cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Reaction of the Fowl to Inbreeding

Abstract THE use of inbreeding as an aid to selection is receiving more and more attention in the field of poultry breeding. Many of the reports on inbreeding, particularly the earlier ones, have been discouraging. They nevertheless have brought out certain fundamental Concepts. These reports while seemingly at variance are only describing a natural phenomenon. The various manifestations are due to the different genetic constitutions of the several stocks, and to differences in selection intensity, and environmental influence. Inbreeding investigations at the Minnesota station (Shoffner 1946 and unpublished) indicate that lines of breeding tend to react in rather characteristic ways upon inbreeding. The investigations of Dunn (1923 and 1928), Hays (1924 and 1934), Goodale (1927), Jull (1929a, 1929b, and 1933), Dumon (1930), Dunkerly (1930), Waters and Lambert (1936), Waters (1941, 1945a, 1945b, and 1945c), substantiate the following general principles. First, inbreeding has nearly always had a general depressing effect, but it . . .
The Use of Human Experience Data in the EU Risk Assessment Process

The incorporation of human experience data (HD) into the risk assessment process is encouraged by various authorities with the aim of improving the robustness of the subsequent findings. HD, however, can present in many forms, ranging from epidemiological studies to the accumulated experiences from poison centers. This diversity of the human experience, combined with the manner in which it may (or may not) present, creates several challenges for risk assessors if they are to give available HD due weight in the RA process. An evaluation was made of how HD has been cited and used within the 64 human health RAs published by the EU to the end of 2005. In all RAs, HD had been cited to some degree. But there was no consistency between how cited data had subsequently been taken forward and used in the evaluation of different endpoints, either between the RAs authored by the same or different EU Member States. The lack of any accepted guidance for addressing the role that HD can play within the RA process appears to lead to this situation. Recommendations are provided on the scope and focus such guidance could usefully be expected to take.
KCl potentiated inactivation of poliovirus 1 by free chlorine at pH 4.5

Abstract At 5 °C in phthalate buffer at pH 4.5, poliovirus 1 was destroyed 60 to 70% more rapidly by free chlorine (FC) in the presence of 1,262 mg/L (~ 0.0169 M) KCl than in the absence of KCl. At 5 °C, more than 99.9% of FC exists as HOCl at pH 4.5. Since buffers themselves may have a marked potentiating effect on the virus-inactivating capability of FC, and because a maximum ion potentiating effect may occur, the actual degree of potentiation of HOCl by KCl may be much greater. Because the level of chlorination for drinking water is in large part determined by the rate at which the chlorines inactivate viruses in laboratory studies, the potentiation of FC by ions normally present in drinking waters may permit reducing chlorination levels and with them the levels of carcinogenic and otherwise toxic organic halides produced by chlorination.
Polymorphism in an island population of the california vole microtus californicus reproductive fitness of genotypes in differing controlled environments

The effects of two seasonally varying factors on the breeding success of different genotypes were assessed in separate controlled experiments in the laboratory. Homozygous and heterozygous agouti morphs and a homozygous buffy morph bred from a polymorphic island population of the California vole were the subjects of the study. Significant genotypic differences were found in the reproductive output of an experimental group in a cold (6°C) environment compared to a control sibling group at ambient fluctuating temperatures. In a second experiment, reproductive output was significantly higher for agouti, but not buffy morphs, given a green food supplement, compared to their sibs on a dry food diet. Genotypic differences in growth patterns of the offspring were also found. Temperature and availability of green vegetation vary seasonally in central coastal California. The genotypically different responses to these factors is discussed in relation to a seasonal fluctuation in the proportions of the coat colour morphs found on Brooks Island.
Elevated ornithine decarboxylase activity in the rat liver following exposure to halothane, enflurane and isoflurane

Exposure of rats to the volatile anesthetics, halothane, enflurane and isoflurane and low FIO2 (0.8%) for two hours results in a transient induction of ODC appearing maximally four hours after exposure. Without the low oxygen accompanying the anesthetic or the low oxygen alone, no significant induction of ODC occurred. The concentration of anesthetic used to produce the ODC induction were 0.5% halothane, 1.5% enflurane and 1.4% isoflurane. Except for halothane, reducing the anesthetic concentration only slightly reduced the effect on ODC levels to control values. Reduction of halothane concentrations to 0.1% was required to reduce the values to control levels. Pretreatment of the animals with either cycloheximide or actinomycin D delayed the onset of ODC induction. The data support the fact that liver damage can occur in the absence of metabolism of the drug.
Alterations in nonhistone chromatin proteins during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by diverse acting carcinogens.

