cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hippocampal lesions cause forgetting in a spatial response task.

UNLABELLED Monkeys with lesions to the hippocampus and overlying cortex were impaired in making a spatially selective response on the basis of a spatial cue. Their impairment was even more severe on a task in which they were required to make spatial responses on the basis of cues which are not spatially distinct. A second experiment showed that once lesioned monkeys had been trained on a task with spatially distinct stimuli, they were initially able to perform accurately if the aspatial distinctiveness of the cue was reduced. However, their performance declined to chance over four to six trials. These results suggest that lesions to the hippocampus and overlying cortex may cause impairments in memory for the arrangement of visual scenes, including the spatial location of responses. KEYWORDS spiny neurons, direct pathway, indirect pathways, rat neostriatum
The Earth's crust and the discontinuity beneath it

The Earth is now believed to have a real crust—not in the old sense of a solid layer floating on a liquid interior, but rather in the sense of a thin covering of material radically different in composition from the sphere which it surrounds. It is interesting to recall that only a few decades ago Osmond Fisher argued with convincing and almost flawless logic that the solid crust of the Earth rested on a mobile liquid. But it is now universally admitted that the whole Earth (except possibly near the center), far from having the mobility commonly associated with the word liquid, has a rigidity approaching or exceeding that of steel.
Sparse representations for automatic target classification in SAR images

We propose a sparse representation approach for classifying different targets in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Unlike the other feature based approaches, the proposed method does not require explicit pose estimation or any preprocessing. The dictionary used in this setup is the collection of the normalized training vectors itself. Computing a sparse representation for the test data using this dictionary corresponds to finding a locally linear approximation with respect to the underlying class manifold. SAR images obtained from the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) public database were used in the classification setup. Results show that the performance of the algorithm is superior to using a support vector machines based approach with similar assumptions. Significant complexity reduction is obtained by reducing the dimensions of the data using random projections for only a small loss in performance.
Neuronal voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels function in macromolecular complexes.

Abstract Considerable evidence indicates that native neuronal voltage-gated K+ (Kv) currents reflect the functioning of macromolecular Kv channel complexes, composed of pore-forming (α)-subunits, cytosolic and transmembrane accessory subunits, together with regulatory and scaffolding proteins. The individual components of these macromolecular complexes appear to influence the stability, the trafficking, the localization and/or the biophysical properties of the channels. Recent studies suggest that Kv channel accessory subunits subserve multiple roles in the generation of native neuronal Kv channels. Additional recent findings suggest that Kv channel accessory subunits can respond to changes in intracellular Ca2+ or metabolism and thereby integrate signaling pathways to regulate Kv channel expression and properties. Although studies in heterologous cells have provided important insights into the effects of accessory subunits on Kv channel expression/properties, it has become increasingly clear that experiments in neurons are required to define the physiological roles of Kv channel accessory and associated proteins. A number of technological and experimental hurdles remain that must be overcome in the design, execution and interpretation of experiments aimed at detailing the functional roles of accessory subunits and associated proteins in the generation of native neuronal Kv channels. With the increasing association of altered Kv channel functioning with neurological disorders, the potential impact of these efforts is clear.
An Inverse Problem for an Unknown Source in a Heat Equation

For T a positive number, suppose QT = {(x, t): 0 0, U-2) -Q@, t) = g(t), O<t<T. (1.3) where the source term S(U) is unknown and is, in fact, to be determined from the “overspecified data,” 40, t) =.f(t), O<t<T. (1.4) That is, the problem (1.1) through (I .3) . is completely determined in the sense that if S(U) and g(t) are given then there exists a unique solution II = u(x, t), (provided S and g satisfy certain hypotheses). Then condition (1.4) represents additional information from which we aim to show S(U) can be determined or at least approximated. It follows, for example, from (1.4) and (1.1) that
Action of the antidepressant pridefine (AHR-1118) on biogenic amines in the rat brain

Abstract The antidepressant efficacy of pridefine has been established in previous clinical trials. The present study was undertaken to determine its mode of action. Regional levels of norepinephrine, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine were measured following pridefine administration in rats pretreated with saline or reserpine. Only hypothalamic levels of norepinephrine were increased significantly in both control and reserpinized rats. In vitro effects of pridefine on transmitter uptake and release were examined. Uptake blockade predominated but some releasing activity was present, leading to the conclusion that the drug is a reuptake blocker. Ex vivo uptake experiments confirmed the results of in vitro studies and indicated that the drug reaches active sites.
PREDICTIVE VALUE OF UMBILICAL CORD PLASMA PROSTAGLANDINS E1, E2, AND 6|[ndash]|KETO Fl|[alpha]| ON FUTURE PATENCY OF THE DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS

The placenta is a well known source of many prostaglandins (PG) including E1, E2, and 6-Keto F1α. PGE1 has been used to maintain patency in the ductus arteriousus in infants with ductal dependent congenital cyanotic heart disease. Various plasma prostaglandin levels have been measured at birth in term as well as preterm infants but none of these reports discussed their relationship to any future development of a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriousus (PDA). We measured venous umbilical cord plasma PGE1, PGE2, and PG 6-Keto F1α levels by radioimmunoassay to determine if any of these might serve as predictors of future ductal patency. All three of these PG's have been implicated in maintaining or causing ductal patency. Levels were measured at birth in 36 infants weighing less than 1750 grams and having a gestational age of under 35 weeks. Thirteen infants (36%) were subsequently diagnosed by either two dimensional echocardiography or physical parameters (or both) as having a PDA. While there tended to be marked elevations in PG 6-Keto F1α levels in some infants prior to diagnosis, these as well as other PG levels were not found to statistically correlate with ductal patency (p=.05 for PGF1α). These findings do not support the hypothesis that umbilical cord PGE1, PGE2, or PG 6-Keto F1α levels may serve as predictors of future ductal patency. Instead, patency may be determined by primarily local or intracellular factors which may or may not be oxygen dependent.
Long-Term Effects of Tillage, Nitrogen, and Rainfall on Winter Wheat Yields in the Pacific Northwest

Sustainable cropping systems are essential for agronomic, economic, and environmental reasons. Data from a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/summer fallow rotation experiment, in eastern Oregon, was used to evaluate long-term effects of tillage, N, soil depth, and precipitation on yield. The soil is a Walla Walla silt loam (coarsesilty, mixed, mesic Typic Haploxeroll). The experiment consisted of three tillage treatments (moldboard plow, offset disk, and subsurface sweep) and six N treatments. Four main time periods (1944-1951, 1952-1961, 1962-1987, 1988-1997), were identified, within which experimental treatments were consistently maintained. Depth to bedrock ranged from 1.2 to 3.0 m. Yield was significantly greater (>300 kg ha - 1 ) for the moldboard plow than for the subsurface sweep in all time periods. Yield was generally greater (>100 kg ha - 1 ) for the moldboard plow than for the offset disk, but only significantly in Time Periods 3 and 4. For Periods 1 and 2, the addition of N fertilizer tended to produce higher yields, regardless of quantity or distribution of rainfall. For Period 3, yield did not increase with the addition of more than 45 kg N ha 1 , which we attribute to below-normal precipitation. For Period 4, when precipitation was above average, yield increased with the addition of up to 90 kg N ha - 1 . Results demonstrated that despite beneficial effects on soil properties, conservation tillage has tended to be less productive for this cropping system than moldboard plowing, probably due to lack of downy brome weed control in the conservation tillage systems.
SIMULTANEOUS SAMPLING OF BLOOD, BILE, AND URINE IN RATS FOR PHARMACOKINETIC STUDIES

A method for simultaneous serial sampling of blood, bile, and urine from rats is described. Techniques for cannulation of jugular and femoral veins, bile duct, and bladder are described that make serial sampling of these three fluids possible. A saline infusion regimen was developed that prevents dehydration and maintains constant hematocrit values throughout the experiment. Accuracy of timed-samples can be easily controlled along with complete collection of voided urine. This method also allows for economy in terms of cost (number of animals used) and time in pharmacokinetic investigations involving the rat where extensive sampling of blood, bile, and urine are needed. In addition, interanimal variability, which can be quite high in such studies, is avoided by sampling all these three fluids in a single rat. While the kinetic parameters of blood aluminum obtained from this anesthetized animal model compare well with those in unanesthetized rats reported from this laboratory, this method is most useful for comparative studies.
Downregulation of caveolin-1 function by EGF leads to the loss of E-cadherin, increased transcriptional activity of β-catenin, and enhanced tumor cell invasion

EGF receptor (EGFR) overexpression correlates with metastasis in a variety of carcinomas, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We demonstrated that EGF disrupted cell-cell adhesion and caused epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human tumor cells overexpressing EGFR, and also induced caveolin-dependent endocytosis of E-cadherin, a cell-cell adhesion protein. Chronic EGF treatment resulted in transcriptional downregulation of caveolin-1 and induction of the transcriptional repressor Snail, correlating with downregulation of E-cadherin expression. Caveolin-1 downregulation enhanced beta-catenin-TCF/LEF-1 transcriptional activity in a GSK-3beta-independent manner. Antisense RNA-mediated reduction of caveolin-1 expression in EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells recapitulated these EGF-induced effects and enhanced invasion into collagen gels. We propose that EGF-induced negative regulation of caveolin-1 plays a central role in the complex cellular changes leading to metastasis.
Evaluation of surgical instrument handling on polypropylene mesh using scanning electron microscopy

