cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Corticotropin‐Releasing Factor in Behavioural Responses to Stress

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), when administered directly into the CNS, can have activating properties on behaviour and can enhance behavioural responses to stress. CRF injected intraventricularly produces a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity and increased responsiveness to an acoustic startle stimulus. However, this profile of activation changes to enhanced suppression of behaviour in stressful situations and includes increased freezing, increased conditioned suppression, increased conflict, decreased feeding and decreased behaviour in a novel open field. These effects of CRF are independent of the pituitary-adrenal axis and can be reversed by the CRF antagonist alpha-helical CRF(9-41). More importantly, the CRF antagonist can also reverse many behavioural responses to stressors. alpha-Helical CRF(9-41) reverses stress-induced fighting behaviour, stress-induced freezing, stress-induced suppression of feeding, stress-induced decreases in exploration of an elevated plus maze, fear-potentiated startle and the development of conditioned suppression. Intracerebral microinjections suggest that the amygdala may be an important site for the anti-stress effects of alpha-helical CRF(9-41). These results suggest that endogenous CRF systems in the CNS may have a role in mediating behavioural responses to stress and further suggest that CRF in the brain may function as a fundamental behavioural activating system. This CRF system may be particularly important in situations where an organism must mobilize not only the pituitary-adrenal system but also the CNS in response to environmental challenge.
Health implications of obesity: an NIH consensus development conference

In February 1985, in Bethesda, MD, the National Institutes of Health held a Consensus Development Conference on the Health Implications of Obesity. Nineteen experts in pertinent subject areas presented the current state of the art to a panel of 15 senior-level professionals. On the basis of the scientific evidence presented and its discussion by the audience, the panel formulated a "consensus statement" of findings and recommendations in the form of a narrative reply to six key questions focused on the health implications of obesity. This article summarizes the results of the consensus conference and discusses the conclusions and recommendations of the panel and their implications for the dietetic profession. Also provided, as a practical tool for the dietitian, are two nomograms indicating body mass index and desirable weight and 20% and 40% overweight levels for men and women of different heights and weights.
Potential pathogens in the environment: Klebsiella pneumoniae, a taxonomic and ecological enigma.

A nitrogen-deficient medium and m-Endo agar were employed in the isolation of members of the tribe Klebsielleae from surfaces of vegetables and seeds. With m-Endo agar at an incubation temperature of 37 C, nearly 50% of the vegetables and seven out of seven seed samples yielded organisms which biochemically and serologically were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Viable counts were generally in the range of 103 cells per g of vegetable peel or seed. Organisms classified as K. pneumoniae exhibited seven different IMViC patterns, with the --++, ++++, and -+++ patterns most common. Seven of the eleven K. pneumoniae serotypes encountered have previously been isolated from human urinary tract and other infections. Fifty percent of the 40 K. pneumoniae examined exhibited positive acetylene-reducing activity, i.e., they possessed the capability for fixing N2. Vegetables containing K. pneumoniae may constitute a potential reservoir for human nosocomial genitourinary or other infections.
Intrinsic data locality of modern scientific workloads

Understanding the intrinsic data locality of a workload is essential to understanding and predicting cache performance. The intrinsic data locality of a particular application or workload can be measured in a microarchitecture-independent manner. The data resulting from these measurements ideally can be used to develop an analytic model for predicting memory performance on different cache sizes and configurations. Many studies on data locality use cache hit ratios, a microarchitecture-dependent metric, to examine locality. In this paper, we present a microarchitecture-dependent and a microarchitecture-independent characterization of the SPEC2000 workloads. We present quantitative statistics on the different types of data locality (e.g. spatial and temporal) exhibited by these workloads and we show that the composite intrinsic locality can be correlated to locality measured by cache hit ratio.
Suppressors of the Ca(2+)-sensitive yeast mutant (csg2) identify genes involved in sphingolipid biosynthesis. Cloning and characterization of SCS1, a gene required for serine palmitoyltransferase activity.

Abstract Suppressor mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that block Ca(2+)-induced death of csg2 mutant cells were investigated. These mutants, called scs mutants (suppressor of Ca2+ sensitivity), fall into seven complementation groups (scs1-scs7). All mutant strains in two of the complementation groups (scs1 and scs2) simultaneously acquire a requirement for 10 mM Ca2+, whereas wild type grow with only trace amounts of Ca2+. SCS1 was cloned by complementation of its Ca(2+)-requiring phenotype and found to be homologous to a family of pyridoxal phosphate enzymes that catalyze acyltransfer reactions. Secondary phenotypes of the scs1 mutants indicate that SCS1 is required for serine palmitoyltransferase activity which catalyzes the first committed step in sphingolipid biosynthesis (palmitoyl-CoA + serine-->3-ketosphinganine+CoASH+CO2). Other scs mutants as well as the csg2 null mutant have altered sphingolipid metabolism. The data suggest that sphingolipid metabolism in yeast is either regulated by Ca2+ and/or is required for Ca2+ homeostasis.
Strong data processing inequalities in power-constrained Gaussian channels