Nonhistone chromosomal proteins (NHCP) from normal, regenerating rat liver, fetal liver, stages during acetylaminofluorene (AAF) and diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced carcinogenesis, and resultant primary hepatocellular carcinomas (PHC) were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE). These studies sought to determine if changes in proteins putatively involved in catalyzing specific gene expression (NHCP) occur during liver cancer development that might be related to the malignant phenotype. NHCP extracted in high salt-urea buffers, analyzed by 2D-PAGE and silver staining were resolved into some 530-560 polypeptides. Increases in number of NHCP amounting to 8.4, 8.6 and 8.8%, respectively, were detected in AAF induced nodules (AAF-NOD), AAF-PHCs and DEN-PHCs when compared to normal chromatins. The majority of the 51 qualitative changes detected reflected cell cycling and/or reexpression of fetal-NHCP. Within the total changes, seven new NHCP were found only in AAF- and DEN-induced PHCs. Further, four NHCP with isoelectric points and relative molecular weights (pI/MW) of 5.62/19.3, 5.96/30.7, 6.25/46.6 and 8.16/53.5 occurring in both AAF- and DEN-PHC also were found in AAF-NOD, a carcinogenesis stage considered to represent premalignant nodules. Reciprocally, three NHCP of pI/mol.wt.: 6.81/34.0, 5.82/43.7 and 8.18/67.0 present in normal liver, disappeared in all carcinogen involved tissues analyzed. These findings indicate that while AAF and DEN exposure results in a number of qualitative NHCP changes specific for the particular carcinogen, a total of only ten changes, seven inductions and three losses, occurred in common during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by these diverse agents. At least four of these NHCP may prove critical inductions during malignant conversion or alternatively might serve as tumor markers since they appear first in a well characterized premalignant stage and persist in resultant tumors.
Current Considerations in the Assessment of Youth Narcissism: Indicators of Pathological and Normative Development

The present study summarizes research on youth narcissism and examines the relations between different measures of youth narcissism and various indicators of behavioral, emotional, and social functioning. This area of research has grown dramatically in only a few years and speaks to the recognized role of self-perception in general and narcissism specifically in youth adjustment. Data are presented for 117 adolescents ages 16 to 19 attending a residential program. Results showed a moderate level of association across three measures of youth narcissism. In addition, each of the measures appeared to capture unique variance in different indicators of behavioral and social functioning. The implications of this area of research for conceptualizations of youth personality, assessment, and behavioral problems are discussed.
The neural bases of aggression and rage in the cat

This paper considers some of the basic findings underlying the neural bases of aggression and rage in the cat. The two basic models considered in this paper include predatory attack behavior and defensive rage. Anatomical studies point to the importance of the perifornical lateral hypothalamus for predatory attack and the medial hypothalamus and dorsal half of the midbrain periaqueductal gray for defensive rage as critical regions for the integration and expression of these two forms of aggressive behavior. Other experiments point to the important role of limbic structures in modulating each of these responses. The modulating properties of limbic structures provide a basic for understanding how dysfunctions of the temporal lobe can result in marked changes in aggressivity in humans. To date, studies combining brain stimulation, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical procedures have begun to identify the likely neurotransmitters that are associated with the key pathway from the medial hypothalamus to the periaqueductal gray over which defensive rage behavior is mediated, as well as the efferent pathways of the amygdala which modulate this form of aggression. Excitatory amino acids that act upon NMDA receptors have been implicated as the neurotransmitter associated with the descending pathway from the medial hypothalamus to the periaqueductal gray. Regions of the amygdala that facilitate defensive rage include the basal complex, which projects to the periaqueductal gray and utilizes excitatory amino acids as a neurotransmitter, and the medial nucleus, which projects to the medial hypothalamus and utilizes substance P as a neurotransmitter. In contrast, an enkephalinergic pathway that arises from the central nucleus of amygdala and which projects to the periaqueductal gray has been shown to powerfully inhibit defensive rage behavior.
Development of a TiO2/AC Composite Photocatalyst by Dry Impregnation for the Treatment of Methanol in Humid Airstreams

A dual-functional photocatalytic TiO2/AC composite was developed by dry impregnation for controlling pollutants through simultaneous adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation. Titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TTIP), the precursor, was effectively converted to the anatase form of TiO2 on the carbon surface after hydrolysis and calcination. The composites, prepared using various hydrolysis and calcination conditions, were evaluated for their ability to remove methanol from humid air streams. The TiO2/AC composite hydrolyzed at 175 °C for 2 h and calcined at 300 °C in air for 2 h was more effective (58%) at removing methanol as compared to the composite prepared by boil deposition (35%). The experimental results demonstrated that a dry impregnation method is an effective method for preparing photocatalytic TiO2/AC composites.
A New Time Calibration Method for Switched-capacitor-array-based Waveform Samplers.

