cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experiments in Hybrid Documentary and Indigenous Model Animation

Nonfiction has proved to be a long-term strategy of Native/First Nations filmmakers and, as this documentary tradition moves across contemporary mediums, one corner of its experimental aesthetics h...
Practical Strategies to Enhance Executive Functioning and Strengthen Diabetes Management Across the Lifespan

The complex type 1 diabetes (T1D) management regimen places extra demands on one’s ability to plan, organize, and problem-solve, a set of skills described as executive functioning (EF). Research on the relation between EF and T1D management has been mounting and suggest that deficits in EF skills likely interfere with optimal management. However, given the substantial EF demands of T1D management, any person with T1D, including those without clinically significant deficits, could likely benefit from strategies to improve diabetes-related EF skills. The current review outlines typical EF development across the lifespan and suggests behavioral strategies (e.g., environmental modifications) from the EF literature and clinical experience to enhance EF skills at each period of development. When executive dysfunction is suspected, formal neuropsychological assessment is recommended as EF concerns can be a significant problem of their own, or they could be an indicator of another psychological disorder, such as depression or dementia.
HSV-mediated expression of interleukin-4 in dorsal root ganglion neurons reduces neuropathic pain.

To examine the role of inflammatory mediators in neuropathic pain, we used a replication-defective genomic herpes simplex virus (HSV)-based vector containing the coding sequence for the anti-inflammatory peptide interleukin (IL)-4 under the transcriptional control of the HSV ICP4 immediate early promoter, vector S4IL4, to express IL-4 in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in vivo. Subcutaneous inoculation of S4IL4 in the foot transduced lumbar DRG to produce IL-4. Transgene-mediated expression of IL-4 did not alter thermal latency or tactile threshold in normal animals, but inoculation of S4IL4 1 week after spinal nerve ligation (SNL) reduced mechanical allodynia and reversed thermal hyperalgesia resulting from SNL. Inoculation of S4IL4 1 week before SNL delayed the development of thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia, but did not prevent the ultimate development of these manifestations of neuropathic pain. S4IL4 inoculation suppressed non-noxious-induced expression of c-Fos immunoreactivity in dorsal horn of spinal cord and reversed the upregulation of spinal IL-1β, PGE2, and phosphorylated-p38 MAP kinase, characteristic of neuropathic pain. HSV-mediated expression of IL-4 effectively reduces the behavioral manifestations of neuropathic pain, and reverses some of the biochemical and histologic correlates of neuropathic pain at the spinal level.
On the Origins of Cognitive Science: The Mechanization of the Mind

The conceptual history of cognitive science remains for the most part unwritten. In this groundbreaking book, Jean-Pierre Dupuyone of the principal architects of cognitive science in Franceprovides an important chapter: the legacy of cybernetics. Contrary to popular belief, Dupuy argues, cybernetics represented not the anthropomorphization of the machine but the mechanization of the human. The founding fathers of cyberneticssome of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, including John von Neumann, Norbert Wiener, Warren McCulloch, and Walter Pittsintended to construct a materialist and mechanistic science of mental behavior that would make it possible at last to resolve the ancient philosophical problem of mind and matter. The importance of cybernetics to cognitive science, Dupuy argues, lies not in its daring conception of the human mind in terms of the functioning of a machine but in the way the strengths and weaknesses of the cybernetics approach can illuminate controversies that rage todaybetween cognitivists and connectionists, eliminative materialists and Wittgensteinians, functionalists and anti-reductionists. Dupuy brings to life the intellectual excitement that attended the birth of cognitive science sixty years ago. He separates the promise of cybernetic ideas from the disappointment that followed as cybernetics was rejected and consigned to intellectual oblivion. The mechanization of the mind has reemerged today as an all-encompassing paradigm in the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science. The tensions, contradictions, paradoxes, and confusions Dupuy discerns in cybernetics offer a cautionary tale for future developments in cognitive science.
The photoperoxidation of unsaturated organic molecules: VIII. The effect of biacetyl☆

Abstract The increased rate of diphenylanthracene consumption in the presence of biacetyl in air-saturated benzene far exceeds that computed on the basis of a catalyzed intersystem-crossing process, and appears to lead to the production of a 9,10-dihydroanthracene derivative which is not the endoperoxide normally formed. The effect is interpreted in terms of a biacetyl-oxygen complex or biacetyl oxciplex intermediate formed by oxygen quenching of the biacetyl triplet state and which has an estimated lifetime of at least 6 μsec.
Widespread, rapid grounding line retreat of Pine Island, Thwaites, Smith, and Kohler glaciers, West Antarctica, from 1992 to 2011

