cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro metabolism of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol by chick intestinal and renal cell preparations. Identification of a metabolic product as 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and delineation of its metabolic fate in intestinal cells.

Abstract Free cell suspensions of intestinal epithelial and renal tubule cells were prepared by enzymatic digestion of tissue from rachitic chickens. The cells were demonstrated to remain metabolically functional during prolonged incubation at 37°. Both preparations were demonstrated to be capable of the in vitro metabolism of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol to products chromatographically more polar than 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. One product of the in vitro renal tubule metabolism of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol was shown to be identical to 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, countercurrent distribution in two different solvent systems, thin layer chromatography, and by its insensitivity to periodic acid oxidation. Additionally it was demonstrated that 25,26-dihydroxycholecalciferol is not and that 21,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, if produced at all, is a very minor product of the in vitro renal tubule metabolism of cholecalciferol. 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol was not a product of the in vitro intestinal epithelial cell metabolism of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. More importantly, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol also was not significantly metabolized in vitro by the epithelial cell preparation. This observation provides a unique demonstration that 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and not some further metabolite of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol is the cholecalciferol metabolite responsible for the initiation and maintenance of intestinal calcium absorption.
Linking together books: experiments in adapting published material into Intermedia documents

(1989). Linking Together Books: Experiments in Adapting Published Material into Intermedia Documents. Hypermedia: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 111-145.
Interstitial Cells of Cajal Mediate Cholinergic Neurotransmission from Enteric Motor Neurons

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are interposed between enteric neurons and smooth muscle cells in gastrointestinal muscles. The role of intramuscular ICC (IC-IM) in mediating enteric excitatory neural inputs was studied using gastric fundus muscles of wild-type animals and W/Wv mutant mice, which lack IC-IM. Excitatory motor neurons, labeled with antibodies to vesicular acetylcholine transporter or substance-P, were closely associated with IC-IM. Immunocytochemistry showed close contacts between enteric neurons and IC-IM. IC-IM also formed gap junctions with smooth muscle cells. Electrical field stimulation yielded fast excitatory junction potentials in the smooth muscle that were blocked by atropine. Neural responses were greatly reduced in muscles ofW/Wv animals. Loss of cholinergic responses in W/Wv muscles seemed to be caused by the loss of close synaptic contacts between motor neurons and IC-IM, because these muscles were not less responsive to exogenous acetylcholine than were wild-type muscles.W/Wv muscles also responded to excitatory nerve stimulation when the breakdown of acetylcholine was blocked by neostigmine. The density of cholinergic nerve bundles within the muscles was not significantly different in wild-type andW/Wv muscles, and similar amounts of14[C]choline were released from preloaded wild-type andW/Wv muscles in response to nerve stimulation. The impact of losing IC-IM on gastric compliance was also evaluated in intact stomachs. Pressure increased as a function of fluid volume and infusion rate in wild-type animals, butW/Wv animals showed little basal tone and minimal increases in pressure with fluid infusions. These data suggest that IC-IM play a major role in receiving cholinergic excitatory inputs from the enteric nervous system in the murine fundus.
Folding dynamics and mechanism of β-hairpin formation

Protein chains coil into α-helices and β-sheet structures. Knowing the timescales and mechanism of formation of these basic structural elements is essential for understanding how proteins fold1. For the past 40 years, α-helix formation has been extensively investigated in synthetic and natural peptides2,3,4,5, including by nanosecond kinetic studies6,7. In contrast, the mechanism of formation of β structures has not been studied experimentally. The minimal β-structure element is the β-hairpin, which is also the basic component of antiparallel β-sheets. Here we use a nanosecond laser temperature-jump apparatus to study the kinetics of folding a β-hairpin consisting of 16 amino-acid residues. Folding of the hairpin occurs in 6 µs at room temperature, which is about 30 times slower than the rate of α-helix formation6,7. We have developed a simple statistical mechanical model that provides a structural explanation for this result. Our analysis also shows that folding of a β-hairpin captures much of the basic physics of protein folding, including stabilization by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, two-state behaviour, and a funnel-like, partially rugged energy landscape.
Restoration of enzymic activity and cytotoxicity of mutant, E553C, Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A by reaction with iodoacetic acid.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA) is inactivated greater than 1,000-fold when an active site glutamic acid, E553, is mutated to aspartic acid (Douglas, C.M., and Collier, R. J. (1987) J. Bacteriol. 169, 4967-4971). To test the effect of creating a carboxyl-containing side chain at position 553 longer than that of glutamic acid, we first replaced Glu-553 with cysteine by site-directed mutagenesis of cloned ETA and then carboxymethylated the cysteine side chain with iodoacetic acid. The E553C mutation reduced ADP-ribosyltransferase and cytotoxic activities greater than 10,000-fold. Reaction of the mutant with iodoacetic acid enhanced enzymic activity 2,500-fold, to a level approximately one-sixth that of wild type toxin, and restored cytotoxicity to a slightly lesser extent. Iodoacetamide did not activate the mutant, and neither iodoacetic acid nor iodoacetamide affected the activity of wild type toxin. These results show that the carboxyl group of Glu-553 is important for ADP-ribosylation activity and imply flexibility in the enzyme-substrate complex in accommodating the slightly longer S-carboxymethylcysteine side chain. This general approach may have applications in protein engineering as well as in studying carboxyl side chain functions in enzymes.
Non-invasive opening of BBB by focused ultrasound

