cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium and spreading behaviour of amphibian blastula and gastrula cells.

Cell locomotion involves several structural-functional activities: membrane extensibility, microfilament regulation and adhesive interactions. There is evidence for Ca2+ requirement in all of these. Our data may clarify the role of Ca2+ in locomotion and adhesion. Morphologic and spreading responses of isolated blastula-late gastrula Rana pipiens germ layer cells to varying molar concentrations of Ca2+: 0-Ca2+, Standard Ca2+ (Barth9s X solution), 1.5 × and 2.0 × Std Ca2+ were viewed by S.E.M. after 1 h in culture. Ionic strength and pH were constant. All cells showed quantitative relationships between Ca2+ concentration and surface extensibility, projection formation and presumably adhesion, but with tissue- and stagespecific variations. Cells in Ca2+-free medium fail to adhere (50%), flatten or form surface projections. Cells in media with increasing Ca2+ generally formed more numerous and extensive surface projections, spread and adhered to a greater extent. In some cases there were no quantitative differences in response between 1·5 × and 2·0 × standard Ca2+. Cells in suspension for 1 h in standard solution remained spherical, forming no projections. We infer from these results that both Ca2+ and contact with a physical substratum, cell-cell or cellglass are required for mobilization of the various systems involved in locomotion and adhesion. In addition, components of these systems are quantitatively activated by increased availability of Ca2+.
Urine PGE-M: A Metabolite of Prostaglandin E2 as a Potential Biomarker of Advanced Colorectal Neoplasia

Background & Aims The enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 is expressed in a majority of colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) and is important in prostaglandin production. We have developed an accurate method to measure the urinary metabolite of prostaglandin E2 (PGE-M) using recently developed mass spectrometric techniques. The purpose of this pre-validation study was to determine if urinary PGE-M levels can be used as a biomarker to discriminate between healthy patients and those with colorectal disease. Methods Urine PGE-M was assessed in a total of 228 patients with CRC, colonic adenomatous polyps, Crohn's disease, and in subjects with no endoscopically detectable disease. Thirteen rectal carcinoma patients were treated with celecoxib and urinary PGE-M was measured before and after treatment. Results Urine PGE-M levels were increased among healthy men compared with healthy women (median, 8.59 [interquartile range (IQR), 5.67–22.3] vs 4.25 [IQR, 2.35–6.03], P = .0027). Urine PGE-M levels among patients with Crohn's disease (median, 19.85 [IQR, 6.89–90.2]), CRC (median, 14.65 [IQR, 5.94–92.1]), or large adenomas greater than 1 cm in size (median, 18.85 [IQR, 11.9–25.6]) were significantly increased when compared with patients who had either small polyps less than 1 cm in size (median, 9.69 [IQR, 6.41–22.2]), or no polyps (median, 7.05 [IQR, 2.35–24.7]) (P = .0001). PGE-M levels decreased significantly after celecoxib treatment in patients with rectal cancer (median, 21.7 [IQR, 16.2–29.9] vs 9.14 [IQR, 7.14–13.2], P = .009). Conclusions The increase in urinary PGE-M in patients with colorectal cancers and large adenomas suggests that urinary PGE-M is a potentially useful biomarker for the detection of advanced colorectal neoplasia.
Academic learning, a variational model.

By assigning coordinates to the information space comprising all knowledge, rigorous mathematical interpretations can be placed on such terms as academic ability, memory and creativity such that these psychometric concepts can be incorporated into a framework of functional analysis which then permits the optimization of long-term academic learning processes through the location of the teaching trajectories in information space which will maximize the knowledge accumulated in a generalized educational system composed of a complex of subject-pupil-teacher interactions. The concepts of discrete and continuous information spaces are discussed in connection with subject-subject, subjectpupil and pupil-pupil interactions, and the advantages of using variational versus dynamic programming methods of optimizing alternative educational systems are evaluated.
Glutamic acid decarboxylase activity in discrete hypothalamic nuclei during the development of rats

We have assessed the activity (nmol/mg protein/h) of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in discrete hypothalamic nuclei before and after sexual maturation in the developing female rat. Activity in other brain regions including the cortex, septum and caudate-putamen was also assessed. While there appears to be a general rise (approximately 30%), with age, in GAD activity, the rise is most marked, and highly significant (P < 0.001), in the anterior portion of the hypothalamus (56%). In contrast, no significant increase of GAD activity was found in the medial basal hypothalamus.
The Guayape fault system, Honduras, Central America

