cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ovarian influences on primate food intake: assessment of progesterone actions.

Abstract Observations during the rhesus menstrual cycle confirmed that adjustments in food intake accompany changes in ovarian condition and indicated progesterone antagonism of estradiol's ability to suppress primate feeding. Food intake was significantly higher during the luteal phase, when progesterone is high and estradiol low, than during the early follicular phase, when levels of both these hormones are low. To test antagonistic effects of progesterone, ovariectomized females given 4 consecutive daily injections of either 15 mg progesterone or vehicle received 20 μg estradiol benzoate on the second and third treatment days. Progesterone did not modify the decline in feeding and body weight which followed this acute estradiol treatment. In an additional study, females chronically stimulated by subdermal estradiol capsules showed no systematic changes in food intake or body weight when injected for 9 days with 15 mg/day progesterone. This treatment did reduce sexual activity during heterosexual mating tests. These females also responded to 15 mg/day dihydrotestosterone propionate with significant weight gains. A fourth study showed that progesterone treatment of 15 mg/day is adequate to raise circulating levels in ovariectomized rhesus above those of intact females. Overall, these studies failed to confirm a role of progesterone in the adjustments of food intake which accompany changes in ovarian condition of primates.
A HECT E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase with sequence similarity to E6AP does not target p53 for degradation in the softshell clam (Mya arenaria)

Numerous reports have raised the level of national concern that chemicals found in the environment may have adverse effects on the health of humans and wildlife. Environmental exposure to pollutants, such as dioxin, has been implicated in gonadal tumor formation in Maine softshell clams (Mya arenaria). Prevalence of these tumors is as high as 40% in some populations. Although their etiology is still unknown, investigations into the mechanisms of tumor formation have revolved around a hypothesis of dioxin-induced toxicity. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) was initially investigated, but was later determined to not bind the prototypical ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), suggesting that dioxin toxicity is mediated through an AHR-independent pathway. An alternative mechanism of tumor formation has been investigated, involving a protein with significant sequence similarity to mammalian E6AP, a HECT (homologous to E6AP carboxy terminus) E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. E6AP, in association with the high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 protein, is involved in the abnormal degradation of the p53 tumor suppressor protein in human cervical cancer. Tumorigenic clam reproductive tissue revealed higher M. arenaria E3 (MaE3) protein levels concomitant with lower M. arenaria p53 (Map53) levels. While the function of MaE3 as a HECT E3 was verified, results from three methods agree that MaE3 does not associate with Map53. However, alteration in Map53 levels may still play a role in clam gonadal tumorigenesis. Due to upregulation of MaE3 in neoplastic reproductive tissue, further investigations will focus on determining the proteolytic targets of MaE3. In conjunction with our previous findings that dioxin toxicity in the softshell clam is not mediated by AHR, the results from our current investigation suggest a complex etiology for the clam germinomas.
Relationship between lysophospholipid accumulation and plasma membrane injury during total in vitro ischemia in dog heart

The relationship between alterations in tissue phospholipid composition and disruption of the plasma membrane during ischemia in dog heart was examined using a homogeneous in vitro model of total ischemia. This preparation was known to be associated with signs of membrane damage and was ideal for quantitation of phospholipid changes in ischemia because the weight of the tissue is unaffected by the duration of ischemia and because there is no collateral flow to remove the endproducts of phospholipid degradation. Measurements of phospholipid phosphate per gram of tissue confirmed that recovery of phospholipids and their degradation products was essentially complete in all samples including a sample taken after 24 h ischemia. The results showed that lysophospholipids gradually accumulated in the ischemic tissue; after 24 h in vitro ischemia, they comprised 12% of the total tissue phospholipids. Discontinuities of the plasma membrane were detected ultrastructurally in myocardium subjected to 150 min total ischemia, while under the same conditions, the lysophospholipid content amounted to less than 1% of the total tissue phospholipids. Phospholipid degradation was not limited by calcium availability since the rate of lysolipid production was not enhanced by incubation of myocardial tissue in a medium containing 1.25 m m calcium despite ultrastructural evidence of antecedent plasma membrane disruption. These data indicate that lysophospholipids accumulate in ischemic myocardium in the absence of collateral flow or inflammatory cell infiltration but that lysophospholipid accumulation occurs slowly and does not appear to be the dominant mechanism of plasma membrane fragmentation.
Complex structured singular value analysis using fixed-structure dynamic D-scales

Models of systems are always inexact. Hence, to better predict the performance of a system it is necessary to take into account uncertainty in a nominal model of a system. The structured singular value was developed to nonconservatively analyze robust stability and performance for systems with multiple-block uncertainty. In practice, optimization techniques are used to compute an upper bound on the structured singular value. For dynamic uncertainty with bounded magnitude and arbitrary phase (i.e., "complex uncertainty"), the standard approach to computing an upper bound involves finding diagonal scaling matrices D(jω) that minimize σmax (D(jω)G(jω)D-1(jω)) over a (theoretically) infinite number of frequencies. The order of the corresponding stable, minimum phase, rational function D(s) (if it exists) is hence arbitrary, which can lead to very high order controllers when D(s) is used for controller synthesis. This paper develops a fixed-structure approach to computing an upper bound for the complex structu...
Factor analysis: Key tool in consumer behavior research

