cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lead Concentrations in Relation to Multiple Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease: The Normative Aging Study

Background: Lead exposure has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in animal and human studies. However, the mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated. We therefore examined the relationship between lead and multiple biomarkers of CVD. Methods: Participants were older men from the Normative Aging Study without preexisting coronary heart disease, diabetes, or active infection at baseline (n = 426). Serum biomarkers included lipid profile [total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides] and inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 (TNF-R2)]. We measured lead in blood and in bone by K-shell X-ray fluorescence. In this sample, 194 men (44.3%) had two or more repeated measures, resulting in 636 observations for analysis. We conducted analyses using mixed effects models with random subject intercepts. Results: Lead levels were associated with several CVD biomarkers, including levels of TNF-R2 and lipid markers. Specifically, in multivariable models, a 50% increase in blood lead level was associated with 26% increased odds of high TNF-R2 levels (> 5.52 ng/mL; odds ratio = 1.26; 95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.45). There were positive associations of blood lead level with total cholesterol and HDL levels, and these associations were more evident when modeled as continuous outcomes than when categorized using clinically relevant cut points. In addition, longitudinal analyses indicated a significant increase in TNF-R2 levels over time to be associated with high blood lead level at the preceding visit. Conclusions: Blood lead level may be related with CVD in healthy older men through its association with TNF-R2 levels. In addition, the magnitude of the association of blood lead level with TNF-R2 level increased with age in the study population.
Determination of cation exchange capacity of ryegrass roots by summing exchangeable cations

Cations were desorbed from root exchange sites of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. cvs. Gulf, Marshall, Urbana, and Wilo) using BaCl2, BaCl2-triethanolamine, NH4OAc, and KCl. Results were analysed using multivariate analysis of variance. Ba2+-containing desorbents displaced more Ca2+ while monovalent desorbents displaced more exchangeable monovalent cations. The sum of adsorbed cations was significantly correlated with root exchange capacity (CEC) as determined by the H+ titration procedure, although slightly larger values were obtained with all desorbents. Lower CEC values were obtained for ryegrass cultivars less sensitive to Al.
Ultra-wide band technology experiments for real-time prevention of tower crane collisions

Abstract Equipment collisions on the jobsites are normally accompanied by significant damages, including fatalities, monetary losses, and delays. This paper presents a method for preventing equipment collision by helping equipment operators improve their situational awareness while operating equipment on site. Noting the need for real-time spatial data, the method incorporates ultra-wideband technology that has been selected through systematic evaluation as the technology that is best suited for the present study. Applying the collision-prevention approaches created in this study, a framework comprised of real-time data collection platform, a visualization module, and a decision module is created. Its technical feasibility for real-time monitoring of equipment operations and assessment of the possibility of collision is examined through lab experiments with a prototype system developed based on the framework. The results of this study prove that integrating precision tracking technology and real-time data analysis can produce tools that will enhance equipment safety.
A biosystematic study of Coreopsis saxicola (Compositae)

On the basis of morphological, hybridization, genetic, and field studies, it is proposed thatCoreopsis saxicola Alex. be reduced to varietal rank asC. grandiflora var. saxicola.
Calcium transport and the role of vitamin D

Abstract Calcium transport has been studied in duodenum from rats either vitamin D-deficient or after treatment with vitamin D. Calcium is actively transported against an electrochemical potential gradient by an energy-dependent, cation-oriented process which is markedly enhanced by vitamin D and which does not require phosphate. Initial velocities of calcium uptake by intestinal mucosa are markedly affected by vitamin D at all dosage levels. This process is saturable with calcium (2.0 m m ) and shows a requirement for oxygen. Intestinal mucosa from D-deficient rats behaves similarly, but demonstrates reduced rates of calcium uptake. The rate-limiting process in vitamin D deficiency appears to be the initial transfer of calcium across the brush border surface into the columnar epithelial cells.
The generalizability study as a method of assessing intra- and interobserver reliability in observational research

Most researchers use interobserver agreement percentages to express the quality of their observational data. A better method is the generalizability study, which allows the variance in a set of scores to be partitioned among several sources, such as observers, occasions, subjects, and error. In this paper the practical application of generalizability theory is described and illustrated, using the frequency and duration of two behaviors observed during the mother-infant interaction. This method allows the user to assess intra- and interobserver differences and to examine the relationship between these differences and subject characteristics.
Simply gauge theory

An Informal Introduction to Gauge Field Theories. By I.J.R. Aitchison. Cambridge University Press: 1982. Pp.171. £12.50, $22.50.
Assessment of corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase as a prognostic indicator in canine lymphoma.

