cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of multielement catheter-cooled interstitial ultrasound applicators for high-temperature thermal therapy

Catheter-cooled (CC) interstitial ultrasound applicators were evaluated for their use in high-temperature coagulative thermal therapy of tissue. Studies in ex vivo beef muscle were conducted to determine the influences of applied electrical power levels (5-20 W per element), catheter flow rate (20-60 ml min(-1)), circulating water temperature (7-40 degrees C), and frequency (7-9 MHz) on temperature distribution and thermal lesion geometry. The feasibility of using multiple interstitial applicators to thermally coagulate a predetermined volume of tissue was also investigated. Results of these studies revealed that the directional shape of the thermal lesions is maintained with increasing time and power. Radial depths of the thermal lesions ranged from 10.7 +/- 0.7 mm after heating for 4 min with an applied power level of 5 W, to 16.2 +/- 1.4 mm with 20 W. The axial length of the thermal lesions is controlled tightly by the number of active transducers. A catheter flow rate of 20 to 40 ml min(-1) (52.2 +/- 5.5 kPa at 40 ml min(-1)) with 22 degrees C water was determined to provide sufficient cooling of the transducers for power levels used in this study. In vivo temperatures measured in the center of a 3-cm-diam peripheral implant of four applicators in pig thigh muscle reached 89.3 degrees C after 4 min of heating, with boundaries of coagulation clearly defined by applicator position and directivity. Conformability of heating in a clinically relevant model was demonstrated by inserting two directional CC applicators with a 2 cm separation within an in vivo canine prostate, and generating a thermal lesion measuring 3.8 cm x 2.2 cm in cross section while directing energy away from, and protecting the rectum. Maximum measured temperatures at midgland exceeded 90 degrees C within 20 min of heating. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of single or multiple CC applicators for conformal thermal coagulation and high temperature thermal therapy, with potential for clinical applications in sites such as prostate, liver, breast, or uterus.
Tools for whom: readers, fans, or authors?

Digitization, digital books, the web, social media, etc. all have the potential to change the way we read and write and indeed styles of reading and writing have changed. But we can also look at the ways in which such tools and possibilities have changed the way we write, produce, and read paper books. This position paper looks at the author's experiences developing a book text visualization tool for analyzing the works in Philip Pullman's children's literature trilogy, His Dark Materials, and how the prototype has prompted thinking about the way tools for different reader audiences should differ.
Stimulation by Parathyroid Hormone of a NHERF-1-assembled Complex Consisting of the Parathyroid Hormone I Receptor, Phospholipase Cβ, and Actin Increases Intracellular Calcium in Opossum Kidney Cells

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) binds its cognate G-protein-coupled receptor (PTH1R) and signals through both adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C (PLC). C-terminal determinants of the PTH1R interact with the Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF-1) by binding the first of two PDZ (psd95, discs-large, ZO-1) domains. Compared with wild-type opossum kidney (OK) cells, OKH cells, a sub-clone, do not display PTH-mediated increases of [Ca2+]i and express NHERF-1 at markedly lower levels. Stable expression of NHERF-1 in the OKH parent (OKH-N1) restores the PTH-mediated increase of [Ca2+]i that arises from an influx of extracellular calcium and is both PLC-dependent and pertussis toxin-sensitive. From a morphological perspective, NHERF-1 and the PTH1R co-localize to apical patches of OKH-N1 cells, an expression pattern that is absent in OKH cells and depends on a direct NHERF-1-PTH1R interaction in OKH-N1 cells. Actin and PLCβ1 and -β3 co-localize with NHERF-1 and the PTH1R in OKH-N1 cell apical patches. Actin is also an integral component of the NHERF-1-assembled complex because cytochalasin D disrupts apical localization of both NHERF-1 and the PTH1R and inhibits the PTH-mediated increase of [Ca2+]i. Expression of the first PDZ domain of NHERF-1 acts as a dominant-negative interactor by blocking apical localization of the PTH1R and inhibiting PTH-elicited increases of [Ca2+]i. Thus, NHERF-1 assembles a signaling complex in the apical domains of OK cells that contains the PTH1R, PLCβ, and the actin cytoskeleton. Disruption of this complex blocks the PTH mediated increases of intracellular calcium.
Extraction of Astaxanthin Plgment from Crawfish Waste Using a Soy Oil Process

The carotenoid astaxanthin has been extracted from processed crawfish waste using a soy oil process. Analyses have included pigment quantitative analysis, effects of protease enzymes on pigment release, use of ethoxyquin as an antioxidant stabilizer agent, and studies of the ratio of added soybean oil to crawfish waste (v/w) for optimal extraction. Hydrolysis of crawfish waste with a commercial protease, Milezyme® 8X resulted in a 58% increase in astaxanthin release. Maximal pigment extraction and oil recovery was obtained from a 1:1 (v/w) ratio of oil to crawfish waste. The astaxanthin-enriched oil (60 mg/100g oil), obtained from a 1:10 (v/w) ratio, or 3:10 (v/w) after the second stage of extraction, has application for a variety of pigmentation purposes, notably in aquatic diets for salmonid fishes.
The Intensity of Elastic and Inelastic Multiple Scattering in EELS

