cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone‐1 Gene Expression in the Preoptic Area Predicts Transitions in Seasonal Reproductive State

In many seasonally reproducing animals, the experience of prolonged exposure to constant photoperiods results in the induction of a state of photorefractoriness, which is defined as a lack of responsiveness to a previously stimulatory photoperiod. The physiological and genetic processes that control photorefractoriness are not well understood; however, the hallmark of photorefractoriness is an endogenous change in the physiological response to a constant photoperiod. It is already known that preoptic area (POA) gnrh1 gene expression declines during the development of refractoriness to long-day stimulation in European starlings. We employed in situ hybridisation histochemistry to characterise changes in POA gnrh1 mRNA expression during the reinstatement of photosensitivity in female starlings. Photorefractory starlings moved to short days (8L:16D) increased optical density of gnrh1 expressing cells within 10 days. Exposure to 30 short days resulted in greater visible gnrh1 cell numbers, with no detectable change in measures of ovarian follicular volume and oviduct mass. We subsequently examined the extent of gnrh1 expression in response to photostimulation after incremental periods on short day lengths. A significant long-day-induced increase in both gnrh1 expression and ovarian and oviduct mass occurred only after at least 30 short days. These findings demonstrate that the recovery of photorefractoriness involves an increase in gnrh1 mRNA expression and expands upon our previous knowledge that the development of photosensitivity is associated with an increase in both the precursor proGnRH1-GAP and GnRH1 peptides in the POA. Importantly, the change in the brain sensitivity occurs well before such changes can be detected via variation in ovarian activity.
The effects of business practices, licensing, and intellectual property on development and dissemination of the polymerase chain reaction: case study

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was a seminal genomic technology discovered, developed, and patented in an industry setting. Since the first of its core patents expired in March, 2005, we are in a position to view the entire lifespan of the patent, examining how the intellectual property rights have impacted its use in the biomedical community. Given its essential role in the world of molecular biology and its commercial success, the technology can serve as a case study for evaluating the effects of patenting biological research tools on biomedical research. Following its discovery, the technique was subjected to two years of in-house development, during which issues of inventorship and publishing/patenting strategies caused friction between members of the development team. Some have feared that this delay impeded subsequent research and may have been due to trade secrecy or the desire for obtaining lucrative intellectual property rights. However, our analysis of the history indicates that the main reasons for the delay were benign and were primarily due to difficulties in perfecting the PCR technique. Following this initial development period, the technology was made widely available, but was subject to strict licensing terms and patent protection, leading to an extensive litigation history. PCR has earned approximately $2 billion in royalties for the various rights-holders while also becoming an essential research tool. However, using citation trend analysis, we are able to see that PCR's patented status did not preclude it from being adopted in a similar manner as other non-patented genomic research tools (specifically, pBR322 cloning vector and Maxam-Gilbert sequencing). Despite the heavy patent protection and rigid licensing schemes, PCR seems to have disseminated so widely because of the practices of the corporate entities which have controlled these patents, namely through the use of business partnerships and broad corporate licensing, adaptive licensing strategies, and a "rational forbearance" from suing researchers for patent infringement. While far from definitive, our analysis seems to suggest that, at least in the case of PCR, patenting of genomic research tools need not impede their dissemination, if the technology is made available through appropriate business practices.
Emergence, natural history, and variation of canine, mink, and feline parvoviruses.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the emergence of canine parvovirus (CPV), the evidence concerning the previous emergence of mink enteritis virus (MEV) as the cause of a new disease in minks in the 1940s, and the mechanisms that determine the host ranges and other specific properties of the viruses of cats, minks, and dogs. The viruses are classified as the feline parvovirus subgroup of the genus Parvovirus, within the family Parvoviridae. Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), MEV, and CPV are classified as “host range variants.” In addition to the viruses of cats, minks, and dogs, similar viruses naturally infect many species within the families Felidae, Canidae, Procyonidae, Mustelidae, and possibly the Viverridae. The differences in virulence for minks observed after inoculation of MEV or FPV suggests that there are subtle differences between FPV and MEV that have yet to be defined. Genetic mapping studies indicate that only three or four sequence differences between the FPV and CPV-2 isolates within the VP-1 lVP-2 gene determine all of the specific properties of CPV that have been defined: the pH dependence of hemagglutination, the CPV-specific epitope, and the host range for canine cells and dogs.
Bayesian separation of wind power generation signals

One of most challenging and important tasks for electricity grid operators and utility companies is to predict and estimate the precise energy consumption and generation of individual households which have their own decentralized production system. This is a under-determined source separation problem since only the difference between energy production and consumption in the micro-generation system is visible. Therefore, we present a latent variable model with a polynomial regression form for the separation and then the model is used by several statistical algorithms to explore the underlying energy consumption and production from the differenced signals. In order to efficiently find global optima of the hidden variables of the model, we develop a source separation algorithm based on the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA).
Extremely high-velocity co flows in young stellar objects

