cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE MECHANISM OF COLCHICINE–INDUCED CYTOHISTOLOGICAL CHANGES IN CRANBERRY

ATTEMPTS TO induce polyploidy by means of colchicine have been markedly successful with many herbaceous plants, but have been only rarely successful with woody and semiwoody plants (Dermen and Scott, 1939; Dermen, 1941; Graner, 1941; Dermen and Bain, 1944). Furthermore, results with many herbaceous plants have indicated that all new growth following colchicine treatment may show a polyploidy condition. However, the work of Satina, Blakeslee, and Avery (1940) indicates that even in such plants not all of the tissues may become polyploidized uniformly; thus the polyploid condition in treated herbaceous plants may be confined to a sector within a particular tissue or tissues, or to one whole tissue and not to others. Results with peach, a woody plant (Dermen, 1941), and cranberry, a semiwoody plant (Dermen and Bain, 1941, 1944), have indicated that in these plants the occurrence of the polyploid condition in all tissues resulting from colchicine treatment is probably very rare. When colchicine treatments of these plants did produce polyploidy, it was almost entirely confined to sectorial and periclinal cytochimeras from which, in the case of cranberry, various polyploid types have eventually been isolated and propagated. It is the purpose of this discussion to consider the cytohistological basis for sectorial and periclinal cytochimeras in colchicine-treated cranberry. A clear understanding of the facts underlying these changes will undoubtedly help to explain properly some of the complexities and to overcome some difficulties encountered in attempts to induce polyploidy in plants of semiwoody and woody types. It is hoped that the discussions presented will be of particular value in working out more successful methods of identifying and isolating polyploid material from colchicine-treated plants. The following studies are believed to have a very definite bearing on our understanding of the method by which the stem apex propagates itself, as well as of the histogenesis of primary tissues, and the ontogeny of various plant organs. It appears that induction of polyploidy by colchicine not only may result in plants of economic value, but it may also provide material for a study of many fundamental botanical problems which hitherto have been difficult of solution.
Telemetry-based ranging

This paper presents a new two-way, telemetrybased ranging architecture. The scheme uses a conventional uplink ranging signal, but the downlink ranging signal is replaced with an asynchronous telemetry signal whose timing relative to the acquired uplink signal is measured. This measurement, along with the acquired timing of the received telemetry, enables the round-trip light-time to be computed on the ground. Introducing coherency between the uplink carrier frequency and downlink symbol rate makes the system robust to Doppler. Ranging jitter comparable to conventional ranging approaches can be achieved when the downlink data rate is about 15 kbps or higher. At data rates higher than 1 Mbps, more than an order of magnitude improvement in downlink range jitter is possible, although limitations in the ground calibration process may make these gains difficult to realize. Advantages of the system include the ability to simultaneously collect ranging measurements and transmit the highest supported telemetry rate throughout a pass, and compatibility with suppressed carrier signaling and higher order modulations. This can result in significant additional ranging data and. total data volume return.
Nanobiotechnology can boost crop production and quality: first evidence from increased plant biomass, fruit yield and phytomedicine content in bitter melon (Momordica charantia)

Recent research on nanoparticles in a number of crops has evidenced for enhanced germination and seedling growth, physiological activities including photosynthetic activity and nitrogen metabolism, mRNA expression and protein level, and also positive changes in gene expression indicating their potential use in crop improvement. We used a medicinally rich vegetable crop, bitter melon, as a model to evaluate the effects of seed treatment with a carbon-based nanoparticle, fullerol [C60(OH)20], on yield of plant biomass and fruit characters, and phytomedicine contents in fruits. We confirmed the uptake, translocation and accumulation of fullerol through bright field imaging and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. We observed varied effects of seed treatment at five concentrations, including non-consequential and positive, on plant biomass yield, fruit yield and its component characters, and content of five phytomedicines in fruits. Fullerol-treatment resulted in increases up to 54% in biomass yield and 24% in water content. Increases of up to 20% in fruit length, 59% in fruit number, and 70% in fruit weight led to an improvement up to 128% in fruit yield. Contents of two anticancer phytomedicines, cucurbitacin-B and lycopene, were enhanced up to 74% and 82%, respectively, and contents of two antidiabetic phytomedicines, charantin and insulin, were augmented up to 20% and 91%, respectively. Non-significant correlation inter se plant biomass, fruit yield, phytomedicine content and water content evidenced for separate genetic control and biosynthetic pathways for production of plant biomass, fruits, and phytomedicines in fruits, and also no impact of increased water uptake. While our results indicated possibility of improving crop yield and quality by using proper concentrations of fullerol, extreme caution needs to be exercised given emerging knowledge about accumulation and toxicity of nanoparticles in bodily tissues.
Interior points of convex hulls

If a setX ⊂E n has non-emptyk-dimensional interior, or if some point isk-dimensional surrounded, then the classic theorem of E. Steinitz may be extended. For example ifX ⊂E n has int k X ≠ 0, (0 ≦k≦n) and ifp ɛ int conX, thenp ɛ int conY for someY ⊂X with cardY≦2n−k+1.
CNNK-2, AN NK-2 HOMEOBOX GENE, HAS A ROLE IN PATTERNING THE BASAL END OF THE AXIS IN HYDRA