Blood brain barrier (BBB) is a major barrier for delivering therapeutic agents in the brain. In this study we investigated the feasibility of open the BBB by using focused ultrasound. Rabbit brains were exposed to pulsed focused ultrasound while injecting ultrasound contrast agent containg microbubbles intravenously. The BBB opening was measured after the sonications by injecting MRI contrast agent IV and evaluating the local enhancement in the brain. Low ultrasound powers and pressure amplitudes were found to cause focal enhancement. Before sacrificing the animals trypan blue was also injected IV. After the sacrifice of the animals blue spots were found in the brain in the sonicated locations. This method may have potential for targeted delivery of macromolecules in the brain.
SYSTEMS OF PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR A CLASS OF OPERATOR DETERMINANTS

We consider one-dimensional integral operators with kernel of the form \( [K(x,y) = {\mkern 1mu} \frac{1}{{x - y}}\sum\limits_{{\alpha ,\beta = 1}}^{n} {{{c}_{{\alpha ,\beta {\kern 1pt} \varphi \beta }}}(x)} \varphi \alpha (y) \) acting on functions on the union of intervals \( J{\mkern 1mu} = {\mkern 1mu} \bigcup\limits_{{k = 1}}^{m} {[{{a}_{{2k - 1,}}}{{a}_{{2k}}}].} \).
Making the news: Heterogeneous media coverage and corporate litigation

Research summary: This study explores how relative prominence shapes rivalry between firms. Corporate litigation, an increasingly costly domain of interfirm rivalry, is threatening not just because of the immediate legal stakes but because of the indirect losses that unwanted negative publicity inflicts on defendants. I argue that potential defendants' incentives to avoid such losses create a source of value that firms can capture by agreeing to forgo litigation. The more prominent a firm is relative to rivals, the greater its threat and the more value it stands to capture from potential targets by sparing them from litigation. Managerial summary: The power to attract media attention can be valuable to firms beyond its role in managing relations with investors or the public. It can also provide leverage against industry rivals. Being sued by a prominent firm carries the threat of potential damaging publicity, especially for lesser-known rivals. Firms may be able to leverage this threat to elicit concessions in return for sparing rivals from litigation. Prominent firms stand to benefit not just from eliciting concessions from rivals but from the ability to do so while avoiding costly litigation. Data from the semiconductor industry show that firms that command much higher levels of media coverage than rivals are able to avoid litigation more often than firms with comparable or lower levels of media coverage. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluoropolymer composite multichip modules

Summary form only given. Consideration is given to an additive copper/polyimide process for manufacture of multichip modules and other advanced circuitry. This process allows efficient routing of most MCM (multichip module) designs, low-resistance copper conductors, and solid copper thermal vias for heat removal. It also allows large substrates (4*4 in. and greater) to be manufactured. Fluoropolymer composite materials with electrical and mechanical properties which address the needed MCM material improvements have been developed. Combining these materials with a sequential plating and lamination process yields multichip modules which offer unique solutions to the performance requirements of high-speed, high-density, high-reliability MCMs. >
Jupiter: New estimates of the mean zonal flow at the cloud level

In order to reexamine the magnitude differences of the Jovian atmosphere's jets, as determined by Voyager 1 and 2 images, a novel approach is used to ascertain the zonal mean east-west component of motion. This technique is based on digital pattern matching, and is applied on pairs of mapped images to yield a profile of the mean zonal component that reproduces the exact locations of the easterly and westerly jets between + and - 60 deg latitude. Results have been obtained for all of the Voyager 1 and 2 cylindrical mosaics; the correlation coefficient between Voyagers 1 and 2 in mean zonal flow between + and - 60 deg latitude, determined from violet filter mosaics, is 0.998.
Origin and distribution of four species of Phytophthora

