cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory for impurity scattering in a superconducting film on a normal substrate

The effects of impurity scattering on the transition temperature of a superconducting film of thicknessL are analyzed. The film is in contact with a normal substrate (with zero BCS interaction parameter). The analysis is carried out with the aid of a gap equation whose kernel is a solution of a linearized version of Eilenberger's transport equations. The kernel may be written as a sum of two terms. One of these terms dominates in the dirty limit. In this limit, this term is equal to the kernel that satisfies the diffusion equation of de Gennes. The significance of these two terms in determining the transition temperatureT cis compared, for several values ofL, by varying the impurity scattering time. It is shown that the correction to the diffusion approximation may give quantitatively, and in certain limits qualitatively, different results forT c. This correction in general leads to a different critical thicknessL cfrom that determined in the diffusion approximation (T c=0 forL<L c).
A theoretical analysis of the reaction between hydroxyl and hydrogen cyanide at high temperature

Using BAC-MP4 potential-energy-surface parameters and statitical-theoretical methods, we have predicted the thermal rate coefficients for the reactions, O H + H C N → H O C N + H ( a ) → H N C O + H ( b ) → N H 2 + C O ( c ) Three levels of approximation are used in the statistical-theoretical treatment: a. Canonical theory. b. Microcanonical/J-conservative theory (conserves the good constants of the motion: total energy and total angular momentum). c. Microcanonical/J-conservative theory with one-dimensional tunneling. Over the entire temperature rage investigated here (500 K
Flavonoid–drug interactions: Effects of flavonoids on ABC transporters

Flavonoids are present in fruits, vegetables and beverages derived from plants (tea, red wine), and in many dietary supplements or herbal remedies including Ginkgo Biloba, Soy Isoflavones, and Milk Thistle. Flavonoids have been described as health-promoting, disease-preventing dietary supplements, and a high intake of flavonoids has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and other age-related degenerative diseases. Due to an increased public interest in alternative medicine and disease prevention, the use of herbal preparations containing high doses of flavonoids for health maintenance has become very popular, raising the potential for interactions with conventional drug therapies. This review will summarize the current literature regarding the interactions of flavonoids with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters, mainly P-glycoprotein, MRP1, MRP2 and BCRP and discuss the potential consequences for flavonoid-drug transport interactions.
Disentangling flow and nonflow correlations via Bayesian unfolding of the event-by-event distributions of harmonic coefficients in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

The performance of the Bayesian unfolding method in extracting the event-by-event (EbyE) distributions of harmonic flow coefficients ${v}_{n}$ is investigated using a toy model simulation, as well as simulations based on the HIJING model and a multiphase transport (AMPT) model. The unfolding method is shown to recover the input ${v}_{2}$--${v}_{4}$ distributions for events with multiplicities similar to those observed in $\mathrm{Pb}+\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. The effects of the nonflow are evaluated using the HIJING simulation with and without a flow afterburner. The probability distribution of ${v}_{n}$ from nonflow is nearly a Gaussian and can be largely suppressed with the data-driven unfolding method used by the ATLAS Collaboration. The residual nonflow effects have no appreciable impact on the ${v}_{3}$ distributions, but affect the tails of the ${v}_{2}$ and ${v}_{4}$ distributions; these effects manifest as a small simultaneous change in the mean and standard deviation of the ${v}_{n}$ distributions. For the AMPT model, which contains both flow fluctuations and nonflow effects, the reduced shape of the extracted ${v}_{n}$ distributions is found to be independent of ${p}_{\mathrm{T}}$ in the low-${p}_{\mathrm{T}}$ region, similar to what is observed in the ATLAS data. The prospect of using the EbyE distribution of the harmonic spectrum aided by the unfolding technique as a general tool to study azimuthal correlations in high-energy collisions is also discussed.
Crystals in a Gastric Schwannoma

A gastric schwannoma containing large numbers of intracytoplasmic crystals is described. The latter are compared with intracytoplasmic crystals found in the cells of other tumors and their nonneoplastic cell counterparts. The extreme morphologic and histochemical heterogeneity of the different types of crystals is emphasized.
Factors causing malnutrition in patients with chronic uremia

There is abundant evidence that patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), including those treated by hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, have evidence of malnutrition with decreased body weight and subnormal values of serum proteins (suggesting a loss of visceral protein stores). Potential causes of an abnormal nutritional status that have been identified include an inadequate intake of protein or calories, an inability to activate the metabolic responses that are needed to achieve nitrogen and protein balance, or the presence of a disease that prevents activation of these metabolic responses or acts to stimulate the breakdown of body protein stores. Three critical metabolic responses to a limited protein intake have been identified: a reduction in the irreversible degradation of amino acids and the degradation of protein breakdown and an increase in protein synthesis in response to a meal. Metabolic acidosis blocks the first two responses and hence contributes to malnutrition in patients with chronic uremia. Other factors that could contribute to malnutrition include an inadequate intake because of anorexia or hormonal imbalances that impair protein turnover. In evaluating CRF patients with malnutrition, the first task is to ensure an adequate intake and to eliminate factors that impair the ability to achieve nitrogen balance.
Effect of pulse loading with clomipramine on EEG sleep

