cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of dexamethasone on the excretion of maternal urinary steroids in pregnancies with anencephalic fetuses.

Summary The urinary excretions of oestriol, total 17-oxosteroids and pregnanediol were studied before, during and after the administration of dexamethasone in 14 pregnancies in which the fetus was anencephalic. While the excretion of oestriol in all patients decreased significantly during therapy no consistent alteration was observed either for total 17-oxosteroids or pregnanediol. In eight of these patients fractionation of oestrogens and 11-deoxy-17-oxosteroids was carried out. A consistent and significant decrease in values of oestrone, oestriol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) was observed. The effect of dexamethasone on the excretion of oestradiol-17β and the 17-oxosteroids, androsterone and aetiocholanolone was insignificant.
Current status of aircraft batteries in the U.S. Air Force

A major transition is underway in the US Air Force to convert from conventional vented-cell to sealed-cell aircraft batteries. This new generation of aircraft batteries is based on starved-electrolyte, gas-recombinant technology, resulting in both high reliability and maintenance-free operation. Sealed lead-acid (SLA) and sealed nickel-cadmium (SNC) batteries both have been developed and qualified for aircraft use. The author presents an overview of current retrofit initiatives for various Air Force aircraft. Results from a user survey are also presented, covering the current battery and charger status of all aircraft in the Air Force active inventory as of 1991. >
Intraventricular 5,7‐Dihydroxytryptamine Increases Thyrotropin‐Releasing Hormone Content in Regions of Rat Brain

Rats received intraventricular (i.v.t.) injections of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) (100-600 micrograms). Some animals also received intraperitoneal injections of the 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake blocker fluoxetine (FX) (20 mg/kg) or the norepinephrine uptake blocker desmethylimipramine (DMI) (48 mg/kg) 30-90 min prior to i.v.t. 5,7-DHT. Rats were killed between 2 and 35 days following i.v.t. 5,7-DHT, brains were dissected, and regions were assayed for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) by radioimmunoassay. Dose-dependent increases in TRH content following i.v.t. 5,7-DHT were noted in the brainstem and hippocampus. DMI pretreatment blocked the increase in hippocampal TRH, but not in brainstem TRH. FX pretreatment was ineffective in blocking any increases in TRH content. These results suggest differential regulation of regional TRH content by interactions with specific neurotransmitter systems.
Synthesis and Processing of Equine Herpesvirus 1 Glycoprotein D

Previous studies (C. C. Flowers and D. J. O'Callaghan, 1992, Virology 190, 307-315) employed peptide-specific antibodies to identify the product of the glycoprotein D (gD) gene of equine herpesvirus 1 strain Kentucky A (KyA). gD polypeptides of 55 and 58 kDa were detected in EHV-1-infected L-M cells, and the 58-kDa protein was observed in the membrane fraction of EHV-1 virions. In this report, the kinetics of synthesis and processing of gD polypeptides are described. One-hour pulse-labeling of EHV-1-infected L-M cells revealed that gD proteins are first detected at 6 hr after infection and that maximal synthesis of gD occurs between 5 and 8 hr postinfection. gD polypeptides accumulate progressively with time of infection as shown by immunoprecipitation analysis of gD proteins. Pulse-chase analysis of gD revealed that the 55-kDa protein is a precursor to the 58-kDa species and that processing of all pulse-labeled precursor protein requires approximately 2.5 hr. Analysis of the carbohydrate content of gD proteins, as judged by their sensitivity to digestion with endoglycosidases, revealed that the 55-kDa gD precursor contains high-mannose N-linked oligosaccharides, while the 58-kDa gD mature polypeptide possesses complex type oligosaccharides. Expression of the mature form of gD on the cell surface, as determined by fluorescent flow cytometric analysis, is delayed compared to the accumulation of the mature form of gD within the cell. The gD ORF encodes a potential protein of 442 amino acids but analysis of the translated sequence of gD indicated that the gD polypeptide is 392 amino acids, a size predicted by previous mapping of the transcription start site of the gD mRNA. Coupled in vitro transcription/translation of a pGEM-3Z construct containing the 392-amino-acid gD ORF, in the absence or presence of canine pancreatic microsomes, demonstrated that the 43-kDa gD polypeptide undergoes processing in vitro. These studies demonstrate that the EHV-1 strain KyA gD is processed in a fashion similar to that of the gD proteins of other alphaherpesviruses.
Calibrating the Root Zone Water Quality Model

