cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In search of ‘intimacy at a distance’: Family history from the perspective of elderly women

Abstract Traditionally, the elderly's historical status in America has been protrayed as evolving from rural-based authority to urban-centered powerlessness. Both twentieth-century advocates for the old as well as many recent scholars have depicted the nostalgic farm household as the ideal arrangement for the old, and assumed that the autonomous household structure of the old is based on urban neglect and abandonment. When viewed through the perspective of elderly women who resided on the farm, in the city, and in the village, this interpretation cannot be sustained. At the turn of the century, elderly farm widows were the most dependent of all women. In contrast, financially secure women in urban and especially village areas were far more likely to remain heads of their households and establish “intimacy at a distance” with their offspring. These historical preferences then have implications for understanding the residential patterns of today. Rather than neglect, the living arrangements of the old women reflect the impact of Social Security; residential autonomy is no longer the privlege of a few, but has become the preferred pattern of the majority.
Balanced-growth-consistent recursive utility and heterogeneous agents

Abstract The replacement of time-additive separability with recursive utility greatly expands the opportunity to incorporate heterogenous agents within Ramsey optimal growth models. Dolmas has demonstrated that there exists a class of aggregator functions that are consistent with balanced growth paths. This paper demonstrates that the restrictions imposed on the aggregator functions and on preferences to ensure the existence of steady-state balanced growth will also imply that capital allocations are indeterminate.
Effect of metallization edge shape on conductor loss of open coplanar waveguide

The effect on conductor loss of metallization edges with a trapezoidal shape instead of rectangular, as commonly occurs from ordinary fabrication techniques, is examined for the case of open coplanar waveguide. Depending on the geometric parameters, this can increase conductor loss by a significant amount.
If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem

The bromide “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem” bespeaks a certain verity. Whichever “otherness” I choose to claim (South Louisiana, Jewish, socialist, feminist) or is ...
Inverted-F antennas with wideband match performance

Novel inverted-F antennas, double-wire (DW-IFA) and double-strip (DS-IFA) were developed for f/sub 0/ = 2.45 GHz, and a 0.8/spl lambda//sub 0/ in size square ground plate. The antennas are distinctive for their wideband match performance, 12% (numerical) for DW-IFA and 18% (numerical)/17% (experimental) for DS-IFA, and radiation characteristics suitable for the mobile environment scenario.
Real-world speech recognition with neural networks

We describe a system based on neural networks that is designed to recognize speech transmitted through the telephone network. Context-dependent phonetic modeling is studied as a method of improving recognition accuracy, and a special training algorithm is introduced to make the training of these nets more manageable. Our system is designed for real-world applications, and we have therefore specialized our implementation for this goal; a pipelined DSP structure and a compact search algorithm are described as examples of this specialization. Preliminary results from a realistic test of the system (a field trial for the U.S. Census Bureau) are reported.
The dimensions of latent ion damage tracks

A new model for the formation of ion damage tracks in dielectric solids permits the dimensions of the microscopic structure of the latent tracks to be calculated. In this model the formation of the damage is initiated at separate points along the track by the Auger decay of vacancies produced by the ion in inner electronic shells of atoms of the insulator. Each decay produces an intense, localized source of charge, whose interaction with the more uniform ionization of the loosely bound electrons along the ion's path causes the atomic motion that results in the damage. Available data on cellulose triacetate and mica are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the model.
Nucleoprotein Complex Formation By Bacillus Subtilis Spo0J/ParB

Although prokaryotes lack the machinery utilized by eukaryotes to achieve well organized chromosome segregation, all cells must faithfully segregate their chromosomes in every cell division cycle. In many bacteria, this process is dependent upon a partitioning locus composed of an ATPase called ParA, a DNA binding protein called ParB, and centromere-like binding sites (parS) that are present adjacent to the origin of replication. ParB binds the parS, sites and the ParA ATPase acts on the ParB-parS complex to facilitate segregation of replicated origins toward opposite cell poles. In Bacillus subtilis, the ParA protein is called Soj and the ParB protein is referred to as Spo0J. There are eight parS sites surrounding the origin of replication of the B. subtilis chromosome. Spo0J can bind to these sites and spread along the DNA up to 15 kilobases, forming a nucleoprotein complex. The Spo0J-parS complexes are not only a substrate for Soj/ParB, but they also serve to recruit the highly conserved structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complex to the origin. The SMC condensin complex appears to function in both organizing the origin region and facilitating chromosome segregation. To investigate how Spo0J spreads along the DNA and ultimately how this complex recruits SMC, we have employed single molecule fluorescence imaging to directly observe the formation of the nucleoprotein complex of purified B. subtilis Spo0J and lambda DNA. We characterize the physical properties of this nucleoprotein complex and the kinetics of its formation.
Influence of an electric field on the plastic deformation of polycrystalline NaCl at elevated temperatures

