cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subwavelength imaging via dark state

We theoretically study possibilities of creating spatial patterns having subwavelength length by using so-called dark states. These dark states are formed via interaction with bichromatic optical fields. Performing experiments in Rb vapor, we experimentally demonstrated spatial patterns that are smaller than the length determined by the diffraction limit of optical system used in the experiment. This approach has applications to interference lithography and can be used in coherent Raman spectroscopy to reach subwavelength spatial resolution.
On the stability of grasped objects

A grasped object is defined to be in equilibrium if the sum of all forces and moments acting on a body equals zero. An equilibrium grasp may be stable or unstable. Force closed grasps are a well-known subset of equilibrium grasps, and they are known to be stable. However, not all stable grasps are force closed, including many common and easily obtainable grasps. In this paper, we classify the categories of equilibrium grasps and establish a general framework for the determination of the stability of a grasp. In order to analyze the stability of grasps with multiple contacts, we first model the compliance at each contact. We develop expressions for the changes in contact forces as a function of the rigid body relative motion between the fingers and the grasped object. The stability of a grasp is shown to depend on the local curvature of the contacting bodies, as well as the magnitude and arrangement of the contact forces. We then derive results providing simple criteria to determine the stability of a grasped object, including the special but important limiting case of rigid bodies where the contact compliance is zero.
The effects of partial reinforcement on the acquisition and extinction of avoidance behavior in gerbils

Separate groups of gerbils received 100%, 50%, or 0% reinforcement during avoidance acquisition. A reinforced trial was one in which the avoidance contingency was in effect, while a nonreinforced trial was a CS-US pairing. Groups trained under either partial or continuous reinforcement were subdivided into two extinction conditions, 100% classical CS-US trials or regular avoidance extinction. In acquisition, CR frequency and percent reinforcement were positively related. Significantly more rapid extinction obtained under the CS-US pairing procedure relative to regular avoidance extinction, and animals trained under partial reinforcement were more resistant to extinction than animals trained under continuous reinforcement. These results were interpreted in terms of the effects of delayed punishment on nonreinforced trials in acquisition and extinction.
Mutations to the Formin Homology 2 Domain of INF2 Protein Have Unexpected Effects on Actin Polymerization and Severing

INF2 (inverted formin 2) is a formin protein with unusual biochemical characteristics. As with other formins, the formin homology 2 (FH2) domain of INF2 accelerates actin filament assembly and remains at the barbed end, modulating elongation. The unique feature of INF2 is its ability to sever filaments and enhance depolymerization, which requires the C-terminal region. Physiologically, INF2 acts in the secretory pathway and is mutated in two human diseases, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In this study, we investigate the effects of mutating two FH2 residues found to be key in other formins: Ile-643 and Lys-792. Surprisingly, neither mutation abolishes barbed end binding, as judged by pyrene-actin and total internal reflection (TIRF) microscopy elongation assays. The I643A mutation causes tight capping of a subset of filaments, whereas K792A causes slow elongation of all filaments. The I643A mutation has a minor inhibitory effect on polymerization activity but causes almost complete abolition of severing and depolymerization activity. The K792A mutation has relatively small effects on polymerization, severing, and depolymerization. In cells, the K792A mutant causes actin accumulation around the endoplasmic reticulum to a similar extent as wild type, whereas the I643A mutant causes no measurable polymerization. The inability of I643A to induce actin polymerization in cells is explained by its inability to promote robust actin polymerization in the presence of capping protein. These results highlight an important point: it is dangerous to assume that mutation of conserved FH2 residues will have equivalent effects in all formins. The work also suggests that both mutations have effects on the mechanism of processive elongation.
Disintegration of the deuteron by 4 to 11 MeV electrons

Abstract The ratio of photodisintegration to electrodisintegration yields was measured in the 4 to 11 MeV region. The results are in good agreement with a virtual photon calculation.
CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D IN OSTEOPOROSIS

Like many other chronic diseases, osteoporosis is multifactorial in nature. It is estimated that 46% to 62% of bone mineral density (BMD) is attributable to genetic factors. 65 Therefore, from 38% to 54% of BMD may be affected by lifestyle factors such as nutrition. 32,66 A role of nutrition is to assist in the development of the largest skeleton possible during growth and to protect the skeleton against calcium withdrawal during maturity. 43 Although many nutrient deficiency and excess states contribute to bone health, only calcium and vitamin D are reviewed in this article. 30,36,43,47,56,63,82,86,100,116
Solutions of bounded variation to linear integro-differential equations

Abstract The two-point nonhomogeneous boundary value problems generated by an integro-differential expression in the space of normalized bounded variations are replaced by simpler problems generated by differential systems. The boundary conditions considered are most general up to a finite dimension and the results are formulated in such a way that no matrix equations are involved and no intermediate adjoint operators or intermediate subspaces are referred to.
Hierarchical Control of Lymphocyte Survival