We measure the grounding line retreat of glaciers draining the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica using Earth Remote Sensing (ERS-1/2) satellite radar interferometry from 1992 to 2011. Pine Island Glacier retreated 31 km at its center, with most retreat in 2005-2009 when the glacier ungrounded from its ice plain. Thwaites Glacier retreated 14 km along its fast flow core and 1 to 9 km along the sides. Haynes Glacier retreated 10 km along its flanks. Smith/Kohler glaciers retreated the most, 35 km along its ice plain, and its ice shelf pinning points are vanishing. These rapid retreats proceed along regions of retrograde bed elevation mapped at a high spatial resolution using a mass conservation technique that removes residual ambiguities from prior mappings. Upstream of the 2011 grounding line positions, we find no major bed obstacle that would prevent the glaciers from further retreat and draw down the entire basin. © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Acquired factor VIII inhibitor in a patient with mycosis fungoides

Acquired factor VIII inhibitors have been noted in patients with hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency), in nonhemophilic individuals with various collagen-vascular diseases, in certain normal women following parturition, and occasionally in elderly individuals with no underlying diseases. This study describes the first reported instance of a factor VIII inhibitor in a patient with mycosis fungoides who had bleeding manifested by gross hematuria. Treatment with corticosteroids and cryoprecipitate was followed by cessation of hematuria within two weeks. The patient had one episode of shoulder pain presumably related to hemarthrosis. Immunosuppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide was instituted in an attempt to decrease antibody production and control skin involvement of mycosis fungoides. Factor VIII inhibitor level rose to 1000 Bethesda units without further serious bleeding. There was no peripheral blood evidence of Sezary syndrome. It is possible that some patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, such as mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome, may have an increase in helper T-cells which may lead to excessive B-cell activity and overproduction of antibodies.
Variability in Fire Regimes of High-Elevation Whitebark Pine Communities, Western Montana, USA

We investigated the stand history of whitebark pine forests on 3 mountains in the Lolo National Forest, Montana, USA to characterize the fire regimes and other disturbance agents that historically operated at these sites and to explore the potential influences of modern fire suppression on these forests. We used historical fire atlas data and dendroecological data to reconstruct the distinct history of each stand. The fire regimes of each site fit within the general definition of mixed- severity fire regimes, but distinct differences in fire frequency and severity existed between them. All 3 stands contained at least 1 post-disturbance cohort and had experienced at least 1 widespread fire over their histories. We found no consistent fire-climate relationship at these sites. Mountain pine beetles were the primary mortality agent in the current stands at all 3 sites. Subalpine fir began establishing at each site within 2 decades of the most recent widespread fire and well before fire suppression was effective in this region. Fire suppression may have reduced the occurrence of fire during the late 20th century at all 3 sites, but only the forest on Point Six has exceeded the mean interval between widespread fires. The differences in fire activity and effects of fire suppression that we observed at these sites are likely the result of different biophysical site characteristics and disturbance legacies and hold important implications for the development of site-specific management strategies for whitebark pine restoration.
Interrelationships between Monetary Instruments and Agricultural Commodity Trade: Discussion

The evolving relationships of macroeconomic variables (which Chambers terms monetary instruments) necessitates two quite different types of analyses. The analysis of the evolving relationship of agricultural prices (and hence utilization, income, etc.) and macroeconomic variables in a post-harvest context (within marketing year) or across a few marketing years may be termed commodity analysis. The analysis of the evolving relationship of macroeconomic variables and the long-run equilibrium of the agricultural sector may be termed agricultural adjustment analysis. Much of commodity analysis is logically directed toward the domestic and foreign demand sectors. The supply side of the livestock sector is also impacted by interest rate fluctuations in the short run. Much of this analysis utilizes a forecasting (versus projection) framework. This analysis identifies marketing strategies for farmers, procurement strategies for processing firms, and strategies for hedging
FIRM AND GOVERNMENT AS ACTORS IN PENROSE'S PROCESS THEORY OF INTERNATIONAL GROWTH: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE RESOURCE‐BASED VIEW AND OWNERSHIP–LOCATION– INTERNATIONALISATION PARADIGM

Edith Penrose's The Theory of the Growth of the Firm proposed a process theory of growth based on the pursuit of knowledge by the firm and unconstrained by government. In her subsequent studies of foreign direct investment by large firms in developing countries, Penrose considers the firm and government as actors in the same growth process. This paper explores the development of Penrose's expanded process theory of growth from 1955 to 1973 in which she assumes that neither dual actors nor foreign expansion requires a new or special theory. This finding has implications for the resource-based view and the eclectic ownership–location–internationalisation paradigm interpretations of international business.
Convertible, Nearly Decomposable and Nearly Reducible Matrices

We use basic facts about convertible matrices, nearly decomposable matrices, and nearly reducible matrices to give a matrix theoretical proof of the known characterizations of convertible matrices.
Threshold current for spin-transfer switching

Abstract I derive a new analytic expression for the critical threshold current needed to switch a single-domain magnet by means of the transfer of spin momentum from a static magnet. It is the first such expression which takes significant account of the electron structure of the constituent ferromagnets. It is valid for a class of pillar compositions and geometries commonly used in experiments.
Biometric study using hyperspectral imaging during stress