Abstract To evaluate the contribution of multiple scattering in momentum-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy, the angular dependence of the intensities of multiple scattering was investigated and compared with elastic and inelastic singlescattering rofiles. From the experimental data the intensity ratio between multiple scattering and elastic scattering is derived. It can be used to estimate the contribution of multiply-scattered electrons in normal experimental conditions.
Species composition and invasion in NW Argentinian secondary forests: Effects of land use history, environment and landscape

Successional patches are a large component of forest ecosystems throughout the world and their vegetation composition is conditioned by multiple factors such as land use history, disturbances, environmental conditions and land- scape context. We investigated the relative contribution of historical, environmental, biotic and spatial factors in deter- mining vegetation composition and invasion by exotic species in secondary forest patches of Sierra de San Javier, Tucuman, Argentina. We estimated canopy cover for shrub, vine and tree species distributed over 51 patches with known land use history. We also recorded environmental, historical and spa- tial variables and used multivariate techniques to explore the relationship between forest composition and explanatory vari- ables. Land use, time since abandonment, altitude, slope and cover of different strata were related to the vegetation pattern in the study site, and they were all significantly structured over space. Exotic species appeared to differ from natives in their response to explanatory variables. Overall, exotic species were dominant on the edges of young patches originated from herbaceous crops, but the total number of exotic species was related to the distance to urban areas and small farms identi- fied as potential sources of exotic propagules. Vegetation composition of secondary forests in NW Argentina was re- lated to historical and environmental factors, but spatial vari- ables strongly influenced vegetation composition as well as the variation in explanatory variables.
Clinical Considerations in Premenopausal Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can occur at any age. In premenopausal osteoporosis, full achievement of peak bone mass may be curtailed, and accelerated bone loss may occur in young adulthood. Premenopausal osteoporosis may be associated with chronic glucocorticoid therapy, prolonged amenorrhea, anorexia nervosa, rheumatoid arthritis, and diseases that affect calcium and vitamin D metabolism. Lesser degrees of bone loss may be associated with common conditions such as dieting, low calcium intake, smoking, and oligomenorrhea. Owing to a paucity of prospective studies on screening and treatment in younger age groups, few practice recommendations exist to guide the management of osteoporosis in young adults. We review the most important clinical concerns in premenopausal osteoporosis, including measurement of bone mass, normal bone accrual, risk factors for premature bone loss, clinical outcomes, and management issues. We emphasize clinically relevant information for primary care physicians, who are usually the first to encounter premenopausal patients with risk factors for early bone loss.
ZAPP: An Inexpensive Versatile X-Ray Source

The Z-pinch atomic physics project (ZAPP) in E-Division at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has been established to study the physics of high temperature high density plasmas. Using a linear hollow gas puff or a cylindrical wire array we can obtain electron temperatures in the keV region and densities of 1020 -1022/cm3 for virtually any element or mixtures of elements. At the center of this project is a 100 kV, 55 kJ capacitor bank which discharges through low inductance switches and transmission lines into the load developing peak currents in the 2.5 × 106 amp range. One of our goals is to have all major diagnostics temporally and spatially resolved. Included in this list are pinhole photography, grazing incidence and bent crystal spectroscopy, laser interferometry and holography, and pulsed laser scattering. We have also implemented an array of PIN diodes, XRD detectors and Rogowski coils. With a clean, repeatable, well diagnosed plasma we can address a wealth of questions concerning both plasma and atomic physics. The main experimental emphasis centers on the investigation of plasma properties such as line broadening and shifting of spectral lines and in general testing the ability of existing codes to predict observed spectra of both lines and continuum radiation. Other plasma properties to be studied are the formation of hot spots and the production of stabilized plasmas. Atomic physics experiments include the study of radiative and relativistic effects in highly stripped heavy ions, radiation transport phenomena, collisional excitation rates and level populations to test inversion schemes.
Aging and osteoarthritis.

Purpose of reviewOsteoarthritis is strongly linked to aging but the mechanisms for this link are incompletely understood. The recent literature was reviewed to find studies providing new insights into the connection between aging and osteoarthritis.Recent findingsBasic aging studies in nonarticular
The use of trimethylamine N-oxide as a primary precipitating agent and related methylamine osmolytes as cryoprotective agents for macromolecular crystallography.