Here we have developed a new time calibration method for the DRS4 waveform sampler that enables us to precisely measure the non-uniform sampling interval inherent in the switched-capacitor cells of the DRS4. The method uses the proportionality between the differential amplitude and sampling interval of adjacent switched-capacitor cells responding to a sawtooth-shape pulse. In the experiment, a sawtooth-shape pulse with a 40 ns period generated by a Tektronix AWG7102 is fed to a DRS4 evaluation board for calibrating the sampling intervals of all 1024 cells individually. The electronic time resolution of the DRS4 evaluation board with the new time calibration is measured to be ~2.4 ps RMS by using two simultaneous Gaussian pulses with 2.35 ns full-width at half-maximum and applying a Gaussian fit. The time resolution dependencies on the time difference with the new time calibration are measured and compared to results obtained by another method. Ultimately, the new method could be applicable for other switched-capacitor-array technology-based waveform samplers for precise time calibration.
Heuristics and Biases: Implications for Security Design

Failures of security technology are often attributed to individual fault. The lack of adoption of privacy enhancing technologies is explained as a societal failure, i.e., that people don't care. Security designers consider the individual user to be rational, certain, and self-optimizing. Thus, academic and practitioner efforts have focused on incentive alignment and education. But even the effectiveness of initiatives such as security education can be improved if well-known human decision heuristics are taken as initial inputs to improve technical solutions, rather than sources of failure to be bemoaned.
A rapid spectrophotofluorometric assay for indoleglycerol phosphate synthase

Abstract A rapid and sensitive spectrophotofluorometric assay for indoleglycerol phosphate synthase is presented. The method is based upon the fluorescence of the reaction product indoleglycerol phosphate and has two advantages over previously reported assays. It is more sensitive and is useful for measuring enzyme activities in extracts containing materials that prohibit the use of other methods.
Contributions of striatal dopamine signaling to the modulation of cognitive flexibility

Background Although cognitive flexibility is mediated by different areas of the prefrontal cortex, evidence from patients with Parkinson's disease suggests an additional involvement of striatal dopamine (DA) signaling. Because both dorsal and ventral striatum receive prefrontal cortex projections, it is unclear whether DA signaling to either one or both of these regions is required for cognitive flexibility. Methods Cognitive flexibility was examined with a water U-maze paradigm in which mice had to shift from an initially acquired escape strategy to a new strategy or to reverse the initially learned strategy. We tested mice with conditionally inactive tyrosine hydroxylase genes that can be activated by Cre recombinase. With region-specific viral gene therapy we selectively restricted DA signaling to either dorsal or ventral striatum. Results Restricting DA signaling to the ventral striatum did not impair learning of the initial strategy or reversal-learning but strongly disrupted strategy-shifting. In contrast, mice with DA signaling restricted to the dorsal striatum had intact learning of the initial strategy, reversal-learning, and strategy-shifting. Conclusions Dopamine signaling in both dorsal and ventral striatum is sufficient for reversal-learning, whereas only DA signaling in the dorsal striatum is sufficient for the more demanding strategy-shifting task.
In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Hemicraniectomy in US Hospitals

Hemicraniectomy is a surgical procedure performed to prevent cerebral herniation and death in patients who have sustained a massive ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation territory. Information on in-hospital mortality in patients with large ischemic stroke treated with hemicraniectomy outside randomized trials is lacking. We sought to identify in-hospital mortality associated with hemicraniectomy in a large US sample. We selected our cohort from the National Inpatient Sample database for the years 2000 through 2006 using the clinical classification software codes for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and arterial occlusion, and identified those patients treated with thrombolysis or hemicraniectomy by the procedure codes. A multivariate logistic regression model was used for adjusted analysis. Among 502,231 patients with AIS, 252 (0.05%) underwent hemicraniectomy, and 7526 (1.5%) were treated with thrombolysis. Compared with the nonsurgical group, patients treated with hemicraniectomy were younger (mean age, 55.6 vs 71.5 years) and had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (92.8% vs 76.0%). The mortality rate was higher in the hemicraniectomy group (32.1% vs 10.8%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.97-5.16). In patients treated with thrombolysis, mortality was higher in the hemicraniectomy group compared with the nonsurgical group (35.3% vs 13.1%; P = .01). The rate of hospital utilization of hemicraniectomy varied between 0.04% and 0.06% among all stroke admissions; the trend did not change significantly over the 7-year study period ( P = .06). The mortality rate in hemicraniectomy-treated patients was significantly lower than in historical cohorts however, hemicraniectomy remains associated with high in-hospital mortality. The rate of utilization of hemicraniectomy for AIS in US hospitals has remained essentially unchanged.
Spontaneous chiral separation in noncovalent molecular clusters.

A new method is introduced to determine the extent to which spontaneous chiral separation occurs in small noncovalently bound clusters. Soft-sampling electrospray ionization was used to transfer noncovalent complexes from solution to the gas phase. Mixing D and L enantiomers with one of the pair isotopically labeled reveals the effect of chirality on cluster stability. The observed cluster distribution is compared to the predicted statistical distribution to determine any preference for homo- or heterochirality. Arginine, for example, forms a stable trimer with no preference for the chirality of the individual amino acids. Serine, however, forms a protonated octamer with a pronounced preference for homochirality. The implications of these results for the structures of the complexes are discussed along with the broader implications for the origins of homochirality in living systems (homochirogenesis). Chirality 13:703–706, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
‘All Men Will Become Brothers’ (‘Alle Menschen werden Brüder’): Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Olympic Games ideology

First performed in an Olympic context as part of the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has become a popular mainstay of modern Olympic protoco...
Self-association energetics of an intact, full-length nuclear receptor: the B-isoform of human progesterone receptor dimerizes in the micromolar range.

