cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ensemble Sensitivity Analysis Applied to a Southern Plains Convective Event

AbstractForecast sensitivity of an April 2012 severe convection event in northern Texas is investigated with a high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model–based ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). Through ensemble sensitivity analysis (ESA), which relates a forecast metric to initial and early forecast errors by linear regression, features of the flow are revealed that reflect dynamical relationships with the forecast convection. Results indicate that ESA can be successfully applied to high-resolution forecasts of convection, and the most important features are related to the synoptic-scale flow such as positioning of an upper-level low and lower-level thermodynamic characteristics of air masses. Comparisons of the maximum and minimum convectively active members in the region of interest show that the fields generated by ESA are consistent with the actual evolution of the event: members with more eastward progression of the synoptic-scale system produced a stronger convection forecast. The for...
Nine new and less known nematode species from the deep-sea benthos of the Norwegian Sea

Eight new and one less known nematode species are described from Voring Plateau at 970 m to 1426 m depth and adjacent deep-sea plain at 3062 m depth in the Norwegian Sea: Actinonema grafi sp. nov., Desmodora pilosa Ditlevsen, 1926, Leptolaimus meyer-reili sp. nov., Tarvaia heegeri sp. nov., Diplopeltoides linkei sp. nov., Diplopeltis bathmanni sp. nov., Southerniella nojii sp. nov, Pararaeolaimus rumohri sp. nov. and Theristus altenbachi sp. nov. Differential diagnoses to the eight new species are given.
Cardioprotection in females: a role for nitric oxide and altered gene expression.

A number of epidemiological and animal studies have suggested a cardioprotective role for estrogen. This review will focus on the cardioprotective role of estrogen in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Estrogen binding to receptors can lead to altered gene expression and estrogen has been shown to induce expression of a number of genes that have been suggested to be important in cardioprotection. Estrogen is reported to increase expression of the plasma membrane glucose transporter GLUT4 and to increase carbohydrate metabolism. Estrogen has also been reported to increase mitochondrial biogenesis and to alter mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species. Estrogen results in upregulation of cardiac eNOS and nNOS, which have been shown previously to be important mediators of cardioprotection. Nitric oxide has been shown to result in S-nitrosylation and inhibition of the L-type calcium channel, thereby reducing calcium loading during ischemia. Nitric oxide has also been reported to inhibit complex I and inhibition of complex I has been reported to reduce activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Nitric oxide has been shown to result in activation of the mitochondrial KATP channel, which has been shown to be involved in cardioprotection. Estrogen can also activate rapid non-genomic pathways that activate cardioprotective-signaling pathways such as the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3 kinase) pathway which has also been shown to initiate protection. Taken together, estrogen by genomic and non-genomic pathways can result in the initiation of a number of signaling pathways that enhance cardioprotection.
Solubility of KFe3(CrO4)2(OH)6 at 4 to 35°C

Abstract The solubility of KFe3(CrO4)2(OH)6, the chromate analog of the sulfate mineral jarosite, was studied in a series of dissolution experiments. Experiments were conducted at 4 to 35°C and pH values between 1.5 and 3.0 using synthetic KFe3(CrO4)2(OH)6. The solids were kept in the reaction vessel for up to 6 months. Equilibrium was established in the experiments between 2 and 4 months. The log Ksp for the dissolution reaction of KFe3(CrO4)2(OH)6 KFe 3 ( CrO 4 ) 2 ( OH ) 6 + 6 H + ⇄ K + + 3 Fe 3 + + 2 CrO 4 2 + + 6 H 2 O at 25°C is −18.4 ± 0.6. Based on this measured solubility product, the free energy of formation, ΔGf,298°, is −3305.5 ± 3.4 kJ mol−1. The dissolution experiments at 25°C indicate the formation of a FeCrO4+ complex. The dissolution experiments combined with previously published spectroscopic data between 0 and 25°C yield a formation constant of the form 2.303log KFeCrO4+ = −ΔH°/RT + ΔS°/R, where ΔH° = 19.1 ± 2.2 kJ mol−1 and ΔS° = 214 ± 8 J K−1 mol−1. At 25°C, log KFeCrO4+ is 7.8 ± 0.5. The equilibrium ion activity products calculated from the experiments at 4, 15, 25, and 35°C do not show a statistically significant trend indicating a weak temperature dependence of the solubility product over the temperature range of the experiments. The rate of the dissolution reaction can be described by a first-order model. The measured solubility indicates that the chromate analog of jarosite is stable over a wide range of conditions and could form in large parts of a Cr(VI)-contaminated aquifer.
Oxonic acid and fetal development: I. Embryotoxicity in mice

