cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of bromocriptine and desipramine on behavior maintained by cocaine or food presentation in rhesus monkeys

This experiment tested whether bromocriptine or desmethylimipramine (DMI), both agents used clinically to treat cocaine abuse, could specifically alter behavior maintained by cocaine injections. Rhesus monkeys were trained to press a lever in daily experimental sessions under a three-component multiple schedule of reinforcement. In the first and third components, food was available under a fixed-ratio (FR) 30 schedule. In the second component cocaine (0.025 or 0.050 mg/kg/injection, IV) was available under a FR 30 schedule. Monkeys received continuous (24 h/day) IV infusions of several doses of bromocriptine or DMI. Bromocriptine (0.8-6.4 mg/kg/day) was infused for at least the same number of sessions as was required for responding to decline to low levels when the monkeys were allowed to self-administer saline. DMI (0.8-12.8 mg/kg/day) was infused for a minimum of 3 weeks. In some instances, low doses of bromocriptine decreased responding maintained by cocaine without reducing food-maintained responding, while higher doses of bromocriptine decreased responding maintained by either food or cocaine. However, bromocriptine doses that reduced cocaine intake also caused overt stimulation of locomotor activity. In contrast, DMI, at doses as much as 10 times higher than those used clinically to treat cocaine abuse did not affect responding maintained by cocaine or food. These results indicate that bromocriptine can selectively reduce behavior maintained by cocaine, although apparently by a mechanism other than blockade of reinforcing effects. On the other hand, DMI did not alter the reinforcing effects of either cocaine or food under these conditions.
An Analysis of the Sunspot Groups and Flares of Solar Cycle 23

Designing a statistical solar flare forecasting technique can benefit greatly from knowledge of the flare frequency of occurrence with respect to sunspot groups. This study analyzed sunspot groups and Hα and X-ray flares reported for the period 1997 – 2007. Annual catalogs were constructed, listing the days that numbered sunspot groups were observed (designated sunspot group-days, SSG-Ds) and for each day a record for each associated Hα flare of importance category one or greater and normal or bright brightness and for each X-ray flare of intensity C 5 or higher. The catalogs were then analyzed to produce frequency distributions of SSG-Ds by year, sunspot group class, likelihood of producing at least one flare overall and by sunspot group class, and frequency of occurrence of numbers of flares per day and flare intensity category. Only 3% of SSG-Ds produced a substantial Hα flare and 7% had a significant X-ray flare. We found that mature, complex sunspot groups were more likely than simple sunspot groups to produce a flare, but the latter were more prevalent than the former. More than half of the SSG-Ds with flares had a maximum intensity flare greater than the lowest category (C-class of intensity five and higher). The fact that certain sunspot group classes had flaring probabilities significantly higher than the combined probabilities of the intensity categories when all SSG-Ds were considered suggest that it might be best to first predict the flaring probability. For sunspot groups found likely to flare, a separate diagnosis of maximum flare intensity category appears feasible.
Multiple symptomatic vertebral artery loops treated with posterior cervical fusion

Multiple symptomatic vertebral artery (VA) loops are rare and their management is challenging. A 55-year-old man presented with a 5-year history of frequent episodes of presyncope and mild left C5 radiculopathy that was exacerbated by flexion or extension of his neck. Examination revealed complex left VA loops at C2/3 and C4. The patient underwent posterior cervical fusion which resolved his presyncope and improved his radiculopathy. Posterior cervical fusion is an option for management of patients suffering from symptoms secondary to multiple VA loops.
Integrating Economic Gain in Biosocial Systems

The concept of gain and profit is introduced into ecology as a way of summarizing strategies of biological and social structures. High gain systems can be predicted by flux as they take in fuel at a rate. Low gain systems must refine low-quality materials in order to acquire fuel. Low gain systems are predictable from their plans and coded behaviour. Changes from high to low gain mode and vice versa represent a reordering of a hierarchy over time. We use a catastrophe pleat as a way to model high gain collapse. Collapse is avoided in low gain by planning. At first, planning enlarges the system through economies of scale, but eventually resources are of such low quality that gathering and refining begins to limit size. We also model shifts from high to low gain with a response surface of resource used against adaptation. There are peaks of high and low gain adaptation with which we analyse termite evolution. Positioning systems on the surface is complicated by valid alternative interpretations of system behaviour. Each low gain phase starts with a burst of high gain so it is possible to reinterpret successive moves to the lower gain as fractal shifts that link successive response surfaces. We propose mathematical protocols for capturing the response surfaces. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deficiency in mitochondrial anionic phospholipid synthesis impairs cell wall biogenesis.

