cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations of Physical Fitness and Academic Performance among Schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Public schools provide opportunities for physical activity and fitness surveillance, but are evaluated and funded based on students' academic performance, not their physical fitness. Empirical research evaluating the connections between fitness and academic performance is needed to justify curriculum allocations to physical activity programs. METHODS: Analyses were based on a convenience sample of 254,743 individually matched standardized academic (TAKS™) and fitness (FITNESSGRAM®) test records of students, grades 3–11, collected by 13 Texas school districts. We categorized fitness results in quintiles by age and gender and used mixed effects regression models to compare the academic performance of the top and bottom fitness groups for each test. RESULTS: All fitness variables except body mass index (BMI) showed significant, positive associations with academic performance after adjustment for socio-demographic covariates, with standardized mean difference effect sizes ranging from .07 to .34. Cardiovascular fitness showed the largest interquintile difference in TAKS score (32–75 points), followed by curl-ups. Additional adjustment for BMI and curl-ups showed dose-response associations between cardiovascular fitness and academic scores (p < .001 for both genders and outcomes). Analysis of BMI demonstrated limited, nonlinear association with academic performance after socio-demographic and fitness adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: Fitness was strongly and significantly related to academic performance. Cardiovascular fitness showed a dose-response association with academic performance independent of other socio-demographic and fitness variables. The association appears to peak in late middle to early high school. We recommend that policymakers consider physical education (PE) mandates in middle high school, school administrators consider increasing PE time, and PE practitioners emphasize cardiovascular fitness.
A new dihydrobenzofuran from Liatris provincialis

Abstract A chloroform extract of Liatris provincialis Godfrey gave as a minor component a new dihydrobenzofuran, whose structure was established as I.
Male Competition, Mating Success and Female Choice in a Seasonally Breeding Primate (Erythrocebus patas)

Mammals with restricted breeding seasons often show brief but intense bouts of male competition for mates and male reproductive success has been attributed to male competitive abilities, with the most aggressively successful males able to control access to fertile females, or with females choosing to mate with such males. We studied male competition, mating behaviour and female mate selection in patas monkeys, a primate with a restricted breeding period. We observed two habituated patas groups in Laikipia District, Kenya, during Jun.-Aug. 1983. During the study, one group had a single resident male while the other group had multiple adult males. Within the multimale group, experienced adult males were no more successful than the subadult male. The sole resident male had a significantly higher rate of fights won (p < 0.02) although he did not differ from the multimale group males in rate of aggression or initiation of fights. We found no significant differences in either mating success or female preference based on males' experience or residency. The rates at which males copulated with and were solicited by females were not significantly correlated. We found no evidence of stable dominance ranks among males in the multimale group and aggressive success was not significantly correlated with copulation rate for males in the multimale group. Subadult males were responsible for the majority of copulations observed during the final third of the breeding season. Our observations of this patas population showed a fluid number of males in groups, with the same groups able to shift rapidly from single to multimale structure. This fluidity may result from the large fluctuations in numbers of breeding-age males and females observed over 4 yr of studying this population.
A 13C NMR study on some phenylborane derivatives

Abstract The intensity of 13 NMR signals of carbon atoms bonded to boron can frequently be increased by recording the spectra at low temperatures. Though this procedure results in a loss of fine structure, it enables the determination of chemical shift data for NMR signals that are either broad or unobservable at ambient temperature. On the other hand, high temperature recording of spectra seems to be a useful technique for resolving multiples resonance signals that are collapsed in ambient temperature spectra. 13 C NMR data are reported for a variety of phenylborane derivatives; no simple correlation seems to exist between σ 13 C of the phenyl carbon atom bonded to boron and σ 11 B of the phenylborane species.
Measurement of the electron affinity of lutetium

The electron affinity of lutetium has been measured using laser photodetachment electron spectroscopy. This is the first electron affinity measurement for lutetium. The electron affinity of lutetium was measured as 0.34?0.01?eV. One bound excited state of Lu- was also observed in the photoelectron spectra, and the binding energy of this excited state relative to the ground state of lutetium was measured as 0.16?0.02?eV. The present experimental measurements are compared with recent calculations.
Myotis subulatus Leibii in Missouri

Myotis subulatus leibii is known from as far west as Colossal Cave in the Mammoth Cave region of Kentucky (Bailey, V., cave life of Kentucky, p. 80, 1933). M. s. subulatus is known from as far …
Efficacy of treatment for unexplained infertility.

Abstract Objective: To analyze the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of alternative treatments for unexplained infertility. Design: Retrospective analysis of 45 published reports. Setting: Clinical practices. Patient(s): Couples who met criteria for unexplained infertility. Women with Stage I or Stage II endometriosis were included. Intervention(s): Observation; clomiphene citrate (CC); gonadotropins (hMG); IUI; and GIFT and IVF. Main Outcome Measure(s): Clinical pregnancy rate. Result(s): Combined pregnancy rates per initiated cycle, adjusted for study quality, were as follows: no treatment=1.3%–4.1%; IUI=3.8%; CC=5.6%; CC + IUI=8.3%; hMG=7.7%; hMG + IUI=17.1%; IVF=20.7%; GIFT=27.0%. The estimated cost per pregnancy was $10,000 for CC + IUI, $17,000 for hMG + IUI, and $50,000 for IVF. Conclusion(s): Clomiphene citrate + IUI is a cost-effective treatment for unexplained infertility. If this treatment fails, hMG + IUI and assisted reproduction are efficacious therapeutic options.
Ultrasound assessment of hamstring muscle size using posterior thigh muscle thickness.