Abstract Two different initial dosing regimens with clomipramine (CMI) were used to compare early response indicators and dose strategies. Thirty-two inpatients with major depressive disorder were randomized in a double-blind protocol. The pulse-loading group received 150 and 200 mg of CMI on 2 consecutive evenings and then received a placebo for 8 days. The traditional dosing group began at 50 mg of CMI followed by gradual increases every second day until 200 mg was reached. After 10 days, both groups were placed on an adjustable dosing schedule of CMI, intially set at 200 mg, for an additional 2 weeks. Significant drug effects were noted on several sleep parameters demonstrating suppression of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In the pulse-loading group, drug responders were found to have a significantly faster and more robust rebound in REM sleep than nonresponders. Both measures of REM activity and REM sleep time showed a significant difference between the groups. In addition, a significant correlation was found between falling levels of the desmethylclomipramine metabolite of CMI and REM sleep activity during the rebound phase. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Keep or trade? An experimental study of the exchange paradox

The “exchange paradox”—also referred to in the literature by a variety of other names, notably the “two-envelopes problem”—is notoriously difficult, and experts are not all agreed as to its resolution. Some of the various expressions of the problem are open to more than one interpretation; some are stated in such a way that assumptions are required in order to fill in missing information that is essential to any resolution. In three experiments several versions of the problem were used, in each of which the information given was sufficient to determine an optimal choice strategy when it exists or to justify indifference regarding keeping or trading when such a strategy does not exist. College students who were presented with the various versions of the problem tended to base their choices on simple heuristics and to give little evidence of understanding the probabilistic implications of the differences in the problem statements.
The Effect of Progesterone on Biosynthetic Pathways in Mammary Tissue

The hypothesis that progesterone is the sole hormone suppressing lactation during pregnancy in the rat has been tested in several ways in these experiments. At the dose frequently administered to rats (6 mg/24 hr) this steroid prevented the appearance of casein in the mammary gland, and greatly diminished the incorporation of 32PO4-2 into RNA of mammary tissue of ovariectomized rats. One effect of progesterone was to prevent the formation of RNA of both subunits of the ribosomes. Tissue from ovariectomized animals treated with this steroid had polysome profiles very similar to that obtained from mammary tissue from sham-operated pregnant rats. Functionally, polysomes from progesterone-treated ovariectomized rats had a low capacity to incorporate amino acids which corresponded closely with the capacity residing in polysomes from sham-operated pregnant subjects; animals in full lactation provided polysomes which were 2 to 3 times more active. Chronic infusion of low levels (12–48 μg/hr) of progesterone into...
Improved performance of an ultrastable measurement platform using a field-programmable gate array for real-time deterministic control

Many precision measurement techniques (e.g. scanning probe microscopy, optical tweezers) are limited by sample drift. This is particularly true at room temperature in air or in liquid. Previously, we developed a general solution for sample control in three dimensions (3D) by first measuring the position of the sample and then using this position in a feedback loop to move a piezo-electric stage accordingly (Carter et al., Optics Express, 2007). In that work, feedback was performed using a software-based data acquisition program with limited bandwidth (≤ 100 Hz). By implementing feedback through a field programmable gate array (FPGA), we achieved real-time, deterministic control and increased the feedback rate to 500 Hz - half the resonance frequency of the piezo-electric stage in the feedback loop. This better control led to a three-fold improvement in lateral stability to 10 pm (Δf = 0.01-10 Hz). Furthermore, we exploited the rapid signal processing of FPGA to achieve fast stepping rates coupled with highly accurate and orthogonal scanning.
Modeling of a dielectric elastomer diaphragm for a prosthetic blood pump

The electromechanical behavior of dielectric elastomers is to be exploited for medical application in artificial blood pumps. It is required that the pump diaphragm achieves a swept volume increase of 70 cc into a systolic pressure of 120 mmHg with the main design objective being volumetric efficiency. As such, a model that accommodates large deformation behavior is used. In order to design prosthetic blood pumps that closely mimic the natural pumping chambers of the heart, a dielectric elastomer diaphragm design is proposed. The elastomer's change in shape in response to the applied electric field will permit it to be the active element of the pump just as the ventricular walls are in the natural heart. A comprehensive analytical model that accounts for the combined elastic and dielectric behavior of the membrane is used to compute the stresses and deformations of the inflated membrane. Dielectric elastomers are often pre-strained in order to obtain optimal electromechanical performance. The resulting model incorporates pre-strain and shows how system parameters such as pre-strain, pressure, electric field, and edge constraints affect membrane deformation. The model predicts more than adequate volume displacement for moderate pre-strain of the elastomer.
Effects of Coulomb Collisions on the Dispersion Relation of Longitudinal Plasma Oscillations

