cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacterial chemotaxis in a fixed attractant gradient.

Abstract A differential equation describing the motion of a population of chemotactic bacteria in an exponential gradient of attractant has been solved analytically. Specific predictions are made of the behavior of the bacterial distribution as a function of space and time. The time behavior of several experimental parameters has also been calculated. Experimental tests of these predictions will be important in assessing the validity of this mathematical description of bacterial chemotaxis.
Transient light effects in the Hill reaction of disintegrating chloroplasts in vitro

The transient color sensitivity observed earlier in the Hill reaction of disintegrating chloroplasts (red-blue effect) was studied in detail. I. The effect was measured mainly as rates of the reduction of DPIP. It could be followed also by ferricyanide reduction or oxygen evolution. It is independent of the composition of the suspension medium and not influenced by uncouplers like methylamine. 2. Light intensity curves taken before, during and after the development of the blue decay show its presence at all light intensities. The action spectrum shows a loss of efficiency for the region λ 450-500 nm. 3. A second disintegration step which usually follows an hour later and lowers the rates in red light, has similar kinetic characteristics, but so far no particular spectral region could be implicated. 4. With ultrasonic treatment lasting from a few seconds to several minutes the double sequence of the natural loss of activity in blue and then in red light can be evoked at any time. 5. To explain these observations we assume that initially the transfer of energy from blue absorbing accessory pigments to chlorophyll is interrupted and that the same kind of pigment separation happens a second time, some-what later, among the chlorophyll pigments. The moment the light energy absorbed by the detached pigment cannot be utilized in a normal way, it promotes destructive sensitization processes which attack part of the electron transport system. The damage to the pigment system appears to occur in system II. A preliminary fluorescence curve also supports this assumption. System I (methyl red reduction) suffers through destruction of components of the electron transport chain.
Warren Samuels, 1933–2011

Warren Samuels passed away on August 17, 2011 at home in Gainesville, Florida. He was Professor of economics from 1968 to 1998 and Professor Emeritus thereafter at Michigan State University. While ...
Chronic stress, energy balance and adiposity in female rats.

Stress preferentially increases the consumption of high fat foods in women, suggesting the interaction of these two factors may disproportionately predispose women toward excess weight gain. In the present study, female rats were exposed to a chronic high fat or chow diet and were exposed to 4 weeks of chronic variable stress (CVS) or served as home cage controls. Control females exposed to a high fat diet displayed many symptoms of the metabolic syndrome including increased body weight gain, total and visceral adiposity and insulin and leptin concentrations relative to all groups. However, CVS-high fat, CVS chow and control chow groups had similar body weight gain and caloric efficiency. This finding suggests that CVS increases energy expenditure much more in females exposed to a high fat diet relative to those fed a standard chow diet. The CVS-high fat group had increased adiposity and increased circulating leptin and insulin concentrations, despite the fact that their body weight did not differ from the controls. These results underscore the importance of assessing the degree of adiposity, rather than body weight alone, as an index of overall metabolic health. Overall, the data indicate that in female rats, chronic stress prevents high fat diet related increases in body weight, but does not prevent high fat diet induced increases in adiposity when compared to chow-fed females.
The Craniocervical Killing Bite: Toward an Ethology of Primate Predatory Behavior*

It is argued that systematic ethological study of primate predatory behavior, neglected to date, is possible and potentially valuable. The point is made through an investigation of a particular predatory motor pattern. The craniocervical bite is a killing bite directed toward the head and/or neck of the prey. It is widespread among a variety of predatory mammals. Evidence is presented that a similar pattern is widespread among the primates. Phylogenetic and anthropological implications are discussed. The possibilities for further study are indicated.
Hippocampal M1 receptor function associated with spatial learning and memory in aged female rhesus macaques

Of the acetylcholine muscarinic receptors, the type 1 (M1) and type 2 (M2) receptors are expressed at the highest levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, brain regions important for cognition. As equivocal findings of age-related changes of M1 and M2 in the nonhuman primate brain have been reported, we first assessed age-related changes in M1 and M2 in the PFC and hippocampus using saturation binding assays. Maximum M1 receptor binding, but not affinity of M1 receptor binding, decreased with age. In contrast, the affinity of M2 receptor binding, but not maximum M2 receptor binding, increased with age. To determine if in the elderly cognitive performance is associated with M1 or M2 function, we assessed muscarinic function in elderly female rhesus macaques in vivo using a scopolamine challenge pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging and in vitro using saturation binding assays. Based on their performance in a spatial maze, the animals were classified as good spatial performers (GSP) or poor spatial performers (PSP). In the hippocampus, but not PFC, the GSP group showed a greater change in T2*-weighted signal intensity after scopolamine challenge than the PSP group. The maximum M1 receptor binding and receptor binding affinity was greater in the GSP than the PSP group, but no group difference was found in M2 receptor binding. Parameters of circadian activity positively correlated with the difference in T2*-weighted signal intensity before and after the challenge, the maximum M1 receptor binding, and the M1 receptor binding affinity. Thus, while in rhesus macaques, there are age-related decreases in M1 and M2 receptor binding, in aged females, hippocampal M1, but not M2, receptor function is associated with spatial learning and memory and circadian activity.
Gender boundaries and sexual categories in the Arab world.

