cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Interactions Between Ghsr and Mc3r Reveals a Role for AgRP in the Expression of Food Anticipatory Activity in Male Mice

The stomach hormone ghrelin and hypothalamic melanocortin neurons belong to a gut-brain circuit controlling appetite and metabolic homeostasis. Mice lacking melanocortin-3 receptor (Mc3rKO) or growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GhsrKO) genes exhibit attenuated food anticipatory activity (FAA), a rise in locomotor activity anticipating mealtime, suggesting common circuitry regulating anticipatory responses to nutrient loading. To investigate the interaction between Ghsrs and Mc3rs, we compared food anticipatory responses in GhsrKO, Mc3rKO, and double Ghsr;Mc3r knockout (DKO) mice subjected to a hypocaloric restricted feeding (RF) protocol in constant dark or 12-hour light, 12-hour dark settings. DKO are viable, exhibiting no overt behavioral or metabolic phenotypes in ad libitum or fasting conditions. FAA was initially attenuated in all mutant strains in constant darkness. However, GhsrKO eventually exhibited a robust food anticipatory response, suggesting compensation. Mc3rKO and DKO did not compensate, indicating a continued requirement for Mc3rs in maintaining the expression of FAA in situations of RF. Abnormal regulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/Npy) neurons previously observed during fasting may contribute to attenuated FAA in Mc3rKO. AgRP and Npy expression measured 1 hour before food presentation correlated positively with FAA. Absence of Mc3rs (but not Ghsrs) was associated with lower AgRP/Npy expression, suggesting attenuated responses to signals of negative energy balance. These observations support the importance of Mc3rs as modulators of anticipatory responses to feeding, with mice able to compensate for loss of Ghsrs. The behavioral deficits of Mc3rKO displayed during RF may be partially explained by reduced hunger sensations owing to abnormal regulation of orexigenic AgRP/Npy neurons.
Excitation transfer in communication-mediated aggressive behavior

Abstract To test the effect of excitation produced during exposure to communication, both the excitatory potential and the degree of manifest aggressiveness of communications were assessed to select: (a) an aggressive communication associated with a particular excitatory potential; (b) a nonaggressive communication associated with an excitatory potential significantly below that of a; and (c) another nonaggressive communication associated with an excitatory potential significantly above that of a. A model of excitation transfer was advanced, based on the assumption that salient elements of excitation decay relatively slowly, and that interoception of excitation is nonspecific, permitting the integration of any residue with elements of the excitatory response to subsequent stimuli. If the postcommunication situation provides the individual with perception-cognitions enabling him to unambiguously interpret his emotional state, it is expected that this state is intensified by the magnitude of the excitational residue from the response to the communication. It was predicated that, quite independent of the degree of aggression manifest in the communication, postcommunication aggressive behavior would be facilitated mainly as a function of the communication's excitatory potential. The highly significant results obtained (b
Category membership moderates the inhibition of social identities

Abstract Although all people belong to a multitude of different social categories and occupy various social roles, the mechanism(s) through which people manage such a complex and potentially incoherent self-concept is not well understood. We report a study showing that excitatory and inhibitory processes act in tandem to keep potentially conflicting self-categorizations from simultaneously occurring. Specifically, when members of the fraternity/sorority system activated their “Greek” identities, the mental representation of their normatively conflicting identity as university students was inhibited below baseline. Importantly, participants who were non-members of the Greek system, although equally familiar with the relevant stereotypes, did not show this pattern of inhibition, indicating that it is only when one experiences conflict between two relevant social categories that such inhibitory processes are engaged.
ApiAP2 transcription factor restricts development of the Toxoplasma tissue cyst

Cellular differentiation leading to formation of the bradyzoite tissue cyst stage is the underlying cause of chronic toxoplasmosis. Consequently, mechanisms responsible for controlling development in the Toxoplasma intermediate life cycle have long been sought. Here, we identified 15 Toxoplasma mRNAs induced in early bradyzoite development that encode proteins with apicomplexan AP2 (ApiAP2) DNA binding domains. Of these 15 mRNAs, the AP2IX-9 mRNA demonstrated the largest expression increase during alkaline-induced differentiation. At the protein level, we found that AP2IX-9 was restricted to the early bradyzoite nucleus and is repressed in tachyzoites and in mature bradyzoites from 30-d infected animals. Conditional overexpression of AP2IX-9 significantly reduced tissue cyst formation and conferred alkaline pH-resistant growth, whereas disruption of the AP2IX-9 gene increased tissue cyst formation, indicating AP2IX-9 operates as a repressor of bradyzoite development. Consistent with a role as a repressor, AP2IX-9 specifically inhibited the expression of bradyzoite mRNAs, including the canonical bradyzoite marker, bradyzoite antigen 1 (BAG1). Using protein binding microarrays, we established the AP2 domain of AP2IX-9 binds a CAGTGT DNA sequence motif and is capable of binding cis-regulatory elements controlling the BAG1 and bradyzoite-specific nucleoside triphosphatase (B-NTPase) promoters. The effect of AP2IX-9 on BAG1 expression was direct because this factor inhibits expression of a firefly luciferase reporter under the control of the BAG1 promoter in vivo, and epitope-tagged AP2IX-9 can be immunoprecipitated with the BAG1 promoter in parasite chromatin. Altogether, these results indicate AP2IX-9 restricts Toxoplasma commitment to develop the mature bradyzoite tissue cyst.
Student Ratings of Instruction in Distance Learning and On-Campus Classes

