cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism responsible for aminooxyacetate and glycolate stimulation of ethanol oxidation by isolated hepatocytes

Abstract Aminooxyacetate (H 2 NOCH 2 CO 2 − ) is known to inhibit ethanol oxidation by blocking transamination reactions required for the transport of reducing equivalents from the cytosol to the mitosol. Ethanol oxidation is stimulated, however, when high concentrations of aminooxyacetate are used. This paradoxical stimulation of ethanol oxidation by aminooxyacetate has been resolved. Aminooxyacetate is metabolized to glycolate and glyoxylate. Glycolate stimulates ethanol oxidation in part by providing H 2 O 2 for catalase-mediated ethanol oxidation. Evidence was also found, however, for a glycolate-glyoxylate shuttle for the transport of reducing equivalents between the cytosol and the peroxisomes. d,l -2-Hydroxy-3-butynoate, an inhibitor of peroxisomal glycolate oxidation, blocks the stimulation of ethanol oxidation caused by glycolate or aminooxyacetate. The stimulation of ethanol oxidation by these compounds shows partial sensitivity to 4-pentylpyrazole or 3-aminotriazole, indicating that both alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) are involved. Glyoxylate stimulates ethanol oxidation, and its conversion to glycolate is dependent on ethanol. Although it appears that a glycolate-glyoxylate shuttle for reoxidation of cytosolic NADH can be readily established in vitro , no evidence was found for the existence of this shuttle in vivo . Ethyl hydrazinoacetate has been proposed as a substitute for aminooxyacetate in metabolic studies; however, enzymatic hydrolysis of this compound to give ethanol limits its usefulness as an inhibitor of ethanol oxidation. 2-Aminooxypropionate does not show the paradoxical stimulation of ethanol oxidation. Its effectiveness in inhibiting aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) is similar to that for aminooxyacetate. Thus, 2-aminooxypropionate appears to be a good alternative to aminooxyacetate in metabolic studies in vivo , in perfused liver or in isolated cells.
Weight, restraint, cognitions, and counterregulation.

Abstract An experiment was designed to examine restraint theory's assumptions that restraint is a more fundamental variable than weight, that counterregulatory behavior typifies the obese, and that cognitive factors play a role in counterregulation. The findings of this experiment were examined along with reanalyses of data from two additional studies of restraint (Hibscher and Herman, 1977; Spencer and Fremouw, 1979). The data indicated that restraint is a powerful predictor of consummatory patterns. However, there was no support for restraint theory's assumptions that counterregulatory behavior is prevalent among obese and that the confound between weight and restraint can completely account for obese-normal differences in behavior. The theory's assumption that cognitive factors influence counterregulatory (and regulatory) behavior was consistent with the findings.
Electrophysiological and immunocytological demonstration of cell-type specific responses to hypoxia in the adult cat carotid body

We have recently shown two types of cat carotid body cells based on the oxygen sensitivity of voltage-gated potassium channels. In the present study, we attempted to determine the correlation between cell types (glomus cells, sheath cells, and subtypes of glomus cells) and oxygen sensitivity of potassium channels. Further, changes in membrane potentials in response to hypoxia were also examined. Carotid body cells harvested from adult cats were cultured, and a whole cell patch clamp method was applied to determine the oxygen sensitivity of outward current. The tested cells were identified by Lucifer Yellow in the patch pipette. Glomus cells and sheath cells were immunocytochemically identified using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as markers. The cells whose outward current was inhibited by hypoxia showed TH-immunoreactivity but not GFAP-immunoreactivity. The cells whose outward current was not sensitive to hypoxia were GFAP-positive or TH-negative. One TH-positive cell had oxygen-insensitive outward current. The resting membrane potentials of the cells having oxygen-sensitive outward current were significantly higher (-55+/-3 mV) than those of the cells having oxygen-insensitive outward current (-35+/-2 mV). The former type of cells was depolarized during hypoxia, but not the latter type of cells. These results suggest that most glomus cells of the adult cat carotid body possess oxygen-sensitive potassium channels and are depolarized in response to hypoxia. On the other hand, sheath cells and possibly a small fraction of glomus cells possess oxygen-insensitive potassium channels and their membrane potential is not affected by hypoxia.
The thermophysical properties of bulk metallic glass-forming liquids

Bulk metallic glass-forming liquids are alloys with typically three to five metallic components that have a large atomic-size mismatch and a composition close to a deep eutectic. They are dense liquids with small free volumes and viscosities that are several orders of magnitude higher than in pure metals or previously known alloys. In addition, these melts are energetically closer to the crystalline state than other metallic melts due to their high packing density in conjunction with a tendency to develop short-range order. These factors lead to slow crystallization kinetics and high glass-forming ability. Crystallization kinetics is very complex, especially in the vicinity of the glass transition, due to the influence of phase separation and the decoupling of the diffusion constants of the different species.
Some quantitative hemispheric EEG measures reflecting the affective profile of students differing in university academic success.

