cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corn Production on a Subsurface-Drained Mollisol as Affected by Fall versus Spring Application of Nitrogen and Nitrapyrin

Nitrogen management strategies that affect corn (Zea mays L.) production and loss of NO 3 -N to subsurface, tile drainage often include decisions of when to apply N (fall or spring) and whether to use a nitrification inhibitor. A field study was conducted from the fall of 1993 through 2000 on a tile-drained Canisteo clay loam [fineloamy, mixed (calcareous), mesic Typic Endoaquolls] to determine the influence of fall vs. spring application of N and nitrapyrin [2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl) pyridine] on yield of corn and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in rotation. Four anhydrous ammonia treatments [fall without nitrapyrin (NP), fall with NP, spring preplant without NP, and spring with NP] were replicated four times and applied at 134 kg N ha - 1 (120 Ib acre - 1 ) for corn each year. Fall applications occurred between 20 October and 1 November when soil temperatures generally were ≤10°C. Six-year average corn grain yields were least for fall N without NP [10.10 Mg ha - 1 (161 bu acre - 1 )] and greatest for fall N with NP [10.72 Mg ha - 1 (171 bu acre - 1 )], spring N without NP [10.82 Mg ha - 1 (172 bu acre - 1 )], and spring N with NP treatment [11.03 Mg ha - 1 (176 bu acre - 1 )]. Year-to-year variation in yield response to the treatments was great and was characterized by above-normal May rainfall affecting the performance of the fall treatments while above-normal June rainfall affected both fall and spring treatments. Apparent N recovery ranged from 47% for fall N without NP to 61% for spring N with NP. Annual economic return to fertilizer was greatest for spring N with or without NP. Based on the dominating effect of spring rainfall, this study suggests growers consider a spring preplant N strategy either with or without NP as an alternative to fall N for greatest economic return and least N loss to the environment on these Mollisols.
Pneumococcal Bacteremia in Childhood: A 6-Year Experience in a Community Hospital

Objective To review the clinical and laboratory findings in children with pneumococcal bacteremia during a 6-year period between 1989 and 1995. Design Retrospective review of medical records identified from computer-generated blood culture records. Setting Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich, a community teaching hospital affiliated with Michigan State University. Measurements Data concerning age, gender, race, clinical findings, laboratory features, nature of antibiotic therapy, source of bacteremia, and outcome were obtained from patient medical records. Results Most (68%) of the children with pneumococcal bacteremia were 1,500/μL was present in 53% of children. The overall mortality was 1.6% with a case fatality rate for meningitis of 14%. Penicillin resistance was found in 6.5% of pneumococcal isolates, although during 1 study year (1993), 17% of all pneumococcal isolates from all sources in the same hospital were found to be penicillin resistant. Conclusions Clinical and laboratory findings seen in children with pneumococcal bacteremia at a community hospital are presented with a review of literature. Pneumococci isolated from sterile body sites were found to be less resistant to antibiotics compared with those isolated from nonsterile body sites.
AN IMPROVED SYNTHESIS OF β-TETRALONE

Aus dem Phenacetylchlorid (I) wird durch Umsetzung mit Aluminiumtrichlorid und anschliesendes Einleiten von Ethen (II) das β-Tetralon (III) hergestellt.
Inability to block the activity of guinea pig migration inhibitory factor with di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate.

Studies were carried out to confirm a previous report that the activity of migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was blocked by di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP), suggesting it acted as a protease. MIF was obtained by the stimulation of guinea pig lymphocytes with concanavalin A and the culture supernatants were chromatographed on Sephadex G-100 gel columns. The MIF-rich fraction was incubated with DFP or with other organophosphorus esterase inhibitors; the inhibitors were removed by dialysis, and the media were tested for MIF activity. The results, reported here, indicate that guinea pig MIF activity is not destroyed by treatment with serine esterase inhibitors.
Structure and optical properties of rare earth-doped zinc oxyhalide tellurite glasses

Zinc tellurite glasses appear to be excellent candidates for hosting rare earth ions since they provide a low phonon energy environment to minimize non-radiative losses as well as possess good chemical durability and optical properties. The optical behavior of the rare earth ion can be manipulated by modifying its local environment in the glass host. The authors report measurements of the emission lifetime, optical absorption, and vibrational density of states of the glass system (ZnO){sub x}(ZnF{sub 2}){sub y}(TeO{sub 2}){sub 1{minus}x{minus}y}doped (0.1 mol%) with a series of rare earths. Phonon sideband spectroscopy has been successfully employed to probe vibrational structure in the immediate vicinity of the rare earth ion. The authors observe a significant increase in the emission lifetime (from approximately 150 {mu}s to 250 {mu}s) of Nd{sup 3+} with increasing fluorine substitution.
Evaluating training through work performance standards

Abstract During times of constantly rising labor cost in the hospitality industry one topic seems to be timely and relevant: training. In this article, three questions were posed and answered: why should training be evaluated? Why use work performance standards as the basis for training evaluation? How are work performance standards used for training evaluation?
Racial differences in foot disorders and foot type

