cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quasi-periodicity of motions and complete integrability of Hamiltonian systems

Consider a Hamiltonian system with is such a system necessarily completely (or else non-commutatively) integrable? We show that the answer is affirmative under quite broad conditions, but not always, and we provide counterexamples
CRF Type I Receptor-Deficient Mice Exhibit a Pronounced Pituitary-Adrenal Response to Local Inflammation

Recent studies indicate that the regulation of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is mediated predominantly by the type I CRF receptor (CRF-R1). Indeed, CRF-R1-deficient (CRF-R1 -/-) mice show marked impairment of the pituitary-adrenal axis. However, the plasma ACTH concentrations of unstressed CRF-R1 -/- mice are similar to those in wild-type mice. We show here that arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a major ACTH secretagogue in CRF-R1 -/- mice in resting conditions, since administration of anti-AVP serum, but not anti-CRF serum, markedly reduced (by 60%) resting plasma ACTH concentrations in these mutants. We also investigated the pituitary-adrenal response to turpentine-induced local inflammation in CRF-R1 -/- mice. Administration of turpentine into the hind-limb of CRF-R1 -/- mice produced a slightly (15-25%) smaller swelling of the limb, but a 10 fold greater rise in plasma IL-6 levels, compared to CRF-R1 +/+ controls. Turpentine-induced local inflammation produced pronounced elevations in the plasma concentrations of both ACTH and corticosterone in both CRF-R1 -/- and wild-type mice, but ACTH secretion could be inhibited by anti-CRF and anti-AVP sera only in wild-type mice. These data indicate that resting ACTH secretion in CRF-R1 -/- mice is in part attributable to AVP-dependent mechanisms. Furthermore, while in normal mice the pituitary-adrenal response to local inflammation is mediated largely via CRF-dependent mechanisms, mice deficient in CRF-R1 are still able to mount a pituitary-adrenal response via mechanisms that do not depend critically on either CRF or AVP action.
Investigation of the enhancement of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced esophageal tumorigenesis by 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate (PHITC), enhances N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA)-induced esophageal tumorigenesis in F344 rats while the shorter chain analogs, phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), and 3-phenylpropyl isothiocyanate (PPITC), inhibit NMBA-induced esophageal tumorigenesis. To test the hypothesis that PHITC influences the promotional stage of esophageal tumorigenesis, groups of 22-27 rats were dosed with vehicle or NMBA three times a week for 5 week, and fed a modified AIN-76A diet containing PHITC at concentrations of 0.0, 1.0, and 2.5 micromol/g. At the 25th week, the rats were killed, esophagi harvested and tumors counted. In the groups that received NMBA+PHITC, apparent but statistically insignificant increases in tumor multiplicity of 32 and 42% were found in comparison to rats treated with NMBA alone. A higher frequency of dysplastic lesions was found in rats treated with NMBA+2.5 micromol/g PHITC (71%) when compared to rats treated with NMBA only (12%). To test whether PHITC increased cellular proliferation, we evaluated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression by immunohistochemistry. While there were no significant increases in PCNA staining in rats treated with NMBA+PHITC compared to rats treated with NMBA only, rats treated with PHITC only had a significantly higher PCNA index compared to untreated controls. Expression of cyclin D1, another biomarker of proliferation, was analyzed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. There were no significant increases in cyclin D1 expression in groups treated with NMBA+PHITC compared to the group treated with NMBA only. Thus, while the data suggest a promotional effect by PHITC as manifested by a significant increase in dysplastic leukoplakia by the high dose of PHITC and an increase in the PCNA index by PHITC alone, PHITC does not appear to have a significant effect on esophageal cell proliferation.
Oxidant generation with K(+)-induced depolarization in the isolated perfused lung.

Abstract This study evaluated whether cell membrane depolarization can induce oxidant generation in the isolated perfused rat lung as has been demonstrated with bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Depolarization was produced by perfusing the lungs with high [K + ] or with glyburide and was evaluated with bis-oxonol lung surface fluorometry. Lung surface bis-oxonol fluorescence increased above baseline (at 5.9 mM K + ) by 18.5% with 24 mM K + , 35% with 48 mM K + , and 67% with 96 mM K + , indicating graded membrane depolarization, and by 75% during perfusion with 10 μ M glyburide. Oxidant generation was evaluated with hydroethidine lung surface fluorometry, and with assay of tissue thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), conjugated dienes, and perfusate H 2 O 2 . Depolarization by high K + or glyburide led to significant increases in generation of tissue oxidants and lipid peroxidation. Bodipy-FL-glyburide microfluorography showed localization of glyburide binding primarily to vascular endothelial cells vascular and airway smooth muscle cells, alveolar type II cells, and to nonciliated cells of the airway epithelium. These results indicate that cellular depolarization is associated with oxidant generation by the lung and suggests a role for K + -channels in these events. © 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.
Preoperative multimodal motor mapping: a comparison of magnetoencephalography imaging, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation, and direct cortical stimulation.