Very sensitive, wideband CO J = 1-0 and HCO + J = 1-0 line spectra axe obtained using the 12 m telescope at Kitt Peak for several young stellar objects: GL 490, HH7-11 (see also Lizano et al. 1987), S140, and MWC 1080. Very weak and "extremely high-velocity" (EHV) CO wings are found in all objects. Velocity widths of the EHV wings are substantially larger than those of the associated classical high-velocity outflows (e.g., Bally and Lada 1983). Broad wings are also found in HCO + spectra, but they are not as broad as CO wings in most cases. The observed parameters of the spectra are summarized in Table 1 and the spectra axe shown in Figure 1. The maximum velocity width AVm~x in Table 1 is measured at 2 mK level. All CO spectra are flat at least at one extreme velocity, i.e., either at maximum blueshifted velocity or at maximum redshifted velocity, and increase slowly at intermediate velocities before they finally increase steeply at low velocities. The line profiles suggest that some of the EHV CO emission is emitted from the neutral stellar wind (Lizano et al. 1987) which has not experienced much interaction with the surrounding medium, and some from both a decelerating neutral stellar wind and an ambient material entrained by a stellar wind. This interpretation is consistent with HCO + observations which show enhancement of HCO + emission compared to CO emission at high velocities.
International Tax Neutrality: Reconsiderations

Tax policy in general and international income tax policy in particular has long been a subject of discussion and argument by tax philosophers, economists, and lawyers. Theories have often been introduced to support the establishment of new tax systems, to justify existing ones, or to call for changes. Economists introduced “economic efficiency” as a criterion for evaluating tax systems. At the international level, tax neutrality theories were introduced as criteria for achieving economic efficiency. Different tax neutrality theories supported different theoretical international income tax systems. Some theories called for compromise, jeopardizing coherence, and increasing complexity. While reconsidering the classic tax neutrality analysis, this article argues that residence-based taxation has, at best, no advantages over source-based taxation in satisfying capital export neutrality. This article then introduces the idea of best satisfying capital export neutrality, simultaneously with the other tax neutrality theories, simply by source-based taxation (not necessarily with globally harmonized rates) that effectively cures the distortions resulted by its imposition.
Translating Medical Effectiveness Research into Policy: Lessons from the California Health Benefits Review Program

The principles and tools of evidence-based medicine (EBM) are being increasingly applied to policy questions, and some countries with national or provincial health insurance systems are using systematic reviews of the medical literature to determine which specific health care services their systems will cover (Morgan et al. 2006; Wailoo et al. 2004). In the United States, both private and public health plans rely on literature reviews to develop coverage policies (Foote and Town 2007; Fox 2005; Garber 2001; Hartung, Ketchum, and Haxby 2006). Reviews of the medical literature also are conducted to help state legislators evaluate legislation mandating that health plans and health insurers cover specific tests, procedures, medications, providers, diseases, or conditions. Such bills are often referred to as benefit mandates. This article reviews the efforts of the California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP), a program based at the University of California, to provide legislators with evidence regarding medical effectiveness and the cost and public health impacts of proposed benefit mandates. CHBRP's reports offer relevant and timely analyses that state legislators and other major stakeholders use in deliberations regarding benefit mandate bills. These bills have addressed a wide range of topics, including preventive services, chronic disease management, behavioral health services, and complementary and alternative providers, and their legislative outcomes sometimes are based on the conclusions of CHBRP's medical effectiveness reviews. But medical effectiveness evidence does not always determine legislative outcomes; concerns about costs and other political considerations are important as well. Here we focus on the lessons we have learned over the past six years from conducting medical effectiveness reviews for CHBRP. Our article builds on a series of papers published in 2006 that discuss the establishment of the program, the development of its analytic methods, and the first and second years of its operation (Halpin et al. 2006; Kominski et al. 2006; Luft et al. 2006; McMenamin, Halpin, and Ganiats 2006; Oliver and Singer 2006; Philip 2006). Over the ensuing years, the number of reports issued by CHBRP has grown from twenty-two to fifty-nine. Whereas the earlier articles presented examples of individual bill analyses, our article synthesizes the findings from CHBRP's medical effectiveness reviews across all reports issued through May 2009.
Globalization and Theology

The buzzword “globalization” has dominated academic discussions in philosophy and the social sciences for almost a quarter century now. But what do, or should, theologians have to say? This article first explores the controversy over the general meaning of the term “globalization”, then discusses the somewhat recent historical tendency of theologians to contribute largely in a reticent or reactive way to the debates, and finally outlines three strategies by which leaders in the field have productively engaged and which chart a significant future for the field. Such strategies reflect involvement in debates about global justice with specific attention to climate change, money and international finance, and the emergent idea of a new “cosmopolitanism”. At the same time, in light of current global social economic sea changes, such as the decline of the hegemony of the West and the growing political influence of “developing world” nations, theologians are beginning to realize that old-style liberalism and self-condemnatory moralizing about the West’s exploitations of the world’s peoples and resources needs to be replaced with a sense of a multi-cultural and transnational common purpose in facing the common threats to our entire humanity.
Secondary Structure Analysis of a Functional Construct of Caveolin-1 Reveals a Long C-Terminal Helix