Abstract Quantitative measurements of the integrated epoch based EEG amplitudes obtained from two groups of university students differing in academic success during an eyes closed, relaxed state revealed significantly higher right/left amplitude variance ratios and more right hemispheric non-Gaussian cumulated amplitude distributions among unsuccessful students. These data, which resemble patterns often found in depression, are consistent with, and appear to reflect specific affective differences that emerge using a concurrently administered, conventional psychometric inventory (Beck Depression Inventory) as well as a subjective self-assessment questionnaire. The results of this study may be useful in further elaborating the nature in which right hemispheric brain processes serve to mediate affective behavior, as well as influence academic performance.
Effects of amphetamine, methylphenidate, and apomorphine on regional brain serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid.

Electrophysiological and cytofluorometric data suggest that doses of amphetamine which enhance locomotor activity and promote focused stereotypies produce pronounced effects on serotonin pathways in the CNS. However, the biochemical evidence regarding changes in serotonergic function produced by moderate doses of this drug is inconsistent. Therefore, the present study was designed to further examine the effects of amphetamine (1–5 mg/kg) on regional brain serotonin and its metabolite and to compare these effects to behaviorally comparable doses of methylphenidate and apomorphine. At doses which produce a multiphasic behavioral response pattern, including a stereotypy phase consisting primarily of repetitive head movements and occasional oral stereotypies, amphetamine (3 mg/kg) and methylphenidate (30 mg/kg) increased levels of 5HIAA in striatum and frontal cortex, two brain regions which receive serotonergic projections from the dorsal raphe nucleus. In contrast, these drugs decreased or had no effect on 5HIAA levels in hippocampus, a brain region which receives its serotonergic innervation from the median raphe nucleus. A moderate dose of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg) produced a comparable pattern of neurochemical effects. These data are consistent with electrophysiological and cytofluorometric data suggesting enhanced dorsal raphe serotonergic function following amphetamine-like stimulants. Pretreatment of animals with α-methyltyrosine at a dose sufficient to prevent the locomotor stimulation and stereotypy promoted by amphetamine, or by haloperidol, failed to prevent the amphetamine-induced increase in 5HIAA, indicating that these serotonergic effects are not secondary to the amphetamine facilitation of dopaminergic transmission. The results of this study suggest that serotonin may play a modulatory role in the behavioral effects of amphetamine-like stimulants which is dependent for its expression on an intact dopamine system.
Spectral response from blackbody measurements

Far-infrared and submillimeter detector responsivity and spectral response measurements can be performed simultaneously by sweeping the temperature of a cooled blackbody. Such measurements yield n simultaneous linear equations for n blackbody temperatures. Matrix inversion solutions are observed to fail due to a matrix ill-conditioned for inversion. However, an unconditionally convergent iterative solution can be performed. Results for a gallium-doped germanium detector are described.
Unpublished results hide the decline effect.

Some effects diminish when tests are repeated. Jonathan Schooler says being open about findings that don't make the scientific record could reveal why.
Interrelationship between cross-sectional and sagittal imaging in computer-assisted dental implant tomography.

OBJECTIVE To determine what changes may occur in computer-assisted dental tomography to cross-sectional and sagittal slices when the positions of one or both slices are adjusted. METHODS A human skull with a ball bearing attached to the mandibular first molar was positioned off-centre in a CommCAT (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA, USA) tomographic machine. An occlusal projection of the mandibular dental arch was scanned into the computer. Correction measurements obtained from scout cross-sectional and sagittal slices were used to 'customize' cross-sectional and sagittal slices simultaneously and also individually. RESULTS The resulting changes in position and blur of the ball bearing were analysed. When simultaneously and correctly customized, the resultant slices were at the correct locations with a sharp image of the marker. When the sagittal slice only was adjusted, the blur of the marker changed, but its position remained unchanged; at the same time, the blur of the marker in the cross-se...
What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Comprehension

This article presents a model of comprehension to support classroom teachers as they engage their students in making meaning from text. Four areas contribute to the comprehension process: the reader, the context, the text, and the transaction, which is described as the intersection of the reader and text situated within a specific context. This model is used to describe research-based, practical applications for teachers as they provide support for comprehension in grades K–6. Teachers support the reader by teaching decoding skills, helping children build fluency, building and activating students' background knowledge, teaching vocabulary skills, motivating students, and engaging students in personal response to text. Teachers support the text by teaching text structures, modeling appropriate text selection, and providing regular independent reading time. Teachers create and support a sociocultural context that values reading and writing, contains a wide variety of texts, allows students to take risks, and provides time for reading aloud independently. Teachers support transaction by providing explicit instruction of comprehension strategies, teaching children to monitor and repair, using multiple strategy approaches, scaffolding support, and making reading and writing connections visible to students.
Choice of compulsory insurance schemes under adverse selection