Techniques to reliably calibrate computer models are needed before the models can be applied to help solve natural resource problems. The USDA-ARS Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) is a comprehensive simulation model designed to predict hydrologic and chemical response, including potential for ground-water contamination, of agricultural management systems. RZWQM Version 3.2 was calibrated and evaluated at sites in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio as part of the Management Systems Evaluation Areas (MSEA) project and at a site near Sterling in northeastern Colorado. Soil horizon description and a description of the physical and hydraulic properties of the soil were required to initialize the model. Calibration for nutrient cycling involved adjusting the model coefficients for mineralization, infiltration, and denitrification. Initial N pool sizes were estimated using medium to long-term computer simulations. Maximum N uptake rate, plant respiration, specific leaf area, and the effect of age at the time of propagule development and senescence were used to calibrate the plant production and yield component. To match the observed results for soil water, N, and plant growth, an iterative approach for calibrating the model was followed. When done methodically, total biomass estimates were within 5%, yield estimates were within 10%, and N uptake was within 20% of field measurements. Calibration of the C and N dynamics module produced results that were generally within 20 to 50 kg ha -1 of measured values for soil profile NO 3 - -N. Independent evaluations of the calibrated model focused on four indicator output variables related to plant growth-total biomass, yield, N uptake, and N in the soil profile. Predictions matched the observed data in most cases. The crop model is very sensitive to plant N content. Even small errors in simulating N uptake levels can result in substantial errors in estimates of yield and total aboveground biomass. The model predicted biomass and yield well on irrigated and most dryland management systems and adequately simulated crop variables at various positions along the landscape.
Radiation Response of a 12YWT Nanostructured Ferritic Steel

In order to evaluate the radiation response of 12YWT nanostructured ferritic steel to high dose neutron irradiation, the solute distribution, and size, number density, and compositions of nanoclusters in the unirradiated condition and after neutron irradiation to a dose of 3 dpa at a controlled temperature of 600 °C were estimated by atom probe tomography. No statistical difference in the average size or size distribution of the nanoclusters was found between the unirradiated and irradiated conditions. Therefore, these nanostructured ferritic steels are promising candidate materials for use under extreme conditions in future generations of advanced reactors.
The distribution of ATPase activities in purified transverse tubular membranes.

Abstract Vesiculated fragments of transverse tubules (TT) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes were purified from heterogeneous microsomal membrane fractions of chicken breast muscle by a modification of an iterative calcium-oxalate loading technique. The distribution of ATPase activities were determined for the TT and SR and were compared to enriched fractions of sarcolemma (SL) membranes. The TT membranes were characterized by high rates of magnesium-stimulated ATPase (Mg-ATPase) and 5′-nucleotidase activities but were virtually devoid of calcium-stimulated, magnesium-dependent ATPase (Ca,Mg-ATPase) activity. Moderate levels of a latent sodium and potassium-stimulated ATPase (Na,K-ATPase) were observed for TT membranes when unmasked with valinomycin and monensin. In contrast to the behavior of TT membranes, highly purified SR membranes displayed an active Ca,Mg-ATPase but negligible Na,K-ATPase, Mg-ATPase, and 5′-nucleotidase activities. High levels of Na,K-ATPase and 5′-nucleotidase activities were observed for SL membranes; however, the SL displayed no appreciable Ca,Mg-ATPase and Mg-ATPase activities. The lack of significant Mg-ATPase activity in the SR and SL fractions suggested that the Mg-ATPase was uniquely associated with the TT membranes. The TT Mg-ATPase was further characterized by its pH and temperature dependences, and its sensitivity to pharmacologic agents. The Mg-ATPase of the TT was insensitive to inhibition by sodium azide and oligomycin in concentrations shown to exert maximum inhibition on the F 1 ATPase of submitochondrial particles. The Mg-ATPase was also resistant to the effects of ouabain and orthovanadate in concentrations which abolished the Na,K-ATPase and Ca,Mg-ATPase activities of the SL and SR, respectively. The Mg-ATPase displayed temperature and pH optima (25 °C, pH 7.3) which were distinguishable from the Ca,Mg-ATPase (45 °, pH 7.0) of highly purified SR fractions but which were very similar to the temperature and pH dependencies of the mixed microsomal fractions (MMF) from which the TT membranes were derived. Similarities in the pH and temperature dependencies of the TT and MMF Mg-ATPases plus the absence of appreciable Mg-ATPase activity in highly purified SR membranes suggests that the “basic” Mg-ATPase often seen in crude SR fractions may originate from TT membrane contamination. The resistance of the TT Mg-ATPase to inhibition by the pharmacologic agents tested plus its unique temperature and pH dependences indicate that this ATPase is distinguishable from other ATPases and may, therefore, be of value as a specific biochemical marker for TT membranes.
Server scheduler design for distributed video-on-demand service

Online media server scheduling algorithms in distributed video-on-demand (VoD) systems are studied in this work. We first identify the failure rate and the server-side network bandwidth consumption as two main cost factors in a distributed VoD service model. The proposed distributed server scheduler consists of two parts: the request migration scheme and the dynamic content update strategy. By improving the random early migration (REM) scheme, we propose a cost-aware REM (CAREM) scheme to reduce the network bandwidth consumption due to the migration process. Furthermore, to accommodate the change in video popularity and/or client population, we use the server-video affinity to measure the potential server-side bandwidth cost after placing a specific video copy on that server. The dynamic content update strategy uses the server-video affinity to reconfigure video copies on media servers. We conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. It can be shown that CAREM together with the dynamic content update strategy can improve the system performance by reducing the request failure rate as well as the server bandwidth consumption.
New vinylidene fluoride copolymers: Poly(vinyl acetate-co-vinylidene fluoride)