Objectives: To examine the incidence of elevated corticosteroidinduced alkaline phosphatase (sALP) in dogs with lymphoma and to determine if sALP is a reliable prognostic indicator in canine lymphoma. Methods: The medical records of 62 canine lymphoma patients treated with a combination chemotherapy protocol from 1994 to 2003 at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital were examined. Variables assessed with respect to response rate and remission duration included age, bodyweight, sex, breed, World Health Organization stage (I to V), substage (a or b), pretreatment administration of corticosteroid, and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, sALP and alanine aminotransferase. Results: sALP was not statistically significant with respect to response rate or duration of remission, nor was preinduction glucocorticoid administration. Stage was significant with respect to achieving remission. Clinical Significance: It was found that sALP is not a useful prognostic indicator for response rate and remission duration in dogs with lymphoma.
Response of earthworms to light as measured by the GSR

Four groups of earthworms, Lumbricusterrestris, were prepared for recording with the GSR. Each group received four widely spaced trials of photic stimulation. Stimulation intensities ranged from 480 f.c. (No. 2 photo-flood) to 0 f.c. Results indicated gradual habituation of the GSR for all Ss. GSR changes to photic stimulation involved increases in resistance whose magnitudes were a joint function of intensity of stimulation and the number of trials. Magnitude of GSR responses varied positively with intensity and negatively with number of trials. Control Ss were tested to calibrate and verify the GSR recordings.
THE EFFECTS OF PANCREATECTOMY ON GLYCOSURIA AND KETOSIS IN DOGS MADE DIABETIC BY ALLOXAN1

FOLLOWING the experiments of Dunn, Sheehan, and McLetchie (1943,a) demonstrating that alloxan was capable of producing necrosis of the islets of Langerhans in rabbits, it became evident that this substance could be used for the production of permanent experimental diabetes in several species (Dunn, Sheehan, and McLetchie; 1943,b; Bailey and Bailey, 1943; Goldner and Gomori, 1943). Of particular interest was the work carried out on dogs (Goldner and Gomori, 1943), since the metabolic state which resulted from alloxan administration was found to be associated with a histological picture of selective necrosis of the beta cells without damage to the other components of the islet or acinar tissue. Moreover the hyperglycemia and hyper-lipemia in these dogs was considered by the authors to be even more severe than that usually seen in pancreatectomized animals, and, although the suggestion was made that this difference was the result of the drug's toxic action on the liver, it seems paradoxical that, in the abse...
Cluster specific heats in copper-rich Cu-Ni alloys: The effect of iron

The specific heats of three Cu-Ni and two Cu-Ni-Fe samples have been measured in the range 0.4–6 K at compositions in the range 20–43% Ni and ∼0–0.2% Fe. The results are described in terms of a Schottky function from which the number of levels and the cluster concentration are determined for each composition. Addition of iron to the 20%-Ni sample results in ∼1/2 cluster per Fe atom added. The specific heat increases in a magnetic field (known for one sample), which is compatible with the Schottky-like function description of the anomalous term in the specific heat, but is incompatible with the Einstein function description. Another possible interpretation of the observed specific heat anomalies is given in terms of an intercluster cooperative phenomenon.
Primary afferent hyperpolarization without postsynaptic potentiation

Abstract Tetanization of a cutaneous afferent pathway does not lead to potentiation of postsynaptic activity but it produces a decrease in excitability of the pathway's central terminals and an increase in the threshold of the dorsal root reflexes evoked in the same fibers by stimulation of adjacent pathways. These two phenomena are presumably indicative of hyperpolarization of the central terminals. Possible explanations for the lack of post-tetanic potentiation in the presence of presynaptic hyperpolarization are discussed.
Expression of the TIGR gene in the iris, ciliary body, and trabecular meshwork of the human eye.

Mutations in the the glaucoma gene GCL1A, also known as trabecular meshwork glucocorticoid response (TIGR) or myocilin (Myoc), have been shown to be associated with juvenile-onset primary open-angle glaucoma. Very little is known about the pattern of expression of the TIGR gene in human ocular tissues. In-situ hybridization experiments demonstrated the localization of TIGR mRNA in cells throughout the iris, ciliary muscle, and the filtering portion of the trabecular meshwork of normal eye donors. The expression of TIGR protein was investigated by Western blot using an epitope-directed antibody to the carboxy terminus region of TIGR. This antibody was able to distinguish a recombinant TIGR fusion protein from a truncated TIGR form containing the naturally occurring Gln 368 ?stop mutation. In tissue extracts from the iris, ciliary body, and trabecular meshwork, the antibody recognized a major protein band of 57-kDa molecular mass. Deglycosylation treatment with PNGase F, NANase II, and O-glycosidase indicat...
On control of stresses in silicon web growth

It has been observed that the residual stresses and dislocations during the silicon crystal growth for photovoltaic applications are caused by thermal stresses. The temperatures along the boundaries of the silicon crystal ribbon are prescribed to meet the requirements of the crystal growth. It is shown that by allowing the temperatures to satisfy a second-order partial differential equation in the ribbon, all thermal stresses, and others induced by them, may be eliminated for the stress-free growth of the silicon crystal.
Initial sensitivity and acute tolerance to ethanol in the P and NP lines of rats

