cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain Expression Genome-Wide Association Study (eGWAS) Identifies Human Disease-Associated Variants

Genetic variants that modify brain gene expression may also influence risk for human diseases. We measured expression levels of 24,526 transcripts in brain samples from the cerebellum and temporal cortex of autopsied subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD, cerebellar n=197, temporal cortex n=202) and with other brain pathologies (non-AD, cerebellar n=177, temporal cortex n=197). We conducted an expression genome-wide association study (eGWAS) using 213,528 cisSNPs within ± 100 kb of the tested transcripts. We identified 2,980 cerebellar cisSNP/transcript level associations (2,596 unique cisSNPs) significant in both ADs and non-ADs (q<0.05, p=7.70 × 10(-5)-1.67 × 10(-82)). Of these, 2,089 were also significant in the temporal cortex (p=1.85 × 10(-5)-1.70 × 10(-141)). The top cerebellar cisSNPs had 2.4-fold enrichment for human disease-associated variants (p<10(-6)). We identified novel cisSNP/transcript associations for human disease-associated variants, including progressive supranuclear palsy SLCO1A2/rs11568563, Parkinson's disease (PD) MMRN1/rs6532197, Paget's disease OPTN/rs1561570; and we confirmed others, including PD MAPT/rs242557, systemic lupus erythematosus and ulcerative colitis IRF5/rs4728142, and type 1 diabetes mellitus RPS26/rs1701704. In our eGWAS, there was 2.9-3.3 fold enrichment (p<10(-6)) of significant cisSNPs with suggestive AD-risk association (p<10(-3)) in the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium GWAS. These results demonstrate the significant contributions of genetic factors to human brain gene expression, which are reliably detected across different brain regions and pathologies. The significant enrichment of brain cisSNPs among disease-associated variants advocates gene expression changes as a mechanism for many central nervous system (CNS) and non-CNS diseases. Combined assessment of expression and disease GWAS may provide complementary information in discovery of human disease variants with functional implications. Our findings have implications for the design and interpretation of eGWAS in general and the use of brain expression quantitative trait loci in the study of human disease genetics.
Competition: An Antidote To The High Price Of Prescription Drugs

Patent protection and factors unique to prescription drugs weaken the forces keeping prices near costs for other products. A growing public consensus that affordable drugs should be available to all is likely to increase the upward pressure on prices. To restore competition to all parts of the pharmaceutical industry, we propose a new institute at the National Institutes of Health that would compete with the private sector for pharmaceutical intellectual property by establishing competition for research and development contracts open to public and private institutions; retain the resulting patents; and grant cost-free, nonexclusive licenses to all qualified producers.
PSA immunoreactivity in a parotid oncocytoma: a diagnostic pitfall in discriminating primary parotid neoplasms from metastatic prostate cancer.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is secreted by both normal and neoplastic acinar cells of the prostate gland, and the immunohistochemical detection of PSA is widely accepted as an excellent method for confirming the prostatic origin of metastatic tumor implants in men with prostate cancer. Less recognized is the observation that certain nonprostatic tissues and their neoplastic counterparts also secrete PSA. As one example, salivary gland ducts and certain salivary gland neoplasms have been reported to be immunoreactive for PSA. Potentially, this nonspecificity could be a diagnostic pitfall when using immunoperoxidase on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens to differentiate metastatic prostate cancer from primary salivary gland tumors. We report on a case where strong PSA immunoreactivity of a parotid oncocytoma led to its confusion with metastatic prostate cancer. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1998;19:221–225. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Examining design fixation in engineering idea generation: the role of example modality

Design fixation is a major concern in engineering idea generation because it restricts the solution space in which designers search for their ideas. For designers to be more creative, it is essential to mitigate their fixation. The majority of studies in the literature investigate the role of pictorial stimuli in design fixation; however, the role of examples presented in other formats, including physical prototypes, is largely unknown. This paper presents a study that compares design fixation, in novice designers, caused by pictorial and physical representations. The effects of defixating materials proposed by Linsey et al. (2010) are also investigated. The results show that physical formats cause a higher magnitude of fixation than pictorial formats; however, participants utilizing physical examples produce a greater quantity of nonredundant ideas. Consistent with prior studies, the results also indicate that the defixation materials may not facilitate mitigation of novice designers' fixation.
Lifespan. The effects of sensory deprivation.