Both crystallization and cryoprotection are often bottlenecks for high-resolution X-ray structure determination of macromolecules. Methylamine osmolytes are known stabilizers of protein structure. One such osmolyte, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), has seen occasional use as an additive to improve macromolecular crystal quality and has recently been shown to be an effective cryoprotective agent for low-temperature data collection. Here, TMAO and the related osmolytes sarcosine and betaine are investigated as primary precipitating agents for protein crystal growth. Crystallization experiments were undertaken with 14 proteins. Using TMAO, seven proteins crystallized in a total of 13 crystal forms, including a new tetragonal crystal form of trypsin. The crystals diffracted well, and eight of the 13 crystal forms could be effectively cryo­­cooled as grown with TMAO as an in situ cryoprotective agent. Sarcosine and betaine produced crystals of four and two of the 14 proteins, respectively. In addition to TMAO, sarcosine and betaine were effective post-crystallization cryoprotective agents for two different crystal forms of thermolysin. Precipitation reactions of TMAO with several transition-metal ions (Fe3+, Co2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) did not occur with sarcosine or betaine and were inhibited for TMAO at lower pH. Structures of proteins from TMAO-grown crystals and from crystals soaked in TMAO, sarcosine or betaine were determined, showing osmolyte binding in five of the 12 crystals tested. When an osmolyte was shown to bind, it did so near the protein surface, interacting with water molecules, side chains and backbone atoms, often at crystal contacts.
Adapting images to observers

Adaptation exerts a continuous influence on visual coding, altering both sensitivity and appearance whenever there is a change in the patterns of stimulation the observer is exposed to. These adaptive changes are thought to improve visual performance by optimizing both discrimination and recognition, but may take substantial time to fully adjust the observer to a new stimulus context. Here we explore the advantages of instead adapting the image to the observer, obviating the need for sensitivity changes within the observer. Adaptation in color vision adjusts to both the average color and luminance and to the variations in color and luminance within the scene. We modeled these adjustments as gain changes in the cones and in multiple post-receptoral mechanisms tuned to stimulus contrasts along different color-luminance directions. Responses within these mechanisms were computed for a range of different environments, based on images sampled from a range of natural outdoor settings. Images were then adapted for different environments by scaling the responses so that for each mechanism the average response equaled the response to a reference environment. Transforming images in this way can increase the discriminability of different colors and the salience of novel colors. It also provides a way to simulate how the world might look to an observer in different environments or to different observers in the same environment. Such images thus provide a novel tool for exploring color appearance and the perceptual and functional consequences of adaptation.
Elementary Reaction Steps in Heterogeneous Catalysis: A Workshop Overview

A brief synopsis of the workshop from an academic point of view is given. This includes expansion on the conventional definition of elementary step and mechanism. Some generalizations on the nature of heterogeneous catalytic sites are given with examples taken mostly from workshop presentations. This is followed by a discussion of approaches to catalyst characterization and future needs to identify elementary steps and associated mechanisms.
Fundamental Aspects of Linear Multiplexing

A linear multiplex system is defined as one in which the separation of signals belonging to different channels is achieved by the use of linear, time-variant or time-invariant, filters. It is shown that a fundamental property of such systems is that the sets of signals associated with their respective channels are linear and disjoint. Conversely, signals that belong to linear and disjoint sets can be transmitted simultaneously and separated at the receiving end by means of linear, generally time-variant, filters. It is shown that frequency-band compression cannot be achieved with a linear system. In geometrical terms, the extraction of signals belonging to a specified channel may be regarded as the projection of the signal space on the manifold corresponding to the channel in question along a complementary manifold. The filtering process is formulated in analytical terms via the ?-domain technique. Methods of synthesizing linear multiplex systems of other than the conventional frequency- or time-division types are indicated.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone and pituitary-adrenal hormones in pregnancies complicated by chronic hypertension

Abstract OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that maternal plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone levels are elevated in chronic hypertension and that elevations modulate maternal and fetal pituitary-adrenal function. STUDY DESIGN: Venous blood samples and 24-hour urine speciemsn were obtained in normal and hypertensive pregnancies at 21 to 40 weeks of gestatin. Corticotropin-releasing hormone, corticotropin, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and total estriol levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Mean hormone levels were compared by unpaired t test or two-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone levels were elevated early in hypertensive pregnancies but did not increase after 36 weeks. Levels of pituitary and adrenal hormones were not different in normal and hypertensive women. However, maternal plasma estriol levels were lower in hypertensive pregnancies compared with normal pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal 16-hydroxy dehydroeplandrosterone sulfate, the major precursors to placental estriol production, has been reported to be lower than normal in hypertensive pregnancies, possibly explaining the decreased plasma estriol levels reported here. Early stimulation of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone production or section may be related to accelerated maturation of placental endocrine function in pregnancies complicated by chronic hypertension.
Amelioration of Odorous Components in Spent Mushroom Compost

Volatile sulfur compounds, as well as other volatiles found in the headspace above spent mushroom compost (SMC), were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Data from these techniques as well as organoleptic evaluation of both the SMC and the chromatographic eluant indicated that the volatile sulfur compounds and cresol were important odorous components in SMC; cresol was reported as a musty, cattle-feces aroma. Samples consisted of headspaces from untreated SMC as well as SMC stirred with 1% (by weight) powered activated carbon (PAC). SMC stirred with and without PAC reduced headspace volatile concentrations, but the stirred with added PAC further decreased concentrations of important malodorants such as volatile sulfur compounds and cresol.
Thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube cross-bar structures.

