cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in effects of mild chronic stress on seizure risk and GABAA receptors in rats

Abstract Social stress is a common occurrence in our society that can negatively impact health. Therefore, we wanted to study the effects of a mild stressor designed to model social stress on seizure susceptibility and GABA A receptors in male and female rats. The mild chronic stress of individual housing consistently decreased bicuculline (but not pentylenetetrazol, PTZ) seizure thresholds by 10–15% in both sexes. Housing conditions did not alter the anticonvulsant activity of diazepam or ethanol, although the anticonvulsant effect of ethanol was significantly greater against PTZ-induced seizures. Experiments testing the addition of an acute restraint stress unmasked sex differences in seizure induction. The acute stress also selectively decreased the potency of GABA to modulate GABA A receptor-mediated chloride uptake in group-housed females. There were additional sex differences by housing condition for GABA A receptor-gated chloride uptake but no differences in [ 3 H]flunitrazepam binding. We also found significant effects of sex and housing on ethanol-induced increases in corticosterone (CORT) levels. In summary, there were complex and sex-selective effects of mild chronic stress on seizure induction and GABA A receptors. Gaining a better understanding of mechanisms underlying interactions between sex and stress has important implications for addressing health concerns about stress in men and women.
Methods for the measurement of capillary exchange.

Abstract The papers presented in this volume have illustrated several techniques which are currently available for the direct measurement of microvascular exchange parameters. In Table 2 the available data obtained using these methods in the determination of exchange parameters are summarized. It is immediately apparent that the description of the filtration absorption process is much more complete at this stage than that for diffusion. Capillary filtration coefficients (K) have been determined for different tissues and various regions of the exchange surface ( K a K v ). Many measurements have been made of capillary hydrostatic pressure (Pp). Capillary oncotic pressure (πp) has not been measured at the microvascular level, but with the filtration fractions to be expected in the tissues studied, oncotic pressure should not be substantially different from the arterial value. There is only a single direct measure of tissue hydrostatic pressure (PT) and no reported data on tissue oncotic pressure (πT). With regard to either permeability coefficients (Pcap) or diffusion coefficients (Dtissue), Wiederhielm's data stands alone, and, as of this time, the use of specific electrodes has not yielded data which are sufficiently complete to give a precise picture of concentration gradients for even a single substance. Finally, it will be observed that the various techniques have so far been applied only to highly specialized, essentially two-dimensional structures. Additional data on more typical tissues must be acquired before the general applicability of these data can be assessed.
Psychological assessment of autistic children

Abstract Psychological assessment of autistic children using standard tests can be a valuable tool for evaluation and treatment planning. However, such assessment can be difficult, and requires careful understanding and management of the handicaps characteristic of autism. This article describes common problems that arise in testing autistic children, gives guidelines for test selection, and discusses the applicability of a number of standard tests to this population. It also presents general principles for test administration and behavior management during testing.
Broadband microwave imaging with spectral hole burning for squint compensation

We present an optical approach to 1-D broadband microwave imaging. The imager uses a Fourier optical beamformer to generate a squinted broadband image which is then spectrally resolved by burning a spatial distribution (an image) of spectral signals into a spectral-hole burning material. This spatial-spectral image corresponds to the spectral content of the image at each resolveable spatial point. These narrowband images may be sequentially read out with a chirped laser, scaled to compensate for beam squint, and summed to form a broadband microwave image.
Generalized DFT waveforms for MIMO radar

Recently, the Generalized Discrete Fourier Transform (GDFT) with nonlinear phase was introduced to improve the traditional Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). We take advantage of the phase shaping function (PSF) of GDFT framework to optimize auto- and cross-correlation properties of OFDM frames used to generate radar waveforms. The superior performance of the GDFT MIMO radar waveforms over multifrequency complementary phase coded (MCPC) and Oppermann code families are presented in this paper. GDFT MIMO radar waveforms may be employed in the future as an efficient upgrade to the DFT based technologies.
Star gazing: Sight lines and studio brands in post-war Japanese film posters

ABSTRACTParatexts are the materials that surround a target text (e.g. a film), but they are more than marketing campaigns and bonus features; they manage context and manipulate meaning-making. Film posters act as ‘entryway paratexts’, texts that prepare and inform audience expectations before they encounter the primary media. A poster's main purpose is to usher potential spectators from the street into the theater by visually transporting moviegoers into the storyworld of the film before they even move an inch. Japanese film posters of the 1950s and 1960s — the second Golden Age of studio cinema — did little to deliver a sense of narrative space. Instead, posters act almost solely as celebrity vessels that transported spectators not to filmic worlds but to brand and genre consciousness, both visual metonyms for individual studios. As promotional devices, the advertisements were primarily designed around the figure of the star, who, in turn, promoted his or her parent production house, at the expense of st...
Conservation Management of the Mixed Species Nontimber Forest Product of “moss”—Are they Harvesting What we think they’re Harvesting?