Abstract The Guayape fault system (GFS) is the longest continuous structural feature in Honduras and a major tectonic element within the Chortis block of the Caribbean Plate. Nevertheless, it has been largely ignored in most tectonic studies of this region, apparently due to lack of detailed information concerning the location, extent, and nature of the system. This paper attempts to fill this gap. The GFS is defined as a complex band of faults, from 2 to 25 km in width, which trends N30°–35°E for 290 km from the Honduras-Nicaragua border near El Paraiso to the Caribbean coast near the mouth of the Rio Sico. A probable offshore continuation can be seen in seismic reflection profiles. Field mapping and aerial photograph interpretation indicate that the GFS proper terminates in a series of splay and cross faults in the Jamastran Valley-El Paraiso area and does not make an en echelon transfer to connect with the Choluteca lineament to the southwest. The most obvious manifestation of the GFS is the fault-controlled alignment of major segments of the Guayambre, Guayape, Tinto, Paulaya, and Sico Rivers. The great length and rectilinearity of the GFS indicate that it is a strike-slip fault, which is confirmed by abundant horizontal and sub-horizontal slickensides, vertical drag-folds, shutterridges, and extensional basins generated by strike-slip displacement. Subsidiary dip-slip faults, expected in a major transcurrent fault system, are common, especially where extensional basins have developed. Stream offsets of about 50 km, some mesoscopic slip indicators, the regional distribution of a shaly member of the Honduras Group, and regional tectonic considerations suggest sinistral displacement on the GFS. On the other hand, three, possibly four, modern topographic depressions along the GFS are dextral strike-slip extensional basins, and dextral mesoscopic slip indicators outnumber sinistral indicators. A two-stage slip history is thereby inferred, with a sinistral-slip phase of more than 50 km displacement followed by a dextral-slip phase of smaller displacement. The GFS truncates units ss young tuffs of the predominantly Miocene Padre Piguel Group as well as younger Tertiary(?) gravels. The extreme topographic crispness of the GFS at many localities and the youthfulness of the strike-slip basins show that the GFS is a young feature; hot springs in four localities and scattered seismic data suggest continued activity, but there is no convincing evidence of significant modern motion on the system. The age for inception of motion is unknown, but the sinistral phase probably sympathetic to Tertiary movement of the Chortis block along the sinistral Motagua-Swan transform (NOAM-CARIB plate boundary). Continued movement of the Chortis along the arcuate plate boundary may have rotated the block into a position favorable for the initiation of dextral slip.
Remotely sensed sea-surface chlorophyll and POC flux at Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos sampling stations

Abstract Biweekly composite averages of the standing stock of sea-surface chlorophyll (SSC) were derived from SeaWiFS satellite ocean-color data at 44 benthic sampling stations occupied along the continental slope and rise by the Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB) program. At the 22 DGoMB sites north of 26°N and west of 91°W in the NW Gulf of Mexico, annual average SSC was 0.19 mg m −3 , ranging at most locations from annual highs of about 0.3 mg m −3 in November–February to lows of about 0.1 mg m −3 in May–August. Comparison of three years of SeaWiFS data (January 1998–December 2000) showed little inter-annual variation at these NW Gulf stations. In contrast, at the 22 NE Gulf sites north of 26°N and east of 91°W, SSC averaged 2.8 times higher than in the NW Gulf, showing also strong inter-annual variation. Maxima in the NE region occurred in November–February and also during summers. The summer maxima were associated with Mississippi River water transported offshore to the east and southward by anticyclonic eddies in the NE Gulf. The apparent increases in SSC in June–August at NE Gulf stations reached average monthly concentrations >50% greater than in November–February. Based on a primary productivity model and a vertical flux model, the calculated export of particulate organic carbon (POC flux reaching the seafloor) was estimated as ∼18 mg C m −2 day −1 at the 22 NE Gulf stations, and ∼9 mg C m −2 day −1 at the 22 NW Gulf stations. These estimates are comparable to fluxes measured by benthic lander by others in the DGoMB program, which may drive the differences in west versus east bathymetric zonation and community structure of macrobenthos that were sampled with large box corers by others in the DGoMB program.
Nuclear elongation and cytokinesis in Drosophila montana.

Abstract We have used time-lapse cinematography and electron microscopy to study Drosophila montana embryos during formation of the cellular blastoderm, which occurs shortly after the twelfth mitotic division of the nuclei. At the end of this division, the 3500 spherical nuclei in the peripheral cytoplasm elongate to 2.6 × their diameter, increasing their volume 2.4-fold. Bundles of microtubules, oriented parallel to the direction of elongation, surround the elongating nuclei. We propose that the tubules serve to constrain the enlarging nuclei so that they elongate rather than becoming larger spheres. Cytokinesis begins as the nuclei elongate, resulting in the simultaneous division of the embryo into 3500 peripheral cells surrounding the internal yolk mass. We observe that some cleavage furrows form through spindles, but most form between asters belonging to adjacent nuclei. These observations support the ideas of Rappaport that furrow initiation results from the interaction of pairs of asters with the egg surface. Some evidence is given for the existence of a system of contractile fibers which may be responsible for furrowing. We demonstrate that there are both slow and fast phases of furrowing, and we present the possibility that there are at least two sources of membrane for furrow growth.
Mitral Valve Prolapse in a Patient with Frontometaphyseal Dysplasia

