cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new method to estimate the direction of arrival of signals

The authors propose a new method for estimating the direction of arrival for cases where the noise is white or colored. The algorithm for estimating the direction of arrival requires only the solution of a polynomial equation whose degree is just equal to the number of signals. The estimate is strongly consistent under minimal moment restrictions. Simulation results for the proposed method are presented. >
Dynamical complex network theory applied to the therapeutics of brain malignancies

An important problem in modern therapeutics at the metabolomic, transcriptomic or phosphoproteomic level remains to identify therapeutic targets in a plentitude of high-throughput data from experiments relevant to a variety of diseases. This paper presents the application of novel graph algorithms and modern control solutions applied to the graph networks resulting from specific experiments to discover disease-related pathways and drug targets in glioma cancer stem cells (GSCs). The theoretical frameworks provides us with the minimal number of ”driver nodes” necessary to determine the full control over the obtained graph network in order to provide a change in the network’s dynamics from an initial state (disease) to a desired state (non-disease). The achieved results will provide biochemists with techniques to identify more metabolic regions and biological pathways for complex diseases, and design and test novel therapeutic solutions.
The (Mis)use of Technology in the National Accreditation System

The use of technology in the evaluation of higher education programs is a mainstay. Physical evidence rooms, face-to-face interviews, and reviewing of documentation on site have become obsolete. Relying on the heavy use of technology in the evaluation process has allowed what some believe to be a more cohesive, streamlined approach to the presentation of data, however, many face serious concerns with the reliance on technology; what is lost? Missed? nappreciated? How much is the understanding of technology and ability to present the "show" digitally impressing the reviewers verses actual quality of programs and institution?
Neural Firing in the Prefrontal Cortex During Alcohol Intake in Alcohol-Preferring "P" Versus Wistar Rats.

Background Neural activity within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is altered by alcohol and alcohol-associated stimuli and is mediated by genetic susceptibility to alcoholism. However, very little is known about how genetic risk of excessive drinking might mediate neural firing in the PFC during alcohol consumption. Methods To determine how genetic risk influences alcohol seeking, intake, and neural activity, a Pavlovian alcohol consumption task was used—the 2-Way Cued Access Protocol (2CAP). Alcohol-preferring “P” rats and relatives of their (heterogeneous) founding Wistar population were used for these studies. After acquisition of 2CAP, extinction of responding for alcohol was evaluated by substituting water for alcohol. Following these experiments, in vivo electrophysiological recordings were obtained during 2CAP from the PFC in a separate cohort of Wistar and P rats implanted with moveable tetrode microdrives. Results P and Wistar rats increased daily alcohol seeking and intake with P rats consuming roughly twice as much alcohol as Wistar. Both rat populations decreased seeking behavior during extinction. However, P rats displayed persistent increases in seeking after controlling for intake versus Wistar. Higher firing rates (FRs) were observed in P rats prior to 2CAP and throughout alcohol and water consumption compared with Wistars that were matched for alcohol-drinking history. Differences in FR were driven, in part, by a larger percentage of neurons in P rats versus Wistars that increased FR compared with those that decreased, or did not change. Conclusions These data provide additional evidence of increased alcohol consumption and persistent alcohol seeking in P versus Wistar rats. Differences in PFC neural firing observed in P rats prior to drinking could be heritable and/or related to an enhanced response to alcohol-associated contextual cues. FR differences observed during alcohol drinking might be related to an augmented sensitivity of PFC neurons to orally consumed alcohol.
Introduction to the SCiP special issue.

Several of the articles in this issue are based on presentations from the 44th Annual Meeting of the Society for Computers in Psychology (SCiP). The conference was held in Long Beach, California, on November 20, 2014, and included talks, posters, and symposia on topics as diverse as network science, computational linguistics, online learning, data mining, and intelligent tutoring systems. The keynote address, titled “Towards Collaborative Learning at Scale,” was given by Marti Hearst from the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. Kay Livesay hosted a special presidential symposium, “Foundations of Social Cognition and Culture,” which included talks by Henrike Moll of the University of Southern California and Greg Bryant of the University of California, Los Angeles. Erica Snow from Arizona State University won the John Castellan Award for Best Student Paper for her presentation “Does Agency Matter? Path Analysis Within a Game-Based System,” with co-authors Laura Allen, Matt Jacovina, and Danielle McNamara. The Society for Computers in Psychology is a nonprofit organization of researchers interested in theoretical and methodological applications of technology in psychology. Its primary purpose is to increase and share knowledge about emerging technology, hardware, and methodology in psychological research. Membership is open to any person who has an academic degree and who is active in scientific applications of computers in psychological research.Membership information can be found at the SCiP website, at www.scip.ws. The officers of SCiP 2014 included president Kay Livesay, Linfield College; president-elect Peter Dixon, University of Alberta; past-president Michael Jones, Indiana University; and secretary-treasurer Rick Dale of the University of California, Merced. The steering committee included Chris Koch, George Fox University; Xiaowei Zhao, Emmanuel College; Ulf-Dietrich Reips, University of Konstanz; Zhiqiang Cai, University of Memphis; Monica Riordan, Chatham University; Todd Gureckis, New York University; Chris Westbury, University of Alberta; Scott Crossley, Georgia State University; and Jon Willits, Indiana University.
MapReduce-based fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm: implementation and scalability