We recently reported that selectively bred, alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats differ in sensitivity to a single sedative-hypnotic dose of ethanol, as measured by performance in the jump test. The present study examines the contributions of initial sensitivity and acute tolerance development to this difference. Initial sensitivity, assessed by brain alcohol content upon loss of the aerial righting reflex, was not significantly different between P and NP groups given 3 g ethanol/kg body weight intraperitoneally. Acute tolerance was indexed from blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) upon recovery of jumping performance following two successive ethanol doses. Practiced P and NP rats were required to jump 35 cm to a descending platform following the IP injection of 2.0 g ethanol/kg. The NP group took significantly longer (74 min) than the P (33 min) group whereupon BAC1 of NP rats (234 mg%) was significantly lower than that of P rats (250 mg%). A second injection (1.0 g/kg) was given immediately after the animals reached the 35 cm criterion. Again, NP rats took significantly longer (124 min) than P rats (52 min) to jump 35 cm and BAC2 of NP animals was lower (295 mg%) than that of P rats (343 mg%). The difference between BAC2 and BAC1, the measure of tolerance development, was significantly larger for P rats (90 mg%) than for NP rats (61 mg%). No significant differences in blood ethanol elimination were observed between the groups. The data indicate no difference in initial sensitivity between P and NP animals but that P rats develop acute tolerance more rapidly and/or to a greater degree than do NP rats. The results are consistent with a relationship in these selectively bred lines of rats between alcohol preference and the development of acute tolerance.
NAD(P) + redox compartmentation in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells.

Abstract 1. 1. Normoxia-anoxia transitions and use of glycolytic inhibitors and substrates have made possible a distinction between NAD(P)H redox changes in the mitochondrial and cytosolic compartments of ELD (Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid) ascites tumour cells. 2. 2. Fluorescence (F) and absorbance (A) of NAD(P)H have been measured simultaneously in whole-cell suspensions. The F A ratios calculated are higher for mitochondrial than cytosolic nicotinamide nucleotides. 3. 3. A difference has also been observed between the absorption maxima of NAD(P)H in the two compartments. Such maxima are at lower wavelengths for mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotides. 4. 4. These results show that a tool has been obtained for distinguishing different species of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotides within the intact cell by the relative quantum efficiency of the fluorescence and the peak position of the absorption spectra. Furthermore, indications of interactions between the cytosolic and mitochondrial pools of nicotinamide nucleotides in ELD ascites tumour cells are presented.
Modeling of dust impact on tokamak edge plasmas

Abstract The first self-consistent modeling of impact of dust on edge plasmas in tokamaks with the coupled dust–plasma transport code DUSTT/UEDGE is presented. The code validation for the modeling of lithium dust with radius ∼20 μm in the plasmas is performed using 3D reconstructed dust trajectories measured during lithium dust injection experiments on NSTX. The modeling demonstrates that the dust injection with rates of several of tens mg/s can have profound effect on the edge plasma profiles, transport, and stability. The differences between the dust injection and the injection of equivalent amounts of gaseous impurities in the plasmas are discussed.
Separation of Proteins Using Aqueous Two-Phase Systems in Eccentric Multi-Layer Coil Planet Centrifuge

Abstract The performance of the eccentric coil planet centrifuges for separating proteins has been tested using polyethylene glycol (PEG)/potassium phosphate/water two-phase systems. The dependency of the separation efficiency on the flow rate of mobile phase and the rotational speed of centrifuge has been studied in the present investigation. The-resolution of peaks is decreased with the increase of flow rate of mobile phase and is increased up to a maximum with rhe increase of rotational speed. The results of this study demonstrate that the eccentric coil planet centrifuge is useful for separation of proteins with aqueous two-phase systems.
On the effect of Lüders bands on the bending of steel tubes. Part II: Analysis

Abstract Part II of this study presents a modeling framework that is shown to successfully simulate all aspects of the inhomogeneous bending of tubes associated with Luders banding reported in Part I. The structure is discretized with solid finite elements using a mesh that is fine enough for Luders bands to develop and evolve. The material is modeled as a finitely deforming, J 2 type, elastic–plastic solid with an “up–down–up” response over the extent of the Luders strain, followed by hardening. Regularization of the solution was accomplished by introducing a mild rate dependence of the material. Simulation of the rotation controlled bending experiments confirmed most of the experimental observations and revealed additional details of the localization. Thus, the initial uniform-curvature elastic regime terminates with the nucleation of localized banded deformation on the tensioned and compressed sides of the tube. The bands appear in pockets that propagate into the hitherto intact part of the structure while the moment remains essentially unchanged. The tube develops two curvature regimes; a relatively high curvature in the Luders deformed section and a low curvature in the unaffected one. Simultaneously, the plasticized zone develops higher ovalization and wrinkles with a wavelength that corresponds to the periodicity of the banded pockets. For tubes with lower D / t and/or shorter Luders strain the higher curvature eventually spreads to the whole structure at which point homogenous bending resumes. For tubes with higher D / t and/or longer Luders strain the localized curvature, ovalization, and wrinkle amplitude are larger and cannot be sustained; the tube collapses prematurely leaving behind part of its length essentially undeformed. For every tube D / t there exists a threshold of Luders strain separating the two types of behavior. This bounding value of Luders strain was studied parametrically.
The Influence of Acculturation and Enculturation on Mexican American High School Students' Decision to Apply to College.