This essay considers the construction of gender and sexual images in the Arab world and how Western responses to Islam have affected the way Islam is perceived and interpreted. After a brief introduction the essay discusses the problems of using Islam as a standard methodological yardstick in the face of the diversity of Muslim lifestyles and interpretations. The next section describes gender boundaries and social barriers in Islam that involve rigid segregation of the sexes. While Islam is shown not to favor full gender equality the dynamic interaction between a Middle Eastern culture and the Islamic religion each of which promote the ostensible inferiority of women makes it difficult to determine whether culture or religion has had more influence on gender relations. The essay continues with a look at controversies about homosexuality the condition that defined the difference between Christianity and Islam. Characteristics of present-day sexism and sexuality among the Arabs are highlighted in a look at the persistence of male dominance the restriction of women from the public sphere theories about the toleration of homosexuality and the taboo extended towards lesbians and others practicing free sex. It is concluded that the study of gender and sexuality in the Middle East remains incomplete and preliminary although gender studies have progressed in the past two decades. Social and sexual tensions have been exacerbated by the rise of fundamentalism and homosexuality remains a forbidden topic for Muslim scholars.
A two-component nucleation model of protein hydrophobicity.

A fundamental characteristic of soluble globular protein structure is a hydrophobic core and protein exterior comprised predominantly of hydrophilic residues. This distribution of amino acid residue hydrophobicity, from protein interior to exterior, has recently been profiled with the use of hydrophobic moments. The calculations enable comparison of the radial hydrophobicity distribution of different proteins and had revealed two features common to 30 proteins of diverse size and structure. One, a global feature, is the overall shape of the second-order ellipsoidal hydrophobic moment. The second, a specific feature, is a quasi-invariant hydrophobic-ratio of distances. Both features are dependent upon the rates of increase, from protein interior to exterior, of the accumulated numbers of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acid residues. These rates can be simulated simply with a two-component nucleation model of protein hydrophobicity. The model provides insight into the origin of the shape of the observed hydrophobic moment profiles and of the observed range of hydrophobic ratios. Consistent with observation, it is shown that a relatively wide range of hydrophobic and hydrophilic rates of increase yield a relatively narrow range of hydrophobic ratios. Furthermore, the model identifies one factor, the decrease in residue density with increasing distance from the protein interior, that is critical in providing the range of values that is comparable with the observed range.
Design of X-Band MEMS Microstrip Shunt Switches

This paper presents the design and performance of X-band MEMS switches built in microstrip technology. The switches result in an insertion loss of less than 0.1 dB and a small isolation bandwidth, less than 10%, and are limited by the radial stubs band-widths. The isolation value is also not dependent on the down-state capacitance of the switch. The isolation bandwidth (less than ?20 dB isolation) is improved to 8-13 GHz with the use of a ?-network and two MEMS switches. The up-state insertion loss of the ? switch is less than 0.25 dB. The paper demonstrates that the performance of microstrip switch circuits without via-holes is dominated by the shorting (radial) stubs, and careful design must be done to result in an acceptable bandwidth of operation.
Characterization of a microfluidic in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier (μBBB)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a unique selective barrier for the central nervous system (CNS), hinders the passage of most compounds to the CNS, complicating drug development. Innovative in vitro models of the BBB can provide useful insights into its role in CNS disease progression and drug delivery. Static transwell models lack fluidic shear stress, while the conventional dynamic in vitro BBB lacks a thin dual cell layer interface. To address both limitations, we developed a microfluidic blood-brain barrier (μBBB) which closely mimics the in vivo BBB with a dynamic environment and a comparatively thin culture membrane (10 μm). To test validity of the fabricated BBB model, μBBBs were cultured with b.End3 endothelial cells, both with and without co-cultured C8-D1A astrocytes, and their key properties were tested with optical imaging, trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), and permeability assays. The resultant imaging of ZO-1 revealed clearly expressed tight junctions in b.End3 cells, Live/Dead assays indicated high cell viability, and astrocytic morphology of C8-D1A cells were confirmed by ESEM and GFAP immunostains. By day 3 of endothelial culture, TEER levels typically exceeded 250 Ω cm2 in μBBB co-cultures, and 25 Ω cm2 for transwell co-cultures. Instantaneous transient drop in TEER in response to histamine exposure was observed in real-time, followed by recovery, implying stability of the fabricated μBBB model. Resultant permeability coefficients were comparable to previous BBB models, and were significantly increased at higher pH (>10). These results demonstrate that the developed μBBB system is a valid model for some studies of BBB function and drug delivery.
Chain rupture and tensile deformation of polymers