We use non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) to compute the thermal conductivity (κ) of orthogonally ordered cross-bar structures of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Such structures exhibit extremely low thermal conductivity in the range of 0.02–0.07 W m − 1 K − 1. These values are five orders of magnitude smaller than the axial thermal conductivity of individual carbon nanotubes, and are comparable to the thermal conductivity of still air.
Pulmonary tumor emboli and cor pulmonale in primary carcinoma of the lung

Tumor embolization was found at autopsy in the pulmonary arteries of 33 of 331 patients dying with primary carcinoma of the lung (other than oat cell carcinoma). Venous or lymphatic vascular involvement, or both, was also found in the majority of these cases. Adenocarcinomas showed a much greater frequency of tumor embolization than epidermoid carcinomas (16.5% vs. 5.8%). In 16 of the 33 cases, diffuse, obliterative intimal fibrosis was found in small arteries affected by the tumor embolization. Enlargement of the right cardiac ventricle was present in 26 of the 33 cases. Dyspnea as the initial symptom or as one of the major symptoms, occurred in 21 patients. The average interval between onset of dyspnea and death was 4 weeks. It is concluded that pulmonary arterial embolization is a relatively frequent complication of primary lung carcinoma, particularly adenocarcinoma, which may lead to the development of pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. Dyspnea, occurring de novo in patients with primary lung carcinoma, is an ominous sign and should alert the clinician to the possibility of arterial pulmonary tumor embolization.
Optimal atomic imaging by photoelectron holography

Abstract Several recent papers have dealt with the question of whether large-scale photoelectron diffraction data spanning a significant range in both angle and wavenumber can be analyzed as holograms so as to produce directly three-dimensional images of near-surface atomic structure. Data are thus taken over some volume in the photoelectron wavevector k-space, and then transformed to obtained atomic images. In this work, we review four analysis methods proposed to date for deriving atomic positions directly from photoelectron diffraction data and consider the application of them to theoretical diffraction patterns calculated from various single-scattering model clusters. This permits some general conclusions as to domains of applicability and the optimization of k-space sampling so as to minimize data acquisition time, while still assuring atomic images that are free of coarse k-sampling aberrations. We conclude that holographic imaging of atoms does not require exceedingly large photoelectron diffraction data sets, with a few thousand data points being a suitable minimum, and we also comment on the relative merits of the four different imaging algorithms.
Cold fusion iced at APS Meeting

Low-level fusion in the laboratory like that suggested to occur inside Earth is unlikely but possible, according to most physicists who spoke at a national meeting May 2–3. But opinion was nearly unanimous that the massive, heat-producing fusion claimed by two chemists at the University of Utah is the result of incorrect and flawed science. There were 40 speakers at an impromptu two-night session on cold fusion at the American Physical Society meeting in Baltimore, and nearly all reported attempts to confirm or disprove nuclear fusion in deuterium-filled palladium at room temperature. Stanley Pons of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and Martin Fleischmann of Southampton University in England have announced that they achieved large amounts of fusion, while Steven Jones, a physicist at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, says that he detected fusion in palladium, but at a rate a billion times lower than Pons and Fleischmann report.
A neglected source of reinforcement in discrimination learning

Abstract Kindergarten and 4th grade children were used in two experiments designed to determine if an initially neutral stimulus (a buzz) acquires reinforcement value opposite to the verbal reinforcer with which it is combined. Procedures consisted of 10 pretraining trials during which the buzzer acquired reinforcing value and 75 acquisition trials in which either the buzz or verbal statements served as reinforcements. The initially neutral stimulus acquired reinforcement value in the directions anticipated. The mediational processes assumed to be operating in this situation are discussed.
The molecular adsorption of nitrogen dioxide on Pt(111) studied by temperature programmed desorption and vibrational spectroscopy

The adsorption of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) on Pt(111) has been investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). At 100 K, NO 2 is adsorbed molecularly at all coverages to form a Pt(111) μ-N,O-nitrito surface complex. This puts NO 2 in an upright bridge-bonded configuration with C s symmetry. Our assignment of this surface species is supported by the infrared spectrum of a μ-N,O-nitritoplatinate complex. The saturation coverage of chemisorbed NO 2 is about 0.5 monolayers (ML) at 100 K. At low coverages, θ NO 2 2 dissociates completely by 285 K to O atoms and NO. However, at coverages greater than θ NO 2 =0.25 ML, the adsorption is partially reversible and NO 2 desorbs molecularly with first-order kinetics with E a =19 kcal/mol. About 20% of the NO 2 adsorbs reversibly at saturation coverage. With higher exposures of NO 2 , a condensed multilayer of N 2 O 4 can be formed.
Hydrogeochemistry of the Middle Rio Grande aquifer system — Fluid mixing and salinization of the Rio Grande due to fault inputs

