cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protection against the effects of endotoxemia by glucocorticoids.

Abstract The lethal effect of endotoxin can be prevented by the administration of methylprednisolone. This effect can be demonstrated even if the administration of the glucocorticoid is delayed after the induction of endotoxemia. Oxygen utilization by cardiac mitochondria isolated from endotoxemic animals is inhibited in the presence and absence of ADP. This inhibition can be demonstrated 4 hr after the induction of endotoxemia and is more pronounced after 18 hr of endotoxemia.
Growth and Metal Accumulation of Geyer and Mountain Willow Grown in Topsoil versus Amended Mine Tailings

Willows (Salix spp.) are an integral component in the restoration of wetland plant communities that have been impacted by the fluvial deposition of mine tailings. A greenhouse study was conducted to compare growth and metal uptake of Geyer (S. geyeriana) and mountain (S. monticola) willow grown in topsoil versus lime and biosolids amended mine tailings. Biomass, leader length, and tissue metal contents were measured after four months growth. Above and belowground biomass and leader length of Geyer willow were greater for plants grown in topsoil compared to amended mine tailings. However, soil type did not affect mountain willow growth. Analysis for five metals yielded complex results for the two willow species and soil types. As compared to mountain willow, Geyer had greater concentrations of Mn and Pb in aboveground tissues, and Cu in senesced leaves and bark-less leaders when grown in tailings; mountain willow leaves contained greater levels of Cd than Geyer when grown in tailings. Both willow species had foliar Cd levels which were above livestock toxicity tolerance values. Based on growth characteristics, mountain willow appeared better suited for restoration of mine tailings compared to Geyer willow. However, because of the high Cd uptake by both willow species, care should be taken in restoration efforts where wildlife and domestic livestock are likely to browse on the willows.
Changing the subject

Current research, science fiction, and wishful thinking suggest that cyberspace will be a realm in which physical markers such as sex, race, age, body type, and size will eventually lose their salience as a basis for the categorization of self/other. Because these features are not obviously discernible in cyberspace, the logic runs, they will cease to be a primary means of structuring interaction. Here is a typically hopeful expression of the potential of electronic interactions: "For me, words and thoughts and people's ideas are the most important thing about a person. Online reality gets to the core of things. In some ways there is so much less racism, sexism, lookism" (quoted in Adams 1993).
Attenuation of porphyrinogen oxidation by glutathione invitro and reversal by porphyinogenic trace metals

We have employed a model in vitro system for iron-peroxide-catalyzed oxidation of porphyrinogens to investigate the potential role of glutathione (GSH) in trace metal-induced porphyrias. GSH strongly attenuates porphyrinogen oxidation at biologically relevant concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. Porphyrinogenic trace metals reduce the effectiveness of GSH as a porphyrinogen antioxidant, leading to significantly higher rates of porphyrinogen oxidation to porphyrins. These observations may, in part, underlie the etiology of porphyrinurias induced during prolonged trace metal exposures.
A comparison of machine learning methods for target recognition using ISAR imagery

The ability to accurately classify targets is critical to the performance of automated/assisted target recognition (ATR) algorithms. Supervised machine learning methods have been shown to be able to classify data in a variety of disciplines with a high level of accuracy. The performance of machine learning techniques in classifying ground targets in two-dimensional radar imagery were compared. Three machine learning models were compared to determine which model best classifies targets with the highest accuracy: decision tree, Bayes', and support vector machine. X-band signature data acquired in scale-model compact ranges were used. ISAR images were compared using several techniques including two-dimensional cross-correlation and pixel by pixel comparison of the image against a reference image. The highly controlled nature of the collected imagery was ideally suited for the inter-comparison of the machine learning models. The resulting data from the image comparisons were used as the feature space for testing the accuracy of the three types of classifiers. Classifier accuracy was determined using N-fold cross-validation.
Room-temperature dislocation activity during mechanical deformation of polycrystalline ultra-high-temperature ceramics

Ceramics such as ZrB 2 and HfB 2 are potential candidates for ultra-high-temperature applications. Their electrical conductivity values are comparable to those of metals. Such unusual electrical properties arise from the presence of metallic bonds in their crystal structure. We argue that the metallicity in chemical bonding is also reflected in their room-temperature mechanical deformation, which was investigated through indentation-induced slip bands and the resulting dislocation activity. These observations were rationalized on the basis of metallic character of their dislocation core structure.
Replantation of a Mandibular Molar: Report of Case

A young man was in danger of losing his mandibular right first molar. In an attempt to save the tooth, two operators performed a replantation.
Indicative and subjunctive conditionals

In any plausible semantics for conditionals, the semantics for indicatives and subjunctives will resemble each other closely. This means that if we are to keep the possible-worlds semantics for subjunctives suggested by Lewis, we need to find a possible-worlds semantics for indicatives. One reason for thinking that this will be impossible is the behaviour of rigid designators in indicatives. An indicative like ‘If the stuff in the rivers, lakes and oceans really is H3O, then water is H3O’ is non-vacuously true, even though its consequent is true in no possible worlds, and hence not in the nearest possible world where the antecedent is true. I solve this difficulty by providing a semantics for conditionals within the framework of two-dimensional modal logic. In doing so, I show that we can have a reasonably unified semantics for indicative and subjunctive conditionals.
Intermolecular C-H bond activation promoted by a titanium alkylidyne.