One of the principal justifications for publicly provided or mandated insurance is the so-called adverse selection problem by which risk classes are indistinguishable to the insurer and therefore, like Gresham's Law, bad risks drive out good risks by raising rates.1 The government, by forcing good risks to buy more insurance, or preventing bad risks from buying too much, can lower rates for everyone. The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions, in a simple model of adverse selection, under which public insurance will be Pareto superior to the competitive outcome.2 Since the model considers only two different risk classes, we treat separately the cases where the amount of public insurance is chosen by each of the risk classes. In general, good risks are likely to choose less insurance than bad risks. While the model is most applicable to traditional insurance problems, such as medical insurance, it could be extended to general income redistribution
Multiwavelet characterization of function spaces adapted to the Navier-Stokes equations

We use wavelets based ona modification of the Geronimo- Hardin-Massopust construction to define localized extension/restriction operators form half-spaces to their full spaces/boundaries respectively. These operations are continuous in Sobolev and Morrey space norms. We also prove estimates for multiresolution projections of pointwise products of functions in these spaces. These are two of the key steps in extending results of Federbush and of Cannone and Meyer concerning solutions of Navier-Stokes with initial data in Sobolev and Morrey spaces to the case of half spaces and, ultimately, to more general domains with boundary.
Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Plato's Simile of the Sun

(2008). Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Plato's Simile of the Sun. The Explicator: Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 155-158.
Factors Influencing Circular Muscle Activity in the Pregnant Rat Uterus

Near the end of pregnancy the circular muscle of the rat uterus exhibits characteristic changes that are apparently prerequisite for normal delivery. This study concerns the effects on the circular muscle of some intrinsic factors believed to regulate the myometrium during pregnancy, namely, uterine volume (stretch), the ovarian steroids, and the fetoplacental unit. We compared the activity of circular muscle isolated from 1) gravid and nongravid uterine horns of unilaterally pregnant rats, 2) normal and dislocated horns of unilaterally placental-dislocated rats, 3) ovaiectomized rats, and 4) normal pregnant rats. Microelectrode and tension recordings were made on the circular muscle segments obtained from these groups of animals at the end of gestation and during parturition. The results show that uterine volume and circulating estrogens are more important than the fetoplacental unit in the evolution of circular muscle activity in the pregnant rat.
Academic Choice for Included Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students with emotional disturbances present with behavioral and academic deficits that often limit their participation in general education settings. As an antecedent intervention, academic choice provides multiple choices surrounding academic work promoting academic and behavioral gains. The authors examined the effects of assignment choice with a single-subject reversal design for 5 students with or at risk for emotional disturbance in an inclusive setting. Results indicated a functional relation between the presentation of choice and improvements to student task engagement and academic performance. Academic choice may have played a role in decreasing the perceived aversive nature of assignment completion, thus promoting a decrease in student escape-maintained inappropriate behavior. The authors offer study limitations and implications for practitioners as well as future directions.
A comparison of Diels-Alder catalysts generated from linear and vaulted biaryls and bromoborane-dimethylsulfide complex

Catalysts prepared from the vaulted biaryls 2 and 3 and bromoborane dimethylsulfide were compared with that generated from the linear biaryl 1 for their ability to provide enantioselective induction in the Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene and methacrolein. The fact that the S-enantiomers of 2 and 3 give opposite induction than the S-enantiomer of 1 and the fact that effective catalysts can not be generated from 1 and phenylboron dichloride suggests that the catalysts from 2 and 3 do not have the same structure as the C3-symmetrical catalyst 4 produced from 1.
Relation between functional response to nitroglycerin and extent of myocardial necrosis in dogs: Mapping of the left ventricle by 2-dimensional echocardiography

Abstract The relation between functional response to brief nitroglycerin infusions and extent of myocardial damage was studied sequentially in closed-chest dogs with acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Two-dimensional echocardiography was used to derive segmental left ventricular (LV) function (systolic fractional area change and systolic wall thickening), and this function was compared with the extent of necrosis measured 5 hours after occlusion in equivalent segments of corresponding pathologic slabs. Two-dimensional echocardiographic study before the dogs were killed indicated that remote nonnecrotic segments always responded to nitroglycerin by significant augmentation of segmental LV function. Segments in which necrosis was 60% had no potentiation with nitroglycerin. In those segments in which eventual necrosis was 60 to 80%, significant nitroglycerin-induced augmentation in segmental LV function was observed only before and 30 minutes after the coronary occlusion. When the degree of necrosis was > 80%, no significant potentiation of segmental LV function was observed even as early as 30 minutes after occlusion. Thus, the degree of nitroglycerin-induced potentiation of segmental cardiac function is closely associated with the extent of myocardial necrosis in the particular ventricular segment. Two-dimensional echocardiography coupled with a nitroglycerin potentiation test might be useful for assessment of the viability of ischemic myocardium.
Growth and development of the human cricoid cartilage: an immunohistochemical analysis of the maturation sequence of the chondrocytes and surrounding cartilage matrix