The dispersion relation of longitudinal electron-plasma oscillation for a fully ionized plasma with equal electron and ion temperatures in the absence of an external magnetic field has been calculated by taking into account of both the electron-ion and electron-electron collisions. The calculation utilizes the absorptive parts of the collisional conductivity functions derived by DuBois and coworkers for obtaining the polarizability parts via Kramers-Kronig relation. The results are presented in graphical forms and show that the longitudinal plasma oscillations are shifted toward higher frequencies from the resonance of collisionless plasma predicted by the Bohm-Gross dispersion relation.
Laboratory measurement of water imbibition into low-permeability welded tuff

Abstract Laboratory imbibition and vapor-diffusion experiments were developed and conducted to measure accurately water imbibition and vapor condensation into welded tuff of low permeability. Automatically recorded balance readings were used to quantify the uptake of water into rock cores by imbibition and/or vapor condensation. The total uptake of water was checked against independent weighings of the sample before and after each experiment. As water was imbibed into the sample and evaporated from the reservoir, the buoyant force on the sample decreased. Balance readings corrected for the buoyancy effect agreed very well with independently measured total uptake. Sorptivity was calculated from the slope of a plot of corrected cumulative imbibition versus square-root of time. Vapor condensation can provide a significant contribution to the water uptake into cores during imbibition experiments. Rock cores were coated with epoxy on the sides and covered on the top (except for a small hole that allowed air to escape) to minimize the vapor condensation contribution. Comparison of the sorptivity values between different core treatments shows that a consistent fraction, about 20%, of water uptake actually enters the core by vapor condensation. Overall, methods for separating the confounding effects of buoyant-force change and vapor condensation result in more accurate measurement of sorptivity, as exhibited by the consistent and reproducible results of triplicate measurements. These methods for buoyancy and vapor-condensation correction are expected to be very useful for measuring imbibition rates on a wide range of porous materials, especially very-low-permeability materials.
Statistical consideration of mastery scores

The kind of mastery score problem often encountered in educational and psychological testing may be roughly described as follows: given that a certain unit of instruction must be mastered by a subject, a test is administered at the end of this unit and, on the basis of the observed score or an estimate of the true score, a decision is made about the grant of the mastery status. If the subject is declared master of the unit, he will be allowed to proceed to the next unit of instruction. Otherwise, remedial work will be given. Given relevant consequences of misclassification, the problem is to determine an optimum decision rule.
Verruciform xanthoma in an immunocompromised patient: a case report and immunohistochemical study

The etiology of verruciform xanthoma, a rare lesion that usually occurs in the oral mucosa, is unknown. A viral etiology has been speculated since extraoral lesions usually occur in the genitalia. We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case of verruciform xanthoma in an immunocompromised patient with chronic graft versus host disease. Immunohistochemical studies showed a few ham 56 (a macrophage marker) positive foam cells, both in the dermis and within the epidermis, supporting a role for an epidermal process in production of the foam cells. Staining for human papillomavirus protein (HPV) showed reactivity of some of the nuclei in the dermal Histiocytes, but in situ hybridization for HPV types 6/11, 16/18, and 31, 33 was negative. These results support an eopidermal process as the stimulus for the foam cell formation but fail to demonstrate HPV as the cause.
Medical malpractice claims in the US legal system.

The US legal system is derived from the common law or case law system of eighteenth century England, with the consequence that much, if not most, of the law is found in the written opinion of judges in individual cases rather than statutes or codes adopted by legislatures. The law defining relationships between and among individuals, and assessing day-to-day conduct and interaction, is found in the 50 states. Both of these characteristics are reflected in the law of torts or private wrongs, which is concerned with compensating individuals for injury or damage to person or property caused by another individual. In other words, the law of torts, including medical malpractice, is to be found primarily (but not exclusively) in the opinions of state court judges. In addition to this case law, many states have enacted statutes which impose special requirements for medical malpractice claims; for example, creating special panels to screen claims before they can be presented in court. Both case law and statutory law differ in important ways from state to state. The US legal system is adversarial rather than inquisitorial in nature. The decision-maker, whether judge or jury in their respective roles, does not investigate the asserted grounds for the claim to compensation. Instead, each of the parties, through legal counsel, presents the facts and legal argument which it believes requires a decision in its favor; and, in this clash of positions, the decision-maker finds truth and the just result - or so theory and faith would have it. At the trial of most tort claims, the jury decides the facts on which the claim and defense are based, including the credibility of witnesses. The judge articulates the legal principles and standards which will determine whether the claimant (called thepluintgj) is
Effect of acidic pH on radiosensitization of FSallC cells in vitro by misonidazole, etanidazole, or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)

Because acidic regions may coexist with hypoxic regions in solid tumors, we have studied the effect of acidic extracellular pH on the abilities of misonidazole, etanidazole, and cis-diamminedichlor...
Loss of integrity of umbilical cord blood unit freezing bags: description and consequences.

