cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MUSCLE WEAKNESS DURING TRICAINE ANESTHESIA

Abstract An isolated preparation of tadpole tail muscle was used to assess the peripheral effects of tricaine (3-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester) at anesthetic concentrations and under physiological conditions. The drug effect on the electrically-evoked twitch was tested using short-pulse durations that elicited synaptically mediated effects or longer-duration pulses that stimulated the muscle directly. Tricaine reduced both types of response at anesthetic and even subanesthetic concentrations. At steady state concentrations that produced surgical anesthesia in vivo, tricaine reduced the directly evoked response by about half. It is concluded that tricaine anesthesia has a pronounced peripheral effect on neuromuscular function and that direct effect(s) on muscle are a major component.
Cell-cell conjugation. Transient analysis and experimental implications.

In the present study we investigate the transient conjugation of cell pairs by using a mathematical model. Macromolecules responsible for adhesion (bonds) are assumed to exist in two reversible states, attached and unattached, and exert a force elastic in nature only when they cross-link the two cell surfaces (attached state). Bonds form a link between the two cell surfaces only in the attached form. The unattached bridges are assumed laterally mobile in the plane of the cell membrane. Lateral mobility of attached bonds may be limited by structures on the undersurface of the cell membrane. Using this model we show that the bond density distribution between a cytotoxic T-cell (F-1) and a cancer cell (JY:HLA-A2-B7-DR4, W6) approaches equilibrium within 10 min, the incubation period used in experiments by Sung, K.L.P., L.A. Sung, M. Crimmins, S.J. Burakoff, and S. Chien (1986. Science [Wash. DC]. 234:1405–1408). If the diffusion coefficient of attached bonds is set equal to zero in the computations the model predictions indicate accumulation of bonds at the edge of conjugation. This prediction is consistent with present experimental data on lectin-induced red blood cell aggregation (Vayo, M., R. Skalak, P. Brunn, S. Usami, and S. Chien. 1987. Fed. Proc. 46:1043). It is concluded that significant features of micromanipulation data on specific adhesion can be explained by the diffusivity properties of bonds responsible for adhesion.
The use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the production of environmental certified reference materials

The use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the production of environmental certified reference materials by the National Research Council of Canada is reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of isotope dilution ICP-MS. Results for fresh and saline natural waters, fish tissues and sediments are presented to illustrate the impressive capabilities of this technique.
Turing and the computer

Alan Turing: The Enigma. By Andrew Hodges. Burnett Books (distributed by Hutchinson)/Simon & Schuster: 1983. Pp.587. £18, $21.75.
Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease: clinical and pathophysiologic analogies

Psychotic symptoms are prominent in schizophrenia and a frequent neuropsychiatric manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), occurring in approximately 50% of patients affected. The shared psychiatric symptoms suggest common cerebral pathophysiologies. Radiologic and pathologic findings indicate a predilection toward limbic involvement, with structural and atrophic changes of the medical temporal region predominating in both disorders. Neurochemical alterations affecting the dopaminergic/cholinergic axis appear to be central to both schizophrenia and AD. The basic pathologies of the two disorders are different, but they have similarities in the pattern of regional brain dysfunction, biochemical dysfunction, and symptomatology. We represent a selective review of these similarities. Insights drawn from these observations enrich the understanding of each disorder.
On the measurement of the plasticity length scale parameter in LIGA nickel foils

This paper presents measurements of the plasticity length scale for polycrystalline LIGA nickel foils produced by electroplating in a sulfamate bath. The micro-bend test method developed by Stolken and Evans [Acta Mater. 46 (1998) 5109] is used to obtain a composite length scale parameter, lc that is primarily associated with rotational gradients. The micro-bend test utilizes the measurement of the curvature change associated with elastic spring-back of bent micro-beams in the extraction of a composite length scale parameter, lc. The length scale is measured to be ∼5.6 μm for foils between 25 and 175 μm thick. This is in the range (3–5 μm) reported from prior micro-bend experiments on nickel foils (loc. cit.). The measured length scale is also similar to values reported previously for polycrystalline copper wires using torsion tests in which rotation gradients dominate.
Gas Clouds in Dense Star Clusters: A Possible Quasar Model

Gas clouds in dense star clusters compared with quasar properties, analyzing possible energy sources like supernova explosions, stellar collisions and star gas interaction
Hydrogen-defect interactions in Si

Abstract The interactions between hydrogen and intrinsic defects in silicon are studied using ab-initio (tight-binding) molecular-dynamics simulations in supercells and ab-initio Hartree-Fock in clusters. The configurations, electronic structures, and binding energies of H bound to small vacancy aggregates are calculated. The vacancy (V) and the self-interstitial (I)—both rapid diffusers in Si—efficiently dissociate interstitial H 2 molecules. At low temperatures, this results in the formation of {V, H, H} or {I, H, H} complexes. At high temperatures, one or both H’s may be released as interstitials. Preliminary calculations show that H 2 * result from the reaction {I, H, H}+V→H 2 *.
Life Cycle Assessment of Metals: A Scientific Synthesis