Student ratings in 2 special education courses offered on campus and off campus using different means of instruction, including electronic media, were compared. Ratings also were compared when dist...
Graphene transistors fabricated via transfer-printing in device active-areas on large wafer

We demonstrate a method that uses the pillars on a stamp to cut and exfoliate graphene islands from a graphite and then uses transfer printing to place the islands from the stamp into the device active-areas on a substrate with a placement accuracy potentially in nanometers. The process can be repeated to cover all device active-areas over an entire wafer. We also report the transistors fabricated from the printed graphene. The transistors show a hole and electron mobility of 3735 and 795 cm2/V-s, respectively, and a maximum drive-current of 1.7 mA/μm (at VDS = 1 V), which are among the highest reported for room temperature. The effects of various transferring and fixing layers on sticking graphenes to a stamp and to a substrate, respectively, were also investigated.
Effects of Protease Inhibitors on Protein Breakdown and Enzyme Induction in Starving Escherichia coli

PROTEIN degradation is relatively slow in growing bacteria but much faster when there is no source of carbon or nitrogen1–3. These changes in degradative rates seem to be important for the adaptation of the cell to non-growing conditions and may be controlled by mechanisms similar to those regulating synthesis of ribosomal RNA4. Identification of selective inhibitors of protein breakdown could greatly facilitate study of the mechanisms of this process and its physiological significance.
Nephrogenic adenoma of bladder

Abstract Nephrogenic adenoma of the bladder is a rare variant of vesical neoplasia and reflects the metaplastic potential of the urothelium. A case report is presented, and the embryology, histopathology, and treatment modalities are reviewed.
Paired-pulse and frequency facilitation in the CA1 region of the in vitro rat hippocampus.

1. Several types of facilitation of evoked synaptic responses were investigated in the CA1 region of the in vitro rat hippocampus. Homosynaptic paired-pulse facilitation and heterosynaptic frequency facilitation were characterized and found to be differentiable processes on the basis of several characteristics. 2. Paired-pulse facilitation, which occurs when the same input is stimulated twice in rapid succession, is manifested as an increase in both the extracellularly recorded population spike and the field e.p.s.p., and is specific to the set of afferents excited by the first impulse. Responses to other excitatory afferents show no facilitation by a heterosynaptic conditioning pulse. 3. At intervals less than 200 msec, the degree of facilitation produced by a preceding impulse appears to decline as a first order exponential function of time. Facilitation is increased by lowering calcium or raising magnesium concentrations in the bathing medium, with no apparent change in the time constant of the decay process. 4. The phenomenon that has sometimes been termed frequency facilitation, and which occurs during the early phase of repetitive stimulation, appears to be an extension of paired-pulse facilitation. It is seen as an increase in amplitude of both the e.p.s.p. and population spike in response to stimulation of homosynaptic inputs, can be predicted with fair accuracy by assuming that the residual paired-pulse facilitation produced by each impulse adds linearly with that from previous impulses, and is affected by calcium and magnesium ions in the same manner as is paired-pulse facilitation. These two types of facilitation, which apparently share a common mechanism, are termed synaptic or primary facilitation. 5. Another type of facilitation, which we suggest might more properly be called frequency facilitation, develops slowly during the course of repetitive stimulation. It is the result of an increase in cell firing in response to any excitatory input, either homo- or heterosynaptic, at time points at which the field e.p.s.p. is typically depressed. 6. Increases in the potassium concentration of the perfusion medium produce effects similar to those observed with frequency facilitation; stimulation-evoked increases in the extracellular concentration of this ion are hypothesized to underlie this type of generalized facilitation.
Mars UHF relay telecom: Engineering tools and analysis

A compact set of tools have evolved for engineering analysis of Mars UHF relay telecommunications performance at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The tools model all telecom variables from the RF layer up through the protocol link layer. The tools can solve for point solutions, analyze dynamic performance based on link geometry and can generate a variety of multi-day performance statistics. The telecom parameters and models in the tool set have been derived from or vetted against laboratory and Mars in-situ telecom performance measurements. The tool set and underlying models feed forward into mission specific flight operations software tools, proving to be invaluable for UHF telecom systems engineering analysis at all phases of mission life cycles.
A glutathione-based hydrogel and its site-selective interactions with water.

