cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Haplotype-Independent Costimulation of IL-10 Secretion by SDF-1/CXCL12 Proceeds via AP-1 Binding to the Human IL-10 Promoter

Costimulation by the chemokine, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12, has been shown to increase the amount of IL-10 secreted by TCR-stimulated human T cells; however, the molecular mechanisms of this response are unknown. Knowledge of this signaling pathway may be useful because extensive evidence indicates that deficient IL-10 secretion promotes autoimmunity. The human IL-10 locus is highly polymorphic. We report in this study that SDF-1 costimulates IL-10 secretion from T cells containing all three of the most common human IL-10 promoter haplotypes that are identified by single-nucleotide polymorphisms at −1082, −819, and −592 bp (numbering is relative to the transcription start site). We further show that SDF-1 primarily costimulates IL-10 secretion by a diverse population of CD45RA− (“memory”) phenotype T cells that includes cells expressing the presumed regulatory T cell marker, Foxp3. To address the molecular mechanisms of this response, we showed that SDF-1 costimulates the transcriptional activities in normal human T cells of reporter plasmids containing 1.1 kb of all three of the common IL-10 promoter haplotypes. IL-10 promoter activity was ablated by mutating two nonpolymorphic binding sites for the AP-1 transcription factor, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays of primary human T cells revealed that SDF-1 costimulation enhances AP-1 binding to both of these sites. Together, these results delineate the molecular mechanisms responsible for SDF-1 costimulation of T cell IL-10 secretion. Because it is preserved among several human haplotypes and in diverse T cell populations including Foxp3+ T cells, this pathway of IL-10 regulation may represent a key mechanism for modulating expression of this important immunoregulatory cytokine.
The Physiology of Supraspinal Neurons in Mammals

The sections in this article are: 1 Biophysical Properties of Supraspinal Neurons 2 Dendritic Function in Supraspinal Neurons 2.1 Nature of Dendritic Responses in Supraspinal Neurons Deduced from Intracellular Recordings 2.2 Antidromic Invasion of Distal Dendritic Trees 2.3 Dendritic Responses and Repetitive Firing 2.4 Function of Dendritic Inputs and Responses 3 Synaptic Mechanisms in Supraspinal Neurons 3.1 Postsynaptic Excitation and Inhibition 3.2 Disfacilitation and Disinhibition 3.3 Presynaptic Inhibition 3.4 Correlation of Structure and Function in Supraspinal Synapses 4 Electrotonic Junctions 5 Prolonged Transmitter Actions on Supraspinal Neurons by Acetylcholine and Norepinephrine 6 Potassium Ion Accumulation: Neuron and Glial Cell Responses 7 Plasticity and Sprouting in Supraspinal Circuits 8 Search for the Functional Meaning of Supraspinal Circuits 8.1 Sculpturing Function of Supraspinal Inhibitory Actions and Spatial Frequency Filtering 8.2 Dynamic Properties of Neuronal Networks 8.3 Neuronal Populations with Similar Properties: Columns and Colonies 8.4 Receptive Field Analysis and the Selectivity of Neuron Responses 8.5 Selectivity of Neuron Responses Associated With Movement 9 Overview
THz-Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules.

The terahertz frequency absorption spectraof DNA molecules reflect low-frequencyinternal helical vibrations involvingrigidly bound subgroups that are connectedby the weakest bonds, including thehydrogen bonds of the DNA base pairs,and/or non-bonded interactions. Althoughnumerous difficulties make the directidentification of terahertz phonon modes inbiological materials very challenging, ourresearch has shown that such measurementsare both possible and fruitful. Spectra ofdifferent DNA samples reveal a large numberof modes and a reasonable level ofsequence-specific uniqueness. In an attemptto show that the long wavelength absorptionfeatures are intrinsic properties ofbiological materials determined by phononmodes, a normal mode analysis has been usedto predict the absorption spectra ofpolynucleotide RNA Poly[G]-Poly[C]. Directcomparison demonstrated a correlationbetween calculated and experimentallyobserved spectra of the RNA polymers, thusconfirming that the fundamental physicalnature of the observed resonance structureis caused by the internal vibration modesin the macromolecules.In this work we demonstrate results fromFourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR)spectroscopy of DNA macromolecules andrelated biological materials in theterahertz frequency range. Carefulattention was paid to the possibility ofinterference or etalon effects in thesamples, and phenomena were clearlydifferentiated from the actual phononmodes. In addition, we studied thedependence of transmission spectra ofaligned DNA and polynucleotide film sampleson molecule orientation relative to theelectromagnetic field, showing the expectedchange in mode strength as a function ofsample orientation. Further, the absorptioncharacteristics were extracted from thetransmission data using the interferencespectroscopy technique, and a stronganisotropy of terahertz characteristics wasdemonstrated.
Effect of Polycations on Growth and Dissemination of the Encephalomyocarditis Virus in Mice