The study of lifespan in worms has mainly evolved around the dauer-formation-2 gene (daf-2), which, when mutated, results in a dramatic extension of lifespan. A similar extension has now been observed in worms mutated in a range of genes that also affect the shape and function of sensory neurons. These results imply that sensory neurons can exert a strong effect on lifespan, and this link is thought to involve an insulin-signalling pathway.
PKA phosphorylates histone deacetylase 5 and prevents its nuclear export, leading to the inhibition of gene transcription and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Dynamic nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) is a fundamental mechanism regulating gene transcription. Recent studies have identified several protein kinases that phosphorylate HDAC5, leading to its exportation from the nucleus. However, the negative regulatory mechanisms for HDAC5 nuclear exclusion remain largely unknown. Here we show that cAMP-activated protein kinase A (PKA) specifically phosphorylates HDAC5 and prevents its export from the nucleus, leading to suppression of gene transcription. PKA interacts directly with HDAC5 and phosphorylates HDAC5 at serine 280, an evolutionarily conserved site. Phosphorylation of HDAC5 by PKA interrupts the association of HDAC5 with protein chaperone 14-3-3 and hence inhibits stress signal-induced nuclear export of HDAC5. An HDAC5 mutant that mimics PKA-dependent phosphorylation localizes in the nucleus and acts as a dominant inhibitor for myocyte enhancer factor 2 transcriptional activity. Molecular manipulations of HDAC5 show that PKA-phosphorylated HDAC5 inhibits cardiac fetal gene expression and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Our findings identify HDAC5 as a substrate of PKA and reveal a cAMP/PKA-dependent pathway that controls HDAC5 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and represses gene transcription. This pathway may represent a mechanism by which cAMP/PKA signaling modulates a wide range of biological functions and human diseases such as cardiomyopathy.
Identification of a Novel Membrane-Associated Gene Product That Suppresses Toxicity of a TrfA Peptide from Plasmid RK2 and Its Relationship to the DnaA Host Initiation Protein

The toxicity of a peptide derived from the amino-terminal portion of 33-kDa TrfA, one of the initiation proteins encoded by the broad-host-range plasmid RK2, was suppressed by a host protein related to DnaA, the initiation protein of Escherichia coli. The newly identified 28.4-kDa protein, termed a DnaA paralog (Dp) because it is similar to a region of DnaA but likely has a different function in initiation of plasmid RK2 replication, interacts physically with the 33-kDa TrfA initiation protein, including the initiation-active monomeric form. The Dp has a cellular distribution similar to that of the 33-kDa TrfA initiation protein, being found primarily in the inner membrane fraction, with lesser amounts detected in the outer membrane fraction and almost none in the soluble fraction of E. coli. Maintenance and inner membrane-associated replication of plasmid RK2 were enhanced in a Dp knockout strain and inhibited in strains containing extra copies of the Dp gene or in membrane extracts to which a tagged form of Dp was added. Recently, the Dp was independently shown to help prevent overinitiation in E. coli and was termed Hda (S. Kato and T. Katayama, EMBO J. 20:4253-4262, 2001).
Propagation of solitary waves in channels of decreasing depth

The changes which occur in a right-going solitary wave as it travels a channel of decreasing depth are discussed. In addition to the changes in the solitary wave, we have found through a judicious use of the conservation laws two secondary structures (a shelf and a reflection). Each of these structures is small with respect to the solitary wave, though the mass flux associated with each is of the same order as that of the solitary wave. Of interest is that the amplitude of the reflected wave does not satisfy Green's law. But rather, the amplitude of the reflected wave is constant along left-going characteristics. This finding allows us to satisfy the mass flux conservation laws to leading order and establishes the perturbed Korteweg-deVries equation as a consistent approximation for the right-going profile.
New tantalum compounds supported by 3,3′-disubstituted-1,1′-bi-2-naphthoxide ligation

Several tantalum compounds supported by 3,3′-disubstituted-1,1′-bi-2-naphthol derived ligands have been prepared and initial aspects of their reactivity studied.
Carbon dioxide vent for direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract Passive, stand-alone, direct methanol fuel cells require a pressure management system that releases CO2 produced in the anode chamber. However, this must be done without allowing the methanol fuel to escape. In this paper, two siloxane membranes are investigated and shown to selectively vent CO2 from the anode chamber. The addition of hydrophobic additives, 1,6-divinylperfluorohexane and 1,9-decadiene, improved the selectivity of the siloxane membranes. The best performing CO2 vent was obtained with 50:50 wt% poly(1-trimethyl silyl propyne) and 1,6-divinylperfluorohexane.
Reduction of NOx over various Fe/zeolite catalysts

Abstract A systematic comparison was made of the catalytic activity of a variety of Fe/zeolite catalysts in the selective catalytic reduction of NO x with iso -butane or propane, both with dry and wet feeds. All catalysts were prepared by subliming FeCl 3 vapor onto the H-form of the zeolite, followed by Cl removal. The activities decrease in the order Fe/BEA > Fe/MFI ⪢ Fe/FER > Fe/MOR ≈ Fe/Y. These differences are rationalized in terms of our mechanistic model and the known pore geometry of the zeolites. FT-IR shows that some Fe loaded narrow pore zeolites are able to oxidize NO to NO 2 and form NO y chemisorption complexes, but unable to let iso -butane enter the pores. Unlike some wider pore zeolites that become covered by a carbonaceous deposit at low temperature, these materials retain their high activity for NO oxidation. Mixtures of Fe loaded wide and narrow pore zeolites, therefore, lead to higher steady-state activities at low temperature than single catalysts. In particular, the combination of Fe/MFI with Fe/FER displays a spectacular activity enhancement.
HCl vibrational fundamental band: Line intensities and temperature dependence of self-broadening coefficients