BACKGROUND: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is now a commonly used resource for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation; great effort has been put forth in standardizing protocols for processing, storage, and testing of UCB units. Because UCB units are selected on an individual basis to maximize the chance of engraftment, loss of container integrity may have adverse effects on patient outcome. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All bag breaks involving UCB units thawed for transplantation at our institution between January 1, 2000, and May 31, 2006, were identified. Information on various laboratory variables and the clinical consequences of UCB bag breaks was obtained from the deviation database of the Clinical Cell Therapy Laboratory (CCTL). Patient medical charts were reviewed for infusion-related data. RESULTS: The incidence of bag breaks over a 6½-year period was 3.5 percent. A majority of cases of loss of container integrity occurred in units that had been cryopreserved for more than 2 years (75%) and resulted in minimal loss of product. There were no significant decreases in quantity or quality of UCB, as determined by various quality control tests; no adverse clinical outcomes related to receiving a broken UCB unit were noted except increased antibiotic usage. CONCLUSION: There was a relatively low incidence of UCB bag breaks in this study that did not result in significant loss of UCB or adverse clinical outcomes. With the FDA considering licensure of UCB for hematopoietic reconstitution, improvement in container design and possibly guidelines limiting length of storage will likely be addressed in detail.
Delinquent Behavior Across Adolescence: Investigating the Shifting Salience of Key Criminological Predictors

This study examines the impact of changes in the influence of several individual-level constructs (e.g., risk-seeking, family, peers, attitudes) on involvement in substance use and delinquent behavior during mid to late adolescence. Data were drawn from the longitudinal evaluation of the Gang Resistance, Education, and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program. The final pooled time series samples used in the analyses were n = 2,515 in the delinquency model (original sample: n = 847) and n = 2,250 in the substance use model (original sample: n = 849). Fixed effects negative binomial modeling indicated that: (1) changes in risk-seeking, parental and peer influences, and attitudes are significantly related to the frequency of self-reported delinquency and substance use and (2) similar risk factors, drawn from multiple domains, influence the likelihood of greater involvement in both delinquency and substance use during mid to late adolescence. Findings highlight the importance of considering a variety of dynamic process...
GaN decomposition in H2 and N2 at MOVPE temperatures and pressures

Abstract GaN decomposition rates were measured in H 2 , N 2 , and mixed H 2 and N 2 flows for pressures and temperatures typically encountered in metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The rates for GaN decomposition, Ga desorption, and Ga droplet accumulation, were obtained from weight measurements before and after annealing the GaN films in a close-spaced showerhead reactor. In H 2 at constant temperature, the GaN decomposition rate is enhanced when the reactor pressure is greater than 100 Torr. Unlike H 2 , the decomposition rate in N 2 did not change as a function of pressure. The enhanced GaN decomposition rate in H 2 is not due to an increase in the Ga desorption rate, which is constant vs. pressure, but instead is due to H 2 dissociation on the surface followed by NH 3 formation and desorption. NH 3 formation is suggested by the cubic decrease in the GaN decomposition rate as N 2 is substituted for H 2 . The measured activation energies, E A , for the GaN decomposition range from 0.34 to 3.62 eV and depend strongly on the annealing conditions. By comparing measured and literature values of the E A , four distinct groupings of the E A are observed. The four distinct groupings of the E A imply that there are possibly four different reactions which limit the GaN decomposition rate. Connections between the GaN decomposition and improved GaN growth are discussed. This includes a discussion of changes that occur in the nucleation layer during the ramp from low to high temperature, as well as increases in GaN grain size as the growth pressure is increased.
The homogeneity effect in counting.

In Experiment 1, college students counted digits presented in one row. In the homogeneous condition, the digits were identical to one another; in the heterogeneous condition the digits were different. Homogeneous rows of digits were counted more slowly and less accurately. In Experiments 2 and 3, this “homogeneity” effect remained when a space was inserted between each digit, when a heterogeneous border was put around the digits, and when subjects used a finger to count each digit one by one. However, the homogeneity effect was eliminated when the digits were presented on three different levels. Presenting the digits on three levels also improved counting in the heterogeneous condition. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the Gestalt principles of grouping can act preattentively against the process of isolating each object to be counted.
Characteristics Associated with Pregnant Women's Utilization of Substance Abuse Treatment Services

There is a dearth of substance abuse treatment programs available to pregnant substance-using women. However, even when specialized substance abuse treatment programs are offered to these high-risk women, some women will choose not to enter treatment. To gain a better understanding concerning the characteristics of pregnant substance-using women related to their decisions regarding treatment utilization, this study compares two groups of substance users: 93 pregnant women who accepted offered substance-related treatment services, and 89 pregnant women who declined the same services. All women were interviewed and information was gathered concerning their sociodemographic characteristics, their types and levels of substance use, substance use by their family members, and their experiences of being victims of violence. Bivariate analyses found that, compared to women who declined treatment, women who accepted treatment were more likely to be African-American, to be single (never married), and to have a sign...
Escape from illusion: reducing false memories

