cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION THRESHOLDS FOR CORNEAL INJURY IN ANTARCTIC AND TEMPERATE-ZONE ANIMALS.

Abstract The threshold for corneal damage was determined for a series of antarctic and temperate-zone animals. 1. 1. Keratitis was produced in all animals tested. 2. 2. Susbtantial differences in tolerance levels were found. The thresholds ranged from about 0·3 × 106 to 0·6 × 106 ergs/cm2 except for the California ground squirrel, which had a higher threshold of 1·5 · 106 ergs/cm2. 3. 3. The domesticated birds were more sensitive than the antacrtic birds, indicating that adaptation of the cornea to u.v. radiation may be important as protection against snow blindness. 4. 4. Transmission spectra of the cornea showed that the cornea absorbed most of the damaging short wave length u.v. radiation, and that absorption was complete above wave lengths which have the most damaging effect, i.e. near 290 mμ.
Benchmarking and quality in residential and nursing homes: lessons from the US

SUMMARY Background Performance measurement and benchmarking are common concerns in the delivery of long term care. It is common to measure the performance of providers and to publicly report these data. This paper examines selected technical challenges facing those who design, implement and disseminate health care quality performance measures. Method Review of the application of measures of performance in the US nursing home sector. Results Using examples drawn from the skilled nursing home arena, problems ranging from data reliability and validity, the multi-dimensional nature of quality measures and selection bias as well as differential measurement abilities are discussed. Conclusions Benchmarking of performance is an inherently complex issue. However, to ensure that such comparisons are both fair and valid requires measures to be more technically sophisticated and sensitive to real changes attributable to changes in care. Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adult Wilms' Tumor: Role of Combined Modality Treatment

Adults Wilms' tumor, unlike its pediatric counterpart, is extremely rare and highly lethal. Less than 200 cases have been reported in the world literature and a large proportion of these may not have been true Wilrns' tumors. We report 3 cases seen at our institution who were treated with a multimodality approach, all three remaining alive without evidence of active disease at 6 years, 2.25 years and 8 months respectively from diagnosis. We also review results of multimodality management, emphasizing the poor outcome for stage III and IV tumors in spite of multiagent chemotherapy. Alternative drugs, such as cisplatinum may have a role in management. Finally, we propose that prophylactlc pulmonary irradiation may have a place in advanced stages of adult Wilms' tumor.
Inequitable Dispersion: Mapping the Distribution of Highly Qualified Teachers in St. Louis Metropolitan Elementary Schools.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 required all schools, including those located in historically disadvantaged areas, to employ highly qualified teachers. Schools in areas with higher levels of poverty and students of color have historically employed a higher percentage of less qualified teachers (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vidgor, 2005, 2006; Hill & Lubienski, 2007; Lankford, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2002). This study examines the distribution, location, and exceptions to highly qualified teachers in St. Louis metropolitan elementary schools. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this study demonstrates how the distribution of highly qualified teachers remains relevant to urban education policy discussions.
Segregation and short-range order properties at the boundaries of two-dimensional bimetallic clusters

Abstract A previous theory of concentration and short-range order properties of segregating alloys at the surface is extended to study bimetallic two-dimensional clusters and their boundaries. It is found that the reduced coordination number in the clusters leads to (a) a lowering of the phase separation temperature by large factors (∼2 to 4) and (b) a drastic enrichment of the cluster boundary in one of the species. Applications to Au-Ni and Cu-Ni bimetallic clusters are presented.
Passive Transfer of Tuberculin Reactivity in Vitro

A factor capable of effecting passive transfer in vivo of delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin to recipients that are tuberculin negative was isolated from the dialyzate of disrupted leukocytes of tuberculin-positive individuals. After this factor was incubated with cultures of peripheral leukocytes from tuberculin-negative individuals, the addition of purified protein derivative of tubercle bacilli resulted in leukocyte stimulation similar to that observed after addition of purified protein derivative to leukocytes from tuberculin-positive individuals.
Diffusion in a periodic potential with a local perturbation

We consider the diffusion of a particle at Xt in a drift field derived from a smooth potential of the formV+B, whereV is periodic andB is a bump of compact support. With no bump,B=0, the mean squared displacementE(t) ≡E |X t − X0|2 =D(V)t +C +O(e −λt ),λ>0, in any dimension. WhenB≠0, we establish in one dimension the asymptotic expansion $$E(t) = D(V)t + \alpha \sqrt t + C + (1/\sqrt t )\sum _{n = 0}^\infty \alpha _n /t^n $$ , α≠0, ast→∞. Our analysis relies on the Nash estimates developed in previous work for the transition density of the process and their consequences for the analytic structure,of the Laplace transform $$\tilde E(s)$$ ofE(t).
Understanding the limiting factors of page migration in hybrid main memory