This work presents strong data processing results for the power-constrained additive Gaussian channel. Explicit bounds on the amount of decrease of mutual information under convolution with Gaussian noise are shown. The analysis leverages the connection between information and estimation (I-MMSE) and the following estimation-theoretic result of independent interest. It is proved that any random variable for which there exists an almost optimal (in terms of the mean-squared error) linear estimator operating on the Gaussian-corrupted measurement must necessarily be almost Gaussian (in terms of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance).
Noise-induced looping on the Bloch sphere: Oscillatory effects in dephasing of qubits subject to broad-spectrum noise

For many implementations of quantum computing, $1/f$ and other types of broad-spectrum noise are important sources of decoherence. An important step forward would be the ability to extract the characteristics of this noise from qubit measurements to see if it leads to new physical effects. For certain types of qubits, the working point of the qubit can be varied. Using a new mathematical method that is suited to treating all working points, we present theoretical results that show how this degree of freedom can be used to extract noise parameters and predict a new effect: noise-induced looping on the Bloch sphere. We analyze data on superconducting qubits to show that they are very near the parameter regime where this looping should be observed.
Collaborative curation of data from bio-medical texts and abstracts and its integration

We propose an inexpensive and scalable approach for curation that takes advantage of automatic information extraction methods as a starting point, and is based on the premise that if there are a lot of articles, then there must be a lot of readers and authors of these articles. Thus we provide a mechanism by which the readers of the articles can participate and collaborate in the curation of information.
Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) communications network analysis using BONeS

The authors describe the simulation of a proposed network for a manufacturing facility. The facility will consist of several buildings spread over a large area. Manufacturing will take place in three separate buildings. A LAN will be required to provide communications for the manufacturing process. The proposed network consists of five carrier-sense-multiple-access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) networks on a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) backbone. The system configuration, the projected traffic pattern, and the proposed protocols are presented. The models used in constructing the network simulation are described. Results and an analysis of the simulations are outlined. >
Herpes simplex virus DNA synthesis at a preformed replication fork in vitro.

Abstract Proteins from herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected cells were used to reconstitute DNA synthesis in vitro on a preformed replication fork. The preformed replication fork consisted of a nicked, double-stranded, circular DNA molecule with a 5' single-strand tail that was noncomplementary to the template. The products of DNA synthesis on this substrate were rolling-circle molecules, as demonstrated by electron microscopy and alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis. The tails contained double-stranded regions, indicating that both leading- and lagging-strand DNA syntheses occurred. Rolling-circle DNA replication was dependent upon HSV DNA polymerase and ATP and was stimulated by a crude fraction containing ICP8 (HSV DNA-binding protein). Similar protein fractions from mock-infected cells were unable to support rolling-circle DNA replication. This in vitro DNA replication system should prove useful in the identification and characterization of the enzymatic activities required at the HSV replication fork.
Single-bead immunoassays using magnetic microparticles and spectral-shifting quantum dots.

This paper reports a single-bead immunoassay method based on the combined use of magnetic microparticles (MMPs) for target capturing/enrichment and antibody-conjugated semiconductor quantum dots (Q...
To be or not to be: howPseudomonas solanacearum decides whether or not to express virulence genes

Pseudomonas solanacearum is a soil-borne phytopathogen that causes a lethal wilting disease of many plants, due in part to production of the unusual exopolysaccharide EPS I and numerous extracellular proteins (EXPs). Levels of EPS I and many EXPs are differentially controlled by a complex sensory array whose size, organization, and other properties set it apart from others found in prokaryotes. This network not only controls reversible switching between two morphotypes, each probably specialized for survival in different ecological niches (plant vs. soil), but also fine tunes transcription of virulence genes in response to multiple environmental signals. The interacting and cascading nature of the network is reminiscent of a primitive neural network, apparently designed to guide virulence gene expression during the dynamic interaction of the pathogen with its environment. This minireview focuses on the unique aspects of the network and its regulated targets.
Designing for the internet of things: prototyping material interactions

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers fertile ground to consider the nature of electronic prototyping, especially in building systems from the lowest level. While constructing artifacts to interact directly with everyday materials and contexts, we've found it important to approach the IoT from the very lowest levels of hardware to avoid both abstracting away from real knowledge of the platform itself as well as to reduce implementation cost for massive deployment. Building new, inexpensive platforms that augment everyday objects in minimal ways is our proposal for an alternative to top-down control of IoT devices. We intend to move towards interactions among and between things as a bottom-up design study into ubiquitous small-scale computing and its potential aesthetic applications.
Tetanus immune globulin (human) in prophylaxis against tetanus