Pathogenicity of the encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus for adult mice was increased when polycations of diverse type were mixed with virus and inoculated by the subcutaneous or intraperitoneal routes. Diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) dextran, hexadimethrine (polybrene), polymyxin B, polylysine, and calf thymus histone in various concentrations stimulated multiplication of virus in tissues at the injection site and enhanced entry of virus into the blood. The nonpathogenic r(+) variant of EMC which grows locally in tissues but fails to disseminate after subcutaneous and intraperitoneal inoculation was used in most experiments. This virus caused viremia and fatal central nervous system disease only when the polycations were included in the inoculum. DEAE dextran and polybrene stimulated the release of interferon in infected tissues but had no effect in the absence of virus multiplication. Histological studies of tissues from the injection site showed that polycations provoke a mononuclear cell reaction and alter the integrity of connective tissue. However, the mechanism by which the substances enhance virus growth and dissemination was not defined.
Epitope map of two polyclonal antibodies that recognize amyloid lesions in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Two synthetic peptides with sequences identical with those of fragments of the extracellular domain of the Alzheimer's-disease amyloid precursor protein (APP) were used to raise antibodies. SP28 comprises positions 597-624 of the APP695 isoform, whereas SP41 extends towards the N-terminus (amino acids 584-624) and contains the entire SP28 peptide. Using e.l.i.s.a. and inhibition experiments we identified the two beta-turn-containing segments 602-607 and 617-624 as the epitopes recognized by anti-SP41 and anti-SP28 respectively. Both antibodies immunolabelled amyloid lesions in brains from Alzheimer's-disease patients and patients with related disorders, whereas they were unreactive in control brains. However, when probed on immunoblots, anti-SP28 failed to detect full-length APP from baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells, and anti-SP41 reacted weakly compared with other anti-APP antisera. The data suggest that these antibodies are directed to conformational epitopes not existent in the native molecules but present after alternative APP processing.
The Impact of Remittances on Transnational Families

This qualitative and exploratory study was conducted in a rural community in Puebla, Mexico, in August 2008. The study specifically explores the decision-making process, as well as the interpersonal dynamics involved in the act of remitting, and how the family remaining in the community of origin manages the financial and emotional transactions as beneficiaries of the remittances. This study found that in this particular community, once a husband migrates, his wife typically moves in with her family in-law. In most families, the migrant initially sent the remittances directly to his mother, enabling her authority and power over his wife. This dynamic has psychological impacts and also influences the relationship between the migrant and his wife. Additionally, change occurs throughout the course of the husband's migration that affects family relationships and functioning. For example, the remittances sent by the husband may allow his wife and children to obtain their own property and gain independence from...
Farm and Forest in Central Africa: Toward an Integrated Rural Development Strategy

The authors explore three problems confronting scientists working in the central African humid forest zone and show their interconnectedness in the context of the sociopolitical history of the area. These problems emerge from different domains at different spatial scales: agricultural development, natural resource management, and landscape scale conservation. Land and livelihoods are severely constrained in central Africa. Agriculture is rarely remunerative: prices are low, technology limited, land rights contested, and labor scarce. People turn to “illegal” activities such as hunting, mining, pit-sawing, whisky brewing, and joining militias to make a living. Animal husbandry does not present a widely viable option. Land use planning at “landscape” scale is mooted to protect forests and save animals but it is not likely to address livelihood or governance concerns. Without clear legal frameworks and transparent processes, conflict and landgrabbing will result. Investors and planners should rather concentr...
Organizing structured web sources by query schemas: a clustering approach

In the recent years, the Web has been rapidly "deepened" with the prevalence of databases online. On this deep Web, many sources are structured by providing structured query interfaces and results. Organizing such structured sources into a domain hierarchy is one of the critical steps toward the integration of heterogeneous Web sources. We observe that, for structured Web sources, query schemas ie, attributes in query interfaces) are discriminative representatives of the sources and thus can be exploited for source characterization. In particular, by viewing query schemas as a type of categorical data, we abstract the problem of source organization into the clustering of categorical data. Our approach hypothesizes that "homogeneous sources" are characterized by the same hidden generative models for their schemas. To find clusters governed by such statistical distributions, we propose a new objective function, model-differentiation, which employs principled hypothesis testing to maximize statistical heterogeneity among clusters. Our evaluation over hundreds of real sources indicates that (1) the schema-based clustering accurately organizes sources by object domains eg, Books, Movies), and (2) on clustering Web query schemas, the model-differentiation function outperforms existing ones, such as likelihood, entropy, and context linkages, with the hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm.
Antinociceptive Potentiation and Attenuation of Tolerance by Intrathecal Co-Infusion of Magnesium Sulfate and Morphine in Rats

