cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in pituitary gland signal intensity and morphology as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging in aging, depression, and by gender

Magnetic resonance images (MRI) were used to measure anterior (A) and posterior (P) pituitary lobe signal intensity changes with age and by gender in 35 normal controls and 19 depressed patients. Females in the control group had a significant increase in both P/A and P/Pons ratios and trended to an increase in the ratio (P-A)/P when compared with the male control group. Depressed females had both a significantly increase P/A ratio and (P-A)/P ratio along with a trended increase in the P/Pons ratio when compared with depressed males. No significant correlation between age and signal intensity were found in either the control or the depressed groups. Nineteen of the controls were age and gender matched with the 19 depressed patients. A significant increase in the (P-A)/P ratio and a trend towards an increase in both the P/A ratio and P/Pons ratio with depression were noted. Changes in shape of the pituitary gland upper border, presence or absence of a posterior pituitary “bright spot,” and changes in signal intensity were then evaluated comparing the two groups. There was no significant difference in “bright spot” frequency between the two groups. The only significant morphological finding was an increased flat shape of the pituitary in female depressed vs. male depressed. Depression 2:303–307 (1994/1995). © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Correlations between Silica Chemistry and Structural Changes in Hydrothermally Treated Hexagonal Silica/Surfactant Composites Examined by in Situ X-ray Diffraction

In this paper, the effect of silica chemistry on hydrothermal restructuring of silica/surfactant composites is investigated. The materials were studied using real time X-ray diffraction to follow structural changes in p6mm hexagonal samples as they were hydrothermally treated in buffers ranging from pH 7 to pH 11. Changes in pore shape, repeat distance, and peak area were found to depend on the treatment conditions. Treatment at pH 11 caused expansion of the lattice, a small amount of pore shape restructuring, and a small increase in diffraction peak area. Treatment in a pH 7 hydrothermal solution, by contrast, resulted in contraction of the lattice, significant pore shape restructuring, and large increases in diffraction peak areas. These changes were correlated with 29Si MAS NMR, which was used to examine changes in framework polymerization, and with liquid 1H NMR, which was used to follow loss of surfactant from the composite. It was found that lattice expansion is facilitated by low framework polymeri...
Strategic Apex Leader Scripts and an Organisational Life Cycle Approach to Leadership and Excellence

This article examines top level management leadership and its impact on organisational excellence. An organisational life cycle model of leadership is developed which posits that top level leadership requirements differ across different stages of an organisation's life cycle. Such requirements are expanded to include not only those with subordinates but those with external stakeholders. We argue that top managers operate from leadership scripts and utilise judgemental heuristics which tend to drive their leader behaviour and make it difficult to change in order to meet the differing life cycle requirements. A number of strategies that can be used to change these scripts and judgemental heuristics as required are discussed.
Effect of Intracoronary Estradiol on Postischemic Microvascular Damage in a Porcine Model: A Myocardial Contrast Echocardiographic Study:

Coronary microvascular damage can occur in the presence of myocardial ischemia even if epicardial vessels are patent, a phenomenon known as "no-reflow." Estrogens have favorable effects on coronary conductance and resistance arteries, and may have therapeutic value in ischemic syndromes. Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is a promising method for evaluating microvascular damage. In this study, the authors hypothesized that acute intra coronary 17β-estradiol administration can reduce postischemic microvascular damage, which is evaluated by MCE, in a porcine model. Sixteen male pigs were randomized into 2 groups: the treatment group (n = 9) received intracoronary estradiol in increasing doses, and the control group (n = 7) received intracoronary vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO). Microvascular damage was induced by balloon catheter occlusion followed by reperfusion of the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). MCE using Levovist with harmonic imaging was performed before and during 15-minute balloo...
Development of a quantitative flow cytometry-based assay to assess infection by Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites

The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum causes the most deadly parasitic disease worldwide, necessitating the development of interventions that block infection. Yet, preclinical assays to measure inhibition of infection date from the 1980s and are based on microscopy. Here, we describe the development of a simple flow cytometric assay that can be used to quantitatively assess P. falciparum sporozoite infection in vitro in low and medium throughput. We demonstrate the utility of this assay for assessing both drug inhibition of infection and measuring efficacy of antibodies in blocking parasite infection. This methodology will aid in assessing functional antibody responses to vaccination and novel drugs that prevent mosquito-to-man transmission of malaria.
Shoot regeneration of hybrid seed geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum) and regal geranium (Pelargonium x domesticum) from primary callus cultures