Information is presented on possible origins, and on the distribution of four species of Phytophthora: P. infestons, P. cinnamomi, P. palmivora and P. colocasiae . The origin of P. infestons appears to be Mexico where both mating types appear on native species of Solanum , where resistance to the pathogen occurs, and where high variability is found in the population of the fungus. The A1 mating type of this pathogen is the form that has been distributed widely around the world. Recent discovery of the A2 type (previously believed confined to Mexico), in the British Isles, Egypt, and Switzerland, raises some interesting questions and the situation needs further elaboration. P. infestans has undoubtedly been spread around the world by man, probably largely in the potato tuber, shipped to various countries as food or new sources of seed. Data on the centre of origin of P. cinnamomi are more confusing, but there are indications of an Asian origin ranging from New Guinea possibly through Indonesia, Sumatra and Malaysia and including Taiwan, and also another centre in the southern Cape Province of South Africa. The A2 mating type of P. cinnamomi is very widely distributed, with the A1 much less common but predominant in New Guinea and southern South Africa. It could have been carried from an Asian area of origin into Latin America or other areas on soil and plant material transported in voyages by Spanish and other explorers, possibly beginning in the seventeenth century and continuing with increased commerce across the Pacific Ocean. Undoubtedly P. palmivora has been distributed around the world primarily by man, from a possible origin in Central or South America. There are several native hosts in that area, including cacao, rubber, avocado, pineapple, papaya and cotton. Several resistant species are known on which the fungus may have had its origin. Both mating types of P. palmivora are found in many areas around the world, although the A2 is somewhat more commonly isolated. Little information is available on the origin of P. colocasiae , but there are indications of an Asiatic origin. The fungus has undoubtedly been distributed by means of vegetatively propagated material, and probably by soil.
The Molecular Basis for Cellular Contractility Driven Mechanosensing

Internal and external mechanical forces govern many cellular processes in normal and diseased states such as muscle contraction, tissue invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. Thus a cell's ability to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli is critical for cell behavior and survival. In Dictyostelium, the mechanoenzyme myosin II and the actin crosslinker cortexillin I work cooperatively to control cellular contractility in response to deformation. The scaffolding proteins IQGAP1 and IQGAP2, which can bind to cortexillin I, further regulate this mechanosensory system through feedback loops. The IQGAPs are not required for mechanosensing, but affect the stress-dependent myosin accumulation in the cortex. IQGAP1 inhibits mechanosensing, while IQGAP2 is required for suppressing this inhibition. A molecular understanding of how this mechanosensory system works to modulate contractility remains elusive. By measuring protein dynamics using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), we observed stress-dependent reduction in the mobility of many of the proteins in the mechanosensory system. Further, these dynamics are dependent on the integrity of the mechanosensory system, as mutant cells with disrupted mechanosensing typically show slower protein dynamics and increased cortical association of the proteins than in wild type cells. In addition, we are also characterizing the biochemical interactions important for mechanosensory response. These experiments will allow us to develop a molecular model to explain how mechanical forces are transmitted within the cell. The knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of this myosin II-based feedback control system will be applicable to other contractile systems such as those involved in development and morphogenesis of multicellular organisms.
Constructing ensembles for intrinsically disordered proteins

The relatively flat energy landscapes associated with intrinsically disordered proteins makes modeling these systems especially problematic. A comprehensive model for these proteins requires one to build an ensemble consisting of a finite collection of structures, and their corresponding relative stabilities, which adequately capture the range of accessible states of the protein. In this regard, methods that use computational techniques to interpret experimental data in terms of such ensembles are an essential part of the modeling process. In this review, we critically assess the advantages and limitations of current techniques and discuss new methods for the validation of these ensembles.
Characterization of electronic devices and materials by surface-sensitive analytical techniques

Abstract Applications of surface-sensitive analytical techniques (Auger electron, X-ray photoelectron, ion scattering and secondary ion mass spectroscopies) in research and development for electronic materials and devices are illustrated. These analytical techniques have been used in all phases of the electronics industry, and their importance and applications are expected to continue to increase.
Esterases and DNA Base Composition Analysis of Vibrio cholerae and Related Vibrios

SUMMARY Esterases of strains of Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, noncholera and marine vibrios were examined by electrophoresis in starch gels. The enzyme patterns indicated a relative homogeneity occurring amongst the strains. No separation of the genus Vibrio into subgroups corresponding to the El Tor, classical cholera or noncholera groupings was noted. Overall deoxyribonucleic acid base composition for the Vibrio spp. ranged from 44-49 mol% guanine + cytosine, with the marine vibrios lowest in guanine + cytosine content. Enzyme patterns for cholera vibrios isolated during very recent epidemics were identical to those of established laboratory strains, suggesting a marked stability of the esterase system for V. cholerae.
Twelve Years of National Football League Concussion Data

Background:Concussion in the National Football League (NFL) remains an important issue. An initial description of the injury epidemiology involved 6 years from 1996 to 2001.Hypothesis:The increased attention to concussions may have resulted in team physicians being more conservative in treating players in recent years.Study Design:Two consecutive 6-year periods (1996-2001 and 2002-2007) were compared to determine changes in the circumstances associated with the injury, the patterns of signs and symptoms, and the players’ time loss from participation in the NFL.Methods:During 2002-2007, concussions were recorded by NFL team physicians and athletic trainers using the same standardized reporting form used from 1996 to 2001. Player position, type of play, concussion signs and symptoms, loss of consciousness, and medical action taken were recorded.Results:There were 0.38 documented concussions per NFL game in 2002-2007—7.6% lower than the 0.42 in the earlier period (1996-2001). The injury rate was lower in qua...
Comparison of Interfacial and Bulk Ionic Motion in Analog Memristors

