cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycemic modulation of tumor tolerance in a mouse model of breast cancer.

Marked sensitivity of tumor tolerance to blood glucose level is demonstrated in a mouse model of human breast cancer. A theory is cited that explains the high association of hyperglycemia with malignancy, especially breast cancer, via glycemic modulation of cellular immunity. Three groups of BALB/C mice were injected with an aggressive mammary tumor and placed on three dietary regimens designed to produce three different glycemic levels. Mortalities 70 days after injection were 16 of 24 hyperglycemic mice, 8 of 24 normoglycemic, and 1 of 20 hypoglycemic (chi-square p less than .005). Taken together with other experiments and human data discussed briefly, this result suggests that glycemic modulation of tumor tolerance should be evaluated in human trials.
The growth of hexagonal boron nitride thin films on silicon using single source precursor

Abstract Poylcrystalline hexagonal boron nitride thin films were deposited on silicon substrates in the temperature range of 600–900°C from the organometallic single source precursor borane–triethylamine complex, (C 2 H 5 ) 3 N·BH 3 . Hydrogen was used as carrier gas and additional nitrogen was supplied by molecular beam of ammonia, or nitrogen via a remote plasma. The films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, transmission electron diffraction, optical transmission, and atomic force microscopy.
Adenosinic modulation of 7–14 Hz spindle rhythms in interconnected thalamic relay and nucleus reticularis neurons

Abstract Intrathalamic spindle rhythms have been shown in vitro and in vivo to recur at frequencies of 0.1–0.3 Hz and last for periods of 1–3 s depending on the species observed. Although it is now generally agreed that both the intrinsic properties of relay and reticularis neurons, as well as their circuit dependency, contribute to the 7–14 Hz interburst spindle frequency, it is not presently known what mechanisms generate these slower oscillations. A model of interconnected thalamocortical relay and nucleus reticularis thalami cells was developed to investigate these properties. The model suggests that modulation of the hyperpolarization-activated cation current, Ih, by the nucleoside adenosine can serve to regulate both the duration of spindling and frequency of recurrence. These results suggest that the waxing and waning characteristics of thalamic spindle rhythms are, in part, dependent on the changing levels of extracellular adenosine and its influence on Ih in thalamocortical relay cells within this neuronal network.
Large science databases - are cloud services ready for them?

We report on attempts to put an astronomical database - the Sloan Digital Sky Survey science archive - in the cloud. We find that it is very frustrating to impossible at this time to migrate a complex SQL Server database into current cloud service offerings such as Amazon (EC2) and Microsoft (SQL Azure). Certainly it is impossible to migrate a large database in excess of a TB, but even with (much) smaller databases, the limitations of cloud services make it very difficult to migrate the data to the cloud without making changes to the schema and settings that would degrade performance and/or make the data unusable. Preliminary performance comparisons show a large performance discrepancy with the Amazon cloud version of the SDSS database. These difficulties suggest that much work and coordination needs to occur between cloud service providers and their potential clients before science databases - not just large ones but even smaller databases that make extensive use of advanced database features for performance and usability - can successfully and effectively be deployed in the cloud. We describe a powerful new computational instrument that we are developing in the interim - the Data-Scope - that will enable fast and efficient analysis of the largest (petabyte scale) scientific datasets.
Proto‐Metropolis Meets Post‐Metropolis in Kumasi, Ghana

Globalization has transformed many of the transnational connections experienced by the diverse constellation of residents, emigrants and immigrants attached to Kumasi. Despite its modest size, these processes have not erased its material and symbolic primacy within its regional and Asante diasporic hinterland. The international flows of people and cultural and economic resources associated with metropolitan life have characterized Kumasi since its foundation and remain central to its meaning, so their intensification reinforces rather than threatens the continuity of its self-imagination. Residents and other constituents, well aware of powerful external forces intervening in their everyday lives, show their loyalty by investing heavily in key hierarchies still managed in Kumasi. Asante openly innovate within these heal institutions of chieftaincy, house building, funerals, and public ceremonies, to take full advantage of greater mobility, new communication technologies and multiple cross-cutting identities, [migration, investment, innovation, Asante, Africa]
On the Theory of Typicality and its Applications to the Solution of Fuzzy Dynamical Systems

This paper focuses on the results indicating that fuzzy expectation can be used as a solution to imprecise dynamical processes. The applicability of fuzzy set theory to decision analysis in uncertain environments is examined by using the axiomatic system of "fuzzy statistics".
Construction of a novel finite‐difference scheme for a nonlinear diffusion equation

A novel finite-difference scheme is constructed for a particular nonlinear diffusion equation. This scheme does not correspond to any of those that might be expected to follow from application of the standard procedures. A major advantage is that in the appropriate limit the difference equation model reduces to schemes that reproduce exactly the behaviors of the solution to the corresponding differential equation.
Development of Omnidirectional Electric Wheelchair with Zabuton Sensor