To the casual observer, transient stress results in a variety of physiological changes that can be seen in the face. Although the conditions can be seen visibly, the conditions affect the emissivity and absorption properties of the skin, which imaging spectrometers, commonly referred to as Hyperspectral (HS) cameras, can quantify at every image pixel. The study reported on in this paper, using Hyperspectral cameras, provides a basis for continued study of HS imaging to eventually quantify biometric stress. This study was limited to the visible to near infrared (VNIR) spectral range. Signal processing tools and algorithms have been developed and are described for using HS face data from human subjects. The subjects were placed in psychologically stressful situations and the camera data were analyzed to detect stress through changes in dermal reflectance and emissivity. Results indicate that hyperspectral imaging may potentially serve as a non-invasive tool to measure changes in skin emissivity indicative of a stressful incident. Particular narrow spectral bands in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum seem especially important. Further studies need to be performed to determine the optimal spectral bands and to generalize the conclusions. The enormous information available in hyperspectral imaging needs further analysis and more spectral regions need to be exploited. Non-invasive stress detection is a prominent area of research with countless applications for both military and commercial use including border patrol, stand-off interrogation, access control, surveillance, and non-invasive and un-attended patient monitoring.
Method for calculating alloy energetics.

A semiempirical method for the computation of alloy energies is introduced. It is based on the equivalent-crystal theory of defect-formation energies in elemental solids. The method is both simple and accurate. Heats of formation as a function of composition are computed for some binary alloys of Cu, Ni, Al, Ag, Pd, Pt, and Au using the heats of solution in the dilute limit as experimental input. The separation of heats into strain and chemical components helps in understanding the energetics. In addition, lattice-parameter contractions seen in solid solutions of Ag and Au are accurately predicted. Good agreement with experiment is obtained in all cases.
Cell multiplication: editorial overview

Although the mechanisms and control of cellular reproduction have been studied for many years, it seems clear that the year under review has been one of the most remarkable yet in terms of the breadth and depth of the insights it has brought us. It also seems clear that this is no accident, and that we can expect more remarkable years of discovery in the near future. The reason is, of course, that the development of recombinant-DNA technology (in conjunction with other technical advances on a broad front) has triggered a revolution in cell biology that is comparable in its profundity to that brought on by the rapid development of cell fractionation and electron microscopy procedures in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The flames of the present revolution are being fanned by the growing appreciation of the degree to which fundamental mechanisms are conserved throughout the eukaryotic world.
Human genes involved in lipolysis of plasma lipoproteins: Mapping of loci for lipoprotein lipase to 8p22 and hepatic lipase to 15q21

We have used cDNA probes for lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase to determine the chromosomal and subchromosomal locations of the human genes for these lipolytic enzymes. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from 17 independent mouse-human somatic cell hybrids demonstrated the presence of the gene for human lipoprotein lipase on chromosome 8, whereas the gene for hepatic lipase was on chromosome 15. Regional mapping of the genes by in situ hybridization to human chromosomes indicated that the lipoprotein lipase gene (LPL) resides in the p22 region of chromosome 8, while hepatic lipase gene (HL) resides in the q21 region of chromosome 15. We previously reported, on the basis of nucleotide and amino acid homologies, that these genes are members of a gene family of lipases, and, thus, the present findings indicate that the members of this family are dispersed. The results are also of significance with respect to disorders involving deficiencies of the enzymes. In particular, they suggest that certain rare combined deficiencies of both enzymes do not involve mutations of the structural loci.
Octamethyl-octaundecylcyclo[8]pyrrole: a promising sulfate anion extractant.

The diprotonated form of an organic-solubilized cyclo[8]pyrrole derivative, bearing eight undecyl chains on the β-pyrrolic positions, was found to extract sulfate anion effectively from neutral aqueous media into a toluene organic phase. The kinetics of sulfate anion exchange between the two phases were found to be exceedingly slow in the absence of the phase-transfer catalyst, Aliquat 336-nitrate (A336N), but appreciable in its presence. The bisnitrate anion bound form of this cyclo[8]pyrrole could be generated in situ by subjecting the toluene phase containing initially 0.5 mM of the sulfate anion bound form and 0.1 mM trioctylamine (TOA) to successive equilibrations with aqueous 0.1 M HNO3 until sulfate was no longer detected in the aqueous phase. This bisnitrate complex, when studied as a 0.5 mM solution in toluene in the presence of 0.1 mM (TOAH)+(NO3-), was also found to be an effective extractant for sulfate anion. DSO4 values of 0.001 and 1000 were observed at 1 M NaNO3(aq) and 0.3 mM NaNO3(aq), r...
Adaptation rates for repetitive control schemes

In this note the effect of the adaptation gains on the rate at which a repetitive control law forces an error to zero is presented. Once determined, a design procedure is suggested for how to choose the gains for the repetitive control law.
Photon-Burst Correlation Techniques for Atmospheric Crosswind Measurements