We have assembled extensive information on the cradle-to-gate environmental burdens of 63 metals in their major use forms, and illustrated the interconnectedness of metal production systems. Related cumulative energy use, global warming potential, human health implications and ecosystem damage are estimated by metal life cycle stage (i.e., mining, purification, and refining). For some elements, these are the first life cycle estimates of environmental impacts reported in the literature. We show that, if compared on a per kilogram basis, the platinum group metals and gold display the highest environmental burdens, while many of the major industrial metals (e.g., iron, manganese, titanium) are found at the lower end of the environmental impacts scale. If compared on the basis of their global annual production in 2008, iron and aluminum display the largest impacts, and thallium and tellurium the lowest. With the exception of a few metals, environmental impacts of the majority of elements are dominated by the purification and refining stages in which metals are transformed from a concentrate into their metallic form. Out of the 63 metals investigated, 42 metals are obtained as co-products in multi output processes. We test the sensitivity of varying allocation rationales, in which the environmental burden are allocated to the various metal and mineral products, on the overall results. Monte-Carlo simulation is applied to further investigate the stability of our results. This analysis is the most comprehensive life cycle comparison of metals to date and allows for the first time a complete bottom-up estimate of life cycle impacts of the metals and mining sector globally. We estimate global direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 at 3.4 Gt CO2-eq per year and primary energy use at 49 EJ per year (9.5% of global use), and report the shares for all metals to both impact categories.
Magnetic resonance imaging in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to examine the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries in 17 patients with pulmonary artery (PA) hypertension documented by cardiac catheterization. The study population consisted of 7 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, 7 with Eisenmenger's syndrome and 3 with pulmonary hypertension secondary to lung disease. The MRI studies of patients were compared with those of 10 normal volunteers. Multislice gated transaxial images encompassed the right ventricle and central pulmonary arteries, showing the severity of right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy in proportion to the elevation of PA pressure and reversal of septal curvature when PA pressure approximated systemic pressure. End-diastolic RV wall thickness and mean pulmonary pressure correlated well (r = 0.79). MRI showed enlargement of PAs in all patients with PA hypertension. A magnetic resonance signal was present in the PAs throughout the cardiac cycle in patients with severe PA hypertension (more than 90 mm Hg) and was absent during systole in normal subjects. A signal within the PAs in systole is consistent with decreased flow velocity in patients with severe PA hypertension. MRI was useful in detecting each of the congenital anatomic defects in patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome. This study indicates the potential of MRI for evaluating the severity of PA hypertension by providing direct measurements of RV wall thickness and PA diameter and by detecting abnormal intraluminal signal intensity during the cardiac cycle.
Recursive programs as definitions in first order logic

Despite the reputed limitations of first order logic, it is easy to state and prove almost all interesting properties of recursive programs within a simple first order theory, by using an approach we call “first order programming logic”. Unlike higher order logics based on fixed-point induction, first order programming logic is founded on deductive principles that are familiar to most programmers. Informal structural induction arguments (such as termination proofs for LISP append, McCarthy’s 91-function, and Ackermann’s function) have direct formalizations within the system.The essential elements of first order programming logic are: (1) The data domain D must be a finitely generated set that explicitly includes the “undefined” object $ \bot $ (representing nontermination) as well as ordinary data objects. (2) Recursive programs over D are treated as logical definitions augmenting a first order theory ofthe data domain. (3) The interpretation of a recursive program is the least fixed-point of the function...
Carbonate Schiff Base Nematic Liquid Crystals: Synthesis and Electro-optic Properties

Abstract Two new series of nematic Schiff base liquid crystals, methyl p-alkoxybenzylidene p-aminophenyl carbonates and alkyl p-anisylidene p-aminophenyl carbonates were synthesized. Preparative methods and transition-point data are given. Electro-optic measurements show the alkyl p-anisylidene p-aminophenyl carbonates to possess a negative dielectric anisotropy and to exhibit dynamic scattering preceded by classical domain formation at 6–10 V rms. In contrast, the methyl carbonates have a positive dielectric anisotropy, and in samples where the nematic alignment is initially parallel to the electrodes, the liquid crystal has a dielectric realignment threshold at 5-10 V rms, above which the nematic layer tends towards the homeotropic state.
The High-Risk HPV16 E7 Oncoprotein Mediates Interaction between the Transcriptional Coactivator CBP and the Retinoblastoma Protein pRb