After an immune response, the body must eliminate the excess cells generated to fight the foreign invader. Recent work indicates that this removal occurs as a result of an intricate network of regulatory processes. In their Perspective, Boise and Thompson synthesize this new evidence for the control of lymphocyte number by proteases, Bcl-2-related proteins, cytokines, and adhesion factors.
Crystallization Behavior of Tungstate on Zirconia and Its Relationship to Acidic Properties

Abstract Zirconia-tungstate aerogels were prepared by two methods, a one-step sol–gel synthesis and an incipient wetness impregnation. The effects of preparation parameters on their physical and chemical properties were studied. The catalytic activity and surface acidity were characterized by a set of chemical probes, including n -butane isomerization and pyridine adsorption, which were developed into an acidity scale for the evaluation of solid acids in general. Maximum catalytic activity in n -butane isomerization occurred at saturation monolayer coverage of zirconia by tungstate. The one-step synthesis required a more elevated activation temperature in order to expel tungstate from the bulk of zirconia before dispersion on the surface. Variation of the activation temperature allowed study of the transition between a catalytically inactive and active material and consequently identification of the active species. Activity in n -butane isomerization coincided with the presence of (i) a larger population of Bronsted sites and (ii) stronger Bronsted sites on the surface. Infrared spectroscopy indicated that the surface active tungstate species was identical regardless of preparative route. We conclude that the preparation method affected the activation behavior of zirconia-tungstate materials but not the active species in n -butane isomerization. Furthermore, zirconia-tungstate can be placed in a meaningful Bronsted acid strength scale which has the potential as a tool for ranking acid catalysts.
Energy-efficient dual-port cache architecture with improved performances

Low leakage current and area-efficient dual-port cache design, which uses isolation nodes and local sense amplifiers to facilitate dual-port accesses without duplicating the bit lines for the second port, is presented. Compared with conventional hardwired dual-port cache designs, the average bit line leakage current can be reduced by 50%.
Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter-Transcription Factor Interacts with Estrogen Receptor, Binds to Estrogen Response Elements and Half-Sites, and Inhibits Estrogen-induced Gene Expression

Abstract Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor (COUP-TF) was identified as a low abundance protein in bovine uterus that co-purified with estrogen receptor (ER) in a ligand-independent manner and was separated from the ER by its lower retention on estrogen response element (ERE)-Sepharose. In gel mobility shift assays, COUP-TF bound as an apparent dimer to ERE and ERE half-sites. COUP-TF bound to an ERE half-site with high affinity,K d = 1.24 nm. In contrast, ER did not bind a single ERE half-site. None of the class II nuclear receptors analyzed, i.e. retinoic acid receptor, retinoid X receptor, thyroid receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, or vitamin D receptor, were constituents of the COUP-TF·DNA binding complex detected in gel mobility shift assays. Direct interaction of COUP-TF with ER was indicated by GST “pull-down” and co-immunoprecipitation assays. The nature of the ER ligand influenced COUP-TF-ERE half-site binding. When ER was liganded by the antiestrogen 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), COUP-TF-half-site interaction decreased. Conversely, COUP-TF transcribed and translated in vitroenhanced the ERE binding of purified estradiol (E2)-liganded ER but not 4-OHT-liganded ER. Co-transfection of ER-expressing MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with an expression vector for COUP-TFI resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of E2-induced expression of a luciferase reporter gene under the control of three tandem copies of EREc38. The ability of COUP-TF to bind specifically to EREs and half-sites, to interact with ER, and to inhibit E2-induced gene expression suggests COUP-TF regulates ER action by both direct DNA binding competition and through protein-protein interactions.
The Religious Significance of the Ontological Argument

It seems clear that the ontological argument can no longer be dismissed as a silly fallacy. The dogma of the impossibility of necessary existence is seriously threatened by the case of necessary existential truths in mathematics, and as for the claim that the ontological argument must beg the question, since by mentioning God in the premise his existence is presupposed, it is undermined by the fact that we often refer to things—Hamlet for instance— we do not for a moment think exist. The doctrine that existence is not a property (‘exists’ is not a predicate), insofar as it does not reduce to one of the foregoing points, is very murky, for the sense in which ‘red’ is a predicate and ‘exists’ is not has never been clearly defined. Moreover, the way many believers hold that ‘God exists’ is immune to empirical refutation strongly suggests that we are dealing here with an analytic statement, which is just what the ontological argument should be expected to produce. It seems in order, then, to conduct theological discussion under the supposition that the argument is in fact sound.
Permeability of pulp fiber mats with filler particles