This study examined the influence of acculturation, enculturation, parental education level, financial concerns, and gender on 106 Mexican American high school students' decisions to apply to college. Results indicated that acculturation and female gender were significant predictors. Implications for interventions with Latino high school students are discussed. Este estudio examino la influencia de la aculturacion, la enculturacion, el nivel de educacion de los padres, las preocupaciones financieras y el sexo del sujeto sobre la decision de 106 estudiantes de secundaria mejicanos-americanos de solicitar acceso a estudios universitarios. Los resultados indicaron que la aculturacion y el sexo femenino mostraron una capacidad de predicion significativa. Se discuten las implicaciones para intervenciones con estudiantes de secundaria latinos.
The Black Jacobins : Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution

The property the owners parliament and property the San Domingo masses begin and the Paris masses complete the rise of Toussaint the Mulattoes try and fail the white slave-owners again the expulsion of the British Toussaint seizes the power the black consul the bourgeoisie prepares to restore slavery the War of Independence.
Progression to diabetes in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice with transgenic T cell receptors

The T cell receptor (TCR) requirements in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes were examined with transgenic NOD mice bearing nondisease-related TCR alpha and beta chains. In both TCR beta and TCR alpha beta transgenic NOD mice the beta chain transgene was expressed by > 98% of peripheral T cells. The alpha chain transgene was also highly expressed. Insulitis developed in both sets of transgenic animals with most of the lymphocytes in the lesion expressing the transgenic beta chain and with depletion of the endogenous TCR V beta genes. Nonetheless, NOD animals transgenic for TCR beta and TCR alpha beta developed diabetes similar to controls. Thus, skewing the TCR repertoire did not diminish autoimmune susceptibility in NOD mice.
Characterization of the exon structure of the polycystic kidney disease 2 gene (PKD2)

PKD2, the gene defective in the second form of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), has been identified by positional cloning and found to encode an integral membrane protein with similarity to the gene for the more common form of ADPKD and to calcium channels. We have determined the exon-intron structure of the PKD2 gene. PKD2 is encoded in at least 15 exons with the translation start site in exon 1. All the splice acceptor and donor sites conform to the AG/GT rule. We have designed a series of intronic oligonucleotide primers for amplifying the entire coding sequence from genomic DNA in segments well suited to mutation analysis using conventional screening strategies such as SSCA or heteroduplex analysis.
Electrochemical deposition of novel materials and structures

Abstract Recent advances in electrochemical processing have resulted in the fabrication of a wide range of novel materials and structures. Techniques have been developed for the deposition of semiconductors, superconducting oxides, conducting polymers, and a number of composite structures. Future developments are expected to have impact in applicationssuch as energy conversion and electronic materials.
Biochemical adaptations in the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) during long-term food and water deprivation.

Abstract 1. 1. Glucose and ketone body metabolism was studied in prairie dogs, which can withstand periods of food and water deprivation at near normal body temperatures without apparent utilization of body protein. 2. 2. Plasma glucose concentrations decreased by 18% (from 8.39 to 6.83 mM) when animals were deprived of food and water for 14 days during winter, and 27% (from 7.89 to 5.78 mM) after similar treatment in summer. 3. 3. Glucose utilization rates decreased by 33% (from 41.0 to 27.5 μmol/min/kg) during winter food and water deprivation, but changed little in summer animals (from 26.0 to 21.1 μmol/min/kg). 4. 4. Glucose carbon recycling was 30–31% in winter animals, but essentially zero in summer animals and did not change due to food and water deprivation. 5. 5. Analysis of the fatty acid composition of prairie dog adipose tissue showed no evidence of odd-number carbon fatty acids, a potential source of glucose carbon. No change in adrenal weights were noted. 6. 6. Ketone body concentrations increased 16-fold (from 0.039 to 0.641 mM) after food and water deprivation in the winter, while utilization rates increased 12-fold (from 0.42 to 4.88 μmol/min/100g). 7. 7. These results are discussed in relation to the ability of the prairie dog to adapt to long-term food and water deprivation.
Stimulation of bone resorption by various prostaglandins in organ culture