Introduction and hypothesis To evaluate the effect of surgical instruments handling on polypropylene mesh using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Specklegrammetry For Precision Surface Coordinate Measurement

Correlation between two speckle patterns obtained by successive exposures has been extensively studied by many researchers. The correlation coefficient is associated with the roughness of the measured surface, the angular offset of the incident beam between two exposures, and the diffraction distance from the rough surface ( or its image ) to the photographic plate. The correlation degree can be estimated by measuring the contrast of the Young's fringes, in turns, the fringe contrast is used for determining roughness of the measured surface. If the fringe contrast is high enough, the interfringe spacing can be measured, which contains a great deal of information about the surface displacement, the surface rotation and the phase distribution.
Rapid identification of somatic mutations in colorectal and breast cancer tissues using mismatch repair detection (MRD).

Mismatch repair detection (MRD) was used to screen 93 matched tumor-normal sample pairs and 22 cell lines for somatic mutations in 30 cancer relevant genes. Using a starting amount of only 150 ng of genomic DNA, we screened 102 kb of sequence for somatic mutations in colon and breast cancer. A total of 152 somatic mutations were discovered, encompassing previously reported mutations, such as BRAF V600E and KRAS G12S, G12V, and G13D, as well as novel mutations, including some in genes in which somatic mutations have not previously been reported, such as MAP2K1 and MAP2K2. The distribution of mutations ranged widely within and across tumor types. The functional significance of many of these mutations is not understood, with patterns of selection only evident in KRAS and BRAF in colon cancer. These results present a novel approach to high-throughput mutation screening using small amounts of starting material and reveal a mutation spectrum across 30 genes in a large cohort of breast and colorectal cancers. Hum Mutat 29(3), 441–450, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Kinetics of affinity labeling the l-tyrosine/l-phenylalanine transport system in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Kinetic analyses of the irreversible inhibition of l -tyrosine and l -phenylalanine transport in Bacillus subtilis by phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone revealed that the inhibition was due to an affinity labeling process. Phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone is a competetive inhibitor of l -tyrosine and l -phenylalanine transport. The K i values for irreversible inhibition of l -tyrosine and l -phenylalanine transport were 194 and 177 μ m , respectively, and the first order rate constants for the alkylation reaction leading to inactivation of transport of l -tyrosine and l -phenylalanine were 0.016 and 0.012 min −1 , respectively. The similarity of these constants are consistent with the involvement of the same functional site for l -phenylalanine and l -tyrosine transport. A second effect of phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone was inhibition of the uptake of neutral, aliphatic amino acids; transport of basic and acidic amino acids was unaffected by it. Since high concentrations of any amino acid did not reduce the inhibitory effects of phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone on transport of neutral, aliphatic amino acids, an independent effect, not due to an affinity labeling process was inferred. A procedure for selective labeling of the l -tyrosine/ l -phenylalanine transport system was demonstrated that should be applicable to the introduction of a radioactive label into the transport protein(s).
Satellite Elongation into a True "Sky-Hook"

The theoretical possibility of self-supporting cables extending into space from earth and from extraterrestrial rotating or revolving bodies is examined. In principle, augmentation (and duplication) of the installation and the launching of masses into orbit or into space could be accomplished with energy derived entirely from the rotation of the central body. In practice, a portion of the total energy requirement would probably be supplied by simple mechanical devices.
Generalised adaptive neural filters

A new nonlinear filter known as the generalised adaptive neural filter (GANF) is introduced. It is extended from the generalised stack filter and can be adapted by various neural networks. It is also shown that there always exists a GANF that can achieve an absolute error less than or equal to that of a stack filter with the same window width. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of GANF for suppressing noise.
Effect of Blade Passage Surface Heat Extraction on Axial Compressor Performance

Axial compressor performance with heat extraction via blade passage surfaces (compressor cooling) is compared to its adiabatic counterpart, using computational experiments and meanline modeling. For a multistage compressor with an adiabatic design point, results at fixed corrected rotor speed indicate that if available, compressor cooling would: (i) raise the overall pressure ratio (at a given corrected flow), (ii) raise the maximum mass flow capability, (iii) raise the efficiency, defined as the ratio of isentropic work for a given pressure ratio to actual shaft work, and (iv) provide rear stage choking relief at low corrected speed. In addition, it is found that, if available, cooling in the front stages is better than in the rear stages. This is primarily a thermodynamic effect that results from the fact that, for a given gas, the compression work required to achieve a given pressure ratio decreases as the gas becomes colder. Heat transfer considerations indicate that the engineering challenges lie in achieving high enough heat transfer rates to provide significant impact to the compressor’s performance.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Hydration and properties of novel blended cements based on cement kiln dust and blast furnace slag