Object Direct cortical stimulation (DCS) is the gold-standard technique for motor mapping during craniotomy. However, preoperative noninvasive motor mapping is becoming increasingly accurate. Two such noninvasive modalities are navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) imaging. While MEG imaging has already been extensively validated as an accurate modality of noninvasive motor mapping, TMS is less well studied. In this study, the authors compared the accuracy of TMS to both DCS and MEG imaging. Methods Patients with tumors in proximity to primary motor cortex underwent preoperative TMS and MEG imaging for motor mapping. The patients subsequently underwent motor mapping via intraoperative DCS. The loci of maximal response were recorded from each modality and compared. Motor strength was assessed at 3 months postoperatively. Results Transcranial magnetic stimulation and MEG imaging were performed on 24 patients. Intraoperative DCS yielded 8 positive motor sites in 5...
Is Justice Really Blind?–The Influence of Litigant Physical Attractiveness on Juridical Judgment1

The present investigation examined the influence of litigant physical attractiveness on the decisions of 91 undergraduates playing the role of nondeliberating jurors in an automobile negligence trial. Seeking to achieve a more realistic simulation of actual courtroom practice than that produced in prior studies, which have relied exclusively on short written synopses as their method of trial presentation, this experiment tested the hypothesis that physical attractiveness would have a significant impact on juridic judgments even though an audiovisual presentation of the trial permitted the introduction of a variety of other important stimuli typically present at a jury trial. This prediction received empirical support: Subjects exposed to an attractive plaintiff and an unattractive defendant more often found in favor of the plaintiff and awarded more money in damages than students viewing an unattractive plaintiff and an attractive defendant. However, in contrast to findings from general studies of interpersonal evaluation, analyses of student perceptions of the two litigants provided only limited evidence for a global (positive) physical attractiveness stereotype within the context of a simulated trial. Instead, the observed effect of physical attractiveness on student decisions was apparently mediated by differential perceptions of the seriousness of the accident itself. Possible implications of the results for the judicial process were mentioned.
Directed percolation describes lifetime and growth of turbulent puffs and slugs

We show that directed percolation (DP) simulations in a pipe geometry in $3+1$ dimensions capture the observed complex phenomenology of the transition to turbulence. At low Reynolds numbers (Re), turbulent puffs form and spontaneously relaminarize. At high Re, turbulent slugs expand uniformly into the laminar regions. In a spatiotemporally intermittent state between these two regimes of Re, puffs split and turbulent regions exhibit laminar patches. DP also captures some of the quantitative features of the transition, with a superexponentially diverging characteristic lifetime below the transition. Above the percolation threshold, active (turbulent) clusters expand into the inactive (laminar) phase with a well-defined velocity whose scaling with control parameter (Reynolds number or percolation probability) is consistent with experimental results. Our results provide strong evidence in favor of a conjecture of Pomeau.
Environmental chemistry of 1,2-propanediol dinitrate: Azeotrope formation, photolysis and biodegradability

Investigation of the biodegradability of 1,2-propanediol dinitrate, commonly called propylene glycol dinitrate (PGDN), the major component of the Naval torpedo fuel, Otto fuel II, has shown that this compound is resistant to biodegradation by microorganisms found in sewage sludge, a pure culture ofPseudomonas aeruginosa (previously shown to biodegrade nitroaromatic explosives), and a commercially available inoculum, Phenobac®, employed for degradation of nitrogen-containing organic wastes. However, PGDN is photolabile in ultraviolet, decomposing to pyruvic and lactic acids. In biodegradation experiments, PGDN rapidly evaporated from aqueous solutions. This unexpected volatility of PGDN, which poses a potential health hazard, was attributed to the formation of a PGDN-water azeotrope, whose presence was demonstrated by partition experiments.
Refined energetic ordering for sulphate–water (n = 3–6) clusters using high-level electronic structure calculations

This work reports refinements of the energetic ordering of the known low-energy structures of sulphate–water clusters (n = 3–6) using high-level electronic structure methods. Coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples (CCSD(T)) is used in combination with an estimate of basis set effects up to the complete basis set limit using second-order Moller–Plesset theory. Harmonic zero-point energy (ZPE), included at the B3LYP/6-311 + + G(3df,3pd) level, was found to have a significant effect on the energetic ordering. In fact, we show that the energetic ordering is a result of a delicate balance between the electronic and vibrational energies. Limitations of the ZPE calculations, both due to electronic structure errors, and use of the harmonic approximation, probably constitute the largest remaining errors. Due to the often small energy differences between cluster isomers, and the significant role of ZPE, deuteration can alter the relative energies of low-lying structures, and, when it is appli...
Pressure Boundary Conditions of Incompressible Flows with Conjugate Heat Transfer on Nonstaggered Grids. Part II: Applications