A c T I V E I M M U N I T Y s e r v e s a s the best protection against tetanus. However, despite persistent efforts at achieving immunity in the population, unimmunized children and adults continue to appear with wounds requiring the administration of antitoxin. Individuals who have not previously received tetanus toxoid can not be expected to possess immunity even if they have previously had tetanus. In these individuals certain aspects of prophylaxis are generally agreed upon. Early wound management is among these. Cleansing and debridement and delay of closure for heavily contaminated or late wounds are important. The organisms responsible for tetanus are ubiquitous, and, in fact, no method of active or passive immunization can be considered satisfactory enough to eliminate the need for the removal of foreign and necrotic material. 1 Most strains of tetanus bacilli are sensitive to penicillin and tetracycline, 2, 3 but antibiotics should be reserved for infected wounds and for those which cannot be satisfactorily debrided and for those in whom passive immunity is uncertain. 4 Controversy concerning the prophylaxis of tetanus in unimmunized individuals has
Progesterone Antagonism of Estrogen-Induced Cytodifferentiation in Chick Oviduct

Progesterone administered with estrogen to the intact female chick antagonizes the characteristic effects of estrogen to induce cell proliferation and cytodifferentiation of tubular gland cells in the oviduct, events that are accompanied by the appearance of lysozyme. Progesterone appears to exert its effect by preventing proliferation of cells destined to become tubular gland cells, but once such cells do proliferate, subsequent cytodifferentiation and appearance of lysozyme are not prevented.
Blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory responses to a single session of relaxation: A partial replication ☆

Abstract Our aim was to replicate a study of the Benson relaxation technique [1] using respiration as well as a wider representation of cardiovascular variables, including heart rate and blood pressure, to see whether (a) these variables are decreased by the relaxation response, and (b) whether subjects respond across these variables as would be expected by the concept of an “integrated relaxation response”. In an own-control comparison, 18 subjects were given two periods of reading (a relatively neutral, non-relaxing control) with two periods of relaxation in a sequence of 12-minute phases (A-B-A-B): (1) The relaxation produced significant mean decreases in respiration rate, as had been reported [1]. (2) Significant, but small, effects were found for heart rate, but no effect for blood pressure. (3) Some bases for the variation were explored: (a) heart rate differences were predicted by initial rating of attitude toward the relaxation procedure, (b) amount of prior incidental practice did not predict amount of response, (c) differences in initial blood pressure were unrelated to improvement. (4) No evidence was found to support the concept of a relaxation response in terms of only decreases in the measured physiological systems, but rather these data are more consistent with theories emphasizing that individual relaxation response patterns may differ somewhat from person to person.
A 3D digitization system for conventional radiation therapy simulation

While the majority of patients receiving external beam radiation therapy treatments are planned by CT-simulation, a significant number of them are still planned by using conventional simulators for various reasons. The information collection process in a conventional simulation is often fragmented and with primitive tools. For example, in many institutions patient body contours are still acquired by using solder wires and tracing papers, a time-consuming and error prone procedure. We have developed a three-dimensional digitization system to assist the information acquisition process at conventional simulations. The system consists of an infrared camera assembly, a wireless digitizer probe and a window based software. The system can provide 3D coordinates of any points in space accessible by the probe with sub-millimeter accuracy. It can be used to capture patient body contours, to record the coordinates of portal points, and to take various measurements for dose calculations as well as for patient setup. The software can display all the captured data together with the planned treatment fields to provide a comprehensive geometric verification of the treatment configuration. The system can also transfer all the information to dose planning programs in Dicom-RT format, providing an integrated information flow from simulation to dose planning.
Aging and Infectious Diseases in the Developing World

Although demographic aging does not remain restricted to industrialized countries, the medical challenge arising from the aging population will be distinct in the developing world. This is particularly true with respect to infectious diseases, which have a distinct spectrum in the elderly population, as well as a greater overall relevance in the developing world. Tropical diseases have a specific presentation and epidemiology in elderly patients. Infectious diseases with a worldwide distribution impact elderly patients in the developing world in a specific manner, which is most obvious with respect to human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis but is also true with respect to "trivial" manifestations of infection, such as diarrhea and pneumonia. Malnutrition contributes in a major way to the immunodeficiency of elderly patients in the developing world. Poorly controlled use of antimicrobial drugs leads to multidrug-resistant microorganisms, which, together with the limited resources available for drug treatment, makes appropriate treatment of infections in elderly patients in developing countries very difficult. Infections in elderly patients will have an increasing impact on the public health and economy of developing countries.
High power operation of a 30-cm mercury bombardment ion thruster

The nominal input power of a 30-cm mercury bombardment ion thruster is 2.5 kW. A representative 30-cm thruster has been operated at higher power levels by increasing either the ion beam voltage or current. Initial results indicate that higher voltage (high specific impulse) operation requires only minor modifications in thruster design. Higher current (low specific impulse) operation, on the other hand, requires improvements in the capabilities of the discharge chamber and ion optics assembly designs to meet lifetime and/or performance specifications. Experimental data is presented and considerations for high power operation (up to 10 kW) are discussed.
Using statins to treat inflammation in acute coronary syndromes : Are we there yet?

