cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calciferols: actions and deficiencies in action.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the actions and deficiencies in action of calciferols. The calciferols are a group of compounds also known as the D vitamins; they are secosteroids, implying that they contain a steroidal configuration with one ring open. Vitamin D is generally considered to be an inactive precursor form with several properties appropriate for classification as a vitamin; 1,25(OH)2D is highly bioactive, adhering to the general model of action that characterizes the true steroidal hormones. The chapter also focuses on the activation and target interactions of calciferols. The initial step in the activation of circulating vitamin D is enzymatic conversion to 25(OH) vitamin D. The conversion of 25(OH)D to lα,25(OH)2D is the focal point in regulation of calciferol metabolism. This conversion occurs principally in the kidney, mediated by a mitochondria1 enzyme system of which one major component is a cytochrome P-450. The clinical, biochemical, radiological, and histological manifestations of calciferol deficiency represent the combined end result of the deficiency itself and compensatory mechanisms. The main function of active calciferol metabolites is maintenance of calcium and possibly phosphorus homeostasis.
Decentralized operation of interdependent power and energy networks: Blockchain and security

Abstract Emerging wireless sensor networks enable wide-area sensing and monitoring of interdependent networks and critical infrastructures. Ubiquitous sensing plays a pivotal role in optimal, secure, and efficient operation of smart city infrastructures, including interdependent power and energy networks. It also leads to a transition from central operation of these infrastructures toward decentralized resources and Internet of things, such as distributed energy resources, microgrids, and smart mobility sensing devices (e.g., road-side units and intelligent traffic cameras). In this study, we first investigate the power grid modernization and the transition toward intelligent power systems. Smart grids introduce more reliable, secure, efficient, and sustainable energy delivery to the consumers by engaging demand side in load-generation balance. Further, we introduce blockchain-based energy trading as a means to expedite the decentralization of interdependent power and energy networks by enabling decentralized transactions and smart contracts. To this end, we overview the prior work on blockchain-based smart grids. We then explain different frameworks for implementing decentralized energy exchange among power and energy system agents in a decentralized and secure fashion.
Busy therapists: Examining caseload as a potential factor in outcome.

As demand increased for mental health services, especially in university counseling centers, providers have seen increasing numbers of clients. The effect of this increase on therapist caseloads is explored, with a recognition that past research on therapist caseloads lacks direct and fluctuating measures of caseload that reflect practice in naturalistic settings. Using a large dataset from a counseling center (N = 18,322), therapist caseload was conceptualized dynamically over rolling 30-day periods, using within-therapist counts of therapy sessions, unique clients seen, and the proportion of unique clients to sessions. Analysis of variance was used first to test for differences in caseload between months, years, then to test for differences between therapists (n = 173). Hierarchical linear models were constructed to examine the relationship between changes in therapist caseload across time and client outcome. Logistic and ordinal regression approaches were used to further examine this relationship for clinically significant change. Results included finding a small, but significant, effect of therapist caseload on outcome, with this finding discussed in the context of the effect sizes in the literature on therapist effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
A Prospective Evaluation of Point-of-Care Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Diverticulitis in the Emergency Department.

Study objective We evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of point-of-care ultrasonography, performed by ultrasonographic fellowship–trained emergency physicians and physician assistants, compared with computed tomography (CT) scan in diagnosing acute diverticulitis in the emergency department (ED). Methods This was a prospective observational study of a convenience sample of patients with suspected diverticulitis who were treated at an academic ED between 2017 and 2020. Sonographers were blinded to clinical data, laboratory results, and CT scan findings. A total of 19 ultrasonographic fellowship–trained emergency physicians and physician assistants performed the ultrasonographic examinations. Point-of-care ultrasonographic diagnosis of acute diverticulitis was defined as the presence of bowel wall thickening, greater than 5 mm, surrounding a diverticulum, enhancement of the surrounding pericolonic fat, and sonographic tenderness to palpation. The primary outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of point-of-care ultrasonography in the diagnosis of diverticulitis compared with CT, which was considered the criterion standard. Results Data from 452 patients were analyzed. Median age was 60 years, 54% were women, and 36% had a diagnosis of diverticulitis based on CT scan. Of the 452 patients, there were 13 false-positive (3%) and 10 false-negative (2%) point-of-care ultrasonographic examinations. Overall, compared with CT, point-of-care ultrasonography had a sensitivity of 92% (95% confidence interval 88% to 96%), specificity of 97% (95% confidence interval 94% to 99%), positive predictive value of 94% (95% confidence interval 90% to 97%), and negative predictive value of 96% (93% to 98%) in the diagnosis of diverticulitis. Conclusion In a convenience sample of ED patients with suspected diverticulitis, point-of-care ultrasonography performed by ultrasonographic fellowship–trained emergency physicians and physician assistants could be used as an imaging modality for diagnosing acute diverticulitis, with high sensitivity and specificity compared with CT scan.
Health Services: The Real Jobs Machine

In terms of employment, the best performer over the last decade was health services; the industry added nearly 3 million jobs, accounting for 1 of every 6 new jobs in the economy since 1980.
Seeing the Past with Computers: Experiments with Augmented Reality and Computer Vision for History . Kevin Kee and Timothy Compeau, eds. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2019. 254p. Hardcover, $75.00 (ISBN: 978-0-472-13111-2).

