cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro effects of growth hormone on cyclic AMP metabolism in the isolated rat diaphragm.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the in vitro effects of the growth hormone on cyclic AMP metabolism in the isolated rat diaphragm. To test the hypothesis that growth hormone reduces the amount of cAMP in the small free or metabolically relevant pool of nucleotide in the diaphragm, an indirect method was devised for obtaining a relative estimate of the amount of free cAMP present in the tissue. The method is based upon the experiments of Kuo and De Renzo with isolated rat adipose tissue. These investigators labeled the cAMP of the isolated adipose tissue with 14 C-adenine and then monitored the release of 14 C-cAMP from the tissue after treating it with various hormones and drugs. To facilitate the release of 14 C-cAMP from the cells, the plasma membrane was made more permeable to the nucleotide by treating the tissue with polyenes, such as filipin, which remove membrane sterols. This procedure was utilized to test the in vitro effects of the growth hormone on the release of labeled cAMP from the isolated rat diaphragm, to learn whether the hormone has any influence on the free pool of cAMP in the muscle cell. The results of this study are discussed in detail in the chapter.
Cueing common ecological behaviors to increase environmental attitudes

A major obstacle for promoting sustainable (e.g. ecological) consumer behaviors is people's negative attitude towards these. We tested the potential of a persuasion technique for improving these attitudes. We propose that cueing ecological behaviors people usually engage in, increases the accessibility of previously performed ecological behavior in the memory. As several theories suggest attitudes are inferred from previous behavior, we expected the increased ease of retrieval of ecological actions to result in more favorable attitudes towards these. Two studies confirmed this hypothesis, and further research will verify the success of the technique in promoting actual environmental behavior. Implications for setting up effective social marketing campaigns are discussed.
How to Make Intelligent Digital Libraries

Building digital libraries is one of the most important Grand Challenge problems faced by information professionals. This paper surveys the relevant literature and includes recommendations for research, based on our experience with a digital library for computer science and its use in improving undergraduate education. Of particular interest is the application of intelligent system methods to help provide an effective solution. Mediators or agents are needed throughout the system. It is also important to improve the interface, help with searching, and in general allow the digital library to carry out many of the functions of an expert human intermediary.
Demonstration of frequency-detuning compensation in a coupled-resonator device for efficient four-wave-mixing

A coupled-resonator device is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in silicon-on-insulator platform in which frequency-detuning of its traveling-wave modes can be dynamically tuned using integrated micro-heaters. Zero frequency-detuning for efficient four-wave-mixing is achieved using <1mW.
Interferon Induction in Rabbit Cells Irradiated with UV Light

Abstract UV irradiation of a continuous line of rabbit kidney cells (RK13) was used as a tool for the study of the mechanism of interferon induction. Irradiation of cells prior to their exposure to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in interferon production. The inhibition of total cellular RNA synthesis by UV irradiation in uninduced cultures was similar to the inactivation curve of interferon production in NDV-induced cultures. In contrast, the production of interferon with polyinosinate-polycytidylate (poly[I]·poly [C]) paradoxically was enhanced in cells irradiated with a wide range of doses of UV. However, in cells stimulated with poly(I)·poly(C) and “superinduced” by the sequential addition of cycloheximide and actinomycin D, the rate of inactivation of interferon production by UV light was similar to that observed with NDV. These results are not inconsistent with the idea that both poly(I)·poly(C) and NDV stimulate the same interferon gene(s), but indicate that the mechanism controlling its expression may be different for each inducer.
Synthesis of Long‐Circulating, Backbone Degradable HPMA Copolymer–Doxorubicin Conjugates and Evaluation of Molecular‐Weight‐Dependent Antitumor Efficacy

Backbone degradable, linear, multiblock N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer-doxorubicin (DOX) conjugates are synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization followed by chain extension via thiol-ene click reaction. The examination of molecular-weight-dependent antitumor activity toward human ovarian A2780/AD carcinoma in nude mice reveals enhanced activity of multiblock, second-generation, higher molecular weight conjugates when compared with traditional HPMA copolymer-DOX conjugates. The examination of body weight changes during treatment indicates the absence of non-specific adverse effects.
Security considerations for distributed Web-based e-commerce applications in Java