Combining DRAM and non-volatile memory (NVM) has been proposed to increase capacity and reliability, and to decrease energy consumption. Software-managed hybrid memory is a promising way to incorporate NVM in main memory due to its architectural simplicity. However, there are significant performance issues caused by interference in the memory system due to data migration between DRAM and NVM and a lack of effective migration policies.We propose new analysis and simulation techniques to understand the behavior of software-managed hybrid memory. These techniques allow us to characterize the overhead experienced by requests in the memory hierarchy and identify the factors that limit performance in software-managed hybrid memory. We show that queuing delays at the NVM banks and NVM bus are the main limiting factors.
Nuclear spin-orientation dependence of magnetoconductance: a new method for measuring the spin of charged excitations in the quantum Hall effect

A new method for measuring the spin of the electrically charged ground-state excitations in the quantum Hall effect is proposed and demonstrated for the first time for GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum wells. The method is based on the nuclear spin-orientation dependence of the two-dimensional direct-current conductivity in the quantum Hall regime due to the nuclear hyperfine interaction. We use this method to determine the spin of the electrically charged excitations of the ground state at filling factor = 1.
Use of a novel erbium laser in a Yucatan minipig: a study of residual thermal damage, ablation, and wound healing as a function of pulse duration.

Background and Objective Theoretical models show that varying pulse duration influences residual thermal damage in erbium YAG skin resurfacing. Accordingly, our objective was to compare residual thermal damage, ablation, tissue shrinkage, and wound healing between a variable pulsewidth erbium YAG laser and a popular CO2 resurfacing laser. Study Design/Materials and Methods The erbium laser delivered a typical ablative pulse (250 microseconds), followed by a heating pulse of variable duration. Pulse durations for specific coagulation depths were selected based on existing heat transfer models. The bilateral flanks of one Yucatan pig were irradiated. Eight sites were treated per group. Biopsies were performed just after treatment and 1, 3, 7, 21, and 60 days postoperatively. Results Just after irradiation, gross examination of “cold” (without a coagulation pulse) erbium sites showed a reddish papillary dermis consistent with conventional erbium laser ablation. Two and three pass CO2 sites showed uniform surface yellowing. The longer pulsewidth (“hot”) erbium groups showed only slight surface yellowing. Biopsies showed immediate thermal damage that increased with erbium pulse duration; however, actual residual thermal damage (RTD) was sometimes less than that predicted by the laser control panel. All wounds healed uneventfully by 14 days. Conclusions An erbium laser with a variable macropulse pulsewidth was capable of achieving RTD of up to 80 μm. Even greater RTD depths may be obtainable with future manipulations of fluence and pulse duration. Lasers Surg. Med. 30:93–100, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Global genetic diversity and evolution of var genes associated with placental and severe childhood malaria.

In Plasmodium falciparum, var genes encode adhesive proteins that are transported to the surface of infected erythrocytes and act as major virulence determinants for infected erythrocyte binding and immune evasion. Var genes are highly diverse and can be classified into five major groups (UpsA, B, C, D, and E). Previous serological studies have suggested that the UpsA var group may contain common antigenic types that have important roles in severe childhood malaria. Here, our analysis found that UpsA vars are highly diverse between 22 world-wide parasite isolates, although they could be grouped into two broad clusters that may be separately recombining. By comparison, orthologs of the UpsA-linked Type 3 var and UpsE-linked var2csa were detected in nearly all parasite isolates, and a var2csa ortholog was also present in a chimpanzee malaria P. reichenowi that diverged from P. falciparum ∼5–7 million years ago. Although the specific function of Type 3 var genes is unknown, var2csa is a leading candidate for a pregnancy associated malaria vaccine. Compared to typical var genes, var2csa is unusually conserved but still had only 54–94% amino acid identity in extracellular binding regions. However, var2csa alleles have extensive gene mosaicism within polymorphic blocks that are shared between world-wide parasite isolates and recognizable in P. rechenowi suggesting a high rate of self–self recombination and an ancient and globally-related pool of var2csa polymorphism. These studies aid our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms that shape var diversity and will be important to the development of vaccines against pregnancy associated malaria and severe malaria.
Perceived control, causality, expectations and help-seeking behaviour

Abstract Undergraduates recruited from an introductory psychology course who were currently not seeking professional help (n=81) were compared with a comparable sample seeking professional help at a university psychological services centre (n=53). Participants answered an assessment instrument with reference to the problem currently upsetting them most. As hypothesized, those students seeking help tended to internalize causality, report lower levels of perceived control over their problems, and consider themselves more likely to expend time and energy in resolving their problem. Contrary to expectations, the groups did not differ in optimism about problem resolution. Results from an exploratory analysis of perceptions about the nature of professional and non-professional help are also reported. The findings, consistent with previous research, underscore the importance of differentiating the constructs of locus of control, causal attributions, and perceived control in studying mediators of help-seeking beh...
Early BDNF Treatment Ameliorates Cell Loss in the Entorhinal Cortex of APP Transgenic Mice

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) improves molecular, cellular, and behavioral measures of neural dysfunction in genetic models of Alzheimer9s disease (Blurton-Jones et al., 2009; Nagahara et al., 2009). However, BDNF treatment after disease onset has not been reported to improve neuronal survival in these models. We now report prevention of neuronal loss with early life BDNF treatment in mutant mice expressing two amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutations associated with early-onset familial Alzheimer9s disease. APP transgenic mice underwent lentiviral BDNF gene delivery into the entorhinal cortices at age 2 months and were examined 5 months later. BDNF-treated mice exhibited significant improvements in hippocampal-dependent contextual fear conditioning compared with control-treated APP mice ( p p p p
Neurodevelopmental outcome at 3.5 years of age in children treated with extracorporeal life support: relationship to primary diagnosis.