In 2019, the New York Times launched the 1619 Project. What began in print is a now robust and interactive website, with the aim of offering readers a glimpse into the beginnings of American slavery through essays, photographs, and an online exhibit in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture. The 1619 Project was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2020, and, despite some controversy around its framing of historical issues, it continues to garner acclaim. Whatever the project’s historical limitations, its prominence affirms the growing importance in popular culture of the role of digital technology in telling and retelling the stories of the past. It is to these very tasks—accessing, understanding, and teaching history—that Kevin Kee and Timothy Compeau, both historians, contribute Seeing the Past with Computers: Experiments with Augmented Reality and Computer Vision for History the most recent offering in the Digital Humanities Series from the University of Michigan Press.
Considerations for Developing Regulatory Policy to Prevent Importation of Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases:

Epidemiologic and entomologic investigations on bluetongue viruses have provided important information upon which to develop meaningful, less restrictive but safe regulatory policies for the international movement of ruminants and germplasm. The result of changes would be economic gain for all countries concerned with continued protection against the importation of foreign diseases. The goal of regulations should be to safely protect indigenous animals, but to do so without needlessly interfering with trade. It is apparent that research on bluetongue disease has been beneficial and new information on other arthropod-borne pathogens, their vectors, and their hosts will continue to be useful to protect ruminant livestock. Continued research along the lines reviewed here on culicoides spp. 19 and other vectors of arthropod-borne diseases and these pathogens must be supported. French and Spanish summaries on PDF.
Racial Invariance or Asian Advantage: Comparing the Macro-Level Predictors of Violence Across Asian, White, and Black Populations

Research shows that structural disadvantage is a key source of violent crime rates across racial/ethnic groups, a finding that has become more commonly known as “racial invariance.” However, this literature has focused primarily on white, black and Latino comparisons, with little attention to Asian populations. This omission is problematic considering that (1) Asians are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. and (2) the sources of Asian crime could differ from those of white and black populations. Drawing on the racial invariance hypothesis, the current study uses 2010 city-level data to compare the structural predictors of violent crime arrest rates (homicide, robbery, rape, and aggravated assault) for white, black, and Asian populations. Findings reveal that disadvantage contributes to violence for all three racial/ethnic groups, but the magnitude of these effects and effects of other structural predictors differ. Findings from the current study offer implications for the racial invariance debate.
Discovery and Development of Pregabalin (Lyrica): The Role of Public Funding.

Background and Objectives Pregabalin (Lyrica), a widely used drug that has generated billions in revenue as a treatment for diabetic neuropathy and other conditions, was originally discovered in an academic medical center, largely supported by public funding. We aimed to define the extent of direct federal public funding that contributed to various stages of pregabalin9s development prior to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Methods We identified key research, scientists, and organizations involved in the development of pregabalin from its discovery through FDA approval. Using key terms (e.g., its indications and mechanism of action), we searched PubMed for relevant publications and determined whether each publication was based on federal public funding using the NIH RePORTER. For each award prior to the drug9s FDA approval, we scored its potential relatedness to pregabalin9s development based on its title, investigator, and organization, and then examined descriptions of the most relevant awards to aid in defining these relationships. The budgets for all related awards were converted to 2020 dollars. Results Pregabalin was discovered largely on the basis of publicly funded research at Northwestern University; in 1990, it was licensed to Parke-Davis, which further developed it through its FDA approval in 2004. Most key terms were related to the drug and drug target (n = 5) and organizations involved (n = 5), followed by patent-listed inventors (n = 3). These key terms linked 6,438 core project awards and we identified 37 NIH awards related to pregabalin9s development: 9 awards through 1990 ($3.3 million) and 28 from 1991 through 2004 ($10.5 million). Conclusion Like that of many other widely sold medications, the development of pregabalin relied on public sector as well as industry contributions to its discovery, with relevant NIH awards totaling $13.8 million during its preapproval development.
The Silicon Valley Syndrome

How does expansion in the high-tech sector influence the broader economy of a region? We demonstrate that an infusion of venture capital in a region leads to: (i) declines in the number of establis...
KidsAnxiety and the Digital World.

This article discusses child onset anxiety disorders in conjunction with the risks and benefits of the rapidly changing digital world including screen time, social media, and potential treatment platforms. A section includes the impact of pandemic stressors including social distancing, quarantining, the association of the pandemic and youth mental health, and prolonged screen time.
Consciousness and Perceptual Experience: An Ecological and Phenomenological Approach

This book describes and proposes an unusual integrative approach to human perception that qualifies as both an ecological and a phenomenological approach at the same time. Thomas Natsoulas shows us how our consciousness - in three of six senses of the word that the book identifies - is involved in our activity of perceiving the one and only world that exists, which includes oneself as a proper part of it, and that all of us share together with the rest of life on earth. He makes the case that our stream of consciousness - in the original Jamesian sense minus his mental/physical dualism - provides us with firsthand contact with the world, as opposed to our having such contact instead with theorist-posited items such as inner mental representations, internal pictures, or sense-image models, pure figments and virtual objects, none of which can have effects on our sensory receptors.
Posttranslational Regulation of Nitrogenase Activity by Reversible ADP-Ribosylation; How are the Regulatory Enzymes Drat and Drag Regulated?