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, such as MK801, delay the development of morphine tolerance. Magnesium, a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, reduces postoperative morphine requirements. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of intrathecal co-administration of magnesium sulfate with morphine on antinociceptive potentiation, tolerance, and naloxone-induced withdrawal signs. Magnesium sulfate (40-60 [micro sign]g/h) co-administration for 7 days, similar to MK801 (10 nmol/h), prevented the decline in antinociceptive response compared with morphine (20 nmol/h). Magnesium sulfate (60 [micro sign]g/h) produced no antinociception, but co-infused with morphine (1 nmol/h), it resulted in potentiated antinociception compared with morphine throughout the 7-day period. Probe morphine doses after 7-day infusions demonstrated a significantly greater 50% effective dose value for morphine 1 nmol/h (109.7 nmol) compared with saline (10.9 nmol), magnesium sulfate 60 [micro sign]g/h (10.9 nmol), and magnesium sulfate 60 [micro sign]g/h plus morphine 1 nmol/h (11.2 nmol), which indicates that magnesium had delayed morphine tolerance. Morphine withdrawal signs after naloxone administration were not altered by the co-infusion of magnesium sulfate. Cerebrospinal fluid magnesium levels after intrathecal magnesium sulfate (60 [micro sign]g/h) for 2 days increased from 17.0 +/- 1.0 [micro sign]g/mL to 41.4 +/- 23.6 [micro sign]g/mL, although serum levels were unchanged. This study demonstrates antinociceptive potentiation and delay in the development of morphine tolerance by the intrathecal co-infusion of magnesium sulfate and morphine in the rat. Implications: The addition of magnesium sulfate, an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, to morphine in an intrathecal infusion provided better analgesia than morphine alone in normal rats. These results suggest that intrathecal administration of magnesium sulfate may be a useful adjunct to spinal morphine analgesia. (Anesth Analg 1998;86:830-6)
Hexagonal Boron Nitride and Graphite Oxide Reinforced Multifunctional Porous Cement Composites

The synthesis and characterization of multifunctional cement and concrete composites filled with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphite oxide (GO), is reported and their superior mechanical strength and oil adsorption properties compared to composites devoid of fillers are illustrated. GO is utilized to bridge the cement surfaces while h-BN is used to mechanically reinforce the composites and adsorb the oil. Introduction of these fillers even at low filler weight fractions increases the compressive strength and toughness properties of pristine cement and of porous concrete significantly, while the porous composite concrete illustrates excellent ability for water separation and crude oil adsorption. Experimental results along with theoretical calculations show that such nanoengineered forms of cement based composites would enable the development of novel forms of multifunctional structural materials with a range of environmental applications.
The Effect of Annulus Performance Parameters on Rotor-Stator Cavity Sealing Flow

The amount of cooling air assigned to seal high pressure turbine rim cavities is critical for performance as well as component life. Insufficient air leads to excessive hot annulus gas ingestion and its penetration deep into the cavity compromising disk or cover plate life. Excessive purge air, on the other hand, adversely affects performance. This paper is Part-2 of the authors’ work on ingestion reported last year [1]. Whereas, the main focus of that investigation was to qualitatively describe ingestion driven by annulus circumferential pressure asymmetry under constant annulus conditions and rotational speed, in this paper, the research team investigated the variation of annulus circumferential pressure fluctuation and rotational speed on the double overlap platform rim seal cavity reported in Part-1, and mapped out the resulting non-dimensional minimum sealing flow (minimum value of Cw or Cw,min ) as it relates to entrained ingestion in the absence of cavity cooling flow (Cw,ent ). As was done in Part-1, the runs were made with 3D CFD in setup/run mode option using Fine/Turbo. At two rotational speeds, annulus conditions were varied by reducing turbine inlet pressure (i.e. mass flow) from the baseline operating condition, and the resulting pressure fluctuation was quantified. In addition, a preliminary investigation to assess the aft-located mixing plane steady state solution for this study was performed. The results yielded the linear decrease in Cw,ent at fixed rotational Reynolds number as annulus Reynolds number was decreased. Moreover, the rate of change in entrained flow sharply increases with increase in rotational Reynolds number. As annulus mass flow is reduced to a critical value defined by annulus-to-rotational Reynolds number ratio, the CFD prediction for Cw,ent converges to the turbulent boundary layer entrainment solution for the rotor, and Cw,min reverts to the rotational Reynolds number dominating region. The results from this study were compared to what has been observed by a previous study for a single overlap platform geometry. The resulting design curve allows insight in relating cavity purge flow requirements versus turbine cycle parameters which could lead to better efficiency.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Multiple Distinct Risk Loci for Nicotine Dependence Identified by Dense Coverage of the Complete Family of Nicotinic Receptor Subunit (CHRN) Genes