Objective To describe racial differences in the frequency of structural foot disorders and pes planus and pes cavus foot types in a large cohort of African American and white men and women ages ≥50 years. Methods Of 1,695 Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project participants evaluated for foot disorders/types in 2006–2010, 4 with lower extremity amputation were excluded, leaving 1,691 available for analyses (mean age 69 years, mean body mass index [BMI] 31.5 kg/m2, 68% women, 31% African American). The most common foot disorders/types were identified using a validated foot examination. Each foot disorder/type was compared by race using logistic regression, controlling for age, BMI, and sex. Effect modification between race (African American versus white) and age, BMI (categorized as ≥30 kg/m2 [obese] or <30 kg/m2 [nonobese]), sex, and education was examined. Results Hallux valgus (64%), hammer toes (35%), overlapping toes (34%), and pes planus (23%) were common. Compared to whites, African Americans were almost 3 times more likely to have pes planus and were nearly 5 times less likely to have Tailor's bunions or pes cavus. Among the nonobese, African Americans were more likely than whites to have hallux valgus (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] 2.01, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.39–2.92), hammer toes (ORadj 2.64, 95% CI 1.88–3.70), and overlapping toes (ORadj 1.53, 95% CI 1.09–2.13). Conclusion Foot disorders are common among adults ages ≥50 years and differ by race. Future research is needed to determine the etiology of foot problems, especially those with racial differences, in order to inform prevention approaches.
Diabetes enhances leukocyte accumulation in the coronary microcirculation early in reperfusion following ischemia

Abstract Background: Diabetic hearts are particularly vulnerable to ischemia–reperfusion injury. For leukocytes to participate in ischemia–reperfusion injury, they must first sequester in the microcirculation. The aim of this study was to determine, by direct observation, if early leukocyte deposition was increased in the diabetic coronary microcirculation early in reperfusion following myocardial ischemia. Methods: Non-diabetic and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat hearts, subjected to 30 min of 37°C, no-flow ischemia, were initially reperfused with blood containing labeled leukocytes. The deposition of fluorescent leukocytes in coronary capillaries and venules was directly visualized and recorded using intravital fluorescence microscopy. In addition, flow cytometry was used to measure CD11b adhesion molecule expression on polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes from non-diabetic and STZ-diabetic rats. Results: In the non-diabetic, control hearts, early in reperfusion, leukocytes trapped in coronary capillaries and adhered to the walls of post-capillary venules. In the diabetic hearts, leukocyte trapping in capillaries and adhesion to venules were both significantly increased ( P P Conclusions: Early in reperfusion following myocardial ischemia, leukocytes rapidly accumulate in greater numbers in the coronary microcirculation of the diabetic heart by both trapping in coronary capillaries and by adhering to venules. The enhanced retention of leukocytes in the diabetic coronary microcirculation increases the likelihood of inflammation-mediated reperfusion injury and may explain, in part, the poor recovery of diabetic hearts from an ischemic event.
Solar modulation of the North Atlantic Oscillation: Assisted by the tides?

Abstract Several prominent lines in the spectrum of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are here considered as resulting from solar–tidal modulation. Lines near 8.9, 7.7, and 5.8 years are proposed to be a result of energy capture from internal oscillations into periods resulting from interference of solar and tidal cycles near 11 years (solar) and at 18.61 and 4.425 years (tidal). The dominant period in the range 10–5 years, near 7.74 years, is explained as a result of lock-in of mutually supportive interference cycles; that is, the difference tones between solar cycles near 10.3 years, and the two tidal periods. At the solar period of 10.33, the two difference tones (7.74 and 23.22) are separated by precisely a factor of 3.
Toward potential supramolecular tissue engineering scaffolds based on guanosine derivatives

We report the synthesis and study of a new guanosine-based hydrogelator, 8-methoxy-2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetylguanosine, that can not only gel aqueous solutions at biologically relevant salt concentrations, but can also gel cell media. Studies suggest that this hydrogelator forms helical assemblies, rather than the macrocyclic quartet assemblies commonly found in guanosine hydrogels, which allow it to form hydrogels at as low as 0.5 wt% in 100mM NaCl. Furthermore, we show that this gelator is non-toxic to cells, injectable and that by simply mixing with 2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetylguanosine, we can systematically vary the modulus and shear sensitivity of the gel over orders of magnitude.
Plasma prothrombin time and hematocrit values of blood of dairy cattle.