Abstract Objective: Recent studies suggest that for neonates treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) have poorer neurodevelopmental outcome than children with other diagnoses. We therefore analyzed the neurodevelopmental outcome at 3½ years of age in 130 neonatal ECMO survivors with 6 different primary diagnoses. Study design: Children were assessed with the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, and a neurologic/physical examination; 12 factors related to infant characteristics and ECMO/hospital course including primary diagnosis were identified as independent variables. Dependent variables included test scores and 2 outcome categories: functional status (normal, risk, abnormal) and major neurologic sequelae (presence or absence). Statistical tools included chi-squared analysis, t test, analysis of variance, and discriminant and regression analysis. Results: No significant differences were found between diagnostic groups in functional status or neurologic sequelae. Hospital days was the only variable consistently expressed in all analyses as having significant influence on the outcome measures. This was not a factor of the longer hospital days experienced by children with CDH. Conclusion: Neurodevelopmental outcome in neonatal ECMO is multifactorial. Although hospital days has the greatest association with outcome at age 3½ years, these days likely reflect degree of illness and various complications that are independent of diagnostic group. Further study is required to determine which factors influencing the length of hospital stay may be the best predictor of long-term outcome. (J Pediatr 2000;136:338-44)
Stochastic Calculus in Physics

The relationship of the Ito-Stratonovich stochastic calculus to studies of weakly colored noise is explained. A functional calculus approach is used to obtain an effective Fokker-Planck equation for the weakly colored noise regime. In a smooth limit, this representation produces the Stratonovich version of the Ito-Stratonovich calculus for white noise. It also provides an approach to steady state behavior for strongly colored noise. Numerical simulation algorithms are explored, and a novel suggestion is made for efficient and accurate simulation of white noise equations.
SU‐FF‐I‐83: Effect of Tumor Motion On the Pixel‐Based Analysis of DCE‐MRI Data for Cervical Cancer

Purpose: The quantitative imaginganalysis of dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) data is subject to errors caused by motion during the image acquisition. Previous studies on the pixel‐by‐pixel analysis of perfusion DCE‐MRI for cervical cancer ignored this motion effect or corrected it manually. To improve the quantification of tumor perfusion, a comprehensive analysis of the tumor motion was conducted in this work by automatically registering the time series of DCE‐MRI. Methods and Materials: Fifty‐six patients and a total of 192 MR examinations were included in the registration study. To improve image quality, before registration the image noise was first reduced by employing edge preserving smoothing techniques. A mask region including uterus, bladder and cervix was applied to all time‐serial slices so that both internal organ motion and patient body movement were taken into account in the image registration. The registration was then performed by rigid translation using the normalized mutual information (NMI) algorithm to compensate respiratory and bowel motion, followed by non‐rigid transformation using the Demons algorithm to compensate for deformation within the slice plane. Results: For all 56 patients and 192 studies, most of slices (80%) in each study have ±1 mm or less translational displacement from registration to the reference image, and 20% of the slices have a ⩾ 2 mm translational displacement. In most slices (80%), the absolute motion is approximately 1 pixel (1.526 mm) and 10% of slices have more than 3‐pixel motion (⩾ 4–5 mm). Conclusions: Movements at the level larger than the pixel size will lead to pixel misalignment in a time series, consequently will influence the pixel‐based analysis of tumor perfusion data. Therefore, accounting for and correcting tumor motion effects by image registration may improve the results of the pixel‐based analysis of DCE‐MRI data for cervical cancer.
Interaction of ouabain and diphenylhydantoin (DPH) with the cardiovascular actions of prostaglandin B2 and prostaglandin A2

Abstract Several reports have appeared indicating that ouabain may interact at sites on smooth muscle susceptible to activation by prostaglandins. This study reports on the interaction between ouabain (0) and diphenylhydantoin (DPH) with the cardiovascular actions of prostaglandin B 2 (PGB 2 ) and prostaglandin A 2 (PGA 2 ). Fifteen μg/kg i.v. of 0 enhanced the pressor response of the canine hindpaw to norepinephrine and tyramine but did not affect the pressor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS), PGB 2 or PGA 2 . PGB 2 -induced bronchoconstriction (mediated solely by stimulation of smooth muscle) was reduced by ouabain. In a separate group of animals not receiving PG before 0, 0 reduced (p 2 . DPH enhanced the cutaneous pressor responses to SNS, NE, PGB 2 and PGA 2 but did not affect the bronchoconstrictor response to PGB 2 . These data are consistent with the following conclusions: 1) Ouabain antagonizes the smooth muscle contractions produced by PGB 2 . 2) The presence of PGB 2 antagonizes the prostaglandin inhibitory effects of ouabain suggesting that PGB 2 may compete for similar sites or allosterically interact with ouabain in smooth muscle. 3) DPH induced enhancement of PGB 2 and PGA 2 induced vasoconstriction may reflect DPH induced enhancement of adrenergic neurotransmitter release or inhibition of transmitter reuptake.
A COMPARISON OF WEIGHTING METHODS IN POWER PLANT SITING