Tobacco smoking continues to be a leading cause of preventable death. Recent research has underscored the important role of specific cholinergic nicotinic receptor subunit (CHRN) genes in risk for nicotine dependence and smoking. To detect and characterize the influence of genetic variation on vulnerability to nicotine dependence, we analyzed 226 SNPs covering the complete family of 16 CHRN genes, which encode the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits, in a sample of 1,050 nicotine-dependent cases and 879 non-dependent controls of European descent. This expanded SNP coverage has extended and refined the findings of our previous large-scale genome-wide association and candidate gene study. After correcting for the multiple tests across this gene family, we found significant association for two distinct loci in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster, one locus in the CHRNB3-CHRNA6 gene cluster, and a fourth, novel locus in the CHRND-CHRNG gene cluster. The two distinct loci in CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 are represented by the non-synonymous SNP rs16969968 in CHRNA5 and by rs578776 in CHRNA3, respectively, and joint analyses show that the associations at these two SNPs are statistically independent. Nominally significant single-SNP association was detected in CHRNA4 and CHRNB1. In summary, this is the most comprehensive study of the CHRN genes for involvement with nicotine dependence to date. Our analysis reveals significant evidence for at least four distinct loci in the nicotinic receptor subunit genes that each influence the transition from smoking to nicotine dependence and may inform the development of improved smoking cessation treatments and prevention initiatives.
The impact of leadership and team behavior on standard of care delivered during human patient simulation: a pilot study for undergraduate medical students.

Background: Methodology to train team behavior during simulation has received increased attention, but standard performance measures are lacking, especially at the undergraduate level. Purposes: Our purposes were to develop a reliable team behavior measurement tool and explore the relationship between team behavior and the delivery of an appropriate standard of care specific to the simulated case. Methods: Authors developed a unique team measurement tool based on previous work. Trainees participated in a simulated event involving the presentation of acute dyspnea. Performance was rated by separate raters using the team behavior measurement tool. Interrater reliability was assessed. The relationship between team behavior and the standard of care delivered was explored. Results: The instrument proved to be reliable for this case and group of raters. Team behaviors had a positive relationship with the standard of medical care delivered specific to the simulated case. Conclusions: The methods used provide a p...
Structural Basis for the Inefficient Nucleotide Incorporation Opposite Cisplatin-DNA Lesion by Human DNA Polymerase β

Human DNA polymerase β (polβ) has been suggested to play a role in cisplatin resistance, especially in polβ-overexpressing cancer cells. Polβ has been shown to accurately albeit slowly bypass the cisplatin-1,2-d(GpG) (Pt-GG) intramolecular cross-link in vitro. Currently, the structural basis for the inefficient Pt-GG bypass mechanism of polβ is unknown. To gain structural insights into the mechanism, we determined two ternary structures of polβ incorporating dCTP opposite the templating Pt-GG lesion in the presence of the active site Mg2+ or Mn2+. The Mg2+-bound structure shows that the bulky Pt-GG adduct is accommodated in the polβ active site without any steric hindrance. In addition, both guanines of the Pt-GG lesion form Watson-Crick base pairing with the primer terminus dC and the incoming dCTP, providing the structural basis for the accurate bypass of the Pt-GG adduct by polβ. The Mn2+-bound structure shows that polβ adopts a catalytically suboptimal semiclosed conformation during the insertion of dCTP opposite the templating Pt-GG, explaining the inefficient replication across the Pt-GG lesion by polβ. Overall, our studies provide the first structural insights into the mechanism of the potential polβ-mediated cisplatin resistance.
Auxotypes and penicillin susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from patients with gonorrhea involving two or more sites.

A system of auxotyping described in 1973 is based on the differing nutritional requirement patterns of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains. Our ongoing evaluation of the reliability of auxotyping has involved a study of the constancy of characteristics of gonococci isolated at one time from two or more sites of a given subject. The auxotypes and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of penicillin G were determined for 181 isolates obtained from 84 patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea, for 16 isolates from 8 couples with uncomplicated gonorrhea, and for 21 isolates from 12 other patients, 9 with disseminated gonococcal infection and three consorts. The penicillin MIC served to distinguish between many members of auxotypes 1, 2, and 3, which are commonly involved in uncomplicated gonorrhea. Thus, for proline-requiring gonococci (auxotype 2) the MIC ranged from 0.01 to 1.2 IU of penicillin per ml. The profile of gonococcal responses to seven other antibacterial drugs provided useful additional information where the extent of phenotypic similarity was in doubt. In all but seven instances, the gonococci isolated from different sites of the same patient, or from a consort, had the same nutritional requirements and penicillin MIC. The gonococci isolated from one patient with disseminated gonococcal infection and from one of her two sexual contacts had nutritional requirements for arginine, hypoxanthine, uracil, and thiamine pyrophosphate, whereas the strain isolated from her second contact differed in having no requirement for thiamine pyrophosphate. The paired cervical and rectal isolates from one patient with uncomplicated gonorrhea differed only with respect to a requirement for hypoxanthine. Pairs of isolates from three patients differed slightly in degree of susceptibility to penicillin. In the remaining two instances, however, numerous differences between the isolates from the endocervix and the anal canal of a given patient indicated the presence of concomitant infections with different strains of N. gonorrhoeae .
Metabolism of dextrosulphenidol in several animal species

The in vivo metabolism of dextrosulphenidol has been studied using various test organisms. Differences are noted and comparisons are made as to the effect of biological variation on the absorption, distribution, and excretion of the drug.
What are the real long-run objectives of business?

