimum value of 0.24me, up to a value of 0.47me, at a carrier density of 4.5 × 1020 cm−3, indicating a nonparabolic conduction energy band. In addition, our measured density-of-states effective values are nearly equal to conductivity effective mass values estimated from the plasma frequency, denoting a single energy minimum with a nearly spherical, constant-energy surface. The measured scattering parameter, mobility vs. temperature, along with Seebeck coefficient values, characterize ionized impurity scattering in the ZnO:AI and neutral impurity scattering in the undoped material.
The emerging gigabit environment and the role of local ATM

Several office application areas that, it is argued, cannot be explored effectively without an improvement in networking capabilities are described. Since the applications are predominantly based on the transmission of moving or still images, recent progress in data representation and compression that has an impact on the networking requirements is discussed. It is shown that asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) techniques can provide an acceptable, cost-effective means for meeting these requirements. The challenges that must be met, particularly in the local area, before the applications can be found in every laboratory and on every office desktop are outlined. >
DNA-binding and transactivation activities are essential for TAp63 protein degradation.

The p53-related p63 gene encodes six isoforms with differing N and C termini. TAp63 isoforms possess a transactivation domain at the N terminus and are able to transactivate a set of genes, including some targets downstream of p53. Accumulating evidence indicates that TAp63 plays an important role in regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, whereas transactivation-inert ΔNp63 functions to inhibit p63 and other p53 family members. Mutations in the p63 gene that abolish p63 DNA-binding and transactivation activities cause human diseases, including ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia and facial clefting (EEC) syndrome. In this study, we show that mutant p63 proteins with a single amino acid substitution found in EEC syndrome are DNA binding deficient, transactivation inert, and highly stable. We demonstrate that TAp63 protein expression is tightly controlled by its specific DNA-binding and transactivation activities and that p63 is degraded in a proteasome-dependent, MDM2-independent pathway. In addition, the N-terminal transactivation domain of p63 is indispensable for its protein degradation. Furthermore, the wild-type TAp63γ can act in trans to promote degradation of mutant TAp63γ defective in DNA binding, and the TA domain deletion mutant of TAp63γ inhibits transactivation activity and stabilizes the wild-type TAp63 protein. Taken together, these data suggest a feedback loop for p63 regulation, analogous to the p53-MDM2 feedback loop.
A Comparison of Analogy- and Rule-Based Decoding Strategies in Normal and Dyslexic Children.

Use of two alternative decoding strategies, one based on spelling-soun d correspondence rules and one based on analogies, was investigated in fifth-sixthgrade dyslexic and normal children, as well as a group of younger normal readers matched on reading age to the dyslexics. Children pronounced nonwords (e.g., fody) constructed so that use of one strategy would produce a difference response from the other. Results indicated that dyslexic children lagged behind agematched normals in the use of both strategies, and behind reading-age matched normals in use of analogies but not rules. An analysis of decoding errors indicated that normals were more likely to notice and make analogies to real words embedded in the nonsense words than dyslexics. In addition, the likelihood of an analogy response to a nonword was found to increase in all groups as the frequency of the analogy word increased. The latter finding suggests that the mechanism by which analogy words are accessed in memory is similar across groups, although dyslexies produce analogy responses less often. Learning to identify printed words is widely regarded as an important