Quantitative techniques are in frequent use by students of consumer behavior. Most of these techniques, such as correlation analysis and Chi-square tests for significant differences are treated in the various quantitative methods courses taught in or for schools of business across the country. Factor analysis, on the other hand, is rarely included in the content of these courses. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to find journal articles in which results of factor analytic studies are reported. This state of affairs must produce some frustration among marketing practitioners and even among some academicians, who find it difficult to interpret those results, much less understand how they were obtained. This article is designed to assist those who need to read and comprehend journal articles, who need to discuss such articles with others and who may find it desirable to use factor analysis in their own work.
Do unions discourage economic activity

Abstract Previous examinations of the influence of unions on economic activity fail to use a measure of unionization that varies both by state and industry. Such a failure introduces the possibility of serious specification errors, a possibility confirmed by comparing traditional estimates which suggest unions depress a state's economic activity with new estimates which reveal no such effect.
The upper limit of particle size as a function of slit combinations on the Kratky camera

Abstract Solution characterization of four samples of high molecular weight linear polystyrene (HMWLPS) in the molecular weight range of 1.61 × 106 to 9.71 × 106 in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) at 25°C. was assessed from light scattering (LS), viscosity, and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) under five different entrance-slit (E) /counter-slit (Z) combinations of 20/50, 30/75, 60/150, 100/250, and 150/375 μ, using the Kratky camera. The molecular weights and radii of gyration ( 1/2) obtained from SAXS under various slit combinations were then compared to the values obtained from LS. Further, the calculated values of 1/2based on the theoretical relationship between size, entrance-slit and counter slit openings were compared to he experimental values of 1/2 of each sample. Thus establishing the upper limits of size for a given E/Z combination.
OPTIMIZATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPUTATIONAL GRIDS

A method for generating and optimizing arbitrary three-dimensional boundary-confo rming computational grids has been developed. The smoothness and local orthogonality of the grid are maximized using a fast iterative procedure, and provision is made for clustering the optimized grid in selected regions. An opimal grid can be obtained iteratively, irrespective of the method used to generate the initial grid. Unacceptable grids and even singular grids (i.e., grids containing regions of overlap) can be made useful for computation using this method. Application of the method to several test cases shows that grids containing regions of overlap are typically untangled in 2-5 iterations and that the conjugate gradient optimization procedure converges to an optimized grid within 25 iterations. Taking advantage of the original properties of this method, a new concept for generating optimal three-dimensional computational grids is proposed. It consists in optimizing a first guess of the desired grid, using an imperfect grid generated by a simple, inexpensive method as input.
On the Convergence Rate for Stochastic Approximation in the Nonsmooth Setting

We consider a stochastic approximation (SA) method for finding the minimizer of a function f, which is convex but nondifferentiable at the minimizer. Due to the nondifferentiability at the minimizer, f is allowed to increase at a positive rate in a neighborhood of the minimizer. From this property, we show that the nth estimate for the minimizer generated by the SA procedure converges at a rate of 1/n in the mean, which is significantly faster than the classical convergence rates for differentiable functions f. We also discuss an example from an inventory control system that exhibits a convex but nondifferentiable cost function.
Effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine on intracranial self-stimulation in the rat.

Abstract Three rats were injected ip with a series of doses of N, N-dimethyltryptamine and tested in a self stimulation paradigm. Results indicated that higher doses of DMT (2.0 mg/kg and above) produced marked decrements in responding with lower doses having little or no effect. The data are discussed in terms of the drug's interaction with a tryptaminergic brain system that has been hypothesized to exercise inhibitory control over intracranial self stimulation.
Korean-Pop, Tom Gay Kings, Les Queens and the Capitalist Transformation of Sex/Gender Categories in Thailand

Abstract Since the early 2000s, masculine style for queer women in Thailand has been heavily influenced by Korean popular culture, or “K-pop”. K-pop is marked by deliberate gender androgyny and overall gender play. This new aesthetics of masculinity used by masculine-identifying women has been accompanied by linguistic shifts in which explicitly sexualised terms, such as queen and king , themselves products of complex transnational borrowings, have been borrowed from Thai gay male culture. This paper seeks to explore the possibilities of queer cultural transformation through forms of commodified images and capitalist intrusions. It also explores the process of creative borrowings made through transnational, national and local circuits of knowledge. This article is based on ethnographic research conducted in 2009 and 2010 focused on young queer women in Bangkok who have adopted the K-pop style and the new sexualised terms of identity, such as tom gay king and les queen , for example. It is also based on re...
An examination of the 3-factor model and structural invariance across racial/ethnic groups for the FACIT-Sp: a report from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II (SCS-II).