American business has been placed on the defensive by other elements of society in recent years. The businessman's traditional limited role of producer and distributor of goods and services is now being challenged by those who believe that he has a wider responsibility to society than economic efficiency and obedience to the letter of the law. The decision-maker is being asked to consider the effect of his actions on the environment, minority rights, consumer satisfaction, employee morale, international relations and other areas rather than confine his attention to the bo t tom line. The responses of those in business to this challenge have been predictably varied. Some have agressively defended the traditional role of business, saying that ethical judgments and political involvement ought not play a role in business decisions, provided the law is not violated. Others defend themselves by claiming that business really does believe its actions should be affected by broad social variables. Despite the voluminous literature, some of it contributed by businessmen themselves, on how business ought to act, relatively little information is given on how business actually acts. Is the recent admission by many businessmen that their responsibility goes beyond making money for the owners of their firms nothing more than a public relations blitz for the banquet circuit? Or does it indicate that profound changes in the way businesses make decisions are under way? The question of how persons in business actually behave is especially important to those who teach business administration. The usual procedure in teaching and research is to assume a set of objectives and build behavioral models which describe the pursuit of these objectives. In economics and finance, as well as in some other disciplines, it is assumed that business maximizes profits or, in more sophisticated discussions, stockholders' wealth. Either assumption is useful to academia since powerful mathematical and statistical tools are available for solving problems which involve maximizing a measurable variable such as profit or wealth. Hence, the debate over the proper objectives of business has had relatively little impact on academic analysis of business decisions, whether the writings are in the professional journals or in textbooks. In finance literature the assumption that stockholders' wealth is maximized reigns supreme. Textbooks contain such statements as: 75
Studying Sex Prejudice in Children

Summary A methodology for studying sex prejudice in children was explored in this study. An eight-year-old child, dressed in a sexually neutral set of clothing, was filmed performing 12 common recreational activities—four of which had previously been identified as typical of boys, four as typical of girls, and four as common to both sexes. The film was shown to 352 children from the first, third and fifth grades of two public elementary schools. For half the children at each grade level the filmed model was identified as a girl (“Anne”), for the other half as a boy (“John”). The children were asked to rate the model's performance on each of the 12 activities, and ratings assigned by children viewing “Anne” and those viewing “John” were compared. Both boys and girls were found to be biased in favor of their own sex, but this was especially true for girls. The tendency for girls watching “Anne” to assign higher ratings than those watching “John” was present among first graders, and became more pronounced wi...
Distributed organization of a brain microcircuit analyzed by three-dimensional modeling: the olfactory bulb

The functional consequences of the laminar organization observed in cortical systems cannot be easily studied using standard experimental techniques, abstract theoretical representations, or dimensionally reduced models built from scratch. To solve this problem we have developed a full implementation of an olfactory bulb microcircuit using realistic three-dimensional (3D) inputs, cell morphologies, and network connectivity. The results provide new insights into the relations between the functional properties of individual cells and the networks in which they are embedded. To our knowledge, this is the first model of the mitral-granule cell network to include a realistic representation of the experimentally-recorded complex spatial patterns elicited in the glomerular layer (GL) by natural odor stimulation. Although the olfactory bulb, due to its organization, has unique advantages with respect to other brain systems, the method is completely general, and can be integrated with more general approaches to other systems. The model makes experimentally testable predictions on distributed processing and on the differential backpropagation of somatic action potentials in each lateral dendrite following odor learning, providing a powerful 3D framework for investigating the functions of brain microcircuits.
α-Amino acids by catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation

Abstract Over the past decade the field of asymmetric hydrogenation has proliferated. It is now one of the best understood catalytic reactions. Enantiomeric excesses greater than 95% can be achieved with α-acylaminoacrylic acids, amino acid precursors. Excellent enantioselectivity can also be obtained with other prochiral olefins.
Intratubular large cell hyalinizing Sertoli cell neoplasia of the testis: A report of 8 cases of a distinctive lesion of the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

We report the clinical and pathologic features of 8 boys with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome who had distinctive testicular lesions. The patients were 4 to 13 years of age (mean, 6.5 y), and all had gynecomastia, which was the presenting feature in 7. Physical examination demonstrated bilateral testicular e
The pitfalls of misreading: what does "industry funding of medical education" actually say?

The first step in responsible scholarship is reading the literature carefully; the second is accurately representing it. Huddle's (2010) piece does not reflect these scholarly steps; it simply make...
Brain design: The evolution of brains

After reviewing historical aspects of brain evolution, this accessible book provides an enjoyable overview of several general principles of brain evolution, culminating in discussions of mammalian and human brains and a framework for future research.
Does the guinea-pig ileum obey the ‘law of the intestine’?