Nitrogenase activity in Rhodospirillum rubrum, Azospirillum brasilense and related bacteria is regulated by the reversible ADP-ribosylation of arg-101 of the dinitrogenase reductase protein (Ludden and Roberts 1989). Only one of the two arg-101 residues of the NifH homodimer is modified at one time, presumably because of steric hindrance. The ADP-ribosylation of dinitrogenase reductase prevents its productive association with dinitrogenase and thus neither electron transfer nor ATP hydrolysis occurs (Murrell et al. 1988). The NAD-dependent ADP-ribosylation of dinitrogenase reductase is catalyzed by DRAT (Dinitrogenase Reductase ADP-ribosyl Transferase) and the removal of ADP-ribose is catalyzed by DRAG (Dinitrogenase Reductase Activating Glycohydrolase). DRAT and DRAG are encoded by the draTG operon, which is not co-regulated with the nif genes but which is found near the nifHDK operon in R. rubrum, A. lipoferum and A. brasilense (Fitzmaurice et al. 1989; Fu et al. 1989; Fu et al. 1990; Zhang et al. 1992). Both DRAT and DRAG activities are regulated in vivo. Regulation of DRAG was established when 32Plabelled ADP-ribose could not be chased from dinitrogenase reductase during conditions favoring modification (Kanemoto and Ludden 1984). If DRAG was unregulated, the labelled ADP-ribose group would have been continuously replaced (chased) by unlabelled ADP-ribose. tDRAT is regulated in vivo becuase a mutant lacking DRAG but containing DRAT activity accumulated dinitrogenase in the active form until a signal (darkness or ammonium) was given to initiate the modification (Liang et al. 1991). The regulation of both DRAT and DRAG is through inhibition of their activities by other factors, because both enzymes are active in the purified form and require no other factors for activation.
Isolation of a cDNA that encodes the peptide core of the secretory granule proteoglycan of rat basophilic leukemia-1 cells and assessment of its homology to the human analogue.

Abstract It has been previously shown that a single gene is used to encode the peptide core of the extracellular proteoglycan of rat L2 yolk sac tumor cells and the intracellular proteoglycan of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-1 cells. In order to determine if the predicted amino acid sequences of these proteoglycans are identical as well as to isolate a full length cDNA encoding a rat secretory granule proteoglycan, a cDNA library was prepared from RBL-1 cells and screened with the 165-base pair 5'----XmnI fragment of pPG-1, a partial cDNA which encodes the rat L2 cell proteoglycan peptide core. Based on the consensus nucleotide sequence of two full length RBL-1 cell-derived cDNAs, the 5' untranslated region of the mRNA that is expressed in RBL-1 cells is shorter than that expressed in the rat L2 cells although the coding regions of the mRNAs from the two cell types are identical. These findings indicate that the targeting of proteoglycans to an intracellular or extracellular compartment is a cell-specific event which is independent of the translated peptide core. Since the RBL-1 cell and the rat L2 cell proteoglycans have different types of glycosaminoglycans bound to them, it can also be concluded that the selection of the type of glycosaminoglycan that will be synthesized onto a peptide core is a cell-specific event which is not exclusively dependent on the translated peptide core. When the predicted amino acid sequence of the RBL-1 cell proteoglycan peptide core was compared to the predicted sequence of the homologous human molecule from HL-60 cells, 48% of the amino acids were identical. The N terminus was the most highly conserved area of the molecule. This region of the peptide core, which precedes the serine-glycine repeat region, is likely to be of critical importance for the biosynthesis and/or function of these proteoglycans. Analysis of 10 different mouse/hamster somatic cell hybrid lines with a SspI----3' fragment of the rat L2 cell cDNA revealed that, as in the human, the gene that encodes the mouse analogue of this peptide core resides on chromosome 10.
Developmental biology. Birds of a feather flock together.