Today's distributed e-commerce applications typically rely upon various technologies in their realization, including the World Wide Web, scripting languages, server-side processing and an underlying database. The combination of these technologies creates a system that requires attention to the security issues of each component and the system as a whole. In considering the overall system, issues arise from the interactions between the security frameworks available for each component. In this paper, we consider the approach and related issues for distributed e-commerce applications developed with Java. The flexible nature of Java allows migration of objects (compiled code with state) through features such as remote method invocation (RMI) and applets. Security for distributed applications developed in Java has issues and lessons that are applicable to systems of components built on different technologies.
Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR5) activate transient receptor potential canonical channels to improve the regularity of the respiratory rhythm generated by the pre-Bötzinger complex in mice.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are hypothesized to play a key role in generating the central respiratory rhythm and other rhythmic activities driven by central pattern generators (e.g. locomotion). However, the functional role of mGluRs in rhythmic respiratory activity and many motor patterns is very poorly understood. Here, we used mouse respiratory brain-slice preparations containing the pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC) to identify the role of group I mGluRs (mGluR1 and mGluR5) in respiratory rhythm generation. We found that activation of mGluR1/5 is not required for the pre-BotC to generate a respiratory rhythm. However, our data suggest that mGluR1 and mGluR5 differentially modulate the respiratory rhythm. Blocking endogenous mGluR5 activity with 2-Methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP) decreases the inspiratory burst duration, burst area and frequency, whereas it increases the irregularity of the fictive eupneic inspiratory rhythm generated by the pre-BotC. In contrast, blocking mGluR1 reduces the frequency. Moreover, the mGluR1/5 agonist 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine increases the frequency and decreases the irregularity of the respiratory rhythm. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that mGluR signaling decreases the irregularity of the respiratory rhythm by activating transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels, which carry a non-specific cation current (ICAN). Indeed, 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) application reduces cycle-by-cycle variability and subsequent application of the TRPC channel blocker 1-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxy]ethyl]imidazole (SKF-96365) hydrochloride reverses this effect. Our data suggest that mGluR5 activation of ICAN-carrying TRPC channels plays an important role in governing the cycle-by-cycle variability of the respiratory rhythm. These data suggest that modulation of TRPC channels may correct irregular respiratory rhythms in some central neuronal diseases.
A Review of “Doing Case Study Research: A Practical Guide for Beginning Researchers”

In Doing Case Study Research: A Practical Guide for Beginning Researchers, Hancock and Algozzine provide a concrete, step-by-step process for beginning researchers who are conducting case study res...
Reappraisal of the role of vegetables in the vitamin A status of mothers in Central Java, Indonesia

Food-based approaches for controlling vitamin A deficiency and its consequences, such as increased mortality. more severe morbidity, and anemia, have become increasingly important, thus prompting a reassessment of the relation between vitamin A intake and status. A nutrition surveillance system in Central Java. Indonesia, assessed the vitamin A intake and serum retinol concentration of women with a child ≤24 mo old with a semiquantitative 24-h recall method that categorized vitamin A-containing foods into 3 categories of plant foods and into 2 categories of animal foods and identified portions as small. medium, or large. Median vitamin A intake was 335 retinol equivalents (RE)/d (n = 600) and vitamin A intake from plant foods was 8 times higher than from animal foods. Serum retinol concentration was related to vitamin A intake in a dose-response manner. The multiple logistic regression model for predicting the chance for a serum retinol concentration greater than the observed median (≥1.37 μmol/L) included physiologic factors, vitamin A intake from plant [odds ratio (95% Cl) per quartile: 1st , 1.00; 2nd, 1.23 (0.75, 2.02): 3rd, 1.60 (0.97, 2.63); and 4th, 2.06 (1.25. 3.40)] and animal [1st and 2nd, 1.00; 3rd, 1.31 (0.86, 2.02); and 4th. 2.18 (1.40, 3.42)] foods, home gardening [(no. 1.00: yes, 1.71 (1.12, 2.60)], and woman's education level [≤primary school. 1.00; ≥secondary school, 1.51 (1.02. 2.22)]. Despite the fact that plant foods contributed 8 times as much vitamin A as did animal foods, serum retinol concentrations did not reflect this large difference. Home gardening and woman's education level seemed to reflect longer-term consumption of vitamin A-rich plant and animal foods, respectively. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;68:1068-74.
Electron microscopy of the cell walls of Bacillus megaterium and Rhodospirillum rubrum.

The isolated cell walls of B. megaterium and Rhodospirillum rubrum have been examined in the electron microscope after air-drying and freeze-drying the cell wall suspensions on specimen grids. The perservation of the three-dimensional structure of the walls by the freeze-drying method has demonstrated their mechanical rigidity. The cell wall of Rhodospirillum rubrum possesses macromolecular components in its cell wall. There was no evidence of a similar structure in the cell walls of several other bacteria. A preliminary investiation of the composition of the wall of Rhodospirillum rubrum has shown the presence of protein, carbohydrate and lipid components.
Relationship of childhood physical and sexual abuse to adult bipolar disorder

Objectives: To characterize whether adult depressives with either bipolar or unipolar disorder differ in the prevalence of childhood sexual or physical abuse. Method: The investigators reviewed data from patients who were evaluated over a 2-year period by a semi-structured clinical interview. In total, 333 cases with a bipolar or unipolar diagnosis were included in the present study. Results: A childhood history of abuse, in particular sexual abuse, was significantly more frequent in bipolar subjects compared with unipolar subjects. Consistent with previous studies, women reported higher rates of sexual abuse than men, although no interaction by diagnosis was shown. Sexual abuse incidence in male samples was markedly dissimilar, with male bipolar subjects demonstrating a significantly increased rate of sexual abuse and combined sexual and physical abuse compared with unipolar male subjects. Conclusion: The increased incidence of sexual abuse in women supports growing evidence of gender differences in sexual abuse among adult depressives. In contrast to literature reports, the finding that male bipolar patients have significantly increased rates of sexual abuse histories suggests differences in psychiatric depressive subgroups. This result may reflect the particular characteristics of our cohort (treatment resistant, privately insured, and educated). Further work will aid in characterizing sexual abuse prevalence in other male bipolar samples.
AFRICAN AMERICANS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS: CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES

Michael L. Clemons, AFRICAN AMERICANS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS: CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES, Lebanon: Northeastern University Press, 2010, 384 pp., $35.00 (paper) It is rarely the case that a social scienti...
Evidence for multiple boundary faults beneath the northwest moat of Long Valley Caldera: Magnetotelluric results

The boundaries of Long Valley Caldera, in Eastern California, are sharply delineated by steeply dipping normal faults which, for the most part, are buried and obscured by recent volcanic and sedimentary cover. The only evidence for their presence is from their geophysical signatures on regional gravity, seismic and electromagnetic surveys. Recently, a surge of interest has focused studies in the western moat, where the volcanism is most recent, and where many workers feel that the geothermal potential is highest. A detailed, narrow-band (20–80 s) magnetotelluric profile in that area has delineated a parallel set of buried high angle normal faults which have virtually no expression at the surface. The outermost fault has a throw of approximately 500 m, while the innermost has a throw of approximately 2 km; neither has an expression in the surface morphology. Moreover, based on a relatively low resistivity contrast between the basement and the basin fill, we infer a relatively high fracture porosity in the Sierran basement, which suggests that there may be considerable lateral and vertical migration of meteoric water; a result which has considerable significance to understanding the regional hydrology.
Family deviance and family disruption in childhood: Associations with maternal behavior and infant maltreatment during the first two years of life

A structured childhood history interview was administered to 50 low-income mothers of infants. Three levels of risk for infant maltreatment were represented in the sample, including 10 maltreatment cases. Maternal behavior at home was rated and factor analyzed when the infants were 12 months and 18 months old, yielding separate factors labelled maternal involvement and hostile-intrusiveness. Risk for maltreatment was strongly correlated with the overall adversity of the mother's childhood history. Maternal hostile-intrusive behavior was best accounted for by psychiatric disorder in the mother's own mother and poor peer relationships in childhood. Maternal involvement was negatively associated with a separate cluster of variables indexing family disruption and lack of supervision. The emergence of two separate clusters of associations — positive affective involvement and negative affective involvement — is related to similar two-dimensional results in studies of self-reported mood, infant attachment relationships, and peer relationships. Implications of a two-dimensional affective construct for future theorizing in developmental psychopathology are discussed.
Charges from extra dimensions

Abstract A prescription is given for calculating gauge coupling constants in (4 + N )-dimensional models in which N dimensions form an arbitrary compact manifold: Each coupling is given by the ration of 2π(16πG) 1 2 to an appropriate root-mean-square circumference of the manifold. It is speculated that these couplings will be of order 1/√ n , where n is the number of matter fields whose one-loop quantum energy density is responsible for the compactification.
Differential regulation of prodynophin, c-fos, and serotonin transporter mRNA following withdrawal from a chronic, escalating dose regimen of D-amphetamine

Several lines of evidence suggest that D-amphetamine (D-AMPH) withdrawal induces a syndrome with symptoms similar to major depressive disorder (MDD). Upregulation of dynorphin (DYN) may underlie the symptoms of MDD and contribute to the negative emotional symptoms associated with psychostimulant withdrawal. Changes in the serotonin transporter (SERT) have also been reported in MDD, and changes in the immediate early gene c-fos have been observed in the context of psychostimulant withdrawal. This study examined the effects of chronic, escalating doses of D-AMPH followed by 24 h of withdrawal on the expression of prodynorphin (PD) and c-fos mRNA in limbic regions of the brain, caudate putamen (CPu), and brainstem and SERT mRNA expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated three times a day for 4 days with escalating doses of D-AMPH (1-10 mg/kg) and sacrificed 24 h after the last injection. Following 24 h of withdrawal, there was an increase in PD and c-fos mRNA expression in the CPu and nucleus accumbens (NAc), and a decrease in PD and c-fos expression in hippocampus and amygdala. SERT mRNA expression was decreased in the DRN, and PD mRNA expression was increased in the adjacent ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG) following D-AMPH withdrawal. These data indicate that region-specific changes in PD and c-fos expression occur after withdrawal, while SERT mRNA expression is suppressed, similar to what has been reported in MDD. Alterations in PD, c-fos, and SERT expression could contribute to the depression-like syndrome associated with psychostimulant withdrawal.
Tetrahydropapaveroline and salsolinol alter 45Ca2+ efflux within perfused hippocampus of unrestrained rats.