The transient titanium alkylidyne complex (PNP)Ti⋮CtBu (PNP = N-[2-P(CHMe2)2-4-methylphenyl]2-), prepared from α-hydrogen abstraction of the corresponding alkylidene−alkyl species (PNP)TiCHtBu(CH2tBu), can readily undergo intermolecular 1,2-addition of C−H bonds of benzene and SiMe4. Synthesis and reactivity, isotopic labeling, kinetics, and theoretical studies strongly favor an alkylidyne pathway and the α-H abstraction step to be the rate-determining step.
Investigation of the rechargeability of Li–O2 batteries in non-aqueous electrolyte

Abstract To understand the limited cycle life performance and poor energy efficiency associated with rechargeable lithium–oxygen (Li–O 2 ) batteries, the discharge products of primary Li–O 2 cells at different depths of discharge (DOD) were systematically analyzed using XRD, FTIR and Ultra-high field MAS NMR. When discharged to 2.0 V, the reaction products of Li–O 2 cells include a small amount of Li 2 O 2 along with Li 2 CO 3 and RO–(C O)–OLi in the alkyl carbonate-based electrolyte. However, regardless of the DOD, there is no Li 2 O detected in the discharge products in the alkyl-carbonate electrolyte. For the first time it was revealed that in an oxygen atmosphere the high surface area carbon significantly reduces the electrochemical operation window of the electrolyte, and leads to plating of insoluble Li salts on the electrode at the end of the charging process. Therefore, the impedance of the Li–O 2 cell continues to increase after each discharge and recharge process. After only a few cycles, the carbon air electrode is completely insulated by the accumulated Li salt terminating the cycling.
Fermi surface nesting in rare earth dihydrides

Abstract A new type of Fermi surface nesting is proposed for the dihydrides of rare earths. It is now possible to explain the antiferromagnetic spin structure of most systems based on the energy bands and Fermi surface calculated by Gupta and Burger.
5-HT1A receptor agonists induce anterograde amnesia in mice through a postsynaptic mechanism

The effect of the 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist tandospirone on memory was investigated in mice using a single trial, step-through passive avoidance task. Tandospirone disrupted performance in a dose-dependent manner when administered before the training trial but not when injected immediately post-training. The pre-training effect was not the result of reduced responsiveness to foot shock because tandospirone did not alter current threshold intensity to elicit flinch, run and vocalization responses. The performance deficit was alleviated by treatment with d-amphetamine prior to the retention test. The memory impairment by tandospirone was mimicked by the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin HBr) and blocked by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist BMY7378 (8-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-8-azaspirol-[4]- decane-7,9-dione). BMY7378 alone was ineffective. Treatment with the 5-HT synthesis inhibitor PCPA (parachlorophenylalanine) resulted in apparent enhancement rather than disruption of the avoidance behavior. However, the anterograde amnestic effects of tandospirone and 8-OH-DPAT were not affected by PCPA, and lack of interactions between PCPA and the 5-HT1A agonists revealed in the statistical analyses indicated that the effects of PCPA were not mediated by 5-HT1A receptors. It is concluded that 5-HT1A receptor agonists and partial agonists produce a reversible anterograde amnesia that is mediated by postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors.
Teacher Ratings and the Assessment of Attention Deficit Disordered Children

A recent analysis of teacher ratings of the classroom behavior of 158 attention deficit disordered (ADD) children revealed three factors labeled “Emotional Lability/Conduct,” “Temperament,” and “Attention/Concentration” which in part correspond to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III). To further explore this correspondence, 88 children were identified as those with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADD-H) and 58 children were identified as those with attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity (ADD) in accordance with DSM III criteria. When the two sub-groups were compared, teachers rated ADD-H children as more problematic than their ADD counterparts. Results of discriminant analysis further indicated that teacher ratings had the potential to discriminate ADD from ADD-H groups. Findings were interpreted to corroborate the distinction between ADD with and without hyperactivity as delineated in the DSM III. Discussion includes an interpretation of these resul...
Surgical management of advanced and recurrent cervical cancer