Part I of this study discussed the proper implementation of pressure boundary conditions in the numerical simulation of incompressible fluid flows. Part II discusses the discretization of the energy equation, and details the numerical procedures used to model conjugate heat transfer. Channel flow over a backward facing step is simulated to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method for modeling inlet-outlet flows. As an application, conjugate heat transfer in a compact heat exchanger between the heat exchanger fins and the connecting fluid is analyzed. The study shows that conjugate heat transfer modeling provides a more realistic simulation of heat exchanger performance.
A comparison of some predictors of stereoscopic match correctness

Previously we introduced the concept of continuous quantification of uniqueness, as a general purpose technique designed to be applicable to any situation in which there is a need to decide which of several equally effective objects to choose for a task, that requires recognition of the chosen object, in a variety of contexts, by comparing attributes which contain a non trivial amount of context dependent variability. We defined that uniqueness assessment as an algorithm that computes a fuzzy set membership function that measures some but not all aspects of the probability that the sought after object will not be confused with other objects in the space being searched. We evaluated the usefulness of that concept by experimentally assessing the extent to which the uniqueness of the SAD global minimum of locally computed image subset dissimilarity was both a predictor of bidirectional match compliance with the Epipolar Constraint, and a predictor of bidirectional match disparity correctness, for the classical stereoscopic correspondence problem of computer vision, and in that context found the uniqueness of the aforementioned global minimum to be a useful but imperfect predictor of success. In this paper we compare the usefulness of the uniqueness of the aforementioned global minimum to that of, the magnitude of that same global minimum, the magnitude of variability across contributors to that global minimum, uniqueness of that variability, and co-occurrence of the global minimum of local image subset dissimilarity and global minimum of variability across contributors to local image subset dissimilarity.
The outcomes of emergency pharmacist participation during acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract Background Current guidelines recommend door-to-balloon times of 90 min or less for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Objectives To determine if a clinical pharmacist for the ED (EPh) is associated with decreased door/diagnosis-to-cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) time and decreased door-to-balloon time. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study of ED patients with STEMI requiring urgent cardiac catheterization was conducted. Blinded data collection included timing of ED and CCL arrival, diagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG), and balloon angioplasty. For cases diagnosed after ED arrival, diagnosis time was substituted for door time. Diagnosis was the time ST elevations were evident on serial ECG. EPh present and not-present groups were compared. During the study period there were two EPhs and presence was determined by their scheduled time in the ED. Univariate and multivariate analyses was used to detect differences. Results Multivariate analysis of 120 patients, controlled for CCL staff presence and arrival by pre-hospital services, determined that EPh presence is associated with a mean 13.1-min (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.5–21.9) and 11.5-min (95% CI 3.9–21.5) decrease in door/diagnosis-to-CCL and door-to-balloon times, respectively. Patients were more likely to achieve a door/diagnosis-to-CCL time ≤ 30 min (odds ratio [OR] 3.1, 95% CI 1.3–7.8) and ≤ 45 min (OR 2.9, 95% CI–1.0, 8.5) and a door-to-balloon time ≤ 90 min (OR 1.9, 95% CI 0.7–5.5) more likely when the EPh was present. Conclusions EPh presence during STEMI presentation to the ED is independently associated with a decrease in door/diagnosis-to-CCL and door-to-balloon times.
Composition and relative abundance of parasites associated with aphid populations on strawberry in southern California.

Four primary parasites and seven secondary parasites (hyperparasites) were reared from mummies of five species of aphids collected from winter plantings of strawberries in southern California in 1981 and 1982. In order of abundance, the primary parasites were Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cresson, Aphelinus semiflavus Howard, Aphidius urticae Haliday, and Ephedrus californicus Baker. L. testaceipes accounted for 47.8 and 77.1% of all primaries in 1981 and 1982, respectively, and was reared most commonly from the strawberry aphid, Chaetosiphon fragaefolii (Cockerell), in 1981 (56.3%) and from the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, in 1982 (74.5%). Dendrocerus aphidum (Rondani) and Alloxysta magourae “complex” were the most common secondary parasites, accounting for 34.6 and 19.2% of all secondaries, respectively, in 1981 and for 55.8 and 23.4% in 1982. C. fragaefolii was the most common aphid present both years, reaching damaging populations in 1982 despite the parasite activity.
Monitoring postfire succession in the Santa Monica mountains using hyperspectral imagery

The varying fire frequency in the Santa Monica Mountains provides unique opportunities for examining the impacts of disturbance and succession on community composition and ecosystem function at the landscape scale. Fire resets the 'successional clock' of this evergreen-dominated ecosystem and favors early successional annuals that tend to have higher photosynthetic rates and leaf transpiration rates than mature, long-lived woody perennials. Hyperspectral sensors like the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) offer promising opportunities for remotely detecting these dynamic physiological properties in changing landscapes. Specifically, we expect altered photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and water band index (WBI) values for stands in early succession following fire. PRI and WBI from Santa Monica Mountains AVIRIS imagery indeed show complex patterns varying with season and successional state, possibly revealing varying photosynthetic activity in these dynamic, fire-prone landscapes. Further work is attempting to also consider the impact of changing canopy structure and vegetation type on physiological properties detectable with hyperspectral imagery.
Reexamination of Resegregation Did Carr Show that Busing Does Not Cause White Flight

The analysis of white flight from Norfolk, Virginia, done by an Urban Education author, has produced an emphatic rejoinder.
Digital methods of photopeak integration in activation analysis.