Abstract Objectives: The goal was to determine maturational changes in the human cricoid cartilage. Study Design: The study involved immunohisto-chemical staining of collagen II (a marker of proliferating chondrocytes), matrilin-1 (a marker of post-proliferative chondrocytes), and collagen X (a marker of hypertrophic chondrocytes). Specimens included uninjured human cricoid cartilages at 18 and 41 weeks' gestation and 1, 4, and 13 years postpartum. Results: This study demonstrated that type II collagen peaks in concentration at approximately 41 weeks' gestation. Matrilin-1 is present in progressively lower concentration in the central core of the cricoid ring, but the peripheries of the ring contain the protein in relatively high concentration. Type X collagen is not expressed in the age groups tested. Conclusions: These biochemical markers lend further support to a chondrocyte proliferative phase that slows between 1 and 4 years of age. Chondrocytes then enter a phase histologically similar to the hypertrophic phase but are biochemically different than hypertrophic chondrocytes destined for endochondral ossification. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;123:174–8.)
Evaluation of activation energies in the semi-localized transition model of thermoluminescence

Recently a semi-localized transition (SLT) kinetic model was developed for thermoluminescence (TL), which is believed to be applicable to important dosimetric materials like LiF : Mg,Ti. This model contains characteristics of both a localized transition model and a single trap model and is characterized by two distinct activation energy levels. This paper describes the simulation of several standard methods of analysis for the TL peaks calculated using the SLT model in an effort to extract the two activation energy parameters of the model. The methods of analysis are applied to both possible types of transitions within the model, namely the direct recombination of the hole–electron pairs as well as the delocalized transitions involving the conduction band. In the former case of direct recombination, the methods of analysis give consistent results for the activation energy E. In the latter case of transitions involving the conduction band, it was found that extra caution must be exercised when applying standard methods of analysis to the SLT model because of the possibility of strongly overlapping TL peaks. Specifically the peak shape methods consistently fail to yield the correct value of E, while careful application of the fractional glow, thermal cleaning and variable heating rate methods can yield the correct energy values when no retrapping is present within the localized energy levels. A possible explanation is given for the previously reported failure of the peak shape methods to yield the correct activation energies within the SLT model. The heating rate methods of analysis consistently yield the correct activation energies E with an accuracy of a few per cent.
Boerhaave's syndrome.

A 40-year-old man with a recent history of cocaine abuse presented to the emergency department complaining of the sudden onset 2 hours earlier of sharp, postemetic, midepigastric pain radiating to the back and left shoulder. The pain was pleuritic and gradually increasing in severity. Vital signs at presentation were blood pressure of 150/72, respiratory rate of 38, and temperature of 37.3°C. His oxygen saturation on room air was 96%. The patient was writhing in pain and tachypneic. He had decreased breath sounds on the left and tinkling sounds in the left lower lung fields. He had normal heart sounds and a firm, nontender, nondistended abdomen. Cervical emphysema was noted several hours after initial presentation. Laboratory studies, including serum electrolytes, complete blood count, and serum amylase, were normal. His ECG showed a sinus tachycardia without ischemic changes. An upright chest x-ray demonstrated a large left pleural effusion (A, white arrows). The diagnosis of Boerhaave’s syndrome was entertained. A subsequent hypaque swallow study demonstrated extravasation of contrast from a distal esophageal perforation confirming the diagnosis (B). An uncomplicated primary esophageal closure with intercostal flap coverage was immediately performed (4 hours from the time of initial presentation). A repeat hypaque swallow study performed on postoperative day 11 demonstrated closure of the esophageal leak (C). He was discharged on postoperative day 15. Six weeks after surgery, the patient was doing well. Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus was first described by Hermann Boerhaave in 1724. Dr. Boerhaave observed the lethal esophageal perforation at autopsy on Baron Johannes Wassenaar, who had died from esophageal perforation after self-induced emesis to relieve postprandial gastric discomfort.
The indirect role of households in shaping US residential energy demand patterns

Abstract About a quarter of US energy demand is for domestic use. Yet an understanding of the processes, determinants, and consequences of household energy demand remains elusive. Conventional energy policy has overwhelmingly focused on improving energy efficiency of the buildings. This research applies a non-linear methodology and an interdisciplinary approach to household energy demand. Using data from the US residential sector (2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey), this research performs Covariance Structure Analysis to isolate direct and indirect effects of household and housing characteristics on total annual domestic energy use. Outcomes uncover some of households' indirect effects on energy demand, which in this research mainly happen through household effects on building characteristics, highlighting the indirect role of household choices in shaping residential energy demand patterns. To maximize its efficiency in reducing energy demand and GHG emissions, this paper suggests that in addition to investing in energy efficient technologies, energy policy should incorporate indirect effects of household choices on the configuration of their future homes.
Dihydrotestosterone inhibits granulosa cell proliferation by decreasing the cyclin D2 mRNA expression and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase.