Management to preserve biodiversity while allowing resource extraction must be tailored to the taxa impacted by harvest. Yet millions of kilograms of mosses, liverworts, some lichens and an occasional vascular plant are harvested from the forests of the Pacific Northwest of North America each year without an adequate understanding of which species are impacted by harvest. Research has focused on epiphytic bryophytes as the primary target of harvest, but the habitats and substrates actually impacted by harvest and the species sold as “moss” have never been determined. To determine if the species being researched are the same as those that are actually sold, we compared the relative abundance and species composition of 17 commercially sold bags of moss with those from 33 field sites in the Oregon Coast and Cascade Ranges on which moss harvest research had previously been conducted. Most species found in the purchased bags had been previously reported from the field studies of what were thought to be commercially harvestable species, including all of the most frequently harvested taxa. However, several new species were found to be commercially harvested and more log and valley hardwood species were found than were previously believed to be harvested. Proper management will require harvest impact studies for the species found in these additional habitats. All nontimber forest products involving mixtures of various species should be periodically surveyed at the point of sale to determine which species are actually being harvested.
Energetic Material Detonation Characterization: A Laboratory-Scale Approach

A novel energetic-material detonation and air- blast characterization technique is proposed through the use of a laboratory-scale-based modified "aquarium test." A streak camera is used to record the radial shock wave ex- pansion rate at the energetic materialair interface of spherical laboratory-scale (i.e., gram-range) charges deto- nated in air. A linear regression fit is applied to the mea- sured streak record data. Using this in conjunction with the conservation laws, material Hugoniots, and two empirically established relationships, a procedure is developed to de- termine fundamental detonation properties (pressure, ve- locity, particle velocity, and density) and air shock wave properties (pressure, velocity, particle velocity, and density) at the energetic materialair interface. The experimentally determined properties are in good agreement with pub- lished values. The theory's applicability is extended using historical experimental test data due to the limited number of experiments able to be performed. Predicted detonation wave and air shock wave properties are in good agreement for a multitude of energetics across various atmospheric conditions.
A survey of obstetric patients who refuse regional anaesthesia

One hundred obstetric patients presenting for elective surgery who had refused regional anaesthesia were interviewed just prior to entering the operating room. In each case, the reason for refusing a regional technique was recorded. The most frequent reasons given were fear of backache (33%) and fear of the needle (28%). Anaesthetists should be aware of patients' concerns and be able to discuss the relevant issues.
PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FIRST AND FIFTH CARPAL BONES IN STANDARDBRED HORSES AS DETERMINED BY RADIOGRAPHY

In a radiographic study of 200 Standardbred horses, a first carpal bone was observed unilaterally in 21 (10.5%) horses and bilaterally in 45 (22.5%) horses. There was no significant effect of sex on the absence or presence of the first carpal bone. No fifth carpal bone was seen in this study.
Testing the effect of rare compound-heterozygous and recessive mutations in case--parent sequencing studies.

: Compound heterozygous mutations are mutations that occur on different copies of genes and may completely “knock-out” gene function. Compound heterozygous mutations have been implicated in a large number of diseases, but there are few statistical methods for analyzing their role in disease, especially when such mutations are rare. A major barrier is that phase information is required to determine whether both gene copies are affected and phasing rare variants is difficult. Here, we propose a method to test compound heterozygous and recessive disease models in case–parent trios. We propose a simple algorithm for phasing and show via simulations that tests based on phased trios have almost the same power as tests using true phase information. A further complication in the study of compound heterozygous mutations is that only families where both parents carry mutations are informative. Thus, the informative sample size will be quite small even when the overall sample size is not, making asymptotic approximations of the null distribution of the test statistic inappropriate. To address this, we develop an exact test that will give appropriate P-values regardless of sample size. Using simulation, we show that our method is robust to population stratification and significantly outperforms other methods when the causal model is recessive.
Spin-label studies of membrane-associated denatured hemoglobin in normal and sickle cells.

Abstract A maleimide spin label (N-(1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidinyl)-maleimide) was reacted with oxyhemoglobin-free cell stromata of normal and sickle cells. The EPR spectrum of spin-labeled red cell membranes showed that the spin labels are attached to at least two different binding sites. There was a major signal, A, which characterized a strongly immobilized environment and a minor signal, B, which characterized a weakly immobilized environment. Quantitative EPR measurements using equal amounts of Hb AA and Hb SS red blood cells demonstrated that Hb SS red cell membranes had an approximately four times higher EPR signal intensity than Hb AA red cell membranes ((7.98 ± 1.14) · 105 and (2.2 ± 1.2) · 105 spin labels/cell, respectively). Moreover, the ratio of signal intensities A and B are different in these cells. Comparative spectrophotometric studies of membrane-associated denatured hemoglobins of Hb AA and Hb SS red cell membranes suggested that the EPR signal A is derived from spin labels attached to membrane-associated denatured hemoglobin, while signal B is mainly from spin labels attached to membrane-associated denatured hemoglobin, while signal B is mainly from spin labels attached to membranes. The combination of EPR spectrum of Hb AA membranes pretreated with N-ethyl-maleimide and that of spin-labeled precipitated hemoglobin further strengthened this conclusion.
Effects of detector nonlinearity on calibration and data reduction of rotating-analyzer ellipsometers