Objectives: Recent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) Scale in a sample of predominantly white women demonstrated that three factors, Meaning, Peace, and Faith, represented a psychometric improvement over the original 2-factor model. The present study tested these findings in a more diverse sample, assessed the stability of the model across racial/ethnic groups, and tested the contribution of a new item. Methods: In a study by the American Cancer Society, 8805 cancer survivors provided responses on the FACIT-Sp, which we tested using CFA. Results: A 3-factor model provided a better fit to the data than the 2-factor model in the sample as a whole and in the racial/ethnic subgroups (Δχ2, p<0.001, for all comparisons), but was not invariant across the groups. The model with equal parameters for racial/ethnic groups was a poorer fit to the data than a model that allowed these parameters to vary (Δχ2(81)=2440.54, p<0.001), suggesting that items and their associated constructs might be understood differently across racial/ethnic groups. The new item improved the model fit and loaded on the Faith factor. Conclusions: The 3-factor model is likely to provide more specific information for studies in the field. In the construction of scales for use with diverse samples, researchers need to pay greater attention to racial/ethnic differences in interpretation of items. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Review of stability experiments on cable-in-conduit conductors

Abstract The stability of a cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) cooled with supercritical helium can be very high if it is operated below a certain limiting current. This limiting current can be determined by a Stekly type heat balance equation. However, an effective heat transfer coefficient that depends not only on the conductor and the coolant, but also on the heating condition, should be used in the equation. By reviewing the stability experiments performed on CICCs, it is shown that, depending on the effectiveness of the heating induced flow, the effective heat transfer coefficient can be as low as 400 W m −2 K −1 or as high as 1400 W m −2 K −1 . Based on this review, conclusions and comments are made with regard to the permissible current density, ramp rate limitation and dual cooling channel in a CICC.
A model system for mitochondrial ion transport and respiratory control.

Abstract Phospholipid vesicles containing entrapped ferricyanide were used as a model system for transmembrane electron transfer. Reduction of the internal ferricyanide by external ascorbate required a permeant mediator. When the electron carrier ferrocene was used as a mediator in the presence of catalytic amounts of tetraphenylboron, uncoupling agents of oxidative phosphorylation increased the rate of ferricyanide reduction five fold. Under these conditions the reaction was accompanied by the uptake of protons into the vesicles. This system represents a model for electron transfer in the mitochondrial inner membrane as proposed in the chemiosmotic hypothesis of oxidative phosphorylation.
15-THz pulse generation arising from modulation instability oscillation in a colliding-pulse mode-locking dye laser

15-THz trains of a few-tens-of-femtoseconds optical pulses were generated by modulation instability oscillation in a colliding-pulse mode-locked dye laser. A repeatable and stable modulation instability regime was obtained with the laser operating in the anomalous-dispersion regime and with a low saturable-absorber concentration. Autocorrelation measurements indicate that subpulses were completely separated in real time. Variations of the modulation with the pump power and the amount of dispersion in the cavity are in good agreement with modulation instability theory.
Radiosurgery as definitive management of intracranial meningiomas.

Objective Stereotactic radiosurgery has become an important primary or adjuvant minimally invasive management strategy for patients with intracranial meningiomas with the goals of long-term tumor growth prevention and maintenance of patient neurological function. We evaluated clinical and imaging outcomes of meningiomas stratified by histological tumor grade. Methods The patient cohort consisted of 972 patients with 1045 intracranial meningiomas managed during an 18-year period. The series included 70% women, 49% of whom had undergone a previous resection and 5% of whom had received previous fractionated radiation therapy. Tumor locations included middle fossa (n = 351), posterior fossa (n = 307), convexity (n = 126), anterior fossa (n = 88), parasagittal region (n = 113), or other (n = 115). Results The overall control rate for patients with benign meningiomas (World Health Organization Grade I) was 93%. In those without previous histological confirmation (n = 482), tumor control was 97%. However, for patients with World Health Organization Grade II and III tumors, tumor control was 50 and 17%, respectively. Delayed resection after radiosurgery was necessary in 51 patients (5%) at a mean of 35 months. After 10 years, Grade 1 tumors were controlled in 91% (n = 53); in those without histology, 95% (n = 22) were controlled. None of the patients developed a radiation-induced tumor. The overall morbidity rate was 7.7%. Symptomatic peritumoral imaging changes developed in 4% of the patients at a mean of 8 months. Conclusion Stereotactic radiosurgery provided high rates of tumor growth control or regression in patients with benign meningiomas with low risk. This study confirms the role of radiosurgery as an effective management choice for patients with small to medium-sized symptomatic, newly diagnosed or recurrent meningiomas of the brain.
Recombinant human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 Tax proteins induce high levels of CC-chemokines and downregulate CCR5 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Abstract Human T-cell leukemia viruses types 1 (HTLV-1) and 2 (HTLV-2) produce key transcriptional regulatory gene products, known as Tax1 and Tax2, respectively. Tax1 and Tax2 transactivate multiple host genes involved in cellular immune responses within the cellular microenvironment, including induction of genes encoding expression of CC-chemokines. It is speculated that HTLV Tax proteins may act as immune modulators. In this study, recombinant Tax1 and Tax2 proteins were tested for their effects on the viability of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and their ability to induce expression of CC-chemokines and to downregulate the level of CCR5 expression in PBMCs. PBMCs obtained from uninfected donors were cultured in a range of Tax1 and Tax2 concentrations (10–100 pM), and supernatant fluids were harvested at multiple time points for quantitative determinations of MIP-1α/CCL3, MIP-1β/CCL4, and RANTES/CCL5. Treatment of PBMCs with Tax1 and Tax2 proteins (100 pM) resulted in a significan...
Sirolimus for the treatment of complicated vascular anomalies in children.