The ovary in a fruitfly bears follicles that each contain an oocyte and its attendant nurse cells. The oocyte is always found at the posterior pole of the follicle, but how is it positioned there? Two studies show that the cells in the follicle sort themselves out according to the levels of a protein called E-cadherin that they express.
Suspended particulate matter dynamics in coastal waters from ocean color: Application to the northern Gulf of Mexico

[1] Suspended particulate matter (SPM) plays an important role in primary production, pollutant transport, and other biogeochemical processes in coastal marine environments. We present an empirical two-band ocean color remote sensing reflectance algorithm (Rrs670/Rrs555) for SPM concentrations developed using field measurements obtained in coastal waters influenced by the Mississippi River in 2000, 2002, and 2004. The ratio algorithm was also found to be highly correlated to backscattering coefficient (bbp(555), r2 = 0.96), the backscattering ratio (bbp(555)/bp(555), r2 = 0.82) and the spectral backscattering slope (γ, r2 = 0.72) in March 2002, a period with large hydrographic variability in the study area. Strong correlations between water column bbp(555), SPM and nonalgal absorption anap(443) suggest the dominant influence of nonalgal particles on bbp. SeaWiFS derived SPM and γ distributions indicated event-based variability linked to energetic disturbances such as frontal passages, resuspension, and river discharge that with bbp/bp could reveal refractive index and particle size characteristics in the coastal environment.
Oxygen permeation studies on alternative proton exchange membranes designed for elevated temperature operation

Kinetic and mass transport properties were investigated for the oxygen reduction reaction in Nafion 117 and a sulfonated poly (arylene ether sulfone) membrane (SPES-40, 40% sulfonated groups/repeat unit) under 1 atm oxygen pressure, 100% relative humidity in a temperature range of 303–343 K using a solid-state electrochemical cell. Kinetic parameters were obtained using slow-sweep voltammetry while mass transport parameters, the diffusion coefficient (D) and solubility (C), were obtained using chronoamperometry at a Pt (microelectrode)/proton exchange membrane (PEM) interface. Oxygen reduction kinetics was found to be similar for both Nafion® 117 and SPES-40 membrane at the Pt microelectrode interface. The temperature dependence of O2 permeation parameters showed same trends for both the membranes studied, there was an increase in D and a concomitant decrease in C. Despite lower equivalent weight and hence higher water content SPES-40 exhibited relatively close values of D with Nafion® 117. The results are discussed in the context of their different microstructures. Values of C showed a closer relationship to water content and the percent volume of aqueous phase in the respective membranes. The values of overall oxygen permeability were significantly higher in Nafion® 117, with a higher positive slope in its variation with temperature.
Elevation and clearance of extracellular K+ following graded contusion of the rat spinal cord.

Abstract The elevation and clearance of extracellular potassium concentration ([K+]e) were studied following graded contusion injury of the rat thoracic spinal cord. Animals were anesthetized, paralyzed, laminectomized at T9-T10, and then artificially ventilated. A 10-g rod was dropped 1.25, 2.5, or 5 cm onto the dorsal thoracic cord with the dura intact. After impact, and incision of the dura-arachnoid and pial membranes, double-barreled, potassium-selective microelectrodes were inserted midway between the midline and lateral edge of the cord. For all three injury levels, the elevation of [K+]e was greatest within the first 1000 μm from the dorsal surface. In 50 g-cm injuries, increasing [K+]e was sometimes observed between 250 and 1000 μm; however such gradients were not typically observed in 25 and 12.5 g-cm injuries. Measured at 3-7 min after injury, the mean peak elevations of [K+]e were significantly different, measuring 13 ± 2.4, 27 ± 5.5, and 44 ± 4.2 mM following 12.5, 25, and 50 g-cm contusions, respectively. The exponential halftimes of [K+]e clearance averaged 5.8 ± 1.0, 9.2 ± 1.8, and 17 ± 5.7 min for the same respective injury levels. These results indicate that elevation of [K+]e following traumatic injury to the spinal cord is a graded phenomenon, dependent on the energy of impact. This finding is consistent with a mechanism in which simple mechanical injury of cell membranes is the proximate cause of potassium release.
Multifunctional glucose-6-phosphatase: Cellular biology

Abstract Glucose-6-phosphatase is a multifunctional enzyme, displaying potent ability to synthesize as well as hydrolyze Glc-6-P. These multifunctional characteristics have been exploited in studies of the extended distribution of the enzyme, and their physiological significance has been examined. The enzyme is considerably more widely distributed than previously suspected. It has been found in pancreas, adrenals, lung, testes, spleen, and brain as well as in liver, kidney, and mucosa of small intestine. Approximately 15–20% of total hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase-phosphotransferase is present in nuclear membrane, 75–80% is found in endoplasmic reticulum, and small amounts have been detected also in plasma membrane and repeatedly-washed mitochondria. Both hydrolytic and synthetic functions, in constant proportions, have been found in livers of 21 species of birds, amphibia, reptiles, crustacea, fishes, and mammals (including man) studied. With 5 mM phosphoryl donor and 100 mM D-glucose as substrates, carbamyl-P:glucose phosphotransferase activity of glucose-6-phosphatase exceeded that of glucokinase by 5–50 fold. While latencies of activities of isolated microsomal preparations are extensive, those of nuclear membranes are not. Latencies of activities of intact endoplasmic reticulum of permeable hepatocytes are 28% for Glc-6-P phosphohydrolase and 56% for carbamyl-P:glucose phosphotransferase. Studies with isolated perfused livers from fasted rats suggest rather convincingly that such phosphotransferase activities may function as an hepatic glucose-phosphorylating system supplemental to glucokinase and hexokinase. This conclusion is based both on comparisons of rates of glucose uptake with hepatic enzyme levels (glucokinase, hexokinase, phosphotransferase), and on observed inhibitibility of glucose uptake by ornithine and 3-0-methyl-D-glucose. The question of availability of adequate concentrations of suitable phosphoryl donor(s) in cytosol of the liver cell constitutes a principal focus for continuing studies regarding physiological functions of this enzyme.
Dietary assimilation of a polychlorinated biphenyl in adult sea urchins (Lytechinus pictus) and maternal transfer to their offspring