Inflammation and oxidative damage play direct roles in coronary artery disease. C-reactive protein (CRP) is currently the best available marker of inflammation, and statins can potentially reduce coronary inflammation. Until now, CRP testing has been somewhat controversial in the context of cardiovascular disease, as has statin treatment specifically to treat inflammation. However, three recent studies showed that early and aggressive treatment with statins reduces future cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndromes; another study showed that aggressive statin treatment leads to regression of stable coronary artery disease. In all the studies, the benefit correlated with reductions in CRP.
The Worksite Heart Health Improvement Project (WHHIP): Feasibility and Efficacy

Objective Test the feasibility and efficacy of the Worksite Heart Health Improvement Project (WHHIP). Design The WHHIP was a quasi-experimental 6-month pilot performed in 2 long-term care facilities. Sample Thirty-nine female minority nursing assistants participated in this study with a mean age of 42.39 (SD = 12.79) years. Measurements Measures were collected at baseline, 3, and 6 months and included blood pressure, lipid panel, body mass index, physical activity levels, diet behaviors, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy outcomes. Intervention The 3-month WHHIP intervention included 3 components: environmental and policy assessment; education; and on-going motivation. The control site received education only. Results Subject participation averaged 47% and 58% in exercise and diet related activities, respectively. Generalized estimating equations showed the treatment group showed significant improvements in depressive symptoms (p = .012), systolic blood pressure (p = .028), total cholesterol (p = .002) and triglycerides (p = .011) over time. The treatment group also showed trends for improvement in diet behaviors (p = .069) and diastolic blood pressure (p = .073). Conclusions This study provided feasibility evidence for the WHHIP and preliminary evidence that the WHHIP can improve heart healthy behaviors and subsequent outcomes among nursing assistants in long-term care settings.
The use of 2-dimensional CNBr peptide maps for the analysis of crosslinked peptides in bone collagen.

Abstract CNBr peptides from insoluble bovine cortical bone collagen were analyzed using a 2-D mapping technique. The major type I collagen CNBr peptides were detected by fluorography after general-labelling with 3 H-NaBH 4 in dimethylformamide. These maps were similar to those visualized by coomassie blue staining and demonstrated a proportional decrease of a1CB6. New groups of peptides, different from those normally present in soluble type I collagen were detected. Some of these peptides were slightly larger and more acidic than α1CB6 and were highly labelled when the demineralized bone was specifically labelled for the presence of aldehydes and crosslinks with 3 H-NaBH 4 in a phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Based on the size and charge characteristics of these specifically labelled peptides, they were tentatively identified as crosslinking peptides containing different combinations of α1CB6, α1CB0,1 and α1CB5. The specificity of the labelling method using 3 H-NaBH 4 in phosphate buffer was demonstrated by the detection of other known crosslinked peptides and by the virtual absence of label in α1CB7, CB8, and CB3. We feel that this simple methodological approach developed in these experiments will prove to be very useful in the analysis of collagen crosslinks present in insoluble collagens derived from normal tissues of various ages as well as from pathological states.
Sterilization of skin.

It is frequently stated that in the strict bacteriological sense it is impossible to sterilize skin. This concept apparently arises from the use of methods which do not insure that an appropriate disinfectant is applied in active form for an adequate interval of time. Since the rich and; complex nutrients used for cell cultivation provide an excellent pabulum for a variety of microorganisms, long experience in sterilization of leprous and normal skin prior to biopsy for tissue culture induces us to present evidence that skin sterilization is not a difficult problem.Early attempts to sterilize well scrubbed skin by painting with tincture of iodine were at times successful and at times failures. The inconstancy of the results suggested the desirability of controlling the action of iodine with respect to concentration, and time of action. By covering the area to be biopsied with a heavy patch of fabric, dripping iodine solution (tincture of iodine 1:2 in 70%percnt; alcohol by weight) on this patch until it w...
Evaluation of a plasmid-based 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region array for analysis of microbial diversity in industrial wastewater.

