cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth and analysis of octadecylsiloxane monolayers on Al2O3 (0001).

On solvent-cleaned and piranha-etched single-crystal Al2O3(0001) surfaces, uniform, robust, self-assembled monolayers of octadecylsiloxane (ODS) are formed by 48 h exposure to a solution containing octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) in an anhydrous atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, and water contact angle measurements confirm the presence of a uniform, complete monolayer. Reducing the exposure time or omitting the piranha-etch leads to much less uniform coverage. The ODS monolayers are stable when stored in ambient atmospheres for month-long periods. Thermal desorption in a vacuum environment (10-9 Torr) shows the ODS monolayer is thermally stable up to at least 420 K. When heated in 200 mTorr of flowing forming gas (N2−10% H2) for 1 h at 520 K, slow loss of ODS was indicated. A schematic model is proposed which involves island nucleation by covalent bonding of OTS to surface hydroxyl groups followed by growth through the addition of mobile ODS species.
Developing a web-based intervention to prevent drug use among adolescent girls

OBJECTIVES: Girls' rates of drug use have met up with and, in some instances, surpassed boys' rates. Although girls and boys share risk and protective factors associated with drug use, girls also have gender-specific risks. Interventions to prevent girls' drug use must be tailored to address the dynamics of female adolescence. Methods: One such intervention, called RealTeen, is a 9-session, web-based drug abuse prevention program designed to address such gender-specific risk factors associated with young girls' drug use as depressed mood, low self-esteem, and high levels of perceived stress as well as general drug use risk factors of peer and social influences. Web-based delivery enables girls to interact with the program at their own pace and in a location of their choosing. Implications: This article describes the processes and challenges associated with developing and programming a gender-specific, web-based intervention to prevent drug use among adolescent girls. Language: en
THE LINEAR GROWTH IN THE LENGTHS OF A FAMILY OF THICK KNOTS

For any given knot K, a thick realization K0 of K is a knot of unit thickness which is of the same knot type as K. In this paper, we show that there exists a family of prime knots {Kn} with the property that Cr(Kn)→∞(as n→∞) such that the arc-length of any thick realization of Kn will grow at least linearly with respect to Cr(Kn).
Secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide acutely increase tyrosine 3-monooxygenase in the rat superior cervical ganglion

Abstract We have previously shown that stimulation of the preganglionic cervical sympathetic trunk leads to an acute increase in tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrOHase) activity in the rat superior cervical ganglion. This increase appears to be mediated in part by acetylcholine and in part by a second neurotransmitter. As a first step in an attempt to determine the identity of this noncholinergic transmitter, we have examined the ability of a number of neuropeptides to increase ganglionic TyrOHase activity in vitro. Secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) both stimulated TyrOHase activity, whereas angiotensin II, bombesin, bradykinin, cholecystokinin octapeptide, glucagon, insulin, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, [D-Ala2, Met5]enkephalinamide, motilin, neurotensin, somatostatin, and substance P produced no effects. Secretin produced a significant increase in TyrOHase activity at 1 nM and a maximal elevation at 0.1 μM. VIP produced a significant increase at 0.1 μM and a near maximal effect at 10 μM. Although secretin was about 2 orders of magnitude more potent than VIP, it produced a significantly smaller maximal increase in enzyme activity. Incubation of ganglia with both secretin (10 μM) and VIP (10 μM) produced an increase in TyrOHase activity that was not significantly different from that produced by VIP alone. The stimulatory effects of secretin and VIP were reversible within minutes after removal of the peptides. Neither incubation of intact ganglia with the cholinergic antagonists hexamethonium and atropine nor prior decentralization of ganglia altered the response to the peptides. Thus, the data demonstrate that secretin and VIP acutely increase TyrOHase activity in the superior cervical ganglion and suggest that they produce this effect by acting directly on ganglionic neurons. It remains to be determined whether secretin or VIP or a related peptide is released during preganglionic nerve firing and whether one or more of these peptides is responsible for the noncholinergic elevation of TyrOHase activity produced by preganglionic nerve stimulation.
Age‐associated changes in mitogen‐induced protein phosphorylation in murine T lymphocytes