The insufficient attention that too often is paid to the characteristics required of attribute weights prevents multiattribute decision rules from accurately representing preferences. The weighting summation or linear model requires weights to be proportional to the relative value of unit changes in their attribute value functions. Only then will weights accurately reflect the trade-offs decision makers are willing to make. A number of methods of choosing weights are critiqued from this perspective. Applications of weighting methods in power plant siting are surveyed, and a siting study of western Maryland is presented. Two weighting methods were used, one deriving weights from trade-offs made by decision makers and the other asking decision makers to choose weights on a scale of 0 to 10. The locations picked by the two methods differ strikingly.
Regulatory Interactions between the Amino Terminus of G-protein βγ Subunits and the Catalytic Domain of Phospholipase Cβ2

Abstract We previously identified a 10-amino acid region from the Y domain of phospholipase Cβ2 (PLCβ2) that associates with G-protein βγ subunits (Sankaran, B., Osterhout, J., Wu, D., and Smrcka, A. V. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 7148–7154). We mapped the site for cross-linking of a synthetic peptide (N20K) corresponding to this Y domain region to Cys25 within the amino-terminal coiled-coil domain of Gβγ (Yoshikawa, D. M., Bresciano, K., Hatwar, M., and Smrcka, A. V. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 11246–11251). Here, further experiments with a series of variable length cross-linking agents refined the site of N20K binding to within 4.4–6.7 A of Cys25. A mutant within the amino terminus of the Gβ subunit, Gβ1(23–27)γ2, activated PLCβ2 more effectively than wild type, with no significant change in the EC50, indicating that this region is directly involved in the catalytic regulation of PLCβ2. This mutant was deficient in cross-linking to N20K, suggesting that a binding site for the peptide had been eliminated. Surprisingly, N20K could still inhibit Gβ1(23–27)γ2-dependent activation of PLC, suggesting a second N20K binding site. Competition analysis with a peptide that binds to the Gα subunit switch II binding surface of Gβγ indicates a second N20K binding site at this surface. Furthermore, mutations to the N20K region within the Y-domain of full-length PLCβ2 inhibited Gβγ-dependent regulation of the enzyme, providing further evidence for aGβγ binding site within the catalytic domain of PLCβ2. The data support a model with two modes of PLC binding to Gβγ through the catalytic domain, where interactions with the amino-terminal coiled-coil domain are inhibitory, and interactions with the Gα subunit switch II binding surface are stimulatory.
Working on the weather

Climate, History and the Modern World. By H.H. Lamb. Pp.387. Hbk ISBN 0-416-33430-X; pbk ISBN 0-416-33440-7. (Methuen: 1982.) Hbk £16.95, $33; pbk £8.95, $16.95.
Simulating molecular conductance using real-time density functional theory

We present real-time density functional calculations of finite-bias conductance in a polyacetylene molecular wire. Our approach is based on a novel, efficient method for numerically propagating the time-dependent Kohn-Sham equations in a Gaussian basis. Localized density constraints are used to create an appropriate chemical potential bias that, when released, causes charges to flow from one end of the molecule to the other, generating a current. Our numerical scheme is efficient enough that one is able to perform ``brute force'' conductance calculations by simply increasing the size of the electron reservoirs and propagating until a reasonable average current can be extracted. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach on a simple polyacetylene wire. By varying the size of the finite leads and comparing to commonly used nonequilibrium Green's function calculations, we show that reliable current-voltage curves can be obtained from a finite length of the molecular wire, even though the system never reaches a steady state. Our results indicate that it should be technically feasible to perform the same type of ``brute force'' simulations on molecular junctions, although it seems unlikely that a true steady state will ever be reached in these cases, due to the greater significance of current fluctuations at low transmittance.
Divergence with gene flow within the recent chipmunk radiation ( Tamias )

Increasing data have supported the importance of divergence with gene flow (DGF) in the generation of biological diversity. In such cases, lineage divergence occurs on a shorter timescale than does the completion of reproductive isolation. Although it is critical to explore the mechanisms driving divergence and preventing homogenization by hybridization, it is equally important to document cases of DGF in nature. Here we synthesize data that have accumulated over the last dozen or so years on DGF in the chipmunk (Tamias) radiation with new data that quantify very high rates of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) introgression among para- and sympatric species in the T. quadrivittatus group in the central and southern Rocky Mountains. These new data (188 cytochrome b sequences) bring the total number of sequences up to 1871; roughly 16% (298) of the chipmunks we have sequenced exhibit introgressed mtDNA. This includes ongoing introgression between subspecies and between both closely related and distantly related taxa. In addition, we have identified several taxa that are apparently fixed for ancient introgressions and in which there is no evidence of ongoing introgression. A recurrent observation is that these introgressions occur between ecologically and morphologically diverged, sometimes non-sister taxa that engage in well-documented niche partitioning. Thus, the chipmunk radiation in western North America represents an excellent mammalian example of speciation in the face of recurrent gene flow among lineages and where biogeography, habitat differentiation and mating systems suggest important roles for both ecological and sexual selection.
EPISTEMIC SELF-INDULGENCE

