cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of gully debris flow deposits in Protonilus Mensae, Mars: Characterization of a water-bearing, energetic gully-forming process

Gullies are a class of geologically recent landform on Mars that show evidence of downslope transport of sedimentary material from recessed alcoves, through incised channels, to distributary fans or aprons. The mechanisms invoked to account for the formation of gullies on Mars range from completely dry, granular flows or landslides, to debris flows that incorporate some component of liquid water, to fluvial erosion and alluvial-fan-like deposition. Each of these processes requires different amounts of liquid water, and produces different characteristic morphologies. We report on the identification of unusual lobate structures present in proximity to gullies in Protonilus Mensae. The lobes are up to ~ 3 m thick and terminate in rounded snouts. These lobate structures are present mostly downslope of gullies, and can be traced upslope through channels, to gully fan termini, and in places, onto gully fan surfaces. Crater dating indicates that the deposits formed recently—potentially within the past ~ 500 ka. We use HRSC digital elevation models to constrain mechanical properties of the lobate deposits, and to compare their formation environment to that of typical martian gullies. The Protonilus Mensae lobate deposits are interpreted to indicate local dominance of wet debris flows in the formation of the observed gullies and lobes. These observations are consistent with 1) top-down melting of the ice component of the latitude-dependent mantle terrain in which the gullies form and 2) initiation of debris flows by mobilization of the dusty lithic component of the mantle. The suite of morphological observations diagnostic of wet debris flow processes suggests the identification of an unusual environment in which the wet debris-flow formational end-member is locally the dominant gully forming process; elsewhere on Mars gully morphology may be more consistent with a range of other water-related sediment transport mechanisms including fluvial erosion, hyperconcentrated flow, and low-strength mudflows (that deposit as fans rather than lobes). These results suggest that 1) gully-forming processes involve liquid water, 2) that the water source is associated with the martian latitude-dependent mantle, and 3) that a range of water-related sediment transport processes is involved in gully formation.
Aging reduces the mRNA of α1 GABAA receptor subunit in rat cerebral cortex

Abstract The effect of aging on the binding of ligands to the GABA, benzodiazepine and picrotoxin binding sites as well as α subunit mRNA level of GABAA receptor was investigated in cerebral cortex of male Fischer F-344 rats. In aged (730- to 770-day-old) rats, the binding of [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) was significantly reduced. Also, α1 mRNA level was markedly decreased (86% suppression). In contrast, α1 mRNA remained unchanged in cerebellum. These findings indicate a selective age-related structural change in GABAA receptor in rat cerebral cortex.
Nanocomposites and bone regeneration

This manuscript focuses on bone repair/regeneration using tissue engineering strategies, and highlights nanobiotechnology developments leading to novel nanocomposite systems. About 6.5 million fractures occur annually in USA, and about 550,000 of these individual cases required the application of a bone graft. Autogenous and allogenous bone have been most widely used for bone graft based therapies; however, there are significant problems such as donor shortage and risk of infection. Alternatives using synthetic and natural biomaterials have been developed, and some are commercially available for clinical applications requiring bone grafts. However, it remains a great challenge to design an ideal synthetic graft that very closely mimics the bone tissue structurally, and can modulate the desired function in osteoblast and progenitor cell populations. Nanobiomaterials, specifically nanocomposites composed of hydroxyapatite (HA) and/or collagen are extremely promising graft substitutes. The biocomposites can be fabricated to mimic the material composition of native bone tissue, and additionally, when using nano-HA (reduced grain size), one mimics the structural arrangement of native bone. A good understanding of bone biology and structure is critical to development of bone mimicking graft substitutes. HA and collagen exhibit excellent osteoconductive properties which can further modulate the regenerative/healing process following fracture injury. Combining with other polymeric biomaterials will reinforce the mechanical properties thus making the novel nano-HA based composites comparable to human bone. We report on recent studies using nanocomposites that have been fabricated as particles and nanofibers for regeneration of segmental bone defects. The research in nanocomposites, highlight a pivotal role in the future development of an ideal orthopaedic implant device, however further significant advancements are necessary to achieve clinical use.
Hemidesmosomes, collagen VII, and intermediate filaments in basal cell carcinoma.