A study of the precision attainable by several methods of gamma-ray photopeak integration has been carried out. The 'total peak area' method, the methods proposed by Covell, Sterlinski, and Quittner, and some modifications of these methods have been considered. A modification by Wasson of the total peak area method is considered to be the most advantageous due to its simplicity and the relatively high precision obtainable with this technique. A computer routine for the analysis of spectral data from nondestructive activation analysis experiments employing a Ge(Li) detector-spectrometer system is described.
Reducing response of offshore platforms to wave loads using hydrodynamic buoyant mass dampers

Abstract In this paper, an innovative concept is introduced for reducing the displacement response of tower type fixed offshore platforms to wave loads. The idea is based on utilizing a Hydrodynamic Buoyant Mass Damper (HBMD), which employs damper’s buoyancy and inertia forces, along with hydrodynamic damping effects, to reduce the displacement response of the platform. A four-legged platform is investigated in which the HBMD is added at the appropriate elevation. Because of the high volume of the damper, the associated added mass and consequently the generated inertia force is significant. On the other hand, as a result of the damper’s eccentricity with respect to the platform’s position in its deformed configuration, the upward buoyancy force causes reversal moment that can potentially counteract those generated by wave loads. Our results indicate that, if positioned and attached appropriately, the damper interacts with the platform in a way that could result in reducing the response of the platform to wave loads. Response reduction factors are proposed to evaluate the performance of the hydrodynamic buoyant mass damper and seek the optimal stiffness in damper’s attachment to the platform.
Simulations of phase transitions and free energies for ionic systems

A review of simulation studies of phase equilibria and free energies for systems dominated by coulombic interactions is presented. Phase transitions occur for ionic systems in the strong-coupling limit realized in low-dielectric constant solvents, at low temperatures, or for high charge valences. The majority of simulation results to date are for primitive models that treat the solvent as a uniform dielectric continuum. Transitions involving fluid and solid phases for such models have been studied extensively in the past decade. There is now strong evidence that the vapour–liquid transition is in the Ising universality class. For highly charged colloids the vapour–liquid transition becomes metastable with respect to the fluid–solid transition and the behaviour matches that of charged hard plates. Phase transitions of charged chains illustrate sensitivity of the phase behaviour to the charge pattern. Studies of salt solubilities using models with explicit solvent suggest that reasonable agreement with expe...
Aging alters the phagocytic capability of inflammatory cells induced into cornea.

The changes in mouse corneal inflammatory cell population and the phagocytic capability of these cells were studied quantitatively at 24 and 48 hours after eliciting inflammatory cells into the cornea by Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculation. Mice were selected for study according to their ability (young adult Swiss-Webster) or inability (aged Swiss-Webster) to restore corneal clarity after bacterial inoculation. Inflammatory cells were recovered from enzymatically disaggregated corneas, nucleated cells counted, and cell viability assessed to be 95% by trypan blue dye exclusion. Polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMN) and macrophages recovered in this manner showed no significant differences in cell population contribution to the differential leukocyte count, but did show significantly fewer phagocytically active cells in aged when compared with young adult mice. These phagocytosis data were confirmed in a separate study using peripheral blood cells obtained from uninoculated mice of each age. The im...
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Involving the Liver: Clinical and Therapeutic Consideration

Primary hepatic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a rare disease that presents unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Secondary liver involvement by lymphoma is common and can complicate treatment decisions. A review of the published case reports and the few larger series suggests that primary hepatic NHL represents a heterogeneous mixture of disparate diseases rather than a single entity. Presentations vary from the incidental discovery of hepatic abnormalities in an otherwise asymptomatic patient to that of fulminant hepatic failure with rapid progression of encephalopathy to coma and death. The clinical, laboratory, and radiographic characteristics are nonspecific, which means the diagnosis is often not suspected until histopathologic examination of liver tissue. There appears to be a strong association between primary hepatic NHL and the hepatitis C virus. Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma has attained its own status as a unique disease, whereas case reports suggest that the spectrum of hepatic lymphoma includes many histologies. Involvement of the liver by lymphoma can compound the difficulty of pursuing aggressive chemotherapy in patients who have a life-threatening illness and impaired metabolism of the most effective drugs. Therapy should be tailored to the individual clinical situation, with consideration of the underlying histology and degree of hepatic insufficiency.
Sample size needed to detect gene-gene interactions using linkage analysis.

