cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Excretion of Phenol Red by the Aglomerular Kidney.

SummaryWhen phenol red is injected intramuscularly into toadfish in doses of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.16 mg. per kg. of body weight, the % elimination from these doses is 47, 23.5, 13.9, 7.3 and 3.5, respectively. Based on body weight of the fish, this elimination amounts to 0.0047, 0.0047, 0.0054, 0.0057 and 0.0056 mg. per kg. Through this series, increasing the injected dose up to 16 times, increases the mg. per kg. elimination by not more than one-fifth. In other words the excretion remains practically constant.
Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty: trends in use in ambulatory and inpatient settings

Abstract Background context Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are a substantial health concern. Kyphoplasty (KP) and vertebroplasty (VP) are vertebral augmentation procedures (VAPs) used to treat VCFs. Purpose To compare VP and KP patient demographics and evaluate inpatient and outpatient utilization trends. Study design Retrospective analysis of patient demographics, and inpatient and outpatient utilization trends, from California, New York, and Florida inpatient and ambulatory discharge databases. Methods Hospitalizations for VP and KP were identified from California, New York, and Florida inpatient and ambulatory discharge databases from 2005 to 2008. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis codes for pathologic, dorsal, and lumbar fracture of vertebrae were cross-referenced with ICD-9 procedure codes and Current Procedural Terminology codes to select the population. Patients younger than 40 years or those who underwent both procedures were excluded. Results The final population contained 61,851 VAPs (35,805 KPs and 26,046 VPs). Kyphoplasty showed increased inpatient and outpatient utilization. Vertebroplasty utilization remained at a low level of 6/100,000 capita. Kyphoplasty patients had more comorbidities than VP patients. In Florida in 2008, radiologists performed most VPs (52.3%) and orthopedists performed the most KPs (35.45%). Postoperative complication rates were significantly different; 0.79% of KPs had cardiac complications versus 0.57% of VPs (p=.0073). Respiratory complications occurred in 0.83% of KPs and 0.49% of VPs (p Conclusions Vertebral augmentation procedures have seen a continued increase in use from 2004 to 2008. Use of KP significantly outpaces the use of VP. Reasons for the increasing utilization of KP likely include financial incentives, the specialty performing KP, perceived safety, and effectiveness of vertebral height restoration. Conflicting evidence regarding which procedure is safer warrants further evaluation.
Food restriction-like effects of dehydroepiandrosterone: decreased lymphocyte numbers and functions with increased apoptosis.

Both dietary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and food restriction can prevent or modulate the initiation or progression of a number of diseases in rodents and prolong life span. We sought to determine if these interventions have common mechanisms of action in regulating lymphocyte functions and cell numbers. We observed that male C57BL/6 mice receiving DHEA in the diet (0.45%, w/w) ate approximately 50% as much food as mice on the DHEA-free diet, and this was reflected in decreased body weights throughout a 10-week period. Mice either fed the DHEA-containing diet or pair-fed to the DHEA-treated mice had decreased spleen and thymus weights and lymphocyte cell numbers compared to mice having free access to the control diet. Mice were fed these diets for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after exposure to sublethal irradiation (500 cGy). In mice fed DHEA or pair-fed, there was a decrease in spleen cell numbers, and B cells were the most severely affected. The frequency of apoptosis in peripheral blood cells increased from 50% within 4 days after starting DHEA or pair-feeding. Shortly after irradiation, >87% of blood lymphocytes were hypodiploid (apoptotic) in all groups. By 9 days only 27% of lymphocytes in mice on the control diet were hypodiploid compared to 62% in DHEA and 74% in pair-fed mice. In addition, both DHEA and pair-fed mice had significant reductions in T-cell function (contact hypersensitivity to dinitrofluorobenzene), B cell function (antibody response to trinitrophenolated-lipopolysaccharide), and NK cell function (lung clearance of radiolabeled YAC-1 tumor cells) 2 weeks after irradiation. In a complementary study, peripheral blood lymphocytes from naive mice were treated overnight with various concentrations of either DHEA or hydrocortisone 21-acetate. Only glucocorticoid-treated cells underwent apoptosis. Thus, DHEA induces apoptosis in vivo but not in vitro. We conclude that dietary DHEA induces apoptosis and decreased lymphocyte production and function in C57BL/6 mice largely by reducing food intake.
A Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein associated with host cell penetration has unusual charge asymmetry.