Abstract We studied the permeability of fibrous media composed of filler particles in addition to fibers which are often encountered in industrial practice. Bleached Kraft pulp wood fibers and different kinds of fillers used in papermaking were the focus of this study. The fillers consisted of (i) scalenohedral precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC-Albacar), (ii) prismatic PCC (Albafil), and (iii) kaolin clay particles. The composite permeability increased with the addition of smaller quantities of PCC but higher loadings lowered the permeability significantly. The kaolin particles decreased the permeability of the pulp mats at all loading levels. The initial permeability increase observed with PCC was also accompanied by a simultaneous increase in the drainage rates of the pulps. The higher permeability is due to flocculation caused by heterocoagulation of PCC particles and the pulp fibers. At higher filler loadings, the PCC particles clog the pore spaces and reduce the permeability. Kaolin particles do not cause flocculation and hence decreased the permeability at all loadings. A model for the permeability of such composites was developed based on the Kozeny–Carman equation, considering the specific surface area as composed of two contributions. The first, due to fibers alone can result in lower specific surface areas caused by flocculation. The second contribution was an increase in surface area due to clogging of the fiber mats. The specific volume of the composite pulp mats was modeled as a simple weighted mixture of the specific volumes of the individual components.
Helium-induced hydrogen recoil analysis for metallurgical applications☆

A number of studies of hydrogen in metals require special capabilities not easily met by the usual nuclear reaction analysis techniques (NRA). As part of a study of hydrogen redistribution in stressed metals, hydrogen concentrations had to be measured with high statistical accuracy (one percent or better) in short times (of order 10 s) and without significant ion beam effects on the sample. Our method has been to measure the energy spectrum of protons projected out of thin metal foils at 0° by 3.5–5.0 MeV 3He and 4He ions which have elastic scattering cross-sections orders of magnitude greater than Rutherford. Event rates of 2000 counts/s have been achieved with beam currents 10 nA for metal foils loaded with 10 at.% H. This technique is described and compared to the more usual NRA procedures. Its application to the study of H redistribution in stressed metals is briefly discussed. Recoil cross sections have been evaluated from known p-4He phase shifts and tabulated for use in absolute measurements of depth profiles. These cross sections should also be useful in glancing-angle recoil geometries.
Location of the integrin complex and extracellular matrix molecules at the chicken myotendinous junction.

The distribution of several extracellular matrix macromolecules was investigated at the myotendinous junction of adult chicken gastrocnemius muscle. Localization using monoclonal antibodies specific for 3 basal lamina components (type IV collagen, laminin, and a basement membrane form of heparan sulfate proteoglycan) showed strong fluorescent staining of the myotendinous junction for heparan sulfate proteoglycan and laminin, but not for type IV collagen. In addition, a strong fluorescent stain was observed at the myotendinous junction using a monoclonal antibody against the β subunit of the chicken integrin complex (antibody JG 22). Neither fibronectin nor tenascin were concentrated at the myotendinous junction, but instead were present in a fibrillar staining pattern throughout the connective tissue which was closely associated with the myotendinous junction. Tenascin also gave bright fluorescent staining of tendon, but no detectable staining of the perimysium or endomysium. Type I collagen was observed throughout the tendon and in the perimysium, but only faintly in the endomysium. In contrast, type III collagen was present brightly in the endomysium and in the perimysium, but could not be detected in the tendon except when associated with blood vessels and in the epitendineum, which stained intensely. Type VI collagen was found throughout the tendon and in all connective tissue partitions of skeletal muscle. The results indicate that one or more molecules of the integrin family may play an important role in the attachment of muscle to the tendon. This interaction does not appear to involve extensive binding to fibronectin or tenascin, but may involve laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan.
Ramanujan's “Lost” notebook IV. Stacks and alternating parity in partitions

This paper is centered around the partition function OE(n), the number of partitions of n in which the parts (arranged in ascending order) alternate in parity starting with the smallest part odd. Briefly, OE(n) counts the number of “odd-even” partitions of n. The first few examples for the computation of OE(n) are n Relevant partitions of n OE(n) 1 1 1 2 0 3 3,1+2 2 4 0 5 5,1+4 2 6 1+2+3 1 7 7,1+6,3+4 3 The generating function for OE(n) turns out to be
A comment on the north and david papers

In his paper, “Economic Growth: What Have We Learned from the Past?” North starts out with a bang, arguing that “the institutional framework implicit to theories about economic growth must be made a formal part of the theory if economic theorists are to make further substantive progress in this field.” If, for the word “theory,” he had substituted the weaker word “explanation” with reference to historical developments, I would agree. Indeed, his paper is rich with many specific instances of the interactions between institutional, especially legal. and economic changes over a long historical span. But if, by “theory” one understands a generalized relationship among variables, with sufficient stability to permit prediction or projection, then I think that his objective is a will-o’-the-wisp. In the first place, economic changes themselves are a result of various changes in technology, natural environment, and social and personal values, which can hardly be predicted even in broad outline. Further, relationships among the more purely economic variables are subject to change over time as coefficients shift. But, even if economic changes could be predicted, the possible institutional responses are so varied that specific changes in the social superstructure of the economy, again, could not be predicted. In a sense, North is arguing for a return to the “magnificent dynamics” of the classical economists or of the subsequent institutionalists. I need not remind him that the literature is littered with the bones of dynamic projections that were proven false for relevant time periods by subsequent developments, for example, the assertions by Malthus, Ricardo, and Mill of the law of diminishing returns as a historical tendency which would eventually produce a stationary state--“if we are lucky” (as David adds); or the Marxian projection of an increasing immiserization of the working class and increasingly severe depressions bringing on the overthrow of capitalism. One might also mention Marx’s inability to foresee the institutional developments which have enabled democratic regimes to patch up capitalism to make it a continuingly dynamic and viable system; or his failure to foresee chronic inflationary pressures in high-employment free economies as a major tension-producing threat requiring further institutional changes, the nature of which can even now scarcely be foreseen. After all, inventions-whether technological or social-by their very nature cannot be forecast with any specificity; if they could, they would, in effect, already be upon LIS.
Clinical significance and treatment of biochemical recurrence after definitive therapy for localized prostate cancer