Macromolecular chain rupture occurring during tensile deformation of semicrystalline polymers has been investigated by measuring changes in the viscosity-average molecular weight. When interpreted in terms of a random-scission scheme, the observed changes in molecular weight correspond to chain rupture concentrations β ≈ 1018/cm3 for high strength nylon and poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers. Polypropylene fibers and isotropic samples of polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon 6 had β ≈ 1016/cm3. The effects of stretching environment and thermal and mechanical history were noted. In all cases, the present study indicated bond rupture concentrations about 10 times larger than those obtained from electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments. The relation between viscometry, ESR, and infrared (IR) estimates of bond rupture and their relevance to mechanical properties are considered.
Factors Influencing the Shear and Tensile Moduli of Smectic Polydomain Networks

Summary The molecular and mesoscale factors affecting the shear and tensile moduli of smectic main chain liquid crystal networks (MCLCN) were investigated. Polydomain smectic MCLCN having several different crosslinker concentrations were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) linewidth measurements. The shear and tensile moduli in the smectic state are dominated by the energy cost for deforming smectic layers, while the isotropic shear modulus is governed by the usual entropic cost of deforming elastic network chains.
Topologically Alice strings and monopoles

Symmetry breaking can produce ``Alice'' strings, which alter scattered charges and carry monopole number and charge when twisted into loops. Alice behavior arises algebraically, when strings obstruct unbroken symmetries---a fragile criterion. We give a topological criterion, compelling Alice behavior or deforming it away. Our criterion, that ${\ensuremath{\pi}}_{0}(H)$ acts nontrivially on ${\ensuremath{\pi}}_{1}(H),$ links topologically Alice strings to topological monopoles. We twist topologically Alice loops to form monopoles. We show that Alice strings of condensed matter systems (nematic liquid crystals, ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}\ensuremath{-}A,$ and related non-chiral Bose condensates and amorphous chiral superconductors) are topologically Alice, and support fundamental monopole charge when twisted into loops. Thus they might be observed indirectly, not as strings, but as loop-like point defects. We describe other models, showing Alice strings failing our topological criterion; and twisted Alice loops supporting deposited, but not fundamental, monopole number.
Alteration of brain noradrenergic activity in rhesus monkeys affects the alerting component of covert orienting.

Experiments were conducted to elucidate the role of the noradrenergic neurotransmitter system in arousal and the orienting of attention. Rhesus monkeys were trained to perform a peripherally cued, covert orienting task for juice reward, and their manual reaction times (RTs) to visual stimuli were measured. The effects of parenteral injections of the α-2 adrenergic agonists clonidine and guanfacine, and normal saline were compared on the covert task. We assessed 1) overall error rates, 2) the difference in RTs between validly and invalidly cued trials (validity effect), 3) the difference in RTs between neutral and no-cue trials (alerting effect), 4) target location (visual field), and 5) cue-target interval. Changes in noradrenaline levels produced by clonidine (and to a lesser extent guanfacine) significantly decreased the alerting effect, and lowered RTs to stimuli in the left visual field, but did not change the validity effect, suggesting that noradrenaline is involved in maintaining non-spatial, sensory readiness to external cues but not in the shifting of the attentional focus.
A rapid broth dilution technique utilizing hemoglobin for determining antibiotic susceptibility of microorganisms

Abstract A 3–4 h antibiotic susceptibility method based on hemoglobin reduction was developed. The susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics was determined by growing the bacteria in liquid media in the presence of antibiotics and partially purified hemoglobin. Oxyhemoglobin (541 and 576 nm) and reduced hemoglobin (556 nm) have distinct spectroscopic absorption bands. A decrease in oxygen consumption by the bacteria inhibited by the antibiotic was indicated by the hemoglobin remaining in the oxyhemoglobin form. Resistant bacteria continued to consume oxygen, forming reduced hemoglobin. A Perkin-Elmer Lambda 5 was used to scan the samples from 500–600 nm. The two oxyhemoglobin peaks indicate susceptibility and the one reduced peak indicates resistance. The minimum inhibitory concentration (the first antibiotic concentration that remained in the oxyhemoglobin form) obtained with this method corresponded with literature values and current minimum inhibitory concentration techniques.
Spelling verification in prolog

In this paper we present a spelling verification program written in Prolog. This program performs simple table lookup for each word in an input list. If the current word fails to match with the lexical entries, several procedures are invoked which will attempt to identify the type of spelling error and suggest alternative spellings.
Persistence of nucleic acid markers of health-relevant organisms in seawater microcosms: implications for their use in assessing risk in recreational waters.