Hyperandrogenism is known to perturb ovarian physiology resulting in anovulatory conditions. In the ovary, androgens produced by theca-interstitial cells are converted to estrogens in granulosa cells under the influence of FSH and LH. In some of the target organs, including the ovary, androgens are also converted into their 5α reduced metabolites. In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanism by which dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a 5α reduced metabolite of testosterone, mediates the inhibition of granulosa cell proliferation, using a rat model. Immature female rats were primed with estradiol, followed by DHT administration for 2 d and granulosa cells were cultured in the presence or absence of forskolin. Granulosa cells from the DHT-treated rats showed reduced [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and reduced cell number in response to forskolin stimulation, compared with control. The decreased responsiveness of DHT-treated granulosa cells to forskolin was not due to increased apoptosis because t...
Nonvalue of Neomycin Instillation after Intermittent Urinary Catheterization

Abstract This study evaluated weekly urine cultures of patients with neurogenic bladder disease who underwent intermittent urinary catheterization for bladder retraining. One group of 53 patients in 1974 received regular instillations of 0.1% neomycin after each catheterization. A similar group of 55 patients in 1975 did not receive neomycin and constituted a control group. Distribution of age, sex, diagnosis, and duration of bladder retraining was comparable in both groups. Quantitative bacterial colony counts of 104 to 105 or greater per ml of urine were considered significant. There was no difference in the incidence of bacteriuria between the neomycin-treated group and the control group (53 versus 49%, respectively), and most patients in each group had colony counts >105/ml. Escherichia coli was seen less frequently in neomycin-treated patients (43.4 versus 62.5%), but a greater percentage of infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, group D streptococci, and yeasts was noted in the neomycin-treated group than in the control group (41.5 versus 22.5%).
Rewarding New Product Development Personnel: Are Confectionery Manufacturers Still in the Dark Ages?

Keywords: New product development, compensation, performance measurement, cross-functional team, confectionery manufacturing
Plasma electron collection through biased slits in a dielectric

A large number of experimental and analytical efforts have been directed toward understanding the plasma sheath growth and discharge phenomena which lead to high-voltage solar array/space plasma interactions. An important question which has not been addressed is how the voltage gradient in the plasma sheath near the surface of such an array may affect these interactions. The purpose of the experimental study described in this paper is to examine the merging of the sheaths around biased slits in a dielectric and how this affects the collection of electrons through these slits. The data, which are obtained by emissive probes and direct measurement of the current collected through the slits, indicate that when the sheaths merge the current collection by the slits is significantly altered with the most positive slit collecting more electrons than it otherwise would. Therefore, the effect of a voltage gradient in the sheath around a solar array should be considered when evaluating solar array performance.
Palliative radiation therapy for gynaecological malignancies.

Patients with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic gynaecological malignancies constitute a heterogenous population with diverse symptomatology. Progressive abdominopelvic disease can result in vaginal or diffuse pelvic bleeding, pain, and visceral or lymphovascular obstruction. Gynaecological cancer can also develop debilitating metastases, in particular to bone, central nervous system, or chest. Radiation therapy is a local-regional treatment modality, that, when applied judiciously, can lead to substantial symptomatic relief and tumour response. Individualized application is necessary, balancing efficacy and patient convenience versus treatment intensity, expected duration of palliation and potential toxicity. Important factors to consider are a patient's performance status, extent and sites of tumour, specific symptoms, and life expectancy. The optimal incorporation of radiotherapy is best achieved in the context of a multidisciplinary approach that addresses all facets of palliative care in patients with incurable gynaecological malignancies, to maximize their quality of life and functional level.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a proline iminopeptidase gene from Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Proline iminopeptidase (Pip) is a hydrolase elaborated by virtually all strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that selectively removes N-terminal proline residues from peptides. Escherichia coli clones expressing the gonococcal gene coding for Pip were identified in a genomic cosmid library using a synthetic colorimetric substrate. Nucleotide sequence determination and analyses of polypeptides detected by coupled in vitro transcription/translation reactions revealed that Pip is a 311-amino-acid polypeptide with a M(r) of 35 kDa and a pI of 5.4. Southern hybridization showed that the pip gene is present in a single copy on the chromosome of N. gonorrhoeae strain MS11 which maps immediately upstream of the previously identified opaA locus. The transcriptional start site of pip in E. coli, determined by primer extension analysis, was characteristic of an NtrA or sigma-54-dependent promotor. Complementation of an E. coli mutant deficient in both proline biosynthesis and dipeptide uptake confirmed that Pip is capable of releasing biologically active proline from peptides. Pip expression was found to be non-essential for in vitro growth of N. gonorrhoeae, based on the viability of a Pip- gonococcal mutant.
Accuracy Assessment of Skeletochronology in the Arizona Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Tigrinum Nebulosum)