The dietary assimilation of a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in adult sea urchins and the effects of maternal transfer of the PCB on sea urchin offspring were investigated and compared to an earlier study where this PCB produced toxicity to developing sea urchin embryos exposed directly through the water route. Adult sea urchins were allowed to graze on sediment spiked with radiolabeled PCB, 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl. for 35 days. The sea urchin L. pictus was found to have a high pollutant extraction efficiency; approx. 62% of the bulk PCB sediment concentration is removed while passing through the gut. Maternal transfer of PCB 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl did not prove to be a more sensitive exposure route to developing embryos than the direct water route. Both adult sea urchins and their offspring were found to be resilient to the effects of this PCB at environmentally relevant sediment concentrations and at levels expected on the basis of the critical body residue theory or the model of narcosis. Low toxicity of PCBs to sea urchins at different life stages allows for significant bioaccumulation in sea urchins.
Standard Reference Data for the Thermophysical Properties of Biofuels

The thermophysical properties of biofuels are required for the efficient design of their chemical processing, distribution, and utilization. We provide a review of biofuel properties research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We are expanding two Standard Reference Databases to include biofuels. The ThermoData Engine will collect and evaluate all published property data on biofuel components. The NIST Reference Fluid Thermodynamic and Transport Properties database is a calculational database providing properties of biofuel components and blends based on thermodynamic and transport models. The property models in the databases implement an equation of state approach based on well defined reference fluids. Complex mixtures, including blends of biofuels with conventional fuels, are modeled as “surrogate blends,” i.e., a blend of perhaps a dozen components that captures the essential characteristics of a complex fuel. Surrogate blends are formulated from a “suite” of well-characterized pure compounds. Property measurements for the pure compounds in the surrogate suite include but are not limited to density, speed of sound, and viscosity. We have also carried out measurements on actual biofuel samples. A recent extension of the distillation curve that we have developed at NIST is proving very valuable in characterizing fuels. This “advanced distillation curve method” provides much more quantitative information than the traditional method, including chemical characterization of the different “cuts” as the distillation proceeds. We present examples of our measurements and models completed to date and outline future plans.
Characterization of brain ecto-apyrase: evidence for only one ecto-apyrase (CD39) gene

A rat brain cDNA coding for ecto-(Ca,Mg)-apyrase activity was isolated using human CD39 cDNA and functionally expressed in COS-7 cells. The gene codes for a protein with high similarity to human (75% identity) and murine (90% identity) CD39. It is expressed in primary neurons and astrocytes in cell culture as well as in kidney, liver, muscle and spleen. Southern analysis of the mouse genome suggests that there may be a single copy of the ecto-apyrase gene. Interestingly, the human CD39 gene cytologically co-localizes with the susceptibility gene involved in human partial epilepsy with audiogenic symptoms; such a coincidence is consistent with reports on the deficiency of ecto-apyrase activity in the brains of humans with temporal lobe epilepsy and in those of mice with audiogenic seizures.
Coefficient of thermal expansion of AlMgB14

Abstract The coefficient of thermal expansion (COTE) of AlMgB14 was measured by dilatometry and by high temperature X-ray diffraction using synchroton radiation. The COTE over the temperature range 298 K to 1373 K was determined to be 9×10−6 K−1, which is relatively close to the value of 8.3×10−6 K−1 for pure B. The anisotropy of the COTE appears to be relatively small.
Role of fascial collagen in stress urinary incontinence.

Abstract Objectives: Our purpose was to determine whether collagen of the pubocervical fasciae that support the urethrovesical junction undergoes alterations that might contribute to incontinence. Study Design: Pubocervical fascia was collected as a residual tissue in 82 patients, aged 25 to 73 years, during surgical treatment of cystocele (n = 26, no incontinence) or of stress urinary incontinence (n = 56). Measurements were made of collagen content, solubility, and cross-linking and of collagenase activity. Results: Patients treated for incontinence had the same mean age and parity as the control cystocele group. There was a highly significant (20%, P Conclusions: The pubocervical fasciae of incontinent women show a diminished content of collagen, but this is not accompanied by changes in collagen solubility or cross-linking or in collagenase activity. This decrease in collagen may contribute to the weakening of support of the bladder neck. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;179:1511-4.)
Effects of varying calcium/phosphorus ratios in diets fed to juvenile lobsters (Homarus americanus)