Small nonlinearity (~2%) of the light-flux detection system is shown to have appreciable effects on the accuracy of calibration and data analysis in rotating-analyzer ellipsometers. Procedures for detecting and correcting these effects are presented.
The Relationship between Lower Leg Muscle Fatigue and Exercise Intensity

3種類(50W，100W，150W)の負荷強度で下肢自転車エルゴメータによる6分間の一段階運動負荷試験を行い，筋電図積分値(IEMG)と周波数パワースペクトル中央値(MdPF)の変化から外側広筋の筋疲労と運動負荷強度との関係を健常男性8名で検討した。IEMGとMdPFは，50Wおよび100W負荷強度では1～6分の間では変化が見られなかった。しかし，150Wでは初めの3分間は8例とも変化がないが，4分目でIEMGの上昇とMdPFの低周波帯域への移行が5例で見られた。100Wから150W間の負荷強度で外側広筋の疲労が生じていることが示唆された。
Fluctuations in the number and distribution of prosthodontists: 1987-1995

Abstract Purpose. This article presents a review that used three ADA studies on the distribution of dentists to determine whether the number of private practice prosthodontists in the mid 1990s has kept pace with the population in the various regions and states. Results. Findings indicate that between 1987 and 1991 there was a marked national increase in numbers of prosthodontists followed by a marked decrease during the first half of the 1990s. There continued to be major differences, however, in practitioner-to-population ratios in different geographic areas. Since the mid 1980s, there has been a general increase in the number of graduates from prosthetic programs, but an increasing percentage of these graduates were foreign trained dentists. Conclusion. There continues to be a need to determine the adequacy of the number and distribution of prosthodontists. (J Prosthet Dent 1998;79:585-90.)
Synthesis of cross‐conjugated polyketones by the crossed‐aldol condensation of cyclic ketones with aromatic dialdehydes

Insoluble cross-conjugated polyketones were prepared from terephthalaldehyde and a variety of cycloaliphatic ketones by the crossed-aldol condensation. Elemental analyses and infrared spectra suggest that the polymeric aldol intermediates were not completely dehydrated. Evidence is also presented that suggests conjugate addition of the base to the α,β-unsaturated ketone may occur. Soluble cross-conjugated polyketones were prepared from terephthalaldehyde and 2-indanone, which contains no beta hydrogens, and from cycloaliphatic ketones and 1,2-bis(4-formylphenoxy)ethane, a dialdehyde containing isolated aldehyde groups
Biomimetics: mimicking and inspired-by biology

The evolution of nature led to the introduction of highly effective and power efficient biological mechanisms. Imitating these mechanisms offers enormous potentials for the improvement of our life and the tools we use. Humans have always made efforts to imitate nature and we are increasingly reaching levels of advancement that it becomes significantly easier to imitate, copy, and adapt biological methods, processes and systems. Advances in science and technology are leading to knowledge and capabilities that are multiplying every year. This brought us to act beyond the simple mimicking of nature. Having better tools to understand and to implement nature’s principles we are now equipped like never before to be inspired by nature and to employ our tools in far superior ways. Effectively, by bio-inspiration we can have a better view and value of nature capability while studying its models to learn what can be extracted, copied or adapted. EAP as artificial muscles are adding an important element in the development of biologically inspired technologies. This paper reviews the various aspects of the field of biomimetics and the role that EAP play and the outlook for its evolution.
Reducing the warp of sheet glass

— Many leading technologies, such as flat-panel displays and precision optics, require sheet glass with exceptional surface qualities. Commercially available sheet glass of <1 -mm thickness typically has a surface warp on the order of hundreds of microns, rendering it a challenge to utilize progressively thinner sheets. A novel method of shaping individual sheets and ribbons of glass is presented which utilizes porous mandrels. This method reduces the surface warp of the ribbon while in its hot state without contacting its surface. Sheet glass is inserted between two parallel porous mandrels spaced apart by a predefined distance. A thin layer of pressurized gas flows through each mandrel and out against the glass surfaces. The local gap between the warped glass sheet and the flat mandrel determines the local pressure on the glass. When in its heated and soft state, the glass sheet's surface is changed by this pressure with a strong restorative force proportional to the inverse of the gap cubed, which tends to flatten the sheet. By using flat mandrels and controlled pressurized gas at elevated temperatures, the outcome is a sheet of glass with a surface warp of a few microns while retaining its original pristine optical surface qualities.
Technical Note: Effect of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy on Microbial Biofilm Cell Numbers, Viability, and Activity