Summary Gene-gene interactions have received much attention recently because most human traits may be under the control of several genetic factors, as well as environmental factors, and these factors likely interact among each other to influence these traits. Gauderman (2002) and Wang & Zhao (2003) have reported systematic studies on the statistical power to detect gene-gene interactions through association studies. In this article we investigated the power of the affected sib pair (ASP) design to detect gene-gene interaction at two disease loci. Different definitions of gene-gene interaction were considered and different disease models (including both logistic models considered in previous studies and several two-locus models with fixed penetrances) were examined. Our results indicate that comparisons between power to detect gene-gene interaction using ASP designs and association designs heavily depend on the definition of gene-gene interaction. Under the definition of gene-gene interaction with departure from independence between two marginal IBD sharings, the association design is much more powerful than the ASP design, and the additive model is more powerful than dominant and recessive models for rare diseases, while for common diseases for example with a population prevalence of 10%, the recessive model is more powerful than the additive and dominant models. Under the definitions of departure from a multiplicative model, additive model, and heterogeneity model (Risch, 1990), the ASP design is as powerful as, or more powerful than, both family-based and population-based association designs for rare disease,, but less powerful for more common diseases. Under the definition of correlation between two marginal IBD sharings, the association design is much more powerful than the ASP design.
Chemisorption of hydrogen on titanium: Embedding theory and comparisons with small clusters

Abstract The chemisorption of H2 on Ti(0001) is treated using an ab initio CI theory for the surface region. Dissociation of H2 occurs above the surface but more stable 3-fold coordination sites lie closer to the surface at ∼ 1.3 A. Adsorption in adjacent 3-fold sites is less stable than in separated sites sharing only one surface atom. The calculated adsorption energy of 45 kcal/mol H2 compares favorably with experiment. Bonding involves mainly the 4s electrons of the metal leading to hydridic hydrogens and a polarized lattice electron distribution, but d bonding and correlation effects significantly increase the binding energy. Calculations on small metal clusters also show dissociative adsorption but much larger hydrogen binding energies are obtained.
The oxygen ion conductivity of mullite prepared using a wet chemical process

Abstract The oxygen ion conductivities of mullite solid solution samples were measured in air by use of the ac complex impedance spectroscopy technique in the frequency range 20 Hz–100 kHz and the temperature range 450–950°C. The results showed that both thermal history and the composition of specimens significantly influenced the conductivity values. These results are discussed in terms of the interaction between oxygen vacancies and aliovalent defect species and the crystal structure and microstructure of mullite samples. As a result of these experiments, it appears that mullite solid solutions would be promising materials for use as oxygen sensors in elevated temperature systems.
Surveillance in Barrett's esophagus: lessons from behavioral economics.

Several observations in clinical practice including that of digestive diseases appear to be difficult to explain on a rational basis. These include doing “too much” such as repeated testing, parallel testing, expensive and extensive testing for unlikely rare disorders, as well as doing “too little” such as screening for common cancer, vaccination, or counseling. Some of the practices seem baffling at first glance especially given the presence of decision analysis models, cost effectiveness models, and occasionally evidence-based published guidelines that delineate rational medical decision making. Conventional economics (i.e., rational utility theory) assumes that decisions are arrived at through a “rational” process of weighing benefits against costs for the goal of maximizing one’s utility. Medical decision making is modeled by similar assumptions; namely, physicians (and patients) should make utility maximizing (i.e., rational economic) decisions about each patient who presents to them considering all the available data and balancing benefits/harms against costs. However, there has been a growing interest in behavioral economics, which concerns itself with describing how decisions are actually made. Behavioral economics assumes that we (people) are “predictably irrational”(1) in the way we make decisions on several things including those decisions pertaining to health, and that understanding the basis for this irrationality might be used to make us “do the right thing” despite ourselves. Daniel Kahneman was awarded the Nobel prize in Economics in 2002 for his and Amos Tversky’s empiric work describing how individuals do not make decisions based on a rational, utility maximizing process. Kahneman and Tversky (1973) demonstrated that individuals use mental short-cuts (heuristics) to efficiently and reliably make decisions that are often in contrary to models that determine preferences based on weighing benefits against costs. Furthermore, using the term “prospect” to refer to a set of outcomes with a probability distribution, they state that where winning is possible but not probable, i.e. when probabilities are low, most people choose the prospect that offers the larger gain. Conversely, with the same quantitative probability for a loss, most people choose the prospect that offers the smallest loss. Their Prospect theory (1979) illustrated how individuals predictably overweigh losses and underweigh gains. We will illustrate these concepts with an example of seemingly non-rational behavior in GI practice, highlight the relevant explanations from behavioral economics, and conclude with proposed ways to intervene based on these theories.
Specificity of cortico-cortical connections in monkey visual system