Glutathione (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine; GSH) is ubiquitous biological tripeptide with multiple functions and possible therapeutic uses. The oxidized disulfide form (GSSG) self-assembles into fibrillar aggregates and gels in organic solvents, but not in solvent mixtures with high water content. Here, the disulfide bond has been replaced with a pyrenyl moiety in order to test the ability of GSH to direct noncovalent self-assembly in H2O, when combined with a hydrophobic driving force for aggregation. The resulting GSH-pyrene forms gels in 95% H2O:5% DMSO. The γ-glutamyl group is critical for gelation, as it is with GSSG organo-gels, inasmuch as neither S-(pyrenyl)-cysteinyl-glycine nor the iodo-acetamido-pyrene precursor gels under any conditions studied. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy indicate that the pyrene moieties cluster within the gels. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy reveal fibrous networks with individual strands of ∼50−100 nm diameter. Saturation transfer differe...
The role of adsorbate structure in the photodissociation dynamics of adsorbed species: Methyl iodide/MgO(100)

The 257 nm photodissociation dynamics of methyl iodide multilayers adsorbed on MgO(100) have been studied using resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (REMPI‐TOFMS) to detect both methyl and iodine photofragments. The photofragments result from direct photolysis of the methyl iodide adsorbate. Methyl fragments with a translational and internal energy content comparable to that found in the gas phase dissociation of the isolated molecule are produced. However, the measured I/I* branching ratio is modified in favor of ground state (I) iodine production. Collisionally slowed methyl fragments, characterized by a translational temperature close to that of the surface, are also observed. Iodine fragments with velocities in excess of the gas phase limit are produced as a result of collisional energy transfer between iodine and faster moving methyl photofragments. A small amount of laser induced photodesorption, leading to the production of molecular methyl iodide, was also de...
Drug discrimination in rats successively trained to discriminate diazepam and pentobarbital

In Phase 1, rats were trained to discriminate either diazepam or pentobarbital from the no-drug condition. Diazepam, pentobarbital, triazolam, meprobamate, and zopiclone occasioned 100% drug-lever responding in tests under both training conditions; but the generalization gradients determined under the pentobarbital training condition were shifted to the right of those determined under the diazepam training condition. In Phase 2, the training drugs were reversed for the two groups, as well as which lever was paired with drug or no drug, in an effort to produce greater specificity of the Phase 2 discrimination. In Phase 2 tests, the Phase 1 training drug occasioned responding on the Phase 2 drug lever in all rats, suggesting that retraining overrode the Phase 1 discrimination. There were indications, however, that Phase 1 training influenced Phase 2 responding: 1) Rats ceased responding partway through no-drug training sessions using the former drug lever, and criterion performance was somewhat more difficult to maintain in Phase 2. 2) In Phase 2, dose-effect curves determined under pentobarbital training were shifted even further to the right of those determined under diazepam training than in Phase 1.
Release density, efficiency and disappearance of Trichogramma nubilale for control of European corn borer

We evaluated how manyTrichogramma nubilale should be released at a single location to controlOstrinia nubilalis in sweet corn. Six 8.6×16 m plots received 18.4 to 2 090 ΦΦT. nubilale/SAI when plants were in the mid to late whorl stage, where SAI, surface area index, is the plant surface area/m2. To evaluate the potential control by our releases, we exposed laboratory-rearedO. nubilalis egg masses to the released parasitoids at 4 times after the release. When an egg mass was parasitized byT. nubilale, 75.7% of the eggs in the egg mass were parasitized. We developed an equation to estimate the percent of egg masses that a single female was expected to parasitize in a day (efficiency of parasitism) and female disappearance (death and dispersal) rates, if both were constant during our experiment. The exponential disappearance rate was −0.52±0.03 day−1, which implied that 40% of the remaining ΦΦ disappeared per day. The efficiency of parasitism was 0.050% parasitism/Φ/SAI/day, which implied that at least 351,000 ΦΦ/ha would be needed to achieve 90% parasitism. Clearly, forT. nubilale to be a successful biological control agent, efficiency of parasitism must be increased and disappearance rates must be reduced.
Discovery and initial characterization of a new conditional (temperature-sensitive) maternal effect mutation in the axolotl

Abstract The discovery of a new temperature-sensitive maternal effect mutation in Ambystoma mexicanum is described. The new gene (ts-1) was recognized when 100% of the eggs spawned by homozygous females failed to develop past early gastrulation when reared at 25° C. Eggs raised at 10° C developed normally to sexual maturity. A temperature-sensitive period during blastulation was identified by a preliminary series of temperature shifts. Histologic examination revealed that nuclear abnormalities, especially chromosomal bridges, characterized ts-1 embryos reared beyond the ninth cleavage at the restrictive temperature (25° C).
Steady-State Simulations of Liquid−Particle Food Flow in a Vertical Pipe

Steady-state two-dimensional flow of food containing a liquid and particle mixture in a vertical pipe was simulated using the Lagrangian approach. The Fluent 5.4 computational fluid dynamic program was modified for liquid−particle food flow with the aid of user-defined subroutines and used in this simulation. The particle velocity profile and particle residence time were calculated at the outlet of the vertical pipe. The calculated results were compared with the experimental data of Lareo et al. (Powder Technol. 1997, 93, 23). Good agreement between calculation and experimental data indicates that numerical modeling has a good potential to predict the particle residence time and particle velocity profile, and, in turn, results in the potential reduction of costly experimentation in the food industry.
Wingless directly represses DPP morphogen expression via an armadillo/TCF/Brinker complex.