Procedures have been developed that increase the rate of shoot regeneration of hybrid seed geranium from month-old primary callus cultures. Hybrid geranium callus tissue covered with green nodular structures was initiated by placing shoot tip explants on solidified Murashige & Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with 2.0 mgl-1 zeatin and 1.9 mgl-1 indoleacetic acid. Hybrids Red Orbit, White Orbit and Scarlet Orbit were shown to produce 5–50 shoot primordia per explant when callus was initiated on this medium. Regal geranium callus was initiated by placing leaf explants on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mgl-1 6-benzylaminopurine and 2.0 mgl-1 naphthaleneacetic acid. Regal geranium cultivars Tiny Tot and Lavender Grand Slam were shown to produce between 2–50 shoot primordia per explant when initiated on the same medium.
Adjunctive Antipsychotic Treatment of Adolescents With Bipolar Psychosis

ABSTRACT Background A combination of an antipsychotic medication and a mood stabilizer is often used for initial treatment of acute psychotic mania. However, the optimal duration of this adjunctive antipsychotic medication is unknown. Method As part of a lithium efficacy study, acutely manic adolescents with psychotic features were given open combination treatment with lithium and an adjunctive antipsychotic medication. If the psychosis resolved, the antipsychotic medication dose was gradually tapered and discontinued after 4 weeks of therapeutic lithium levels. The subject was then given a trial of maintenance lithium monotherapy for up to 4 weeks. Results Significant improvement was seen in 64% of the sample with psychotic features after 4 weeks of combination treatment. However, few maintained their response after discontinuation of the antipsychotic medication. Successful discontinuation of antipsychotic medication in this sample was associated with first episode, shorter duration of psychosis, and the presence of thought disorder at baseline. Conclusions Adjunctive antipsychotic medication needs to be maintained for longer than 4 weeks in the vast majority of adolescents with psychotic mania, even though the manic and psychotic symptoms have resolved and lithium treatment is maintained. Future studies to determine the optimal duration of adjunctive antipsychotic medication treatment are warranted.
N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism blocks contextual fear conditioning and differentially regulates early growth response-1 messenger RNA expression in the amygdala: implications for a functional amygdaloid circuit of fear.

Abstract N -Methyl- d -aspartate receptors in the amygdala are known to be crucial for the learning of conditioned fear, although the molecular cascades that N -methyl- d -aspartate receptors regulate are not well understood. Recent experiments from our laboratory have shown that messenger RNA expression of the immediate-early messenger gene, early growth response gene 1, increases in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala following contextual fear conditioning. However, the regulation of the increase in early growth response gene 1 expression is not known. To determine if N -methyl- d -aspartate receptors regulate both fear conditioning and the increase in early growth response gene 1 expression in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala, rats were infused i.c.v. with 2.5 μg of the N -methyl- d -aspartate antagonist, dl -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate. Most rats were killed 30 min following one-trial contextual fear conditioning and their brains were processed for in situ hybridization detection of early growth response gene 1 messenger RNA expression. The remainder of the rats was tested for retention of fear conditioning 24 h later. In dl -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate-treated rats, post-shock freezing remained intact, whereas fear-conditioned freezing during the retention test was abolished. Image analysis of early growth response gene 1 messenger RNA revealed that dl -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate blocked the fear-conditioning-associated increase in early growth response gene 1 expression in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala. In addition, dl -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate significantly increased early growth response gene 1 expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala. The results reveal differential regulation of early growth response gene 1 messenger RNA in the amygdala by N -methyl- d -aspartate receptors and argue for a functional role of early growth response gene 1 in the formation of long-term memory for contextual fear. Furthermore, the results indicate a functional neuroanatomical circuit within the amygdala that includes dampening of excitatory and activation of inhibitory processes in distinct amygdala nuclei, resulting in the reduction of fear conditioning.
Contact potential-difference studies of adsorption of polar vapors on metal and polymer surfaces

Abstract Contact potential difference changes have been measured, at various water and ethanol vapor pressures, between the following electrode pairs: (a) gold vs. nickel; (b) gold vs. Teflon-coated nickel; (c) Teflon-coated gold vs. nickel; (d) Teflon-coated gold vs. Teflon-coated nickel. The results indicate that the contact potential difference changes from pairs (b) and (c) can be identified with the surface potential changes of the gold and nickel electrodes respectively, and that Teflon-coated electrodes are satisfactory reference electrodes in the study of surface potential changes caused by the adsorption of these gases. For nickel, the surface potential changes are not completely reversible with respect to gas pressure, the hysteresis being of the type associated with irreversible chemical combination between the adsorbed molecules and the metal surface. The gold surface potential changes also exhibit hysteresis but of a type better described in terms of two interconvertible surface states. The two states are postulated as a monolayer and multilayer of adsorbed molecules. The adsorption of water and ethanol on both gold and nickel increases the surface potential (decreases the work function) of both metals.
Le Canada : un produit des empires