The ability of E, F, A and B prostaglandins to stimulate bone resorption was demonstrated in organ culture. All of the compounds tested were able to increase the release of previously incorporated 45Ca from fetal rat bone by 60 to 135 per cent at maximally effective doses, but prostaglandins of the E series were 10- to 100- fold more potent than F, A or B prostaglandins. Compounds with two double bonds in the side chain were usually more potent than those with one double bond. PGE2 stimulation of bone resorption increased linearly with the logarithm of the medium concentration over the range of 10(-9)M to 10(-5)M, then decreased at higher concentrations. PGE2 stimulated bone resorption more slowly than did parathyroid hormone but caused complete resorption after six days in the culture system. Equilibrium dialysis studies showed no significant binding of F, and 16-34% binding of E and A prostaglandins to bovine serum albumin, which was present in the medium at 1 mg/ml. These differences in albumin binding could not account for differences in potency.
Comparison of DFP-hydrolyzing enzyme purified from head ganglion and hepatopancreas of squid (Loligo pealei) by means of isoelectric focusing.

Abstract 1. A DFPase has been purified several thousand-fold from the head ganglion and from the hepatopancreas of squid by a combination of ammonium sulfate precepitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, gel filtration, and isoelectric focusing. 2. The DFPase from head ganglion is identical with that from hepatopancreas, and is either not found in other species outside the class Cephalopoda , or found in only very small quantities, or is a different kind of enzyme. Although previous evidence suggested a relationship between the squid-type DFPase and the presence of isethionate, the major anion of the squid nerve, the absence of isethionate from squid hepatopancreas now suggests that such a relationship either does not exist, or is, at most, indirect.
Laser Photolytic Fragmentation-Fluorescence Spectrometry of Ammonia and Aliphatic Amines

Ammonia and eight aliphatic amines (ranging in alkyl chain length from C1 to C16) are photolyzed at 193 nm, producing fluorescent molecular fragments (NH from ammonia; CN, CH, and NH from the amines). Fluorescence from NH is used to quantify ammonia; CN fluorescence is used to quantify the amines. Limits of detection in the 10-50 pmol regime, precision of ~6% RSD, and linear dynamic ranges of 1-3 decades in, quantity of parent compound are observed. A small but discernible "large molecule effect" exists; as the size of the alkyl chain in RNH2 increases, the limit of detection increases, and the dependence of the fragment fluorescence signal on photolysis laser fluence also increases. Attempts to enhance fragment fluorescence intensities via "probe-laser" excitation of ground-state fragments were unsuccessful; it is inferred that, at the photolysis fluences employed (~2 × 1018 photons/cm2), few ground-state fragments are formed.
Bevacizumab-based treatment in colorectal cancer with a NRAS Q61K mutation

Despite development of new therapies, metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) largely remains an incurable disease. Approximately 2–6 % of colorectal cancers harbor NRAS mutations. The anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab is a backbone of most therapeutic regimens; however, biomarkers predicting its activity are not known. We report two cases of mCRC with a Q61K NRAS mutation that had a favorable response to bevacizumab and the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid. In contrast, none of ten patients with wild-type NRAS or unknown NRAS status and mutated KRAS (NRAS and KRAS mutations are mutually exclusive) responded to the same regimen. These results suggest that NRAS mutation merits further investigation as a potential biomarker predicting the efficacy of bevacizumab-based treatment.
Effect of Alcoholic Intoxication and Ether Anesthesia on Resistance to Pneumococcal Infection

ConclusionsAlcoholic intoxication maintained at the point of stupor destroys resistance to pneumococcal infection in the rabbit. Even in animals rendered highly immune by the intravenous injection of antipneumococcal serum, intoxication deprives them of their immunity. The loss of resistance to the infection is due to the fact that intoxication profoundly inhibits the vascular inflammatory response as long as intoxication is maintained. Leucocytic emigration at the site of infection is negligible and the bacteria, therefore, proliferate uninterruptedly. Similar experiments show that etheranesthesia has as marked an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory response as has alcoholic intoxication, and produces as marked a loss of resistance to infection.
Proprioception of the Ankle and Knee

Proprioception and accompanying neuromuscular feedback mechanisms provide an important component for the establishment and maintenance of functional joint stability. Neuromuscular control and joint stabilisation is mediated primarily by the central nervous system. Multisite sensory input, originating from the somatosensory, visual and vestibular systems, is received and processed by the brain and spinal cord. The culmination of gathered and processed information results in conscious awareness of joint position and motion, unconscious joint stabilisation through protective spinal-mediated reflexes and the maintenance of posture and balance. Clinical research aimed at determining the effects of articular musculoskeletal injury, surgery and rehabilitation, on joint proprioception, neuromuscular control and balance has focused on the knee and ankle joints. Such studies have demonstrated alterations in proprioception subsequent to capsuloligamentous injury, partial restoration of proprioceptive acuity following ligamentous reconstruction, and have suggested beneficial proprioceptive changes resulting from comprehensive rehabilitation programmes.
Endogenous opioids mediate the nocturnal prolactin surge in the pregnant rat