The aim of the present paper is to address the key technical issues pertaining to the utilization of cement kiln dust (CKD) as an activator for ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) to create nonconventional cementitious binders for concrete. The relatively high alkaline content of CKD is the predominant factor preventing its recycling in cement manufacture. However, it was observed that depending on the water-soluble alkali and sulfate compounds, CKD could provide the environment necessary to activate latent hydraulic materials such as GGBFS. Binary blends containing slag and CKDs from different sources were characterized and compared in terms of the rates of heat evolution and strength development, hydration products, and time of initial setting. A study of the effects of the influencing factors in terms of soluble alkali content, particle size, and free lime content was undertaken. The results confirm the dependence of the dissolution rate of slag on the alkalinity of the reacting system, and the importance of the optimum lime content on the rate of strength gain.
Structural changes in ribosomes during development.

Abstract Basic ribosomal proteins, extracted from immature erythrocytes of both pre-metamorphic and adult bullfrogs ( Rana catesbeiana ), were characterized on urea-polyacrylamide gels. Ribosomes from larval and adult organisms display quantitative and qualitative differences in the banding patterns of their basic ribosomal proteins. Such alterations in ribosomal structure may be important in the control of gene expression during development.
Lysimetric evaluation of daily potential evapotranspiration models for grain sorghum

(...) two precise weighing lysimeters at Bushland, TX, were used to measure daily E 1 from well-watered, irrigated grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in 1987 and 1988. Forms of the Penman, Penman-Monteith, Jensen-Haise, and Priestley-Taylor models were evaluated for prediction of potential evapotranspiration (E tp ). The Penman-Monteith model provided the best prediction of E tp and predicted well across the entire range of measured E t . Forms of the Penman model with empirically fit wind functions overpredicted E tp by 20 to 40% and attempts to fit a linear wind function to our data were not satisfactory (...)
Advanced fiber optical sensor and instrumentation for power generation industrial monitoring and diagnostics

Temperature measurement in an extremely harsh environment, such as in a coal gasifier and gas turbine, presents significant challenges to any conventional temperature sensing technology, including thermocouples, IR camera, pyrometer, and blackbody radiation measuring methods. The commonly used fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based temperature sensors have many advantages, making them very successful in structural health monitoring application. However, conventional FBGs have poor thermal stability and survivability when environmental temperature is beyond 500oC. A band-gap engineering method has been used to transform amorphous fiber material into tetrahedral dominated microstructures, and the mass density modulated grating structure has shown the same fundamental characteristics as conventional FBG but the tetrahedral dominated fiber material enables such grating structure more tolerable to extremely temperature without losing structure integrity. The developed tetrahedral fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) have been prototyped for coal gasification radial and axial distributed temperature measurements. The field validations have demonstrated these TFBG sensors can provide reliable temperature measurement under 1200oC harsh conditions.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A new approach to the synthesis of lysophosphatidylcholines and related derivatives

A new stereospecific synthesis of lysophosphatidylcholines is reported. The sequence relies on orthogonal protection of hydroxyl groups derived from glyceric acid, using fluorenylmethylcarbonate versus tetrahydropyranyl ether functions, that allow regiospecific introduction of substituents to obtain the target phospholipid compound.
Control of Selectable One-Way Clutch in GM Six-Speed Automatic Transmissions

Automatic transmissions use one-way clutches and regular clutches to control gear shifts. Regular one-way clutch locks in one direction and free spins (freewheeling) in the other direction and thus provides good shift quality. However, a clutch is needed if the freewheeling direction needs to be locked. The advantage of a selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) is that it can be designed to act like a regular one-way clutch, fully freewheels or locks in both directions. In the GM six-speed transmissions, there is one one-way clutch which is accompanied by a clutch CB1R to control between 1st gear and reverse direction. The study is to replace the one-way clutch and CB1R clutch with simply one selectable one-way clutch in GM 6-speed transmissions (1). This will eliminate one transmission clutch, reduce weight and cost, and improve transmission efficiency. The proposed design of transmission is applied to a GM SUV and a GM passenger vehicle. Different from a regular clutch, which can be applied with force/pressure from high slippage to lock-up between two elements, a selectable one-way clutch can only be applied to a lock-up position when the slippage between two elements is near zero speed. Also, an SOWC can only be released when there is no torque or force carried by the clutch while a regular clutch can be easily released by dropping the applied force/pressure. These requirements impose challenges of the control strategies of the SOWC, especially during the scenarios such as 2–1 engine idle downshift (engine braking) and 1–2 upshift (coasting). This paper reviews hardware design, vehicle implementation, and focuses on control of the selectable one-way clutch. Vehicle results demonstrate static and rolling garage shifts, 1–2 upshifts, 2–1 and coast downshifts. Also demonstrated is the successful application of engaging 1st gear engine braking with the SOWC. This control involves coordination between the engine speed and SOWC slip speed, and the apply/release of the device.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Potential exposure from smoking parathion-contaminated cigarettes