Analog LiNbO2 memristors are characterized using potentiodynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It is shown that LiNbO2-based devices exhibit analog memristive and meminductive or memcapacitive behavior depending on the applied frequency. The impedance spectra are fit to a circuit model whose elements correspond to ionic and electronic effects in the bulk and at the electrode-semiconductor interface. By separating out the bulk and interfacial effects, it is shown that the majority of the ionic movement in the cation-based analog memristor is at the interfaces. It is also shown that ionic capacitance results from a drift field-driven phase shift between the ac bias and the ionic motion, whereas the ionic inductance phase shift results from diffusion relaxation. Thus, to maximize resistance changes due to this ionic movement, analog memristors should be fabricated with negligible bulk dimensions.
An Operationally Simple Aqueous Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reaction for an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory

An experiment featuring an operationally simple Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction suitable for a second-semester, second-year undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course is presented. Th...
Loneliness and use of six mass media among college students.

Research on loneliness and a theoretically plausible correlate of loneliness which has not been investigated is the relationship between loneliness and mass media consumption. 493 college students completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and reported the frequency of their using television, radio, movies, books, newspapers, and magazines. In general, virtually no relationship appeared between frequency of media use and level of loneliness.
Electron-Gamma-Angular Correlation Measurements in Radioactive Decay

The beta-gamma angular correlations in the decay of a number of nuclides have been studied as a function of the beta-ray energy. Isotropic correlations were found in the decay of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{55}$, ${\mathrm{Co}}^{56}$, ${\mathrm{Co}}^{60}$, ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$, ${\mathrm{Na}}^{24}$, ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{134}$, and ${\mathrm{I}}^{124}$. Non-isotropic correlations have been measured in the decay of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$, ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{124}$, and ${\mathrm{I}}^{126}$. The interpretation of these results in terms of the properties of the emitted radiations and the nuclear energy states is discussed. A non-isotropic conversion electron-gamma-angular correlation was found in the decay of ${\mathrm{Mo}}^{93}$.
Characteristic times for combustion and pollutant formation in spray combustion

The dominant physical processes in a liquid spray fueled burner (fuel evaporation, turbulent mixing, and chemical reaction) are characterized by time scales which typify the importance of each process. Guided by a physical model of the flame structure in the wake of a disc with liquid fuel injected into the wake region from the center of the disc, the developed characteristic times are combined to form burner output correlating parameters. The success of these parameters is demonstrated by the correlation of both carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen exhaust emissions from the disc burner for various geometries, a wide range of burner operating conditions, and two different fuels. In addition since carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions originate primarily in separate regions of the flame, analysis of the characteristic times reveals a means of optimizing the burner geometry to minimize pollutant emissions.
The challenges of commodity-based visualization clusters

The performance of commodity computer components continues to increase dramatically. Processors, internal I/O buses, graphics cards, and network adapters have all exhibited significant improvements without significant increases in cost. Due to the increase in the price/performance ratio of computers utilizing such components, clusters of commodity machines have become commonplace in today's computing world and are steadily displacing specialized, high-end, shared-memory machines for many graphics and visualization workloads. Acceptance, and more importantly utilization, of commodity clusters has been hampered, however, due to the significant challenges introduced when switching from a shared-memory architecture to a distributed memory one. Such challenges range from having to redesign applications for distributed computing to gathering pixels from multiple sources and finally synchronizing multiple video outputs when driving large displays. In addition to these impediments for the application developer, there are also many mundane problems which arise when working with clusters, including their installation and general system administration.This paper details these challenges and the many solutions that have been developed in recent years. As the nature of commodity hardware components suggests, the solutions to these research challenges are largely softwarebased, and include middleware layers for distributing the graphics workload across the cluster as well as for aggregating the final results to display for the user. At the forefront of this discussion will be IBM's Deep View project, whose goal has been the design and implementation of a scalable, affordable, high-performance visualization system for parallel rendering. In the past six years, Deep View has undergone numerous redesigns to make it as efficient as possible. We highlight the issues involved in this process, up to and including the current incarnation of Deep View, as well as what's on the horizon for cluster-based rendering.
Changes in femur neck bone density in US adults between 1988-1994 and 2005-2008: demographic patterns and possible determinants.