Abstract 1. 1. Juvenile lobsters were fed dry pellet diets with calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) ratios which varied from 0.37 to 1.91. Animals receiving diets with a Ca/P ratio of 1.01 or below generally had better growth than animals receiving diets with a Ca/P ratio of 1.55 or above. 2. 2. Best growth and survival were shown by animals fed an experimental diet containing a 0.51 Ca/P ratio (0.56% Ca and 1.10% P). These animals achieved a length increase which was 85% of control animals fed live brine shrimp. The weight increase, however, was only 50% of control animals. 3. 3. Mineral determinations were quite variable and statistical analysis revealed no trend in ash, calcium or phosphorus content of carapace or body tissue with respect to diet. 4. 4. Histological studies revealed abnormalities in the endocuticle of animals receiving diets with Ca/P ratio of 1.55 or above.
Open-field social behavior of rats following lateral or medial septal lesions☆

Abstract Long-Evans hooded rats were selected at random and assigned to one of six groups. Animals in each group were rated on an emotionality scale and observed in pairs on 10 successive preoperative days and 14 successive postoperative days in an open field. Total number of contacts, length of contact time, and number of aggressive or submissive behaviors which occurred in a 15 min observation period were recorded daily. Following surgery animals with lateral septal lesions displayed hyperemotionality which decreased after handling. The emotionality of the animals with medial septal or cingulate cortex lesions did not change postoperatively. Medial septal lesions resulted in a postoperative increase in contact time, a decrease in number of discrete contacts, and a higher frequency of submissive behaviors. Lateral septal lesions had little effect upon contact time or number of contacts but increased aggressive encounters slightly. Cingulate cortex lesions did not affect open-field social behavior. Changes observed in social behavior were related to changes in both an animal's tendency to emit behaviors and its tendency to react to behavior emitted by its partner.
Hemispheric lateralization of functions related to emotion

We have reviewed the evidence that processes and functions related to perception and expression of emotions are represented asymmetrically in the cerebral hemispheres. The literature describes three possible aspects of emotional lateralization: that emotions are better recognized by the right hemisphere; that control of emotional expression and related behaviors takes place principally in the right hemisphere; and that the right hemisphere is specialized for dealing with negative emotions, while the left is specialized for dealing with positive emotions. Evidence for the three hypotheses derives from methodologically diverse studies in unimpaired, brain-lesioned, and mood-disordered populations. Relatively little of the work has been precisely replicated, and conclusions rest on parallel lines of evidence from diverse sources. The present level of knowledge suggests a model of emotional control based on interactive inhibition between a right negatively biased and left positively biased hemisphere. However, the details of such a model, including the precise conditions under which emotion-related functions are lateralized, and the mechanisms of such lateralization have yet to be elucidated.
Operational characteristics and potential of scientific-grade charge-coupled devices in x-ray imaging applications

In diagnostic imaging, primarily because of the low optical coupling efficiency and the limited sensitivity of video cameras, the use of an x-ray intensifying screen coupled to a camera by a lens is considered suboptimal. Modern electronic x ray acquisition employs image intensification in order to achieve an adequate signal for the camera at the output end of the tube. The high gain of modern intensifiers enables the acquisition of images with noise characteristics limited by the number of detected x-ray photons. However, the advent of ultra- sensitive low-noise CCDs have prompted a re-examination of non-intensified optical coupling approaches for limited applications in medical x-ray imaging where image intensifiers are not optimal. The measured characteristics of a cooled CCD system, with 2048 X 2048 pixels are presented as they apply to the requirements for some x-ray imaging applications. Measurements with a lens coupling suggest that the x-ray quantum limit may be reached in such a system after careful optimization of the components, but much better results may be attained with fiberoptic coupling. The potential merits of intensified versus non-intensified approaches are also discussed.
Mechanism of Binding of Substrate Analogues to Tryptophan Indole-Lyase: Studies Using Rapid-Scanning and Single- Wavelength Stopped-Flow Spectrophotometry +

We have examined the binding of oxindolyl-L-alanine, (3R)-2,3-dihydro-L-tryptophan, L-homophenylalanine, and N1-methyl-L-tryptophan to tryptophan indole-lyase (tryptophanase) from Escherichia coli by using rapid-scanning and single-wavelength stopped-flow kinetic techniques. Rate constants for the reactions were determined by fitting the concentration dependencies of relaxations to either linear (pseudo-first-order) or hyperbolic (rapid second-order followed by slow first-order) equations. The reaction with oxindolyl-L-alanine forms a quinonoid intermediate that exhibits a strong peak at 506 nm. This species is formed more rapidly than with the other analogues (84.5 s-1) and is reprotonated very slowly (0.2 s-1). Reaction with L-homophenylalanine also forms a quinonoid intermediate with a strong peak at 508 nm, but the rate constant for its formation is slower (6.9 s-1). The reaction with L-homophenylalanine exhibits a transient intermediate absorbing at about 340 nm that decays at the same rate as the quinonoid peak forms and that may be a gem-diamine. Tryptophan indole-lyase reacts with (3R)-2,3-dihydro-L-tryptophan much more slowly to form a moderately intense quinonoid peak at 510 nm, and a transient intermediate absorbing at about 350 nm is also formed. The species formed in the reaction of N1-methyl-L-tryptophan exhibits a peak at 425 nm and a very weak quinonoid absorption peak at 506 nm, which is formed at less than 4 s-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Whole-body trajectory optimization for humanoid falling