Abstract Feeding the uricase inhibitor potassium oxonate (K Ox) as 3% of the diet to pregnant mice during days 8–10 postconception caused a 95–98% incidence of embryonic mortality with resorption. The same treatment during days 10–13 of gestation caused no changes in litter size and fetal weight; however, if in addition to feeding K Ox, three concurrent i.v. injections of 2.5. mg/day of Na urate (Na UR) were given then 47% of the mouse fetuses were killed and resorbed. Intravenous Na urate alone during the same stages of early the middle pregnancy had no effect on fetal survical or development. A 3.6% incidence of cleft palate was caused in mice treated with the combination of K. Ox and Na UR during middle prenancy. In groups of mature nonpregnant female mice exposed to the same treatment regimens, serum uric acid, potassium and sodium were elevated in a treatment-related manner. Serum urea levels were unchanged. K Ox is lethal to mouse fetuses during early embryonic development. Hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia or hypernatremia are maternal alterations which may be responsible for, or contribute to this effect.
Optimizing Organic Solar Cells in Both Space and Energy Domains

Abstract Optimization of organic solar cells in both space and energy domains has been preliminarily investigated, both experimentally and theoretically, in order to minimize the ‘photon loss’, the ‘exciton loss’ and the ‘carrier loss’. In spatial domain optimization, for instance, thin films of -donor-bridge-acceptor-bridge- (-DBAB-) type block copolymers exhibited much better photoluminescence quenching and photoconductivity in comparison to corresponding donor/acceptor simple blend films. This enhancement of photo-electronic conversion was attributed mainly to the improved spatial bicontinuous morphologies in the -DBAB- block copolymer. In energy domain optimization, theoretical simulation reveals that, an optimum exciton-charge conversion can be achieved when the LUMO level offset of donor/acceptor is close to the sum of exciton binding energy and the charge separation reorganization energy.
BEHAVIOR SYNDROME IN FEMALE LIPODYSTROPHY PATIENTS RECEIVING NEUROLEPTIC DRUGS

Pimozide, an antipsychotic neuroleptic drug, administered to a young girl with generalized lipodystrophy (GLD) Induced a beneficial effect (Pediat.Res.8:435, 1974). When we administered pimozide to other lipodystrophy patients, the drug produced in affected females beyond puberty a mood change which prevented its continued use. Pimozide in low dose (1-4 mg/day) to 5 postpubescent females (3 GLD, 2 atypical lipodystrophy) produced an immediate disabling mood change characterized by catalepsy, anxiety, and sedation. These changes were not the extrapyramidal side effects produced by pimozide in high dose (>40 mg/day). In one GLD patient, the neuroleptic agents trifluropromazine and haloperidol were administered separately in low dose with effects like that of pimozide. Continued use of pimozide in the original prepubescent GLD patient has shown limited beneficial effect; now that she is entering puberty, the behavior syndrome is developing. Two males with GLD (2 and 56 years) and one prepubescent female with partial lipodystrophy, have not developed the behavior syndrome on pimozide. These observations indicate an aberrant neurohumoral etiologic mechanism in lipodystrophy and support the theory of defective hypothalmic dopamine metabolism. Absence of the behavior syndrome in a pre- and postpubescent male suggests a sex difference in hypothalamic dopamine metabolism. The findings are analogous to the induced behavior in rats injected intracerebrally with β-endorphin, a fragment of the pituitary hormone, β-lipotrophin.
The effects of a socialization and music therapy intervention on self-esteem and loneliness in spouse caregivers of those diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type: A pilot study

There is an increasing need to provide interventions which offer opportunities for individuals who care for spouses and other family members to decrease their loneliness and increase their self-esteem. This pilot study, which included four caregivers and their spouses, was a joint effort including music therapy and social work services. It was designed to determine if caregivers who had no prior musical experiences could be trained to use music with their care recipients. It was also designed to determine if caregivers' participation with other care giving and care receiving couples in a social gathering with music therapy programming would affect changes in their measure of loneliness and self-esteem. The results indicated that three of the four caregivers who participated in this study had changes in their selfes-teem scores which indicated improved self-esteem. These changes were not significant, but approached significance at the .05 level of confidence of two subjects. One subject showed little to no...
Stochastic theory of ignition processes

We consider a closed gaseous system immersed in a heat bath undergoing a thermal explosion. The effects of instantaneous fluctuations in the temperature on the heat removal mechanism and on the reaction rate are considered. The intensity of the fluctuations in situations far from equilibrium is determined by calculating the temperature self-correlation. This quantity scales with the inverse of an effective volume Ω obtained from generalized fluctuation-dissipation theory. This determines a virtual system corresponding to the localized ignition process, possibly leading to a global runaway. The induction period is identified with the Kramers mean passage time for diffusion across a kinetic barrier. The induction period is thus shown to be dependent on the fluctuation volume Ω. The diffusion process is hastened by the critical fluctuations. The explosive decomposition of ethyl azide was selected to test the theory and the results exhibit very good agreement with experimental data. Our treatment resolves the previous discrepancy between the predictions rooted in the classical Frank-Kamenetsky treatment and the premature ignition observed experimentally.
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers—An Engineering System Supporting the Army'S Vehicles and Equipment:

A review of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers—a brief history introduces a description of the present day engineering support provided to the British Army by REME.
Another short proof of optimality for the MIN cache replacement algorithm

When a new item is written into a cache, an old item must be evicted; the latter can be chosen by the offline MIN algorithm, which was first proven to be optimal by Mattson et al. [R.L. Mattson, J. Gecsei, D.R. Slutz, I.L. Traiger, Evaluation techniques for storage hierarchies, IBM Systems J. 9 (2) (1970) 78-117]. Recently a new, short proof was given by van Roy [B. van Roy, A short proof of optimality for the MIN cache replacement algorithm, Inform. Process. Lett. 102 (2007) 72-73]; here we give another short proof using what we call an amortized simulation.
The Origin of the Work of Design: Thoughts based on a Reading of Martin Heidegger’s “The Origin of the Work of Art”

ABSTRACTThis article takes Martin Heidegger’s well-trammeled essay “The Origin of the Work of Art” as an object of reflection, engagement, and redirective innovation in order to think design now. The approach taken rests upon reading Heidegger from the perspective of a very different context: our present. By implication, engaging his text becomes informed by contemporary political, cultural, and environmental circumstances and imperatives. Such a reframed reading of Heidegger is then able to be taken to the ongoing project of rethinking design, not least its relation to art.
A photoionization study of vibrational cooling in molecular beams

Abstract The efficiency of cooling vibrational modes for a variety of molecules in a seeded supersonic expansion has been investigated at several backing pressures from 100 to 800 Torr. The internal energy removed by the expansion was monitored by comparing the dissociative ionization onset in a photoelectron photoion coincidence experiment. While the results do not permit simple generalizations, they do show increasing cooling efficiency with increasing size of the molecule and with increasing backing pressure. At 400 Torr backing pressure, the percent of the internal energy removed for methyl formate, 2-propanol, and n-pentane was 50%, 80%, and 92%. Furthermore, a heated nozzle experiment showed that the percent energy removed by the expansion remains constant.
Zero-knowledge with log-space verifiers

Interactive proof systems are considered in which the best set of possible verifiers is restricted to the class of probabilistic log-space automata. A. Condon (1988) introduced this model and showed that if the protocols are allowed to run for arbitrarily many rounds, exponential-time languages can be proved to a log-space verifier. To better approximate the usual notion of interactive proof systems, a number of researchers have considered a more realistic, further restricted model in which protocols are polynomially bounded, both in the number of rounds of communication and in the number of computational steps allowed to the verifier. A notion of language-recognition zero-knowledge is defined for this model, and it is shown that anything provable in this model can be proved in language-recognition zero-knowledge. >
Evaluation of unmeshed and 1:1 meshed AlloDerm bolsters for stapled rectal anastomoses in a porcine model.

Abstract Introduction: The major morbidity of colorectal anastomoses is leaks. The concept of staple-line reinforcement is a growing area of interest. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility an...
A fast programmable trigger for pattern recognition

Abstract We have built a fast programmable trigger processor based on a state-of-the-art Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) IC for the Palo Verde Neutrino Oscillation Experiment. The trigger processor can accommodate 160 ECL input signals, 8 NIM input signals, 16 ECL output signals and 8 NIM output signals. Our two-level trigger logic is designed asynchronously to maximize speed. We have attained trigger times of 40 ns for level 1 and 100 ns for level 2 with 132 asynchronous inputs. The trigger processor can be upgraded by replacing the FPGA with more advanced versions of the chip as they appear.
Prediction of xanthine solubilities using statistical techniques

Mixture response-surface methodology can be used as a technique to predict solubility in mixed solvent systems. The present report shows that if the intent is to predict solubility in nonideal solutions, mixture response-surface methodology is a better technique than one which assumes a particular mechanism to hold true. This is demonstrated by comparing the predictive ability of the mixture response-surface model with that of an extended Hildebrand approach to nonideal solutions. The nonideal systems are those used by Martin and co-workers involving the solubility of theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline in dioxane–water mixtures.
Contra-Rotating Open Rotor Tone Noise Prediction

Reliable prediction of contra-rotating open rotor (CROR) noise is an essential element of any strategy for the development of low-noise open rotor propulsion systems that can meet both the community noise regulations and the cabin noise limits. Since CROR noise spectra typically exhibits a preponderance of tones, significant efforts have been directed towards predicting their tone spectra. To that end, there has been an ongoing effort at NASA to assess various in-house open rotor tone noise prediction tools using a benchmark CROR blade set for which significant aerodynamic and acoustic data had been acquired in wind tunnel tests. In the work presented here, the focus is on the near-field noise of the benchmark open rotor blade set at the cruise condition. Using an analytical CROR tone noise model with input from high-fidelity aerodynamic simulations, detailed tone noise spectral predictions have been generated and compared with the experimental data. Comparisons indicate that the theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the data, especially for the dominant CROR tones and their overall sound pressure level. The results also indicate that, whereas individual rotor tones are well predicted by the linear sources (i.e., thickness and loading), for the interaction tones it is essential that the quadrupole sources be included in the analysis.
Microstructure and crystal structure development in porous titania coatings prepared from anhydrous titanium ethoxide solutions