Several studies have investigated the relationship between ultrasound-measured muscle thickness (MT) and individual muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle volume (MV) in extremity and trunk muscles; however, the hamstring muscle has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between posterior thigh MT by ultrasound and the muscle CSA and MV of the hamstring obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten young women aged 20-31 had MT measured by ultrasound at three sites on the medial anterior (50% of thigh length; TL) and posterior (50% and 70% of TL) aspects of the thigh. On the same day, a series of continuous muscle CSA along the thigh was measured by MRI. In each slice, the anatomical CSA of the hamstring (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus) and quadriceps muscle was analysed, and the CSAs at 50% and 70% of TL and maximal CSA of the hamstring (CSAmax ) were determined. MV was calculated by multiplying CSA by slice thickness. A significant correlation was observed between posterior 50% MT and 50% hamstring CSA (r = 0·848, P = 0·002) and between posterior 70% MT and 70% hamstring CSA (r = 0·679, P = 0·031). Posterior 50% MT (r = 0·732, P = 0·016) and 50% MTxTL (r = 0·873, P = 0·001) were also correlated to hamstring MV. Anterior:posterior 50% thigh MT ratio was correlated to MV ratio of quadriceps and hamstring muscles (r = 0·803, P = 0·005). Our results suggest that posterior thigh MT reflects hamstring muscle CSA and MV. The anterior:posterior MT ratio may serve as a surrogate for MV ratio of quadriceps and hamstring.
Gracefully mitigating breakdowns in robotic services

Robots that operate in the real world will make mistakes. Thus, those who design and build systems will need to understand how best to provide ways for robots to mitigate those mistakes. Building on diverse research literatures, we consider how to mitigate breakdowns in services provided by robots. Expectancy-setting strategies forewarn people of a robot's limitations so people will expect mistakes. Recovery strategies, including apologies, compensation, and options for the user, aim to reduce the negative consequence of breakdowns. We tested these strategies in an online scenario study with 317 participants. A breakdown in robotic service had severe impact on evaluations of the service and the robot, but forewarning and recovery strategies reduced the negative impact of the breakdown. People's orientation toward services influenced which recovery strategy worked best. Those with a relational orientation responded best to an apology; those with a utilitarian orientation responded best to compensation. We discuss robotic service design to mitigate service problems.
Studies of halogenoacetato cobalt(III) complexes—IV the preparation and some properties of bis(halogenoacetato)-triethylenetetramine cobalt(III) complexes

Abstract Bis(halogenoacetato)-triethylenetetramine cobalt(III) complexes, [Co(halac)2trien]ClO4, have been prepared from carbonato-triethylenetetramine cobalt(III) perchlorate and some of their physical and chemical properties have been examined. It has been inferred mainly from their absorption spectra that three compounds, [Co(CH3CO2)2trien]ClO4·HClO4, [Co(CH2ClCO2)2trien]-ClO4 and [Co(C2H5CO2)2trien]ClO4·HClO4, are trans-isomers, whereas cis-isomers have been obtained for halac = CH2ClCO2, CHCl2CO2, CCl3CO2, CH2BrCO2, CHBr2CO2 and CF3CO2. Properties of the complexes have been examined and compared to the corresponding tetrammine- and bis(ethylenediamine)-complexes and it has been found that regular shifts in spectral character exist with increasing chelation from tetrammine to triethylenetriamine complex.
Implementing desktop image access of GI images

In this paper we present a specific example of the current state-of-the-art in desktop image access in the GI section of the Department of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. We describe a system which allows physicians to view and manipulate images from a Philips digital fluoroscopy system at the workstations in their offices. Typically they manipulate and view these images on their desktop Macs and then submit the results for slide making or save the images in digital teaching files. In addition to a discussion of the current state-of-the-art here at HUP, we also discuss some future directions that we are pursuing.
Interaction of normal and unusually modified microbial DNA with cultured mammalian cells. Breakdown and reincorporation vs. uptake of polymerized DNA.