The oncoprotein E7 from human papillomavirus (HPV) strains that confer high cancer risk mediates cell transformation by deregulating host cellular processes and activating viral gene expression through recruitment of cellular proteins such as the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and the cyclic-AMP response element binding binding protein (CBP) and its paralog p300. Here we show that the intrinsically disordered N-terminal region of E7 from high-risk HPV16 binds the TAZ2 domain of CBP with greater affinity than E7 from low-risk HPV6b. HPV E7 and the tumor suppressor p53 compete for binding to TAZ2. The TAZ2 binding site in E7 overlaps the LxCxE motif that is crucial for interaction with pRb. While TAZ2 and pRb compete for binding to a monomeric E7 polypeptide, the full-length E7 dimer mediates an interaction between TAZ2 and pRb by promoting formation of a ternary complex. Cell-based assays show that expression of full-length HPV16 E7 promotes increased pRb acetylation and that this response depends both on the presence of CBP/p300 and on the ability of E7 to form a dimer. These observations suggest a model for the oncogenic effect of high-risk HPV16 E7. The disordered region of one E7 molecule in the homodimer interacts with the pocket domain of pRb, while the same region of the other E7 molecule binds the TAZ2 domain of CBP/p300. Through its ability to dimerize, E7 recruits CBP/p300 and pRb into a ternary complex, bringing the histone acetyltransferase domain of CBP/p300 into proximity to pRb and promoting acetylation, leading to disruption of cell cycle control.
Quantitative recovery of sugars from silica gel thin layers.

Abstract A simple equipment and techniques were used for quantitative thin-layer chromatography and for recovery of sugars by elution. Although sugar recovery was not complete and varied quantitatively with the type of silica, it was consistent with a single silica and could be measured with good precision. The mean recovery of d -glucose was 95.2% with a relative standard deviation of 0.0074. The extent of losses of many sugars was quite similar. The losses occured rapidly in conjuction with the drying of sugars on silica gel.
Behavioral equivalence, but not neural equivalence—neural evidence of alternative strategies in mathematical thinking

In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we investigated how people solve mathematically equivalent problems presented in two alternative formats: verbal, story format or symbolic, equation format. Although representation format had no effect on behavior, anterior prefrontal activation was greater in the story condition and posterior parietal activation was greater in the equation condition. These results show that there exist alternative neural pathways that implement different and yet equally efficient problem-solving strategies.
Confronting Ourselves: Using Autobiographical Analysis in Teacher Education

This paper introduces autobiographical analysis as a “disruptive strategy” that is deliberately structured to enable preservice teachers to develop new ways of thinking about teaching. Specifically, we:1) describe how we incorporate a process of critical examination of preservice teachers’ biases and assumptions throughout their preparation in the form of autobiographical analysis; and 2) present findings that document the transformation in preservice teachers’ thinking as they engage in these opportunities for critical examination.
Effect of ignition conditions on upward flame spread on a composite material in a corner configuration

This paper focuses on the issue of fire growth on composite materials beyond the region immediately subjected to an ignition source. Suppression of this growth is one of the key issues in realizing the safe usage of composite structural materials. A vinyl ester/glass composite was tested in the form of a 90° corner configuration with an inert ceiling segment 2.44 m above the top of the fire source. The igniter was a square propane burner at the base of the corner, either 23 or 38 cm in width, with power output varied from 30 to 150 kW. Upward flame spread rate and heat release rate were measured mainly for a brominated vinyl ester resin but limited results were also obtained for a non-flame retarded vinyl ester and a similar composite coated with an intumescent paint. Rapid fire growth to the top of the sample was seen in replicate tests for the largest igniter power case; the intumescent coating successfully prevented fire growth for this case.
A data model analysis of modularity and extensibility in building databases

Abstract This paper uses data modeling techniques to define how database schemas for an intelligent integrated architectural CAD system can be made extensible. It reviews the product data modeling language EDM, then applies it to define a part of an architectural data model. Extensions are then investigated, regarding how users could integrate various design-specific packages into a uniquely configured system. Both, extension by substituting one technology for another and by adding a new evaluation application, are considered. Data modeling allows specification of a CAD database and identification of the kind of modularization that will work and what problems may arise.
Shock noise from supersonic jets in simulated flight to Mach 0.4

Simulated flight experiments to Mach 0.4 on underexpanded jets show that flight has only minor effects on both the shock structure and shock associated noise. Although screech modes that do not exist statically become dominant at the higher flight speeds, the screech amplitudes and directivity as well as the broadband shock noise amplitudes remain relatively constant as the forward speed is increased. The change in wavelength due to flight on both shock noise components are predicted well from existing theories of shock noise.
Speech characteristics and employability

This research explored relationships between employees’ speech characteristics within job interview situations and employers’ hiring decisions. Using semantic differential instruments, the researchers examined employer attitudes toward speech samples and relationships between these attitudes and employment decisions. Results revealed a stable three‐factor model describing employers’ perceptions of employees’ speech characteristics. This model, however, was only partially successful as a predictor of employment decisions.
Stabilization and strengthening of Pd80Si20 metallic glass

Abstract The effect of composition on thermal and mechanical stability was studied by adding boron and zirconium to Pd 80 Si 20 . The addition of boron destabilizes Pd 80 Si 20 glass. The addition of boron and zirconium in the amounts of 3 at.% and 1.5 at.% respectively results in an amorphous structure with increased thermal stability (an increase in T g of 73 K). Although Pd 80 Si 20 glass exhibits general yielding, the stabilized (Pd 80 Si 20 ) 0.955 − B 3.0 Zr 1.5 glass behaves substantially elastically when tested under identical conditions at 433 K and slow rates. A controlled decomposition of Pd 80 Si 20 also has an effect on general temperatures. Stabilization may be important in high temperature applications of metallic glasses and in particular under irradation.
On a Remarkable Case of Uneven Distribution of Light in a Diffraction Grating Spectrum