Abstract : Copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and vinyl acetate have been prepared at varied compositions and characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FTIR, DSC and TGA. Copolymers were obtained as both THF soluble and insoluble fractions with the former having a relatively random distribution of monomers along the chain and the latter being somewhat blocky in nature. Vinylidene fluoride, Vinyl acetate, Copolymers, Capacitors, Dielectrics.
La representación del conocimiento en la memoria

RESUMENEl conocimiento se organiza en la memoria en forma de esquemas, estructuras de datos que representan los conceptos genericos. Estos esquemas tienen variables, pueden encajarse uno dentro de otro, varian en sus niveles de abstraccion y representan un conocimiento asociado a conceptos. Son las unidades clave de los procesos de comprension, almacenamiento y recuperacion de la informacion. Tambien son necesarios para establecer inferencias, como predictores de estimulos no observados, y en el razonamiento analogico. El conocimiento subyacente para la realizacion de acciones lo constituyen los esquemas de accion, que son subesquemas de un esquema mas complejo. Existen dos mecanismos para producir y modificar esquemas: la especializacion y la generalizacion, y ambos pueden ser considerados como tipos de aprendizaje. Los procesos de busqueda y activacion de un esquema pueden ser conducidos por datos, o conducidos conceptualmente.
A kinetic model for pyrolysis of Douglas fir bark

A kinetic study of catalysed and non-catalysed pyrolysis of Douglas fir bark was conducted using a DuPont 951 Thermogravimetric Analyzer. A kinetic model in which activation energy is assumed to be a linear function of the extent of reaction was used to describe the pyrolysis of bark. It was found that as conversion increases from 10 to 70% the apparent activation energy increases (as 101.7 + 142.7 X) to 201.8 kJ/mol for the non-catalysed bark and (as 102.6 + 86.2 X) to 162.8 kJ/mol for the catalysed bark. The order of reaction was found to be one for the non-catalysed and two for the catalysed bark. The model shows good agreement with the data reported by other investigators using a fluidized bed.
Anatomy of ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves in relation to trocar placement and low transverse incisions.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to map the course of the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves. Study design The courses of iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves from 11 fresh frozen cadavers were mapped from their lateral emergence on the anterior abdominal wall to their midline termination in reference to fixed bony landmarks. Bivariate fit ellipses were generated for each nerve and compared with sites of standard abdominal surgical incisions. Results Thirteen iliohypogastric and 16 ilioinguinal nerves were identified and mapped. On average, the proximal end of the ilioinguinal nerve entered the abdominal wall 3.1 cm medial and 3.7 cm inferior to the anterior superior iliac spine, then followed a linear course to terminate 2.7 cm lateral to the midline and 1.7 cm superior to pubic symphysis. The iliohypogastric nerve entered the abdominal wall on average 2.1 cm medial and 0.9 cm inferior to the anterior superior iliac spine, which followed a linear course to terminate 3.7 cm lateral to the midline and 5.2 cm superior to pubic symphysis. Conclusion Abdominal wall surgical sites below the level of the anterior superior iliac spine have the potential for ilioinguinal or iliohypogastric injury.
Comparison of standing balance between female collegiate dancers and soccer players.

Abstract Study design This study was designed as a comparison study of two cohorts. Objectives The hypothesis of this study was that soccer players and dancers have different balance abilities and that these differences could be objectively measured using center of pressure measurements. Background Center of pressure (COP) measurements are reproducible and have been validated in the literature for assessing standing balance. The literature does not provide sensitive enough techniques for discriminating between two groups of athletes with excellent standing balance. Methods and measures A Matscan pressure mat (Tekscan, Boston, MA) was used to compare COP change variability between 32 female collegiate soccer players and 32 dancers. COP was used to calculate sway index, center acquisition time, sway path length and sway velocity as measures of standing balance. Results The dancers had significantly better balance scores (p Conclusion These data show that standing balance characteristics of dancers and soccer players can be objectively measured using COP data. Dancers have certain standing balance abilities that are better than those of soccer players. The COP measurements in this study can be used as a tool in future studies investigating standing balance in different groups of athletes.
Reactions of monomeric [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2CeH and CO with or without H2: an experimental and computational study.

Addition of CO to [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2CeH, CeH, in toluene yields the cis-( Ce)2(μ-OCHCHO), in which the cis-enediolate group bridges the two metallocene fragments. The cis-enediolate quantitatively isomerizes intramolecularly to the trans-enediolate in C6D6 at 100 °C over 7 months. When the solvent is pentane, Ce(OCH2)Ce forms, in which the oxomethylene group or the formaldehyde dianion bridges the two metallocene fragments. The cis-enediolate is suggested to form by insertion of CO into the Ce−C bond of Ce(OCH2)Ce , generating CeOCH2COCe . The stereochemistry of the cis-enediolate is determined by a 1,2-hydrogen shift in the OCH2CO fragment that has the OC(H2) bond anti-periplanar relative to the carbene lone pair. The bridging oxomethylene complex reacts with H2, but not with CH4, to give CeOMe, which is also the product of the reaction between CeH and a mixture of CO and H2. The oxomethylene complex reacts with CO to give the cis-enediolate complex. DFT calculations on C5H5 model metallocenes show tha...
CRITERIA FOR SURGERY IN MITRAL HEART DISEASE.