NK-2-class homeobox genes have been identified in a variety of metazoans, from sponges to arthropods and vertebrates, and have been shown to play roles in a variety of cell and tissue specifications. Here we describe the characterization of the NK-2 homolog CnNK-2 from Hydra vulgaris, a freshwater cnidarian. CnNK-2 expression is restricted to the endodermal epithelial cells of hydra and is primarily in the peduncle, the lower end of the body column. In some species it is graded along the apical-basal axis with a maximum in the basal tissue of the lower peduncle, adjacent to the foot. CnNK-2 expression invariably precedes foot formation as part of the normal tissue dynamics of the adult as well as during asexual reproduction by budding, foot regeneration, or ectopic foot formation. Manipulations which alter the gradient of positional value along this axis affect CnNK-2 expression in a manner which indicates that expression of this gene is closely linked to the gradient. The normal and altered patterns of expression of this gene extend the understanding of the regulation of foot formation in hydra.
Fungicide Seed Treatment Effects on Seedling Damping-off of Pumpkin Caused by Phytophthora capsici

Apron XL LS (mefenoxam) and Allegiance FL (metalaxyl) were highly inhibitory to growth of mycelium of Phytophthora capsici in vitro. Effective dose (ED50) of mefenoxam and metalaxyl for 50% inhibition of mycelial growth, for all five isolates of P. capsici tested, was 0.98 and 0.99 μg a.i./ml of culture medium, respectively. For mefenoxam at 200 μg a.i./ml, sporangium and zoospore germination were reduced by 92 and 96%, respectively, and 21 and 24%, respectively, for metalaxyl. In greenhouse studies, seed treatment with mefenoxam (0.42 ml of Apron XL LS/kg of seed) and metalaxyl (0.98 ml of Allegiance FL/kg of seed) significantly reduced pre- and post-emergence damping-off of seedlings caused by P. capsici in three pumpkin cultivars (Dickinson, Hybrid-401, and Hybrid-698) tested. Thirty-one days after seeding, at inoculum levels of 0, 90, 600, 1,400, and 4,000 CFU/g of soil, the average seedling stands for mefenoxam treatment were 98.4, 93.8, 88.3, 77.8, and 64.8%; for metalaxyl, 99.1, 85.3, 85.8, 73.5, and 59.3; and for the untreated control, 97.5, 55.2, 45.7, 37.0, and 22.9%, respectively. In field trials, the average seedling stands 35 days after seeding were 76.7, 74.7, and 44.9% for mefenoxam, metalaxyl, and untreated control, respectively. Seed treatment with mefenoxam or metalaxyl did not have any significant effect on either seed germination or seedling vigor.
Intergranular Pressure Solution and Porosity Evolution in Quartzose Sandstones: ABSTRACT

Compared to cementation by quartz, carbonates, and clay minerals, intergranular pressure solution has long been viewed as a minor control of porosity evolution in quartzose sandstones. However, quantitative cathodoluminescence petrography and scanning electron microscopy of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstones from various geologic settings suggest that intergranular pressure solution is the diagenetic process that most fundamentally influences porosity and permeability evolution in a majority of cases. Intergranular pressure solution dictates tightness of grain packing, size and geometry of primary pores, and diameter and morphology of contacts between framework grains; it also commonly predates pervasive cementation. Consequently, intergranular pressure solution is the fundamental control of minus-cement porosity. Although there is a close relationship between intergranular pressure solution and cementation in some sandstones, they are independent in others. For this reason, the percentage of minus-cement porosity actually occluded by cement is not systematic and is therefore difficult to predict. Numerous geologic variables have been documented that influence the amount of intergranular pressure solution that occurs in quartzose sandstones. On a local scale, relatively fine-grained sandstones and sandstones containing between 3 and 9% early authigenic clay have experienced more intergranular pressure solution than other sandstones. Regionally, among sandstones of equal age, grain size, and clay percentage, those that have been exposed to greater rates of burial, greater total depth of burial, and higher temperatures have experienced more intergranular pressure solution. These results suggest that an enhanced understanding of intergranular pressure solution may lead to a capability of predicting quartzose sandstone reservoir quality. End_of_Article - Last_Page 487------------
Radiographic Features of Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors

The advent of MRI revolutionized the characterization of intramedullary spinal cord lesions. By providing detailed resolution of the spinal cord in multiple planes, MRI has become a key tool for the differentiation of operative tumors from nonoperative lesions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques, transverse myelitis, or cord infarction. Within the tumor subpopulation, MRI has allowed for detailed preoperative planning through understanding the precise limits of the tumor and surrounding edema, the presence of cysts, or evidence of preexisting hemorrhage. Retrospective series demonstrate that approximately 90% of intramedullary spinal cord tumors are of glial origin [1]. Together, ependymomas and astrocytomas account for 95% of these lesions [1]. The balance between astrocytomas and ependymomas is age dependent. In the adult population, ependymomas account for 60% of all glial tumors, whereas astrocytomas account for 30% [2]. In the pediatric population, the situation is reversed, with astrocytomas accounting for 90% of intramedullary tumors in children less than 10 years of age [3]. The remaining glial lesions are composed of oligodendrogliomas and the more malignant anaplastic astrocytomas as well as glioblastoma multiforme. Nonglial tumors found within the spinal cord include hemangioblastomas, gangliogliomas, metastases, subependymomas, and an assortment of rare tumor types. MRI reveals crucial information about intramedullary lesions. Evidence of cord expansion,
Feeding kinematics of hatchling swellsharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum (Scyliorhinidae): the importance of predator size

Capture, manipulation, and transport of prey were quantified from high-speed video of hatchling swellsharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum. Kinematic variables were contrasted with those of 1 yr-old swellsharks. Hatchling prey-captures were ram-dominated, while 1 yr-old prey-capture events had a detectable suction component. Timing differences between kinematic patterns of the age groups were not detected. Significant differences in displacement maxima of kinematic variables between the two age groups during feeding were detected, but were consistent with the expectations of isometry; they doubled in accordance with a doubling in shark length. A scaling analysis confirmed that swellsharks grow isometrically. A simple model of the head during prey capture confirmed that buccal expansion scaled isometrically between age groups. Thus, this study suggests that hatchlings generally perform the suite of movements necessary for suction generation within the buccal cavity during feeding. A suction component to the strike, however, was generally not detected by the “ram:suction index”. It appears that although it is probably generated within the buccal cavity, suction has little effect on the prey item and makes a minimal contribution to prey capture. Suction may be ineffective due to the highly active nature of the hatchlings. During a strike, a hatchling's forward locomotion may be sufficient to overwhelm any suction produced by the expanding buccal cavity; thus, the swimming shark effectively “scoops” the prey up in its open mouth (i.e. ram feeding) before the prey can be entrained in the flow of water entering the mouth (i.e. suction feeding). It is also likely that the hatchling sharks are sufficiently small to render any suction generated ineffective. Even though the sharks scale isometrically, the sheer size of the 1 yr-old sharks allows a greater amount of force to be generated, that will ultimately draw the prey to the open mouth. Thus, there are absolute consequences of size for feeding behaviors.
Mitochondrial RNA and protein synthesis in enucleated African green monkey cells

Abstract The behavior of extramitochondrial protein synthesis and of mitochondrial RNA and protein synthesis was examined in the cytoplasts of African green monkey kidney cells (TC-7 subline) at different times following enucleation by cytochalasin B. The rate of incorporation of [3H]isoleucine into protein of the soluble cytoplasmic fraction decreased in an approximately exponential fashion, with a half-life of about five hours, during the first 26 hours after enucleation. Discrete mitochondrial 16 S, 12 S and 4 S RNA components were identified among the products of cytoplast RNA synthesis. The rates of [3H]uridine incorporation into the 16 and 12 S RNA components as well as into total RNA declined progressively after enucleation to a barely detectable level by the 20th hour. By contrast, the rate of chloramphenicol-sensitive [3H]isoleucine incorporation into protein (due to mitochondrial protein synthesis) did not undergo a substantial decline for at least 20 hours in TC-7 cytoplasts; instead, a reproducible transient stimulation occurred in the first hours following enucleation. The products of mitochondrial protein synthesis pulse-labeled in nucleated cells and in cytoplasts 24 hours after enucleation exhibited similar electrophoretic profiles.
Dysregulation of protein translation in neuropathic pain is resolved by AMP Kinase activators

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition where only 40-60% of patients achieve partial pain relief, warranting a need for alternative treatment strategies. We tested the hypothesis that dysregulation of gene expression at the level of translation may underlie neuropathic pain associated with peripheral nerve injury (PNI). In both rats and mice PNI induced an increase in the activity of signaling pathways and components for translational machinery. These changes included augmented activity in mTOR and ERK signaling pathways, enhanced eIF4F complex formation on the 5’-cap of mRNAs and ultimately increased nascent protein synthesis in injured nerves. Blockade of the mTOR pathwaywith rapamycin resulted in development of allodynia in uninjured animals due to positive feedback on the ERK pathway and hyperexcitability of sensory neurons via Nav1.7 channels. Alternatively, AMP Kinase activators negatively regulated signaling pathways activated by PNI, reduced eIF4F complex formation, restored nascent protein synthesis in injured nerves to the levels observed in uninjured nerves and negativelymodulated the excitability of sensory neurons. Consequently, administration of AMPK activators to animals with PNI alleviated neuropathic allodynia. These results indicate that dysregulation of gene expression at the translational level in peripheral nerves after injury is associated with neuropathic pain and reveal the utility of AMPK activators as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Antitumor and toxicologic properties of the organometallic anticancer agent vanadocene dichloride