Pesticide workers usually contaminate their cigarettes with less than 100 microgram per cigarette by handling them, but in some instances such contamination has been found to be over 200 microgram. To obtain values for potential exposure resulting from smoking contaminated filter tip and nonfilter cigarettes, from 10 to 200 microgram of parathion was applied to the cigarette surface area found to be most often contaminated by hands. This was followed in two separate experiments by simulated smoking using a special apparatus to determine (1) passage of toxic material through cigarettes in mainstream smoke, (2) amount found in sidestream smoke, (3) amount trapped in the filter or equivalent butt end, and (4) amount recovered in ashes. The amount of parathion passing through cigarettes as a potential for inhalation exposure ranged up to 28% of dosing levels. No paraoxon or S-ethyl parathion was detected. Although there was an indication that slightly more pesticide was recovered from filters than from equivalent butt ends, the amount recovered in mainstream smoke of filter type cigarettes was not significantly lower than for nonfilter cigarettes. Location of contamination on a cigarette had minimal effect on the amount found in mainstream smoke.
Disfluency in spasmodic dysphonia: a multivariate analysis.

This study examined visual analog scaling (VAS) judgments of disfluency by normal listeners in response to oral reading by speakers with spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and by nondysphonic controls, as we...
A conceptualization of interaction with genres in the context of information practices

In this paper, the author examines how genres affect both the process and consequences of information practices in contexts. Genres serve as information systems within and around which information practices are shaped. They are in turn shaped by information practices. Genres also serve as physical information resources that structure information practices in the human-information interaction process. They allow humans to relate their situations and contexts to broader socio-cultural community practices. Based on previous information studies, a conceptual framework that depicts interaction with genres in the context of information practices is developed to unfold the roles that genres play in shaping information practices. It illustrates the aspects of information practices that are shaped by and interact with the evolving identification, recognition, and conception of genres, including the selection and prediction of information sources and/or systems, the development and employment of information seeking strategies, the shift of interactive intensions, and the assessment of encountered information packages and information. This framework serves as a conceptual foundation that guides further empirical investigation of interaction with genres in different contexts. It also bridges the gap identified in previous information studies.
Test of a communication model of organizational commitment

This study proposes and tests a communication model of organizational commitment which pivots about the idea of individual freedom to communicate. A study of 253 employees in a variety of organizations is reported. In support of the model, the results revealed that employees desire more freedom of speech in the workplace than they currently have. The less perceived freedom of speech in the workplace, the less that employees have organizational commitment and satisfaction with their work and supervisor, and the organization is perceived less favorably in several ways. Also, perceptions of freedom of speech in the workplace explained variability in organizational commitment not accounted for by beliefs about the organization's economic stability, commitment to product quality, and commitment to employee work‐life quality.
Structural features and some binding properties of proteoheparan sulfate enzymatically labeled by calf brain microsomes

Abstract Previous studies established that brain microsomes catalyze the transfer of [35S]sulfate from 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phospho[35S]sulfate to an O-linked oligosaccharide chain of a membrane glycoprotein and sulfamino groups of a membrane-associated proteoheparan sulfate (R. R. Miller and C. J. Waechter (1979) Arch. Biochem. Biophys.198, 31–41) . A large fraction of the proteoheparan [35S]sulfate can be released by treating the enzymatically labeled membranes from calf brain with 1 m NaCl. The salt-extracted 35S-labeled proteoglycan has been partially purified by a combination of ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Based on Chromatographic analyses, the 35S-labeled proteoglycan labeled in vitro is proposed to be a family of proteoheparan [35S]sulfates having an average molecular weight estimated to be 55,000. Variation in the length of the 35S-labeled polysaccharide chains partially accounts for the differences in molecular size of the proteoheparan [35S]sulfates. Binding studies reveal that the intact proteoheparan [35S]sulfates, as well as the free 35S-labeled polysaccharides released by mild alkali treatment, rapidly reassociate with calf brain membrane preparations. The association with calf brain membranes is saturable and reversible. Consistent with the binding being a specific interaction, only iduronic acid-containing glycosaminoglycans inhibit the association of the 35S-labeled proteoglycan with calf brain membranes and facilitate the disassociation. Neither the binding of the 35S-labeled proteoglycan to membranes nor the displacement was affected by hyaluronic acid, chondroitin 4-sulfate, or chondroitin 6-sulfate. The binding of the enzymatically labeled proteoheparan sulfate is reduced by preincubating membranes with either trypsin or chymotrypsin, but not with neuraminidase or phospholipase D. These results suggest that at least one class of proteoheparan sulfates could be specifically bound to one or more brain membrane proteins. The results also suggest a role for iduronosyl residues, and perhaps the stereochemical relationship of the carboxyl group to the O-sulfate moiety at C-2, in the recognition process.
On the evolution of arterial vascular patterns of tetrapods