Porous titania coatings were prepared by spin coating anhydrous titanium ethoxide–ethanol solutions in a controlled humidity atmosphere. Ti ethoxide reacted with atmospheric moisture during deposition, to form amorphous particles (approximately 200 nm), a dense layer or a combination of the two, depending on the processing conditions. Relatively humid atmospheres, low concentrations of Ti ethoxide in the coating solution and slow spinning rates favoured particle formation. These particulate coatings were typically composed of agglomerated particle clusters. Agglomeration could be prevented by adding hydroxypropyl cellulose to alkoxide solution to act as a steric stabilizer for newly formed particles. During thermal treatment, the coatings crystallized into the anatase phase and then transformed into the rutile structure at higher temperatures. The anatase–rutile transformation in porous coatings occurred over a range of 850–1150°C and strongly depended on microstructural features. More porous coatings with larger particle clusters transformed to rutile at lower temperatures. Tensile stress in the coating caused by constrained shrinkage inhibited the phase transformation. The substrate constraint slowed the transformation rate in coatings relative to free powder. Stress relief through rupture of particle cluster connections allowed transformation to occur at lower temperatures. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers
Integrative Review of Educational Television for Young Children: Implications for Children from Low-Income Families.

Since the creation of Sesame Street, children's educational television programs have grown in both number and popularity. However, controversy has shadowed the children's television arena for many ...
Traveling waves in the martian atmosphere from MGS TES Nadir data

Abstract We have characterized the annual behavior of martian atmospheric traveling waves in the MGS TES data set from the first two martian years of mapping. There is a high degree of repeatability between the two years. They are dominated by strong low zonal wavenumber waves with high amplitudes near the polar jets, strongest in late northern fall and early northern winter. The m=1 waves have amplitudes up to about 20 K, are vertically extended, and occasionally extend even into the tropics. Periods for m=1 range from 2.5 to 30 sols. Much weaker waves were identified in the south, with amplitudes less than about 3.5 K. Traveling waves with m=2 and m=3 are also seen, but their amplitudes are typically limited to less than 4 K, and are generally more confined near the surface. In the north, they are more evident in fall and spring rather than winter solstice, which is clearly dominated by m=1 waves. Some evidence of storm tracks has been identified in the data, with accentuated weather-related temperature perturbations near longitudes 200° to 320° E for both the southern and northern hemispheres near latitude ±65° at the surface. Some evidence was also found for a sharpening of longitudinal gradients into what may be frontal systems. EP flux divergences show the waves extracting energy from the zonal mean winds. When the m=1 waves were strongest, decelerations of the zonal jet of order 30 m/(s sol) were measured. Above 1 scale height, the waves extract energy from the jet predominately through barotropic processes, but their character is overall mixed barotropic/baroclinic. Inertial instabilities may exist at altitude on the equatorward flanks of the polar jets, and marginal stability extends through to the tropics. This may explain the coordination of the tropical behavior of the waves with that centered along the polar jet, consistent with the ideas expressed in Wilson et al. (2002, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29, #1684) and similar to those in Barnes et al. (1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 3125–3148). Throughout the year, there exist large regions with the meridional gradient of PV less than zero, but they are strongest near winter solstice. Poleward of the winter jet, the regions of instability reach the surface, equatorward they do not. These regions, satisfying a necessary criterion for instability, likely explain the genesis of the waves, and perhaps also their bimodal character between surface (faster waves) and altitude (slow m=1 waves).
Ultrashort-laser-pulse measurement using swept beams

We demonstrate a frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) device that uses a sweepshot geometry that combines the advantages of multishot and single-shot pulse-measurement devices, has only one moving part, a galvanometer, and requires no computer control. Like a multishot device, it focuses the beam to a small spot (rather than a line focus) and has a high intensity in the nonlinear medium. Like single-shot devices, it makes measurements quickly, generating an entire FROG trace on a single camera screen (rather than requiring many camera downloads).
Correlation of structure and function in the Ca2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum: a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study on the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and urea