Self-broadening in the vibrational fundamental of HCl is inversely proportional to the temperature for transitions which lie near the Boltzmann rotational maximum and becomes monotonically less temperature-dependent as the rotational quantum number increases. The rotationless transition moment was found to have the value of 5.57 + or - 0.13 x 10 to the -3rd (Debye)-squared and the first Herman-Wallis factor, C = -2.543 + or - 0.019 x 10 to the -2nd.
Dryline Characteristics near Lubbock, Texas, Based on Radar and West Texas Mesonet Data for May 2005 and May 2006

Abstract Two months of Lubbock, Texas, radar reflectivity data and West Texas Mesonet data are examined to detect dryline finelines and to describe their thermodynamic and propagation characteristics. Before sunset the moist air mass east of the dryline was consistently denser than the dry air mass. This air density difference waned and even reversed after sunset, because of more rapid cooling on the dry side. This study provides further evidence that the formation and propagation of the dryline convergence zone is driven by the daytime air density difference, that is, that the dryline behaves as a density current. The implication for forecasters is that the air density (or virtual potential temperature) difference across the dryline should be monitored, as a measure of dryline strength and as an additional indicator for the likelihood of convective initiation along the dryline.
Factors Influencing Successful Preventive Health Education

This paper examines factors which may influence successful preventive health education for all persons and especially poor persons. The discussion is organized within a tramework which includes cognitive factors, affective factors and skills. Types of health information and methods for information dissemination are discussed within the cognitive area. The discussion of emotional responses to preventive care examines organizational and individual factors which may be related to utilization. Finally, specific skills which enable an individual to utilize services are defined. Within each section a general presentation is followed by a discussion of implications for poor populations.
Current Concepts in Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is becoming recognized in veterinary medicine as a viable option for the management of complex wounds. NPWT has many advantages over traditional wound care and results in quicker and improved wound healing in many instances. This article discusses the art and science of NPWT, as well as the many current indications, complications, advantages and disadvantages, and future directions of NPWT in small animal veterinary medicine. This therapy will likely have a growing role in veterinary medical practice for complicated wound management and other usages in coming years.
Rethinking cancer vaccines to avoid T-cell traps.

Cancer vaccines have gained increasing popularity since the US FDA approved the first cancer vaccine, sipuleucel-T, in 2010 and then approved the active specific immunotherapeutic agent, ipilimumab, in 2011. Several other recently reported positive randomized trials have started reversing the seemingly endless flow of failed cancer vaccine trials [1–4]. This has not been a complete reversal, however, with the recent report at ASCO that the Stimuvax trial failed to meet its primary end point in lung cancer; however, there was a significant improvement in overall survival in a large subset of over 800 patients. Since the majority of cancer vaccine trials have been performed in melanoma, this disease entity has endured more than its share of cancer vaccine failures. However, melanoma has taught us more than any other disease about the endogenous immune response to cancer. Specifically, multiple immunogenic peptides have been described from melanoma-specific antigens such as p-mel and MART-1 that efficiently induce and expand T cells with the capacity to recognize and destroy melanoma cells expressing these antigens. It is understandable then why these peptides have been the focus of many early and ongoing clinical trials. As with most vaccines, the antigenic focus of the vaccine must be joined with an immunoadjuvant to enhance its effectiveness. Incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA) is a water-in-oil emulsion specifically designed not only to enhance the immunogenicity of vaccines but also to serve as a slow-release source of antigen to the immune system. IFA has been one of the most commonly utilized cancer vaccine adjuvants to date and has been frequently used with peptide-based vaccines, especially in melanoma trials. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these peptide/IFA vaccine trials have been negative with rare objective clinical
The efficacy of a brief alcohol intervention combined with %CDT feedback in patients being treated for type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension.

Objective: Alcohol biomarkers are being developed to improve a physician's ability to identify and intervene with patients with chronic medical problems adversely affected by heavy alcohol use. This article reports the findings of a brief intervention trial which included feedback to patients of their carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) test results. Method: A pilot study was conducted to test the efficacy of brief clinician advice to reduce alcohol use and improve health status in a sample of 151 patients being treated for Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The intervention included informing patients of their CDT levels. The patients were randomized to a usual care or brief intervention group. Results: There were no significant differences at baseline between the two groups in alcohol use, CDT levels, addiction rates, age, gender, socioeconomic status or health status measures. Following brief intervention, significant differences were observed in the intervention group in alcohol use and CDT: The p...
Modulating the fibrinolytic system of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with adenovirus.