In this paper, we propose an omnidirectional electric wheelchair (OEW). The proposed OEW has four omniwheels for the omnidirectional movement. Two of the omniwheels are arranged to X-axis direction and the other two are arranged to Y-axis direction. By controlling the movement of the omniwheels, the OEW can instantaneously rotate and move in all directions. Hence that, especially in the narrow spaced indoor environment, the omnidirectional nature of the OEW has an advantage over the standard wheelchair. Furthermore, the operatorpsilas posture is used as signal to the OEW. The operatorpsilas posture is measured by a ldquoZabuton sensorrdquo which uses a pressure sensor to measure the pressure distribution. The effectiveness of proposed the system is reflected by the experimental results of the prototype OEW and Zabuton sensor system.
Role of the H-2I region in the generation of an antiviral cytotoxic T-cell response in vitro☆

Abstract The participation of H-2I gene products in generating virus-specific proliferative and/or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses was investigated. Spleen cells from mice infected with vaccinia virus were restimulated secondarily in vitro with syngeneic virus-infected peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and then restimulated in tertiary cultures with virus-infected PEC from syngeneic and partially histoincompatible strains of mice. Based on the finding that comparable proliferative responses resulted when stimulating the responding cells were histocompatible at the H-2K, I, or D region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), the additively enhanced, but not potentiated, proliferation caused by identity at two or three H-2 regions was analyzed. Enhancement of proliferation followed when the H-2K/D components plus virus and the H-2I components plus virus were either on the same, or alternatively on two, stimulating cells. This suggests that H-2K, D, and I plus virus trigger distinct T-cell subsets. A virus-specific CTL response was generated in vitro when spleen cells from virus-primed mice and even unprimed mice were stimulated with cells sharing only H-2K and/or H-2D of the MHC. Identity at the H-2I region did not stimulate a CTL response, nor did it influence the magnitude of the K D restricted response. Nevertheless, the presence of anti-Ia antiserum in cultures of syngeneic stimulators and responders inhibited the cytotoxic response to a great extent. Therefore, H-2I region products seem to participate in the generation of virus-specific CTL in vitro.
A framework for migrating control strategies and algorithms developed in virtual robots to physical systems

Virtual robotic environments are commonly used to develop, prototype and simulate control strategies and algorithms for single or multi-robot systems. Once developed, the control strategies and algorithms can then be implemented on physical systems. However, the transition from virtual to physical systems can be rather tedious due to different programming languages, application programming interfaces, and incompatibilities between the virtual sensor and robot models, and the physical system. Transitioning the implemented control strategies and algorithms to other robot platforms may also require cumbersome recoding of the initial implementation. This paper introduces the use of Mobile-R, a mobile agent-based robot control and deployment platform for virtual and physical systems, for developing and migrating virtual control strategies and algorithms to physical systems. Mobile-R provides a common set of programming and control abstractions, and middleware for both virtual and physical robots alleviating the tedious conversion process from virtual to physical system implementation. A real-world validation experiment involving a virtual and a physical Pioneer 3DX mobile robot is presented.
A multi-dimensional investigation of laser conditioning in KDP and DKDP crystals

We present a multi-parametric experimental investigation of laser conditioning efficiency and behavior in KDP and DKDP crystals as a function of laser wavelength, fluence, number of pulses, and conditioning protocol. Our results expose complex behaviors associated with damage initiation and conditioning at different wavelengths that provide a major step towards revealing the underlying physics. In addition, we reveal the key parameters for optimal improvement to the damage performance from laser conditioning.
Fermentation in the Rumen and Human Large Intestine

Fermentation of food by the microbial community of the rumen is essential for the maintenance and growth of ruminants. The microbial ecosystem and its interaction with the host are described, along with recent attempts to manipulate the composition and activity of the microbial community by adding antibiotics and other chemicals to ruminant diets. A similar microbial community and fermentation occur in the large intestine or cecum of most nonruminant animals including the large intestine of humans. The microbial ecosystems of the rumen and human large intestine are compared.
The Life of Atomic States and the Intensity of Spectral Lines

It has recently been possible to explain most of the strong nebular lines as lines arising from electron jumps from metastable states in oxygen and nitrogen. - In the nebulae the emission of spectral lines can be observed under conditions of much higher rarefaction than can be found in any other terrestrial or astronomical source. Since these nebular lines occur only under these conditions, this very definitely indicates that the electron jumps causing them take place spontaneously without the interference of outside fields due to other ions, that can often be used to explain jumps of this sort when they are observed in terrestrial sources. This constitutes then the first direct evidence that metastable states are not absolutely metastable but are states of long mean life, i.e., states from which the probability of a spontaneous jump in unit time is very small.
Low dose methamphetamine mediates neuroprotection through a PI3K-AKT pathway