In the last decade, the use of culture-independent methods for detecting indicator organisms and pathogens in recreational waters has increased and has led to heightened interest in their use for routine water quality monitoring. However, a thorough understanding of the persistence of genetic markers in environmental waters is lacking. In the present study, we evaluate the persistence of enterococci, enterovirus, and human-specific Bacteroidales in seawater microcosms. Two microcosms consisted of seawater seeded with human sewage. Two additional seawater microcosms were seeded with naked Enterococcus faecium DNA and poliovirus RNA. One of each replicate microcosm was exposed to natural sunlight; the other was kept in complete darkness. In the sewage microcosms, concentrations of enterococci and enterovirus were measured using standard culture-dependent methods as well as QPCR and RT-QPCR respectively. Concentrations of human-specific Bacteroidales were determined with QPCR. In the naked-genome microcosms, enterococci and enterovirus markers were enumerated using QPCR and RT-QPCR, respectively. In the sewage microcosm exposed to sunlight, concentrations of culturable enterococci fell below the detection limit within 5 days, but the QPCR signal persisted until the end of the experiment (day 28). Culturable enterococci did not persist as long as infectious enteroviruses. The ability to culture enteroviruses and enterococci was lost before detection of the genetic markers was lost, but the human-specific Bacteroidales QPCR signal persisted for a similar duration as infectious enteroviruses in the sewage microcosm exposed to sunlight. In the naked-genome microcosms, DNA and RNA from enterococci and enterovirus, respectively, persisted for over 10 d and did not vary between the light and dark treatments. These results indicate differential persistence of genetic markers and culturable organisms of public health relevance in an environmental matrix and have important management implications.
Implanted Electrodes: Cable Coupler for Elimination of Movement Artifact

The wires in the recording cable are connected to stainless-steel tubes supported by a ball bearing. The tips of the tubes rotate freely in mercury-filled grooves connected to the recorder through stainless-steel screws. No attenuation or distortion of the signal appears on records obtained through the coupler.
Measurement of cochlear blood flow: intravital fluorescence microscopy.

Abstract A technique is described for directly observing in vivo cochlear microvasculature in the gerbil for physiologic and experimentally induced changes in vessel diameter and blood flow velocity. Measurements are made from computer processed video images of surgically exposed microvessels. These images are obtained using intravital fluorescence microscopy (IFM) with epi-illumination. The Mongolian gerbil is an ideal animal model for circulatory studies of the inner ear. It has a stable heart rate and blood pressure under urethane/alpha-chloralose anesthesia and its cochlea is surgically accessible. A window is created over the feeding artery (anterior inferior cerebellar artery) and over the stria vascularis of the second turn of the cochlea, atraumatically exposing radiating arterioles and striai capillaries. Our system of IFM provides images that are videorecorded, digitally analyzed with a computer image processor, and enhanced according to the type of measurement desired. Velocity measurements are obtained by tracking plasma gaps or single fluorescent labeled red blood cells through successive frames of the videorecorded images. This experimental technique allows us to analyze circulatory responsiveness to a variety of vasoactive drugs administered regionally to the cochlea in concentrations not affecting systemic circulation.
ARGINASES OF MOUSE BRAIN AND LIVER

The arginase present in mouse brain and liver was studied in order to determine if the activity in both tissues was due to the same enzyme. Mouse liver contains only one arginase enzyme whereas mouse brain contains two. One of the arginases in the brain is distinct from the liver enzyme as determined by fractionation on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose and disc gel electrophoresis. The second enzyme from brain tissue has the same properties as the liver enzyme when subjected to these same fractionation techniques. However this arginase can be distinguished from the liver enzyme by its Km for arginine heat lability and MnCl2 activation curve. Thus both arginases in brain differ from the liver enzyme. No interconversion of the brain enzymes was detected, and the molecular weight of all the arginases appears to be the same. The observation of multiple distinct brain and liver arginases in mouse brain and liver was confirmed with bovine tissues.
Explaining the spectrum of Sagittarius-A* with a model of an accreting black-hole

THE radio source at the centre of our Galaxy1, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), seems to be a low-luminosity version of active galactic nuclei—a massive black hole that is accreting gas from the surrounding region1,2. This idea is supported by observations of the gas and stars within 1 pc of Sgr A*, which appear to move under the influence of a large central mass1,3,4. A recent determination of the upper limit5,6 to the hard X-ray emission from the Galactic Centre has posed a problem for this picture, however, as the mass accretion rate implied by applying a standard accretion model to the X-ray data is far below that estimated from the observations of gas flows. Here we present a new model of accretion onto Sgr A*, in which most of the energy released is carried along with the gas and lost into the black hole of mass ∼7 x 105 solar masses, rather than appearing as radiation. The model fits the observed spectrum of Sgr A* from radio to hard X-ray wavelengths, and reconciles the low observed luminosity with a high mass-accretion rate.
Effects of anomalous couplings of quarks on prompt photon production

Author(s): Cheung, K; Silverman, D | Abstract: Prompt photon production is sensitive to the anomalous couplings of gluons to quarks, because it is mainly produced by quark-gluon scattering. We will examine the effects of the anomalous chromoelectric and chromomagnetic dipole moment couplings of quarks on prompt photon production. Using the data collected by CDF and D0 at the Fermilab Tevatron we put a bound on these anomalous couplings. We also estimate the sensitivity of various future high energy collider experiments to these anomalous couplings. © 1997 The American Physical Society.
The intensity of beta ray ionization of potassium, uranium, and thorium

Abstract A study of the absolute intensity of beta ray ionization from potassium salts and the ores of uranium and thorium is presented. Ratios of beta to gamma radiation above an infinite body were calculated for these substances. Close to the surface of the earth, beta radiation is calculated to cause much more ionization than gamma radiation. The beta radiation decreases so rapidly that above 100 cm the gamma rays are the principal ionizers from the earth.
Conceptualizing risk and effectiveness: a qualitative study of women's and providers' perceptions of nonsurgical female permanent contraception.