(1902). XLII. On a remarkable case of uneven distribution of light in a diffraction grating spectrum. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 4, No. 21, pp. 396-402.
Levinas, Psychotherapy, and the Ethics of Suffering

This article argues that by adopting a medical approach to the conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment of emotional and psychological distress, contemporary psychotherapy has robbed itself of t...
Quantum magneto-absorption phenomena in semiconductors

Abstract The existence of quantized magnetic or Landau levels in a semiconductor in a magnetic field can give rise to a variety of magneto-absorption phenomena. The oscillatory magneto-absorption of the direct transition has been observed in germanium, indium arsenide and indium antimonide.
Effect of Sodium Bromide on the Bactericidal Effectiveness of Hypochlorite Sanitizers of High Alkalinity

Summary Studies were conducted, in which comparisons were made of a standard hypochlorite sanitizer of high alkalinity (pH 11 at 100 p.p.m.) and the same sanitizer to which was added crystalline NaBr·2H 2 O. Addition of the NaBr·2H 2 O improved the germicidal effectiveness of the hypochlorite sanitizer under laboratory conditions. The rate of increase in effectiveness varied with the concentration of NaBr·2H 2 O and the test organism. A standard mixture of 1.35% NaBr·2H 2 0 and the sanitizer resulted in a 33 to 1,000% increase in bactericidal effectiveness against a variety of bacteria, in comparison to results obtained by using the sanitizer alone. Mixtures of 4% of NaBr·2H 2 O and the alkaline sanitizer compared favorably in germicidal effectiveness against all test organisms to a hypochlorite sanitizer of relatively low alkalinity. Variations in temperature and addition of 0.5% skimmilk and hard water affected the bromide-hypochlorite mixture in ways similar to those in which other hypochlorite-type sanitizers were affected. However, under these conditions, the mixture was usually superior in germicidal effectiveness to the alkaline sanitizer alone. The corrosiveness of the sanitizer was not affected by addition of 1.35% NaBr·2H 2 O.
Racism Toward Black African Diplomats During the Kennedy Administration

When President John F. Kennedy came to office in January 1961, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union had already spread to Black Africa where more than a dozen nations had recently won their independence. The two superpowers, for example, supported the opposing sides in a bitter civil war in the Congo (now Zaire), and in that conflict the United States seemed to have backed the weaker faction. Indeed, there was widespread belief in the Kennedy Administration that America was losing in the battle for the "hearts and minds" of the Congolese in particular and Black Africans in general (Schlesinger, 1965: 508-520).1 While the Kennedy Administration watched with mounting concern as America's political fortunes in Africa seemingly waned, events were unfolding at home which were likely to push Black Africa further toward the Soviet Union, into its orbit. Scores of African diplomats had begun to establish residence in Washington, D.C. and New York City, and it was a foregone conclusion that they would be
Sexual Violence Victimization of Women: Prevalence, Characteristics, and the Role of Public Health and Prevention

Sexual violence is a serious public health problem with devastating health-related consequences. In this article, the authors review the prevalence, characteristics, vulnerability factors for, and impacts of sexual violence victimization for women. Some key factors are reviewed that have been shown to increase vulnerability for victimization, including certain demographic characteristics, previous victimization, and use of drugs or alcohol. The impacts of rape and other sexual violence are described, including physical and sexual health; psychological, social, and societal impacts; as well as impact on risky health behaviors. The authors conclude with a discussion of the public health approach to sexual violence, primary prevention, the relevance of sexual violence research for health care practitioners, and recommendations for health care practice.
A detailed chronology of the Australasian impact event, the Brunhes-Matuyama geomagnetic polarity reversal, and global climate change

A mechanism had been recently proposed to show how an impact event can trigger a geomagnetic polarity reversal by means of rapid climate cooling. We test the proposed mechanism by examining the record from two high sedimentation rate (8-11 cm/kyr) deep-sea sediment cores (ODP Sites 767 and 769) from marginal seas of the Indonesian archipelago, which record the Australasian impact with well-defined microtektite layers, the Brunhes-Matuyama polarity reversal with strong and stable remanent magnetizations, and global climate with oxygen isotope variations in planktonic foraminifera. Both ODP cores show the impact to have preceded the reversal of magnetic field directions by about 12 kyr. Both records indicate that the field intensity was increasing near the time of impact "and that it continued to increase for about 4 kyr afterwards. Furthermore, the oxygen isotope record available from sediments at ODP Site 769 shows no indication of discernible climate cooling following the impact: the microtektite event occurred in the later part of glacial Stage 20 and was followed by a smooth warming trend to interglacial Stage 19. Thus the detailed chronology does not support the previously proposed model which would predict that a decrease in geomagnetic field intensity resulted from a minor glaciation following the impact event. We conclude that the evidence for a causal link between impacts and geomagnetic reversals remains insufficient to demonstrate a physical connection.
Bromethalin poisoning in a raccoon (Procyon lotor): diagnostic considerations and relevance to nontarget wildlife