Dans cet article, l’auteur entend resumer tres brievement trois grandes interpretations de la « theorie de la dependance » : celle situee dans le courant historique de l’economie politique; celle inspiree directement de l’ecologie humaine; celle neomarxiste, illustrees entre autres, respectivement, par Harold A. Hinnis, Carl A. Dawson et Robert Laxer. Ces trois interpretations permettent de mieux comprendre comment les sociologues ont voulu saisir la destinee du Canada comme une colonie dependante d’une succession d’empires, francais d’abord, puis britannique et enfin americain. Cet article fait la lumiere sur la reference que le Canada s’est donnee a lui-meme tout au long du siecle et les debats tres vifs que les transformations globales de l’economie et des structures sociales ont suscites dans les annees 1970.
Effect of Thiouracil on Response to Heat Stress of White Leghorn Lines Selected for Fast and Slow Gain in Two Temperatures

Abstract Four lines of White Leghorns previously selected for fast and slow gain from 5 to 9 weeks of age in a hot (32.2 C) and in a cold (21.1 C) selection environment were grown from 5 to 9 weeks in the same two temperature environments. Samples of 32 females from each line of the third generation grown in each temperature environment from 5 to 9 weeks of age were divided into two groups; one received .2% thiouracil in the diet for a 5-day period and the other did not. The temperature was then increased to 40.6 C until 52.8% of all birds had died. The percentages of mortality of lines, rearing environments, and thiouracil treatments were then analyzed. An increase of 64.8% mortality from acute heat stress for birds reared in the cold environment was significant, but the differences among the four selected lines were not. The presence of thiouracil in the diet significantly reduced mortality from heat stress by 16.4%. There were no significant interactions between thiouracil treatments and selected lines or rearing environments.
"Patients like us": pregnant and parenting teens view the health care system.

As a supplement to traditional ways of measuring health care quality, the patient's perspectve is an essential indicator, yet it is often overlooked in evaluations of health care for pregnant teenagers. This report reveals how 40 young women receiving publicly funded care viewed their physicians and the clinics and other facilities at which they received health care serv ces. Pregnant and parenting urban teens face stigmatization in many aspects of their lives. The author concludes, based on her interviews with the 40 teens, that providers and health care systems should combat such negative influences with support and respect for these patients. The data also point to the need for comprehensive health care for low-income adolescents that extends beyond prenatal care, which may focus on the needs of the fetus or infant to the exclusion of the needs of the young mother.
Ovarian neoplasms: Their pathologic and surgical significance

0 VARIAN neopIasms beIong to the group of most common Iesions encountered in the practice of medicine and surgery. Some are more important than others, yet not one, even if it is benign, can exist for very Iong without the Ioss of ovarian function and IinaIIy compIete destruction of the organ. The resuIts of treatment of both the benign and the maIignant types are often disappointing. In addition, the pathoIogic characteristics of these neopIasms, it seems to me, have not been suffrcientIy stressed. A cIear conception of the type of tissue being deaIt with is the fundamenta1 basis for the appIication of correct surgica1 principIes in treatment. Roentgen therapy sufhcient to produce a menopause, but in whom the ovary has not been removed or compIeteIy destroyed. At present, no one knows how much irradiation is required to produce the same effect as biIatera1 oophorectomy. These observations are cited mereIy to stimuIate interest in the complexity of the functions of the ovary and to emphasize that Iesions of the ovary, whether benign or maIignant, shouId receive more carefu1 consideration.
Fluid dynamic analysis in a human left anterior descending coronary artery with arterial motion.

A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis is presented to describe local flow dynamics in both 3-D spatial and 4-D spatial and temporal domains from reconstructions of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and bi-plane angiographic fusion images. A left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery segment geometry was accurately reconstructed and subsequently its motion was incorporated into the CFD model. The results indicate that the incorporation of motion had appreciable effects on blood flow patterns. The velocity profiles in the region of a stenosis and the circumferential distribution of the axial wall shear stress (WSS) patterns in the vessel are altered with the wall motion introduced in the simulation. The time-averaged axial WSS between simulations of steady flow and unsteady flow without arterial motion were comparable (−0.3 to 13.7 Pa in unsteady flow versus −0.2 to 10.1 Pa in steady flow) while the magnitudes decreased when motion was introduced (0.3–4.5 Pa). The arterial wall motion affects the time-mean WSS and the oscillatory shear index in the coronary vessel fluid dynamics and may provide more realistic predictions on the progression of atherosclerotic disease.
Gonadoblastoma and selected other aspects of gonadal pathology in young patients with disorders of sex development