With a cw visible laser, the method of photon-burst correlation is used measure atmospheric crosswinds. A scaling law, including the effects of atmospheric turbulence, for performance evaluation of both laser Doppler (LDV) and laser time-of-flight (LTV) velocimeters, is introduced theoretically and established experimentally with field experiments. Crosswind measurements in the night at a range of 500 m with a low-power argon-ion laser are reported. The measured signal particle arrival rate is consistent with the predicted arrival rate based on the scaling law. In addition to the use of higher laser power, it is suggested that with proper inclusion of signal photon bursts resulting from the simultaneous arrival of several particles, routine operation of this type of laser velocimeter for long ranges, up to 1000m, should be feasible.
Visual imagery and electroencephalographic changes

Abstract The changes in the electroencephalogram relating to active vision, visual imagery, recall, and visual-motor performance were studied in a group of 180 psychiatric patients, and in 15 blind adolescent students. The conclusions from this study are as follows: 1. 1. An accurate reproduction of a diagram was associated with a low potential (mean 22.2 μV.), relatively non-rhythmical type of electrical activity from the occipital areas during the subjects's non-stimulated state. 2. 2. An inaccurate reproduction was associated with a higher potential (mean 32 μV), rhythmical activity from the occipital areas during rest. 3. 3. The attempted recall of a previously presented picture resulted in a 31 per cent reduction in potential as opposed to the 54.5 per cent during active vision. 4. 4. The influence of “surprise” or an increased awareness appeared to produce a greater electrical change than that related to the complexity of the diagrams. 5. 5. No significant correlations were found between performance and age or sex, the presence of EEG abnormality, the percentage of reduction during active vision or recall, or the rate of reappearance of the alpha activity on eye closure. 6. 6. Some suggestive evidence was presented that visual imagery in the blind is associated with a greater potential change than other types of imagery, and that visual imagery is more prominent in individuals who have lost their sight after two years of age.
Structure of FitAB from Neisseria gonorrhoeae Bound to DNA Reveals a Tetramer of Toxin-Antitoxin Heterodimers Containing Pin Domains and Ribbon-Helix-Helix Motifs

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a sexually transmitted pathogen that initiates infections in humans by adhering to the mucosal epithelium of the urogenital tract. The bacterium then enters the apical region of the cell and traffics across the cell to exit into the subepithelial matrix. Mutations in the fast intracellular trafficking (fitAB) locus cause the bacteria to transit a polarized epithelial monolayer more quickly than the wild-type parent and to replicate within cells at an accelerated rate. Here, we describe the crystal structure of the toxin-antitoxin heterodimer, FitAB, bound to a high affinity 36-bp DNA fragment from the fitAB promoter. FitA, the antitoxin, binds DNA through its ribbon-helix-helix motif and is tethered to FitB, the toxin, to form a heterodimer by the insertion of a four turn α-helix into an extensive FitB hydrophobic pocket. FitB is composed of a PIN (PilT N terminus) domain, with a central, twisted, 5-stranded parallel β-sheet that is open on one side and flanked by five α-helices. FitB in the context of the FitAB complex does not display nuclease activity against tested PIN substrates. The FitAB complex points to the mechanism by which antitoxins with RHH motifs can block the activity of toxins with PIN domains. Interactions between two FitB molecules result in the formation of a tetramer of FitAB heterodimers, which binds to the 36-bp DNA fragment and provides an explanation for how FitB enhances the DNA binding affinity of FitA.
Particle boundary layer above and downstream of an area source: scaling, simulations, and pollen transport

Dispersion of small particles emitted from an area source at the surface into a fully developed high-Reynolds-number boundary layer flow is studied as a theoretical model for pollen dispersion in the neutral atmospheric boundary layer. The particle plume above the area source is assumed to behave as a particle concentration boundary layer. Boundary layer scaling and the assumption of self-preservation lead to an analytical solution in the form of a similarity function that has an additional dependence on the ratio of gravitational settling and turbulent diffusion velocities. Similar arguments are used to predict patterns of deposition onto the surface downstream of the source. Theoretical predictions are tested using a suite of large-eddy-simulation numerical experiments, with good agreement. The combined analysis of theoretical and numerical results reveals interesting features in the patterns of downstream deposition, such as non-monotonic trends in isolation distance with particle settling velocity and surprisingly large isolation distances for practically relevant parameter ranges. Possible effects of turbulence on effective settling velocity are highlighted.
GOBABEB, A NEW CHONDRITE: THE COEXISTENCE OF EQUILIBRATED SILICATES AND UNEQUILIBRATED SPINELS