High doses of methamphetamine induce the excessive release of dopamine resulting in neurotoxicity. However, moderate activation of dopamine receptors can promote neuroprotection. Therefore, we used in vitro and in vivo models of stroke to test the hypothesis that low doses of methamphetamine could induce neuroprotection. We demonstrate that methamphetamine does induce a robust, dose-dependent, neuroprotective response in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). A similar dose dependant neuroprotective effect was observed in rats that received an embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Significant improvements in behavioral outcomes were observed in rats when methamphetamine administration delayed for up to 12 h after MCAO. Methamphetamine-mediated neuroprotection was significantly reduced in slice cultures by the addition of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor antagonist. Treatment of slice cultures with methamphetamine resulted in the dopamine-mediated activation of AKT in a PI3K dependant manner. A similar increase in phosphorylated AKT was observed in the striatum, cortex and hippocampus of methamphetamine treated rats following MCAO. Methamphetamine-mediated neuroprotection was lost in rats when PI3K activity was blocked by wortmannin. Finally, methamphetamine treatment decreased both cleaved caspase 3 levels in slice cultures following OGD and TUNEL staining within the striatum and cortex in rats following transient MCAO. These data indicate that methamphetamine can mediate neuroprotection through activation of a dopamine/PI3K/AKT-signaling pathway.
The Interaction of Src and RACK1 Is Enhanced by Activation of Protein Kinase C and Tyrosine Phosphorylation of RACK1

RACK1 is an intracellular receptor for the serine/ threonine protein kinase C. Previously, we demonstrated that RACK1 also interacts with the Src protein-tyrosine kinase. RACK1, via its association with these protein kinases, may play a key role in signal transduction. To further characterize the Src-RACK1 interaction and to analyze mechanisms by which cross-talk occurs between the two RACK1-linked signaling kinases, we identified sites on Src and RACK1 that mediate their binding, and factors that regulate their interaction. We found that the interaction of Src and RACK1 is mediated, in part, by the SH2 domain of Src and by phosphotyrosines in the sixth WD repeat of RACK1, and is enhanced by serum or platelet-derived growth factor stimulation, protein kinase C activation, and tyrosine phosphorylation of RACK1. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of tyrosine phosphorylation of a member of the WD repeat family of proteins. We think that tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins is an important mechanism of signal transduction in cells.
Plasma polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene in a field‐free zone

Plasma polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene by itself and mixed with inert gases has been studied in the field free zone inside a Faraday cage. The chemical structure was analyzed by ESCA, revealing both linear and branched products. Linear products are formed by less energetic plasmas and at low monomer residence times. Lower energy plasmas result from the use of lower powers and lower percentages of helium in the feed. Production of linear products under these conditions is probably due to lower rates of free radical and metastable formation in the plasma. Through a combination of kinetic and mass transfer effects, shorter monomer residence times under high flow rates and within short distances from the front edge of the electrode give rise to a lower concentration of free radicals at the electrode surface, producing a more linear polymer. Linear products were also formed at very high powers. This latter result is quite unexpected and is probably due to rapid gas phase polymerization. The chemical structure was not affected significantly by the substrate temperature or by hydrodynamics in this work. All of the evidence indicates that the gases were well mixed in the reaction zone for the range of process variables and for the gases studied. The deposition rate was also studied as a function of the reaction conditions. It was affected by the concentration of free radicals, the concentration of the monomer, and the substrate temperature. The observed deposition rate profile across the electrode is consistent with mass transfer and kinetic considerations governing free radical and monomer concentrations on the electrode surface. The deposition rate is greater at the lower substrate temperature used, probably due to enhanced adsorption process.
Mechanical indentation improves cerebral blood oxygenation signal quality of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during breath holding

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a well-known technique for non-invasively measuring cerebral blood oxygenation, and many studies have demonstrated that fNIRS signals can be related to cognitive function. However, the fNIRS signal is attenuated by the skin, while scalp blood content has been reported to influence cerebral oxygenation measurements. Mechanical indentation has been shown to increase light transmission through soft tissues by causing interstitial water and blood flow away from the compressed region. To study the effects of indentation on fNIRS, a commercial fNIRS system with 16 emitter/detector pairs was used to measure cerebral blood oxygenation at 2 Hz. This device used diffuse reflectance at 730 nm and 850 nm to calculate deoxy- and oxy-hemoglobin concentrations. A borosilicate glass hemisphere was epoxied over each sensor to function as both an indenter and a lens. After placing the indenter/sensor assembly on the forehead, a pair of plastic bands was placed on top of the fNIRS headband and strapped to the head to provide uniform pressure and tightened to approx. 15 N per strap. Cerebral blood oxygenation was recorded during a breath holding regime (15 second hold, 15 second rest, 6 cycles) in 4 human subjects both with and without the indenter array. Results showed that indentation increased raw signal intensity by 85 ± 35%, and that indentation increased amplitude of hemoglobin changes during breath cycles by 313% ± 105%. These results suggest that indentation improves sensing of cerebral blood oxygenation, and may potentially enable sensing of deeper brain tissues.
Ultrastructure of the sertoli and leydig cells in the testes of normal versus protein-calorie malnourished rats