s EXPERIENCE with surgery for mitral A valve disease has matured, it has become increasingly apparent that the selection of patients for treatment requires an evaluation of four basic details: (1) the type and relative effectiveness of available technics; (2) the anatomic and pathophysiologic diagnosis; (3) the natural history of the lesion; and (4) the comparative risks of surgical and medical treatment. The bearing that each of these issues has on patients with mitral stenosis or insufficiency will be considered separately.
It's good to know that you got somebody that's not going anywhere: Attitudes and beliefs of older youth in foster care about child welfare-based natural mentoring☆

article i nfo Article history: Thisexploratorystudy isthe first toinvestigate theattitudesandbeliefsof olderadolescents infostercare toward the implementation of a child welfare-based natural mentoring intervention designed to promote enduring, growth-fostering relationships between youth at risk of emancipation and caring, supportive nonparental adults from within the youth's existing social network. Six focus groups were conducted with 17 older youth in foster care attending a specialized charter high school for young people in out-of-home care in a large, urban city in the Northeast United States. Focus group data were transcribed and analyzed using a conventional content analysis approach. The following significant themes emerged related to natural mentoring for older foster youth emancipating from care: (1) need for permanent relationships with caring adults, (2) youth conceptions of natural mentoring, (3) unique challenges related to natural mentoring for youth in foster care, (4) role of a natural mentoring intervention in child welfare, and (5) challenges for implementing a child welfare-based natural mentoring intervention. Overall, our findings suggest that these young people are cautiously optimistic about the potential of a child welfare-based natural mentoring intervention to promote their social and emotional wellbeing. Future studies are needed to better understand the experiences of older foster youth with an actual natural mentoring intervention, including challenges, opportunities, and outcomes.
Validity of common assumptions for anomalous scattering

The usual description of Rayleigh scattering (the component of elastic photon-atom scattering identified with scattering from bound electrons) separates the high-energy fixed-momentum-transfer limit (generally taken to be specified in terms of the atomic form factor) from additional contributions to the amplitude, known as anomalous scattering factors or anomalous dispersion corrections. We use explicit results from a full relativistic numerical calculation of Rayleigh scattering to emphasize that several common assumptions regarding these anomalous scattering factors, still mistakenly used although previously criticized, are not entirely appropriate: (1) The anomalous scattering factors should not be identified with the difference from form factor; (2) the imaginary forward scattering factor ${f}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$ is not determined solely from photoeffect at high energy ($\ensuremath{\gtrsim}2m{c}^{2}$); (3) the imaginary forward amplitude includes bound-bound resonance contributions below the photoeffect threshold, which are needed to ensure that the real forward scattering factor obtained from ${f}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$ through a dispersion relation goes to a finite value as the threshold is approached from above; (4) the imaginary anomalous amplitudes do not have the angular dependence of the form factor, but rather a weaker angular dependence, with the consequence that the imaginary amplitude can be comparable in magnitude with the real amplitude at some nonforward angles; and (5) the ratio of parallel and perpendicular anomalous amplitudes is not simply $cos\ensuremath{\theta}$.
Magnetoelectric effect in AlN/CoFe bi-layer thin film composites

The present work is aimed at fabricating bi-layer aluminum nitride (AlN)/cobalt iron (CoFe) magnetoelectric (ME) thin films using reactive rf/dc magnetron sputtering. A systematic study on structural, morphological, piezoelectric, magnetic and magnetoelectric properties is undertaken. Except for AlN and CoFe, no other phases were detected with the layer thicknesses measured at 160 and 130 nm, respectively. The rms roughness measured was around 2.096 nm for AlN and 1.806 nm for CoFe. The bi-layer thin film exhibited both good piezoelectricity and ferromagnetism, as well as ME effect. A 52% change observed in the piezoelectric signal, measured using magnetic field assisted piezoresponse force microscopy, can be ascribed to the existence of a stress-mediated magnetoelectric coupling between AlN and CoFe.
Jean Lemaire de Belges's Rhetorical Masks in L’Amant Vert and “Les Regretz de la Dame Infortunée”

A prominent feature of the poetry of Franco-Burgundian poet and rhetorician Jean Lemaire de Belges (1473–1524) is his use of a rhetorical mask—a persona—through which to proffer his utterances and assert his identity. Because the early sixteenth-century court poet's financially and politically subservient position vis-a-vis powerful aristocratic patrons demands an encomiastic rhetoric that leaves little room for the poet's self-assertion within the body of the poetic text, Lemaire must employ the indirect means of a narrative mask to assert his own existence and concerns. This article examines first the narrative mask of the parrot-lover in the 1505 Epitres de l’Amant Vert, through which Lemaire is able to voice concerns about his precarious position as a writer almost entirely at the mercy of his patron's good health and good will. A discussion of “Les Regretz de la Dame Infortunee” (1506) follows, in which Lemaire takes an intriguing narratological stance that unites his voice to that of his patroness, ...
Helen Keller: A Life