When the primate primary visual cortex, area 17, is stained for the mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome oxidase, it shows a striking polka-dot pattern (cytochrome oxidase blobs). Area 18, the second visual area, shows a cytochrome-oxidase pattern of coarse alternating thick and thin stripes running perpendicular to the 17-18 border and separated by lighter (interstripe) regions. Here we show that the thin cytochrome oxidase stripes, and possibly also the thick stripes, in area 18 receive projections specifically from the blobs in area 17, and that the interstripe regions of 18 receive projections from the interblob matrix of area 17. This indicates a specificity of cortico-cortical connections far exceeding the demands of topographical mapping. Together with our physiological results, it suggests that within the pathway from area 17 to area 18 different kinds of information may be handled separately and in parallel.
Ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant genotype diversity in a tri-trophic system

The mechanisms by which plant diversity influences consumers are largely unexplored. Plant diversity reduces among-plant competition, and as a result, may have cascading bottom-up effects through altered resource quantity and quality. Less understood are parallel effects of resource heterogeneity on consumer foraging behaviors, and the consequences of such effects for trophic interactions and feedbacks on plant performance. Here, we asked whether genotypic diversity in the herb Ruellia nudiflora influences seed predator (SP) and parasitoid functional responses, and if such effects in turn influence selection on the plant. We established plots with plants of one or five genetic families (pool = 14) and measured fruit, seed predator, and parasitoid abundance. By eliminating direct plant–plant interactions, this experiment explicitly tested for plant diversity effects occurring through altered consumer behaviors (vs. effects through changes in plant quantity or quality). We compared observed plant fitness (under three trophic levels) to projected fitness in the absence of parasitoids (two trophic levels) and in the absence of seed predation (one trophic level) by computing the number of seeds consumed by the SP and the number of seeds rescued from consumption by parasitoids. We then compared the strength and mode of selection on fruit number between levels of diversity, separately under each trophic scenario. Plant diversity did not influence fruit, seed predator, or parasitoid abundance, but did alter plant–SP interactions. SP recruitment resembled a Type II functional response but saturated weakly in polycultures, with fewer SPs at intermediate fruit abundance and more SPs at high fruit abundance relative to monoculture. Parasitoid recruitment was weakly positively density dependent and unaffected by diversity. Importantly, we found that under the bi-trophic scenario, the effect of diversity on SP recruitment altered the mode of selection on fruit number, from directional selection at low diversity to nonlinear (stabilizing) selection at high diversity. In contrast, diversity did not alter selection under mono- or tri-trophic scenarios. Therefore, diversity effects on SP functional responses fed back to alter selection on fruit number, but parasitoids eliminated this linkage by weakening herbivore selection. Collectively, these findings provide novel evidence for the mechanistic basis of eco-evolutionary feedbacks between plant diversity and consumers.
Congenital fusion of the fourth and fifth metacarpals associated with primary gonadal failure.

Congenital fusion of the fourth and fifth metacarpals is described in a male infant and his maternal grandfather. Primary gonadal failure, which is present in the infant, has not been noted in previously reported cases. The pedigree in this family is compatible with X-linked recessive or autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance.
Minimax eigenvalue transform

The purpose of this paper is to present a radically new image transform, called the Minimax Eigenvector Decomposition (MED) transform. This novel transform is based on the minimax product of two matrices and is an analogue of the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) transform of linear algebra. In comparison to the SVD transform, in the MED transform eigenvalues need not be computed as they turn out to be zero. Furthermore, computation of eigenvectors is trivial. This makes the use of the MED transform more desirable as the major problem associated with the SVD transform is the computation of the singular values and eigenvectors. These are computationally extensive and often lead to significant numerical errors.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Aging memory self-efficacy: elders share their thoughts and experience.

Abstract Twenty-six elders responded to an open-ended question as part of a study that examined the relationships among depression, health, memory self-efficacy, and metamemory. Participants rated their overall memory function as fair to average (M = 4.26, standard deviation [SD] = 1.29). The average memory efficacy scores were high (M = 51.35, SD = 23.56). The final question invited participants to share any additional information they thought might be important to this item. This article represents a content analysis of these comments. The mean age of responders was 68.78; all had high perceived health and no depression. No differences on memory self-efficacy arose among age groups. Themes included memory management, rationalization, reflection, information seeking, and correlation establishment. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to ask elders about memory function during routine health care encounters, as individuals are interested in memory assessment and management. (Geriatr Nurs 2003;24:162-8)
Studies on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of hydrocarbon carcinogenesis

Abstract The author has reviewed his research carried out over the past 20 years concerned with the cellular mechanisms of hydrocarbon carcinogenesis. The interaction of labeled carcinogenic hydrocarbons with the DNA, RNA, and proteins of mouse skin has been studied at various times after topical application, and the results correlated with the carcinogenic process. A quantitative system, employing cells derived from C3H mouse ventral prostate, has been developed for obtaining malignant transformation in vitro with carcinogenic hydrocarbons. A mechanism involving the selection of preexisting malignant cells by the carcinogen has been ruled out with this system.
Examination of dihydrotachysterol-induced progeria as a model for aging changes in carbohydrate metabolism