Submission of a raccoon (Procyon lotor) for necropsy following exhaustion at a California wildlife care center revealed minimal gross pathologic changes and only mild vacuolar changes in the white matter of the brain. Turquoise granular material was noted in the gastrointestinal tract and was submitted for toxicological testing along with portions of the brain, liver, kidney, and mesenteric and perirenal adipose tissues. Testing of the turquoise material for 7 anticoagulant rodenticides, strychnine, 4-aminopyridine, starlicide, and salts revealed none of these compounds; however, desmethylbromethalin was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Other tissues were subsequently analyzed; the mesenteric and perirenal adipose tissues contained desmethylbromethalin. Desmethylbromethalin is the active metabolite of bromethalin, uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, and results in cerebral edema. Bromethalin is a rodenticide that is visually indistinguishable from many other ro...
A knowledgebase system to enhance scientific discovery: Telemakus

With the rapid expansion of scientific research, the ability to effectively find or integrate new domain knowledge in the sciences is proving increasingly difficult. Efforts to improve and speed up scientific discovery are being explored on a number of fronts. However, much of this work is based on traditional search and retrieval approaches and the bibliographic citation presentation format remains unchanged. Case study. The Telemakus KnowledgeBase System provides flexible new tools for creating knowledgebases to facilitate retrieval and review of scientific research reports. In formalizing the representation of the research methods and results of scientific reports, Telemakus offers a potential strategy to enhance the scientific discovery process. While other research has demonstrated that aggregating and analyzing research findings across domains augments knowledge discovery, the Telemakus system is unique in combining document surrogates with interactive concept maps of linked relationships across groups of research reports. Based on how scientists conduct research and read the literature, the Telemakus KnowledgeBase System brings together three innovations in analyzing, displaying and summarizing research reports across a domain: (1) research report schema, a document surrogate of extracted research methods and findings presented in a consistent and structured schema format which mimics the research process itself and provides a high-level surrogate to facilitate searching and rapid review of retrieved documents; (2) research findings, used to index the documents, allowing searchers to request, for example, research studies which have studied the relationship between neoplasms and vitamin E; and (3) visual exploration interface of linked relationships for interactive querying of research findings across the knowledgebase and graphical displays of what is known as well as, through gaps in the map, what is yet to be tested. The rationale and system architecture are described and plans for the future are discussed.
BILL-LEGS: Low computation emergent gait system for small mobile robots

For almost two decades, Holk Cruse's leg coordination method has been used as a control basis for generating gaits in legged robots. His stick insect inspired method has been successfully implemented for a number of robots such as Robot I and Robot II, the TUM Walking Machine, Tarry II, and BILL-Ant-p. However, some engineers have had difficulties implementing the controller when trying to select robust mechanism influence weights that are immune to variations in starting pose and leg speed. Additionally, the coordination method can be overwhelming for low- computation capable microcontrollers preferred for small, untethered mobile robots. The Biologically-Inspired Legged Locomotion-Low computation Emergent Gait System (BILL-LEGS) was developed as a solution to some of these issues. This method borrows heavily from Cruse's original design with some modifications that allow it to be implemented on small, autonomous legged robots using simple microcontrollers. This paper describes the BILL-LEGS method and its performance during simulation. Additionally, data are presented that show its robustness to mechanism weight selection and its generation of stable gaits, independent of leg starting positions and leg movement speeds.
Does the Amount of Endurance Exercise in Combination With Weight Training and a Very-Low-Energy Diet Affect Resting Metabolic Rate and Body Composition?

Effects of large (LA; 400 min/wk) and moderate (MA; 200 min/wk) amounts of endurance exercise in combination with weight training (3 d/wk) were compared with the effects of no exercise (C) in 23 obese females after a 12-wk, 3360-kJ/d very-low-energy diet (VLED). The LA group lost 6.5 kg more weight, mainly as fat (6.4 kg), than the C group (P < 0.05). No measurable differences were found among groups for decreases in resting metabolic rate (-729 to -1233 kJ/d; NS) or fat-free mass (-2.9 to -3.9 kg; NS). No improvements in aerobic capacity were achieved with the addition of exercise to a VLED (-0.079 to -0.037 L/min; NS). Strength indexes were improved (+16 to +5 kg; P < 0.05) or maintained with exercise (-3 kg; NS) whereas a loss (-9.3 kg; P < 0.05) or maintenance (+4.5 kg; NS) was found for VLED alone. Large amounts of endurance exercise in combination with weight training added to a VLED appear to improve weight and fat loss compared with a VLED alone.
The effects of disturbance intensity on temporal and spatial patterns of herb colonization in a southern New England mixed-oak forest