Purpose Radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation therapy are the established and definitive interventions for clinically localized prostate cancer. These treatment modalities are yet subject to failure observed first by biochemical recurrence, defined by increases in the serum PSA level. We investigated the significance of biochemical recurrence after definitive therapy and the available salvage therapy options for cancer recurrence.
Conceptual Knowledge Falls through the Cracks: Complexities of Learning to Teach Mathematics for Understanding.

In this article we focus on two interrelated aspects of the process of learning to teach mathematics for understanding: (a) ideas and practices for teaching procedural knowledge and (b) ideas and practices for teaching conceptual knowledge. We explore one student teacher's ideas and practices, together with the messages about teaching for procedural and conceptual knowledge that were presented by the teacher education program in which the student teacher was enrolled and the placement schools in which she student taught. We reveal a pattern in which the student teacher, her mathematics methods course instructor, her cooperating teachers, and the administrators of her placement schools expressed a variety of strong commitments to teaching for both procedural and conceptual knowledge; but with these commitments, the student teacher taught, learned to teach, and had opportunities to learn to teach for procedural knowledge more often and more consistently than she did for conceptual knowledge. We find that the actual teaching pattern (what was done) was the product of unresolved tensions within the student teacher, the other key actors in her environment, and the learning-to-teach environment itself. We hypothesize that situational supports constructed to emphasize more consistently teaching for conceptual knowledge might help resolve at least some of the tensions, and we suggest that such supports should be developed if the national goal to increase the teaching of mathematics for understanding is to be achieved.
Primary percutaneous endoscopic button gastrostomy: a modification of the "push" technique.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in children has important advantages over an open procedure. Since the original description by Gauderer and associates, there have been several modifications to the procedure. These have included laparoscopyassisted percutaneous gastrostomy, fluoroscopically guided percutaneous gastrostomy, and primary placement of a button gastrostomy. One of the most important modifications of PEG placement has been the “push” technique. This technique reduces the incidence of wound infections and esophageal injuries because the gastrostomy is not pulled through the oral cavity and the esophagus is instrumented only once. Additionally, by primarily placing the MIC-KEY gastrostomy (Ballard Medical Products, Draper, UT), a second procedure to replace a tube gastrostomy with a more permanent MIC-KEY is unnecessary. We report a modification of the techniques described by Stylianos and Flanigan and by Robertson and colleagues. We have performed primary placement of MIC-KEY gastrostomies using the “push” technique in six patients without perioperative complications.
Integrated approach to design and manufacture of shoe lasts for orthopaedic use

Abstract For commercial shoes as well as custom-made shoes, the shoe last—a solid model of the inner volume of the shoe—is unquestionably the single most important component of the fabrication process. This paper introduces the elements of an integrated CAD/CAM system to digitize the foot, use a graphics sub-system to create the geometry of a last from the foot model, and generate the tool cutter paths for a numerical control machine to cut the last. Issues of integration of design data and manufacturing data, and problems related to the operation of the sytem are discussed in this paper.
Mexico's devaluation: The beginning, not the end, of its problems

Abstract Mexico's December 1994 peso crisis still has North America reeling from the shock. The U.S. $20 billion bailout package has helped to pay-off Mexico's short-term debt and stabilize its markets, but will do little for the structural problems that exist in the Mexican economy. Adler evaluates the causes of the crisis, presents four economic scenarios for the next year, and discusses alternatives to Mexico's present banking system: instituting a currency board or following Chile's central banking model. While Adler does not believe that Mexico needs a currency board, he makes the point that its policies must become more transparent if portfolio capital flows are to recover. This would be helped by a more formal international safety net.
Neuronally dependent induction of adrenal phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase by 6-hydroxydopamine.