Summary This analysis compares femur neck bone mineral density (FNBMD) and bone determinants in adults between National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988–1994) and NHANES 2005–2008. FNBMD was higher in NHANES 2005–2008 than in NHANES III, but between-survey differences varied by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. The likelihood that FNBMD has improved appears strongest for older white women.
Paranodal reorganization results in the depletion of transverse bands in the aged central nervous system

Paranodal axo-glial junctional complexes anchor the myelin sheath to the axon and breakdown of these complexes presumably facilitates demyelination. Myelin deterioration is also prominent in the aging central nervous system (CNS); however, the stability of the paranodal complexes in the aged CNS has not been examined. Here, we show that transverse bands, prominent components of paranodal junctions, are significantly reduced in the aged CNS; however, the number of paired clusters of both myelin and axonal paranodal proteins is not altered. Ultrastructural analyses also reveal that thicker myelin sheaths display a “piling” of paranodal loops, the cytoplasm-containing sacs that demarcate the paranode. Loops involved in piling are observed throughout the paranode and are not limited to loops positioned in either the nodal- or juxtanodal-most regions. Here, we propose that as myelination continues, previously anchored loops lose their transverse bands and recede away from the axolemma. Newly juxtaposed loops then lose their transverse bands, move laterally to fill in the gap left by the receded loops and finally reform their transverse bands. This paranodal reorganization results in conservation of paranodal length, which may be important in maintaining ion channel spacing and axonal function. Furthermore, we propose that transverse band reformation is less efficient in the aged CNS, resulting in the significant reduction of these junctional components. Although demyelination was not observed, we propose that loss of transverse bands facilitates myelin degeneration and may predispose the aged CNS to a poorer prognosis following a secondary insult.
War’s Horizon: Soldier-Led Adaptation in Iraq and Vietnam

AbstractWartime adaptation is a process of adjustment from the war you planned for to the one you have. This process of adjustment is done, in part, by the practitioners of war in the theater of conflict–soldier-led adaptation. Drawing upon two case studies of gun truck development in Iraq and Vietnam I argue that soldiers created networks in order to adapt to battlefield challenges and that the pattern of those networks carries implications for the likelihood of formal adoption by the organization. Simply put, the pattern of the flow of ideas, resources, and skills across the battlefield may affect the likelihood of bottom-up adaptation.
Use of Evaluation Research Methods in Planning and Policy Contexts

Evaluation research methodology has been dominated by the hypothesis testing tech niques and structured data collection methods of the social sciences. Increasingly, these methods are found to be inadequate The data collection methods are difficult to adapt to real world contexts. The reports of analyses often have had little to contribute to the policy development context in which evaluation results are used. New standards for assessing the appropriate use of re search methodology are emerging in what may be called the "pragmatists' paradigm" Within this paradigm a new set of research skills gain importance; probabilistic, explor atory, and qualitative research are gaining new respectability Criteria for judging the quality of research employing these ap proaches and skills are needed — and emerging in professional literature. The shrinking and decentralization of public sector programs are hastening the accept ance of new research paradigm.
Pyrrolopyridazines. II. Synthesis of the novel pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridazine ring system †

The first derivatives of the pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridazine ring system, ethyl pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridazine-6-carboxylate 2-oxide (5) and ethyl 3-chloro-6-methylpyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridazine-7-glyoxalate 1-oxide (12), were obtained in good yields from the cyclization of 4-ethoxymethyl-eneamino-3-methylpyridazine 1-oxide (3) and 3-chloro-5-(α-ethoxyethylideneamino)-6-methylpyridazine 1-oxide (14, R Cl, R1 OMe), respectively, with diethyl oxalate and potassium ethoxide in ether.
CAIN SIMULATION STUDIES FOR e-e- COLLISIONS

Disruption effects in e-e- collisions at a future linear collider affect the attainable luminosity; the angular spread of the disrupted beam particles may present a background in a detector. In this paper, I present simulations of the beam-beam interaction with the simulation code CAIN of relevance for these questions.
Relationship between Intelligence and Criterion Task Set Performance1

Intelligence has been shown to be a mediating factor in the performance of many tasks. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) scores and performance on a multi-task performance battery, the USAF Criterion Task Set (CTS). Performance scores for high and low WAIS-R groups (N=26/group) were compared across each task component of the CTS. Results of this study indicate that there is a fairly strong relationship between intelligence, as measured by WAIS-R, and performance on the CTS central processing tasks. Subjects scoring high on the WAIS-R are likely to be more accurate and faster in their responses than subjects who scored low on the WAIS-R. Verbal and performance subscales of the WAIS-R did not appear to mediate task performance differentially. In general, WAIS-R performance does not seem to be related to perceptual input tasks or motor/output tasks of the CTS battery.
Research Training for Releasable Animals