The kinetics of45Ca2+ efflux were examined at circumscribed sites in the perfused hippocampus of the freely moving rat with either one of two tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) products, tetrahydropapaveroline (THP) or salsolinol. Guide tubes for unilateral push-pull perfusion were implanted stereotaxically to rest just above sites within the dorsal hippocampus. Upon recovery from surgery, a tissue site in the hippocampus was prelabeled with 1.0 μl of45Ca2+ (2.0 μCi) injected through the indwelling guide tube. After 16–20 hr had elapsed, successive push-pull perfusions of the site were carried out with an artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), at 5.0 min intervals and at a rate of 20 μl/min, in order to obtain a control washout curve of declining radioactivity. On the fifth of a series of 5.0 min perfusions, either THP or salsolinol was added to the perfusion medium in a concentration of 10 or 100 ng/μl. Then the hippocampal site was perfused again with control CSF for the collection of an additional three samples. Although THP in both of the test concentrations generally augmented the efflux of45Ca2+, the temporal course and magnitude of the enhancement depended on the anatomical site of the perfusion. In the more rostral hippocampal planes of AP 3.0 and AP 4.0, THP caused a delayed efflux of the cation, after the perfusion of THP had been discontinued, in nearly half of the loci reactive to the TIQ. Similarly, salsolinol enhanced significantly the efflux of45Ca2+ in a concentration-dependent manner during the interval of its perfusion within the hippocampal plane of AP 3.0. These results suggest that both THP and salsolinol can affect differentially the kinetics of45Ca2+ efflux and that these differences are contingent on the circumscribed anatomical site of push-pull perfusion. It is envisaged that a part of the neurochemical effects of the two TIQs when acting centrally are mediated by membrane mechanisms involving Ca2+ transport, metabolism or other cellular activity of the cation.
Feng Shui, Astrology, and the Five Elements: Traditional Chinese Belief in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

A persistent thematic concern in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club is the quest for identity. Tan represents the discovery process as arduous and fraught with peril. Each of the eight main characters faces the task of defining herself in the midst of great personal loss or interpersonal conflict. Lindo Jong recalls in "The Red Candle" that her early marriage into a family that did not want her shaped her character and caused her to vow never to forget who she was. Ying-ying St. Clair's story "Waiting Between the Trees" chronicles how betrayal, loss, and displacement caused her to become a "ghost." Rose Hsu Jordan recounts her effort to regain a sense of self and assert it against her philandering husband in "Without Wood." Framing all the other stories are a pair of linked narratives by Jing-mei Woo that describe her trip to China at the behest of her Joy Luck Club "aunties." The journey encompasses Jing-mei's attempts not only to understand her mother's tragic personal history but also to come to terms with her own familial and ethnic identity. In all the stories, whether narrated by the Chinese-born mothers or their American-born daughters, assertions of self are shaped by the cultural context surrounding them. However, there is a fundamental asymmetry in the mothers' and daughters' understanding of each other's native cultures. The mothers draw on a broad experiential base for their knowledge of American patterns of thought and behavior, but the daughters have only fragmentary, second-hand knowledge of China derived from their mothers' oral histories and from proverbs, traditions, and folktales.1 Incomplete cultural knowledge impedes understanding on both sides, but it particularly inhibits the daughters from appreciating the delicate negotiations their mothers have performed to sustain their identities across two cultures. Language takes on a metonymic relation to culture in Tan's portrayal of the gap between the mothers and daughters in The Joy Luck
Airborne Far Infrared Solar Spectroscopy

Solar radiation in the far infrared (wavelengths 200-10000 arises primarily from the region of the solar atmosphere near the temperature minimum in the low chromosphere (Ref. 1). An accurate specification of the temperature structure of this region of the sun is important for an understanding of the processes of nonradiative energy transport since it is here that departures from radiative equilibrium first become important in the chromosphere. Because of the relatively high opacity of this region, a comparatively large input of energy is required to support a temperature structure here only slightly above the radiative equilibrium value (Ref. 2).
Chronic central nervous system expression of HIV-1 Tat leads to accelerated rarefaction of neocortical capillaries and loss of red blood cell velocity heterogeneity.

Objectives HIV-1 infection of the CNS is associated with impairment of CBF and neurocognitive function, and accelerated signs of aging. As normal aging is associated with rarefaction of the cerebral vasculature, we set out to examine chronic viral effects on the cerebral vasculature. Methods DOX-inducible HIV-1 Tat-tg and WT control mice were used. Animals were treated with DOX for three weeks or five to seven months. Cerebral vessel density and capillary segment length were determined from quantitative image analyses of sectioned cortical tissue. In addition, movement of red blood cells in individual capillaries was imaged in vivo using multiphoton microscopy, to determine RBCV and flux. Results Mean RBCV was not different between Tat-tg mice and age-matched WT controls. However, cortical capillaries from Tat-tg mice showed a significant loss of RBCV heterogeneity and increased RBCF that was attributed to a marked decrease in total cortical capillary length (35–40%) compared to WT mice. Conclusions Cerebrovascular rarefaction is accelerated in HIV-1 Tat-transgenic mice, and this is associated with alterations in red cell blood velocity. These changes may have relevance to the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in an aging HIV-positive population.
Lack of Adrenal Androgen Stimulation by ACTH in Extreme Hyperprolactinemia