The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the structure of sarcoplasmic reticulum was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Exposure of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles to 35% DMSO (v/v) at 2 degrees C for several hours in a D2O medium produced no significant change in the phospholipid and protein Amide I regions of the FTIR spectra, but the intensity of the Amide II band decreased, presumably due to proton/deuterium exchange. At 40% to 60% DMSO concentration a shoulder appeared in the FTIR spectra at 1630 cm-1, that is attributed to the formation of new beta or random coil structures; irreversible loss of ATPase activity accompanied this change. At 70% DMSO concentration the intensity of the main Amide I band at 1639 cm-1 decreased and a new band appeared at 1622 cm-1, together with a shoulder at 1682 cm-1. These changes indicate an abrupt shift in the conformational equilibrium of Ca2+-ATPase from alpha to beta structure or to a new structure characterized by weaker hydrogen bonding. Decrease of ionization of aspartate and glutamate carboxyl groups in the presence of DMSO may also contribute to the change in intensity at 1622 cm-1. The changes were partially reversed upon removal of DMSO. Exposure of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles to 1.5 kbar pressure for 1 h at 2 degrees C in an EGTA-containing (low Ca2+) medium causes irreversible loss of ATPase activity, with the appearance of new beta structure, and abolition of the Ca2+-induced fluorescence response of FITC covalently bound to the Ca2+-ATPase; DMSO (35%) stabilized the Ca2+-ATPase against pressure-induced changes in structure and enzymatic activity, while urea (0.8 M) had the opposite effect.
Margin Index: A New Method for Prediction of Residual Disease After Breast-Conserving Surgery

We hypothesized that the optimum margin after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) should depend on the original size of the tumor. We propose that “margin index”—a relationship of the margin obtained to the size of the tumor—is a better predictor of residual disease on reexcision than margin alone. We identified 475 consecutive patients with Stage I-II breast cancer, with or without ductal carcinoma in situ, who were treated with BCT from 1998–2008 who also underwent reexcision for close margins. Margin index was calculated as follows: margin index = closest margin (mm)/tumor size (mm) × 100. A receiver operating curve was created using the derived margin index and the presence or absence of residual disease in the reexcision specimen. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated at various margin indices to determine the optimum margin index. Of the 475 patients, 102 (21%) had residual disease in the reexcision specimen. The optimum margin index was >5; the risk of residual disease for a margin index >5 was only 3.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of a margin index cutoff of 5 was 85 and 73%, respectively. The overall c index for the receiver operating curve was 0.88. The margin index was the only factor predictive of residual disease in multivariate analysis. Margin index is a reliable method for the prediction of residual disease after attempted BCT with close margins. This simple calculation may be helpful for identifying patients who require reexcision before radiation therapy and those who may be able to forego additional surgical interventions.
Type I collagen contains at least 14 cryptic fibronectin binding sites of similar affinity

There is uncertainty in the literature regarding the number and location of fibronectin binding sites on denatured collagen. Although most attention has focused on a single site near the collagenase-sensitive region of each alpha chain, there is evidence for additional sites in other regions. We treated bovine type I collagen with cyanogen bromide, labeled the resulting mixture with fluorescein, and separated the peptides by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fluorescent bands were excised from the gel and dialyzed exhaustively to remove detergent. Titration of eight distinct fluorescent-labeled fragments with the 42-kDa gelatin-binding fragment of fibronectin caused increases in anisotropy that were fully reversible with unlabeled gelatin. By fitting the dose responses it was possible to calculate apparent K(d)'s whose values ranged between 1 and 4 microM. The largest fragment, alpha(2)-CB3,5, composing about 2/3 of the alpha(2) chain, when further digested with endoproteinase Lys-C, yielded at least three additional subfragments that also bound with similar affinities. Thus, there appear to be at least 14 distinct fibronectin binding sites of similar affinity in bovine type I collagen, five on each of the alpha(1) chains and four on the alpha(2) chain. Experiments with several synthetic peptides failed to reveal the exact nature of the binding site.
Association of a Novel Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Protease Substrate Cleft Mutation, L23I, with Protease Inhibitor Therapy and In Vitro Drug Resistance

We observed a previously uncharacterized mutation in the protease substrate cleft, L23I, in 31 of 4,303 persons undergoing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genotypic resistance testing. In combination with V82I, L23I was associated with a sevenfold reduction in nelfinavir susceptibility and a decrease in replication capacity. In combination with other drug resistance mutations, L23I was associated with multidrug resistance and a compensatory increase in replication capacity.
Processes of formation and evolution of mountain belts on Venus

Orogenic belts in Western Ishtar Terra, Venus, rise up to 11 km in elevation and have been interpreted to be sites of crustal shortening resulting in localized crustal thickening and local changes in thermal gradient. Airy isostasy models imply crustal thicknesses in excess of 45 km. We explore the range of conditions in the mountain ranges linked to variations in crustal thickness and thermal gradient. On the basis of the high topographic elevations and evidence for crustal shortening and thickening, we interpret the thermal gradients to be less than the values of 15-25 K/km estimated for low-lying plains regions. High Venus surface temperatures enhancing crustal detachment and gravity sliding and basalt-eclogite phase changes in the deep mountain roots are likely to dominate the topographic evolution of mountain belts on Venus. As a test of this hypothesis, if evidence for early volcanism associated with crustal thickening can be found in the Magellan data, then low strain rates and high thermal gradients are predicted throughout orogenesis. A lack of early volcanism would indicate high strain rates and low thermal gradients.
Social learning about ethanol in preweanling rats: role of endogenous opioids.