Cardiolipin (CL) is the signature lipid of the mitochondrial membrane and plays a key role in mitochondrial physiology and cell viability. The importance of CL is underscored by the finding that the severe genetic disorder Barth syndrome results from defective CL composition and acylation. Disruption of PGS1 ,w hich encodes the enzyme that catalyses the committed step of CL synthesis, results in loss of the mitochondrial anionic phospholipids phosphatidylglycerol and CL. The pgs1∆ mutant exhibits severe growth defects at 37 ◦ C. To understand the essential functions of mitochondrial anionic lipids at elevated temperatures, we isolated suppressors of pgs1∆ that grew at 37 ◦ C. The present review summarizes our analysis of suppression of pgs1∆ growth defects by a mutant that has a loss-of-function mutation in KRE5, a gene involved in cell
Characterization and Sequencing of an Uncoupled Lactose Carrier Mutant of Escherichia coli

A lactose carrier mutant of Escherichia coli (ML308-22) showed a severe defect in thiomethylgalactoside accumulation but a faster than normal entry of o-nitrophenyl-galactoside. Sequencing of the mutant lacY gene revealed a point mutation resulting in the substitution of glycine-159 by a cysteine residue. The mutant showed an increased sensitivity to sulfhydryl reagents, a property that is consistent with the view that the Cysteine-159 is in or near the sugar recognition site and the energy coupling region of the carrier.
Precision polarization measurements of atoms in a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap

Precision measurement of atomic and nuclear polarization is an essential step for beta-asymmetry measurement of radioactive atoms. In this paper, we report the polarization measurement of Rb atoms in an yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) far-off-resonance optical dipole trap. We have prepared a cold cloud of polarized Rb atoms in the YAG dipole trap by optical pumping and achieved an initial nuclear polarization of up to 97.2(5)$%$. The initial atom distribution in different Zeeman levels is measured by using a combination of microwave excitation, laser pushing, and atomic retrap techniques. The nuclear-spin polarization is further purified to 99.2(2)$%$ in 10 s and maintained above 99$%$ because the two-body collision loss rate between atoms in mixed spin states is greater than the one-body trap loss rate. Systematic effects on the nuclear polarization, including the off-resonance Raman scattering, magnetic field gradient, and background gas collisions, are discussed.
Surface Acoustic Wave Detection Using Michelson-Type Fiber Optic Interferometer

1. INTRODUCTIONDetection of surface acoustic waves has been shown to have important applications in determining microstructuralproperties, inspection of materials for quality control and for detection of flaws in materials. Optical techniques forthe generation and detection of ultrasound have been shown to be particularly useful as non -contact methods.1 Fiber
Isolation and characterization of a gene from the DiGeorge chromosomal region homologous to the mouse Tbx1 gene.

Abstract DiGeorge syndrome, velocardiofacial syndrome, conotruncal anomaly face syndrome, and isolated and familial forms of conotruncal cardiac defects have been associated with deletions of chromosomal region 22q11.2. This report describes the identification, cloning, and characterization of the humanTBX1gene, which maps to the center of the DiGeorge chromosomal region. Further, we have extended the mouse cDNA sequence to permit comparisons between human and mouseTbx1. TBX1is a member of a phylogenetically conserved family of genes that share a common DNA-binding domain, the T-box. T-box genes are transcription factors involved in the regulation of developmental processes. There is 98% amino acid identity between human and mouse TBX1 proteins overall, and within the T-box domain, the proteins are identical except for two amino acids. Expression of humanTBX1in adult and fetal tissues, as determined by Northern blot analysis, is similar to that found in the mouse. Additionally, using 3′RACE, we obtained a differentially spliced message in adult skeletal muscle. MouseTbx1has been previously shown to be expressed during early embryogenesis in the pharyngeal arches, pouches, and otic vesicle. Later in development, expression is seen in the vertebral column and tooth bud. Thus, humanTBX1is a candidate for some of the features seen in the 22q11 deletion syndrome.
Fatigue crack growth in a Ni–Sn multilayered composite

Abstract Fatigue crack growth behavior in a Ni–Sn metallic multilayer composite is investigated using the three-point bend fatigue test because of very limited literature on the fatigue behavior of thin layered composites. The multilayer composites are sandwiched between two thick layers of the monolithic nickel by electroplating in order to fabricate bar-shaped samples suitable for fatigue tests. The bar-shaped sample is notched on one side in the nickel phase, and the primary fatigue crack is propagated towards the multilayers in the normal direction. It is observed for the first time that the primary fatigue crack propagation is effectively arrested when the crack reached the first Sn layer of the Ni–Sn composite. Consequently, the composite exhibited a remarkable fatigue damage tolerance. This unusual phenomenon is caused by the extensive intergranular cracking within the Sn layers after fatigue while the Ni layers remained intact. Consequently, the primary crack is branched by these intergranular cracks in Sn layers which reduced the stress intensity factor at its tip. Thus, the Sn layers acted as a barrier to the primary fatigue crack growth. It is also shown that the intergranular fatigue cracking is an intrinsic behavior of the pure Sn phase.
Evaluations of simulation effects in management training