Illusory memories are unsettling, but far from uncommon. Over the past several years, increasing experimental and theoretical attention has focused on misattribution errors that occur when some form of memory is present but attributed to an incorrect time, place or source. Demonstrations of errors and distortions in remembering raise a question with important theoretical and practical implications: how can memory misattributions be reduced or avoided? We consider evidence that documents the occurrence of illusory memories, particularly false recognition responses, and then review three ways in which memory distortion can be minimized.
The use of titanium for medical applications in the USA

Abstract The Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy is still the main titanium alloy used for medical applications to date. To address the potential safety concerns over vanadium and aluminum, and the possible advantage of using a low modulus material to reduce stress shielding, the development of a low modulus biocompatible implant material was initiated in the United States in 1986. Five beta titanium alloys (TMZFTM, Ti-13Nb-13Zr, TIMETAL® 21SRx, Tiadyne 1610 and Ti-15Mo) are being proposed for surgical implant applications in the United States. Based on published data, the comparative mechanical property data of these beta titanium alloys are presented.
A bio-inspired asynchronous skin system for crack detection applications

In many applications of structural health monitoring (SHM) it is imperative or advantageous to have large sensor arrays in order to properly sense the state of health of the structure. Typically these sensor networks are implemented by placing a large number of sensors over a structure and running individual cables from each sensor back to a central measurement station. Data is then collected from each sensor on the network at a constant sampling rate regardless of the current timescales at which events are acting on the structure. These conventional SHM sensor networks have a number of shortfalls. They tend to have a large number of cables that can represent a single point of failure for each sensor as well as add significant weight and installation costs. The constant sampling rate associated with each sensor very quickly leads to large amounts of data that must be analyzed, stored, and possibly transmitted to a remote user. This leads to increased demands on power consumption, bandwidth, and size. It also taxes our current techniques for managing large amounts of data. For the last decade the goal of the SHM community has been to endow structures with the functionality of a biological nervous system. Despite this goal the community has predominantly ignored the biological nervous system as inspiration for building structural nervous systems, choosing instead to focus on experimental mechanics and simulation techniques. In this work we explore the use of a novel, bio-inspired, SHM skin. This skin makes use of distributed computing and asynchronous communication techniques to alleviate the scale of the data management challenge as well as reduce power. The system also periodically sends a ‘heat beat’ signal to provide state-of-health updates. This conductive skin was implemented using conductive ink resistors as well as with graphene-oxide capacitors.
American media, intercultural stories and the 2004 Olympic flame ceremonies

This paper explores backstage conventions and conditions for national and local broadcasting of the Olympic Games. While the Olympic Movement sees sport as a means to the larger end of intercultura...
The effects of firm specific taxes and government mandates with an application to the U.S. unemployment insurance program

Abstract We examine the common, but unexamined, case of a tax or government mandate whose cost differs across firms within the same labor market. Our theoretical model shows that this variation can lead to employment reallocation across firms and dead-weight losses, even if there is no aggregate employment effect. Using firm level unemployment insurance tax data, we find that while the market level tax is mostly born by the worker, individual firms can only pass on a small share of the within market differences. Thus, in some cases differences in taxes across firms can lead to large dead-weight losses.
Delayed puberty induced by chronic suppression of prolactin release in the female rat

To study the effect of PRL deficiency on the onset of puberty, PRL release was chronically inhibited by treating immature female rats with the dopaminergic receptor agonist, bromoergocriptine (CB-154). The resulting alterations in the time of puberty onset, and in other associated parameters, such as serum levels of pituitary hormones, ovarian responsiveness to gonadotropins and ovarian hCG receptor content were then evaluated. CB-154 was provided in the drinking water from day 22 onward at the concentration of 20 and 100 micrograms/ml. The treatment resulted in almost complete suppression of serum PRL levels throughout the entire period studied (day 22 to first diestrus). In contrast, serum GH, FSH, and LH levels were not depressed. Likewise, pulsatile release of FSH was not affected and only a subtle alteration in pulsatile LH release was apparent. The onset of puberty, as determined by the age at vaginal opening, and at first diestrus after the first estrus and by the presence of corpora lutea at sacrifice (first diestrus), was markedly delayed in the hypoprolactinemic (HPO) rats. This inhibitory effect of CB-154 was completely prevented by concomitant administration of PRL. Ovarian weight was significantly decreased in HPO rats at the three ages studied (27, 32, and 36 days of age). By day 36, 50% of the control animals had already ovulated, as compared with only 9% of the HPO rats. Microscopic examination of ovaries from HPO rats revealed a retarded follicular development. In vitro ovarian progesterone response to hCG studied at day 32 and 36 of age was reduced in the HPO rats. Uterine growth was also depressed in HPO rats, the ovaries of which, when incubated in vitro, failed to show the prepubertal increase in estrogen response to hCG seen in control rats between day 32 ad 36. Aromatase activity, as measured by the in vitro release of estradiol from ovaries incubated in the presence of an excess of androgen substrate, was depressed in HPO rats. hCG receptor content in the ovaries from HPO rats (counts per min [125]hCG bound per micrograms DNA) was also lower than that of control animals at day 32 and 34 but not at day 36. However, at this later time the hCG receptor content per milligram of ovary was still significantly reduced in HPO rats. The results support the view that PRL plays an important role in the process of ovarian development that leads to the onset of puberty in the female rat and that this effect is, at least in part, exerted through a positive influence of PRL on ovarian LH receptor content.
La Malinche in Mexican Literature: From History to Myth