Abstract Deeply-derived fluids influence river and groundwater hydrochemistry at the Socorro “constriction” in the central New Mexico Rio Grande rift. New hydrochemical transects in the Rio Grande rift provide three-dimensional perspectives on sources contributing to surface and groundwaters. In addition to abrupt salinity increases in the Rio Grande, major and trace ion chemistry, δ18O, δD, δ13C, 87Sr/86Sr, 3H and 3He/4He variations in springs and wells across the rift are best explained by mixing of deeply-derived endogenic fluids, containing both mantle and crustal inputs, with shallow groundwater. Endogenic fluids ascend along rift-bounding and intra-rift faults, and can cause increased salinity accompanied by an increase in metals and overall degradation of water quality. Our data reinforce models that attribute a downstream increase in salinity to geological, not agricultural, influences. Hydrochemical mixing of endogenic waters along faults in shallow aquifers has a major influence on groundwater and surface water quality and variability in arid tectonically active regions, with important ramifications for water management.
Development of spatial and verbal working memory capacity in the human brain

A core aspect of working memory (WM) is the capacity to maintain goal-relevant information in mind, but little is known about how this capacity develops in the human brain. We compared brain activation, via fMRI, between children (ages 7-12 years) and adults (ages 20-29 years) performing tests of verbal and spatial WM with varying amounts (loads) of information to be maintained in WM. Children made disproportionately more errors than adults as WM load increased. Children and adults exhibited similar hemispheric asymmetry in activation, greater on the right for spatial WM and on the left for verbal WM. Children, however, failed to exhibit the same degree of increasing activation across WM loads as was exhibited by adults in multiple frontal and parietal cortical regions. Thus, children exhibited adult-like hemispheric specialization, but appeared immature in their ability to marshal the neural resources necessary to maintain large amounts of verbal or spatial information in WM.
Using DNA and hemoglobin adducts to improve the risk assessment of butadiene.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to review what we know about various biomarkers of butadiene in animal, human and in vitro studies, and to draw inferences from these data that impact on the accurate assessment of human risks for cancer. Studies comparing the DNA and hemoglobin adducts of butadiene with exposure, metabolism and genotoxicity have provided a great deal of insight that is applicable to biologically based risk assessment. First, the DNA and hemoglobin adduct data strongly support the conclusion that 3,4-epoxy-1,2-butanediol is the major electrophile available for binding to these macromolecules. Biomarker studies have also provided insight into the possibility of a sensitive population associated with the GSTT1 null genotype. While it is clear that lymphocytes from GSTT1 null individuals are more sensitive for the induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) following in vitro exposure to 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane, there was no such increase in SCE or other biomarkers of genotoxicity in workers exposed to 1–3 p.p.m. butadiene, regardless of GST genotype. The globin adduct data also demonstrate that there is roughly a tenfold range for interindividual differences in the metabolism of butadiene. This type of analysis represents an excellent means for providing scientific data for this critical determinant. Another useful application of hemoglobin adducts in risk assessment was demonstrated by regressing data for various endpoints for genotoxicity against that individual's biologically effective dose, thereby providing an independent mechanism for evaluation that excludes any possible confounding by inappropriate controls. Finally, biomarker studies have identified critical gaps in our knowledge that are needed for the accurate assessment of butadiene. Most notable of these is the lack of diepoxide-specific biomarkers in mice, rats and humans.
Geographical analysis of commercial motor vehicle hazardous materials crashes on the Oregon state highway system

Crashes on highways frequently cause hazardous material exposure to the public and the environment. We evaluated differences in hazardous materials-related crashes vs. non-hazardous-material-related commercial motor vehicle crashes occurring from 2000 to 2006 on the Oregon state highway network. The two groups were compared for crash characteristics by χ2 analysis, and spatial clustering was tested using Ripley's K-function and kernel density estimator analyses. There were 8,622 total commercial motor vehicle crashes, 232 being hazardous-materials related. Hazardous materials-related crashes were not significantly associated with different road surface conditions, weather conditions or cause of crash. Hazardous materials-related crashes were associated more frequently with late evening/early morning hours and under artificial lights or at dusk. The commercial motor vehicle drivers in hazardous materials-related crashes were less frequently at fault than ones in the non-hazardous materials-related crashes....
An electrophoretic study of genetic variation in populations of Yarrow's spiny lizard Sceloporus jarrovi (Sauria, Iguanidae)—I. Esterae characterization and polymorphism