Abstract The effect of a d.c. electric field of 1 kV/cm on the plastic deformation of polycrystalline 99.9% NaCl was determined in compression at 23–532°C (0.28–0.75 T M ) and strain rate e =8.3×10 −4 s −1 . Upon removing the effect of Joule heating it was found that the reduction in the flow stress produced by the field increased with temperature from 0.28 to 0.4 T M , reached a maximum at 0.4 T M and then decreased, becoming nil at 0.75 T M . It is proposed that the reduction in flow stress resulted from an enhancement of cross-slip due to an increase in stacking fault energy. The field had no detectable effect on the plastic deformation kinetics at constant structure in the temperature range 0.28–0.6 T M (cutting of forest dislocations), nor did it appear to have a significant influence on dislocation glide and climb at 0.75 T M .
Age-based construct validation using structural equation modeling

In this paper we describe some mathematical and statistical models based on structural equation modeling (SEM) using computer programs like LISREL. We focus on SEM methodology for the simultaneous examination of the internal validity of psychological constructs and the external validity represented by age relations. To illustrate these ideas we use a latent variable path model to examine the organization of intellectual abilities measured by the WAIS-R in the standardization sample. We also examine different ways in which age can be used to structure this organization. This is primarily a methodological paper, but we try to integrate conceptual principles of modeling with some substantive issues of research on the psychology of aging.
Effect of hemicholinium-3 on choline distribution in vivo in the canine caudate nucleus☆☆☆

The effect of hemicholinium (HC-3) on choline distribution was studied in aivo in the subcellular fractions of the canine caudate nucleus. Both HC-3 and choline were given intraventricularly to locally anesthetized, decamethonium-paralyzed dogs maintained on artificial ventilation. At various time intervals after intraventricular injection of methyl-W-choline alone and in various HC-3/methyl-W-choline ratios, the animals were sacrificed by air embolus and the caudate was removed and subjected to subcellular fractionation. It was found that methyl-W-choline accumulated primarily in the microsomal (Mic) and the nerve ending, mitochondria, lysosome (NEML) fractions. There was greater accumulation at 4 hr than at 1 hr. The combined injection of HC-3 and methyl-W-choline in ratios of 10, 100, 500 and 2500 progressively increased the uptake of choline by the subcellular elements; an extract of the water- soluble components of fraction NEML showed that HC-3 reduced the conversion of choline to acetylcholine. On the other hand, HC-3 increased the labeling of phosphoryl- choline and, particularly, of cytidine diphosphocholine. The levels of free choline in the caudate were not affected by:HC-3. ALTHOUGH the role of acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system is now widely recognized,'-3 not much is known about the metabolic origin of its choline moiety. Only recently has this topic received attention,d-12 and it is now clear that the synthesis of most of the choline does not occur in the brain, but rather, that choline is supplied to the brain from extracerebral sources such as the liver. Most experiments in which the uptake of choline by the central nervous system was examined have used tissue slices. For example, Schuberth et al.5 examined the uptake of choline by mouse cortical slices; they concluded that, although choline entered the slice by an active transport mechanism, it was not "significantly metabolized by this tissue". More recently Chakrin and Shideman' studied the conversion of methyl-sH- labeled choline to acetylcholine by cat cerebral cortex, while Browning and SchulmaG studied the use, for acetylcholine synthesis, of other possible precursors such as ethanolamine, methionine and serine as well as acetate or glucose. Choline uptake by isolated guinea pig cortex nerve endings has also been described.*
Sexual equality, male superiority, and Korean women in politics: Changing gender relations in a “patriarchal democracy”

As a newly industrialized country Korean society may be characterized as a “patriarchal democracy,” where the Western democratic principle of sexual equality and the traditional Confucian ideology of male superiority contradict each other and complicate the behavioral rules for gender relations. This paper explores the processes of social change in gender relations by examining organizational patterns of social actions of individuals in male-female interactions in South Korea, with a focus on the experiences of women in politics. The analysis suggests the emerging pattern of gender relations in Korean society is a “compartmentalized gender schema” that is fluid and situationally defined by the individual's nunch'i (tact or savoir-faire).
Solid-phase synthesis of pyridones and pyridopyrazines as peptidomimetic scaffolds.

We report the syntheses of peptidomimetic opioids containing the core structure N-alkyl-2-alkyl-2,3-dihydro-4-pyridone. By employing imines bound on a solid support and the Danishefsky diene, this [4 + 2] cyclocondensation reaction facilitates the synthesis of novel complex heterocycles. The central reaction is carried out under mild conditions and employs readily available building blocks. In this study we demonstrate the suitability of N-alkyl-2-alkyl-2,3-dihydro-4-pyridones as a central scaffold for peptidomimetics and establish the scope of this [4 + 2] cyclocondensation reaction with imino acids on a solid phase. We also combine the synthesis of diketopiperazines with the [4 + 2] cyclocondensation reaction to form a 9,9a-dihydro-2H-pyrido-[1,2a]-pyrazine-3,8(1,4-dialkyl)dione, a bicyclic molecule containing a pyridopyrazine core structure.
Pharmacotherapy of acute coronary syndrome: the ACUITY trial.