Abstract The monoclonal antibody Tg 49 both recognizes a Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein (ROP1) and inhibits penetration enhancing factor. The latter is a proteinaceous factor found in Toxoplasma lysates or conditioned media that increases the efficiency with which parasites invade host cells. Tg49 was used to screen a λgt11 cDNA library and the clone obtained was identified as the cognate gene for ROP1 by several criteria: (1) recombinant protein reacted with the monoclonal; (2) antiserum against the recombinant reacted with the same bands on Western blots as did Tg 49; and (3) antiserum against the recombinant recognized a protein in the rhoptries. The ROP1 gene is a single copy gene with a message of approximately 2.1 kb. The predicted polypeptide sequence of ROP1 shows an unusual charge and amino acid asymmetry. There is a highly acidic, proline-rich domain in the amino-terminal portion of the predicted protein, followed by a strongly basic carboxy-terminal domain. An octapeptide repeat is found almost midway through the peptide sequence toward the end of the acidic domain. The ROP1 gene was expressed in a bacterial system, and the resulting polypeptide exhibited anomalous migration on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Given that Tg49 inhibits penetration enhancing factor, it seems likely that the ROP1 protein is a component of that factor, and that the unusual sequence of this protein plays some role in host cell penetration by T. gondii .
Neurochemical basis of the action of antidepressants on learned helplessness.

Learned helplessness, an animal model of depression, could be prevented by administration of desipramine only into the frontal neocortex, hippocampus, or lateral geniculate body, by administration of GABA only into these same areas, or by norepinephrine injected only into the hippocampus. It could be reversed by desipramine in the frontal neocortex, GABA in either the hippocampus or lateral geniculate body, or by serotonin in the frontal neocortex or septum. Other brain areas were inactive. The reversal of learned helplessness by cortical desipramine restored a deficit in septal release of serotonin and could be prevented by administration of bicuculline into the hippocampus but not the lateral geniculate body. These data are consistent with two types of desipramine-sensitive cells, one regulating a GABA-modulated release of serotonin in the septum, and the other regulating a GABA-modulated release of norepinephrine in the hippocampus. These mechanisms are proposed for the antidepressant actions of desipramine.
Pest-Control Products: Reading Warnings and Purchasing Intentions

This research is part of a large study examining people's perceptions of household pest-control products. Described in this report are the variables associated with peoples' willingness to read warnings on these products and the variables associated with likelihood to purchase. Two subject samples, comprised of 70 undergraduates and 20 adults, examined 22 pest-control products and responded to a questionnaire assessing perceptions of the products, the packaging, and the warnings. Results showed that product hazardousness, warning understandability, and warning attractiveness strongly related to subjects willingness to read the warnings. Unexpectedly, readability analyses indicated subjects would more likely read warnings with more sentences/statements and written at higher grade levels. A different set of variables was related to purchasing intentions. Subjects reported greater willingness to purchase products that were more familiar and which had more attractive packaging. Regression analyses were also p...
Charm quark energy loss at RHIC

Heavy quark energy loss in a hot QCD plasma is computed taking into account the competing effects due to suppression of zeroth order gluon radiation below the plasma frequency and the enhancement of gluon radiation due to first order medium induced bremsstrahlung. The results suggest a surprising degree of cancellation between the two medium effects for charm quarks and provide a possible explanation for the null effect observed by PHENIX in the prompt electron spectrum in Au+Au at √s = 130 AGeV. In this paper only the main results for heavy quark energy loss will be presented. For more detailed version see [1] and references therein.
The activity of the pneumococcal autolytic system and the fate of the bacterium during ingestion by rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

The extent to which autolytic microbial enzymes are involved in the fate of microorganisms ingested by phagocytes has not been determined. It is known, however, that activation of degradative enzymes occurs during certain microbicidal events. We examined the possible role of the pneumococcal autolytic enzyme (an N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase) in the loss of viability and degradation of pneumococci during phagocytosis by rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Three bacterial systems were compared: (a) wild type pneumococci with an active autolytic system; (b) wild type bacteria grown under conditions that block the endogenous autolytic activity and (c) a mutant strain defective in the major autolytic enzyme of this bacterium. No differences could be detected between the autolysis-positive and negative bacteria in the rate of killing and in the fate of macromolecular cell constitutents during ingestion by rabbit peritoneal polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
A perceptually based adaptive sampling algorithm

A perceptually based approach for selecting image samples has been developed. An existing image processing vision model has been extended to handle color and has been simplified to run efficiently. The resulting new image quality model was inserted into an image synthesis program by first modifying the rendering algorithm so that it computed a wavelet representation. In addition to allowing image quality to be determined as the image was generated, the wavelet representation made it possible to use statistical information about the spatial frequency distribution of natural images to estimate values where samples were yet to be taken. Tests on the image synthesis algorithm showed that it correctly handled achromatic and chromatic spatial detail and that it was able predict and compensate for masking effects. The program was also shown to produce images of equivalent visual quality while using different rendering techniques. CR
Polymer-quantum dot-carbon nanotube composites formation under visible light irradiation

Abstract A facile method for preparation of polymer-CdSe quantum dot (QD)-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite under visible light irradiation is described. This photochemical method for such composite formation is based on a photoinduced hole transfer from the CdSe core to the ligand resulting in the formation of polymeric quantum dots on the surface of the CNT. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) methods were used to confirm the formation of thiophene based polymer-QD-CNT composites. The composites maintain the quantum confinement characteristics of the CdSe nanoparticle, retaining its broad absorption in the spectrum of the sun. The composites thus produced can, therefore, be potentially used as the absorbing material in photovoltaic cells.
"Quantum cascade lasers: widely tailorable light sources for the mid- to far-infrared and their applications"