This biography of Helen Keller tells the story of the controversial and turbulent relationship between Helen and her teacher, Annie Sullivan. It chronicles Helens doomed love affair, her struggles to earn a living, her triumphs at Radcliffe College and her work as an advocate for the disabled. Helen Keller has been venerated as a saint or damned as a fraud, this book shows her as a beautiful, intelligent, high-strung and passionate woman whose life was transformed not only by her disabilities but also by the people on whose help and friendship she relied.
Q-switched resonantly diode-pumped Er:YAG laser

In this work, resonant diode pumping has been demonstrated for Q-switched and CW Er:YAG solid state lasers (SSLs) at eye-safe wavelengths. Resonant pumping was realized by using high spectral brightness 1470 nm laser diodes. An efficient 1645 nm CW laser with output power >3.5 W in the TEM00 mode was demonstrated. More than 11 mJ of output pulse energy in the TEM00 mode has been achieved for Q-switched operation at 20Hz repetition rate. M 2 of the output beam was better than 1.5 over the entire range of output pulse energies. We achieved an output peak power of ~400 kW.
Cyclic crack opening displacement behavior during high-amplitude block loading

Abstract Load-crack opening displacement hysteresis behavior was monitored for fifty cycles of highamplitude loading which followed fatigue pre-cracking at low stress intensity factor levels. The material studied was quenched and tempered (400°C) AISI 4140 steel which showed pronounced cyclic softening. Despite this softening behavior, cycle-to-cycle decreases in load-COD hysteresis were observed during the initial cycles of high-amplitude loading. Steady state load-COD hysteresis behavior was attained by fifty loading cycles in each case and the fifty-cycle hysteresis loop widths agreed well with those for continuously cycled (non-pre-cracked) samples for equivalent loading conditions. The cycles during which the load-COD hysteresis decreased most dramatically represented fatigue crack growth distances equal to approximately 30% of the calculated plane strain monotonic plastic zone size. Greater percentage reductions in load-COD hysteresis were observed for lower stress intensity factor ranges. The observed behavior was in general agreement with that predicted by finite element fatigue crack closure models in the literature. In addition, the level of prior loading was found to have a pronounced effect on subsequently measured fracture toughness values for this material.
Estimation of conjugated octadecatrienes in edible fats and oils

Interest in conjugated-diene fatty acids in foods has recently been increased by discovery of their antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties. Conjugated octadecatrienes (COTs), members of another group of fatty acids, are also present in foods. COTs are formed during the processing of vegetable oils as the result of the dehydration of secondary oxidation products of linoleic acid. Little information is available concerning the occurrence and nutritional properties of COTs in edible oils. Levels of COTs, determined in 27 vegetable oils by ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, ranged from not detected (<0.001) to 0.2%. Determination of COTs by gas chromatography of the methyl esters, obtained by transesterification at room temperature with sodium methoxide/methanol, gave lower levels (not detected, 0.051%) than did determination by UV spectroscopy. Methylation with boron trifluoride produced COTs from naturally occurring moieties in the oils and, therefore, is not recommended.
Impact of transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy on quality of life: a prospective randomized trial comparing 6 versus 12 cores.

Purpose: Recent studies advocating an increase in the number of cores of sextant transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy of the prostate to improve the cancer detection rate often have not addressed the impact on quality of life. We performed a prospective randomized trial comparing 6 to 12 prostate biopsy cores to determine the impact on the cancer detection rate, pain and morbidity, and quality of life. We report the impact on health related and screening specific quality of life in men undergoing 6 versus 12 core transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy.Materials and Methods: We prospectively randomized 244 men with a mean age plus or minus standard deviation of 65 ± 8 years, serum total prostate specific antigen between 2.5 and 20.0 ng./ml., and/or digital rectal examination findings suspicious of cancer to undergo 6 or 12 core peripheral zone tissue biopsy. Of the men 71 (29%) were black. All patients completed a self-administered questionnaire before, and 2 questionnaires 2 and 4 weeks after the p...
Oogenesis in the female sterile (1) 1304 mutant of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract The chemically induced mutation, female sterile (1) 1304 resides on the X-chromosome at locus 19. When homozygous, it renders females sterile, but has little effect on their viability or on the viability or fertility of hemizygous males. Heterozygous females are fertile and have cytologically normal ovaries. In mutant ovaries most of the egg chambers degenerate upon entering the vitellogenic stages of oogenesis. The few egg chambers that complete development are stored in the ovary. The most characteristic cytological abnormality involves the nurse cell nuclei. The 3-dimensional organization of nucleolar material differs markedly between homozygotes and heterozygotes. Since ribosome manufacture occurs in nucleoli, the mutant may alter the processing of rRNA in ovarian nurse cells. Oocytes possessing such morphologically abnormal nurse cells grow at a reduced rate and are eventually covered by multiple layers of follicle cells. These become abnormally thick and secrete deformed egg coverings.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THE GROWTH OF NATIVE ORCHIDS