Summary1. The average plasma prothrombin time value of 115 matured dairy cows was 23.20 ± 4.42 and for 90 dairy calves 24.82 ± 4.47. The differences in the prothrombin time values among 6 herds of Jersey cows were highly significant (1% level) and significant 5% level) among breeds between Jerseys and Guernseys. The principal factor contributing to these effects was ascribed to rations. Age, breed, ration, and sex did not alter the prothrombin time values of dairy calves. 2. The holding of the blood plasma samples for 2.5 and 3.5 hours after collection of blood samples did not change the prothrombin time significantly when compared with the 0.5 hour values. 3. The plasma prothrombin time of newborn calves, prior to nursing, could not be determined since a clot or gel did not form in the blood plasma-thromboplastin mixture after the addition of calcium chloride. This finding corresponds with the observations made with blood plasma from human infants during the first week of life. 4. The average hematocrit ...
Dislocations, steps and disconnections at interfaces

Abstract Line defects at interfaces, excluding disclinations, are classified as dislocations, steps and disconnections. A Burgers circuit procedure is described to determine the vector describing the geometry of each of these defects. Applications to several cases of phase transformations are discussed.
On meromorphic parameterizations of real algebraic curves

A singular flat geometry may be canonically assigned to a real algebraic curve Γ; namely, via analytic continuation of unit speed parameterization of the real locus \({\Gamma_\mathbb{R}}\) . Globally, the metric \({\rho=|Q|=|q(z)|dzd\bar{z}}\) is given by the meromorphic quadratic differential Q on Γ induced by the standard complex form dx2 + dy2 on \({\mathbb{C}^2=\{(x,y)\}}\) . By considering basic properties of Q, we show that the condition for local arc length parameterization along \({\Gamma_\mathbb{R}}\) to extend meromorphically to the complex plane is quite restrictive: For curves of degree at most four, only lines, circles and Bernoulli lemniscates have such meromorphic parameterizations.
THE ENZYMOLOGY OF LYSINE BIOSYNTHESIS IN HIGHER PLANTS. DIAMINOPIMELATE DECARBOXYLASE FROM WHEAT GERM

Diaminopimelate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.20) has been purified 173-fold from extracts of wheat germ acetone powder. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 7.0 in phosphate buffer and a Km for diaminopimelate of 0.14 mM. There is an absolute requirement for activity of added pyridoxal phosphate. The Km for pyridoxal phosphate is 5.2 μM. Once the enzyme is exposed to pyridoxal phosphate, it is bound very tightly. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 75,000 as determined by gel filtration. L-Lysine inhibits the reaction but only at quite high concentration. This would not appear to be the enzyme whose regulation controls the production of lysine in wheat germ.
Ultrastructural and functional alterations of the rat thyroid gland produced by polychlorinated biphenyls compared with iodide excess and deficiency, and thyrotropin and thyroxine administration

Histologic and ultrastructural lesions in thyroid follicular cells of Osborne-Mendel rats produced by feeding diets containing 5, 50, and 500 ppm polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) for 4 weeks were compared with alterations produced by low (Remington diet) and high (1%KI) iodide diets, chronic thyroxine administration, and a single injection of thyrotropin.
Preparation of glass ionomer cement using N-acryloyl-substituted amino acid monomers — Evaluation of physical properties

Objectives. The objectives of this study were (1) to develop polyacid formulations through the incorporation of amino acid-derived monomers with carboxylic acid groups at various distances away from the polymer backbone to allow for greater flexibility, less rigid ionic cluster formation and improved solubility, and (2) to test selected physical and handling properties of experimental ionomers with a conventional glass ionomer as a control. Methods. The polycarboxylic acids prepared and used in the glass ionomer formulation in this study included N-acryloylglutamic acid (AGA) and N-acryloyl-6-aminocaproic acid (AACA)-modified acrylic aciditaconic acid copolymers, where the acrylic acid: itaconic acid:amino acid monomers were combined in different proportions. The characterization and purity of the monomers were determined by FTIR and their melting points. The characterization of synthesized polymers included molecular weight and relative viscosity determinations. The compressive strengths, diametral tensile strengths, flexural strengths and fracture toughness of the experimental ionomers and a commercially available ionomer (control) were measured after storage in water, at 37°C for 1 h or 7 d. The working times and setting times of the experimental ionomers were compared to the control specimens. Separate analysis of variance and Tukey's tests were used to study the statistical significance of the physical strength parameters as a function of materials and storage times. Results. Significant increases (p<0.001) in diametral tensile, compressive, flexural strengths and fracture toughness were observed in the AGA co-polymers, while significant increases were observed in diametral and flexural strengths in the AACA co-polymers compared to the control Fuji II. The working and setting times of all except one experimental ionomer studied were comparable to the controls. Significance. The use of amino acid-modified acrylic monomers to produce water soluble copolymers of acrylic-itaconic acid offers a new route of discovery to produce chemical-cured glass ionomers with improved physical properties. The spacer chain length, the hydrophobicity of the chains, the molecular weight and viscosity of the polymer all played important roles in determining the physical properties of the material.
Complications following radioembolization with yttrium-90 microspheres: a comprehensive literature review.