The management and analysis of big data has been identified as one of the most important emerging needs in recent years. This is because of the sheer volume and increasing complexity of data being created or collected. Current clustering algorithms can not handle big data, and therefore, scalable solutions are necessary. Since fuzzy clustering algorithms have shown to outperform hard clustering approaches in terms of accuracy, this paper investigates the parallelization and scalability of a common and effective fuzzy clustering algorithm named fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm. The algorithm is parallelized using the MapReduce paradigm outlining how the Map and Reduce primitives are implemented. A validity analysis is conducted in order to show that the implementation works correctly achieving competitive purity results compared to state-of-the art clustering algorithms. Furthermore, a scalability analysis is conducted to demonstrate the performance of the parallel FCM implementation with increasing number of computing nodes used.
Pigeon: A spatial MapReduce language

With the huge amounts of spatial data collected everyday, MapReduce frameworks, such as Hadoop, have become a common choice to analyze big spatial data for scientists and people from industry. Users prefer to use high level languages, such as Pig Latin, to deal with Hadoop for simplicity. Unfortunately, these languages are designed for primitive non-spatial data and have no support for spatial data types or functions. This demonstration presents Pigeon, a spatial extension to Pig which provides spatial functionality in Pig. Pigeon is implemented through user defined functions (UDFs) making it easy to use and compatible with all recent versions of Pig. This also allows it to integrate smoothly with existing non-spatial functions and operations such as Filter, Join and Group By. Pigeon is compatible with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard which makes it easy to learn and use for users who are familiar with existing OGC-compliant tools such as PostGIS. This demonstrations shows to audience how to work with Pigeon through some interesting applications running on large scale real datasets extracted from OpenStreetMap.
Management of duodenal and pancreaticobiliary perforations associated with periampullary endoscopic procedures

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and outcome of pancreaticobiliary and duodenal (PB/D) perforations from periampullary endoscopic procedures and to examine whether clinical indexes are predictive of the need for operative management. Methods A retrospective review compared patients who had operative intervention for PB/D perforation with those managed nonoperatively. Results Thirty-two PB/D perforations occurred in 4,919 procedures (.6%). Twelve (37%) required operation; 20 (63%) were successfully managed nonoperatively. Radiographic imaging was not helpful in predicting the need for operation. A clinical scoring system was predictive of the need for operative management. The length of stay and morbidity rates were higher in the operatively managed patients. Conclusions Most endoscopic PB/D perforations can be successfully managed without operation and, clinical indices are most predictive in determining the need for surgery. Further prospective evaluation of this scoring system may help guide the need for and timing of operative intervention for PB/D perforations.
Indium Phosphide Photonic Integrated Circuits for Coherent Optical Links

We demonstrate photonic circuits monolithically integrated on an InP-based platform for use in coherent communication links. We describe a technology platform that allows for the integration of numerous circuit elements. We show examples of an integrated transmitter which offers an on-chip wavelength-division-multiplexing source with a flat gain profile across a 2 THz band and a new device design to provide a flatted gain over a 5 THz band. We show coherent receivers incorporating an integrated widely tunable local oscillator as well as an optical PLL. Finally, we demonstrate a tunable optical bandpass filter for use in analog coherent radio frequency links with a measured spurious-free dynamic range of 86.3 dB-Hz2/3 as well as an improved design to exceed 117 dB-Hz2/3.
Effects of antioxidants and reduced oxygen tension on rat mammary epithelial cells in culture.

Free radical damage has the potential to significantly affect the behavior of cells in culture. In this study the effects of antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and vitamin E) and lowered oxygen tension (1% oxygen) on primary culture of rat mammary epithelial cells were examined. Rat mammary epithelial cells were dissociated in collagenase with or without the addition of antioxidants and low oxygen tension, then cultured for 10 d in rat-tail collagen gel matrix and fed with Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’sF12 medium supplemented with various hormones and growth factors. Growth potential of the mammary cells was enhanced when antioxidants and low oxygen tension were used, alone or in combination, during the cell dissociation period. Using antioxidants and low oxygen tension during the culture period failed to improve growth potential regardless whether cells were dissociated in standard conditions or with antioxidants and low oxygen tension. The use of antioxidants and low oxygen tension during the cell dissociation period also reduced the degree of keratinization of the cells after 10 d of culture. Using antioxidants and low oxygen tension during the cell culture period did not further reduce keratinization if antioxidants and low oxygen tension were used during the dissociation period, but were effective in reducing keratinization if cells were dissociated in standard condition. In this system, antioxidants and low oxygen tension reduced lipid peroxidation during the cell dissociation period. An iron chelator, desferal, can also reduce lipid peroxidation and enhance growth when used during cell dissociation, suggesting the enhanced growth potential by the addition of antioxidants and low oxygen to be due to the reduction of lipid peroxidation.
Sensitivity analysis of brain morphometry based on MRI-derived surface models