The management laboratory, in which the training and evaluation reported in this paper takes place, is designed to accommodate persons in sets of between five and ten. Persons primarily using the laboratory are undergraduate and graduate students, and prospective or practicing managers.
Cardiovascular response to a group III mGluR agonist in NTS requires NMDA receptors

Previous studies have demonstrated that microinjection of the putative group III metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist, l(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (l-AP4), into the nucleus trac...
Preparation, characterization, and mechanical properties of some microcellular polysulfone foams

Several polymers were evaluated as candidates for the production of high-performance microcellular closed-cell foams. The polymers involved were a polysulfone, a polyethersulfone, a polyphenylsulfone, a polyetherimide, and a poly(ether ketone ketone), and their suitability was gauged by measuring rates at which they could be impregnated with carbon dioxide under pressure at room temperature. This step is essential to the subsequent step of heating the impregnated samples at various temperatures to create foamed structures. The present study focused primarily on the use of the polysulfone in this regard. Microcellular foams of this polymer were found to have average cell sizes in the range 1–10 μm and cell densities on the order of 1010–1014 cells/cm3. The microstructures of these foamed samples were controlled through careful choices of the foaming temperature and the foaming speed to produce a wide range of foam densities. Since these materials were prepared for possible use as structural materials, tensile tests were conducted to investigate the dependence of some of their mechanical properties on the foam densities (relative to those of the unfoamed polymer). The results indicated that the tensile moduli of these polysulfone foams increased with the square of their relative densities, and the tensile strengths were proportional to these densities. Both of these experimental findings are in agreement with theory. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 1692–1701, 2002
The Development of the Motivation for Critical Reasoning in Online Discussions Inventory (MCRODI).

Abstract This study was conducted to develop an inventory that measures students' motivation to engage in critical reasoning in online discussions. Inventory items were developed based on theoretical frameworks and then tested on 168 participants. Using exploratory factor analysis, test–retest reliability, and internal consistency, twenty-two items were selected for the Motivation for Critical Reasoning in Online Discussions Inventory. Six motivational constructs were supported: Interest and Enjoyment, Normative Goals, Outcome Goals, Implicit Theories, Self-Efficacy Perception, and Finishing Requirements. The inventory can be used by other researchers or online instructors to collect students' motivational data to investigate strategies to promote student motivation in online discussions.
Event-related potential study of the effects of emotional facial expressions on task performance in euthymic bipolar patients.

There appears to be a significant disconnect between symptomatic and functional recovery in bipolar disorder (BD). Some evidence points to interepisode cognitive dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that some of this dysfunction was related to emotional reactivity in euthymic bipolar subjects may effect cognitive processing. A modification of emotional gender categorization oddball task was used. The target was gender (probability 25%) of faces with negative, positive, and neutral emotional expression. The experiment had 720 trials (3 blocks × 240 trials each). Each stimulus was presented for 150 ms, and the EEG/ERP responses were recorded for 1,000 ms. The inter-trial interval was varied in 1,100–1,500 ms range to avoid expectancy effects. Task took about 35 min to complete. There were 9 BD and 9 control subjects matched for age and gender. Reaction time (RT) was globally slower in BD subjects. The centro-parietal amplitudes at N170 and N200, and P200 and P300 were generally smaller in the BD group compared to controls. Latency was shorter to neutral and negative targets in BD. Frontal P200 amplitude was higher to emotional negative facial non-targets in BD subjects. The frontal N200 in response to positive facial emotion was less negative in BD subjects. The frontal P300 of BD subjects was lower to emotionally neutral targets. ERP responses to facial emotion in BD subjects varied significantly from normal controls. These variations are consistent with the common depressive symptomology seen in long term studies of bipolar subjects.
Nutritional status of a brain-injured population in a long-stay rehabilitation unit: a pilot study

Summary Background: Studies elsewhere have shown a high incidence of malnutrition in brain-injured people and in in-patient populations. Objectives: To investigate the incidence of malnutrition in long-term rehabilitation at the National Centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation and to evaluate the usefulness of a range of measures of nutritional status. Methods: All (n=33) patients were invited to participate. Anthropometric, dietary, haematological and biochemical measurements were made. Result: The incidence of malnutrition was nil. The incidence of obesity was comparable to the ‘normal’ population. Subjects consumed a nutritionally adequate diet, except for NSP (fibre). Conclusion: The result was not only better than that of other therapeutic communities, it was better than the ‘normal’ population. Useful tools for assessment of nutritional status were found to be BMI, arm anthropometry, biochemistry, haematology and food diaries. Further study of the nutritional status of all admissions will identify the changes which can occur during long-term rehabilitation.
Mechanical energy transfer during gait in relation to strength impairment and pathology in elderly women.