Abstract Skeletochronology is the most commonly used tool for evaluating the age of amphibians and reptiles. However, the accuracy of skeletochronology is questionable because few studies have utilized individuals of known age to calibrate their results. In this study, the accuracy of skeletochronology was assessed using individual Arizona Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum) that were of known ages that varied from 2–15 years. Cross-sections of salamander toes were analyzed to compare the number of LAG (lines of arrested growth) to the actual age of known cohorts. Our results suggest that skeletochronology was an inaccurate tool for estimating age in this population of A. tigrinum nebulosum because it grossly underestimated age. The high intensity of endosteal resorption coupled with rapprochement of the most peripheral LAG may have produced these results. Our research indicates that skeletochronological studies that do not use individuals of known age for calibration may underestimate age.
Compensation of Coefficient Erasures in Frame Representations

This work explores low complexity systems to compensate for coefficient erasures in frame representations of signals. Assuming linear synthesis with a pre-specified frame it is demonstrated that erasures can be compensated for even if the origin of the representation coefficients is not known. If the transmitter is aware of the erasure occurrence, the compensation is performed by projecting the erasure error to the remaining coefficients. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the same compensation can be executed using a transmitter/receiver combination in which the transmitter is not aware of the erasure occurrence. The transmitter compensates for all the coefficients using projections, assuming an erasure will occur. The receiver undoes the compensation for the coefficients that have not been erased, thus maintaining the compensation only of the erased coefficients.
The incorporation of radioactive amino acids into brain subcellular proteins during training.

—Total proteins, free amino acids, tritiated water and subcellular proteins of mouse brain were examined for changes in radioactivity during operant conditioning after subcutaneous administration of labelled amino acids. The conditioning was based on appetitive learning, using sweetened milk as a reward. During training and incorporation for 20-30 min, both [3H]leucine and [1-14C]leucine underwent a significant increase in catabolism, resulting in a decreased radioactivity in the free amino acids. [2-2H]Methionine underwent a rapid loss of isotope, so that 90% of the radioactivity was in the form of tritiated water at the end of training, and this phenomenon masked any possible effect of training. The brain uptake of [35S]methionine increased during the training, resulting in an increased radioactivity in the proteins. Uptake of [3H]lysine increased slightly during training only after 1 h incorporation and not after 20 or 30 min, as judged from a time course of radioactivity in the free amino acids. Incorporation into nuclear proteins increased selectively during 20 min, and into nuclear and cytosol proteins after 60 min incorporations. It is concluded that changes in the observed rate of incorporation of a precursor into brain subcellular proteins under the influence of behaviour might be the result of changes in precursor catabolism or uptake, or both, and that each amino acid behaves in a different way. Even the same amino acid gives different results depending on the isotope and its position in the amino acid.
Interleukin-1β modulates smooth muscle cell phenotype to a distinct inflammatory state relative to PDGF-DD via NF-κB-dependent mechanisms

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic modulation in atherosclerosis and in response to PDGF in vitro involves repression of differentiation marker genes and increases in SMC proliferation, migration, and matrix synthesis. However, SMCs within atherosclerotic plaques can also express a number of proinflammatory genes, and in cultured SMCs the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β represses SMC marker gene expression and induces inflammatory gene expression. Studies herein tested the hypothesis that IL-1β modulates SMC phenotype to a distinct inflammatory state relative to PDGF-DD. Genome-wide gene expression analysis of IL-1β- or PDGF-DD-treated SMCs revealed that although both stimuli repressed SMC differentiation marker gene expression, IL-1β distinctly induced expression of proinflammatory genes, while PDGF-DD primarily induced genes involved in cell proliferation. Promoters of inflammatory genes distinctly induced by IL-1β exhibited over-representation of NF-κB binding sites, and NF-κB inhibition in SMCs reduced IL-1β-induced upregulation of proinflammatory genes as well as repression of SMC differentiation marker genes. Interestingly, PDGF-DD-induced SMC marker gene repression was not NF-κB dependent. Finally, immunofluorescent staining of mouse atherosclerotic lesions revealed the presence of cells positive for the marker of an IL-1β-stimulated inflammatory SMC, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 (CCL20), but not the PDGF-DD-induced gene, regulator of G protein signaling 17 (RGS17). Results demonstrate that IL-1β- but not PDGF-DD-induced phenotypic modulation of SMC is characterized by NF-κB-dependent activation of proinflammatory genes, suggesting the existence of a distinct inflammatory SMC phenotype. In addition, studies provide evidence for the possible utility of CCL20 and RGS17 as markers of inflammatory and proliferative state SMCs within atherosclerotic plaques in vivo.
Some Comments on Empirically Supported Treatments

A number of developments have occurred in the field of psychotherapy in recent years. One pertains to the emphasis on empirically supported or validated therapies for specific psychiatric disorders. Although this emphasis on empirical support is a positive one, the creation of numerous forms of therapy for specific psychiatric categories, and the possible implication that training in such therapies becomes the basis for accreditation of university programs, is viewed critically. A focus on forms of psychotherapy also tends to diminish the importance of patient and therapist characteristics in producing positive outcomes. Future research needs to ascertain the variables that actually produce positive patient change.
A Probability Model for Occurrences of Large Forest Fires