ABSTRACT Quantification of brain structure is important for evaluating changes in brain size with growth and aging and for character-izing neurodegeneration disorders. Previous quantification efforts using ex vivo techniques suffered considerable error due toshrinkage of the cerebrum after extraction from the skull, deformation of slices during sectioning, and numerous other factors.In vivo imaging studies of brain anatomy avoid these problems and allow repetitive studies following progression of brainstructure changes due to disease or natural processes. We have developed a methodology for obtaining triangular mesh modelsof the cortical surface from MRI brain datasets. The cortex is segmented from nonbrain tissue using a 2D region-growing tech-nique combined with occasional manual edits. Once segmented, thresholding and image morphological operations (erosionsand openings) are used to expose the regions between adjacent surfaces in deep cortical folds. A 2D region-following proce-dure is then used to find a set of contours outlining the cortical boundary on each slice. The contours on all slices are tiledtogether to form a closed triangular mesh model approximating the cortical surface. This model can be used for calculation ofcortical surface area and volume, as well as other parameters of interest. Except for the initial segmentation of the cortex fromthe skull, the technique is automatic and requires only modest computation time on modern workstations.Though the use of image data avoids many of the pitfalls of ex vivo and sectioning techniques, our MRI-based technique isstill vulnerable to errors that may impact the accuracy of estimated brain structure parameters. Potential inaccuracies includesegmentation errors due to incorrect thresholding, missed deep sulcal surfaces, falsely segmented holes due to image noise andsurface tiling artifacts. The focus of this paper is the characterization of these errors and how they affect measurements of cor-tical surface area and volume.Keywords: brain morphometry, surface models, segmentation
Earthworm activity in no-tillage and conventional tillage systems in Missouri soils: A preliminary study

Abstract Earthworms play a major role in overall soil fertility and productivity. Many Missouri soils are characterized by a claypan layer which can be a significant barrier to water infiltration and root penetration. Our objective was to characterize the earthworms in these soils under various tillages, crop rotation, and nitrogen applications. The field study has a split-split plot design with the tillage treatments (chisel-disk and no-till) as whole plots and rotation and nitrogen rates as subplots. The study's site had not been tilled for 3 years and the chisel-disk plots were tilled only 3 weeks prior to sampling. Crop rotation treatments were corn-soybean with continuous soybean and continuous corn as controls. Nitrogen rates were applied on randomly designated plots at 112 or 224 kg N ha −1 . Individual plot size was 6.08 × 12.16 m with each plot replicated four times. Earthworms were handsorted from two 0.06 m 2 by 15 cm deep samples in each plot. Tillage was the single most important factor influencing the number of earthworms in the spring and fall sampling. Greater numbers of earthworms were found in the no-tillage compared to the chisel-disk plots regardless of cropping or N treatment. The chisel tillage may have killed worms in the surface or caused the worms to move deeper in the soil profile. In the no-tillage plots, a greater source of food was available for the earthworms and any burrows present were minimally disturbed. Aporrecctodea trapezoides was the most common species identified in this field with the presence of unidentified native species.
Type inference for atomicity

Atomicity is a fundamental correctness property in multithreaded programs. This paper presents an algorithm for verifying atomicity via type inference. The underlying type system supports guarded, write-guarded, and unguarded fields, as well as thread-local data, parameterized classes and methods, and protected locks. We describe an implementation of this algorithm for Java and discuss its performance and usability on benchmarks totaling sixty thousand lines of code.
Effect of Student Attendance on Performance: Comment on Lamdin

Evidence that student attendance has a positive and significant effect on student performance was reported by Lamdin (1996). Our comment suggests that Lamdin's results are biased because of his failure to include measures of student innate ability and competition in the explanation of student performance. When these two variables are taken into account, student attendance is shown to be insignificant in terms of its effect on student performance. Thus, policies designed to increase student attendance may result in an inappropriate use of education resources.
Gouty arthritis of the axial skeleton including the sacroiliac joints.

