cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases by Sphingolipid Products in Oligodendrocytes

Sphingolipid products such as ceramide (cer), sphingosine (sph), and sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP) are implicated in the regulation of cell growth and apoptosis. We have recently shown that cer, sph, and SPP differentially modulate ionic events in cultured oligodendrocytes (OLGs). Cer but not sph or SPP inhibits the inward rectifier ( I Kir) in OLGs. To further investigate the role of sphingolipid products in OLGs, we studied the effect of cer, sph, and SPP on OLG survival and on the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). We found that cer, sph, and SPP differentially modulate OLG survival and activation of MAPK members. Cer causes OLG apoptosis, sph causes OLG lysis, and SPP does not affect OLG survival. Cer induces a preferential activation of p38α, whereas sph and SPP induce a preferential activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in OLGs. In addition, the effect of cer on p38α activity is mimicked by the inhibition of I Kir with Ba2+. In contrast, exposure to cer results in increased activity of ERK2 but not of p38α in astrocytes. Cer-induced OLG apoptosis is attenuated by a p38 inhibitor, SB203580, and by expression of a p38α dominant negative mutant. We conclude that p38α is the mediator in cer-induced OLG apoptosis and that cer-induced I Kir inhibition may contribute to the sustained activation of p38α in OLGs.
UNOS: the faithless trustee.

UNOS has an ethical mandate, and though Zink et al. (2005) are sloppy, misleading, and imprecise in their language they do seem to understand it. To the extent that transplant organs are a public r...
Innovative Design of Lightweight on Board Hydrogen Storage Tank

The hydrogen economy envisioned in the future requires safe and efficient means of storing hydrogen fuel for either use onboard vehicles, delivery on mobile transportation systems or high-volume storage in stationary systems. The main emphasis of this work is placed on the high -pressure storing of gaseous hydrogen on-board vehicles. As a result of its very low density, hydrogen gas has to be stored under very high pressure, ranging from 350 to 700 bars for current systems, in order to achieve practical levels of energy density in terms of the amount of energy that can be stored in a tank of a given volume. This paper presents 3D finite element analysis performed for a composite cylindrical tank made of 6061-aluminum liner overwrapped with carbon fibers subjected to a burst internal pressure of 1610 bars. As the service pressure expected in these tanks is 700 bars, a factor of safety of 2.3 is kept the same for all designs. The results indicated that a stress reduction could be achieved by a geometry change only, which could increase the amount of pressure sustained inside the vessel and ultimately increase the amount of hydrogen stored per volume. Such reductions in the stresses will decrease the thickness dimension required to achieve a particular factor of safety in a direct comparison to a cylindrical design.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Market for former Andersen clients: Evidence from government and non-profit sectors

Abstract The impact of the failure of Andersen on the market for audit services in the government and non-profit sectors has received limited attention from researchers. Given the growing role of these sectors in the US economy, I examine the market for former Andersen clients in the government and non-profit sectors. Specifically, I determine whether the resource dependency framework and switching costs can help explain a non-profit’s propensity to follow its Andersen audit team to a new firm. I also provide descriptive data regarding the type of firm hired subsequent to Andersen and the impact of this switch on audit fees. I find that the presence of switching costs, the financial condition of a non-profit, and the size of the market are associated with the propensity of a non-profit to follow its Andersen audit team to a new firm. Unlike in the for-profit sector [Blouin, J., Grien, B., Roundtree, B., 2007. An analysis of forced auditor change: The case of former Arthur Andersen clients. The Accounting Review 82 (3), 621–650], non-profits in my sample do not appear to be concerned about the need for greater monitoring in their decision to follow their Andersen audit team to a new firm. Their primary motivation appears to be the desire to reduce switching costs.
A note on the average run length of cumulative sum control charts for count data

This note presents preliminary results on the average run length (ARL) of a Cumulative Sum Control Chart (CUSUM) used to monitor defects or counts, when the count distribution is Neyman Type-A. The ARL for this distribution is contrasted to the more customary Poisson model for counts or defects. We show that the ARL curve of a Neyman Type-A CUSUM always lies below the ARL curve of a Poisson CUSUM.
Toxigenic Pfiesteria species—Updates on biology, ecology, toxins, and impacts