Background: Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, has unique attributes including predictable pharmacokinetics, a reduction in bleeding complications and avoidance of heparin induced thrombocytopenia. Objective: We critically review the role of bivalirudin in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome in light of the Acute Catheterization and Urgent Intervention Triage Strategy (ACUITY) trial. Methods: Data from the ACUITY trial was critically reviewed along with other contemporary data. Results/conclusion: In the ACUITY trial, bivalirudin monotherapy was associated with rates of ischemic events that were noninferior to those associated with heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition, but was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of major bleeding. Bivalirudin seems to be an attractive antithrombotic agent in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing early invasive management.
Heroin snorters versus injectors: comparison on drug use and treatment outcome in age-matched samples.

Abstract Drug use histories and treatment outcomes were compared for age, race and gender-matched samples of intravenous (IV; n=28) versus intranasal (IN; n=28) opiate abusers entering a 3-day inpatient detoxification unit. Data were derived from the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) interview. Both groups reported daily heroin use prior to detoxification, but IV users reported more days of alcohol and multiple drug use during the past 30 days. Despite age matching, IV users also started using alcohol at an earlier age and accumulated more lifetime months of regular alcohol, cocaine and multidrug use. IV users were more likely to enter treatment following the detox, but no significant outcome differences were noted at 1 and 3 months post-detoxification. The results show that intravenous, as compared to intranasal, opiate users have both a more severe pattern and a more extensive history of the use of non-opiate drugs.
The Atomizer: Extracting Implicit Molecular Structure from Reaction Network Models

In this paper we introduce the Atomizer, an expert system for extracting implicit information from reaction network models, like those encoded by the Systems Modeling Markup Language (SBML), to create a structured translation using the rule-based modeling paradigm. Atomized models can be visualized in a compact form through contact maps, which show the underlying molecules, components, and interactions used to construct a model. Analysis of the atomized reactions reveals simplifying assumptions made in the construction of a model that limit the combinatorial complexity. These benefits are elucidated through a case study. We anticipate that the library of translated rule-based models we can generate using the Atomizer will be useful to the biological modeling community by providing a more accessible view of the available models and by facilitating their extension and merging. 9939
The structure of metacycloprodigiosin

Abstract Metacycloprodigiosin, an analog of prodigiosin, was isolated from Streptomyces longisporus ruber, and shown to have structure 1. An exhaustive reduction technique, instrumental in elucidating the structure of 1 has been generally applied to the reduction of alkylpyrroles. Novel features in the mass spectral cracking pattern of alkylpyrroles and other heterocyclic systems are discussed.
Modeling diameter growth for pinyon and juniper trees in dryland forests

Abstract An individual-tree model has been developed to estimate diameter growth of pinyon and juniper trees in dryland forests throughout New Mexico, USA. The model was built from radial growth data on 917 trees sampled from 82 plots. Individual-tree growth can be predicted from measurements of tree diameter at the root collar, from the number of basal stems per tree, and from past 10-year diameter growth of the median-sized stem in the stand of interest. Model development is patterned after growth and yield models for temperate forests in the western United States.
Rejected Manuscripts in Publishers' Archives: Legal Rights and Access.

This article focuses on an analysis of how various archival repositories deal with rejected manuscripts in publishers’ archives as part of existing collections and as potential donations, and includes suggestions for ways to provide access while maintaining the author's legal rights. Viewpoints from the journal editor, author, archivist, and researcher are considered. The basis of this research may offer guidance in formulating institutional policy for accepting and providing access to rejected manuscripts. Sample guidelines for access to archival/manuscript collections containing manuscripts rejected for publication are included.
On the Mechanics of Microtubule Filaments

Quantitative understanding of cell mechanics has challenged biological scientists during the past couple of decades. one of the promising attempts towards mechanical modeling of the cytoskeleton has been the “tensegrity” cytoskeletal model, which simplifies the complex network of cytoskeletal filaments as a structure merely composed of compression-bearing elements (hinge-ended struts) and tensile members (cables). This discrete model can interestingly explain many experimental observations in cell mechanics. However, evidence suggests that the simplicity of this model may undermine the accuracy of its predictions [1–2]. Continuum mechanics predicts that a free, simply-supported beam tends to buckle in the first mode of buckling and that is the case for an in vitro loading of a single microtubule. However, in vivo imaging of microtubules indicates that the buckling mostly occurs in higher modes. This buckling mode switch takes place mostly because of lateral support of microtubules via their connections to actin and intermediate filaments, which themselves are tensile members of the tensegrity cytoskeleton model. Since these loads are exerted throughout the microtubule length, they introduce a considerable amount of microtubule bending behavior. The objective of this paper is to explore the influence of this flexural behavior on the accuracy of the tensegrity model, given the model’s underlying assumption that “every single member bears solely either tensile or compressive behavior”.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Association of a new type of cytopathogenic myxovirus with infantile croup.