We report here on the antineoplastic, toxicologic, and transmembrane transfer properties of vanadocene dichloride (VDC), a representative metallocene dihalide. VDC is cytotoxic to HEp-2 human epidermoid carcinoma cells, in vitro, in a dose dependent manner, with a Do value (dose increment reducing the survival fraction by 1/e) of 0.530 ± 0.005 μg/ml. Under similar experimental conditions, the Do for cisplatin (CDDP) against these cells is 0.46 ± 0.08 μg/ml. In a murine mammary adenocarcinoma (TA3Ha) system, 125 μg/ml VDC inhibits the tumor-forming ability of 105 cells upon i.p. inoculation into syngeneic Strain A mice. The transmembrane transfer rate constants for the metal uptake of VDC and CDDP by TA3Ha cells in vitro were found to be 3.3 ± 0.8 × 10−4 min−1 and 12 ± 2.0 × 10t-4 min−1, respectively. In vivo studies with TA3Ha cells show that two i.p. treatments of 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg VDC increase the host survival by 30, 50, and 90%, respectively. Under similar conditions, 2, 4, and 6 mg/kg CDDP (equitoxic dose levels) prolong the host survival 50, 75, and 83%, respectively. Morphological, blood urea nitrogen level, and serum creatinine level data for Strain A mice treated with 60 mg/kg VDC give no evidence of renal or small intestinal damage. However, changes in the liver consistent with fatty cell degeneration are observed in these mice.
Estimation of minimum reflux in distillation and multipoint boundary value problems

Abstract The problem of estimating the minimum reflux ratio is treated as a non-linear multipoint boundary value problem in difference equations. If the problem has a solution, the minimum reflux ratio and the compositions in the column are obtained simultaneously by quasilinearization iteration. With very rough initial approximations or starting values, only nine iterations are needed to obtain a four digit accuracy in concentration. A three digit accuracy in distillate rate is obtained in seven iterations.
Fluorescence Imaging of Changes in Intracellular Chloride in Living Brain Slices

In brain slice preparations, chloride movements across the cell membrane of living cells are measured traditionally with 36Cl- tracer methods, Cl--selective microelectrodes, or whole-cell recording using patch clamp analysis. We have developed an alternative, noninvasive technique that uses the fluorescent Cl- ion indicator, 6-methoxy-N-ethylquinolinium iodide (MEQ), to study changes in intracellular Cl- by epifluorescence or UV laser scanning confocal microscopy. In brain slices taken from rodents younger than 22 days of age, excellent cellular loading is achieved with the membrane-permeable form of the dye, dihydro-MEQ. Subsequent intracellular oxidation of dihydro-MEQ to the Cl--sensitive MEQ traps the polar form of the dye inside the neurons. Because MEQ is a single-excitation and single-emission dye, changes in intracellular Cl- concentrations can be calibrated from the Stern-Volmer relationship, determined in separate experiments. Using MEQ as the fluorescent indicator for Cl-, Cl- flux through the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-gated Cl- channel (GABAA receptor) can be studied by dynamic video imaging and either nonconfocal (epifluorescence) or confocal microscopy in the acute brain slice preparation. Increases in intracellular Cl- quench MEQ fluorescence, thereby reflecting GABAA receptor activation. GABAA receptor functional activity can be measured in discrete cells located in neuroanatomically defined populations within areas such as the neocortex and hippocampus. Changes in intracellular Cl- can also be studied under various conditions such as oxygen/glucose deprivation ("in vitro ischemia") and excitotoxicity. In such cases, changes in cell volume may also occur due to the dependence of cell volume regulation on Na+, K+, and Cl- flux. Because changes in cell volume can affect optical fluorescence measurements, we assess cell volume changes in the brain slice using the fluorescent indicator calcein-AM. Determination of changes in MEQ fluorescence versus calcein fluorescence allows one to distinguish between an increase in intracellular Cl- and an increase in cell volume.
Transition from brittle to ductile behavior of fly ash using PVA fibers

In this study, short polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers are employed to improve the mechanical properties of brittle fly ash samples, which are solidified by a small amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and by a hydrothermal hot-pressing process. The mechanical properties of the PVA fiber reinforced fly ash composites are evaluated by splitting tensile test. Several key factors such as fiber content, processing temperature, and processing duration are investigated. The effect of different types of fly ash (Class C vs. Class F) is also studied. The experimental results demonstrate that the addition of short PVA fibers can significantly improve the ductility of the fly ash composites. The optimum fiber volume content is estimated to be 1.0% with Class C fly ash.
Effects of haloperidol, clozapine, and quetiapine on sensorimotor gating in a genetic model of reduced NMDA receptor function

Rationale Reduced N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function is hypothesized to contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In order to model chronic and developmental NMDA receptor hypofunction, a mouse line was developed that expresses low levels of the NMDA R1 (NR1) subunit of the NMDA receptor. These mice show increased acoustic startle reactivity and deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle.
Fossilien aus Riffkomplexen der alpinen Trias:Cheilosporites Wähner, eine Foraminifere?