Abstract The genus Pfiesteria includes two toxigenic species, Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae, that are thinly thecate dinoflagellates with apparently cosmopolitan distribution, especially in shallow, poorly flushed, eutrophic estuaries. They are heterotrophic prey generalists that typically feed via phagotrophy and prefer live fish or their fresh tissues as food. They can also engage in limited mixotrophy through temporary retention of kleptochloroplasts from algal prey. Toxicity is highly variable among strains, ranging from apparently nontoxic to highly toxic. Some strains produce a group of hydrophilic toxins with metal-mediated free radical production. Various metals can be involved in the toxin congeners, and the purified toxins are highly labile. These toxins can adversely affect mammalian cells as well as fish. Toxic strains are capable of killing fish by both toxins and physical attack from feeding upon epidermis and other tissues. Non-inducible strains do not produce sufficient toxin to kill fish, but some are capable of causing larval fish death by physical attack. From 1991 to 1998, Pfiesteria spp. were linked to major kills of juvenile Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus), mostly at densities of ≥4(3) × 102 to 103 (rarely, 104) flagellate cells mL−1. These kills mainly occurred in the second largest and largest estuaries on the U.S. mainland, especially two main tributaries of the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System, following decades of hurricane-free conditions. Between kills, Pfiesteria abundance was low in surface waters (
Engineering precision relocation capability into a large-cantilevered telescoping diagnostic for a Kirkpatrick Baez x-ray Optic

The Kirkpatrick Baez Optic (KBO) diagnostic designed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) requires very precise alignment between four pairs of mirrors that make up four x-ray imaging channels. Furthermore, the overlapping image axis of the four pairs must be aligned to within a 50 μm radius of the NIF target center. In order to achieve this the diagnostic utilizes a telescoping snout that when extended, locates the mirrors at the end of a Diagnostic Load Package (DLP), cantilevered more than three meters out from its bolted connection points. Discussed in this paper are the structural challenges and the mechanical design solutions that were implemented to achieve the ±50 μm pointing accuracy. During an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiment, the KBO diagnostic will be 117 mm away from the extremely high impulse, target implosion shock wave, which requires a unique approach to protecting the sensitive optics which will also be discussed.
Terrestrial impactors at geological boundary events: comets or asteroids?

In the present evaluation of evidence presented to date for a 26-28 million year periodicity in the extinction record and the age of large, well dated terrestrial impact craters, it is noted that no simple, one-to-one relationship emerges between major asteroid and/or comet impacts, siderophile anomalies, and biological extinction events. While impacts may indeed be the major extinction-triggering event in some or even most cases, either other major events, or secondary effects of the impacts, may be the actual extinction-causing mechanism. Long term obscuration of insolation, planetary cooling, or lethal atmospheric pollution may vary among extinctions, depending on the actual state of the planet and its biota during the geological period in question. The source of 28 million year-period asteroidal impactors, moreover, remains unknown and thereby casts doubt on the entire periodicity scenario.
Self-aligned pseudomorphic HEMT with a low-temperature-grown GaAs gate insulator

A new enhancement-mode GaAs pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (pHEMT) with a low-temperature-grown (LTG) GaAs gate insulator has been developed. The source and drain are doped by self-aligned implant and no gate recess is needed. The LTG-GaAs gate insulator drastically reduces the gate leakage current, allowing a maximum drain current of 390 mA/mm obtained at 3 V of forward gate bias. The maximum transconductance is 330 mS/mm and the cutoff frequency is 31 GHz for pHEMTs with a 0.5 /spl mu/m gate length.
Colloidal Sulphur to Modify Extirpation Diabetes

ConclusionThe administration of colloidal sulphur in daily doses of 250 or 500 mg. has no effect on the diabetic state of the depancreatized dog.
A generalized beta copula with applications in modeling multivariate long-tailed data

Abstract This work proposes a new copula class that we call the MGB2 copula. The new copula originates from extracting the dependence function of the multivariate GB2 distribution (MGB2) whose marginals follow the univariate generalized beta distribution of the second kind (GB2). The MGB2 copula can capture non-elliptical and asymmetric dependencies among marginal coordinates and provides a simple formulation for multi-dimensional applications. This new class features positive tail dependence in the upper tail and tail independence in the lower tail. Furthermore, it includes some well-known copula classes, such as the Gaussian copula, as special or limiting cases. To illustrate the usefulness of the MGB2 copula, we build a trivariate MGB2 copula model of bodily injury liability closed claims. Extended GB2 distributions are chosen to accommodate the right-skewness and the long-tailedness of the outcome variables. For the regression component, location parameters with continuous predictors are introduced using a nonlinear additive function. For comparison purposes, we also consider the Gumbel and t copulas, alternatives that capture the upper tail dependence. The paper introduces a conditional plot graphical tool for assessing the validation of the MGB2 copula. Quantitative and graphical assessment of the goodness of fit demonstrate the advantages of the MGB2 copula over the other copulas.
Two contextualist fallacies

I examine the radical contextualists’ two main arguments for the semantic underdeterminacy thesis, according to which all, or almost all, English sentences lack context-independent truth conditions. I show that both arguments are fallacious. The first argument, which I call the fallacy of the many understandings, mistakenly infers that a sentence S is semantically incomplete from the fact that S can be used to mean different things in different contexts. The second argument, which I call the open texture fallacy, wrongly concludes that a sentence S lacks context-independent truth conditions from the fact that there are circumstances in which the truth value of S would be indeterminate. I do however defend the claim that a certain class of sentences not containing any indexicals do lack context-independent truth conditions, and put forward an argument to that effect. But this argument, as I show, does not generalize to all sentences, and thus fails to support the semantic underdeterminacy thesis.
Drag on a sphere accelerating rectilinearly in an elastico-viscous fluid