A plasmid-based 16S–23S rDNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) array was developed and optimized for analysis of microbial diversity within complex environmental samples. Plasmid probes with 16S–23S rDNA ISR inserts (800–1500 bp) from industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) microorganisms were arrayed onto glass slides. Hybridization of fluorescently labeled target sequences from two clones from the ISR WWTP library to arrayed probes showed that there was a good linear relationship between hybridization intensity and ISR similarity (r2=0.82). Hybridization was highly specific (average background from arrayed probes with less than 80% similarity in ISR sequence was less than 7%). Strong fluorescence intensity corresponded to near-perfect match clones (99% or greater similarity in ISR sequence). A majority of probes (79%) showed no background hybridization. However, weak background (less than 50% for arrayed probes with 90% and 95% similarity in the 16S rRNA genes) was observed from closely related microorganisms. Background fluorescence from the negative control (plasmid vector with no insert) was similar to water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-negative controls. Hybridization using fluorescently labeled ISR sequences from a mixed community sample produced strong fluorescent signals with no background from negative controls. A Cy5-labeled reference standard, part of the vector and present in every spotted probe, was used to normalize hybridization values. These results indicate that arrayed plasmid containing ISR probe insert sequences provides specificity and sensitivity for microbial community analysis in a high-throughput array format.
Effect of secretin on small bowel myoelectric activity of conscious healthy dogs

Myoelectric activity of the duodenum and small intestine of 7 dogs was studied over a period of 4 months using chronically implanted platinum electrodes. Secretin, 1 unit/kg body weight, reduced the incidence of bursts of action potentials without significant effect on the frequency or velocity of the pacesetter potential (slow wave). Inhibition of action potentials was greater in the duodenum and jejunum than in the ileum in all dogs studied. It is concluded that a gradient of diminishing inhibitory action of secretin on action potentials, and therefore on motor activity, extends distally throughout the small intestine.
Long-term tillage and maize monoculture effects on a tropical Alfisol in western Nigeria. I. Crop yield and soil physical properties

A wide range of tillage methods (e.g. mouldboard ploughing, discing, harrowing, chiselling, notill, ridge till, and their combinations) are used for continuous maize (Zea mays L.) cropping in western Nigeria without the benefits of experimental data on their comparative effects on soil properties and crop response. Therefore, the main objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of a range of tillage methods and continuous maize culture on grain and stover yields and degradative effects on soil properties. Tillage-induced changes in soil physical properties and maize yields were studied for 8 consecutive years from 1980 through 1987. Two crops were grown every year in the two rainy seasons. Season 1 lasted from April through July and Season 2 from August to November. The eight tillage treatments studied were: (1) notill + residue mulch, (2) notill + chiselling in the row zone to 50 cm depth, (3) mouldboard ploughing + harrowing, (4) disc ploughing + rotovation, (5) notill — residue mulch, (6) mouldboard ploughing at the end of rains or summer ploughing, (7) mouldboard ploughing and harrowing + residue mulch, (8) mouldboard ploughing and harrowing + ridging or ridge till. The experiment was established on a newly cleared land that had been under fallow (native vegetation regrowth) for about 6 years. With some exceptions, soil physical properties were measured in the dry season from 1980 through 1987, year by year. Maize grain yield was significantly affected by tillage treatments in 3 of 8 years only in Season 1. Notill + residue mulch produced the highest yield in both seasons. In addition, ploughing + residue mulch produced high yield in the first season only. Mean maize grain yield (averaged for 8 years) was 3.1 Mg ha−1 in the first season compared with 1.4 Mg ha−1 in the second. Maize grain yield in the first season increased from 2.3 mg ha−1 in 1980 to 4.4 Mg ha−1 in 1984 and then progressively declined to 1.6 Mg ha−1 in 1987. In the second season, grain yield was highly variable and depended on the rainfall amount and distribution. Complete crop failure occurred in Season 2 of 1983. The highest seasonal yield of 2.5 Mg ha−1 was in 1984, and yield progressively declined to 0.6 Mg ha−1 in 1987. Tillage treatments had no effect on soil bulk density of the surface 0 to 10 cm depth which progressively increased with cultivation duration. After 8 years, sand content was significantly lower and clay content significantly higher in the surface 0–10-cm layer of notill + mulch compared with plough-based and unmulched treatments. Equilibrium infiltration rate was rapid in all treatments, but significantly higher in notill compared with ridged treatment. Maize monocropping had drastic adverse effects on soil quality and crop yield. Adverse effects were more drastic in plough-based systems — residue mulch than with the notill system + residue mulch.
Plasma Corticosterone Values in Genetic Hypertensive and Hypotensive Strains of Turkeys

Plasma corticosterone levels of hypertensive and hypostensive turkeys were 2.50 and 2.19 micrograms/dl, respectively. Male turkeys of both strains had a mean plasma levels of 2.47 micrograms/dl and female turkeys had a mean level of 2.21 micrograms/gl. The average plasma corticosterone level for all turkeys was 2.35 micrograms/dl. Although the plasma corticosterone levels were higher at 1200 hr than at either 0800 or 1600 hr, the differences were not statistically significant. It was condluded that blood pressure selection had no significant effect on plasma corticosterone levels.
Effective liquid-liquid extraction method for analysis of pyrethroid and phenylpyrazole pesticides in emulsion-prone surface water samples.