Destruction of sympathetic nerve terminals with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-HO-DA) produces a small (19 per cent) but statistically significant increase in adrenal phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) activity in normal and hypophysectomized rats. This increase can be abolished by transection of the splanchnic nerves supplying the adrenal glands. The restitution of the PNMT activity by dexamethasone in hypophysectomized animals is not affected by adrenal denervation. It is concluded that the normal levels of PNMT in the adrenal medulla are maintained by adrenocortical glucocorticoids whereas an increase above the normal level can be produced by a (reflex) increase in splanchnic nerve activity. PNMT activity could not be detected in the superior cervical ganglion of controls or of animals treated with dexamethasone.
Erx, a Novel Retina-Specific Homeodomain Transcription Factor, Can Interact with Ret 1/PCEI Sites

Abstract Our previous studies on the transcriptional regulation of rod opsin gene expression had defined a strikingly conserved element, Ret 1/PCEI, present in the upstream regulatory regions of opsin and other photoreceptor-specific genes. This element interacts with a 40 kDa, developmentally regulated, retina-specific protein. In this study we report the cloning of the novel retina-specific homeodomain protein Erx. Erx contains a homeodomain that is 79% homologous to that ofDrosophilaempty spiracles. This 40 kDa protein can interact with the Ret 1 element in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Mutation of key residues in Ret 1 eliminates all Erx binding. Transient transfection of Y79 retinobalstoma cells with Erx leads to significant transcriptional activation of a reporter gene via Ret 1 elements. We conclude that Erx is the Ret 1 binding activity. This is the first example of a Q50 homeodomain protein expressed in retinal photoreceptors.
Stanozolol causes rapid pain relief and healing of cutaneous ulcers caused by cryofibrinogenemia

Background: Cutaneous manifestations of cryofibrinogenemia include purpura, ecchymosis, and ulcerations. The histology of these lesions is characterized by intravascular thrombi. Objective: Our purpose was to test the efficacy of stanozolol, a drug capable of fibrinolytic enhancement, in treating cutaneous ulcers caused by cryofibrinogenemia. Methods: Eight patients with cutaneous ulcerations from cryofibrinogenemia were treated with stanozolol. Plasma cryofibrinogen was measured before and during treatment with stanozolol. Histologic evaluation was also performed before treatment and in selected patients during treatment. Results: After treatment, seven of the eight patients had healing of their ulcers, prompt reduction in their pain, and improvement in livedo reticularis and purpura. Four of the eight patients had no detectable plasma cryofibrinogen after treatment. In addition, dermal intravascular thrombi resolved. Stanozolol was well tolerated and had minimal side effects. Conclusion: We conclude that stanozolol is a safe and effective treatment of the cutaneous manifestations of cryofibrinogenemia.
Sensitivity to α-amylcinnamic aldehyde and α-amylcinnamic alcohol

Sensitivity to α-amylcinnamic aldehyde ( α -AcAld) is apparently uncommon, but, like allergy to α-amylcinnamic alcohol ( α -AcAlc), it often accompanies allergy to the perfume in Mycolog cream. Although α -AcAlc is a known ingredient, α -AcAld is not. However, gas-liquid chromatographic analysis shows α -AcAld to be present, Of fourteen persons sensitive to either chemical, ten reacted to both. Of these, one man and three women were markedly sensitive, and all three women had chronic recalcitrant vulvar eczema. That condition might have been the cause as well as the result of sensitization, but reexposure to a suspected product reproduced the eruption in both persons tested. Its use with other potent sensitizers, e.g., ethylenediamine, to treat irritations and chronic eczemms in an area of high absorption may partly explain development of allergy to a relatively weak sensitizer.
Coriolis-induced intramolecular vibrational energy flow between anharmonic normal modes

Abstract The classical flow of energy between anharmonic normal vibrational modes induced by Coriolis coupling is studied for a simple model of a linear triatomic molecule rotating in a plane. The dynamics are analytically solved via a mapping onto a hindered rotor representation. The theory is confirmed by trajectory calculations.
Platelet plasma membrane glycoproteins Identification of a proteolytic substrate for thrombin

Abstract The surface glycoproteins of the platelet plasma membrane were labeled by oxidation with galactose oxidase followed by reduction with (3H)-sodium borohydride. Of the glycoproteins labeled, only glycoprotein V (apparent molecular weight of 89,000) was decreased as a result of thrombin action. The affected glycoprotein appeared to be completely removed at a concentration of 1 U thrombin per 109 platelets. A soluble glycopeptide hydrolytic product with an apparent molecular weight of 70,000 was released into solution.
ATP depletion in human platelets caused by permeabilization with saponin does not prevent serotonin secretion induced by collagen

Abstract Saponin (5 to 25 μg/ml) produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the cellular content of total ATP and [ 32 P]ATP in 32 P-labeled human platelets. In platelets whose ATP had been profoundly decreased by saponin, Ca 2+ produce phosphomonoesteratic cleavage of the polyphosphoinositides with a concomitant accumulation of phosphatidylinositol. Collagen still induced secretion of serotonin in platelets that had been treated with saponin in the presence or absence of Ca 2+ . This effect of collagen occurred in the absence of the formation of cyclooxygenase metabolites. In platelet permeabilized with saponin, agonist-induced secretion and aggregation seems to be unrelated to protein phosphorylation, breakdown of the inositol phospholipids by phospholipase C and formation of cyclooxygenase metabolites.
A MODEL OF CALCIUM DYNAMICS IN CARDIAC MYOCYTES BASED ON THE KINETICS OF RYANODINE-SENSITIVE CALCIUM CHANNELS