Objective: To examine the relationships among strength impairment, pathology and the mechanical energy transfers across the leg and low-back joints in a sample of frail elderly women with functional limitations. Background: Past studies suggest mechanical energy analyses may be useful for identifying compensatory strategies used by elders during gait, but also suggest that age and strength are not the only factors that determine the extent of compensatory strategy use. Methods: Gait data for 75 functionally limited women 60–90 years of age were analyzed. Subjects were categorized by strength and pathology diagnoses. Inverse dynamics was used to compute concentric (positive) and eccentric (negative) mechanical energy expenditures of the ankle, knee, hip and low-back during the stance phase of gait. Joint mechanical energy expenditures were compared between strength and diagnoses groups, and relationships among joint mechanical energy expenditures examined within groups. Results: Weaker subjects demonstrated lower concentric ankle and eccentric knee mechanical energy expenditures, and higher eccentric low-back mechanical energy expenditures, than stronger subjects. Subjects with orthopaedic impairments demonstrated higher eccentric low-back mechanical energy expenditures than subjects with other impairments. Inverse correlations were found between ankle mechanical energy expenditures and hip and low-back mechanical energy expenditures for subjects with orthopaedic impairments. Conclusions: Elders with weak leg muscles and orthopaedic impairments increased hip and low-back mechanical energy expenditures, apparently to compensate for reduced ankle and knee mechanical energy expenditures. Further research is warranted to determine what long-term influences these compensatory strategies have on function and disability. Relevance Mechanical energy methods could be useful for developing rehabilitative training programs to eliminate mobility impairments and avoid disablement in frail elders.fs
Asymmetric ATM switch modules with imbalanced traffic

This paper analyzes the performance of output channel grouped asymmetric packet switch modules in ATM networks, under geometrically bursty input traffic with input/output traffic imbalance. The switch module considered has n inputs and m outputs. A packet destined for a particular output address (out of g) needs to access only one of the r available physical output ports; m=gr. The motivation for the study of these switch modules is that they are the key building blocks in many large multistage switch architectures. A combination of exact derivation and numerical analysis yields the saturation throughput of input buffered switch modules for a wide range of traffic nonuniformity factors and burstiness. Results show a degradation in the maximum throughput, under input/output imbalance, as the average burst length increases. An interesting observation is that asymmetric switches tend to diminish the throughput advantage of the output-buffered switch module over the input buffered switch module under any traffic nonuniformity and burstiness. Our results also indicate that increasing the number of output ports per output address can significantly improve the switch performance, especially when traffic is highly nonuniform and bursty.
Effect of streptomycin on the active force of bioengineered heart muscle in response to controlled stretch

In this study, we describe a bioreactor system to deliver controlled stretch protocols to bioengineered heart muscle (BEHMs) and test the system when streptomycin (an aminoglycoside antibiotic, which blocks stretch-activated channels) is either added to or excluded from the culture medium. Streptomycin is a very commonly used component of cell culture antibiotic–antimycotic media additives, so its effects on muscle development and functional response to mechanical signals in vitro is worthy of investigation. Our hypothesis is that BEHMs will not adapt to the applied mechanical stretch protocol when streptomycin is present in the culture medium, but will do so when streptomycin is excluded. Bioengineered heart muscles were formed by culturing primary neonatal cardiac myocytes in a fibrin gel using a method previously developed in our laboratory. A custom bioreactor system was designed using SolidWorks and structural components manufactured using fusion deposition modeling. We utilized a stretch protocol of 1 Hz, 10% strain for 7 d. BEHMs were stretched in the presence and absence of streptomycin. As controls, BEHMs were maintained in a cell culture incubator with and without streptomycin. The contractile properties of all BEHMs were evaluated to determine the active force. We were able to demonstrate compatibility of the bioreactor system with BEHMs and were able to stretch 58 constructs with zero incidence of failure. When the BEHMs were stretched in the absence of streptomycin, the active force increased from a mean value of 51.7 ± 5.6 (N = 10) to 102.4 ± 16.3 μN (N = 10), with p < 0.05. However, BEHMs that were stretched in the presence of streptomycin did not show any significant increase in active force generation. The average active force of BEHMs increased from a mean value of 57.6 ± 10.2 (N = 10) to 91.4 ± 19.8 μN (N = 10) when stretched in the presence of streptomycin. In this study, we demonstrate compatibility of the a bioreactor system with BEHMs, stability of the BEHMs in response to stretch protocols, and significant functional improvement in response to controlled stretch only when streptomycin is excluded from the culture medium, supporting our hypothesis.
Fostering Social Ties Through A Volunteer Role: Implications For Older-Adults' Psychological Health:

This study examined the effects on older adults' psychological health of participation in a volunteer role that afforded opportunities to form friendships with age peers and to express nurturance toward another person. Access to these important social provisions was expected, in turn, to contribute to greater self-esteem, less loneliness, and less depression. The study hypotheses were tested by comparing older adults who served as foster grandparents to a developmentally disabled child (N = 52) with older adults in two comparison groups (Ns = 69, 59). Three assessments were conducted over a two-year period. The analyses revealed that the foster grandparents exhibited a significant increase in the number of new ties formed, but participation in the Foster Grandparent Program was not associated with the expected gains in emotional health. Explanations for the limited findings and implications for future research are discussed.
Evaluating environmental performance: a case study in the flat-panel display industry