We have undertaken an analysis of hemidesmosomes (HD) and their associated structures, intermediate filaments (IF) and anchoring fibrils (AF), in various types of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Using a combination of electron microscopy and immunofluorescence microscopy we show that there is a correlation between the loss of HD and tumor type (i.e., in solid and infiltrative BCC hemidesmosomes are present, sometimes in reduced numbers), while there appears to be a lack of hemidesmosomes in cells of sclerosing specimens. Moreover, even though there is a loss of cytoplasmic constituents of the HD in sclerosing forms of BCC, this is not the case with regard to collagen VII, a component of AF, which are normally associated with the extracellular side of the HD. Collagen VII is localized to the basement membrane zone of tumor cells in the absence of the cytoplasmic constituents of HD. Furthermore, deposits of collagen VII occur in the connective tissue close to tumor cell populations in all but one of the BCC specimens we analyzed. In addition to modifications in HD and AF in BCC tissue, there are changes in the cytoskeletal elements of both tumor cells and the normal appearing epidermis that overlies tumor areas. In sclerosing BCC microfilaments are commonly observed along the basal portions of tumor cells where they abut the connective tissue. IF are often found interacting with these microfilaments. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of tumor tissue using a monoclonal keratin antibody preparation. AE1, which in normal epidermis stains basal cells, reveals that AE1 antibodies only weakly stain tumor cells. Moreover, in the epidermis that overlies tumor cell regions AE1 antibodies stain suprabasal cells and not basal cells. This change in staining pattern generated by AE1 antibodies appears to depend upon the proximity of tumor cells. These results are discussed in relation to the organization of the HD and its associated AF and IF. The possibility that HD, IF, and AF antibody preparations may be of diagnostic use is raised.
Integrable superconductivity and Richardson equations

For the integrable generalized model of superconductivity, the solution of the Richardson equations is studied for a model spectrum. For the case of a narrow band, the solution is presented in terms of generalized Laguerre or Jacobi polynomials. In the asymptotic limit, when the Richardson equations are transformed into a singular integral equation, the properties of the integration contour are discussed and the spectral density is calculated. The conditions of appearance of gaps in the spectrum are investigated.
Current dermatologic therapy.

Abstract This article reviews therapeutic advances reported in the English-language literature during 1991. Readers should review the original article in full before attempting any experimental or controversial therapy.
Photoinduced Electron and Hole Transfer Involving Eosin Conjugates of Tryptophan Derivatives

The preparation of several covalent conjugates of the dye, eosin Y (EY2-) with the amino acid, L-tryptophan (Trp), the dipeptide, Trp-Trp, and with poly(L)-tryptophan is described. Intramolecular photochemical electron transfer is responsible for the quenching of dye excited singlet states (flourescence) in these systems. The sacrificial acceptor, tetranitromethane (TNM), was used to irreversibly oxidize pendant dye groups; the transfer of charge (“holes”) from the oxidized eosin moiety located at the N-terminus of the peptides was monitored by laser flash photolysis. Both modes of electron transfer involve charge transfer from indole side chains associated with Trp groups for the various peptide links. Study of the kinetics of hole transfer provided rate constants in the range of 103–104 s-1 for several solvent media including aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidinone) (PVP), a polymer that provides a protein-like microdomain. The observed temperature dependence of the hole transfer rate is consistent with non-adiabatic electron transfer over distances determined by molecular modeling to be about 1.0 nm (through-space) and involving through-bond interactions via a network of σ-π overlaps. Findings are discussed in terms of demonstration of the entrainment of charge along peptide chains and the efficient separation of charge in (bio)polymer structures of some size that display vectorial properties.
The D′ → A′ Transition in IBr: A Deperturbation Analysis

Abstract The D′2(3P2) → A′2(3Π) transition in IBr occurs with maximum intensity near 3850 A when mixtures of I2 and Br2 in Ar are excited by a Tesla coil. Spectra are recorded photographically for I79Br and I81Br separately, and 24 v′-v″ bands spanning v′ = 0-5 and v″ = 11-17 are rotationally analyzed, yielding ∼3000 line assignments. Together with existing high-quality data covering the high-v′, low-v″ region, these data are analyzed through a deperturbation model which assumes that minor anomalies in the D′-state rotational constants are the result of weak interactions with the nearby β1(3P2 state. This fit pins down the absolute energies of both states for the first time, yielding Te′ = 39 457(4) cm−1, Te″ = 11 437 (4) cm−1. Other primary spectroscopic constants (cm−1) are ΔTe = 28 019.22 ω′e = 123.064, ωex′e = 0.2812, B′e = 0.02860, ω″e = 147.631, ωex″e = 1.260, B″e = 0.04290, R′e = 3.4806 A, R″e = 2.842 A.
Lipoic acid content of dihydrolipoyl transacylases determined by isotope dilution analysis.