As managing forests for biodiversity becomes more common, it is important to understand how understory species respond to disturbance. We monitored changes in species’ dominance, calculated as importance values, over a 4-year period in order to determine how species’ dominance varied with disturbance intensity and gap position. An experimental linear canopy opening was created in a southern New England mixed-oak forest,and plotswereestablished onthesouthside, center, andnorthsideof theopening.All vegetationwasremoved inhalfoftheplots,simulating a lethal disturbance. In the other half of the plots, only the overstory was removed, simulating minimal disturbance (release plot). Before the disturbance, Dennstaedtia punctilobula dominated the plots, but typical forest understory species such as Kalmia latifolia, Trientalis borealis, Maianthemum canadense, and Mitchella repens were very common. After the disturbance, D. punctilobula expanded and continued to remain dominant in all types of plots. Early successional species, such as Carex pensylvanica, Poaceae species, Rubus ideaus, and Rubus allegheniensis dominated the lethal and center plots; late successional forest understory species experienced a reduction in frequency and cover in these plots. However, in release and edge plots, late successional species maintained relatively similar frequencies and covers to pre-disturbance values. The ability of early successional species to seed into lethal plots and grow rapidly in the high light environment of the center plots allowed them to dominate in these plots. Late successional species were able to remain relatively dominant in release plots through clonal expansion and in edge plots through exclusion of early successional species from low light levels. Three years after the disturbance, most of the residual forest understory species had attained similar frequencies and covers to pre-disturbance values in all types of plots. Thus, although there is some initial loss of residual species in highly disturbed areas and in the center of the opening, most of these species are able to recover in a relatively short time period. However, locally uncommon species may be vulnerable to permanent loss. In order to minimize loss of species from the understory, forest managers should attempt to keep groundstory disturbance as minimal as possible where desirable late-successional species exist and create edgepartial shade effects with the remaining canopy for regeneration treatments. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Invited Commentary: Unexplained Health Problems after Gulf War Service—Finding Answers to Complex Questions

Numerous studies have investigated the health problems reported by veterans of the Persian Gulf War, but important questions remain. Epidemiologic studies have consistently indicated that Gulf War veterans report unexplained symptoms at significantly higher rates than veteran comparison groups but that they have not experienced excess rates of disease-related mortality. Addressing unanswered questions surrounding post-Gulf-War health problems presents a complex challenge for researchers, but not an insurmountable one. Progress in understanding the role of potential etiologic factors can be made using epidemiologic approaches traditionally applied in the absence of individual exposure data, such as comparisons between veteran subgroups with differing illness profiles and deployment histories.
Disruption of mineralocorticoid receptor function increases corticosterone responding to a mild, but not moderate, psychological stressor.

Glucocorticoid negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is mediated by corticosteroid receptors. It is widely thought that during stress, glucocorticoid recepto...
ASCERTAINING THE CORE COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA MECHANISM: The State of the Art and the Road Ahead

▪ Abstract More than four decades have elapsed since modeling of the core collapse supernova mechanism began in earnest. To date, the mechanism remains elusive, at least in detail, although significant progress has been made in understanding these multiscale, multiphysics events. One-, two-, and three-dimensional simulations of or relevant to core collapse supernovae have shown that (a) neutrino transport, (b) fluid instabilities, (c) rotation, and (d) magnetic fields, together with proper treatments of (e) the sub- and super- nuclear density stellar core equation of state, (f) the neutrino interactions, and (g) gravity are all important. The importance of these ingredients applies to both the explosion mechanism and to phenomena directly associated with the mechanism, such as neutron star kicks, supernova neutrino and gravitational wave emission, and supernova spectropolarimetry. Not surprisingly, current two- and three-dimensional models have yet to include (a)–(d) with sufficient realism. One-dimension...
Calculation of light scattering from particles and structures on a surface by the coupled-dipole method

Light scattering from particles or structures on a surface is calculated by using a modification of the coupled-dipole method. The interaction matrix is modified for the presence of the surface by inclusion of the dipole reflection terms, calculated with the Sommerfeld integral formulation. The incident plane wave is replaced by the incident plus the surface reflected waves. In some cases the dipole reflections may be approximated by a Fresnel image dipole. Light scattering for structures up to a wavelength in size can be calculated in a reasonable amount of time.
Catalytic assembly of the mitotic checkpoint inhibitor BubR1-Cdc20 by a Mad2-induced functional switch in Cdc20.