Viruses producing an unusual "sponge-like" cytopathogenic change in monkey kidney tissue culture were isolated from the pharyngeal swabs of 2 of 12 infants with croup. The infants from whom the viruses were isolated and 3 additional patients developed significant increases in neutralizing or hemagglutination-inhibition and complement-fixing or all 3 varieties of antibody during convalescence. The isolated agents appeared to be similar antigenically. Fluid from infected monkey kidney tissue culture agglutinated chick erythrocytes and in lower titer human "O" red cells. Hemagglutination occurred best at 4°C. and pH 8.0. Agglutination was reversed at 37°C. but resuspension and sedimentation of red cells at 4°C. resulted in a restitution of positive patterns. In addition, the virus was capable of partially removing receptors from the erythrocyte surface, but only when large quantities of virus were incubated with red cells for 24 hours at 37°C. and small doses of hemagglutinin used to test the treated cells. RDE removed both the erythrocyte receptors and the inhibitor for hemagglutinin present in certain normal sera. Low level multiplication occurred at a slow rate in the amniotic cavity of the fertile hen' egg. Gradocol membrane filtration yielded a size of 90 to 135 mµ. The virus was stable at –70°C. but infectivity was lost after treatment with 20 per cent ether for 15 hours. The properties of the isolated viruses were consistent with those required for classification in the myxovirus group. No antigenic relationship with influenza A, A', B, and C, Newcastle or Sendai viruses was found. The viruses were distinct from mumps virus but the existence of a common antigen was suggested. The high incidence of infection with this new virus in one group of croup patients suggests that it may be at least one of the etiologic agents of this clinical syndrome, but more extensive control studies will be necessary to establish a specific etiologic association. For the present the group will be referred to as CA viruses; i.e., croup-associated viruses.
Method for assessing the reliability of molecular diagnostics based on multiplexed SERS-coded nanoparticles.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles have been engineered to generate unique fingerprint spectra and are potentially useful as bright contrast agents for molecular diagnostics. One promising strategy for biomedical diagnostics and imaging is to functionalize various particle types (“flavors”), each emitting a unique spectral signature, to target a large multiplexed panel of molecular biomarkers. While SERS particles emit narrow spectral features that allow them to be easily separable under ideal conditions, the presence of competing noise sources and background signals such as detector noise, laser background, and autofluorescence confounds the reliability of demultiplexing algorithms. Results obtained during time-constrained in vivo imaging experiments may not be reproducible or accurate. Therefore, our goal is to provide experimentalists with a metric that may be monitored to enforce a desired bound on accuracy within a user-defined confidence level. We have defined a spectral reliability index (SRI), based on the output of a direct classical least-squares (DCLS) demultiplexing routine, which provides a measure of the reliability of the computed nanoparticle concentrations and ratios. We present simulations and experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of this strategy, which can potentially be utilized for a range of instruments and biomedical applications involving multiplexed SERS nanoparticles.
Language patterns and gender role orientation among students in grades 3–12

This study investigated current generic referent usage among 1,529 public school children in grades 3–12. The results indicated that, in spite of a growing body of research which has expressed concern over the prevalent use of the masculine generic, there was little evidence that overall referent usage patterns have been modified. Among male students, usage patterns differentiated by grade level and gender role orientation were more predictable than those of female students. There was an overall relationship between referent usage and gender role orientation, with more use of nontraditional referents among students who projected themselves in nontraditional occupational roles. Further research into factors which differentiate referent usage within gender role orientation groups, particularly among females, is suggested as a means of understanding the degree to which linguistic patterns affect and/or reflect perceptions of self.
Sprouting of synapses after partial denervation of frog cardiac ganglion

SYNAPTIC connections in the adult nervous system of several species can be quite flexible and this characteristic has been termed neuronal plasticity. For example, when lesions are made in the axonal pathways of the brains of mature rats, surviving nerve terminals can proliferate and innervate the synaptic sites vacated by the degenerating axons1,2. This “sprouting” occurs in the central nervous system2–4, autonomic nervous system5 and peripheral nervous system6, and seems to be a characteristic response of nervous tissue to partial denervation. In only a few studies has sprouting been reported not to occur7–9. Sprouting of synapses has important implications for the maintenance of neuronal connections and the ability of the nervous system to recover from focal lesions. But several questions need to be answered. For example, are sprouted synapses functional, and if so, do they transmit normally? Is there any specificity in or control over the proliferation of new connections? What initiates and terminates the sprouting? We can now begin to answer these questions. Our studies on the para-sympathetic cardiac ganglion of the frog have shown that synaptic sprouting occurs very rapidly after partial denervation. Furthermore, the number of boutons per cell remains constant throughout sprouting and is the same as the number per cell in control ganglia.
PDF Model Calculations of Compressible Turbulent Flows Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