Forest fires occur at various spots and various times all around the world. One of major efforts in forest fire management is to estimate the probability of occurrence of fires so that people would be better prepared to control those fires. In this paper, we establish a probability model and a numerical procedure for estimating probability of occurrences of large forest fires. A simulated numerical experiment is also presented to illustrate the application of the probability model and the numerical procedure.
Protection of nature and biological diversity in Turkey

This paper focuses on the Turkish legislation regarding protection of nature and biological diversity. As it is known, biological resources are vital for the humanity’s survival and for the economic and social development of nations. However, biological diversity is under threat around the world. Nevertheless issues regarding food, clean water, healthy environment, production and consumption are rising globally and efforts towards finding solutions to these problems are ongoing. Turkey also has the responsibility to protect and use this important wealth rationally for the welfare of the future generations. Turkey fulfils its responsibilities and commitments arising from the conventions signed as a result of the efforts that Turkey has supported for many years in the field of nature and biological diversity protections. In this context, this paper includes nature protection legislation in Turkey and examines the protected areas. Turkish national legislation will be harmonised with the legislation adopted by the European Community, strictly in connection with the accession process, particularly the Bird and Habitat Directives. These directives will be transposed through the Draft Law on the Conservation of Nature and Biological Diversity.
Genetic variants in ABCG1 are associated with survival of nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients.

Cell membrane transporters and metabolic enzymes play a crucial role in the transportation of a wide variety of substrates that maintain homeostasis in biological processes. We explored associations between genetic variants in these genes and survival of nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients by reanalyzing two datasets from published genome-wide association studies (GWASs). In the discovery by using the GWAS dataset of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, we evaluated associations of 1,245 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of four transporter families and two metabolic enzyme families with survival of 1,185 NSCLC patients. We then performed a replication analysis in the Harvard University Lung Cancer study (LCS) with 984 NSCLC patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression and false discovery rate (FDR) corrections were performed to evaluate the associations. We identified that 21 genotyped SNPs in eight gene regions were significantly associated with survival with FDR ≤ 0.1 in the discovery dataset. Subsequently, we confirmed six SNPs, which were putative functional, in ABCG1 of the ATP-binding cassette transporter family in the replication dataset. In the pooled analysis, two tagging (at r(2) > 0.8 for linkage disequilibrium with other replicated SNPs)/functional SNPs were independently associated with survival: rs225388 G > A [adjusted hazards ratio (HR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.20, Ptrend = 4.6 × 10(-3)] and rs225390 A > G (adjusted HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.07-1.25, Ptrend = 3.8 × 10(-4) ). Our results indicated that genetic variants of ABCG1 may be predictors of survival of NSCLC patients.
Hydrologic Vulnerability and Preventing Domino Effect Consequences

Copyright: © 2013 Tansel B. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hydrologic conditions and dependency of a community to the existing state of hydrologic settings create a network of vulnerabilities with multidimensional consequences. Hydrologic vulnerability is defined by the geographic conditions which also link a series of physical, social, and economic conditions as well as the engineering infrastructure. The major disasters in the recent history provided remarkable examples where hydrologic vulnerability of communities have been tested through the consequences observed in physical, social, economic and engineering infrastructure networks. Just in the last three years the World has witnessed the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, earthquake in Haiti in 2010, earthquake and tsunami off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku in Japan in 2011, floods in Thailand in 2011, floods and mudslides in Rio de Janeiro in 2011, Costa Concordia cruise ship accident near Italy in 2012, hurricane Sandy in USA in 2012, Haian typhoon in Philippines in 2013, floods in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra of India in 2013, and floods in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Afghanistan in 2013. These disasters have not only showed the hydrologic vulnerability of the communities but also have produced long lasting impacts form a multitude of perspectives.
Comparison of the Assemblages of Sap-Feeding Insects (Homoptera-Hemiptera) Inhabiting Two Structurally Different Salt Marsh Grasses in the Genus Spartina

The vegetation of New Jersey tidal salt marshes is composed primarily of 2 grasses; Spartina patens , which occupies a narrow elevational zone of high marsh and Spartina alterniflora , an intertidal species. S. patens forms a dense, persistent, thatch, while S. alterniflora produces only a loose lattice of litter which rapidly decomposes. A comparison between the guilds of sap-feeding insects (for the most part, Delphacidae, Cicadellidae, Issidae, and Miridae) inhabiting these grasses reveals S. patens housing a much more diverse assemblage of herbivores than S. alterniflora. S. alterniflora -inhabiting species are exclusively bi- or trivoltine, while on S. patens , sap-feeders possess a greater variety of life history types and show a specialized trend toward univoltinism. Removal of only the dead thatch portion of S. patens results in reduced species diversity and evenness of sap-feeders on the living grass system. Trivoltine species, which normally inhabit the upper strata of S. patens , increase their populations on dethatched grass compared to the unaltered grass system. Both empirical and experimental evidence suggests that the complex microstructure and thatch of S. patens provide a more heterogeneous and protective resource which supports a more diverse and specialized fauna of sap-feeders than S. alterniflora .
Fluorination of Graphene: A Spectroscopic and Microscopic Study