The environments in which native orchids grow were examined in terms of factors which might determine the survival and reproduction of the various species. Soil tests were made for 34 species now known to be growing in Rhode Island. Soil reaction appears to be related to growth of orchids, but other factors in the environment were found to be of equal if not greater importance. These include light, moisture, temperature and destruction by animals. Fertility was not found to be limiting under the conditions observed.
Trust-Region Interior-Point SQP Algorithms for a Class of Nonlinear Programming Problems

In this paper, a family of trust-region interior-point sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithms for the solution of a class of minimization problems with nonlinear equality constraints and simple bounds on some of the variables is described and analyzed. Such nonlinear programs arise, e.g., from the discretization of optimal control problems. The algorithms treat states and controls as independent variables. They are designed to take advantage of the structure of the problem. In particular they do not rely on matrix factorizations of the linearized constraints but use solutions of the linearized state equation and the adjoint equation. They are well suited for large scale problems arising from optimal control problems governed by partial differential equations. The algorithms keep strict feasibility with respect to the bound constraints by using an affine scaling method proposed, for a different class of problems, by Coleman and Li [SIAM J. Optim., 6 (1996), pp. 418--445] and they exploit trust-region techniques for equality-constrained optimization. Thus, they allow the computation of the steps using a variety of methods, including many iterative techniques. Global convergence of these algorithms to a first-order Karush--Kuhn--Tucker (KKT) limit point is proved under very mild conditions on the trial steps. Under reasonable, but more stringent, conditions on the quadratic model and on the trial steps, the sequence of iterates generated by the algorithms is shown to have a limit point satisfying the second-order necessary KKT conditions. The local rate of convergence to a nondegenerate strict local minimizer is q-quadratic. The results given here include, as special cases, current results for only equality constraints and for only simple bounds. Numerical results for the solution of an optimal control problem governed by a nonlinear heat equation are reported.
Peptidase inhibitors improve recovery of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide release from rat spinal cord slices.

Abstract The purpose of present study was to determine whether peptidase activity affects the release of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from spinal cord slices. When slices were exposed to various inhibitors of endopeptidase 24.11, the resting and capsaicin-stimulated release of SP were less than 0.04% and 0.20% total content per minute, respectively. Resting CGRP release was approximately 0.10% and stimulated release was 0.40%. The combination of 20 μ M bacitracin, 100 μ M phenylalanylalanine (Phe-Ala), and 50 μ M p -chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid (PCMS) significantly increased both resting and stimulated release of SP and CGRP at least two- or threefold. Doubling the concentration of PCMS and Phe-Ala did not further improve peptide release. These results demonstrate that recovery of peptides released from spinal cord slices is dependent in part on activity of multiple peptidases in the tissues.
Environmental Locus of Control, Sympathy, and Proenvironmental Behavior A Test of Geller’s Actively Caring Hypothesis

Geller hypothesized a mediational model of environmentally responsi- ble behavior. Specifically, Geller proposed that "actively caring," a component of altruism, mediated the relation between environmentally responsible behaviors and personality factors related to self-affirmation (i.e., self-esteem, belonging, and per- sonal control). The present study tested this hypothesis. Participants completed a lengthy questionnaire that assessed their levels of self-esteem, belonging and per- sonal control, dispositional levels of actively caring (i.e., sympathy for others), and environmentally friendly behaviors. Results were largely consistent with Geller's model. Specifically, sympathy, the proxy measure of actively caring used in this study, mediated the relation between personal control and environmentally friendly behaviors.
Variational Compact Modeling and Simulation for Linear Dynamic Systems

In this paper, we propose a new statistical model order reduction technique called SSMOR method, that is suitable for considering both intra-die and inter-die process variations. The SSMOR generates order reduced variational models from the original variational circuits. The reduced model can be used for fast statistical performance analysis of interconnect circuits with variational power sources. The SSMOR uses statistical spectrum method to compute the variational moments and Monte Carlo sampling method via modified Krylov subspace reduction method to generate the variational reduced models. Experimental results show that explicit moment matching is not suitable for variational analysis and Krylov subspace projection method is more reliable. The proposed method can deliver about 100times speedup over the pure Monte Carlo based projection-based reduction method with less than 1 % of errors for both means and variances in statistical transient analysis
Tissue growth and cancer.

Food and metabolic waste products, insofar as they act upon the hereditary substrate of cells, are the most important factors governing tissue growth. Equations describing the growth of tissues are derived in consideration of this fact. A quantity is found in these equations which, if slightly changed, results in very great changes in the growth rate of the tissue, where such very great changes are interpretable as neoplastic growth. The relationship between our equations and similar equations which others have proposed is discussed.
Effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram on the acoustic startle response in rats.