La Malinche in Mexican Literature: From History to Myth. SANDRA MESSINGER CYPESS. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991. 255 pp. $25.00 (cloth), $12.95 (paper). ISBN 0-292-75131-1, ISBN 0-292-75134-6.
Transforming Growth Factor β Signal Transducer Smad2 Is Expressed in Mouse Meiotic Germ Cells, Sertoli Cells, and Leydig Cells During Spermatogenesis

Although previous studies have shown that members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) family are expressed in the seminiferous tubules, the functions of these growth factors in spermatogenesis remain elusive. In order to shed light on the mechanisms of TGFbeta action in spermatogenesis, it is crucial to determine whether and where their downstream signaling molecules are expressed in the testis. We examined the expression of Smad2, an intracellular signal transducer of the TGFbetas, in mouse testes by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Both Smad2 mRNA and protein were detected in meiotic germ cells, from preleptotene to pachytene spermatocytes, but not in postmeiotic germ cells. Smad2 expression was also observed in interstitial cells and Sertoli cells. Therefore, our data provide molecular evidence for TGFbeta signal transduction during spermatogenesis.
Lessons from the hearts of survivors of childhood cancer

Abstract With growing numbers of childhood cancer survivors, it becomes increasingly important to understand the long-term toxicities associated with cure from malignancy. Many survivors were exposed to cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents at young ages. Indeed, cardiotoxicity is a leading cause of treatment-related morbidity and mortality in survivors of childhood cancer, and anthracycline exposure is a leading cause of these late cardiac effects. Nonetheless, anthracyclines remain critical agents in treating many pediatric cancers. Strategies to prevent anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity include limiting lifetime cumulative anthracycline doses and adding cardioprotectant agents, such as dexrazoxane, to anthracycline-based regimens. However, attempts to reduce the cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines must also consider their effect on anti-cancer efficacy as well as new potential toxicities. In survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the data suggest that including dexrazoxane in anthracycline-based regimens can prevent heart damage, does not reduce anti-leukemic efficacy, and can be safely administered. The controversies associated with dexrazoxane exemplify the challenges of changing therapy in cancers with a relatively good chance of event-free survival in efforts to prevent long-term sequelae. Studies of very-long-term survivor cohorts will continue to inform current practices. Continued efforts are needed to minimize cardiotoxic exposures during cancer treatment, to deliver safe and effective cardioprotectant measures when cardiotoxic agents cannot be avoided, to identify patients at greatest risk of serious cardiac toxicity, and to educate providers in the optimal care of survivors.
Lysine requirements of fast- and slow-growing broiler chicks.

Experiments were conducted to determine the lysine requirement of fast-growing (Hubbard x Hubbard) and slow-growing (New Hampshire x Columbian) broiler chicks during the period 8 to 21 days posthatching. A lysine-deficient diet (.51% digestible lysine; 23% CP; 3,200 kcal MEn/kg) based upon corn, feather meal, and soybean meal was supplemented with 10 graded increments of L-lysine.HCl to produce three- to fourfold responses in weight gain. Requirements for digestible lysine were determined to be not greater than 1.01% of the diet for maximal weight gain of both strains. Maximal gain:feed ratio was achieved in both strains at a digestible lysine level not greater than 1.21% of the diet. Daily feed consumption of the fast-growing strain was over twice that of the slow-growing strain, and the digestible lysine requirement for maximal feed efficiency was 675 mg/day for fast-growing chicks compared with 318 mg/day for slow-growing chicks. The portion of the weight gain comprised of protein was roughly the same in both strains. It is evident that the slow-growing crossbred broiler strain. Translating the digestible lysine requirement of 1.21% of the diet to practice, wherein a corn and soybean meal diet would be fed, results in a total lysine requirement of 1.41% of the diet (for maximal feed efficiency) during the broiler chick's 2nd and 3rd wk of life.
Disinhibition of the Superior Colliculus Restores Orienting to Visual Stimuli in the Hemianopic Field of the Cat