Caveolin-1 is an integral membrane protein that is the primary component of cell membrane invaginations called caveolae. While caveolin-1 is known to participate in a myriad of vital cellular processes, structural data on caveolin-1 of any kind is severely limited. In order to rectify this dearth, secondary structure analysis of a functional construct of caveolin-1, containing the intact C-terminal domain, was performed using NMR spectroscopy in lyso-myristoylphosphatidylglycerol micelles. Complete backbone assignments of caveolin-1 (residues 62-178) were made, and it was determined that residues 62-79 were dynamic; residues 89-107, 111-128, and 132-175 were helical; and residues 80-88, 108-110, and 129-131 represent unstructured breaks between the helices.
Congenital Absence of the Fimbria with Deformity of the Ampullae of the Fallopian Tube

Abstract Background: Congenital segmental absence of the Fallopian tube is a rare finding. These cases are diagnosed by hysterosalpingogram as tubal obstructions. Pathology evaluation of the excised Fallopian tube will confirm the etiology. Case: A 23-year-old female with a history of recurrent miscarriages and secondary infertility had a complete evaluation performed. A hysterosalingogram revealed an abnormal left Fallopian tube with dilated ampulla. Laparoscopy confirmed the presence of a hydrosalpinx. The tube was removed. Results: This patient recovered completely and was able to achieve pregnancy. Pathology testing revealed absent fimbria, an intact epithelial lining, and the absence of any evidence of inflammatory disease or endometriosis. Conclusions: This is a rare case of congenital absence of the tubal fimbria resulting in tubal obstruction. The presence of an intact epithelial lining without any evidence of inflammation supports the congenital absence of the fimbria. (J GYNECOL SURG 31:177)
Effects of Type of Exercise on Depression in Recovering Substance Abusers

This experiment investigated the effects of three types of structured exercise (aerobics, bodybuilding, and circuit training) on depressive symptoms of 45 clients undergoing a 4-wk., inpatient rehabilitation program for substance abuse. Pre- and posttest measures included the Center of Epidemiological Studies--Depression, resting pulse rate, blood pressure, maximum strength on incline bench press, and estimates of aerobic fitness and body fat. The bodybuilding program produced a significant decrease in depressive symptoms. Physiological and psychological explanations are discussed.
Recognizing disordered eating in primary care patients with obesity.

Objective In clinical practice, behavioral approaches to obesity treatment focus heavily on diet and exercise recommendations. However, these approaches may not be effective for patients with disordered eating behaviors. Little is known about the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors in primary care patients with obesity or whether they affect difficulty making dietary changes.
A call for physician assistants to make a ruckus--and a difference.

This is who we are; who we have always been. More im-portantly, America’s health care system needs us to be a guiding force. Godin describes how the business world is now em-bracing and rewarding leaders that challenge the status quo. And these leaders are folks who make a ruckus. He points out that people are not really afraid of failure but rather of blame or criticism. This struck a chord with me. My parents did not raise me to be fearless but instead to live my life with integrity, abiding by a set of core values. I will admit that I am not unfamiliar with criticism. My mentors and friends keep it constructive. To those who are critical simply to be critical or quick to denounce in-novation or creativity, I would recommend you share with them a long-standing Southern tradition: offer them a “bless your heart,” then forget about them.
A T‐Cell Functional Phenotype Common among Autoimmune‐Prone Rodent Strains

The genetic basis and familial clustering of autoimmunity suggest that common phenotypic traits predispose individuals to disease. We found a hyporesponsive T-cell phenotype that was shared by all autoimmune-prone mouse and rat strains tested, including MRL, nonobese diabetic (NOD), NZB, NZW, NZB/W F1, SJL and SWR mice, as well as DA and BB rats, but was not evident in nonautoimmune-prone rodents. This T-cell intrinsic, age-independent hyporesponsiveness is measured as an increased activation threshold for upregulation of activation markers upon T-cell receptor (TCR) cross-linking both in vitro and in vivo. Inefficient deletion of CD4 and CD8 single-positive, heat stable antigen (HSA)hi medullary thymocytes was also observed in hyporesponsive donors. We interpret these data to suggest that increased TCR-mediated signalling thresholds in autoimmune-prone individuals may contribute to the escape of autoreactive thymocytes from negative selection.
Coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy. An analysis of ten cases among 47,120 pregnancies.