Systemic administration of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram (0.05–10.0 mg/kg, IP) produced a rapid and dose-related increase in the amplitude of the acoustic startle response in rats. The (−) isomer was more potent than the (+) isomer in enhancing startle amplitude. Rolipram increased startle responses that were elicited by brief electrical stimulation of the ventral cochlear nucleus or nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, two brainstem relay nuclei of the startle neural circuit. A low (5 µg) dose of rolipram produced an excitatory effect on startle following spinal (lumbar intrathecal) infusion but not following supraspinal (lateral ventricle) infusion. Rolipram (0.5 mg/kg, IP) excitation of startle was not blocked by drugs which differentially disrupt the release of monoamines (DSP4, reserpine + alpha-methylpara-tyrosine, reserpine + para-chloro-phenylalanine) or by drugs which differentially block monoamine receptors (haloperidol, prazosin, idazoxan, cinanserin, or cyproheptadine). The marked increase in startle seen following systemic rolipram injection is attributable, at least in part, on an action in the lumbar spinal cord that directly or indirectly facilitates neural transmission along the reticulospinal component of the startle reflex neural pathway. The startle reflex should be a useful behavioral test system for studying the mechanism of action of rolipram and related compounds purported to selectively inhibit calmodulin-independent forms of phosphodiesterase.
Comment on "Summary and implications of reported amino acid concentrations in the Murchison meteorite" by E.L. Shock and M.D. Schulte

A criticism of the claim by Shock and Schulte (1990) that there is a correlation between the amino acid abundances (relative to glycine) in the Murchison meteorite and their aqueous solubilities is presented. Their suggestion that 'the same factors which control the aqueous solubility of many amino acids also control their relative abundances in the Murchison meteorite is argued to be incorrect. It is proposed that even though the water/meteorite ratio would have been less during meteorite aqueous alteration than that in the 100-C laboratory extraction procedure, amino acids are simply too soluble. The distribution of other meteorite organic components such as PAHs may have been affected by alteration because they are only slightly soluble in water and can be easily separated by geochromatographic processes. In their reply Shock and Schulte contend that the critics argue against a point not made in their paper and that their argument was supported with several unsubstantiated assertions, including an unfounded claim that the temperature dependence of amino acid solubilities are 'not greatly different', a misrepresentation of isopiestic studies on concentration solutions as equilibrium solubility measurements.
Microwave: practical cost-effectivemethod for sterilizing urinary catheters in the home

We used a standard microwave oven to sterilize red rubber catheters used for intermittent self-catheterization. Catheters were incubated for sixty minutes in a suspension of microorganisms isolated from the urine of patients with urinary tract infections. For each trial, 6 catheters were removed from their respective suspensions, placed in separate plastic freezer bags, distributed evenly in a microwave oven (avoiding cold spots), and microwaved simultaneously for twelve minutes. A control catheter was not microwaved. Two strains of each microorganism were tested. The urinary isolates were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Proteus sp., Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Candida sp. In each experiment, all 6 catheters were sterilized. Repeat sterilization in the microwave oven did not affect the integrity of the catheters or the plastic bags. A water heat sink of constant volume was employed. A home microwave oven may be used as a method to sterilize red rubber catheters for reuse with a recommended time of twelve minutes at full power. This technique makes aseptic intermittent self-catheterization a practical possibility.
Suture passer tip breakage during laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

Abstracts: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair generally employs a tacker and a suture passer to secure the mesh to the abdominal wall. We reviewed cases of Gore Suture Passer tip breakage during these procedures and their management. Surgeons performing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair were asked about encountered complications relating to the Gore Suture Passer instrument. Charts of the patients with significant alteration in the course of their procedure secondary to such complication were reviewed. Two cases of suture passer tip breakage were identified. One required fluoroscopy to localize and recover the tip, resulting in significant prolongation of the operation. The other required conversion to laparotomy with mesh removal; the tip of the Gore Suture Passer was found in the pelvis and the hernia was repaired with a Stoppa technique. The Gore Suture Passer tip may break during laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, which may significantly complicate the case.
Family Relationships, Parenting Behavior, and Adolescent Deviance in Three Ethnic Groups*:

This was a study of adolescent deviance from a family and developmental perspective. Seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade boys and girls from Mexican American (N = 2549), African American (N = 1837), and Euro-American (N = 3025) ethnic groups were surveyed about their family relationships, parental behavior, and their deviant activities. Some significant ethnic and gender differences were found. Implications for practice and prevention are discussed.
Managing large collections of data mining models

Data analysts and naive users alike in information-intensive organizations need automated ways to build, analyze, and maintain very large collections of data mining models.
Enhanced binding of phosphatidylserine-containing lipid vesicle targets to RAW264 macrophages