Since the early 1940s, the incidence of cervical cancer has dramatically decreased due in large part to the work of Papanicolaou and Traut. Successful treatment can now be done using simple or radical surgical intervention for early invasive lesions and radiation therapy for more advanced lesions. However, despite current advances in screening and early treatment, local recurrences still happen and are difficult to treat. The natural history of cervical cancers is that of a slowly growing, locally invasive tumor. As such, it lends itself to radical surgical resection in selected patients prior to distant metastasis. Current advances in intraoperative and postoperative monitoring, as well as improved surgical techniques and devices, have decreased the morbidity and mortality of radical surgical procedures to acceptable levels. Current data associated with these procedures for advanced or recurrent cervical cancer are described.
Emotional Intensity Ratings and Personal Distance in American and Korean Subjects

Summary.-The evaluation that an event is significant to life or goals may be important as a source of intensity of emotion as well as of kind of emotion. One factor in significance may be the perceived personal distance of the person evaluating the event from the person involved in the event. A simple survey questionnaire inciuded events intended to elicit five different emotions. The 62 American and 71 Korean subjects rated on a scale of 1 to 7 the intensity of emotion they would feel for each of four different levels of personal distance: self, sibling, friend, stranger. Significant differences were found for both personal distance and kind of emotion but nor for culture. Interactions were found and the results discussed.
Model-predictive control of the Czochralski crystallization process. Part I. Conduction-dominated melt

Two model-predictive controllers (MPCs), operating on different time and length scales, coupled through constraints, are introduced for the Czochralski crystallization process. The first, a capillary controller, controls the radius of the crystal by manipulating the pulling velocity. The second, a bulk controller, manipulates the power inputs to the heaters (and heat pipes) to control the pulling velocity, the thermal stresses, and the oxygen and dopant distributions under the crystal. The latter employs a distributed-parameter, conduction-dominated model for heat transfer in the melt and crystal, discretized using the boundary-element method to reduce the order of the system. A model for the melt/crystal interface is developed to represent the radius dynamics as a function of the pulling velocity for the capillary controller. The main advantage of the coupled MPCs, compared with conventional, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control, is that the microscopic properties in the crystal, such as the distributions of oxygen, dopant, and dislocations, are controlled indirectly by the addition of constraints to their nonlinear programs (NLPs).
Brief paper: Feedback-reversibility and reachability of linear impulsive systems

For a linear impulsive system, the set of states that are reachable from the origin when the initial time, impulse times, and final time are fixed is contained in an invariant subspace determined by the system data. It is known that reversibility of the system is sufficient to yield, for a specified initial time, the existence of some impulse time set and final time for which the reachable set equals the invariant subspace. In this paper, we relax the reversibility requirement and present a condition that is necessary as well as sufficient under which this property holds. This new condition involves the property of achieving reversibility via feedback and admits an explicit geometric characterization. Moreover, this feedback-reversibility property only needs to hold for the subsystem defined as the full system restricted to the invariant subspace. We further show that feedback-reversibility of the restricted system ensures that the reachable set equals the invariant subspace for almost any impulse time set and final time for which the number of impulse times contained in the underlying time interval exceeds a lower bound.
Low yield of clinically significant transesophageal echocardiographic findings in patients with lacunar stroke

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a sensitive technique for the detection of cardioembolic sources of stroke in patients with cryptogenic stroke. However, the yield of clinically significant TEE-detected abnormalities in other stroke subtypes such as lacunar stroke is unknown. We prospectively followed 145 consecutive stroke patients, including 26 patients with typical lacunar syndromes, to determine the relative risk of recurrent brain ischemia associated with TEE findings. The yield of TEE in patients with lacunar stroke syndromes was extremely low, except for a very high rate of atrial septal aneurysm (ASA). Although ASA was associated with a high risk of recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack in patients with nonlacunar stroke, ASA was not associated with stroke recurrence in patients with lacunar stroke (p = 0.02, Cox's proportional hazard regression model). We conclude that TEE is unlikely to provide clinically relevant information in patients with typical lacunar syndromes.
EFFECTS of GAMMA-IRRADIATION ON THE CONTENTS of THIAMIN, RIBOFLAVIN, AND VITAMIN B-12 IN DAIRY PRODUCTS FOR LOW MICROBIAL DIETS

Frozen dairy products were exposed to 40 kGy (4 Mrad) of cobalt-60 irradiation to sterilize them for the low microbial diets of immunosuppressed patients. In this study, the levels of thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B-12 were measured in Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, yogurt bars, ice cream, and nonfat dry milk before and after irradiation at −78°C. There was no significant change in the levels of thiamin, riboflavin, or vitamin B-12 after irradiation. Samples of nonfat dry milk irradiated at three different temperatures (22°, 0 to 5°, or −78°C) sustained no significant loss of thiamin compared to levels in the nonirradiated fresh product. However, in irradiated mozzarella cheese, more thiamin was retained in products irradiated at −78°C than at 0 to 5°C. Irradiation of cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and nonfat dry milk at −78°C appeared to preserve the content of these three B vitamins.
Bipolarity: the iceberg of affective disorders?