Previous studies have suggested that coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy is a devastating illness associated with high maternal mortality. However, this concept recently has been challenged. We examined the incidence of coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy in Tuscon, Arizona, an area endemic for this infection. After reviewing the records of three separate health care facilities, we found ten cases of coccidioidomycosis among 47,120 pregnancies. Nine of the ten women had no underlying disease. Seven were diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis during either the first or second trimester. Illness resolved in all seven. Three other patients were diagnosed during the first ten days postpartum. While infection was self-limited in one woman, two others developed severe disseminated coccidioidomycosis associated with meningitis. Despite this, there were no maternal deaths. Of eight deliveries, all were uncomplicated and produced healthy infants. In summary, diagnosing coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy is rare. Although we observed no maternal death, our experience suggests that women who develop coccidioidomycosis late in pregnancy are at risk for developing severe disseminated infection.
SLO Town Savings and Loan

Abstract Until students understand the need for financial accounting standards (FAS), those standards are merely rules that must be learned. Events in the savings and loan (S&L) industry provide examples to which students can relate and which demonstrate the need for accounting standards. Such a need arises because producers of financial information often have different objectives than external users of the information. Loan origination fees illustrate such a difference. Savings and loan managers argued that loan origination fees were revenue, while others argued that origination fees should be treated as adjustments to the yields of mortgages. Prior to FAS No. 65, loan origination fees were reported as revenue at the time mortgages were created, a treatment with which most S&L managers agreed. As problems arose in the savings and loan industry, the needs of external financial statement users became evident, and the FASB issued Statement No. 65 in an effort to address the controversy surrounding the reporting of loan origination fees. Subsequently, FAS No. 91 reconsidered the issue and further refined the reporting standards. The SLO Town Savings and Loan case illustrates the significance of the issues related to origination fees, the impact of accounting standards on management preferences for particular financial transactions, and the evolution of a financial reporting standard.
Propensity Score-Based Methods versus MTE-Based Methods in Causal Inference: Identification, Estimation, and Application.

Since the seminal introduction of the propensity score by Rosenbaum and Rubin, propensity-score-based (PS-based) methods have been widely used for drawing causal inferences in the behavioral and social sciences. However, the propensity score approach depends on the ignorability assumption: there are no unobserved confounders once observed covariates are taken into account. For situations where this assumption may be violated, Heckman and his associates have recently developed a novel approach based on marginal treatment effects (MTE). In this paper, we (1) explicate consequences for PS-based methods when aspects of the ignorability assumption are violated; (2) compare PS-based methods and MTE-based methods by making a close examination of their identification assumptions and estimation performances; (3) apply these two approaches in estimating the economic return to college using data from NLSY 1979 and discuss their discrepancies in results. When there is a sorting gain but no systematic baseline difference between treated and untreated units given observed covariates, PS-based methods can identify the treatment effect of the treated (TT). The MTE approach performs best when there is a valid and strong instrumental variable (IV). In addition, this paper introduces the “smoothing-difference PS-based method,” which enables us to uncover heterogeneity across people of different propensity scores in both counterfactual outcomes and treatment effects.
Crystal structure of 5,10-(diphenyl)-5,10-dihydrophenarsazine

The crystal structure of the title compound 1, the first phenarsazine possessing a 10-phenyl substituent to be synthesized, has been determined by single crystal x-ray methods. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P21/c with four molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 10.737(3), b = 8.561(4), c = 20.523(7)A, β = 91.91(3)° and V = 1885(1)A3. The structure has been refined by full matrix least-squares to R = 0.046 using 2087 observed reflections. The folding angle between the two benzo planes is 151.7(4)° indicating that 1 is significantly more puckered than phenarsazines substituted with 5-aryl groups. Moreover, although both phenyl groups adopt a boat-axial conformation, the planes of the aryl rings are nearly perpendicular to each other with the 10-phenyl group adopting the usual conformation (i.e. in the plane bisecting the phenarsazine ring which contains As(5) and N(10)) and the 5-phenyl group assuming the a typical conformation (i.e. very nearly perpendicular to the plane bisecting phenarsazine ring). The bond distance between As and the carbon atom of the 5-phenyl ring is approximately the same as that found in other 5-arylphenarsazine compounds indicating little resonance interactions between As and the aromatic ring in 1.
Giant pigment granules in dermal melanocytes of rat scrotal skin.

Giant melanosomes, ellipsoidal (1.5 μm×1.3 μm) or spherica (1.1 μm–1.4 μm in diameter) exist in the scrotal skin of the black pelted Long Evans rat. They are longer and wider than normal stage IV melanosomes (0.7 μ×0.4 μm) found in theses dermal melanocytes.
Growth and the size hierarchy effect: an experimental assessment of three proposed mechanisms; activity differences, disproportional food acquisition, physiological stress

Juvenile cichlids, Tilapia zillii, of equal initial standard length were randomly assigned to one of five treatments to assess the relative importance of individual physiological and activity differences, disproportional food consumption, and social interaction on growth depensation and mean growth. Results substantiate the hypothesis that disproportional food acquisition is the primary mechanism responsible for the size hierarchy effect. Individual physiological and activity differences played a negligible role in the phenomenon. Dominant-subordinate relationships, set up in the aquarium, appear responsible for the disproportional food acquisition and thus mediate the size hierarchy effect. Dominant fish ingest more food by either acquiring a limited ration first, preventing a subordinate's food acquisition, or behaviorally inhibiting a subordinate's feeding behavior.
Synthesis, Molecular Structure, and Electrochemistry of a Paramagnetic Diruthenium(III) Complex. Characterization of Ru(2)(hpp)(4)Cl(2), Where hpp Is the 1,3,4,6,7,8- Hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinate Ion.