Since T lymphocyte proliferation declines with age, and since activation of a still only partially defined set of protein kinases is thought to play a critical role in T cell activation, we have carried out a systematic survey of age-related changes in protein phosphorylation in T lymphocytes. We used two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis to examine lysates prepared from T cells after 10 min of exposure to mitogens [anti-CD3, concanavalin A (Con A) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin] and nonmitogenic activators (PMA or ionomycin used separately). Our results show a progressive, life-long decline in the levels of anti-CD3-induced phosphorylation of all 16 phosphoproteins that respond vigorously in T cells of young mice. Mice 10-18 months of age showed levels of response that were clearly below those induced in young mice, while responses of mice 22-24 months of age were even more severely diminished. Responses to Con A, PMA, ionomycin and a combination of PMA plus ionomycin were equally blunted in old mice, except for 2 (of 12) phosphoproteins that continued to respond to PMA even in the old animals. None of the phosphoproteins which were ionomycin responsive in young mice continued to respond in old mice, although 1 (of 3) ionomycin-inhibitable phosphoproteins remained inhibitable in old mice. We also found three phosphoproteins which became phosphorylated in response to anti-CD3, PMA and Con A (but not ionomycin) only in old mice, and a pair of phosphoproteins which were unresponsive to all mitogens but showed a higher "baseline" phosphorylation in T cells from old mice. Comparing phosphoprotein patterns between CD8- and CD8-CD45RB- T cells from young mice allowed us to identify nine phosphoproteins that were strongly responsive to anti-CD3 only when CD45RB+ (i.e. virgin) cells were present. Although the immune system of old mice consists largely of memory T cells, the change in phosphoprotein phosphorylation patterns cannot simply be explained by the accumulation of this cell type. We conclude that aging leads to a global impairment of several distinct protein kinase pathways in both virgin and memory T cell sets.
Study of cooling air inlet and exit geometries for horizontally opposed piston aircraft engines

A semispan wing and nacelle of a typical general aviation twin-engine aircraft was tested to evaluate the cooling capability and drag of several nacelle shapes; the nacelle shapes included cooling air inlet and exit variations. The tests were conducted in the Ames Research Center's 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. It was found that the cooling air inlet geometry of opposed piston engine installations has a major effect on inlet pressure recovery, but only a minor effect on drag. Exit location showed a large effect on drag, especially for those locations on the sides of the nacelle where the suction characteristics were based on interaction with the wing surface pressures.
The Northwestern University triplet study

Abstract Umbilical arterial and venous blood gas indices of 11 triplet pregnancies were reviewed. Ten sets of triplets were delivered by cesarean section and one set was delivered vaginally. Mean 1-minute Apgar scores were significantly lower in the group of infants delivered third than in either of the other birth order groups. There were no statistically significant differences when the mean umbilical arterial or venous pH, PCO 2 , and base deficit were compared among any one triplet and the other two. Similarly, no significant differences were found when these parameters were compared by birth order in relation to mean 5-minute Apgar scores, mean birth weights, and mean gestational ages at delivery. Birth order did not appear to significantly influence acid-base status, although it may become significant with an increasing time in utero after delivery of the firstborn infant. Further study is necessary to investigate whether there is a critical interval of delivery whereby the infants remaining in utero become acidotic.
Motifs IV and V in the DEAH Box Splicing Factor Prp22 Are Important for RNA Unwinding, and Helicase-defective Prp22 Mutants Are Suppressed by Prp8 *

The yeast pre-mRNA splicing factor Prp22 is a member of the DEAH box family of nucleic acid-stimulated ATPases and RNA helicases. Here we report a mutational analysis of 16 conserved residues in motifs Ia (534TQPRRVAA541), IV (695LVFLTG700), and V (757TNIAETSIT765). Mutants T757A, I764A, and T765A were lethal, and F697A cells did not grow at ≤30 °C. The mutant proteins failed to catalyze mRNA release from the spliceosome in vitro, and they were deficient for RNA unwinding. The F697A, I764A, and T765A proteins were active for ATP hydrolysis in the presence of RNA cofactor. The T757A mutant retained basal ATPase activity but was not stimulated by RNA, whereas ATP hydrolysis by T765A was strictly dependent on the RNA cofactor. Thus Thr-757 and Thr-765 in motif V link ATP hydrolysis to the RNA cofactor. To illuminate the mechanism of Prp22-catalyzed mRNA release, we performed a genetic screen to identify extragenic suppressors of the cold-sensitive growth defect of a helicase/release-defective Prp22 mutant. We identified one of the suppressors as a missense mutation of PRP8 (R1753K), a protein component of the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein. We show that PRP8-R1753K suppressed multiple helicase-deficient prp22 mutations, including the lethal I764A mutation. Replacing Arg-1753 of Prp8 by either Lys, Ala, Gln, or Glu resulted in suppression of helicase-defective Prp22 mutants. Prp8-Arg1753 mutations by themselves caused temperature-sensitive growth defects in a PRP22 strain. These findings suggest a model whereby Prp22 disrupts an RNA/protein or RNA/RNA interaction in the spliceosome that is normally stabilized by Prp8.
Composable collaboration infrastructures based on programming patterns

In general, collaboration infrastructures have supported sharing of an object based on its logical structure. However, current implementations assume an implicit binding between this logical structure and particular system-defined abstractions. We present a new composable design based on programming patterns that eliminates this binding, thereby increasing the range of supported objects and supporting extensibility.
Effects of the ecological restoration practices of prescribed burning and mechanical thinning on soil microbial enzyme activities and leaf litter decomposition