Abstract The exact solution for the drag on a sphere moving in an arbitrary manner along a rectilinear path in an otherwise-still elastico-viscous fluid of infinite extent is presented. The Fourier transform technique is used to derive the solution. This technique is based on the fact that drag on an accelerating body can be obtained by integrating the drag on an oscillating body over all possible frequencies. The solution is also expressed in terms of infinite series which is suitable for numerical evaluation of the drag. The solution for the drag on a sphere suddenly brought to uniform motion is presented as an example of this study.
MEND: A Nurturing Voice in The Nuclear Arms Debate

While the argument about the meaning of nuclear weapons has been fluid and dynamic for the past forty years, it is fair to say that, at the present time, the prevailing definition of the nuclear situation is “deterrence policy.” Some of the fundamental premises of this doctrine are (1) that the Soviets are an unambiguous and non-negotiable threat to U.S. interests, (2) that Soviet expansionism must be contained, and (3) that nuclear weapons are designed to deter the Soviet Union from launching an attack on the United States or its allies. While the deterrence doctrine has obtained a dominant position, it is not the only voice in the nuclear conversation. In this paper, we report on the efforts of “Mothers Embracing Nuclear Disarmament” (MEND), an anti-nuclear group that is attempting to redefine the nuclear situation and reset the parameters of the conversation. MEND is challenging the techno-strategic assumptions of the deterrence doctrine by employing a nurturing discourse that insists mothers share a universal biological and spiritual bond that cuts across political boundaries. We report on the discourse strategies that MEND employs to gain ownership of the nuclear situation, the responses MEND has engendered from competing voices, and the contradictions that are emerging in the group's discourse. In the process, we counter the passive view of language that has predominated in the study of international relations with an essentially constitutive view of the role language plays in political action.
An integrated scheduling and program management system

An integrated scheduling and program management system is being developed for the MMT Observatory (MMTO), Arizona, USA. A systems engineering approach is used to combine existing and new relational databases, spreadsheets, file storage systems, and web-based user interfaces into a single unified system. An overview of software design, data management, user interfaces, and techniques for performance assessment is presented. Goals of this system include streamlined data management and an optimized user experience. The MMTO has over a dozen different telescope configurations, including three secondary mirrors and a wide range of observing instruments. Scheduling is complex for the varying telescope configurations, limited available observing time, and appropriate astronomic conditions (e.g., lunar phase) for each science project. Scheduled telescope configurations can be used to perform safety checks of actual configuration during telescope operations. Programmatic information is automatically input into nightly telescope operator (TO) logs by the system. The TO's provide additional information into the system on telescope usage, observing conditions (e.g., weather conditions), and observatory closure (e.g., from instrument malfunction or inclement weather). All of this information is synthesized to assess telescope and observatory performance. Web interfaces to the system can be used by observers to submit information, such as travel plans, instrumentation requirements, and observing catalogs. A service request (SR) (i.e., trouble report) system has also been developed for tracking operational issues. The specific needs of the MMTO have been met through in-house software development of this integrated scheduling and program management system.
Home management of acute respiratory infections: a challenge to the family and the community

Reports on a survey conducted to investigate acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children in developing countries, looking particularly at the Philippines. Explores the role of the National Committee for Acute Respiratory Infections and states its objectives and responsibilities. Asserts that state of health is associated with community structure, environmental factors, and social and psychological conditions. Finds also that maternal factors are important determinants in the incidence of ARI episodes, for example, the mother’s characteristics, level of health knowledge, her illness control activities, age, level of education, number of children, smoking behaviour, and the extent to which she has to fulfil other tasks. Explains the methodology used in the survey, the sampling procedure and research instruments used. Indicates that poor housing and living conditions should become the focal point of developmental efforts, and that better nipping in the bud health management should be encouraged through health education programmes.
Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of acyclovir in human plasma using fluorescence detection

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method using fluorescence detection was developed for the determination of acyclovir in human plasma. The method entailed direct injection of the plasma sample after deproteination. It is both specific and sensitive with a detection limit of 30 ng/ml at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and is thus suitable for use in pharmacokinetic studies of acyclovir. The method had a mean absolute recovery of 96%, while the within-day and between-day coefficients of variation and percentages error were all less than 8%. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 62.5-4000 ng/ml.
Extract of Helicobacter pylori induces neutrophils to injure endothelial cells and contains antielastase activity