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is increasingly being used in Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) studies to gain a better understanding of the effects of microorganisms on the corrosion of metals. In this study, the effect of applied sinusoidal signal on the numbers, viability and activities of sessile bacteria on stainless steel samples were tested. Matched-pair statistical analyses showed no significant differences between these properties of the biofilms on experimental samples (samples with sinusoidal signal applied) and control samples (samples with no signal applied).
The array of two traveling-wave V-antennas as a spacecraft antenna

Variation of radiation pattern of array of two traveling-wave V-antennas and use as spacecraft antenna
New technologies to support NASA's Mission to Planet Earth satellite remote sensing product validation: use of an unmanned autopiloted vehicle (UAV) as a platform to conduct remote sensing

As part of the US Global Change program, NASA has initiated its Mission to Planet Earth Program (MTPE) which requires continuous global satellite measurements over an extended 15 years period. Various US and International Earth Observing Satellites will be launched during this period. To ensure continuity of the measurements, a significant instrument calibration and product validation effort is required and is planned as part of this program. However, the validation of satellite products requires extensive ground truthing which is both costly and time consuming and in many cases limited to specific calibration/validation areas. Thus there is a need to extend this validation effort to include more participants and provide new, more cost effective technologies to support the validation effort. The use of unmanned autopiloted vehicles (UAV) and new miniature high performance instruments have been identified as providing this needed additional capability. This paper discusses the development of a UAV, associated avionics and preliminary remote sensing instruments to support the extension of ground truthing and product validation of NASA's MTPE Programs, specifically, earth observing system. The UAV being described is based on thrust vectoring capabilities and a single-axis pivoted wing or 'freewing' design. This unique UAV system is illustrated along with the proposed autonomous avionics and preliminary remote sensing payloads.
Charged magnetic brane solutions in AdS5 and the fate of the third law of thermodynamics

We construct asymptotically AdS5 solutions to 5-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory with Chern-Simons term which are dual to 4-dimensional gauge theories, including $$\mathcal{N} = 4 $$ SYM theory, in the presence of a constant background magnetic field B and a uniform electric charge density ρ. For the solutions corresponding to supersymmetric gauge theories, we find numerically that a small magnetic field causes a drastic decrease in the entropy at low temperatures. The near-horizon AdS2 × R 3 geometry of the purely electrically charged brane thus appears to be unstable under the addition of a small magnetic field. Based on this observation, we propose a formulation of the third law of thermodynamics (or Nernst theorem) that can be applied to black holes in the AdS/CFT context. We also find interesting behavior for smaller, non-supersymmetric, values of the Chern-Simons coupling k. For k = 1 we exhibit exact solutions corresponding to warped AdS3 black holes, and show that these can be connected to asymptotically AdS5 spacetime. For k ≤ 1 the entropy appears to go to a finite value at extremality, but the solutions still exhibit a mild singularity at strictly zero temperature. In addition to our numerics, we carry out a complete perturbative analysis valid to order B 2, and find that this corroborates our numerical results insofar as they overlap.
Ganglioglomerular nerves respond to moderate hypoxia independent of peripheral chemoreceptors in the cat.

Abstract The responses of the ganglioglomerular nerve (GGN) to transient changes and steady-state levels of P a O 2 at a constant P a CO 2 , were studied in 12 anesthetized and spontaneously breathing cats before and after bilateral section of aortic (AN) and carotid sinus nerves (CSN). In two of these cats carotid chemoreceptor activity was monitored simultaneously. Onset of moderate hypoxia, down to P a O 2 of about 50 Torr, stimulated GGN activity and withdrawal of the hypoxic stimulus promptly eliminated the responses both before and after CSN section. CSN section, however, significantly raised the baseline activity and slightly delayed the GGN response to the onset of hypoxia. These responses to hypoxia are qualitatively similar to the characteristic responses of peripheral chemoreceptors. Thus, the basic oxygen chemosensing mechanism appeared to be present in the sympathetic nervous system, and is expressed in the postganglionic GGN activity. This property allows the sympathetic nervous system to perform physiologically important functions independent of the peripheral chemoreceptors.
In vivo studies of cadmium-induced apoptosis in testicular tissue of the rat and its modulation by a chelating agent

In vivo CdCl2-induced apoptotic DNA fragmentation in the testes of the male Wistar rat has been demonstrated on agarose gel. Characteristic DNA migration patterns (laddering) provide evidence of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in testicular tissue of rats administered CdCl2 at a level of 0.03 mmol/kg 48 h previously. Evidence that administration of an appropriate cadmium chelating agent within the first 24 h can suppress some or all of the apoptotic changes in testicular DNA has also been obtained for the first time. A greater reduction in apoptosis is observed as the interval between the administration of the cadmium and that of the chelating agent is shortened. Administration of monoisoamyl meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinate (Mi-ADMS) to male Wistar rats given CdCl2 is effective in the modulation of the typically apoptotic DNA fragmentation and associated histopathologic injury when the antagonist is given within approximately 1 h after the CdCl2 exposure. When the antagonist is given at later times there is a progressively more pronounced degradation of the DNA into oligonucleotides as seen in the typical electrophoretic DNA ladder pattern found with apoptosis. There is also a progressive increase in histopathological tissue changes as the antagonist is administered at progressively greater intervals after the cadmium.
Microscopic mechanisms for kinetic friction: Nearly frictionless sliding for small solids