Researchers at the University of Michigan applied their life cycle design framework in a research project with Optical Imaging Systems (OIS). OIS is a US manufacturer of high-performance, active-matrix liquid crystal displays, one of the leading flat panel display technologies. The study evaluated OIS's environmental management system and how environmental performance may impact competition in the flat panel display industry. Metrics were developed to measure environmental performance in a factory simulation model. Strategies for improvement are recommended according to incremental, reengineering, and future approaches.
Certification and Neoliberal Governance: Moral Economies of Fair Trade in the Eastern Caribbean

Many consumers and food-justice activists regard Fair Trade as a moral alternative to markets dominated by corporate agribusiness. Fair Trade frames producer–consumer relationships in the language of reciprocity and justice rather than the impersonal logic of the market. Despite its moral economy discourse, the movement embodies neoliberal assumptions that regulation and development should occur through the realm of consumer choice rather than state intervention. To receive the higher prices that Fair Trade promises, farmers are subject to certification processes that heavily regulate their planting practices and development priorities. Here I explore the contrasting views of economic morality held by Fair Trade organizations and Caribbean banana farmers. Farmers do not view Fair Trade in terms of the lofty values of social justice and reciprocity animating the movement's discourse. Rather, they operate with a working definition of economic morality similar to those elucidated by E. P. Thompson, James Scott, Marc Edelman, and others who have examined peasant and worker responses to injustice. From farmers’ points of view, compliance with Fair Trade certification should at least enable them to persist in agriculture. As Fair Trade prices have fallen while surveillance of their working lives has increased, many regard this notion of economic morality as increasingly violated.
Identifying lens spaces using discrete logarithms

We show that if a closed, oriented 3-manifold M is secretly homeomorphic to a lens space L(n,k), then we can compute n and k in randomized polynomial time (in the size of the triangulation of M) with a discrete logarithm oracle. Using Shor's algorithm, a quantum computer can thus identify lens spaces in quantum polynomial time. In addition, k can be computed in functional NP. A given value of k can be certified in randomized polynomial time, specifically in coRP. The idea of the algorithm is to calculate Reidemeister torsion over a prime field that has nth roots of unity.
Human Progesterone Receptor Crosstalk with Cytoplasmic Signaling Molecules Through Direct SH3 Domain Interaction

Progesterone (PG) exerts its biological effects through the nuclear progesterone receptor (PR) which binds DNA to directly regulate gene transcription (1). However, not all effects of PG can be explained by the well-established roles of PR as transcription factor. There is increasing evidence that PG has rapid effects independent of gene transcription to alter cytoplasmic signaling pathways and ion channels. Rapid non-genomic actions of progesterone include PG-induced acceleration of Xenopus oocyte maturation(2, 3), stimulation of acrosome reaction in sperm, modulation of neurotransmitter and neural excitability (4) and activation of Src/Ras/MAPK pathway in breast cancer cells (5) . Surprisingly, some of these rapid non-genomic effects of PG have been shown to be mediated, at least in part, by the same nuclear PR that regulates gene transcription (5, 6) . However, mechanisms of how nuclear PR mediates these rapid non-genomic effects of PG are not well characterized. What has been missing is an understanding of how a nuclear receptor can activate signaling pathways, and a mechanistic basis for protein-interaction with signaling molecules.
Heat stroke: power-density-based denial of service in SMT

In the past, there have been several denial of service (DOS) attacks which exhaust some shared resource (e.g., physical memory, process table, file descriptors, TCP connections) of the targeted machine. Though these attacks have been addressed, it is important to continue to identify and address new attacks because DOS is one of most prominent methods used to cause significant financial loss. A recent paper shows how to prevent attacks that exploit the sharing of pipeline resources (e.g., shared trace cache) in SMT to degrade the performance of normal threads. In this paper, we show that power density can be exploited in SMT to launch a novel DOS attack, called heat stroke. Heat stroke repeatedly accesses a shared resource to create a hot spot at the resource. Current solutions to hot spots inevitably involve slowing down the pipeline to let the hot spot cool down. Consequently, heat stroke slows down the entire SMT pipeline and severely degrades normal threads. We present a solution to heat stroke by identifying the thread that causes the hot spot and selectively slowing down the malicious thread while minimally affecting normal threads.
Value-Laden Technocratic Management and Environmental Conflicts: The Case of the New York City Watershed Controversy

Environmental controversies are often framed as conflicts between environmentalist and antienvironmentalist positions. The underlying dimensions of ethics and justice tend to be overlooked. This ar...
Striatal topography of probability and magnitude information for decisions under uncertainty