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Previous studies indicate that a water extract of Helicobacter pylori promotes leukocyte adhesion and emigration as well as endothelial barrier disruption (increased vascular protein leakage) in rat mesenteric venules. The aims of this study were to assess whether H. pylori extract-activated neutrophils disrupt endothelial cell monolayers and to identify the mechanisms involved in this process. METHODS: Human neutrophils were incubated with monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the presence or absence of H. pylori extract. RESULTS: H. pylori extract-activated human neutrophils produced endothelial cell detachment from HUVEC monolayers, the severity of which was dependent on the duration of exposure. Endothelial cell detachment was prevented by a monoclonal antibody directed against CD11/CD18 on neutrophils or a monoclonal antibody against intercellular adhesion molecule 1 on endothelial cells. HUVEC monolayer disruption was also prevented by superoxide dismutase, catalase, and a monoclonal antibody against elastase. Further studies indicated that H. pylori extract was capable of inhibiting human neutrophil elastase. The antielastase activity was not diminished by oxidants. CONCLUSIONS: These studies indicate that H. pylori extract-activated human neutrophils can disrupt HUVEC monolayers only when human neutrophils are allowed to adhere to HUVECs and may provide an explanation for the H. pylori extract-induced, neutrophil- dependent vascular protein leakage observed in vivo. The possibility that H. pylori releases antiproteases may explain, in part, why this bacterium is so virulent. (Gastroenterology 1996 Jan;110(1):21-9)
Neuronal inhibition by the peptide FMRFamide involves opening of S K+ channels

Neurotransmitters modulate the activity of ion channels through a variety of second messengers, including cyclic AMP1–4, cyclic GMP5,6 and the products of phosphatidylinositol breakdown7–9. Little is known about how different transmitters acting through different second-messenger systems interact within a cell to regulate single ion channels. We here describe the reciprocal actions of serotonin and the molluscan neuropeptide, FMRFamide10, on individual K+ channels in Aplysia sensory neurons. In these cells, serotonin causes prolonged all-or-none closure of a class of background conductance K+ channels (the S channels)11 through cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation12–14. Using single-channel recording, we have found that FMRFamide produces two actions on the S channels; it increases the probablity of opening of the S channels via a cAMP-independent second-messenger system and it reverses the closures of S channels produced by serotonin or cAMP.
Uncertainty and other associative correlates of ogood's D4

This article concerns the question whether Osgood's D 4 measure of the meaning (multi-dimensional distance from the Origin) of verbal stimuli facilitates prediction of several quantitative associative properties of such stimuli. For each of 58 words appearing as stimuli in both the Minnesota and the Connecticut Free Associational Norms Studies as well as in the Semantic Atlas, four associative measures were obtained from each set of norms: H (Uncertainty), N (Number of different associations elicited), f 1 (Frequency of the Primary), and f I (Number of idiosyncratic associations elicited). Measures of Osgood's D 4 and Noble's m were independently available for each word. All results are arithmetically congruent over the two “States.” The D 4 variable shows borderline r 's with H, N , f I , and f 1 for the 12 evaluatively Bad words, and for evaluatively Good words that are comparatively highly polarized. On the other hand D 4 yields correlations with Noble's m only for Good words of either low Polarization or high Frequency of Occurrence. Implications of the findings are discussed, and a descriptive hypothesis to account for the differential Bad word/Good word outcomes is presented. It is suggested that Bad word/Good word differences have their psychological roots in a differential affect-arousing potential for Bad versus Good words which are otherwise “equal” in measured polarization. It is shown that both Evaluation factor scores and Activity factor scores independently yield about the same degree of correlation with the associative variables, as does the D 4 measure. But while Evaluation and D 4 are highly correlated, Activity and D 4 are not.
Scanning electron microscopy of goldfish, Carassius auratus, intestinal mucosa

Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the intestinal bulb and the caudal portion of the intestine proper of the goldfish, Carassius auratus. The observations made correlated well with previous light microscope studies by other investigators. The mucosal surface of the entire intestine of the goldfish is thrown up into folds, which are oriented along the long axis of the digestive tract in the intestinal bulb, but run more or less transversely in the caudal intestine. Tops of the folds were observed to be rounded or flattened, and the folds themselves formed wavy or zigzagging patterns in the mucosal surface. Numerous mucus-secreting goblet cells were seen, which were apparently more numerous or more active in the caudal intestine than in the intestinal bulb. The goblet cells are not uniformly distributed throughout the mucosa: they are more evident on the sides of the folds, although occasionally they appear to be located in clusters on the tips. The goblet cells were observed to contain varying amounts of mucous material, and/or to be of different sizes. Although no histochemical tests were performed, the possibility that digestive enzymes known to be present in the intestine may be elaborated by the goblet cells was considered, based on their variable appearance.
Oxygen toxicity in a polyamine-depleted spe2 delta mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract When a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (spe2 delta) that cannot make spermidine or spermine was incubated in a polyamine-deficient medium in oxygen, there was a rapid cessation of cell growth and associated cell death. In contrast, when the mutant cells were incubated in the polyamine-deficient medium in air or anaerobically, the culture stopped growing more gradually, and there was no significant loss of cell viability. We also found that the polyamine-deficient cells grown in air, but not those grown anaerobically, showed a permanent loss of functional mitochondria ("respiratory competency"), as evidenced by their inability to grow on glycerol as the sole carbon source. These data support the postulation that polyamines act, in part, by protecting cell components from damage resulting from oxidation. However, since the mutant cells still required spermidine or spermine for growth when incubated under strictly anaerobic conditions, polyamines must also have other essential functions.
Influence of advective heat flux on extinction scalar dissipation rate and velocity in negative edge flames