The ryanodine-sensitive calcium channels are pivotal to signal transduction and cell function in many cell types, including cardiac myocytes. In this paper a kinetic model is proposed for these channels. In the model there are two Ca regulatory sites on the channel protein, one positive and the other negative. Cytoplasmic Ca binds to these regulatory sites independently It is assumed that the binding of Ca to the positive site is a much faster process than binding to the negative site. At steady state, the channel opening as a function of the Ca concentration is a bell-shaped curve. The model predicts the adaptation of channels to constant Ca stimulus. When this model is applied to cardiac myocytes, it predicts excitability with respect to Ca perturbations, smoothly graded responses, and Ca oscillations in certain pathological circumstances. In a spatially distributed system, traveling Ca waves in individual myocytes exist under certain conditions. This model can also be applied to other systems where the ryanodine-sensitive channels have been identified.
Kinase-dependent Regulation of Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate-dependent Ca2+ Release during Oocyte Maturation

Fertilization induces a species-specific Ca2+ transient with specialized spatial and temporal dynamics, which are essential to temporally encode egg activation events such as the block to polyspermy and resumption of meiosis. Eggs acquire the competence to produce the fertilization-specific Ca2+ transient during oocyte maturation, which encompasses dramatic potentiation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-dependent Ca2+ release. Here we show that increased IP3 receptor (IP3R) sensitivity is initiated at the germinal vesicle breakdown stage of maturation, which correlates with maturation promoting factor (MPF) activation. Extensive phosphopeptide mapping of the IP3R resulted in ∼70% coverage and identified three residues, Thr-931, Thr-1136, and Ser-114, which are specifically phos pho ryl a ted during maturation. Phospho-specific antibody analyses show that Thr-1136 phos pho ryl a tion requires MPF activation. Activation of either MPF or the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade independently, functionally sensitizes IP3-dependent Ca2+ release. Collectively, these data argue that the kinase cascades driving meiotic maturation potentiates IP3-dependent Ca2+ release, possibly trough direct phos pho ryl a tion of the IP3R.
Analysis of Open Dielectric Waveguides Using Pseudoinverse Penalty Method

The vector finite-element method in the interior and the boundary integral equation of the exterior domain are investigated to analyze open dielectric waveguides. The simultaneous solutions of propagating modes are obtained by the pseudoinverse method.
Ancient Greek and contemporary performance: collected essays

This collection of essays by Graham Ley covers over 30 years of scholarly research and reflection upon key questions in the field of performance and offers an impressive range both historically (fr...
Differing perceptions of quality of life in patients with prostate cancer and their doctors.

Purpose: As the number of prostate cancer survivors increases, urologists must recognize their quality of life impairment. In the past physician ratings of patient symptoms did not correlate with patient self-assessments. We determined if urologists have improved their reporting of patient health related quality of life. We also investigated if urologists assessed health related quality of life more accurately in the short or long term.Materials and Methods: We identified 1,366 men from CaPSURE™, a national, prospective cohort, who had undergone prostatectomy, brachytherapy or external beam radiation therapy. At each visit urologists assessed fatigue, pain, and sexual, urinary and bowel dysfunction. Participants independently completed the SF-36™ and the UCLA-PCI. We contrasted the frequency of impairment reported by physicians and participants in select health related quality of life domains in the short (less than 1 year) and long (greater than 2 years) term. We also compared physician-patient concordan...
Clinicopathologic assessment and grading of embolized meningiomas: a correlative study of 64 patients.

BACKGROUND Preoperative embolization of meningiomas is commonly performed to minimize intraoperative bleeding, thereby facilitating surgery and reducing the necessity for transfusion. However, the resulting necrosis and compensatory proliferation reportedly have hampered subsequent histologic grading. METHODS The clinicopathologic features of 64 meningiomas embolized between 1989 and 1997 were assessed. Tumors were graded according to recently published criteria. RESULTS A good embolization result (> 75% reduction in angiographic blush) was achieved in 52%. Histologically, embolized meningiomas showed higher frequencies of necrosis (89%), nuclear atypia (72%), macronucleoli (58%), sheeting (31%), high mitotic index (30%), and brain invasion (14%) when compared with nonembolized counterparts. Median mitotic and MIB-1 indices were slightly elevated (1.5 of 10 high-power fields and 1.6%, respectively). A significant degree of necrosis (> 10%) was found in 43% and was only roughly correlated with extent of angiographic blush reduction or embolization particle size. Histologic grade was benign in 57.8%, atypical in 40.6%, and anaplastic in 1.6%. At last follow-up, there were 13 recurrences, 11 in the atypical/anaplastic (41%) versus 2 in the benign (5%) subsets (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The authors conclude that 1) their grading scheme accurately stratifies embolized meningiomas, 2) extent of necrosis is difficult to predict using standard clinical parameters, and 3) their high incidence of atypical meningioma more likely reflects patient selection biases rather than artifacts induced by the embolization procedure. Cancer 2001;92:701–11. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Urinary estrogen excretion patterns in pregnant rhesus monkeys

Abstract Urinary estrogen excretion patterns were determined by means of gas chromatograpby during early, middle and late pregnancy in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Estrone, estradiol-17β and estriol levels increased from early to late pregnancy. Average increases were: estrone, 2.6 fold; estradiol-17β 4.7 fold; and estriol 4.5 fold.
Unlike thrombin, protein C and activated protein C do not affect vascular tone.