ABSTRACT : We are focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying eukaryotic gene regulation, usingthe human progesterone receptor (PR) and its interactions with its DNA response elements as a modelsystem. An understanding of PR function is complicated by the presence of two transcriptionally distinctisoforms, an 83 kDa A-receptor (PR-A) and a 99 kDa B-receptor (PR-B). The two isoforms are identicalexcept the B-receptor contains an additional 164 residues at its N-terminus. As a first step towardunderstanding the principles by which the two isoforms assemble at complex promoters, we examinedthe energetics of PR-B self-association using sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium methods.Full-length human PR-B was purified to 95% homogeneity from baculovirus-infected insect cells. Usinga fluorescence hormone binding assay, we determined the purified protein to be highly active in its abilityto bind ligand. Sedimentation velocity studies of hormone-bound PR-B at pH 8.0, 4°C, and 50 mM NaCldemonstrate that it undergoes a concentration-dependent change in its sedimentation coefficient, existingas a 4.0S species at submicromolar concentrations but forming a 5.7S species at higher concentrations.These results strongly suggest that PR-B undergoes self-association in the micromolar range. This hypothesiswas examined rigorously using sedimentation equilibrium. Global analysis of the sedimentation equilibriumdata demonstrated that PR-B self-association was well described by a monomer-dimer model with adimerization free energy of -7.2 ( 0.7 kcal/mol. The role of NaCl in regulating PR-B dimerization wasexamined by carrying out sedimentation velocity and equilibrium studies under high salt conditions. At300 mM NaCl, PR-B is exclusively monomeric in the micromolar range, thus revealing a significantionic contribution to the assembly energetics. Further, the monomer sediments as a structurallyhomogeneous, but highly asymmetric, 4.0S species. Limited proteolysis of PR-B demonstrated that thehydrodynamic asymmetry is due in part to an extended, nonglobular conformation localized to theN-terminal region of PR-B. In contrast, the DNA binding domain (DBD) and hormone binding domain(HBD) exist as independent structural units, and the activation function N-terminal to the DBD (AF-1)shows moderate structure. These results represent the first rigorous analysis of the self-assembly energeticsof an intact nuclear receptor and suggest that PR function is more complex than envisioned by traditionalmodels.Progesterone receptors (PR)
Congenital heart disease in an infant with the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.

The thirteenth case of the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is presented. This is the first description of congenital heart disease associated with the multiple anomalies previously described in this syndrome.
Invasive Disease Due To Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci (GABS) Continues to Occur In Children In North Carolina. 706

A significant increase in the incidence of invasive disease due to GABS in children admitted to our hospital was noted beginning in the mid-late 1980s (J Pediatr 1991;118:341-6). Since that report, we have continued to prospectively monitor cases and herein review our experience during the subsequent 6 1/2 years (7/1/90-12/31/96). During this period, 35 pts had GABS isolated from normally sterile sites. Five (14%) had chronic underlying conditions. Eight(23%) had chicken pox. Among these 8 pts, 5 were bacteremic. Recent trauma excluding chicken pox was the source of infection in 8 (23%). Blood cultures were positive in 13 pts (37%). Sites of infection were: skin and subcutaneous tissues with or without bacteremia (n=12, 34%), lymph node (n=5), bone (5), joint (2), peritoneal fluid (2), pleural fluid (1), CSF (1), sinus (1), sinus and orbit (1), mastoid (1) and retropharyngeal abscess (1). One pt each had: endocarditis and cerebritis; necrotizing fasciitis (seen in 1995-no case had been seen in the 12 yrs prior); and toxic shock syndrome. One pt died (a one mo old with GABS sepsis and meningitis after RSV infection). Isolates from 24 pts seen through 1995 were studied. Serotypes were: M1 (n=4); M3 (4); M6 (2); M12 (3); M22 (3); M75 (1); and M-nontypable (7).
Novel recombinant gonadotropins

The gonadotropin hormones chorionic gonadotropin, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone are heterodimers that consist of a common alpha subunit noncovalently associated with a hormone-specific beta subunit. Site-directed mutagenesis and gene transfer techniques have been invaluable tools for elucidating structure-function determinants of these hormones. Here, we review how questions about the structural biology of these glycoprotein hormones have provided crucial information for creating analogs (agonists and antagonists) that can be used to treat infertility in the clinic. The ability to manipulate the protein structure of these hormones will enable the engineering of both long- and short-acting therapeutic agents.
A Bayesian model for gene family evolution