In previous work, the present author presented calculations in support of the contention that the long-time average rate of energy dissipation that occurs when two sufficiently small nonmetallic solid bodies slide in contact with each other in steady state is nearly zero. This phenomenon is believed to be due to the lack of ergodicity found in model calculations by Fermi, Pasta, and Ulam. In this paper, similar calculations will be presented on a square and a triangular lattice, whose atoms interact with a truncated Lennard-Jones potential, sliding with one edge in contact with both periodic and disordered potentials (due to a second two-dimensional solid in which it is in contact) at both zero and nonzero temperature, which support this idea. These new results are discussed using scaling arguments and in conjunction with results on the interaction of the sample with a solid which supports it, as well as with the atmosphere, in order to make estimates of the experimental conditions under which extremely low dissipation should be observable in real mesoscopic solids. The calculations at nonzero temperature support the contention that this phenomenon could occur at reasonably high fraction of the melting temperature if the solid is sufficiently small.
Transplant Immunity to Polyoma Virus Induced Tumors. III. Evidence for Heterogeneity Among Transplant Antigens in vivo.

SummaryThe ability of 2 polyoma virus strains, 3049 and lp-D, to produce transplant immunity in adult hamsters against tumor cells induced by both strains was studied. The 3049 virus immunized hamsters against tumor cells produced by itself, but tended to enhance the growth of lp-D virus-induced tumor cells. On the other hand, the lp-D virus produced little or no immunity against its own tumor cell, but enhanced the growth of 3049 virus-induced cells. X-irradiated tumor cells induced by the 3049 virus, when given to adult hamsters, enhanced the growth of both 3049 and lp-D tumors. Possible explanations for these paradoxical results, based on the presence of at least 2 transplant antigens, were discussed.
Properties of single chloride selective channel from sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The behavior of single chloride channels in sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit and trout skeletal muscle was examined by fusing isolated vesicle fractions into planar lipid bilayers. The channel exhibited a full open state with a unit conductance of 65 pS (in 100 mM Cl-) and several subconductance states with reversal potentials which were dependent on the chloride gradient across the bilayer. Open probability was 0.6–0.95 for membrane potentials ranging from-60 to+60 mV. The kinetic behaviour could be described by assuming one time constant for the fully conducting channel, and at least two time constants for the non-conducting channel. In the presence of methane sulfonate, sulfate and phosphate anions, a decrease in the unit current amplitude but not open time argued in favor of a competition between these anions and Cl- at the transport site of the channel. Chloride channel activity was not affected by variations of Ca2+ concentration in both chambers or by the presence of Mg2+. Similarly, neither millimolar ATP nor the presence of the drugs taurine (up to 10 mM), lidocaine (2–40 μM) or the calmodulin antagonist W7 (5–150 μM), modified channel behavior. Finally, pH variations between 6.8 to 8 were without effect.
Principles of Economics Textbooks: Innovation and Product Differentiation--A Response.

(1988). Principles of Economics Textbooks: Innovation and Product Differentiation—A Response. The Journal of Economic Education: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 178-182.
Fresh, disintegrated platelets in radiation thrombocytopenia: correction of prothrombin consumption without correction of bleeding.

When irradiated dogs developed severe thrombocytopenia and purpura, the thoracic duct was cannulated and output of red cells/minute counted to quantitate bleeding tendency. Fresh canine platelets disintegrated in a sonic oscillator and infused into the dogs increased prothrombin consumption towards the normal range, but had no effect on bleeding tendency. Intact platelets, however, had an immediate and dramatic effect on bleeding tendency. We conclude that a normal clotting system, including platelet factors, is not enough for normal hemostasis; the mechanical effect of intact platelets is also needed. Consequently, non- intact platelets or platelet substitutes may not be expected to improve the bleeding tendency in thrombocytopenia. (auth)
Tumor suppression and circadian function.