Some patients with disorders of sex development (DSDs), previously known as intersex disorders, have abnormal gonadal development and an increased risk of germ cell tumors. Because of their relative rarity, however, many pathologists are unfamiliar with the morphological findings in the gonads of DSD patients and their clinical significance. This review concentrates on some of the most common DSDs where gonadal specimens may come to the attention of pathologists. It highlights the findings in gonadal dysgenesis, a DSD with a spectrum of clinical, pathologic, and molecular features but with the shared attributes of having both Y chromosomal material (even if in very limited amounts) in the gonad and also having mutations or deletions in genes necessary for normal gonadal development, mostly in those upstream of the SOX9 gene. This situation results in testicular tissue lacking normal Sertoli cells, which are now considered an essential element for the normal maturation of the primordial germ cells that migrate to the gonad from the embryonic yolk sac. Germ cells with delayed maturation mimic neoplastic germ cells, but there are both morphological and immunohistochemical differences. If the gonad having germ cells with delayed maturation also harbors the TSPY gene on the GBY locus of the Y chromosome, the cells may undergo neoplastic transformation and result in the distinctive gonadoblastoma, whose pathologic features are explored at length herein, including its potential for variant morphologies, such as a "dissecting" pattern. Another important DSD, the androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), is discussed at length, including the varied appearances of the testis and its distinctive lesions-hamartomas and Sertoli cell adenomas. The potential for germ cell neoplasia in the partial AIS is also discussed and contrasted with that of the complete AIS. A third major topic is ovotesticular DSD (true hermaphroditism). The clinical features and morphology of this condition are reviewed, including the arrangements of the tissue components in an ovotestis. Several other DSDs with distinctive gonadal findings are also considered, including Klinefelter syndrome, 5α-reductase deficiency, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency, and female adrenogenital syndrome.
Impact of recipient morbid obesity on outcomes after liver transplantation

Summary The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of morbid obesity in recipients on peritransplant resource utilization and survival outcomes. Using a linkage between the University HealthSystem Consortium and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients databases, we identified 12 445 patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) between 2007 and 2011 and divided them into two cohorts based on recipient body mass index (BMI; <40 vs. ≥40 kg/m²). Recipients with BMI ≥40 comprised 3.3% (n = 416) of all LTs in the studied population. There were no significant differences in donor characteristics between two groups. Recipients with BMI ≥40 were significant for being female, diabetic, and with NASH cirrhosis. Patients with a BMI ≥40 had a higher median MELD score, limited physical capacity, and were more likely to be hospitalized at LT. BMI ≥40 recipients had higher post-LT length of stay and were less often discharged to home. With a median follow-up of 2 years, patient and graft survival were equivalent between the two groups. In conclusion, morbidly obese LT recipients appear sicker at time of LT with an increase in resource utilization but have similar short-term outcomes.
Mechanics of the respiratory cycle in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas).

Abstract Inspiration in the green turtle is, from a mechanical standpoint, quite comparable to the same event in mammals, but expiration is the event of special interest, because there is no well-developed conducting system in the lungs. Nonetheless, peak expiratory flow velocities in this turtle are very high and are not different from those of man with maximal exertion. The trachea is large, and apparently the intrapulmonary airway system, in spite of having no highly evolved bronchial channels, does not present the anticipated problem of collapsing airways during expiration. The avoidance of extrapulmonary positivity, except at the beginning of expiration, helps to circumvent the problem, but in addition the large bores of the airflow pathways keep the resistance low even as the lung volume shrinks, and probably the smooth muscle widely distributed throughout the lung plays a role in generating the force for expiration as well as providing structural rigidity for the airway system.
Myoglobin function in exercising skeletal muscle

Short-term perfusion of the isolated dog gastrocnemius-plantaris muscle with hydrogen peroxide resulted in a decrease in steady-state muscle oxygen consumption and isometric tension generation. Hydrogen peroxide converted intracellular myoglobin to products incapable of combination with oxygen, but had no deleterious effect on neuromuscular transmission or on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. It is concluded that functional intracellular myoglobin is important in maintaining oxygen consumption and tension generation in exercising skeletal muscle.
Transcriptional mimicry by tumor-associated stroma

Recent molecular classification of colorectal cancer (CRC) has identified a poor-prognosis transcriptional subtype associated with mesenchymal traits. New studies used CRC transcriptomic data to show that tumor-associated stroma mimics the gene signature of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and found no evidence for EMT of colorectal tumor cells.
The roles of inertia and shear-thinning in flow of an inelastic liquid through an axisymmetric sudden contraction

Abstract The roles of luid inertia and shear-rate dependent viscosity in determining the velocity field in an axisymmetric sudden contraction are assessed by finite-element analysis for a generalized Newtonian fluid with viscosity function given by a Carreau equation. Acting alone, either increasing shear-thinning of the viscosity or increasing fluid inertia suppresses the upstream vortex that surrounds the opening to the small tube. For creeping flows, shear thinning does not produce concavities and off-centered maxima in the axial velocity profile just inside the small tube, even at high Carreau numbers where the velocity field approaches the limiting form for a power-law fluid. Peaks in the axial velocity away from the center of the tube were found only for moderate and high Reynolds numbers and were enhanced by shear thinning, which decreased the viscosity and consequently increased the “local” Reynolds number near the wall of the small tube. The effect of steep velocity gradients near this surface on the accuracy of the finite-element approximations is discussed.
Understanding Embryos in a Changing and Complex World: A Case of Philosophers and Historians Engaging Society