Abstract Interest in the pharmacological effects of drugs in the elderly has created a need for a laboratory model in which responses of aged animals to drugs can be studied. Dihydrotachysterol (DHT)-induced progeria, a syndrome with symptoms similar to those seen in normal aging, was evaluated as an old age model. DHT-treatment was shown to produce a decreased carbohydrate tolerance that was due to an impaired release of insulin from pancreatic islets and not due to a decreased sensitivity to insulin. These changes were unlike those observed with aging. Thus, DHT-induced progeria would not appear to be a good model for aging for the investigation of carbohydrate metabolism. Evidence is presented which indicates that glucose and tolbutamide act via different mechanisms to stimulate insulin release.
Maslow's implied matrix: A clarification of the need hierarchy theory

Maslow's need hierarchy theory is restated by means of a matrix arrangement of the constructs within the theory. After consideration of the consequences of this restatement, some significant research is discussed and directions for future research suggested.
First world computer chess championship

Final plans have been completed for the First World Computer Chess Championship to be held at the IFIP Congress 74 in Stockholm on August 5-8, 1974. The four-round Swiss-style tournament will be held at the Hotel Birger-Jari in central Stockholm, each evening, Monday through Thursday, starting at 7:30 p.m. The tournament organizers are Prof. Benjamin Mittman of Northwestern University, Mr. David Levy, an international chess master from London, and Prof. Monroe Newborn of Columbia University.
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large tumours: Single team experience.

Background: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has become the procedure of choice to treat benign functioning and non-functioning adrenal tumours. With improving experience, large adrenal tumours (> 5 cm) are being successfully tackled by laparoscopy. This study aims to present our single unit experience of LA performed for large adrenal masses. Materials and Methods: Forty-six laparoscopic adrenalectomies performed for large adrenal lesions more than 5 cm during the period 2001 to 2010 were reviewed. Results: A total of 46 adrenalectomies were done in 42 patients. The mean tumour size was 7.03 cm (5-15 cm). Fourteen patients had tumour size more than 8 cm. The lesions were localised on the right side in 17 patients and on the left side in 21 patients with bilateral tumours in 4 patients. Functioning tumours were present in 32 of the 46 patients. The average blood loss was 112 ml (range 20-400 ml) with the mean operating time being 144 min (range 45 to 270 min). Five patients required conversion to open procedure. Three of the 46 patients (6.52%) on final histology had malignant tumours. Conclusion: LA is safe and feasible for large adrenal lesions. Mere size should not be considered as a contraindication to laparoscopic approach in large adrenal masses. Graded approach, good preoperative assessment, team work and adherence to anatomical and surgical principles are the key to success.
Biomineralization and Evolutionary History

The Dutch ethologist Niko Tinbergen famously distinguished between proximal and ultimate explanations in biology. Proximally, biologists seek a mechanistic understanding of how organisms function; most of this volume addresses the molecular and physiological bases of biomineralization. But while much of biology might be viewed as a particularly interesting form of chemistry, it is more than that. Biology is chemistry with a history, requiring that proximal explanations be grounded in ultimate, or evolutionary, understanding. The physiological pathways by which organisms precipitate skeletal minerals and the forms and functions of the skeletons they fashion have been shaped by natural selection through geologic time, and all have constrained continuing evolution in skeleton-forming clades. In this chapter, I outline some major patterns of skeletal evolution inferred from phylogeny and fossils (Figure 1⇓), highlighting ways that our improving mechanistic knowledge of biomineralization can help us to understand this evolutionary record (see Leadbetter and Riding 1986; Lowenstam and Weiner 1989; Carter 1990; and Simkiss and Wilbur 1989 for earlier reviews). Figure 1. A geologic time scale for the past 1000 million years, showing the principal time divisions used in Earth science and the timing of major evolutionary events discussed in this chapter. Earlier intervals of time—the Mesoproterozoic (1600–1000 million years ago) and Paleoproterozoic (2500–1600 million years ago) eras of the Proterozoic Eon and the Archean Eon (> 2500 million years ago)—are not shown. Time scale after Remane (2000). My discussion proceeds from two simple observations: 1. Skeletal biomineralization requires energy and so imposes a metabolic cost on skeleton-forming organisms. 2. Mineralized skeletons have evolved in many clades of protists, plants and animals. If both statements are true, then clearly for many but not all eukaryotic organisms the biological benefits of biomineralization must outweigh its costs. But cost-benefit ratio is not static. It will change through …
Antimicrobial activity spectrum, cDNA cloning, and mRNA expression of a newly isolated member of the cecropin family from the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti.