Most decisions involve some element of uncertainty. When the outcomes of these decisions have different likelihoods of occurrence, the decision-maker must consider both the magnitude of each outcome and the probability of its occurrence, but how do individual decision makers combine the two dimensions of magnitude and probability? Here, we approach the problem by separating in time the presentation of magnitude and probability information, and focus the analysis of fMRI activations on the first piece of information only. Thus, we are able to identify distinct neural circuits for the two dimensions without the confounding effect of divided attention or the cognitive operation of combining them. We find that magnitude information correlates with the size of the response of the ventral striatum while probability information correlates with the response in the dorsal striatum. The relative responsiveness of these two striatal regions correlates with the behavioral tendency to weight one more than the other. The results are consistent with a second-order process of information aggregation in which individuals make separate judgments for magnitude and probability and then integrate those judgments.
Adipose-selective overexpression of ABHD5/CGI-58 does not increase lipolysis or protect against diet-induced obesity

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) catalyzes the first step of triacylglycerol hydrolysis in adipocytes. Abhydrolase domain 5 (ABHD5) increases ATGL activity by an unknown mechanism. Prior studies have suggested that the expression of ABHD5 is limiting for lipolysis in adipocytes, as addition of recombinant ABHD5 increases in vitro TAG hydrolase activity of adipocyte lysates. To test this hypothesis in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that express 6-fold higher ABHD5 in adipose tissue relative to wild-type (WT) mice. In vivo lipolysis increased to a similar extent in ABHD5 transgenic and WT mice following an overnight fast or injection of either a β-adrenergic receptor agonist or lipopolysaccharide. Similarly, basal and β-adrenergic-stimulated lipolysis was comparable in adipocytes isolated from ABHD5 transgenic and WT mice. Although ABHD5 expression was elevated in thioglycolate-elicited macrophages from ABHD5 transgenic mice, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling was comparable in macrophages isolated from ABHD5 transgenic and WT mice. Overexpression of ABHD5 did not prevent the development of obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet, as shown by comparison of body weight, body fat percentage, and adipocyte hypertrophy of ABHD5 transgenic to WT mice. The expression of ABHD5 in mouse adipose tissue is not limiting for either basal or stimulated lipolysis.
The effect of Heterocope predation on zooplankton communities in arctic ponds1

The influence of Zieterocope septentrionalis, a predacious Calanoid copepod, on five species of arctic pond zooplankton is investigated. Prey species coexisting with Heterocope are relatively invulnerable to predation, but prey species found in Heterocope-free ponds are very susceptible to predation. Increasing hunger level of the predator resulted in higher ZZeterocope feeding rates on Daphnia pulex. In experiments at 5”, lo”, and 15°C Heterocope feel at a greater rate on cladoceran prey at higher temperatures, but there was no effect of temperature for copepod prey. Visual observations showed that D. pulex is more vulnerable to Heterocope predation than Daphnia middendorjjjunu because of its smaller adult size and its inability to escape the grasp of ZZeterocope. A field cxperimcnt suggested that D. pulex would probably be excluded from ponds containing Zleterocope, but D. middendorffiunu could increase its population density even in the presence of the predator.
Factors associated with sunburn in white children aged 6 months to 11 years.

Abstract Objective: To determine the sunburn experience and factors associated with sunburn among white children aged 6 months to 11 years. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with parents and primary caretakers of children, selected by random, stratified sampling, in the contiguous United States in the summer of 1998. Information was gathered on demographic characteristics of parents and children, and children’s sunburn experience during the past year, protection from sun exposure, and hours per week spent outdoors. The proportion of children experiencing sunburn in the past year was calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with sunburn. Information for 1052 white children was available for the analyses. Results: An estimated 42.6% of U.S. white children experienced one or more sunburns within the past year (95% CI 38.2–47.0). Sunburn was less common among children who ever wore hats (adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.40–0.87) and more common among children who did not always wear sunscreen (OR for using sunscreen sometimes compared with always, 2.25; 95% CI 1.31–3.86). Sunburn was also more common among children with sun-sensitive skin and older children. Conclusions: A large proportion of U.S. white children experience sunburns. Parents and children may benefit from education about protection from sun exposure.
EFFECTIVE CONDUCTIVITIES OF RANDOM FIBER BEDS

Upper and lower reciprocal variational principles have been used to estimate the effective conductivity (or diflusivity)across beds of randomly dispersed fibers with orientations distributed in two and three dimensions. Estimated thermal conductivities of fiber glass insulation, graphite-epoxy fiber reinforced composite materials, as well as the diffusivities of several fibrous materials agree well with measured values.
piggyBac can bypass DNA synthesis during cut and paste transposition.