Summary The content of protein-bound lipoyl moieties in the dihydrolipoyl transacylase component of pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes has been determined by isotope dilution analysis. The results show that the Escherichia coli dihydrolipoyl transsuccinylase and the bovine kidney and heart dihydrolipoyl transacetylase each contain one lipoyl moiety per polypeptide chain, whereas the E. coli dihydrolipoyl transacetylase contains two lipoyl moieties per chain.
Congestive heart failure patients with chest pain: incidence and predictors of acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: New diagnostic and treatment options for emergency department (ED) patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) may facilitate the ED discharge of some patients. However, some patients require admission to exclude concurrent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as the precipitant of CHF. The objective of this study was to identify the incidence, clinical characteristics, and hospital course of CHF patients who present to the ED with and without concurrent ACS. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients >23 years of age who presented to the ED with chest pain, received an electrocardiogram (ECG), and either had a known history of CHF or presented with new-onset CHF, between July 1999 and April 2001. The hospital course of each patient was followed daily, and telephone follow-up occurred at 30 days. The main outcomes were the incidence of ACS and comparisons of lengths of hospital stay (LOSs), rates of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), intubations, and death rates among patients with and without ACS. Results: Two hundred ninety-eight CHF patients presented 380 times. The incidence of ACS in the 380 patient visits was 32% (95% CI = 27% to 36%). Compared with patients who did not have ACS, patients who had concurrent ACS were more likely to have known coronary artery disease (CAD) (67% vs. 42%; p < 0.0001) and hypercholesterolemia (36% vs. 18%; p = 0.0002). Patients with concurrent ACS were also more likely to be admitted to the hospital (97% vs 82%; p < 0.0001), had a longer LOS (5.2 [3.9-6.5] vs 3.2 [2.6-3.8] days; p = 0.006), had higher rates of ICU admission (44% vs. 13%; p < 0.0001), were more likely to be intubated (8% vs. 1%, p = 0.002), and were more likely to die (15 vs 7 deaths; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The incidence of ACS in ED CHF patients with chest pain was 32%. Patients with CHF complicated by ACS had more prolonged hospital stays, required higher levels of care, and had a higher incidence of death than those patients without ACS. Strategies tailored to early identification and management of these patients would be desirable.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ARE SOCIALIZED IN THE SAME WAY AS ARE OTHER BELIEFS

50 college students and their mothers answered questions about their relationships with each other and about their religiosity. On the assumption that religious beliefs are socialized like other beliefs, the hypothesis that greater closeness between mother and child would be associated with more agreement, including agreement on religion, was tested and supported. Similarly, less closeness was associated with less agreement, including on religion
Effect of Patient Demographic Characteristics and Radiation Timing on PSA Reduction in Patients Treated With Definitive Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to assess how demographic characteristics and temporal factors including time to treatment (TTT) and elapsed time of treatment (ETT) affect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during and after radiation treatment for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Patients and Methods A retrospective review of 1584 patients was conducted on patients diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2005 and 2013, from which 147 patients were found to have completed definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) monotherapy. Demographic data, TTT (days between diagnosis and EBRT start date), ETT (days between EBRT start and stop date), and Gleason score were collected on these patients and analysis of variance was performed to analyze the relationship of these factors with PSA changes. PSA changes were calculated during treatment as the difference between pre- and posttreatment PSA levels and after treatment as 3-year and overall PSA velocities. Results Patients who spoke Haitian Creole ( P = .039) and those with a longer ETT ( P = .029) had significantly greater PSA decline during treatment, primarily as a result of higher pretreatment PSA levels. Patients with Gleason score 4+3 disease had significantly greater 3-year ( P = .033) and overall ( P = .019) PSA velocities. Race and/or ethnicity, insurance type, marital status, and age were not associated with any PSA variable. Conclusion Disparities in prostate cancer are not reflected in PSA dynamics during or after radiation treatment, but are evident in PSA level at presentation. Timeliness of treatment was not found to affect true PSA change due to EBRT in low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients.
Effects of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill surgical patients

Abstract Background The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill patients is reported to be up to 50%, with a 3-fold increase in predicted mortality, but limited data exist concerning vitamin D deficiency in critically ill surgical patients. Methods Sixty-six adult surgical intensive care unit patients who had 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels evaluated from January 2010 to February 2011 were prospectively identified. Patients were divided into groups according to vitamin D level ( Results Of the 66 patients evaluated, 49 (74%) had vitamin D levels P = .09), and a higher incidence of sepsis was seen in the patients with vitamin D levels Conclusions Vitamin D levels
Betriebsfestigkeit in der Fahrzeugentwicklung: von der Theorie zum Produkt

The procedures for durability evaluation in the automotive engineering are represented, especially the methods, load assumption, fatigue testing and the regulations for the release and quality control. By practical examples of the vehicle development from chassis, aggregate and body the procedure is described, in particular the used experimental and virtual simulation methods (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.) [German] Dargestellt wird die prinzipielle Vorgehensweise beim Nachweis der Betriebsfestigkeit in der Fahrzeugentwicklung: die Methoden, Lastannahme, Festigkeitspruefung und die Vorschriften fuer die Freigabe und Qualitaetssicherung. An praktischen Beispielen der Fahrzeugentwicklung aus Fahrwerk, Aggregat und Karosserie werden die Vorgehensweise und die verwendeten experimentellen und rechnerischen Simulationsmethoden erlaeutert. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
An ultraviolet absorbance method for determining acetylsalicylic acid hydrolase activity

Abstract An ultraviolet absorbance method for quantitation of acetylsalicylic acid esterase (hydrolase) activity has been developed and validated. The sensitivity of the method was found to be 2.8 nmol/ml-min in the assay cuvette. Linearity of the reaction with enzyme concentration and time has been demonstrated. The product of the enzymatic reaction, salicylic acid, has been identified by thin-layer chromatography using acetyl-[14C]salicylic acid. The quantities of salicylic acid produced in 5, 10, and 15 min of incubation were equal when assayed by the spectrophotometric method and by the acetyl-[14C]salicylic acid thin-layer chromatographic method. The time required for assay by ultraviolet absorbance is approximately 3 min/sample.
Activity and localization of acid hydrolases in the dorsal tail fin of Rana pipiens during metamorphosis.