The factors that explain the diverse arrangement of the major arteries of tetrapods are not known. Here, I aim to illuminate some of the underpin- nings of these patterns. I review the variation in the sauropsid left, right, and dorsal aortae regarding the ori- gin of the gastrointestinal blood vessels and the relative diameters of left and right aortae where they join to- gether to form the dorsal aorta. I focus on these features because the quality of blood that flows through these aortae can vary depending on the state of cardiac shunt- ing and the size of the vessel can provide insight into the quantity of blood borne by the vessels. I then place the information in a phyletic, historical, and ecological context. The plesiomorphic pattern is for the gastrointes- tinal vessels to arise as segmental arteries from the dor- sal aorta, which is formed from the confluence of left and right aortae with similar diameters. The pattern is well conserved with only two major variations. First, in several clades of reptiles (testudines, crocodilians, liz- ards of the genera Varanus and Hydrosaurus) a substan- tial portion of the gastrointestinal arteries arises from the left aorta, leaving the diameter of the left aorta smaller than the right at their confluence. I hypothesize that this vascular arrangement facilitates growth by allowing more alkaline blood to flow to the somatic (body wall) and appendicular circulations, which may promote bone deposition and inhibit resorption, whereas hyper- capnic, acidic blood flows to the digestive viscera, which may provide CO2 as a substrate for the synthesis of gas- tric acid, bicarbonate, fatty acids, glutamine, purine rings, as well as glucose from lactate. Second, in some snakes and lizards with snake-like body forms, such as Amphisbaenidae, the diameters of left and right aortae are asymmetrical at their confluence with the left aorta exceeding the right, but in members of the amphibian order Gymnophiona the right generally exceeds the left. This condition is associated with asymmetrical development of the lungs. J. Morphol. 000:000-000, 2011. ! 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and general regions of the body and so modifica- tions in their arrangements should not be brought about by slight changes in body components, but by large shifts in body form and life history. Because the architecture of the heart determines how blood is distributed into these major arteries, the evolution of the heart and the main arterial trunks are united by this common function and the topography of the major arteries should func- tionally intertwine with the cardiac anatomy, yet few studies have examined this putative struc- ture-function relationship. Functional studies are especially lacking among the clade with the most highly variable vessels, the caecilians. In saurop- sids, the group that includes all extant and extinct amniotes except those of the synapsid lineage (e.g., mammals), the structure of the cardiac ventricle underpins their ability to shunt blood and thereby vary the quality of the blood ejected into the major
A study of the adsorption of methyl radicals on clean and oxygen-modified Ni(100)

The adsorption of methyl radicals has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) on a clean Ni(100) surface, Ni(100) with a chemisorbed oxygen overlayer, and Ni(100) with a NiO(111) oxide overlayer. Methyl radical dosing at surface temperatures of 120−170 K produces carbon coverages in excess of 5 monolayers with a C(1s) peak position indicative of an adsorbed hydrocarbon species. The carbon coverage never saturated on any of surfaces studied. TPD indicating C2−C4 formation was observed following very large methyl radical exposures. These results are indicative of the formation of surface hydrocarbon chains. The methyl radical gas temperature had no effect on the surface chemistry. However, hydrocarbon chains formed with higher selectivity on the oxygen-modified surfaces compared to the clean surface. These results suggest that a direct reaction between incoming methyl radicals and adsorbed hydrocarbon groups is not involved. The chains are likely produced...
It takes a village to build an image

Managing operating systems and campus-supported software can be a daunting challenge. Many colleges and universities handle these challenges by using disk imaging software to create and deploy system images to some or all of their computers. ASU West has been building and deploying system images with Ghost for many years. Recently, however, we decided to re-evaluate our imaging processes and we found a number of ways to improve them. This presentation will share what we learned. It will discuss our procedures so that you can find ways to implement or improve your own strategies-whether you are starting from scratch or looking for ways to refine your current processes.The IT department at ASU West uses Symantec Ghost to build images for virtually every Windows computer on campus. Our procedure is robust enough to ensure a well-tested image gets deployed consistently and flexible enough to accommodate images for a host of different environments. We not only deploy images in all of the IT managed labs and computer classrooms on campus. We also create and maintain a wide variety of specialty images for mobile computer carts, departmental laboratories, and check-out equipment. In addition, we also build and install images for the computers in faculty and staff offices.Our presentation will outline our entire process for image creation and deployment from start to finish. We will discuss things like timelines, testing procedures, handling hardware differences, pitfalls, updating images, getting customer feedback, and deploying images in a variety of ways. Though we will focus primarily on the Windows environment, we can also provide some insights for Macintosh computers. The presentation will include documentation about our processes and some guidelines for building a successful strategy at virtually any other institution interested in this approach.
Conversion of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon-carbon-nitride thin film at ultra-low temperature by oxygen plasma