Restrictions on training potentially releasable animals such as those undergoing rehabilitation care or wild-caught captives have limited our understanding of sensory processes, cognition, and physiology important for conservation of species. It is common practice among several U.S. federal agencies to limit training of animals available for release. The behavioral argument justifying this practice is that training habituates subjects to people and conditions them to associate people with rewards such as food; habituation to and positive associations with people will lead animals into dangerous situations after their release. If under special circumstances research training is permitted, all trained behaviors must be extinguished before release because behaviors will transfer to the natural setting. Research on animal learning and memory indicates that these may not be accurate scenarios. A review of the literature on habituation, classical and instrumental conditioning, and compound conditioning suggests that learning within a research setting does not add to learning that already occurs in procedures associated with basic feeding and care. In fact, animals probably learn less about people in a training setting. Furthermore, context-specific effects on memory limit behavior transfer from captive to natural settings. Extinction is strongly susceptible to context effects, which suggests that extinction does not effectively transfer to the postrelease setting. Counterintuitively, extinction of responses to experimental stimuli under some circumstances may enhance undesirable learning about humans. Under those circumstances in which isolation from human contact is difficult or undesirable, behavioral research can present an ideal format for minimizing learning about humans and provide biological information important for conservation.
COLOR CENTERS IN ALKALINE EARTH FLUORIDES

Single crystals of CaF/sub 2/, SrF/sub 2/, and BaF/sub 2/ were colored by x rays (150 kv) and high-energy electrons (2.5 Mev). Five color-center bands in CaF/sub 2/ and SrF/sub 2/ and nine in BaF/sub 2/ were observed in the spectral region between 0.175 and 0.8 mu . At room temperature the bands in CaF/sub 2/ are well resolved; whereas, those in SrF/sub 2/ and BaF/sub 2/ overlap. At -190 and -255 deg C, the bands sharpen but generally do not shift, except the 580-m mu band in CaF/sub 2/, which shifts toward longer wavelengths. Photochemical bleaching of the strongest band shows a certain influence on the others. Three bands could be correlated to the Mollwo relation with the exponent 3.85. A possible correlation of the absorption bands to certain models is discussed. (auth)
Description of a mite, Rhypoglyphus indicus, new genus, new species (Acari: Acaridae) found in foods from the Oriental Region.

Abstract Rhypoglyphus indicus, a new genus, new species is described from curry powder imported from India. Illustrations are given.
Status of the Interlaboratory Development of a High-Speed Standard Data Bus - FASTBUS

The FASTBUS project is an interlaboratory effort to develop a next generation laboratory standard data bus. The principal design goals are high speed (<100 nsec per word block transfers), wide data path (32 bits), identical parallel addressing architectures at both system and sub-system levels, ability to support multiple parallel master controllers, and ability to support special modes of operation for high energy physics applications. The current status of development is briefly described.
Interfacial charge transfer absorption : Application to metal-molecule assemblies

Abstract Optically induced charge transfer between adsorbed molecules and a metal electrode was predicted by Hush to lead to new electronic absorption features, but has been only rarely observed experimentally. Interfacial charge transfer absorption (IFCTA) provides information concerning the barriers to charge transfer between molecules and the metal/semiconductor and the magnitude of the electronic coupling and could thus provide a powerful tool for understanding interfacial charge-transfer kinetics. Here, we utilize a previously published model [C. Creutz, B.S. Brunschwig, N. Sutin, J. Phys. Chem. B 109 (2005) 10251] to predict IFCTA spectra of metal–molecule assemblies and compare the literature observations to these predictions. We conclude that, in general, the electronic coupling between molecular adsorbates and the metal levels is so small that IFCTA is not detectable. However, few experiments designed to detect IFCTA have been done. We suggest approaches to optimizing the conditions for observing the process.
Geographic variation in the essential oil monoterpenes of Liriodendron tulipifera L

The monoterpene component of Liriodendron tulipifera L. (Magnoliaceae) essential oils was quantitatively analysed in branch samples collected from an Ohio provenance test of 11 geographic seed sources representing the natural range of the species. Mean monoterpene composition of the essential oil is described and significant differences in the monoterpene composition among geographic sources are discussed.
Anatomy of a modern open-ocean carbonate slope: northern Little Bahama Bank