The role of the endogenous opioid system in social learning about ethanol was examined in three experiments using preweanling rats. Experiment 1 showed that interactions with intoxicated siblings in the home cage on postnatal Days (PD) 12, 14, and 16 results in increased voluntary intake of ethanol when subjects are tested 24 hr after the final exposure. The results also suggested that the endogenous opioid system is not involved in acquisition. Administration of naloxone during social exposure to ethanol had no effect on later ethanol intake. Experiment 2 examined the effects of receptor-selective antagonists administered prior to test. For subjects that had social exposure to ethanol, intake of ethanol was completely suppressed by either naloxone or the δ antagonist naltrindole. For ethanol-naive subjects, intake also was completely suppressed by naloxone. However, intake was partially blocked by naltrindole or the μ antagonist β-FNA. Experiment 3 confirmed the differential involvement of μ and δ receptors in ethanol intake through a more comprehensive dose–response analysis of β-FNA and naltrindole. Collectively, these data reveal that learning about ethanol from intoxicated conspecifics not only affects voluntary intake of ethanol but also alters the opioidergic response to ethanol consumption. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 44: 132–139, 2004.
The time has come for a common European training programme: caveat lector

Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Universityof Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA* Corresponding author. Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Universityof Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.Tel: +1-412-9444593; e-mail: bajonap@upmc.edu (P. Bajona)Received 22 May 2013; accepted 5 June 2013
Responses of Cultured Rat Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons to Bitter Tastants

The initial steps in taste and olfaction result from the activation by chemical stimuli of taste receptor cells (TRCs) and olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). In parallel with these two pathways is the chemosensitive trigeminal pathway whose neurons terminate in the oral and nasal cavities and which are activated by many of the same chemical stimuli that activate TRCs and ORNs. In a recent single unit study we investigated the responses of rat chorda tympani and glossopharnygeal neurons to a variety of bitter-tasting alkaloids, including nicotine, yohimbine, quinine, strychnine and caffeine, as well as capsaicin, the pungent ingredient in hot pepper. Here we apply many of these same compounds to cultured rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons and measure changes in intracellular calcium [Ca 2 + ]i to determine whether TG neurons will respond to these same compounds. Of the 89 neurons tested, 34% responded to 1 mM nicotine, 7% to 1 mM caffeine, 5% to 1 mM denatonium benzoate, 22% to 1 mM quinine hydrochloride, 18% to 1 mM strychnine and 55% to 1 ^M capsaicin. These data suggest that neurons from the TG respond to the same bitter-tasting chemical stimuli as do TRCs and are likely to contribute information sent to the higher CNS regarding the perception of bitter/irritating chemical stimuli.
Progesterone Biosynthesis in Rabbit Ovarian Interstitial Tissue Mitochondria

Mitochondria isolated from rabbit ovarian interstitial tissue metabolize both endogenous and exogenous cholesterol to progesterone in the presence of NADPH. Normally, little pregnenolone accumulated during a standard 60 min incubation, indicating an active mitochondrial 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Luteinizing hormone (LH) failed to stimulate this conversion under the mitochondrial incubation conditions employed, whether incubated directly with mitochondria, or preincubated with ovarian slices prior to isolation of mitochondria. In addition, addition, progesterone synthesis in mitochondria prepared from ovaries of rabbits administered LH in vivo did not differ from that of control values. Adenosine-3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) failed to stimulate progestin synthesis when added directly to mitochondria, under the experimental conditions employed. These results suggest, but do not prove conclusively, that LH and cyclic AMP may stimulate progestin synthesis in the rabbit ovary by mechanisms other tha...
The influence and modeling of process variation and device mismatch for analog/rf circuit design

The influence of local process variation and device mismatch to the electrical characteristics of resistors, capacitors, and MOSFETs is reviewed. The discussion is mainly focus on the device mismatch as it becomes more and more important in analog design utilizing modern CMOS technology. The models to describe the mismatch behavior are also discussed. To reduce the design circle/cost and help improving the circuit yields, physical and accurate statistical modeling approach is needed to predict correctly the circuit behavior with the consideration of local process variation and device mismatch. With including the physical correlations between the independent variable and model parameters such models can predict the measured data well at different bias conditions for devices with wide geometries. For the model to be predictive, besides the well known physical effects such as short and narrow width effects, the influence of new physics effects such as poly-gate depletion and channel quantization to process variation and mismatch should be accounted for to describe the device/circuit behaviors correctly.
The emergence of links between lexical acquisition and object categorization: a computational study