A counterflow flame geometry, which has previously been experimentally shown to produce stable negative edge flames, was studied using numerical simulations. In this geometry, the flame edge is formed off the counterflow centreline owing to a local increase in scalar dissipation rate. Hot products from the stable nonpremixed flame on the centreline flow through the edge at velocities of ∼ 1–5 m/s. The size of the counterflow burner and the gas flowrates are varied in the simulations to alter the flame strength and velocity at the flame edge. The advection of products through the edge is shown to extend the flame extinction to higher scalar dissipation rates than required for centreline extinction. For high velocities, the scalar dissipation rate required for flame extinction can be related to the centreline extinction value by considering only the effect of energy addition to the flame edge via advection. However, for lower edge flame velocities, the effects of increased thermal and species diffusion thro...
Has monopotassium phthalocyanine, KPc, been synthesized?

A recent publication described the synthesis and characterization of monopotassium phthalocyanine, KPc. A reevaluation of the original EPR, magnetic susceptibility, and X-ray diffraction data, alon...
Altered activation of the antagonist muscle during practice compromises motor learning in older adults

Aging impairs the activation of muscle; however, it remains unclear whether it contributes to deficits in motor learning in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine whether altered ...
Myofascial referred-pain data provide physiologic evidence of acupuncture meridians.

Abstract Recently published data suggest substantial anatomic, clinical, and physiologic (referred pain to meridian) overlap of myofascial trigger points and acupuncture points, particularly in the treatment of pain disorders. This qualitative study examines whether myofascial referred-pain data from the Trigger Point Manual can provide independent physiologic evidence of acupuncture meridians. Trigger point regions were subdivided from prior, validated trigger point region–classical acupuncture point correspondence results into subsets according to the 12 acupuncture Organs of their anatomically corresponding acupuncture points (Bladder, Gallbladder, Heart, Kidney, Large Intestine, Liver, Lung, Pericardium, Small Intestine, Spleen, Stomach, and Triple Energizer). The referred-pain patterns for each subset of trigger point regions were graphically applied to a virtual human model along with the subset's corresponding acupuncture Principal meridian. All 12 meridian distributions were compared qualitatively with the summed referred-pain distributions of their anatomically corresponding trigger point regions. For all 12 subsets of trigger point regions, their summed referred-pain patterns accurately predicted the distributions of their corresponding acupuncture meridians, particularly in the extremities. The myofascial referred-pain data from the Trigger Point Manual provides independent physiologic evidence of acupuncture meridians. Understanding these meridians may enhance treatment of both pain and non-pain conditions. Perspective This article demonstrates that myofascial referred-pain data provide independent physiologic evidence of acupuncture meridians. The acupuncture tradition provides pain practitioners with millennia of accumulated clinical experience treating pain (and visceral) disorders and offers the potential for novel pain treatment approaches and understanding of pain neurophysiology.
Phonological biases in grammatical category shifts

Abstract English disyllabic nouns and verbs differ in stress, with nouns showing stress primarily on the first syllable (trochaic pattern) and verbs showing stress on the second syllable (iambic pattern). This paper explores whether speakers have abstracted this pattern, and whether such knowledge affects a creative use of language: Shifting a word into a new grammatical category. The first of three experiments showed that speakers are more likely to use a novel disyllabic word as a noun in a sentence if it has a trochaic rather than an iambic pattern. Studies two and three found that speakers are more likely to use an established noun as a verb if it has an iambic rather than trochaic stress pattern. However, shifts from verb to noun were more common for trochaic patterns. These results agree with historical data on grammatical category shifts, and show that words from one category will be assimilated to another to the extent that they share phonological features typical of the second category. These phonological effects supplement accounts of grammatical category shifts that are based on semantic/pragmatic factors.
Big physics and new ideas.