The distribution of pyrethroid and phenylpyrazole pesticides in the water environment has raised public concerns because of their potential risks to ecosystem and human health. However, co-extraction of emulsifier type compounds (by liquid–liquid extraction, LLE) present in environmental samples can present a challenge for quantifying typically low concentrations of pesticides. Several methods were evaluated for breaking emulsions in problematic environmental surface water samples extracted by LLE using methylene chloride. Target pesticides included 11 typical pyrethroid and phenylpyrazole pesticides commonly used in agricultural and landscape insect pest control. The most effective method was selected for validation in fortification studies with GC-ECD analysis. The average recoveries of spiked pyrethroid and phenylpyrazole pesticides were 88.2–123.4% for water samples with moderate emulsions and 93.0–117.4% for water samples with severe emulsions. Recoveries of the pesticides ranged 81.0–126.4% (water samples with moderate emulsions) and 95.9–110.6% (water samples with severe emulsions) for lowest fortification level (5–20 ng L−1), 88.2–123.4% (water samples with moderate emulsions) and 93.0–117.4% (water samples with severe emulsions) for middle fortification level (10–40 ng L−1), and 90.2–119.9% (water samples with moderate emulsions) and 91.2–105.9% (water samples with severe emulsions) for highest fortification level (50–200 ng L−1). Relative standard deviations of pesticide recoveries were usually <10%. Results indicate that this method is a robust and reproducible option for LLE of pyrethroid and phenylpyrazole pesticides from emulsion-prone surface water samples.
Chromosome 3 workshop.

The workshop had two goals: (1) to construct a consensus genetic marker map of chromosome 3; (2) to examine putative associations at the dopamine D3 receptor gene locus (DRD3). Findings from sixteen abstracts were discussed and recommendations made for future work.
Evolutionary Analysis by Whole-Genome Comparisons

A total of 37 complete genome sequences of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes were compared. The percentage of orthologous genes of each species contained within any of the other 36 genomes was established. In addition, the mean identity of the orthologs was calculated. Several conclusions result: (i) a greater absolute number of orthologs of a given species is found in larger species than in smaller ones; (ii) a greater percentage of the orthologous genes of smaller genomes is contained in other species than is the case for larger genomes, which corresponds to a larger proportion of essential genes; (iii) before species can be specifically related to one another in terms of gene content, it is first necessary to correct for the size of the genome; (iv) eukaryotes have a significantly smaller percentage of bacterial orthologs after correction for genome size, which is consistent with their placement in a separate domain; (v) the archaebacteria are specifically related to one another but are not significantly different in gene content from the bacteria as a whole; (vi) determination of the mean identity of all orthologs (involving hundreds of gene comparisons per genome pair) reduces the impact of errors in misidentification of orthologs and to misalignments, and thus it is far more reliable than single gene comparisons; (vii) however, there is a maximum amount of change in protein sequences of 37% mean identity, which limits the use of percentage sequence identity to the lower taxa, a result which should also be true for single gene comparisons of both proteins and rRNA; (viii) most of the species that appear to be specifically related based upon gene content also appear to be specifically related based upon the mean identity of orthologs; (ix) the genes of a majority of species considered in this study have diverged too much to allow the construction of all-encompassing evolutionary trees. However, we have shown that eight species of gram-negative bacteria, six species of gram-positive bacteria, and eight species of archaebacteria are specifically related in terms of gene content, mean identity of orthologs, or both.
Perspective Shifts and a Theoretical Model Relating to "Kaigaishijo" and "Kikokushijo," or Third Culture Kids in a Japanese Context.

This article examines the various claims made about sojourn children known as kaigaishijo and kikokushijo, or third culture kids (TCKs) in a Japanese context. Their image has shifted from education...
A paradigmatic disagreement in "Dialogue on Dialogic Pedagogy" by Eugene Matusov and Kiyotaka Miyazaki

I read with a great pleasure the heated dialogue on Dialogic Pedagogy between Eugene Matusov and Kiyotaka Miyazaki. It provided me with one of those rare occasions where I could both witness, and also join, the workings of two minds as they struggled with and against each other to construct, de-construct, and reconstruct their visions of dialogic pedagogical approaches to education. As I was reading, I had a lot of questions and remarks. I try to summarize them here – while many are still left on the margins of the original manuscript.
Distributed Transaction Processing and The Camelot System