Abstract The morphology of the gonads was examined at the ultrastructural level in 20 to 55 day-old male rats that were protein-calorie malnourished and the results compared to animals fed a standard laboratory diet. The conditions of undernutrition led to a reduction in the growth of the seminiferous tubules. By day 55, the tubules had only developed to a size corresponding to that found in a normal animal less than 30 days of age. A similar retardation was noted in the maturation of the Sertoli and Leydig cells, although the effect of undernutrition on their morphology was evident at an earlier age in the latter cell type. These findings support our previous studies in which it was reported that dietary deficiencies in proteins and calories lead to a prolongation in the time necessary for sexual maturation to occur in male rats.
Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Simulations

The Center for Integrated Turbulence Simulations (CITS) was created in October of 1997 under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy (DoE) Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) Alliance program. The over-arching problem to be solved by this Center is the detailed, high-fidelity simulation of the flowpath through complete aircraft gas turbines including the compressor, combustor, turbine, and secondary flow systems. In order to support this goal, three groups were created to tackle the main components of the program. The turbomachinery group has developed a multiblockstructured, unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) solver called TFLO which is used for the rotating components of the flowpath (compressor and turbine) and for the secondary flow system. The combustion group is responsible for the flow in the combustor and compressor diffuser. Given the complexity of the flow in this region of the engine, an unstructured Large Eddy Simulation (LES) solver called CDP has been developed and validated together with various approaches for combustion simulation and spray tracking. A significant portion of the work in the Center is the integration between the various physics and components being modeled. For this purpose, an integration group is working towards the development of interface definitions for arbitrary URANS and LES solvers. An important aspect of the problems to be solved is that they are of such magnitude and complexity that they require the largest available supercomputers. For this reason, a major thrust of the Center is on the parallel implementation of the solver software and its integration on massively parallel computing platforms. This paper presents some of the major results from each of the three groups in the Center.
Recruiting middle school students into nursing.

The purpose of this literature review is to illustrate the importance of initiating nursing recruitment during the middle school years. Data sources included citations from the years 1989 to 2006. ...
Methods for Fatigue Assessment of Critical Ship Details

Fatigue assessment, as part of ship design, was not required until about 10 years ago, due to the increasing use of high strength steel and demand for minimizing structure weight. As early as 1993, ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) published Guidance on fatigue strength assessment of tankers (the latest version of the Guide can be found in [1]). Since then, ship design has been developed with more optimization involved, as a balance of cost, steel weight and safety. Consequently, fatigue assessment has become a more and more important factor in ship design. There are various methods, design codes and recommended practices on fatigue design and assessment of welded structures. Industries have tried to organize Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) to further develop the method or see the possibility of harmonizing the codes or practices. Individuals have also made their efforts to provide information from view points of designers, operators or regulators. This paper addresses some of the available methods applicable for critical ship details through the case studies of bilge knuckle joint of an oil tanker and a side longitudinal/frame connection of an FPSO. Various methods of hot spot stress calculation including mesh size schemes and element type selection will be evaluated and comparison of fatigue lives from the hot spot stress methods with associated S-N curves will be made with the experimental data.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Design and evaluation of PCR primers which differentiate Escherichia coli O157:H7 and related serotypes.

Aims: To develop methods to differentiate Escherichia coli O157:H7 and related serotypes by the use of amplicon length polymorphism (ALP) analysis based on identifying DNA sequence deletions within highly homologous regions of three sequenced E. coli strains. Methods and Results: Potential primer locations along the ancestral genomic backbone were identified and evaluated against three sequenced genomes and then applied to a reference set of pathogenic E. coli strains. All 16 primer combinations generated the expected diagnostic fragments as predicted for the E. coli K12 MG1655, O157:H7 EDL933, and O157:H7B Sakai genomes. Conclusions: This study defines a collection of primers distributed along the length of the E. coli genome that were applied to ALP analysis methods to successfully differentiate between serotypes of E. coli O157:H7 and other E. coli serotypes. Significance and Impact of the Study: ALP-PCR analysis method was validated as an independent method of classification when compared with that of rep-PCR. The principles underlying ALP analysis can be readily applied for the detection and differentiation of other closely related microbial species because of the abundance of complete DNA sequence data for a large number of microbial genomes.
Preventing accidental data disclosure in modern operating systems