Abstract The uptake of radioactively labeled bacterial and phage DNA and the incorporation of acid-soluble DNAase I digests of these DNAs by cultures of human foreskin and 3T3 cells were studied. The presence of large amounts of unusually modified pyrimidine residues in donor phage DNAs allowed radioactive donor DNA in the nuclei of DNA-treated cells to be distinguished from host DNA labeled with breakdown products derived from donor DNA. This distinction could be made because it was found that radioactively labeled 5-methylcytosine residues in predigested XP-12 DNA and glucosylated 5-hydroxymethylcytosine residues in predigested T4 DNA could not be incorporated in an unaltered form into animal cell DNA. The results obtained from the study of uptake of these DNAs suggest that approx. 4–40 ng of phage DNA per 106 cells was transported to the nuclei of DEAE-dextran-pretreated cells during 3 days of incubation in medium after treatment with the DNA. However, interpretation of the results is complicated by the finding of considerable amounts of donor DNA binding to and persisting at the cell surface, which might attach to nuclei during subcellular fractionation.
Noninvasive Revascularization by Enhanced External Counterpulsation: A Case Study and Literature Review

Nearly 8 million people in the United States suffer from symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD). Unfortunately, the population of patients with ischemic coronary disease that is not readily amenable to surgical or percutaneous revascularization continues to grow. For patients who are not candidates for standard revascularization procedures and in whom aggressive medical therapy fails to control symptoms, enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is anew, noninvasive outpatient method to improve quality of life by decreasing ischemic symptoms and permit increased activity. We report the case of a 56- year-old woman with severe, symptomatic CAD receiving maximal medical therapy who underwent a course of EECP therapy because she was not a good candidate for other forms of revascularization. She demonstrated dramatic improvement in her anginal symptoms and complete resolution of myocardial ischemia on repeat nuclear stress imaging. This case suggests that EECP is a safe and effective method for reducing symptoms of myocardial ischemia in patients for whom standard percutaneous or surgical revascularization is not suitable treatment.
Spontaneous perforation of the caecum following Caesarean section. Report of a case and review of the literature.

A case of spontaneous perforation of the caecum following Caesarean section in a 28-year-old primigravida is presented. The literature is reviewed and contributory factors are discussed. A caecal diameter exceeding 9 cm is stated to be an important sign of imminent perforation.
Formation of a crystalline metal-rich silicide in thin film titanium/silicon reactions

Abstract In-situ X-ray diffraction during rapid thermal annealing at rates from 3 to 20°C s −1 was used to study the formation of titanium silicide phases from a thin film of Ti and doped single-crystal or undoped polycrystalline silicon substrates. In all cases, a metal-rich silicide (identified as either Ti 5 Si 4 or Ti 5 Si 3 ) was the first crystalline phase to form between 500 and 550°C, followed by C49-TiSi 2 between 575 and 600°C. The formation of C49-TiSi 2 completely consumed the metal-rich silicide before transforming into the low-resistance C54-TiSi 2 phase at approximately 800°C. These results indicate that while there is sufficient thermodynamic driving forces to nucleate both a metal-rich silicide and C49-TiSi 2 the subsequent growth of C49-TiSi 2 , is kinetically favored over the growth of Ti 5 Si 4 or Ti 5 Si 3 .
d-Amphetamine binding to brain lipid.

The interaction ofd-amphetamine with several brain tissue components has been investigated. A brain lipid extract and a number of individual phospholipids were found to bindd-amphetamine when measured by means of a hexane-buffer partition coefficient technique. Phosphatidylserine showed the greatest binding and phosphatidylethanolamine and dipalmitoyllecithin were also effective. Phospholipid binding ofd-amphetamine was shown to be related to fatty acid composition. Cholesterol and ganglioside did not bind. It is suggested that phospholipid binding ofd-amphetamine may play a role in the pharmacological action of this drug.
Consequences of life history for inbreeding depression and mating system evolution in plants

Many plants are perennial, but most studies of inbreeding depression and mating system evolution focus on annuals. This paper extends a population genetic model of inbreeding depression due to recessive deleterious mutations to perennials. The model incorporates life history and mating system variation, and multiplicative selection across many genetic loci. In the absence of substantial mitotic mutation, perennials have higher mean fitness and lower, or even negative, inbreeding depression than annuals with the same mating system. As in annuals, self fertilization exposes deleterious recessive mutations to selection, increasing mean fitness and decreasing inbreeding depression. Including mitotic mutation decreases mean fitness while increasing inbreeding depression. Perenniality introduces a kind of selective sieve, such that strongly recessive mutations contribute disproportionately to mean fitness and inbreeding depression. In the presence of high mitotic mutation, this selective sieve may provide a mechanistic basis for high inbreeding depression observed in some long lived perennials. Without substantial mitotic mutation, it is difficult to reconcile genetically based models of inbreeding depression with the empirical generalization that perennials outcross while related annuals self fertilize.
Oxidative Stress Resistance and Viability of C. elegans in the Presence of Manganese through SKN-1 Protein Expression

Oxidative stress plays an imperative role in viewing how humans respond to diseases, such as diabetes and cancer, as well as in the process of aging. Through research and experimentation of Caenorhabditis elegans, scientists can study organismal and cellular aging that is analogous to that of humans. C. elegans are used as an ideal model of study due to their eukaryotic existence, as well as the relative ease of development and growth protocol. Through C. elegans, researchers can examine relevant signaling pathways, such as those that regulate metabolism, nutrition, and stress responses. As the complete genome for C. elegans has been identified, researchers known the exact cell differentiation pattern of each cell, therefore allowing for in depth study about the responses of C. elegans to different conditions and stresses. The SKN-1 protein in this species initiates development of the digestive tracts and other mesendodermal tissues during the primary stages of C. elegans development. By studying the genetic mechanisms that are rooted in C. elegans aging, humans have the opportunity to identify new human genes, as well as the pathways associated with both disease and aging in humans.
A Method for Obtaining Longitudinal Cryostat Sections of Living Muscle Without Contraction Artifacts