Abstract Objective Novel approaches to nonsurgical permanent contraception (NSPC) for women that are low cost and require no incision or hysteroscope/surgical equipment could improve access to, and the acceptability of, permanent contraception (PC). To better understand opportunities and limitations for NSPC approaches, we examined women's and obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) providers' perceptions of NSPC in Portland, OR. Study design Semistructured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 women recruited from outpatient clinics with purposive sampling, and a focus group was conducted with 9 OB/GYNs in academic and community practice. Transcripts were coded and inductively analyzed with a grounded theory approach. Results The majority of women identified as white (67%) or Latina (25%). They had a median age of 31.5 years, and median number of children was one. Perspectives on NSPC were closely aligned with women's general attitudes towards PC; over half were considering PC for themselves or partners in the future. Most respondents valued multiple aspects of a nonsurgical approach, with themes of minimizing recovery time, invasiveness and risk and avoiding hormonal contraception. Many assumed that NSPC would be less effective than surgery, however, and felt that a confirmation test would be necessary regardless of the failure rate. Providers welcomed efforts to expand contraceptive choice with NSPC, but would require long-term safety and efficacy data before recommending, and voiced concerns that NSPC's potential relative ease of administration could undermine the inherent seriousness of choosing PC. Conclusions Women's and providers' perceptions of NSPC hinged on the ways in which they conceptualized risk and effectiveness. While perceptions were generally favorable, confirmation of safety and effectiveness would be required for a new approach to be accepted. Implications This hypothesis-generating study elucidates women's and provider's perspectives on new methods of NSPC and contributes to understanding their perceptions of various types of risk. A technique to verify tubal occlusion would be needed for women and providers to accept NSPC.
Effect of varying freezing and thawing rates in experimental cryosurgery

Six different freezing/thawing programs, which varied freezing rate, duration of freezing, and thawing rates, were used to investigate the effect of these factors on cell destruction in dog skin. The range of tissue temperatures produced was from -15 to -50 degrees C. The extent of destruction was evaluated by skin biopsies 3 days after cold injury. In single, short freezing/thawing cycles, the temperature reached in the tissue was the prime factor in cell death. Longer freezing time and slow thawing were also important lethal factors which increased destruction of cells. Cooling rate, whether slow or fast, made little difference in the outcome. The experiments suggested that present-day, commonly employed cryosurgical techniques, which feature fast cooling, slow thawing, and repetition of the freeze/thaw cycle, should be modified by the use of maintenance of the tissue in the frozen state for several minutes and slow thawing. Thawing should be complete before freezing is repeated. These modifications in technique will maximize tissue destruction, an important consideration in cancer cryosurgery.
The correlated colors of transneptunian binaries

Abstract We report resolved photometry of the primary and secondary components of 23 transneptunian binaries obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. V–I colors of the components range from 0.7 to 1.5 with a median uncertainty of 0.06 magnitudes. The colors of the primaries and secondaries are correlated with a Spearman rank correlation probability of 99.99991%, 5 sigma for a normal distribution. Fits to the primary vs. secondary colors are identical to within measurement uncertainties. The color range of binaries as a group is indistinguishable from that of the larger population of apparently single transneptunian objects. Whatever mechanism produced the colors of apparently single TNOs acted equally on binary systems. The most likely explanation is that the colors of transneptunian objects and binaries alike are primordial and indicative of their origin in a locally homogeneous, globally heterogeneous protoplanetary disk.
Effects of activity on the rate of barpressing by rats

Rats deprived of 10 % and 20 % of their body weights and allowed to run in activity wheels immediately preceding a test session in a small rodent test chamber pressed a bar less frequently than comparably deprived rats not allowed to run in the wheels. The results support the hypothesis that running is an attempt by food-deprived rats to regulate an imbalance in a homeostatic mechanism(s) resulting from the deprivation of food.
Physiology of normal and abnormal synovium

Because the synovial lining is a major target organ of rheumatic diseases, it seems logical to seek understanding of those conditions through study of the normal and abnormal physiology of this specialized organ system. This brief review covers some basic principles and recent progress in this area with emphasis on our evolving knowledge of microvascular function.
Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: prognostic factors and patterns of recurrence.