Abstract Because plasma levels of protein C (PC) or activated protein C (APC) are altered in certain diseases associated with vascular dysfunction, and APC has therapeutic potential in preventing microvascular coagulation in severe sepsis, potential vascular effects of PC and APC were compared to those of the vasoactive peptide, thrombin. Thrombin was a more potent relaxant agonist than contractile agonist in aorta. Unlike thrombin, cumulatively administered APC (10 −9 -10 −7 M) did not exert vascular effects in rat or rabbit aorta. Noncumulative challenge of PC (10 −7 M) and APC (8 × 10 −8 M) also did not contract rat or rabbit aortae, either with or without endothelium. Likewise, the same concentrations of PC and APC also did not relax norepinephrine-induced (10 −7 M) vascular tone in either rat or rabbit aortae. Thus, in contrast to thrombin, PC and APC failed to modulate vascular tone, suggesting that the therapeutic use of APC is unlikely to be accompanied by any direct effects on vascular motility.
Catch-up Growth During Childhood Among Very Low-Birth-Weight Children

Objectives: To examine growth attainment and correlates of catch-up growth at 8 years of age in a cohort of very low-birth-weight (VLBW) children ( Design: Eight-year longitudinal follow-up of a cohort of VLBW children. A geographically based, randomly selected sample of NBW children was recruited at 8 years of age. Setting: Tertiary perinatal center. Participants: Two hundred forty-nine VLBW children born between January 1,1977, and December 31, 1979 (78% of survivors), of whom 199 were born appropriate for gestational age and 50 were small for gestational age ( Main Outcome Measures: For the VLBW population, rates of subnormal weight (below the third percentile) and height were obtained at birth, at 40 weeks (term), and at 8 and 20 months. For the VLBW and NBW populations, mean weight, height, and percentile distribution at 8 years were derived from the National Center for Health Statistics standards. Results: Catch-up growth to above the third percentile occurred between 40 weeks and 8 months, 8 and 20 months, and up to 8 years of age among the VLBW children. At 40 weeks, 54% were subnormal in weight and 60% were subnormal in height; at 8 months, 33% and 22%, respectively, and at 8 years, 8% were subnormal in weight and height. Small-for-gestational-age children had lower rates of catch-up growth. Multivariate analyses disclosed maternal height, race, birth weight, and neurologic abnormality to predict percentile distribution of height; and maternal height, small for gestational age, and neurologic abnormality to predict subnormal height. Conclusions: Catch-up growth occurs during child-hood among VLBW children. These results have implications when counseling parents about the potential growth attainment of their children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150:1122-1129
Fluctuation-induced first-order transition in a bcc Ising model with competing interactions

We study the simple system of ($S=\frac{1}{2}$) Ising spins on a bcc lattice with ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor exchange. Particular emphasis is placed on the region of competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic ordering of the second kind [AF(2)]. Renormalization-group $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$-expansion methods along with Monte Carlo analysis leads to the suggestion that the mean-field bicritical phase diagram becomes, with the inclusion of fluctuations, a critical-end-point diagram.
Secondary organic aerosol formation from aromatic precursors. 1. Mechanisms for individual hydrocarbons.

Quantitative kinetic and physical phase partitioning models of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation resulting from the reactions of aromatic species were integrated into a mechanism for gas-phase reactions. Using the resulting model, analyses of the sensitivity of SOA formation to several parameters (e.g., VOC/NOx ratio, rate parameters) were performed. Results indicated that aerosol yield (SOA formed per amount of hydrocarbons reacted) depends on the extent of conversion of parent hydrocarbons, partitioning coefficient, initial aerosol mass concentration, and rate parameters. On the basis of the sensitivity studies, models for SOA yield were developed for 11 aromatic compounds. Comparison of the results from current SOA models to the results from this study suggests that mechanisms describing SOA formation from aromatic species must incorporate the reactions of reactive intermediates.
Beta-blockade during whole-body hyperthermia: a toxicity study in the dog.