Background Vascular anomalies comprise a diverse group of diagnoses. While infantile hemangiomas are common, the majority of these conditions are quite rare and have not been widely studied. Some of these lesions, though benign, can impair vital structures, be deforming, or even become life-threatening. Vascular tumors such as kaposiform hemangioendotheliomas (KHE) and complicated vascular malformations have proven particularly difficult to treat. Procedure Here we retrospectively evaluate a series of six patients with complicated, life-threatening vascular anomalies who were treated with the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus for compassionate use at two centers after failing multiple other therapies. Results These patients showed significant improvement in clinical status with tolerable side effects. Conclusions Sirolimus appears to be effective and safe in patients with life-threatening vascular anomalies and represents an important tool in treating these diseases. These findings are currently being further evaluated in a Phase II safety and efficacy trial. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011; 57: 1018–1024. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Time exposure performance of Mo-Au Gibbsian segregating alloys for extreme ultraviolet collector optics

Successful implementation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography depends on research and progress toward minimizing collector optics degradation from intense plasma erosion and debris deposition. Thus studying the surface degradation process and implementing innovative methods, which could enhance the surface chemistry causing the mirrors to suffer less damage, is crucial for this technology development. A Mo-Au Gibbsian segregation (GS) alloy is deposited on Si using a dc dual-magnetron cosputtering system and the damage is investigated as a result of time dependent exposure in an EUV source. A thin Au segregating layer is maintained through segregation during exposure, even though overall erosion in the Mo-Au sample is taking place in the bulk. The reflective material, Mo, underneath the segregating layer is protected by this sacrificial layer, which is lost due to preferential sputtering. In addition to theoretical work, experimental results are presented on the effectiveness of the GS alloys to be used as potential EUV collector optics material.
Ascorbic acid malabsorption in thalassaemia.

Abstract In all groups of thalassaemic children, before loading, the plasma l -ascorbic acid was found invariably lower than in controls. In groups I and II after oral administration of 50 and 100 mg respectively, of ascorbic acid per kg body weight, the plasma l -ascorbic acid level rose significantly less in thalassaemic children than in the controls. Moreover, in group II, after doubling the loading dose (100 mg of ascorbic acid per kg body weight) the increment in plasma l -ascorbic acid level was greater in the controls than in thalassaemic children; also the rate of decrease was delayed in thalassaemic patients up to 6 h. Loading with ascorbic acid intramuscularly (group III), resulted in parallel increase and decrease rates of plasma l -ascorbic acid levels up to the 6th h in the thalassaemic children and in the controls. The above results strongly suggest that in thalassaemia we have to do with ascorbic acid malabsorption.
Comparison of Determine Your Nutritional Health Checklist Scores with Nutrient-specific Food Frequency of Rural Elderly

Abstract The Nutrition Screening Initiative's "Determine Your Nutritional Health" checklist and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Food Guide Pyramid were developed as public awareness tools for the promotion of nutritional health. Seniors from two rural communities (61 females, 28 males; 88 white, 1 black; average age 73.8 years, range 58–89 years) responded to a survey packet including an adaptation of the Determine checklist and a food frequency which measured weekly compliance to suggestions for use of 1) sugar, 2) sodium, 3) fat, and 4) fiber products, and 5) daily food servings. Average Determine score was 4.58, which is in the moderate nutritional risk range (3 to 5). Distribution of subjects showed 21.3% (19 of 89) in good nutritional health, 48.3% (43 of 89) at moderate risk, and 30.3% (27 of 89) at high risk. Risk factors reported most often were limited fruit, vegetable, and milk use (60.7%, 54 of 89) and daily use of three or more prescription or over-the-counter medications (57.3%, 51 of 89). Internal reliability of the food frequency resulted in α=0.7375. Mean frequency scores indicated that subjects ate foods high in sugar, sodium, fat, and fiber 1–2 times per week, and complied with daily food serving recommendations 3–4 times per week. Regression between Determine scores and the food frequency resulted in no associations; however, significant correlations between individual Determine risk factors and several dimensions did occur. Limited sugar intake (R=0.2724, p=.0060) and fat intake (R=0.2724, p=.0098) correlated with lack of tooth problems. High fiber intake (R=0.2647, p=.0127) and meeting dairy food serving suggestions (R=0.2898, p=.0062) were correlated with a "no" response to limited fruit and vegetable usage. Compliance with daily food serving suggestions was also associated with a change in diet due to illness or condition (R=−0.2106, p=.0488), indicating such changes may be a benefit to nutritional health. Interventions addressing increasing fiber in the diet and meeting dairy food serving recommendations may help improve Determine scores. Determine scores may also be improved by limiting sugar and fat intakes of seniors reporting tooth problems.
Oxidative changes in cerebral spinal fluid phosphatidylcholine during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Central nervous system (CNS) treatment contributes to improved long-term disease-free survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by sigificantly decreasing the rate of disease relapse. Methotrexate (MTX), a drug commonly used for CNS treatment, has been associated with cognitive and academic problems, white-matter changes, perfusion defects, and brain atrophy. This study investigated oxidative stress as a possible mechanism of chemotherapyinduced CNS injury. Unoxidized and oxidized components of phosphatidylcholine (PC), the most prevalent phospholipid in CNS cellular membranes, were measured in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) samples obtained from 21 children diagnosed with low (n = 7), standard (n= 7), or high (n= 7) risk ALL. Children with high-risk ALL received the most MTX, especially during the most intensive phase of treatment (consolidation). Phospholipids were extracted from CSF samples obtained at diagnosis and during the induction, consolidation, and continuation treatment phases. U...
On modeling damage evolution during the drawing of metals