Gobabeb, an ordinary chondrite, was found near Gobabeb, South West Africa in 1969. Chemically and petrographically it belongs in the H4 group. But, in addition to almost homogeneous silicates and chromites, it contains rare, non-opaque spinels that vary greatly in composition from grain to grain. A similar association in an “almost equilibrated” portion of the Mezo-Madaras chondrite has been interpreted as evidence against the hypothesized metamorphic homogenization of ordinary chondrites. A comparison of the chromites and variable spinels from Mezo-Madaras and Gobabeb suggests, instead, that cation exchange is simply slower in the variable spinels than in the chromites. Based on the evidence to date, the survival of these highly variable spinels is not incompatible with a metamorphic episode for both these meteorites.
Critical factors for determining market price of stocks traded on the Korean Stock Exchanges (KSE)

Many brokers and investors in Korea tend to believe that stock prices in Korea are unpredictable because they are determined largely by socio-political factors instead of fundamental factors of the firm. This research intends to examine the price behaviour of stocks trading on the Korean Stock Exchange (KSE) and to find critical factors that determine the market prices. Several accounting and non-accounting variables that represent risk and return of the firm are used as input variables to the model. In this paper, the Adaptive Learning Network (ALN) approach, an artificial intelligence technique, is used to examine the behaviour of stock prices. The result indicates that stock prices on the KSE are largely determined by the variables that represent risk and return of the firm.
QUANTIFICATION OF NEUROTOXICITY AND IDENTIFICATION OF CELLULAR SUBSETS IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL BRAIN MODEL

Imaging of cells in a large intact three-dimensional tissue remains difficult. Quantification and identification of cell damage in a mixed culture system has been limited by the inability of fluorescent probes to discriminate types of cellular death and penetrate tissue more that 100 microm thick. We have investigated several probes in combination with neural cell-specific antibodies to quantify cell damage in the presence of several toxins. Acridine orange and ethidium bromide were excellent for determination of cell viability, death by necrosis, or apoptosis in thick brain tissue aggregates. Calcein and ethidium homodimer were effective on live/ dead stains, and the Syto dyes 11 and 13 worked well for quantification of all cells in the brain aggregate model. By using these combinations of dyes in conjunction with confocal microscopy, we were able to quantify neural cell damage without disrupting the three-dimensional environment.
An anticancer agent icaritin induces sustained activation of the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway and inhibits growth of breast cancer cells

Icaritin, a prenylflavonoid derivative from Epimedium Genus, regulates many cellular processes. However, the function and the underlying mechanisms of icaritin in breast cancer cell growth have not been well established. Here, we report that icaritin strongly inhibited the growth of breast cancer MDA-MB-453 and MCF7 cells. At concentrations of 2-3 μM, icaritin induced cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase accompanied by a down-regulation of the expression levels of the G(2)/M regulatory proteins such as cyclinB, cdc2 and cdc25C. Icaritin at concentrations of 4-5 μM, however, induced apoptotic cell death characterized by the accumulation of the annexin V- and propidium iodide-positive cells, cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and down-regulation of the Bcl-2 expression. In addition, icaritin also induced a sustained phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in these breast cancer cells. U0126, a specific ERK activation inhibitor, abrogated icaritin-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Icaritin more potently inhibited growth of the breast cancer stem/progenitor cells compared to anti-estrogen tamoxifen. Our results indicate that icaritin is a potent growth inhibitor for breast cancer cells and provide a rationale for preclinical and clinical evaluations of icaritin for breast cancer therapy.
Novice and expert knowledge of individual student's achievement

This is a study of expertise in teaching, and is related to studies of expertise in physics, radiology, chess, etc. Novice teachers, who had considerable experience observing a group of students, and expert classroom teachers each estimated the degree of overlap between the curriculum a child was exposed to and the criterion test used to assess performance. Through think‐aloud protocol analysis novice and expert differences were revealed. Although novices and experts were about equal in their abilities to assess performance on the criterion test, the experts had much more understanding of how and why they made their assessments. Implications for teacher education and research on teaching are discussed.
Unsupervised learning for reranking-based patent retrieval

We present a reranking-based patent retrieval system where the query text is a patent claim, which may be from an existing patent. The novelty of our approach is the automatic generating of training data for learning the ranker. The ranking is based on several features of the candidate patent, such as the text similarity to the claim, international patent code overlap, and internal citation structure of the candidates. Our approach more than doubles the average number of relevant patents in the top 5 over a strong baseline retrieval system.
Ursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis: A 30-month pilot study

We investigated the effects of once-daily oral administration of 10 mg/kg ursodeoxycholic acid (generic name, ursodiol) on elevated serum enzyme activities, bilirubin, cholesterol, bile acids and symptoms in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. A 30-mo, open-label, pilot trial was designed to cover four periods: (a) 3 mo of pretreatment observation (period 1), (b) 6 mo on ursodiol (period 2), (c) 3 mo withdrawal of treatment (period 3) and (d) 18 mo of extended retreatment (period 4). Diagnosis was confirmed by cholangiography and liver biopsy specimens. We enrolled 12 patients with persistently elevated pretreatment alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels (at least twice the upper limit of normal), and observed them for a median of 37 mo. Significant reductions in serum total cholesterol levels and in serum enzyme activities indicating cholestasis and hepatocellular injury occurred during ursodiol treatment in both treatment periods 2 and 4 and relapsed with treatment interruption in period 3. Elevated serum bilirubin and symptoms of disabling fatigue, pruritus and diarrhea were improved by ursodiol. Improvements have continued after 2 yr of treatment in 10 patients (1 patient had a transplantation after he relapsed on withdrawal of ursodiol therapy; another died of postoperative complications of colon resection for carcinoma). No other cases of clinical deterioration were observed in the retreatment period. The longer term reductions of alkaline phosphatase, transaminases, bilirubin and cholesterol after 2 yr of treatment were even greater than the initial reductions after 6 mo of treatment. These results justify initiation of larger, controlled clinical trials, with serial morphological evaluations of the liver and biliary tree.
Carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxic response in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, as influenced by two commercial fish diets