Abstract The effects of ecological restoration on belowground processes such as decomposition are generally unknown. To assess the immediate effects of prescribed fire and mechanical thinning on belowground processes, we measured the activities of five extracellular enzymes (phosphatase, β-glucosidase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, phenol oxidase, and lignin-peroxidase) in soils and on decomposing Quercus falcata leaf litter in unburned, burned, and burned and thinned plots in a mesic forest in northern Mississippi. Decomposition rates of Q. falcata leaf litter were also assessed at each plot. Soil phosphatase activity decreased after a prescribed burn and was related to an increase in soil organic matter in plots that had been burned. Soil β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity increased after a burn, and was related to a decrease in leaf litter. Leaf litter enzyme activity showed no consistent patterns amongst treatments, or between individual enzymes, while decomposition rates of leaf litter were slightly accelerated in the treatment plots, but not significantly so. Decomposition rates were related to cumulative enzyme activity, with phenol oxidase and lignin-peroxidase having the highest apparent efficiencies in degrading the leaf material. Overall, the microbial degradation of Q. falcata leaf litter was more efficient in plots that were burned and thinned than in the other plots. Increases in the efficiency of litter decomposition coupled with reductions in litter inputs due to canopy thinning likely allows for increased solar penetration to the soil, and could promote the restoration of the shade-intolerant species that once dominated the understory. Post-burn increases in β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity and decreases in phosphatase activity also suggest a potential shift in the soil community from phosphorus limitation to nitrogen limitation following a fire.
High-branched chain amino acid solutions: relationship of composition to efficacy.

A prospective clinical trial was undertaken to determine the nitrogen-sparing efficacy of three amino acid solutions with different concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in 25 postoperative patients. The patients were a homogenous male population with stage I bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy. Administration rates of the intravenous solutions were designed to provide 30 kcal/kg/day and 1.5 g protein per kg per day during the 7-day study period. A control group (n = 4) received 5% dextrose in water (150 g/ day). Nitrogen balance was determined daily and the whole body protein turnover was measured using a primed-constant infusion of 15N glycine on postoperative days 3 and 4. The group receiving the 45% BCAA enriched (low leucine) amino acid solution exhibited a significant decrease in cumulative (7 day) nitrogen balance (7.6 ± 2.6 g) compared to the groups receiving either the standard 25% BCAA (19.9 ± 2.1 g) or the 45% BCAA enriched (high leucine) (21.6 ± 7.0 g) amino acid solu...
Are watershed and lacustrine controls on planktonic N2 fixation hierarchically structured

N2 fixation can be an important source of N to limnetic ecosystems and can influence the structure of phytoplankton communities. However, watershed-scale conditions that favor N2 fixation in lakes and reservoirs have not been well studied. We measured N2 fixation and lacustrine variables monthly over a 19-month period in Waco Reservoir, Texas, USA, and linked these data with nutrient-loading estimates from a physically based watershed model. Readily available topographic, soil, land cover, effluent discharge, and climate data were used in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to derive watershed nutrient-loading estimates. Categorical and regression tree (CART) analysis revealed that lacustrine and watershed correlates of N2 fixation were hierarchically structured. Lacustrine conditions showed greater predictive capability temporally. For instance, low NO3(-) concentration ( 27 degrees C) in the reservoir were correlated with the initiation of N2 fixation seasonally. When lacustrine conditions were favorable for N2 fixation, watershed conditions appeared to influence spatial patterns of N2 fixation within the reservoir. For example, spatially explicit patterns of N2 fixation were correlated with the ratio of N:P in nutrient loadings and the N loading rate, which were driven by anthropogenic activity in the watershed and periods of low stream flow, respectively. Although N2 fixation contributed <5% of the annual N load to the reservoir, 37% of the N load was derived from atmospheric N2 fixation during summertime when stream flow in the watershed was low. This study provides evidence that watershed anthropogenic activity can exert control on planktonic N2 fixation, but that temporality is controlled by lacustrine conditions. Furthermore, this study also supports suggestions that reduced inflows may increase the propensity of N2-fixing cyanobacterial blooms in receiving waters of anthropogenically modified landscapes.
Under two flags: Provocation and deception in European Terrorism

Abstract The study of terrorism is often complicated by the tendency of groups to issue false or misleading claims of responsibility, a practice which dates back at least to the late nineteenth century. This paper describes and categorizes various patterns of false claims and attributions in contemporary European terrorism. These deceptions are practiced both by terrorist groups themselves and sometimes by official agencies. The paper also argues for a more subtle and critical evaluation of claims of responsibility than has been found in some recent accounts of terrorist movements.
The interaction of calcium and procaine with hepatocyte and hepatoma tissue culture cell plasma membranes studied by fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract The fluorescent probe l-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) has been used to investigate the properties of plasma membranes derived from normal hepatocytes and from hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells as well as used to study the effects of Ca 2+ and procaine on these membrane systems. The interaction of ANS with hepatocyte plasma membranes (50 nmol/mg protein; K D = 120, μM ) resulted in a marked enhancement of fluorescence and a 20-nm blue shift. Both Ca 2+ and procaine further increased the fluorescence intensity. Binding studies showed no alteration in the number of ANS binding sites but a significant decrease in K D (40–50 μ m ). Procaine was also shown to completely displace Ca 2+ from the membrane. The interaction of ANS with HTC cell plasma membranes again resulted in an enhancement in fluorescence intensity but with different binding properties (102 nmol/mg protein; K D = 74 μM ) from the hepatocyte system. The addition of Ca +2 resulted in the formation of high and low affinity ANS binding sites as shown by Scatchard plot analysis with K D values of 15 μ m and 50 μ m . The effect of procaine on ANS fluorescence in the normal and transformed cell membranes was indistinguishable; however, in the latter system procaine only displaced 60% of the bound Ca 2+ . These studies suggest several structural and binding alterations between plasma membranes derived from hepatocytes and HTC cells.
Evaluation of a computer-based education lesson for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