The unipolar nature of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) combined with the capabilities of electronic and photonic bandstructure engineering leads to unprecedented design flexibility and functionality for a variety of applications. The author first reviews the state-of-the art performance across the mid-IR and far-IR spectrum and advances in commercial applications. Recent exciting developments on new coherent light sources with an active nonlinear medium that combines internal pumping with a giant resonant optical nonlinearity to achieve high conversion efficiency (second harmonic generators, Raman lasers, etc) will be presented. The talk concludes with a discussion of terahertz, ultrabroadband, and "holey"/photonic crystal QCLs along with potential applications
Bayesian ANN estimates of three-class ideal observer decision variables for classification of mammographic masses

We are using Bayesian artificial neural networks (BANNs) to classify mammographic masses. We investigated whether a BANN can estimate ideal observer decision variables to distinguish malignant, benign, and false-positive computer detections. Five features were calculated for 143 malignant and 125 benign mass lesions, and for 1049 false-positive computer detections, in 596 mammograms randomly divided into a training and testing set. A BANN was trained on the training set features and applied to the testing set features. We then used a known relation between three-class ideal observer decision variables and that used by a two-class ideal observer when two of three classes are grouped into one class, giving one decision variable for distinguishing malignant from non-malignant detections, and a second for distinguishing true-positive from false-positive computer detections. For comparison, we pooled the training data into two classes in the same two ways and trained two-class BANNs for these two tasks. The three-class BANN decision variables were essentially identical in performance to the specifically trained two-class BANNS. This is consistent with the theoretical observation that three-class ideal observer decision variables are directly related to those used by a two-class ideal observer.
A screening study of the treatability of dioxins and furans in bleach plant filtrates and mill wastewaters

Abstract Findings are presented of a study to provide the pulp and paper industry with basic data regarding the feasibility for treatment of bleach plant filtrates or combined treated mill effluents for 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF reduction.
Education and support needs of younger and older cancer survivors.

Abstract This study examined the use, satisfaction with, and need for cancer education and support services in northeastern Pennsylvania. Responses of 243 younger survivors (40 to 64 years) were compared with 295 older survivors (≥65 years). Programs attended and desired were related to cancer type and age. The almost 20% of respondents who had attended programs, primarily younger survivors, expressed high levels of satisfaction. Younger survivors reported non-attendance because of lack of interest. Older survivors' non-attendance reasons included difficulty with travel (N = 259, χ 2 = 12.081, p = .002), no identified need for information, and dislike for time of offerings (evenings). Education/support programs should be targeted to the age of people being served, as well as incidence, prevalence, expected trajectory, and prognosis of cancer types in the service area.
Perception and Presentation of Function in Patients with Unilateral Versus Bilateral Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective Lower extremity functional performance and perception of functional abilities influence clinical management in people diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in perception of function and performance during functional tasks between individuals with unilateral and bilateral knee OA. Methods The functional abilities of patients with symptomatic and radiographic diagnosed unilateral (n = 84) or bilateral (n = 68) knee OA were evaluated with self-report measures and performance-based tests. Self-report measures included the Knee Outcome Survey, the Global Rating Scale, and the physical component of the Short Form 36 health survey; functional tests included the Timed Up-and-Go Test, the Stair Climbing Test, and the 6-Minute Walk Test. Multivariate analyses of variance were performed separately for men and women to determine if perception (self-report measures) and performance (functional tests) were dependent on the number of involved knees. Results No significant main effects were observed in functional performance between groups for either sex. Similarly, the perception measures did not differ between groups. In general, individuals diagnosed with unilateral and bilateral knee OA both performed functional tasks and perceived their functional ability similarly. Conclusion Regardless of the number of involved knees, individuals with knee OA perform and perceive their functional ability similarly, which suggests that clinicians need to consider other factors, such as how long the disease has been progressing or how functional abilities have changed, when treating patients with knee OA.
Trimodal velocity distributions of nitric oxide for ultraviolet photodissociation of CH3ONO adsorbed on Ag(111)

Abstract The photodissociation of ⩽1.0 monolayer methyl nitrite adsorbed on Ag(111) has been studied by angle- and mass-resolved time-of-flight spectrometry. Irradiation with 248 or 351 nm photons leads to ejection of NO with three translational energy components; the fast component is peaked away from the surface normal. The angular distribution of the ejected NO depends on the initial coverage and photolysis wavelength. A direct excitation mechanism is invoked for all three components; the fast molecules are directly ejected, the intermediate speed molecules have undergone one collision, and the slow molecules have undergone several collisions.
Antifungal Dose Adjustment in Renal and Hepatic Dysfunction: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Considerations