1. 1. Muscle esterase variation in Sceloporus jarrovi, sampled from 25 locations in southeastern Arizona, was investigated employing acrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2. 2. Three distinct esterase phenotypes were observed, presumably resulting from the expression of two gene loci, Est-1 and Est-2. 3. 3. Lizards sampled from all 25 locations were found to be monomorphic with respect to esterase encoded at Est-1. Further, lizards sampled from the Santa Rita and Pinaleno Mountains were also found to be monomorphic for esterases encoded at Est-2, whereas those sampled from the Chiricahua and Huachuca Mountains proved to be polymorphic. 4. 4. Characterization of the esterases utilizing eserine sulfate, diisopropylfluorophosphate, and sulfhydryl-group inhibitors revealed the EST-1 isozyme to be an arylesterase and the EST-2 isozymes to be carboxylesterases.
Family Planning and Preconception Health Among Men in Their Mid-30s: Developing Indicators and Describing Need.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Healthy People 2020 call for improvements in meeting men’s reproductive health needs but little is known about the proportion of men in need. This...
Presence of Antithyrotropic Substance in Serum of Rats Injected Chronically with Rat Pituitary Extract.

ConclusionThe injection of rat pituitary extract into rats gives rise to an antithyrotropic substance in the serum of these animals. This was detected by the depressing effect of the serum upon the O2 consumption of guinea pigs receiving a standard dose of thyrotropic hormone.
Iron in north-east Pacific waters

Although Fe is an element of great biological1 and geochemical2 importance, little is known about its distribution in the sea. The reasons for this are: (1) contamination is extremely difficult to avoid during sampling and laboratory procedures, not only because of man's wide use of this element, but also because it is fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust (5.63%)3; (2) the chemistry of Fe is very complex, and its form (or forms) in seawater is poorly known, hence whether one preconcentration technique will work for existing species is questionable. Iron also appears to be very insoluble4 in oxygenated ocean water, and most (90%)5 precipitates out in association with dissolved organics during estuarine mixing processes5–8. Indeed, some argue that truly dissolved Fe does not exist in seawater and that the fraction found in filtrates is totally colloidal9. We have been attempting oceanic dissolved Fe measurements for the past four years and report here three vertical Fe profiles (Fig. 1) that have the following features in common: Fe is severely depleted (0.15–0.30 nmol kg−1) in surface waters; Fe maxima (up to 2.6 nmol kg−1) occur in association with oxygen minima; and, Fe levels appear to vary little in mid-depth waters (0.5–1.0 nmol kg−1).
A sensitive Autoanalytical method for sialic acids.

A sensitive automated chromatographic method is described for determination of sialic acids. The assay is linear from 1.5 to at least 12 nmoles of N-acetyl-neuraminic acid, and is not affected by acid, salts, protein, or interfering substances in the sample. The carbohydrate groups of several glycoproteins have been examined.
Review: The Impact of Light in Buildings on Human Health

The effects of light on health can be divided into three sections. The first is that of light as radiation. Exposure to the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation produced by light sources ca...
The Neural Basis of the Dynamic Unconscious

A great deal of complex cognitive processing occurs at the unconscious level and affects how humans behave, think, and feel. Scientists are only now beginning to understand how this occurs on the neural level. Understanding the neural basis of consciousness requires an account of the neural mechanisms that underlie both conscious and unconscious thought, and their dynamic interaction. For example, how do conscious impulses, thoughts, or desires become unconscious (e.g., repression) or, conversely, how do unconscious impulses, desires, or motives become conscious (e.g., Freudian slips)? Research taking advantage of advances in technologies, like functional magnetic resonance imaging, has led to a revival and re-conceptualization of some of the key concepts of psychoanalytic theory, but steps toward understanding their neural basis have only just commenced. According to psychoanalytic theory, unconscious dynamic processes defensively remove anxiety-provoking thoughts and impulses from consciousness in respo...
The use of Botox to treat glabellar rhytids

Many areas of the face benefit from Botox. The deep vertical and horizontal creases between the eyebrows or glabellar area are the best known to cosmetically improve with Botox injections. As with almost any cosmetic procedure, adequate evaluation and pre-operative assessment can lead to a good outcome and a satisfied patient.
Harnessing plant trichome biochemistry for the production of useful compounds

Plant trichomes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and cellular composition. Some types, commonly called glandular trichomes, produce large amounts of specialized (secondary) metabolites of diverse classes. Trichomes are implicated in a variety of adaptive processes, including defense against herbivores and micro-organisms as well as in ion homeostasis. Because trichomes protrude from the epidermis and can often be easily separated from it and harvested, the mRNAs, proteins and small molecules that they contain are unusually accessible to analysis. This property makes them excellent experimental systems for identification of the enzymes and pathways responsible for the synthesis of the specialized metabolites found in these structures and sometimes elsewhere in the plant. We review the literature on the biochemistry of trichomes and consider the attributes that might make them highly useful targets for plant metabolic engineering.
Designing in vitro patterned neuronal networks