Longitudinal cryostat sections of skeletal muscle picked up with glass slides onto which a film of ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) has been dried after dipping in a 3% EDTA solution do not show the severe retraction artifacts obtained when plain glass slides are used. Histochemical techniques work well on the longitudinal sections after the EDTA has been rinsed away and remaining traces saturated with calcium, Morphologic preservation is good. Regularly distributed histochemical reaction products are found within any one fiber.
The effect of electron correlation on the trans-cis energy difference of glyoxal

Abstract Trans- and cis-glyoxal have been optimized on the MP4(SDQ) level with 6-311G basis set augmented with two sets of polarization functions. The trans form was found to lie 4.4 kcal/mole below the cis isomer. The effect of electron correlation on the energy difference is significant.
Excess molar enthalpies and excess molar volumes for (butane + propan-1-ol) at temperatures of (298.15, 323.15 and 348.15) K and pressures of (5, 10 and 15) MPa

Abstract Excess molar enthalpies H m E and excess molar volumes V m E have been determined for (butane + propan-1-ol) at temperatures (298.15, 323.15 and 348.15) K pressures (5,10 and 15) MPa. The H m E results and the excess molar heat capacity C p ,m E are positive, while V m E ( x ) is s-shaped, changing from negative to positive with increasing mole fraction x of butane. The values of ( ∂H m E / ∂ p ) T calculated from the H m E results are compared with those calculatedfrom V m E and found to be in reasonable agreement. Comparisons are made of H m E ( x ) and V m E ( x ) at T = 298.15 K and p = 15 MPa for propane with other similar alkanols.
A Higdon-like non-reflecting boundary condition for the Klein–Gordon equation with evanescent waves

Abstract The non-reflecting boundary condition developed by Higdon and automated by Givoli and Neta is highly effective at absorbing propagating waves in a finite difference setting, but it does not absorb evanescent waves. In this paper, we augment the Higdon scheme with additional terms to absorb these evanescent waves in the context of the two-dimensional Klein–Gordon equation. Numerical examples illustrate the performance of this technique.
Synthesis and Electron-Beam Polymerization of 1-Propenyl Ether Functional Siloxanes

Abstract A novel synthesis of 1-propenyl ether functionalized siloxanes has been achieved by the controlled, rhodium-catalyzed, chemoselective hydrosilation of 1-allyloxy-4(1-propenoxy)butane (APB) with various H-functional siloxanes. Chemoselective hydrosilation using a variety of Si—H functional siloxanes proceeds exclusively at the allyl ether group of the APB without participation at the 1-propenyl ether group. The electron-beam-induced cationic polymerization of these monomers in the presence of a diaryliodonium salt was studied and found to take place very rapidly and at very low radiation doses.
Rule- and idiosyncratically derived denominal verbs: Effects on language production and comprehension

A distinction is drawn between two classes of denominal verbs, and four experiments examine the effects of this distinction on the production and comprehension of denominalizations.Rule-derived (RD) denominals are formed from nouns belonging to semantic categories whose members share the same meaning when they are used as verbs. For instance, denominal verbs formed from vehicles generally mean “to travel/convey byx,” wherex represents the specific vehicle. In contrast,idiosyncratically derived (ID) denominals are drawn from categories whose members possess diverse meanings when they are used as verbs. Thus,to fish means “to try to catch fish,” whereasto dog means “to chase tirelessly.” Because the verb meanings of rule-derived terms are relatively predictable, they might be more easily produced and understood. Experiments 1 and 2 show that speakers are more likely to select RD terms for denominalization and are faster at creating denominal uses for RD terms. Experiments 3 and 4 show that RD denominals are rated as easier to understand than ID denominals, and that they are interpreted more uniformly across readers. The Discussion considers pragmatic accounts of the results, the theoretical basis for the distinction between RD and ID terms, and the more general point that experimental methods can be used to study creative uses of language.
A model for the relation between spreading rate and oblique spreading

Abstract Atwater and Macdonald have suggested that oblique spreading occurs at mid-ocean ridges which spread slowly (half rate less than 3 cm/yr), while the spreading is perpendicular at faster-spreading ridges. This paper explores this relation using the ratio of the power dissipated at ridges to that on transform faults to find the angle of oblique spreading (θ). The dependence of the energy dissipation rate on spreading rate is included in simple models of a ridge and transform. These arguments suggest that θ is related to the half spreading rate approximately by sin θ ∼ V −1 .
Angina pectoris and intermittent claudication.

Summary Sixty patients referred for angina pectoris and having coexisting intermittent claudication (Group III) were compared with two groups of patients matched for both age and sex. One group (Group I), had no evidence of either coronary or peripheral vascular disease, while Group II had only symptomatic coronary artery disease. The ages of the patients ranged from 37 to 75 years with 80 per cent of the patients 50 years or over. In group III, intermittent claudication preceded the development of angina pectoris in 41 patients (68 per cent) and with the onset of exertional angina pectoris, the intermittent claudication usually caused no major disability. The frequency of hypertension and cigarette smoking was not different when all three groups were compared. Diabetes mellitus was significantly higher in both Group II (p
A/r/tography as an Ethics of Embodiment: Visual Journals in Preservice Education.