Circadian clock and cell division cycle are two fundamental biological processes. The circadian clock is the body's molecular time-keeping system, while the cell division cycle regulates development and cellular renewal. The expression of cell cycle genes such as Wee1, Cyclins, and c-Myc are under circadian control and could be directly under the regulation of the circadian transcriptional complex. This complex is composed of heterodimer transactivators CLOCK/NPAS2 with BMAL1, which regulate the transcription of PER1, PER2, CRY1, and CRY2. In turn, the repressors CRY1 and CRY2 turn off the gene expressions of Per1/Per2, Cry1/Cry2 in a periodic manner by acting on the transcriptional complex. Two of these circadian rhythm regulators, PER1 and PER2, have now been linked to DNA damage response pathways in a series of papers that examined gene dosage. Overexpression of either Per1 or Per2 in cancer cells inhibits their neoplastic growth and increases their apoptotic rate. In vivo studies showed that mice defi...
Gravitation and electromagnetism

Through an examination of the Bohm-Aharonov experiment, we shall propose a new theory of gravitation and electromagnetism. The fundamental assumption of our theory is that the motion of a particle in a combination of gravitational and electromagnetic fields is determined from a variational principle of the form δf A B dτ = 0. The form of the physical time is determined from an examination of the Maxwell-Einstein action function. The field and motion equations are formally identical to those of Maxwell-Einstein theory. The theory predicts that even in a field-free region of space, electromagnetic potentials can alter the phase of a wave function and the lifetime of a charged particle. The phase alteration has been observed in the Bohm-Aharonov experiment. There is an indication that the lifetime alteration has shown up in a recent CERN storage ring experiment. Experimental tests are proposed.
The decline of America: Myth or fate?

T he American economy is now in the sixth year of a recovery that began back in 1982. Few forecasters believe a recession is likely over the next six months, perhaps over even the next year. Nonetheless, despair abounds. A growing chorus of scholars, policymakers, and Washington commentators worry that the current economic rebound is nothing more than an aberration, masking a longerterm downward trek in America's standing in the world economy. The gloom and doomers argue that a plethora of economic data indicate that the so-called American Empire is in decline, not simply militarily and politically, but, especially, economically. The country's military and political powers rest on its economic health. Further decline is inevitable unless remedial actions in public policies are undertaken, and undertaken relatively soon. The economy needs to be managed more carefully from Washington, or so we are told. Facts, not assertions, should guide economic policy. While data series used to test the decline thesis are not always in agreement, careful review of the facts reveals that a relative decline of the United States in the world economy has occurred but it appears to have occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, not the 1980s. America's global status has been on the mend of late. The primary explanation for this sharply contrasting view is that proponents of the decline thesis often ended their research efforts in the early 1980s. Updated data draws into question the actual direction of recent trends, which demand reexamination.
A METHOD OF OBTAINING LANGMUIR-HINSHELWOOD PARAMETERS FROM PULSED MICROCATALYTIC REACTORS

A method of calculating first-order Langmuir-Hinshelwood parameters from a rectifying plot is presented. This plot is based on the variation of conversion with pulse volume in a pulsed microcatalytic reactor. The method has been extended to treat the cases of (a) carrier gas participation in the kinetics, and (b) change in volume during reaction. It is possible to extend the method to other irreversible kinetic expressions as well. A non-broadening Gaussian pulse and other simplifying assumptions are made which allow an analytical solution for the instantaneous conversion in the pulse. The method is applied to calculate the values of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood parameters for the hydrogenation of propylene over unsupported molybdenum sulfide. The decrease in volume during this reaction has little effect on the estimated values of the kinetic parameters; the rectifying plot based on the equation neglecting volume change gives approximately the same results as that based on the equation accounting for volume c...
Intracellular mediators regulate CD2 lateral diffusion and cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization upon CD2-mediated T cell activation

CD2 is a T cell surface glycoprotein that participates in T cell adhesion and activation. These processes are dynamically interrelated, in that T cell activation regulates the strength of CD2-mediated T cell adhesion. The lateral redistribution of CD2 and its ligand CD58 (LFA-3) in T cell and target membranes, respectively, has also been shown to affect cellular adhesion strength. We have used the fluorescence photobleaching recovery technique to measure the lateral mobility of CD2 in plasma membranes of resting and activated Jurkat T leukemia cells. CD2-mediated T cell activation caused lateral immobilization of 90% of cell surface CD2 molecules. Depleting cells of cytoplasmic Ca2+, loading cells with dibutyric cAMP, and disrupting cellular microfilaments each partially reversed the effect of CD2-mediated activation on the lateral mobility of CD2. These intracellular mediators apparently influence the same signal transduction pathways, because the effects of the mediators on CD2 lateral mobility were not additive. In separate experiments, activation-associated cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization was found to require microfilament integrity and to be negatively regulated by cAMP. By directly or indirectly controlling CD2 lateral diffusion and cell surface distribution, cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization may have an important regulatory role in CD2 mediated T cell adhesion.
Effect of BCG on Friend Disease Virus in Mice

NONSPECIFIC stimulation of the reticulo-endothelial system and resistance against tumorigenesis are produced by injection of attenuated Mycobacterium bovis (BCG). Biozzi et al.1 demonstrated resistance to Ehrlich's ascites tumour in BCG-immune mice and Halpern et al.2 showed that such immunization effected control of T-8 tumours in rats. Further, at least partial control of other tumours3–6 has been effected by this procedure in mice and hamsters.
Sleep and “sundowning” in nursing home patients with dementia