The past decade has seen significant advancement in the locoregional management of liver tumors; novel and promising therapies such as transarterial chemoembolization, radioembolization, and radiofrequency ablation are now available. The development of new techniques and devices has led to the improved safety and efficacy profiles of external-beam radiation. Radioembolization with yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) microspheres has emerged as a safe and efficacious treatment modality for liver malignancies. The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive evidence-based review of the complications and adverse events that may be associated with radioembolization with 90 Y microspheres. Strategies to mitigate these adverse events are also discussed.
Care of the Adolescent with Spina Bifida

Myelodysplasia with attendant spinal dysraphic disorders can be and often is progressive. In addition to the neurologic deficit present since the prenatal period, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformations with hydromyelia, tethered cord syndrome, or combinations of one or all lead to changing functional ability and progressive deformities. With recent advances in neurologic monitoring and treatment, many of these deformities can be prevented from appearing or becoming destabilizing if the subtle signs are picked up and early intervention is provided. Advances in urologic surgery have also provided better control of continence in addition to reduced infections and renal destruction. This article reviews the monitoring and treatment considerations that have led to such a significant improvement in outcomes in patients who have myelodysplasia.
Expression of parental histone genes in the intergeneric hybrid Triticale hexaploide.

Triticale hexaploide, the intergeneric hybrid resulting from the cross of diploid rye (Secale cereale) and tetraploid wheat (Triticum durum), offers a unique opportunity for the study of the expression of genes which are derived from two dissimilar organisms but exist together in the same cells. I have investigated the expression of histone genes in triticale because the histones are an extensively studied class of proteins with individual components which range from being highly conservative in an evolutionary sense to being probably species specific. For example, the sequence of histone F2a1 from peas and cows differs in only two of 102 amino acids1, whereas different species of sea urchin have F1 histones of different electrophoretic mobilities2. I have found that in wheat, rye and triticale the evolutionarily conservative histones seem to be identical. There are, however, differences in the F1 histones of wheat and rye, and the gene for one of the wheat F1 histones is not expressed in the hybrid triticale.
IBD and the Gut Microbiota—from Bench to Personalized Medicine

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic relapsing inflammatory disorders involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which arise from the confluence of genetic, immunological, microbial, and environmental factors. Clinical, genetic, and experimental data support the role of gut microbiota in contributing to the etiopathogenesis of these diseases. In IBD, the development of gut dysbiosis and imbalances in host–microbe relationships contribute to the extent, severity, and chronicity of intestinal inflammation. With continued advances in knowledge, technology, bioinformatics tools, and capabilities to define disease subsets, we will be able to lower risk and improve clinical outcomes in IBD through individualized interventions that restore host–microbial balance. This article provides a critical review of the field, based on the latest clinical and experimental information.
Atomic Parity Violation and the Nuclear Anapole Moment

In 1957, T. D. Lee and C. N. Yang received the Nobel Prize in physics for their discovery that the basic forces of nature distinguish slightly between left and right. This parity violation means that in another universe, identical to our own but mirror-reversed, the laws of physics would be slightly different. In his Perspective, Haxton describes results presented in the same issue by Wood et al. (p. 1759) on high-precision measurement of this fundamental symmetry principle in cesium atoms. At the same time, the experiments have provided the first measurement of a long-sought phenomenon called the anapole moment, which results from parity violation coupling to an electromagnetic field. The precision of these observations is such that they now offer tests of the standard model of particle physics.
Novel myc oncogene RNA from abortive immunoglobulin-gene recombination in mouse plasmacytomas.

Abstract We have found that the myc oncogene has been modified by abortive recombination with the α heavy-chain immunoglobulin constant-region (C α ) gene in five different mouse plasmacytoma lines. Recombination occurred approximately 0.8–2.0 kb to the 5′ side of two distinct coding regions, defined by sequence homology between the chicken cellular and plasmacytoma myc genes. The myc and C α genes were always in opposite transcriptional orientation, with the recombination site within the C α switch region sequences. DNA recombination was found to correlate with the production of a novel 2.1 kb species of myc RNA that was 0.4 kb shorter than the normal cellular transcript. No elevated levels of myc RNA were evident, suggesting that DNA rearrangements have altered the myc oncogene product. This oncogene activation corresponds to the chromosomal translocations found in nearly all plasmacytomas.
Dynamic FT-IR spectroscopy of liquid crystals and polymer films

Step-scan and continuous-scan FT-IR methods have been used to investigate the molecular and sub-molecular dynamics of polymer and liquid crystal films in response to synchronously modulated (ac) mechanical and electric fields and to pulsed (dc) electric fields. In these experiments the relative response times of different components in copolymers and blends, and of different parts of the same liquid crystal molecule are inferred from the response times and/or phase lags observed for the characteristics functional group frequencies. The interpretation of the ac data is enhanced by 2-D frequency correlation analysis. Examples illustrated are of the dynamic polymer rheology of the SBS triblock copolymer KratonTM and of the electro-reorientation dynamics of the nematic liquid crystal 5PCH.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intronic and Exonic Sequences Modulate 5′ Splice Site Selection in Plant Nuclei