A/r/tography is an arts-based research methodology that inquires into educational phenomenon through artistic and aesthetic means. A/r/tographical research engages in pedagogical inquiry where the distinctions between researcher and researched become complicated, responsive, and undone. A/r/tography, the authors argue, develops the relationship between embodiment and ethics as a being-with. In this manner, ethics does not refer to the rationalist acquisition of knowledge or moral codes that advocate particular bodily behaviors but instead suggests that participating in a network of relations lends itself to gestures of non-violence. This article extends previous writings on a/r/tographical inquiry through a particular examination of the use of visual journals in a preservice teacher education course. Through the intertextuality of image and word, visual journals enable teachers and students to make meaning and inquire creatively into educational issues in a space that respects self and other.
Regulation of hematopoiesis in vitro by alloreactive natural killer cell clones.

Natural killer (NK) cells lyse autologous and allogeneic target cells even in the absence of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens on the target cells. Recently, however, human allospecific NK cell clones have been generated that recognize at least five distinct specificities inherited recessively and controlled by genes linked to the MHC. Because the genetic specificity of these alloreactive NK cells in vitro appears analogous to that of in vivo NK cell-mediated murine hybrid resistance, i.e., the rejection of parental bone marrow in irradiated F1 animals, we tested the ability of human alloreactive NK clones to recognize allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cells. NK cells from two specificity 1 alloreactive NK clones, ES9 and ES10, significantly and often completely suppressed colony formation by purified peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cells from specificity 1-susceptible donors, but had no significant effect on the cells of specificity 1-resistant donors. Activated polyclonal NK cells were less efficient than the NK clones in inhibiting colony formation and had a similar effect on cells from both specificity 1-susceptible and -resistant donors. The alloreactive NK clones produced cytokines with a suppressive effect on in vitro hematopoiesis, such as interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), when exposed to phytohemagglutinin blasts from specificity 1-susceptible, but not -resistant donors. However, the mechanism by which alloreactive NK cells inhibit colony formation is more consistent with a direct cytotoxic effect than with the production of inhibitory cytokines because antibodies (anti-IFN-gamma, alpha-TNF-alpha, and -lymphotoxin) that completely blocked the inhibition by polyclonal NK cells had only a minimal effect on the inhibition by the alloreactive clones. Moreover, the alloreactive clones were directly cytolytic in a 51Cr release assay against enriched preparations of peripheral blood progenitor cells from specificity 1-susceptible donors. These data indicate that the alloreactive NK cells are likely the human counterpart of the cells mediating murine hybrid resistance and that these cells might play clinically important roles in rejection or in graft-versus-leukemia reactions after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
Reduction of dinitrogen.

Conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia is required for all life. This conversion is accomplished by metalloenzymes on a scale of ≈108 tons/year, a scale equivalent to that of the Haber–Bosch process (1) for making ammonia from dinitrogen and dihydrogen at high temperatures (350–550°C) and pressures [150–350 atmosphere (atm); 1 atm = 101.3 kPa]. Although the benefit of crop rotation has been known for centuries, not until 1930 was a metal (molybdenum) found to be required for efficient dinitrogen “fixation” in the soil (2), and not until the 1960s was it determined that an FeMo nitrogenase is responsible for fixation of dinitrogen (3–6). At approximately the same time (1965), the first dinitrogen complex (of Ru) was discovered by Allen and Senoff (7). In the 1960s, transition metals were beginning to reveal their prowess in catalytic transformations such as olefin hydrogenation. Therefore, a catalytic process for reducing dinitrogen at a low temperature and 1 atm appeared to be only a few … *E-mail: rrs{at}mit.edu
Lymphatic vessels of the mammalian heart

An in situ heart lung preparation was developed to label lymphatics of the actively beating dog heart with subsequent fixation by vascular perfusion. Immediately after interstitial injections of trypan blue and colloidal carbon, a rich plexus of lymphatic vessels was visualized in the epicardium of the actively beating heart. With this method of fixation, tissue preservation is generally excellent and uniform throughout the heart. In thin sections examined with the electron microscope, lymphatic vessels are easily recognized by the content of plasma proteins which is preserved as an electron dense precipitate that is evenly dispersed throughout the lumen. An extensive plexus of thin walled lymphatic vessels is observed throughout the epicardial, myocardial and subendocardial regions. Numerous anchoring filaments are observed closely apposed to the abluminal endothelial surface which extend into the surrounding connective tissue. The distribution and ultrastructure of the cardiac lymphatic vessels are discussed in relation to their role in the removal of interstitial fluid from the heart.
Late Pleistocene mountain glaciation in Alaska: key chronologies†