Gene therapy utilizing leukocytes is an unexplored therapeutic strategy for targeting tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) to fibrin and sites of inflammation. In this study, five cationic lipi...
Stable-isotope stratigraphy of the Pliocene–Pleistocene climate transition in the northwestern subtropical Pacific

Abstract From Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1208 on Shatsky Rise below the Kuroshio Current Extension, we present the North Pacific's first orbital-scale benthic-foraminiferal δ18O and δ13C time series to span the Pliocene–Pleistocene climate transition. Excellent agreement between the Site 1208 δ18O record and the global δ18O stack of Lisiecki and Raymo (2005) provides orbital-scale age control and confirms continuous stratigraphy from 3.7 to 1.8 Ma at the single-hole site. Cross-spectral analysis of the δ18O and δ13C time series reveals that these are coherent to 80% confidence at the 41-kyr obliquity band prior to 3.3 Ma (glacial isotope stage M2) and increase to the 95% level thereafter. Throughout, δ18O cycles consistently lead δ13C cycles by ~ 3 kyr. This suggests that global-ocean δ13C variations, as produced by terrestrial–marine 12C transfers, were responsive to obliquity-induced climate changes before the Northern Hemisphere glaciations (NHG) reached mid latitudes at 2.7 Ma. In contrast, 41-kyr carbonate sedimentation (as derived from sediment reflectance) cycles, maxima tightly coupled to (> 95% confidence) and in phase with minima in the δ18O record, do not emerge until 2.7 Ma. Foraminiferal fragmentation counts indicate that carbonate preservation is not the primary process behind enhanced carbonate deposition during interglacials. Thus, we surmise that hydrography-related changes in biogenic opal and carbonate production in surface water best explain glacial–interglacial carbonate cycles beginning with significant NHG. Firm establishment of orbital-scale age control on the stratigraphically complete Site 1208 section now provides a platform for high-resolution paleoceanographic reconstruction of the relatively understudied North Pacific.
Mineral and Water Content of the Fat-Free Body: Effects of Gender, Maturation, Level of Fatness, and Age

Variability associated with the effects of gender, level of fatness (LOF), maturation (ML), and age on the mineral (MFFB) and water (WFFB) content of the fat-free body (FFB) was investigated in 188 males and 144 females, aged 8 to 17 years. Measures of body density, bone mineral content, total body water, and skin-fold thicknesses were obtained. FFB was calculated using a multicomponent model based on body density and adjusting for variability in body water and mineral content. Subjects were classified by ML as prepubescent, pubescent, and postpubescent42. Subjects were also grouped by LOF as lean, average, and obese based on percentile rankings from the age-related norms of the National Children and Youth Fitness Study34,35. Least squares multiple regression analysis using weighted orthogonal contrasts to account for sample size differences revealed significant (p .05) effects between, or within, gender were noted for WFFB. Significant ML, and nearly significant (p>.056) LOF x ML, effects were found for MFFB in the males. In contrast, only ML was significant within the female sample for MFFB. These results were upheld when age2, rather than ML, was used in the analysis. The overall relative increase in MFFB across ML was greatest in the obese (17.4%, 93%) and least in the lean (11.3%, 63%) males and females, respectively. A significant increase in MFFB across ML was observed in both genders; however, the pattern and magnitude of increase is dependent upon LOF considered. Hence, consideration of gender, ML, LOF and age is essential in estimating body composition in children.
Physical Activity Monitoring in Children and Youths

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Public health data have confirmed epidemic levels of pediatric obesity and inactivity in the United States today. Activity monitoring can provide real-world outcomes for new interventions for youths with mobility limitations. Valid and reliable measures of ambulatory activity are needed to understand the relationship between inactivity and obesity. The purpose of this paper is to highlight issues relevant to ambulatory activity monitoring in pediatric populations. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: A review of the currently available pedometers and accelerometers for ambulatory physical activity monitoring is presented. Elements of device selection are discussed and critical criteria proposed for physical activity monitoring of children and adolescents. Finally, examples of pediatric physical activity monitoring are presented in the context of clinical practice and research. Language: en
Familial Aniridia with Preserved Ocular Function

Of 76 members of a large pedigree with familial aniridia, 61% of the 38 affected patients had visual acuity of 6/9 (20/30) or better and only 5% had acuity of 6/60 (20/200) or worse. Cataracts were present in 18% of affected patients; glaucoma in 13%; and strabismus in 34%. Sixteen percent of affected patients had strabismic amblyopia. No patient had nystagmus or corneal pannus. The good visual acuity in this family, as compared to that in others, indicates that the absence of iris tissue alone cannot account for the severe visual problems usually associated with aniridia.
Tyrosyl Interactions in the Folding and Unfolding of Bovine Pancreatic Ribonuclease A: A Study of Tyrosine-to-Phenylalanine Mutants†

Three tyrosine-to-phenylalanine mutants of ribonuclease A (Y25F, Y92F, and Y97F) are investigated for their enzymatic activities, molecular stabilities, and unfolding/refolding kinetics. These mutants exhibit 80, 90, and 80%, respectively, of the catalytic activity of the wild-type enzyme. Thermal, Gdn·HCl, and pH transition measurements indicate that Y25F and Y97F are less stable than the wild-type protein, whereas the bulk of the thermodynamic and kinetic evidence indicates that Y92F is as stable as the wild-type protein. Differences in molar extinction coefficients indicate that tyrosines 25, 92, and 97 contribute 38, 13, and 39%, respectively, to the absorption difference between the folded and unfolded states, in general agreement with previous studies but possibly indicating the contribution of a fourth tyrosine residue to account for the remaining 10%. Stopped-flow single- and double-jump kinetic experiments were carried out on the wild-type and three mutant proteins. At least one tyrosine residue ...
A search for solar wind velocity changes between 0.7 and 1 AU