Endogenous opioids stimulate PRL release in the rat during proestrus, stress, and lactation. This study investigated the potential role of opioids in regulating the daily nocturnal PRL surges that occur during the first half of pregnancy. On day 8 of pregnancy, infusion of naloxone (NAL; 0.25, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/10 min), an opioid receptor antagonist, from 0100-0400 h blocked the nocturnal surge in a dose-dependent manner. PRL remained at basal levels throughout the infusion when the highest dose of NAL was used. A PRL surge was still present in this group, but its delayed onset occurred 1 h after termination of the NAL infusion. In another experiment NAL was used to determine whether opioids are needed to maintain the nocturnal surge or only to initiate the surge. On day 8 of pregnancy, infusion of NAL (2.0 mg/10 min) was started at 0300 h, after initiation of the surge had occurred, and was continued until 0600 h. After 1 h of infusion, PRL levels were less than 20 ng/ml, compared to more than 200 ng/ml in controls (P less than 0.002) and remained low. A PRL surge occurred approximately 2-3 h after the infusion was discontinued, at a time when the surge was completed in controls (P less than 0.01). Experimental animals did not differ in their surges relative to controls on the next day when no infusion was given. Another set of experiments was performed to determine whether blockade of endogenous opioids inhibited the nocturnal PRL surge by stimulating tuberoinfundibular dopamine (TIDA) neurons. Day 8 pregnant rats infused with NAL (2.0 mg/10 min) from 0100-0400 h demonstrated no nocturnal PRL surge. Subsequently, the medial basal hypothalamus in NAL-treated animals and saline controls was incubated in vitro with the DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor brocresine (100 microM). The greater amount of resultant DOPA accumulation in the stalk median eminence of NAL-treated animals reflected increased TIDA neuronal activity compared to that in SAL-infused controls. Similar results were obtained when rats were treated in vivo with the DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor NSD 1015 (25 mg/kg BW) just before termination of the NAL infusion. Based on these results, we conclude that endogenous opioid peptides are essential in initiating and maintaining nocturnal PRL surges in pregnant rats. Moreover, opioids appear to exert their effects by decreasing TIDA neuronal activity.
The effects of calcitonin, parathyroid hormone and prostaglandin E2 on cyclic AMP levels of isolated osteoclasts.

Abstract 1. 1. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels were measured in both isolated and attached osteoclasts. 2. 2. The level of cAMP was 0.1 pmol/105 osteoclasts. 3. 3. No change in cAMP level of osteoclasts could be detected following calcitonin treatment. 4. 4. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) treatment stimulated cAMP production in proportion to alkaline phosphatase levels and divergent to acid phosphatase levels. This indicates that osteoblasts, not osteoclasts, were responsive to PTH and PGE2.
Two‐dimensional plasma‐electron temperature measurements

A system to measure the two‐dimensional cold‐electron temperature profile in a magnetic confinement laboratory plasma is described. Using a digital storage CCD camera, image intensifier, and optical transmission filters, a two‐dimensional helium‐line emission‐ratio measurement shows plasma features which are not possible to resolve using only a single detector or an array of detectors. The system is especially useful for nonaxisymmetric magnetic geometries, where the three‐dimensional equilibria make interpretation of more standard measurements difficult. Other two‐dimensional plasma‐profile measurements including density and ionization source measurements are also possible using the system.
A framework for designing policies for networked systems with uncertainty

This paper presents a framework to design policies for networked systems. The framework integrates model building, stability analysis of dynamic systems, surrogate model generation and optimization under uncertainty. We illustrate the framework using a transportation network benchmark problem. We consider bounded rational users and model the network using software agents. We use Largest Lyapunov exponents to characterize stability and use Gaussian process model as an inexpensive surrogate, facilitating computational efficiency in policy optimization under uncertainty. We demonstrate scalability by solving a traffic grid policy design problem and show how the framework lends itself towards carrying out stability versus performance tradeoffs.
Liquid-mediated adhesion at the thin film magnetic disk/slider interface

The adhesive force between magnetic-recording heads and thin film disks in a direction normal to the interface has been measured for a variety of loads, contact times, separation rates, and relative humidities with and without a layer of perfluoropolyether lubricant at the interface. At low humidities, the adhesive force due to the lubricant film alone is small for the lubricant thickness and disk surface roughness used. We find that the major component of the adhesive force between the slider and the disk in humid environments may be attributed to an adsorbed water film which can displace the lubricant (if the disk is lubricated) at sufficiently high loads, during tangential sliding, or after extended exposure to high concentrations of water vapor and create menisci around individual asperity contacts. The adhesive force was found to increase with contact duration on the unlubricated disk, but was essentially independent of contact duration on the lubricated disk. For both lubricated and unlubricated disks, the adhesive force increased with increasing relative humidity and loading rate, but was independent of applied normal load.
Infrared Optical Constants for Carvone from the Mie Inversion of Aerosol Extinction Spectra