Adjusting the dose of antifungal agents for renal and hepatic impairment can be challenging given that clinicians must rely on limited pharmacokinetic data to derive specific regimens. These pharmacokinetic studies are typically performed in a small number of patients without invasive fungal infection, and results are not often reported in concert with accepted pharmacodynamic indices. This article aims to review pertinent pharmacokinetic studies of antifungal drugs in patients with renal or hepatic dysfunction. The impact of novel continuous renal replacement therapy techniques on the pharmacokinetic disposition of antifungal agents will also be described where data are available. Subsequently, this review provides recommendations for antifungal drug dosing in patients with kidney or liver dysfunction after accounting for established or emerging pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships as they relate to antifungal drug efficacy in vivo.
Histologic evaluation of the width of soft tissue necrosis adjacent to carbon dioxide laser incisions

This study evaluated the width of tissue necrosis lateral to carbon dioxide laser incisions on human intraoral excisional biopsy specimens. Measurements were made on specimens including epithelium, muscle, dense and loose connective tissue, and salivary gland. Results showed a mean width of tissue necrosis of 86 microns in epithelium, 85 microns in muscle, 51 microns in loose connective tissue, 96 microns in dense connective tissue, and 41 microns in salivary gland. The range of thermal necrosis in different tissue types is probably based on the water content within each type. A cellular partially homogenized zone of reversible thermal damage up to 500 microns in width was visible adjacent to the zone of thermal necrosis. The relatively narrow width of tissue necrosis with this technique may account for the claimed superior properties of laser-induced wounds compared with those created by electrosurgery.
Role of initiation factors in the control of T4-specific protein synthesis☆

Abstract Initiation factors for protein synthesis present in uninfected cells of Escherichia coli bind ribosomes and fMet-tRNA f only to the light strand of T4 DNA (which contains the same nucleotide sequences as messenger RNA for “early” T4 genes). Initiation factors isolated after T4 infection bind ribosomes and fMet-tRNA f only to the heavy strand of T4 DNA (which contains the same nucleotide sequences as mRNA for “late” T4 genes). Thus, translational control in phage T4 seems to involve modification or replacement of host initiation factors. The washed ribosomes appear to play no role in this control of translation.
Infrared and Raman Selection Rules for Lattice Vibrations: The Correlation Method:

With the recent growth in interest in the ir and Raman spectra of crystals, it has become very important to know which vibrational modes are optically active. Hornig, Winston and Halford, and Bhagavantam and Venkatarayudu pioneered in developing methods for this. However, heretofore the determination has been a laborious procedure fraught with difficulty and with many points of indecision. Among the latter is the choice of the primitive cell and the correct site symmetry of each atom. What is needed is a short, straightforward, foolproof method. We propose here an alternate procedure for obtaining the activity of the vibrations from the correlation tables which comes close to meeting these goals. The calculation is reduced to but a few minutes' work. The method will be explained in detail by use of numerous examples.
Embryonic Stem Cells: Expanding the Analysis

(2002). Embryonic Stem Cells: Expanding the Analysis. The American Journal of Bioethics: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 40-41.
Diagnosing HIV-related disease: using the CD4 count as a guide

OBJECTIVE: To summarize current information on the relation between CD4 counts and the risk of different HIV-related diseases.
Microtubules and possible microtubule nucleation centers in the cortex of stomatal cells as visualized by high voltage electron microscopy

Thick sections of fixed, embedded stomatal cells ofPhleum pratense were examined using high voltage electron microscopy and stereological procedures. The cortex of guard cells and subsidiary cells throughout differentiation contains numerous microtubules adjacent to the plasmalemma. Although microtubules are usually aligned in one net direction, individual microtubules may diverge from this orientation in various ways, producing anastomosing or crossed arrays. Also present in the cortex of both guard and subsidiary cells are collections of membranous elements and amorphous material upon which microtubules seem to focus, terminate or overlap. Such structures may constitute microtubule nucleation centers. The significance of these observations is discussed in terms of the control of microtubule development, wall microfibril deposition and cell morphogenesis.
Developmental effects on the adolescent of a temporary ileostomy

Abstract Adolescence is an exciting time of transition, as the child breaks away from a dependent role and establishes an independent adult identity. Adolescents vacillate between dependence and independence as they meet the daily challenges of growing up. The adolescent with a chronic illness, however, may find dependence thrust upon him or her by physical condition and health care needs. This article describes how a temporary ileostomy can interfere with the adolescent's ability to master developmental tasks. Initial findings from semi-structured interviews of four teenage boys provide evidence of the effects of a temporary ileostomy on an adolescent's psychosocial development.
Stress-associated immune modulation: relevance to viral infections and chronic fatigue syndrome