The synthesis and characterization of the first paramagnetic diruthenium(III) complex containing two unpaired electrons is described. The investigated compound, represented as Ru2(hpp)4Cl2, where hpp is 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinate ion, was obtained from the reaction of Ru2(CH3COO)4Cl with excess molten Hhpp under Ar (150 °C, 10 h). It was characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, electrochemistry, ESR, and UV−visible spectroscopy and the data compared to that for other Ru26+ derivatives containing either four unpaired electrons (in the case of a bis-H2O complex) or zero unpaired electrons (in the case of a bis-C⋮CC6H5 derivative).
Protein–RNA contacts at crystal packing surfaces

The crystal packing surfaces comprising protein-RNA interactions were analyzed for 50 RNA-protein crystal structures in the Protein Data Bank database. Protein-RNA crystal contacts, which represent nonspecific protein-RNA interfaces, were investigated for their amino acid propensities, hydrogen bond patterns, and backbone and side chain interactions. When compared to biologically relevant interactions, the protein-RNA crystal contacts exhibit similarities as well as differences with respect to the principles of protein-RNA interactions. Similar to what was observed at cognate protein-RNA interfaces, positively charged amino acids have high propensities at noncognate protein-RNA interfaces and preferentially form hydrogen bonds with RNA phosphate groups. In contrast, nonpolar residues are less frequently associated with noncognate interactions. These results highlight the important roles of both electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions, facilitated by positively charged amino acids, in mediating both specific and nonspecific protein-RNA interactions.
Preparation of advanced intermediates for the synthesis of both methyllycaconitine and racemulsonine via a common intermediate

Abstract Polycyclic precursors to 1 and 2 have been prepared via a common intermediate. The key steps include the intramolecular alkylation of a phenol and a selective metal–ammonia reduction.
Local production of IgA- and IgM-rheumatoid factors in adult periodontal disease.

The enzyme-linked immunospot assay was used to enumerate both the number and the frequency of spontaneous IgG, IgA, and IgM immunoglobulin-secreting cells and IgA- and IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF)-producing cells present in the gingivae and peripheral blood of adult periodontitis patients. Cells from 29 patients were incubated on plates coated with human IgG, Fc, or F(ab′)2 fragments and on plates coated with class-specific antihuman antibodies and secreted antibodies were subsequently visualized by means of an immunoenzymatic procedure. The data indicate that (1) IgA-RF- and IgM-RF-secreting cells are frequently present in the gingiva of adult periodontitis patients; (2) production of RF in gingivae of adult periodontitis patients occurs in the absence of demonstrable RF production by simultaneously obtained peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting that local autoimmune reactions may occur in this disease; and (3) lack of correlation between IgA-RF and IgM-RF production in diseased gingiva suggests that the two RF isotypes are regulated independently of each other.
Magnesium removal in reducing marine sediments by cation exchange

Abstract Cation exchange capacity determinations on sediments of the California Borderland indicate that exchange capacities are increased under highly reducing conditions, and result in magnesium removal from the pore water. Calculations indicate the removal process may account for 5–10 per cent of the magnesium brought to the sea by rivers.
Mesocestoides corti: environmental cation concentration in calcareous corpuscles.

Mesocestoides corti: Environmental cation concentration in calcareous corpuscles. Experimental Parasitology 27, 82-94. The addition of As, Be, Cd, Pb, Sr, and U to the in vitro culture environment has resulted in specific cation concentration within the inorganic constituents of the calcareous corpuscles from Mesocestoides corti. The efficiency of cation concentration is shown by compound and elemental identification using powder X-ray diffraction, emission spectrographic, and radioactivity detection methods. Divalent ions, whether added to the media or present as trace impurities in the reagents, were found to be strongly concentrated by the tetrathyridia of M. corti if the cationic radius is near that of calcium or magnesium. Ion selectivity is suggested by the small concentration of trivalent arsenic, hexavalent uranium (as U022+), and the inefficient concentration of the small divalent beryllium ions.
Spectroscopic evidence of polymorphism in vitreous B2O3.

Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy were performed on ${\mathrm{B}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ glass compressed to 57 GPa at 273 K. Upon compression the sound velocities increase smoothly and the boroxol ring Raman mode vanishes by 11 GPa. Upon decompression the sound velocities follow a different path and at 3 GPa a discontinuity of $3\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}/\mathrm{s}$ in ${V}_{p}$ and $2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}/\mathrm{s}$ in ${V}_{s}$ returns the velocities to the values seen on compression. After the transition, the boroxol ring Raman mode reappears. A second pressure cycle produces the same behavior, suggesting the 3 GPa transition occurs between vitreous polymorphs with different boron coordination.
Creating a world without poverty: social business and the future of capitalism

Muhammad Yunus’s Creating a World Without Poverty examines a realm of community development that often emerges as a major obstacle for academics and practitioners alike: poverty. He focuses on inte...
Geoid and topography over subduction zones: The effect of phase transformations

[1] The association between local maxima in the geoid and subduction zones is examined. While it is well known that subduction zones are associated with broad local maxima in the geoid at spherical harmonic degrees 4–9, there is an impressive correlation between back arc geoid maxima at the 5000 km length scale (i.e., spherical harmonic degrees >9) and subduction zones with the exception of the Scotia and Caribbean arcs. Geoid maxima are also observed in the forearc regions of the Aleutian and Central American subduction zones. Numerical modeling of compressible convection with multiple phase transformations indicates that an increase in viscosity at or near the 660 km phase transformation is necessary to explain the pattern of geoid maxima associated with subduction zones. The addition of an endothermic phase transformation at 660 km depth does not provide sufficient resistance to the slab to eliminate the need for a viscosity increase at or near 660 km. Short-wavelength geoid and topography profiles might provide an additional constraint on the deformation at subduction zones; however, it may be necessary to incorporate geologic history into subduction calculations to further improve the results presented here.
Coping with stress: eIF2 kinases and translational control

In response to environmental stresses, a family of protein kinases phosphorylate eIF2 (eukaryotic initiation factor 2) to alleviate cellular injury or alternatively induce apoptosis. Phosphorylation of eIF2 reduces global translation, allowing cells to conserve resources and to initiate a reconfiguration of gene expression to effectively manage stress conditions. Accompanying this general protein synthesis control, eIF2 phosphorylation induces translation of specific mRNAs, such as that encoding the bZIP (basic leucine zipper) transcriptional regulator ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4). ATF4 also enhances the expression of additional transcription factors, ATF3 and CHOP (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein)/GADD153 (growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein), that assist in the regulation of genes involved in metabolism, the redox status of the cells and apoptosis. Reduced translation by eIF2 phosphorylation can also lead to activation of stress-related transcription factors, such as NF-kappaB (nuclear factor kappaB), by lowering the steady-state levels of short-lived regulatory proteins such as IkappaB (inhibitor of NF-kappaB). While many of the genes induced by eIF2 phosphorylation are shared between different environmental stresses, eIF2 kinases function in conjunction with other stress-response pathways, such as those regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases, to elicit gene expression programmes that are tailored for the specific stress condition. Loss of eIF2 kinase pathways can have important health consequences. Mice devoid of the eIF2 kinase GCN2 [general control non-derepressible-2 or EIF2AK4 (eIF2alpha kinase 4)] show sensitivity to nutritional deficiencies and aberrant eating behaviours, and deletion of PEK [pancreatic eIF2alpha kinase or PERK (RNA-dependent protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase) or EIF2AK3] leads to neonatal insulin-dependent diabetes, epiphyseal dysplasia and hepatic and renal complications.
Lysine-Chloride Interactions in the Growing Chick,

Nutritional interactions between dietary chloride and lysine in the young chick were investigated. Chloride, varying over four levels from .44 to 1.84% of the diet, was included in diets containing limiting (.7%) or adequate (1.1%) levels of lysine. Increasing chloride in diets containing either level of lysine resulted in a depression of growth rate and feed consumption (P less than .01). The efficiency of feed utilization for growth was significantly lowered only when chicks were fed diets containing the highest level of chloride (P less than .05). Plasma lysine concentrations were greater in chicks fed the lysine adequate diet; plasma arginine was unchanged. Plasma lysine and arginine concentrations were unaffected by chloride. In a second experiment chicks were fed a lysine deficient (.7%), lysine adequate (1.2%), high lysine (2.5%), or high lysine (2.5%) high arginine (2.3%) diet with varying levels of chloride. Increasing dietary chloride depressed weight gains. This effect was most dramatic in those chicks fed the high lysine diet. Increasing dietary arginine alleviated the effect of chloride in the high lysine diet. Plasma sodium and potassium were unaffected by dietary lysine and chloride levels. Plasma chloride tended to be greater in chicks receiving high chloride diets and were highest in chicks fed the high lysine diet. We conclude that dietary chloride does not influence the lysine requirement of chicks but exacerbates the lysine-arginine antagonism.
Overview of theoretical prospects for understanding the values of fundamental constants