The open-ocean carbonate slope north of Little Bahama Bank consists of a relatively steep (4°) upper slope between water depths of 200 and 900 m, and a more gentle (1–2°) lower slope between depths of 900 and 1300+ m. The upper slope is dissected by numerous, small, submarine canyons (50–150 m in relief) that act as a line source for the downslope transport of coarse-grained carbonate debris. The lower slope is devoid of any well-defined canyons but does contain numerous, small (1–5 m) hummocks of uncertain origin and numerous, larger (5–40 m), patchily distributed, ahermatypic coral mounds. Sediments along the upper slope have prograded seaward during the Cenozoic as a slope-front-fill seismic facies of fine-grained peri-platform ooze. Surface sediments show lateral gradation of both grain size and carbonate mineralogy, with the fine fraction derived largely from the adjacent shallow-water platform. Near-surface sedimentary facies along the upper slope display a gradual downslope decrease in the degree of submarine cementation from well-lithified hardgrounds to patchily cemented nodular ooze to unlithified peri-platform ooze, controlled by lateral variations in diagenetic potential and/or winnowing by bottom currents. Submarine cementation stabilizes the upper part of the slope, allowing upbuilding of the platform margin, and controls the distribution of submarine slides, as well as the headward extent of submarine canyons. Where unlithified, sediments are heavily bioturbated and are locally undergoing dolomitization. Upper slope sediments are also ‘conditioned’eustatically, resulting in vertical, cyclic sequences of diagenetically unstable (aragonite and magnesian calcite-rich) and stable (calcite-rich) carbonates that may explain the well-bedded nature of ancient peri-platform ooze sequences. Lower slope sediments have prograded seaward during the Cenozoic as a chaotic-fill seismic facies of coarse-grained carbonate turbidites and debris flow deposits with subordinate amounts of peri-platform ooze. Coarse clasts are ‘internally’derived from fine-grained upper slope sediments via incipient cementation, submarine sliding and the generation of sediment gravity flows. Gravity flows bypass the upper slope via a multitude of canyons and are deposited along the lower slope as a wedge-shaped apron of debris, parallel to the adjacent shelf edge, consisting of a complex spatial arrangement of localized turbidites and debris flow deposits. A proximal apron facies of thick, mud-supported debris flow deposits plus thick, coarse-grained, Ta turbidites, grades seaward into a distal apron facies of thinner, grain-supported debris flow deposits and thinner, finer grained Ta-b turbidites with increasing proportions of peri-platform ooze. Both the geomorphology and sedimentary facies relationships of the carbonate apron north of Little Bahama Bank differ significantly from the classic submarine fan model. As such, a carbonate apron model offers an alternative to the fan model for palaeoenvironmental analysis of ancient, open-ocean carbonate slope sequences.
The nucleophilicity of adamantanylidene: a Hammett study

Abstract In its reactions with a series of styrene substrates, adamantanylidene behaves as a nucleophile, exhibiting a Hammett rho value of +2.0. Computational studies support the nucleophilicity of adamantanylidene in styrene addition reactions.
WISC-III Third Factor: Critical Measurement Issues:

Content validity of the Third Factor of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Childre-n-Third Edition (WISC-III) was evaluated by asking undergraduates to label the factor represented by items like those on the Arithmetic and Digit Span subtests. Participants unfamiliar with the content of the two subtests choose labels that corresponded with terminology associated with problem solving, memory, and quantitative skills. The concurrent validity of the Third Factor with behavioral measures of attention, hyperactivity, and learning problems was assessed in a sample comprising consecutive referrals to a university-based psychoeducational clinic. There was a moderate relationship between Freedom From Distractibility (FFD) and teacher ratings of learning problems on the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Teacher Rating Scales. There were no significant correlations to suggest concurrent validity between the Third Factor and behavioral ratings of attention problems and hyperactivity. Theoretical and practical ...
Pulmonary embolism after operative treatment of proximal humeral fractures.

There have been multiple studies on the prevalence of pulmonary embolism, the probability of death from a pulmonary embolism, and the risk factors for the development of pulmonary embolism after lower extremity and pelvic trauma. However, there is no information on the risk of pulmonary embolism after the surgical management of proximal humeral fractures. A review of 137 consecutive patients who underwent operative treatment for acute, isolated proximal humeral fractures at our institution between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2003, was performed to identify all who sustained a pulmonary embolism. Postoperatively, 7 patients sustained a pulmonary embolism that was confirmed by computed tomography. Of these, 4 had been treated with a hemiarthroplasty and 3 had undergone open reduction–internal fixation. The overall incidence of pulmonary embolism in this series was 5.1%. None of the patients sustained a fatal pulmonary embolus. These data suggest that the rate of pulmonary embolism after operative treatment of proximal humeral fractures is not low. This study raises the question of whether prophylactic anticoagulation is needed after routine proximal humeral repair.
Staining of Proteins on Cellulose Acetate

THE following technique has been devised, based on the use of dimethyl sulphoxide as a solvent, for use when the elution of stained proteins followed by absorptiometric measurement is chosen in preference to the scanning of cellulose acetate strips.
The biosphere 2 project and its potential role in assisting space exploration

Abstract Space Biospheres Ventures is developing technologies for its Biosphere 2 project — a 3 acre materially closed ecological system with human habitat, intensive agriculture and five wilderness biomes — and other life-support testbeds for space habitats in microgravity and the Moon and Mars, as well as for ecological research pertinent to the biosphere of Earth. These include soil bed reactors for air purification and biomass production; aquatic waste processing systems; real-time analytic systems; and computer systems of control and management. A space policy pursuing joint Earth and ‘space biospheres’ objectives and implications is discussed.
High-order horizontal resonances in the beam-beam interaction

Abstract This paper studies the characteristics of horizontal resonances excited by the beam-beam interaction. First-order perturbation theory and simulations show that high-order horizontal resonances are exceptionally strong at large amplitudes. The orders of these resonances are so high that they may mistakenly be ignored, and they can result in a short lifetime.
Early Immune Responses in Visna, a Slow Viral Disease of Sheep