The frequent association of an active viral infection with the symptoms of CFS led researchers to hypothesize that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is induced by a virus. Results of these studies indicated that despite clinical support for this hypothesis, there were no clear data linking viruses to CFS. In this overview, we will explore the interrelation of the immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems, and the possibility that stress and/or the reactivation/replication of a latent virus (such as Epstein Barr virus) could modulate the immune system to induce CFS. Relevant research conducted in the developing field of psychoneuroimmunology will be reviewed, with a particular focus on cytokine synthesis, natural killer (NK) cell activity, and T-lymphocyte function, as they relate to CFS.
Effects of limited irrigation on lettuce and chinese cabbage yields

Yield response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. Group pekinensis) to eight different drip irrigation rates was determined in 1980–1984 at Lalamilo, Hawaii. Treatments were arranged in a gradient irrigation design replicated three times and were irrigated daily with amounts ranging from 0.76 mm to 6.09 mm. Yield response from a 0 treatment, equal to rainfall, was also measured. Marketable yield increased linearly with increased water application up to 49.7 Mg/ha for lettuce and 73.1 Mg/ha for Chinese cabbage with an associated seasonal evapotranspiration of 205 mm and 209 mm for lettuce and Chinese cabbage, respectively. The relationship between deficit relative yield (yield divided by maximum yield) and deficit relative evapotranspiration (evapotranspiration divided by maximum evapotranspiration) was linear with a deficit response coefficient of 1.07 for lettuce and 1.35 for Chinese cabbage. Marketable percentage of total potential biomass production decreased linearly with a decrease in marketable yield. Lettuce head size also decreased linearly with a decrease in marketable yield. Water use efficiency (yield divided by water applied) was 24 and 36 kg/m3 of water for lettuce and Chinese cabbage, respectively.
On uniformly valid high-frequency far-field asymptotic solutions of the Helmholtz equation

An asymptotic, large wave number approximation for the Helmholtz equation is derived. The theory is an extension of the geometric acoustic theory, and provides corrections to that theory in the form of multiplicative functions which satisfy parabolic equations. A simple example is used both to illustrate failure of the geometric theory for large propagation distances, and to show the improvement obtained by use of the new theory.
Prescriptive scientific narratives for communicating usable science

In this paper I describe how a narrative approach to science communication may help audiences to more fully understand how science is relevant to their own lives and behaviors. The use of prescriptive scientific narrative can help to overcome challenges specific to scientific concepts, especially the need to reconsider long-held beliefs in the face of new empirical findings. Narrative can captivate the audience, driving anticipation for plot resolution, thus becoming a self-motivating vehicle for information delivery. This quality gives narrative considerable power to explain complex phenomena and causal processes, and to create and reinforce memory traces for better recall and application over time. Because of the inherent properties of narrative communication, their creators have a special responsibility to ensure even-handedness in selection and presentation of the scientific evidence. The recent transformation in communication and information technology has brought about new platforms for delivering content, particularly through interactivity, which can use structured self-tailoring to help individuals most efficiently get exactly the content that they need. As with all educational efforts, prescriptive scientific narratives must be evaluated systematically to determine whether they have the desired effects in improving understanding and changing behavior.
An isotopic tracer study of carbon formation in hydrocarbon flames

Abstract In the course of an attempt to investigate experimentally the hypothesis that acetylene is the last stable precursor to carbon in rich premixed hydrocarbon flames, the isotopic composition of the carbon (or soot) formed in closed bomb explosion flames of propane-2-13C has been studied. The results show definitely that carbon does not arise preferentially from a two-carbon piece of the fuel molecule; that is, if acetylene polymerization-decomposition is the actual mechanism of carbon formation, then the acetylene does not contain a carbon pair of the propane and must arise by a process more complicated than simple degradation of the fuel. Isotopic analyses of gaseous products show that methane and carbon monoxide come equally from all three carbon atoms of the propane, and that the acetylene remaining does in fact contain a nearly random isotope distribution, such as would result from its synthesis in the flame from single-carbon radicals. The composition of other products is given. As a test of whether carbon monoxide participates in carbon formation in hydrocarbon flames, possibly by reaction with existing nuclei, 13CO was burnt in an ordinary propane flame. Neither the carbon collected nor the gaseous products, except carbon dioxide, contained 13C in significant excess over the natural abundance.
Resilience Factors Associated With Adaptation to HIV Disease

This study examines the hardiness dimensions of commitment, challenge, and control as resilience factors in adaptation among persons with symptomatic HIV disease and AIDS. Two hundred participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring hardiness, psychological distress, quality of life, and core personal beliefs. A series of standard multiple regression analyses revealed that high hardiness was significantly related to 1) lower psychological distress levels; 2) higher perceived quality of life in physical health, mental health, and overall functioning domains; 3) more positive personal beliefs regarding the benevolence of the world and people, self-worth, and randomness of life events; and 4) lowered belief in controllability of life events. Commitment was the hardiness factor that most frequently made a unique contribution to predicting adaptation in the regression models. Implications of these findings for understanding HIV-related adaptation and for clinical mental health intervention are considered. Future directions in HIV-related adaptation research are suggested.
Crystal growth of high Tc superconductors in the system Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O

Abstract A systematic investigation was carried out on the effect of flux composition on the growth of crystals in the Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O system. 2021 superconducting single crystals were grown in oxygen from a Cu-rich flux in silver crucibles. Phase pure 2122 single crystals were obtained from stoichiometric melts in alumina crucible. Larger 2122 crystals could be obtained from fluxes with small amounts of Cu and Ca in excess. 2223 crystals could not be grown by flux methods (but by crystallization of rapidly solidified material). The effects of fluxing agents and starting composition on intergrowth content, crystals morphology and superconducting properties are discussed.
Mechanism of neurotrophic action of nobiletin in PC12D cells.