A computer-based education (CBE) lesson for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was developed to supplement one-on-one teaching by physicians and other health professionals. It was evaluated using a pretest—posttest experimental design. Fifty-three patients were randomly divided into control and CBE groups. All subjects found the lesson easy to use and responded favorably to this form of education. Results after matching for initial knowledge demonstrated significant increase in knowledge (from 62% to 77% correct, P < 0.01) as well as increased hopefulness of a good prognosis (P < 0.05) for the CBE group. Knowledge gain was correlated with low initial positive affect (r = −0.51, P < 0.01), high initial negative affect (r = 0.38, P < 0.03), and low initial internal health locus of control (r = 0.35, P < 0.04). Subjects with previous computer experience benefited more than those without such experience (23.5% vs 8.9% additional correct, P = 0.01). The data suggest that CBE is successful in the education of patients with this complex multisystemic disease.
Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of seston in a regulated Rocky Mountain river, USA

The δ13C and δ15N of seston, organic matter sources (riparian vegetation, algae, macrophytes, plankton) and an invertebrate detritivore were examined in a regulated Rocky Mountain river (fourth order). The isotopic composition of seston varied among sites and seasons for all size fractions; among-site variation was weakest for ultra-fine particulate organic matter ( 53 μm) from 0.5 km below the dam was relatively 13C-depleted (−30 to −28°), reflecting the contribution of reservoir-derived plankton; seston from the site 8.7 km downstream was relatively 13C-enriched (−18 to −23°), reflecting autochthonous inputs. Tributary seston had an intermediate δ13C value (−22 to −26°), reflecting allochthonous inputs (conifer litter) and macrophyte (Elodea) detrital inputs. δ15N values of seston were generally similar among sites (4–8°) but were more depleted for the tributary (1–4°). Depleted δ15N values (0–2.5°) for seston from below the dam in late summer corresponded to a blue-green algae bloom in the reservoir. Isotopic shifts of organic matter incubated for 60–90 days in situ were small (< 2°) and varied in direction depending on isotope and litter type. The isotopic composition of stonefly larvae, Pteronarcys californica, varied among sites, and closely matched that of the local seston (especially FPOM), suggesting that with respect to detritus origin, larvae were opportunistic foragers. The origin of organic matter is influenced by flow regulation, resulting in compressed isotopic gradients.
Levels of 70‐kDa heat shock protein through the cell cycle in several mammalian cell lines

Seven different cell lines were analyzed by flow cytometry to duate the variation in heat shock protein hsp70 through the cell cycle. Inducible (hsp72) or both constitutive and inducible (hsp70) heat shock proteins were measured with monoclonal antibodies, and the cell cycle distribution was simultaneously measured with propidium iodide. Cell lines analyzed were Rat-1, HR-24 (Rat-1 transfected with human hsp72 gene), CHO (Chinese hamster ovary), C3H-l0T1/2, AG1522 (normal human foreskin), GM2149 (normal human female skin), and Hela. None of the cell lines had a substantial variation in hsp72 or hsp70 levels through
Public Libraries and National Electronic Networks: The Time to Act Is Now! *

Public libraries must embrace the new electronic network technologies as they strive to meet the needs of their communities. As the borders of cities, states, and nations blur as a result of electronic information networks and global communication, and as access to information becomes seamless, the public library must firmly claim its place as a major provider and access point in the realm of electronic networking.
Structural Evolution in Carbon Aerogels as a function of Precursor Material and Pyrolysis Temperature

Several organic reactions that proceed through a sol-gel transition have been identified at LLNL. The most-studied reaction involves the aqueous polycondensation of resorcinol (1,3-dihydroxybenzene) with formaldehyde. Recently, we have shown that phenol can be added to this polymerization as a comonomer. The resultant crosslinked gels are supercritically dried from carbon dioxide ({Tc}=31{degrees}C, P{sub c}=7.4 MPa) to give resorcinol-phenol-formaldehyde (RPF) aerogels. Because RPF aerogels are composed of a highly crosslinked aromatic polymer, they can be pyrolyzed in an inert atmosphere to form vitreous carbon monoliths. The resultant aerogels are black in color and no longer transparent, yet they retain the high porosity (40--98 %), ultrafine cell/pore size (< 50 nm), high surface area (600--800 m{sup 2}/g), and interconnected particle ({approximately}10 nm) morphology of their organic precursors. In this study, we examine the acoustic and mechanical properties of these materials as a function of precursor material and pyrolysis temperature.
“Sensible” Suicide, Brutal Selfishness, and John Hughes’s Queer Bonds