Modern OSes such as Android, iOS, and Windows 8 have changed the way consumers interact with computing devices. Tasks are often completed by stringing together a collection of purpose-specific user applications (e.g., a barcode reader, a social networking app, a document viewer). As users direct this workflow between applications, it is difficult to predict the consequence of each step. Poor selection may result in accidental information disclosure when the target application unknowingly uses cloud services. This paper presents Aquifer as a policy framework and system for preventing accidental information disclosure in modern operating systems. In Aquifer, application developers define secrecy restrictions that protect the entire user interface workflow defining the user task. In doing so, Aquifer provides protection beyond simple permission checks and allows applications to retain control of data even after it is shared.
Intracardiac Pressure-Flow Dynamics in Isolated Ventricular Septal Defects

This study was conducted to determine the nature of intracardiac shunting in 50 patients between the ages of 3 and 15 years with isolated ventricular septal defects. Simultaneous right and left ventricular pressures and biplane cineangiocardiography were utilized to study the timing and the direction of flow across the defect. Patients with low to moderately elevated right ventricular pressures demonstrated left-to-right shunting across the defect throughout the cardiac cycle. When pressure in the right ventricle approximated that of the left, right-to-left shunting occurred across the defect into the left ventricle during isovolumic relaxation. All patients shared in common the following: (1) a predominant left-to-right gradient and shunt across the defect into the body of the right ventricle during diastole; and, (2) augmentation of the left-to-right gradient with resultant increase of the shunt into the right ventricle during isovolumic contraction immediately preceding opening of the aortic valve. In comparing patients with and without pulmonary hypertension, the major variations in the cardiac cycle occurred during the periods of ventricular ejection and isovolumic relaxation. These two periods are primarily affected by the changing relationships of the size of the defect, ratio of pulmonary to systemic resistance, and magnitude of net shunts.
Detection and characterization of epidermal proteinases by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract 1. 1. Electrophoresis of cornified cell extracts of 2-day-old rats, using SDS polyacrylamide gels copolymerized with α-casein or gelatin with or without plasminogen, was performed. 2. 2. Both Tris-HCl buffer soluble protein and KSCN solubilized protein contained a number of hydrolases for α-casein and/or gelatin, but PA (mol. wts 57 and 50K) was found only in the KSCN extract. 3. 3. The pH dependency, substrate specificity and mol. wt of plasminogen-independent proteinases were comparatively determined and DFP inhibition tested. 4. 4. This simple technique helped to identify the presence of several proteinases and to characterize them in partially purified epidermal extracts.
Power moments of hydrogenic Green's functions and Green's functions of the second kind

Power moments for all of the reduced hydrogenic Green's functions were computed. These moments have the same form as the corresponding moments of the free-particle Green's functions. Green's functions of the second kind are defined, and uses for these objects in model potential theory and the theory of many-body Green's functions are pointed out. In the case of the ground state of the hydrogenic atom, the Green's function of the second kind has been given. 21 references.
Thunder: towards practical, zero cost acoustic localization for outdoor wireless sensor networks

Localization for outdoor wireless sensor networks has been a challenge for real applications. Although many solutions have been proposed, few of them can be used in real applications because of their high cost, low accuracy or infeasibility due to practical issues. In this paper, we propose a practical acoustic localization scheme called Thunder. Thunder employs an asymmetric architecture and shifts most of the complexities and hardware requirements from each node to a single powerful centralized device. The solution is efficient, and requires virtually zero cost in terms of extra per node hardware and innetwork communication. This paper also presents an efficient scheduling algorithm called Equilateral Triangle Scheduling to schedule Thunder for very large sensor networks and a resilient algorithm called Adaptive Fuzzy Clustering to provide robust localization without sacrificing efficiency in the presence of a high percentage of large ranging errors. To validate and evaluate Thunder, we built an experimental localization system based on the Mica2 platform, which achieved localization errors of about 1 meter in medium scale localization experiments.
Comparison of exercise test responses before and after either percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an accepted procedure for the management of patients with angina pectoris refractory to medical treatment. It has also been documented to improve survival in selected patients. 1–3 Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has become a widely used alternative to CABG. 4 Gruntzig et al 5 initially advocated the use of PTCA only for patients with a discrete stenosis of a single coronary artery, but the application of coronary angioplasty to narrowings in more than 1 coronary artery has recently increased 4,6 and encouraging results have been reported. 7 The usefulness of exercise testing before and after interventions or treatments to document results is obvious. 8–28 Because PTCA is now routinely applied in multivessel disease, such a comparison can indeed be very helpful in the clinical choice of revascularization procedures. This report compares the exercise responses in patients who have had clinically successful revascularizations.
Influence of habitat on behavior of townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii)