Abstract Survival data, prognostic factors, and patterns of recurrence were analyzed for 70 women with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix treated between 1968 and 1982. The 5-year survival rates for stages I, II, and III–IV were 82, 90, and 38%, respectively. Control of pelvic tumor was achieved in 82, 80, and 12.5% of cases of stage I, II, and III–IV disease, respectively. When radiation therapy techniques alone were employed, pelvic control was achieved in 100% of stage I and 75% of stage II cases. Tumor grade was an important prognostic factor in stage I disease, with 92% of patients with grade 1 and 2 lesions surviving 5 years, in contrast to 68% of patients with grade 3 lesions ( P
Power spectral density of pulse train over random time scaling

This study analyses power spectral density (PSD) of a pulse train where the pulses take from a prototype pulse but randomly take an independently and identically distributed time scaling and an independent stationary amplitude. A closed-form expression of PSD is obtained, which is an implicit function of the Fourier transform of the prototype pulse without time scaling, the probability distribution of time scaling, and the first and the second moment means of amplitude. In the special case when the time scaling and amplitude are fixed with probability one, the PSD is degenerated to the well-known PSD of a periodic signal. Results of numerical evaluation and simulation for pulse trains with three rates as well as with Gaussian rates demonstrate that the analytical formula well predicts the data PSD.
EFFECT OF TETRACYCLINE ON RETENTION OF CALCIUM AND STRONTIUM IN RODENTS.

SummaryTetracycline (TC) administered repeatedly in doses totaling as much as 1200 mg/kg body weight, by either the intramuscular or intraperitoneal route, had no significant effect on the body retention of either Ca47 or Sr85 injected into mice or rats. Nor were the amounts of these radionuclides found in the bones reduced by such treatment. Oxytetracycline (OTC) was shown to have a greater chemical affinity for calcium ions than for strontium ions in vitro. Repeated large doses of OTC in the toxic range stunted the growth of young rats and caused pathological changes in bone tissue resembling those observed in hyperparathyroidism.Although TC and OTC in large amounts can alter the normal metabolic interrelationships between calcium ions and bone tissue, they have no significant value as agents for reducing a potentially hazardous body or skeletal burden of radiostrontium.We wish to acknowledge the valuable technical assistance of E. Flynn, M. Hepler, E. James, P. Suzuki, R. Hamel and G. Burdick.
Reining in Radiation Injury: HIF2α in the Gut

Deletion of prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins or overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) in the gastrointestinal epithelium improves survival of mice after abdominal irradiation (Taniguchi et al., this issue).
Rates of C14O2 production from labeled ethanol, acetate and glucose in alcohol drinking and non-drinking rats.

SummaryRates of C14O2 formation from ethanol-1-C14 were measured in rats that had been allowed only water, 20%, 10%, or 5% solutions of ethanol to drink. Rats which had drunk 10% ethanol for 6 to 11 months metabolized it 18% faster than controls or animals drinking 5% ethanol. Rats drinking 20% ethanol were not different from controls. None of the groups forced to drink ethanol differed significantly from controls in rate of C14O2 formation from acetate-1-C14 and glucose-U-C14.
Shareholder authorized inside trading: A legal and moral analysis

This article evaluates inside trading from a legal and a moral perspective. From both of these points of view, the practice of inside trading is fraudulent whether it occurs in the traditional format or in the variation known as “misappropriation.” Fraud is a legal tort and a moral wrong consisting of a breach of duty that intentionally causes harm to persons that the insider can reasonably foresee. In defense against allegations of fraudulent inside trading, the defendant may argue that one or more elements of fraud are not evident, or, if the elements are clear, that the fraud was a justified means of avoiding some worse evil or of achieving some greater good. The article concludes that inside trading, under circumstances approved by shareholders, is neither fraudulent nor unfair.
Prediction of fainting in blood donors.

Four hundred and fourteen consecutive blood donors to a hospital blood bank were studied to discover items of value in predicting the occurrence of "reactions." Since it is probable that blood donor "reactions" are almost always vasovagal faints, they are so referred to below. Several items of predictive value were found: none of the 62 Negroes, but 63 of the 352 white persons fainted; the younger the donor, the more likely a faint; the higher the resting pulse rate before venipuncture, the more likely a faint; admission of "nervousness" was associated with greater chance of fainting than was denial. Sex, resting blood pressure before venipuncture, and history of previous blood donation did not significantly differentiate fainters from nonfainters. The data are compatible with the hypothesis that vasovagal fainting in blood donors is the second limb of a diphasic response, and is part of relief from anxiety; the first limb is part of anxiety proper.
Basophil Mediators and Their Release, with Emphasis on BK-A

During IgE-mediated events, basophils secrete small molecular weight mediators (histamine, slow reacting substance, Eosinophil chemotactic factor) which are thought to participate in inflammatory processes. We here describe the IgE-mediated secretion of large molecular weight mediators which have the potential for the activation of the Hageman factor dependent pathways, and the generation of biologically active peptides. These large molecular weight basophil derived mediators may, through the activation of the Hageman factor dependent pathways, influence mechanisms which participate in both acute and chronic cell-mediated inflammatory processes. We suggest that these proteases may participate not only as mediators of the immediate hypersensitivity reaction, but may also function in important aspects of the entire inflammatory response.
The data mining process: At a cricical crossroads in development