Queer bonds conceptualize inventive and resistant modes of belonging, sociability, and relation that push at, through, and outside normative relational systems and their normative commitments. The essay juxtaposes contemporary gay suicide discourse, specifically the “It Gets Better” campaign and 2009’s Prayers for Bobby with the 1985 Molly Ringwald made-for-TV film Surviving: A Family in Crisis, examining how normative familial bonds in discourses of heterosexual suicide produce a resistant and relational discourse of brutal selfishness. Contrary to a rhetoric of selfishness, mediated representation of gay youth suicide reproduces a discursive link between gay identity and suicide that constructs gay suicide as problematically logical, sensible, and intelligible. Conceptualizing a queered rhetoric of selfishness, resisting gay suicidal logics, the essay looks to queer bonds forged in John Hughes’s ‘Brat Pack” films of otherness as maps of relational resistance and inventive articulations of non-normative ...
Atmospheric and oceanic clues to the origin of a habitable world

The Earth is unique as the one planet in our solar system that has hosted abundant life over billions of years. The habitability of our world means that we possess an environment that has sustained stable liquid water over time and was provided early on with ample amounts of organic molecules to form and feed life until photosynthesis took over. The initial conditions required for habitability are not fully understood, but they involve a planet size sufficient to retain water and sustain volatile-recycling tectonics, as well as a planetary system in which water and organics were available for delivery to the growing planet. Our atmosphere and ocean hold clues, largely in the form of isotopic ratios and elemental abundances, to the mechanisms by which water and organics were delivered to the Earth. Yet it remains unresolved as to whether the Earth formed of planetesimals endowed with liquid water or acquired its water from remote sources. The most plausible remote water source is the primordial asteroid belt; comets may have provided the bulk of the organics. To better constrain these sources will require extensive exploration of Mars, comets and asteroids, as well as new meteorite discoveries.
Seeing Dogs: Human Preferences for Dog Physical Attributes

This study systematically investigated peoples' preferences for dog physical attributes in images of real-life dogs. Participants (n = 124) completed an aesthetic-preference test wherein they viewe...
Disparities in the Utilization of Live Donor Renal Transplantation

Despite universal payer coverage with Medicare, sociodemographic disparities confound the care of patients with renal failure. We sought to determine whether adults who realize access to kidney transplantation suffer inequities in the utilization of live donor renal transplantation (LDRT). We identified adults undergoing primary renal transplantation in 2004–2006 from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). We modeled receipt of live versus deceased donor renal transplant on multilevel multivariate models that examined recipient, center and UNOS region-specific covariates. Among 41 090 adult recipients identified, 39% underwent LDRT. On multivariate analysis, older recipients (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.56–0.68 for 50–59 year-olds vs. 18–39 year-old recipients), those of African American ethnicity (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.50–0.59 vs. whites) and of lower socioeconomic status (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.67–0.79 for high school-educated vs. college-educated recipients; OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.71–0.87 for lowest vs. highest income quartile) had lower odds of LDRT. These characteristics accounted for 14.2% of the variation in LDRT, more than recipient clinical variables, transplant center characteristics and UNOS region level variation. We identified significant racial and socioeconomic disparities in the utilization of LDRT. Educational initiatives and dissemination of processes that enable increased utilization of LDRT may address these disparities.
BAYESIAN INFERENCE FOR CONTINGENCY TABLES WITH GIVEN MARGINALS

In this paper we introduce a class of prior distributions for contingency tables with given marginals. We are interested in the structrre of concordance/discordance of such tables. There is actually a minor limitation in that the marginals are required to assume only rational values. We do argue, though, that this is not a serious drawback for all applicatory purposes. The posterior and predictive distributions given anM-sample are computed. Examples of Bayesian estimates of some classical indices of concordance are also given. Moreover, we show how to use simulation in order to overcome some difficulties which arise in the computation of the posterior distribution.
Performance of the updated inaa advance prediction computer program

This paper describes further development and experimental testing of the INAA Advance Prediction Computer Program (APCP). Copies of the APCP written in BASIC-PLUS are finally ready for distribution. Experimental tests with four reference materials are described. The program is extremely useful as a quide to optimum conditions, sample sizes, elements detectable, and INAA lower limits, of detection for any sample matrix of only approximately known major and minor elemental composition. Additional developments in progress are mentioned.
Aggressive behavior in male mice lacking the gene for neuronal nitric oxide synthase requires testosterone.