A birth and death process is frequently used for modeling the size of a gene family that may vary along the branches of a phylogenetic tree. Under the birth and death model, maximum likelihood methods have been developed to estimate the birth and death rate and the sizes of ancient gene families (numbers of gene copies at the internodes of the phylogenetic tree). This paper aims to provide a Bayesian approach for estimating parameters in the birth and death model. We develop a Bayesian approach for estimating the birth and death rate and other parameters in the birth and death model. In addition, a Bayesian hypothesis test is developed to identify the gene families that are unlikely under the birth and death process. Simulation results suggest that the Bayesian estimate is more accurate than the maximum likelihood estimate of the birth and death rate. The Bayesian approach was applied to a real dataset of 3517 gene families across genomes of five yeast species. The results indicate that the Bayesian model assuming a constant birth and death rate among branches of the phylogenetic tree cannot adequately explain the observed pattern of the sizes of gene families across species. The yeast dataset was thus analyzed with a Bayesian heterogeneous rate model that allows the birth and death rate to vary among the branches of the tree. The unlikely gene families identified by the Bayesian heterogeneous rate model are different from those given by the maximum likelihood method. Compared to the maximum likelihood method, the Bayesian approach can produce more accurate estimates of the parameters in the birth and death model. In addition, the Bayesian hypothesis test is able to identify unlikely gene families based on Bayesian posterior p-values. As a powerful statistical technique, the Bayesian approach can effectively extract information from gene family data and thereby provide useful information regarding the evolutionary process of gene families across genomes.
Transition finite elements with temperature and temperature gradients as primary variables for axisymmetric heat conduction

Abstract This paper presents finite element formulation for a special class of elements referred to as “transition finite elements” for axisymmetric heat conduction. The transition elements are necessary in applications requiring the use of both axisymmetric solid elements and axisymmetric shell elements. The elements permit transition from the solid portion of the structure to the shell portion of the structure. A novel feature of the formulation presented here is that nodal temperatures as well as nodal temperature gradients are retained as primary variables. The weak formulation of the Fourier heat conduction equation is constructed in the cylindrical co-ordinate system ( r , z ). The element geometry is defined in terms of the co-ordinates of the nodes as well as the nodal point normals for the nodes lying on the middle surface of the element. The element temperature field is approximated in terms of element approximation functions, nodal temperatures and the nodal temperature gradients. The properties of the transition elements are then derived using the weak formulation and the element temperature approximation. The formulation presented here permits linear temperature distribution through the element thickness. Convective boundaries as well as distributed heat flux is permitted on all four faces of the element. Furthermore, the element formulation also permits distributed heat flux and orthotropic material behaviour. Numerical examples are presented, first to illustrate the accuracy of the formulation and second to demonstrate its usefulness in practical applications. Numerical results are also compared with the theoretical solutions.
Dissecting the time course of person recognition in natural viewing environments

Person recognition often unfolds over time and distance as a person approaches, with the quality of identity information from faces, bodies, and motion in constant flux. Participants were familiarized with identities using close-up and distant videos. Recognition was tested with videos of people approaching from a distance. We varied the timing of prompted responses in the test videos, the amount of video seen, and whether the face, body, or whole person was visible. A free response condition was also included to allow participants to respond when they felt 'confident'. The pattern of accuracy across conditions indicated that recognition judgments were based on the most recently available information, with no contribution from qualitatively diverse and statistically useful person cues available earlier in the video. Body recognition was stable across viewing distance, whereas face recognition improved with proximity. The body made an independent contribution to recognition only at the farthest distance tested. Free response latencies indicated meta-knowledge of the optimal proximity for recognition from faces versus bodies. Notably, response bias varied strongly as a function of participants' expectation about whether closer proximity video was forthcoming. These findings lay the groundwork for developing person recognition theories that generalize to natural viewing environments.
Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Collaborative Multi-Sensor Tracking

Localization, tracking, and navigation (or geolocation) are essential in many commercial, security, public safety, and military applications. It is widely known that accurate and reliable geolocation is extremely difficult to achieve in complex multipath environments such as indoor and urban areas. With the recent advances in sensor networks, it has become possible to form dynamic multihop networks using many sensor nodes and thus to accomplish collaborative sensing and processing with distributed sensor nodes, which provides unprecedented opportunity to accomplish reliable localization in complex application scenarios. Collaboration of resource-constrained, unreliable sensor nodes is extremely important to achieving substantial sensing and processing capability in the aggregate and to providing collectively reliable network behavior in mission-critical applications. In this paper, we present a general framework for collaborative localization and tracking of mobile sensor nodes using sequential Monte Carlo methods. Various simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach.
The effect of wrapping scarred nerves with autogenous vein graft to treat recurrent chronic nerve compression