Pre-mRNA transcripts in a variety of organisms, including plants, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, contain introns which are significantly richer in adenosine and uridine residues than their flanking exons. Previous analyses using exonic and intronic replacements between two nonequivalent 5'splice sites in the 469 nt long rbcS3A intron 1 provided the first evidence indicating that, in both tobacco and Drosophila nuclei, 5'splice site selection is strongly influenced by the position of that site relative to the AU transition point between exon and intron. To differentiate between two potential models for 5'splice site recognition, we have expressed a completely different set of intronic and exonic replacement constructs containing identical 5'splice sites upstream of beta-conglycinin intron 4 (115 nt). Mutagenesis and deletion of the upstream 5'splice site demonstrate that intronic AU-rich sequences function by promoting recognition of the most upstream 5'splice site rather than by masking the downstream 5'splice site. Sequence insertions define a role for AG-rich exonic sequences in plant pre-mRNA splicing by demonstrating that an AG-rich element is capable of promoting downstream 5'splice site recognition. We conclude that AU-rich intronic sequences, AG-rich exonic sequences and the 5'splice site itself collectively define 5'intron boundaries in dicot nuclei.
The effect of a solar perturbation on a global climate model.

Abstract A quasi-three-dimensional global climate model is used to study the effect of a transient change in solar radiation on the model's climate. The solar constant is decreased abruptly by 5 percent in the 10th year of a 50-year run. It is then returned to its original value at increments of 1 percent per year. Although significant changes occur during the perturbation including a drop in the average global surface temperature of about 2.6 K, the long-term effects on the model's climate are small.
Unilateral reforms, trade blocs, and law of one price: MERCOSUR rice markets

The current study tests for the law of one price (LOP) in MERCOSUR rice markets and between the MERCOSUR and major rice exporters in the light of recent Argentinean and Brazilian unilateral reforms and regional integration. Johansen's multivariate cointegration testing procedures support the existence of the LOP in both instances in the post- (but not the pre-) unilateral reform and regional integration period. This is consistent with the notion that bloc and nonbloc members can both enjoy the benefits of unilateral reforms by a bloc member when the external bloc tariff is not prohibitive. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An in vitro and in vivo evaluation of the efficacy of recombinant human liver prolidase as a catalytic bioscavenger of chemical warfare nerve agents.

AbstractIn this study, we determined the ability of recombinant human liver prolidase to hydrolyze nerve agents in vitro and its ability to afford protection in vivo in mice. Using adenovirus containing the human liver prolidase gene, the enzyme was over expressed by 200- to 300-fold in mouse liver and purified to homogeneity by affinity and gel filtration chromatography. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed sarin, cyclosarin and soman with varying rates of hydrolysis. The most efficient hydrolysis was with sarin, followed by soman and by cyclosarin {apparent kcat/Km [(1.9 ± 0.3), (1.7 ± 0.2), and (0.45 ± 0.04)] × 105 M−1 min−1, respectively}; VX and tabun were not hydrolyzed by the recombinant enzyme. The enzyme hydrolyzed P (+) isomers faster than the P (−) isomers. The ability of recombinant human liver prolidase to afford 24 hour survival against a cumulative dose of 2 × LD50 of each nerve agent was investigated in mice. Compared to mice injected with a control virus, mice injected with the prolidase expres...
Measuring Inter-Particle Forces at an Interface with Optical Tweezers and a Long Working-Distance Objective Lens

An optical tweezer set up is used to measure the forces between polystyrene microspheres on the interface between mineral oil and water. The trap is controlled through Matlab Simulink and dSpaceControlDesk. The forces were found to follow a combination of Coulomb's law and dipole-dipole interaction, but for much less charge than is specified by the manufacturer to be on the surface of the microspheres. There is also a value given for the effective viscosity of the interface. A discussion on the design andmotivation for using a Bessel beam trap can be found in the appendix.
Ultraviolet-B Activates Components of the Systemin Signaling Pathway in Lycopersicon peruvianum Suspension-cultured Cells

Among the early responses of Lycopersicon peruvianum suspension-cultured cells to the polypeptide wound signal systemin are the alkalinization of the culture medium and the activation of a 48-kDa mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Here, we report that both responses are induced in the cells by exposure to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Suramin, an inhibitor of systemin receptor function, strongly inhibited the UV-B-induced medium alkalinization and MAPK activity. The UV-B response was also reduced when cells were initially treated with systemin or the systemin antagonist Ala-17-systemin, which competitively inhibits binding of systemin to the systemin receptor. Cells that were initially treated with either UV-B or systemin exhibited a strongly reduced response to a subsequent elicitation with systemin. The desensitization was transient, reaching a maximum at 30-60 min after the initial treatment. Several hours later, depending on the initial UV-B dose or systemin concentration, the cells regained their initial responsiveness. When cells were irradiated with low doses of UV-B and subsequently treated with systemin, the UV-B response reached levels higher than the response without UV-B treatment. The data provide evidence for an involvement of the systemin receptor and/or systemin-responsive signaling elements in the UV-B response.
Wellness: A Review of Theory and Measurement for Counselors