Abstract Nitric oxide acts as a neural messenger in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Mice with targeted disruption of the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS−/−) are extremely aggressive relative to wild-type (WT) mice. Male nNOS−/− mice exhibit an increase in the number and duration of aggressive encounters compared to WT animals when tested in a variety of paradigms used to test rodent aggression. This inappropriate aggressive behavior has only been observed in male nNOS−/− mice; nNOS−/− females, like female WT mice, exhibit little or no aggression. The present study sought to test the dependence of increased aggressive behavior in nNOS−/− males on testosterone. Intact nNOS−/− males exhibited elevated levels of aggression relative to intact WT males. Castration reduced aggression in both WT and nNOS−/− males to equivalent low levels. Testosterone replacement restored aggression to precastration levels in both genotypes. These data provide evidence that increased aggressive behavior of nNOS−/− mice, like aggression in WT mice, is testosterone-dependent.
Prismatic imaging polarimeter calibration for the infrared spectral region.

The calibration of a complete Stokes birefringent prismatic imaging polarimeter (BPIP) in the MWIR is demonstrated. The BPIP technique, originally developed by K. Oka, is implemented with a set of four Yttrium Vanadate (YVO4) crystal prisms. A mathematical model for the polarimeter is presented in which diattenuation due to Fresnel effects and dichroism in the crystal are included. An improved polarimetric calibration technique is introduced to remove the diattenuation effects, along with the relative radiometric calibration required for the BPIP operating with a thermal background and large detector offsets. Data demonstrating emission polarization are presented from various blackbodies, which are compared to data from our Fourier transform infrared spectropolarimeter.
Efficient disruption of Zebrafish genes using a Gal4-containing gene trap.

External development and optical transparency of embryos make zebrafish exceptionally suitable for in vivo insertional mutagenesis using fluorescent proteins to visualize expression patterns of mutated genes. Recently developed Gene Breaking Transposon (GBT) vectors greatly improve the fidelity and mutagenicity of transposon-based gene trap vectors. We constructed and tested a bipartite GBT vector with Gal4-VP16 as the primary gene trap reporter. Our vector also contains a UAS:eGFP cassette for direct detection of gene trap events by fluorescence. To confirm gene trap events, we generated a UAS:mRFP tester line. We screened 270 potential founders and established 41 gene trap lines. Three of our gene trap alleles display homozygous lethal phenotypes ranging from embryonic to late larval: nsf tpl6 , atp1a3a tpl10 and flr tpl19 . Our gene trap cassette is flanked by direct loxP sites, which enabled us to successfully revert nsf tpl6 , atp1a3a tpl10 and flr tpl19 gene trap alleles by injection of Cre mRNA. The UAS:eGFP cassette is flanked by direct FRT sites. It can be readily removed by injection of Flp mRNA for use of our gene trap alleles with other tissue-specific GFP-marked lines. The Gal4-VP16 component of our vector provides two important advantages over other GBT vectors. The first is increased sensitivity, which enabled us to detect previously unnoticed expression of nsf in the pancreas. The second advantage is that all our gene trap lines, including integrations into non-essential genes, can be used as highly specific Gal4 drivers for expression of other transgenes under the control of Gal4 UAS. The Gal4-containing bipartite Gene Breaking Transposon vector presented here retains high specificity for integrations into genes, high mutagenicity and revertibility by Cre. These features, together with utility as highly specific Gal4 drivers, make gene trap mutants presented here especially useful to the research community.
Pharmacological induction of ovulation in old and neonatally androgenized rats

Abstract Pharmacological manipulations previously reported to induce ovulation in aged female rats were administered to females sterilized by neonatal androgen. L-DOPA or iproniazid phosphate were found to induce ovulation in some females which had received 5 μg testosterone propionate (TP) at 5 days of age but not in females exposed to higher dosages of TP. A second experiment directly compared the effectiveness of progesterone as well as L-DOPA and iproniazid phosphate to induce ovulation in aged and androgenized females. While the effects are similar, it appears that the aged female is more responsive to these treatments than the young female exposed to 5 μg TP neonatally. It is concluded that age related changes in reproductive physiology might be accounted for by changes in the activity of brain monoamines or brain steroid receptor mechanisms or both. The neonatally androgenized female would appear to be a useful preparation for the study of age-related changes in reproductive function.
Tearing the city down: Understanding demolition activity in gentrifying neighborhoods

We estimate the probability that a residential building in a gentrifying neighborhood will be demolished, situating the decision within a context of consumer preferences, neighborhood change, and p...
Silencing Nogo-A Promotes Functional Recovery in Demyelinating Disease

Objective: To determine if suppressing Nogo-A, an axonal inhibitory protein, will promote functional recovery in a murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: A small interfering RNA was developed to specifically suppress Nogo-A (siRNA-NogoA). The siRNANogoA silencing effect was evaluated in vitro and in vivo via immunohistochemistry. The siRNA was administered intravenously in 2 models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Axonal repair was measured by upregulation of GAP43. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, and 3 H-thymidine incorporation were used to determine immunological changes in myelin-specific T cells in mice with EAE. Results: The siRNA-NogoA suppressed Nogo-A expression in vitro and in vivo. Systemic administration of siRNANogoA ameliorated EAE and promoted axonal repair, as demonstrated by enhanced GAP43 axons in the lesions. Myelin-specific T-cell proliferation and cytokine production were unchanged in the siRNA-NogoA–treated mice. Interpretation: Silencing Nogo-A in EAE promotes functional recovery. The therapeutic benefit appears to be mediated by axonal growth and repair, and is not attributable to changes in the encephalitogenic capacity of the myelin-specific T cells. Silencing Nogo-A may be a therapeutic option for MS patients to prevent permanent functional deficits caused by immune-mediated axonal damage. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:498 –507
The simulation and evaluation of dynamic voltage scaling algorithms