Trade-offs between foraging and predator avoidance may affect an animal's survival and reproduction. These trade-offs may be influenced by differences in vegetative cover, especially if foraging profitability and predation risk differ among habitats. We examined above-ground activity of Townsend's ground squirrels ( Spermophilus townsendii ) in four habitats in the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southwestern Idaho to determine if behavior of ground squirrels varied among habitats, and we assessed factors that might affect perceived predation risk (i.e. predator detectability, predation pressure, population density). The proportion of time spent in vigilance by ground squirrels in winterfat ( Krascheninnikovia lanata ) and mosaic habitats of winterfat-sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) was more than twice that of ground squirrels in burned and unburned sagebrush habitats. We found no evidence for the “many-eyes” hypothesis as an explanation for differences in vigilance among habitats. Instead, environmental heterogeneity, especially vegetation structure, likely influenced activity budgets of ground squirrels. Differences in vigilance may have been caused by differences in predator detectability and refuge availability, because ground squirrels in the winterfat and mosaic habitats also spent more time in upright vigilant postures than ground squirrels in burned-sagebrush or sagebrush habitats. Such postures may enhance predator detection in low-growing winterfat.
The Dialogue of Unconsciouses, Mutual Analysis and the Uses of the Self in Contemporary Relational Psychoanalysis

This essay explores the links between Ferenczi’s understanding of psychoanalysis as a radically mutual endeavor in which unconscious communication between patient and analyst flows in both directions, his experiments in mutual analysis as reported in his Clinical Diary, and the subsequent and ongoing development of a relational theory of technique. The essay examines the ways in which Ferenczi’s radical experiments in analytic technique expanded the possibilities for joint, direct transference/countertransference exploration, illuminating the complex permutations of implicit, as well as expressive and transparent ways therapist and patient can utilize the full range of feelings, thoughts, fantasies, body, and self-states that emerge in the field of therapy.
Oxidation of the active site of glutamine synthetase: Conversion of arginine-344 to γ-glutamyl semialdehyde

Abstract Metal-catalyzed oxidative modification of proteins is implicated in a number of physiologic and pathologic processes. The reaction is presumed to proceed via a site-specific free radical mechanism, with the site-specificity conferred by a cation-binding site on the protein. The oxidation of bacterial glutamine synthetase has been studied in detail, providing the opportunity to examine whether the oxidation is consistent with a site-specific radical reaction. Oxidation leads to the appearance of carbonyl groups in amino acid side chains of the protein, and labeling of those carbonyl groups with fluoresceinamine facilitated purification of the oxidized peptide from a tryptic digest. The oxidized residue was arginine-344, which was converted to a γ-glutamyl semialdehyde residue. Histidine-269 had previously been shown to be converted to asparagine during metal-catalyzed oxidation. Both arginine-344 and histidine-269 are situated at the metal-nucleotide binding pocket of the enzyme's active site, thus establishing the site-specificity of the oxidation.
Suspended sediment removal by vegetative filter strip treating highway runoff.

Structural best management practices (BMPs) are often used to mitigate the impact of storm water runoff on receiving waters. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are an example of a structural BMP that has been used to treat storm water and highway runoff. Physical factors affecting the performance of VFS include pollutant characteristics, vegetation composition and density, soil properties, and the physical dimensions of the filter strip. In this study, field-suspended sediment data were collected from an experimental VFS treating highway runoff in eastern North Carolina. Field data were used to test the design concepts of the VFS treatment train and to validate a simulation model for evaluating the impact of these physical factors on sediment removal as a function of filter strip length. It was concluded that the experimental filter strip was effective in removing more than 85% of the incoming total suspended sediment (TSS). Simulation results support field observations that a 10-m or longer filter strip can ...
Student attitudes and the teaching and learning of race, culture and politics ☆

Abstract Although multicultural education and teaching for and to equity and diversity often are viewed in higher education as important around the globe, the mismatch between theory and public opinion can remain a challenge when teaching the subject. This study investigates student attitudes and learning before and after completing a course in race, culture and politics at an American university in California, and data were gathered over a three-year period from 365 students. Utilizing a Confluent Education framework that integrates cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions of teaching and learning, faculty structured opportunities for students to study and discuss issues, and then, examine social settings for evidence to tie cognitive study with real world experiences. Teaching and developing courses around issues of multicultural education, diversity, and issues of power that strengthen students' abilities to perceive multiple perspectives, think critically, and learn from others are made.
Iron/manganese oxide catalysts: surface specification and slurry -phase fischertropsch activity

Abstract Coprecipitated iron-manganese catalysts, prepared with 20 wt% Fe and 80 wt% Mn and having K concentrations from 0 to 1.3 wt%, were analyzed for surface speciation by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in H 2 -, CO- and (CO + H 2 )- exposed states. These data show that the degree of carburization of the surface iron depends on the amount of K present in the catalysts. In addition, the type of surface carbon that is present after CO or (CO + H 2 ) exposure, and the interaction of MnO with surface iron are dependent upon the concentration of K. The concentrations of MnO and oxidized iron species at the surface were investigated with respect to the slurry phase activity observed for the conversion of 1:1 H 2 /CO to hydrocarbons. Specific to this analysis is the dependence of the K concentration on the double-bond isomerization activity of these Fe/Mn catalysts.
Solvability and multiquadric analysis as applied to investigations of vertical crustal movements