Simultaneous observations of the solar wind velocity as measured at the Pioneer 9 and Ogo 5 spacecraft during five solar rotations in 1968 and 1969 are presented. During this time, Pioneer 9 was traveling in toward the sun to approximately 0.7 AU while the earth orbiter Ogo 5 was spending long periods in the interplanetary medium. A comparison of the 3-hour averages of solar wind velocity obtained at both spacecraft indicates that the same basic solar wind velocity structure was seen at both spacecraft. There was no statistically significant dependence of average velocity on radial distance from the sun. The amplitude of variations about the average velocity apparently decreased with increasing distance from the sun; some but probably not all of this decreased variation is consistent with the exchange of momentum between high-velocity and low-velocity streams. The correlation coefficient of pairs of velocity averages computed from a corotation model decreases with increasing distance between the two spacecraft.
The laws of similitude and crack propagation

Abstract The mechanics of cracking follow the laws of similitude in an odd sense. As a result, crack load-external displacement-crack extension data are not usually non-dimensionalized. It follows that a new “group” should be used (analogous to the Reynolds, Froude or Cauchy numbers) when scaling ship ice-breaking resistance from tests of models in ice-towing-tanks.
The effects of baclofen and pertussis toxin on epileptiform activity induced in the hippocampal slice by magnesium depletion

Abstract Bathing hippocampal slices in artificial cerebrospinal fluid without magnesium elicits repetitive, long ictal-like discharges termed ictaform events. The ictaform events are separated by interictal periods that are initially silent with no interictai bursts. Interictal bursts appear in the later part of the interictal periods and intensify just before the next ictaform event. The GABAB agonist, baclofen, entirely suppressed interictal bursts during the interictal periods and produced a dose-dependent prolongation of the interictal period. Conversely, in slices pretreated with pertussis toxin to reduce the GABAB neurotransmission, interictal bursts were greatly increased, often occupying the entire interictal period, although the total duration of the interictal periods was not affected. Pertussis toxin pretreatment also lengthened the ictaform events. These opposing effects of baclofen and pertussis toxin suggest that GABAB neurotransmission is important in regulating both the occurrence of interictal bursts in the interictal period, as well as the duration of ictaform events in the low magnesium model of epileptiform activity.
Cooperation across payoff equivalent public good and common pool resource experiments

Abstract Subjects in public good experiments are often observed to be more cooperative than subjects in common pool resource experiments. This cooperation divergence may be explained by a behavioral asymmetry between the warm-glow of doing something good and the cold-prickle of doing something bad ( Andreoni, 1995 ). However, recent research suggests that behavior is qualitatively similar across payoff equivalent public good and common pool resource experiments ( Apesteguia & Maier-Rigaud, 2006 ). This paper reports on an experiment designed to test the robustness of the cooperation divergence. The analysis quantifies the cooperation across payoff equivalent public good and common pool resource experiments that explicitly inform subjects how their allocation decisions effect group earnings. Results suggest that the level of cooperation is equivalent across treatments. This research suggests that the observed cooperation divergence is caused, in part, by variation in the experimental parameters employed rather than from a behavioral regularity unexplained by standard theory.
Open-access microfluidic patch-clamp array with raised lateral cell trapping sites

A novel open-access microfluidic patch-clamp array chip with lateral cell trapping sites raised above the bottom plane of the chip was developed by combining both a microscale soft-lithography and a macroscale polymer fabrication method. This paper demonstrates the capability of using such an open-access fluidic system for patch-clamp measurements. The surface of the open-access patch-clamp sites prepared by the macroscale hole patterning method of soft-state elastic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is examined; the seal resistances are characterized and correlated with the aperture dimensions. Whole cell patch-clamp measurements are carried out with CHO cells expressing Kv2.1 ion channels. Kv2.1 ion channel blocker (TEA) dosage response is characterized and the binding activity is examined. The results demonstrate that the system is capable of performing whole cell measurements and drug profiling in a more efficient manner than the traditional patch-clamp set-up.
Plated Copper Substrates For The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Antares CO 2 Laser System

Antares is a large carbon-dioxide laser system presently under construction at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). Antares will be part of the LASL High Energy Gas La-ser Facility (HEGLF). Its purpose will be to investigate inertial confinement fusion with light of 10.6-μm wavelength: Most of the optics comprising Antares will be reflectors and, for many reasons, copper is the material of choice. The mirrors range in size from 2.5 cm in diameter to 45 cm in diameter. The copper must be very pure to help maximize damage threshold, making plated copper an attractive solution. The final mirror should be very stable, i.e., characterized by very low microcreep. This makes an alloy a more suitable substrate candidate than pure copper. For Antares, all of the smaller mirrors will be made of copper plated onto an aluminum-bronze substrate, and all of the larger mirrors will be made of copper plated on-to aluminum alloy 2124. This paper discusses how this design was arrived at and the methods used to assure a satisfactory mirror.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of human chorionic gonadotropin and prostaglandin F2a on progesterone production by human luteal cells.