Acute and prolonged α 1 -24 corticotropin stimulation was performed on a treated chromophobe adenoma patient with partial ACTH deficiency and extreme hyperprolactinemia. Cortisol and aldosterone stimulated normally. However, the basal concentrations of androstenedione (A) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) were low, and that of DHA-sulfate (DHAS) was undetectable. Furthermore, A and DHA did not stimulate normally, and DHAS did not stimulate at all. It has been claimed that adrenal androgen production is increased in hyperprolactinemia. However, the inability of prolactin (Prl) to maintain adrenal androgen (AA) secretion, with and without added ACTH, is demonstrated in this patient.
Wool Wax Emulsions

Emulsions prepared with a wool wax isolate and its ethoxylated derivative have been formulated and studied. Rheological patterns were determined over a 12-month period and flow types characterized. Globular sizes were also determined and correlated with the observed stabilities (creaming rates) and emulgent concentrations. The inapplicability of Stokes' law in theoretical calculations of creaming rate has been shown. A stable emulsion may be produced by selecting as an emulsifying agent a material that will not form a true solution with either of the emulsion phases while exhibiting an affinity for or a greater solubility (colloidal sol) in the external phase.
Colonic acetate in the circulating acetate pool of the infant pig.

To identify potential sites of acetate utilization and synthesis, we studied the contribution of colonic acetate to the circulating acetate pool in six neonatal pigs by the simultaneous i.v. infusion of [3H]acetate and colonic infusion of [14C]acetate. In the fasting state, the mean (+/- SEM) acetate concentration was 17 +/- 1 mumol/L in peripheral venous blood, 28 +/- 4 mumol/L in the femoral artery, and 46 +/- 4 mumol/L in portal blood. This concentration gradient implies that acetate was utilized either by peripheral tissues alone or by both liver and peripheral tissues. At the end of the 2-h intracecal acetate infusion, mean acetate concentration increased in the femoral artery to 186 +/- 20 mumol/L and in the portal vein to 333 +/- 31 mumol/L. In the fasted state, mean acetate concentration in the portal vein was on average 63% higher than the acetate concentration of the femoral artery, whereas specific radioactivity of the [3H]acetate in the portal vein was only 5% of that in the femoral artery. It is possible, therefore, that a high proportion of the arterial input of acetate is utilized by the portal-drained viscera. Our study identified the gastrointestinal tract as an important site of acetate utilization in the fasted state. Further, it showed that colonic acetate was efficiently absorbed and utilized in the gastrointestinal tract of infant pigs.
MicroTiger: a graphical microcode simulator with a reconfigurable datapath

This paper describes the MicroTiger software that combines a graphical microcode simulator with a reconfigurable data-path. The resulting implented simulator is able to fill the void in microprogramming tools since there are no graphical microcode simulators that allow such customization of the datapath. The customization of the datapath goes beyond allowing different files specifying the datapath, it allows the datapath to be created and modified using the graphical interface like a circuit editor. In the acadic setting, MicroTiger provides easier microcode testing on the instruction level for instructors and provides simulation debugging through code tracing and breakpoints for students.
Identification and Interpretation of Upper Cretaceous Fluvial and Deltaic Sandstones: ABSTRACT

Well-developed fluviatile and deltaic characteristics are present in the Upper Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale in east-central Utah. Detailed stratigraphic relations and sedimentary structures not only provide criteria for paleoenvironment identification, but also form the basis for semiquantitative estimation of paleogeographic parameters. The fluviatile facies consists of 100-700 ft of alternating sandstone, shale, and coal in units of inconstant lateral continuity and thickness. The fine- to medium-grained sandstone beds are in distinct channels or more laterally continuous sheets as thick as 60 ft. The sandstone beds have sharp bases, fining-upward sequences, dominantly trough cross-lamination, and large-scale, point-bar-migration cross-beds. A generally northerly transport direction is shown by decreasing unit thicknesses, decreasing grain size, and by current-oriented sedimentary structures. The deltaic facies is mainly an inclined series, 20-40 ft thick, of delta-front sheet-sandstone beds that thin and become finer grained down the 5-10° depositional foreslope. Beds in the sequence are thin, End_Page 713------------------------------ consist of alternating very fine- to medium-grained sandstone, and are characterized by even, parallel laminae. Detailed analysis of Ferron fluvial sandstone, following relations developed by Schumm, Simons, and others, provides reasonable paleogeographic estimates. Large rivers carried mixed sediment loads under lower flow-regime conditions in meandering channels of intermediate sinuosity northward to a deltaic plain, debouching into a shallow embayment in the Late Cretaceous coast. For selected channel sandstones, ranges can be specified for channel depth, current velocity, rate of discharge, channel sinuosity, and other flow parameters. End_of_Article - Last_Page 714------------
New Insights into Mechanisms of Action of Carvedilol Treatment in Chronic Heart Failure Patients—A Matter of Time for Contractility