• We treated a 62-year-old man with intermittent polyarthritis whose neck pain was prominent. Progressive deformities, limited neck motion, and the appearance of subcutaneous nodules prompted his admission to the hospital. The diagnosis of gout was established; the erosive and destructive changes in C6-7 were believed to be due to gout as well. Cervical spine involvement, although rare, can occur in gout. ( Arch Intern Med 1987;147:2018-2019)
Mortality From Pulmonary Embolism

To the Editor.— As possible explanations for the decrease in fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) observed in their study, Dismuke and Wagner 1 point to the increasing use of prophylactic minidose heparin, pulmonary angiography, and therapeutic anticoagulation during the period of their study. Other factors, particularly changes in physicians' use of bed rest and early mobilization, may also have played a role. Immobility and prolonged bed rest are acknowledged risk factors for venous thrombosis and PE, and early mobilization of bed-bound patients has been shown to reduce the incidence of venous thrombosis. 2 Changes have occurred over recent years in the way physicians utilize activity as a mode of therapy, with a trend toward less enforced bed rest, earlier supervised mobilization, and shorter hospital stays. For example, in the 1950s patients with myocardial infarction (MI) were usually rested for four to eight weeks. 3 In 1970, even uncomplicated MI was still
Superhard silicon nanospheres

Abstract Successful deposition and mechanical probing of nearly spherical, defect-free silicon nanospheres has been accomplished. The results show silicon at this length scale to be up to four times harder than bulk silicon. Detailed measurements of plasticity evolution and the corresponding hardening response in normally brittle silicon is possible in these small volumes. Based upon a proposed length scale related to the size of nanospheres in the 20– 50 nm radii range, a prediction of observed hardnesses in the range of 20– 50 GPa is made. The ramifications of this to computational materials science studies on identical volumes are discussed.
Blocking high-fat diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver by overexpression of Il-13 gene in mice

Blocking high-fat diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver by overexpression of Il-13 gene in mice
Anorthosite-mangerite relations on Baker Mountain, New York

Outcrop scale mapping indicates that the contact zone between Marcy anorthosite and Tupper-Saranac mangerite on Baker Mountain in northeastern New York consists of mangerite dikes cutting both anorthosite and a granofelsic jotunite. All three units are intruded by younger granitic dikes that have produced contact aureoles in the anorthosite, and all of these rocks were metamorphosed and deformed during the Grenville orogeny. Postorogenic mafic dikes cut all other rocks on Baker Mountain. Patches of exceptionally calcic plagioclase reach a composition of An 80 in the Marcy anorthosite. Rare-earth element analysis reveals that both anorthosite and mangerite have positive europium anomalies, whereas the jotunite and a skarn inclusion have no europium anomalies. Both mangerite and jotunite have high total rare-earth abundances compared to anorthosite.
Characterization of adult bovine adrenocortical cells throughout their life span in tissue culture.

The characteristics of adult bovine adrenocortical cells were studied throughout thE1r life span of 55–65 generations in monolayer culture. Over this period, the cells maintained the capacity to synthesize steroids when tested with repeated maximal doses of ACTH, prostaglandin E1, monobutyryl cAMP, or cholera toxin. Prostaglandin E1 stimulated cAMP production and steroidogenesis, and inhibited DNA synthesis, as measured by incorporation of [3H]thymidine, with dose-response characteristics that did not vary over the first SO generations in culture. In contrast, the maximal rate of cAMP production stimulated by ACTH declined exponentially at a rate of 7% per generation. In primary and secondary cultures, ACTH stimulated steroidogenesis maximally and inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA completely at a half-maximal effective concentration (ED50) of 0.08 nM which was two orders of magnitude less than the ED50 of 8 nM for stimulation of cAMP production. As the ACTH-stimulated maximal rate of cAMP pro...
TAXONOMY AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE GOMPHONEIS QUADRIPUNCTATA SPECIES COMPLEX

Contribution Number 000 of the Great Lakes Research Division Light microscopical observations were made on material from Lake Baikal containing Gomphoneis quadripunctata (Ostr.) Dawson ex Ross & Sims. The material had originally been used by Skvortzow to describe many subspecific taxa of this species. The many forms present all have multiple stigmoids positioned around the central area, septa at both poles, and undifferentiated apical pore fields. From the large number of taxa identified by Skvortzow, three species are recognized: G. hastata (Wisl.) Kociolek & Stoermer, comb, nov., G. tumida (Skv. in Skv. & Meyer) Kociolek & Stoermer, comb, nov., and G. quadripunctata. Species were segregated by differences in initial valve length and corresponding variation in valve shape and morphology. Of the three species recognized, G. hastata and G. tumida possess longitudinal lines in girdle view, while in G. quadripunctata such lines are absent. Relationships of these three species to G. olivaceoides (Hust.) Carte...
Linear programming models for jamming attacks on network traffic flows

We present a new class of network attacks, referred to as flow-jamming attacks, in which an adversary with multiple jammers throughout the network jams packets to reduce traffic flow. We propose a linear programming framework for flow-jamming attacks, providing a foundation for the design of future protocols to mitigate flow-jamming. We propose metrics to evaluate the effect of a flow-jamming attack on network flow and the resource expenditure of the jamming adversary. We develop, evaluate, and compare a variety of flow-jamming attacks using the proposed metrics and the linear programming formulation. In addition, we formulate two approaches for distributed flow-jamming attacks for a set of jammers operating without centralized control and compare the performance to the centralized attacks using the linear programming formulation.
PHASE-RESETTING MAP AND THE DYNAMICS OF QUASI-PERIODICALLY FORCED BIOLOGICAL OSCILLATORS