This paper makes a case for the balanced management of data mining (DM). En route to making this case, the paper reviews: 1) the drivers of DM growth, ie rapid market change, falling cost of electronic data collection; 2) the pros and cons of DM, including the privacy issues; 3) the ethical framework of DM and the degree of stakeholder concerns; 4) different DM management approaches; 5) myths about DM leading to mismanagement, anatomy and shortcomings of industry DM self-regulation; and 6) benefits of balanced DM management.
Thyrotropin and cyclic AMP regulation of ras proto-oncogene expression in cultured thyroid cells

We examined the effect of thyrotropin (TSH) on intracellular levels of c-ras mRNA in a line of differentiated rat thyroid cells obtained from normal Fischer rat thyroids. These cells are totally dependent on TSH for growth. TSH stimulation of quiescent cells increased c-ras mRNA content, with a maximal response (730% of basal) after 6 h, and a decline towards basal levels after 24 h. Dibutyryl cAMP and forskolin mimicked this stimulatory effect of TSH on c-ras, but did not enhance beta-actin mRNA content. This study demonstrates hormonal and cyclic nucleotide control of c-ras expression in a well-differentiated, non-tumorogenic mammalian cell.
The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience with Terrorism

The World Trade Center bombing was only one more chapter in a long history of terrorist acts against the United States. The story told here, reaching back to the founding days of the Republic, is both instructive and alarming. Simon uncovers the dynamics of a deadly conflict that affects all of us. His in-depth interviews with terrorists and their victims, with reporters, government officials, and others bring to life a tale of presidents and terrorists, media and society, all entangled in the dramas of international violence. The Terrorist Trap traces the government response to terrorism from the days of Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary pirates to the confrontation of George Bush and Saddam Hussein. It explores the terrorist trap: the psychological, political, and social elements that make terrorism unlike any other conflict. With the end of the Cold War and the return of American hostages from Lebanon, many believed that terrorism was over. But Simon shows how terrorism grows out of political, economic, and social grievances that can never be fully resolved. Living with terrorism will be an inescapable part of life in the post-Cold War environment. Simon calls on officials to move away from the useless rhetoric of defeating terrorism and to focus instead on achievable goals in combatting this global problem.
Physiological adaptations of pregnancy affecting the nervous system

Physiological adaptations of pregnancy affect neurological function in health and disease. Women often experience self-limited sensory abnormalities that resolve shortly after delivery. More important, pregnancy can predispose to the onset or deterioration of permanent neurological disorders. Lastly, complications of pregnancy may develop in patients with preexisting neurological disease. Therefore, a basic knowledge of reproductive physiology can guide clinicians in the diagnosis and management of the pregnant patient with neurological symptoms. This clinical review highlights the modifications that affect the nervous system, including neuroanatomy, reproductive endocrinology, immunology, systemic and cerebral circulations, metabolism, and coagulation profile. The widespread role of sex steroids in many of these adaptations is addressed to illustrate the complex interactions of human reproductive biology.
On a first-order hyperbolic coagulation model

We consider a first-order hyperbolic initial–boundary value problem that models coagulation of particles. We establish a comparison principle and construct monotone sequences to show the existence and uniqueness of the solution. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decoherence of a Josephson qubit due to coupling to two-level systems

Noise and decoherence are major obstacles to the implementation of Josephson junction qubits in quantum computing. Recent experiments suggest that two-level systems (TLS) in the oxide tunnel barrier are a source of decoherence. We explore two decoherence mechanisms in which these two-level systems lead to the decay of Rabi oscillations that result when Josephson junction qubits are subjected to strong microwave driving. (A) We consider a Josephson qubit coupled resonantly to a two-level system, i.e., the qubit and TLS have equal energy splittings. As a result of this resonant interaction, the occupation probability of the excited state of the qubit exhibits beating. Decoherence of the qubit results when the two-level system decays from its excited state by emitting a phonon. (B) Fluctuations of the two-level systems in the oxide barrier produce fluctuations and $1∕f$ noise in the Josephson junction critical current ${I}_{0}$. This in turn leads to fluctuations in the qubit energy splitting that degrade the qubit coherence. We compare our results with experiments on Josephson junction phase qubits.
A New Initiative on Precision Medicine

President Obama has announced a research initiative that aims to accelerate progress toward a new era of precision medicine, with a near-term focus on cancers and a longer-term aim to generate knowledge applicable to the whole range of health and disease.
Mutation spectrum of 2-chloroethyl methanesulfonate in Drosophila melanogaster premeiotic germ cells