Abstract A variety of geodetic measurements can be combined, in network fashion, to yield adjusted velocities of elevation change. However, it is not always apparent which network junctions have solvable point velocities. When a velocity surface is desired, it is not always apparent how many coefficients should be used. A solvability algorithm, devised to operate on observation equations, answers these questions, and therefore permits the adjustment process to continue with the assurance that the result will be mathematically justified. Using both the hyperboloid and the reciprocal hyperboloid as quadric forms, multiquadric (MQ) analysis has been applied to leveling and tide gauge data in the vicinity of Puget Sound, to obtain heights corresponding to a selected date, and coefficients which collectively define a velocity surface. The solvability algorithm was used to tell which junctions in the level network had solvable point velocities, and consequently where MQ nodal points should be placed for an optimized solution. Networks of simulated data were also used with the solvability algorithm to help determine data requirements for height—velocity adjustments, and to evaluate the ability of MQ analysis to predict velocities.
The electronic excited states of BN

Abstract The a 1 Σ + − X 3 Π separation is estimated to be 180 ± 110 cm −1 , which is in reasonable agreement with the recent experimental determination that the separation in a neon matrix is between 15 and 182 cm −1 . The calculated spectroscopic constants for the excited states confirm the experimental assignment for the triplet states below 30000 cm −1 and two lowest singlet states. On the basis of a comparison of the computed results with those obtained from experiment, the computed spectroscopic constants for the higher electronic states should be sufficiently accurate to help in the assignment of future experiments.
Information-based epistemology, ecological epistemology and epistemology naturalized

Only a very short time after the formal birth of information theory in 1948 (Wiener, Shannon) its potential value in psychology began to be realized (Miller and Frick, 1949). Quine's influential suggestion (1968) that epistemology be naturalized, i.e., be viewed as a branch of psychology, might have been expected to bring information theory into epistemology but has not. Philosophers have regularly looked at the Shannon and Wiener definition and then declared that philosophers ought to be concerned about a different concept of information (Bar-Hillel, 1952, Hintikka and Suppes, 1970). More recently, Dretske (1981) makes information central to epistemology, but not in the sense defined by Shannon and Wiener. Instead he introduces his own alternative definition. Meanwhile in psychology, Gibson (1966) has proposed an "ecological theory of perception" which makes information central, but he too rejects the S&W (Shannon and Wiener) definition (1966, p. 245). I will review both Dretske's and Gibson's reasons for rejecting the standard definition and argue that their reasons are defective. I conclude, however, by arguing that from the point of view of a naturalized ecological epistemology one must go beyond the standard definition and include other considerations.
Psychological and physiological predictors of angina during exercise-induced ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease.

Objective This study compares sensory-biological, cognitive-emotional, and cognitive-interpretational factors in predicting angina on an exercise treadmill test (ETT).
Radiology of the adult soft palate

Radiographic examination of the adult soft palate has been largely ignored, perhaps because the soft palate is easily inspected on its inferior surface and visualized on its superior surface with a flexible nasopharyngoscope. The major radiologic effort to date has been in the evaluation of cleft palate. A variety of adult neurologic, inflammatory, and neoplastic disorders of the soft palate, however, can benefit from radiologic examination. This article describes useful radiologic techniques, reviews the anatomy of the soft palate, and presents illustrative pathologic states.
Late posttraumatic enophthalmos corrected by dense hydroxylapatite blocks

Late enophthalmos caused by an unrepaired zygomatic or orbital blowout fracture can cause esthetic and functional impairment. The sunken appearance of the superior suicus and the depressed globe are obvious cosmetic defects. Functional impairment of the eye can also be troublesome, with restriction of motion and diplopia being common complaints. Early repair of surgically correctable fractures, prior to scar contraction or fat atrophy, is the most acceptable procedure. Even so, early repair is at times fraught with uncertainty, since the only parameter for measuring the adequacy of treatment is the late cosmetic and acceptable functional result. The various materials that have been used to treat orbital floor complications in the nonseeing eye include glass beads,’ tantalum,2 Teflon,3 polyethylene,4 polymethylmethacrylate,5 and Silastic6 In the seeing eye the placement of Silastic, cartilage,7 fascia,8 and bone,9,10 as well as osteotomy” have been used. Both the use of autogenous materials that resorb or move and osteotomy constitute only crude nonreproducible methods for the correction of late enophthalmos. This case report describes the use of hydroxylapatite in dense block form (Calcitek, San Diego, California) to correct late posttraumatic enophthalmos in a seeing eye.
cGMP-Dependent Relaxation of Smooth Muscle Is Coupled With the Change in the Phosphorylation of Myosin Phosphatase