In this paper we study the dynamics of a biological oscillator forced at two incommensurate frequencies which, as our results show, can exhibit a variety of novel dynamical phenomena, including two-frequency quasi-periodicity, three-frequency quasi-periodicity, chaos and, in particular, strange nonchaotic attractors. We discuss the significance and observable signatures of these phenomena, and suggest biological systems in which these phenomena may be experimentally investigated.
Dependence of solvent swelling on coal concentration

Abstract Volumetric solvent swelling of coal is highly dependent on coal concentration, and is significantly enhanced at low concentration. This indicates that associated coal complexes dissociate at low concentration. The dependence of coal concentration on solvent swelling can be expressed by an empirical equation when the concentration is low. The intrinsic swelling ratio, which is independent of the concentration, has been introduced. Solvent swelling approaches a given (saturated) value when the concentration becomes high. The conventionally observed swelling is usually this saturated value. Associative equilibria observed through this swelling imply that significant portions (far more than is generally believed) of coal molecules are physically associated.
Twisted gastrulation (Tsg) is regulated by Tob and enhances TGF-β signaling in activated T lymphocytes

Quiescent T cells express Tob, an APRO gene family member, which functions as a transcriptional regulator. Subtractive hybridization identified Twisted gastrulation (Tsg) as one of the genes suppressed by Tob. Tsg is a secreted protein that interacts with Drosophila decapentaplegic (Dpp) and its vertebrate orthologs BMP2/4 and regulates morphogenetic effects in embryos. Here, we report the expression and function of Tsg in human T cells. Tsg mRNA was almost undetectable in unstimulated T cells and was up-regulated after activation by TCR/CD3 and either CD28, IL-2, or PMA. Tsg protein had no effect on responses of primary T cells to TCR/CD3 stimulation but had a potent inhibitory effect on proliferation and cytokine production of primed alloreactive CD4+ cells. Surprisingly, Tsg did not affect phosphorylation of the BMP-specific Smad1 but induced phosphorylation of the TGF-beta-specific Smad2 and mediated DNA binding on Smad3/4 consensus-binding sites, suggesting that it acted downstream of TGF-beta. In vitro association assays revealed a direct interaction of Tsg and TGF-beta proteins. Thus, Tsg functions as an agonist synergizing with TGF-beta to inhibit T-cell activation. Modulation of Tsg signaling may represent a novel target for molecular intervention toward control of aberrant T-cell responses during ongoing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and autoimmune diseases.
Ventricular assist devices in children

Abstract There has been much recent interest in the application of ventricular assist devices in children with end-stage heart failure. Though extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has long been the mainstay for such patients in North America, ventricular assist devices have many potential advantages for these kids. The increasing success of the Berlin Heart ventricular assist device in Europe has spawned much increased use of this device in North America. Active research is now ongoing to further develop and refine pediatric pumps. This manuscript reviews preoperative and postoperative considerations, with respect to the pediatric population undergoing insertion of a ventricular assist device, reviews current and future technology, and briefly presents the recent experience with the Berlin Heart at Saint Louis Children's Hospital.
Question selection for multi-attribute decision-aiding

Abstract A decision-maker (DM), or a group of DMs, must select a most preferred alternative from a finite set of alternatives. Each alternative has a single consequence. There are multiple and conflicting attributes. All value scores are known precisely. However, all that is known about the vector of trade-off weights is that it is a member of a given set, the trade-off weight set. A facilitator can ask questions and use the responses to update the trade-off weight set and hence the set of non-dominated alternatives, i.e., those alternatives that are candidates for being a most preferred alternative. The DM can terminate this process at any point. Termination typically occurs when the non-dominated set contains a sufficiently small number of alternatives. The facilitator’s role is to ask questions that efficiently lead the DM to a most preferred alternative. The objective of this research is to aid the facilitator in selecting the best question to ask next. We model the question-response process as a sequential decision-making problem under uncertainty and develop a dynamic programming-based approach that guarantees a finite, and hence potentially computable, representation of the expected optimal cost-to-go function. An example serves to illustrate the approach.
Phosphorylation and Inhibition of Type III Adenylyl Cyclase by Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II in Vivo