The initial phase of the long incubation period of visna virus infection of sheep was studied by intracerebral inoculation of the 1514 strain of visna virus into 12 BorderLeicester sheep. Cell-free virus was recoverable only during the first two weeks after inoculation. Thereafter, virus could be recovered by cocultivation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells or peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) or by explantation of tissues. Virus-specific cell-mediated immunity, measured by stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation into PBL and CSF cells, appeared within one week, peaked by two weeks, and then fell to control values by six weeks after inoculation. Histopathologic changes consisted of an initial acute meningoencephalitis changing to a more chronic inflammatory process with the development of dense perivascular infiltration and formation of germinal centers. During the chronic phase virus-neutralizing antibody first appeared in the serum and then in the CSF. We conclude that the initial immune responses of sheep to infection with visna virus are similar to those seen in acute viral infections but fail to eliminate the virus, which eventually results in the slowly evolving neurologic disease visna.
First price auctions with entry: An experimental investigation

Abstract For an auction market that is costly to participate in, the equilibrium, market size is endogenously determined by the auction's expected profitability. A few recent papers have addressed bidder endogeneity and note important result differences this recognition can cause. The purpose of this paper is to present an initial empirical investigation of a first-price private-values auction in which bidder participation requires payment of an entry fee. The results indicate that market site is inversely related to the size of the entry fee and agents enter the auction until the average profitability equals or is less than the entry fee.
Who Responds to Surveys?: Assessing the Effects of Nonresponse in Cross-Sectional Dyadic Research

The purpose of this study was to adapt Goodman and Blum's procedure for assessing the effects of nonrandom sampling in longitudinal research to a cross-sectional study of dyads. To demonstrate the impact of survey nonresponse on means, variances, and relationships between variables, data were collected from a sample of 311 recruiter-applicant pairs. Of the variables included in this investigation, only one (recruiter competence) significantly predicted the likelihood of responding. In addition, there were differences in the means and variances of respondents and nonrespondents on some of the variables included in this study. However, there were no differences in the relationships between independent and dependent variables for the respondent group compared with the entire group of respondents and nonrespondents. In sum, the results suggest that nonresponse does not bias the relationships between variables.
The Estimation of the Dry Matter Consumption of Grazing Animals by Ratio Techniques

Because of increased emphasis on grassland crops, it is desirable to have an accurate method of computing the intake and digestibility of forage consumed by grazing animals. Although there have been many investigations and much thought given to the problem, no completely satisfactory method of estimating the consumption of pasture-ranging animals has come to the attention of the authors. The use of ratio techniques for determining digestibility has suggested a plan that should provide the desired information. The problem of determining accurately the feed consumed by grazing animals has been reviewed by Aamodt, Lash, and Garrigus (1). In this review Knott, Hodgson, and Ellington (13) were credited with introducing the concept of a standard cow day as a unit for measuring pasture yields. A standard cow day was defined by these authors as 16 lb. of total digestible nutrients (TDN) from pasture per cow per day. In 1946 Kidder (12) estimated the amount of grass consumed by steers by calculating the TDN requirements for maintenance and deducting the nutrient content of the supplementary feeds. Blaxter and Mitchell (2), Gallup and Briggs (8), and Lancaster (14) suggested that the feed consumption of grazing animals could be determined by taking advantage of tile relationship between fecal nitrogen excretion and dr), matter intake. Forbes (5) claimed that the total fecal nitrogen varies too widely to be of practical use in the manner prescribed by Gallup and Briggs. Forbes and Garrigus (7) obtained concordant results in estimating dry matter intake by lignin ratios and a simultaneous total collection procedure. Reid et al. (15) have proposed the use of an 85 per cent acetone aqueous extract of plant pigments for computing both the digestibility and the dry matter intake of forages. Cook and Harris (3) found the plant pi~nent method, although satisfactory for alfalfa, was not suited for the determiuation of the digestibility or consumption of winter range grass. They found that considerable variation existed in the pigment content of different plants, and these differences were clearly reflected in the urine of animals that had been fed plant species of different chromogen content. A review (17) of pasture committees pasture techniques has been published recently by the joint of the American Society of Agronomy, American Dairy Science Association, American Society of Animal Production, and American Society of Range Management.
The automatic staple versus the conventional gastrointestinal anastomosis in gynecological malignancies.

Abstract Seventy-four patients with gynecologic malignancies and two with benign tumors under-went different types of gastrointestinal resections to relieve bowel obstruction or to correct fistulas. All but 2 of these patients had gynecologic cancer with one or more modalities of therapy prior to resection. The anastomoses of 47 patients were performed with open conventional techniques which included closure of the full thickness of the bowel. In 28 patients, the automatic stapler was used 63 times. In 3 of the 28 staple anastomosis patients, the EEA (end-to-end anastomosis) was used. In this study, the use of the staple anastomosis was shown to be as effective as the conventional method because it shortened the operating time, provided less contamination of the abdominal cavity, and provided a better blood supply.