A particle method which applies the probability density function (PDF) method to compressible turbulent flows is presented. Solution of the PDF equation is achieved using a Lagrangian/Monte Carlo approach. A unique feature of the method is its ability to calculate the mean pressure gradient directly from the particles using a grid-free approach. This is accomplished by applying techniques borrowed from the field of smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Furthermore, these techniques have been implemented using a recently discovered algorithm which greatly reduces the computational work in 1D. The particle method also incorporates a variance-reduction technique which can significantly reduce statistical error in first and second moments of selected mean flow quantities. When combined with a second-order accurate predictor/corrector scheme, the resulting particle method provides a feasible way to obtain accurate PDF solutions to compressible turbulent flow problems. Results have been obtained for a variety of quasi-1D flows to demonstrate the method's robustness. These include solutions to both statistically stationary and nonstationary problems, and use both periodic and characteristic-based inflow/outflow boundary conditions. Convergence of the method with respect to four different kinds of numerical errors has also been studied. Detailed results are presented which confirm the expected convergence behavior of each error.
Post‐colonial Picaresque

Ronald BLABER and Marvin GILMAN, Roguery: The Picaresque Tradition in Australian, Canadian and Indian Fiction. Springwood, NSW: Butterfly Books, 1990.
Photochemical reactivities of alkyl thiopheneglyoxylates and alkyl furanylglyoxylates

Abstract The photochemical reactions of alkyl thiopheneglyoxylates (1a, 2a, 3a) and alkyl furanylglyoxylates (1b, 2b, 3b) were studied, and reactivities were shown to be determined by the character of their lowest triplet states. Photodecompositions in an aprotic solvent such as benzene were inefficient (Φ
Cell adhesion in transformed D. discoideum cells : expression of gp80 and its biochemical characterization

Abstract Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae were transformed with an expression vector for the gp80, a protein believed to mediate EDTA-resistant cell adhesion in developmental cells. Vegetative cells, that do not normally contain gp80, expressed the protein and this expression was correlated with the formation of cell-cell adhesions. These contacts exhibited minimal EDTA-resistance. Biochemical analyses of the protein synthesized by vegetative cells suggested that it is identical to that produced by aggregation-competent cells, including the presence of a glycolipid anchor. Additional experiments indicated that the anchor was insensitive to hydrolysis by exogenous (glycosly)phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C ((G)PI-PLCs) but was sensitive to the endogenous anchor degrading enzyme. This enzyme, initially described in aggregating cells (da Silva and Klein, Exp. Cell Res., in press) was found to be present also in vegetative amoebae.
Structural analysis of electrosleeved tubes under severe accident transients

Abstract A flow stress model was developed for predicting failure of electrosleeved PWR steam generator tubing under severe accident transients. The electrosleeve, which is nanocrystalline pure nickel, loses its strength at temperatures greater than 400°C during severe accidents because of grain growth. A grain growth model and the Hall–Petch relationship were used to calculate the loss of flow stress as a function of time and temperature during the accident. Available tensile test data, as well as high-temperature failure tests, on notched electrosleeved tube specimens were used to derive the basic parameters of the failure model. The model was used to predict the failure temperatures of electrosleeved tubes with throughwall and part-throughwall axial cracks in the parent tube during a postulated severe accident transient.
Pinus taeda phenylpropenal double-bond reductase: Purification, cDNA cloning, heterologous expression in Escherichia coli, and subcellular localization in P. taeda☆

A phenylpropenal double-bond reductase (PPDBR) was obtained from cell suspension cultures of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Following trypsin digestion and amino acid sequencing, the cDNA encoding this protein was subsequently cloned, with the functional recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. PPDBR readily converted both dehydrodiconiferyl and coniferyl aldehydes into dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl and dihydroconiferyl aldehydes, when NADPH was added as cofactor. However, it was unable to reduce directly either the double bond of dehydrodiconiferyl or coniferyl alcohols in the presence of NADPH. During this reductive step, the corresponding 4-proR hydrogen was abstracted from [4R-3H]-NADPH during hydride transfer. This is thus the first report of a double-bond reductase involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism, and which is presumed to be involved in plant defense. In situ mRNA hybridization indicated that the PPDBR transcripts in P. taeda stem sections were localized to the vascular cambium, as well as to radial and axial parenchyma cell types. Additionally, using P. taeda cell suspension culture crude protein extracts, dehydrodiconiferyl and coniferyl alcohols could be dehydrogenated to afford dehydrodiconiferyl and coniferyl aldehydes. Furthermore, these same extracts were able to convert dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl and dihydroconiferyl aldehydes into the corresponding alcohols. Taken together, these results indicate that in the crude extracts dehydrodiconiferyl and coniferyl alcohols can be converted to dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl and dihydroconiferyl alcohols through a three-step process, i.e. by initial phenylpropenol oxidation, then sequential PPDBR and phenylpropanal reductions, respectively.
Blur-modulated orientation perception in the rod-and-frame task.