Moraine sequences of mountain glaciers can be used to infer spatial and temporal patterns of climate change across the globe. Alaska is an accessible high-latitude location in the Northern Hemisphere and contains a rich record of alpine glaciation. Here, we highlight the key chronologies from three mountain ranges in Alaska that reveal the timing and spatial extent of Late Pleistocene glaciation, and pay particular attention to age of the penultimate glaciation. The most extensive glacier advance of the last glaciation occurred prior to the last global glacial maximum. Cosmogenic exposure ages from moraine boulders in three sites spanning 800km indicate that this penultimateadvancemostlikelyculminatedduringmarineisotopestage(MIS)4orearlyMIS3.During MIS 2, more limited glacier expansion generated multiple moraines that span from prior to the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) through the Lateglacial period. Glaciers retreated from their terminal positions ca. 27-25ka in arctic Alaska and ca. 22-19ka in southern Alaska. Moraines in at least two ranges date to 12-11ka, indicating a glacial advance during the Younger Dryas period. Reconstructed equilibrium-line altitudes of both penultimate and MIS 2 glaciers were lowered only 300-600m - much less than elsewhere in the Americas. Alaska is documented to have been more arid during MIS 2, perhaps due in large part to the exposure of the Bering-Chukchi platform during eustatic sea-level lowering. The restricted ice extent is also consistent with the output of climate models that simulate a lack of significant summer cooling. Copyright # 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal alcohol exposure alters serotonin transporter sites in rat brain.

This study examined the effects of fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) on serotonin transporter (5-HTT) binding sites in the brains of developing male and female rat offspring using the technique of quantitative autoradiography. Time-pregnant dams were fed liquid ethanol diet, isocaloric diet without ethanol or normal rat chow. Male and female offspring were sacrificed at 21, 40 and 60 days of age, brains removed and sectioned for analysis of 5-HTT sites. FAE led to distinct effects on 5-HTT sites depending on the age and gender of the offspring. FAE increased 5-HTT binding sites in cortical layers 5, 6, hippocampal layers CA2,3, lateral nucleus of the amygdala and in the dorsal raphe nucleus. FAE decreased 5-HTT binding sites in the medial nucleus of amygdala, dorsomedial and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus. FAE decreased 5-HTT binding sites temporarily in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus in the 21-day-old female; this effect was found to disappear by day 40. In contrast, FAE increased 5-HTT sites in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala in the adult animal, suggesting that ethanol exposure in utero may alter serotonin neurotransmission in discrete brain regions permanently.
A 2000-year tree ring record of annual temperatures in the sierra nevada mountains.

Tree ring data have been used to reconstruct the mean late-season (June through January) temperature at a timberline site in the Sierra Nevada, California, for each of the past 2000 years. Long-term trends in the temperature reconstruction are indicative of a 125-year periodicity that may be linked to solar activity as reflected in radiocarbon and auroral records. The results indicate that both the warm intervals during the Medieval Warm Epoch (∼A.D. 800 to 1200) and the cold intervals during the Little Ice Age (∼A.D. 1200 to 1900) are closely associated with the 125-year period. Significant changes in the phase of the 125-year temperature variation occur at the onset and termination of the most recent radiocarbon triplet and may indicate chaotic solar behavior.
Effects of structure-forming solutes on chicken eggwhite lysozyme after reductive cleavage of disulfide bonds

As an approach to learning more about structure-forming processes in chicken egg white lysozyme, the reduced protein was studied in the presence of methanol, 2-chloroethanol, trifluoroethanol, and sodium dodecyl sulfate, at various concentrations in aqueous solution. The mixtures were subjected to gel filtration chromatography, with circular dichroism (CD) examination of the resulting polymers and monomers. Changes in CD behavior, indicating development of ordered structure, were seen to be associated only with polymer formation. Contributing to these changes were increases in beta structure as well as alpha-helix. Since the solutes studied are known as helix formers, it is suggested that studies on many proteins, carried out in the presence of these and other structure-modifying solutes, may have been complicated by formation of beta structure as well as by polymerization. The reduced monomer formed no structure in the hydrophobic environment afforded by these solutes, but only randomized further. Thus, hydrophobic interactions may be of no significance to lysozyme chain folding in its early stages. As an alternative, the long range interactions stabilized by native tertiary cross links may be critical for the transition to native secondary structure.
Abstract B13: Identification of a metalloprotease‐chemokine signaling system in the ovarian cancer microenvironment: Implications for antiangiogenic therapy