The case of embryo research provides insight into the challenges for historians and philosophers of science who want to engage social issues, and even more challenges in engaging society. Yet there are opportunities in doing so. History and philosophy of science research demonstrates that the public impression of embryos does not fit with our scientific understanding. In cases where there are competing understandings of the phenomena and public impacts, we have to negotiate social responses. Historians and philosophers of science can both inform and learn from engaging in the process, by helping to recognize underlying assumptions and by demonstrating changing ideas over time and what factors have caused the changes.
Neglected Infections of Poverty in Texas and the Rest of the United States: Management and Treatment Options

In the poorest regions of the United States, especially along the Gulf Coast and in South Texas, are a group of endemic parasitic and related infections known as the neglected infections of poverty. Such infections are characterized by their chronicity, disabling features, and disproportionate impact on the estimated 46 million people who live below the U.S. poverty line. Today more Americans live in poverty than ever before in the half-century that the Census Bureau has been recording poverty rates. In association with that poverty, a group of major neglected infections of poverty have emerged in the United States. Here we describe the major neglected infections of poverty in the United States, with a brief overview of their significant epidemiological features, their links with poverty, and our approaches to their diagnosis, management, and treatment.
Self-organizing microfluidic crystals

We consider how to design a microfluidic system in which suspended particles spontaneously order into flowing crystals when driven by external pressure. Via theory and numerics, we find that particle-particle hydrodynamic interactions drive self-organization under suitable conditions of particle morphology and geometric confinement. Small clusters of asymmetric "tadpole" particles, strongly confined in one direction and weakly confined in another, spontaneously order in a direction perpendicular to the external flow, forming one dimensional lattices. Large suspensions of tadpoles exhibit strong density heterogeneities and form aggregates. By rationally tailoring particle shape, we tame this aggregation and achieve formation of large two-dimensional crystals.
X-ray structure and refinement of carbon-monoxy (Fe II)-myoglobin at 1.5 A resolution.

The structure of carbon-monoxy (Fe II) myoglobin at 260 K has been solved at a resolution of 1.5 A by X-ray diffraction and a model refined against the X-ray data by restrained least-squares. The CO ligand is disordered and distorted from the linear conformation seen in model compounds. At least two conformations, with Fe-C-O angles of 140 ° and 120 °, are required to model the system. The heme pocket is significantly larger than in deoxymyoglobin because the distal residues have relaxed around the ligand; the largest displacement occurs for the distal histidine side-chain, which moves more than 1.4 A on ligand binding. The side-chain of Arg45 (CD3) is disordered and apparently exists in two equally populated conformations. One of these does not block the motion of the distal histidine out of the binding pocket, suggesting a mechanism for ligand entry. The heme group is planar (root-mean-square deviation from planarity is 0.08 A) with no doming of the pyrrole groups. The Fe-Ne2 (His93) bond length is 2.2 A and the Fe-C bond length in the CO complex is 1.9 A. The iron is in the least-squares plane of the heme, and this leads to the proximal histidine moving by 0.4 A relative to its position in deoxy-myoglobin. This shift correlates with a global structural change, with the proximal part of the molecule translated towards the heme plane.
Hypertriglyceridemic VLDL Decreases Plasminogen Binding to Endothelial Cells and Surface-Localized Fibrinolysis†

The effect of normo (NTG)- and hypertriglyceridemic (HTG)-VLDL on cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) surface-localized fibrinolysis was examined following pre-incubation with NTG-, HTG-VLDL, LDL (1−20 μg/mL) or buffer (control). Ligand binding assays, using 125I-labeled tcu-PA, t-PA, or Glu-plasminogen (Glu-Pmg) were carried out in the absence/presence of lipoproteins. Scatchard analyses showed that HTG-VLDL decreased the Bmax for 125I-labeled Glu-Pmg ligand binding ∼35% [(2.11 ± 0.39)−(1.40 ± 0.32) × 106 sites/cell, p < 0.05] and increased the Kd,app ∼5-fold (0.32 ± 0.03 to 1.74 ± 0.08 μM, p < 0.01), while NTG-VLDL, LDL, and buffer had no effect. 125I-labeled PA ligand binding was unaffected by these lipoproteins. Receptor-bound PA activation of cell-bound 125I-labeled Glu-Pmg was measured by quantitation of either the Mr 20 kDa light- or Mr 60 kDa heavy-chain of 125I-labeled plasmin, following SDS−PAGE. Kinetic analysis of these data (HTG-VLDL vs controls) indicated that HTG-VLDL dec...
Modeling of the energy demand of the residential sector in the United States using regression models and artificial neural networks