We present an optimization-based control strategy for generating whole-body trajectories for humanoid robots in order to minimize damage due to falling. In this work, the falling problem is formulated using optimal control where we seek to minimize the impulse on impact with the ground, subject to the full-body dynamics and constraints of the robot in joint space. We extend previous work in this domain by numerically approximating the resulting optimal control, generating open-loop trajectories by solving an equivalent nonlinear programming problem. Compared to previous results in falling optimization, the proposed framework is extendable to more complex dynamic models and generate trajectories that are guaranteed to be physically feasible. These results are implemented in simulation using models of dynamically balancing humanoid robots in several experimental scenarios.
Natural cytotoxic T cells (NCTC) that differ from natural killer (NK) and natural cytotoxic (NC) cells are present in Peyer's patches of mice

We have examined noninduced cytotoxicity of mouse gut associated and peripheral lymphoid tissues for a wide variety of syngeneic as well as allogeneic cell lines and lymphoblasts. Lymphoid cells from Peyer's patches were found to lyse these targets in a 3-hr chromium release assay whereas lymphoid cells from intestinal mucosa, mesenteric or peripheral lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus did not. The variety of targets toward which Peyer's patch cells were cytotoxic established the latter as nonspecific and H-2 unrestricted. The cell responsible for the lytic event was identified as possessing Thy 1.2 and Ia surface antigens. This naturally cytotoxic T cell (NCTC) was found to be adherent to nylon-wool but not to plastic plates. Although both natural killer cell (NK) and non-NK targets served as targets for the NCTC, the latter were further differentiable from NK cells by lack of asialo GM1 surface marker, which is present on NK cells. In addition, NCTC remained fully functional in mice given either of the drugs cyclophosphamide or cortisone. Each of these drugs, in the doses used, markedly reduced poly(I:C)-induced NK activity. Thus, NCTC differs from NK on the basis of the spectrum of targets against which it is functional, phenotypic surface markers, insusceptibility to stimulation with poly(I:C), and insensitivity to diminution by the immunosuppressive drugs cyclophosphamide and hydrocortisone. Since NCTC is a Thy 1.2 antigen-bearing cell and is detectable in a 3-hr cytotoxic assay, it also differs from the natural cytotoxic (NC) cell. NC lacks the Thy 1.2 marker and becomes detectable only in an 18-hr cytotoxic assay. Thus, NCTC is neither an NK nor an NC cell. We have discussed the possibility that the three naturally occurring cells may be related by being dedifferentiated descendants of an antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL). Alternatively, since NCTC is confined to an anatomical site prone to ample antigenic exposure and is still identifiable as a T cell, it may be in linear transition from the CTL to the NK or NC stages.
Implications of Salesforce Productivity Heterogeneity and Demotivation: A Navy Recruiter Case Study

This paper describes a study of Navy recruiter productivity at the individual recruiter level. Timeseries of monthly contract production by each of 345 recruiters who served for six months or more during the period May 1977-December 1978 formed the basis of the study. A wide variation in job tenure was observed in this data with some recruiters beginning their normal three-year tour of duty, and others in their second or third years. Two key empirical findings are reported here: 1 in addition to the expected learning period at the beginning of a recruiter's tour of duty there was a severe and extended demotivational or "delearning" period at the end of the tour. Production during these periods was very low. 2 substantial heterogeneity existed in recruiter productivity after controlling for the impact of tenure. Recruiter performance is predictable-good recruiters tend to stay good while poor recruiters continue to perform poorly. A stochastic model for heterogeneous production is developed and an early rotation policy for poorly performing recruiters is proposed. Under this policy a recruiter is observed for N months after the learning period. If total production in N months is less than c, the recruiter is rotated out and is replaced by a new recruiter. It is shown that the optimal selection of N and c can substantially improve recruiter force productivity. Productivity improves even when these parameters deviate somewhat from optimality. U.S. Navy Recruiting command initiatives that resulted from this and related studies are described. They included a change in the measure used for recruiter goal setting and an incentive system which led to rewards for superior recruiters and reassigning poorly performing recruiters to nonrecruiting duty. Finally the paper discusses the implications of the results obtained for industrial salesforces.
DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY OVERESTIMATES PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN PATIENTS WITH SCLERODERMA INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE

• Lung disease is the leading cause of mortality and late disease morbidity in systemic sclerosis • Pulmonary hypertension (PH) affects between 8 and 10% of patients with scleroderma and is associated with a poor prognosis • Scleroderma patients with combined interstitial lung disease (SILD) and PH are a distinct subpopulation often excluded or under-represented in clinical trials • Doppler echocardiography (DE) is commonly used to screen for PH in this population
The base-rate fallacy : contrasting processes and outcomes of group and individual judgment