Nitric oxide/cGMP pathway induces vasodilatation, yet the underlying mechanism is obscure. In the present study, we studied the mechanism of cGMP-induced relaxation of the smooth muscle contractile apparatus using permeabilized rabbit femoral arterial smooth muscle. 8-Br-cGMP-induced relaxation was accompanied with a decrease in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. MLC phosphatase (MLCP) activity, once decreased by agonist-stimulation, recovered to the resting level on addition of 8-Br-cGMP. Because MLCP activity is regulated by the phosphorylation of a MLCP-specific inhibitor, CPI17 at Thr38 and MBS (myosin binding subunit of MLCP) at Thr696, we examined the effect of 8-Br-cGMP on the phosphorylation of these MLCP modulators. Whereas CPI17 phosphorylation was unchanged after addition of 8-Br-cGMP, MBS phosphorylation at Thr696 was significantly decreased by 8-Br-cGMP. We found that 8-Br-cGMP markedly increased MBS phosphorylation at Ser695 in the fiber pretreated with phenylephrine. MBS phosphorylation of Thr696 phosphorylated MBS at Ser695 partially resumed MLCP activity inhibited by Thr696 phosphorylation. Whereas Ser695 phosphorylation was markedly increased, the extent of diphosphorylated MBS at Ser695 and Thr696 in fibers was unchanged after cGMP-stimulation. We found that MBS phosphatase activity in arteries for both diphosphorylated MBS and monophosphorylated MBS at Thr696 significantly increased by 8-Br-cGMP, whereas MBS kinase activity was unchanged. These results suggest that the phosphorylation at Ser640 induced by cGMP shifted the equilibrium of the Thr641 phosphorylation toward dephosphorylation, thus increasing MLCP activity. This results in the decrease in MLC phosphorylation and smooth muscle relaxation.
Overview of the Use of Food/Natural Products as Drugs

Higher plants produce numerous extractable organic substances which are in great demand throughout the world. These include both primary and secondary metabolites. The primary metabolites (carbohydrates, polysaccharides) are high volume and low value bulk materials while the secondary metabolites (drugs, flavorings, pesticides) are high value, low bulk substances. This overview presents numerous economically important plant drugs of current importance with sources and some prices, along with difficulties in handling. In addition, numerous nutritional products of natural origin are given with their uses and purported medical value. Reference sources of information on these is also provided.
Geometry and Weight Optimization for Minimizing Sidelobes in Wideband Planar Arrays

Arrays are often analyzed using a narrowband or single-frequency assumption for simplicity. However, for arrays used in wideband applications this simplification is not valid. In this paper, a sidelobe-minimizing method is presented that efficiently determines the optimal weights given a specified beamwidth for wideband planar arrays of elements scanned to broadside. This method can be executed significantly faster than optimal wideband weighting methods developed previously. This speedup in computation time allows for simultaneous weight-geometry optimization. Optimal array geometries are determined using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm in conjunction with the optimal weights in order to minimize sidelobe levels in wideband arrays. Results (optimal positions, weights and sidelobe levels) are presented for wideband arrays of 4-7 elements.
Expression, Ontogeny, and Regulation of Hypoxia-Inducible Transcription Factors in the Human Placenta

Placental hypoxia likely plays an important role in both normal placental development and pathology. Yet, the molecular mechanisms of hypoxia signaling in this organ are virtually unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the expression of the hypoxia inducible transcription factors (HIF) in normal human placentas spanning the first trimester to term. Several key observations emerged: 1) HIF-1 alpha and -2 alpha mRNA were present in placentas of all gestational ages but with greater variability during early pregnancy; 2) overall, HIF-1 alpha mRNA was expressed at a constant level in all placentas, whereas HIF-2 alpha mRNA increased significantly with gestational age; 3) both HIF-1 alpha and -2 alpha protein decreased significantly with gestational age; and 4) HIF-1 alpha and -2 alpha immunoreactivity were overlapping in cellular distribution being expressed by the syncytiotrophoblast, villous cytotrophoblast, and fetoplacental vasculature with both nuclear and cytoplasmic localization. Next, we studied the regulation of these transcription factors by oxygen using placental villous explants in culture from first-trimester and term placentas. The major findings were 1) HIF-1 alpha and -2 alpha protein, but not mRNA, was induced by hypoxia in the placental villous explants; 2) HIF-1 alpha DNA-binding activity was also stimulated by hypoxia; and 3) glucose transporter-1 mRNA (a known target of HIF) was also increased by hypoxia in placental villous explants. We suggest that physiological hypoxia contributes to the increased expression of HIF-1 alpha and -2 alpha protein in early placentas and that regulation of these transcription factors by hypoxia in the human placenta occurs at the level of protein and not mRNA.