Frontometaphyseal dysplasia (FMD) was described by Gorlin and Cohen 1969.1 Since then, 20 cases have been reported.2 The common findings include a characteristic face with particularly prominent supraorbital ridges, defective vision, hearing and dentition, micrognathia, high arched palate, winged scapulae, limited joint motion, and poorly developed musculature.3 Despite the presence of a heart murmur described in several patients,1,2,4,5 a specific cardiac lesion has not been diagnosed. This report describes a patient with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and FMD.
Using the Arts to Pay for the Arts: A Proposed New Public Funding Model

Stipulating that public funding for arts in the United States is inadequate and unstable, the author reviews a series of alternatives to annual Congressional appropriations. Referencing precedents in Canada and Europe, they propose a new system of funding that would rely on a user fee levied on ticket books, art sales, blank media, and downloads. Such a system would need to be enacted just once and would result in an annual flow of grant funds to the arts vastly in excess of the current level. A new role for the current National Endowment for the Arts is discussed, as are logistical and political challenges.
Constitutional Review in the United States and Austria: Notes on the Beginnings

Abstract Despite far-reaching historical and political differences, and despite legal systems that reflect altogether different traditions, the United States and Austria manifest striking similarities where some aspects of their respective development of constitutional review are concerned. For example, on the constitutional review of federalist issues (competing claims of federal and state law), the review power was there from the beginning in both countries. And both countries developed a power of constitutional review reaching to the enactments of the federal legislature. In a brief sketch of aspects of the early development of constitutional review in both countries, the author looks, in particular, to the kinds of arguments made on behalf of constitutional review in the American and Austrian legal systems.
Damage mechanics: accomplishments, trends and needs

The objective of this study is to highlight the accomplishments, weaknesses and trends of damage mechanics and research needed for further development. The growing interest in damage mechanics is a proof that the accomplishments are significant. However, one of the messages is that the damage mechanics, in its focus on the dilute density of micro-defects and homogeneous solids, did not address the problems that are of primary interest in applications. The list of references in this paper is restricted to the current papers that list the older works.
Alternative Model-Based and Design-Based Frameworks for Inference From Samples to Populations: From Polarization to Integration

A model-based framework, due originally to R. A. Fisher, and a design-based framework, due originally to J. Neyman, offer alternative mechanisms for inference from samples to populations. We show how these frameworks can utilize different types of samples (nonrandom or random vs. only random) and allow different kinds of inference (descriptive vs. analytic) to different kinds of populations (finite vs. infinite). We describe the extent of each framework's implementation in observational psychology research. After clarifying some important limitations of each framework, we describe how these limitations are overcome by a newer hybrid model/design-based inferential framework. This hybrid framework allows both kinds of inference to both kinds of populations, given a random sample. We illustrate implementation of the hybrid framework using the High School and Beyond data set.
One hundred cases of pheochromocytoma (107 tumors) at the columbia-presbyterian medical center, 1926-1976. A clinicopathological analysis

Among 100 patients with pheochromocytoma there were 89 adults (sexes about even in distribution) and 11 children (7 boys; 4 girls). The right adrenal was involved 54 times, about twice the incidence on the left (29 times), and in three patients the tumors were bilateral. Seventeen had extra-adrenal pheochro-mocytomas, of which nine arose in the organ of Zuckerkandl. Only two of the 83 intra-adrenal pheochromocytomas, or 2.4%, were malignant; whereas five of the extra-adrenal tumors, or 30%, were cancerous. Associated lesions such as neurofibromatosis, renal artery stenosis, and hibernating fat are discussed. The 100 patients were divided into two groups: 1) 83 with clinically functioning pheochromocytomas, and 2) 17 with clinically “silent” tumors. In the first there were 70 with functioning tumors correctly diagnosed, and 13, or one in six, in whom it was missed, usually with tragic consequences. Seven had exploratory surgery for some other presenting condition, such as pre-eclampsia, renal artery stenosis, skin nodule, cystocele, fibroid uterus, breast lump, or bladder “tumor”. It has been estimated that in the United States there are about 18,000 individuals with functioning pheochromocytomas producing hypertension. If the number is correct, then about 2000-3000 will go unrecognized. Such a course will be avoided when the vagaries in the clinical behavior of pheochromocytoma are generally appreciated, when the amenuensis is thorough, thus sharpening cognate clinical suspicion, and when catecholamine determinations are more frequently performed. The 17 silent tumors constitute a cryptic hard core: the majority were extra-adrenal, larger than the intra-adrenal tumors and more frequently malignant. Association of pheochromocytoma with or medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, either concurrent or separate, has been observed, particularly among kindred. Other tumors, such as those of the pituitary, adrenal cortex, Lindau's disease, cysts of the liver and pancreas, retinoblastoma, etc., have also been reported in association with pheochromocytoma. This widespread involvement of apparently unrelated organs by neoplasia, explains Pearse,35 is probably the result of the migration of some toti-potent neuroectodermal cells, which migrate with the endoderm and settle in the various derivatives. He labels these tumors Apudomas.
An extension of Jentzsch's theorem to nonlinear Hammerstein operators