Phosphatidylserine was found to significantly enchance the binding of phospholipid vesicles to RAW264 macrophages. We have measured the kinetics of non-specific uptake of unilamellar vesicles as a function of phosphatidylserine concentration in these model target membranes. Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine was the principle component of these phospholipid vesicles. In most experiments, radiolabeled phospholipid and 1 mol % each of both a fluorescent phospholipid and a hapten-containing lipid headgroup were utilized. In the presence of specific anti-hapten antibody phosphatidylserine-containing vesicles are rapidly taken up via phagocytosis. The antibody-independent non-specific uptake of phosphatidylserine-free vesicles was low, as previously reported. However, the presence of 5 mol % phosphatidylserine dramatically enhanced the uptake of phospholipid vesicles by macrophages. This uptake was shown to be principally due to binding to the macrophage surface. Incubation of macrophages in the presence of sodium azide or at 4°C, conditions which are known to inhibit phagocytosis, do not influence the uptake of the lipid vesicles. Fluorescence video-intensification microscopy was used to observe the interaction of carboxyfluorescein-loaded vesicles with macrophages. Fluorescence could not be observed when using phosphatidylserine-free vesicles. However, phosphatidylserine-containing vesicles can be observed bound to the cell periphery. Intracellular fluorescence could not be observed. The binding of phosphatidylserine-containing vesicles was enhanced roughly four-fold over phosphatidylserine because the effect could not be observed with membranes containing 1 mol % or 2.5 mol% phosphatidylserine. In addition, the binding enhancement required the presence of divalent cations in the incubation medium.
Explaining mothers' ambivalence toward their adult children.

Interest in applying the concept of ambivalence to the study of intergenerational relations has increased in recent years. However, few empirical studies of this issue have been conducted. Using data from a study of 189 mothers aged 60 and over, the authors examine sources of ambivalence regarding the quality of their relationships with adult children. They hypothesized that adult children's failure to achieve and maintain normative adult statuses and financial independence and mother's developmental stage will predict ambivalent assessments of the relationship. Regression analyses supported these hypotheses and also revealed that the variables predicting ambivalence differed from those that predicted closeness and interpersonal stress.
The relative cost-effectiveness of citation and arrest

With crime rates increasing faster than resources, there is a need for more efficient utilization of these resources. In this article, the use of field citation as an alternative to traditional arrest is examined. Citation utilization rates are reviewed and citation is compared with arrest on the dimensions of cost and offender failure to appear rates. Unlike previous studies, an experimental design is employed to examine the differences between arrest and citation on these two dimensions.
Photocathode electron linac for AFEL

Abstract A compact, high brightness accelerator was designed and fabricated by Los Alamos National Laboratory for use in the Advanced Free Electron Laser (AFEL) Facility. A brazed copper, 1300-MHz, 20-MeV structure is suspended within a thermally insulating vacuum vessel. Integral cooling passages allow introduction of cooling water for normal operation, or liquid nitrogen for cryogenic operation. Its exceptional beam quality is expected to enhance the performance of the FEL experiments planned for the AFEL Facility.
A (Q, R) inventory model with a drop-shipping option for e-business

Abstract Drop shipping is used by online as well as traditional retailers as an order fulfillment strategy. A retailer simply forwards customers’ orders to the manufacturer or a distributor who fills the orders directly to the customers and is paid a predetermined price by the retailer. For the retailer, advantages of drop shipping include lower holding, handling, and shortage costs. Disadvantages include increased per-unit cost, fragmented order delivery when a single customer order involves products from different manufacturers, longer delivery times, and increased order processing cost. In this paper, we develop two ( Q , R ) inventory models that allow a retailer to use the drop-shipping option in case of a shortage during lead-time. In the first model, the units short are backordered whereas in the second model sales are lost. We provide closed-form results for exponential and uniform demand distributions. We perform numerical sensitivity analysis and illustrate the results with numerical examples.
Intensivists Guide to the Medical Internet: Part I

Markovitz BP. Intensivists guide to the medical internet: Part I. J Intensive Care Med 1999;14:291.
GIS Approaches for the Estimation of Residential-Level Ambient PM Concentrations

Spatial estimations are increasingly used to estimate geocoded ambient particulate matter (PM) concentrations in epidemiologic studies because measures of daily PM concentrations are unavailable in most U.S. locations. This study was conducted to a) assess the feasibility of large-scale kriging estimations of daily residential-level ambient PM concentrations, b) perform and compare cross-validations of different kriging models, c) contrast three popular kriging approaches, and d ) calculate SE of the kriging estimations. We used PM data for PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM10) and aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the year 2000. Kriging estimations were performed at 94,135 geocoded addresses of Women’s Health Initiative study participants using the ArcView geographic information system. We developed a semiautomated program to enable large-scale daily kriging estimation and assessed validity of semivariogram models using prediction error (PE), standardized prediction error (SPE), root mean square standardized (RMSS), and SE of the estimated PM. National- and regional-scale kriging performed satisfactorily, with the former slightly better. The average PE, SPE, and RMSS of daily PM10 semivariograms using regular ordinary kriging with a spherical model were 0.0629, −0.0011, and 1.255 μg/m3, respectively; the average SE of the estimated residential-level PM10 was 27.36 μg/m3. The values for PM2.5 were 0.049, 0.0085, 1.389, and 4.13 μg/m3, respectively. Lognormal ordinary kriging yielded a smaller average SE and effectively eliminated out-of-range predicted values compared to regular ordinary kriging. Semiautomated daily kriging estimations and semivariogram cross-validations are feasible on a national scale. Lognormal ordinary kriging with a spherical model is valid for estimating daily ambient PM at geocoded residential addresses.