BackgroundSpatially restricted morphogen expression drives many patterning and regeneration processes, but how is the pattern of morphogen expression established and maintained? Patterning of Drosophila leg imaginal discs requires expression of the DPP morphogen dorsally and the wingless (WG) morphogen ventrally. We have shown that these mutually exclusive patterns of expression are controlled by a self-organizing system of feedback loops that involve WG and DPP, but whether the feedback is direct or indirect is not known.Methods/FindingsBy analyzing expression patterns of regulatory DNA driving reporter genes in different genetic backgrounds, we identify a key component of this system by showing that WG directly represses transcription of the dpp gene in the ventral leg disc. Repression of dpp requires a tri-partite complex of the WG mediators armadillo (ARM) and dTCF, and the co-repressor Brinker, (BRK), wherein ARM•dTCF and BRK bind to independent sites within the dpp locus.Conclusions/SignificanceMany examples of dTCF repression in the absence of WNT signaling have been described, but few examples of signal-driven repression requiring both ARM and dTCF binding have been reported. Thus, our findings represent a new mode of WG mediated repression and demonstrate that direct regulation between morphogen signaling pathways can contribute to a robust self-organizing system capable of dynamically maintaining territories of morphogen expression.
COMPUTING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE LYAPUNOV EXPONENT FROM TIME SERIES: THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL CASE STUDY

In this paper, a simple and direct statistical method is proposed for estimating the Lyapunov exponent of an unknown dynamic system using its time series of observation data. It is shown that the asymptotic distribution of the estimates obtained from the proposed method is normal. Monte Carlo and block bootstrap methods are used to simulate the estimation for the logistic map, in which they both provide the expectation and variance for the estimates. Computer simulations show that our estimates are very close to the true values of the exponent for the logistic map with different parameters.
Utility of new mature erythrocyte and reticulocyte indices in screening for iron-deficiency anemia in a pediatric population.

Summary Introduction Iron-deficient erythropoiesis attributable to nutritional deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in early childhood. Beckman Coulter has proposed new parameters: red blood cell size factor (RSf) and low hemoglobin density (LHD%). The aims of the present communication were to establish reference ranges (RR) for RSf and LHD% in a healthy pediatric population; to evaluate clinical utility of these parameters in the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA); and to compare RSf and LHD% with RET-He. Methods Two hundred healthy infants and 51 with IDA were analyzed on Coulter LH750 and Sysmex XT2000i analyzers. Results RR for RSf in children aged 0.5–6 years, 82.2–102.0 and 83.7–103.1 fl in the group aged 6-18 years. RR for LHD% was 1.1–9.0%. ROC analysis for RSf and LHD% in the diagnosis of IDA showed an AUC 0.8460 and 0.8654, respectively. The best RSf value to detect a restricted erythropoiesis was 89fl, sensitivity 92%, specificity 81%. LHD% optimal cutoff point was 6.0%, sensitivity 80%, and specificity 88%. Good correlation was observed between these parameters with Ret-He, r = 0.888 and r = −0.790, respectively. Conclusion RSf and LHD% could be useful tools in the screening of IDA. These parameters can be obtained in the course of routine blood counts, with no additional cost or need for more blood sampling.
Assessing Psychological Symptoms and Well-Being Application of a Dual-Factor Mental Health Model to Understand College Student Performance

A dual-factor mental health model includes measures of positive psychological well-being in addition to traditional indicators of psychopathology to comprehensively determine mental health status. ...
Components of risk factor change in a CHD intervention program

Carried out a study on a sample of men (N = 652) at high risk or coronary heart disease (CHD) in order to note the dimensions of change for the risk factors of smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, selected intervention and psychosocial variables. The principal components analyses revealed a multi-dimensional structure with some bipolar change factors. Implications for the design and implementation of behaviorally oriented risk factor programs were discussed.
Reduced Form Coefficients, Structural Coefficients, and Mortgage Redlining

Empirical studies of redlining have long been plagued with the identification problem. Observed behavior in alleged redlined areas is ultimately a combination of both demand and supply influences coming from both mortgage and housing markets. How then can inferences from reduced form experiments be utilized to provide unambiguous structural information concerning purely lender behavior? This problem is analyzed in detail with the help of an implicitly specified skeletal model of the mortgage and housing markets. The results suggest that structural inferences from reduced form information are, indeed controversial at best. Although this fact is fairly widely known at present, many research techniques still utilize an underlying reduced form methodology. It is hoped that the methodology employed in this paper highlights the identification problem in a manner that will generate greater insight into this issue. Some remedies are suggested in line with the general econometric literature dealing with structural identification.
Molecular immunology: growth into adolescence