A classical theorem of Jentzsch (J. Reine Angew. Math. 141, 235-44 (1912)) states that the Fredholm linear integral operator Ax(t) = integral K(t,s) x (s)ds, with continuous kernel K: (a,b) x (a,b) ..-->.. (0, integral ), has a positive eigenvalue lambda corresponding to a positive eigenfunction x: (a,b) ..-->.. R. Of particular interest is an important nonlinear analog of the above, the Hammerstein integral operator Ax(t) = integral K(t,s)f(s,x(s))ds. Here K is nonnegative and the nonlinearity f is continuous and nonnegative on (a,b) x (0,c) for some c greater than 0. Also, f(s,0) is identically 0, so that the zero function is an eigenvector of A. It is of interest to find conditions on K and f under which A has positive eigenpairs, that is, a positive eigenvalue lambda corresponding to a nonnegative eigenfunction x which is not identically zero. This article proves the existence of positive eigenpairs for the Hammerstein integral operator for an extensive class of locally positive kernels which satisfy a weak uniformity condition, with no growth restrictions whatever on f. In fact, all that is assumed is that f is positive on certain subsets of (a,b) x (0, infinity). The class of kernels considered here includesmore » and is far less restrictive than the class of kernels of Jentzsch's theorem. (RWR)« less
The human IgA system: A reassessment☆

In healthy adults the total daily production of secretory and serum IgA exceeds that of other immunoglobulin classes. Secretory and serum IgA display features of mutual independence: they are represented by molecules with different physiochemical and immunochemical properties and antibody activities and are produced by cells with different organ distributions. Secretory and serum IgA also exhibit different effector functions: interaction of secretory IgA with environmental antigens results in prevention of the penetration of such antigens by a variety of mechanisms. Although the function of polymeric serum IgA antibodies in certain animal species involves elimination of antigenic substances by noninflammatory means, the primary function of serum IgA remains unknown. It is proposed that in humans monomeric serum IgA (which prevents activation of the complement systems, inhibits phagocytosis and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity) may protect endogenous antigens expressed on various cells and tissues by preventing their interaction with humoral and cellular immune mechanisms that may lead to tissue damage.
Automated Bulk Uploading of Images and Metadata to Flickr

The Digital Initiatives department at Miami University, like most digital initiatives and special collections departments, has a large number of rich digital image collections, stored primarily in a third-party database. Typically, these databases are not findable to the average Web user. From a desire to expose these collections to the wider Web environment, thoughts immediately turned to Flickr, the most prominent Web site for image discovery and sharing. The problem was scale: the default uploading interface was too inefficient for the project. A set of PHP scripts were developed, devised to interact with Flickr's application programming interface to allow for quick and efficient uploading of images as well as metadata such as titles, subjects, tags, and hyperlinks back to the collections. Once the scripts were in place, the uploading process was completely automatic. Miami University Library's Digital Initiatives department has uploaded more than 5,000 images using this method, and the results have be...
Selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia on gallium-exchanged ferrierites

Abstract Selective catalytic reduction of NOx on Ga3+ exchanged ferrierite zeolites (FER) using ammonia as reductant shows high rates of NOx conversion, although neither the catalytic reaction mechanism nor the role of the gallium is understood. We investigate the features of the structure of the catalyst and the mechanism of the catalytic reduction of NOx to N2 using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, complemented by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and catalytic conversion measurements. The NMR studies are enabled by the diamagnetic nature of the gallium-exchanged zeolites in contrast to many of the transition metal exchanged zeolites which are often paramagnetic. Two different ferrierite samples were chosen for comparison, one containing significant quantities of K+ and Na+, the other being largely alkali-free. The gallium-exchanged zeolites and their parent materials were characterized using 29Si, 27Al, 71Ga, and 129Xe NMR. Reactions run under batch-mode conditions using ammonia as the reducing agent clearly show the formation of nitrogen in the 15N NMR spectra. Our results show that the acidity of the zeolite is more important for catalytic reduction than the presence of gallium when NOx is supplied to the catalyst as a 1:1 mixture of NO and NO2.
Search for neutral gauge fermions in e+e− annihilation

Many broken supersymmetric theories contain two light neutral fermions χ, χ′ which are mixtures of supersymmetric partners of the gauge and Higgs bosons. The heavier of these (χ′) can be produced in e+e− annihilation by e+e− → χχ′ or χ′χ′ with cross sections that may be comparable to that for e+e− → νμνμ : σ = (0.1 to 10) pb at √s = 30 GeV. The χ′ likes to decay into an e+e− or μ+μ− pair and a χ, which is likely for cosmological reasons to be almost a pure photino γ Associated production e+e− → χχ′ can lead to a one-sided “zen” event structure with visible decay products in one hemisphere only, while e+e− → χ′χ′ can give 4-lepton final states with missing energy.
The electrocardiogram in acute arsenic poisoning