Abstract The higher than usual ratio of bipolar (48%) compared to unipolar (52%) illness found in the Amish study gives preliminary evidence that a considerable amount of hypomania and mania may have been missed in many studies of the affective spectrum. Like the proverbial iceberg, this submerged bipolarity is no less significant. To gauge the depth, duration, and clinical characteristics of the affective iceberg will require better research into the course of the illness, particularly during the nonhospitalized phase, and closer attention to possible contamination of unipolar samples. To be alert to the dangers of hidden bipolarity will open new clinical opportunities for improved treatment of these patients.
Observations of balance among elderly patients referred to physical therapy in an acute care hospital

The purpose of this prospective, descriptive study is to describe the frequency and nature of standing balance impairments among patients referred to physical therapy in an acute care hospital. Subjects consisted of 100 consecutive qualifying patients over 60 years of age. Half (50) of the patients were unable to maintain standing, either with their feet apart or together. The direction of balance loss was posterior for all 50 patients. The patient's inability to maintain balance was associated significantly with age (P <. 05) but not with diagnosis, time since admission, or surgical status. Elderly patients referred to physical therapy in an acute care hospital have standing balance which is impaired and lost in a consistent direction-posteriorly. These findings should inform evaluation and treatment.
Effect of thermal history on the rheological behavior of thermoplastic polyurethanes

The effect of thermal history on the rheological behavior of ester- and ether-based commercial thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) was investigated. 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spect...
Measuring Ego Development for Counseling Practice: Implementing Developmental Eclecticism

The authors discuss a developmental-eclectic model of counseling that integrates Loevinger's theory of ego development and various methods used to measure this important psychological construct in counseling practice.
The Tidal Migrations of Donax variabilis Say1

The behavior of the beach clam, Donax variabilis, resembles that of Donax semigranosis in that it migrates up and down the beach with the rise and fall of the tide assisted by the wash of the surf. On the rising tide the acoustic shock of the breaking waves stimulates the bivalve to emerge from the sand in advance of the uprush so that the wash carries it up the beach. On the falling tide it ignores the acoustic stimulus and emerges into the backwash to be carried down the beach. The reactions may be due to an intrinsic rhythm, changes in the water content of the sand, or a trigger-and-memory mechanism.
Chemical and electrical passivation of single-crystal silicon(100) surfaces through a two-step chlorination/alkylation process.

Single-crystal Si(100) surfaces have been functionalized by using a two-step radical chlorination−Grignard (R= MgCl, R = CH3, C2H5, C4H9, C6H5, or CH2C6H5) alkylation method. After alkylation, no chlorine was detectable on the surface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the C 1s region showed a silicon-induced peak shift indicative of a Si−C bond. The relative intensity of this peak decreased, as expected, as the steric bulk of the alkyl increased. Despite the lack of full alkyl termination of the atop sites of the Si(100) surface, functionalization significantly reduced the rate of surface oxidation in air compared to that of the H-terminated Si(100) surface, with alkylated surfaces forming less than half a monolayer of oxide after over one month of exposure to air. Studies of the charge-carrier lifetime with rf photoconductivity decay methods indicated a surface recombination velocity of <30 cm s-1 for methylated surfaces, and <60 cm s-1 for Si surfaces functionalized with the other alkyl gro...
Molinists (still) cannot endorse the consequence argument

Perszyk (Faith Philos 20:131–151, 2003) has argued that Molinists cannot consistently endorse the consequence argument because of a structurally similar argument for the incompatibility of true Molinist counterfactuals of freedom (CCFs) and the ability to do otherwise. Wierenga (in: Molinism: the contemporary debate, 2011) has argued that on the proper understanding of CCFs, there is a relevant difference between the consequence argument and the anti-Molinist argument. I argue that, even on Wierenga’s understanding of CCFs, there is in fact no relevant difference between the two arguments. Moreover, I strengthen Perszyk’s challenge by highlighting further relevant similarities between CCFs and facts about the laws.
Peroxynitrite-induced apoptosis in human intestinal epithelial cells is attenuated by mesalamine

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Peroxynitrite (PN), a potent oxidant, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of gut inflammation and epithelial cell apoptosis. The aim of this study was to investigate mesalamine, a standard therapy for inflammatory bowel disease, to see if it attenuates PN-induced cytotoxicity in human intestinal epithelial cells and if mesalamine directly interacts with PN or its precursor, nitric oxide. METHODS: T84 and HT29 cells were divided in several protocols: mesalamine was administered 2 hours before, simultaneously, or 30 minutes after PN. T84 cells, grown in filter chamber inserts, were used to determine if basolateral or apical administration of PN initiated apoptosis and epithelial barrier function. The effects of mesalamine on PN decomposition and NO half-life were determined. RESULTS: Mesalamine resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in PN-induced apoptosis, whether mesalamine was administered before (>10 micromol/L; IC50, 16 micromol/L), simultaneously (25-200 micromol/L; IC50, 24 micromol/L), or 30 minutes (200 micromol/L) after PN exposure. Mesalamine protected the epithelial barrier function of T84 cells against PN. Mesalamine rapidly degraded PN, whereas the half-life of NO was not affected. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effects of mesalamine in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease may involve an attenuation of PN-induced cell injury and apoptosis through direct and indirect mechanisms without affecting NO levels. (Gastroenterology 1997 Nov;113(5):1480-8)
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent and -independent protein kinase activity of renal brush border membranes.