Abstract: I argue in this essay that there is an epistemic analogue of moral self-indulgence. Section 1 analyzes Aristotle's notion of moral temperance, and its corresponding vices of self-indulgence and insensibility. Section 2 uses Aristotle's notion of moral self-indulgence as a model for epistemic self-indulgence. I argue that one is epistemically self-indulgent only if one either: (ESI1) desires, consumes, and enjoys appropriate and inappropriate epistemic objects; or (ESI2) desires, consumes, and enjoys epistemic objects at appropriate and inappropriate times; or (ESI3) desires and enjoys epistemic objects too frequently, or to an inappropriately high degree, or consumes too much of them. We need not look far to locate the epistemically self-indulgent: philosophers, especially skeptics, are likely candidates.
Generation of single-cycle attosecond pulses in the vacuum ultraviolet

Abstract A model for the interaction of a focused electron beam and a terawatt femtosecond optical pulse has been developed which demonstrates that single-cycle VUV pulses, with durations below 0.5 fs, can be generated. The ultrashort VUV pulses result from the nonlinear motion of the electrons in a ponderomotive force induced by a tightly focused femtosecond pump pulse. Our results demonstrate that the nonlinear properties of relativistic free electrons can be exploited to generate useful sources of light in the VUV.
Effect of Elevated Temperature on Ceramic Ultrafiltration of Colloidal Suspensions

AbstractHigh-temperature wastewaters and process waters in many industries have been a concern, compromising the integrity of polymeric membranes in filtration processes or requiring the temperature to be lowered for further treatments. Filtration processes employing ceramic membranes, however, can treat high temperature water owing to the inherent thermal resistance of ceramic materials, and may benefit from increases in permeate flux attributable to decreases in water viscosity at higher temperatures. In this study, the performance of a ceramic ultrafiltration membrane was evaluated for the filtration of feed solutions containing colloidal silica at temperatures between 25 and 90°C, the range encountered in various industries. Results indicated the net benefit of increasing permeate production at elevated temperatures, with a nearly 90% increase in steady-state flux from 25 to 90°C. However, this increase was lower than that observed for pure water filtration, in which the flux increase with increasing ...
Voltage profile improvement and line loss reduction with distributed generation in deregulated electricity markets

This paper presents multi-objective optimization approach for determining optimal location of distributed generators in deregulated electricity market. Distributed generators optimal location have been obtained in a most suitable zone which has been identified based on the variation of real power flow sensitivity and real power loss sensitivity. The multi-objective function consist maximization of voltage improvement as well as minimization of line losses in the network. The pattern of voltage profile improvement, line loss reduction, and real power flows have been obtained for pool electricity market model. The proposed multi-objective optimization approach has been applied for IEEE 24 bus reliability test system.
STUDIES OF FCC HEISENBERG ANTIFERROMAGNETS BY MONTE CARLO SIMULATION ON LARGE SPIN ARRAYS

We report Monte Carlo studies of fcc Heisenberg antiferromagnets carried out on arrays with 108,000 spins. A lattice with only JNN ≠ 0 was found to exhibit a Type I AF order despite the disordered nature of its ground state. Contrary to previous reports, our data indicate in this case a first order phase transition.
Power and Effectiveness: Envisioning an Alternate Paradigm

SUMMARY Relational-Cultural Theory provides a straightforward and elegant definition of power; it is the capacity to produce change. The implication of this framework is that power is the energy of competence in everyday living. However, in a culture stratified along multiple dimensions-race, class, and sexual orientation to name a few–power is associated with hyper-competitiveness and deterministic control. The article begins by examining the “protective illusions” of the power-over paradigm, where humanity is rank ordered according to perceived cultural value and is stratified into groups of greater than and less than. In addition to exposing the false dichotomies of power-over arrangements, the article examines the destructive consequences of cultural disconnection, on both the putative winners and the losers. Examples from organizational practice, clinical relationships, and socio-political contexts are used to illustrate the Relational-Cultural Model in action. Specifically, scenarios are presented f...
Hemmung kollageninduzierter Aggregation menschlicher Thrombocyten durch Phenylderivate der 4-Amino-thiophen-3-carbonsäure, einer neuen Gruppe synthetischer Fibrinolytika