Abstract Molecular immunology and TIBS are children of the same age. After many years of painful gestation, 1976 was the year that Hozumi and Tonegawa published the paper which set molecular immunology on its course of post-natal development. Over eight years the field has grown rapidly, has learned how to solve problems and has expanded its vision to cover increasing territory. But, for all of its apparent maturity, it is still an adolescent.
SDF-1 is both necessary and sufficient to promote proliferative retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. It is caused by oxygen starvation in the retina inducing aberrant formation of blood vessels that destroy retinal architecture. In humans, vitreal stromal cell–derived factor–1 (SDF-1) concentration increases as proliferative diabetic retinopathy progresses. Treatment of patients with triamcinolone decreases SDF-1 levels in the vitreous, with marked disease improvement. SDF-1 induces human retinal endothelial cells to increase expression of VCAM-1, a receptor for very late antigen–4 found on many hematopoietic progenitors, and reduce tight cellular junctions by reducing occludin expression. Both changes would serve to recruit hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cells along an SDF-1 gradient. We have shown, using a murine model of proliferative adult retinopathy, that the majority of new vessels formed in response to oxygen starvation originate from hematopoietic stem cell–derived endothelial progenitor cells. We now show that the levels of SDF-1 found in patients with proliferative retinopathy induce retinopathy in our murine model. Intravitreal injection of blocking antibodies to SDF-1 prevented retinal neovascularization in our murine model, even in the presence of exogenous VEGF. Together, these data demonstrate that SDF-1 plays a major role in proliferative retinopathy and may be an ideal target for the prevention of proliferative retinopathy.
Articular Chondrocytes from Animals with a Dermatan Sulfate Storage Disease Undergo a High Rate of Apoptosis and Release Nitric Oxide and Inflammatory Cytokines: A Possible Mechanism Underlying Degenerative Joint Disease in the Mucopolysaccharidoses

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) Type VI (Maroteaux-Lamy Disease) is the lysosomal storage disease characterized by deficient arylsulfatase B activity and the resultant accumulation of dermatan sulfate-containing glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). A major feature of this and other MPS disorders is abnormal cartilage and bone development leading to short stature, dysostosis multiplex, and degenerative joint disease. To investigate the underlying cause(s) of degenerative joint disease in the MPS disorders, articular cartilage and cultured articular chondrocytes were examined from rats and cats with MPS VI. An age-progressive increase in the number of apoptotic chondrocytes was identified in the MPS animals by terminal transferase nick-end translation (TUNEL) staining and by immunohistochemical staining with anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) antibodies. Articular chondrocytes grown from these animals also released more nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) into the culture media than did control chondrocytes. Notably, dermatan sulfate, the GAG that accumulates in MPS VI cells, induced NO release from normal chondrocytes, suggesting that GAG accumulation was responsible, in part, for the enhanced cell death in the MPS cells. Coculture of normal chondrocytes with MPS VI cells reduced the amount of NO release, presumably because of the release of arylsulfatase B by the normal cells and reuptake by the mutant cells. As a result of the enhanced chondrocyte death, marked proteoglycan and collagen depletion was observed in the MPS articular cartilage matrix. These results demonstrate that MPS VI articular chondrocytes undergo cell death at a higher rate than normal cells, because of either increased levels of dermatan sulfate and/or the presence of inflammatory cytokines in the MPS joints. In turn, this leads to abnormal cartilage matrix homeostasis in the MPS individuals, which further exacerbates the joint deformities characteristic of these disorders.
Adherence to Tobacco Dependence Treatment Among HIV-Infected Smokers.

High prevalence of tobacco use and low success in quitting remain significant problems for reducing disease burden among HIV-infected persons. This study’s purpose was to examine participant responsiveness and tobacco dependence treatment adherence and their influences on tobacco abstinence among HIV-infected patients. This non-randomized study included HIV-infected smokers 18 years of age or older, who smoked at least 5 cigarettes per day, and had an interest in quitting smoking in the next 30 days. HIV-infected smokers (n = 247) received a 12-week tobacco dependence treatment intervention that included pharmacotherapy and telephone counseling. Younger age and non-White race were associated with lower adherence to pharmacotherapy. Younger age, non-White race, and increased monthly binge drinking were associated with lower adherence to telephone counseling. High participant responsiveness was associated with adherence to pharmacotherapy, counseling, and abstinence. Development and testing of interventions to improve adherence to evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment is warranted.
Papillary muscle masquerading as a vegetation

We describe a case of an elderly man with an unusual post-operative complication after mitral valve replacement. The final diagnosis was discovered on reoperation. To our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been described in the literature previously.
Vibrational spectra and molecular mechanics and ab initio calculations for 1,3-dioxole. Confirmation of non-planarity