Inhibition of type III adenylyl cyclase (III-AC) by intracellular Ca2+ in vivo provides a mechanism for attenuation of hormone-stimulated cAMP signals in olfactory epithelium, heart, and other tissues (Wayman, G. A., Impey, S., and Storm, D. R. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 21480-21486). Although the mechanism for Ca2+ inhibition of III-AC in vivo has not been defined, inhibition is not mediated by Gi, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, or protein kinase C. However, Ca2+ inhibition of III-AC is antagonized by KN-62, a CaM-dependent kinase inhibitor. In addition, constitutively activated CaM kinase II inhibits the enzyme. These data suggest that CaM kinase II regulates the activity of III-AC by direct phosphorylation or by an indirect mechanism involving phosphorylation of a protein that inhibits III-AC. Here we report that III-AC is phosphorylated in vivo when intracellular Ca2+ is increased and that phosphorylation is prevented by CaM-dependent kinase inhibitors. Site-directed mutagenesis of a CaM kinase II consensus site (Ser-1076 to Ala-1076) in III-AC greatly reduced Ca2+-stimulated phosphorylation and inhibition of III-AC in vivo. These data support the hypothesis that Ca2+ inhibition of III-AC is due to direct phosphorylation of the enzyme by CaM kinase II in vivo.
Hormone treatment and muscle anabolism during aging: Androgens

Aging is associated with a gradual decline in circulating testosterone concentrations and decreased musculature in men. While testosterone administration is often considered when symptoms of hypogonadism are presented, the long-term effects of androgen use on muscle physiology are not yet fully understood. The definition of hypogonadism in men remains obscure but is generally indicated by total testosterone concentrations less than a threshold value of 300-500 ng/dL. Androgen replacement therapy is generally safe in men and women with low endogenous testosterone concentrations. The development of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) may provide additional options in treatment of hypogonadism while lowering the potential of side effects often associated with long-term androgen use. Androgen administration, either alone or in combination with other treatments, can be successful in improving muscle mass by increasing protein anabolism and reducing protein catabolism in men and women. Further research is necessary to optimize the anabolic and anticatabolic properties of androgens for treatment and prevention of muscle loss in men and women.
Effects of interfacial roughness on the leakage properties of SrTiO3 thin film capacitors

Abstract Recent reports on the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of SrTiO3 and (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin film capacitors with Pt electrode suggest that their leakage properties are controlled by Schottky emission from cathode. However, their dynamic permittivities obtained from the Schottky plot are always much smaller than those expected from optical measurements. The most plausible approach to explain this disagreement is to incorporate the effect of electric field enhancement due to interfacial roughness into the Schottky emission model. Electric field at the interface, for the first order approximation, can be given by [(r+t)/r](V/t), where r, t and V respectively denote radius of curvature representing interfacial roughness, dielectric thickness and applied voltage. This model predicts that I-V characteristics are the functions of r and V for the ultimate case of r ≪ t. We have closely studied the I-V characteristics of sputter-deposited SrTiO3 films and have obtained the results which strongly support ou...
ON EXPLICIT SOLUTIONS OF INTERVAL LINEAR PROGRAMS

An interval linear program is the problem of maximizing {(c, x):a≦A x≦b} for given matrixA and vectorsa, b andc. The explicit (noniterative) solutions of interval programs given here, extend earlier results of Ben-Israel and Charnes.
High-accuracy measurements of total dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean: comparison of alternate detection methods

High-accuracy measurements of total dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean are currently performed using an automated coulometric system based on that described by Johnson et al. (1987). These measurements require highly-trained technicians and the manipulation of expensive and hazardous chemicals. We tested an alternate detection method based on non-dispersive infra-red analysis. All of the dissolved carbonate species from a seawater sample were extracted as CO2 gas by acidification and nitrogen stripping. The CO2 gas was then quantitatively detected with either a coulometric system or an infra-red analyzer. The reproducibility of the two detection methods is similar. Although the infra-red system requires further testing, it holds promise as an alternative to coulometry. The detection of the CO2 gas by infra-red analysis presents several advantages over coulometric detection: it simplifies and reduces the cost of the measurements, shortens the analysis time, reduces the sample size requirement by at least a factor of five, and allows us to consider complete automation of the system for underway surface seawater measurements.
Low-Heat-Load-Vane Profile Optimization, Part 2: Short-Duration Shock-Tunnel Experiments

Complete knowledge of the heat transfer over the surfaces of turbine components within their harsh operating environments is key to knowing the durability of a given airfoil design. Here, a nominal turbine inlet vane was tested for unsteady-heat-load measurements in a low-aspect-ratio linear cascade. A new airfoil called the low-heat-load vane, designed specifically for a reduced heat load, was tested experimentally and unsteady-heat-load trends were compared with the nominal vane counterpart. The tests were performed in a reflected-shock tunnel to validate the flow solver and turbomachinery design system used to generate the new airfoil shape, for which special attention was paid to leading-edge and suction-side heat-flux characteristics. Results indicate an appreciable reduction in heat load relative to the nominal vane. This work lends credibility to designing turbine airfoils for durability with the same emphasis normally given to designing for aeroperformance.
The effect of alliance membership on national defense burdens, 1953–88: A test of Mancur Olson's theory of collective action