Abstract A mathematical formulation for modeling the performance of a die design in a drawing operation is presented. The formulation uses internal state variable constitutive equations to predict the plastic flow and microstructure development of metals during a drawing operation. The shearing behavior of metals has been modeled by a version of Hart's model appropriate for large strain deformations. Volumetric deformations are represented by the void growth model proposed by Cocks and Ashby. Decreases in the apparent density predicted using the formulation have been compared with the experimental results reported by Rogers and Coffin for the drawing of aluminum and copper strips.
Mixing Strategies for Density Estimation

General results on adaptive density estimation are obtained with respect to any countable collection of estimation strategies under Kullback-Leibler and squared $L_2$ losses. It is shown that without knowing which strategy works best for the underlying density, a single strategy can be constructed by mixing the proposed ones to be adaptive in terms of statistical risks. A consequence is that under some mild conditions, an asymptotically minimax-rate adaptive estimator exists for a given countable collection of density classes; that is, a single estimator can be constructed to be simultaneously minimax-rate optimal for all the function classes being considered. A demonstration is given for high-dimensional density estimation on $[0,1]^d$ where the constructed estimator adapts to smoothness and interaction-order over some piecewise Besov classes and is consistent for all the densities with finite entropy.
Trehalase from the bean-shaped accessory glands and the spermatophore of the male mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor.

InTenebrio molitor, male adults transfer sperm to the female via a spermatophore or sperm sac. The spermatophore is formed from secretions of the bean-shaped accessory glands (BAGs) and the tubular accessory glands (TAGs) of the male beetle. Trehalase is found in the adult BAGs. During the pupal stage, the activity in the BAGs was very low. After adult ecdysis, the total activity increased 100-fold from 0 days to 6 days and reached maximum levels at 9 days. The specific activity increased 20-fold from the time of ecdysis to 6 days thereafter. In the 10 day adult, trehalase levels in testes, seminal vesicles, vas deferens, TAGs, or ejaculatory ducts, were lower by two orders of magnitude than in the BAGs. However, the specific activity in the spermatophore was similar to that in the BAGs. Trehalases in the BAGs and the spermatophores showed very similar properties (soluble, optimum pH of 5.75 andKm value of 5.4 mM for trehalose). Thus trehalase appears to be secreted from the BAGs and becomes incorporated into the spermatophores.
Hardware Trojans in Wireless Cryptographic ICs

The article studies the problem of hardware Trojans in wireless cryptographic ICs. The objective is to design Trojans to leak secret information through the wireless channel. The authors investigate challenges related to detection for such Trojans and propose using statistical analysis of the side-channel signals to help detect them.
Teratogenic effects of hypervitaminosis A in the hamster and the guinea pig.

Abstract The teratogenic effects resulting from hypervitaminosis A in the hamster and the guinea pig were studied. Hamsters were treated with 75,000 or 400,000 USP units of vitamin A palmitate per kilogram body weight as single or multiple oral doses during organogenesis. Guinea pigs were treated with 200,000 USP units/kg as a single oral dose during organogenesis. These doses were up to several hundred times the minimum daily requirement of each species. Similar, but not identical, soft tissue and skeletal anomalies, including the following, were produced in each species: exencephaly, brachygnathia, agnathia and other head malformations, shortened, curved legs with impaired or absent calcification at the highest dosage levels, fused ribs, spina bifida, shortened tails, and heart and genitourinary system anomalies. The percentage of fetal resorptions and the nature of the anomalies depended on the time of administration and the dose administered. Multiple administration in the hamster at the higher dosage levels produced a higher level of fetal mortality than did any level of single administration. Average fetal weight in the hamster fetuses was decreased by the same dosage level. Fetal growth in the guinea pig was not affected by vitamin A.
Evaluation of Short-Term Impact of a High School Summer Science Program on Students' Perceived Knowledge and Skills