Es werden heterocyclische aromatische Kongenere (Phenylderivate der 4-Aminothiophen-3-carbonsaure) beschrieben, welche in vitro sowohl eine fibrinolytische als auch eine aggregationshemmende Wirkung ausuben. Die durch Kollagen induzierte Aggregation menschlicher, in ihrem Plasma belassener Thrombocyten wird durch Kongenere in Konzentrationen gehemmt (10−3—10−5 M), welche oft eine Zehnerpotenz (oder mehr) unter der fur die fibrinolytische Aktivitat erforderlichen (10−2—10−3M) liegt. Strukturelle Veranderungen an den lipophilen Substituenten, welche die fibrinolytische Aktivitat erhohen, verringern, oft in erheblichem Mase, auch die fur die Aggregationshemmung erforderliche Konzentration der Verbindung.
TETRAHYDRO-β-CARBOLINES: SPECIFIC INHIBITORS OF TYPE A MONOAMINE OXIDASE IN RAT BRAIN1

— A series of serotonin and phenethylamine analogs were tested for their ability to differentially inhibit type A or B monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4) in rat hypothalamus. The most specific and potent effects were shown by several tetrahydro-β-carbolines which competitively inhibited the oxidative deamination of serotonin at micromolar concentrations. In contrast, effective inhibition of phenethylamine deamination was observed only at or near millimolar concentrations of these drugs. Significant reductions of type A but not type B MA0 activity were also observed after administration of 25–100 mg/kg, i.p., of tetrahydro-β-carboline and its 6-methoxy derivative.
Liquid crystalline networks from 1,4‐benzenedicarboxylic acid bis(4‐cyanatomethylphenyl) ester

The phase behaviour and curing reaction of 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid bis(4-cyanatomethylphenyl) ester (LC dicyanate) as well as the mechanical properties of the LC network were examined. The overall reaction kinetics were found to be first order with an activation energy of 67.5 kJ/mol similar to many conventional dicyanate monomers. Gelation was detected by viscoelastic measurements and occurred at a conversion of =0.5. These results suggest that the topology of the network formed in the LC dicyanate system was the same as non-LC dicyanates such as 2,2-bis(cyanatophenyl)propane. The onset of the mesophase was found to start at a conversion of =0.06 and end at a conversion of =0.20, independent of the curing temperature (180-280°C). This observation indicates that small clusters comprising a small oligomer (mainly trimer) surrounded by 6-7 monomers dominate formation of the mesophase which possesses a clearing temperature above at least 280°C. Competition between liquid crystalline order and high crosslink density resulted in a large free volume in the glassy state. This large free volume strongly affects mechanical behavior as well as the glass transition temperature of the LC network.
Bayesian closely spaced object resolution technique

A technique is described for recovering positional and radiometric information on unresolved objects that are so closely spaced that their individual blur functions overlap. Emphasis is on point sources. A Bayesian method has been formulated and applied with real data to resolving `clumps' of stars. The method is able to provide error bars in the individual pulse positions and amplitudes from a single data set rather than from the deviations observed after measuring many independent sets of data. The Bayesian technique is advantageous for estimating the number of discrete objects in a given clump using the rules of probability theory without the need for contrived penalty factors. By the way it formulates the model, the Bayesian approach naturally includes a factor which reflects the reduction in the number of degrees of freedom for a model with a greater number of sources. As a result, the algorithm is able to compute the highest probability for the model with the correct number of sources in the clump even though a model with more sources has smaller residuals. The technique is applied to real visible CCD data of observations of star clusters NGC 6819 and is shown to be internally consistent in counting.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Advocacy, Performance, and Threshold Influences on Decisions to Terminate New Product Development

Termination of new product development projects was examined as an advocacy process influenced by performance judgments and unobserved performance thresholds, and contextual factors related to the ...
On the cerebellum and motor learning

A critical review of the role of the cerebellum in motor learning is presented. Specifically, the hypothesis that the climbing fibers that issue from the inferior olive serve to modify the responsiveness of cerebellar Purkinje cells is evaluated. It is concluded that there is no convincing evidence, at this time, to support the view that a long-term modification of Purkinje cell activity is either the basis of motor learning or an authentic mechanism of cerebellar function. An alternative view, based on the biophysical, anatomical and ensemble properties of olivary neurons, suggests an important role for the olivocerebellar system in the coordination of movements. Future work in this interesting area of neuroscience will distinguish these two hypotheses.
Quantitative evaluation of echinocytes in the dog.

Summary Echinocytes were evaluated quantitatively in both healthy and sick dogs and compared with red blood cell (RBC) morphology on Wright's-stained blood smears. Of 68 samples submitted from sick dogs, 32 had high echinocyte numbers. Two diseases, glomerulonephritis and lymphosarcoma, accounted for 15 of the 32 cases. In only four instances were echinocytes reported from blood smear evaluation and not found to be high by quantitative studies. We conclude that nonartifactual echinocytosis occurs in the dog and that it may be associated with specific diseases.
The simplex algorithm with the pivot rule of maximizing criterion improvement

We extend a result of Klee and Minty by showing that the Simplex Algorithm with the pivot rule of maximizing criterion improvement is not a good algorithm in the sense of Edmonds. The method of proof extends to other similar pivot rules.
What is special about the "human" in "human genetics"?