Nobiletin is a nonpeptide compound with a low molecular weight from a citrus fruit and has the activity to rescue bulbectomy-induced memory impairment. Here we describe that nobiletin itself induces neurite outgrowth in PC12D cells, a rat pheochromocytoma cell line, like NGF, and the molecular mechanism of its neurotrophic action. As cultured in the presence of nobiletin or NGF for 48 h and then assayed using a scanning electron microscope, PC12D cells treated with nobiletin showed morphology with flatter and larger cell bodies than the cells cultured with NGF. Nobiletin-induced neurite outgrowth was inhibited by PD98059 and U0126 but not K252a. Consistently, nobiletin caused a concentration-dependent enhancement of Erk/MAP kinase phosphorylation and a sustained increment of phosphorylation of MEK and Erk/MAP kinase, resulting in a stimulation of CREB phosphorylation and CRE-mediated transcription. This compound also increased intracellular cAMP and CRE-mediated transcription in the presence of forskolin ...
Biofeedback and the voluntary control of sexual arousal in women

Thirty women were shown an erotic videotape for five trials on 2 successive days while vaginal blood volume and pulse pressure were monitored, and they rated their subjective arousal. One group of women received contingent (veridical) auditory feedback about vasocongestive changes while watching the videotape, a second group received noncontingent (false) feedback, and a third group received no feedback. Subjects were instructed to increase their sexual arousal on two experimental trials and then to suppress their arousal on two trials. The results showed that females were able to exercise voluntary control of the physiological measures related to sexual arousal. The hypothesis that biofeedback is useful in facilitating enhancement and/or suppression of vaginal vasocongestion and selfreported sexual arousal was not supported.
TTCP AG-6: Acoustic Detection and Tracking of UAVs

Acoustic sensor arrays can be used effectively to enhance situational awareness and perimeter defense against small low-flying threat aircraft. In this paper, we discuss the activities of The Technical Cooperative Program (TTCP) Action Group 6 (AG6) on acoustic detection and tracking of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). We briefly discuss the TTCP-AG6’s mission and goals, describe field experiments conducted in the U.S., present results from data analysis and discuss current and future activities.
Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials: Perfluorinated Ionomers as Sol-Gel Polymerization Templates for Inorganic Alkoxides

Mauritz et al. exploited the polar/nonpolar nanophase-separated morphologies of Nafion® perfluorinated ionomer membranes, as well as a Nafion® ionomeric precursor film, as interactive templates that are capable of directing the condensation polymerizations of inorganic alkoxides and organoalkoxysilanes as well as the ultimate geometrical distribution of the inorganic oxide, or organically modified silicon oxide phases that result upon drying. This paper is a review of our extensive studies involving the in situ sol-gel reactions of the alkoxides of silicon, titanium, aluminum, zirconium and organoalkoxysilanes, as well as their mixtures and two step reactions involving these monomers. Throughout this presentation, we demonstrate how various spectroscopic (FTIR, 29Si solid state NMR, dielectric relaxation, pyrene (Py) fluorescence probe emission + UV absorption) microscopic, X-ray scattering, thermal (DSC, TGA, TGA-FTIR, DMA), mechanical tensile, and gas permeation tools were employed to interrogate the structures and properties of these heterogeneous materials over a range of dimensional scales ranging from the molecular to the macroscopic. Importantly, we established that these organic/inorganic materials are indeed structured on the scale of nanometers. Methods of tailoring the energetic environment, or polarity, within the cluster domains by the insertion of inorganic oxide or organically modified silicate nanostructures are presented. Finally, we discuss the potential for these nanocomposite membranes within a number of areas including gas and liquid separations technology as well as proton exchange membranes for fuel cell technology.
Glycine Gating of NR1/NR2A NMDA Receptors