Abstract The 2-chloroethyl methanesulfonate (2C1EMS)-induced alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) null germline mutation frequency in treated Drosophila melanogaster second instar larval gonia was two orders of magnitude greater than the spontaneous mutation frequency. DNA sequence analysis of 83 Adh null mutations showed that 40 mutations of independent origin were at 23 sites in the Adh gene. The mutation spectrum contained only GC → AT transitions with 35 mutations (87.5%) at the middle or 3′ guanine. In addition, characteristics of glutathione (GSH)-mediated bioactivation were determined for 2ClEMS in vitro. Rates of GSH-mediated conjugation, catalyzed by purified rat liver glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and binding of [35S]GSH-mediated conjugation products to calf thymus DNA were determined for 2C1EMS, 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) and 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB). The relative rates of GSH-mediated conjugation were the following: 5 mM EDB > 40 mM 2C1EMS > 40 mM EDC. A similar trend was observed for DNA binding of the [35S]GSH-mediated conjugation products when differences in mutagen concentration were considered: EDB > 2C1EMS > EDC. The ratios of DNA binding to GSH conjugation calculated for EDB, EDC and 2C1EMS were 6.8 × 10−5, 9.3 × 10−5 and 19.1 × 10−5, respectively. A narrow range, less than a 3-fold difference, in the ratios of DNA binding to GSH conjugation indicates that the bioactivation of 2C1EMS is mediated by the same mechanism as EDB and EDC. Consequently, 2C1EMS, EDC and EDB may induce a specific mutation in premeiotic germ cells.
Physiologic consequences of increased vascular oxidant stresses in hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis: Implications for impaired vasomotion

During the past 8 years, it has become apparent that endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation is abnormal in a variety of disease states, including hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and following heart transplantation. Our laboratory and several others have examined dysfunctional regulation of vasomotor tone in hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. These studies have led to the concepts that altered regulation of vasomotion by the endothelium (1) is an early development in atherosclerosis, (2) involves both large vessels (with overt atherosclerosis) and the microcirculation (in which atherosclerosis does not develop), and (3) can be reversed by lipid-lowering strategies. The mechanisms for the abnormalities underlying this form of endothelial dysfunction are likely multifactorial, but a major underlying factor appears to be increased oxidant degradation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide. In this review we examine the evidence supporting this conclusion and consider the implications of these findings.
Pseudosystematic Conformational Search. Application to Cycloheptadecane

We describe a deterministic approach to conformational searching. The algorithm is a best-first, depth-first traversal of the conformer graph, i.e., a graph generated by a small set of deterministic deformation operators. No deformation operator is ever applied to the same starting structure more than once. Thus, this algorithm avoids the source of diminishing returns, common in Monte Carlo searches, that is caused by the rising probability that a given starting structure is subjected to the same or similar perturbations more than once. We apply this technique to the task of finding all locally optimal conformations of cycloheptadecane whose MM2 energies lie within 3 kcal/mol of its global optimum. This task, which is considered to be challenging for contemporary algorithms and computer hardware, was used by Saunders et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1990, 112, 1419−1427) as a benchmark for comparing existing techniques in terms of their efficiency and thoroughness. The new algorithm compares favorably, by both c...
Twenty-step algorithm for determining the asymptotic number of trees of various species: Corrigenda

John W. Moon has discovered several computational errors in our article above (J. Austral. Math. Soc. (Series A) 20 (1975), 483–503). The five constants reported for identity trees below Table 1 at the bottom of page 502 are all wrong. The correct values are
Synthesis, structure, and catalytic reactivity of N,N,S- and O,N,S-tridentate oxorhenium(V) complexes.

Three new oxorhenium(V) catalysts have been synthesized; the one whose structural formula is shown was characterized crystallographically. These compounds catalyze oxygen atom transfer from pyridine N-oxide to tris(trimethylphenyl)phosphine in chloroform at room temperature.
Ethylene and plant responses to nutritional stress

Although ethylene is known to be involved in plant response to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses, relatively little is known concerning its role in nutritional stress arising from nutrient deficiency or mineral toxicity. There is clear evidence for involvement of ethylene in the symbiosis between Rhizobium and legumes, and in the ‘Strategy 1’ response to Fe deficiency. Ethylene may also be generated during tissue necrosis induced by severe toxicities and deficiencies. Metal toxicity may generate ethylene through oxidative stress. Evidence for a more general role for ethylene in regulating plant responses to macronutrient deficiency is suggestive but incomplete. Few studies have addressed this interaction, and most published reports are difficult to interpret because of the unrealistic way that nutrient treatments were imposed. Deficiency of N and P appear to interact with ethylene production and sensitivity. A role for ethylene in mediating adaptive responses to P stress is suggested by the fact that P stress can induce a variety of morphological changes in root systems that are also affected by ethylene, such as gravitropism, aerenchyma formation, and root hair development. Other adaptive responses include senescence or abscission of plant parts which cannot be supported by the plant. Ethylene and other plant hormones may be involved in mediating the stress signal to generate these responses. Although existing literature is inconclusive, we speculate that ethylene may play an important role in mediating the morphological and physiological plasticity of plant responses to nutrient patches in time and space, and especially root responses to P stress.