The specific and total activities of acid phosphatase (AcP), hyaluronidase (HU), β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of tail fin are constant during prometamorphosis. During climax, as the fin is resorbed, the activities of the hydrolases increase while the specific activity of LDH remains constant and the total activity decreases. The apparent Km and pH optimum of the hydrolases are the same at prometamorphosis and climax. Similar changes in enzyme activities are found in pieces of prometamorphic fin induced to resorb in vitro by thyroxine treatment. AcP, NAG and LDH are found, but in different proportions, in both fragments of prometamorphic fins separated into epidermis and mesenchymal core. NAG and LDH are more concentrated in the epidermis while AcP is more concentrated in the core. A higher percentage of NAG and AcP activity is found in the mitochondrial-lysosomal and supernatant subcellular fractions at climax than at prometamorphosis. In addition, the specific activities of these enzymes are higher in the mitochondrial-lysosomal and supernatant fractions at climax while the specific activity and subcellular distribution of LDH is constant. The increase in activity of the hydrolases of the fin which occurs in synchrony with resorption during spontaneous metamorphosis or that induced in vitro by thyroxine suggests that these events are related and that the hydrolases are concerned with the degradation of the connective tissues of the fin during regression.
Echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular bands in infants and children

M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic studies were carried out on 100 consecutive neonates, infants and children to evaluate the incidence of left ventricular chordae or bands. These fibromuscular structures were noted in 61 subjects and were seen to traverse both the long and short axes of the left ventricle. Although a single left ventricular band was usually noted, several subjects had multiple bands. These bands were seen in normal subjects and in patients with a wide variety of congenital cardiac lesions. Distortion of left ventricular geometry was noted in one subject. Identification of these linear echoes is essential to allow differentiation of left ventricular bands from true anatomic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction or septal thickening.
Cumulus oophorus as a sperm sequestering device, in vivo.

The cumulus oophorus, unique to the egg of eutherian mammals, has been suggested to function either in egg transport to the oviduct ampulla, in avoidance of polyspermy, in enhancement of sperm fertilizing ability, or in sperm guidance to the egg. To examine its role further, the content of the oviduct ampulla was collected at 0700–0730 h, 1130–1200h, or 1600–1700 h on the day of ovulation from rats mated once or more than once, and analysed with an emphasis on sperm distribution in the ampullary fluid, in the cumulus, and in the eggs. The distribution of spermatozoa between cumulus and ampullary fluid was highly skewed (ca. 9:1) at all times in favor of the cumulus. In 14.1% of the ampullae collected by 0730 h the only spermatozoa present were those already within eggs; and in many other ampullae then there were no more than one or so additional spermatozoa outside fertilized eggs—a testament to the efficiency of the mechanisms that ensure an early meeting of gametes in the oviduct. There was a gradual increase in the total number of spermatozoa in the ampulla throughout the day of ovulation, and the time of eventual cumulus dispersal later in the day generally reflected the number of spermatozoa within it, rather than the occurrence of fertilization per se. These observations suggest that the cumulus oophorus sequesters and brings to the immediate vicinity of the eggs the few spermatozoa which gain the ampulla at or soon after ovulation, so favoring early fertilization. The sperm/cumulus relationship, sperm/egg communication, and the situation in viviparous vertebrates whose eggs are cumulus-free are discussed briefly. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Searching for the Downsian Voter with a Simple Structural Model

Studies of voter turnout consistently find that turnout responds to the closeness of the election, yet it is widely claimed that the probability of casting the deciding vote is too minute to be of consequence. We provide evidence on this puzzle by deriving a structural rational voting model in the form of a relatively simple regression equation, and fitting it to data from a large sample of US congressional elections.
Sex determination of Red‐tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis calurus) using DNA analysis and morphometrics

ABSTRACT Currently, the sex of Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) cannot be determined by in-hand methods. Males and females do not differ in plumage and overlap in size. We collected feather samples and morphological measurements from migrating birds at four sites in the western United States. Sex was determined for individual birds using sex-specific DNA markers and polymerase chain reaction was used to identify these DNA markers. Using discriminant function analysis, we created equations for determining the sex of Red-tailed Hawks using in-hand measurements based on the DNA-determined sexes. We formed two equations, one for adults that was 98% accurate, and one for hatch-year birds that was 97% accurate. The ability to determine the sex of western Red-tailed Hawks using morphological measurements will be useful to investigators examining possible intra- or intersexual differences. SINOPSIS Actualmente no se puede determinar el sexo de Buteo jamaicensis, aun teniendo al ave en la mano. Durante el periodo migratorio tomamos medidas morfometricas y coleccionamos plumas de estas aves en cuatro localidades de la parte oeste de los Estados Unidos. Determinamos el sexo de los individuos utilizando marcadores especificos de ADN para el sexo y reacciones en cadena de polimerasa para identificar los marcadores de ADN. Una vez determinado el sexo por medio de ADN, se hizo un analisis de funcion discriminativa de los datos para producir una ecuacion que permitiera identificar el sexo de las medidas morfometricas de individuos capturados. Se produjeron dos ecuaciones, una para los adultos y otra para jovenes de un ano con 98 y 97% de exactitud, respectivamente. La capacidad para determinar el sexo en la especie, utilizando morfometria sera de gran utilidad para investigadores interesados en determinar posibles diferencias intra e intersexuales.
Numerical investigation of a multiserver retrial model