Abstract Kinase(s) in brush border membranes, isolated from rabbit renal proximal tubules, phosphorylated proteins intrinsic to the membrane and exogenous proteins. cAMP stimulated phosphorylation of histone; phosphorylation of protamine was cAMP independent. cAMP-dependent increases in phosphorylation of endogenous membrane protein were small, but highly reproducible. Most of the 32P incorporated into membranes represented phosphorylation of serine residues, with phosphorylthreonine comprising a minor component. cAMP did not alter the electrophoretic pattern of 32P-labeled membrane polypeptides. The small cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of brush border membrane proteins was not due to membrane phosphodiesterase or adenylate cyclase activities. Considerable cAMP was found “endogenously” bound to the membranes as prepared. However, this did not result in preactivation of the kinase since activity was not inhibited by a heat-stable protein inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinases. With intrinsic membrane protein as phosphate acceptor, the relationship between rate of phosphorylation and ATP concentration appeared to follow Michaelis-Menton kinetics. With histone the relationship was complex. cAMP did not affect the apparent Km for histone. One-half maximal stimulation of the rate of histone phosphorylation was obtained with 7 × 10−8 m cAMP. The Ka values for dibutyryl cAMP, cIMP, and cGMP were one to two orders of magnitude greater. Treatment of brush border membranes with detergent greatly increased the dependency of histone phosphorylation on cAMP. Phosphorylations of intrinsic membrane protein and histone were nonlinear with time, due in part to the lability of the protein kinase, the hydrolysis of ATP, and minimally to the presence of phosphoprotein phosphatase in the border membrane. The membrane phosphoprotein phosphatase was unaffected by cyclic nucleotides. Protein kinase activity was also found in cytosolic and crude particulate fractions of the renal cortex. Activity was enriched in the brush border membrane relative to that in the crude membrane preparation. The kinase activities in the different loci were distinct both in relative activities toward different substrates and in responsiveness to cAMP.
On detecting nonlinear patterns in discriminant problems

We propose a two-stage model for detecting nonlinear patterns in discriminant problems and for solving the problem. The model deploys a Linear Programming Based Discriminator (LPBD) in stage one for treating linear patterns and a Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) in stage two for handling nonlinear patterns. The LPBD in stage one divides the decision space into a clear zone where observations are (almost) linearly separable and a gray zone where nonlinear patterns are more likely to occur. The PNN in stage two analyzes the gray zone and determines whether a significant nonlinear patterns exist in the observations. Our goal is to avoid using a nonlinear model unless the PNN strongly suggests so to maintain good interpretability and avoid overfitting. Our computational study demonstrates the effectiveness of the two-stage model in both classification accuracy and computational efficiency.
Elevated levels of retinal neurofilament mRNA accompany optic nerve regeneration.

RNA isolated from goldfish retinas before and during optic nerve regeneration, when translated in vitro, directed the synthesis of neurofilament proteins that are normally found in high levels in the optic nerve. The major neurofilament proteins of the goldfish optic nerve comprise a group of four isoelectric variants of molecular weight 58,000 (58K) which we have identified previously as ON1-ON4. The levels of ON1 and ON2 within the optic nerve had been shown to decrease shortly after optic nerve crush and then increase to precrush levels during the regeneration process. Employing two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of in vitro translation products and immunoprecipitations with antibodies specific for the ON proteins and an anti-intermediate filament monoclonal antibody, we show that ON1 and ON2 are encoded by mRNA synthesized in the retinas. The synthesis of ON3 and ON4 by retina RNA was undetected. This confirms data from previous ex vivo experiments that indicated that ON1 and ON2 are of neuronal origin whereas ON3 and ON4 are nonneuronal. ON1 and ON2 synthesis increases dramatically during optic nerve regeneration to levels 10- and 30-fold over precrush levels, respectively. In addition to ON, and ON2, the synthesis of a previously unidentified 52K protein is observed at relatively high levels 20 and 32 days after optic nerve crush, but is unobserved before regeneration. Thus, optic nerve regeneration can be correlated with specific changes in intermediate filament gene expression within the retina.
Inhomogeneous interlayer Josephson coupling in

In a layered superconductor, the interlayer coupling strength determines the spatial variation of the magnetic fields parallel to the layers. Scanning SQUID microscope images of an edge of a single crystal of the layered organic superconductor show regions of inhomogeneous coupling as well as trapped interlayer Josephson vortices. Quantitative modelling of individual isolated vortices indicates an interlayer penetration depth . Previous bulk measurements that indicated a weaker interlayer coupling may have been dominated by inhomogeneities.
The Idea of Time