A radiant heat device (RHD) for whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) has been safely and effectively used with a dog model. The cardiovascular changes which occur in the dog during WBH—including heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume and ejection fraction—agree qualitatively and quantitatively with changes observed in previous WBH-RHD studies done in pigs and humans. We elected to study the effect of propanolol in dogs during WBH in order to evaluate this drug's potential use in human cancer patients who are ineligible for WBH because of coronary artery disease. This report details cardiovascular changes which occur with β-blockade during 42°C WBH in the dog. Our results show that the level of β-blockade needed to control heart rate during WBH produces acute cardiovascular decompensation.
‘Becoming Beautiful in the Dance’: On the Formation of Ethical Modalities of Being in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia1

This article examines how the ideals of self-monitoring, self-reflexivity, self-restraint, and self-governance, as well as assumptions pertaining to the mastery of the body, its movements, and forms of expressivity, lie at the heart of one of Yap's (Federated States of Micronesia) most important aesthetic institutions - the dance. In so doing, it suggests that Yapese dancing and the forms of self-vigilance that are associated with it can be understood as implicated in the formation of a distinctly Yapese moral modality of being. That is, Yapese dancing - including its performance and appreciation - plays a role in helping individuals craft particular forms of feeling, thinking, appreciating, judging, imagining, and behaving that are consonant with local understandings of the good person, the good life, and right action. A polite and agreeable exterior was maintained at all times to reveal nothing of internal mental states. Yapese frequently played games testing each other's abilities to keep their concentration and sense of restraint. Spectators at a Yapese dance who had forgotten themselves and had become enthralled by a particular dancer were singled out and reminded to chew their wad of betel (mu ko bu'), much to the delight of all present.
Neurophysiological effects of electrical anesthesia.

Abstract Biased rectangular currents (100/sec, 2.5 msec) were used to render rhesus monkeys unresponsive to peripheral stimuli. A neurophysiological evaluation of the anesthetic current was obtained by measuring sciatic evoked potentials at the medial lemniscus, posterolateral ventral thalamus, and postcentral gyrus. Evoked potentials at the frontal cortex with mesencephalic reticular stimulation were also obtained. At the anesthetic levels medial lemniscus responses were minimally affected, those at thalamus somewhat reduced, and cerebral cortex responses were markedly reduced or obliterated. Direct currents capable of producing unresponsiveness suppressed evoked potentials in the postcentral gyrus. However, the average current levels were four to five times larger than the composite biased rectangular currents. Limb movements from stimulation of chronically implanted electrodes on motor cortex were obliterated at the anesthetic levels, while those due to peduncle stimulation were affected to a lesser degree. Analysis and current density measurements suggest the anesthetic currents are capable of polarizing postsynaptic membranes.
Deciphering the Interplay between Two Independent Functions of the Small RNA Regulator SgrS in Salmonella

Bacterial dual-function small RNAs regulate gene expression by RNA-RNA base pairing and also code for small proteins. SgrS is a dual-function small RNA in Escherichia coli and Salmonella that is expressed under stress conditions associated with accumulation of sugar-phosphates, and its activity is crucial for growth during stress. The base-pairing function of SgrS regulates a number of mRNA targets, resulting in reduced uptake and enhanced efflux of sugars. SgrS also encodes the SgrT protein, which reduces sugar uptake by a mechanism that is independent of base pairing. While SgrS base-pairing activity has been characterized in detail, little is known about how base pairing and translation of sgrT are coordinated. In the current study, we utilized a series of mutants to determine how translation of sgrT affected the efficiency of base pairing-dependent regulation and vice versa. Mutations that abrogated sgrT translation had minimal effects on base-pairing activity. Conversely, mutations that impaired base-pairing interactions resulted in increased SgrT production. Furthermore, while ectopic overexpression of sgrS mutant alleles lacking only one of the two functions rescued cell growth under stress conditions, the SgrS base-pairing function alone was indispensable for growth rescue when alleles were expressed from the native locus. Collectively, the results suggest that during stress, repression of sugar transporter synthesis via base pairing with sugar transporter mRNAs is the first priority of SgrS. Subsequently, SgrT is made and acts on preexisting transporters. The combined action of these two functions produces an effective stress response.
Adenovirus immunoregulatory E3 proteins prolong transplants of human cells in immunocompetent mice

The majority of proteins encoded in the early 3 (E3) region of human subgroup C adenoviruses function to modulate the host immune response. For example, gp19K, one of these E3 proteins, prevents the major histocompatibility complex type I (MHC-I) from presenting viral antigens on the surface of the infected cell. Other E3 proteins, such as the RID and 14.7K proteins, counteract the effector phase of the cellular immune response. In order to study further the effects of these proteins, we constructed an E1-/E3- adenovirus vector, Ad/E3, that contains all the E3 genes with the exception of the cytolytic adp gene, inserted into the deleted E1 region. The transcription of the E3 genes in this vector is driven by a CMV promoter in place of the native E3 promoter. Ad/E3 expressed close to wild-type adenovirus levels of all E3 proteins, and these proteins appear to function normally in cell culture. For example, in Ad/E3-infected cells, surface expression of MHC-I was down-regulated, as was cell surface display of death receptors Fas and TRAIL Receptor 1. A human cell line of lung origin (A549), which was rapidly rejected after transplantation into C57BL/6 mice, was protected for an extended time from the host immune response after infection with an Ad/E3, and went through a number of divisions in immunocompetent mice. These latter results indicate that the E3 proteins protect cells from destruction by the immune system.