Advances in neuroscience and bioengineering have led to a nascent discipline known as neural engineering, whose activity ranges from neurally inspired computer algorithms to brain and peripheral nerve prostheses to imaging of functional brain activity. This paper describes progress in a neural engineering research area in which the goal is to learn how to construct neuronal networks de novo with individual living nerve cells as the fundamental circuit elements. The effort is in part microlithography, applicable because the sizes of neurons and transistors are the same. In part it is surface chemistry, as it is necessary to couple diverse chemistries and molecules to surfaces in order to control neuron attachment and growth. It is in part electrical engineering, as the principal I/O devices are microelectrode arrays capable of recording or stimulating at dozens and in the future hundreds of sites. Modern data acquisition and real-time analysis are also necessary to store, recognize, and analyze the multichannel data. Overwhelmingly, however, the problems are ones of neuroscience and cell biology, of controlling the many factors that influence cell attachment, growth, and interactions with other cells. Despite this seemingly unending list of prerequisites, substantial progress is being made to the point where we can seriously begin to ask a variety of scientifically relevant questions. One of these is to ask whether or not these biological neuronal networks behave at all like their computational namesakes.
The correlation between serum prostate-specific antigen and prostate cancer is not influenced by the serum testosterone concentration.

Objectives To determine if the serum testosterone (T) concentration influences the ability of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to predict prostate cancer volume and stage.
Role of Respiratory Motor Output in Within-Breath Modulation of Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Humans

We measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, peroneal microneurography) in 5 healthy humans under conditions of matched tidal volume, breathing frequency, and end-tidal CO(2), but varying respiratory motor output as follows: (1) passive positive pressure mechanical ventilation, (2) voluntary hyperventilation, (3) assisted mechanical ventilation that required the subject to generate -2.5 cm H(2)O to trigger each positive pressure breath, and (4) added inspiratory resistance. Spectral analyses showed marked respiratory periodicities in MSNA; however, the amplitude of the peak power was not changed with changing inspiratory effort. Time domain analyses showed that maximum MSNA always occurred at end expiration (25% to 30% of total activity) and minimum activity at end inspiration (2% to 3% of total activity), and the amplitude of the variation was not different among conditions despite marked changes in respiratory motor output. Furthermore, qualitative changes in intrathoracic pressure were without influence on the respiratory modulation of MSNA. In all conditions, within-breath changes in MSNA were inversely related to small changes in diastolic pressure (1 to 3 mm Hg), suggesting that respiratory rhythmicity in MSNA was secondary to loading/unloading of carotid sinus baroreceptors. Furthermore, at any given diastolic pressure, within-breath MSNA varied inversely with lung volume, demonstrating an additional influence of lung inflation feedback on sympathetic discharge. Our data provide evidence against a significant effect of respiratory motor output on the within-breath modulation of MSNA and suggest that feedback from baroreceptors and pulmonary stretch receptors are the dominant determinants of the respiratory modulation of MSNA in the intact human.
Pursuit of Consumer Education for Prescription Drugs

The history of the pursuit of consumer education regarding prescription drugs reflects a shift from consumer dependence on public institutions and the medical establishment for information and protection to self-help and cooperation with health professionals in an effort to improve the quality of health care today. The promotion of voluntary programs for consumer prescription drug education by new government and private sector organizations is outlined and recent baseline research conducted to monitor progress is described. Finally, an expanded role for consumer affairs professionals is recommended.
Quantum Computing for Computer Architects

Quantum computation may seem to be a topic for science fiction, but small quantum computers have existed for several years and larger machines are on the drawing table. These efforts have been fueled by a tantalizing property: while conventional computers employ a binary representation that allows computational power to scale linearly with resources at best, quantum computations employ quantum phenomena that can interact to allow computational power that is exponential in the number of "quantum bits" in the system. Quantum devices rely on the ability to control and manipulate binary data stored in the phase information of quantum wave functions that describe the electronic states of individual atoms or the polarization states of photons. While existing quantum technologies are in their infancy, we shall see that it is not too early to consider scalability and reliability. In fact, such considerations are a critical link in the development chain of viable device technologies capable of orchestrating reliable control of tens of millions quantum bits in a large-scale system. The goal of this lecture is to provide architectural abstractions common to potential technologies and explore the systemslevel challenges in achieving scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computation. The central premise of the lecture is directed at quantum computation (QC) architectural issues. We stress the fact that the basic tenet of large-scale quantum computing is reliability through system balance: the need to protect and control the quantum information just long enough for the algorithm to complete execution. To architectQCsystems, onemust understand what it takes to design and model a balanced, fault-tolerant quantum architecture just as the concept of balance drives conventional architectural design. For example, the register file depth in classical computers is matched to the number of functional units, the memory bandwidth to the cache miss rate, or the interconnect bandwidth matched to the compute power of each element of a multiprocessor. We provide an engineering-oriented introduction to quantum computation and provide an architectural case study based upon experimental data and future projection for ion-trap technology.We apply the concept of balance to the design of a quantum computer, creating an architecture model that balances both quantum and classical resources in terms of exploitable parallelism in quantum applications. From this framework, we also discuss the many open issues remaining in designing systems to perform quantum computation.
Networked information discovery and retrieval tools: security capabilities and needs