Abstract Background It is unclear whether improvement in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) following treatment with a combined α 1 ,β 1 ,β 2 -blockade can be attributed to improvement in LV contractility, to a reduction in afterload, and/or to improvements in LV remodeling and chamber size. We aimed to examine whether the observed improvement in LVEF following carvedilol treatment is due to changes in intrinsic myocardial contractility beyond changes in LV chamber size or loading conditions. Methods and Results In 49 consecutive patients with chronic heart failure (HF), LVEF ≤35%, NYHA functional class II–IV, on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors but not on s-blockers, LV contractile performance and remodeling were assessed by comprehensive echocardiography at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment with carvedilol. Carvedilol treatment resulted in significant improvements in LVEF, shortening fraction, and velocity of circumferential shortening (VCF c ). There were no significant changes in the mean arterial blood pressure or systemic vascular resistance index; but LV end-systolic wall stress (LVESS), effective arterial elastance, ventriculoarterial coupling, and LV end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions and volumes were significantly reduced. Estimated end-systolic elastance, VCF c -to-LVESS ratio, and pulsatile arterial compliance significantly improved after 6 months of treatment with carvedilol. The slope of the VCF c relationship to LVESS worsened from 0 to 3 months, but significantly improved from 3 to 6 months. Conclusions Despite an initial transient negative inotropic effect from 0 to 3 months, carvedilol treatment was associated with a positive inotropic effect with significant improvement in load-independent indexes of myocardial contractility beyond what can be attributed to changes in LV chamber size and load after 3 months. There were no changes in systemic vascular resistance with carvedilol treatment; however, improvement in pulsatile arterial compliance and ventriculoarterial coupling suggested enhanced cardiac mechanoenergetic performance along with improved systemic arterial compliance.
Cyclosporine effect on anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody-stimulated mitogenesis, phorbol ester comitogenesis, and PGE2 production.

Abstract Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (H-PBMC) from 10 healthy donors were stimulated to proliferate with phytohemagglutinin lectin (PHA), anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), and anti-CD3 mAb plus phorbol 12, myristate 13 acetate (TPA), a protein kinase C (PKC) agonist. Anti-CD3 mAb-mediated mitogenesis was 35–75% of that observed with PHA. When TPA was added to a dose of mAb that by itself did not cause mitogenesis, proliferation equal to 50–90% of the maximally mitogenic dose occurred. TPA did not enhance proliferation with maximally mitogenic doses of antibody. Dimethyl-prostaglandin E2, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, and forskolin (an adenyl cyclase agonist) inhibited PHA, anti-CD3, and anti-CD3/PMA-mediated mitogenesis. Cyclosporine (CSA) inhibited anti-CD3 and anti-CD3/TPA mitogenesis in a dose-dependent fashion. While CSA inhibited anti-CD3 and anti-CD3/TPA mitogenic signals, it did not affect PGE2 production by anti-CD3 mAb-stimulated H-PBMC. In the presence of CSA, PGE2 production in PHA-stimulated H-PBMC was increased. PGE2 inhibits lymphocyte proliferation via a cyclic AMP-mediated mechanism and may enhance maturation of suppressor cells. CSA inhibits anti-CD3 mAb and anti-CD3/TPA proliferative signals in H-PBMC yet has no effect or may even enhance production of suppressive PGE2. The maturation of antigen-specific suppressor cells elicited by CSA may involve active down-regulation of CD3 receptor and PKC-dependent events while PGE2 production continues.
Host cell lipids control cholesteryl ester synthesis and storage in intracellular Toxoplasma

The intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii lacks a de novo mechanism for cholesterol synthesis and therefore must scavenge this essential lipid from the host environment. In this study, we demonstrated that T. gondii diverts cholesterol from low-density lipoproteins for cholesteryl ester synthesis and storage in lipid bodies. We identified and characterized two isoforms of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT)-related enzymes, designated TgACAT1alpha and TgACAT1beta in T. gondii. Both proteins are coexpressed in the parasite, localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and participate in cholesteryl ester synthesis. In contrast to mammalian ACAT, TgACAT1alpha and TgACAT1beta preferentially incorporate palmitate into cholesteryl esters and present a broad sterol substrate affinity. Mammalian ACAT-deficient cells transfected with either TgACAT1alpha or TgACAT1beta are restored in their capability of cholesterol esterification. TgACAT1alpha produces steryl esters and forms lipid bodies after transformation in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain lacking neutral lipids. In addition to their role as ACAT substrates, host fatty acids and low-density lipoproteins directly serve as Toxoplasma ACAT activators by stimulating cholesteryl ester synthesis and lipid droplet biogenesis. Free fatty acids significantly increase TgACAT1alpha mRNA levels. Selected cholesterol esterification inhibitors impair parasite growth by rapid disruption of plasma membrane. Altogether, these studies indicate that host lipids govern neutral lipid synthesis in Toxoplasma and that interference with mechanisms of host lipid storage is detrimental to parasite survival in mammalian cells.
Model-based ground station calibration for SeaWinds on QuikSCAT