The poisonous uses of arsenic, known since antiquity, have made the drug a favorite among those bent on destruction, self and otherwise. Its therapeutic effects were known to the Greeks and Romans but perhaps achieved greatest prominence in the prepenicillin treatment of syphilis. Present therapeutic value is limited, but widespread use for killing rodents and insects persists. For this reason, arsenic is readily available and constitutes a major source of danger in accidental, suicidal, and homicidal ingestion. Arsenic, indeed, is said to be the most common source of acute heavy metal pois0ning.l Its toxic effects on the gastrointestinal tract, the central nervous system, the blood-forming organs, and the kidneys are well known, both clinically and pathologically. However, textbooks of cardiology and internal medicine make only fleeting reference to the effect of arsenic on the heart and electrocardiogram.2-s Although cardiovascular collapse may occur, heavy metal damage to the heart is said to be rare:” and is not generally emphasized in discussions of arsenic toxicit\;.7.x Sporadic reports appear in the literature describing T-wave abnormalities, particularly in cases of chronic arsenic intoxication .g-13 A search of the literature revealed no recording of serial electrocardiograms taken throughout the course of acute arsenic poisoning, including recovery and remote follow-up. A recent clinical experienc.e illustrates the profound, though reversible, effect which arsenic can have on the electrocardiogram.
PREDICTORS OF FIRST REPEAT BIOPSY CANCER DETECTION WITH SUSPECTED LOCAL STAGE PROSTATE CANCER

Purpose: We determine demographic and tumor related predictors of repeat biopsy cancer detection in men with suspected stage T1c-2 prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: The study population included 298 consecutive men with suspected stage T1c-2 prostate cancer who had a benign prostate biopsy at 1 institution between January 1, 1992 and April 1, 1999 and underwent 1 repeat biopsy. Mean age plus or minus standard deviation was 66.8 ± 6.7 years for 133 black (55%) and 165 white (45%) patients. Clinical measures included determination of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in benign biopsy specimens, Gleason score of malignant biopsy specimens, prostate specific antigen (PSA), PSA density, annualized interbiopsy PSA change, percent free PSA (201 cases) and PSA velocity (171). Results: Cancer was detected on repeat biopsy in 80 cases (27%). Significant differences between patients with benign and malignant repeat biopsies included age (p = 0.001), PSA density (p = 0.0001), percent free PSA (p = 0.0001) and PSA velocity (p = 0.009). High grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in an initial benign biopsy was not predictive of cancer in repeat biopsy (p = 0.12). Multiple logistic regression analysis of all cases showed that age (p = 0.002) and PSA density (p = 0.0002) were independent predictors of cancer. Subset multiple logistic regression analysis modeled with age, PSA density and percent free PSA demonstrated that age (p = 0.002) and percent free PSA (p = 0.0001) were significant independent predictors of malignancy. Subset multiple logistic regression analysis modeled with age, PSA density, percent free PSA and PSA velocity revealed that age (p = 0.02) and percent free PSA (p = 0.0003) were significant independent predictors of cancer. There were no significant differences between the Gleason scores of cancers detected on repeat biopsy compared to 587 stage T1c-2 cancers detected on initial biopsy during the study period (p = 0.09). PSA, PSA density, percent free PSA and PSA velocity were not significantly different among men without a cancer diagnosis who had high grade neoplasia in 1 or 2 benign biopsies. Conclusions: Greater than 25% of this population of select patients with suspected stage T1c-2 prostate cancer had malignancy detected on repeat biopsy. Percent free PSA was the most powerful predictor of cancer. High grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia was not a predictor of repeat biopsy cancer detection and PSA functions were similar among men without cancer who did and did not have high grade neoplasia in 1 or more benign biopsies. This finding suggests that high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia may not be a reliable indicator of clinically significant existing prostate cancer.
A bank runs model with a continuum of types

Abstract We consider a bank runs model a la Diamond and Dybvig (1983) [3] with a continuum of agent types, indexed by the degree of patience. Much of our understanding based on the two-type model must be modified. The endogenous determination of a cutoff type is central to the analysis. In the case where the bank can credibly commit to a contract, the optimal contract results in socially excessive early withdrawals in every equilibrium of the post-deposit subgame. Thus, even at the best equilibrium the socially efficient outcome is not achieved, and agentsʼ behavior exhibits features of a bank run. In the case where commitment is not possible, there are strictly more early withdrawals and strictly lower welfare than the full-commitment equilibrium.
Herbs and Other Botanicals in Cancer Patient Care

Non-prescription herbal remedies are commonly used by cancer patients in efforts to control their disease or to manage symptoms associated with cancer and cancer treatments. We address the issues surrounding the use of herbs, herbal compounds, and other botanical agents in the oncology context. Botanicals are biologically active agents that can be useful under appropriate circumstances, but they may be counterproductive when used by patients on chemotherapy or on other prescription medications. Herbs and other botanical agents, despite common public belief, are not benign. They should be understood as unrefined pharmaceuticals, with the capacity to produce physiologic change for better or worse. Indeed, many prescription drugs, chemotherapeutic agents among them, were derived from plants and other natural agents, and the search for additional constituents of plants, animals, and minerals for use as pharmaceutical agents remains an active effort on many fronts. Cautions, appropriate application, and potential utility of botanical agents are discussed below, and sources of reliable information are provided.
Effect of Relaxation on Working Memory and the Bispectral Index of the EEG