Summer science programs held in university research facilities provide ideal opportunities for pre-college students to master new skills and renew, refresh, and enrich their interest in science. These types of programs have a positive impact on a student's understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry and can open a youngster's eyes to the many possible career opportunities in science. This paper describes a study of high school students enrolled in the Summer Science Academy program at the University of Rochester that investigates the program's impact on students' knowledge of laboratory skills, as well as the impact on student interest in pursuing a career in science. Students' exposure to advanced laboratory techniques and their interaction with professional scientists provided them with a very positive hands-on experience. Students who attended the program felt more confident in their ability to use sophisticated laboratory skills and that the Summer Science Academy program provided a positive influence on their performance in advanced science courses, as well as their desire to pursue a career in science.
Functional expression of influenza A viral nucleoprotein in cells transformed with cloned DNA

Abstract Simian cells permissive for influenza A virus infection were stably transformed with a full-length cloned influenza A nucleoprotein gene under the control of an inducible metallothionein promoter and linked to a dihydrofolate reductase gene to facilitate cell selection. Transformed cells synthesized a virus-specific nucleoprotein which was indistinguishable from the nucleoprotein synthesized a virus-infected cells with respect to mlecular weight and intracellular localization. It was estimated that transformed cells produced only 1% of the amount of nucleoprotein synthesized in simian cells infected with influeza A virus. Nontheless, when transformed cells were infected with influenza virus mutants which synthesized temperature-sensitive nucleoprotein, protein expressed by the cloned gene was able to complement the synthesis of plus-strand and minus-strand viral RNA for one mutant and only plus-strand synthesis for another mutant. This indicated that the influenza A nucleoprotein expressed in the transformed cells exhibited functional activity.
Sorption and Desorption of Perchlorate with Various Classes of Ion Exchangers: A Comparative Study

This study compares representative standard strong-base anion (SBA) and weak-base anion (WBA) exchangers, a bifunctional resin (A-530E), a class of polymeric ligand exchangers (PLEs), and an ion-exchange fiber (IXF) with respect to perchlorate sorption capacity, kinetics, and regenerability. While A-530E offered the greatest perchlorate capacity and selectivity, practically acceptable capacity was also observed for styrenic SBA and WBA resins, a PLE, and IXF. In contrast, polyacrylic resins offered much lower perchlorate capacity. The greater capacity of styrenic resins is attributed to enhanced ion-pairing and Lewis acid−base interaction due to the hydrophobic nature of polystyrene matrices and lower hydration energy of perchlorate. Conversely, regeneration of polyacrylic resins was much more efficient, and A-530E was least regenerable. IXF offered comparable perchlorate capacity to that of styrenic resins yet unparalleled kinetics (with a sorption equilibrium time of <1.5 h), and much greater regenerati...
Students and faculty training in systems analysis

The paper describes a variety of techniques being utilized or under development to improve the education of liberal arts students and faculty in systems design and analysis including computer systems. An extensive program of faculty development plus practicum and work experiences for students are given special attention.
Josephson currents in quantum Hall devices

We consider a simple model for a superconductor/normal-metal/superconductor Josephson junction in which the ``normal metal'' is a section of a filling-factor $\ensuremath{\nu}=2$ integer quantum Hall edge. We provide analytic expressions for the current/phase relations to all orders in the coupling between the superconductor and the quantum Hall edge modes, and for all temperatures. Our conclusions are consistent with the earlier perturbative study by Ma and Zyuzin [Europhys. Lett. 21, 941 (1993)]: The Josephson current is independent of the distance between the superconducting leads, and the upper bound on the maximum Josephson current is inversely proportional to the perimeter of the Hall device.
Study of Hybrid Lubrication at the Tooth Contact of a Wormgear Transmission: Part 2—Results and Discussion

Part 2 begins by describing the numerical solution procedures of the hybrid lubrication problem. Results of the computation are than presented that include the detailed pressure and temperature distribution in the oil film, the required supply pressure for maintaining the prescribed minimum oil film thickness, the fluid friction acting on the worm coil surface, the mass flow rate of supply oil, and the power loss associated with teh restrictor flow. The feasibility of the hydrostatically lubricated wormgear transmission is discussed in light of these results.
CLEAVAGE OF THE 5'CAP STRUCTURE OF MRNA BY A EUROPIUM(III) MACROCYCLIC COMPLEX WITH PENDANT ALCOHOL GROUPS

Cellular and viral RNAs, synthesized by RNA polymerase II, have a unique chemical structure at their 5‘ termini, 5‘ m7GpppNNN... 3‘, referred to as the 5‘ cap. This structure plays a pivotal role i...
Video-rate spectral imaging of fluorescence phonomena