DNA synthesis is considered a defining feature in the movement of transposable elements. In determining the mechanism of piggyBac transposition, an insect transposon that is being increasingly used for genome manipulation in a variety of systems including mammalian cells, we have found that DNA synthesis can be avoided during piggyBac transposition, both at the donor site following transposon excision and at the insertion site following transposon integration. We demonstrate that piggyBac transposon excision occurs through the formation of transient hairpins on the transposon ends and that piggyBac target joining occurs by the direct attack of the 3′OH transposon ends on to the target DNA. This is the same strategy for target joining used by the members of DDE superfamily of transposases and retroviral integrases. Analysis of mutant piggyBac transposases in vitro and in vivo using a piggyBac transposition system we have established in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggests that piggyBac transposase is a member of the DDE superfamily of recombinases, an unanticipated result because of the lack of sequence similarity between piggyBac and DDE family of recombinases.
TELEMEDICINA: UN DESAFÍO PARA AMÉRICA LATINA

Telemedicine is a growing trend in the provision of medical services. Although the effectiveness of this practice has not been well established, it is likely that developing countries will share this new paradigm with developed ones. Supporters of telemedicine in Latin America maintain that it will be a useful tool for reducing disparities and improving health care accessibility. Although Latin America might become a place for research and investigation of these procedures, it is not clear how telemedicine could contribute to improving accessibility for disadvantaged populations, or coexist with chronically ill-funded public healthcare systems.
Model Reduction in the Time-Domain Using Laguerre Polynomials and Krylov Methods

Presents a new passive model reduction algorithm based on the Laguerre expansion of the time response of interconnect networks. We derive expressions for the Laguerre coefficient matrices that minimize a weighted square of the approximation error, and show how these matrices can be computed efficiently using Krylov subspace methods. We discuss the connections between our method and other methods such as PRIMA. Numerical simulations show that our method can better approximate the original model as compared to PRIMA.
Principal Turnover Upheaval and Uncertainty in Charter Schools

Purpose: Informed by literature on labor market and school choice, this study aims to examine the dynamics of principal career movements in charter schools by comparing principal turnover rates and...
Identification of albumin-bound fatty acids as the major factor in serum-induced lipid accumulation by cultured cells

Factors responsible for the high lipogenic activity of rabbit serum were investigated using an assay procedure based on the gravimetric determination of the 24 hr increase in cell lipid. Cellular synthesis of fatty acids was inhibited by the presence of serum in the assay medium. Approximately 90% of the increase in cell lipid produced by serum fractions was due to triglyceride accumulation. Fractionation of rabbit serum by precipitation with ammonium sulfate or by ultracentrifugation in high density medium, both indicated that three-quarters of its lipogenic activity was associated with albumin. The lipoproteins prepared by ultracentrifugation also exhibited about one-half the activity of whole serum. The lipogenic activity of albumin was confirmed by the high potency of the albumin isolated in a nearly pure form from proteins of d>1.21 by precipitation with trichloroacetic acid and extraction with ethanol. As judged from chemical and isotopic analysis, neither the lipid content nor the lipid composition of the albumin was appreciably altered during its isolation. Of the albumin-bound lipids, only the free fatty acids, as determined by DEAE column chromatography, were present in an amount sufficient to account for the observed increase in cell triglycerides. In control experiments with horse serum of low lipogenic activity, the proteins of d>1.21 also possessed low activity in conjunction with a low content of free fatty acid. However, the albumin isolated from the latter preparation exhibited the high lipogenic activity of rabbit serum albumin. Chemical and isotopic analysis of the recovered horse serum albumin revealed that its free fatty acid content was the same as that of rabbit serum albumin. These results indicated that the isolation of horse serum albumin was attended by a substantial increase in its free fatty acid content. When the rabbit serum and horse serum content of media were adjusted to provide equivalent concentrations of albumin-bound fatty acids, the rabbit liver cells grown on the former media accumulated more lipid than cells grown on the latter media. This difference was shown to be due to the higher concentration of albumin per micro mole of fatty acid in horse serum as compared with rabbit serum. Consequently, the albumin to fatty acid ratio also controls the lipogenic activity of a serum. A linear relationship is presented which relates the cell lipid content to the molar ratio of albumin to free fatty acids and to the absolute concentration of free fatty acids in the medium.
The Characteristics of Modern Agriculture Enabled by Chemicals

The evolution of agriculture in the world's rich, developed countries has four defining eras: settled agriculture; blood, sweat and tears; mechanical; and chemical. Agriculture is now rapidly moving into the emerging era of genetic modification/biotechnology. Unfortunately, and disappointing to all agricultural practitioners, including scientists, small- and large-sized farmers, ranchers, commercial suppliers of resources, and developers of agricultural technology is the fact that many of the world's people remain under- or malnourished. A factual, descriptive account of a bit of what has happened in the chemical realm to create the present US agricultural system concludes the chapter.
Nature and determinants of suicidal ideation among U.S. veterans: Results from the national health and resilience in veterans study.