Beneficial effects of relaxation on cardiovascular and immune functions and on memory has been implied but an empirical relationship between task performance and anxiety reduction has not been reported. In this study, we investigated whether guided imagery of relatively short duration would decrease S-Anxiety and electroencephalogram Bispectral Index and improve working memory. 42 participants (age: M=39, SD=11, 14 men, 28 women, university students and VA Medical Center employees, recruited by their professor or by fellow employees) underwent relaxation by 16-min. guided imagery or no treatment (control). Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the WAIS-III Letter-Number Sequencing Test were administered before and after relaxation. S-Anxiety and BIS Index decreased and the Letter-Number test score increased by 30% after relaxation but not in the control group. This score was higher for participants with low anxiety and BIS Index. There was no significant difference between the groups before treatment. The results suggest that guided imagery of short duration produces relaxation as measured by psychological and neurophysiological indices and improves working memory performance.
Experimental studies on Phlebotomus (pappataci, sandfly) fever during World War II.

In conclusion it may be said that while the laboratory investigations on the virus or viruses of sandfly fever, which were encountered in the Mediterranean area and in the Middle East, gave us a good deal more information on the basic properties of the virus and, also, provided a supply for storage and future studies, the primary objectives of developing some method of propagating the virus outside of the human body and of a vaccine for the protection of exposed personnel, were not attained. It is, therefore, particularly fortunate that DDT was found to be so highly effective for the control ofPhlebotomus papatasi in dwellings22, and that the available mosquito repellents proved so effective in protecting those who may be exposed out of doors. Even if future efforts should not lead to the discovery of a vaccine, sandfly fever need no longer be the military problem that it had been in various operations in endemic areas in the past.
Analgesic administration to patients with an acute abdomen: A survey of emergency medicine physicians

The objective of this study was to examine current practice patterns of analgesia administration among emergency physicians (EPs) when caring for a patient with an acute abdomen. Cross sectional data were acquired by a survey mailed in October 1997 to 1,000 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) members from a purchased ACEP mailing list which contained 1,000 randomized ACEP members. A repeat survey was sent to nonresponders 2 months later and a random subset of recurrent nonresponders were telephoned. The questionnaire focused on physician demographics, practice patterns, and factors which influenced physician decision of when and whether to administer pain medication, specifically opiates, to patients with an acute abdomen. Forty-four percent of surveys were returned. Seventy-seven percent of respondents were men with an average of 10 years of experience. Fifty-seven percent were residency trained in emergency medicine. Although eighty-five percent felt that the conservative administration of pain medication did not change important physical findings on the physical examination, 76% choose not to give an opiate analgesic until after the examination by a surgeon. Twenty-five percent of patients did not receive any pain medication in the department. In conclusion, although EPs report that the judicious administration of pain medication does not mask important examination findings, the majority wait until after the surgeon has evaluated the patient to deliver analgesics.
Organic Synthesis via Irradiation and Warming of Ice Grains in the Solar Nebula

Complex organic compounds, including many important to life on Earth, are commonly found in meteoritic and cometary samples, though their origins remain a mystery. We examined whether such molecules could be produced within the solar nebula by tracking the dynamical evolution of ice grains in the nebula and recording the environments to which they were exposed. We found that icy grains originating in the outer disk, where temperatures were less than 30 kelvin, experienced ultraviolet irradiation exposures and thermal warming similar to that which has been shown to produce complex organics in laboratory experiments. These results imply that organic compounds are natural by-products of protoplanetary disk evolution and should be important ingredients in the formation of all planetary systems, including our own.
Identifying component variability of end product specification tests

In recent years, there has been a move away from methods and material specifications for pavement projects and toward end product specifications (EPS) as part of a general improvement in quality assurance programs. Typically, the EPS are based on the average of a number of measurements on a given day, and the between-test variance and the between-days variance are ignored. This paper presents a methodology for identifying the responsibility of each component to overall variance. The total variability and individual component variability may be used for a number of quality assurance applications--for example, identifying potential problem areas in the construction of a particular pavement, as input to new EPS that account for the variability in the measured results, or for aiding in setting appropriate bonus/penalty schedules, which are typically used in conjunction with EPS. The statistical approach adopted in this paper is a nested analysis of variance and the methodology will be tested on 5 years of data from an EPS program in the Province of Alberta, Canada. Data are from Marshal density and field density tests of asphalt concrete, although the procedure may be used for any EPS field test.
Posttraumatic symptomatology in children and adolescents after an industrial fire.