Abstract Alanine aminotransferase (GPT) activity was measured in plasma and liver from rainbow trout fed two commercial fish diets. Plasma enzyme activities for the two groups of fish were significantly different at 3, 6, 12 and 18 hr after treatment with CCl 4 at 1.0 ml/kg. No correlation was found between the degree of hepatocellular damage and elevated plasma GPT activity or the diet. Central vein necrosis was not evident in either dietary group of CCl 4 -treated trout. Dietary constituents and contaminants are discussed as potential variables in this study.
TOPO3α influences antigenic variation by monitoring expression-site-associated VSG switching in Trypanosoma brucei.

Homologous recombination (HR) mediates one of the major mechanisms of trypanosome antigenic variation by placing a different variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene under the control of the active expression site (ES). It is believed that the majority of VSG switching events occur by duplicative gene conversion, but only a few DNA repair genes that are central to HR have been assigned a role in this process. Gene conversion events that are associated with crossover are rarely seen in VSG switching, similar to mitotic HR. In other organisms, TOPO3α (Top3 in yeasts), a type IA topoisomerase, is part of a complex that is involved in the suppression of crossovers. We therefore asked whether a related mechanism might suppress VSG recombination. Using a set of reliable recombination and switching assays that could score individual switching mechanisms, we discovered that TOPO3α function is conserved in Trypanosoma brucei and that TOPO3α plays a critical role in antigenic switching. Switching frequency increased 10–40-fold in the absence of TOPO3α and this hyper-switching phenotype required RAD51. Moreover, the preference of 70-bp repeats for VSG recombination was mitigated, while homology regions elsewhere in ES were highly favored, in the absence of TOPO3α. Our data suggest that TOPO3α may remove undesirable recombination intermediates constantly arising between active and silent ESs, thereby balancing ES integrity against VSG recombination.
Session duration and the VI response function: Within-session prospective and retrospective effects.

Two experiments examined the effects of session duration on responding during simple variable-interval schedules. In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to a series of simple variable-interval schedules differing in both session duration (10 min or 30 min) and scheduled reinforcement rate (7.5 s, 15 s, 30 s, and 480 s). The functions relating response rate to reinforcement rate were predominantly monotonic for the short (10-min) sessions but were predominantly bitonic for the long (30-min) sessions, when data from the entire session were considered. Examination of responding within sessions suggested that differences in the whole-session data were produced by a combination of prospective processes (i.e., processes based on events scheduled to occur later in the session) and retrospective processes (i.e., processes based on events that had already occurred in the session). In Experiment 2, rats were exposed to a modified discrimination procedure in which pellet flavor (standard or banana) predicted session duration (10 min or 30 min). All rats came to respond faster during the short (10-min) sessions than during the first 10 min of the long sessions. As in Experiment 1, the results seemed to reflect the simultaneous operation of both prospective and retrospective processes. The results shed light on the recent controversy over the form of the variable-interval response function by identifying one variable (session duration) and two types of processes (prospective and retrospective) that influence responding on these schedules.
“Won't Breathe” vs “Can't Breathe”: Detection of Depressed Ventilatory Drive in Patients with Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Impaired pulmonary mechanics or depression of the respiratory centers can limit the ventilatory response to inhaled carbon dioxide in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We devised a method able to detect depressed neurogenic and chemical ventilatory drive during expiratory airflow obstruction. In 14 normal subjects, we impeded expiratory airflow while measuring the resultant decline in maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and the ventilatory response to rebreathing 7 percent CO 2 (Δ V ˙ /ΔPCO 2 ). The MVV and Δ V ˙ /ΔPCO 2 fell proportionately and were closely correlated (r = 0.88). The lower limit for Δ V ˙ /ΔPCO 2 during airway obstruction equalled 1.2 L/min/mm Hg × (observed MVV ÷ predicted MVV). Nine patients with COPD and normal arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO 2 ) all had normal values for Δ V ˙ /ΔPCO 2 s corrected for MVV; however, nine of 12 patients with COPD and elevated PaCO 2 and bicarbonate levels had depressed values for Δ V ˙ /ΔPCO 2 . These data indicate that neurogenic and chemical depression to ventilation can be detected in patients with mechanical obstruction to expiratory airflow if Δ V ˙ /ΔPCO 2 is corrected for changes in MVV.
Nucleobase-Specific Enhancement of Cy3 Fluorescence