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of vein wrapping of scarred nerves in a chronic nerve compression model in rats. The ultimate goal was to provide experimental evidence for application of the technique of vein wrapping of nerves for the treatment of recurrent compressive neuropathy. The chronic nerve compression model was created in 100 rats. After 8 months the nerves were decompressed. In 50 rats the nerves were wrapped with an opened femoral vein graft; the remaining 50 animals served as controls. The sciatic nerves of both groups were evaluated at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after surgery. Functionally, the sciatic nerves in the vein-wrapped group showed greater improvement than those in the non-vein-wrapped group. For electrophysiologic testing the latency was significantly shorter in the vein-wrapped group. Histologic evaluation showed marked nerve degeneration and scar tissue formation around the nerves in the non-vein-wrapped group but not in the vein-wrapped group. The results indicate that the vein graft could improve the recovery of nerve function by protecting the nerve from surrounding scar and is an effective and feasible technique for the surgical treatment of recurrent compressive neuropathy. (J Hand Surg 2000; 25A:93-103.
Stride-dependent changes in gait of older people.

Infrared computerized stroboscopic photometry was used to measure the kinematic profile of walking of 20 young adults and 20 neurologically healthy elderly people. Compared with the young adults, the elderly exhibited 17–20% reductions in the velocity of gait and length of stride. The elderly also exhibited comparable reductions in the maximum toe-floor clearance, arm swing, and rotations of the hips and knees, but these alterations in gait were attributable to the reduction in stride length, which may have non-neurological causes. The influence of reduced gait velocity and stride length on the other characteristics of walking must be considered when evaluating the pattern of walking in elderly people.
Combined fiber optical confocal microscopy for noninvasive optical sensing

A novel and simple noninvasive sensor techniquefor simultaneous measurement of refractinve-index and thickness of both optically transparent and non-transparent media is presented. It is a fiber-optic confocal-microscope-type sensor technique based on either a single-confocal or a combined dual-confocal fiber-optic design. The single-confocal design is a single-fiber, intensity sensing arrangement that provides precise spatial location of the backreflecting sample surfaces and bi-parameter measurements. The combined dual-confocal design includes two independent confocal channels consisting of two identical apertureless fiber-optic-type confocal microscopes constructed by use of a single 2×2 fiber coupler. This sensor arrangement provides direct measurement in absolute unites of refractive-index and thickness of optically transparent and non-transparent media.
Synthesis Strategies to Design Structures for Catalytic Applications

Abstract Two approaches to synthesize silicon-based catalytic structures that aim at capturing the properties and functionalities of natural enzymes are described in this brief review: unit-by-unit synthesis of macromolecular units and templating/imprinting synthesis of nano-cages. The unit-by-unit approach mimics the peptide synthesis method, offers atomic control of the structure, but is inefficient in synthesizing large structures such as nanocages. The templating/imprinting method is more suitable for nanocages at the sacrifice of atomic control, and the nanocages obtained are shown to possess properties exhibited by enzyme cavities.
On predator-prey interactions with predation dependent on age of prey

Abstract This paper combines previously developed models for nonlinear age-dependent population dynamics with the classical Volterra-Lotka model of interacting predator and prey populations. For the resulting models the basic evolution equations of the theory reduce to systems of ordinary differential equations. The limiting dynamics of the predator and prey populations are shown to depend substantially on what ages of prey are eaten by predators. Two cases in particular are studied: where the predator eats all ages of prey indiscriminately, and where the predator eats only eggs (or newborns, equivalently). Indiscriminate eating is found to lead to stable periodic oscillations in numbers of predator and prey, such as occur in the Volterra-Lotka equations, while egg eating leads to oscillations which increase rapidly in amplitude and result, ultimately, in the extinction of both predator and prey. It is suggested that age-selective predation could be a more effective means of extinction than age-indiscriminate predation.
Hormonal patterns during heat stress following PGF2α-tham salt induced luteal regression in heifers

Ten, normally cycling, Holstein heifers were assigned to one of two environmental treatment groups (21.3 C, 59% RH or 32.0 C, 67% RH). PGF(2)alpha was used to induce luteal regression and synchronize estrus in order to evaluate temperature effects on various hormonal and physiological responses during the proestrous through metestrous periods. Environmental temperature (32.0 C) evoked a 1.4 C increase in rectal temperature and a 3.6 C increase in skin temperatures. Length of estrus was shorter (P .10). Mean estradiol concentrations were significantly (P .10) were detected in mean concentrations of LH between heifers at 21.3 C and 32.0 C. Preovulatory peak LH concentrations were 32.2 and 33.2 ng/ml plasma, respectively. All animals had a preovulatory surge of LH, suggesting that hyperthermia did not alter factors which regulate hypothalamic control of LH release. Mean basal concentrations of prolactin and corticoids were not different between temperature treatments (P>.10). However, mean corticoid response following ACTH was of lower magnitude, earlier to peak, and of shorter duration in heat stressed heifers. Heat stress did not appear to affect the hormonal milieu in peripheral plasma associated with corpus luteum regression (decrease in progestin) and ovulation (LH surge). However, duration of estrus, concentrations of estradiol at proestrus and corticoid response to injection of ACTH were reduced.
Neutrons and γ-rays from radioactive 13C(α, n) sources