This paper describes distributed transaction processing, a technique used for simplifying the construction of reliable distributed systems. After introducing transaction processing, the paper presents models describing the structure of distributed systems, the transactional computations on them, and the layered software architecture that supports those computations. The software architecture model contains five layers, including an intermediate layer that provides a common set of useful functions for supporting the highly reliable operation of system services, such as data management, file management, and mail. The functions of this layer can be realized in what is termed a distributed transaction facility. The paper then describes one such facility — Camelot. Camelot provides flexible and high performance commit supervision, disk management, and recovery mechanisms that are useful for implementing a wide class of abstract data types, including large databases. It runs on the Unix-compatible Mach operating system and uses the standard Arpanet IP communication protocols. Presently, Camelot runs on RT PC’s and Vaxes, but it should also run on other computers including shared-memory multiprocessors.
Solution of gases in oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The solubilities of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, methane, and carbon dioxide in thin films of crystalline oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) in the glassy state were studied by the static sorption method. High pressure sorption isotherms were obtained for carbon dioxide. Results indicate that, above a certain film thickness, solubilities of all gasses in the crystalline oriented polymer (Mylar) are virtually identical to those in the unoriented crystalline polymer. Solubility constants are correlated with gas force constants, ϵ□k, and the heats of sorption obtained for methane and carbon dioxide are nearly the same for both the oriented and unoriented films. The sorption isotherms obtained for carbon dioxide are nonlinear but may be well described by considering dual sorption modes. One of these, ordinary dissolution, is described by Henry's law, while the other, “hole filling,” is characterized by a Langmuir expression. Solubilities of carbon dioxide in the thinnest oriented films (1 mil) are markedly higher than in the unoriented film. Analysis of the sorption data indicates that both the hole saturation constant, and the hole affinity constant, are larger in the 1-mil oriented film. The amorphous phase appears to be different also, exhibiting a larger capacity for dissolved gas. Different thermal history, relating to the manufacture of the film, is advanced as a possible explanation for increased solubility.
Extra-pair copulations in a predominantly monogamous bird: observations of behaviour

Abstract The mating behaviour of indigo buntings, Passerina cyanea was studied. A total of 535 attempted matings in 3 years were observed. Of the 413 copulations that occurred within the female's presumed fertile period (from 12 days before to the day before the last egg was laid), 53 (12·8%) were extrapair copulations (EPCs). The rate of within-pair copulations (WPCs) per pair-hour, EPCs per female-hour and territorial intrusions per h all peaked 3 days before the first egg was laid. Intruders were attracted to copulations, and males attempted to copulate with their mates more after an intrusion. Nearly all intruders and males attempting EPCs were territorial neighbours. More than half of the males attempting EPCs had one or more females nesting on their territories. Although males behaved as if they were guarding their mates from possible EPCs, they often left their females unguarded. Females resisted EPCs significantly more than WPCs, and attempted EPCs were less likely to make cloacal contact than attempted WPCs. However, some forced EPCs did make cloacal contact. The difficulties of estimating the rate of extra-pair fertilizations from observations of copulations are discussed. Finally, in the light of these results the possible role of nesting density, mate guarding, synchrony of breeding, male parental care and polygyny on the rate of EPCs is examined.
Variation of entropy and parse trees of sentences as a function of the sentence number

In this paper we explore the variation of sentences as a function of the sentence number. We demonstrate that while the entropy of the sentence increases with the sentence number, it decreases at the paragraph boundaries in accordance with the Entropy Rate Constancy principle (introduced in related work). We also demonstrate that the principle holds for different genres and languages and explore the role of genre informativeness. We investigate potential causes of entropy variation by looking at the tree depth, the branching factor, the size of constituents, and the occurrence of gapping.
Photoassociative formation of ultracold polar KRb molecules

We investigate the effectiveness of creating polar ground-state KRb molecules by two-color photoassociative spectroscopy. In this process the molecules are formed from ultra-cold samples of K and Rb. Focusing on spin-polarized atoms we show that an effective pathway exists. In addition, we investigate the stability of the polar molecules in the presence of a thermal black-body radiation field.
Tailoring Electrochromic Properties using Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) and Poly(N-phenyl-2-(2`-thienyl)-5-(5``-vinyl-2``-thienyl)pyrrole) Blends

Blends of poly(N-phenyl-2-(2-thienyl)-5-(5-vinyl-2-thienyl)pyrrole) (PSNPhS) and poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) were prepared in mass ratios of 1:4, 3:2, and 4:1. Their electrochromic properties were characterized using cyclic voltammetry, in situ spectroelectrochemistry, and spectrocolorimetry. Solid-state electrochromic devices were prepared using ITO/Mylar substrates and a solid polymer electrolyte, with cast films of the polymer blends deposited on the working electrode. The color contrasts of these devices were measured by spectrocolorimetry conforming to the Commission International de l'Eclairage (CIE) methods. The observed color changes in the p-doped state of the devices were compared using the CIE color coordinate values and correlate (R2 = 0.97) with the quantity of PSNPhS present in the blend. These combinations of PSNPhS and PVK yielded colors similar to those of natural vegetation and soils, as desired.
Studies on the use of ethaverine in the treatment of angina pectoris.