This paper describes the development of energy-demand models which are able to predict the future energy demand in the residential sector of the United States. One set of models use an artificial neural network (ANN) technique, and the other set of models use a multiple linear regression (MLR) technique. The models are used to forecast future household energy demand considering different scenarios for the growth rates of the effective factors in the models. The household sector includes all energy-consuming activities in residential units (both apartments and houses) including space and water heating, cooling, lighting and the use of appliances. In order to understand the evolution of household energy use, a set of indicators has been developed. For instance, several factors affect energy consumption for space heating as a share of households’ energy demand. These factors include, dwelling size, number of occupants, the efficiency of heating equipment and the useful energy intensity. The paper also analyzes the trend of energy consumption in the residential sector of the United States. Moreover, the effects of important indicators on the energy consumption are discussed. The analysis performed in this paper is done for each census region, where possible, to elucidate the effects of different indicators in each region.
A soil test for nitrogen availability in the northeastern United States

Abstract A soil test for nitrogen availabilty to corn (Zea mays, L) has gained wide acceptance in the northeast region of the United States. The test involves sampling the surface 30 cm of soil during the early part of the growing season. The N03‐N present at that time is correlated with the probability of obtaining a yield increase by using sidedress nitrogen fertilizer. The test has been evaluated in 272 yr‐site N response experiments in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire. The various states in the region that are now offering a N soil test (Vermont, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Maine) have different methods of making recommendations based on soil‐test levels. However, 20 to 30 mg NO3‐N/kg soil is about the critical range above which there is a low probability of obtaining yield increases due to sidedress fertilizer N. Therefore, no additional N fertilizer is recommended. A major problem, which is slowing widespread utilization of this test is that the soil must be sampled...
Drainage of a partially wetting film: Dodecane on silicon

Drainage of the partially wetting film dodecane on a vertical silicon substrate was investigated using image scanning ellipsometry (ISE). The ability of ISE to map every point on the surface simultaneously was demonstrated for the much more complicated case of the partially wetting fluid. Depending on the relative magnitude of the intermolecular, gravitational, and capillary forces, four flow regions were identified: the interfacial, transition, hydrodynamic, and meniscus regions. The partially wetting fluid began draining according to hydrodynamic theory, but after a short period the monotonically increasing film thickness profile became unstable and a mound or incipient drop began to form ∼1 mm from the leading edge of the fluid. Although the mound grew over time, differential drainage was never strong enough to nucleate a dry patch, and so the film drained to an adsorbed layer. Two-dimensional profiles show the thickness profile first becoming unstable in the flow direction and then evolving a seconda...
Almost Newton, sometimes Lattès

Abstract Self-maps everywhere defined on the projective space P N over a global field are the basic objects of study in the arithmetic of dynamical systems. In this paper we study the natural self-maps defined the following way: F is a homogeneous polynomial of degree d in ( N + 1 ) variables X i defining a smooth hypersurface. Suppose the characteristic of the field does not divide d and define the map of partial derivatives ϕ F = ( F X 0 , … , F X N ) . One can also compose such a map with an element of PGL N + 1 . In the case N = 1 , the smoothness condition means that F has only simple zeroes and we prove that a self-map of P 1 has constant multipliers if and only if it has the form ϕ ( X , Y ) = ( F Y , − F X ) . We recover in this manner classical dynamical systems like the Newton method for finding roots of polynomials or the Lattes map corresponding to the multiplication by 2 on an elliptic curve and the multiplication by n on the multiplicative group.
Reflex control of magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin secretion

Reflex control of magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin secretion has captured the curiosity and investigative imagination of neuroendocrinologists for nearly 50 years. While it may seem obvious that brisk elevations in circulating levels of vasopressin in response to hemorrhage, or of oxytocin in response to suckling, must of necessity arise from magnocellular neurosecretory neurons in the hypothalamus, the central pathways mediating these reflexes have, until quite recently, remained elusive. In this brief review, ongoing attempts to delineate these pathways are summarized. Evidence for plasticity and local modulation of magnocellular reflexes in response to prolonged stimulation, such as chronic dehydration and lactation, is also presented.
Quantum-Mechanical Systems in Monochromatic and Nearly Monochromatic Fields

It is shown how Rabi's treatment of the response of a two-level quantum-mechanical system to a monochromatic external driving field may be rigorously placed within the framework of the time-dependent quantum mechanics of a general system by using unitary transformations to separate out slowly varying contributions in closed form. The method is extended to include a certain class of nonmonochromatic fields and the concept of a linearly time-dependent (induced) transition probability is discussed.
Tyrosine-dependent increase of tyrosine hydroxylase in neuroblastoma cells