Olson and Zeckhauser (1966) offered the first theoretical explanation for variation in the defense burdens of allies. Since then, the theory of collective action (Olson, 1971 [1965]) has been extensively tested using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact (WTO). While most studies indicate that allied defense burdens (the ratio of military expenditures to gross domestic product) are correlated with economic size, this relationship has rarely been assessed for non‐allied states. Here we examine the association between national defense burdens and economic size, 1953–1988, for NATO, the WTO, the Rio Pact, and the Arab Collective Security Pact in a nested test using most of the non‐allied nations of the world as a control group. Our results generally support the theory. NATO and the Warsaw Pact consistently conform to theoretical expectations, and evidence regarding the Rio Pact, on balance, is positive. Defense burdens are not correlated with economic size within the Arab Pact, ho...
Ozone variability in the atmospheric boundary layer in Maryland and its implications for vertical transport model

Abstract Although much research has focused on daytime ozone (O 3 ) distribution in the atmospheric boundary layer, there remain many unresolved processes related to O 3 transport in the residual layer. To address such unresolved questions, a field study was conducted in Beltsville, MD during the summer of 2010 to study the spatial and temporal distribution of O 3 and other pollutants using ground-based gas analyzers and ozonesondes. During elevated pollution events in the daytime, the convective boundary layer, which reached a maximum depth of about 2 km, had nearly uniform O 3 levels of almost 100 parts per billion (ppbv). Due to intermittent and intense vertical turbulent motion, the residual layer became “leaky” and permitted vertical transport to enhance ground-level O 3 mixing ratios by as much as 10–30 ppbv in a span of 0.5–3 h. Model simulations, using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF/Chem), were carried out to investigate the impact of different treatments of vertical mixing on the simulation of O 3 in the nocturnal boundary layer and residual layer. WRF/Chem model simulations provided realistic O 3 vertical distribution during the daytime. During the nighttime, in the residual layer, model outputs resulted in higher O 3 levels compared with the in-situ observations. Model sensitivity analyses showed that increasing the turbulent length scales and improved stability functions yielded improvements in the vertical transport of O 3 within the residual layer. One key conclusion of this study is that models such as WRF/Chem require improved numerical algorithms to properly account for the nocturnal vertical transport of O 3 in the residual region of the atmospheric boundary layer.
The disappearing amalgam: diagnosis of root fracture.

Abstract An unusual case is reported in which apical amalgam seals were found to have been dislodged 5 days after they were placed.
Three-Dimensional Supergravity Theories

Two three-dimensional supergravity theories are constructed. The first one has eight local supersymmetries as well as an SO(8, n) global symmetry, where n is an arbitrary positive integer. The physical spectrum consists of 8n scalars and 8n spinors. The second theory has sixteen local supersymmetries and an E8,8 global symmetry. The 128 bosons and 128 fermions transform as inequivalent spinors of the SO(16) subalgebra. The theories are formulated without auxiliary scalar fields, which requires that the non-compact symmetries act non-linearly.
Effect of chronic administration of duloxetine on serotonin and norepinephrine transporter binding sites in rat brain.

Background: Chronic treatment of rats with certain selective serotonin or norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors produces significant decreases, respectively, in serotonin and norepinephrine transporter binding sites in brain. Duloxetine may be a dual serotonin/ norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, as it is only a slightly more potent inhibitor of serotonin than norepinephrine uptake in vitro. Consequently, we hypothesized that chronic duloxetine treatment, at doses producing serum levels within its therapeutic range, would affect both monoamine transporters dose-dependently, with a higher dose causing greater reductions of binding sites for both transporters. Methods: Rats were treated with either 4 or 8 mg/kg/d of duloxetine, paroxetine, desipramine, or vehicle via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps for 21 days. Binding sites for serotonin and norepinephrine transporters were measured in amygdala and hippocampus using quantitative autoradiography. Results: Both doses of duloxetine and paroxetine produced equivalent and significant decreases in [ 3 H] cyanoimipramine binding to serotonin transporters, but only desipramine treatment significantly reduced [ 3 H] nisoxetine binding to norepinephrine transporters. Conclusions: At doses producing rat serum concentrations in the range achieved in patients at recommended daily doses of the drug, duloxetine behaves in vivo more as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor than a dual reuptake inhibitor in its capacity to selectively reduce serotonin transporter density.
Food aversion learning in the polyphagous grasshopper Schistocerca americana

. The ability of the acridid Schistocerca americana (Drury) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to learn to avoid a food when it is associated with an artificial aversive stimulus was examined. The aversive stimulus used was an injection of nicotine hydrogen tartrate at a concentration which usually did not cause knockdown. Insects learned to avoid a food which already had limited sustained acceptability. The learning was not found when the aversive stimulus followed a meal on a fully acceptable food.
Issues in caring for Afghan American elders: insights from literature and a focus group.