Frequency-dependent, complex refractive indices for carvone in the mid-infrared from 750 to 5000 cm-1 have been inverted from the Fourier transform extinction spectra of laboratory-generated aerosols recorded at room temperature. The refractive indices obtained in this analysis are in good qualitative agreement with the results of a previous thin-film study of carvone. However, a full quantitative assessment of this agreement cannot be made as tabulated data for the previous study are no longer available. The refractive indices, or optical constants, reported here add to the small number of frequency-dependent refractive index data sets for other organic compounds that are available in the literature. Such data can be used to elucidate the optical properties of a substance, which are of critical importance in the interpretation of remote sensing data and in the evaluation of how atmospheric particulate matter consisting of organic compounds may affect climate change.
Theta oscillations decrease spike synchrony in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex

Oscillations and synchrony are often used synonymously. However, oscillatory mechanisms involving both excitation and inhibition can generate non-synchronous yet coordinated firing patterns. Using simultaneous recordings from multiple layers of the entorhinal–hippocampal loop, we found that coactivation of principal cell pairs (synchrony) was lowest during exploration and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, associated with theta oscillations, and highest in slow wave sleep. Individual principal neurons had a wide range of theta phase preference. Thus, while theta oscillations reduce population synchrony, they nevertheless coordinate the phase (temporal) distribution of neurons. As a result, multiple cell assemblies can nest within the period of the theta cycle.
Second harmonic generation signal from deep shade moisture plants USING the two-photon laser scanning microscope

Simultaneously measurements of the second harmonic generation (SHG) signals in the forward and backward directions from deep shade plants were achieved. These measurements show that the deep shade plants produce high SHG signal in both directions and the SHG signals strongly depend on the state of the polarization of the laser light and the orientation of the dipole moment in the molecules that interact with the laser light. The novelty of this work is using the new multi-functional technique which recently I established by combing three platforms of laser scanning microscopy; the fluorescence microscopy, harmonic generation microscopy and polarizing microscopy for detecting for the first time the SHG signals from deep shade plants. In this multi-functional technique one can use the SH imaging to investigate the true architecture without photo-damage or photo-belching by utilizing the fact that the SHG is known to leave no energy deposition to the interacted matters due to their virtual energy conservation characteristic..
Adaptive independent joint control of manipulators: theory and experiment

The author presents a simple decentralized adaptive control scheme for multijoint robot manipulators based on the independent joint control concept. The proposed control scheme for each joint consists of a PID (proportional integral and differential) feedback controller and a position-velocity-acceleration feedforward controller, both with adjustable gains. The static and dynamic couplings that exist between the joint motions are compensated by the adaptive independent joint controllers while ensuring trajectory tracking. The proposed scheme is implemented on a MicroVAX II computer for motion control of the first three joints of a PUMA 560 arm. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the trajectory tracking is achieved despite strongly coupled, highly nonlinear joint dynamics. The control scheme presented is computationally very fast and is amenable to parallel processing implementation within a distributed computing architecture, where each joint is controlled independently by a simple algorithm on a dedicated microprocessor. >
Whiteness: Theorizing Race, Eliding Ethnicity

Arnesen too quickly dismisses recent whiteness scholarship without first taking stock of the ways in which this work has transformed the research agenda in labor history and beyond. Whiteness scholars have made three important contributions: theorizing class as identification, historicizing race, and centering the nation. After briefly elaborating on each of these contributions, I argue that this body of new research has been limited both by its inattention to the specificity of ethnic identification and by its acceptance of the standard assimilation narratives of American immigration history. Addressing these limitations points the way to some fruitful lines of new research.
Using Controversial Mock Trials in "Psychology and Law" Courses: Suggestions from Participants.

We discuss the use of a mock trial of the controversial Jack Kevorkian euthanasia case in an undergraduate psychology and law course. We provide an overview of the project, student feedback, and recommendations for improving the exercise. Based on feedback from students, we conclude that constructing a trial around a controversial topic with psychosocial issues as the foundation of a course can increase the utility of a mock trial and make the course a better learning experience.
Rethinking clinical practice: clinical implementation of exome sequencing

Exome sequencing With the advent of next-generation sequencers and implementation [1] of capture technology [2], performing whole-exome sequencing has become routine, reliable and cost effective with assessment of approximately 95% of known proteincoding bases as well as splice sites. Since the first demonstration of successful identification of the disease-causing gene for Freeman–Sheldon syndrome by exome sequencing [3], many dozens of novel gene discoveries for rare Mendelian disorders have been empowered by it. Although improvements in both capture and sequencing technology as well as bioinformatics for variant calling are still highly valuable, we are comfortable about adapting this new technology to the clinical setting. There are already multiple groups offering clinical exome sequencing (CES) as a physician-ordered genetic test, and it is easily foreseeable that many additional groups will implement this powerful technology in the next few years. The College of American Pathologists has recently published a checklist specific to next-generation sequencing for clinical laboratory accreditation [101].
Platelet function defect in a thoroughbred filly.