I would like to begin where all of my predecessors as President have begun, by thanking the membership for placing their trust and confidence in me to serve as your President this past year. Serving in this role has given me a superb bird’s eye view of the organization and the dedicated and knowledgeable people who work in the administrative office. I have also had an opportunity to share the thoughts and wisdom of a remarkable group of people on the Board of Directors and on the committees who give their time and energy as volunteers to our Society.
Ethanol withdrawal stimulates protein synthesis in rat pancreatic lobules.

Abstract Recent studies from our laboratory (Ponnappa et al. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 966, 390–402), indicate that in the pancreas of rats fed ethanol chronically, an overnight withdrawal of ethanol stimulated the rate of protein synthesis in vivo, whereas, during continuous ethanol ingestion, the rate of protein synthesis was the same as in the control group which did not receive ethanol. However, a stimulation of protein synthesis was also observed when isolated acini were prepared from the pancreas of continuously ethanol-fed rats. In the present studies, preparations of pancreatic lobules were used to further characterize the stimulatory effect observed in the ethanol-fed group. The rate of protein synthesis was studied in vitro by determining the rate of incorporation of [3H]leucine into proteins. Similar to in vivo observations, chronic ethanol feeding did not alter the rate of protein synthesis, but an overnight withdrawal of ethanol stimulated the rate of protein synthesis by 84%. The stimulation of protein synthesis refelcted a general enhancement in the rate of synthesis of most of the digestive enzymes ranging from 60 to 110%. The maximal stimulation of protein synthesis occured within 24 h of ethanol withdrawal and the rates rapidly decreased to control levels within 3 days. During the overnight ethanol withdrawal there was also 30–40% decrease in the activities of most of the pancreatic digestive enzymes. This observation indicates that ethanol withdrawal also initiated the secretion and/or degradation of pancreatic digestive enzymes in vivo. The observation that the enhanced rate of protein synthesis can be observed in isolated acini but not in vivo or in lobular preparations from the continuously ethanol-fed rats indicates that the pancreas contains factors which supress this stimulatory effect of ethanol intake. The stimoulation of protein synthesis, brought about either by ethanol withdrawal or by collagenase digestion of the tissue, may reflect the removal of such factors.
Habitat influences Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) tissue decomposition in riparian and stream ecosystems

Decomposition incorporates organic material delivered by Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of streams where salmon spawn. We hypothesized that salmon tissue decomposition would be faster, and macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass higher, in terrestrial compared to aquatic habitats, and this would be reflected in the nutritional quality of the tissue. Salmon tissue in coarse-mesh bags was placed in four habitats [terrestrial: riparian (RIP), gravel bars (GRA); aquatic: stream sediment surface (STR), buried in sediments (BUR)] in four southeast Alaska watersheds. After 2 (RIP, GRA) or 4 (STR, BUR) weeks of decomposition, tissue dry mass, macronutrient content, and macroinvertebrate colonizer abundance and biomass were determined. Overall, tissue decomposition was rapid (mean k = 0.088 day−1), while nutritional quality remained high based on elemental ratios (mean C:N = 4.9; C:P = 140; N:P = 30), and differed among habitats (Linear-mixed effects model p < 0.05). Macroinvertebrate assemblages colonizing carcasses were unique to each habitat, although Diptera generally dominated. In terrestrial habitats, the dominant macroinvertebrates were Sphaeroceridae (96 % of invertebrate abundance in RIP habitat) and Calliphoridae larvae (98 % in GRA habitat). In aquatic habitats, the dominant macroinvertebrates were Chironomidae (48 % in STR habitat) and Chloroperlidae (72 % in BUR habitat). Macroinvertebrate colonizer abundance and biomass were higher in RIP (mean 286 individuals and 22 mg g−1) than in other habitats (mean 4 individuals and 3 mg g−1) (Friedman p < 0.05). Rapid decomposition rates and high invertebrate biomass, combined with the high nutritional quality of tissue, suggest rapid incorporation of critical salmon nutrients and energy into both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Live Range Visibility Constraints for Adaptive Terrain Visualization

Although there is a remarkable pace in the advance of computational resources and storage for real-time visualization the immensity of the input data continues to outstrip any advances. The task for interactively visualizing such a massive terrain is to render a triangulated mesh using a view-dependent error tolerance, thus intelligently and perceptually managing the scene?s geometric complexity. At any particular instance in time (i.e. displayed frame), this level-of-detail (LOD) terrain surface consists of a mesh composed of hundreds of thousands of dynamically selected triangles. The triangles are selected using the current time-step?s view parameters and the view-dependent error tolerance. Massive terrain data easily exceeds main memory storage capacity such that out-of-core rendering must be performed. This further complicates the triangle selection and terrain rendering owing to tertiary storage?s relatively poor performance.
Evaluating nurse plants for restoring native woody species to degraded subtropical woodlands.