Wellness is considered the paradigm of counseling and development (J. E. Myers, 1991, 1992). However, researchers have failed to agree on a definition or on the dimensional structure of wellness. Furthermore, existing quantitative wellness instruments are inadequate for capturing the complexity of wellness. The author reviews wellness theory and proposes an integrated definition of the construct. Existing wellness assessment instruments are explored along with advancements in research, theory, and measurement. Finally, implications for counseling and assessment are addressed.
Transmission-constrained intrahour coordination of wind and pumped-storage hydro units

This study proposes a coordination methodology for wind and pumped-storage hydro (PS) units in the day-ahead operation planning of power systems. PS units that can store the extra wind energy will improve the dispatchability of variable wind energy for delivering hourly firmed energy to a power grid. With coordination, the PS unit can offset intrahour wind energy imbalances (i.e. deviations from hourly schedules) and minimise wind energy curtailments. The proposed coordination, which is incorporated into the transmission-constrained unit commitment, can be used by a vertically integrated utility or an independent system operator. The concept of intrahour wind energy imbalances and the wind-PS coordination is illustrated using two case studies. The numerical results for the 6-bus and the IEEE 118-bus system include case studies with and without the coordination of PS and wind generation units. The results that include the intrahour variability of real-time wind speed show the applicability of the proposed wind-PS coordination approach to the short-term power system operation.
Distant metastases in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a multivariate analysis of prognostic variables.

From a cohort of 988 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma receiving primary surgical treatment between 1946 and 1970, we studied the 85 (9%) patients who had distant metastases diagnosed during life. Clinically detected metastases were found in 7% of the 859 patients with papillary cancers, 19% of the 100 patients with follicular cancers, and 34% of the 29 patients with Hurthle cell cancers. The total experience amounted to 607 patient-years of observation after the diagnosis of metastases, with a median follow-up in the 12 survivors of 23 yr (range, 13-32 yr). At the time of first diagnosis of metastases, the lungs only were involved in 53%, and bones only in 20%; 16% had multiple organ involvement. The overall mortality rates 5 and 10 yr after the diagnosis of metastases were 65% and 75%, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of all deaths were directly attributable to thyroid cancer; 82% of cancer deaths occurred within 5 yr. By univariate analysis, patient age, tumor extent, pattern of lung involvement, radioiodine uptake of the metastases, and radioiodine treatment were significant prognostic factors. By multivariate analysis, only age (as a continuous variable) at the time of first diagnosis of distant metastases (P less than 0.0001) and involvement of multiple organ sites (P = 0.0003) were independently associated with cancer mortality. The survival at 5 yr in 12 patients aged less than 40 yr with only a single organ involved was 92%. Older patients (aged greater than or equal to 40 yr) with a single metastasis (n = 59) had a lower survival (38% at 5 yr). The highest risk of cancer death (92% at 5 yr) was found in the 14 patients (any age) who at the time of first diagnosis of metastases had multiple organ involvement. The Cox regression model suggested that radioiodine therapy did not have a significant influence on survival, after adjusting for age and extent of metastatic involvement.
Progressive induction of beta-glucuronidase in individual kidney epithelial cells.

The magnitude and kinetics of β-glucuronidase induction in mouse kidney are determined by a cis-acting regulatory gene, Gus-r, that is closely linked to the enzyme structural gene. The accumulation of β-glucuronidase mRNA during induction is much slower than the turnover time of the mRNA, suggesting progressive acquisition of mRNA synthesizing capacity during induction. Counts of the numbers of induced cells present at various times of induction in strains carrying three different alleles of Gus-r show that all potentially responsive cells respond immediately. The level of induction is progressive in individual cells and does not involve continued recruitment of new cells into the induced population. It appears that during induction each chromosome becomes progressively more active in directing the synthesis of β-glucuronidase.
Electrospray mass spectra of three proprietary detergents

We have determined the major ingredients of the commercially available reagents M-PER, Y-PER, and B-PER from Pierce Chemical Co. using electrospray mass spectrometry. These three proprietary reagents have been widely used in the biochemical community as cell membrane dissolving tools during the initial step of protein purification. However, the identity and mechanism of these reagents remained unknown. In this paper, we identified these reagents as 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate, N-tetradecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate, and n-octyl-beta-d-thioglucopyranoside, respectively. In addition, we wish to stress here the increasing importance of the role of electrospray mass spectrometry in the analysis of such proprietary biological preparations which are increasingly finding their way into the biochemical literature.
‘There’s this thing in our family’: predictive testing and the construction of risk for Huntington Disease