Following unilateral removal of all known visual cortical areas, a cat is rendered hemianopic in the contralateral visual field. Visual orientation can be restored to the blind hemifield by transection of the commissure of the superior colliculus or by destruction of the superior colliculus (SC) or the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) contralateral to the cortical lesion. It is hypothesized that a mechanism mediating recovery is disinhibition of the SC ipsilateral to the cortical lesion. The ipsilateral nigrotectal projection exerts a robust inhibitory tone onto cells in the SC. However, ibotenic acid destruction of SNpr neurons, which should decrease inhibition onto the SC, does not result in recovery. The failure of ipsilateral SNpr lesions to produce recovery puts into question the validity of SC disinhibition as a mechanism of recovery. We directly tested the disinhibition hypothesis by reversibly disinhibiting the SC ipsilateral to a visual cortical lesion with a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A antagonist, bicuculline methiodide. In accordance with the hypothesis, transient disinhibition of the SC restored visual orienting for several hours in three of eight animals. Recovery was not a volume or pH effect and was distinct from the release of irrepressible motor effects (i.e., approach and avoidance behaviors) seen within the first hour after injection. Thus, in the absence of all visual cortical areas unilaterally, disinhibition of the SC can transiently restore the ability of the cat to orient to visual stimuli in the previously ‘‘blind’’ hemifield. J. Comp. Neurol. 387:568‐587, 1997. r 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Results from a recent stellar rotation census of B stars

500 ﬁeld B stars), we determine the projected rotational velocity (V sin i), eﬀectivetemperature, gravity, mass, and critical rotation speed for each star. The new data provide usa solid observational base to explore many hot topics in this area: Why do ﬁeld B stars rotateslower than cluster B stars? How fast do B stars rotate when they are just born? How fast canB stars rotate before they become Be stars? How does the rotation rate of B stars change withtime? Does the evolutionary change in rotation velocity lead to the Be phenomenon? Here wereport the results of our eﬀorts in searching for answers to these questions based on the latestB star census.Keywords.line: proﬁles, stars: early-type, stars: emission-line, Be, stars: fundamental param-eters, stars: rotation
Validity of adult lifetime self-reported body weight.

Objective To investigate the accuracy of self-reported weight status over the adult lifespan. Design Estimates of self-report bias were obtained from a linear regression analysis and the magnitude of the discrepancy was studied for demographic groups (based on gender, race and educational attainment), weight status, number of years from the age of the reported weight and current age of the respondent. Subjects A subset of 6101 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiological Follow-Up constituted the study sample. Results Gender, elapsed time and BMI contributed to self-report bias. Effects of gender and elapsed time were small relative to the effects of BMI, with women tending to underestimate weight by 0.82 kg (1.8 lb), men overestimating by 2.27 kg (5.0 lb) and bias increasing by 0.09 kg (0.2 lb) for each year of retrospection. Every increase of one unit in BMI was associated with an additional 0.91 kg (2.0 lb) underestimate in self-reported weight. Conclusion Accuracy of adult self-reported weight profiles will be greatly underestimated if samples have individuals of current or past high relative weight. Adjusting for underestimation based on the respondent's weight status alone will considerably improve the validity of weight information.
Curvature compensation in micromirrors with high-reflectivity optical coatings

High-reflectivity coatings on micromirrors are critical to reduce reflection losses and absorptive heating. Unfortunately, coating stress induces an unwanted curvature in micromirrors. This effect is much more serious than in bulk optics because the thin coatings are similar in thickness to the structural material of the mirror. This paper describes a method to apply coatings that simultaneously achieve high reflectivity and optical flatness. The design theory is based on one-dimensional (1-D) static analysis and achieves curvature compensation with only a single additional coating layer The technique is appropriate for any number of coating layers and includes both the elastic and plastic behaviors of the thin film layers. Plastic deformation is modeled using an empirically determined strain versus dielectric thickness curve. Experimental measurements of 200 /spl mu/m/spl times/200 /spl mu/m/spl times/3.5 /spl mu/m polysilicon plates show mirror flatness better than /spl lambda//10.
Gnostic Interpretation of the Old Testament in the Testimony of Truth (NHC IX, 3 )

Interpretation of the OT is a many-faceted thing in gnostic literature. The old view that Gnosticism implies a rejection of the OT has had to be considerably modified in the light of new discoveries. The Nag Hammadi texts have shown that the Gnostics made far more use of the OT than could have been expected on the basis of older premises. R. McL. Wilson, in a recent article, has pointed out that no less than seventeen OT books are quoted in the gnostic writings collected in Werner Foerster's anthology. To be sure, Genesis—especially the first chapters—is by far the most-quoted OT book. And it is obvious that the use made by the Gnostics of Genesis and other OT writings is hardly conventional, to say the least. Even so, it is of no use to scholarship simply to be satisfied with calling attention to the “perversity” of gnostic OT interpretation. For it is important to observe the manifold ways in which the OT is utilized in gnostic, especially Christian gnostic, texts. One can then attain a proper understanding of the role of biblical interpretation in the development of Gnosticism, as well as early Christian theology in general.
Level Of Customization Of Twenty American Companies To Spain