TYROSINE hydroxylase (tyrosine-3-monooxygenase), presumably the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of the adrenergic transmitters dopamine and noradrenaline1,2, catalyses the hydroxylation of both phenylalanine and tyrosine3,4. This property has been exploited for the selection of adrenergic-like mouse neuroblastoma cells5, which have high tyrosine hydroxylase activity and can grow in the absence of tyrosine because they can convert sufficient phenylalanine to tyrosine for cell growth. N1E-115 is such a neuroblastoma clone5,6 and we have now found that, when the amount of tyrosine in the medium is increased, there is an increase in the amount of tyrosine hydroxylase in N1E-115 cells. Modification of the amount of this rate-limiting enzyme by its substrate concentration may play a fundamental role in the regulation of the biosynthesis of catecholamines.
The cytoplasmic tail of fibrocystin contains a ciliary targeting sequence

Sensory functions of primary cilia rely on ciliary-localized membrane proteins, but little is known about how these receptors are targeted to the cilium. To further our understanding of this process, we dissected the ciliary targeting sequence (CTS) of fibrocystin, the human autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease gene product. We show that the fibrocystin CTS is an 18-residue motif localized in the cytoplasmic tail. This motif is sufficient to target green fluorescent protein (GFP) to cilia of ciliated cells and targets GFP to lipid rafts if the cells are not ciliated. Rab8, but not several other Rabs implicated in ciliary assembly, binds to the CTS in a coimmunoprecipitation assay. Dominant-negative Rab8 interacts more strongly than wild-type or constitutively active Rab8, and coexpression of this dominant-negative mutant Rab8 blocks trafficking to the cilium. This suggests that the CTS functions by binding regulatory proteins like Rab8 to control trafficking through the endomembrane system and on to the cilium.
Protein G-liposomal nanovesicles as universal reagents for immunoassays.

Abstract To improve the antigen-binding activity of liposome-coupled antibodies and to develop universal liposomal nanovesicles for immunoassays, protein G was conjugated to dye-loaded liposomal nanovesicles for the preparation of immunoliposomes. Sulfosuccinimidyl-4-( N -maleimidomethyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (sulfo-SMCC), a heterobifunctional cross-linker, was used to modify protein G for conjugation to the liposomal nanovesicles. Liposome immunosorbent assays were used to evaluate the binding ability of protein G after sulfo-SMCC modification, to optimize the protein G density on the liposome surface and to determine the amount of IgG binding to the protein G-liposomal nanovesicles. Test strips coated with a narrow zone of antibodies were used to show the successful conjugation. Immunomagnetic beads were used to demonstrate the feasibility of protein G-tagged universal liposomal nanovesicles for immunoassays. Results indicate that the Fc-binding capacity of protein G decreased by only 5.3% after sulfo-SMCC modification. Antibodies were easily conjugated to universal protein G-liposomal nanovesicles in 30 min. The conjugates (protein G-immunoliposomes) were successfully used in immunomagnetic bead assays for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 with a detection limit of approximately 100 CFU/ml. This work demonstrated that protein G-liposomal nanovesicles are a successful universal reagent for easily coupling antibodies in an active orientation on the liposome surface for use in immunoassays.
Feminist perspectives and the criminal justice curriculum

Feminist perspectives have had major impacts on theoretical and curricular developments in a wide range of academic fields. Despite the significant volume of feminist scholarship and research produced in criminology over the past decade, however, these perspectives do not appear to have had much effect on criminal justice education. In this paper I draw upon the curriculum transformation literature from women's studies to offer a model for incorporating feminist perspectives into our curricula in criminal justice. To aid instructors interested in adopting feminist perspectives and pedagogy in their classes, I offer seven goals for the feminist curriculum. Finally, I discuss potential problems and pitfalls of efforts at curriculum transformation, especially in areas such as criminal justice, in which many instructors may have little background and may resist change.
A prototype expert system for the evaluation and selection of potential suppliers

Suggests that the evaluation and selection of potential suppliers is becoming a more important and critical decision in today’s competitive operating environment. Reveals that many firms are reducing their number of suppliers and the supplier base may provide a company with a strategic competitive advantage. Explains that the supplier selection decision now involves many judgemental factors in addition to the historical selection criteria. Offers a prototype expert system which enables users to evaluate and select a potential supplier based on the strategic importance of the product involved, quantitative data and qualitative factors. The system’s early validation results show its potential as an effective decision‐making aid.
GPU merge path: a GPU merging algorithm

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have become ideal candidates for the development of fine-grain parallel algorithms as the number of processing elements per GPU increases. In addition to the increase in cores per system, new memory hierarchies and increased bandwidth have been developed that allow for significant performance improvement when computation is performed using certain types of memory access patterns.Merging two sorted arrays is a useful primitive and is a basic building block for numerous applications such as joining database queries, merging adjacency lists in graphs, and set intersection. An efficient parallel merging algorithm partitions the sorted input arrays into sets of non-overlapping sub-arrays that can be independently merged on multiple cores. For optimal performance, the partitioning should be done in parallel and should divide the input arrays such that each core receives an equal size of data to merge.In this paper, we present an algorithm that partitions the workload equally amongst the GPU Streaming Multi-processors (SM). Following this, we show how each SM performs a parallel merge and how to divide the work so that all the GPU's Streaming Processors (SP) are utilized. All stages in this algorithm are parallel. The new algorithm demonstrates good utilization of the GPU memory hierarchy. This approach demonstrates an average of 20X and 50X speedup over a sequential merge on the x86 platform for integer and floating point, respectively. Our implementation is 10X faster than the fast parallel merge supplied in the CUDA Thrust library.
The effect of atypical birefringence patterns on glaucoma detection using scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation.