We consider a queueing model in which customers arrive in a Poisson stream to be served by one ofc servers. Each arriving customer enters a pool of active customers and starts generating requests for service at exponentially distributed time intervals at rate σ until he finds a free server and begins service. An analytical solution of this model is difficult and does not lend itself to numerical implementation. In this paper, we make a simplifying approximation, based on understanding of the physical behavior of the system, which yields an infinitesimal generator with a modified matrix-geometric equilibrium probability vector. That vector can be very efficiently computed even for high congestion levels. Illustrative numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the approximation as well as the effect of the retrial rate on the system behavior for various levels of congestion. This study shows how numerical results for analytically intractable systems can be obtained by combining intuition with efficient algorithmic methods.
Birth Weight and Gestation Period in Purebred and Crossbred Dairy Cattle

Abstract Data consisted of birth weights and gestation periods of 478 live, single-birth calves born in generations 4 and 5 of the Illinois crossbreeding experiment. The mathematical model included effects of breed groups, sires within breed groups, parity, sex of calf, and age of dam at calving as a covariate. For the two generations, crossbreds averaged 35.9 kg whereas purebreds averaged 34.6 kg; thus, crossbreds were 3.8% heavier than purebreds. The gestation period of crossbreds was 1.2 days shorter than that for purebreds. Male calves were 2.82 kg heavier and were carried 1.34 days longer than females. There were significant differences between the breed group means for birth weight and gestation period for both generations 4 and 5. The effect of parity and age of dam at calving were not significant in either generation.
Skin pigmentation evaluation in broilers fed natural and synthetic pigments

Broiler carcass skin color is important in the United States and Mexico. This study evaluated the use of natural and synthetic pigments in broiler diets at commercial levels. Birds were fed natural or synthetic pigments at low or high levels, simulating US and Mexican commercial practices. Skin color was measured during live production (3 to 7 wk of age) and after slaughter and chilling. The natural pigments had consistently greater skin b* values (yellowness) than the synthetic pigments. The high levels produced greater skin b* values than the low levels, regardless of source. The synthetic pigments had a slower increase in skin b* but reached the same level as the natural low by 7 wk. There was no difference in skin a* values (redness) due to pigment source or level or the age of the bird. By 7 wk, all pigment sources approached plateau levels in the blood, but the synthetic pigment diet produced higher blood levels of yellow and red pigments than the natural pigment diets. Processing intensified skin yellowness and reduced skin redness. These data suggest that although synthetic pigments might have been absorbed better than natural ones, natural pigments were more efficient at increasing skin yellowness and there were only small differences between high and low levels for each pigment source. This finding may allow reduction in pigment use and feed cost to achieve the same skin acceptance by the consumer.
Benzodiazepine suppression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-induced beta-endorphin release from rat neurointermediate pituitary.

Abstract Dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibit POMC peptide release from the pituitary intermediate lobe, via interaction with D2 or GABA-A/benzodiazepine receptors. Here, we examined the effects of an antianxiety triazolobenzodiazepine, adinazolam, on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-stimulated POMC peptide secretion from the rat neurointermediate pituitary. Neurointermediate lobes (NILS) were incubated with CRF (10 −7 M ), then adinazolam (10 −8 or 10 −9 M ) was added, with CRF remaining in the medium. Aliquots were removed at 15-min intervals and frozen for radioimmunoassay of beta-endorphin. Adinazolam alone did not significantly affect secretion as compared to controls or CRF alone. Adinazolam incubated with CRF led to significant inhibition of beta-endorphin secretion, as compared to CRF alone. In addition, adinazolam was as effective as dopamine or the CRF antagonist, alpha-helical CRF, in preventing CRF-induced beta-endorphin release. Adinazolam appears to act directly on the pituitary to suppress hormone release induced by a stress-related hypothalamic peptide.
Assessment of the Epidemic Potential of a New Strain of Rotavirus Associated with the Novel G9 Serotype Which Caused an Outbreak in the United States for the First Time in the 1995-1996 Season