Abstract Background Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among U.S. military veterans are a major public health concern. To date, however, scarce data are available regarding the nature and correlates of suicidal ideation (SI) among U.S. veterans. This study evaluated the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation in a contemporary, nationally representative, 2-year prospective cohort study. Method Data were analysed from a total of 2157 U.S. veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience Veterans Study (NHRVS; Wave 1 conducted in 2011; Wave 2 in 2013). Veterans completed measures assessing SI, sociodemographic characteristics, and potential risk and protective correlates. Results The majority of veterans (86.3%) denied SI at either time point, 5.0% had SI onset (no SI at Wave 1, SI at Wave 2), 4.9% chronic SI (SI at Waves 1 and 2), and 3.8% had remitted SI (SI at Wave 1, no SI Wave 2). Greater Wave 1 psychiatric distress was associated with increased likelihood of chronic SI (relative risk ratio [RRR]=3.72), remitted SI (RRR=3.38), SI onset (RRR=1.48); greater Wave 1 physical health difficulties were additionally associated with chronic SI (RRR=1.64) and SI onset (RRR=1.47); and Wave 1 substance abuse history was associated with chronic SI (RRR 1.57). Greater protective psychosocial characteristics (e.g., resilience, gratitude) at Wave 1 were negatively related to SI onset (RRR=0.57); and greater social connectedness at Wave 1, specifically perceived social support and secure attachment style, was negatively associated with SI onset (RRR=0.75) and remitted SI (RRR=0.44), respectively. Limitations Suicidal ideation was assessed using a past two-week timeframe, and the limited duration of follow-up precludes conclusions regarding more dynamic changes in SI over time. Conclusions These results indicate that a significant minority (13.7%) of U.S. veterans has chronic, onset, or remitted SI. Prevention and treatment efforts designed to mitigate psychiatric and physical health difficulties, and bolster social connectedness and protective psychosocial characteristics may help mitigate risk for SI.
Fungi isolated in culture from soils of the Sonoran desert.

Samples were taken from the top 2 inches, including the surface, of virgin soils from 24 localities in the Sonoran Desert. There were 107 genera and 229 species isolated in addition to some unident...
Diplomacy after Policymaking: Theorizing Hyper-Empowered Individuals

Diplomatic Afterlives. Edited by Andrew F Cooper. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2015. 206 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-7456-6199-5). The academic study of diplomacy in the discipline of International Relations (IR) has flourished in recent years (see Sending, Pouliot, and Neumann ⇓; Pouliot and Cornut ⇓ for recent volumes that include substantive reviews of the recent diplomacy renaissance). After decades of discounting diplomacy's importance in favor of structural explanations (Rathbun ⇓:1), diplomacy has (re)-emerged on the landscape of mainstream IR theorizing. One reason for this is the growing recognition that states spend so much time engaging in diplomacy, it must be for a good reason (if we assume that states take purposeful actions). More important is the growing sense that structural features beyond the control of individuals, such as power, do not account for the tremendous variation we see in political outcomes in the international system. In order to make sense of this variation, we need a theory of agency, an understanding of how individual agents can affect outcomes independent of other structural factors. Several works in the last few years have attempted to construct theories of diplomacy as theories of agency. Rathbun's (⇓) Diplomacy's Value: Creating Security in 1920s Europe and the Contemporary Middle East is an exemplar. Rathbun sets out discrete propositions about how diplomatic styles and diplomat characteristics, particularly prosocial vs. proself orientations, combine to help explain the Locarno period in Europe. Yarhi-Milo's (⇓) Knowing the Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence, and Assessment of Intentions in International Relations demonstrates that policymakers often make decisions about the intentions of states not just by looking at structural factors, but instead by relying on preexisting beliefs and …
Pornography and Its Discontents

Affection, sensuality, aesthetic, and tender eroticism are topics that while related to sexuality, are not generally explored in films dealing with sexuality. However, in the case of Spanish films, several Spanish post-Franco filmmakers have indeed explored many of them in their cinematic works. For instance, aesthetics is explored in ?Por que lo llaman amor cuando quieren decir sexo? (1993) by Gomez Pereira; sensuality and eroticism in Lucia y el sexo (2001) by Julio Medem; desire in Las edades de Lulu (1990) by Bigas Luna; and affection in Dias contados (1994) by Imanol Uribe. Current Spanish cinema is making an important contribution to the exploration of these crucial components of human sexuality that go beyond the physical image of naked bodies or pornographic scenes.
Cancer prevention and early detection.

More than half of cancers can be prevented by taking advantage of current knowledge [(1][1], [2][2], [3][3], [4)][4] . Highest on the list of avoidable causes is, of course, cigarette smoking; approximately one-third of cancers could be prevented if smoking was eliminated. The combination of good
Chromosomal Localization of Chicken Sequences Homologous to the βActin Gene by in situ Hybridization

In situ DNA/chromosome hybridization techniques were used to localize the cytoplasmic beta-actin gene in the chicken. Hybridization of a beta-actin cDNA probe to metaphase chromosome spreads indicated that sequences complementary to this probe are located on the long arm of chromosome 2 (2q) and one of chromosomes 9 through 12.
Endocrine factors in geriatric sexuality.

Sex steroid hormones decline with age in both women and men. Sexual activity also declines with advancing age, but it appears that these two age-associated events are not directly correlated. Testosterone appears to be important for libido in both sexes.