Language is about symbols, and those symbols must be grounded in the physical world. Children learn to associate language with sensorimotor experiences during their development. In light of this, we first provide a computational account of how words are mapped to their perceptually grounded meanings. Moreover, the main part of this work proposes and implements a computational model of how word learning influences the formation of object categories to which those words refer. This model simulates the bi-directional relationship between word and object category learning: (1) object categorization provides mental representations of meanings that are mapped to words to form lexical items; (2) linguistic labels help object categorization by providing additional teaching signals; and (3) these two learning processes interplay with each other and form a developmental feedback loop. Compared with the method that performs these two tasks separately, our model shows promising improvements in both word-to-world mapp...
Family Therapy for Adolescents with ADHD

Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their parents experience a great deal of conflict and coercion because the executive function deficits of ADHD interact with the parents' characteristics, family stress, and parenting practices. This article provides a step-by-step description of the defiant teen approach to family therapy, which is designed to help adolescents with ADHD and their parents reduce conflict and coercion. The article also summarizes 2 studies supporting the effectiveness of the defiant teen approach.
Reduction of Opiate Withdrawal-like Symptoms by Cocaine Abuse during Methadone and Buprenorphine Maintenance

In a 6-month randomized trial comparing 125 opiate-dependent patients who were assigned to four treatment groups (2 or 6 mg of buprenorphine and 35 or 65 mg of methadone), we examined the effects of cocaine use on opiate withdrawal symptoms measured on a 25-item scale on which the scores range from 0 to 75. For the methadone-maintained patients receiving the relatively low dose (35 mg), weekly withdrawal symptoms were highest when the urine toxicology for that week indicated no cocaine use. Similar associations were found for buprenorphine. Thus, when using cocaine at a low maintenance opiate dose, persistent opiate withdrawal symptoms were reduced, which is consistent with previous naloxone-precipitated withdrawal studies. Interestingly, with a higher dose of buprenorphine (6 mg), cocaine may have increased opiate withdrawal symptoms, suggesting a possible mechanism for the reduction of illicit cocaine abuse also recently observed in another study in patients treated with high dose (120 mg) methadone maintenance. This has led to a two-component model for the relationship between cocaine and opiate withdrawal-like symptoms at high versus low opiate maintenance dose. This two-component model also reconciles the contradictory findings of prior studies.
An alternative method for designing parallel image recognition systems: a feasibility study

The most successful image recognition systems have been developed in software. This method has proved to be quite laborious and the execution time is intensive. An alternative method of designing image recognition systems is needed. The goal is to design a reliable, compact, high speed, low cost recognition system. One way to reach this goal is to design the image recognition system via a massively parallel hardware architecture. The present study researches the feasibility of developing a generalized procedure to design unique image recognition systems. These unique image recognition systems will incorporate special purpose processors that will work at a speed that is several orders of magnitude faster than software image processing systems. These systems have great application perspectives, especially in the robotics and industrial fields. One of the most important aspects of these systems-is the unique compact size as compared with other systems of comparable speed. Also, these systems are independent modules that will output, in most cases, a signal to a controller without the need to use a conventional computer or processor. The procedure to be developed provides a new way of designing an image processing system by concentrating on modularity and massive parallelism. Combining the modules will provide a special purpose processing system that achieves object detection and recognition at a high speed not even possible on a general purpose supercomputer. The other advantages include the low cost of implementation and the compact size of the whole system.
The way we were: twenty-five years of end user computing support in higher education

This is a brief survey of the methods, challenges, and success stories of end user computing support services in colleges and universities for the past 25 years. Calling upon the papers and presentations of the proceedings of the annual ACM SIGUCCS User Services Conference, along with the personal experiences of the author, this paper identifies the common trends and special circumstances of end user computing support in colleges and universities since the late 1970's. Many things have changed, others have not. Support for distributed computing has been a regular concern, as has the recruitment, retention and training of staff. Another perennial topic is the understandable concern about stress and the avoidance of burnout. At least a dozen papers in the proceedings deal with this latter issue. Of particular importance, is the care and feeding of student assistants; this has been an ever-present issue on the minds of user services managers. The evolution of mainframe to micro to personal to networked computing is also a very evident theme through the time period, and of course, the support issues surrounding international networking and the World Wide Web has dominated the past seven years.The survey provides an interesting, and at times amusing, retrospective view of how far we have come and how many times we have been consumed by the newest technology or the latest user demand. Although it can only be measured subjectively, I conclude that end user support has generally improved quite a bit through the years in spite of the rapid evolution of technology and the incredible increase in the number and diversity of end users.
Violence and Risk of PTSD, Major Depression, Substance Abuse/Dependence, and Comorbidity: Results From the National Survey of Adolescents