The Internet is a rapidly growing global network of networks. Users employ the Internet to search for and retrieve information, access remote resources, and collaborate with other users. More and more information is becoming available on the Internet. Networked information discovery and retrieval (NIDR) tools, such as Gopher, Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) and World Wide Web (WWW), have been developed to assist users with searching and retrieving a wide variety of information on the Internet. NIDR tools are becoming increasingly popular due to their ease of use and powerful navigation and "surfing" capabilities. Security is becoming an increasingly important topic regarding the use of NIDR tools. This paper identifies current and planned NIDR security capabilities and provides security recommendations for administrators and commercial NIDR providers. >
Forecasting the New York State Economywith 'Terraced' VARs and Coincident Indices

This paper introduces "Terraced" Vector Autoregressive (VAR) models, an innovative twist on traditional VAR modeling which allows the econometrician to simultaneously forecast both exogenous and endogenous variables and the confidence intervals around those forecasts.In an application of our Terraced VAR framework, we have estimated coincident indices of economic activity for the United States, New York State and the six largest metropolitan areas of New York State and incorporated them into Terraced VARs which forecast the unemployment rate, total nonfarm employment, real wages and average hours worked in manufacturing in those regions.
A MECHANISM FOR THE STRAIN-INDUCED NUCLEATION OF MARTENSITIC TRANSFORMATIONS*

Abstract The previous work of Professor W. G. Burgers and Dr. A. J. Bogers is used to develop a mechanism of strain-induced martensitic nucleation, involving two intersecting shear systems. We distinguish between strain-induced nucleation and stress-assisted nucleation, the latter involving the same sites and embryos as does the regular spontaneous transformation. The strain-induced nucleation, on the other hand, depends on the creation of new sites and embryos by plastic deformation; this phenomenon may also contribute in a major way to autocatalytic nucleation during the course of martensitic transformation. For the case of strain-induced nucleation, it is possible to focus on specific intersecting-shear systems when the austenitic stacking-fault energy is low and e (h.c.p.) martensite can form as a part of the shear displacements. It then becomes feasible to extend the intersecting-shear mechanism from this special case to alloys of higher stacking-fault energy, where e is no longer stable relative to the austenite. It should be noted, however, that these events are very early stages in the formation of martensitic plates and relate primarily to the genesis of embryos; the actual growth start-ups which determine the operational (measured) nucleation rates may be controlled by subsequent processes.
Morphometric Analysis of Escobaria sneedii var. sneedii, E. sneedii var. leei, and E. guadalupensis (Cactaceae)

We used discriminant analysis to assess taxonomic status of three closely related, rare taxa within the cactus genus Escobaria (E. guadalupensis, E. sneedii var. sneedii, and E. sneedii var. leei). These three taxa consist of nine isolated populations; six of these populations consist of morphologically typical specimens (i.e., similar to the type specimen), while three populations are of questionable taxonomic status. We used the six morphologically typical populations (referred to as assigned populations) to derive predictive dis- criminant functions for each taxon. These discriminant functions were then applied to assigned populations to determine the status and taxonomic boundaries of each taxon, and to the three questionable populations (referred to as unassigned populations) to interpret their taxonomic status. Our model included four predictor variables: number of immature stems, mature stem diameter, number of radial spines, and length of the innermost central spines. Discriminant analysis correctly classified .93% of 186 individuals from the six assigned populations, suggesting a distinct status for each taxon. Applying the predictive discriminant func- tions to unassigned populations resulted in classifying a large percentage of individuals from each unas- signed population into each of two taxa. This suggests that the unassigned populations consist of morpho- logical intermediates, possibly as the result of hybridization. Meiotic chromosome numbers of n 5 11 were determined for E. guadalupensis, E. sneedii var. leei, and the three unassigned populations.
Orbital Energetics and Molecular Recognition

We present preliminary data demonstrating that orbital eigenenergy fluctuation recorded in the course of ab initio molecular dynamics calculations may contain information relevant in determining molecular behavior and recognition. A simple scheme is presented that maps these data to molecular descriptors. Using computational drug design as the context, these descriptors are compared with previous electronic eigenvalue descriptor methods with encouraging results.
Puzzled: Designs on square grids

Welcome to, as usual, three new puzzles. However, unlike previous columns, where solutions to two were known (and included in the related Solutions and Sources in the next issue), this time expect to see solutions to all three in June.