Ovarian cancer is a lethal gynecologic malignancy with poor survival, hence it would benefit from therapies that block key signaling pathways involved in tumor‐stromal interactions and tumor vascularity. We previously showed that Protease Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1) is an important regulator of angiogenesis, ascites and metastasis in peritoneal mouse models of ovarian cancer. In this study we tested the hypothesis that matrix metalloprotease1 (MMP‐1) activates PAR1 which stimulates angiogenesis and tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer through its paracrine control of the endothelial CXCR1/2 receptors. We demonstrated that MMP‐1‐PAR1 stimulation leads to a 2–5 fold increase in several angiogenic factors including IL‐8 and GRO from ovarian cancer cells. These secreted factors then act on endothelial CXCR1/2 receptors to cause endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation and migration. A cell penetrating pepducin, PZ‐206, that targets the third intracellular loop of CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors (also known as X1/2pal‐i3) can significantly inhibit both endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation. Avastin‐the VEGF blocking antibody was unable to inhibit IL‐8 and GRO‐ stimulated tube formation. To validate our in vitro observations we injected matrigel plugs containing MMP‐1 stimulated/unstimulated ovarian cancer (OVCAR‐4) conditioned media into the flanks of nude mice. After 7 days, the matrigel plugs were harvested and stained for CD31 and whole mount confocal microscopy was done in a blinded manner. Mice injected with MMP‐1 stimulated, OVCAR‐4 CM showed an 8 fold increase in blood vessel formation which was significantly inhibited by injecting mice with CXCR1/2 inhibitor PZ206 (5mg/kg/d) as compared with control pepducin or vehicle. These studies will help us validate novel therapeutic targets such as CXCR1/2 pepducins for ovarian cancer that block angiogenesis and tumor progression to improve survival in this lethal disease. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B13.
Fiber Reinforced Multiphase Polymer Composites by In situ Fiber Alignment

A novel approach has been explored for the efficient dispersion and uniaxial alignment of fibers in dual phase polymer matrices based on the streaming flow that occurs when two immiscible polymer blends are melt processed under high shear conditions. Such conditions improve the alignment and distribution of fibers in the matrix, a feature of particular importance when fine nanofibers are used. This self-alignment mechanism seeks to produce optimum properties from relatively small volume fractions of fiber. Recent efforts have focused on a model system containing micron-size glass fibers in immiscible polymer blends. This paper presents selected mechanical properties measured for the model system and the flow/orientation paradigm that produces the observed morphologies.
A NOTE ON THE DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL CERAMICS

Evidence is presented that the clay in ancient ware fired at a temperature below 700–800°C becomes rehydrated over the millennia, such that it behaves somewhat like an unfired clay, rendering DTA a useful tool in identifying the clay minerals present. More recent samples can be artificially rehydrated by heating in a steam autoclave.
Microcanonical sampling of momenta

Abstract The method recently employed by Lopez and Randrup presents a simple, efficient, and exact procedure for sampling of the microcanonical momentum distribution for classical, non-relativistic many-body systems subject to energy and momentum conservation. Moreover, by straightforward generalization, the method also applies to any combination of linear, radial, and angular momentum conservation.
Solid-state amorphizing transformations: thermodynamics and kinetics☆

Abstract Amorphous metallic alloys are thermodynamically metastable with respect to one or more crystalline phases. Forming an amorphous alloy by an isothermal solid-state transformation requires starting from a state of free energy higher than that of the amorphous phase and choosing a reaction path that prevents the system from reaching the crystalline state of lowest free energy. Much has been learned about solid-state amorphizing transformations from interdiffusion experiments in transition-metal thin-film multilayers. We review some of these experiments and discuss recent advances in our understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the phenomenon.
Novel liquid-crystalline PPE-naphthalene copolymers displaying blue solid-state fluorescence

Synthesis of poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (PPEs) containing 1,5-diethynyl-3,7-di-tert-butylnaphthalene leads to novel phenylene-naphthylene-ethynylene copolymers which show strong blue luminescence in the solid state.
Combination of longitudinal biomarkers in predicting binary events.

In disease screening, the combination of multiple biomarkers often substantially improves the diagnostic accuracy over a single marker. This is particularly true for longitudinal biomarkers where individual trajectory may improve the diagnosis. We propose a pattern mixture model (PMM) framework to predict a binary disease status from a longitudinal sequence of biomarkers. The marker distribution given the disease status is estimated from a linear mixed effects model. A likelihood ratio statistic is computed as the combination rule, which is optimal in the sense of the maximum receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve under the correctly specified mixed effects model. The individual disease risk score is then estimated by Bayes’ theorem, and we derive the analytical form of the 95% confidence interval. We show that this PMM is an approximation to the shared random effects (SRE) model proposed by Albert (2012. A linear mixed model for predicting a binary event from longitudinal data under random effects mis-specification. Statistics in Medicine 31(2), 143–154). Further, with extensive simulation studies, we found that the PMM is more robust than the SRE model under wide classes of models. This new PPM approach for combining biomarkers is motivated by and applied to a fetal growth study, where the interest is in predicting macrosomia using longitudinal ultrasound measurements.
Estimation of minimax values

In estimating minimax values, an important topic in the study of heuristic game tree searches, a pathological phenomenon sometimes results when the conventional minimax procedure is used as a back-up process. In this paper exact methods are derived for two different games, one using product-propagation rules as a back-up process and another not using any back-up process. The method of estimating minimax values in a heuristic game tree search should depend on both the static evaluation function and the structure of the game tree; it can be very different for different games.
An automated method for DNA preparation from thousands of YAC clones