The Idea of Time, Charles Hepworth Holland, 1999, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 150 p. (Hardcover $69.95) ISBN: 0-471-98545-7. In Slaughterhouse Five, arguably the greatest anti-war, science-fiction novel ever written, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. introduces readers to Tralfamadorians , an intelligent and advanced group of extraterrestrials who possess a very different view of time from Earthlings. Tralfamadorians , Vonnegut says, “ … (see) all time as (Earthlings) might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains.” As Vonnegut's main character, Billy Pilgrim, further explained: “ … the Universe does not look like a lot of bright little dots to (Tralfamadorians) … (instead, they) see where each star has been and where each is going, so that the heavens are filled with rarefied, luminous spaghetti.” According to Billy Pilgrim, creatures like humans appear to the Tralfamadorians as “great millepedes—‘with babies’ legs at one end and old people's legs at the other'.” Ever noticed how Earthlings in general, including of course geologists and astronomers, require some kind of analogy in order to form mental images relating to the abstract concept of time? Such imagery may be important because a standard denotation of time is basically useless in helping conjure up a mental picture of time. For example, in Glossary of Geology, 2nd ed., Bates and Jackson define time as: “Measured or measurable duration; a nonmaterial dimension of the universe, representing a period or interval during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues.” That is, of course, accurate, but upon reading this definition, did you form a personal vision of time? (I think it is safe to say that one can read these words, but not conceive of or imagine what time really …
Thermal acclimation and metabolism in the Allegheny Mountain salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus.

Abstract 1. 1. Oxygen consumption measurements were made at 5, 10, 15 and 20°C on Desmognathus ochrophaeus salamanders acclimated at these temperatures. 2. 2. Partial acclimation, observed in groups acclimated at 10, 15 and 20°C, correlates with the ability of D. ochrophaeus to maintain relatively constant activity levels in the field during seasonal temperature variations from 10 to 20°C. 3. 3. Undercompensation, observed in the group acclimated at 5°C, suggests there is a metabolic “shut-down” associated with the winter torpor observed in D. ochrophaeus . 4. 4. Groups acclimated at 10, 15 and 20°C displayed thermal homeostasis between 5 and 10°C. This would enable D. ochrophaeus to remain active during early spring and fall when temperatures temporarily fall below 10°C.
Exercise effects on muscle β-adrenergic signaling for MAPK-dependent NKCC activity are rapid and persistent

This study investigated exercise adaptation of signaling mechanisms that control Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC) activity in rat skeletal muscle. An acute bout of exercise increased total and NKCC...
Right atrial electrical isolation: left atrial connection to the atrioventricular node.

espite extensive research, the electrical connections beween each atrium and the AV node are incompletely unerstood. Some histologic and electrophysiologic evidence ndicates the presence of inputs from both the right and left tria to the AV node in humans and animal models. We present a case in which the right atrium was inadertently isolated electrically by radiofrequency energy rom both the left atrium and the AV node, without any mpairment of the connection between the left atrium and he AV node or of AV node function. To our knowledge, his is the first case to describe an anatomic disconnection etween the left atrium and a large part of the right atrium or the entire right atrium) after a right atrial ablation and eparate electrophysiologic connections between the two tria and the AV node.
Variable selection for ad prediction

We consider the problem of predicting the probability of a click for an advertisement when the outcome of a click or no-click is expressed by means of a set of a large number of variables. Many, if not most, of these variables are very weakly related to the clicking of the ad. Thus, a traditional approach to address this problem that treats each variable on an equal and blind footing takes away the interpretability in explaining the underlying process of the outcome. Such an approach would be computationally expensive and, further, may suffer from poor generalization.We investigate the forward selection method for variable subset selection in the domain of advertisement click-through-rate prediction. The forward selection method proceeds sequentially in a way that rewards a set of variables by how much information it provides regarding the outcome, but penalizes the set based on the number of variables in it. Concretely, we propose a logistic regression model for estimating the conditional expectation between the outcome and the ensemble of variables.The model obtained compares favorably with that obtained via an exhaustive search through the model space. We also observe that the set of variables selected by the forward selection procedure has better predictive power than that selected by considering their individual statistical significance. Thus we show that the forward-selection method for subset selection serves to produce a good model for predicting ad click-through-rates.
Two-Dimensional Self-Assembly of Latex Particles in Wetting Films on Patterned Polymer Surfaces

The 2D self-assembly of micrometer-size latex particles in wetting films on patterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) polymer surfaces was studied. The dynamics of these processes were directly observed using an integrated zoom microscope and CCD camera. The direct observations revealed the particles are transported inside or toward the grooves of the pattern in the region where the liquid film is appropriately thin, and the particles self-assembly inside the grooves is caused by a lateral capillary force. Mechanisms for particle transportation and self-assembly are discussed.
Rapid detection of differential item functioning in assessments of health-related quality of life: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy

Reason for study Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when a test item functions differently in different groups when controlling for the level of the underlying construct measured by the test. DIF assessment is a first step in the evaluation of test bias. We sought to demonstrate a rapid hybrid approach to DIF detection by determining the presence and scale-level impact of DIF related to eight covariates in four domains measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT).
Non-random occurrence of amino-acid replacements.