A letter to the editor defending large-scale science, such as the Superconducting Supercollider (SSC). Detectors and experiments designed by young scientists could not have been accomplished in small-scale experiments. Large projects have room for new ideas and initiatives. Discusses experiments at Fermilab, such as discovery of the tau lepton and design of the CDF.
Pharmacology of captan: Biochemical effects with special reference to macromolecular synthesis

Abstract Captan ( N -[trichloromethylthio]-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide), a widely used agricultural fungicide, is a potent inhibitor of incorporation of isotopically labeled thymidine, uridine, and l -leucine into the acid-insoluble fraction of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro . The inhibitory actions of quite low concentrations can be annulled partially by washing the cells with fresh medium after exposure; the actions of higher concentrations are not reversible under these conditions. Prior addition to the medium of thiol compounds or albumin protects the cells from the actions of the inhibitor. A substantial portion of captan is bound to or otherwise inactivated by the cells. Degradation of DNA and RNA to an acid-soluble state also occurs upon exposure of the cells to the fungicide. Glycolysis is highly sensitive to captan in vitro , and this effect is likewise antagonized by thiol compounds. Captan inhibits the synthesis of RNA purines- 14 C from formate- 14 C in ascites tumor cells in vivo as well as in cultures of Candida albicans ; this action on tumor cells was demonstrated after intraperitoneal or oral administration of the inhibitor. The profound depression by captan of the rate of development of the ascites tumor in vivo reported by other workers could not be confirmed.
A novel prodrug approach for tertiary amines. 2. Physicochemical and in vitro enzymatic evaluation of selected N-phosphonooxymethyl prodrugs

Quaternary amine prodrugs resulting from N-phosphonooxymethyl derivatization of the tertiary amine functionality of drugs represents a novel approach for improving their water solubility. Separate reports have demonstrated the synthetic feasibility and rapid and quantitative prodrug to parent drug conversion in rats and dogs. This work is a preliminary evaluation of the physicochemical and in vitro enzymatic reversion properties of selected prodrugs. The loxapine prodrug had over a 15 000-fold increase in aqueous solubility relative to loxapine free base at pH 7.4. The loxapine prodrug was also shown to be quite stable at neutral pH values. The time for degradation product (parent drug) precipitation from an aqueous prodrug formulation would be expected to dictate the shelf life. Using this assumption, together with solubility and elevated temperature chemical stability studies, the shelf life of a parenteral formulation of the loxapine prodrug was projected to be close to 2 years at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C. In addition, the prodrugs of cinnarizine and loxapine have been shown to be substrates for alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme found throughout the human body, and revert to the parent compound in its presence. The results from these evaluations demonstrate that the derivatives examined have many of the ideal properties required for potential clinical application.
The formation of caliche in soils of the Mojave Desert, California

Abstract Radiocarbon and 230Th-234U dates of calcic horizons from calciorthid soil profiles in the Mojave Desert were used to calculate the rate of deposition of pedogenic CaCO3. A major period of CaCO3 deposition appears to have occurred about 20000 yBP forming calcic horizons below 100-cm depth during a climatic regime with greater effective rainfall than in the present. The overall rate of deposition has been 1.0 to 3.5 g CaCO3/m2/yr during soil formation. This rate is consistent with present-day rates, assuming that the atmospheric deposition of Ca limits the process. Stable isotope ratios in calcic horizons indicate that CaCO3 precipitated from a soil environment with CO2 of − 15.5%. 13 C 12 C (vs. PDB) and H2O of + 2.0%. 18 O 16 O (vs. SMOW). These values suggest that CaCO3 precipitates when seasonal drought simultaneously lowers soil pore pCO2 and enriches soil water 18O by evaporation. The role of soil calcic horizons in the global geochemical cycle of carbon is discussed.
Making GIS a versatile analytical tool for research in precision farming

A field-level geographic information system (FIS) is being developed. The system provides special analytical functions useful for research in precision farming. Spatial data from various sources with different accuracies and resolutions are integrated. Remotely sensed data are used to assist field-data analysis. Region blocking and partitioning are obtained using logic and arithmetic queries and overlays. Spatial patterns are analyzed in spatial and frequency domains in both Cartesian and polar coordinate systems. A discrete model was developed to simulate the time lag inherent to a yield sensor on a combine harvester. Z-transformation was used to numerically remove the lagging effect.
Glucocorticoid Down-regulation of RhoA Is Required for the Steroid-induced Organization of the Junctional Complex and Tight Junction Formation in Rat Mammary Epithelial Tumor Cells *

In Con8 mammary epithelial tumor cells, we have documented previously that the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone induces the reorganization of the tight junction and adherens junction (apical junction) and stimulates the monolayer transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), which is a reliable in vitro measurement of tight junction sealing. Western blots demonstrated that dexamethasone treatment down-regulated the level of the RhoA small GTPase prior to the stimulation of the monolayer TER. To test the role of RhoA in the steroid regulation of apical junction dynamics functionally, RhoA levels were altered in Con8 cells by transfection of either constitutively active (RhoA.V14) or dominant negative (RhoA.DN19) forms of RhoA. Ectopic expression of constitutively active RhoA disrupted the dexamethasone-stimulated localization of zonula occludens-1 and beta-catenin to sites of cell-cell contact, inhibited tight junction sealing, and prevented the complete formation of the F-actin ring structure at the apical side of the cell monolayer. In a complementary manner, dominant negative RhoA caused a precocious organization of the tight junction, adherens junction, and the F-actin rings in the absence of steroid, whereas the monolayer TER remained glucocorticoid-responsive. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the glucocorticoid down-regulation of RhoA is a required step in the steroid signaling pathway which controls the organization of the apical junctional complex and the actin cytoskeleton in mammary epithelial cells.
Effect of presentation modality in direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug television advertisements.