Abstract An antimicrobial peptide belonging to the cecropin family was isolated from the hemolymph of bacteria-challenged adult Aedes aegypti. This new peptide, named cecropin A, was purified to homogeneity and fully characterized after cDNA cloning. The 34-residue A. aegypti cecropin A is different from the majority of reported insect cecropins in that it is devoid of a tryptophan residue and C-terminal amidation. The importance of these two structural features on the activity spectrum was investigated using a chemically synthesized peptide. A comparison of the antimicrobial activity spectrum of A. aegypti and Drosophilacecropin A showed a lower activity for the mosquito molecule. A. aegypti cecropin mRNA expression was not detected by Northern blot or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis in any immature stage of the mosquito, nor in naive adults, but it was observed in challenged adults 6 h after bacteria inoculation, and it continued over 7–10 days.
The U-A(1) problem and the role of correlated q anti-q in exchange in effective theories of QCD

The combined absence of physical realizations of the U{sub A}(1) symmetry possessed by the classical QCD action in the chiral limit and of an isoscalar Goldstone boson associated with its spontaneous breakdown has been dubbed the U{sub A}(1) problem. A formal resolution of this problem proposed by {close_quote}t Hooft relies on instantons to provide a mass to the would-be Goldstone boson ({eta}{sup {prime}}). An alternate scheme for the generation of an {eta}{sup {prime}} mass proposed by Kogut and Susskind derives from quark annihilation into gluons and a strong infrared singularity in the gluon propagator associated with confinement. We demonstrate here how such diagrams are generated in quark-based effective theories by including a certain class of diagrams which arise from correlated q{bar q} exchange and are of higher order 1/N{sub c}. A low-energy energy expansion of this correction is of the form discussed by Witten, di Vecchia, and Veneziano. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Genetic Mapping of Persistence in Tetraploid Alfalfa

Persistence is a critical trait for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), yet the genetics of this trait are poorly understood. Herein, we characterize an F 1 alfalfa population derived from the cross between the two cultivated alfalfa subpecies for persistence in three production seasons at Ames and Nashua, IA, and one production season at Ithaca, NY. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying persistence were mapped using this population utilizing single-marker analysis and interval mapping procedures. Both parental genomes (Medicago sativa subsp. falcata and M. sativa subsp. sativa) contributed marker alleles associated with persistence, suggesting that alleles from both subspecies have potential for marker-assisted selection. Although, linkage groups 1, 2, and 7 contained putative persistence QTLs, genotype × environment interaction and location-specifi c QTLs suggest locationspecifi c genetic mechanisms for alfalfa persistence. Nevertheless, in some instances, the same QTLs were identifi ed in different years at the same location. Quantitative trait loci on linkage groups (LGs) 1 and 2 were location-specifi c for the Ithaca and Ames locations, respectively. The majority of alleles on LG 7 associated with persistence also exhibited association with biomass production and suggest common genetic determinants for both traits. Of particular interest was the identifi cation of simple sequence repeat allele al37288-1a1, which associated positively with persistence in each environment of the study.
Nanodevices in nature: Electrochemical aspects

Abstract Electrochemical multielectron reactions in photosynthesis and respiration are evaluated by thermodynamic and kinetic analysis. Kharkats and Volkov [Yu.I. Kharkats, A.G. Volkov, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 891 (1987) 56] were the first to present proof that cytochrome c oxidase reduces molecular oxygen by synchronous multielectron mechanism without O 2 − intermediate formation. After this pioneering observation, it became clear that the first step of oxygen reduction is two-electron concerted process. The energy for the H + -pump of cytochrome oxidase is liberated when the third and fourth electrons are added in the last two steps of water formation independent of the reaction pathway. Electrochemical principles govern many biological properties of organisms, such as the generation of electric fields, and the conduction of fast excitation waves. These properties are supported by the function of a variety of natural nanodevices. Ionic channels, as natural nanodevices, control the plasma membrane potential, and the movement of ions across membranes; thereby, regulating various biological functions. Some voltage-gated ion channels work as plasma membrane nanopotentiostats. In plants, excitation waves are possible mechanisms for intercellular and intracellular communication in response to environmental changes. The role of electrified nanointerface of the plasma membrane in signal transduction is discussed as well.
PTPL1: a large phosphatase with a split personality

Protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTPL1, (also known as PTPN13, FAP-1, PTP-BAS, PTP1E) is a non-receptor type PTP and, at 270 kDa, is the largest phosphatase within this group. In addition to the well-conserved PTP domain, PTPL1 contains at least 7 putative macromolecular interaction domains. This structural complexity indicates that PTPL1 may modulate diverse cellular functions, perhaps exerting both positive and negative effects. In accordance with this idea, while certain studies suggest that PTPL1 can act as a tumor-promoting gene other experimental studies have suggested that PTPL1 may function as a tumor suppressor. The role of PTPL1 in the cancer cell is therefore likely to be both complex and context dependent with possible roles including the modulation of growth, stress-response, and cytoskeletal remodeling pathways. Understanding the nature of molecular complexes containing PTPL1, its interaction partners, substrates, regulation and subcellular localization are key to unraveling the complex personality of this protein phosphatase.