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the presence of atypical birefringence patterns, as measured by the typical scan score (TSS), on the diagnostic accuracy of a scanning laser polarimeter (the GDx VCC; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA) assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for discriminating between glaucoma and healthy eyes. METHODS. Two hundred thirty-three glaucomatous eyes (repeatable abnormal visual fields by pattern standard deviation [PSD] and/or glaucoma hemifield test [GHT]) from 153 patients with glaucoma and 104 eyes from 71 healthy participants enrolled in the UCSD Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS) were imaged using the GDx VCC. An ROC regression model was used to evaluate the influence of the covariates TSS; disease severity, defined as standard automated perimetry (SAP) mean deviation [MD]; and age in years on the diagnostic accuracy of the GDx parameters nerve fiber indicator [NFI], TSNIT (temporal, superior, nasal, inferior, temporal) average thickness, superior average thickness, inferior average thickness, and TSNIT standard deviation. Areas under the ROC curve were calculated for specific levels of the covariates according to the results provided by the model. RESULTS. TSS and SAP MD significantly affected the diagnostic accuracy of each investigated GDx VCC parameter. Low TSSs, indicating the presence of atypical scans, were associated with decreased accuracy. For NFI, ROC curve areas ranged from 0.749 (when TSS 20) to 0.904 (when TSS 100). A similar influence of TSS was found for other parameters. In addition, diagnostic accuracy increased with increasing disease severity. For instance, for NFI, ROC curve areas ranged from 0.853 (when SAP MD 3) to 0.954 (when SAP MD 15). CONCLUSIONS. The diagnostic accuracy of GDx VCC parameters is affected by disease severity and is adversely affected by the presence of atypical retardation patterns (i.e., decreasing TSS). GDx VCC scans with atypical scan patterns should be interpreted with caution when used in clinical practice. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48:223‐227) DOI:10.1167/iovs.06-0787
Metabolism of β-methyl-C5 fatty acids by mitochondria of rat liver: effect of biotin nutriture.

Summary1. In a reaction mixture containing KIC. Mg—, phosphate buffer and ATP, net acetoacetate formation from n-valerate, and n-caprylate by rat liver mitochondria proceeded readily. Under conditions of our experiments, metabolism of isovalerate, 3-methyl-2-butenoate, and 3-methyl-3 butenoate proceeded only in the additional presence of bicarbonate. Malonate markedly depressed metabolism of the latter three acids which occurred in the presence of bicarbonate. Cooxidation of citrate, glutamate, or a-keto-glutarate overcame this malonate inhibition. Malonate did not decrease the yield of acetoacetate from n-valerate, a-methyl-butyrate, or n-caprylate. 2. Mitochondria from both biotin-injected rats and biotin-deficient rats produced acetoacetate from n-valerate, a-methyl-butyrate and n-caprylate. The β-methyl fatty acids, isovalerate, 3-methyl-2-butenoate. and 3-methyl-3-butenoate were metabolized by mitochondria of biotin-injected rats but not by mitochondria of deficient rats.
The Use of Perfect Prog Forecasts to Improve Model Output Statistics Forecasts of Precipitation Probability

Abstract A method of improving the accuracy of model output statistics (MOS) probability of precipitation (POP) forecasts was investigated. The method uses a perfect prog (PP) forecast as a potential predictor in a MOS equation. The PP method, with its larger developmental databases has the potential of incorporating additional information about local climatology, seasonality, and synoptic pattern type, which might be otherwise lacking in the MOS predictor dataset. Three PP models were developed: an analog model, a 1ogistic regression model and an analog/regression hybrid model. The POP forecasts were generated by the three PP models and the MOS model at four Pennsylvania stations by using 6 months of independent limited-area fine mesh (LFM) forecasts. Three MOS/PP combination models were derived by linearly combining MOS with each of the three PP models. The MOS/PP combination model forecasts were generated with the independent MOS and PP forecasts by using a cross-validation technique. The three MOS/PP ...
Do liberal cities limit new housing development? Evidence from California

Traditional explanations for why some communities block new housing construction focus on incumbent home owner incentives to block entry. Local resident political ideology may also influence community permitting decisions. This paper uses city level panel data across California metropolitan areas from 2000 to 2008 to document that liberal cities grant fewer new housing permits than observationally similar cities located within the same metropolitan area. Cities experiencing a growth in their liberal voter share have a lower new housing permit growth rate.