We report on the role of dye-nucleobase interactions on the photophysical properties of the indocarbocyanine Cy3. The fluorescence efficiency and lifetime ofCy3 increase in the presence of all four nucleoside monophosphates. This behavior correlates with an increase in the activation energy for photoisomerization and a approximately 4 nm red shift in the fluorescence spectrum. Changes are more dramatic for the purines (dAMP, dGMP) than the pyrimidines(dCMP, dTMP), and for the nonsulfonated cyanine(DiIC2(3)) than the sulfonated dye (Cy3-SE). These results are consistent with a model in which Cy3-nucleoside pi-pi interactions decrease the efficiency of photoisomerization,increasing the efficiency of fluorescence.
Capillary Sprouts Restrict Macromolecular Extravasation during Normal Angiogenesis in the Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane

During angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the chick, capillary proliferation occurs primarily by intussusceptive growth. Previously, we reported that such growth in the CAM proceeded without substantial macromolecular extravasation. Neovascularization involving capillary sprout formation, on the other hand, has been associated with a concomitant loss of endothelial selectivity. Thus, the present study tested the hypothesis that endothelial selectivity during angiogenesis is dependent on the mode of microvascular growth. Capillary sprout formation occurs in peripheral regions of the CAM, in addition to the more centrally located areas of intussuceptive growth. In this study, angiogenic endothelial permselectivities were evaluated in these respective areas of CAM microvascular growth by intravital fluorescent microscopy of a graded series of FITC-dextrans. In both cases, the angiogenic endothelia restricted extravasation of macromolecules > or = 20 kDa. Furthermore, capillary sprout endothelia, like the intussusceptive CAM endothelia, remained tightly sealed at the junctional clefts. Thus, angiogenic endothelial permselectivity in the CAM is not dependent on the mode of microvascular growth. Whether distinct cellular mechanisms are operable in capillary endothelial sprouts of the CAM, relative to those of other proliferating sprout endothelia, remains to be tested.
Collection-oriented languages

The authors outline, compare, and contrast the collections and operations found in many collection-oriented languages by putting them into a common framework. In the process, many problems that can occur in specifying such languages are elucidated. These languages are ideal for use with massively parallel machines, even though many of them were developed before parallelism. Some extended examples of collection operations in several languages are given. A taxonomy of collections is introduced. Issues examined include the type of elements a collection can contain, whether a collection must be homogeneously typed, and the ordering among the elements of a collection. The apply-to-each form in collection-oriented languages is examined. This form applies a function to each element of a collection. Issues treated include whether the extension of a function over the elements is explicit or implicit and how the extension is applied to functions with multiple arguments. A variety of languages (including APL, SETL, CM-Lisp, Paralation Lisp, and Fortran 90) are critically compared. >
Experimental study of the macroscopic behavior of magnetostrictive particulate actuators

This paper deals with the experimental study of the macroscopic behavior of the magnetostrictive particulate actuator (MPA). MPA is made of magnetostrictive particles distributed in a host structure. The performance of MPA will depend on various parameters. The understanding of the effects of these parameters on the performance of MPA is necessary for a successful application. The fabrication process of MPA is described. Experimental results obtained include, the effect of volume fraction of particles with same orientation field, effect of orientation field for a chosen volume fraction. The results obtained suggest that although the particles are not as efficient as monolithic rods, MPA approach is the preferred path toward developing smart structures with distributed actuation capability.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of protein hydration on receptor conformation: decreased levels of bound water promote metarhodopsin II formation.

Neutral solutes were used to investigate the effects of osmotic stress both on the ability of rhodopsin to undergo its activating conformation change and on acyl chain packing in the rod outer segm...
Learning Peace From “Lower” Primates

Humans share with primates a rich evolutionary past. As such, academics and practitioners in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies (P&CS) stand to learn much from occasionally taking a broad view...
Absolute stress measurements at the rangely anticline, Northwestern Colorado

Abstract Five different methods of measuring absolute state of stress in rocks in situ were used at sites near Rangely, Colorado, and the results compared. For near-surface measurements, overcoring of the borehole-deformation gage is the most convenient and rapid means of obtaining reliable values for the magnitude and direction of the state of stress in rocks in situ . The magnitudes and directions of the principal stresses are compared to the geologic features of the different areas of measurement. The in situ stresses are consistent in orientation with the stress direction inferred from the earthquake focal-plane solutions and existing joint patterns but inconsistent with stress directions likely to have produced the Rangely anticline.
Somatic synapsis in chironomus, with special reference to the individuality of the chromosomes