We describe an automated method for the preparation of yeast genomic DNA capable of preparing thousands of DNAs in parallel from a YAC library. Briefly, the protocol involves four steps: (1) Yeast clones are grown in the wells of 96-well microtiter plates with filter (rather than plastic) well-bottoms, which are embedded in solid growth media; (2) These yeast cultures are resuspended and their concentrations determined by optical density measurement; (3) Equal numbers of cells from each well are embedded in low-melting temperature agarose blocks in fresh 96-well plates, again with filter bottoms; and (4) DNA is prepared in the agarose blocks by a protocol similar to that used for preparing DNA for pulsed-field gels, with the reagents being dialyzed through the (filter) bottoms of the microtiter plate. The DNA produced by this method is suitable for pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, for restriction enzyme digestion, and for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using this protocol, we produced 3000 YAC strain DNAs in three weeks. This automated procedure should be extremely useful in many genomic mapping projects.
Effect of Oral Tetracycline on the Occurrence of Tetracycline-Resistant Strains of Escherichia coli in the Intestinal Tract of Humans

Abstract Serial samples of feces from normal human subjects were analyzed for tetracycline-resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Subjects were found to be excreting tetracycline-resistant strains in amounts fluctuating with time. Ingestion of tetracycline increased both the number of individuals excreting tetracycline-resistant strains of E. coli and the proportion of the total E. coli isolates resistant to the antibiotic.
Effects of drought stress and simulated acidic rain on foliar conductance of Zea mays L.

Abstract Studies were conducted to determine if simulated acidic rain (SAR) could predispose Zea mays L. cv. B73 × Mo17 to drought stress by altering cuticular and stomatal conductance. Experiments were conducted with field-grown plants in 1986, 1987, and 1988, and with greenhouse-grown plants in 1987 and 1988. Plants were treated with SAR of pH 5.0 or 3.0 twice weekly. In the field two droughts, approximately 2 weeks in duration, were imposed by withholding water; one followed silking and the other occurred during grain fill. In the greenhouse one 10-day drought was imposed following 3–4 weeks of SAR treatments, which began at emergence. During the drought stress, cuticular and stomatal conductances were measured. Drought significantly decreased cuticular conductance in the field on 3 days in 1986, 2 days in 1987, and 3 days in 1988. Rain pH had no effect on cuticular conductance, and there was a significant drought-by-pH interaction on 1 day in 1987 in which plants treated with rain of pH 3.0 under non-drought conditions had the highest cuticular conductance. Stomatal conductance was significantly decreased by drought on 5 days in 1986, 8 days in 1987 and on 1 day in 1988. Rain pH 3.0 increased stomatal conductance on 2 days in 1987 and decreased stomatal conductance on 1 day in 1988. There were no significant interactions. Greenhouse results showed decreased cuticular conductance as drought progressed with no interactive effects due to SAR. In 1988, plants treated with SAR of pH 5.0 had a higher cuticular conductance than plants treated with pH 3.0 for 2 days of the drought. Drought was a more significant physiological stress for cv. B73 × Mo17 of Z. mays than was SAR.
β-Catenin regulation during matrigel-induced rat hepatocyte differentiation

Hepatocytes in primary cultures de-differentiate and re-differentiate following addition of Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm mouse sarcoma (matrigel) to the cultures. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been shown to be important in liver growth and development. Here, we investigate changes in β-catenin and its mechanism, during matrigel-induced hepatocyte differentiation. Primary rat hepatocytes were cultured for 8 days, and matrigel was added to half of the cultures. Total and nuclear protein and total RNA were extracted at different days of culture and examined for β-catenin and other Wnt pathway components. A significant increase in total β-catenin protein was observed upon matrigel addition, during hepatocyte differentiation, despite a decrease in β-catenin and frizzled-1 (Wnt receptor) expression. A concurrent decrease in the glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), axin, and ser45/thr41-phosphorylated β-catenin proteins was observed in matrigel-treated cultures, implying decreased degradation of β-catenin. Interestingly, a decrease in nuclear β-catenin and total active β-catenin was observed in the presence of matrigel. Matrigel also induced an increased association of β-catenin with Met (hepatocyte growth factor receptor), whereas association with E-cadherin remained unchanged. This coexisted with decreased β-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation. Thus, β-catenin undergoes multifactorial regulation during matrigel-induced hepatocyte differentiation and maturation; this induces its stabilization and membrane translocation, possibly contributing to hepatocyte differentiation.
Development of toxicity criteria for petroleum hydrocarbon fractions in the Petroleum Hydrocarbon Criteria Working Group approach for risk-based management of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil.

ABSTRACTThe Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Criteria Working Croup (TPHCWG) was formed in 1993 based on the observation that widely different clean-up requirements were being used by states at sites that were contaminated with hydrocarbon materials such as fuels, lubricating oils, and crude oils. These requirements were usually presented as concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), and ranged from 10 to over 10,000 mg TPH/kg soil. Members of this multi-disciplinary group, consisting of representatives from industry, government and academia, jointly recognized that the numerical standard was not based on a scientific assessment of human health risk and established the following goal for the effort: To develop scientifically defensible information for establishing soil cleanup levels that are protective of human health at hydrocarbon contaminated sites. The approach developed by the TPHCWG for TPH hazard assessment consisted of dividing the petroleum hydrocarbon material into multi-chemical-containing...