Objectives: To increase the information available for clinicians and educators to care for, and educate others to care for, elders from Afghan backgrounds more effectively. Design: Focus group methodology. Setting: Community senior center in Fremont, CA, United States. Participants: Nine leaders of an Afghan elders group. Measurements: Content analysis of translated proceedings of focus group. Results: The two most important themes were: 1) Participants identified their health status and effective treatments with their faith in, and practice of, Islam. 2) They also emphasized the importance of care given by same-sex providers. Conclusion: Clinicians providing care for older Afghan refugees need to be aware of the importance of respecting the practices of Islam, especially using same sex providers. Allowing for Muslim practices in the hospital is also important, such as washing before daily prayers, not serving pork products (e.g. gelatin), and having the bed face Mecca (Southeast) for prayers, especially for a dying patient.
Relationship Between Supercooling Point and Mortality at Low Temperatures in Indianmeal Moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), is classified as a freeze-intolerant organism and one of the most cold-tolerant stored-product pests. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between mortality at low temperatures after minimum exposure and the supercooling point (SCP) for laboratory-reared P. interpunctella at different stages of development. This relationship also was analyzed for field-collected, cold-acclimated fifth instars. Mean SCP of laboratory-reared larvae (i.e., feeding stage) was consistently above ≈−16°C. Mean SCP of laboratory-reared pupae and adults (i.e., nonfeeding stages) and field-collected, cold-acclimated fifth instars was consistently below ≈−21°C. The SCP seemed to be the boundary between survival and death for larvae. However, it seemed that a 1-min exposure was not sufficient to cause larval mortality at the SCP. Alternatively, for both pupae and adults, the SCP seemed not to play an important role in their survival at low temperatures...
Synthesis and characterization of new copper thiosemicarbazone complexes with an ONNS quadridentate system: Cell growth inhibition, S-phase cell cycle arrest and proapoptotic activities on cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma cells

Two new copper thiosemicarbazone complexes with an ONNS quadridentate system were synthesized and evaluated for anticancer activity on cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma cells. Among these two copper complexes, the substituted 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde–4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazide (CuHQDMTS) exhibited stronger cell growth inhibition activity than the unsubstituted copper 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazide complex (CuHQTS). Both CuHQTS and CuHQDMTS showed dose-dependent cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction activities on the SK-N-DZ neuroblastoma cells. Increased expression of p53 protein molecules was detected in the SK-N-DZ cells treated with CuHQTS. The data obtained in this study suggest that CuHQDMTS and CuHQTS hold potential as new, effective drugs for treatment of refractory neuroblastoma in children.
The Antinuclear Movement was Effective—But Not Completely

Book reviewed in this article: Lawrence S. Wittner, Resisting the Bomb: A History of the World Disarmament Movement, 1954-1970
Post-lesion administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 does not impair motor recovery after unilateral sensorimotor cortex injury in the rat.

Although treatment with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists reduce neuronal loss after cerebral infarction and brain trauma in laboratory animals, there is little data concerning the effects of these drugs on behavioral recovery. Because NMDA receptor antagonists impede certain kinds of learning, and because motor recovery after sensorimotor cortex injury in the rat is dependent on postlesion experience, we hypothesized that treatment with MK-801 after focal brain injury would be detrimental. Groups of rats were first trained to traverse a narrow elevated beam and then subjected a right sensorimotor cortex suction-ablation lesion. In the first experiment, 24 h later, each rat received a single dose of either saline or the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg). Beam-walking recovery was measured over the next 12 days. In a second experiment, rats were given 3 doses of MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) at 24 h intervals beginning 24 h after cortex injury. In a third experiment, lesioned and sham-operated rats were allowed to recover for 12 days and then given MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg). Despite obvious behavioral effects of the drug, there was no overall difference in beam-walking performances among the treatment groups in any of the experiments. If ‘re-learning’ is involved in motor recovery after cortex injury, the present results suggest that the process is not susceptible to permanent disruption by the early or late administration of an NMDA receptor antagonist.
Rolling-sliding behavior of rail steels

Abstract A twin disk-rolling-sliding contact machine has been used to investigate the deformation, wear and cracking that occur during rolling-sliding of high-carbon rail and wheel steels. A martensitic wheel steel with initial hardness of 360 HV contacted pearlitic or martensitic rail steels of different initial hardness, 280–360 HV. Other variables included test time, test environment and slip ratio (0%, 5%, 10% and 26%). Tests were run in air, but with different lubrication conditions, e.g. dry, with water, water with inhibitor, silicone oil, and various combinations. Wear was measured by weight loss. Wear surfaces, sample cross-sections and wear debris were observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Principal conclusions are as follows. The thickness of the highly deformed layer was very small for pure rolling compared with cases involving slip. Wear debris was generated from near-surface material in which the cementite phase had broken into small particles. Cracks initiated at the surface and propagated along lines of earlier plastic flow, rather than normal to the local direction of maximum tensile stress. The results of rolling-sliding in water or other liquids after dry rolling-sliding indicate that extensive deformation from sliding during the dry stage prepares the material for extensive cracking during subsequent operation with a lubricant.