Recent approaches to the new genetics stress the importance of placing hereditary risk within the context of familial beliefs and dynamics. Nonetheless, few empirical studies on predictive genetic testing have explored the meaning and significance of hereditary risk within everyday life. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 21 families, this paper examines the social construction of hereditary risk for one adult onset disorder, Huntington Disease. Highlighting the social, biographical and temporal factors that families consider when discussing risk and its modification through predictive genetic testing, we find that Mendelian theories of inheritance seldom provide an adequate framework. Such objectified knowledge makes sense on an abstract level but is ultimately inadequate for describing the fluctuating relevance of risk as it develops within the nexus of familial relations.
Reconstitution of Recombinant Human Replication Factor C (RFC) and Identification of an RFC Subcomplex Possessing DNA-dependent ATPase Activity

Replication factor C (RFC) is a five-subunit protein complex required for coordinate leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis during S phase and DNA repair in eukaryotic cells. It functions to load the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a processivity factor for polymerases delta and epsilon, onto primed DNA templates. This process, which is ATP-dependent, is carried out by 1) recognition of the primer terminus by RFC () binding to and disruption of the PCNA trimer, and then 3) topologically linking the PCNA to the DNA. In this report, we describe the purification and properties of recombinant human RFC expressed in Sf9 cells from baculovirus expression vectors. Like native RFC derived from 293 cells, recombinant RFC was found to support SV40 DNA synthesis and polymerase delta DNA synthesis in vitro and to possess an ATPase activity that was highly stimulated by DNA and further augmented by PCNA. Assembly of RFC was observed to involve distinct subunit interactions in which both the 36- and 38-kDa subunits interacted with the 37-kDa subunit, and the 40-kDa subunit interacted with the 36-kDa subunit-37-kDa subunit subcomplex. The 140-kDa subunit was found to require interactions primarily with the 38- and 40-kDa subunits for incorporation into the complex. In addition, a stable subcomplex lacking the 140-kDa subunit, although defective for DNA replication, was found to possess DNA-dependent ATPase activity that was not responsive to the addition of PCNA.
Evaluating program representation in a demonstrational visual shell

For Programming by Demonstration (PBD) systems to reach their full potential, some way of representing programs is necessary so that programs can be viewed, edited and shared. How to represent programs, especially in a way that is easy for non-programmers to understand, is an open question. We designed and implemented two representation languages for a PBD desktop similar to the Apple Macintosh Finder. The first language is based on the comic-strip metaphor and graphically depicts the effects of a program on data. The second language is text-based and describes the actions of a program. A user study revealed that both languages enabled non-programmers generate and comprehend programs containing loops, variables and conditionals. Moreover, the study revealed that the comic-strip language doubled users’ abilities to accurately generate programs. Trends suggest that the same language was also easier for users to comprehend. These findings suggest that it is possible for a PBD system to enable non-programmers to construct programs and that the form of the representation can impact the PBD system’s effectiveness.
Federal antitrust enforcement: A principal-agent perspective

This paper offers a critical examination of the appropriateness of the traditional principal-agent model in describing the relationship between the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and its congressional oversight committees. After studying the institutional reality of congressional oversight, I extend the traditional principal-agent model to incorporate both the Antitrust Division and the President as important players in the determination of federal antitrust policy. My empirical analysis of Antitrust Division enforcement trends covers almost four decades, from 1950 through the end of the Reagan administration. The results provide substantial evidence that the property rights of the congressional oversight committees are seriously attenuated, leaving open the possibly for bureaucratic discretion.
Quantum tunneling times: A new solution compared to 12 other methods

A variety of different theoretical procedures have been used to determine tunneling times. These include (1) phase time; (2) the Stevens procedure; (3) Larmor times; (4) a complex “time”; (5) dwell time; (6) the Buttikker-Landauer time; (7) Feynman path-integrals; (8) scattering theory; (9) a stochastic formulation; (10) oscillatory perturbation of the barrier; (11) kinetic time; and (12) the semiclassical solution. Interest in tunneling times is not purely pedagogical, since correction for changes in image potential during transit is required in determining the conductance of several new high-speed semiconductor devices. A new procedure to evaluate transit time is presented, which assumes that energy fluctuations keep a tunneling particle above the barrier while transiting the classically forbidden region. For large rectangular barriers, the most probable fluctuations minimize the product of their magnitude and the transit time. This results in the semiclassical solution. For the case of very small barriers, there is a separate solution in which the transit time is indeterminate but bounded. The new solution is compared with 12 different results by others. Numerical values, limiting forms, and interpretations are presented for these various tunneling times. Difficulties in using time domain numerical solutions to determine the transit time for a wave packet will also be described. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Particle swarm optimization to determine conjointly well localized MLTs