Abstract Radioactive sources based on the 13C(α, n) reaction emit 6.13 MeV γ-rays, useful for the calibration of Ge(Li) detectors. As there detectors are highly sensitive to neutron damage, neutron spectra and 6.13 MeV gamma to neutron ratios have been measured on two sources: one containing 227Ac and the other 244Cm as α-emitter.
Homeostatic T cell proliferation as a barrier to T cell tolerance

The maintenance of T cell numbers in the periphery is mediated by distinct homeostatic mechanisms that ensure the proper representation of naive and memory T cells. Homeostatic proliferation refers to the process by which T cells in lymphopenic hosts divide in the absence of cognate antigen to reconstitute the peripheral lymphoid compartment. During this process T cells acquire effector-memory like properties, including the ability to respond to low doses of antigen in the absence of CD28 costimulation. Furthermore, this capacity is retained long after proliferation has ceased. Accumulating data implicates homeostatic proliferation in autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection, and suggests that it may represent a barrier to tolerance in protocols that use T cell depletion. Implementing combination therapies that aim to promote the development and expansion of regulatory T cell populations while specifically targeting alloresponsive T cells may be the soundest approach to attaining allograft tolerance in the aftermath of T cell depletion and homeostatic proliferation.
Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage

An anomaly of pulmonary venous drainage in an 8-year-old child is described whereby all four pulmonary veins emptied into a common chamber which in turn communicated with both the left atrium and the inferior vena cava. The venous anomaly and an accompanying atrial septal defect were demonstrated by selective cineangiocardiography. Ligation of the vein at the level of the right diaphragm, thus rerouting the entire pulmonary venous return through the alternate pathway to the left atrium, was tolerated without difficulty. The embryology, diagnosis, and surgical management of the anomaly are discussed.
Dissolution of Slightly Soluble Powders Under Sink Conditions II: Griseofulvin Powders

Dissolution studies were carried out on micronized and regular milled griseofulvin powders. A three-compartment dissolution apparatus previously developed by the authors was used. A barrier was used in the dissolution medium to prevent the floating masses from entering directly into the sink phase. The individual, wetted particles of these powders could pass through the barrier pores. It was demonstrated that these particles do not enter and dissolve in the sink phase due to the presence of the aqueous layer around them. The presence of a sink phase and the introduction of samples in the form of suspensions were considered necessary to obtain appropriate rank order in the dissolution rates. A modified Hixon and Crowell cube root law was applied to obtain dissolution-rate constants for two different particle-size griseofulvin powders.
More on the Ontology of Social Structure: A Reply to Rossi

Caws, Peter 1974 Operational, Representational and Explanatory Models. American Anthropologist 76:1-10. 1976 The Ontology of Social Structure: A Reply to Hanson. American Anthropologist 78:325-327. Rossi, Ino 1973 Verification in Anthropology: The Case of Structural Analysis. Journal of Symbolic Anthropology 2:27-46. 1976 Book review of F. Korn's Elementary Structures Reconsidered: Levi-Strauss on Kinship. American Anthropologist 78:145. 1977 Reply to Cohen. American Anthropologist 79:114-115.
Diphtheria toxin fused to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and Ara-C exert synergistic toxicity against human AML HL-60 cells

Human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor fused to truncated diphtheria toxin (DT388-GM-CSF) sensitized wild-type and Bcl2-overexpressing HL60 human leukemia cells to intoxication by Ara-C based on proliferation and clonogenic assays. The toxin/drug combination showed dramatic synergistic toxicity with combination indices of < 0.1. Synergy was not seen with two other protein synthesis inhibiting drugs--ricin and cycloheximide nor with GMCSF alone. No changes in Ara-C incorporation into cellular DNA or cell cycle occupancy were seen. As compared to exposure to DT388-GM-CSF or Ara-C alone, co-treatment produced significant increases in cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c, a higher percentage of cells with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase in reactive oxygen species and morphologic changes of apoptosis, and a greater induction of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and DNA fragmentation factor 45 (DFF45) cleavage activities of caspase 3. Co-treatment did not significantly alter Bcl2, Bcl-xL, Bax or Fas receptor (FasR), but modestly increased Fas ligand (FasL) protein. These finding suggest that co-treatment with DT388-GM-CSF may lead to a lowered apoptotic threshold and clonogenic survival of human AML blasts due to Ara-C. These observations also suggest that clinical trials of combination therapy may be warranted in patients with AML.
Invasive Nasal Alternariosis

Alternaria, a naturally occurring plant pathogen, may rarely cause infection in immunocompromised patients. This report describes a case of invasive alternariosis in a 33-year-old patient with acut...
The wages of enmity