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra of the vapor, liquid, and solid phases of 1,3-dioxole have been recorded and analyzed. Much of the spectra can be interpreted assuming C 2v symmetry. However, several combination bands with the ring-puckering vibration along with the observation of an otherwise inactive mode confirm the non-planarity of this molecule. The observed frequencies are compared with predicted values from molecular mechanics (MM3) and ab initio (STO3-21G∗) calculations. These calculated values provide useful estimates but about half of them differ from the observed values by more than 50 cm −1 . Several predicted values disagree by more than 200 cm −1 .
The Old Age of Some Eminent Psychologists

The late years of some eminent psychologists were examined to secure evidence on their general activities, and their professional competence and productivity. Of greatest note was their devotion to work: after age 70 nearly 90% continued a high level of scientific and professional productivity and involvement, while some developed new careers. The content of late production was generally based on earlier specialty. For many, work seemed the purpose of life, and its own reward.
Multispecies estimation of Bayesian priors for catchability trends and density dependence in the US Gulf of Mexico

Fishery-dependent catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) derived indices of stock abundance are commonly used in fishery stock assessment models and may be significantly biased due to changes in catchability over time. Factors causing time-varying catchability include density-dependent habitat selection and technology improvements such as global positioning systems. In this study, we develop a novel multispecies method to estimate Bayesian priors for catchability functional parameters. This method uses the deviance information criterion to select a parsimonious functional model for catchability among 10 hierarchical and measurement error models. The parsimonious model is then applied to multispecies data, while excluding one species at a time, to develop Bayesian priors that can be used for each excluded species. We use this method to estimate catchability trends and density dependence for seven stocks and four gears in the Gulf of Mexico by comparing CPUE-derived index data with abundance estimates from virtual po...
A Test of Fowls Bred for Resistance to Lymphomatosis

Abstract INTRODUCTION FOUR years ago, Hutt et al. (1941) reported results for the first four generations of White Leghorns bred for resistance to disease, particularly to lymphomatosis. These showed that, whereas deaths from neoplasms during the test period were 16 percent in the unselected population with which the experiment started, in the fourth generation such deaths had been reduced to 12 percent. This decrease, really by a quarter of the original proportion, seemed significant, not merely because it was based on 785 birds, but because, at the same time, deaths from neoplasms were more than twice as frequent (26 percent) in the stock bred for susceptibility. Moreover, the decline of total mortality from 64 percent in the unselected population to 38 percent in the fourth generation permitted a higher proportion of the latter to develop neoplasms had they been genetically susceptible. The fact that only 12 percent did so is more . . .
Characteristics of School Violence and the Value of Family-School Therapeutic Alliances

This article discusses the problem of school violence and the fear about school safety that have been reinforced by extensive news media coverage of the recent series of school shooting incidents. Vari- ous factors associated with school violence are addressed, including sociocultural influences on adolescents that pose a challenge to counsel- ors and therapists working with this clientele. In order to reduce violence and aggression in schools and to ease concerns about safety, steps must be taken not only by schools but also by parents and communities. Fami- lies can play an important protective role in minimizing at-risk behavior by young people. In fact, many of the most effective youth violence in- terventions include family components. Several of these programs are described as well as a number of collaborative approaches that demon- strate the potential synergy of school counselors and family therapists working together. With the addition of more courses in family dynamics Patricia E. Hudson is affiliated with the Division of Human Services and Counsel-
A framework for hierarchical traffic grooming in WDM networks of general topology

We present a framework for hierarchical traffic grooming in mesh networks with the objective of minimizing the total number of electronic ports. At the first level of hierarchy, we decompose the network into clusters and designate one node in each cluster as the hub for grooming traffic. At the second level, the hubs form another cluster for grooming inter-cluster traffic. We view each (first- or second-level) cluster as a virtual star, and we present an efficient near-optimal algorithm for determining the logical topology of lightpaths to carry the traffic within each cluster. Routing and wavelength assignment is then performed directly on the underlying physical topology. Our approach scales to large network sizes, and facilitates the control and management of multigranular networks. Comparisons to lower bounds indicate that it is also efficient in its use of the network resources of interest, namely, electronic ports and wavelengths.
Using Attitude Strength to Predict Registration and Voting Behavior in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections

This study examined attitude strength in the context of the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Surveys of 299 undergraduates assessed attitudes and attitude strength constructs toward Bush/Kerry. The results suggest that (a) attitude strength constructs, especially importance and value-relevance, predict political behavior, (b) indicators of attitude strength may represent two underlying factors, and (c) attitude strength moderates the attitude-candidate choice relationship. Additional results offered some support for the validity of two new attitude strength constructs: higher order attitudes (participants' attitudes about their attitudes) and polarization of candidate attitudes (the absolute value of the difference in attitudes toward Bush and Kerry).
Mathematical modeling and qualitative analysis of insulin therapies.