A2-year-old Thoroughbred filly presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) at the University of California, Davis, for evaluation of a bleeding disorder. The bleeding tendency was 1st noted 3 weeks before presentation on the morning after the horse was pin fired. Prolonged bleeding was noted after intramuscular injection of procaine penicillin G, and the trainer noted blood from the horse's right nostril 2 days before presentation. The filly had been seen by a referral practice, which found a prolonged prothrombin time but no other problems. The horse received an injection of vitamin K intravenously the day before presentation. The current owners purchased the horse ˜1 year before the initial bleeding episode, during which time she had not injured herself or had any intramuscular injections. The filly had received 1 dose PO of a dexamethasone (5 mg) and trichlormethiazide (200 mg) combinationa and 1 or 2 doses of phenylbutazone (unknown amount) but had not received aspirin. The exact dates of administration of these drugs were not known, but they were not within the week before presentation. She had never bled from venipuncture sites
Effect of Transient Creep on the Collapse Time of Cylinders and Cones under External Pressure

Abstract : Previous attempts to compute the collapse time for cylinders under external pressure at elevated temperatures had used the assumption of steady state creep. In many cases the computed collapse times were larger than those indicated by tests. In this work similar computations were made of the collapse time but including the effect of the transient creep which precedes the onset of the steady state. The inclusion of the transient creep had the effect of reducing the time to col lapse in many cases. Comparison of the predicted times with published experimental times for cyl inders and cones under various conditions showed that the probable error in prediction was reduced in all cases by the inclusion of transient creep. The most accurate predictions were obtained for the cylinders with fixed ends, for which the collapse time could be determined with a probable error of 28%. (Author)
Image-Based Structural Modeling of the Cardiac Purkinje Network

The Purkinje network is a specialized conduction system within the heart that ensures the proper activation of the ventricles to produce effective contraction. Its role during ventricular arrhythmias is less clear, but some experimental studies have suggested that the Purkinje network may significantly affect the genesis and maintenance of ventricular arrhythmias. Despite its importance, few structural models of the Purkinje network have been developed, primarily because current physical limitations prevent examination of the intact Purkinje network. In previous modeling efforts Purkinje-like structures have been developed through either automated or hand-drawn procedures, but these networks have been created according to general principles rather than based on real networks. To allow for greater realism in Purkinje structural models, we present a method for creating three-dimensional Purkinje networks based directly on imaging data. Our approach uses Purkinje network structures extracted from photographs of dissected ventricles and projects these flat networks onto realistic endocardial surfaces. Using this method, we create models for the combined ventricle-Purkinje system that can fully activate the ventricles through a stimulus delivered to the Purkinje network and can produce simulated activation sequences that match experimental observations. The combined models have the potential to help elucidate Purkinje network contributions during ventricular arrhythmias.
Transient electromagnetic responses of surficial, polarizable patches

Abnormal decay curves that are depressed or change sign often are observed in coincident-loop and central-loop transient electromagnetic (TEM) measurements, particularly in areas of conductive overburden. With the publication of papers by Smith and West (1989a, b) and Flis et al. (1989), the phenomenon, which is due to induced polarization (IP) in near-surface, weakly polarizable material such as clay, is well understood.
Self-interest and attitudes about legislation controlling alcohol

A stratified random sample of 505 adult Indiana residents living in households with telephones was surveyed using random-digit dialing to assess their attitudes about nine specific legislative proposals to control drunk driving or underage drinking and to assess the effects of self-interest on those attitudes. A two-stage Mitofsky-Waksberg design was used in the computer-assisted telephone-interview process. There was widespread support for all nine proposals, but self-interest, related to personal vulnerability for enforcement of those measures, reduced the support of regular drinkers for drunk-driving controls compared with nondrinkers' support. Parents of children aged 18 and younger were less likely than nonparents to support imposing parental liability for the consequences of children's underage drinking.
Broadband optical chirality using Ultrathin metasurface

A metasurface layer of λ/50 thickness is developed to produce the optical rotation effect of chiral media through the use of a plasmonic nano-antenna array that generates a phase-shift between helical components of incident light.
Competencies for Professionals in Learning Disabilities

A major role of any professional organization is to establish standards by which professionals and practices in the field can be evaluated. DCLD has taken a major step in this direction by developing a set of competencies for teachers of learning disabled children and youth. This article presents the rationale behind the development of these competencies as well as potential uses of the competency statements. The development of this set of competency statements underscores the Division's commitment to upgrading current practices. Readers are strongly encouraged to provide feedback to Dr. Newcomer's Committee on the scope, format, and content of the competency statements. Meaningful standards can best be derived from these statements through a broad base of input from professionals in the field. - D.D.D.