In order to assess the role of blur in a rod-and-frame task, an afocal blurring technique was developed that restricted the blur to the frame. Three levels of blur were investigated, along with a nonblurred, directly viewed frame. Results showed a significant drop in the rod-and-frame effect (RFE) with increasing blur (decreasing spatial frequency), but spatial frequencies even as low as .092 cpd failed to reduce the RFE to zero. Decreasing luminance was correlated with increased blur, but control studies showed that variation in luminance levels between .007 and .0015 cd m−2 had no effect on RFE. The finding of a spatial frequency dependency in the rod-and-frame task permits the development of a neuropsychological theory of individual and gender differences typically found in studies of static spatial orientation.
Sediment Microbial Community Composition and Methylmercury Pollution at Four Mercury Mine–Impacted Sites

Mercury pollution presents a globally significant threat to human and ecosystem health. An important transformation in the mercury cycle is the conversion of inorganic mercury to methylmercury, a toxic substance that negatively affects neurological function and bioaccumulates in food chains. This transformation is primarily bacterially mediated, and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) have been specifically implicated as key mercury methylators in lake and estuarine sediments. This study used phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis to investigate sediment microbial community composition at four abandoned mercury mine-impacted sites in the California Coast Range: the Abbott, Reed, Sulphur Bank, and Mt. Diablo mines. Differences in watershed and hydrology among these sites were related to differences in microbial community composition. The Abbott and Sulphur Bank mines had the highest levels of methylmercury. Floc (a type of precipitate that forms when acid mine drainage contacts lake or river water) and sediment samples differed in terms of several important environmental variables and microbial community composition, but did not have statistically different methylmercury concentrations. Quantification of PLFA biomarkers for SRB (10Mel6:0 for Desulfobacter and i17:1 for Desulfovibrio) revealed that Desulfobacter and Desulfovibrio organisms made up higher percentages of overall microbial biomass at the Sulphur Bank and Mt. Diablo mines than at the Abbott and Reed mines. Correlations between these SRB biomarker fatty acids and methylmercury concentrations suggest that Desulfobacter and Desulfovibrio organisms may contribute to methylmercury production in the Abbott, Reed, and Sulphur Bank mines but may not be important contributors to methylmercury in the Mt. Diablo Mine.
Cobalamin-Dependent Methionine Synthase Is a Modular Protein with Distinct Regions for Binding Homocysteine, Methyltetrahydrofolate, Cobalamin, and Adenosylmethionine †

Methionine synthase (MetH) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from bound methylcobalamin to homocysteine, yielding enzyme-bound cob(I)alamin and methionine. The cofactor is then remethylated by methyltetrahydrofolate. We now demonstrate that MetH is able to catalyze methylation of free cob(I)alamin with methyltetrahydrofolate. MetH had previously been shown to catalyze methylation of homocysteine with free methylcobalamin as the methyl donor, in a reaction that is first-order in added methylcobalamin, and we have confirmed this observation using homogenous enzyme. A truncated polypeptide lacking the cobalamin-binding region of the holoenzyme, MetH(2−649), was overexpressed and purified to homogeneity. MetH(2−649) catalyzes the methylation of free cob(I)alamin by methyltetrahydrofolate and the methylation of homocysteine by free methylcobalamin. Furthermore, a protein comprising residues 2−353 of the holoenzyme has now been overexpressed and purified to homogeneity, and this protein catalyzes methyl ...
Dose effects of pentobarbital on evoked potentials in visual cortex and superior colliculus of the albino rat.

Abstract This study examined the effects of pentobarbital on photic evoked potentials recorded from the primary visual cortex and superior colliculus of chronically implanted albino rats. Animals were given intraperitoneal injections of saline, and of 3, 6, 9, 18 and 40 mg pentobarbital/kg body weight on separate days. Evoked potentials were recorded at 5, 20, 40 and 60 min following injection. There were differential effects of pentobarbital on the amplitudes of individual visual cortex components. In general, the earliest components were augmented by pentobarbital, the late components were depressed, and the components in the middle of the waveform demonstrated biphasic effects. These middle components were increased in amplitude by one or more of the smaller doses, but were at or below control levels as a result of the 40 mg/kg dose. Increases in peak latency were also found in some components, beginning with the 6 mg/kg dose for the two earliest components, and beginning with the 18 mg/kg dose for the third component. In the superior colliculus, the peak amplitudes of two individual components of the early positive complex reacted in opposite directions to administration of pentobarbital. The first component was augmented, while the second was diminished (or even abolished by the 40 mg/kg dose). A later negative component demonstrated a biphasic effect, with increases at smaller doses and a return to control levels with the 40 mg/kg dose. Pentobarbital produced a reliable increase in latency for all three superior colliculus components, with the increase occurring at both the 18 and 40 mg/kg doses. A series of late oscillatory potentials recorded from the colliculus were increased in amplitude by pentobarbital.
Stimulation of Gs and Inhibition of Gi Protein Functions by Minimally Oxidized LDL