We describe fluorescence spectral-imaging results with the microscope computed-tomography imaging spectrometer ((mu) CTIS). This imaging spectrometer is capable of recording spatial and spectral data simultaneously. Consequently, the (mu) CTIS can be used to image dynamic phenomena involving multiple, spectrally overlapping fluorescence probes. The result presented in this paper consists of proof-of-concept imaging result using two static targets. The first is composed of 6-micrometers fluorescing microspheres and the second consists of rat sinusoid epithelial cells loaded with 0.5-micrometers fluorescing microspheres. Image data were collected in integration times of 16 msec, comparable to video frame rate integration times. The emission spectra were sampled at 10-nm intervals between 420 nm and 710 nm. The smallest spatial sampling interval presented in this paper is 1.7 micrometers .
Measuring Server Energy Proportionality

In performance engineering, metrics are often used to track the progress over time. Concerning the potential bias of using a single metric, performance engineers tend to use multiple metrics for reasoning. However, this approach has its own challenges. In this work we study one of the challenges in the context of analyzing trends in server energy proportionality. We examine a wide range of metrics for measuring energy proportionality, trying to determine which metrics are essential and which are redundant. We do this by comparing the trend curves of the metrics for the published results of the SPECpower_ssj2008 benchmark. While the context is specific, the proposed analysis method is quite general. We hope that this method would help us do performance engineering more effectively.
Mitochondrial changes in hepatocytes of rats chronically exposed to vinyl chloride and ethanol.

Abstract Chronic exposure of male rats to 600 ppm vinyl chloride (VC) or VC and 5% ethanol (EtOH) in drinking water induced ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria of hepatocytes. After 6 months of VC EtOH treatment, hepatocyte mitochondria often contained rigid tubular parallel cristae and dilated cristae with dense inclusions; ethanol ingestion alone did not induce these morphological changes. In animals receiving VC alone, large floccular densities in the mitochondrial matrix were seen occasionally after 6 months of VC inhalation. The numbers and severity of changes in mitochondria increased with duration of exposure and age. The greatest responses observed in mitochondria occurred with the combined treatment of VC EtOH .
Implantation of the rat blastocyst following polyethylene IUD sham treatment

Abstract The experiment was designed to determine the effect of sham treatment on development of the fetus. Adult Holtzman rats were shammed with a polyethylene IUD on days 1, 2 or 3 of pregnancy. The IUD was 17 to 22 mm in length and it passed through the cervical end of one uterine horn. The contralateral horn served as a control. The animals were autopsied on days 14–16 of gestation and the number of live fetuses and resorption sites were observed in both the control and experimental horns. Fewer live fetuses were observed in the sham horns, regardless of the day treated, than in the controls. More resorptions occurred in the sham horns than in the controls. In the experimental horns, more viable fetuses were found above the treated portion than at the site of the sham. On day 3 of treatment no live fetuses were present at the sham area. Since it has been shown previously that neutrophils increase after sham treatment, these data support the concept that neutrophils may be the underlying factor in suppressing implantation.
Surface modifications of polymers with fluorine-containing plasmas: Deposition versus replacement reactions

Surfaces of polyethylene; poly(vinyl fluoride), poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(tetrafluoroethylene), cellulose acetate butyrate, and polyoxymethylene were modified in various cold plasma reactions; feed gases to the plasma reactor were trifluoromethane, hexafluoroethane, and tetrafluoromethane. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) to characterize the surfaces, it was established that the plasma reactions lead to fluorinated surfaces containing CF3, CF2, and CF groups, All of these fluorinated surfaces exhibit advancing contact angles (with water) larger than 900. However, differences in the ESCA spectra, weight-gain/-loss measurements and scanning-electron-microscopy (SEM) photographs reveal that the mechanisms of fluorination in the various plasma environments are markedly different. The CF3H gas polymerizes in the gas phase of the plasma and deposits a smooth, fluorinated film on polymers and other substrates. The C2F6 plasma simultaneously etches polymers and polymerizes onto polymer surfaces. The CF4 plasma etches and reacts with the polymer surface but does not polymerize. For polyoxymethylene, the combined roughening (by etching) and fluorination of the surfaces lead to completely non-wettable surfaces (water contact angle approximately 180°). The highly non-wettable surfaces of these two polymers are believed to result from the physical etching and roughening at a very fine scale (approximately five micrometers) while the outermost surfaces are reacting to become highly fluorinated.
The effect of visual experience upon the rat's reaction to near and far surfaces

Abstract Long-Evans rats reared under various conditions and later tested for a preference between surfaces presented at different distances responded discriminately as follows: 1. 1. Light- and dark-reared rats chose the near surface when given a choice between near and far surfaces. 2. 2. Rats reared in light before a near surface chose that same surface when given a choice between it and a far surface. However, if reared before a far surface, the rats did not show any significant preference when given a later choice between this same surface and a near one. It appears that some early visual experience affects later behaviour. 3. 3. Light- and dark-reared rats, when given a choice between near or far with the visual cue of motion parallax present and that of proximal size absent, chose a near over a far surface. Apparently motion parallax can operate without learning to produce differential behaviour. 4. 4. Light- and dark-reared rats did not show any significant preference for either surface when the texture density of the surfaces was different but the distance was equal. It appears that proximal size is not an effective differential stimulus for preference behaviour in the horizontal plane for hooded rats.
The Partisan Trajectory of the American Pro-Life Movement: How a Liberal Catholic Campaign Became a Conservative Evangelical Cause