Harsh habitats dominated by invasive species are difficult to restore. Invasive grasses in arid environments slow succession toward more desired composition, yet grass removal exacerbates high light and temperature, making the use of “nurse plants” an appealing strategy. In this study of degraded subtropical woodlands dominated by alien grasses in Hawai'i, we evaluated whether individuals of two native (Dodonaea viscosa, Leptocophylla tameiameia) and one non-native (Morella faya) woody species (1) act as natural nodes of recruitment for native woody species and (2) can be used to enhance survivorship of outplanted native woody species. To address these questions, we quantified the presence and persistence of seedlings naturally recruiting beneath adult nurse shrubs and compared survival and growth of experimentally outplanted seedlings of seven native woody species under the nurse species compared to intact and cleared alien-grass plots. We found that the two native nurse shrubs recruit their own offspring, but do not act as establishment nodes for other species. Morella faya recruited even fewer seedlings than native shrubs. Thus, outplanting will be necessary to increase abundance and diversity of native woody species. Outplant survival was the highest under shrubs compared to away from them with few differences between nurse species. The worst habitat for native seedling survival and growth was within the unmanaged invasive grass matrix. Although the two native nurse species did not differentially affect outplant survival, D. viscosa is the most widespread and easily propagated and is thus more likely to be useful as an initial nurse species. The outplanted species showed variable responses to nurse habitats that we attribute to resource requirements resulting from their typical successional stage and nitrogen fixation capability.
Communicating Coastal Risk Analysis in an Age of Climate Change

Complex science and large volumes of disparate data required for risk analysis of coastal hazards can be very difficult to communicate effectively to government and business decision makers. Including potential future scenarios as a result of climate change complicates matters further. An immersive visualization environment integrating data from high resolution imagery, sensed and measured data, model output, and more, that can scale from the desktop to large dome theater venues demonstrate promise for greatly enhancing the impact and reach of these scientific endeavors.
Dentin matrix protein 4, a novel secretory calcium-binding protein that modulates odontoblast differentiation.

Formation of calcified tissues is a well regulated process. In dentin, the odontoblasts synthesize several biomolecules that function as nucleators or inhibitors of mineralization. To identify genes that are odontoblast-specific, a subtractive hybridization technique was employed that resulted in the identification of a previously undescribed novel gene synthesized by the odontoblasts. Based on the nomenclature in our laboratory, this gene has been named dentin matrix protein 4 (DMP4). The protein encoded by mouse DMP4 cDNA contained 579 amino acids, including a 26-amino acid signal peptide. Analysis of the protein sequence demonstrated the presence of a Greek key calcium-binding domain and one conserved domain of unknown function in all the species examined thus far. Calcium binding property was confirmed by 45Ca binding assays and the corresponding change in conformation by far-ultraviolet circular dichroism. Northern analysis demonstrated high expression levels of a single 3-kb mRNA transcript in tooth, whereas low expression levels were detected in other tissues. In situ hybridization analysis showed high expression levels of DMP4 in odontoblasts and low levels in osteoblasts and ameloblasts during tooth development. Gain and loss of function experiments demonstrated that DMP4 had the potential to differentiate mesenchymal precursor cells into functional odontoblast-like cells.
Fuel constituent effects on fuel reforming properties for fuel cell applications

Abstract The effect of different types of compounds commonly found in diesel fuel (e.g., paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics), as well as their chemical structure (e.g., branched versus linear paraffins) on fuel reforming has been investigated. Diesel reforming is very complicated because diesel is a complex mixture of hundreds of compounds with greatly different reactivities. The syngas production rates at the same conditions were observed in this order: paraffins > naphthenes ≫ aromatics. Additionally, the type of reforming performed (OSR, CPOX, or SR) as well as the process parameters (space velocity and reaction temperature) significantly affected the syngas production rates as well as carbon formation. The reactivity of one fuel component can affect the conversion pattern of others, e.g., overall yields from the reforming of a fuel mixture are not additive of yields from individual fuel components, rather the more reactive component is consumed first. Furthermore, the type of substituent in aromatics and naphthenes, the carbon chain length in n -paraffins, branching in paraffins, and degree of aromatic saturation affect the overall hydrocarbon conversion, syngas selectivity, and carbon formation. The presence of sulfur compounds in the fuel caused significant drops in H 2 yields compared to CO yields.
Peripheral olfactory deafferentation of the primary olfactory system in rats using ZnSO4 nasal spray with special reference to maternal behavior

A modified method of applying ZnSO4 to the olfactory mucosa is described. Treated rats experienced severe nasal congestion that cleared within 24 h; more persistent morbidity did not occur. Nonpregnant females observed with male intruders 24 h following ZnSO4 showed no alterations in behavior other than a reduction in anogenital sniffing, indicating that they were not hypoactive or irritable. In other experiments, lactating females were observed in a hole-board apparatus; 2 days posttreatment anosmia was confirmed in 80% of bilaterally ZnSO4-treated females by the absence of preference for pup odors. After bilateral but not unilateral ZnSO4 treatment, initially activity scores and nose pokes were equivalent in all groups, but later they both were lower than in controls, probably due to a more rapid habituation to the novel apparatus. We conclude that intranasal ZnSO4 by small-volume spray is a useful experimental tool.