Rotavirus causes severe morbidity in developed countries and frequent deaths (≥500,000 per year) in less-developed countries. Historically, four serotypes—G1, G2, G3, and G4—have predominated; they are distinguished by one of two surface neutralization antigens (VP7). However, in 1983 and 1984 we described a new rotavirus serotype, designated G9, in five children hospitalized for diarrhea in Philadelphia, Pa. G9 rotavirus was not identified again in the Western Hemisphere until it caused ca. 50% of the rotavirus disease detected in Philadelphia in the 1995-1996 season. This outbreak allowed us to question whether a rotavirus strain completely new to a well-studied community would target either very young infants or older children, cause especially severe disease, or completely displace previously extant serotypes. We observed a significant excess of G9 infections in younger infants (especially in those
Spatial regulation of controlled bioactive factor delivery for bone tissue engineering

Limitations of current treatment options for critical size bone defects create a significant clinical need for tissue engineered bone strategies. This review describes how control over the spatiotemporal delivery of growth factors, nucleic acids, and drugs and small molecules may aid in recapitulating signals present in bone development and healing, regenerating interfaces of bone with other connective tissues, and enhancing vascularization of tissue engineered bone. State-of-the-art technologies used to create spatially controlled patterns of bioactive factors on the surfaces of materials, to build up 3D materials with patterns of signal presentation within their bulk, and to pattern bioactive factor delivery after scaffold fabrication are presented, highlighting their applications in bone tissue engineering. As these techniques improve in areas such as spatial resolution and speed of patterning, they will continue to grow in value as model systems for understanding cell responses to spatially regulated bioactive factor signal presentation in vitro, and as strategies to investigate the capacity of the defined spatial arrangement of these signals to drive bone regeneration in vivo.
Pesticide inhibition of growth and macromolecular synthesis in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract The effects of two pesticides, dieldrin and captan, upon the growth and macromolecular syntheses of the vegetative cells of Dictyostelium discoideum strain Ax-2 were investigated. Dieldrin at a concentration of 5 μg/ml inhibited growth as well as the synthesis of RNA, DNA, and protein, while as little as 1 μg/ml of captan produced the same effects. After a 1-hr exposure to either pesticide, all macromolecular syntheses ceased. Within a period of 5 to 10 hr the amoebae began to shrink, and eventually some lysis occurred. Lysis was most pronounced in cells incubated with captan. When the amoebae were grown in the presence of 5 μg/ml of either pesticide and then washed and resuspended in fresh medium, the effects on growth were annulled. No growth inhibition was observed when 0.05 M cysteine was added prior to the addition of 5 μg/ml of captan. Further experimentation to study possible degradation effects of these two synthetic pesticides upon RNA and protein molecules showed that breakdown of these macromolecules into TCA-soluble units did not occur. Preliminary studies have also shown that [2- 14 C]uracil and [ 14 C]amino acids are taken up in their respective pools in the presence of captan or dieldrin.
Salinity tolerance and osmotic response of the estuarine hermit crab Pagurus maclaughlinae in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida

Abstract Pagurus maclaughlinae is the most common hermit in the Indian River Lagoon System. Wide variations in lagoonal salinity make it likely that P. maclaughlinae is euryhaline and that other hermit species in the area are more stenohaline, at least in some stages of their life histories. In a study of salinity tolerance, crabs were held unfed at salinities of 5–50 (25 control) for up to 30 days. Based on survivorship curves, P. maclaughlinae tolerated acute exposure to salinities of 10–45 for up to 18 days, and survivorship up to 30 days at 20–45 equaled or exceeded survivorship of the control. In a study of acclimation, the osmotic pressure of hemolymph was measured after crabs were held in the laboratory for 12, 48, and 96 h acutely exposed to salinities of 10–45. Paired t -tests revealed that the crabs weakly hyperregulated their hemolymph at 45–154 mOsmol above the external medium at all salinities and sampling times, and the osmotic differential of their hemolymph was fully acclimated by 96 h. In a third study, acclimatization of hemolymph was studied on crabs at four field sites that differed in their recent salinity histories. Field-collected crabs weakly regulated their hemolymph 72–84 mOsmol above the external medium at all sites sampled. Performance did not differ by site. The range of salinity tolerance and acclimation of hemolymph of P. maclaughlinae partly explain their wide distribution, and the consistent osmotic differential of its hemolymph indicates that the osmoregulatory ability of this small-bodied species is conserved in populations throughout the lagoon. Although some other larger-bodied hermit species in the region are euryhaline as adults, their tendency to hyperregulate strongly at low salinities possibly adds an energetic burden that, along with their less euryhaline long-lived larvae, might exclude them from the lagoon. Salinity tolerance of larval P. maclaughlinae has yet to be studied.
Students' perspective of the effectiveness of an asynchronous on-line seminar.

Abstract This study was conducted to understand students’ perceptions of the usefulness of on-line discussion for a nursing seminar. The interpretative approach was selected to explore the students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the on-line discussion. The participants were recruited from maternity nursing courses on two rural campuses in Nebraska. A convenience sample of 31 participated in the study with a purposive sample of 10 representing extreme views selected for in-depth interviews. Eight patterns emerged as a plausible interpretation of the on-line experience. These patterns were exemplified by the themes of engagement theory (relate, create, and donate). The pattern that was identified as relational was learner-to-learner learning without face-to-face communication. However, isolation was found to inhibit relating. Creating, the second theme, was exemplified by multiperspective opinions, however, frustration with the technology and anxiety/information overload inhibited the creative aspects. Finally, the third theme, donate, was represented by having time for critical thinking/reflection while participating in the on-line discussions. The findings of this research support the need for more studies to explore students’ perception of the usefulness of on-line discussion.
Visualizing proton conductance in the gramicidin channel.