1. We report the first simultaneous mechanical reflex responses of the longitudinal muscle (LM) and circular muscle (CM) layers of the guinea-pig ileum following mucosal stimulation and distension in vitro. 2. Dissection techniques were used to prevent mechanical interaction between the LM and CM layers both oral and anal to a stimulus site. 3. All graded stimuli produced graded contractions of both the LM and CM orally and anally to the stimulus. Contractions occurred synchronously in the LM and CM and under no circumstances were inhibitory responses recorded in either muscle layer, despite the presence of ongoing cholinergic tone in both the LM and CM. Contractions were abolished by tetrodotoxin (1.6 microM). 4. Local brush stroking of the mucosa evoked a peristaltic wave which readily conducted distally over 13 cm, without the presence of fluid in the lumen. No descending relaxation was observed. 5. Apamin (300 nM) disrupted evoked peristaltic waves and significantly increased the rate-of-rise of the LM and CM contractions anal to a stimulus, and the LM oral to a stimulus. 6. Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (100 microM), a nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor, had no overall significant effect on the characteristics of the LM and CM contractions, although on occasion an enhancement in their peak amplitude was noted. 7. It is suggested that the guinea-pig ileum does not conform to the 'law of the intestine' as postulated by Bayliss & Starling (1899). Rather, local physiological stimulation of the ileum elicits a contraction both orally and anally to a stimulus, which occurs synchronously in both the CM and LM layers. Apamin-sensitive inhibitory neurotransmission modulates the rate-of-rise of the anal contraction of the CM, possibly to generate distal propulsion.
Options as information: Rational reversals of evaluation and preference

This article develops a rational analysis of an important class of apparent preference reversals-joint-separate reversals traditionally explained by the evaluability hypothesis. The "options-as-information" model considers a hypothetical rational actor with limited knowledge about the market distribution of a stimulus attribute. The actor's evaluations are formed via a 2-stage process-an inferential stage in which beliefs are updated on the basis of the sample of options received, followed by an assessment stage in which options are evaluated in light of these updated beliefs. This process generates joint-separate reversals in standard experimental designs. The normative model explains why the evaluability hypothesis works when it does, identifies boundary conditions for the hypothesis, and clarifies some common misconceptions about these effects. In particular, it implies that joint-separate reversals are not irrational; in fact, they are not preference reversals. However, in expanded designs where more than 2 options are jointly evaluated, the model predicts that genuine (and rational) preference reversals will sometimes emerge. Results of 3 experiments suggest an excellent fit between the rational actor model and the judgments of human actors in joint-separate experiments.
X-ray reflectivity study of thin film oxide superconductors

Abstract Results are presented from X-ray reflectivity measurements that examine the interface roughness of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x films. We focus on the quality of these interfaces for studies of the London penetration depth using neutron reflection and for tunnel junctions containing Pb cap layers.
Biosensors for DNA sequence detection

DNA biosensors are being developed as alternatives to conventional DNA microarrays. These devices couple signal transduction directly to sequence recognition. Some of the most sensitive and functional technologies use fibre optics or electrochemical sensors in combination with DNA hybridization. In a shift from sequence recognition by hybridization, two emerging single-molecule techniques read sequence composition using zero-mode waveguides or electrical impedance in nanoscale pores.
Driving Carbon Capture and Storage forward in China

Abstract China’s economy has been on a solid fast growth track since 1978. The economy expanded by an average annual rate of about 10% during the last thirty years. That is more than triple the average growth rate of the world economy during the same period. The rapid economic development has been associated with growing energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission. Although the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol exempts China from reducing its own CO 2 output, China, as the first or second largest CO 2 emission country, is facing growing international political pressure. As a responsible big country, China will almost certainly have to respond to climate change in the future. China is entering unexpected fast development period of the industrialization, urbanization and motorization, in which large-scale new infrastructures will be built. This provides great opportunity to plan for longer-term CO 2 mitigation—the infrastructures built today have a long life time and are not easy to upgrade the technologies involved, and decisions made now will have a major impact on energy utilization mode and CO 2 mitigation technology option in coming years. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), as an option in the portfolio of mitigation actions to combat climate change, is expected to have far-reaching implications for China. This paper (1) explores the strategic significance of CCS for China by making an extreme scenario analysis of Chinese power sector in 2030; (2) provides an overview of the recent CCS activities in China; and (3) identifies the major challenges with respect to CCS development in China and put forwards immediate strategies.
Nuclear Waste Glasses: Continuous Melting and Bulk Vitrification