ONE approach to elucidating the genetic code is to study its manifestations in the primary structure of proteins. Of particular interest in this respect are amino-acid replacement regions, that is, those few positions in a protein chain where ‘identical’ proteins isolated from different species differ in amino-acid composition, differences presumably arising from mutations in the underlying genetic apparatus1. For example, insulin A chains isolated from beef, rabbit, whale, etc., have identical amino-acid sequences except at positions 8–10, where certain differences in amino-acid composition occur2.
Pulling out the coordination mechanism of myosin-VI.

Efficient transport by single two-headed motor proteins requires coordination of the motor domains. A new single-molecule study sheds light on an important coordination mechanism by demonstrating an asymmetric strain dependence of the weak-to-strong binding transition in myosin-VI heads.
Diurnal rhythmicity in plasma 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3: Correlation with intestinal calcium transport and plasma minerals

Abstract Plasma 24,25-(OH) 2 D 3 exhibits diurnal rhythmic variations in the adult rat. The decrease in 24,25-(OH) 2 D 3 occurring at the onset of feeding during light-dark transition coincides with a decrease in plasma calcium but is inversely related to plasma phosphate and to increased intestinal calcium transport activity.
Central Nervous System Involvement in non-Hodgkin 's Lymphoma: An Analysis of 105 Cases

Records of 105 patients with central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma were analyzed in order to better define the incidence, setting, and management of CNS lymphoma and the role for CNS prophylaxis. Survival was best for patient under 30 years of age treated with whole-brain irradiation and intrathecal (IT) chemotherapy whose CNS involvement was an isolated event (median survival time, 1.8 years). Survival was worst for patients over 30 years of age whose CNS invasion occurred at a time of progressive systemic lymphoma (median time ten weeks if treated with whole-brain irradiation with or without IT chemotherapy). The risk of CNS invasion was greatest for those with lymphoblastic lymphoma. Among patients with Stage IIE, III, or IV histiocytic lymphoma, the risk of CNS involvement was greatest for those with progressive or relapsing disease or involvement of the testes, peripheral blood, or epidural space of the spinal cord.
Why the Soviets Buy the Weapons They Do

The authors of three recent books attempt to account for Soviet military developments by exploring a wide range of possible explanations. In Soviet Strategic Forces, Berman and Baker adopt a“requirements“approach; they argue that the Soviet strategic posture has developed mainly in response to threats generated by the West. Andrew Cockburn, in The Threat, maintains that internal factors—in particular, bureaucratic politics and the workings of the military-industrial complex—are responsible for Soviet weapons decisions. David Holloway's more eclectic explanation, in The Soviet Union and the Arms Race, describes both the internal and external determinants of Soviet military policy. The evolution of Soviet regional nuclear policy, and particularly the deployment of the SS-20 missile, can be accounted for by several different explanations—indicating a problem of overdetermination of causes. One way to resolve this problem is by adopting a framework developed by James Kurth to explain U.S. weapons procurement. It suggests that the“modes of causation” for Soviet weapons decisions are generally the opposite of those for American decisions. This generalization is consistent with what an analysis based on the relative strengths of state and societal forces in the two countries would predict.
Influence of material transition and interfacial area changes on flow and concentration in electro-osmotic flows.

This paper presents a numerical study to investigate the effect of geometrical and material transition on the flow and progression of a sample plug in electrokinetic flows. Three cases were investigated: (a) effect of sudden cross-sectional area change (geometrical transition or mismatch) at the interface, (b) effect of only material transition (i.e. varying ζ-potential), and (c) effect of combined material transition and cross-sectional area change at the interface. The geometric transition was quantified based on the ratio of reduced flow area A2 at the mismatch plane to the original cross-sectional area A1. Multiple simulations were performed for varying degrees of area reduction i.e. 0–75% reduction in the available flow area, and the effect of dispersion on the sample plug was quantified by standard metrics. Simulations showed that a 13% combined material and geometrical transition can be tolerated without significant loss of sample resolution. A 6.54% reduction in the flow rates was found between 0% and 75% combined material and geometrical transition.
Specific amino-acid residues in the N-terminus and TM3 implicated in channel function and oligomerization compatibility of connexin43.