Abstract The drug therapy of angina pectoris supposedly depends on substances producing coronary vasodilatation, thereby increasing the blood flow to ischemic myocardium. Many drugs with this supposed property have been suggested including papaverine, 1 visammin (Khellin), ° °Visammin is the generic name for dimethoxy-methyl-furano-chromone. 2,3 Peritrate, ‡ ‡Brand name of pentaerythritol tetranitrate. 4 and Paveril Phosphate. § §Brand name of dioxyline phosphate. 5 European reports have been favorable on the use of ethaverine in angina pectoris. 6,7 A recent report in this country concluded the drug was of no more value in the treatment of angina pectoris than a placebo. 8 This report constitutes an additional evaluation of the effectiveness of ethaverine in the treatment of angina pectoris. Ethaverine, the ethyl analogue of papaverine, differs from papaverine in that all the methonyl groups of the parent compound have been replaced with ethonyl groups. Chemically ethaverine is 6, 7-diethonyl-1-(3′, 4′-diethonyl benzyl)-isoquinaline. The peak coronary artery vasodilator effect and the length of time of maximum vasodilator effect of ethaverine and papaverine were compared in the isolated rabbit heart in 1950 by Winder and associates. 9 They found that ethaverine had both a more gradual and a more persistent actions at doses above the threshold level than papaverine and that its total effect summed over time is more effective than papaverine. Clinical reports are in agreement with its low toxicity relative to papaverine, 10–14 and Himmelsbach 15 reported that it is not habit forming.
The Work Ethic Reconsidered

Development of a conceptual framework that allows beliefs about work to be measured in a multidimensional scheme. Speculation about a basic change in work ethics in the United States; Belief systems about the nature of work; Measurement of beliefs; Results and discussion. (Abstract copyright EBSCO.)
Plasma doping optimization for ultra-shallow junctions

Abstract Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) techniques have been applied to semi-conductor doping using many different plasma sources and process sequences. For ultrashallow MOSFET source/drain junctions, plasma doping is particularly attractive due to its high dose rate at low energies, and large-area implantation capability. To make shallow junctions using PIII, the implant conditions are important. A direct correlation is seen between the substrate bias used to accelerate ions and the final junction depth. The shallowest, 40–60 nm junctions are made with 1 kV BF 3 PIII. In addition to implant bias, the as-implanted profile is sensitive to plasma conditions, bias waveforms and ion species present in the plasma.
Western Mosquitofish Predation on Native Amphibian Eggs and Larvae

ABSTRACT The western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) is commonly stocked for mosquito control, but this species has the potential to negatively impact native amphibians through predation on early life stages. We examined predation by western mosquitofish on eggs and larvae of wood frog (Rana sylvatica), American toad (Bufo americanus), eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum), and western chorus fiog (Pseudacris triseriata triseriata) using a series of laboratory microcosm experiments. There were no eggs of any amphibian species consumed by western mosquitofish, and only one predation attempt was observed on a western chorus frog egg. No predation was observed on larvae of wood frog or American toad, and there was no significant difference in the percentage of larvae of these two species missing at the end of the experimental trials (11% and 6%, respectively). However, eastern tiger salamander and western chorus fiog larvae experienced significantly higher predation rates than the other two ...
PROJECT__X: A PL/1 program for processing acyclic digraphs

A PL/I program for constructing and processing acyclic digraphs is described. As an aid to exposition, an application of the program to the study of epistomological structure in human memory is discussed.
Finite Element Analysis Of Thermal Transients In Multi-Stripe Laser Diode Arrays

The NASTRAN finite element code was used to simulate the temperature transients in the active area of laser diode arrays caused by driving the array with a pulsed waveform. A ten-stripe multi-quantum-well (MQW) structure was used. The thermal impedance of the array was also determined and compared to experimental values obtained by monitoring the threshold dependance of the device during pulsed and cw operation. The single-stripe diode was also modeled for comparison purposes.
Rheumatoid arthritis and bone mineral density in elderly women

Previous studies have suggested that women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in both the appendicular and axial skeleton. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association of RA and BMD from a community-based sample of ambulatory Caucasian women age 65 and over. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the hip and lumbar spine and by single photon absorptiometry (SPA) at the distal radius and calcaneus. Study subjects included 120 postmenopausal women with RA who were further classified according to corticosteroid use, i.e., never users, current users, and ex-users, and 7966 age-similar controls. Elderly women with RA had a lower age-adjusted bone density of the distal radius, calcaneus, hip, and lumbar spine. Women with RA who were current users of steroids had the lowest BMD at both appendicular sites and at the hip, but those who never used steroids also had a significantly decreased BMD at all sites. The BMD of women with RA who had never used steroids remained significantly decreased at the distal radius, calcaneus, and hip after adjustment for age, BMD determinants, and functional outcomes of RA Functional outcomes of RA largely accounted for the lower BMD of women who were currently using steroids. Women with RA have lower appendicular and axial bone mass that is not attributable to the use of steroids. Those currently taking steroids have even lower appendicular and axial bone mass that may reflect their poorer functional outcome and is likely to increase the risk of fractures. Prevention of disability and avoidance of long-term steroid use may decrease the risk of fractures in elderly women with RA.