Abstract “Sundowning,” a term that is sometimes equated with sleep disturbance or nocturnal delirium in dementia, is a poorly understood psychiatric phenomenon. In this study, we performed systematic, temporally specific, behavioral observations of nine profoundly demented nursing home patients 4 times an hour over a 12-hour period (1300 to 0100h) to determine whether their agitation was more likely to occur at a particular time of day. Results indicated only equivocal evidence that agitation was any worse nocturnally or during the time near sunset, thus raising the possibility that at least some components of sundowning may reflect disruptive behaviors occurring with identical frequency throughout the day but with differential impact upon nursing staff. Additional data indicated that awakening from sleep during darkness was also associated with agitation. A final result was a trend indicating the apparent worsening of agitation seasonally (greater agitation during winter), which may suggest involvement of the circadian timing system.
Hippocampal memory processes are modulated by insulin and high-fat-induced insulin resistance

Insulin regulates glucose uptake and storage in peripheral tissues, and has been shown to act within the hypothalamus to acutely regulate food intake and metabolism. The machinery for transduction of insulin signaling is also present in other brain areas, particularly in the hippocampus, but a physiological role for brain insulin outside the hypothalamus has not been established. Recent studies suggest that insulin may be able to modulate cognitive functions including memory. Here we report that local delivery of insulin to the rat hippocampus enhances spatial memory, in a PI-3-kinase dependent manner, and that intrahippocampal insulin also increases local glycolytic metabolism. Selective blockade of endogenous intrahippocampal insulin signaling impairs memory performance. Further, a rodent model of type 2 diabetes mellitus produced by a high-fat diet impairs basal cognitive function and attenuates both cognitive and metabolic responses to hippocampal insulin administration. Our data demonstrate that insulin is required for optimal hippocampal memory processing. Insulin resistance within the telencephalon may underlie the cognitive deficits commonly reported to accompany type 2 diabetes.
Computer Presentational Features for Poor Readers' Recall of Information

Children's recall of words presented on a computer was assessed as a function of action and verbal labels. Eighty children, equally distributed by grades kindergarten and second and by high and low reading ability levels, interacted with different versions of a computer presentation. Within versions, words were presented with varying levels of visual action and verbal labels. Older children recalled more words than did younger children. For the second graders, action presentation increased the poor readers' verbal recall to the level of their better reading peers. The findings suggest that older children who have difficulty reading may well benefit from visual emphasis of computer content.
Parent–Child Conversations about the Past: Exercises for the Child’s Study of the Present

We outline ideas and research in training parents to help their children to appreciate historical patterns of social contingencies as well as contingencies in the present. Parents’ use of “lessons and dialogue” is presented as a means of guiding the children’s efforts to describe their past experiences in narrative format, along with teaching the children about contingency management in the present. Lessons define this latter type of parent teaching, and dialogue defines the former type. Our focus is on dialogue because it is not well known in the parent training literature. A case study is included to illustrate the potential benefits and problems encountered in training parents to use dialogue.
Deforestation, agroforestry, and sustainable land management practices among the Classic period Maya

Abstract This article explores evidence of deforestation and forest management practices in the Maya lowlands during the pre-Columbian period. In the early twentieth century, scholars first began to examine the role of the environment in the rise and collapse of the great southern Maya polities of the Classic period, proposing that deforestation was an important factor in their political fragmentation and depopulation between the eighth and tenth centuries. In the last twenty-five years, this hypothesis has gained broad acceptance largely due to research at the ancient city of Copan, Honduras. At Copan, scholars claim to have demonstrated that the Maya failed to sustainably manage their forests in the face of rising populations, and that they consequently destroyed vital natural resources. In spite of the popularity of the deforestation hypothesis, evidence in support of it is scant. New research at Copan, described here, rejects deforestation as a cause of that polity’s collapse. Instead, it shows that human populations at that site, as in many parts of the lowland Maya region, adapted to diverse environmental contexts and produced food, building materials, and fuel without destroying the landscape’s potential to support large populations over the long term.
Ionization Constants for Water and for Very Weak Organic Acids in Aqueous Organic Mixtures

A potentiometric method using a glass electrode has been applied to the determination of apparent ionization constants for water in binary mixtures of water with 11 organic solvents at 25°C. Further calculations with these apparent ionization constants permit evaluation of the acid ionization constant for some of the organic solvents as solutes in purely aqueous solvent by two different methods. Resulting values of pKa derived from this work are: 1,2-propanediol (14.8 and 14.8), 2,3-butanediol (15.0 and 14.7), 1,3-butanediol (15.5 and 14.8), 1,4-butanediol (14.5 and 14.4), 2-butene-1,4-diol (14.0 and 13.9), 2-butyne-1,4-diol (12.1 and 12.4), 2-methoxyethanol (15.2 and 14.8), 2-ethoxyethanol (15.0 and 14.5), and triethylene glycol (14.6 and 14.3). None of the 11 solvents shows appreciable basicity.
ABSENCE OF EFFECT OF BRAN ON BLOOD-LIPIDS

Abstract Healthy medical students were divided into two groups. One group was given double the normal fibre intake of their diet as a high-fibre-containing breakfast cereal; the other group (control) was given a breakfast cereal containing negligible amounts of dietary fibre. Otherwise the nutrient intake of the two groups was maintained constant. No differences in the serum-cholesterol, serum- trigiyceride, or serum-calcium levels were found between the two groups during or at the end of the study. The addition of a tolerable amount of dietary fibre to the diet does not affect serum-lipids.
Are Empirically-Derived Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment Consistent with Conventional Subtypes?