Several insulin therapies are widely in clinical use with the basic strategy that mimics insulin secretion in a normal glucose–insulin endocrine metabolic regulatory system. In this paper, we model the insulin therapies using a delay differential equation model. We study the dynamics of the model both qualitatively and quantitatively. The analytical results show the existence and uniqueness of a stable periodic solution that corresponds to ultradian insulin secretion oscillations. Numerically we simulate the insulin administration based on our model. The numerical simulation results are in agreement with findings of clinical studies.
Variational method for electromagnetic waves in a magneto-plasma

A variational method is presented to derive the electromagnetic response for waves of a model plasma with arbitrary β in a magnetic field whose curvature simulated by a gravitational field. The variational method is particularly well suited for deriving the electromagnetic local dispersion relation and differential equations of long-wavelength modes. In particular, the result is applied to finding the critical β needed for stabilization of low-frequency drift waves with density and temperature gradients.
CHD8 Is an ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Factor That Regulates β-Catenin Target Genes

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling by the CHD family of proteins plays an important role in the regulation of gene transcription. Here we report that full-length CHD8 interacts directly with β-catenin and that CHD8 is also recruited specifically to the promoter regions of several β-catenin-responsive genes. Our results indicate that CHD8 negatively regulates β-catenin-targeted gene expression, since short hairpin RNA against CHD8 results in the activation of several β-catenin target genes. This regulation is also conserved through evolution; RNA interference against kismet, the apparent Drosophila ortholog of CHD8, results in a similar activation of β-catenin target genes. We also report the first demonstration of chromatin remodeling activity for a member of the CHD6-9 family of proteins, suggesting that CHD8 functions in transcription through the ATP-dependent modulation of chromatin structure.
The Dialectics of Resistance: Colonial Geography, Bengali Literati and the Racial Mapping of Indian Identity

Through a study of hitherto unexplored geography textbooks written in Bengali between 1845 and 1880, this paper traces the evolution of a geographic information system related to ethnicity, race, and space. This geographic information system impacted the mentality of emerging educated elites in colonial India who studied in the newly established colonial schools and played a critical role in developing and articulating ideas of the territorial nation-state and the rights of citizenship in India. The Bengali Hindu literati believed that the higher location of India in such a constructed hierarchy of civilizations could strengthen their claims to rights of citizenship and self-government. These nineteenth century geography textbooks asserted clearly that high caste Hindus constituted the core ethnicity of colonial Indian society and all others were resident outsiders. This knowledge system, rooted in geography/ethnicity/race/space, and related to the hierarchy of civilizations, informed the Bengali intelligentsia's notion of core ethnicity in the future nation-state in India with Hindu elites at its ethnic core.
Combining bibliometrics, information retrieval, and relevance theory, Part 1: First examples of a synthesis

In Sperber and Wilson’s relevance theory (RT), the ratio Cognitive Effects/Processing Effort defines the relevance of a communication. The tf*idf formula from information retrieval is used to operationalize this ratio for any item co-occurring with a user-supplied seed term in bibliometric distributions. The tf weight of the item predicts its effect on the user in the context of the seed term, and its idf weight predicts the user’s processing effort in relating the item to the seed term. The idf measure, also known as statistical specificity, is shown to have unsuspected applications in quantifying interrelated concepts such as topical and nontopical relevance, levels of user expertise, and levels of authority. A new kind of visualization, the pennant diagram, illustrates these claims. The bibliometric distributions visualized are the works cocited with a seed work (Moby Dick), the authors cocited with a seed author (White HD, for maximum interpretability), and the books and articles cocited with a seed article (S.A. Harter’s “Psychological Relevance and Information Science,” which introduced RT to information scientists in 1992). Pennant diagrams use bibliometric data and information retrieval techniques on the system side to mimic a relevancetheoretic model of cognition on the user side. Relevance theory may thus influence the design of new visual information retrieval interfaces. Generally, when information retrieval and bibliometrics are interpreted in light of RT, the implications are rich: A single sociocognitive theory may serve to integrate research on literature-based systems with research on their users, areas now largely separate.
Relationships between trout habitat use and woody debris in two southern New England streams

In-stream habitat was measured and trout density was estimated in Merrick Brook (105 habitat units) and the Tankerhoosen River (135 habitat units), Connecticut to determine relationships between habitat use of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and brown trout Salmo trutta and woody debris. In each habitat unit, woody debris was inventoried, and length, width, depth, area, width : depth ratio and undercut bank area were estimated. Trout abundance was estimated by snorkeling. Multiple regression was used to test relationships between trout density and principal components describing habitat unit variables. In Merrick Brook, habitat unit size and shape explained most of the variability in density of brook trout (<130 and � 130 mm) and brown trout (<150 mm) among habitat units, although principle components describing large woody debris or fine woody debris contributed significantly to variations in density of brook trout (� 130 mm) and brown trout (<150 and � 150 mm). In the Tankerhoosen River, fine woody debris explained most of the variability in density of brook trout (<130 and � 130 mm), followed by habitat unit size and shape. Both large woody debris and fine woody debris contributed significantly to variations in density of brown trout (� 150 mm). These results suggest that woody debris is an important component of wild trout habitat above that provided by habitat unit shape and size alone.
The Interrelation of Renin and Iron Binding Capacity