SeaWinds on QuikSCAT is the latest of NASA's wind-observing scatterometer missions. It was launched in June of 1999 with the goal of accurately measuring wind fields over all the oceans. It has also proven to be valuable in monitoring ice changes in polar regions. The value of such data necessitates an extremely accurate and precise calibration of both satellite performance and instrument measurements. In order to assure optimal performance a Calibration Ground Station has been constructed, which provides direct measurements of the instrument transmissions. Each time the spacecraft flies overhead, approximately twice a day, the CGS passively captures microwave pulses transmitted from QuikSCAT. The data is then used with various processing and analysis techniques to validate the system performance and calibration. As part of the calibration analysis, a software simulation model of the instrument system has been constructed. This model is able to simulate critical instrument systems and path loss characteristics and thus predict CGS receive data for any given satellite pass. By comparing model-based simulation data with actual recorded CGS data, calibration of parameters such as system timing, power, attitude, and Doppler compensation can be accurately determined. The analysis has been able to validate the Doppler/range compensation algorithm, instrument timing, and other key system operational parameters. The major contributions of the CGS-based analysis are demonstration of pointing accuracy and overall system stability of SeaWinds. By employing a variance minimization technique between simulated and actual data, the QuikSCAT platform is shown to be extremely stable.
The Hot and Cool of Death Awareness at Work: Mortality Cues, Aging, and Self-Protective and Prosocial Motivations

Although death awareness is pervasive in organizations and can have powerful effects on employees' experiences and behaviors, scholars have paid little attention to it. We develop a theoretical model of the nature, antecedents, and consequences of death awareness at work. We differentiate death anxiety and reflection as distinct states that strengthen self-protective versus prosocial motivations, examine how mortality cues and aging processes trigger these states, and explore their impact on withdrawal and generative behaviors.
Interobserver variation in the AO/OTA fracture classification system for pilon fractures: is there a problem?

Objectives: To evaluate the interobserver variation for the AO/OTA fracture classification system: region forty-three-pilon fractures. Methods: One senior attending, two fellows (one trauma, one foot and ankle), one junior orthopaedic resident, and one experienced research coordinator independently classified eighty-four sets of radiographs. The evaluator was blinded as to treatment and functional outcome. The radiographs initially used to manage the patients were evaluated; no special radiographs or standardized radiographic techniques were used. The kappa statistic, Williams index, and SAV statistic were calculated. Results: Using the SAV statistic to quantify rater agreement beyond that expected by chance alone, the average chance-adjusted agreement among the raters was 0.57 for fracture type, 0.43 for group, and 0.41 for subgroup. This is equivalent to moderate agreement (0.41 to 0.60). The kappa statistic was used to determine whether there was difficulty with any specific category of the AO type classification among raters for selecting fracture type (A, B, C). Kappa values were 0.49 for type A, 0.58 for type B, 0.57 for type C, all of which were considered adequate. Conclusion: These data are similar to others reported for interobserver agreement with the AO/OTA fracture classification and other classification systems. The issue of individual judgment in taking a continuous variable (fracture pattern) and compartmentalizing it into a dichotomous variable (fracture classification system) is highlighted by these data. Determination of fracture types alone (type A, B, or C) would seem to be sufficient for clinical research where fracture severity should be reported as a variable.
Pulsed UV laser annealing of polycrystalline CdTe

Presented here are the results of a three dimensional, finite element simulation that models pulsed, ultraviolet (UV) laser annealing of polycrystalline CdTe. The model considers heat generated by the absorption of a 25 ns, 248 nm laser pulse normally incident to a 5 μm thick CdTe thin film deposited on a polycrystalline alumina substrate. In particular, focus is on the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature from laser fluences that achieve a sub-melting condition. The model shows that there are very large temperature gradients both in depth and in-plane directions. These predictions, as well as the onset of melting, are confirmed with cross sectional scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the model predicts that the heat generated dissipates rapidly after the pulse has ended. This has implications if pulse trains are to be used experimentally.
The effect of solvent on a Lewis acid catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction, using computed and experimental kinetic isotope effects.