In this month's Biophysical Journal, Pomes and Roux (1996) provide a molecular dynamics simulation of protonic conductance along a single strand of hydrogen-bonded water in the gramicidin channel. This result complements an earlier report by Sagnella and Voth (1996) and is significant because protons do not depend on diffusion alone to move through aqueous media. Instead a proton can hop along chains of hydrogen-bonded water molecules, so that the measured ionic mobility of protons in water is several times higher than that of sodium or potassium ions. Proton conduction by hopping along water chains was first proposed by Hladky and Haydon (1972) to explain the anomalously high proton conductance through the gramicidin channel, which is approximately 15 times that of potassium ions. Although proton conductance through the gramicidin channel is intrinsically interesting, it may also provide a useful model system for biological systems of more general interest. The term "proton wire" was coined by Nagle and Morowitz (1978) to describe possible proton conductance pathways in proteins in which hydrogen-bonded side chains of amino acids could provide pathways for protons. Although a proton wire composed purely of amino acid side chains has not yet been discovered, there are now a number of proposed protonic con-
Short Distance Analysis of Weak Interactions

Abstract We systematically formulate the short distance analysis of weak interactions, and show that in an asymptotically free theory one can calculate the dependence of any weak amplitude on the W boson and heavy quark masses. Our main purpose is to settle some conceptual questions, but we also derive some new quantitative results. For example, we show that in the SU(3) gauge theory with four quark triplets, the two W boson contribution to K L → μ μ will differ from the free quark theory estimate by a factor 25(1 − ( α (M W / α (m p ′ ) 1 25 )( α (M W )/ α (m p ′ )) 24 25 . We also show that the amplitudes for K+ → π+e+e− will differ from the free quark theory estimate by a factor of 1.66( α (M W )/ α (m p ′ )) 2 9 − 1.88( α (M W )/ α (m p ′ ) −4 9 .
COMPARISON OF FRESHWATER PRAWN FARMING IN HAWAII AND IN THAILAND: CULTURE PRACTICES AND ECONOMICS

Freshwater prawn Farming in Thailand is relatively extensive, i.e., with low stocking rate and low yield, as compared to Hawaii. However, the cost of production per kg of marketable prawns is comparatively low due to inexpensive inputs. The low costs of production and current high price of prawn in Thailand resulted in a high profit. In Hawaii, despite the high yield, the profitability of prawn Farming is low at the present time because of the high costs of production.
Abnormal serum biochemistries in association with arterial gas embolism

Although diving-associated arterial gas emboli have been thought to embolize the cerebral circulation preferentially, more recent evidence suggests that gas bubbles disseminate widely and may cause dysfunction in multiple organ systems. We performed a retrospective survey of the records of patients presenting with diving-associated gas embolism over a 10-yr period to determine the maximal levels of serum transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase after a diving accident. Twenty-nine subjects with arterial gas embolism were identified whose dive profiles suggested that decompression sickness was unlikely. Maximal transaminase levels (aspartate amino transaminase = 442 +/- 187 IU/L; alanine amino transaminase = 315 +/- 205 IU/L) and lactate dehydrogenase level (800 +/- 227 IU/L) were significantly greater in the gas embolism patients than those levels measured in a group of normal individuals undergoing training dives of similar depth and duration. These preliminary studies suggest that arterial gas embolism frequently produces significant abnormalities in serum enzyme activity in sport divers whose dives would not be expected to produce decompression sickness. Arterialized gas bubbles may circulate widely, causing injury outside of the cerebral circulation.
Characteristics of Laboratory-Processed: Cucurbita foetidissima Seed Oil

The effects of variations in laboratory processing on the quality of the seed oil of the buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima, were determined. Conditions found most effective were: triple refining at 65 C for 15 min using 16°Be and 20°Be NaOH at 80% of maximum and 20°Be NaOH at the maximum; bleaching at 105 C for 30 min by a mixture of activated bleaching earth (3%) and activated carbon (0.3%); and deodorization with 5% steam at 210 C for 120 min. Processed oil showed these analytical values: carotenoids (3.6 mg/kg), free fatty acids (0.28%), peroxide (0.2 meq/kg), conjugated unsaturated fatty acids (1.59%). Oxidative stability test (AOM) conditions gave peroxide values of 100 in 4.9 hr and 141 in 8 hr. The triglyceride fatty acid composition was 11.9% palmitic, 3.5% stearic, 22.0% oleic and 61.0% linoleic acid.
Worms, bacteria, and micronutrients: an elegant model of our diet