N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the mammalian central nervous system. They are required for normal neuronal function and are a factor in several neuropathies including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Classical NMDARs require both glycine (NR1) and glutamate (NR2) bound for receptor activation. Reaction mechanisms for NMDA receptors have been developed for several isoforms, however these models assume saturation of glycine sites and a quantitative understanding of glycine association and dissociation kinetics is currently inadequate. We measured current responses with fast application of glycine (in 1 mM glutamate) onto outside-out patches containing several NR1/NR2A receptors and observed relatively slow kinetics, with a rise time of 4.9 ± 0.6ms and deactivation of 105 ± 8ms. Anticipating a slow dissociation rate for glycine, we first developed models for two low-affinity glycine-site full-agonists: L-serine (95% efficacy; EC50=0.21mM) and 3,3,3-trifluoro-DL-alanine (132% efficacy; EC50=2.2mM). We used these data to select best fitting multi-state kinetic models of several arrangements and further validated these with cycles of simulations and experimental measurements which included macroscopic responses to several stimulation patterns. These models will be used to estimate glycine association and dissociation rate constants. Work is in progress to validate these results with macroscopic measurements. Knowledge about how glycine gates NMDA receptors will offer insight to glycine-dependent NR1/NR2A kinetic mechanisms and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the activation of these physiologically important receptors.
Love's Logic Lost: The Couplet of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116

(2000). Love's Logic Lost: The Couplet of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 14-19.
Marek’s Disease in Japanese Quail—a Pathological, Virological and Serological Study

Abstract Experimental studies were performed to see whether Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) are susceptible to JM strain of Marek’s disease virus (MDV). In three identical trials, a total of 120, one-day-old quail were inoculated intra-abdominally with 0.2 ml. of chicken blood infected with MDV (JM strain) and raised in FAPP isolators. Uninfected controls were inoculated with normal saline only and raised separately. During the 18-week post infection observation period, 65–80% of the infected quail died within six weeks, while the highest mortality in control groups was only 0–5%. In each trial, ocular lesions with or without unilateral or bilateral blindness and signs of torticollis were evident in a few quail after 10–14 weeks. Gross and microscopic lesions suggestive of MD were observed 14 days on. The most pronounced lesions were observed in lungs. Neural tissues were least affected. In general, females were more susceptible than males. MD-specific fluorescent and precipitating antigens were detected in different visceral tissues, buffy coat and cultured macrophages of infected quail. Fluorescent antigen appeared at 6–7 days after infection, whereas precipitating antigen appeared after 12–15 days. Viral (MDV) infectivity tests in cell cultures and bioassay in one-day-old chicks and quail demonstrated that infected quail become viremic around the seventh day post infection. A cytopathic agent similar to MDV was also isolated from quail. Neither Newcastle disease virus nor a bacterial agent was isolated from the quail. MD-specific fluorescent precipitating antibodies were present in the egg yolk and plasma of both infected sick and infected symptomless quail. The earliest detectable plasma MD antibody appeared in 14–21 days. Such findings were not observed in quail from parent stock and controls. Our studies demonstrated that Japanese quail are susceptible to JM strain of MDV.
Effects of the 1997-1999 El Nino and La Nina events on zooplankton abundance and euphausiid community composition within the Monterey Bay coastal upwelling system

Zooplankton abundance and euphausiid community composition were sampled seasonally (spring, summer, fall) within Monterey Bay, California, between 1997 and 1999. Measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth, and upwelling indices provided concurrent data on physical oceanographic parameters. Both total zooplankton and krill abundance dramatically declined in the summer of 1997 coincident with a rapid increase in SST and mixed layer depth. Changes in euphausiid community composition occurred in concert with the decline in overall abundance. The relative abundance of the southern neritic Nyctiphanes simplex increased from August to November in 1997, the abundance of cold temperate Euphausia pacifica decreased significantly, and that of the northern neritic Thysanoessa spinifera declined dramatically. The sudden appearance of an adult cohort of N. simplex in July 1997 suggests that rapid poleward flow characteristic of coastally trapped Kelvin waves occurred between June and July of 1997. The persistent presence of warm temperate and subtropical taxa in samples collected between August 1997 and October 1998 indicates that this poleward flow continued in 1998. Zooplankton abundance, euphausiid community composition, and physical oceanographic parameters gradually returned to a more typical upwelling-dominated state in the spring and summer of 1998. E. pacifica and T. spinifera abundances gradually increased during the summer and fall of 1998, while N. simplex abundance abruptly declined in the spring of 1998. However, this recovery was confined to a narrow coastal band as a result of the onshore movement of the oceanic waters of the California Current. This was reflected by higher than normal numbers of the oceanic Nematoscelis difficilis within samples collected during the spring and summer of 1998. By the spring and summer of 1999, both zooplankton and euphausiid abundance had increased to the highest levels recorded during the 3-year study. Both E. pacifica and T. spinifera abundance increased relative to 1998 while N. simplex was completely absent in all samples. These changes reflected the cooler, highly productive environmental conditions associated with the 1998/1999 La Nina.
Possible Mediators of Connecting Tubule Glomerular Feedback