This contribution addresses various aspects of nuclear waste vitrification. Nuclear wastes have a variety of components and composition ranges. For each waste composition, the glass must be formulated to possess acceptable processing and product behavior defined in terms of physical and chemical properties that guarantee that the glass can be easily made and resist environmental degradation. Glass formulation is facilitated by developing property-composition models, and the strategy of model development and application is reviewed. However, the large variability of waste compositions presents numerous additional challenges: insoluble solids and molten salts may segregate; foam may hinder heat transfer and slow down the process; molten salts may accumulate in container refractory walls; on cooling, the glass may precipitate crystalline phases. These problems need targeted exploratory research. Examples of specific problems and their possible solutions are discussed.
Experimental Study of Laminar Heat Transfer to In-Tube Flow of Non-Newtonian Fluids

An experimental study is reported of heat transfer to laminar flow of two water-methocel pseudoplastic (power law) solutions in a circular tube subjected to a uniform wall heat flux. The object of this study was to evaluate the effects of non-Newtonian behavior and temperature-dependent consistency on heat transfer. The experimental Nusselt numbers are compared with numerical predictions and experimental data. Two correlations are recommended according to the temperature-dependence of the rheological characteristics.
The Movement and Distribution of Paiute Cutthroat Trout, Salmo clarki seleniris, in Cottonwood Creek, California

Abstract Approximately 500 Paiute trout inhabited 2 out of 5.3 km of available stream during the summer of 1974. Distribution of fish was determined by mark-recapture, trapping, and visual observations; there was little large-scale movement. Twenty-one fish were transplanted within the stream to an unpopulated section, and 15 were recaptured there after 2 months. During this time, only four fish moved into the donor area of the stream. Transplantation was successful; therefore, habitat quality was probably not inhibiting fish occupation of most vacant stream areas. Slow dispersal of this population of fish appears to be limiting its distribution within the stream.
Long-latency event-related potentials in rats: Effects of task and stimulus parameters

Abstract Animal models of event-related potentials have recently been developed in rats in order to gain further understanding of the psychobiological variables which underlie these waveforms. In the present study, unanesthetized male Wistar rats, chronically implanted with electrodes, were utilized in order to: (i) compare event-related potentials recorded following the presentation of passively presented auditory stimuli from different neocortical, hippocampal and perihippocampal sites; (ii) test the effects of changes in stimulus probability and loudness on event-related potentials recorded from those sites; and (iii) record event-related potentials from rats who were actively performing in a tone discrimination task. The results of these studies showed that in all electrode sites (frontal cortex, parietal cortex, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus) a series of large amplitude potentials in the 10–200 ms latency range could be recorded in response to passively presented stimuli. Late positive potentials in the 300–400 ms range were only identified in recordings from the posterior cortex, entorhinal area, and dorsal hippocampus. Some of these late positive components were also found to be sensitive to changes in stimulus probability. A similar series of waves were detected in a paradigm where rats were required to actively discriminate between two tones; however, the morphologies of the waveforms were found to be more distinct. These studies suggest that rats may be good subjects for the exploration of the neural origins of event-related potentials. These studies demonstrate that rats performing in an auditory discrimination task can generate electrophysiological potentials which are time locked to the onset of a “cognitively relevant” stimulus (event-related potentials). These potentials can be recorded in limbic (hippocampus and amygdala) and cortical (parietal cortex) brain sites. The event-related potentials recorded in rats respond to changes in stimulus parameters in a similar fashion to those previously described in monkeys and human subjects. The identification of a rat model of event-related potentials provides an opportunity to further explore the neural origins of event-related potentials, to estimate the role of genetics in determining individual variation in waveforms, as well as to provide electrophysiological assays of the effects of various drugs on neurosensory and cognitive processing.
Strategies to develop chimerism in vascularized skin allografts across MHC barrier

In this study, we investigated the effects of 7-day-protocols of alphabeta-T-cell receptor monoclonal antibody (alphabeta-TCRmAb), cyclosporine A (CsA), and tacrolimus (FK-506) immunosuppressive monotherapies, and their combinations on the survival of vascularized skin allografts (VSA). Forty-two transplantations of VSA across a strong MHC barrier were performed between ACI (RT1a) donors and Lewis (RT1(l)) recipients in seven groups. Isograft and allograft rejection controls received no treatment. Treatment groups received a 7-day protocol of alphabeta-TCRmAb, CsA, or FK-506 monotherapy, or a combination of alphabeta-TCRmAb/CsA and alphabeta-TCRmAb/FK-506. VSA transplants were evaluated on a daily basis. Donor-specific chimerism was determined by flow cytometry (FC). The combined protocols of alphabeta-TCRmAb/FK-506 and alphabeta-TCRmAb/CsA significantly prolonged VSA survivals compared to monotherapy groups ( P < 0.005). FC analysis revealed 15.82% of donor-specific chimerism on day 7 under the alphabeta-TCRmAb/CsA protocol and a gradual chimerism decline on day 63 posttransplant. The significant extension of VSA survival achieved under 7-day protocols of combined therapies was directly associated with the presence of donor-specific chimerism.
Anaerobic digestion of liquid dairy manure using a sequential continuous-stirred tank reactor system