We have previously shown that treatment of aortic endothelial cells with minimally oxidized LDL (MM-LDL) induces their interaction with monocytes but not neutrophils and that these induced responses are associated with increased cAMP levels. Here we studied the mechanism of by which MM-LDL elevates cAMP levels. Treatment of human aortic endothelial cells with MM-LDL resulted in a saturable dose-dependent increase in cAMP levels. Studies using a combination of pertussis toxin and MM-LDL suggested that part of the cAMP increase was due to the stimulation of Gs complexes. Studies with pertussis toxin-treated membranes in which Gi was completely inhibited were used to directly address the effect of MM-LDL on the Gs pathway. MM-LDL and an oxidized lipid (palmitoyl arachidonyl phosphatidylcholine), the effects of which mimic those of MM-LDL, caused a 40% to 100% increase in cAMP levels in these isolated membranes that was augmented by GTP, thus showing Gs stimulation. These results also show that MM-LDL increases cAMP levels by inhibiting Gi. MM-LDL inhibited ADP ribosylation of Gi by about 30% and completely abolished the ability of serotonin to interact with Gi complexes, whereas direct activation of Gi by mastoparan was not inhibited. This observation suggests that MM-LDL interferes with the interaction of Gi molecules with inhibitory receptors. There was no direct effect of MM-LDL on adenylate cyclase. Overall, these studies show that MM-LDL increases cAMP levels both by stimulating Gi and inhibiting Gi complexes.
Curing studies of a polyimide precursor

Complexes between diphenylcarbamido-dicarboxybenzene and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, 1/4 and 1/2 M, are obtained by reacting pyromellitic dianhydride with aniline in the solvent 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone. Decomplexation and imidization of this diamic acid are studied by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, polarizing microscopy, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Side reactions competing with the imide formation are discussed. The presence of solvent is found to markedly influence imidization.
Wear particle formation of polymers against smooth hardened steel counterfaces

Previous work in the literature has demonstrated the application of a non-Hertzian contact modeling and stress calculation approach for polyetheretherketone (PEEK) sliding on smooth soft steel counter-faces in the three-pin-on-disk configuration. In this investigation, the non-Hertzian model was applied to PEEK, acrylobutadiene-styrene (ABS), and polyamide-imide (PAI) pins after sliding against smooth hardened steel counterfaces. The experimentally determined wear particle thicknesses for PEEK and ABS display a correlation with the location of a relative maximum subsurface von Mises stress. For PAI, wear particles of measurable size could not be collected due to the very low wear rate and due to the formation and adherence of a thin transfer film on the counterface during sliding. Fatigue/delamination was believed to be the dominant wear mechanism due to the observed wear particle morphology. In this investigation, the Paris law was used in conjunction with wear test data and the observed fatigue/delamina...
Some Effects of a Power Plant Effluent on Estuarine Epibenthic Organisms

A study using the submerged test panel method was conducted at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station near Barnegat Bay, New Jersey to investigate effects of the heated effluent on epibenthic communities. Test panels were placed in the intake and discharge canals and collected using SCUBA at 28, 84, 168 and 335-day intervals between October 1970 and October 1971. Exposed panels were replaced by clean panels upon collection. Faunal resemblance, both between stations during a sampling date and within stations from one sampling date to the next, was low. Numbers of species were higher at the discharge station than at the intake station from late fall to early summer and lower from midsummer to early fall. Overall differences in diversity at the two stations could not be detected. The optimum temperature for growth of Balanus sp. was approached more closely during winter in the discharge canal than in the intake canal where growth was retarded by cold water. Balanus eburneus appeared to have an extended breeding season. Because of dilution of the discharged water with cooler intake water through a plant bypass system during the summer, the effluent was not seriously harmful to amphipod reproduction. Season abundances of numerous invertebrates at both stations are reported and possible power plant effects are discussed.
Explicit small-scale velocity simulation for high-Re turbulent flows. Part II: Non-homogeneous flows

Two level simulation (TLS) approach based on the explicit reconstruction of the small-scale velocity fields, is extended to study non-homogeneous turbulent flows on coarse grids. Assumptions needed for the simplified treatment of the 3D small-scale governing equation on lines are analyzed using DNS data of well-developed turbulent channel flow. Fully coupled simulations of turbulent channel flow and temporally developed mixing layers suggest that explicit accounting of the small-scale velocity in the large-scale equations allows to correctly predict the large-scale turbulent dynamics without using a concept of eddy-viscosity.
Fog precipitation in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala

Fog precipitation occurs when fog droplets are filtered by the forest canopy and coalesce on the vegetative surfaces to form larger water droplets that drip to the forest floor. This study examines the quantity of throughfall compared with incident precipitation produced by the canopy of a lower montane rain forest (2100 m) and an upper montane cloud forest (2550 m) in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala. Fog precipitation was measured with throughfall and precipitation gauges from 23 July 1995 to 7 June 1996. Fog precipitation occurred during sampling periods when throughfall exceeded incident precipitation. Fog precipitation contributed <1% of total water inputs in the cloud forest at 2100 m during the 44-week period, whereas fog precipitation contributed 7·4% at 2550 m during the same period. The depth equivalent of fog precipitation was greater at 2550 m (203·4 mm) than at 2100 m (23·4 mm). The calculation of fog precipitation in this study is underestimated. The degree of underestimation may be evident in the difference in apparent rainfall interception between 2100 m (35%) and 2550 m (4%). Because the apparent interception rate at 2550 m is significantly lower than 2100 m, the canopy probably is saturated for longer periods as a result of cloud water contributions. Data show a seasonal pattern of fog precipitation most evident at the 2550 m site. Fog precipitation represented a larger proportion of total water inputs during the dry season (November to May). Because cloud forests generate greater than 1 mm day−1 of fog precipitation in higher elevations of the Sierra de las Minas, the conservation of the cloud forest may be important to meet the water demands of a growing population in the surrounding arid lowlands. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Renal hemodynamics in experimentally galactosemic dogs and diabetic dogs

To examine the association between renal hemodynamic abnormalities and the development of diabetic kidney disease, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) have been determined in dogs with alloxan-induced diabetes or experimental galactosemia of 1 to 5 years duration. GFR and RPF were significantly greater than normal in insulin-deficient diabetic dogs. GFR was also significantly greater than normal in the galactosemic animals, and RPF tended to be elevated even though GFR and RPF were measured at time of day when plasma galactose is no longer elevated. GFR and effective RPF (eRPF) were found to increase in normal animals upon acute elevation of blood galactose or glucose concentration. Thus, GFR is supranormal in experimental galactosemia, as well as in diabetes, although galactosemia has been shown not to cause nephromegaly, mesangial expansion, or glomerular obliteration, which are typical of diabetes. Administration of an aldose reductase inhibitor (Sorbinil) at dosages sufficient to significantly reduce erythrocyte polyol concentration did not significantly influence GFR or RPF in diabetic or galactosemic dogs.
There is more than one way to collect data for linkage analysis. What a study of epilepsy can tell us about linkage strategy for psychiatric disease.

• The most popular strategy for finding genes in psychiatric diseases has been to focus on large pedigrees with many affected members. While this strategy has sound advantages, it also has drawbacks that have seldom been addressed. The strategy of using smaller families also has its place in a linkage analysis. To illustrate the point, I discuss herein the successful search for a gene for another common complex disease, namely, idiopathic primary generalized epilepsy. There, investigators in the Los Angeles (Calif) Epilepsy Program used mostly nuclear families who were chosen through a proband with highly specific characteristics. An independent study, using a different strategy but one still focused on small families, then confirmed the linkage. However, investigators of both epilepsy projects put much care into determining which clinical characteristics would be used to define the index cases. The implications for the study of psychiatric disease are as follows: (1) careful attention must be paid to clinical presentation, and (2) there is room for both large-pedigree and smallfamily strategies in designing linkage studies.
Studies on the state of phosphatidylcholine molecules before and after ultrasonic and gel-filtration treatments☆

Abstract Phosphatidylcholine vesicles, prepared by prolonged ultrasonic irradiation in solution at 2°C under nitrogen followed by chromatography at 4°C on a Sepharose 4B column, were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. No detectable differences were found in the chemical state of phosphatidylcholine molecules before and after the treatment by ultrasonic irradiation and gel-filtration. Special emphasis is given to the differences between the procedures for the preparation of homogeneous phosphatidylcholine vesicles and the conventional ultrasonication method.
Erbium, chromium:yttrium–scandium–gallium–garnet laser-assisted sinus graft procedure

The possibility of using lasers in the field of dentistry has been a subject of investigation. There are few reports that any laser systems have been used for bony window osteotomy by direct sinus grafting. In this study, erbium, chromium:yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser of various laser systems was used for 12 sinus bone grafts in ten patients, and the efficiency of the laser was evaluated according to the osteotomy time and the rate of sinus membrane perforation in the clinical results; the mechanism is described. Eight of the 12 procedures were performed by direct sinus grafting with the Er,Cr:YSGG laser without membrane perforation (perforation ratio 33.3%). Operating time for bony window osteotomy with laser alone was 2-7 minutes [3 min 24 s on average; 3.4 +/- 1.4 min (mean +/- standard deviation)], and all the implants placed immediately were successful.