Given the importance of identifying dementia prodromes for future treatment efforts, we examined two methods of diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and determined whether empirically-derived MCI subtypes of these diagnostic methods were consistent with one another as well as with conventional MCI subtypes (i.e., amnestic, non-amnestic, single-domain, multi-domain). Participants were diagnosed with MCI using either conventional Petersen/Winblad criteria (n = 134; >1.5 SDs below normal on one test within a cognitive domain) or comprehensive neuropsychological criteria developed by Jak et al. (2009) (n = 80; >1 SD below normal on two tests within a domain), and the resulting samples were examined via hierarchical cluster and discriminant function analyses. Results showed that neuropsychological profiles varied depending on the criteria used to define MCI. Both criteria revealed an Amnestic subtype, consistent with prodromal Alzheimer's disease (AD), and a Mixed subtype that may capture individuals in advanced stages of MCI. The comprehensive criteria uniquely yielded Dysexecutive and Visuospatial subtypes, whereas the conventional criteria produced a subtype that performed within normal limits, suggesting its susceptibility to false positive diagnostic errors. Whether these empirically-derived MCI subtypes correspond to dissociable neuropathologic substrates and represent reliable prodromes of dementia will require additional follow-up.
Incidence and predictors of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy undergoing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation for primary prevention.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to define the incidence and predictors of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) after placement of an ICD for primary prevention. Background Patients with a diagnosis of ARVD/C often receive an ICD for prevention of sudden cardiac death. Methods Patients (n = 84) from the Johns Hopkins registry with definite or probable ARVD/C who underwent ICD implantation for primary prevention were studied. Detailed phenotypic, genotype, and ICD event information was obtained and appropriate ICD therapies were adjudicated based on intracardiac electrograms. Results Over a mean follow-up of 4.7 ± 3.4 years, appropriate ICD therapy was seen in 40 patients (48%), of whom 16 (19%) received interventions for potentially fatal ventricular fibrillation/flutter episodes. Proband status (p 1,000/24 h (p = 0.024) were identified as significant predictors of appropriate ICD therapy. The 5-year survival free of appropriate ICD therapy for patients with 1, 2, 3, and 4 risk factors was 100%, 83%, 21%, and 15%, respectively. Inducibility at electrophysiologic study (hazard ratio: 4.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.4 to 15, p = 0.013) and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (hazard ratio: 10.5, 95% confidence interval: 2.4 to 46.2, p = 0.002) remained as significant predictors on multivariable analysis. Conclusions Nearly one-half of the ARVD/C patients with primary prevention ICD implantation experience appropriate ICD interventions. Inducibility at electrophysiologic study and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia are independent strong predictors of appropriate ICD therapy. An increase in ventricular ectopy burden was associated with progressively lower event-free (appropriate ICD interventions) survival. Incremental risk of ventricular arrhythmias and ICD therapy was observed with the presence of multiple risk factors.
Radiation-induced trismus in head and neck cancer patients

Purpose To determine the incidence of trismus in patients who had previously received curative doses of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. In addition, we assessed if trismus was associated with quality of life deficits and radiation toxicity.
Failure of activated charcoal to reduce the release of gases produced by the colonic flora

Objective: Activated charcoal is used to treat excessive volume or malodor of intestinal gas. Our previous studies demonstrated that activated charcoal failed to bind appreciable quantities of the volumetrically important gut gases. However, the odor of feces and flatus derives primarily from trace quantities of sulfur-containing gases, primarily H2S and methanethiol, which should avidly bind to activated charcoal. The goal of this study was to determine if ingestion of activated charcoal reduces the fecal release of sulfur gases. Methods: Five healthy human volunteers ingested 0.52 g of activated charcoal four times daily for 1 wk and the fecal liberation of intestinal gases was measured before and after the activated charcoal treatment. In an effort to explain the in vivo results, additional in vitro studies were performed to compare the binding capacity of charcoal to the sulfur gas released by feces. Results: Ingestion of activated charcoal produced no significant reduction in the fecal release of any of the sulfur-containing gases, nor was total fecal gas release or abdominal symptoms significantly influenced. In vitro studies suggested that the failure of ingested charcoal to reduce liberation of sulfur gases probably is explained by the saturation of charcoal binding sites during passage through the gut. Conclusion: Commonly employed doses of activated charcoal do not appreciably influence the liberation of fecal gases.