The membership of a list of ‘ fundamental ’ constants necessarily depends on who is compiling the list. A hydrodynamicist might reasonably include the density and viscosity of water, while an atomic physicist would doubtless include the proton mass and electronic charge. This talk deals with a different sort of list: a list of the constants that appear in the laws of nature at the deepest level that we yet understand, constants whose value we cannot calculate with precision in terms of more fundamental constants, not just because the calculation is too complicated (as for the viscosity of water or the mass of the proton) but because we do not know of anything more fundamental. The membership of such a list of fundamental constants thus reflects our present understanding of fundamental physics. Also, each constant on the list is a challenge for future work, to try to explain its value.
Using an Online Homework System to Submit Accounting Homework: Role of Cognitive Need, Computer Efficacy, and Perception

The author investigated whether students' effort in working on homework problems was affected by their need for cognition, their perception of the system, and their computer efficacy when instructors used an online system to collect accounting homework. Results showed that individual intrinsic motivation and computer efficacy are important factors in determining effort and whether students perceive the system to be useful. These findings are of interest to educators and system designers as they consider implementing online homework systems and determine which types of students benefit most from the use of these systems in classrooms.
Improvement in ventricular function during exercise studied with radionuclide ventriculography after cardiac rehabilitation

A heterogeneous group of 19 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease were studied with radionuclide ventriculography before and after a mean of 6 months of exercise training. Ejection fraction was measured at rest, at matched submaximal supine work loads and during maximal supine bicycle exercise. After training there was no change in mean ejection fraction at rest or during maximal exercise, but a higher maximal mean systolic blood pressure, heart rate and work load were achieved. At equivalent submaximal work loads after training, similar levels of mean heart rate and systolic blood pressure were reached but a statistically greater mean ejection fraction was obtained. These preliminary results suggest that exercise training may improve cardiac function during exercise in selected patients with coronary disease. A randomized study using similar techniques has been initiated.
Teacher Education in the United States: Trends and Issues.

(1992). Teacher education in the United States: Trends and issues. The Teacher Educator: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 3-11.
Analysis of heat and mass transfer to determine heat loss and the rate of condensation of the MVSTs off-gas ducts

Abstract Reduction of the existing nuclear waste in the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVSTs) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is of utmost concern to the scientists at this facility. This paper provides proof that a combination of vault heating, sparged air heating, and prevention of condensation is the best alternative to achieve this goal. Therefore, in this study a general system of mathematical equations has been developed taking into account all of the parameters affecting evaporation and condensation. This evaporation process has been analyzed by the careful modeling of a bubble chain through the extremely viscous, radioactive liquid contained in the storage tanks. This paper discusses in detail the evaporation procedure using bubble formation, air velocity, and determining the rate at which this liquid waste can be removed from the MVSTs by evaporation under different conditions of the sparging air. An additional objective is to study the heating/cooling of the condensation process of the off-gas piping inside the vault. A laboratory scale model has also been assembled for this purpose at ORNL to verify the accuracy of the mathematical modeling. A comparison of the experimental findings with the mathematical modeling shows excellent agreement.
Self-aligned 3D shadow mask technique for patterning deeply recessed surfaces of micro-electro-mechanical systems devices

Abstract We present a 3D shadow mask technique for patterned modification of an area that is deeply recessed from the top surface with a large topographical step. The silicon shadow mask is micromachined such that it fits in a self-aligned fashion into the removed area of the device wafer and thus approaches the apertures close to the surface. Furthermore, owing to self-alignment between shadow and target, the lateral overlay precision is improved. The use of this technique is demonstrated for direct evaporation of metal patterns 10×50 μm 2 in size on the backside of a membrane of a bimorph-actuated device that is recessed by 500 μm. The same pattern dimensions were achieved in positive and negative resist by exposing it through the shadow mask aperture. We also show an application that uses a different type of shadow mask for the evaporation of an array of 25-μm wide metal wires across a step of 120 μm with no loss of dimension control. Full-wafer processing with the reusable shadow mask is demonstrated.
Turn, Turn, Turn

Twenty years have passed since the publication in these pages of the oft-quoted editorial "The leader of the band is tired." At that time, the passing was mourned of the era of laparotomy for reconstructive pelvic surgery and the arrival of the laparoscope was heralded. Another transformation has occurred. Just as laparoscopy replaced laparotomy, all traditional treatments for infertility are being rendered obsolete by advanced reproductive technologies.
Evidence against leukotriene-mediation of propranolol-induced airway hyperreactivity to acetylcholine