In the renal cortex, the connecting tubule (CNT) returns to the glomerular hilum and contacts the afferent arteriole (Af-Art). Increasing Na delivery to the CNT dilates the Af-Art by activating epithelial Na channels, a process that we call connecting tubule glomerular feedback (CTGF). However, the mediator(s) of CTGF are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that Na reabsorption by the CNT induces release of arachidonic acid metabolites that diffuse to and dilate the Af-Art. Microdissected rabbit Af-Arts and adherent CNTs were simultaneously microperfused. CTGF was measured as the increase in diameter of norepinephrine-preconstricted Af-Arts in response to switching NaCl concentration in the lumen of the CNT from 10 to 80 mmol/L. Under control conditions, CTGF was repeatable and completely reversed norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction. In the presence of 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, an inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism, CTGF was completely blocked (-0.7+/-0.3 versus 7.3+/-0.5 microm), suggesting that arachidonic acid metabolites mediate CTGF. Because both cyclooxygenase-derived prostaglandins and epoxygenase-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids are known vasodilatory arachidonic acid metabolites, we tested whether indomethacin or MS-PPOH (a cyclooxygenase and an epoxygenase inhibitor) could block CTGF. Both indomethacin and MS-PPOH partially blocked CTGF (2.3+/-0.8 versus 6.5+/-0.5 microm, and 2.9+/-0.8 versus 6.6+/-1.1 microm, respectively). When combined, they completely blocked CTGF (-0.4+/-0.3 versus 6.6+/-1.1 microm). We confirmed these findings by using the epoxyeicosatrienoic acid antagonist 14,15-EEZE. The combination of indomethacin plus 14,15-EEZE completely abolished CTGF (-0.3+/-0.2 versus 8.0+/-1.0 microm). We conclude that increasing Na concentrations in the CNT stimulate release of prostaglandins and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, which mediate CTGF.
Original article: Convergence conditions for iterative methods seeking multi-component solitary waves with prescribed quadratic conserved quantities

We obtain linearized (i.e., non-global) convergence conditions for iterative methods that seek solitary waves with prescribed values of quadratic conserved quantities of multi-component Hamiltonian nonlinear wave equations. These conditions extend the ones found for single-component solitary waves in a recent publication by Yang and the present author. We also show that, and why, these convergence conditions coincide with dynamical stability conditions for ground-state solitary waves. Notably, our analysis applies regardless of whether the number of quadratic conserved quantities, s, equals or is less than the number of equations, S. To illustrate the situation when s
A Method for Processing Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler Velocity Data from Towed, Undulating Vehicles

The utility of the acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) for sampling small time and space scales of coastal environments can be enhanced by mounting a high-frequency (1200 kHz) ADCP on an oscillating towed body. This approach requires both an external reference to convert the measured shears to velocities in the earth coordinates and a method to determine the towed body velocities. During the River Influence on the Shelf Ecosystems (RISE) project cruise, a high-frequency (1200 kHz) and narrowbeam ADCP with mode 12 sampling was mounted on a TRIAXUS oscillating towfish, which steers a 3D path behind the ship. This deployment approach extended the vertical range of the ADCP and allowed it to sample near-surface waters outside the ship’s wake. The measurements from a ship-mounted 1200-kHz narrowbeam ADCP are used as references for TRIAXUS ADCP data, and a method of overlapping bins is employed to recover the entire vertical range of the TRIAXUS ADCP. The TRIAXUS vehicle horizontal velocities are obtained by removing the derived ocean current velocity from the TRIAXUS ADCP measurements. The results show that the method is practical.
Crystallization of amorphous Fe75Si15B10 ribbon and powder

Abstract Amorphous ribbon and powder of the alloy Fe 75 Si 15 B 10 were prepared by chill casting and by spark erosion respectively. Samples of ribbon and powder were heated to temperatures corresponding to some fraction of crystallization in the differential scanning calorimeter. Other samples were heated isothermally in vacuo or in purified nitrogen to cause grain growth. The crystallization temperatures, T x measured by differential scanning calorimetry were higher for the largest particles than for the ribbon, and T x and the heat of crystallization increased with decreasing particle size. The first crystals to form in the ribbon, as determined using transmission electron microscopy, were the stable phases α-Fe and Fe 3 Si. At higher temperatures, Fe 2 B and Fe 3 (Si, B) crystals appeared together with the Fe 3 Si as the final crystallization product. The first crystals to form in the spark-eroded powder were metastable body-centered tetragonal Fe 3 B. At higher temperatures, Fe 3 Si, Fe 3 (Si, B) and Fe 2 B crystals formed. It was concluded that FeB “clusters” in the more chemically disordered particles act as nuclei for the formation of the Fe 3 B crystals. The more chemically ordered ribbon forms only the equilibrium or stable phases on crystallization.
The Mobius modeling environment: recent developments

The Mobius modeling tool provides an infrastructure to support multiple interacting formalisms and solvers, and is extensible in that new formalisms and solvers can be added to the tool in such a way that they can interact with those already implemented without requiring additional changes to the previously implemented ones. We have continued to add features to the Mobius tool in order to enhance the extensibility of the tool and to allow increased interaction between new and different formalisms and solvers. In this paper, we discuss some recent additions to Mobius, including expanded state variable types, a fixed-point mechanism called "connection", and improvements to CTMC solution that includes a new state level abstract functional interface.