ABSTRACT Objective This investigation evaluated the extent and nature of posttraumatic symptomatology (PTS) in children and adolescents 9 months after an industrial fire at the Imperial Foods chicken-processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, Caused extensive loss of life. Method Using a PTS self-report measure plus self- and teacher reports of comorbid symptoms, the authors surveyed 1,019 fourth- to ninth-grade students in the community where the fire occurred. Results Three factors comprising PTS were identified: reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Reexperiencing and avoidance were positively correlated; hyperarousal proved weakly correlated with reexperiencing, perhaps because exposure was largely indirect. Using a T score cutoff of 65 on the reexperiencing factor as indicative of PTS, 9.7% of subjects met criteria for PTS; 11.9% met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using DSM-III-R PTSD criteria. Degree of exposure was the most powerful predictor of PTS. Race (African-American) and gender (female) posed significant risk factors for PTS. Self-reported internalizing symptoms and teacher-reported externalizing symptoms were positively predicted by intercurrent PTS, and independently of PTS, by degree of exposure. Comorbid symptoms showed interesting interactions with exposure, race, and gender. Lack of self-attributed personal efficacy predicted PTS but did not moderate the effects of race or gender on PTS risk. Conclusions This study, which used a population-based sampling strategy, strengthens and extends findings from earlier literature on pediatric PTSD in showing that (1) PTS and comorbid internalizing and externalizing symptoms rise in direct proportion to degree of exposure; (2) gender and race show variable effects on risk for PTS and comorbid symptoms; and (3) comorbid symptoms are positively correlated with PTS and may represent primary outcomes of traumatic exposure in their own right. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1997, 36(8):1080–1088.
Effects of UV radiation on freshwater ecosystems

Significant increases in UV‐B radiation have been documented over north and south temperate regions as well as in Antarctica, thus exposing critical freshwater ecosystems to changes in this important environmental variable. A variety of aquatic organisms ranging from bacteria and phytoplankton to insect larvae, zooplankton, and even aquatic vertebrates such as amphibians and fish are vulnerable to damage from levels of solar UV radiation currently observed in nature. The penetration of solar UV radiation into freshwater lakes is controlled primarily by the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the water. The relationship between DOC and the attenuation depth (1% of surface irradiance) is hyperbolic with an inflection point in the l‐2mg/1 DOC range. This suggests that freshwater ecosystems with DOC concentrations below 1–2mg/1 may experience very rapid increases in UV attenuation depths with small decreases in DOC. Thus both anthropogenic and natural disturbances such as climate change and ac...
Nondissociative Chemisorption of Short Chain Alkanethiols on Au(111)

The adsorption of methanethiol and n-propanethiol on the Au(111) surface has been studied by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM). Methanethiol desorbs molecularly from the chemisorbed monolayer at temperatures below 220 K in three overlapping desorption processes. No evidence for S-H or C-S bond cleavage has been found on the basis of three types of observations: (1) A mixture of chemisorbed CH3SD and CD3SH does not yield CD3SD, (2) no sulfur remains after desorption, and (3) no residual surface species remain when the adsorbed layer is heated to 300 K as measured by STM. On the other hand, when defects are introduced on the surface by ion bombardment, the desorption temperature of CH3SH is extended to 300 K and a small amount of dimethyl disulfide is observed to desorb at 410 K, indicating that S-H bond scission occurs on defect sites on Au(111) followed by dimerization of CH3S(a) species. Propanethiol also adsorbs nondissociatively on the Au(111) surface and desorbs from the surface below 250 K.
Exotic Order in Simple Models of Bosonic Systems

We show that simple Bose Hubbard models with unfrustrated hopping and short range two-body repulsive interactions can support stable fractionalized phases in two and higher dimensions, and in zero magnetic field. The simplicity of the constructed models advances the possibility of a controlled experimental realization and novel applications of such unconventional states.
Effect of sitting vs. standing on perception of provider time at bedside: a pilot study.

Abstract Objective Patients commonly perceive that a provider has spent more time at their bedside when the provider sits rather than stands. This study provides empirical evidence for this perception. Methods We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled study with 120 adult post-operative inpatients admitted for elective spine surgery. The actual lengths of the interactions were compared to patients’ estimations of the time of those interactions. Results Patients perceived the provider as present at their bedside longer when he sat, even though the actual time the physician spent at the bedside did not change significantly whether he sat or stood. Patients with whom the physician sat reported a more positive interaction and a better understanding of their condition. Conclusion Simply sitting instead of standing at a patient's bedside can have a significant impact on patient satisfaction, patient compliance, and provider–patient rapport, all of which are known factors in decreased litigation, decreased lengths of stay, decreased costs, and improved clinical outcomes. Practice implications Any healthcare provider may have a positive effect on doctor–patient interaction by sitting as opposed to standing during a hospital follow-up visit.
Sensitization does not develop to cocaine-induced potentiation of the antinociceptive effect of morphine.