To identify signals that convey connexin oligomerization compatibility, we have aligned amino-acid sequences of α and β group connexins (Cx) and compared the physico-chemical properties of each homologous amino-acid residue. Four positions were identified that consistently differed betweenα and β-type connexins; two are located in the N-terminal domain (P1 and P2, corresponding to residues 12 and 13 of the Cx43 sequence), and two in the third trans-membrane-spanning domain TM3 (P3 and P4, corresponding to residues 152 and 153 of the Cx43 sequence). Replacement of each of these residues in Cx43 (an α-type connexin) with the corresponding residues of Cx32 (a β-type connexin) resulted in the assembly of all variants into gap junctions; however, only the P4 variant was functional, as indicated by lucifer yellow dye transfer assays. The other three variants exerted a moderate to severe dose-dependent, dominant-negative effect on co-expressed wild-type (wt) Cx43 channel activity. Moreover, a significant dose-dependent, trans-dominant inhibition of channel activity was observed when either one of the N-terminal variants was co-expressed with wt Cx32. Assembly analyses indicated that dominant and trans-dominant inhibitory effects appeared to be based on the oligomerization of wt and variant connexins into mixed connexons. Interestingly, the identified N-terminal amino acids coincide with the position of naturally occurring, disease-causing missense mutations of severalβ -connexin genes ( Cx26, Cx30, Cx31, Cx32 ). Our results demonstrate that three of the identified discriminative amino-acid residues (positions 12, 13 and 152) are crucial for Cx43 channel function and suggest that the N-terminal amino-acid residues at position 12/13 are involved in the oligomerization compatibility of α and β connexins.
An intensive instruction format for information systems

For over fifteen years Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has offered management information systems courses using an intensive weekend format at locations around the United States. Although a variety of information systems courses in the Masters of Business Administration has been provided, the most frequently taught course has been Introduction to Information Systems. The introduction course combines elementary computer and data processing concepts, programming, applications, and systems analysis and design. However, the emphasis of the course is analysis and design of systems from a manager, or user frame of reference. Because of the nontraditional format of the course, a variety of instructional strategies have evolved to insure successful student achievement of course objectives. Frequent comparisons between the test scores of students finishing the off-campus program and students completing the on-campus program indicate that the achievement levels are equivalent.
Import-Subsidy Coordination and the Gains from International Diffusion Of Differentiated Middle Products

This paper shows that under reasonable parameter values it is independently rational for an importing country to impose a tariff on differentiated middle products, which are invented by monopolists worldwide in the high-technology sector. But to realize mutual gains, countries must use import subsidies in a cooperative manner. To dictate policy coordination, the paper computes the bilaterally coordinated subsidy bands under different sets of parameter values, reflecting monopoly power, spending share, and supply elasticities. [F12, F13]
A model for the enzyme-catalyzed, coenzyme B12-dependent interconversion of β-methylaspartate with glutamate

Abstract A novel rearrangement promoted by vitamin B12s of diethyl 1-keto-2-bromomethyl-2-methylsuccinate 10 to diethyl 4-methyl-2-ketoglutarate 11 has been discovered. This can serve as a partial model for the coenzyme B12 dependent enzyme catalyzed interconversion of β-methylaspartate and glutamate. The Schiff base corresponding to 10 does not react with vitamin B12s , but it does rearrange readily under free radical conditions when treated with tri-n-butyltin hydride.
Assisted hatching of human embryos

There are benefits as well as drawbacks of zona pellucida breaching. Narrow gaps in the zona may cause disintegration of the hatching trophectoderm, when embryos are cultured in vitro. An increase in the formation of monozygotic twins following micromanipulation may also occur, due to the forced separation of the inner cell mass during blastocyst expulsion in utero. Mouse studies indicate that one or several narrow zona openings (<5 μm) are detrimental. Such embryos may become trapped during hatching but may be rescued by drilling an additional larger gap elsewhere on the zona. The use of acidic Tyrode's solution for clinical assisted hatching of eight-cell embryos is currently under investigation. The findings suggest that large holes are efficient for promoting hatching (at least one-fourth of the embryos implanted thus far) and that embryos with unthinned zonae (those (with normally the poorest prognosis) benefit mostly from assisted hatching. Results also indicate that embryos with the best zona morphology should be replaced without micromanipulation.
The relative effectiveness of cognitive restructuring and coping desensitization in the treatment of self-reported worry

Abstract This clinical outcome study compared two therapeutic methods for the reduction of self-reported worry with a placebo and waiting-list control. In cognitive restructuring, participants were trained to realistically reevaluate imaginally presented worry situations. In coping desensitization, participants were taught to use relaxation in response to worry images within a coping framework. Progressive relaxation alone was used as the placebo condition. On the basis of questionaire measures of anxiety and self-reported worry, greater anxiety and worry reductions were found in the cognitive restructuring group, followed by minimal changes in the coping densensitization group, and no changes in the placebo and waiting-list control. Subjects in the restructuring condition also reported significant increases in attention and decreases in frequency of thought intrusions.