Micronutrients are required in small proportions in a diet to carry out key metabolic roles for biomass and energy production. Humans receive micronutrients either directly from their diet or from gut microbiota that metabolize other nutrients. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its bacterial diet provide a relatively simple and genetically tractable model to study both direct and microbe-mediated effects of micronutrients. Recently, this model has been used to gain insight into the relationship between micronutrients, physiology, and metabolism. In particular, two B-type vitamins, vitamin B12 and folate, have been studied in detail. Here we review how C. elegans and its bacterial diet provide a powerful interspecies systems biology model that facilitates the precise delineation of micronutrient effects and the mechanisms involved.
Some nonintuitive features in time-efficient attitude maneuvers of combat aircraft

In some cases, numerical extremal trajectories for time-optimal attitude maneuvers for combat aircraft exhibit a nonintuitive feature in which the extremal roll-control causes the vehicle to initially roll the "wrong way." Using data for the high angle-of-attack research vehicle, we present a brief exposition and engineering explanation of this and related phenomena. The explanations are based on analyses of the structure of the aircraft mathematical model.
Macroreticular Resin Columns. I. Modeling of Bead and Filament Packings

Abstract The diffusion of solutes into spherical beads and cylindrical filaments of macroreticular resin is modeled for the ideal and nonideal cases. These results are then used to develop mathematical models for the operation of continuous flow columns packed with such resins. Effects of design and operating parameters on the breakthrough curves of the columns are calculated.
Petroleum Potential of Continental Margin off Southeastern United States: ABSTRACT

The continental margin off the southeastern United States is underlain by two major basins, the Carolina trough off North Carolina and South Carolina and the Blake Plateau Basin off Florida and Georgia, with the latter basin's landward extension, the Southeast Georgia embayment. The embayment, beneath the continental shelf is the only area in which drilling has taken place. Strata of the landward part of the Blake Plateau Basin including the embayment form a wedge of onlapping marine End_Page 563------------------------------ deposits that might provide stratigraphic traps, such as pinch-outs, barrier islands, and channels. Drapes over basement highs might trap petroleum. The seaward part of the Blake Plateau Basin contains a thick (14 km), landward-dipping section, probably composed mainly of carbonate platform deposits. Carbonate banks and an Albian-Aptian rudist reef might provide traps, although the seaward part of the platform has been breached by erosion. In the Carolina trough, flow of Jurassic(?) salt has formed diapirs, and withdrawal of salt has caused a large growth fault complex to form along the landward side of the trough. Because the block of sedimentary rock (12 km thick) above the salt is subsiding almost vertically, structures at the fault may include compressional features. The diapirs and faults may provide traps. A large shelf-edge anticline exists more than 150 km long and with a closure of as much as 500 m. Other possible traps might result from stratigraphic features of the onlapping sedimentary wedge landward of the Carolina trough and the eroded and buried paleoslope on the seaward side of the trough. End_of_Article - Last_Page 564------------
The Relation Between the Barriers for Thermal and Optical Electron Transfer Reactions in Solution

The relation between the energy of the intervalence (or metal-to-metal charge-transfer) transition in mixed-valence systems and the magnitude of the barrier to thermally activated electron transfer is described. We note that, contrary to what has frequently been assumed, the relation is in terms of free energies rather than internal energies or enthalpies. It is also shown, from plots of the enthalpies of the reactants and products versus the reaction coordinate, that negative activation enthalpies are a natural consequence when the standard enthalpy change for the reaction is sufficiently negative.
Posterior Pituitary Lobectomy: Differential Elevation of Plasma Prolactin and Luteinizing Hormone in Estrous and Lactating Rats

The effects of posterior pituitary lobectomy on PRL and LH secretion in estrous and lactating rats were examined. Blood was collected from a femoral artery immediately before and at various times after the removal of the posterior lobe from anesthetized rats. Rats in estrus were also subjected to chronic posterior lobectomy, and their water consumption and vaginal cytology were determined for 3 weeks. Within 5–10 min after posterior lobectomy in estrous rats, plasma PRL increased 3-fold, but declined to near control levels by 1–2 h. Plasma LH increased more gradually, reaching 4 times the control level after 2–3 h. No change was observed in plasma GH. Injection of dopamine to posterior lobectomized estrous rats caused an immediate fall in plasma PRL, but no change in LH. Plasma PRL in lactating rats increased 4-fold after posterior lobectomy, reaching a peak concentration by 30 min and remaining elevated for at least 3 h; plasma LH was unchanged. Eighty percent of chronic posterior lobecomized rats became...
Basal cell carcinoma with metastasis to bone. Report of two cases

Two cases of basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck are reported where the tumor metastasized to bone after many local recurrences. The histories of both patients are abstracted and the histologic appearance of portions of the primary tumors is compared to that seen in material gained from biopsies of the metastatic bone lesions. The more recent literature is reviewed. Among approximately 50 reports of basal cell carcinomata with metastases fewer than ten cases of bone metastasis from this tumor are found. The author speculates on the conditions under which distant metastasis might occur.