This article employs a historical analysis of the religious composition of the pro-life movement to explain why the partisan identity of the movement shifted from the left to the right between the late 1960s and the 1980s. Many of the Catholics who formed the first anti-abortion organizations in the late 1960s were liberal Democrats who viewed their campaign to save the unborn as a rights-based movement that was fully in keeping with the principles of New Deal and Great Society liberalism, but when evangelical Protestants joined the movement in the late 1970s, they reframed the pro-life cause as a politically conservative campaign linked not to the ideology of human rights but to the politics of moral order and “family values.” This article explains why the Catholic effort to build a pro-life coalition of liberal Democrats failed after Roe v. Wade, why evangelicals became interested in the antiabortion movement, and why the evangelicals succeeded in their effort to rebrand the pro-life campaign as a conservative cause.
Alternative lasers for endoscopic surgery: Comparison of pulsed thulium-holmium-chromium:YAG with continuous-wave neodymium:YAG laser for ablation of colonic mucosa

Precise and controllable tissue vaporization is essential for minimizing risk in removal of sessile polyps from the lumen of thin walled gastrointestinal organs such as the colon. We compared the ablative efficiency on canine colonic mucosa of the THC:YAG laser with the clinically employed cw Nd:YAG laser. Fresh canine colon was treated with a progressive dose schedule using each laser at several energy/power densities. Ablation depth was measured on fresh tissue and thermal (non-ablation or coagulative) damage examined histologically. The THC:YAG ablation rates were 13.7 +/- 0.8 and 10.2 +/- 0.4 microns/J at 55 and 85 J/cm2, respectively. The Nd:YAG laser generated 3.7 +/- 0.3, 2.8 +/- 0.1, and 3.6 +/- 0.2 microns/J at 4,460, 5,095, and 5,730 W/cm2, respectively. There was a significant (P less than 0.001) difference among the THC:YAG ablation rates and between the THC:YAG and Nd:YAG ablation rates (ANOVA). The THC:YAG laser craters had significantly less collateral thermal damage than Nd:YAG. The pulsed THC:YAG laser should have an important clinical role since its use could reduce the risk of perforation in endoscopic laser procedures such as the removal of sessile polyps.
Nicotinic receptors: addiction's smoking gun?

Nicotinic receptors are a well known culprit in tobacco addiction. Studies on rats now show that these receptors also enhance the long-term effects of cocaine and amphetamines.
Nonlinear model predictive control of the Tennessee Eastman challenge process

Abstract A nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) algorithm is developed and tested on the Tennessee Eastman challenge process. The model used in NMPC is a nonlinear, mechanistic, state-variable formulation with 26 states, 10 manipulated variables and 23 outputs. Fifteen unmeasured disturbances and parameters are estimated on-line to eliminate offset in outputs. The NMPC strategy controls eight outputs using eight manipulated variables. There is an additional SISO loop to control reactor liquid level. In direct comparisons, we show that NMPC is always superior to a typical SISO multiloop strategy. There are marked improvements in cases involving large changes in setpoints and/or constraint handling. The NMPC algorithm is similar to previous work, but simplifications in the projection/optimization step make the computations more feasible for a typical process computer.
Microscopic features of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in acrochordons: A clue to the cause of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus?

Background: The cause of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) is unknown, but on the penis it is associated with chronic occlusion, that is, phimosis. Microscopic changes of LSA were seen unexpectedly in two acrochordons. Objective: Our purpose was to further characterize this phenomenon. Methods: A total of 449 acrochordons examined in our histopathologic laboratory in the past 2 years were studied for changes of LSA, and clinical data were collected. Results: Eight additional cases were found. All of the acrochordons exceeded 0.5 cm, and three were 1 cm or larger. At least six were under chronic occlusion or pressure. The dermal changes of LSA predominated over the epidermal changes. All showed collagenous homogenization, sclerosis, and inflammation. Elastic fibers were characteristically decreased. Conclusion: These observations strengthen the evidence that LSA in flaccid skin may be caused by chronic occlusion.
Unilateral ureteric obstruction

Abstract Two patients were found to have unusual forms of unilateral mid or distal ureteral obstruction associated with systemic hypertension. Assay of differential renal vein renin activity showed a significantly increased level on the affected side. After surgical correction of the ureteral obstruction, by nephrectomy in one case and the ureteroneocystostomy in the other, the systemic blood pressure returned to normal levels in both patients as did the renal vein renin activity in the one case restudied. The importance of early relief of obstruction, if feasible, and the contribution of renal vein renin activity measurements to patient management are stressed.