This paper explores the use of the recently proposed particle swarm optimization method to determine conjointly time-frequency well localized filters that constitute a multi-channel perfect reconstruction system. The time-frequency measure used to determine optimality is the product of a filter's time and frequency variances. The particle swarm optimization method will be shown to be an effective and efficient method to determine conjointly well localized filters of complex modulated lapped transforms. The complex modulated lapped transform optimized by the particle swarm optimization method is used to decompose an image. The output of the analysis filters of the optimized complex modulated lapped transform illustrates that it is the best space-frequency localized decomposition of the original image.
Searching for supersymmetry in rare B decays

We quantify the ability of B-Factories to observe supersymmetric contributions to the rare decays B ! Xs and B ! Xsl + l . A global t to the Wilson coecients which contribute to these decays is performed from Monte Carlo generated data on B(B ! Xs )a nd the kinematic distributions associated with the nal state lepton pair in B! Xsl + l .T hist is then compared to supersymmetric predictions. Evaluation of the Wilson coecients is carried out with several dierent patterns of the superpartner spectrum. We nd thatB-Factories will be able to probe regions of the SUSY parameter space not accessible to LEP II, the Tevatron, and perhaps the LHC. We also employ the recent NLO calculation of the matrix elements for B ! Xs and nd the bound mH > 300 GeV in two-Higgs-doublet models using present data.
Modified spherical harmonics method for solving the radiative transport equation

A new effective approach to solving the three-dimensional radiative transport equation with an arbitrary phase function is proposed. The solution depends on eigenvectors and eigenvalues of several symmetrical tridiagonal matrices of infinite size. The matrices must be truncated and diagonalized numerically. Then, given eigenvectors and eigenvalues of these matrices, the dependence of the solution on position and direction is found analytically. The approach is based on expanding the angular part of the specific intensity in q-dependent spherical functions for each spatial Fourier component characterized by the vector q. Apart from the truncation of the matrices, no other approximations are made.
Enhanced machining of steel using femtosecond pulse pairs

In this study we report on the ablation of steel using femtosecond double-pulse trains. Double-pulse trains with pulse-to-pulse separations between 1 ps and 1 ns were used to machine micro-channels in a steel sample. The depths of the laser-ablated channels were measured to characterize the efficiency of the ablation process. Results show that using a double-pulse train with an optimal separation time dramatically increases the ablation depth and does not deposit unwanted material that may require additional post-processing of the machined surface.
Cutting Edge: TFII-I Controls B Cell Proliferation via Regulating NF-κB

The multifunctional transcription factor TFII-I physically and functionally interacts with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase in murine B cells. However, the downstream functions of TFII-I in B cells are unknown. Toward achieving this goal, we established stable posttranscriptional silencing of TFII-I in WEHI-231 immature murine B cells, which undergoes growth arrest and apoptosis either upon anti-IgM or TGF-β signaling. In this study, we show that TFII-I promotes growth arrest of cells in a signal-dependent manner. Unlike control cells, B cells exhibiting loss of TFII-I function fail to undergo arrest upon signaling due to up-regulation of c-Myc expression and concomitant down-regulation of both p21 and p27. Loss of TFII-I is also associated with simultaneous increase in nuclear c- rel and decrease in p50 homodimer binding. Thus, besides controlling c- myc transcription, TFII-I controls B cell proliferation by regulating both nuclear translocation of c- rel and DNA-binding activity of p50 NF-κB.
Thiamine phosphate metabolism and possible coenzyme-independent functions of thiamine in brain.

— The effect of depolarization of rat brain cortex slices on the relative distribution of thiamine among its various phosphate esters and on the efflux of thiamine was studied as a probe of possible coenzyme-independent neurophysiological functions of thiamine. Electrical pulses for 30 min increased lactate production but did not affect the levels of thiamine esters. Depolarization with 41 mM-potassium decreased thiamine diphosphate by only 3 percent (P= 0.05). Thiamine triphosphate levels (TTP) were unaffected by depolarization but doubled during incubation for 1 h in which time efflux of 40 percent of the total thiamine from the slices as unesterified thiamine occurred. Depolarization by potassium released a small but highly variable portion of the thiamine content of superfused cortex slices above the basal rate of efflux. The basal efflux was partially sodium dependent. Thiamine efflux was unaffected by acetylcholine, ouabain, or tetrodotoxin, compounds previously reported to increase thiamine efflux. The incorporation of 32P1 into the endogenous thiamine phosphates of cortex slices was studied. Incorporation into thiamine diphosphate reached only 20 percent of the specific activity of its precursor, ATP, after 2h of incubation while the incorporation into TTP approached equilibrium with ATP in 15-30 min indicating that the TTP pool was the most rapidly turning over of the thiamine phosphates. The data suggest that only a small portion of the TDP pool undergoes rapid turnover and serves as a precursor for TTP. The rapid turnover of TTP phosphoryl groups is consistent with specific functions for this compound related to its potential for phosphorylation reactions. An analog of TTP with the β, γ oxygen bridge replaced by a methylene group decreased TDP levels and increased thiamine when incubated with cortex slices, but did not effect thiamine monophosphate or triphosphate levels indicating inhibition of thiamine pyrophosphokinase.