Abstract Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising markets medications requiring a physician's script to the general public. In television advertising, risk disclosures (such as side effects and contraindications) may be communicated in either auditory (voice) or visual (text) or both in the commercials. This research examines presentation modality factors affecting the communication of the risk disclosures in DTC prescription drug television commercials. The results showed that risk disclosures presented either visually only or both visually and auditorily increased recall and recognition compared to no presentation. Risk disclosures presented redundantly in both the visual and auditory modalities produced the highest recall and recognition. Visual only produced better performance than auditory only. Simultaneous presentation of non-risk information together with risk disclosures produced lower recall and recognition compared to risk disclosures alone—without concurrent non-risk information. Implications for the design of DTC prescription drug television commercials and other audio-visual presentations of risk information including on the Internet, are discussed.
Tables of Coefficients to Determine the Long-Range Contributions to Low-Energy Electron-Atom Scattering

The difficulty in the extrapolation or interpolation in energy of the phase shifts deduced from electron-atom scattering data stems from the presence of an effective one-body long-range potential $U(r)$. $U(r)$ has its origin in the static and dynamic polarizabilities of the atom, assumed to have a spherically symmetric ground state, and gives rise to an unusual and rapidly varying energy dependence.The usual effective-range theory is inapplicable, but a modified effective-range theory (MERT) exists in which the effect of $U(r)$ is taken into account exactly for arbitrarily strong (but specified) $U(r)$. The applicability of MERT has previously been limited to $U(r)$ sufficiently weak for the Born approximation to be adequate (because of the unavailability of numerical values for the long-range functions necessary for the analysis). We here tabulate these functions for the case in which $U(r)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}\frac{\frac{1}{2}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}{e}^{2}}{{r}^{4}}$, where ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}$ is the atomic electric dipole polarizability. The functions have been tabulated in terms of dimensionless parameters over a range of values of angular momentum $L$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}$, and wave number $k$ such that the entire elastic region for almost all atoms can be covered. The only interpolation necessary is that over $k$. A study of the ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{H}$ and ${e}^{+}\mathrm{H}L=0$ phase shifts provides an illustration of the application of the tables.
Robust Time-Optimal Control of Uncertain Flexible Spacecraft

A new approach for computing time-optimal open-loop control inputs for uncertain flexible spacecraft is developed. In particular, the single-axis, rest-to-rest maneuvering problem of flexible spacecraft in the presence of uncertainty in model parameters is investigated. Robust time-optimal control inputs are obtained by solving a parameter optimization problem subject to robustness constraints. A simple dynamical system with a rigidbody mode and one flexible mode is used to illustrate the concept.
Perspective: The List of Potential Volume-sensitive Chloride Currents Continues to Swell (and Shrink)

The protein for the swelling-activated chloride conductance is one of the few ion channels left for which we do not have a universally acceptable clone. In this brief note, I hope to describe why chloride channels in general, and ICl.swell in particular, have been difficult to pin down. Dr. Strange
Phase Transfer-Catalyzed Fast CO2 Absorption by MgO-Based Absorbents with High Cycling Capacity

CO2 capture from pre-combustion syngas in the temperature range of 250-400°C is highly desirable from an energy efficiency perspective. Thermodynamically, MgO is a promising material for CO2 capture, but the gas-solid reaction to produce MgCO3 is kinetically slow due to high lattice energy. We report here fast CO2 absorption over a solid MgO-molten nitrate/nitrite aggregate through phase transfer catalysis, in which the molten phase serves as both a catalyst and reaction medium. Reaction with CO2 at the gas-solid-liquid triple phase boundary results in formation of MgCO3 with significant reaction rate and a high conversion of MgO. This methodology is also applicable to other alkaline earth oxides, inspiring the design of absorbents which require activation of the bulk material.
Defect structures in the growth kinetics of the Swift-Hohenberg model.