Abstract In this work we present an ultra-low temperature method for the oxidation of an amorphous silicon–carbide–nitride (SiCN) material. The SiCN is deposited on silicon substrates by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using CH 4 , SiH 4 , and N 2 chemistry. The physical and chemical properties are characterized for the as-deposited SiCN and post-oxidized films are discussed. The SiCN film is exposed to oxygen plasma, where it undergoes a chemical transformation into a binary SiO 2 material system. A 1.7 nm/min oxidation rate is typical for this process and compares favorably to oxidation methods utilizing much higher temperatures. The substrate temperature remains extremely low throughout the oxidation process, T s 2 . We discuss applications specifically targeted to the conversion of SiCN to SiO 2 .
Population Pharmacokinetics of Valproic Acid in Pediatric Patients With Epilepsy: Considerations for Dosing Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients

Valproic acid (VPA) dosing strategies used in recent clinical trials in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have utilized a paradigm of monitoring trough levels to estimate drug exposure with subsequent dose titration. The validity of this approach remains uncertain and could be improved by understanding sources of pharmacokinetic variability. A population pharmacokinetic analysis of VPA in pediatric patients with epilepsy was recently performed. The pooled data set included 52 subjects with epilepsy, ages 1 to 17 years, who received intravenous and/or various oral formulations. The data was best fit by a 2-compartment model; inclusion of age and weight reduced intersubject variability for clearance (41%), central volume (70%), and peripheral volume (42%) over the base model. The final model for clearance and volume parameters was clearance = 0.854 · (weight/70)(0.75); central volume of distribution = 10.3 · (weight/70)(1.0) · (age/8.5)(-0.267); peripheral volume of distribution = 4.08 · (weight/70)(1.0); and intercompartmental clearance = 5.34 · (weight/70)(0.75). Application of the model to data from a clinical trial in SMA patients suggests altered kinetics, perhaps based on underlying physiologic differences such as alterations in lean body mass. Future studies in SMA should incorporate modeling and simulation techniques to support individualized dosing and further assess if additional patient-specific factors necessitate alternative dosing strategies.
Breast and soy-formula feedings in early infancy and the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease in children.

It has been suggested that feeding practices in infancy may affect the development of various autoimmune diseases later in life. Since thyroid alterations are among the most frequently encountered autoimmune conditions in children, we studied whether breast and soy-containing formula feedings in early life were associated with the subsequent development of autoimmune thyroid disease. A detailed history of feeding practices was obtained in 59 children with autoimmune thyroid disease, their 76 healthy siblings, and 54 healthy nonrelated control children. There was no difference in the frequency and duration of breast feeding in early life among the three groups of children. However, the frequency of feedings with soy-based milk formulas in early life was significantly higher in children with autoimmune thyroid disease (prevalence 31%) as compared with their siblings (prevalence 12%; chi 2 = 7.22 with continuity factor; p less than 0.01), and healthy nonrelated control children (prevalence 13%, chi 2 = 5.03 ...
Effect of cold acclimation on Na+/K+ transport in hamster liver cells

The effects of prolonged cold exposure of Syrian hamsters on liver membrane (Na+/K+-ATPase activity and on liver intracellular K+ levels was examined. Membrane preparations from cold-acclimated hamsters (6°C for 3 weeks) exhibited significantly higherVmax values for (Na+/K+)-ATPase and significantly greater ouabain binding. These data support the view that in the liver of these cold-exposed hamsters, there is an increase in the number of operational pumps. The fact that the intact liver cells (isolated via liver perfusion) from the cold-acclimated hamsters: (a) did not have higher concentrations of intracellular K+ (despite the presence of more operational pumps); and (b) exhibited greater rates of K+ loss when the pumps were inhibited by maximal ouabain suggests that the K+ leak across the liver cell plasma membrane is increased in the cold-acclimated hamsters. Although the physiological significance of these results needs further evaluation, these membrane changes may be of adaptive value for hibernation.
Imaging measures predict progression in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Objective: The aim of this work was to determine whether the progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale, a measure of disease severity, is associated with neuroanatomical changes in progressive supranuclear palsy. Methods: We recruited 22 subjects with probable progressive supranuclear palsy who completed the progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale at 2 time points. All subjects had magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. Associations were assessed between whole brain volume, ventricular volume, midbrain area and superior cerebellar peduncle fractional anisotropy, and baseline/change of the progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale. Results: Superior cerebellar peduncle fractional anisotropy correlated with the total score and gait/midline subscore of the progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale. Whole brain volume, midbrain area, and disease duration predicted subsequent change over time in the gait/midline subscore of the progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale. Conclusions: Imaging measures could be useful to help predict clinical progression in subjects with progressive supranuclear palsy. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Multiple sediment sources and a cellular, non-integrated, longshore drift system : Northwest Florida and southeast Alabama coast, USA