The genusCheilosporitesWahner, a problematicum variously referred to algae and sponges, is widespread in Rhaetian reefs of the Alpine region. Its arborescent colonies are composed of uniserial but branching rows of chambers, penetrated by an axial siphon. The chambers enlarge distally, and undergo marked changes in shape. These characters are to be found neither among algae nor sponges, but are characteristic of many Foraminifera. Despite its relatively large size (chamber diameter up to 4 mm, height of colony probably 5 cm)Cheilosporites is here tentatively referred to the Fortminifera, as only known representative of the new familiy Cheilosporitidae.
Results of the teachwell worksite wellness program

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether providing a school-based teacher wellness program enhances the impact of a health curriculum on student outcomes and improves cognitive, behavioral, and physiological outcomes among participating teachers. METHODS: Thirty-two elementary schools were randomly assigned to experimental or comparison conditions. Comparison group schools received the Gimme-5 program, a curriculum designed to increase fourth and fifty graders' consumption of fruits and vegetables. Experimental schools received Gimme-5 and the teacher wellness program, which included 54 workshops over 2 years, along with several schoolwide health activities. Physiological, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes were assessed in teachers and students. RESULTS: There was no evidence that the intervention favorably modified any student or teacher end points; nor did intervention teachers deliver the Gimme-5 program with greater fidelity than comparison teachers. CONCLUSION: Confidence in the null results is bolste...
The shape of the Roman world: modelling imperial connectivity

The Roman Empire was very large: at the peak of its power, it extended 33 degrees of latitude from north to south and 34 degrees of longitude from east to west. The first of these accomplishments is by far the more remarkable, given that ecology favors expansion along an E–W axis. Of all the contiguous empires in pre-modern history, only those of the Mongols, Incas and Russian czars matched or exceeded the N–S range of Roman rule. And unlike those of any other major contiguous empires, the Roman territories were dramatically segmented, wrapped around an inner sea of 2.5 million km2. Mountain ranges such as the Alps and Taurus on occasion required travelers to climb above 2,000 m to traverse passes. Within its borders, the Roman Empire was unprecedented and remains without successor, still the only state in history to have claimed all that space. Holding on to it, and distributing the resources required to maintain the imperial superstructure, must have been a formidable challenge. And yet, after generations of scholarship, we have only a vague sense of how this system was spatially configured and how closely its constituent elements were connected. Conventional maps look at the Roman Empire from high above. By representing distance as the crow (or rather, a plane) flies, they fail to give us a proper sense of how different hard and liquid surfaces, altitudes and climes shaped the movement of people across this vast space. The real cost of travel, in terms of time and money, remains unknown. A pictorial itinerary such as the Peutinger Table might arguably do a better job than a modern map by focusing on connections, but it does so in a way that likewise makes it impossible to understand spatial differentiation overall.1
Multiple-Point Simulation with an Existing Reservoir Model as Training Image

The multiple-point simulation (MPS) method has been increasingly used to describe the complex geologic features of petroleum reservoirs. The MPS method is based on multiple-point statistics from training images that represent geologic patterns of the reservoir heterogeneity. The traditional MPS algorithm, however, requires the training images to be stationary in space, although the spatial distribution of geologic patterns/features is usually nonstationary. Building geologically realistic but statistically stationary training images is somehow contradictory for reservoir modelers. In recent research on MPS, the concept of a training image has been widely extended. The MPS approach is no longer restricted by the size or the stationarity of training images; a training image can be a small geometrical element or a full-field reservoir model. In this paper, the different types of training images and their corresponding MPS algorithms are first reviewed. Then focus is placed on a case where a reservoir model exists, but needs to be conditioned to well data. The existing model can be built by process-based, object-based, or any other type of reservoir modeling approach. In general, the geologic patterns in a reservoir model are constrained by depositional environment, seismic data, or other trend maps. Thus, they are nonstationary, in the sense that they are location dependent. A new MPS algorithm is proposed that can use any existing model as training image and condition it to well data. In particular, this algorithm is a practical solution for conditioning geologic-process-based reservoir models to well data.
The Word of Mouse on Internet Research

Consalvo, M., Baym, N., Hunsinger, J., Bruhn Jensen, K., Logie, J., Murero, M., & Regan Shade, L. (Eds.). (2004). Internet research annual. Selected papers from the Association of Internet Researchers conferences, 2000-2002. Volume 1. New York: Peter Lang. viii þ283 pp. ISBN: 0820468401. $29.95 (paper). Dodge, M., & Kitchin, R. (2001) Mapping cyberspace. London: Routledge. xii þ260 pp. ISBN: 0415198844. $42.95 (paper).
Comparison of Nicardipine Versus Esmolol in Attenuating the Hemodynamic Responses to Anesthesia Emergence and Extubation