Abstract The study compared the use of base-rate and individuating information by groups and individuals. Two hundred and forty subjects were presented with either a high or a low base rate and with descriptions of three individuals that varied in the extent to which they sounded like members of professional categories. Subjects were asked to judge the probabilities that the individuals belonged to a particular category. Subjects made their judgments either as groups, as coacting individuals, as individuals who “thought out loud,” or as individuals who did not orally report their thoughts. Results indicate that for descriptions that sounded like members of categories, the probability judgments of groups were farther from the base rate than those of individuals. Thus, group discussion appears to amplify the tendency to judge primarily by representativeness when the individuating information is informative. Conversely, for descriptions that did not sound like members of professional categories, groups were more affected by the base rate and their probability judgments were closer to it than those of individuals. The data from the group discussions and the individual protocols were consistent with the probability estimates.
Targeted systemic delivery of a therapeutic siRNA with a multifunctional carrier controls tumor proliferation in mice

In this study, novel peptide-targeted delivery systems were developed for systemic and targeted delivery of therapeutic siRNA based on a multifunctional carrier, (1-aminoethyl)iminobis[N-(oleicylcysteinylhistinyl-1-aminoethyl)propionamide] (EHCO), which showed pH-sensitive amphiphilic cell membrane disruption. EHCO formed stable nanoparticles with siRNA. Targeted siRNA delivery systems were readily formed by surface modification of the nanoparticles. PEGylation of the siRNA/EHCO nanoparticles significantly reduced nonspecific cell uptake. The incorporation of a bombesin peptide or RGD peptide via a PEG spacer resulted in receptor-mediated cellular uptake and high gene silencing efficiency in U87 cells. Fluorescence confocal microscopic studies demonstrated that EHCO/siRNA nanoparticles and PEG modified EHCO/siRNA nanoparticles were able to facilitate endosomal escape of the siRNA delivery systems. Systemic administration of a therapeutic anti-HIF-1alpha siRNA with the peptide-targeted delivery systems resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition than a nontargeted delivery system or free siRNA via intravenous injection in nude mice bearing human glioma U87 xenografts. The results indicate a great promise of the multifunctional carrier EHCO for systemic and targeted delivery of therapeutic siRNA to treat human diseases with RNAi.
Lymphoid enhancing factor 1 (Lef-1) overexpression in epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers and associations with clinical factors

Lef-1 mRNA levels were statistically elevated in cases of ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer when compared to non-cancerous controls. Among cancer cases, levels of Lef-1 were statistically different between stage and histology. Lef-1 overexpression may be predictive of poor overall survival. These findings suggest that Lef-1 overexpression may contribute to ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal carcinogenesis, and that further investigation is warranted.
Quantifying cortical bone water in vivo by three-dimensional ultra-short echo-time MRI

Bone contains a significant fraction of water that is not detectable with ordinary Cartesian imaging sequences. The advent of ultra-short echo-time (UTE) methods has allowed the recovery of this submillisecond T2* water. In this work, we have developed a new three-dimensional hybrid-radial ultra-short echo-time (3D HRUTE) imaging technique based on slab selection by means of half-sinc pulses, variable-TE slice encoding and algorithms for quantification. The protocol consists of collecting two datasets differing in TR, from which T1 is extracted, which is needed for quantification. Unlike T2*, which has been found to vary within a narrow range and does not require individual correction, T1 is critically subject dependent (range, 100–350 ms). No soft-tissue suppression was used to preserve the signal-to-noise ratio of the short-T2 bone water protons or to minimize the loss of relatively mobile water in large pores. Critical for quantification is correction for spatial variations in reception field and selection of the endosteal boundary for inclusion of pixels in the bone water calculation, because of the ruffled boundary stemming from trabecularization of the endosteal surface. The reproducibility, evaluated in 10 subjects covering the age range 30–80 years, yielded an average coefficient of variation of 4.2% and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.95, suggesting that a treatment effect on the order of 5% could be detected in as few as 10 subjects. Lastly, experiments in specimens by means of graded deuterium exchange showed that approximately 90% of the detected signal arises from water protons, whose relaxation rates (1/T1 and 1/T2*) scale linearly with the isotopic volume fraction of light water after stepwise exchange with heavy water. The data thus show conclusively that the method quantifies water even though, in vivo, no distinction can be made between various fractions, such as collagen-bound vs pore-resident water. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Creating Interdisciplinary Lessons in Elementary Physical Education

(2003). Creating Interdisciplinary Lessons in Elementary Physical Education. Strategies: Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 19-21.
Feasibility of enterochelin as an iron-chelating drug: Studies with human serum and a mouse model system

Abstract 1. 1. Dialysis of 59 Fe-enterochelin in the presence of human serum transferrin reveals that enterochelin has a greater in-vitro affinity for iron than transferrin. Half-maximal radioactivity appears in dialysis fluid in 4 hr. 2. 2. Mice excrete 80–90% of 59 Fe-ferrienterochelin within several days following intravenous or intra-peritoneal injection. 3. 3. The major route of enterochelin excretion in mice is fecal. 4. 4. Desferrienterochelin administration results in decreased iron in the livers of iron-loaded mice. 5. 5. Toxic bacteremia in iron-loaded mice treated with enterochelin is observed.