Abstract To determine and compare the direct effects of prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on luteal cell progesterone production in vitro, 9 human corpora lutea obtained at tubal ligation were minced and treated with collagenase to disaggregate luteal cells. Dispersed luteal cells (80% viable) were incubated in air at 37°C in a shaking water bath for 3 h and total progesterone in the media and cells was determined by radioimmunoassay. Optimum progesterone production was obtained using 25,000 or more cells per incubate and an incubation time of 2–4 h. hCG-stimulated progesterone production increased significantly with 0.01 IU to as high as 100 IU. In the early luteal phase (days 1–5 post ovulation or days 15–20 of the luteal phase), PGF2a, (10–1000 ng) significantly inhibited progesterone production but significantly stimulated progesterone production in the mid-luteal phase (days 21–25). PGF2a had no effect on luteal cell progesterone production in the late luteal phase (days 26–30). This age-dependent direct effect of PGF2a on human luteal cell progesterone production in vitro indicates a role for PGF2a in the total intragonadal regulation of progesterone output, possibly through a paracrine or automne manner directed towards synchronizing luteal progesterone secretion and endometrial preparation for nidation.
Examining the Justification for Residential Recycling

There are 8,875 municipalities in the United States that have initiated curbside recycling programs over the past two decades to help reduce residential solid waste. Four thousand of these municipalities encourage recycling by requiring households to pay a fee for each unit of garbage presented at the curb for collection. How beneficial have the various recycling policies been in practice? This article examines the empirical lessons gained from twenty years of solid waste policy in the United States and argues for the replacement of several state recycling mandates with a moderate landfill tax.
Mössbauer effect study of amorphous FePdSi alloys

The Mossbauer spectra of amorphous FexPd80−xSi20 alloys (0<x⪝7) obtained by rapid quenching from the liquid state have been measured at 4.2°K, 77°K, and 295°K. The results are not typical of a superparamagnetic system, as had been suggested earlier on the basis of magnetization measurements. A model is proposed for the magnetism in these alloys based on a local ferromagnetic order whose direction changes randomly throughout the material. The apparent disappearance of the quadrupole interaction below the transition temperature is explained.
Lack of saturable transport across the blood-brain barrier in either direction for β-amyloid1–28 (Alzheimer's disease protein)

beta-Amyloid and related peptides are components of the neurofibrillary tangles found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and have been suggested to be directly involved in the pathophysiology of that condition. It is unclear whether the amyloid deposited in the brain arises from the peripheral circulation, which would require passage across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), or whether it is produced within the brain itself. We examined the ability of beta-amyloid1-28 (beta Am), a commercially available, biologically active fragment, radioactively labeled with 125I (I-beta Am), to cross the BBB. After IV injection of I-beta Am, radioactivity entered the brain slowly, but to a greater extent than could be attributed to its being trapped in the vascular space of the brain. Entry was not inhibited by an excess of unlabeled beta Am or by pretreatment with aluminum, indicating that entry was by the nonsaturable mechanism of transmembrane diffusion. After intraventricular injection of I-beta Am, radioactivity was cleared slowly from the brain and was not affected by excess unlabeled beta Am or by pretreatment with aluminum, indicating that clearance probably occurred with reabsorption of cerebrospinal fluid. The excess beta Am did not alter the brain/blood ratio or the clearance rate of radioactively labeled albumin, indicating that under the conditions of this experiment beta Am did not have measurable effects on BBB integrity or on the rate of reabsorption of cerebrospinal fluid. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that I-beta Am was rapidly degraded, especially by the brain, to smaller peptide fragments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Alternating Wenckebach periods occurring in the atria, His-Purkinje system, ventricles and Kent bundle.

Abstract Alternating Wenckebach periods were defined as episodes of 2:1 block during which there was a gradual prolongation of the transmission intervals preceding the appearance of 3:1 or 4:1 block. Alternating Wenckebach periods occurring within the His-Purkinje system in symptomatic patients with right bundle branch block could have resulted from involvement of the His bundle only, the left bundle branch only or both structures simultaneously. Alternating Wenckebach patterns presumably occurring in the reentry pathway of ventricular extrasystoles and in the tissues surrounding an ectopic atrial focus or bipolar pacing electrodes were manifested in the coupling intervals of the premature beats; in the P-P intervals of atrial tachycardia with atrioventricular (A-V) block due to digitalis; and in the stimulus (St)-A intervals following electrical stimuli delivered to the atria at fast rates. Alternating Wenckebach periods of St-H and St-delta wave intervals in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome resulted from involvement of the Kent bundle itself, or of the atria as a proximal level common to distal longitudinally dissociated structures (Kent bundle and A-V node). It is concluded that contrary to what is commonly believed alternating Wenckebach periods may be a tachycardia-dependent phenomenon occurring above, below or outside the A-V node and explaining a variety of spontaneous or electrically induced arrhythmias whose significance depends on the clinical setting in which they occur.
L-histidine-based pH-sensitive anticancer drug carrier micelle: reconstitution and brief evaluation of its systemic toxicity.