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) nicardipine versus esmolol in controlling heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses to emergence and extubation. Design: Prospective, randomized, double blind. Setting: University hospital, single institution. Participants: Twenty-two American Society of Anesthesiologists physical class 1 to 3 adult inpatients scheduled for general anesthesia. Interventions: General endotracheal anesthesia with oxygen/isoflurane and muscle relaxation. At end of surgery, with at least 2 twitches by nerve stimulator and end-tidal isoflurane Measurements and Main Results: There were no significant differences between groups in age, weight, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical class or preoperative hemodynamics (HR, BP, mean arterial pressure [MAP]). Compared with nicardipine, 0.03 mg/kg IV, esmolol, 1.5 mg/kg IV, significantly ( p p Conclusions: Although esmolol, 1.5 mg/kg, IV was more effective than nicardipine, 0.03 mg/kg, IV for attenuating the HR response to extubation, nicardipine was more effective in controlling the BP response.
The association of fetal arrhythmias with congenital heart disease

ALAN BOLNICK, JAMES EGAN, ELIZABETH MILEWSKI, CAROLYN ZELOP, ELISA GIANFERRARI, MARY BETH JANICKI, ADAM BORGIDA, University of Connecticut, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Farmington, Connecticut, Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hartford, Connecticut OBJECTIVE: Congenital heart disease occurs in 8 per 1000 live births. Allen et al (Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol, 2001) have shown that cardiac arrhythmias in fetuses have been observed in 2% of pregnancies. We sought to determine the association of fetal rhythm abnormalities with structural cardiac abnormalities. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective analysis by searching our ultrasound database from 1999-2004 to identify all patients referred for fetal arrhythmias. Fetal cardiac arrhythmias were evaluated by fetal echocardiography (which normally lasted 45-50 minutes), M-mode and Doppler ultrasound. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Cardiac or rhythm abnormalities were documented on 1045 of the fetal echocardiograms we performed during the study period. Of these, 82 (7.8%)were identified as abnormal cardiac rhythms. Premature atrial contractions were found in 66 (87%) of the 69 fetuses with extrasystoles. There were two fetuses with atrial flutter (2.1%) and one with bradycardia (1.4%). These patients required monitoring and/or pharmaceutical rate control. One patient (1.4%) referred for AMA was found to have a hypoplastic left heart that was associated with an arrhythmia. Eleven (13%) of the fetuses had a normal cardiac rhythm during the examination. CONCLUSION: Patients referred for fetal arrhythmias had a very low risk of structural heart disease which was only slightly greater than the background risk of CHD. Our study showed that 5% of the patients required intensive surveillance, 3 for cardiac rate irregularity and one for a structural abnormality.
Small, nonfunctioning, asymptomatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs): Role for nonoperative management

Background Controversy exists regarding the optimal management of incidentally discovered, small pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). Our aim was to review the outcomes of patients who underwent nonoperative and operative management. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with nonfunctioning PNETs at our institution from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2011. Patients were included if the tumor was sporadic and Results Nonoperative patients (n = 77, median age, 67 years; range, 31–94) had a median tumor size of 1.0 cm (range, 0.3–3.2). Mean follow-up (F/U) was 45 months (max. 153 months). Median tumor size did not change throughout F/U; there was no disease progression or disease specific mortality. In the operative group (n = 56, median age, 60 years; range, 27–82), median neoplasm size was 1.8 cm (range, 0.5–3.6). Mean F/U was 52 months (max. 138 months). A total of 46% of the operative patients had some type of complication, more than half due to a clinically significant pancreatic leak. No recurrence or disease specific mortality was seen in the operative group, including 5 patients with positive lymph nodes. Conclusion Small nonfunctioning PNETs usually exhibit minimal or no growth over many years. Nonoperative management may be advocated when serial imaging demonstrates minimal or no growth without suspicious features.
Virtual moire interference approach for an industrial safety monitoring system

The objective of this work was to determine the feasibility and reliability of using the moire interference phenomenon as a means to detect human intrusion within a monitored zone. We applied moire interference principle for use in low-cost, safety-critical industrial monitoring applications. Moire interference is usually applied in the context of industrial applications for shape measurements. In this framework, we show how we can apply this concept to build a new safety product that detects human intrusion into dangerous areas on the factory floor. We demonstrate that a solution based on moire interference offers the potential for detection true 3D objects while preventing false alarms due to lighting variations or shadows and simplifying the image processing software. In addition, our prosed approach is advantageous in the product certification process because it is an active detection method.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The effect of high glucocorticoid administration and food restriction on rodent skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and protein metabolism.

Background Glucocorticoids levels are high in catabolic conditions but it is unclear how much of the catabolic effects are due to negative energy balance versus glucocorticoids and whether there are distinct effects on metabolism and functions of specific muscle proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings We determined whether 14 days of high dose methylprednisolone (MPred, 4 mg/kg/d) Vs food restriction (FR, food intake matched to MPred) in rats had different effects on muscle mitochondrial function and protein fractional synthesis rates (FSR). Lower weight loss (15%) occurred in FR than in MPred (30%) rats, while a 15% increase occurred saline-treated Controls. The per cent muscle loss was significantly greater for MPred than FR. Mitochondrial protein FSR in MPred rats was lower in soleus (51 and 43%, respectively) and plantaris (25 and 55%) than in FR, while similar decline in protein FSR of the mixed, sarcoplasmic, and myosin heavy chain occurred. Mitochondrial enzymatic activity and ATP production were unchanged in soleus while in plantaris cytochrome c oxidase activity was lower in FR than Control, and ATP production rate with pyruvate + malate in MPred plantaris was 28% lower in MPred. Branched-chain amino acid catabolic enzyme activities were higher in both FR and MPred rats indicating enhanced amino acid oxidation capacity. Conclusion/Significance MPred and FR had little impact on mitochondrial function but reduction in muscle protein synthesis occurred in MPred that could be explained on the basis of reduced food intake. A greater decline in proteolysis may explain lesser muscle loss in FR than in MPred rats.
Chronic oral toxicities of four stearic acid emulsifiers.