The nuclear band of the cells of the salivary glands of Chironomus larvae regularly consists of four segments or chromosomes. Each of these may be recognized by its characteristic distribution of chromatin discs of various sizes. When nucleolar elements are present they have a definite location in relation to the chromation discs of a certain chromosome. The diploid number of chromosomes is eight; therefore, the four segments in the cells of the salivary glands represent four pairs of homologous chromosomes in somatic synapsis which here is not a simple approximation but an accurate pairing part by part of the homologous chromosomes.
Clinical utility of chromogranin A and octreotide in large cell neuro endocrine carcinoma of the uterine corpus

Primary neuroendocrine tumors of the female genital tract have been described in the cervix, ovaries and uterus. Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNC) of the uterine corpus is the least common and appears to behave the most aggressively. We report a rare case of a large cell neuroendocrine tumor of the endometrium. These tumors are not well characterized, unlike neuroendocrine tumors of the uterine cervix. Consequently, the optimal management remains still unclear. The treatment of our case consisted of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and octreotide. Despite the aggressive treatment, the patient died of disease progression 12 months after the initial diagnosis. We discuss the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options for LCNC of the genital tract, and potential future therapeutics.
The impact of standby letters of credit on bank risk: A note

Abstract The paper investigates the capital markets' perception of an off balance sheet instrument issued by banks — a standby letter of credit. Based on an empirical analysis of banking firm stock returns and the volume of standby letters of credit outstanding, it is shown that standby issuance increases the systematic and total risk of bank stock returns. These results support the arguments that the risk of standby letter of credit issuance is similar to the risk of balance sheet lending and that equity investors perceive the senior creditor status of standby beneficiaries.
High temperature thermoelectric properties of rock-salt structure PbS

Abstract We present an analysis of the high temperature transport properties of rock-salt structure PbS, a sister compound to the better studied lead chalcogenides PbSe and PbTe. We find thermopower magnitudes exceeding 200 μ V / K in a wide doping range for temperatures of 800 K and above. Based on these calculations, and an analysis of recent experimental work, we find that this material has a potential for high thermoelectric performance. We also find favorable mechanical properties, based on an analysis of published data.
Intracranial microinfusion of pancreastatin elevates blood glucose, free fatty acids, and corticosterone in rats

Pancreastatin, a novel peptide recently isolated from porcine pancreas, significantly inhibits insulin and somatostatin release and augments glucagon release from the isolated perfused rat pancreas. This implies a role for endogenous pancreatic pancreastatin in the regulation of blood glucose and free fatty acids, the two major metabolic fuels. Since many peptides have similar biological effects when administered centrally and peripherally, the effects of centrally administered pancreastatin on blood glucose and free fatty acids were examined in 3 studies. Corticosterone was also measured in two of these studies. Intraventricular microinfusion of pancreastatin significantly elevated blood glucose, free fatty acid, and corticosterone concentrations in a dose-related manner. None of these effects was seen after subcutaneous injection of the same doses. Centrally administered pancreastatin appears to produce its effects on glucose and free fatty acids through actions in the brain, and either the brain, the median eminence, and/or pituitary for corticosterone.
Differential repression of SOS genes by unstable lexA41 (tsl-1) protein causes a "split-phenotype" in Escherichia coli K-12.

Abstract The lexA41 (formerly tsl-1 ) mutant was isolated as an ultraviolet light-resistant, temperature-sensitive derivative of its ultraviolet light-sensitive lexA3 (Ind − ) parent. Cells exhibit a so-called “split-phenotype”, a phenomenon in which only a subset of the SOS responses can be detected physiologically following inducing treatments. lexA41 has been cloned and sequenced; the mutant gene retains the (tflexA3) mutation (Gly to Asp at position 85) and has a second mutation, lexA41 (Ala to Thr at position 131). We show that LexA41 protein is not cleaved by the RecA protein-catalyzed pathway in vivo , but the mutant protein is degraded by the Lon protease at both 32 ° C and 42 ° C. β-Galactosidase activities of lac fusions to 13 different SOS promoters were measured at 30 ° C and 42 ° C to determine levels of expression and were found to vary considerably. The temperature-sensitive phenotype is a result of increased expression of sulA , which encodes a division inhibitor, at 42 ° C. Excision repair genes, including uvn A, uvrB and uvr D , are constitutively expressed at 30 ° C accounting for the ultraviolet light resistance of the lexA 41 mutant, but the SOS mutagenesis operon, umuD,C , is not adequately derepressed, thereby explaining the failure to induce mutagenesis in this background. This differential expression of SOS genes gives a plausible explanation of the split-phenotype associated with lexA41 .
The Effect of Extended-Wear Aphakic Hydrophilic Contact Lenses after Penetrating Keratoplasty

Summary I fitted nine aphakic patients who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty with extended-wear hydrophilic contact lenses (55% to 80% water content). All patients had edematous host corneas. Eight of nine developed vascularization of the graft after two to 30 weeks of contact lens wear. One patient developed a presumed Candida keratitis. The development of vascularization of the graft suggests that patients with grafted corneas are at special risk with extended-wear hydrophilic contact lenses.