The reduction of energy consumption in microprocessors can be accomplished without impacting the peak performance through the use of dynamic voltage scaling (DVS). This approach varies the processor voltage under software control to meet dynamically varying performance requirements. This paper presents a foundation for the simulation and analysis of DVS algorithms. These algorithms are applied to a benchmark suite specifically targeted for PDA devices.
Evaluation of the Reproductive and Developmental Safety of Cysteamine • 360

Cystinosis is an autosomal recessive metabolic disease in which the amino acid cystine accumulates in lysosomes due to a defect in lysosomal cystine transport. Cystinosis in infancy is associated with poor growth, muscle wastage and death at about age 10 due to kidney failure. Treatment with cysteamine and kidney transplantation enables cystinotic girls to reach reproductive age and increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy. It is not known whether exposure to cysteamine will have adverse effects on their offspring exposed as fetuses. It is also possible that some of the complications seen in cystinotic children could be avoided if a pregnant woman carrying a cystinotic fetus were given cysteamine. However, this treatment is not likely to occur until the potential risk for adverse effects on the fetus is known. The goal of this project was to assess the reproductive and developmental safety of cysteamine (as phosphocysteamine) using the rat. The first experiment involved exposure of female rats to cysteamine from pre-mating through day 6.5 post-conception (pc) and assessment of female fertility and early embryonic development. The second experiment involved exposure of pregnant rats to cysteamine from day 6.5 through day 18.5 pc and fetuses were assessed for survival, growth and structural abnormalities. In all cases, cysteamine was administered orally in doses of 0, 37.5, 75, 100 or 150 mg/kg/day. In the first experiment, there were no signs of maternal toxicity during the exposures of 2 to 5 weeks before successful mating. Animals in the 150 mg/kg/day group experienced decreased maternal body weight gain during pregnancy, increased liver and spleen weights, and increased days to coitus suggesting a low level of toxicity. There were no adverse effects on reproductive performance with respect to conception and early development. In experiments involving exposures from day 6.5 through day 18.5 pc, cysteamine produced dose-dependent developmental toxicity with a no observed adverse effect level of 75 mg/kg/day. Specific malformations were associated with this effect (cleft palate, kyphosis, vertebral abnormalities) as well as growth retardation and fetal demise. Investigations continue into the mechanism for the developmental toxicity of cysteamine.
Public's moral view not a sign of ignorance

I read with interest the recent article, “Report Suggests Some Public Attitudes about Geophysical and Environmental Issues” (Eos, June 15, 1999). The aspect I found most interesting was the reaction of the scientists involved to the “public's tendency to consider environmental and geophysical threats from a moral perspective.” The scientists attributed this to a lack of scientific understanding or knowledge, and depending on the “threats” involved and exactly how the questions were asked, this may be partly true. However, the “public's tendency” to appreciate the ethical dimensions of problems like poor water quality and greenhouse gas emissions, and to see the connection between these problems and shortsighted, profit-motivated actions of polluters, is actually a mature, realistic, informed appreciation for root causes, not a sign of ignorance. These true root causes are outside the realm of science, but scientists certainly shouldn't be surprised (and definitely shouldn't be concerned) when others recognize them.
Iterative decoding in a two-node distributed array

This paper investigates the possibility of using a network-based approach to obtain spatial diversity without the use of physical antenna arrays. To this end, we examine the simple case of a two-node network. A distant transmitter sends a packet of coded data bits to the two nodes in the network. Each of the two nodes receives an independent copy of the transmitted signal. Each node decodes the signal that it receives and generates reliability estimates (soft outputs) for the transmitted data bits. The two nodes then exchange soft outputs of a small portion of the bits that are least reliable. Upon receiving additional information about the least reliable bits from another node, a node will restart the decoding process. This process of information exchange and iterative decoding then continues for a number of iterations. With a properly chosen coding and information exchange strategy, simulation results show that a close-to-full diversity advantage can be achieved using the proposed scheme, requiring exchanging only a small amount of information between the two nodes.
Experience with a new human skin equivalent for healing venous leg ulcers.