Four emulsifiers were fed in concentrations ranging from 2% to 25% in the diets of rats for two years; two of these were also fed to dogs for 19 to 20 months at 5% of the diet. Deleterious effects, largely limited to the higher levels of feeding, included increased liver weight with all substances at 25% except Myrj 52, plus the following for each substance. Span 60 caused significant increase in mortality of rats at the 10 and 25% levels, growth depression and kidney enlargement at 25%, two instances of enlargement of the common bile duct at the 25% level, and slight fatty changes in some livers. The feeding of 5% had no effect on dogs. Myrj 52 caused growth depression among male rats fed at 25% dietary concentration, diarrhea ranging from marked to slight from the 25% level downward, very slight to moderate enlargement of the cecum at the three higher levels, and very slight focal adenomatoid hyperplasia of the liver at 10% and 25%. Tween 60 produced marked diarrhea at 10% and 25%, enlargement of the cecum which was slight to moderate at the 25% level and less at 10%, and questionable fatty changes of a very slight degree in the livers of rats fed at 25%. Myrj 45 produced bladder stones in about one-third of the 25% male rats (27 of 87) with associated bladder tumors in nearly half of these (13 of 27). One female also had bladder stones. Bladder stones did not occur below the 25% feeding level. The incidence of spontaneous tumors was affected in male rats at the 2% and 5% levels. Livers were significantly heavier at 5% and 10% and slight fatty changes occurred in some livers, the numbers increasing with dosage. Dogs exhibited no distinct effect due to the feeding of 5% Myrj 45. Myverol 18-00 used as a control at 25% (the only level fed) caused a mild degree of renal tubular calcification.
The effect of orthophosphate on carbonate mineral dissolution rates in seawater

The dissolution kinetics of a variety of synthetic and biogenic carbonates (low-Mg calcite, Mg-calcite and aragonite) were investigated in Gulf Stream seawater (salinity, S = 35‰) spiked with orthophosphate to a concentration of 50 μm. Phosphate is known to inhibit calcite dissolution and has been reported to catalyze the dissolution of aragonite. The main goal of the study was to assess whether the degree of inhibition depends on the mineralogy of the dissolving carbonate phase. Dissolution experiments were conducted at 25°C and a PCO2 of 10−2·5 atm. using the pH-stat technique. Dissolution rates were measured at saturation states ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 times saturation with respect to the dissolving carbonate mineral and were compared to rates measured in low-phosphate seawater. The degree of inhibition caused by phosphate addition increased as saturation state with respect to the dissolving carbonate mineral increased. At a saturation state of 0.2, addition of phosphate reduced dissolution rates by about a factor of 2. Closer to equilibrium, at a saturation state of 0.8, dissolution rates were reduced by about a factor of 4. More importantly, all carbonate samples whether of synthetic or biogenic origin were inhibited to similar degrees at equivalent saturation states. The “catalysis” reported by previous workers for synthetic aragonite appears to be an artifact of its anomalous non-linear dissolution rate over time. Because phosphate inhibits the dissolution of different carbonate minerals to similar degrees, selective dissolution of aragonite from metastable carbonate sediments cannot be promoted by the presence of orthophosphate.
Lung regeneration: mechanisms, applications and emerging stem cell populations

Recent studies have shown that the respiratory system has an extensive ability to respond to injury and regenerate lost or damaged cells. The unperturbed adult lung is remarkably quiescent, but after insult or injury progenitor populations can be activated or remaining cells can re-enter the cell cycle. Techniques including cell-lineage tracing and transcriptome analysis have provided novel and exciting insights into how the lungs and trachea regenerate in response to injury and have allowed the identification of pathways important in lung development and regeneration. These studies are now informing approaches for modulating the pathways that may promote endogenous regeneration as well as the generation of exogenous lung cell lineages from pluripotent stem cells. The emerging advances, highlighted in this Review, are providing new techniques and assays for basic mechanistic studies as well as generating new model systems for human disease and strategies for cell replacement.
Juvenile Molt in Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis

A survey of the literature indicates that previous workers (Osgood, 1909; Nicholson, 1941; Hamilton, 1943; Cahalane, 1947; Burt, 1949) have been aware of the change from the gray juvenile pelage to the “rufous” or cinnamon red of the adult deer mouse, Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis , but no investigation has been made of the progress of the pelage change or the factors that control it. Collins (1918), studied pelage change in Peromyscus maniculatus gambeli and several other closely related western forms. The present study was initiated with a two-fold purpose; (1) to follow the course of the pelage change; (2) to correlate age with pelage change. The data presented here are from observations made on deer mice captured in the Ithaca, New York, region during the summers of 1949 and 1950 and from animals of the same subspecies taken in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area during the spring and summer of 1954. All observations were made on litters born and raised in captivity. All litters were from pregnant females captured in the field. No attempt was made to breed the mice in captivity. In order that environmental conditions might be as natural as possible, the animals were kept in large outdoor cages placed directly on the ground. Each cage, constructed of ¼inch hardware wire, was three feet long and one foot square in cross section, and equipped with a large one-foot-square wooden nesting box. Tall grass and weeds soon grew up through the wire mesh and provided excellent cover for the animals. Since these mice are extremely nervous, they were observed and handled as infrequently as possible. Before the onset of pelage change the animals were never handled, although daily observations of the nest were made. When checking the pelage, the mice were caught and examined on …
Lianas escape self-thinning: Experimental evidence of positive density dependence in temperate lianas Celastrus orbiculatus and C. scandens

Abstract The neighborhood density of plants strongly affects their growth, reproduction, and survival. In most cases, high density increases competition and negatively affects a focal plant in predictable ways, leading to the self-thinning law. There are, however, situations in which high densities of plants facilitate focal plant performance, resulting in positive density dependence. Despite their importance in forest gap dynamics and distinctive growth form, there have been very few studies of the effect of density on lianas or vines. We grew an invasive (Celastrus orbiculatus) and a native (Celastrus scandens) liana species together in three different density treatments, while also manipulating the light and support availability. We found that across treatment conditions, C. orbiculatus always out-performed C. scandens, showing greater relative growth rate in height and diameter, greater biomass and higher survival. Both species responded similarly to the density treatments: with plants in high density not showing a decrease in relative height growth rate compared to medium density. Aboveground biomass for C. scandens was not affected by density, while for C. orbiculatus, the most massive plants were growing in medium density without support. More surprisingly, survival analysis indicated that the two species both had significantly lower mortality rates in the highest density treatment; this trend held true across the other treatments of light and supports. More generally, this study demonstrates that these lianas can escape the consequences of high density and thus the self-thinning law that affects self-supporting plants. This suggests a broader hypothesis about lianas in general: their greater flexibility in allocating growth resources allows them to grow taller and thinner without collapsing and thereby potentially escape shading and mortality even at high densities.
Mating Vocalizations of Female Frogs: Control and Evolutionary Mechanisms

Vocalization behaviors of anuran amphibians are universally sexually dimorphic. Usually, only male frogs give an advertisement call, while female frog calls are limited to a soft and simple release call which is specifically suppressed at mating. In a very few species, however, female frogs also give mating vocalizations. We examined possible mechanisms for control of this rare heterotypical behavior. At the peripheral level, most differences in temporal and spectral characteristics between female mating calls and the calls of conspecific males related directly to sexual dimorphisms in laryngeal and oblique muscle morphology. At the neural and hormonal level, we first developed an integrated model for control of vocalizations, based primarily on male frog data. When this model is applied to females, female mating vocalizations were most similar to male advertisement calls, rather than being modified release calls. Females may have conscripted preexisting androgen-sensitive neural pathways typically used only by males but present in both sexes. Female mating calls have been heard only during courtship and amplexus. Androgen levels in females at this time are significantly higher than even those levels in males. Because this situation is common in frogs, female mating vocalizations likely evolved independently multiple times. Character optimization suggests that mate location is the most common biological role for female mate calling, but the particular aspects of reproductive biology vary widely across species.
Sucrose-stimulated searching behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster in a uniform habitat: modulation by period of deprivation

Abstract The local searching behaviour of sucrose-fed, apterous Drosophila melanogaster was analysed to quantify the effects of starvation on search parameters and to determine if a genetic dissection of local searching behaviour was feasible. Three distinct ‘searching states’ were observed: pre-feeding ranging prior to feeding, local searching immediately following feeding, and post-feeding ranging after local searching was terminated. Differences between the first and third states indicate that the searching behaviour of D. melanogaster is not a simple alternation between ranging and local searching. Unfed D. melanogaster females walk relatively straight in the horizontal plane, a phase of searching referred to as pre-feeding ranging. Locomotory rate declines as the period of starvation increases from 0 to 48 h. Time actually spent moving increases to a maximum at 3–12 h of starvation and then declines. Satiated flies and flies starved for 48 h move very little. After a fly feeds on a drop of sucrose, its local searching is characterized by a decrease in locomotory rate and an increase in turning rate. These values then decay to post-feeding asymptotes. Flies starved longer than 24 h exhibit a somewhat different pattern of changes in the motor values. The duration of local searching increases with the period of starvation. ‘Thoroughness’ values, a combination of path length and minimum circumscriptive circle, demonstrated that there were periodic bouts of searching, and a decline over time in the amplitude of area-restricted searching. The relative time spent ranging and searching and the rate of movement during these activities are discussed in terms of differing energy reserves resulting from a balance between the period of starvation and food intake.