Abstract A doxorubicin (DOX)-carrier micellar system consisting of poly(histidine)(5K)- b -poly(ethylene glycol)(2K) and poly( l -lactic acid)(3K)- b -PEG(2K)-folate has been developed targeting the early endosomal pH and it have been convincingly proved that intracellular high dose strategy using such micelles is effective in overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer cells. Due to the low DOX concentrations in the micelle solution obtained by dialysis and the lack of long-term stability of the micelles, stable and lyophilized micelle formulations were the subject of investigation reported here by using excipients of sucrose, PEG or Pluronic. The reconstituted micelle solutions were examined by particle size, pH sensitivity, and cytotoxicity for MDR cells and the results were compared with the non-lyophilized micelles. Among tested excipients, Pluronic F127 (33 wt%) added to the polymer/drug solution prior to dialysis resulted in a reconstituted product stable for a week and presented equivalent benefits as the fresh micelle formulation. The blank micelles did not present any apparent systemic toxicity in mice up to 2400 mg/kg i.v. injection (800 mg/(kg day) for 3 days). The brief toxicity of reconstituted DOX loaded micelles was examined by the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), which was approximately 7.5-fold higher than free DOX and guaranteeing further animal toxicity and efficacy study.
Applicable Techniques of Optical Microscopy for Polyurethane Investigations

One valuable approach to the study of structure- property relationships of the polyurethanes utilizes optical micro scopy as an analyical tool for system characterization. Using such contrast methods as phase contrast, polarization, interferometry and fluorescence, it is possible to characterize bulk as well as molecular parameters to include anisotropy, molecular density, composition, orientation and organization of the polymer system.
Frequency and intensity of chick distress calls: Effects on maternal foodcalling in chickens

The food call of broody domestic hens was used to measure maternal response to four frequency components found in chick distress calls (2,3,4 and 5 kHz) and to variations in distress call intensity (0-86 dB). Foodcalling increased significantly with frequency of the pure-tone test pulse; response to a taped distress call occurred between 40 dB and 86 dB intensity with a maximum at 60-65 dB. The results suggest that the mother uses the higher frequency components in recognizing the distress call, but responds maximally within a specific intensity range. The selective advantage of such behaviour is discussed.
A low distortion map between disk and square

Abstract This paper presents a map between squares and disks that associates concentric squares with concentric circles. This map preserves adjacency and fractional area, and has proven useful in many sampling applications where correspondences must be maintained between the two shapes. The paper also provides code to compute the map that minimizes branching and is robust for all inputs. Finally, it extends the map to the hemisphere. Though this map has been used in publications before, details of its computation have never previously been published.
A comparison of laboratory measures of escape and avoidance behavior.

Abstract Escape and avoidance of the onset of pain and exacerbations of pain can be difficult to distinguish in certain circumstances. This investigation compared measures of participants' (N = 61, 50.8% women) escape and avoidance behavior during an ischemic pain task. Instructions for the ischemic task were manipulated so that one group stopped the task whenever they wanted (eg, before the onset of pain) and another group endured the ischemic pain to tolerance. Delay time before beginning the task and willingness to complete the task were not related to self-reported escape/avoidance ( r = −.21, P = .10; r = −.14, P = .30). Also, they were not predicted by fear, anxiety, or catastrophizing. Task duration with the unrestricted stop rule was not related to self-reported escape/avoidance ( r = −.13, P = .50) and was not predicted by fear, anxiety, or catastrophizing. However, task duration with the tolerance stop rule was associated with self-reported escape/avoidance ( r = −.40, P = .02) and was predicted by catastrophizing (t 29 = −2.92, P Perspective Measures of avoidance of pain onset were not supported. However, task duration was a valid measure of escape from pain or avoidance of pain exacerbation with tolerance stop rules. Other measures of escape/avoidance behavior and participants' perceptions of stable or increasing pain level throughout a pain task should be examined.
Effects of cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism on cutaneous nociceptive threshold in the rat.

Abstract The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are presumed to produce their analagesic effects by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase catalyzed metabolism of arachidonic acid to hyperalgesic prostanoids. This study examined the hyperalgesic effect of a range of prostaglandins. We found, employing the rat paw-withdrawal test, that while intradermal injection of the known hyperalgesic prostaglandins, E2 and I2, produced hyperalgesia, other primary metabolites of the cyclooxygenation of arachidonic acid (prostaglandin F2α, prostaglandin D2, thromboxane B2 and 12(S) hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid) did not produce hyperalgesia. We conclude that prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin I2 are the main hyperalgesic metabolites of the cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid.
Stochastic processes with nonlinear dissipation: Brownian motion in Oseen's approximation

Abstract The random force on a Brownian particle derives from the fluctuating stresses in the liquid in which it is immersed. In earlier work by Zwanzig this was used to prove the fluctuation-dissipation theorem for a particle in a Stokes liquid. The calculation is extended to liquids that obey Oseen's hydrodynamic equations, which imply that the frictional force on the particle is a nonlinear function of its velocity. The result obtained proves the validity of the Langevin equation with Oseen's nonlinear friction, the random force being a function of the particle velocity. On the basis of this Langevin equation the Fokker-Planck equation for the velocity distribution is constructed and it is shown that this leads to Maxwell's velocity distribution.
Fluorenyl compounds of mercury