Abstract Leg ulcers affect about 650,000 adults each year and in every setting—rural, urban, and both economically developed and impoverished areas. Both the physical and the psychologic aspects of treatment present challenges to the caregiver. The nurse must be aware of new techniques for treatment and be able to educate patients about potential modalities for healing. A human skin equivalent, Apligraf, will soon be available for treatment of these wounds. The results of controlled, multicenter studies indicate that human skin equivalent interacts with the patient's own cells, responds to individual wound characteristics, and promotes healing. The nursing professional can readily master the application technique and will find that this tissue-engineered skin product offers a new approach to wound management.
Experimental Determination of Spectral Transmittance of Porous Cerium Dioxide in the Range 900–1700 nm

Overall transmittance of porous cerium dioxide is measured in the spectral range of 900–1700 nm using dispersive spectroscopy. Dense and porous samples of cerium dioxide with average porosities of 0.08 and 0.72, respectively, are investigated. The transmittance of both sample types increases with decreasing thickness, and this trend is more pronounced for the dense samples. The onaverage spectrally increasing transmittance of the dense samples is attributed to the decreasing absorption by bulk cerium dioxide with radiation wavelength. The transmittance of the porous samples, on the other hand, remains approximately constant over the spectrum. Porous samples attenuate radiation stronger than the dense samples at any wavelength in the considered range, and it is hypothesized that this effect is due to more intense scattering. Sharp local variations of the transmittance are observed for both sample types. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4003970]
Slow motions in oriented phospholipid bilayers and effects of cholesterol or gramicidin. A 19F-NMR T1 rho study.

In an extension of our earlier work (Peng, Z.-y., V. Simplaceanu, I. J. Lowe, and C. Ho. 1988. Biophys. J. 54:81–95), the rotating-frame nuclear spin-lattice relaxation (T1 rho) technique has been used to investigate the slow molecular motions (10(-4) - 10(-6) s) in lipid bilayers prepared from protonated or perdeuterated 19F-labeled phospholipids in the absence and presence of cholesterol or gramicidin as membrane-interacting molecules. Complications caused by the 19F-1H cross-polarization observed previously can be removed by the substitution of 2H for 1H in the acyl chains. Only a weak dependence of the T-1(1 rho) on the locking field strength is found for a phospholipid molecule with perdeuterated acyl chains, indicating that there are no slow motions with a single, well-defined correlation time between 5 x 10(-6) and 4 x 10(-5) s. However, the orientation dependences of the T-1(1 rho) can be well fitted by motional models with either one slow motion having an unspecified geometry or with a superposition of two specific types of slow motions. Cholesterol and gramicidin show distinct effects in altering either the geometry or the weighting of slow motions in phospholipid bilayers, as reflected by changes in the orientation dependence. These two additives also exhibit quite different label-position specificities. A qualitative understanding of the induced effects of cholesterol and gramicidin on the dynamics of phospholipid bilayers will be discussed.
In vivo inactivation by acivicin of carbamoylphosphate synthetase II in rat hepatoma

Abstract The antitumor drug acivicin, l -(α S ,5 S )-α-amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid, in vivo irreversibly inactivated carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase II (glutamine-dependent) (EC 6.3.5.5), the first and rate-limiting enzyme of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, in transplantable rat hepatoma and host liver. With two injections of 0.5 mg acivicin per 100 g body weight to one group and two injections of 5 mg to another group, enzyme activity decreased to 20 and 1% in hepatoma and to 99 and 31% in liver respectively. Aspartate carbamoyltransferase (EC 2.1,3.2) activity was not affected, Acivicin in vitro selectively inactivated glutamine-dependent activity of the synthetase II from the hepatoma and liver, with an inactivation constant ( K inact ) of 90 μM and a minimum inactivation halftime ( T ) of 0.7 min. The inactivation velocity with 10 μM acivicin was 5.0-fold stimulated by 2mM MgATP and 18.4-fold by 2 mM MgATP plus 16.7 mM bicarbonate. MgATP at 0.5 mM caused halfmaximum stimulation of the inactivation velocity. Under in vitro conditions, l -glutamine (1 mM) protected the enzyme from inactivation by 10 μM acivicin. The synthetase activity was protected in vitro by 6mM concentrations of glycine (84%). l -glutamate (59%) and l -aspartate (51%) and by 0.5 mM UTP (35%) from inactivation by 20 μM acivicin. The results are compatible with the suggestion that acivicin is an active site-directed affinity analog of l -glutamine.
When is greedy module assembly optimal

Many coherent systems are configurations of identically structured modules, each consisting of a number of different components. The objective is to assemble the modules out of a collection of available components, and to install the modules in the system in a way that maximizes reliability. The greedy assembly rule builds one module out of the best available components, another out of the best remaining components, and so on. This article shows that greedy assembly is optimal whenever the modules have a series structure, no matter what the structure of the system in which the modules will be used might be, provided that the modules, once assembled, are installed in the system in an optimal way. The article also demonstrates that series modules are unique in this regard. 5 refs.
Short-Circuit Protection for Service Entrance Conductors and Switchboards

To provide a higher degree of safety and service continuity, particularly in commercial buildings, it is recommended that the low-voltage electric system be broken into a larger number of smaller separate main switchboards, each fed by a separate service-entrance busway or with cables. Each service-entrance protective device would be mounted in a separate enclosure located on the input end of the service-entrance conductors and as close as practicable to the point where the service enters the building. Should an accidental arcing fault occur, such a design will prevent loss of power to any large area of the building.