Summary The mitotic checkpoint acts to maintain chromosome content by generation of a diffusible anaphase inhibitor. Unattached kinetochores catalyze a conformational shift in Mad2, converting an inactive open form into a closed form that can capture Cdc20, the mitotic activator of the APC/C ubiquitin ligase. Mad2 binding is now shown to promote a functional switch in Cdc20, exposing a previously inaccessible site for binding to BubR1's conserved Mad3 homology domain. BubR1, but not Mad2, binding to APC/C Cdc20 is demonstrated to inhibit ubiquitination of cyclin B. Closed Mad2 is further shown to catalytically amplify production of BubR1-Cdc20 without necessarily being part of the complex. Thus, the mitotic checkpoint is produced by a cascade of two catalytic steps: an initial step acting at unattached kinetochores to produce a diffusible Mad2-Cdc20 intermediate and a diffusible step in which that intermediate amplifies production of BubR1-Cdc20, the inhibitor of cyclin B ubiquitination, by APC/C Cdc20 .
Perceptions of a reproductive health self-assessment tool (RH-SAT) in an urban community health center

Abstract Objective Physicians face barriers to incorporating recommended contraceptive and preconception health services, including reproductive life plans (RLPs), into primary care. With promising findings from early studies of RLPs, we examined the impact of a novel reproductive health self-assessment tool (RH-SAT) on reproductive health counseling. Methods We created the RH-SAT for an urban community health center population and trained providers on preconception and contraceptive guidelines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess perceptions of the tool with 22 patients and with all 15 providers at the clinic. Transcripts were thematically analyzed using a grounded theoretical approach. Results Patients and providers reported the RH-SAT presented new and thought-provoking material that promoted patient participation and facilitated counseling. Conclusion This RH-SAT is acceptable and useful to patients and providers in an underserved urban health center. In accordance with Medical Communication Alignment Theory (MCAT), increased patient participation in reproductive health discussions may alert providers to patient interest in these topics. Practice implications This study provides preliminary evidence that the RH-SAT can help overcome barriers to reproductive health counseling in primary care. Providers may wish to incorporate tools into their practice to improve communication with patients about their reproductive health goals.
The sorption of 2-methylnaphthalene by Rossburg Soil in the absence and presence of a nonionic surfactant

Abstract The sorption of 2-methylnaphthalene by Rossburg Soil was measured in the absence and presence of a nonionic surfactant (Triton® X-100). Sorption of the surfactant by the sorbent was significant and can be adequately described by the Langmuir isotherm equation. At surfactant equilibrium concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (CMC), sorption of the analyte was enhanced by as much as a factor of 2. At high surfactant dosages, the formation of micelles enhanced the aqueous-phase concentration of the sorbate thereby decreasing its sorption by the soil. A reduction in the analyte partition coefficient by as much as a factor of 3 was observed at a surfactant dosage of 3000 mg/L. A simple three-phase model was used to estimate the effects of surfactants on the sorption of nonpolar organic compounds. This model also took into account the effect of the surfactant on sorbent properties. The model results suggest that very hydrophobic substances ( K ow > 10 5.0 ) were most sensitive to the effects of the surfactant with regard to enhanced sorption below the equilibrium CMC and increases in solution-phase concentration above the CMC. Moreover, it appears that lower relative surfactant dosages above the CMC are required to effectively mobilize these types of pollutants.
Benign congenital hypotonia. A syndrome or a disease.

SUMMARY Children suffering from benign congenital hypotonia can be divided into those who remain disabled and those who recover. It would seem unlikely that this condition, although a clinical entity, has a single causation. Especially in the group with a favourable outcome, the hypotonia may well be due to a disorder of function in the central nervous system and not to the effect of a muscle disease. In some cases the condition may be an example of a developmental disorder of infancy, and further study on these lines may be rewarding. RESUME ypotonic congenitale benigne Les enfants souffrant d'hypotonie congenitale benigne se rangent en deux categories: ceux qui restent infirmes et se qui se retablissent. II semblerait improbable que cet etat, bien qu'etant une entite clinique, ait une cause unique. En particulier chez le groupe a pronostic favorable, 1'hypotonie peut bien etre due a un desordre de fonction dans le systeme nerveux central lui-meme et non a l'effet d'une maladie musculaire. Dans certains cas cet etat peut etre un exemple d'un desordre du developpement de la petite enfance; d'autres recherches dans cette voie seraient sans doute fructueuses. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Angeborene, gutartige Hypotonic Kinder die unter angeborener, gutartiger Hypotonic leiden, konnen in solche die korperbehinder bleiben und solche die gesunden, aufgeteilt werden. Es scheint unwahr-scheinlich zu sein, dass diesem Zustand, der obwohl er eine klinische Einheit darstellt, eine einzelne Ursache zugrunde liegt. Besonders bei der Gruppe mit gunstiger Prognosis, kann Hypotonic sehr wohl von einer Funktionsstorung im Nervensystem herruhren und nicht von einer Muskelkrankheit. In bestimmten FaYllen kann dieser Zustand Beispiel einer Entwicklungsstorung im Kleinkindalter sein und weitere Studien auf dieser Linie konnen sich als lohnend erweisen. RESUMEN Hipotonia congenita benigna Es posible dividir los ninos afectos de la hipotonia congenita benigna en dos grupos– los que quedan incapacitados y los que se reponen. No parece probable que este estado, aunque es una sola entidad clinica, tenga un solo origen. Sobre todo en el grupo cuyo pronostico es favorable, la hipotonia puede resultar de un trastorno de funcion dentro del sistema nervioso central, y no del efecto de una afeccion muscular. En ciertos casos el estado puede ser un ejemplo de un desorden de desarrollo infantil, y tal vez vale la pena de estudiar mas este aspecto.
Emerging ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a clinical series of ciprofloxacin-resistant ocular isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a tertiary care ophthalmic center. METHODS: Review of in vitro sensitivities of all ocular isolates of P. aeruginosa between July 1991 and September 1998. In vitro resistance was defined as a minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 or more μg per ml. RESULTS: Nine of 423 ocular isolates of P. aeruginosa showed in vitro resistance to ciprofloxacin. From 1991 to 1994, 0.44% (1/227) of ocular isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, whereas from 1995 to 1998, 4.1% (8/196) of ocular isolates showed in vitro resistance ( P = .014). CONCLUSIONS: Ciprofloxacin-resistant P. aeruginosa has been identified in recent clinical ocular specimens. Ciprofloxacin resistance among ocular isolates of P. aeruginosa is a local and worldwide concern.
Efficient reduced-order modeling for the transient simulation of three-dimensional interconnect