The growth of striped order resulting from a quench of the two-dimensional Swift-Hohenberg model is studied in the regime of a small control parameter and quenches to zero temperature. We introduce an algorithm for finding and identifying the disordering defects (dislocations, disclinations, and grain boundaries) at a given time. We can track their trajectories separately. We find that the coarsening of the defects and lowering of the effective free energy in the system are governed by a growth law $L(t)\ensuremath{\approx}{t}^{x}$ with an exponent x near $1/3.$ We obtain scaling for the correlations of the nematic order parameter with the same growth law. The scaling for the order parameter structure factor is governed, as found by others, by a growth law with an exponent smaller than x and near to $1/4.$ By comparing two systems with different sizes, we clarify the finite-size effect. We find that the system has a very low density of disclinations compared to that for dislocations and fraction of points in grain boundaries. We also measure the speed distributions of the defects at different times and find that they all have power-law tails and the average speed decreases as a power law.
Explicit Sequence of Styrene/Methyl Methacrylate Gradient Copolymers Synthesized by Forced Gradient Copolymerization with Nitroxide-Mediated Controlled Radical Polymerization

In spite of many efforts made to study gradient copolymers, the monomer-by-monomer sequence along the chain is still obscure. A general computational framework based on kinetic Monte Carlo simulati...
National Children's Book Week: Last Week of November

Children's Book Week, which occurs during the last week of November, was first inspired by a speech delivered by E.W. Mumford of the Penn Publishing Company at the American Booksellers Association (ABA) annual convention in 1912. Mumford regarded reading as an act of habituation. He said that a child raised on trashy novels will grow up to read such fare, but that a child instilled with a taste for better books will ultimately develop mature and catholic reading interests.
Force development and relaxation in single motor units of adult cats during a standard fatigue test.

1. The purpose of this study was to investigate tetanic force development and relaxation in single motor units that were subjected to a standard fatigue test. 2. Motor units of tibialis posterior, a hindlimb muscle in the adult cat, were assigned to four categories (i.e. types S, FR, FI, FF) using conventional criteria. 3. Based on the first tetanus of the fatigue test, type S units took significantly longer to develop force and to relax than the fast-twitch units. Within the fast-twitch subpopulations, type FR and FI units were significantly slower to develop force and to relax than were type FF units, but there were no significant differences between type FR and FI units. 4. After 120 s of the fatigue test, the rates of force development were faster than initial values in type S and FR units, but were largely unchanged for the type FI and FF units. Most relaxation parameters were unaffected by stimulation in type S and FR units, but all parameters became significantly slower in type FI and FF units. 5. The average time courses of force development and relaxation showed that during 240 s of the fatigue test, type S units exhibited either a progressive increase in a parameter or no change at all. In contrast, fast-twitch units displayed profiles that included initial increases in a force development or relaxation parameter followed by variable amounts of decline that corresponded to fatigability. 6. It is concluded that repetitive activation affects the development and relaxation of tetanic force in all motor-unit types. Average changes in these parameters tended to parallel the conventional classification of motor units into four categories.
Incidence of ocular injuries in motor vehicle crash victims with concomitant air bag deployment.

Abstract Objective To report the incidence of ocular and nonocular trauma in patients admitted to the Henry Ford Hospital via the emergency room since 1994 after a motor vehicle crash (MVC) with and without air bag deployment. Design A retrospective cohort study. Methods The Henry Ford Hospital Trauma Registry database was reviewed for patients involved in MVCs with and without air bag deployment since 1994. Results From 1994 to 1999, there were only seven air bag-related ocular injuries, representing 4.4% of all MVC-related ocular injuries. From 1997 to 1999, MVC-related ocular injuries with and without air bags represented 5.0% and 12.7%, respectively, of all MVC-related injuries. For that same period, the death rate and average Injury Severity Score for MVCs with air bag deployment were 3.4% and 10.75, compared with 8% and 14.5, respectively, for MVCs without air bag deployment. Conclusions MVC-related ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment are rare, and the incidence of ocular injuries associated with MVCs was lower when air bags were deployed.
Siphoneugena minima y S. glabrata (Myrtaceae), Dos Nuevas Especies de Bolivia

Resumen Se describen e ilustran dos nuevas especies del genero Siphoneugena O. Berg (Myrtaceae) y se provee una clave de identificacion para las especies del mismo. Siphoneugena minima Loza & A. Fuentes se encontro en un bosque montano del Parque Nacional Madidi y S. glabrata Loza & P. Jorg. en los bosques de Alnus Mill. de la Reserva Natural Choquetanga–Choquercamiri. Se discuten semejanzas y diferencias morfologicas entre S. minima con S. delicata Sobral & Proenca y S. reitzii D. Legrand; la caracteristica mas marcada que distingue a S. minima de las demas especies es la presencia de botones y flores sesiles. Siphoneugena glabrata se comparo con S. densiflora O. Berg, S. dussii (Krug & Urb.) Proenca y S. occidentalis D. Legrand, pero difiere de estas especies por presentar las ramas jovenes glabras.
Seeing is believing

Stabilization with a suction window permits in vivo imaging of the mouse lung vasculature with video-rate two-photon microscopy.