Repeated intermittent cocaine administration produces a progressive increase (sensitization) in the motor stimulatory action of cocaine. Previous studies have shown that cocaine produces antinociception and also enhances the antinociceptive effect of opioid analgesics. The present study was designed to investigate if sensitization to these effects of cocaine develops. In the first part of the study, we determined if acute cocaine administration (3, 10, 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]) increases the antinociceptive effect of morphine (5 mg/kg, subcutaneous [s.c.]) in rats using the hot plate test. Cocaine (30 mg/kg, i.p.), alone, produced a small but significant antinociceptive effect at 15 min after drug administration. When administered 15 min prior to morphine, cocaine dose-dependently enhanced the effect of morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) at the time (45 min post-cocaine) when cocaine by itself did not significantly change the hot plate latency. In the second part of the study, we examined if sensitization develops to cocaine-induced antinociception and its ability to increase the antinociceptive effect of morphine. Naive rats were injected with either saline or cocaine (30 mg/kg) once daily for 3 days and tested on the hot plate apparatus either 24 h or 1 wk after the last cocaine injection. Some of the rats from each group were also tested for motor stimulation induced by cocaine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h after the hot plate test to confirm that sensitization had occurred to the motor stimulatory action of the drug. Additional rats were treated with saline or cocaine for 3 days, but neither treated with morphine nor tested on the hot plate apparatus, and tested for behavioral sensitization to the motor stimulatory action of cocaine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h or 1 wk later. Sensitization developed to the motor stimulatory effect of cocaine in both groups, regardless of morphine treatment on the prior day. Sensitization also developed to the antinociceptive effect of cocaine 24 h but not 1 wk after the last cocaine injection. No sensitization was observed in the ability of cocaine to enhance the antinociceptive effect of morphine. Overall, our data suggest that while cocaine enhanced the antinociceptive effect of morphine, sensitization did not develop to this action of cocaine.
Characterization of Trichinella spiralis antigens sharing an immunodominant, carbohydrate-associated determinant distinct from phosphorylcholine

Abstract The biochemical and immunochemical characteristics of T. spiralis molecules (group II antigens) sharing an immunodominant epitope were examined. Six major proteins, ranging from 43–68 kDa, and from pI 5.0–6.3, express the determinant. Together, they account for at least 3% by weight of the total protein in L1 larval homogenate. The antigens are glycosylated. Following periodate oxidation, they reacted with biotin aminocaproyl hydrazide, and treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid decreased their Mr. Deglycosylated group II antigens lost immunoreactivity with a monoclonal antibody specific for the determinant, and oligosaccharides released by treatment with mild base blocked binding of the monoclonal antibody to native antigens. The determinant on one of the group II antigens (43 kDa) was removed by N-glycanase. Neither phosphorylcholine nor antibody to phosphorylcholine interfered with monoclonal antibody binding to native group II antigens. Together, these results suggest that the immunodominant group II antigen epitope is associated with N- and O-linked oligosaccharides, and that it is not phosphorylcholine.
Behavioral abnormalities in progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder in which, classically, patients present with postural instability and falls, parkinsonism, and slowing of vertical saccades. PSP patients typically have deficits in cognitive functioning, difficulties with most daily activities, and present with notable behavioral disturbances—particularly apathy, impulsivity, and irritability. Using data from 154 patients meeting criteria for clinically probable PSP, domain and total scores of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory were examined and compared to demographics, disease severity, cognition, and motor features. Behavioral abnormalities were common in this cohort of PSP patients, with more than half experiencing apathy, depression, and sleeping problems, and approximately one third displaying agitation, irritability, disinhibition, and eating problems. Few clinical correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms were observed in this cohort. Given the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in PSP, these patients are expected to be frequently seen by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals for symptom management and increased quality of life. Clinical trials are clearly needed to address the neuropsychiatric morbidity in these patients.
Asymmetrically Driven Antennas and the Sleeve Dipole

The problem of determining the distribution of current in and the impedance of a cylindrical antenna asymmetrically driven by a discontinuity in scalar potential is formulated. An integral equation is derived and solved by the method of successive approximations to obtain general expressions for the current and the impedance. A simple approximate expression for the impedance of the asymmetrically driven antenna involving a series combination of the known impedances of symmetrically driven antennas is obtained. The impedance and the distribution of current for a cylindrical antenna of length 3λ 0 /4 driven λ 0 /4 from one end are evaluated. The broad-band properties are discussed. Since the sleeve dipole with its image is equivalent to a super-position of two asymmetrically driven antennas, expressions for the impedance and distribution of current are obtained readily from the current distribution of the asymmetrically driven antenna. Both impedance and current distribution are determined for a sleeve dipole of over-all length 3λ 0 /4 over a conducting plane driven λ 0 /4 from the plane. It is shown that this antenna has broad-band properties very superior to those of a conventional dipole.
Complementary effects of ammonia and cAMP on aggregation territory size in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium mucoroides.

Summary Ammonia is known to increase and cAMP to decrease the size of aggregation territories in Dictyostelium mucoroides. Here we show that cAMP will counteract the effect of ammonia, and ammonia will cause a decrease in the secretion of cAMP.
Erythrodiene: A new spirobicyclic sesquiterpene of a rare skeletal class from the caribbean gorgonian coral Erythropodium caribaeorum

Abstract Erythrodiene ( 1 ), a new sesquiterpene hydrocarbon of a rare structural class, has been isolated from the encrusting Caribbean gorgonian coral Erythropodium caribaeorum . The structure of the new compound was assigned on the basis of spectral studies and through an X-ray analysis of a reduced ozonolysis product, the diol 2 .