Abstract A new method has been developed for the preparation of cyclopentadienyl, indenyl and fluorenyl compounds of mercury whcch utilizes the reaction of HgCl 2 with the respective π-R 2 ZrCl 2 compound in an aqueous-organic medium. The synthesis and properties of fluorenylmercuric chloride and bis(fluorenyl)mercury are described.
On the specific site of action of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea in chloroplasts: Inhibition of a dark acid-induced decrease in midpoint potential of cytochrome b-559

Abstract Acidification of chloroplasts in the dark causes a decrease in the ability of ferrocyanide to reduce the oxidized cytochrome, which is reversible upon raising the pH. This effect is inhibited if 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) is added to the medium before acidification. DCMU inhibition of the loss of ferrocyanide reduction at pH 5.0 occurs at low DCMU concentrations, half-inhibition requiring 1 DCMU:400 chlorophyll molecules under conditions where half-inhibition of oxygen evolution requires the addition of 1 DCMU: 100 chlorophylls. Potentiometric titration shows that the midpoint potential of “high potential” cytochrome b -559 is +395 mV at pH 7.8, +335 mV at pH 5.0, and in the presence of DCMU +380 mV at pH 5.O. The ability of low concentrations of DCMU to exert a specific effect on a property associated with “high potential” cytochrome b -559 implies that this cytochrome, which is known to be in close structural proximity to the reduction center of photosystem II, is a principle site of action of DCMU.
Abnormal postexcitatory and interhemispheric motor cortex inhibition in writer's cramp.

Focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex was used to study excitatory and inhibitory stimulation effects in 25 patients with writer's cramp and 25 healthy volunteers. We investigated excitatory and inhibitory corticospinally mediated motor effects in muscles contralateral to the stimulation side as well as interhemispheric inhibition of tonic motor activity in muscles ipsilateral to stimulation. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from both first dorsal interosseus muscles. Motor thresholds at rest and amplitudes and latencies of MEPs obtained during maximal contraction were always bilaterally normal. The duration of postexcitatory inhibition was significantly shortened (168±55 vs. 198±39 ms in normal subjects, P=0.001) and the duration of interhemispheric inhibition prolonged (30.3±6.6 vs. 26±3.9 ms in normal subjects, P < 0.001). Both observations would be compatible with a decreased inhibition of corticospinal and transcallosal outputs of the motor cortex. The results were not influenced by fatigue effects. Abnormal motor cortex inhibition seems to be a generalized phenomenon in writer's cramp since it was detected in both hemispheres and during a simple isometric motor task which did not evoke dystonic symptoms.
Reactivity of (C5Me5)Lu(CH2SiMe3)2(THF) with Pyridine Ring Systems: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of an η2-(N,C)-Pyridyl (Mono)pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Lutetium(III) Complex

Reaction of (C5Me5)Lu(CH2SiMe3)2(THF) with pyridine results in the activation of an ortho C−H bond to form the corresponding η2-(N,C)-pyridyl complex with elimination of SiMe4. This is a rare example of pyridine metalation at a lanthanide metal center in the absence of a bent metallocene framework. The η2-(N,C)-pyridyl coordination mode was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The pyridyl complex adopts a distorted square-pyramid geometry with the C5Me5 unit residing in the apical position and the pyridyl ligand and remaining ligands residing in the basal plane. Isotopic labeling studies suggest that C−H bond activation is consistent with a σ-bond metathesis mechanism.
Light transmission by corneas, aqueous humor and crystalline lenses of fishes.

Abstract Corneas of lake trout and rainbow trout absorb the same amount of light of 350 mμ wavelength. Below this wavelength lake trout corneas absorb more light than rainbow trout corneas, whereas, at 400 mμ and above they absorb an average of 20 per cent less. Data obtained inin vitro studies indicate that an average of only 7 per cent of the light that reaches the aqueous humor of either species is absorbed by it. Absolute transmission of light by crystalline lenses was not measured but wavelength where transmission was maximal, 50 per cent maximal and zero indicate that lenses from lake trout absorb more light of shorter wavelengths than do those from rainbow trout. The significance of these data with respect to the higher incidence of comeal and lenticular lesions found in hatchery-reared lake trout is discussed.
A local-global principle for finiteness properties ofS-arithmetic groups over number fields

In the preceding paper [AT] compactness propertiesC n andCP n for locally compact groups were introduced. They generalize the finiteness propertiesF n andFP n for discrete groups. In this paper a local-global principle forS-arithmetic groups over number fields is proved. TheS-arithmetic group г is of typeF n , resp.FP n , if and only if for allp inS thep-adic completionG p of the corresponding algebraic groupG is of typeC n resp.CP n . As a corollary we obtain an easy proof of a theorem of Borel and Serre: AnS-arithmetic subgroup of a semisimple group has all the finiteness propertiesF n .