When rats are subjected to hypoxia, an increase in serum angiotensinogen concentration occurs which is accompanied by the appearance of serum erythropoietin (EP) during the first 24 h. Subsequent increases in EP reach maximum values 24 to 48 h after increases in packed cell volume (PCV) and serum renin levels. The current experiments were designed to determine if a decrease in iron stores is the stimulus for renin production when rats are rapidly expanding their red cell volume in a hypoxic environment. Young rats fed McCall' low iron diet were paired with rats fed the same diet supplemented with ferric citrate (6 g\kg diet). After two weeks at ambient pressure, they were subjected to hypoxia (0.48 atm) for 1 to 10 days. After 5 days at the reduced pressure, a fraction of the rats on the low iron diet were fed the iron-supplemented diet. At the time of sacrifice, serum was assayed for total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and renin. Rats that were fed the low iron diet showed an increase in TIBC, an increase...
Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been detected in nearly every cell type and found to be fundamentally involved in many biological processes. The characterization of lncRNAs has immense potential to advance our comprehensive understanding of cellular processes and gene regulation, along with implications for the treatment of human disease. The recent ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) study reported 9,640 lncRNA loci in the human genome, which corresponds to around half the number of protein-coding genes. Because of this sheer number and their functional diversity, it is crucial to identify a pool of potentially relevant lncRNAs early on in a given study. In this review, we evaluate the methods for isolating lncRNAs by immunoprecipitation and review the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of three widely used approaches – microarray, tiling array, and RNA-seq – for identifying lncRNAs involved in gene regulation. We also look at ways in which data from publicly available databases such as ENCODE can support the study of lncRNAs.
On Agent Based Modelling and Computational Social Science

In the first part of the paper, the field of Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) is discussed focusing on the role of generative theories, aiming at explaining phenomena by growing them. After a brief analysis of the major strengths of the field some crucial weaknesses are analysed. In particular, the generative power of ABM is found to have been underexploited, as the way back processes from the macroscopic effects of interaction to the modification of generating rules have been poorly investigated. In the second part of the paper, the renewal of interest for Computational Social Science (CSS) is focused upon, and several variants of it deductive, generative, and complex CSS, are identified and described. In the concluding remarks, an integrated variant, which takes after ABM, reconciling it with the quantitative one, is proposed as a fundamental requirement for a new program of the CSS.
Design and development of the SNS ring vacuum instrumentation and control systems

BNL is undertaking the design, construction and commissioning of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accumulator ring and the beam transport lines [1]. Ultrahigh vacuum of 10/sup -9/ Torr is required in the accumulator ring to minimize beam-gas ionization, a contributing factor to the e-p instability observed in a few high-intensity proton storage rings. All vacuum instrumentation must be capable of local and remote operation to achieve a reliable vacuum system, especially in this extremely high intensity accelerator. The design and development of the SNS ring vacuum instrumentation and control through the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) distributed real-time software tools are presented.
Reducing the Vulnerability of Rural Households through Agroecological Practice : Considering the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

Le systeme de riziculture intensive est un systeme de culture base sur les principes de l’agroecologie, qui mobilise les potentiels biologiques des sols et des plantes. Il a montre dans de nombreux pays qu’il est possible d’accroitre les rendements par une gestion differente des plantes, du sol, de l’eau et des nutriments, tout en diminuant a la fois la dependance aux intrants chimiques, les couts de production et le travail requis. Cet article examine comment la vulnerabilite des menages pauvres peut, sous certaines conditions, etre reduite par un recours a ce systeme.
Blood Transfusion in Myocardial Infarction: Opening Old Wounds for Comparative-Effectiveness Research∗

The treatment of anemia in the general population of medical or surgical patients has long been an area of uncertainty, particularly with regard to the transfusion of red blood cells. A multitude of studies, conducted over >4 decades and including 19 randomized controlled trials, have sought to
The Role of the Vomeronasal System in Mammalian Reproductive Physiology

External chemical stimuli such as those contained in urine and vaginal secretions have been shown to play a significant role in reproductive functions of many mammalian species. Most studies of effects of external chemical stimuli on reproduction have dealt with male behavior or with female physiology. A few studies have demonstrated effects of external chemicals on male physiology and on female behavior. For example, exposure to bedding soiled by adult conspecifics has been shown to affect testicular weight in prepubertal male mice (see Rogers and Beauchamp, 1976), and exposure to vaginal odor has been found to cause an acute increase in plasma testosterone in sexually experienced male hamsters (Macrides et al., 1974). That female reproductive behavior may be affected by external chemical stimuli is suggested by the fact that removal of the olfactory bulbs of female hamsters results in decrements of female courtship behavior (see Murphy, 1976).