A new transition structure for the Diels-Alder reaction between isoprene and acrolein catalyzed by Et2AlCl is found to reconcile reported discrepancies between computed and observed secondary kinetic isotope effects (KIEs). Including the effect of solvent realigns the computed results with experiment demonstrating the importance of nonbond interactions at transition structures. Comparison of experimental and newly predicted KIE data reaffirms the ability of theory and experiment to probe the mechanism and transition structure geometry of organic reactions.
2H,15N-Substituted Nitroxides as Sensitive Probes for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging

Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) using nitroxides is an emergent imaging method for studying in vivo physiology, including O2 distribution in various tissues. Such imaging capabilities would allow O2 mapping in tumors and in different brain regions following hypoxia or drug abuse. We have recently demonstrated that the anion of 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxyl (2) can be entrapped in brain tissue to quantitate O2 concentration in vivo. To increase the sensitivity of O2 measurement by EPR imaging, we synthesized 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetra(2H3)methyl-1-(3,4,4-2H3,1-15N)pyrrolidinyloxyl (7). EPR spectroscopic measurements demonstrate that this fully isotopically substituted nitroxide markedly improves signal-to-noise ratio and, therefore, the sensitivity of EPR imaging. The new isotopically substituted nitroxide shows increased sensitivity to changes in O2 concentration, which will enable more accurate O2 measurement in tissues using EPRI.
COMPARATIVE HAEMODYNAMICS DURING OPERATION, UNREPLACED BLOOD LOSS, AND ANAESTHESIA WITH ETHER OR HALOTHANE IN NITROUS OXIDE AND OXYGEN

SUMMARY Haemodynamics during operations on ten patients under ether anaesthesia are compared with those during similar operations on ten patients under halothane anaesthesia. Initial cardiac output was greater in the ether group than in ther halothane group and tended to rise. In the halothane group cardiac output fell slightly with time and unreplaced blood loss, and it was associated with lower arterial pressure, stroke index, and heart rate, and with higher central venous pressure. It is concluded that myocardial contractility or distensibility or both are less with halothane than with ether under these conditions. In addition, it appears that systemic blood flow is maintained better with ether in the presence of prolonged operation and unreplaced blood loss than with halothane.
Characteristics of drug users who witness many overdoses: implications for overdose prevention.

Background Programs to improve response of drug users when witnessing an overdose can reduce overdose mortality. Characteristics of drug users may be associated with the number of overdoses ever witnessed. This information could inform overdose prevention programs.
Identification of the Cationic Amino Acid Transporter (System y+) of the Rat Blood-Brain Barrier

Cationic amino acids are transported from blood into brain by a saturable carrier at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The transport properties of this carrier were examined in the rat using an in situ brain perfusion technique. Influx into brain via this system was found to be sodium independent and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with half-saturation constants (Km) of 50-100 microM and maximal transport rates of 22-26 nmol/min/g for L-lysine, L-arginine, and L-ornithine. The kinetic properties matched that of System y+, the sodium-independent cationic amino acid transporter, the cDNA for which has been cloned from the mouse. To determine if the cloned receptor is expressed at the BBB, we assayed RNA from rat cerebral microvessels and choroid plexus for the presence of the cloned transporter mRNA by RNase protection. The mRNA was present in both cerebral microvessels and choroid plexus and was enriched in microvessels 38-fold as compared with whole brain. The results indicate that System y+ is present at the BBB and that its mRNA is more densely expressed at cerebral microvessels than in whole brain.
Long-term follow-up of blister aneurysms of the internal carotid artery.

Background Blister aneurysms of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are uncommon. There is a paucity of data on the long-term outcomes of patients. Objective To review our experience with the treatment of these lesions. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all aneurysms treated at our institution between 1994 and 2005. Relevant operative notes, radiology reports, and inpatient/outpatient records were reviewed. Results Seventeen patients (3 male, 14 female) with 18 blister aneurysms of the ICA were identified. The mean age was 44.6 years (range, 17-72; median, 42 years). Twelve patients (70.6%) presented with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. The mean admission Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4.3 (range, 2-5; median, 5). All patients were initially treated using microsurgical technique with direct clipping (n = 15; 83.3%) or clip-wrapping with Gore-Tex (n = 3, 16.7%). There were 4 cases of intraoperative rupture, all associated with attempted direct clipping; all 4 cases were successfully clipped. Two cases rebled post-treatment. Both rebleeding episodes were managed with endovascular stenting. Follow-up angiography was available for 14 patients and revealed a new aneurysm adjacent to the site of clipping in 1 patient and in-stent stenosis in 2. At the mean follow-up of 74.5 months (median, 73; range, 7-165), the mean Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4.6 (range, 2-5; median, 5). Conclusion Microsurgical treatment of blister aneurysms of the ICA results in excellent outcome. In the evolution of treating these friable aneurysms, we have modified our clip-wrapping technique and use this technique when direct clipping is not feasible.
Cytokinetic considerations of murine neuroblastoma (C1300) as a screening model for the childhood disease.

Abstract Kinetic studies are presented for the Murine Neuroblastoma C 1300 system. Animals receiving subcutaneous inoculations of 10 6 cells develop a palpable tumor with a mean diameter of 1·3 cm in 10 days. The growth characteristics of palpable disease are consistent with a Gompertzian curve distribution; the doubling time of palpable disease is 10 days. Autoradiographic studies demonstrated a DNA synthesis time of 4·52 hr and a total generation time of 14·1 hr. These considerations and the sensitivity of the model to cell cycle nonspecific agents suggest that the C 1300 system deserves further study as a potential model of the human disease.