BACKGROUND: Anaerobic digestion of liquid manure from flush dairy operations is an alternative to manure management practices with environmental benefits and producing biogas. A unique sequential reactor system was used to study the anaerobic digestion (AD) of flush dairy manure with the aim of determining (1) the effects of organic strength of the influent on AD performance; (2) whether phase separation is beneficial to treatment and AD design; and (3) whether there is any difference between completely mixed and plug-flow approaches to implementing the AD process. RESULTS: The influent with high organic strength resulted in higher levels of biogas production and chemical oxygen demand (COD)/solids removal. When the manure stream is used as influent for the anaerobic digestion, the phenomenon of two-stage anaerobic digestion process does not exist because the stream contained high levels of alkalinity and volatile fatty acids. The biogas production and COD/solids destruction achieved by plug-flow and completely mixed reactor were very similar when treating the liquid manure stream. CONCLUSION: The organic strength of the influent significantly influenced AD performance. The plug-flow reactor and the completely mixed reactor had a similar AD performance. For the type of manure and organic loading rate investigated, the results give indications for designing an AD process in flush dairy operations. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Cell proliferation, migration and differentiation in the cerebral cortex of the golden hamster

This work was undertaken: (1) to determine the sites of cell proliferation in the cerebral cortex of the hamster during prenatal life and shortly after birth; (2) to study the migration pattern of neuroblasts before and shortly after birth; and (3) to examine the differentiation of the neuroblasts during migration and after arrival at their final location. Tritiated thymidine was injected in pregnant hamsters at various days of gestation and in newborn animals. When one hour after treatment the parietal cortex of the embryos was examined for DNA synthesis, labeled cells were found in the neuroepithelial layer but not in the cortical layers. In the newborn radioactive cells were found both in the neuroepithelial layer and in the subependymal layer, a layer consisting of polymorph cells and developing at the end of prenatal life. Hence during embryonic life cell proliferation in the parietal cortex is restricted to the neuroepithelial layer, but in the newborn the subependymal layer is also ctive in cell production. When the generation time of the neuroepithelium was determined, the DNA synthetic phase was found to be six hours, the pre-duplication and prophase about one and one-half hours and the post-duplication stage about four and one-half hours. Hence the duration of the generation time of the neuroepithelial cells during embryonic life is about 12 hours. To examine the migration pattern of the neurons formed during embryonic and postnatal life, pregnant hamsters were injected at successive days of gestation and the embryos sacrificed at the twentieth postnatal day. A similar procedure was followed for newborn animals. It was thus found that neuroblasts formed during the early stages of development occupy the deep layers of the cortex, while those formed during the later stages of intrauterine life and during the first postnatal days occupy the more superficial layers. Hence, neuroblasts produced during the final stages of development migrate through the cell layers formed at previous days to reach the surface of the cortex. The time required for this migration varied in the newborn hamster from three to five days. When newborn hamsters were injected with tritiated thymidine and the labeled cells traced during the following ten days, it was noted that the cells released by the neuroepithelial layer arrived in the deeper layer of the cortex about 48 hours after labeling. The cells were characterized by a spindle-shaped nucleus while the cytoplasm was seen to extend in peripheral direction. Shortly after arrival at the surface of the cortex the cells lost their spindle shape and the nucleus became oval-shaped with a pale nucleoplasm. Subsequently the cells were characterized by a small round pale nucleus with two or three nucleoli close to the nuclear membrane. Approximately nine days after treatment the labeled cells were clearly recognizable as advanced neuroblasts with a large, pale nucleus and one or two nucleoli.
Analysis of the effects of discrete wavelet compression on automated mammographic mass shape classification

This pilot study investigates the effect of discrete wavelet compression on automated mammographic mass shape classification. Commonly used shape features are extracted from masses for uncompressed and compressed images. These features include radial distance mean, standard deviation, entropy, zero-crossing count, roughness index, area-ratio, and compactness. The effects of the compression on these features are analyzed. Next, linear discriminant analysis is used to appropriately weight the features, and a minimum Euclidean distance classifier is used to separate the mass shapes into three classes: round, nodular, and stellate. The classification results are compared between the uncompressed and compressed images.
Panic disorder: a biological perspective

Abstract Panic disorder (PD) was first delineated as a separate diagnostic entity 25 years ago. It is a prevalent disorder that responds well to pharmacological interventions, most notably to antidepressants and benzodiazepines. PD and other psychiatric disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder and major depression, overlap clinically, but it is unresolved whether they also overlap biologically. Finally, the pathogenesis of PD is still unclear. Theories linking panic to increased sensitivity to CO 2 or serotonin are preliminary, while α 2 -adrenergic dysregulation in panic is still unproven. However, the development of new, selective, receptor agonists and antagonists in combination with imaging techniques may produce some of the answers to the questions raised since.