In unanaesthetized guinea-pigs, propranolol treatment (0.1 mg kg-1 i.v.) substantially increased reactivity to intravenous acetylcholine infusion or aerosolized histamine to a comparable degree. Neither BW755c (5 mg kg-1 i.v.), FPL 55712 (1 mg kg-1 i.v.), nor piriprost (5 mg kg-1 i.v.) pretreatment influenced propranolol's effect on muscarinic reactivity although BW755c abolished histaminic hyperreactivity. This suggests that propranolol-induced muscarinic hyperreactivity in the guinea-pig is not mediated by leukotrienes whereas histaminic hyperreactivity may be.
Role of cell-associated pathogen metabolism in infection of tracheal explants by Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The effect of environmental conditions on the relative pathogenicity ofMycoplasma pneumoniae for hamster tracheal explants was investigated. Organisms from the early stages of the growth cycle (e.g., day 1 to 2) were more effective in the induction of ciliostasis than were older cultures. Both the degree of ciliostasis and the speed of onset were affected. The type of explant culture medium also affected pathogenic potential.M. pneumoniae infection produced significantly greater ciliostasis and cytonecrosis in a ‘permissive’ medium, i.e., one capable of supporting mycoplasma metabolism and replication, than in a ‘nonpermissive’ medium. However,no adenine protection effect could be detected under permissive conditions, though it was quite striking when a nonpermissive medium was used as the post-infection explant medium. This suggests that the cell damage noted under permissive conditions may result from processes distinct from those operative in the actual host-parasite cellular interaction.
On performance limits of space-time codes: a sphere-packing bound approach

A sphere-packing bound (SPB) on average word-error probability (WEP) is derived to determine the performance limits of space-time codes on Rayleigh block-fading channels under delay and maximum energy constraints. Two other explicit bounds, a looser bound and a tight approximate bound, are also derived to provide more intuition on how the system parameters affect the performance limits. Moreover, it is shown that as the block length grows to infinity, the SPB converges to the outage probability, and the asymptotic behavior of performance limits is determined by the outage probability.
Surface superlattices and quasi-one-dimensional conductors in GaAs HEMTs: how best to compare theory and experiment?

Summary form only given. The authors discuss evidence of (1) electron standing waves forming underneath a 2000-AA period Ti/Au Schottky grid or grating incorporated as a gate into a GaAs HEMT (high-electron-mobility transistor) structure, and (2) modulation of the scattering time due to intersubband scattering in an array of approximately 100 parallel wires of 400-AA width formed by laterally patterning a GaAs/GaAlAs heterostructure. The authors show how knowledge of the electron group velocity along with a scattering rate derived from Fermi's golden rule can explain the observed effects. They compare the mobility modulation from intersubband scattering to the well-known prediction of Sakaki for increased mobility in quasi-one-dimensional wire due to the finite range of the scatterers. By first solving for the density of states and conductivity in a one-dimensional periodic potential, the authors show how to incorporate energy level broadening due to elastic and inelastic scattering, temperature broadening, and an increase in the dimensionality of the device by convolving with various known functions. >
Complexity of compartmental models

Abstract A family of complexity indices for compartmental models is introduced. These are analogous to the diversity indices used to study ecological communities. Each index is shown to be related to the eigenvalues of the model, and in one case (the Shannon index) is equal to the negative of the sum of all eigenvalues. Relations between these indices and equivalent models as well as intrinsic complexity are investigated. In each case, large values of the complexity index lead to greater stability, but not necessarily conversely.
Cryoenzymology of human plasmin catalysis: comparison of cryosolvents and reactions with nitrophenyl ester and anilide substrates.

Abstract A comparative study of nucleophilic (methanol), aprotic (dimethyl sulfoxide), and protic but non nucleophilic (ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol/dimethylformamide) solvents on the catalytic and structural properties of human plasmin has been made. All four solvent systems are potentially suitable as cryosolvents for plasmin catalysis at subzero termperatures although the solubility of plasmin is limited in the methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide systems. Each cryosolvent system caused minor effects on the catalytic properties of the enzyme, which could be rationalized in terms of the known physical properties of the cosolvent. Solvent systems containing ethylene glycol induce a minor conformational change which increases the catalytic efficiency of plasmin. The cosolvent effects on Km and Ki indicate that electrostatic interactions dominate the binding of both substrates and inhibitors such as benzamidine. A change in slope of the Arrhenius plots for catalysis, reflecting a temperature-induced isomerization, is observed around 0 °C; the energies of activation being 13 ± 2 kcal mol−1 at higher temperatures and 19 ± 2 kcal mol−1 at subzero temperatures, and essentially independent of solvent. Deacylation was shown to be the rate-limiting step in the hydrolysis of specific p-nitrophenyl ester substrates. Previous stopped-flow studies at room temperature provided observations suggesting that a tetrahedral intermediate could be detected in the plasmin-catalyzed hydrolysis of p-nitroanilide substrates. Experiments at subzero temperatures with such substrates failed to reveal any buildup of a tetrahedral intermediate under the experimental conditions.
The standard enthalpies of formation of zinc orthophosphate and its hydrates

Abstract The standard enthalpies of formation at 298.15 K of Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 (c), Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 2H 2 O(c) and Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 4H 2 O(c) were determined as − 2891.2 ± 3.3, − 3492.1 ± 3.3 and − 4093.5 ± 3.3 kJ mol −1 , respectively, by isoperibol solution-reaction calorimetry. Some thermodynamic information concerning a tetrahydrate polymorph is also presented and the kinetic results for the rate of hydration of the anhydrate in liquid water are discussed.