With a national household probability sample of 4,023 telephone-interviewed adolescents ages 12–17, this study provides prevalence, comorbidity, and risk-factor data for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode (MDE), and substance abuse/dependence (SA/D). Roughly 16% of boys and 19% of girls met criteria for at least 1 diagnosis. Six-month PTSD prevalence was 3.7% for boys and 6.3% for girls, 6-month MDE prevalence was 7.4% for boys and 13.9% for girls, and 12-month SA/D prevalence was 8.2% for boys and 6.2% for girls. PTSD was more likely to be comorbid than were MDE and SA/D. Results generally support the hypothesis that exposure to interpersonal violence (i.e., physical assault, sexual assault, or witnessed violence) increases the risk of these disorders and of diagnostic comorbidity. Limited information exists about the prevalence and comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode (MDE), and substance abuse/dependence (SA/D) among probability samples of adolescents. The extent to which interpersonal violence increases risk of these disorders also remains understudied. We examined these issues using data from the National Survey of Adolescents (NSA). In addition to presenting national prevalence and comorbidity data for these three disorders, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to interpersonal violence increases risk of each disorder and of comorbidity. To date, the best estimates of these mental health problems and their comorbidity among younger age groups at the national level come from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS; Kessler et al., 1994; Kessler, Sonnega, Bromet, Hughes, & Nelson, 1995; Kessler
The impact of participation in employment-based retirement savings plans on material hardship

To contribute to a retirement plan (barring an increase in income), an individual must either reduce consumption or increase debt. Using data from the 2004 wave of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we examine the extent to which contributing to 401(k)-type accounts leads to an increase in short-term financial difficulties, particularly among low-income individuals. After instrumenting for plan take-up, we find that contributing to a 401(k) plan appears to have a small positive impact on the presence of any material hardship and debt holding among the lowest income quintiles, though that effect diminishes further up the income distribution.
Plasminogen activator in normal and tumor-bearing mice

The plasminogen activator levels of a series of murine tumors commonly used in cancer drug screening were determined and compared to the levels found in normal mouse tissues. Tumors high in plasminogen activator included the B16 and colon 26. The Lewis lung and M5076 carcinoma showed an intermediate level of activity, while the plasminogen activator activity in the L1210 leukemia and colon 38 was barely elevated above background. The specific activity of the enzyme (per micrograms protein) in extracts of B16 and colon 26 was three or four times higher than in the most active normal organs surveyed (kidney, lung, brain and intestine). The high level of plasminogen activator activity measured in extracts of the B16 tumor was reflected in a substantial elevation of the levels of fibrin degradation products in the serum of mice carrying this tumor. This result suggests that the tumor-associated plasminogen activator activity is less subject to inhibitory controls in vivo than is the plasminogen activator of most normal tissues, since the total mass of the tumor was far less than the total mass of the fibrinolytically active tissues, and yet the bulk of the fibrin degradation products were caused by the tumor. We conclude that the high levels of plasminogen activator activity which are observed in many human tumors are found only in some of the transplantable murine tumors. Since this enzyme is active at an increased level in vivo in mice carrying the B16 tumor, plasminogen activator may be a suitable target for selective, enzyme-activated chemotherapy with this tumor test system.
Effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on esophageal adenocarcinogenesis in a surgical model with rats

Two well-known antioxidative nutrients, vitamin E and selenium, were used in this study to investigate possible inhibitory action against the formation of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in rats. In this model, carcinogenesis is believed to be driven by oxidative stress. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old) were divided into four groups and received esophagoduodenal anastomosis (EDA) surgery plus iron supplementation (12 mg/kg/week). Vitamin E and selenium were supplemented in the diet in the forms of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (750 IU/kg) and sodium selenate (1.7 mg Se/kg), which were 10 times the regular amounts in the basic AIN93M diet. At 40 weeks after surgery, all the EDA groups had lower body weights than the non-operated control group. Iron nutrition (hemoglobin, total serum iron and transferrin saturation) was normal as a result of iron supplementation after EDA. Vitamin E supplementation maintained the normal plasma level of alpha-tocopherol in EDA rats, but not those of gamma-tocopherol and retinol. Selenium supplementation increased the serum and liver selenium contents of the EDA rats. Histopathological analysis showed that selenium supplementation increased the incidence of EAC and the tumor volume. The selenium level in the tumor is higher than that in the duodenum of the same animal. Vitamin E supplementation, however, inhibited carcinogenesis, especially in the selenium-supplemented group. We believe that vitamin E exerts its effect through its antioxidative properties, and a high dose of inorganic selenium may promote carcinogenesis by enhancing oxidative stress.
Optimization of Single Cycle and Repeated Fed-Batch Fermentations

Optimization of single cycle and repeated fed-batch operations of a broad class of fermentations described by three key rate processes is considered within the frame-work of optimal control theory. The three key rate processes are described in terms of three key concentration variables. The necessary and sufficient conditions for admissibility of singular control are obtained analytically, with the control policy (feed rate profile) during the singular control interval being obtained exclusively in terms of the three concentration variables. Singular surfaces are identified in the three-dimensional concentration space. Existence of at least one limit point (singular inflection point) on the singular surface is necessary for admissibility of singular control in a steady cyclic operation. Uniqueness of a singular inflection point for given feed conditions guarantees its accessibility in the singular control operation. For fermentation processes involving multiple limit points for given feed conditions, accessibility of each limit point is decided by its local stability characteristics.