That the mere appearance of respectful talks between Iran and the United States should inspire so much hopeful speculation is of course more evidence of just how dire and hopeless the relationship has been until now. Thirty-five years of mutual estrangement have conjured up some particularly noxious mythologies on both sides. But myths and false narratives do not exist in a vacuum; they are imagined and sustained by those whose self-interest and personal glory obliges them to insist on the continuation of hostility and distrust. Much of the farce and tragedy in US–Iran relations is, in the end, the fruits of a history bedeviled by too much hubris and too little reflective understanding.
Plasma turbulence of non-specular trail plasmas as measured by a High Power Large Aperture radar

High Power, Large Aperture (HPLA) Radars have been used to characterize the plasmas formed as meteoroids ablate in Earth's atmosphere. These plasmas are referred to as heads, which are the plasmas surrounding the meteoroids, and trails, which are plasmas behind the meteoroids. A particular subset of the trails is nonspecular trails, which are detected when the radar beam is quasi-perpendicular to the magnetic field. These returns are thought to be the reflection from field aligned irregularities (FAIs) that form due to the onset of turbulence in the meteor trail. In this paper, we present nonspecular trails detected by the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) Long-range Tracking and Identification Radar (ALTAIR). These data include dual frequency, dual polarized, and high range resolution in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) returns with additional azimuth and elevation data derived from the monopulse system. In order to describe the properties of the plasma turbulence, we first present turbulence onset times for the nonspecular trails and make comparisons to nonspecular trail models. Second, we describe the evolution process of the nonspecular turbulence using a calculated ambipolar diffusion coefficient. Our results, in conjunction with an analysis of the diffusion perpendicular and parallel to the magnetic field, demonstrate that the ambipolar diffusion coefficient is not a sufficient description of the diffusion processes of the turbulence in nonspecular trails and that other influences must be considered when calculating the diffusion coefficients of nonspecular trails.
Adaptive Bayesian Wavelet Shrinkage

Abstract When fitting wavelet based models, shrinkage of the empirical wavelet coefficients is an effective tool for denoising the data. This article outlines a Bayesian approach to shrinkage, obtained by placing priors on the wavelet coefficients. The prior for each coefficient consists of a mixture of two normal distributions with different standard deviations. The simple and intuitive form of prior allows us to propose automatic choices of prior parameters. These parameters are chosen adaptively according to the resolution level of the coefficients, typically shrinking high resolution (frequency) coefficients more heavily. Assuming a good estimate of the background noise level, we obtain closed form expressions for the posterior means and variances of the unknown wavelet coefficients. The latter may be used to assess uncertainty in the reconstruction. Several examples are used to illustrate the method, and comparisons are made with other shrinkage methods.
A Developmental Assessment of Children's Verbal Strategies for Social Action Resolution*

Abstract The objectives of this study were (1) to devise a method to assess children's developing verbal strategies for action resolution as expressed in reflection on a naturalistic, real-life social experience and (2) to examine these strategies in relation to differences in age and reflective social understanding level. In the design of this study the two independent variables were grade (second and third versus fourth and fifth) and level of reflective social understanding (level 1 versus level 2 on a social understanding interview schedule). Four small activity groups (six subjects per group), homogeneous with respect to grade and reflective social understanding level, were composed from 24 girls with middle class backgrounds. Each of the four groups met for twelve consecutive school weaks, once a week, for 90 minutes in adult supervised after-school cooperative group activities (e.g., putting on a puppet show). A Social Action Resolution Strategies interview was administered to each subject individually at the end of the twelve-week program in order to assess the child's preferred verbally expressed choice of action for resolving common conflits which arose in the activity group experience. Interviews were coded according to four levels of social action resolution strategies (0–3). Results indicated that the developmental sequence of social perspective-taking levels can be considered to underlie the range of strategies used by children to settle social conflicts as well as social understanding levels. A clear relation among level of social action resolution strategies, level of reflective social understanding, and grade was found.
Studies of RNA release reaction catalyzed by E. coli transcription termination factor rho using isolated ternary transcription complexes

Protein factor rho catalyzes site-specific termination of transcription in a reaction requiring hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphate with eventual release of RNA from RNA polymerase and DNA template. We have characterized the rho-catalyzed RNA release reaction using isolated transcription complexes. Transcription complexes containing T7 D111 DNA, RNA polymerase, and 3H-labeled nascent RNA were formed and isolated by gel filtration on an Agarose 5M column. When the ternary complexes were incubated with rho factor in the presence of ATP, or dATP, significant amounts of nascet RNA were released from the complexes as determined in a membrane filtration assay. Gel electrophoretic analysis of RNA has revealed that rho releases selected species of discrete-sized RNA from among those originally present in the ternary complexes. These results show that rho essentially acts to release RNA from those ternary complexes which have come to pause, and that this reaction proceeds in a discrete step separately from the pausing of RNA synthesis. Under the conditions used, the extent of RNA release widely varied at individual pausing sites and thus the action of rho exhibited certain site-selectivity.