Since the advent of graphene, there has been intense interest in exploring the possibility of incorporating fluorinated graphene (FG), an ultrathin insulator, into graphene electronics as barriers, gate dielectrics, and optoelectronic elements. Here we report on the synthesis of FG from single-layer graphene sheets grown by chemical vapor depositition (CVD) using CF4 plasma. We examine its properties systematically via microscopic and spectroscopic probes. Our studies show that, by controlling the conditions of the plasma, FG of varying fluorine coverage can be produced; however, the resulting material contains a mixture of CFx (x = 1–3) bonds. Existing grain boundaries and lattice defects of CVD graphene play an important role in controlling its rate of fluorination and the damage of the sheet. Combining topography and current mapping, we demonstrate that the spatial distribution of fluorine on CVD graphene is highly inhomogeneous, where multilayer islands and structural features such as folds, wrinkles,...
Influence of current velocity and wind speed on air-water gas exchange in a mangrove estuary

Knowledge of air-water gas transfer velocities and water residence times is necessary to study the fate of mangrove derived carbon exported into surrounding estuaries and ultimately to determine carbon balances in mangrove ecosystems. For the first time, the He/SF6 dual tracer technique, which has been proven to be a powerful tool to determine gas transfer velocities in the ocean, is applied to Shark River, an estuary situated in the largest contiguous mangrove forest in North America. The mean gas transfer velocity was 3.3 ± 0.2 cmh 1 during the experiment, with a water residence time of 16.5 ± 2.0 days. We propose a gas exchange parameterization that takes into account the major sources of turbulence in the estuary (i.e., bottom generated shear and wind stress).
Acute Toxicity and the Genotoxicity of Alfalfa Total Saponins

BACKGROUND AND AIM:To observe the acute toxicity and the genotoxicity of alfalfa total saponins(ATS).MATERIALS AND METHODS:Kunming mice were used to test the LD50 of ATS.The mouse bone marrow micronucleus test and the mouse sperm morphology test were used to evaluate genotoxicity of ATS.RESULTS:The LD50 of ATS was 13.01 g/kg,95% confidence interval was 12.46～13.58 g/kg.The micronucleus rates and sperm abnormality rates were negative.CONCLUSION:The ATS was considered a substance with no toxicity and genotoxicity in this study.
Desuspensions of S1 ∧ (ℙℚ1 −{0,1,∞})

We use the Galois action on π1et(ℙ Q¯1 −{0, 1,∞}) to show that the homotopy equivalence S1 ∧ (&#x1d53e; m,ℚ ∨ &#x1d53e;m,ℚ)≅S1 ∧ (ℙ ℚ1 −{0, 1,∞}) coming from purity, does not desuspend to a map &#x1d53e;m,ℚ ∨ &#x1d53e;m,ℚ → ℙℚ1 −{0, 1,∞}.
Study on Changes of Inorganic Phosphorus Content and HIP Distribution in Superfine Flours

Inorganic phosphorus contents of 42 superfine flours from 11 brands were determined.The results indicated as follow,71.4% of all samples characterized for high inorganic phosphorus(HIP),and there were inconsistency about nature of random distribution in inorganic phosphorus content for most brands;HIP distribution of all samples was changed hardly in storage period for one year.Then,11 kinds of flours and dough in a batch were treated by water at 60 ℃,80 ℃ and 100 ℃ for 15 mins and 30 mins,respectively.As followed results,inorganic phosphorus content of dough was increased at 80 ℃ and 100 ℃ for 15 mins,or at all temperature for 30 mins,but distribution of HIP was changed hardly,while it was not discovered changed about the same flours by the same treatment.
Formation of a hybrid bcl-2/immunoglobulin transcript as a result of t(14;18) chromosomal translocation.

Specific chromosomal changes are consistently associated with several morphologically or histologically distinct forms of cancer [1]. In a few hematolymphoid malignancies, chromosomal translocations are known to occur near or within the cytologic loci for cellular homologues of retro viral-encoded oncogenes [2]. For example, both the c-abl and c-myc proto-oncogenes are targets for interchromosomal translocations in chronic myelogous leukemia and Burkitt’s lymphoma, respectively [3, 4]. Recent molecular studies have elucidated the structural consequences that chromosomal translocations have upon these cellular proto-oncogenes [5–7]. However, most of the recurring chromosomal translocations which have been described, particularly in hematolymphoid malignancies, do not result in structural alterations of cellular homologues for known retroviral oncogenes.