The aim of this study is to demonstrate if American companies are culturally customizing their websites to the Spanish market and how effectively they are doing it. There are five levels of web customization: standardized, semi-localized, localized, highly-localized, and culturally customized websites (Singh and Pereira, 2005.) How do 20 American companies customize their websites for the Spanish market? The findings of this study is the starting point from many companies that actually operate in the Spanish market.
Comparison of Polyclonal Antibodies to Three Different Preparations of Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis in Immunohistochemical Diagnosis of Johne's Disease in Cattle:

Polyclonal antisera were raised in rabbits against preparations of live and heat-killed Mycobac- terium paratuberculosis and cell-wall proteins of M. paratuberculosis and were evaluated as diagnostic tools in immunohistochemical staining of bovine tissue. Live preparations of M. paratuberculosis (LMp) were inoculated intraperitoneally or intravenously at 10 9 /ml. Heat-killed M. paratuberculosis (HKMp) was prepared by treatment of bacteria at 85 C for 10 minutes. Cell-wall proteins were isolated from M. paratuberculosis and conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin to improve antigenicity (KLH-CWPMp). The HKMp and KLH-CWPMp prep- arations were emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant before subcutaneous inoculation of rabbits. Antibody titers in the terminal blood sample were higher for HKMp and KLH-CWPMp than for LMp rabbits (1:1,024 vs. 1:64). The KLH-CWPMp antibody did not cross-react with M. bovis-infected tissues. Sensitivity and specificity of immunohistochemical detection of Johne's disease (paratuberculosis) from bovine tissues was much higher for the KLH-CWPMp polyclonal antibody. Immunoreactivity of the antibody resulted in staining of bacteria in the cytoplasm of macrophages, mononuclear giant cells, and extracellular bacteria in both intestine and lymph node. Johne's disease (paratuberculosis) is a chronic en- teritis in ruminants caused by the intracellular patho- gen Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. 5 Although diag- nosis of M. paratuberculosis infection is difficult for a number of reasons, the primary hindrance is the par- adoxical host immune response during various stages of the disease. During the initial phase of infection, animals are asymptomatic and shed low numbers of the organism. Subclinical infection is further charac- terized by a strong cell-mediated immune response and can be detected by such assays as lymphocyte prolif- eration to a T-cell-dependent mitogen and delayed- type hypersensitivity reactions or skin tests. 3 A negli- gible humoral immune response during subclinical in- fection significantly reduces the usefulness of diagnos- tic tests measuring antibody production to M. para- tuberculosis. In contrast, clinical disease is character- ized by a strong humoral immune response and a weak cell-mediated response. 3 Overt signs of clinical infec- tion such as emaciation, anorexia, and profuse diarrhea are present, and high numbers of bacteria are shed in the feces. 6 Because of this immunologic conumdrum, the only definitive test for Johne's disease at the present time is fecal culture. This test is both specific and sen- sitive; however, culture requires 8-16 weeks for pos- itive identification of M. paratuberculosis.
Visualization of structural steel product models

A visual interface has been developed to provide a means for users to visualize the steel structure represented by a CIMsteel Integration Standards Release 2 (CIS/2) file. A CIS/2 file provides for the electronic exchange of data directly between various steel CAD software applications. Using a web-accessible translator, objects in a user’s CIS/2 file are mapped to application-specific VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) nodes in an VRML file that can be interactively navigated in 3D using freely available VRML browsers. Salient features of the web-base user interface and application-specific VRML nodes related to CIS/2 are described with several examples. The interface has proved useful to both software application developers and end-users.
Differential sensitivities of TTX-resistant and TTX-sensitive sodium channels to anesthetic concentrations of ethanol in rat sensory neurons

Ethanol at concentration of 200 mM induces anesthesia in experimental animals and depresses neurotransmission in isolated spinal cords. To determine whether actions on primary afferent nerve terminals contribute to ethanol's depressant effects on spinal cord, a study was undertaken to test whether ethanol blocks sodium currents (I(Na)) in dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGn). Whole-cell patch clamp was used to examine I(Na) in DRGn isolated from 1- to 15-day-old rats. At a holding potential of -80 mV ethanol (200 mM) decreased peak tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) and tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) I(Na) by 19.0% +/- 2.7 (mean +/- SEM) and 8.5% +/- 2.2, respectively. Maximal available I(Na) was reduced to 82 +/- 4% (TTX-R) and 93 +/- 1% (TTX-S) of control. Steady-state inactivation curves were shifted in the hyperpolarizing direction by 2.1 +/- 0.2 mV (TTX-R) and 1.1 +/- 0.1 mV (TTX-S). At prepulse potentials of -30 mV (TTX-R) and -70 mV (TTX-S), these shifts contributed an additional 17 +/- 1% (TTX-R) and 7 +/- 1% (TTX-S) reduction in available I(Na). Ethanol thus selectively induced both voltage-independent and voltage-dependent block of TTX-R I(Na) in DRGn. Because DRGn TTX-R sodium channels are associated with small-diameter primary afferent fibers, these results are consistent with a role for ethanol actions on sodium channels in depression of nociceptive-related neurotransmission in spinal cord.