Abstract: Multipole-accelerated surface-volume methods have proved to be very efficient techniques for delay and cross-talk simulation of three-dimensional integrated circuit interconnect. However, to be efficiently combined with transistor circuitry in a SPICE-level simulation, reduced-order models which have accurate low-frequency behavior must be constructed. Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation (AWE) or Pade-via-Lanczos (PVL) algorithms can not be used directly to construct the reduced-order models from the surface-volume formulation, because the formulation generates dense matrices which are too expensive to factor. In this paper we describe a two-level approach to efficiently generating reduced-order models with accurate low frequency behavior. First, reduced-order models which match Taylor series terms at s=/spl infin/ are efficiently generated from the surface-volume formulation using an Arnoldi method, and then these fairly high-order models are used to efficiently construct lower-order models which snatch Taylor series terms at s=0. Examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy of the resultant low-order model.
Alterations in mitochondrial dynamics induced by tebufenpyrad and pyridaben in a dopaminergic neuronal cell culture model

Abstract Tebufenpyrad and pyridaben are two agro-chemically important acaricides that function like the known mitochondrial toxicant rotenone. Although these two compounds have been commonly used to kill populations of mites and ticks in commercial greenhouses, their neurotoxic profiles remain largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effects of these two pesticides on mitochondrial structure and function in an in vitro cell culture model using the Seahorse bioanalyzer and confocal fluorescence imaging. The effects were compared with rotenone. Exposing rat dopaminergic neuronal cells (N27 cells) to tebufenpyrad and pyridaben for 3 h induced dose-dependent cell death with an EC 50 of 3.98 μM and 3.77 μM, respectively. Also, tebufenpyrad and pyridaben (3 μM) exposure induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and m-aconitase damage, suggesting that the pesticide toxicity is associated with oxidative damage. Morphometric image analysis with the MitoTracker red fluorescent probe indicated that tebufenpyrad and pyridaben, as well as rotenone, caused abnormalities in mitochondrial morphology, including reduced mitochondrial length and circularity. Functional bioenergetic experiments using the Seahorse XF96 analyzer revealed that tebufenpyrad and pyridaben very rapidly suppressed the basal mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate similar to that of rotenone. Further analysis of bioenergetic curves also revealed dose-dependent decreases in ATP-linked respiration and respiratory capacity. The luminescence-based ATP measurement further confirmed that pesticide-induced mitochondrial inhibition of respiration is accompanied by the loss of cellular ATP. Collectively, our results suggest that exposure to the pesticides tebufenpyrad and pyridaben induces neurotoxicity by rapidly initiating mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage in dopaminergic neuronal cells. Our findings also reveal that monitoring the kinetics of mitochondrial respiration with Seahorse could be used as an early neurotoxicological high-throughput index for assessing the risk that pesticides pose to the dopaminergic neuronal system.
The phosphorylation of myosin II at the Ser1 and Ser2 is critical for normal platelet-derived growth factor-induced reorganization of myosin filaments

Phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin II (MLC(20)) at the activation sites promotes both the motor activity and the filament formation of myosin II, thus playing an important role in various cell motile processes. In contrast, the physiological function of phosphorylation of MLC(20) at the inhibitory sites is unknown. Here we report for the first time the function of the inhibitory site phosphorylation in the cells. We successfully produced the antibodies specifically recognizing the phosphorylation sites of MLC(20) at Ser1, and the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced change in the phosphorylation at the Ser1 was monitored. The phosphorylation of MLC(20) at the Ser1 significantly increased during the PDGF-induced actin cytoskeletal reorganization. PDGF disassembled the stress fibers, and this was attenuated with the expression of unphosphorylatable MLC(20) at the Ser1/Ser2 phosphorylation sites. The present results suggest that the down-regulation of myosin II activity achieved by the phosphorylation at the Ser1/Ser2 sites plays an important role in the normal reorganization of actomyosin filaments triggered by PDGF receptor stimulation.