Abstract The morphosedimentary maintenance of a 225 km stretch of coast along the northeast Gulf of Mexico, from Grayton Beach, Florida, to Morgan Point, Alabama, has been interpreted previously within the framework of a unidirectional, integrated, monotonic longshore drift model, with a single headland source of sediment located east of Grayton Beach. Net longshore transport and the granulometry and composition of some 2000 foredune, beach and step samples indicate a cellular net drift system, supplied by three independent sources of sediment. One source is provided by the Pleistocene barrier island complex along Grayton-Mirimar Beach, the second at Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island, and the third is onshore transport across the inner shelf between Pensacola, Florida, and Morgan Point, Alabama. The Pleistocene “headland” and Pensacola Beach supply two cells along Santa Rosa Island, whereas onshore transport from the low gradient inner shelf supplies sediment to three cells along the largely accretional beach-ridge-dominated coast from Pensacola Pass to Morgan Point. Drift cells along this coast experience negligible net sediment exchange. These findings have significant implications for both the late Holocene evolution and the morphodynamic maintenance of this coast.
High Energy Picosecond 10 µm Pulses

The parameters important for high energy amplification of picosecond pulses are discussed. A saturation energy greater than 400 mJ/cm 2 is obtained. We also describe a laser system which produces picosecond (T > 2.5 ps) pulses with a peak energy of up to 250 ITO.
Options on a traded account: Vacation calls, vacation puts and passport options

Abstract. In this article we study options on a traded account. In terms of the actions available to the buyer, the options we study are more general than a class of options known as {\em passport options}; in terms of the model of the underlying asset they are more restrictive. Using probabilistic techniques, we find the value of these options, the optimal strategy of the buyer, and the hedging strategy the seller should use in response to a (not necessarily optimal) strategy by the buyer.
Advances in Our Understanding of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Abstract Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the major occupational hazards. Several standards are currently available that stipulate the safety limits for noise exposures. While these standards are generally effective, this review highlights results from recent laboratory studies that show that these standards share certain limitations. For instance, they do not cover impulse/impact noise exposures satisfactorily. Likewise, they do not have provisions to account for interaction of noise with other agents, such as chemotherapeutic agents or industrial solvents. In addition, results from studies on susceptibility to NIHL are presented which suggest that an individual's susceptibility to NIHL can be moderated by prior noise exposures. Areas of potential interest for future research on NIHL are also identified.
Gene Nutrient Interactions and Evolution

Nutritional requirements are not the same for all individuals. While there is generally a common requirement for the types of nutrients needed for survival, the quantities needed vary. In several instances, the differences in nutrient requirements can be attributed to specific genetic differences among individuals. When higher nutrient needs associated with certain genotypes are not met, there will be selection against those genotypes in the population. When these needs are met, the selection against such genotypes will be lifted and the alleles that confer high nutrient requirements can persist in the population. In cases where these alleles confer some selective advantage, high levels of the required nutrient can actually lead to an expanded frequency of those alleles in a population. In such cases, nutrient availability can provide a selective pressure that drives genotypic shifts in a population. Some of the data demonstrating the potential of nutrient levels to affect genetic evolution of a population are reviewed here.
HIV infection in intravenous drug abusers.

To develop prevention interventions and strategies, we conducted a study to determine the seroprevalence of HIV infection among intravenous drug abusers seeking treatment for drug abuse and to identify specific risk factors for HIV infection in this group. Of the sample, 24 percent were seropositive. Specific risk factors included black or Hispanic ethnicity, older age, a longer history of intravenous drug abuse and a higher man number of illegal injections in the past year. Suggestions are made for nurses and health educators providing AIDS/HIV education to this population.
A traveling team concept to expedite the transfer and management of unstable patients in cardiopulmonary shock

Emergent mechanical support with transfer of patients in acute cardiopulmonary shock to specialty centers for definitive management is often required at non-transplant centers. An alternative approach to the traditional "hub and spoke" model is presented. A team of health care specialists from our hospital is deployed to the community hospital for stabilization, possible implantation, and transfer of patients to our tertiary care facility. Patient assessment can be made with intervention, allowing stabilization and safe transfer by our team to our institution. This method provides tertiary level care at the referring hospital and may improve survival for a sub-set of patients in the community hospital setting.